《The Regressor Can Make Them All》


 Chapter 1

    <h4>Chapter 1</h4>


    When one awakens to magical powers, they encounter a phenomenon known as synesthetic mindscape. Some envision night skies filled with countless falling stars, while others smell all kinds of fragrances. Some even hear everything around them being vacuumed away to a single point.


    The same synesthetic mindscapes would then ur indiscriminately, with no rules whatsoever, and I was no exception.


    <i>Swoooosh-</i>


    A faint sound of waves brushed against my ears. Only one thought came to mind when I first encountered my synesthetic mindscape.


    <i>Why waves?</i>


    If it were the crackling sounds of fire, I would understand, but my sensory image absolutely had no rtion to my cksmith ss. In fact, unlike others, I periodically heard the waves, and each urrence only left me with more questions. And despite innumerable hours of hammering away, stoking the fire in the furnace, and crafting entire arsenals, I still could not find the answer.


    <i>Swoooosh-</i>


    Only now, as the world was on the brink of destruction, did Ie to understand that the waves were actually an indication of the world¡¯s demise.


    ¡°Fuck...¡±


    The distant rumbles that once seemed capable of wiping out entire districts and the roars that could instantly st out millions of people¡¯s eardrums were growing faint, indicating that the battle between the Destroyer of Seas and Forlorn Hope wasing to an end.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    Even if I wanted to see the progression of the battle myself, my fractured neck made it impossible for me to turn my head. My spine was shattered to pieces, rendering my lower body devoid of sensation, and seeing how blood welled up in my mouth, it seemed that the condition of my internal organs was also pretty dire. I was lucky to have enough strength left to cough out the blood in my mouth, or I might have already drowned to death.


    ¡°I should have just died...¡±


    <i>I wouldn¡¯t have blocked it if I knew I would be left paralyzed in this horrible pain.</i>


    As I entertained such futile thoughts, I leaned against my broadsword and slowly breathed out to ease my pain.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    A grotesquely contorted head fell before my eyes. All three horns had been pulverized and four irises that once gleamed with a blue hue were distorted as if it had been subjected to torture. The condition of the head certainly conveyed how painfully the Destroyer of Seas met its end.


    ¡°Serves you right, asshole...¡± I sneered as I examined the head.


    It¡¯s funny that in the end, he was ironically in by the humans that he so belittled, after all that bragging about how he was the strongest amongst the six Harbingers of Destruction and how he would bring the end of the world. I wanted tough heartily, but I feared I might die coughing up too much blood.


    As I was holding my breath in agitation, the three that yed the Destroyer of Seas had returned.


    ¡°Drop that shit, man.¡±


    ¡°Some might even believe that you killed the Destroyer of Seas.¡±


    ¡°Exactly what I mean, you were just ying possum.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? He was just trying to snatch away the credit while we took care of the battalion.¡±


    They ganged up on me like hyenas just because I was smiling and in a good mood, but I was too used to this kind of situation.


    ¡°Phh, stop with all the unting. If it weren¡¯t for the arsenal I forged, you guys would have been gone for good.¡± I said with a smirk.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°You bastard...¡±


    ¡°Wow, what bullshit.¡±


    They said this as they red at me.


    As I smirked at how they hadn¡¯t changed at all since the first gathering of Forlorn Hope, they let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Never mind, what¡¯s the point of bothering a dying man?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he always acts like this anyway.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I give up.¡±


    They copsed to the ground in exhaustion.


    ¡°Are any of you going to survive this?¡± I asked as they sat with their backs turned against each other, unwilling to look at one another.


    ¡°I¡¯m done for; all my organs are shattered.¡±


    ¡°Same here; the bleeding won¡¯t stop because of some curse.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, it doesn¡¯t seem like I can make it either; I was stabbed through the heart.¡±


    ¡°So, it alles down to this,¡± I said as I sighed at the sight of them calmly discussing their impending deaths.


    Although the Destroyer of Seas was thest of the six, ny percent of the world had been swept away by his colossal cataclysmic waves. Since the Tower of Heroes that had been upholding Earth had copsed now, Earth would plunge into the Abyss of Demons, annihting anything left on the¡¯s surface.


    ¡°Haah...¡± We might have won this battle, but we had already lost the war.


    ¡°You three should have helped me much sooner...¡± I muttered.


    Although I had known this was how it would end before I had even assembled Forlorn Hope, I couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter at the result.


    The three Dogs in front of me were fence-sitters that took neither the side of humanity nor the Abyss. They only sought their own interests, moving as selfishly as they pleased.


    <i>If only I had them...</i> It¡¯s not that they were the strongest ones out there, but they could aplish deeds that others couldn¡¯t due to their unique talents. If only they had disyed their skills earlier, other heroes wouldn¡¯t have lost their lives in vain, and we might have reached a different conclusion.


    ¡°Be grateful that we even helped you at the end...¡±


    Mad Dog Yeom Sung-Ha.


    ¡°Don¡¯tin if you¡¯re weaker than us, jerk.¡±


    st Dog Luize Valente.


    ¡°Eat shit, man.¡±


    Frost Dog Amir Singh.


    ¡°You bastards...¡± I chuckled ironically as they didn¡¯t back down even at their very end.


    I wanted to throw loads of curses at them, but what was the point if they couldn¡¯t even hear them anymore?


    <i>Where did it all go wrong?</i> I pondered as I first nced at those three sitting with their backs turned against each other and then gazed at the darkening sky.


    Should I have assembled Forlorn Hope sooner? Was it because the Perfect Ones, the most powerful beings of humanity, failed to join forces properly? Or maybe it¡¯s because I failed to learn the real meaning behind the crashing sounds of waves in my synesthetic mindscape?


    <i>I am the problem, </i>I realized as I reflected on the decades of my life shing before my eyes.


    If only I had swung my hammer for others ande to senses about my given talent sooner, maybe things would actually be different.


    ¡°I must be crazy...¡± Iughed bitterly at these lingering regrets, realizing that it was all futile as it was all in the past. Since I had made a promise to myself to not regret anything regardless of the oue, I forcibly shook away the thoughts flooding my mind as I ced a hand on my waist.


    <i>Clench-</i>


    I took firm hold of my hammer and slowly stood up, not taking support from my broadsword anymore.


    <i>Cough!</i>


    Blood quickly oozed out as the restorative power of the broadsword was no longer present. I could die in peace if I just sat down, but I wanted my life to end meaningfully.


    ¡°These are my life¡¯s masterpieces; I can¡¯t just leave them in this condition.¡±


    I picked up the three Dogs¡¯ weapons with the little strength left in my body and swung my hammer amidst the deste ruins.


    <i>Ching! Ching!</i>


    Sparks of fire rose, and my hammer glowed red.


    Though they wouldn¡¯t be as perfect as if they were reforged in the workshop, with this Ember Hammer from my master, I could certainly mend them adequately.


    The worn-out weapons were reforged, and I firmly shoved them beside their corresponding owners.


    ¡°Phew...¡± This idea of raising graves for them seemed entirely pointless, since the waves would ultimatelye crashing in and erase what was built.


    <i>Swooooosh-</i>


    The annihtive waves were gradually drawing nearer. I looked down at my hammer and realized there was not much time left.


    <i>Is this really the end?</i>


    If it really was the end, I would rather take my own life than drown in the waves. I grasped my chest tightly as a sudden thought came to my mind.


    <i>Bond Extraction.</i>


    <strong>[Extracting bond from subject ¡®Lee Se-Hoon¡¯]</strong>


    <strong>[The bond with the host is Lv. ¡ª.]</strong>


    A piece of transparent ore revealed itself in the palm of my hand, glowing radiantly.


    <i>Still dull, as expected.</i> I gazed upon the forever-unchanging colorless ore.


    My unique skill, cksmith of Bonds, allowed me to extract Fatestones, special ores, from those who had formed a rtionship with me. The element of the ore varied depending on the kind of rtionship established with the subject and the subject¡¯s capability for power. But when I used the skill upon myself, it always yielded low-quality ore, inferior even to ordinary iron ore.


    <i>If only I had awakened this...</i> Regrets flooded in as I recalled the past once again. Sighing at my failure to shake off the lingering regrets, I looked at the empty Fatestone.


    <i>If there is nothing left inside...</i> At least I could take away the tormenting regrets. I clenched my hammer onest time and hammered away at the colorless ore.


    <i>Swoooosh-</i>


    Instead of the sound of iron being hammered, the sound of waves filled my ears. Was it the sound of impending doom approaching me, or was it my usual hallucination from my synesthetic mindscape? Without being able to tell the difference, I swung my hammer without rest and found myself smiling. Whenever the sound of waves echoed in my ears, I knew that I was forging something better than expected.


    <i>Ha, I must be a lunatic.</i> It was absurd to find delight in crafting a weapon while hearing the world¡¯s demise.


    Throughout my emptyughter, I hammered away at the ore until thest of my strength was depleted.


    ¡°Ha... Ha...¡±


    A in, colorless dagger, forged decently enough, appeared in front of me. It was well-made in a sense, but no more than that. It had no special skills or powers imbued, as it was crafted only using my own Fatestone.


    <i>Swoooosh-</i>


    The tide was lurking right in front of me. Slowly, I pointed the dagger toward me, and then I noticed that the three Dogs¡¯ bodies were disappearing.


    What should I say during moments like this? I considered cursing at the entire world but then thought better of it, chuckling softly instead.


    ¡°Life...fuck you...¡±


    This was enough.


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    The de pierced through my heart as smoothly as through empty space. I couldn¡¯t help but smile in satisfaction at the sharpness of the de. I wondered who could¡¯ve forged such a good de.


    <strong>[Weapon ¡®---¡¯ synesthetic mindscape has been activated.]</strong>


    <strong>[Activating skill ¡®Return to Origin¡¯]</strong>


    ***


    <i>Swoooosh-</i>


    I frowned as I heard the so-irritating faint sounds of waves again.


    <i>I¡¯m not dead yet?</i> Was the dagger so sharp that I didn¡¯t even realize I had been stabbed in the heart? I decided to strike myself again before the tide caught up to me.


    <i>Tap.</i>


    I felt a blunt sensation against my chest. In reaction to this sensation, I opened my eyes slowly.


    The scene that unfolded before me was different from what I had expected. Pungent smoke and mes scorched my face. My clothes were tattered and burned, and a blunt hammer was pressing against my chest.


    I have seen this scene somewhere before, yet it was too distant to figure it out precisely.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Trainee, are you not paying attention?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon!!¡±


    It was only at the shout that I realized that he was talking to me. I raised my head and saw an irritated man with a contorted expression and several teenagers in theirte teens and early twenties, all standing in front of the makeshift furnace.


    ¡°What kind of behavior is this? This is an exam, and if you don¡¯t want toply, pack your stuff and leave the room immediately.¡±


    ¡°Exam...¡±


    Words from the man in front of me, the test proctor, sparked my memory. This was an exam for Babel Academy, a ce where apprentices ascending the Tower of Heroes are fostered. I had previously applied for the Metallurgy Department here but had failed miserably.


    Although this might just be a bittersweet memory, there was a bigger problem.


    This memory was from a staggering thirty-one years ago.


    ¡°Exam?¡±


    I had returned to that past.

 Chapter 2

    <h4>Chapter 2</h4>


    ¡°This is yourst warning; if there is another racket, you will be disqualified from the exam and kicked out of the room immediately.¡± The proctor warned Lee Se-Hoon in a stern voice.


    As the proctor left, the momentarily gathered attention dispersed. Since this exam was crucial for entering the famous Babel Academy, trainees paid no attention to whether others made mistakes or not. Instead, they took it as one of theirpetitors dropping out and continued with their weapon forging.


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon gazed nkly at his hand, spacing out after being warned by the proctor.


    <i>I returned to thirty-one years ago? Why? How?</i>


    He thought it was just his life shing before his eyes before he died, yet his sensations felt too vivid. As he fiddled with the cheap hammer in his hand, he tried to recall thest few minutes before he died. Momentster, a faint recollection surfaced.


    <strong>[Weapon ¡®---¡¯ synesthetic mindscape has been activated.]</strong>


    <strong>[Activating skill ¡®Return to Origin¡¯]</strong>


    <i>Right, synesthetic mindscape manifestation...</i> A phenomenon where a powerful skill gets imbued into items forged with Fatestones. Although he had encountered this countless times while forging, there was something off this time.


    <i>It was the first time it happened with my Fatestone.</i>


    Despite having crafted millions of items using his Fatestone, this kind of manifestation had never taken ce.


    <i>Then how did the synesthetic mindscape activate, and how did I return to the past?</i>


    This situation puzzled him, but he eventually reached a conclusion.


    <i>Was it by coincidence?</i>


    Come to think of it, his first disy of synesthetic mindscape manifestation was when he had been frantically trying to fend off an assault at his workstation. So perhaps it was also just a coincidence this time. His face turned nk as he thought about it, and then he burst intoughter at the weak conclusion he hade to.


    <i>This is crazy.</i>


    Either he was insane, or the world had gone mad. He couldn¡¯tprehend what was going on, but the reality was that he had returned to the past. And it wasn¡¯t just any moment that he had gone back to; he was back to the very first regretful moment of his life.


    <i>What to do... well, there¡¯s nothing to think about.</i>


    With his mind finally clearing up a bit, he turned his head and checked the remaining time for the exam. <i>One hour.</i>


    He nced around and noticed that the rest of the trainees were almost done with their forging.


    <i>This is ridiculous.</i> He quickly scanned the piece of ore he was working on. It was haphazardly pounded and poorly bnced,cking any proper form, making it unsuitable even for decorative use.


    <i>Perhaps I should stick to refining it for now,</i> he thought, stroking his chin in dismay. The score might drop a bit, but passing the test was all he needed anyway. With that thought in mind, he grasped the hammer lightly.


    ***


    ¡°How atrocious.¡± Kim In-Cheol, a middle-aged man, was staring at the trainees and muttering with discontent. Although he didn¡¯t expect much from this group, as it only consisted of reserved trainees, they were far worse than he had anticipated.


    <i>Even ounting for the substantial drop in the Department of cksmithing¡¯s position...</i> The candidates didn¡¯t even have the basic knowledge of how to control the mes or what posture they should take when wielding a hammer. They struck the iron blindly while pouring out whatever little mana and skills they possessed without even following the basic rules of forging. Could this process really be described as forging?


    <i>Gathering many candidates didn¡¯t really solve the issue.</i> He let out a deep sigh and lowered his head in disappointment while rubbing his eyebrows.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Suddenly, a single sound resonated within the examination hall. It was a sound so sharp that he could instantly distinguish it among all of the trainees¡¯ hammering. His eyes widened in surprise as the sound reverberated in his ears.


    <i>ng! ng!</i>


    The sound was slow but rhythmic, undisturbed, and clear. Its peculiarity startled him and grasped his attention.


    <i>Who is making this sound?</i> He searched frantically across the examination room to find the source¡ªhis gloomy mood waspletely gone.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Eventually, he found a young man swinging his hammer confidently, without a single sign of hesitation in his swings. At first nce, it seemed like the swings were aimless, but the iron underneath was surely being forged excellently, unlike any other piece in the room.


    <i>...It¡¯s as if he has be apletely different man.</i>


    Even though In-Cheol was severely disappointed in the trainees, he still observed their basic posture for the evaluation process. Among them, Se-Hoon had been far below average and under the cut-off line for qualification into Babel Academy.


    <i>Come to think of it, he was dazing away when In-Sung scolded him.</i>


    Although it was umon, there were cases where individuals awakened their skills without any preemptive signs and then showed a significant improvement in technique. Maybe Se-Hoon was one of them.


    <i>How interesting.</i> This exam had seemed like it was going to end with all of the trainees being disqualified without a second evaluation, but things seemed like they might actually turn out differently. In-Cheol straightened out of his slouched posture and examined Se-Hoon carefully.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    All of a sudden, the most exceptional piece of work in the room was shattered.


    ***


    When Se-Hoon first began the refining process, he took it lightly. While Babel Academy¡¯s reputation was pretty significant, it was only a training institution. Considering his fame and skills before the regression, this exam should be a walk in the park.


    To him, this session was essentially a check-up to evaluate the state of his body from thirty-one years ago. It was clear that he had to understand the limits of his ability; after all, it was impossible to immediately return to the heights of his cksmithing years.


    <i>Clench-</i>


    However, he just couldn¡¯t bear looking at what he was forging. This elongated, pointed piece of trash masquerading as a sword was being forged with his very own hands.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped; this was the best he could perform in this state. His body was unable to wield a hammer properly as he wasn¡¯t trained, and his mana was too feeble for even smithing, let alone forging. Although hepletely understood the situation, his whole body was itchy, and blood rushed to his head as he contorted his face.


    Back then, he had been a true artisan who wouldn''t allow the slightest aberration in his craft, not even imperceptible ones on the order of nanometers. Once he found a single mistake, even if the piece was worth billions, he would smash it to pieces without hesitation. He was known as a ¡°Debtor cksmith¡± and didn¡¯t allow such mistakes to pass by.


    ¡°Hmph!!¡±


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Striking it on the anvil, he broke the knife into two clean pieces. Everyone in the room, including the proctor, was surprised. It wasmon that trainees were discouraged when their crafts didn''t turn out as they hoped, but there had never been a case where the trainee smashed their own piece of work because of it.


    <i>How dare you...</i> Han In-Sung, the proctor who had given him the initial warning, couldn¡¯t ept this situation. He just couldn¡¯t ept the fact that a trainee showed this much rudeness in front of the lead professor of the Department of cksmithing.


    He angrily stomped toward Se-Hoon, determined to remove him from the examination room this time.


    ¡°Proctor... sir.¡± Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes glimmered ominously, his body stiff.


    To In-Sung, he was an insignificant figure, as his skills were far below average even among this batch of reserved trainees.


    ¡°...¡±


    However, after standing in front of him, no words came out of In-Sung¡¯s mouth. He felt the same presenceing out of Se-Hoon as the one he had felt during his days back in Babel©¥the pressure of a condescending sunbae who wandered around looking for someone to pick a fight with.


    ¡°I have something I would like to say...¡± Se-Hoon clenched his teeth and tried hard to hold back the urge to speak informally to the proctor.


    ¡°What is the issue?¡± In-Sung asked, gulping nervously.


    ¡°I would like to reforge the item.... Could you provide me with the necessary material... please?¡±


    In-Sung¡¯s eyes trembled as he couldn¡¯t discern if this was a polite request or a direct order. Normally, he would rebuke the candidate for such audacious behavior, but he found himself unable to utter a single word. He contemted at that moment, torn between his reflex of refusing outright and his instincts warning him against it; he was actually scared that Se-Hoon would somehow retaliate if denied.


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    In-Cheol, who had somehow approached unnoticed, picked up a piece of the knife. The trainees around him murmured in curiosity as he carefully examined the piece, as if he had a genuine interest in it.


    Unlike In-Sung, he was a man who rightfully deserved the title of head professor of the Department of cksmithing at Babel Academy. He was a colossal figure, earning a spot among the world¡¯s top one hundred cksmiths.


    ¡°Hey, you,¡± said In-Cheol. He stared at Se-Hoon as he put back the broken piece on top of the anvil.


    ¡°Do you think that breaking this knife was the right thing to do?¡±


    This question could be interpreted in many different ways. Other trainees would have panicked, thinking they must have done something wrong. But only one answer popped into Se-Hoon¡¯s head for this question.


    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t want to submit something like that for this examination.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡± After seeing how unwavering he was, In-Cheol thought for a moment and then shifted his gaze to In-Sung, who was staring nkly beside him.


    ¡°Proctor Han, are there any leftover materials?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ah, yes. There are some left.¡±


    ¡°Then bring some here. It doesn¡¯t conflict with the examination rules anyway.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true... but...¡±


    In-Sung cautiously questioned this decision, thinking it might be excessive considering the circumstances.


    ¡°Should I bring them here myself?¡±


    ¡°No, sir!¡± In-Sung quickly scurried to the materials room and came back with arge box.


    ¡°<i>Huff, huff</i>... I have brought all the iron ore and ignition stones.¡±


    ¡°Good job.¡± After patting In-Sung¡¯s shoulder, In-Cheol checked the remaining time and looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°There are only forty minutes left. Will these be enough?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s enough.¡±


    The usual method would not work in this situation, but there was another way to make it work. In-Cheol grinned at the sparkle in Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes, which showed that the young man was brimming with ideas.


    ¡°I look forward to it.¡±


    The proctors went back to their seats, and Se-Hoon nced at the materialsid out in front of him. Without further inspection, he noticed that the iron ore was uniformly excellent and the ignition stone was of an excellent-quality variety. The reason why the materials were of such high quality was to not give applicants any room for excuses such as inadequate preparations for the exam.


    <i>This should be just enough,</i> he thought with a content expression. <i>Things might get a bit rough, but that¡¯s life; you can¡¯t make anything good without suffering a little.</i>


    He picked out a few pieces of iron ore and ignition stones and stood in front of the dying furnace. Then, focusing the oh-so-little mana he had into his hands, he smashed the ignition stones against each other.


    <i>Cr-Crackle!</i>


    Sharp shing sounds were apanied by flying sparks. mes shed in his hands like flickeringmps. Everyone in the examination room gazed in awe at this eerie spectacle.


    <i>If the ignition stones are injected with mana, they will get extremely hot...</i>


    <i>Where is that burning smelling from?</i>


    Something was about to happen; everyone felt it instinctively.


    <i>Wham-</i>


    A distinct resonance, unlike the previous collision sounds, echoed from all the ignition stones simultaneously. Startled by the sound, Se-Hoon swiftly tossed the ignition stones into the furnace.


    <i>Kabaang!!!!</i>


    Iridescent mes burst out from the furnace.

 Chapter 3

    <h4>Chapter 3</h4>


    Forging is the process of heating up and reshaping the metal.


    Based on Se-Hoon¡¯s theory, the most important aspect of forging was how the metal was molded. Anything going wrong during this stage would severely affect the oue of the forging, and it couldn¡¯t be correctedter by any means.


    <i>But in my current condition, it is impossible for me to forge perfectly.</i>


    He was thoroughly dissatisfied with his stats, with his strength, flexibility, quantity and quality of mana, and skills. Not even the devil himself could forge with these stats.


    After contemting what forging method he should use to make it worthwhile, he decided to proceed using a special heating method called the Five-Color me.


    <i>Boom! Bababang!</i>


    Explosions resounded violently within the furnace. And with each explosion, the five different colors fiercely shed and burned among each other, as if they wanted to devour one another.


    ¡°Aagh!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s... exploding!¡±


    The brilliant, intense mes seeped out of the furnace and heated the surrounding atmosphere, terrifying those nearby. They had a tremendous force, almost as if they were about to explode any second. The mes were so powerful that even from afar, they were able to scorch one¡¯s face.


    Unsettled, the surrounding trainees instinctively flinched and swiftly retreated away from the furnace.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon, who ignited the mes, didn¡¯t move a single inch away from where he stood. Instead, he crouched to inspect the mes.


    ¡°Pro-professor. We should extinguish it right now...!¡±


    As In-Sung was on the verge of pressing the emergency extinguishing button, fearing that the fire might lead to an ident, In-Cheol grabbed his wrist and stopped him.


    ¡°Let it be.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s too dangerous, sir!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. There won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°How in the world is that thing safe...¡±


    If it were just mes leaking out of the furnace, it would be fine. But now, the mana stored inside the furnace was quivering ominously, as if it were on the brink of an explosion.


    ¡°<i>Tsk-tsk</i>... don¡¯t just look at the strength of mana, examine the flow of the me.¡± In-Cheol clicked his tongue when he noticed that In-Sung was still regarding the me as a time bomb.


    ¡°What? What flow...¡±


    As In-Sung looked at the mes again, his eyes gradually widened as he noticed something about the mes. While the mana inside was pulsing fiercely, the mes themselves seemed to be organized and settled inyers, as if they had structured themselves.


    <i>What is this me...</i>


    While In-Sung stood there bewildered by the situation he couldn¡¯t understand, Se-Hoon, who was calmly looking at the me, tossed the pieces of iron ore in.


    <i>Fwooosh!</i>


    As the furnace engulfed the pieces of iron ore, the me erupted again, as if it were showing hostility in the face of a new opponent.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    ¡°The color of the metal...¡±


    Despite sparks soaring into the air and the me shuddering madly, not a single person found it a problem, as they were speechless at the sight of the metal being enveloped and heated by the Five-Color me.


    The trainees stared nkly and wondered if Se-Hoon was using his unique skill. They found it hard to believe that he was using the same materials as them.


    <i>I see. It all makes sense.</i>


    In-Cheol, who had figured out how the Five-Color me method worked, was intrigued by it. On the surface, the method seemed intricate and dazzling, but its effect was simple. Each ignition stone had different characteristics, but they resonated with each other, enhancing their power.


    <i>He aimed to strengthen the me and quickly alter the properties of the pieces of iron ore.</i>


    This was a brilliant improvisation in response to the short amount of time left on the clock, but there was one risk involved with this approach. It made the iron ore sensitive to change, and one small mistake might lead to an irreparable w.


    This was truly a high-risk, high-return method. In-Cheol became even more intrigued by Se-Hoon¡¯s boldness.


    <i>He would have easily passed the test if he hadn¡¯t smashed the knife, but he chose to bear the risk instead. Which means...</i>


    In-Cheol quietly looked at Se-Hoon, his thoughts more certain than before.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The fully heated metal was ced on the anvil.


    <i>ng-!</i>


    Se-Hoon hammered the metal without a single sign of hesitation. Each of his strikes moved the metal as much as ten strikes from other people, and his eyes gleamed at this sight.


    <i>It¡¯s ready.</i>


    The me produced using the Five-Color me method had been thoroughly infused into the metal. With the assurance that he could forge as he desired, See-Hoon gripped his hammer tightly and began striking with all his strength.


    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>


    Sparks flew with each strike on the metal, and droplets of blood sttered from his clenched hand. It was from a burn incurred when he was handling the resonating ignition stones. His mana was insufficient to protect his hands, leading to this wound tearing open further and spurting blood out.


    He was enduring pain that other trainees, and even most cksmiths, couldn¡¯t withstand. However, what Se-Hoon let out wasn¡¯t a scream.


    ¡°Hehehe...¡±


    He was showing genuine tion as the metal was being forged the way he nned it to be. The surrounding trainees were disgusted when they saw that his smile was conveying pure joy.


    <i>Psycho. He must be out of his mind.</i>


    <i>Clearly, he¡¯s not sane.</i>


    His presence alone dominated the entire room. Beyond just being unique, he was now exerting extreme pressure on everyone.


    ¡°Focus.¡± In-Cheol¡¯s dignifying voice resounded across the room. ¡°Focus on your own work, everyone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    The disordered atmosphere among the trainees was swiftly settled, and only the sound of knives being sharpened echoed in the room.


    In-Cheol, who had regted the atmosphere instantly by using his skill, realized that Se-Hoon showed no reactions at all.


    <i>Does he really have no hesitation at all?</i>


    It wasmon among trainees and inexperienced cksmiths to show some hesitancy while forging. They realized that to make up for a single mistake, they had to repeat the hammering process dozens of times or even discard the entire piece of work.


    <i>ng!</i>


    But Se-Hoon didn¡¯t show a single sign of hesitation. Even though he knew that a single mistake would be fatal, he moved as if he were certain that he wouldn¡¯t make that mistake.


    <i>Seems like what he did was unnecessary. </i>In-Cheol, who used his skill to tidy up the cluttered room and dispel Se-Hoon¡¯s hesitation, smiled wryly.


    Time flew by quickly in the now-quiet exam room. Soon, the solitary echoes of Se-Hoon¡¯s hammering sounds came to an end.


    ¡°It¡¯splete.¡±


    He had forged a straight sword with a length of about 60cm. At a nce, it looked like any other straight sword, but the true value of this sword would only emerge after quenching it. After carrying over a bucket of cooling water, he immediately started the quenching process.


    <i>Hiss!</i>


    The de immediately cooled when it was drowned in the bucket. During this process, he hammered the de again, readjusting any bent parts.


    ¡°Ha...¡±


    The de was slowly revealing its final form. A radiance of five different colors subtly appeared across the entire sword. It developed naturally, much like the Five-Color me in the furnace, adding an eerie sense of mystique to the sword.


    <i>Is this a result of the mes¡¯ mana that was infused in the iron ingot showing on the surface?</i>


    Without being too excessive, it certainly showcased its presence. In-Cheol marveled quietly at the sword, it had surpassed his expectations.


    He checked the time.


    <i>How much time do we have left... five minutes.</i>


    Although the time was a bit tight for sharpening the de, the sword was single-edged, so it wouldn¡¯t take as much time. It was most likely that Se-Hoon had nned out the shape of the sword from the beginning, considering the remaining time.


    <i>Shnnnk. Shnnnk.</i>


    Se-Hoon moved his arms back and forth, moving the de sharply across the whetstone. Although he was drenched in sweat and blood was oozing out of his hands that had been hastily wrapped using his torn sleeves, his movements remained unfazed. It was as if he was disconnected from the surroundings,pletely absorbed in that moment.


    ¡°One minute remaining. Wrap it up, everyone!¡± In-Cheol¡¯s voice pulled him out of his reverie.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>.¡±


    Se-Hoon wanted to spend more time grinding the de, but he didn¡¯t want to submit an iplete sword. Since the sword wasn¡¯tpletely unbearable for him to look at, he quickly slid the tang into the prepared hilt and firmly secured it in ce by hammering it. Finally, he polished the de with a cotton cloth.


    ¡°And... stop!¡±


    With that, the first weapon Se-Hoon forged after his regression wasplete.


    <strong>[Weapon ¡®Five-me Sword¡¯ has beenpleted!</strong>


    <strong>The brilliant design of this sword makes it hard to believe that it was forged by a young cksmith! The imbued mana and the quality of the material areckluster, but the craftsmanship employed is nothing short of first-rate.</strong>


    <strong>The tier evaluation for ¡®Five-me Sword¡¯ is ¡®Advanced¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[Skill ¡®Master of mes (C)¡¯ has been acquired.]</strong>


    A translucent window floated in front of Se-Hoon. Achievement Windows only appeared when one perfectly utilized their ability to make an aplishment, so it was something that other trainees most likely wouldn¡¯t have seen before.


    ¡°...¡± But Se-Hoon contorted his face in discontent as if he had seen something uneptable.


    <i>Advanced...</i>


    There were six tiers of ssification for equipment: Normal, Advanced, Rare, Hero, Legendary, and Mythical. Advanced was second from the bottom of the list.


    He ground his teeth out of discontent. This was an obvious oue considering that he wascking proper skills, mana, and materials. But it was a disgrace to him, as he had been able to forge equipment even beyond the Legendary tier before the regression.


    <i>Yeah... I should bear with this for now.</i>


    Although the sword in front of him was aplete mess even when ounting for his current condition, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that he had pulled out 120% of the sword¡¯s limits.


    As Se-Hoon suppressed the creeping destructive impulse, In-Sung brought the exam to a conclusion.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work today, everyone. Now that the forging part of the exam is finished, I will exin the grading process.¡±


    The grading process wasn¡¯t special at all. Trainees would be called up front individually and would be required to exin their piece of work. In-Cheol would then examine the work and ask some follow-up questions. Finally, there would be a Verification process.


    ¡°The ingot on the table is a metal called Self-Regenerating Iron. It¡¯s decently rigid, and it has the property of Restoration when infused with mana.¡±


    The metal was silver with a softly shimmering green hue. Having already dealt with this metal extensively before the regression, Se-Hoon had a rough idea of the Verification process.


    ¡°Trainees will be graded on the depth of the indent they can leave on this ingot with their weapons. We will proceed in sequence, and we¡¯ll call you out by your number.¡±


    As In-Sung called the trainees up one by one, they would swing their weapons against the Self-Regenerating Iron, and In-Cheol would then proceed with the evaluation.


    While the other trainees all wore nervous faces, Se-Hoon watched the process with indifference.


    ¡°Even after being given so much time, it¡¯s not properly bnced. You should relearn the basics from scratch.¡±


    <i>Crack!</i>


    ¡°A bit of fanciness is nice, but without any real substance, will it serve any purpose? Even ceremonial swords require a minimum level of durability.¡±


    <i>Crack!!</i>


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you were trying to make or what you have made. That¡¯s all I have to say to you.¡±


    <i>Crack!!!</i>


    With each broken sword that failed to leave a scratch, In-Cheol¡¯s cutting critiques proved to be true. asionally, there were swords that didn¡¯t break, but even those were barely holding on. There wasn¡¯t a single instance where a sword was able to scratch the Self-Regting Iron.


    <i>It¡¯s just like the previous evaluation.</i>


    As In-Cheol already knew, the forging processes during the exam hadn¡¯t been exceptional, so it was unlikely that the results would be satisfactory. But he wasn¡¯t disappointed because he was looking forward to one evaluation.


    ¡°Next... trainee number 289!¡±


    Se-Hoon, trainee number 289, calmly stepped forward and handed over the Five-me Sword to In-Sung.


    ¡°Now please exin... huh?¡±


    In-Sung¡¯s eyes widened as he was about to hand over the sword to In-Cheol.


    ¡°The tier for the sword is Advanced. I am not very adept at giving exnations, so please refer to the information window for details... sir,¡± Se-Hoon said calmly.


    He was scared that he might speak to the proctors informally, and he didn¡¯t really feel like giving an exnation for this mere Advanced-tier sword. While he was unwilling to talk about his sword, however, the surrounding trainees were all shocked and in awe.


    ¡°What... Advanced tier?¡±


    ¡°How is it possible with these materials...?¡±


    To forge a piece of Advanced-tier equipment, other trainees would have to possess some skill and some decent materials. But forging one out of these ordinary materials that weremonly used for entrance exams? It was something that even the first batch of trainees, whose entrance was guaranteed, could hardly achieve.


    ¡°Is it just for your eyes, Proctor Han?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yes! I apologize.¡±


    In-Sung btedly came to his senses and handed over the sword to In-Cheol, who then quietly examined it.


    <strong>[<u>Five-me Sword</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Average]</strong>


    <strong>[A sword marked by five mes.</strong>


    <strong>When mana is imbued into it, the mes condensed in the de disy a spectrum of colors. This sword hints at the cksmith¡¯s untapped potential.</strong>


    <strong>*Color and properties will be altered slightly based on the imbued mana]</strong>


    ¡°...¡±


    For previous trainees, it had only taken In-Cheol twenty seconds for evaluation. But he carefully examined the Five-me Sword again, even after reading the information window. It was as if he were revisiting every single step of the forging process.


    ¡°Do you think this meets the standard for submission?¡± he asked Se-Hoon after examining the sword for five minutes.


    ¡°As of now... I suppose it does.¡± Se-Hoon answered the question, which held multiple meanings.


    While he wished so badly to smash this sword, this was his best for now.


    Observing Se-Hoon¡¯s nonchnt attitude and his words that other trainees would never think of uttering, In-Cheol was initially surprised but then burst intoughter.


    ¡°Hahaha! I see. I¡¯ve got pretty high standards myself... but it seems that yours are even higher.¡±


    Merely having high standards without knowing one''s ce was arrogance, but if one possessed the skills and talents required to reach that level, it was genuine aspiration.


    ¡°I have nothing more to add. If I must say something, it would be to train both your physique and mana diligently. Ah, and make sure to treat your injuries before you leave.¡± In-Cheol spoke as if there was nothing to evaluate.


    Though anyone could have raised an objection, not a single trainee voiced their dissent. The sword was on a different level from theirs, not to mention it was of the Advanced tier.


    ¡°What about the Verification process?¡± Se-Hoon insisted as if it were crucial.


    ¡°Um... is it really necessary?¡± In-Cheol was perplexed.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d rather have this evaluation clear and straight so that I don¡¯t hear anything about itter on.¡±


    ¡°That does seem reasonable. Proctor Han.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, sir.¡±


    In-Sung was handed the Five-me Sword by In-Cheol and stood in front of the Self-Regenerating Iron. Se-Hoon watched with his arms crossed.


    <i>What¡¯s going to happen?</i>


    <i>If it¡¯s of that caliber, wouldn¡¯t it slice through half?</i>


    Considering the materials, the limits of the de were obvious, but taking into ount its tier, it would probably prate halfway.


    Everyone¡¯s attention was gathered as the Five-me Sword was held aloft, then swung in full force toward the Self-Regenerating Iron.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    Without much resistance, it was cleanly cut in half.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    The result was far off from the expectations of both In-Sung, who swung the sword himself, and the trainees, who were watching intently.


    ¡°Ha. It¡¯s going to take some time regenerating.¡± Having already predicted the result, In-Cheol sighed at the unnecessarily prolonged exam.


    <i>Well. It¡¯s decent.</i>


    Se-Hoon decided that there was no need to smash the sword this time.

 Chapter 4

    <h4>Chapter 4</h4>


    After the exam, Se-Hoon immediately visited the infirmary and the doctor treated his wound.


    ¡°This is minor enough that it shouldn¡¯t leave a scar. I¡¯ll begin the treatment.¡±


    A greenish glow emanated from the doctor¡¯s hand, covering Se-Hoon¡¯s wound on his right hand. Momentster, the wound disappearedpletely.


    S<i>o this really is the past.</i>


    The scarred, cut-up hands were gone, reced by pale white hands with only a few calluses. He was sad to see the proof of decades of hard work gone, but a part of him was happy. Before his regression, his hands were in such bad shape that they often got in the way during smelting.


    <i>I¡¯m going to have to take a little more care this time.</i>


    The injuries on his hands had been mostly from the trials and errors he had gone through during forging, so things should be different now that he had memories of his pre-regression experiences. He walked out of the infirmary, his mind racing as he browsed through his memories, contemting how he should move forward from here.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked In-Cheol, who was waiting outside the infirmary.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear. There¡¯s a saying that scars are badges of honor, but having too much of anything can be burdensome.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    In-Cheol conversed with Se-Hoon in a friendly manner, as if the Five-me Sword had impressed him. However, there seemed to be other motives beyond that.


    <i>An offer for recruitment... no, he doesn¡¯t seem like that kind of person.</i>


    For some reason, the faces of those who were deeply entangled in power struggles seemed to have a greasy, oily look to them. But in front of him, Se-Hoon saw only the hot, fiery temperament of a cksmith who was dedicated to honing his skills.


    <i>Is he going to ask me to be his disciple or something along those lines?</i>


    This would be an incredible offer if he were an ordinary trainee, but Se-Hoon was reluctant, as he had risen to a higher position than In-Cheol before his regression.


    As Se-Hoon pondered how to address this situation, In-Cheol spoke up, setting the mood.


    ¡°Hey, do you know the process of selecting the honor student of a college for iing students at Babel Academy?¡±


    Se-Hoon fumbled through his memories in response to In-Cheol¡¯s question.


    ¡°To my understanding, the results from the additional test taken in each college arepared to determine the honor student.¡±


    Babel Academy divided its students into three colleges: Aqar Quf, a college focusing onbat; Ur, a college focusing on support; and Borsippa, a college focusing on technical skills. And within each college, there were dozens of departments tailored to the students¡¯ aptitudes. The entrance exam Se-Hoon had taken earlier was for the Department of cksmithing of the College of Borsippa.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Only the top two students from each department will participate in the additional test. That means it will be even morepetitive than the test today.¡±


    After exining the structure of Babel Academy, In-Cheol sighed as if he wasn''t sure if he should say what he wanted to say.


    ¡°Though it¡¯s a bit embarrassing for me to say this with my own mouth, the Department of cksmithing hasn''t had an honor student in twelve years. And so, our budget has been shrinking year after year.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s even worse is that as word of our situation spreads, the quality of applicants drops further. It¡¯s a vicious cycle, and it¡¯s also the reality of the Department of cksmithing.¡±


    As he ranted on and on, Se-Hoon showed a strange expression. The reason for it was that not only would the department slowly lose its foothold, but eight years from now, the Department of cksmithing would no longer exist.


    <i>The reason was that the department was simply not up to Babel Academy¡¯s standards, and all it did was discredit the academy¡¯s name.</i>


    Since then, several attempts had been made to bring back the department, but every single one fell through, which caused the department to be lost in history. It seemed like In-Cheol was somewhat anticipating that future.


    ¡°Hm. This story is for another time, but... in the end, there¡¯s one thing I want to tell you.¡± In-Cheol looked at Se-Hoon with a determined expression on his face.


    ¡°If you want to seed as a cksmith, you should go to Vulcan Academy. The application period is already over, but I have connections that I can link you up with.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon was surprised at In-Cheol¡¯s suggestion.


    <i>Isn¡¯t Vulcan Academy considered the top institution for nurturing cksmiths?</i>


    Vulcan Academy¡¯s rank was not that much higher than Babel¡¯s. But once the Department of cksmithing in Babel was gone, Vulcan Academy would gain the reputation of toppling Babel Academy, which would allow it to reign supreme.


    In-Cheol, despite being a professor at Babel Academy, was now suggesting that Se-Hoon should study at Vulcan Academy since it was clearly a better option when considering the potential growth Vulcan Academy¡¯s education could bring him.


    <i>Is he thinking of transferring over to Vulcan Academy? No, that doesn¡¯t go with his personality.</i>


    Se-Hoon could tell by the subtle regret in In-Cheol¡¯s eyes that he wasn¡¯t trying to be maniptive. He was genuinely offering guidance as a sunbae in the cksmithing industry.[1]


    ...<i>He seems like a decent person.</i>


    He hadn¡¯t heard of In-Cheol before the regression, but he was a likable figure.


    ¡°Well, is there a need to do that?¡± Se-Hoon replied after organizing his thoughts.


    ¡°You have talent. To fully harness it, you should be in a better environment...¡±


    ¡°Choosing the best option is obviously ideal. But wouldn¡¯t that only apply if Vulcan Academy was actually the best?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but the fact is that Vulcan Academy has surpassed us and it will only get better in the future.¡±


    In-Cheol was about to exin himself again, thinking that Se-Hoon didn¡¯t really get what he meant, but Se-Hoon smiled wryly and took over the conversation.


    ¡°Why should I bother lowering my head when the academy I choose to enroll in will naturally be the best?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Wherever he went, it would be the best. This sounded excessively arrogant, yet somehow, it didn¡¯t feel like empty ims.


    In-Cheol was left speechless for a moment. He had indeed hoped that Se-Hoon would decide to stay, but this reply surpassed his expectations.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you are thinking, you¡¯re going to have to get the position of honor student. Are you sure?¡± In-Cheol asked solemnly.


    ¡°Of course, didn¡¯t you bring up the entire conversation about the process of selecting the honor student because you thought I was able to be one?¡±


    ¡°...Seems like my thoughts have been read from the beginning.¡± In-Cheol looked at Se-Hoon with a bitter smile.


    ¡°The additional exam for the College of Borsippa is to forge one more item. The topic of forging will be revealed on the exam day, and the final score will include the grading from today¡¯s submission.¡±


    ¡°When is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in a week. We¡¯ll send you your uniform and student ID, so make sure you have them for the exam.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    In-Cheol gazed at Se-Hoon in bewilderment. He found it surprising that Se-Hoon was responding without a sign of nervousness.


    <i>He¡¯s still a young man... I don¡¯t know why I find him so trustworthy. </i>It was as if he were talking to a cksmith of his own age.


    He couldn''t help but smile gently and hold out his hand.


    ¡°I look forward to your endeavors.¡±


    This was a sight that would have stunned all the professors, assistants, and students of the Department of cksmithing, but Se-Hoon, who was unaware of it, calmly looked at In-Cheol. They had only known each other for a short time, but a bond had definitely been formed thanks to the anticipation and trust that In-Cheol ced in Se-Hoon.


    <i>If that¡¯s the case...</i>


    Realizing that the condition for Bond Extraction had been met, he grasped In-Cheol¡¯s hand.


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Kim In-Cheol¡¯.]</strong>


    ¡°I look forward to working with you too.¡±


    <strong>[Extracting bond from subject ¡®Kim In-Cheol¡¯]</strong>


    <strong>[The bond with the host is Lv. 1.]</strong>


    Se-Hoon had sessfully extracted his first material after his regression.


    ***


    After the somewhat abrupt exam, Se-Hoon headed straight home. In-Cheol had offered to treat him to a meal, but he had declined as he had a few things to check.


    ¡°Hm. It should be here...¡± He walked up the steep stairs in the slums as he retraced the pathways in his memories.


    Physically, he had left the house when he¡¯d woken up that morning. However, his mind was a different matter; at the point of his regression, he hadn¡¯t been to that house in decades, so his memories of it were faint. Doing his best to recall the ce, he climbed the final set of stairs and saw a house in the distance that looked familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time.


    ¡°...¡±


    The house stood alone in the open field by the foothills, and it was all worn out. Se-Hoon smirked at the shabby house that looked like it would copse at the slightest touch.


    ¡°It¡¯s just as I remember.¡±


    Back then, he had been so fed up with this house that he had wanted to leave every second. But seeing it after such a long time, he actually felt somewhat fond of it.


    The gate was rusted, and the house was only about twenty square meters. The toilet waspletely unusable, with mold and bugs everywhere.


    <i>Hmmm.</i>


    The scenery was causing all of the fond, rose-colored memories he had of this house to vanish. But when he turned his gaze and saw the workshop, his expression softened slightly. There was a second-hand magic furnace that he had bought with all the money he could scrape together at that time. Smithing tools and materials were organized around the furnace, and unlike his rundown home, they were in good condition.


    <i>I devoted my entire life to this ce after awakening my abilities.</i>


    To get revenge on the demons who killed his parents, he needed to gain power. With his aptitude for cksmithing, he believed that power woulde in the form of money from selling weapons. That was why, in order to seed as a cksmith, he sold what little he had, got a house, and bought the things he needed.


    <i>Oh,e to think of it, that bastard must still be alive. </i>He ground his teeth at the thought of the enemy he had spent his entire twenties killing. But now, even though he knew that the enemy was alive, it didn''t bother him as much. He had already done enough before the regression to settle his emotions, and there were more pressing matters at hand.


    <i>The most important matter is the Six Harbingers. Well, actually, it¡¯s all of the demons.</i>


    These demons were monsters that threatened not only mankind but the entire itself. It was imperative that they were rooted out and annihted. To do so, he had to change the fate of heroes who died in vain and pull together those scoundrels who were uncooperative till the end.


    <i>Seems like there¡¯s a lot to do...</i>


    The memories of the events that were toe and future allies and enemies flooded Se-Hoon¡¯s mind.


    <i>Let¡¯s not overthink it.</i> He took a deep breath and cleared his mind. He was a cksmith after all. If he tried to make ns with unclear information, it would only cause him problems at some point.


    For now, he focused on his immediate surroundings. He would then work his way up from Babel Academy and only address major events.


    <i>Since I wouldn¡¯t want to get important things like dates mixed up, I should create some sort of memory-rted weapon or skill. </i>With his priorities finally in order, he looked at the furnace with a calmer head.


    <i>I should check my physical stats.</i>


    He hadn''t even gotten a chance to look at his own body because he had to finish an exam right after the regression. He knew that his stats were garbage, but he needed the exact numbers in order to set the overall direction of his training. With his mind resolved, he opened up his status message.


    <strong>[Lee Se-Hoon]</strong>


    <strong>[Strength - E (62) Endurance - E (56)</strong>


    <strong>Mana - F (43) Agility - F (47)</strong>


    <strong>Unique Skill: cksmith of Bonds</strong>


    <strong>Elemental Mana: None</strong>


    <strong>Learned Skills: Master of mes (C)]</strong>


    ¡°...¡±


    As he read his stats, he rubbed his eyebrows wordlessly.


    <i>The new students at Babel Academy would have on average C stats. My stats are...</i>


    The numbers were low enough to make him rightfully suspected of foul y in the entrance exam. And it was heartbreaking that the skill tab was practically empty, with only the Master of mes skill.


    <i>Well, this should be a fair bargain considering I went back in time.</i>


    There¡¯s a saying that money can''t buy time; it''s the one resource people can''t replenish. Given that the only price he had to pay for returning to the past was starting over, this was actually a good deal.


    <i>Forget about the stats... let¡¯s look at my unique skill.</i>


    <strong>[cksmith of Bonds] ¡ºUnique¡»</strong>


    <strong>[Bonds have the power to change one¡¯s heart. By establishing a bond with a subject, you can extract it into a piece of ore.</strong>


    <strong>*Bond Extraction: Extract ore from the subject you have established a bond with]</strong>


    <i>The exnation is still unhelpful. </i>Unique skills were supposed to be moreplex thanmon skills, but cksmith of Bonds was one of the hardest to understand. It exined how to extract bonds, but it didn''t tell him how to form bonds with people in the first ce, nor how to use the extracted bonds.


    <i>But it¡¯s different this time.</i>


    With his right hand infused with mana, he reflected on his memories of In-Cheol. The first image that came to mind regarding him was that of a twisted, dead tree. It was a picture of weariness and emptiness.


    But when In-Cheol had witnessed Se-Hoon¡¯s talents and potential, he had fired up like never before. Although he looked powerless, there evidently was a spark inside In-Cheol¡¯s heart. That was how he understood In-Cheol. His image of In-Cheol was based on nothing more than surface-level observations, but it was enough for now.


    Se-Hoon¡¯s hands faintly glowed as a material was formed. It was a light gray Fatestone with wavy patterns that looked more like a block of wood.


    ¡°Hm. This is decent.¡±


    There was no w in this Fatestone, showing he had a decent understanding of In-Cheol. Smiling with satisfaction, he browsed through the status message.


    <strong>[<u>Fatestone - me-Infused Metal</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Average]</strong>


    <strong>[A metal infused with me.</strong>


    <strong>It has the same properties as wood.</strong>


    <strong>*mes can be stored within]</strong>


    <i>Is it a wood-like metal?</i>


    The outer texture felt like wood, but it was definitely iron when he tapped it. After examining the texture and properties, he had a rough idea of how to smelt it, but the issue was that the piece of ore was only about the size of two fingers.


    <i>This is the problem with level-one bonds. </i>He clicked his tongue in frustration.


    Its small size made it difficult to use as a main material, but mixing it with other materials made it difficult to preserve its characteristics. That was why he needed the right properties and materials to forge a proper weapon.


    <i>I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to get those materials with my current stats... I¡¯ll need to level up or get strong support from Babel Academy.</i>


    It was a bit disappointing, but time would take care of it, so there was no need to rush. Setting the me-Infused metal aside, Se-Hoon suddenly nced down at his body.


    <i>I should also take a look at my Fatestone.</i>


    If his memories served him right, the name of the synesthetic mindscape skill that was imbued in thest dagger he made before the regression was ¡®Return to Origin.¡¯ Although he didn¡¯t know the exact effect, given the name, there was a high probability that it was rted to his regression.


    <i>If that kind of power is hidden in it, I should utilize it.</i>


    With his eyes lit up, he immediately ced his hands on his chest and began the Bond Extraction.


    <strong>[Extracting bond from subject ¡®Lee Se-Hoon¡¯]</strong>


    <strong>[The bond with the host is Lv. 1.]</strong>


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the number one in the bond level section since before the regression, it had always been nk.


    <i>No way...</i>


    Stunned, he looked down at the Fatestone in his hand. On the surface, it was a colorless ore, the same as before the regression. However, upon closer inspection, he could see the faintest hint of something else mixed within it.


    <i>Impurities... no, it feels different.</i>


    With his heart racing, he opened the status message immediately.


    <strong>[<u>Fatestone - Rtionship-Null Metal</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Normal] [Quality: Poor]</strong>


    <strong>[An empty metal that holds nothing.</strong>


    <strong>It has many impurities, so it¡¯s much lower in strength than normal iron.]</strong>


    His face turned sour when he read the information.


    ¡°It became even worse...¡±


    The description used to say that the ore¡¯s strength was <i>slightly</i> inferior to iron, but now it said that the metal was <i>much</i> worse.


    To his dismay, there wasn¡¯t a single piece of information about the regression in the status message. However, just as he was about to give up, an unexpected message appeared.


    <strong>[The host¡¯s bond has reached Lv. 1.]</strong>


    <strong>[Skill ¡®Bond Imprint¡¯ has been added.]</strong>


    1. Upperssmen are referred to as sunbae in Korean. ?

 Chapter 5

    <h4>Chapter 5</h4>


    After the Towers of Heroes sprang up around the world, there were many institutions that focused on nurturing heroes to climb them. And among them, Babel Academy had the best reputation.


    With the top-notch curriculum and support it had for the colleges ofbat, support, and technical skills, countless heroes graduated from Babel Academy each year. Almost every aspect of the academy was unparalleled, but the most overwhelming factor was its pure size.


    <i>Making a city-sized school on top of an artificial ind in the Pacific Ocean... I don¡¯t know whose idea it was, but it sure ps.</i>


    Se-Hoon had heard that it started out as a small ind, but after expanding endlessly over the years, it was now the size of arge city. It was bound to grow thisrge as there were over a hundred different department facilities and living quarters for students and staff, not to mention the amount of investment it had received as well as all of the facilities owned by externalpanies.


    <i>Isn¡¯t this enough to announce it as an independent country?</i>


    As he was lost in thoughts while looking at the passing buildings out the window, an announcement red from the light rail¡¯s speaker.


    ¡ªThis stop is the main building of the Department of cksmithing.


    The mana-powered light rail came to a stop at the station. After Se-Hoon stepped off the train, he looked up at the main building of the Department of cksmithing.


    <i>It¡¯s still really huge.</i>


    Although he had failed to enter Babel Academy before the regression, he had been invited after he had be more established in the field of cksmithing. By then, the Department of cksmithing was gone and the building was being used for a different purpose, but its appearance was pretty much the same.


    <i>Let¡¯s see. I believe it was forging room three.</i>


    After following the direction panels for a few minutes, the smell of acrid fire and heated metal tickled his nose. Feeling this smell, which was both disgusting and arousing, he quickened his pace without even realizing that a smile had appeared on his face.


    <i>Is it this room?</i>


    Seeing that the te hung up in front of the roombeled ¡°Forging Room 3,¡± he pushed open the tightly closed doors with both of his hands and stepped inside.


    As soon as he entered the room, he marveled at the sight of dozens of magic furnaces and pieces of equipment all lined up. Each of them was state-of-the-art and worth a fortune at this point in time.


    <i>This sure is a lot of support for a small department... Babel Academy is still on a different scale.</i>


    He knew of Babel Academy¡¯s vast expenditures before the regression, but it hit differently when he witnessed it in person. He examined the inside of the room with fascination.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡± A cold voice rang out from up ahead.


    A middle-aged man with a sharp look on his face was sitting at the table. His slicked-back blonde hair and a perfectly immacte white suit made him seem like he had OCD, and it was certain that his personality was awful.[1]


    ¡°We¡¯re all waiting for you, aren¡¯t we? Come on, stand in ce.¡±


    Even though there were ten minutes remaining, he was being impatient, as if Se-Hoon hadete. Se-Hoon frowned at his tant hostility.


    ¡°Sir, there are still ten minutes left,¡± asserted In-Cheol, who was standing in front of the podium.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to hurry, as the Dean isn¡¯t here yet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about his attitude.¡±


    ¡°Then, I will give him a warning myself.¡±


    In-Cheol¡¯s expression smoothed out as he looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°The Dean will be here soon, so please have a seat and wait.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Sitting on an empty chair on the side, Se-Hoon looked at the two men, who briefly exchanged arguments.


    <i>The Department of cksmithing should be in a bad state... I guess it also left a bad impression on the Vice Dean.</i>


    Considering the poor performance, if there was further conflict with the higher-ups, they might pick a fight with the department without hesitation. As he started to understand why In-Cheol rmended another academy to him, he felt a re from the side.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    A student was sitting across from him, staring at him. His blonde hair was slicked back cleanly, and his uniform was wrinkle-free, unlike Se-Hoon¡¯s well-worn uniform.


    <i>¡°Tsk.¡±</i> After looking Se-Hoon up and down, he clicked his tongue and turned away. Se-Hoon was dumbfounded at his reaction, which was as tant as the vice dean¡¯s.


    <i>Is there something wrong today?</i>


    Not one, but two people were pissing him off from the start. Without realizing it, his hands were moving toward the hammer beside him.


    ¡°I apologize. It seems I came thetest.¡± A monotone voice called out as the door was opened.


    ¡°...?¡±


    Se-Hoon immediately turned his head to find the owner of the voice, which sounded vaguely familiar.


    She was objectively beautiful, with long red hair neatly tied back in a ponytail. But her ck suit andpletely emotionless expression made her look intimidating.


    <i>...Ryu Eun-Ha?</i> Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes widened at her familiar looks.


    She was an S-rank hero¡ªWeapon Eater Ryu Eun-Ha.


    She had a unique ability that amplified her power by consuming equipment. She was also his oldest trading partner before the regression, having known each other for even longer than he¡¯d known the three Dogs.


    <i>She did mention that she briefly worked at Babel Academy for a year, but it was as a dean? </i>Se-Hoon was startled at her sudden appearance and he felt that the position of dean didn¡¯t really suit her at all.


    She walked straight ahead and took the empty seat next to the vice dean.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Both of you, stand up.¡±


    As the two stood up from their seats, In-Cheol started with his exnation of the exam.


    ¡°The topic of this additional test is to create equipment that can be used with the swords you two have previously forged.¡±


    In-Cheol touched the panel on the podium, which unlocked an iron box ced next to the furnace, revealing materials stored inside.


    ¡°Ooh...¡±


    Unlike the basic materials that were provided during the previous exam, the ones provided this time were quality materials that were full of mana. Presumably, they were going to be graded on not only their basics this time but also their utilization of skills and mana.


    <i>This should be enough for...</i>


    After only a quick nce at the provided materials, Se-Hoon was able to think up blueprints of possible pieces of equipment he could forge. As his eyes sparkled while drawing the schematics in his head, In-Cheol continued.


    ¡°Your equipment will be judged by Dean Ryu Eun-Ha and Vice Dean Michael Barmuth, so do make sure that you bring forth work that you will not be ashamed of.¡±


    ¡°...?¡± Se-Hoon, who was preupied with the materials, furrowed his brow at In-Cheol¡¯s exnation.


    <i>Barmuth... I¡¯ve heard of the name before somewhere.</i>


    He found the name strangely unsettling. It was definitely not a name he had just heard somewhere in passing.


    While Se-Hoon was digging through his memory, In-Cheol touched the panel again and disyed a timer in the air.


    ¡°The time given is 180 minutes; time starts now!¡±


    As the timer started, the magic furnaces were unlocked, and the rival student started picking out his materials.


    <i>I should forge the equipment first.</i>


    Deciding to think about Barmutter, Se-Hoon quickly took off his jacket, tossed it behind him, and rolled up the cuffs of his shirt. ording to the instructions, the jacket was supposed to have temperature control and protection, but to him, it was just in his way.


    In response to Se-Hoon¡¯s unhesitant actions, the other student muttered as if he found Se-Hoon pitiful.


    ¡°He¡¯s so undignified.¡±


    ¡°Hans Barmuth. Please refrain from makingments unrted to this exam,¡± said In-Cheol.


    ¡°Apologies,¡± the student answered politely and went back to picking out the materials.


    <i>So... it wasn¡¯t just a bad rtionship between Michael Barmuth and Kim In-Cheol.</i> Se-Hoon thought as he looked at Michael.


    He couldn''t believe that the son of the vice dean was hispetitor for this exam. This sort of situation would have stunned most people, but Se-Hoon smiled instead.


    <i>I was only going to screw over one of them, but now... I can screw over both of them together.</i>


    As Se-Hoon sifted through the materials, full of motivation, Hans chose his first material and ced it on the table next to the furnace.


    ¡°Lazulite and Sea Jade. Both are materials full of mana,¡± said Eun-Ha.


    Both of these ores had a blue hue. Seeing that she had shown interest, Michael smiled and added an additional exnation.


    ¡°Yes, they are ores enchanted with water elemental mana.¡±


    Enchanted ores were tricky to work with anyway, but ones with specific attributes for elements were on a different level. Even the slightest mistake during forging stimted their internal elemental energies, deteriorating the quality of the ore in an instant.


    ¡°I have heard that water elemental enchanted ores are particrly tricky to forge due to their sensitivity to fire.¡±


    ¡°Usually, that would be the case... but it all depends on who is handling them and how,¡± Michael spoke confidently.


    Hans, who was all set, gathered his mana.


    Grayish mana gathered in his hands. He moved his hands in the air in an intricate pattern. A momentter, a magic array was formed.


    He then inserted the mana stones he had picked out into the circle, and the circle changed once more. It glowed brighter as it was supplied with mana from the mana stones. He grinned at the colorful magic circle, which looked like a tiny star, and put thezulite and sea jade inside.


    The two ores inside the magic circle trembled and suddenly turned into liquid. After smelting the ores without heating, he immediately put his hands into the magic circle to refine them into a shape.


    ¡°Oh, so he is doing alchemical forging,¡± said Eun-Ha after observing the entire process.


    Unlike traditional forging, this new method was based on alchemy and magic. It was a method that was gaining traction in the cksmithing industry because it eliminated the need for casting and quenching and made it easier to draw out the mana inside the materials.


    ¡°It is a method trickier than normal forging, but one that, when mastered, allows the full unleashing of the potential in the materials,¡± said Michael.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the method is still unstable.¡±


    ¡°That is old news. It won¡¯t be long before alchemical forgingpletely surpasses the traditional method.¡±


    Michael subtly promoted alchemical forging, as the Barmuths were known for their mastery of alchemical forging. He was intending to make it the core discipline of the Department of cksmithing.


    <i>If I just persuade the dean, Kim In-Cheol will be left with no choice.</i>


    As long as he had even the slightest bit of justification, he would be able to revamp the department in his favor since the Department of cksmithing had been declining for several years. As he was satisfied with this situation, which looked like it was only a matter of time, Se-Hoon came to his eyes.


    ¡°The Barmuths... and alchemical forging...¡±


    Se-Hoon mumbled as he picked out his materials, lost in thought. Michael¡¯s eyes glowed coldly at the sight, as he thought Se-Hoon seemed much lesspetent than his son.


    <i>He¡¯s got his basics down... but it won¡¯t be easy.</i>


    Unlike the previous exam, which prioritized traditional forging methods, this exam required the proper utilization of skill and mana. And from what he could tell, Se-Hoon¡¯s mana was the lowest among this year¡¯s freshmen. It would be impossible for him to win against his son, who had the skill to even rival the second-year top-ranking student of the Department of cksmithing.


    <i>I can''t believe the person he¡¯s leaning on is In-Cheol. He¡¯s just out of luck.</i>


    This was probably hisst shot too, having been born into a worthless family. Michael sneered at Se-Hoon and turned his head.


    ¡°Ah!¡± shouted Se-Hoon with a relieved expression.


    The Barmuths and alchemical forging were both well-known in the cksmithing industry before he had regressed. But there was another reason why Se-Hoon remembered them.


    <i>Yeah, they were definitely involved with that st Dog.</i>


    Of the three Dogs he had to persuade, they were involved with the st Dog Luize Valente. With one more reason to crush Hans Barmuth, he changed his ns and grabbed the ignition stone.


    <i>Cr-Crackle!</i>


    The ignition stones crashed into each other in his hands, sparking and bursting into me. Everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to this simple yet unfamiliar technique as Se-Hoon slowly began to channel his mana into one specific ignition stone.


    <i>Alchemical forging...</i>


    Before he had regressed, Se-Hoon had learned everything he could about cksmithing. The circumstances weren¡¯t good enough for him to have the luxury of selecting what he would learn.


    <i>Do you guys think you know this stuff better than me?</i>


    Hans and Michael didn¡¯t know that, but <i>they</i> were actually the ones at a disadvantage here.


    <i>Boooom-!</i>


    An explosion erupted without any warning.


    The scarlet mes, fueled by Se-Hoon¡¯s hands, captured the attention of everyone in the examination room. Had an incident urred at the start of the exam? Everyone was bewildered due to the unforeseen situation.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®me Inclusion¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    The me began topress into Se-Hoon¡¯s hands.


    1. The original says "paranoia" but there is no exnation whatsoever as to what the connection is between white suits and paranoia, and we believe the author meant OCD. ?

 Chapter 6

    <h4>Chapter 6</h4>


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    The Scarlet me, centered on Se-Hoon¡¯s right hand, flickered up to his elbow. It had such overwhelming pressure that even experienced cksmiths would have been intimidated. But Se-Hoon chuckled instead; although the mes were ferocious, they never climbed past his elbow.


    <i>This is way bigger than I imagined.</i>


    He had been able to easily handle mes of this magnitude before his regression, but it was nearly impossible for him to deal with it with his current body. While he could control the mes, his mana was toocking for him to maintain it.


    However, despite hisck of mana, he possessed a skill that made it possible to maintain the mes efficiently, and that was Bond Imprint, an additional skill to cksmith of Bonds.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint]</strong>


    <strong>[Allows you to equip Fatestones on your body and use them. The current body parts they can be equipped to are ¡®left hand¡¯ and ¡®right hand¡¯.]</strong>


    Previously, the Fatestones had only been materials for forging. But with this skill, he could now equip one directly onto his body. He had never seen this skill before, but the possibilities it could bring were endless, as evidenced by its effectiveness here.


    It was effective when gathering the mes from the me-infused metal. It was applied to the right hand to trap the Scarlet me.


    Additionally, by leveraging the Master of mes skill obtained during the entrance exam, he adeptly manipted the Scarlet me, harnessing the additional resistance and power he had acquired over mes.


    With a few additional aspects, the level-one Fatestone, which he had struggled to utilize effectively before the regression, had now be incredibly valuable.


    <i>Well, the shape is pretty clunky... but this should be enough.</i>


    Smiling at the sight of the Scarlet me in his hands, Se-Hoon picked up the materials he had picked out beforehand.


    <i>Hydraigt and rosefury, these two should do the trick.</i>


    Much like the materials that Hans picked, they were materials that were both enchanted and filled with fire-attribute elemental mana. Michael frowned at Se-Hoon¡¯s choice. Although it may have been a coincidence, these materials directly opposed the materials with water elemental mana Hans had picked. But the irritation was short-lived.


    <i>Seems like you¡¯ve got quite a personality... but yourck of skill is going to be your doom.</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s choice of materials and the control of the Scarlet me in his right hand were pretty decent. However, his understanding of alchemical forging seemed woefully inadequate to Michael.


    <i>To prevent elemental mana from running amok during alchemical forging, only pure mana is used to produce resonance. But I¡¯ve never seen someone handle mes like that....</i>


    Michael thought that Se-Hoon was probably trying to make it easier for himself to produce resonance by using the me to make up for hisck of mana. However, ws could appear not only during the process when elemental mana was removed but also when it was added.


    This was a typical mistake caused by ack of knowledge regarding the nature of alchemical forging. Michael scoffed inwardly at Se-Hoon¡¯s misstep.


    <i>Booom-!</i>


    Once again, the thunderous roar of explosions filled the air.


    <i>Booom! Booom! Booom!</i>


    With his left hand, Se-Hoon tossed the ignition stones like a pebble, and the mes in his right hand engulfed the stones and flickered and burned like mad. It was an incredible sight, but the real surprise was his fist at the center of the mes.


    Amidst the fiercely swirling mes, the Scarlet me danced with unrestrained fluidity, gracefully enveloping his fist. And in it, the <i>hydraigt </i>and rosefury melted perfectly and merged into a single scarlet, molten liquid.


    ¡°What...¡± As he watched the entire process, Michael¡¯s expression turned to disbelief.


    The melting of the two ores was fast, but that was not the surprising factor here. After all, Se-Hoon was using a fire powerful enough to cause an explosion.


    What he couldn''t understand was how the ores were still able to retain their elemental mana properties despite being melted in such a rough way.


    <i>When those ores are melted with a fire of that strength, it¡¯s only natural that it would stimte the elemental mana and run wild. That¡¯s to be expected, but...</i>


    He examined them carefully to figure out how Se-Hoon had melted those two ores so quickly while keeping the elemental mana from going berserk.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon is a fascinating individual,¡± said Ryu Eun-Ha as she examined Se-Hoon¡¯s hands with an expressionless face.


    ¡°To make both of the ores resonate at the same time as he triggered alchemical forging, he either has a thorough understanding of his materials or an innate sense for mana.¡±


    ¡°He produced resonance in both of the ores while using alchemical forging?¡± Michael astonishingly eximed.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s probably how he maintained the elemental mana properties.¡±


    Eun-Ha¡¯s calm response made Michael incredulous.


    The process of alchemical forging could be split into two main steps. The first step was to make the ore resonate with his mana to configure its properties. The second was to forge a weapon out of the configured ore.


    Neither of the steps was simple, but the first step of configuration was more difficult.


    <i>Even the same ore can have different ways of resonating depending on how the mana is arranged and the environment around it...</i>


    Even Hans, who had mastered alchemical forging, couldn¡¯t produce resonance yet. Michael himself took more than ten minutes to produce it unless he was working with materials he was already familiar with.


    But for an iing student toplete the entire process the moment he began, it was not simply a matter of having a good understanding or a good sense.


    <i>...There¡¯s something else.</i>


    There was no way such talent and skill could be disyed by such an insignificant student.


    <i>I don¡¯t know what tricks you have set up, but it¡¯s not going to work out like you think.</i>


    For Michael, student-level tricks could easily be figured out. Deciding to take a closer look, he activated his main skill, Jewel Eyes (A).


    When he activated his skill, he heard a ring and his vision changed. These eyes could even detect a fault in an A-rank cksmith¡¯s work; the flow of mana inside the ore, changes in the properties of the ore, and Se-Hoon¡¯s movement of mana were all clearly visible to him.


    Michael looked closely at Se-Hoon with these eyes that were the major contributors to his reputation.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    He saw that the flow inside the ore was more orderly than anything he had seen in other ore.


    ***


    <i>He sure is trying hard. </i>Se-Hoon sneered at the way Michael red at him.


    There was a strange glint in Michael¡¯s eyes, as he was probably using a skill to discern if Se-Hoon was cheating or not.


    <i>Well, I guess it¡¯s to be expected.</i>


    A student with nothing special on paper had suddenly turned out to be adept at alchemical forging. From the perspective of a leading expert in alchemical forging, this was an unbelievable situation.


    <i>But I don¡¯t have the obligation to help him understand this situation.</i>


    While Michael and Hans seemed to think of alchemical forging as a more advanced form of forging that used alchemy and magic, Se-Hoon saw it differently. After all, alchemical forging was created for people to forge weapons using only magic and alchemy in situations where traditional forging was impossible. Thus, the path it pursued waspletely different from traditional forging.


    <i>Alchemical forging is about developing life within the ore.</i>


    It had apletely different structure than traditional forging, which broke down the ore and let the cksmith¡¯s life seep into it. If one didn¡¯t understand this difference and performed alchemical forging like traditional forging, they were simply bragging about how much mana they had.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The resonance in the mes separated all the impurities in the ore, and scarlet molten liquid flowed together with the Scarlet me. The life of the two ores, the Ore Essence, was extracted into his hands.


    ¡°Whew...!¡±


    In alchemical forging, resonance was all about finding the root of the Ore Essence and isting it. But Hans was trying to shape the Ore Essence into the shape he wanted, which not only wasted time but resulted in a product with impurities.


    ¡°<i>Ughhh</i>...¡±


    Hans nced over, then bit his lips and red at his own magic array. He was probably feeling a bit nervous now that the opponent he belittled had gotten the better of him.


    <i>It was already pretty messy to start with, but the amount of impurities in it just keeps growing.</i>


    It didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t forge a weapon out of it, but the impurities could make it less durable and more prone to the infused elemental mana running wild, making it a ticking time bomb. This was one of the greatest downsides to alchemical forging. And Luize Valente, one of the three Dogs, wouldter experience misfortune because of this issue.


    <i>When I was in Babel, I was poor... and this asshole named Barmuth told me he could forge armor for cheap if I did some odd jobs for him, so I worked for him for a few months, and he sold me this bomb.</i>


    Before Se-Hoon¡¯s regression, the three Dogs had always imed that they were this way because they had been wronged in the past. Of course, it was impossible to know if they were telling the truth or not, plus he didn¡¯t really want to know at that time. But he felt different this time.


    <i>I¡¯ll need their strength to defeat the Six Harbingers anyway, so I might as well make it easier for me to persuade them.</i>


    This time, Se-Hoon was going to set these Dogs on the right path, both physically and mentally, and then drag them to the frontlines. And his ns started with a thorough trampling of Hans Barmuth, the quack cksmith who left Luize Valente with serious trauma and forced her to drop out of school.


    <i>Now it begins.</i>


    When making a weapon from Ore Essence, only minimal intent was to be put into it to avoid damage. The ¡°intent¡± in this case referred to the nature of the person who would be wielding the weapon.


    <i>And the suitable candidate here would be...</i>


    He nced at Ryu Eun-Ha, the red-haired woman in front of him, who was looking at him indifferently. Then he took a deep breath.


    ¡°Watch closely,¡± he said to Hans, who was struggling beside him.


    The Ore Essence gathered in Se-Hoon¡¯s hands began to bloom into life.


    <i>Fwoosh-!</i>


    The Scarlet me spun in a circle, gradually forming an ellipse and taking shape just as Se-Hoon nned it.


    Its basic form was a scabbard since it was supposed to support the Five-me Sword. But a simple scabbard wouldn¡¯t be enough for him to be an honor student, and it most certainly wasn¡¯t enough for the cranky vice dean.


    Considering these factors, the Scarlet me was gradually taking shape in his hands, and the scarlet Ore Essence slowly flowed into it.


    There was no splendor of dozens of magic arrays forming or the grandeur of intermingled ores pulsating with brilliance. There was just the Scarlet me burning without sound and the scarlet Ore Essence that flowed within it.


    A brand new life was forged at his fingertips.


    <i>Analysisplete</i>


    <i>Bang-!</i>


    A massive pulsation shook the entire room.


    <strong>[Equipment ¡®ming Scabbard¡¯ has beenpleted!</strong>


    <strong>The most important thing about using a skill is to understand the intent behind it! Despite theck of power in the mes and the quality of materials used, the cksmith¡¯s skill can only be described as first-rate as he breathed new life into the ore.</strong>


    <strong>The tier evaluation for ¡®ming Scabbard¡¯ is ¡®Rare¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[Elemental Mana ¡®Scarlet me (F)¡¯ has been developed.]</strong>


    Achievement messages emerged hazily in front of him. However, Se-Hoon¡¯s focus was not on these messages but on his right hand, which was sping the newly created scabbard for the Five-me Sword¡ªthe ming Scabbard.


    <i>Fwoosh-!</i>


    Mana was elegantly burning, just like the mes he used moments ago. At the sight of this familiar elemental mana, he immediately looked over its information.


    <strong>[Scarlet me] ¡ºF¡»</strong>


    <strong>[Fire-attribute elemental mana that resembles crimson fire. It¡¯s used for melting metals.]</strong>


    <i>Wow... this takes me back.</i>


    Before the regression, this was the first elemental mana that he had sessfully developed when he was an apprentice cksmith. Even though he had developed an elemental mana muchter than others, he had used it with excitement every day since then. And now, just like before, the Scarlet me was the first to bloom.


    <i>Scarlet me isn¡¯t bad to develop at this stage.</i>


    Compared to the Genesis me he had used before his regression, the size was as trivial as fire from a matchstick, but this would have to do for now. Deciding to relearn all of his skills one step at a time, he examined the finished scabbard.


    <strong>[<u>ming Scabbard</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Rare] [Quality: Poor]</strong>


    <strong>[A scabbard infused with fire-attribute elemental mana.</strong>


    <strong>It perfectly retains the Ore Essence it was made from, amplifying the power of fire-attribute elemental mana. A me can be stored inside, and maximizing the me¡¯s flow can create immense power.</strong>


    <strong>This scabbard highlights the cksmith¡¯s ingenuity.</strong>


    <strong>*Stores and amplifies fire-attribute elemental mana</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Untamed Fire¡¯]</strong>


    <i>Hm. The qualities of the Fatestone have been applied to it after all.</i>


    While the materials were infused with fire-attribute elemental mana, the ming Scabbard was endowed with the properties of the me-Infused metal, which enabled it to store mes. Perhaps using Bond Imprint during the forging process resulted in the Fatestone¡¯s properties naturally melding into the item.


    <i>With this, the range of possible applications truly bes boundless.</i>


    He could recreate equipment he had forged before the regression or possibly even forge them to be even more exceptional. As a cksmith, his creative spirit was brimming with all sorts of ideas.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Something snapped off his right hand.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®me Inclusion¡¯ has been exhausted.]</strong>


    He was disappointed as the system message informed him that the me-Infused metal in his right hand was used up.


    <i>I guess level one Fatestones don¡¯tst too long.</i>


    Still, it was better than not being able to use it at all. Content with the result, he looked at Hans, who was still working on configuring the properties of his equipment.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Hans was disheartened when he saw what Se-Hoon had forged. It seemed he possessed some level of ability, as he clearly recognized the gap in skill between him and Se-Hoon.


    <i>It looks like he knows his ce now.</i> Se-Hoon smirked as he sat back and waited for the exam to end.


    ¡°The test is over!¡±


    Kim In-Cheol¡¯s voice signaled the end of the additional test.

 Chapter 7

    <h4>Chapter 7</h4>


    ¡°Please bring your finished work up front.¡±


    Responding to Kim In-Cheol¡¯s call, the two students carried their finished equipment to the table where the judges sat. The pieces they had forged for the entrance exam were already on the table.


    Se-Hoon looked at the one Hans Barmuth had made.


    <i>His previous work was a rapier, and just now he forged a shield.</i>


    The shield wasn¡¯t too shabby¡ªa small, round shield that wasmonly referred to as a buckler. It wasn¡¯t a bad choice at all.


    <i>But... </i>Se-Hoon found the shield not up to par when he examined it closely.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll start by inspecting Hans¡¯s work first,¡± said Ryu Eun-Ha.


    The shield had a cross-shaped centerpiece, with a blue sheen running down the outer surface. It was engraved with patterns that looked like waves, and its appearance was very ssy.


    <strong>[Wellenschild]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Excellent]</strong>


    <strong>[The potential stored in the ore has been maximized while forging this shield, allowing it to enhance the output of water elemental mana. It also has the ability to convert pure mana into water elemental mana.</strong>


    <strong>*Amplifies the power of water elemental mana</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the conversion of pure mana into water elemental mana]</strong>


    ¡°This shield has both mana amplification and elemental conversion attributes; you¡¯ve done a great job applying these two sophisticated skills,¡± remarked Ryu Eun-Ha with a calm face.


    <i>Yeah, the focus of this additional test is thepatibility with the equipment from the entrance exam. As far as that goes, I still have a chance. </i>Hans¡¯s expression softened slightly.


    As Se-Hoon¡¯s newly forged equipment could outshine his entrance exam submission, the proof of the pudding would be in the eating. Hans felt a surge of renewed determination.


    ¡°But.¡±


    After putting down the Wellenschild, Eun-Ha continued with her assessment impassively.


    ¡°The shield¡¯s center of gravity is off, and the magic circuit is too exposed. It seems like you intentionally designed it for easy discharge of converted mana, but if mana discharges at this rate, the effectiveness of the shield will quickly decline after blocking a few attacks.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Additionally, as I examined the structure, it seems that using elemental conversion could cause permanent damage to the shield. Do you have any measures in ce to address this issue?¡±


    Her relentless criticisms poured forth without a moment of respite. Hans¡¯s face quickly turned pale as he heard each irrefutable point, and Michael Barmuth¡¯s expression turned grim. Indeed, this shield looked ssy, but that only served to mask its impracticality.


    ¡°Seems like you don¡¯t have any measures to address the issue. Next time, it might be wise to pay more attention to the practicality and maintenance of the weapon,¡± advised Eun-Ha.


    ¡°Yes... yes,¡± replied Hans.


    ¡°And also, thepatibility with your previous work seemscking. A in sword-and-shield pair is a rather simplistic approach. And with that, my evaluation is over.¡±


    Once she finished her evaluation, the attention in the room naturally shifted to Michael. With a frown of disapproval, he responded briefly.


    ¡°My evaluation is the same as yours, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± Upon the realization that he hadn¡¯t received an evaluation from Michael, Hans lowered his head in disappointment. The sight intensified the re in Michael¡¯s eyes. It was certain that Hans would be scolded once they returned home. Witnessing the scene, Se-Hoon chuckled sardonically.


    <i>Her evaluation is as precise as ever, just like how it was before the regression.</i>


    Se-Hoon was satisfied that Eun-Ha had said what he wanted to say, though it was in a more gentle manner.


    Kim In-Cheol cleared his throat to defuse the tense atmosphere.


    ¡°<i>Ahem.</i> Well then, up next is Lee Se-Hoon¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll evaluate it first.¡± Before In-Cheol could finish his words, Eun-Ha stepped forward. While everyone was taken aback by her proactive stance, she carefully scrutinized the ming Scabbard.


    The scabbard emanated a subtle crimson glow, with triangr patterns engraved on it at regr intervals, resembling teeth.


    After studying the form of the scabbard attentively, she slowly lifted her head.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± replied Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Will you sell this scabbard to me?¡±


    The unexpected proposal cast a sudden chill through the air, and Michael stared at her in bewilderment.


    ¡°Now, hold on... sell the scabbard? What on earth are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± Michael objected.


    A situation where the judge suddenly offered to buy the submitted work was perplexing enough, but what added to Michael¡¯s unease was the difference in her attitude.


    <i>She simply trashed Hans¡¯s submission... so howe?</i>


    Michael was aware that Se-Hoon¡¯s work was good, but could it really be considered <i>that</i> good?


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you should sell it to me right now.¡± Eun-Ha disregarded Michael¡¯s objection casually and proceeded with her proposal.


    ¡°After the nomination of the honor student and the entrance ceremony, all previously submitted works will be returned to the students. When that happens, you can sell it to me if you wish.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It may be poor-quality Rare equipment, but I¡¯ll buy it for five times the market price. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°...Ra-Rare tier?¡± Michael¡¯s face was painted with astonishment at Eun-Ha¡¯s words.


    He found himself taken aback when he heard that it was Rare-tier equipment, as he imagined it to be at most Advanced tier.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± In-Cheol, who had been silently standing by, spoke calmly. ¡°We¡¯re still in the middle of the evaluation for the test, so it might be better to refrain from private conversations for now.¡±


    ¡°...I see. My apologies.¡± Nodding her head slightly, she put down the ming Scabbard and looked back at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Have you ever forged a piece of Rare-tier equipment before?¡±


    ¡°No ma¡¯am. I haven¡¯t.¡± Of course, if he were to include the ones he forged before the regression, then he couldn¡¯t even remember how many he had forged. However, in this current timeline, this was the first time he had forged Rare-tier equipment.


    ¡°So, today marks the first time you¡¯ve crafted a piece of Rare-tier equipment. Yet, you don¡¯t seem to be too pleased. I heard that in the cksmithing industry, reaching this stage is considered an important step that leads beyond being a novice and to gaining recognition. Is that not the case?¡±


    Being able to forge Rare-tier equipment was a sign that one had begun to establish their foundation as a cksmith. It meant that the cksmith had skills that went beyond just preserving the properties of the materials and into the realm of imbuing them with new powers and skills.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you used high-quality materials... so what part of it isn¡¯t to your liking?¡± Persisting with her questioning, Eun-Ha looked at Se-Hoon with a perplexed expression, as she found his reaction somewhat puzzling.


    <i>Could it be that the dean is harboring suspicions about Lee Se-Hoon?</i> Michael¡¯s eyes sparkled with hope.


    While it was not umon for a student¡¯s skills to improve suddenly one day, Se-Hoon¡¯s improvement was too drastic. Although it would make sense if he had entered the Tower of Heroes before, that wasn¡¯t the case; he wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to do so as a new student.


    Michael grasped onto his onest hope, thinking the dean might have uncovered something he hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just because I don¡¯t like this scabbard,¡± muttered Se-Hoon, expressionlessly. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be weird if I was happy when my first Rare-tier piece of equipment turned out like this?¡±


    This scabbard was helpful to Se-Hoon when it came to confirming the effect of Bond Imprint, but if he judged it solely based on the item properties, there were more than a few aspects that he was not pleased with.


    Moreover, there wasn¡¯t actually any reason for him to be happy, considering this wasn¡¯t exactly his <i>first</i> time forging Rare equipment.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    In response to Se-Hoon¡¯s reply, which none of them could have predicted, Michael looked perplexed, while Hans looked on with a dazed face. In-Cheol, suppressing the urge to chuckle by biting his lips, cleared his throat.


    ¡°Lee...Lee Se-Hoon, please don¡¯t be impolite.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Eun-Ha had been silently observing Se-Hoon. Momentster, she seemed to conclude her thoughts and spoke up again.


    "Now, let¡¯s get to the actual evaluation. The scabbard itself is excellent. The weight distribution is even, and the shape is well-defined. It seems you¡¯ve considered equipping it in battle. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡±


    "Just as I thought. Its effectiveness in storing mes and the attributes of the Five-me Sword seem to have a favorable synergy. And most importantly...¡±


    She gripped the ming Scabbard and infused it with her mana. As others were puzzled over her actions, the ming Scabbard began to glow with an increasingly vibrant red light.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    mes naturally wrapped around the entire scabbard. They weren¡¯t just simply radiating from the scabbard; they moved as if they were flowing down the surface.


    She then gently touched the me with her fingertips.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Even though the contact was minimal, the mes swiftly transferred onto her hand. While the extraordinary spread of mes astonished everyone, she nodded in acknowledgment.


    ¡°Using the difference inpression rate in the magic circuit to impart a flow that enhances the spreading power of the mes was exceptionally delicio¡ªuh, I mean, outstanding,¡± she said as she set down the ming Scabbard and looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°However, looking at the structure of the skill Untamed Fire, it seems it will permanently reduce the durability of the scabbard when used. Do you have any ns to address this problem?¡±


    This was the same issue that she had pointed out in Hans¡¯s equipment. Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t avoid it as it was amon drawback with equipment forged with alchemical forging.


    ¡°If the scabbard is soaked in mana-infused essence, its durability can be restored.¡±


    He knew that even such fundamental drawbacks could be easily resolved as long as the Ore Essence was preserved.


    ¡°<i>Huu</i>...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Upon Se-Hoon¡¯s response, Michael let out a deep sigh. Hans, once again, dropped his head low.


    ¡°Do you have any additionalments or opinions you would like us to hear, Vice Dean?¡±


    ¡°...None at all.¡±


    ¡°Then it seems the results are clear.¡±


    Se-Hoon had managed to forge a piece of equipment with outstanding performance, and it even ensured continuous usage.


    ¡°The honor student contender for the Department of cksmithing will be Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    This oue was as in as day.


    ***


    After the test, In-Cheol remained in the test room as Eun-Ha requested. He looked at her with a puzzled expression, as she was staring at the ming Scabbard and the Five-me Sword ced on the table. Having never seen her show such interest in a student¡¯s work, he asked her carefully, ¡°Do you deem Lee Se-Hoon as the future honor student of the entire College of Borsippa?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that seems to be the case.¡±


    His eyes widened at her prompt reply.


    ¡°Are you really sure?¡±


    While being able to forge Rare-tier equipment was certainly noteworthy among freshmen, he didn¡¯t think that it was enough to dere Se-Hoon as the honor student of the entire college.


    ¡°Do you have a different opinion, Professor Kim?¡±


    ¡°Well, I do think that this scabbard is forged excellently, but... I¡¯m not entirely sure if it¡¯s outstanding enough to overshadow the top students from other faculties.¡±


    ¡°From the appearance alone, it¡¯s reasonable for you to believe that. However, the true value of this weapon lies in its skill.¡±


    The skill stored in the ming Scabbard was Untamed Fire. Even at the same grade and quality, the value of the equipment could vary significantly based on the skill they had. If she had given a high rating to the ming Scabbard¡¯s skill, her surprisingly positive evaluation actually made sense.


    <i>Is the skill truly at that level...?</i>


    Creating a new skill was not easy, but enhancing its efficiency and performance was on apletely different level. It required an understanding of the skill¡¯s structure, imaginative design to tailor it to the equipment, and the ability to implement it into the equipment. If forging a piece of Raretier equipment was the starting point, tuning the skill until perfection was several steps beyond that.


    ¡°Hmm. Professor Kim, you may not be aware of the details since you haven¡¯t examined the scabbard closely. Since I¡¯m curious as well, let¡¯s take a look at how it works.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Holding the scabbard, she stood up, covered its mouth with her palm, and infused her mana into it.


    Mana umted inside the scabbard without leaking out. The scabbard was absorbing her rather turbulent mana effortlesslypared to other pieces of equipment. She had a peculiar expression on her face as she observed the scabbard¡¯s reaction to her mana.


    <i>It is rather strange.</i>


    Though she was sure that this was the first time she had met Se-Hoon, his equipment was perfectly tailored to her needs, as if she had personallymissioned him to forge this for her. Due to this iprehensible suitability, she had been unable to maintain herposure, which had led her to urge him to sell the scabbard to her.


    ...<i>I should calm down.</i>


    She suppressed her desire firmly and extended her hand forward like she was unsheathing a sword.


    <strong>¡°Untamed Fire.¡±</strong>


    The instant she called out the name of the skill, condensed mana surged forth.


    <i>Booom-!</i>


    A colossal me engulfed the entire room. Although the protective spells sessfully warded it off, the sheer magnitude left In-Cheol''s eyes wide in astonishment.


    ¡°What in the world...¡±


    This was a skill thatpressed the mana stored in the scabbard and released it all in a single breath. The skill had aplicated structure, and any mistake in thepression, adjustment, or release of mana could lead to the scabbard breaking apart. Yet, Se-Hoon had wlessly crafted it without a hint of imperfection.


    ¡°How does it look?¡±


    ¡°If the scale of the skill is this great... this scabbard is unquestionably amazing.¡±


    Perhaps even Michael wouldn¡¯t be able to brush aside these results. Somewhat relieved, In-Cheol nced at Eun-Ha, who was once again examining the ming Scabbard.


    ¡°Seems like you took quite a liking to that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the most intriguing item I¡¯ve seen recently.¡±


    In-Cheol was astonished at her reply. While she was known to be stringent, especially when it came to equipment, he was surprised to see her praising a piece of Rare-tier equipment so highly. Intrigued, he couldn¡¯t help but ask cautiously, ¡°Which part of it is most intriguing to you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Just looking at this scabbard right now... there are quite a few shorings. His overall craftsmanship seems decent, but his physical abilities fall short, which led to some hasty adjustments.¡±


    She looked down at the ming Scabbard with keen eyes.


    ¡°My thoughts are that Lee Se-Hoon only achieved around seventy percent of his desired oue, or maybe even less.¡±


    ¡°Huh...¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s precisely because he didn¡¯t manage to do all he wanted that I¡¯m looking forward to the day he¡¯s able to.¡±


    She slowly stroked the scabbard, her red eyes gleaming faintly.


    ¡°What will happen if his limitations in physical abilities are addressed? Imagine him possessing a range of skills, diverse elemental mana, and ess to exceptional materials.¡±


    As if she was foreseeing that future, she unconsciously licked her lips, and her expressionless face revealed a subtle glint of anticipation.


    ¡°Perhaps... he¡¯ll forge an exceptionally delicious piece of equipment.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Eun-Ha¡¯s answer left In-Cheol with a peculiar expression on his face.


    Her official title as an S-ranker was Weapon Eater, but in the cksmithing world, she was known by a different nickname: the Gourmet. She took pleasure in savoring the taste of equipment, treating it as a culinary hobby. She acquired meticulously crafted equipment, indulged in them as one would in a meal, and then left behind stringent evaluations as a discerning critic.


    This was who Ryu Eun-Ha truly was.


    <i>A cksmith who made the famous Gourmet look forward to his work...</i>


    Was this to be deemed as misfortune, or should it be counted as luck? In-Cheol chuckled at the sight of Eun-Ha as she continued to caress the scabbard with an expressionless face.

 Chapter 8

    <h4>Chapter 8</h4>


    The Tower of Pristine pierced through the clouds. Below the unreal edifice, which was seemingly beyond human creation, rested a lone podium. And amidst this otherworldly scenery, an old man slowly walked up and stood on top of the podium, with the Tower of Pristine at his back.


    ¡°Fifty-four years ago, the world changed.¡±


    His voice emanated from the podium and spread throughout the audience.


    ¡°The heavens bestowed upon us the Towers of Heroes, which catalyzed mankind¡¯s evolution. Meanwhile, the depths below unleashed the Abyss of Demons that corrupted any lifeform it touched.¡±


    Not a single sign of devices being employed or mana being infused was seen.


    ¡°Some regard this as both a blessing and a curse¡ªa duality born from newfound possibilities and, at the same time, the emergence of monumental disasters.¡±


    Yet, the old man¡¯s voice resounded clearly throughout the vast square and in the ears of the tens of thousands gathered.


    ¡°However, I myself perceive this as a kind ofbor pain. It is the final trial humanity must face before stepping into a new realm. And today, all of you students have been cast into the midst of our trial.¡±


    The old man standing on the podium alone was Ludwig Schubert, the chairman of Babel Academy. As he spoke, the eyes of everyone gathered in the square glistened. Some of them carried a pure sense of duty, while others harbored greed. Though their personal motivations varied, they all had the same ultimate objective.


    ¡°Step forth.¡±


    The square was filled with new and current students, as well as numerous visitors from outside and cameramen broadcasting the scene. And as if he was conveying a message to all those watching him, Ludwig continued his speech withposure.


    ¡°That is the duty each and every one of you now bears after entering Babel Academy.¡±


    Once Ludwig¡¯s speech came to an end, the crowd erupted in thunderous apuse. Lee Se-Hoon, who had been pping nonchntly amid the resounding cheers, discreetly surveyed his surroundings.


    <i>This is no joke...</i>


    The entrance ceremony at the academy he attended before the regression was marked by begrudging apuse, but this was on a whole different scale. While part of it might be due to the excitement of enrolling in Babel Academy instead of other third-rate academies, the primary reason was probably the fame of the old man who had just delivered the encouraging speech.


    <i>Seems like he is still as famous as ever.</i>


    The term ¡°Perfect Ones¡± referred to those who climbed all the way to the top of a Tower of Heroes. The legendary figure who first achieved this feat in human history was none other than the old man before everyone¡ªLudwig Schubert, known as the Emperor of Ascension.


    <i>He¡¯s not that nice of a person, though.</i>


    As Se-Hoon made a peculiar expression while looking at Ludwig standing there with a benevolent face, the ceremony host¡¯s voice echoed through the speakers.


    ¨CNext, we will have a short demonstration from this year¡¯s iing honor students. Honor students from each college, pleasee forward to the stage.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>.¡±


    Se-Hoon stood up from the crowd and walked toward the stage as practiced beforehand. Amidst the thousands of motionless onlookers, only three individuals were walking toward the front. Surrounded by gazes pouring in from all directions, he chuckled involuntarily.


    <i>So, this is what it feels like.</i>


    Despite not having shown anything yet, everyone seemed to regard him as someone incredible. Back before the regression, he couldn¡¯t fathom why those high-flyers carried such arrogance, but now he felt he could understand them a bit more.


    <i>Maybe this time around, I¡¯ll try being an arrogant cksmith myself.</i>


    While he chuckled due to his own frivolous thoughts, the host¡¯s voice echoed once again.


    ¡ªUp first is the demonstration from the honor student of Aqar Quf, Jake Myers.


    As the host continued with her speech, a blond-haired student stepped onto the stage. Standing at a height of around 170 centimeters, he wasn¡¯t particrly tall. His face carried a youthful charm more fitting of a boy than a young man. Additionally, it appeared to him that Jake didn¡¯t equip any weapons.


    <i>The Myers... </i>Se-Hoon squinted his eyes.


    The Myers were a prestigious family renowned for producing countless heroes, with an unparalleled reputation even among other prestigious families. Before the regression, Se-Hoon had received several requests for equipment from them, but at the end, he was on bad terms with the family.


    <i>Jake Myers must be the third child.</i>


    Se-Hoon had never met him before the regression, but he had heard about him now and then, so there were some facts he knew about him.


    <i>Even though he¡¯s from the Myers family, he specializes in hand-to-handbat... I remember hearing that he died in his mid-twenties.</i>


    Se-Hoon didn¡¯t know the exact age Jake died, but considering that Babel Academy typically had four-year programs, he probably died shortly after graduating. With this information in mind, he looked at Jake with a smile as thetter was confidently standing on the stage.


    <i>Being the honor student of a college, he should have some potential, but... I wonder how skilled he is.</i>


    To determine whether it was worth forming a bond, Se-Hoon examined the stage closely. A whileter, a ck steel puppet, standing approximately two meters tall, appeared in front of Jake.


    ¡ªThe apparatus used in this duel is a golem of the Automaton series from Marite Factory, specifically Model 9. It possesses strength that matches that of C-rank heroes.


    It appeared like this was a bit excessive for a freshman, but Se-Hoon deemed it reasonable.


    <i>This should be doable for the honor student of the College of Aqar Quf.</i>


    The additional test for students in the College of Aqar Quf involved a sparring match. In other words, Jake, as the strongest inbat among the freshmen entering Babel Academy this year, should handle that golem effortlessly considering his strength.


    ¡ªThen, let the fight begin!


    At the host¡¯s signal, Jake took a stance with his bare hands. The automation¡¯s vacant pupils lit up with a blue light, and it immediately rushed toward Jake.


    <i>ng!</i>


    A jarring sound of crushed metal echoed. Jake¡¯s punch sent the automaton flying into the air, the armor te covering its abdomen crumpled like paper. He then recovered his stance and, as the automaton fell back down,unched a deadly chain of strikes with both fists.


    <i>Pow! Pow! Pow!</i>


    With each impact, the automaton¡¯s armor crumpled. Considering Jake was only hitting it with his bare fists and no weapons equipped, this was a remarkable sight. However, the real spectacle began shortly after.


    Blue-colored mana surged from Jake¡¯s fists as he clenched them even tighter. His fists¡¯ speed and destructive force continued to rise without pause. As he reached the limits of his power, his fists shed through the air in an instant, leaving blue afterimages behind.


    <i>Wham!</i>


    The automaton¡¯s head exploded without leaving a single trace. It was now just a massive piece of scrap metal, and the headless body copsed to the floor.


    ¡°Thank you for your attention!¡±


    As Jake energetically bowed his head, a cascade of apuse erupted from the previously speechless crowd.


    This freshman had overwhelmed an automaton that could rival even a C-rank hero without using any special skills; it was purely with his physical abilities. In a way, the audience¡¯s reaction seemed natural since Jake didn¡¯t use any extraordinary techniques in the duel. Likewise, Se-Hoon, who had been observing from below, shared the same sentiment.


    <i>How is this guy only an A-rank?</i>


    Such a level of talent was something that only came around once every ten years at Babel Academy. How did Jake end up with such a short-lived career? Se-Hoon was surprised by the potential in Jake, which far exceeded his expectations.


    After the stage was cleaned up, the host introduced the next honor student.


    ¨CUp next is the demonstration from Ur¡¯s honor student, Inoue Erika.


    Erika was a girl with long, ck hair and skin as white as freshly fallen snow. While her face still had traces of youthfulness, the overall impression she gave people was one of tranquility, perhaps due to her calm demeanor and deep purple eyes.


    <i>She¡¯s a bigshot as well, huh?</i>


    She was the eldest daughter of the Inoue family, which was known as one of Japan¡¯s three great ns. Although she wouldn¡¯t be able to climb to the top of a Tower of Heroes, she would be an S-rank hero who wielded a Mythical-tier weapon, of which only a few existed in the world. While he hadn¡¯t met her before, he had often heard stories of her remarkable feats on the front lines.


    <i>Although I heard that in the end, she became a demon and was subjugated by her very own family...</i>


    As he gazed at Erika with a peculiar expression, she slowly turned her head.


    ¡°...¡±


    Then, stopping precisely in the direction he was standing, she fixed her gaze on him.


    ¡°...?¡±


    Wondering if there was anyone else around, Se-Hoon looked around, but there was no one else nearby.


    <i>Huh?</i>


    He was caught off guard by her sudden stare, but when he looked back at the stage, she had already looked away. She then unveiled what she was holding in her right hand.


    <i>Caw!</i>


    A silver cage containing a crow was revealed. She calmly unlocked the cage and took the crow, which seemed very much like a normal crow, out of the cage with her left hand.


    ¡ªThe automaton used for this demonstration is the same golem, but it is equipped with reinforced armor and has approximately 1.5 times the defensive power.


    As the host exined, Se-Hoon examined the crow perched on Erika¡¯s left hand.


    <i>It¡¯s just an ordinary crow... is she nning to enhance it with magic?</i>


    Enhancements of creatures born without innate mana required extremely delicate adjustments, as even slight overexertion could lead to the breakdown of their entire body.


    ¡ªThen, the demonstration starts now!


    As soon as the demonstration began, silver mana flowed from Erika¡¯s body and permeated into the crow. Its feathers shimmered and gleamed as if it was bathed in silver light.


    <i>Swish!</i>


    A single streak of light shot up toward the sky with a burst of brilliance. The crow, leaving behind a white trail, soared through the air. Witnessing its arrow-like trajectory, the crowd was filled with admiration. Finally, after soaring to great heights, it came to a graceful halt and spread its wings wide.


    <i>Whizz-!</i>


    It pierced through the air and descended toward the automaton.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The automaton twitched slightly, and the crownded smoothly on the ground. At first nce, it seemed like nothing had happened, but a closer inspection revealed a whole different story.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    A massive hole was pierced through the automaton¡¯s shield and chest. The image of the hole was projected on the screen suspended in midair, alerting everyone in the square.


    <i>Caw!</i>


    Apanied by the crow¡¯s caw, an intense apuse erupted. It was so loud that it wasn¡¯t outshone by the apuse Jake received. In awe of the spectacle, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but be impressed.


    <i>She¡¯s no joke either.</i>


    Being able to enhance an ordinary crow to the extent that it could prate the defenses of a C-rank hero with a single strike, she really was a future S-rank hero. Se-Hoon felt uneasy, as the level of skill that the other honor students had shown had exceeded his expectations.


    <i>It seems like just showing off my skills won¡¯t be enough.</i>


    At first, he was nning to just show the audience the information window for the equipment he forged. However, judging by how things went, that wouldn¡¯t leave much of an impression. As he had already anticipated such a situation, he had prepared a performance of his own. While he was adjusting the ns in his head, a staff member approached.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon, please get ready.¡±


    As it was getting closer to his turn for a demonstration, he headed toward the stairs. He crossed paths with Erika, who wasing down with the crow perched on her shoulder.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The two stared intently at each other in the middle of the stairs. Finally, deciding to break the silence, Se-Hoon opened his mouth as he gazed at Erika, who was silently looking down at him.


    ¡°Do you have something to say?¡±


    ¡°...Nothing much,¡± she mumbled softly as she passed by.


    Se-Hoon looked at her as she left.


    <i>Did something happen between me and her?</i>


    He pondered if something had happened, but no problem seemed to have urred apart from when he passed by her during today¡¯s rehearsal. While Se-Hoon stood there, perplexed, the host¡¯s voice resounded again, breaking the silence.


    ¡ªLast but not least, we will have a demonstration from Borsippa¡¯s honor student, Lee Se-Hoon.


    Se-Hoon ascended the stage in sync with his introduction. Thousands of gazes were directed squarely at him.


    <i>There are quite a lot of people in the audience.</i>


    Unfazed by those gazes, he proceeded to open the two bags that were ced on the table by the staff.


    <i>Click.</i>


    The bags were unlocked, revealing both the Five-me Sword and the ming Scabbard. Information windows showing both the stats and shape of the weapons popped up in midair.


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Rare tier?¡±


    ¡°Man, what¡¯s up with the Department of cksmithing?¡±


    Those who understood the value of the equipment from the information windows were impressed, but there wasn¡¯t much of a reaction other than that. As the previous two students had showcased a variety of spectacr moves while demolishing the automaton, this was a natural response, as Se-Hoon had just disyed information about the equipment.


    <i>Then let¡¯s have some fun, shall we?</i>


    As he expected such reactions, Se-Hoon prepared for the performance he had nned.


    ¡°May I request a Model 8 automaton with armor, please?¡±


    ¨C... I¡¯m sorry?


    Se-Hoon¡¯s sudden request puzzled the host. Although preparing a Model 8 automaton was certainly feasible, considering they were piled up like mountains in Babel Academy, the real questiony in what Se-Hoon would do with it.


    <i>The eighth model is known for its high defensive stats, yet he¡¯s requesting to attach armor on top of that?</i>


    Its durability allowed it to withstand attacks from a B-rank hero. While the previous two students could easily smash through it, it didn¡¯t seem likely for Se-Hoon, as he was a cksmith after all.


    <i>Is it because of hispetitive spirit? Oh geez...</i>


    The desire not to fall behind his fellow honor students was understandable, but why would he throw himself such a curveball? The host contemted how to deal with this situation.


    ¡°Here you go.¡± Kim In-Cheol brought the requested automation onto the tform.


    Se-Hoon was surprised at how fast his request had been granted. Stunned, he turned his head in the direction he suddenly felt a gaze from. There, Ludwig was looking at him with a gentle smile, and Se-Hoon quickly grasped the message behind that gaze.


    <i>Give it a shot, huh?</i>


    Was Ludwig supporting the students¡¯petitive spirits, like he had mentioned in his opening speech? Or did he grant permission because he already knew the oue?


    Without knowing the intentions behind Ludwig¡¯s action, Se-Hoon just forgot about it and tightly grasped the Five-me Sword and the ming Scabbard.


    The sword and the scabbard faintly quivered as if they had been a single entity from the beginning. Sensing this, he began exining it to the crowd.


    ¡°These pieces of equipment were forged to unleash their true power when they are used together, so I would appreciate it if you all could evaluate their performance apart from their independent tiers. Thank you.¡±


    Although he had only learned a modest amount of swordsmanship, mostly self-defense techniques, it should be sufficient for the performance he was about to unfold.


    He effortlessly swung the Five-me Sword a few times, then swiftly sheathed it in the ming Scabbard in one fluid motion.


    The de seamlessly aligned with the mouth of the ming Scabbard. He then slightly lowered his stance and gripped the hilt of the Five-me Sword tightly. After that, he infused his innate elemental mana, Scarlet me, into it.


    mes emitted by the Five-me Sword were slowly stored in the ming Scabbard. Initially, as the mes umted steadily, they were just amplifying in intensity. However, as the stored quantity increased, subtle transformations began to take ce.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Five-colored mes leaked out of the scabbard. They were intertwining endlessly, forming a multicolored piece of artwork. However, this spectacle was more than mere splendor¡ªit held another more dangerous quality.


    ¡°Hmph...!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the mes erupted in all directions. Se-Hoon swiftly suppressed the ferocious ze and immediately controlled it using Scarlet me.


    The mes entangled in a struggle with each other were swept away by the Scarlet me. They coursed along the surface of the ming Scabbard, following the magic circuit.


    <i>Click!</i>


    He firmly pressed down his left foot and swiftly drew out the Five-me Sword from the scabbard.


    <strong>¡°Untamed Fire.¡±</strong>


    The five-colored mes engulfed the entire stage.


    <i>Booooom!</i>


    The unbridled mes reduced the automaton to charcoal. As if they hadn¡¯t just destroyed a mighty golem, the mes simply continued to collide with each other, causing loud explosions.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The College of Borsippa¡¯s demonstrations for opening ceremonies had always been unpopr due to theirck of spectacle. However, right now, everyone was left speechless by the breathtaking disy created by the new honor student of the College of Borsippa.


    ¡°And that concludes my demonstration.¡±


    Se-Hoon smiled with satisfaction at this sight.

 Chapter 9

    <h4>Chapter 9</h4>


    The entrance ceremony had ended.


    Se-Hoon, who was summoned right after by Eun-Ha, stood facing her in the alley.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Hey you, clean this up too... <i>ahem</i>.¡±


    The faculty member, who was in charge of cleaning up the alleyway, deftly turned away as if he hadn¡¯t seen the two facing each other.


    He had witnessed a standoff between an honor student who had gone off-script during the ceremony and the Dean who was responsible for that student¡¯s actions. To onlookers, this situation would have seemed like it was going to explode any second.


    <i>But this isn¡¯t exactly that kind of situation here, you know.</i>


    While Eun-Ha¡¯s expressionless face might make her seem angry, considering her personality, if she called him out for such a matter, she would have pointed out his wrongdoings at the start. So, why was she standing silently without uttering a single word? There could only be one motive behind her action.


    ¡°Was that intentional?¡±


    She had found delectable equipment to gobble up.


    ¡°The mes stored in the Five-me Sword have a tendency to collide with each other. That¡¯s why I designed it so that the mes freely flow through the ming Scabbard, which makes it easy to adjust them.¡±


    ¡°So you weren¡¯t just aiming to increase their spreadability.¡±


    ¡°Well, while I also had that in mind, I also considered the different sets of skills that could use thepatibility between the two pieces of equipment.¡±


    She stared intently at Se-Hoon as thetter casually exined his reasoning.


    When the topic of the additional test was first revealed, he envisioned the two pieces of equipment synergizing to a certain extent. However, they ended up surpassing the level of merely assisting each other and produced an explosive boosting effect.


    <i>And also utilizing the skill Untamed Fire on top of it... it seems he also intended that, huh?</i>


    She found it unbelievable that he was able to apply such meticulous adjustments in such a short amount of time. Her mouth dried up as she reevaluated Se-Hoon¡¯s abilities, which far exceeded her expectations.


    <i>He¡¯s worth much more than I imagined.</i>


    Was this what it felt like when arge amount of cheese unexpectedly oozed out of a cheap pork cutlet?


    <i>Gulp.</i>


    She swallowed hard at the thought of his abilities. She couldn¡¯t ept just looking forward to it in the future; she wanted a taste right now.


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Ryu Eun-Ha¡¯.]</strong>


    A new information window appeared in front of Se-Hoon.


    <i>This is quite early.</i>


    Before the regression, it had cost him several pieces of equipment to form a bond with Eun-Ha. But this time, a bond had been established without even feeding her a single piece. Although he felt a bit uneasy considering that his current skills were much lower than they had been back then, such differences were unavoidable.


    <i>An average cksmith or a promising student with a bright future? It was obvious which was more attractive to her.</i>


    Regardless, forming a bond with Ryu Eun-Ha was a pretty good oue for him. Having dealt with her Fatestone several times, he was already familiar with how to utilize it. Adding on to that, she was the Dean of Borsippa, so she could provide lots of support for his academic life.


    <i>I should still check if the activation method of Bond Extraction is the same as before.</i>


    After contemting how to extract the bond from her, Se-Hoon chose to resort to using a simple method.


    ¡°Ugh...¡± He suddenly copsed while clutching his forehead.


    Reacting to his fall, Eun-Ha naturally reached out and grabbed him.


    ¡°Are you okay?"


    Noticing that she was worried about him, he nodded sheepishly.


    ¡°I just used a bit too much mana... I think I¡¯m fine.¡±


    He softly took hold of her arm while getting up from his copsed posture.


    <strong><i>Bond Extraction</i></strong>


    <strong>[Extracting bond from subject ¡®Ryu Eun-Ha¡¯]</strong>


    <strong>[The bond with the host is Lv. 1.]</strong>


    The bond seeped inside his body.


    <i>Nice.</i>


    He hadn¡¯t rmed her at all when extracting the bond. When he stood up, however, he found Eun-Ha staring at him sternly.


    ¡°Next time, if you want to do something like this, please let me know in advance. This time, the chairman covered for you, but next time, you could face disciplinary action.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will be more cautious next time.¡±


    After observing his sincere reflection, she nodded her head and looked around cautiously.


    ¡°So, since the entrance ceremony is over, let¡¯s proceed with our deal¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah. Here you were, ¡± a voice said. Kim In-Cheol had arrived at the scene just in time to cut off Eun-Ha.


    ¡°The chairman would like to proceed with the awards right away. May I borrow Lee Se-Hoon for a while, ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    Se-Hoonughed internally at the subtle discontent evident on Eun-Ha¡¯s expressionless face.


    ¡°I look forward to seeing you soon, ma¡¯am,¡± said Se-Hoon, bowing politely.


    Se-Hoon and In-Cheol left the alley, leaving her alone. She stared at their retreating figures with a nk expression.


    Then, a soft, displeased sound echoed from the alley.


    <i>Growl.</i>


    ***


    <i>She¡¯s still the same as before.</i>


    Ryu Eun-Ha was someone who was always eager to consume any equipment that she found fascinating. While Se-Hoon was satisfied that Eun-Ha, known for her discerning taste, took interest in his equipment, he didn¡¯t let his guard down yet.


    <i>She¡¯s only acting like that now because she¡¯s new to my equipment.</i>


    At first, she might keep searching for that new taste, but once it became a little familiar to her, his equipment would simply end up tasting the same as ordinary Rare-tier equipment.


    <i>I am getting sick of your weapons, Se-Hoon.</i>


    Before the regression, he had been subjected to a lot of humiliation because he wasn¡¯t aware of her deteriorating interest in his equipment. However, this time, he would make sure not to make the same mistake again.


    <i>And since I met her this early, maybe I could even aim for a level-five bond.</i>


    The maximum bond level he had been able to reach with her before was level four. He deeply regretted it then, as it fell a step short of the highest level, level five, which he had achieved with the Three Dogs.


    His regrets were mainly because of her premature death and his own shorings for not preventing her tragic fate.


    ¡°I regret eating your equipment...¡±


    Her murmur lingered in his ears. Unable to forget it even until now, he furrowed his eyebrows in displeasure.


    <i>Tsk...</i>


    Well, it was all water under the bridge. As Se-Hoon tried to forget about it, In-Cheol, who was walking up ahead, spoke up.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    They had arrived in front of a massive mansion that stood on one side of the central square where the entrance ceremony took ce. This was the Marduk Mansion, the previous main building, often known as the heart of Babel Academy.


    ¡°This mansion is a historic site of Babel Academy. It¡¯s not a ce you get to visit often, so take a good look at it now.¡±


    After giving a brief exnation, In-Cheol walked away, and Se-Hoon followed him into the mansion.


    The entirety of the mansion, from the outside garden to the interior, wasvishly decorated. It was unbelievably well-maintained for a ce built over forty years ago.


    <i>Rather than being maintained properly... it feels more like it¡¯s frozen in time.</i>


    Se-Hoon examined the eerie atmosphere surrounding the mansion.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying this just in case,¡± said In-Cheol after they had arrived at the door of the chairman¡¯s office. ¡°Please act politely while addressing the chairman. As you should know, he is in apletely different league than us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m not clueless about such things, you know.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    In-Cheol was perplexed by Se-Hoon¡¯s calm reply. If the young man had been nervous, he wouldn¡¯t have been worried, but Se-Hoon being so rxed made In-Cheol uneasy.


    <i>Yes. It should be fine. He¡¯s not someone who doesn¡¯t know basic etiquette...</i>


    Shaking off his worries, In-Cheol carefully pushed open the door with both hands.


    In the room, there was a huge window overlooking the central square and bookshelves lined with old books. The floor was covered with a faded red carpet, and there were various antiques and old furniture scattered around.


    <i>These are all old-fashioned.</i>


    Completely contrasting with the splendid exterior of the mansion, this room was a quaint and worn-out space with a blend of brown and red. Seated at the desk was an old man¡ªchairman Ludwig Schubert, who weed Se-Hoon with a smile.


    ¡°Wee.¡±


    ¡°... Hello, sir.¡±


    As Se-Hoon bowed politely and stepped inside, the door closed silently, just like it had opened.


    Suddenly, he was alone in a room with the most powerful man in Babel Academy. For someone with a weak mentality, Ludwig¡¯s presence alone might have been overwhelming, but Se-Hoon stood there with unwaveringposure.


    <i>The Emperor of Ascension...</i>


    Ludwig was one of the strongest of humanity, and the only man who was able to fight to the death with the Destroyer of Heavens.


    Seeing this legendary figure up close, Se-Hoon nodded to himself.


    <i>He truly lives up to his title of a Perfect One.</i>


    He was incredibly strong, to the point where one might doubt if he was truly human. He was also inscrutable, making it impossible to discern what he was thinking. Se-Hoon¡¯s encounters with him had always made him ufortable, both in the past and present.


    ¡°Have you finished looking at everything you wanted to see?¡± asked Ludwig, as if he knew that Se-Hoon was appraising his stats.


    While other students might have been taken aback by his question, Se-Hoon just shook his head calmly.


    ¡°Nope. I wasn¡¯t able to see everything.¡±


    ¡°I see. Was there not enough time?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t have the capability to do so.¡±


    If it were before the regression, he would have been able to give a proper appraisal of Ludwig. But in the state that he was right now, it was an impossible feat.


    After this honest reply, he questioned Ludwig, who was still looking at him, ¡°Have <i>you</i> finished your appraisal, Chairman Ludwig?¡±


    There was no way that Ludwig was idling around and examining the patterns on the wall while Se-Hoon was appraising him. At Se-Hoon¡¯s question, Ludwig looked surprised, then shook his head with a smile.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to appraise you fully either. It seems I was incapable too.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    While Se-Hoon had been just saying what came to mind, he had ended up looking like a crazy person who was criticizing a Perfect One for not having enough skills.


    Se-Hoon was about to apologize, since he remembered In-Cheol¡¯s earnest request, but Ludwig spoke first, ¡°Let¡¯s take the time to understand each other when the opportunity arises again. For now, let¡¯s focus on the work at hand.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Ludwig smiled and looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°The equipment that you disyed at the entrance ceremony was intriguing. I can¡¯t say that they were perfect, but there was more about them that I could look forward to.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes twitched, and a pang of difort surged within at the disappointing assessment, but he quicklyposed himself. He was already prepared for such criticism when he submitted his first weapon.


    <i>I shouldn¡¯t think in terms of who I was before the regression. I have to face the reality now.</i>


    A part of him wanted to lob the Five-me Sword and the ming Scabbard into the furnace for making him receive such embarrassing reviews, but for now, he needed to restrain himself.


    As Se-Hoon took a deep breath, Ludwigughed softly and continued, ¡°So in honor of your talent and hard work, I¡¯m offering you two rewards. Tell me what you need.¡±


    This gift from Ludwig was only given to honor students of each college.


    It was anything that Ludwig could grant at his discretion. He would ept any kind of request, such as skills, armor, elixirs, or letters of introduction.


    <i>He¡¯s offering me two rewards? He¡¯s more generous than I thought.</i>


    He had been pondering whether to increase his mana or enhance his memory, but it seemed there was no need for such deliberation. Feeling a bit relieved, he answered right away.


    ¡°I would like to receive materials that can help increase my memory and mana.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Memory and mana.¡±


    Ludwig mumbled as if he was intrigued by Se-Hoon¡¯s answer. Then, after a moment of contemtion, he reached out his hand toward the empty air above him and performed a unique gesture.


    <i>Click.</i>


    His two fingers lightly traced the air, and a golden keyhole appeared in midair. The keyhole rotated slowly at a 90-degree angle, then split apart vertically and revealed a white space.


    <i>Thud. Thud.</i>


    Two objects fell out of the space andnded on the table.


    One was ivory engraved with mysterious patterns, and the other was a piece of dark-colored ore. Se-Hoon was bewildered when he saw these objects.


    ¡°These are...?¡±


    ¡°They are your rewards.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The reason Se-Hoon asked about these objects wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know what they were. In any case, it didn¡¯t seem like Ludwig would take them back and give him something else, so he felt it was safe to express some surprise.


    Ludwig chuckled and pushed the two items to the end of the desk.


    ¡°Take a look at them first.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    Se-Hoon walked up to the desk and lightly stroked the two items. The two items trembled faintly, and an information window popped up in front of him.


    <strong>[<u>Inkstone Ore</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Excellent]</strong>


    <strong>[A shard of darkness from the night.</strong>


    <strong>It seeks to consume all but the darkness.</strong>


    <strong>*Drains magic from anything it contacts]</strong>


    This piece of ore appeared distorted due to how matte the surface was.


    His eyes widened at the sight of this rare material, which he¡¯d seen a few times before the regression.


    <i>Ha. I never thought I''d manage to get hold of one already.</i>


    Although it was just Hero-tier material, it was not easy to get one due to its ability to absorb mana. This ore alone was enough to surprise him, but the real deal was the other reward.


    It was a piece of pure white ivory with surreal patterns.


    <strong>[<u>Dream Ivory</u>]</strong>


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


    <strong>[The mr of the Dream-Eating Baku.</strong>


    <strong>It is imbued with dream mana, allowing you to travel between reality and dreams.</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of dream mana to connect to the user¡¯s dreams]</strong>


    <i>A Dream Ivory...</i>


    It was a special material that allowed not only physical connection but mental connection as well, making it even rarer than the inkstone ore. While the inkstone ore could be found if one knew where to look, the Dream Ivory was much harder toe by. It was scarce, and it was also monopolized by the magicians who were researching dream mana.


    ¡°...¡±


    These rewards werepletely unexpected, and his mouth twitched in joy as he looked at the two items.


    A well-known cksmith, like he was before the regression, could obtain these materials, but that was in no way the case for a mere student. It was bizarre to him that he was able to obtain these rare materials so easily.


    <i>It should be hard for me to use these materials with my current stats... but I do have a clue as to what I should do with them.</i>


    Of course, there was no way he could do something with these rewards right now, but with a little preparation, he could probably use them soon. As he was busy nning in his head, Ludwig asked with a smile, ¡°Do you like your rewards?¡±


    Without hesitation, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°They¡¯re perfect.¡±


    ***


    After Se-Hoon exited the room, a low voice echoed from beyond the white hole in the air.


    ¡°Howe he¡¯s the only one to be rewarded with two items?¡±


    The mere act ofmunicating its intentions caused the surrounding atmosphere to tremble, and the entire room creaked under the weight of its presence.


    Ludwig answered calmly, ¡°I only gave him two items because it seemed like he could handle them, unlike the other students.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? He did seem rather precocious...¡±


    ¡°If you saw him that way, it means he has enough depth in him,¡± Ludwig said calmly as he observed Se-Hoon, who was walking down the corridor.


    His method of perceiving objects was bybining his own mana with the ambient mana.


    A curious look crossed his face as the scene became clearer than the naked eye could see.


    <i>I still can''t perceive his limits.</i>


    Until now, he had been able to appraise all of the potential that the honor students, who had visited earlier, had by the time they left the room. However, he still couldn¡¯t fathom Se-Hoon¡¯s underlying potential, even after observing him as he walked through the central square after leaving the mansion. It was as if his potential was boundless. After realizing this, Ludwig looked at the white hole again.


    <i>I was nning to reward him with three items... but I shouldn¡¯t be too excessive.</i>


    He decided to reward him with the remaining one depending on how Se-Hoon would handle the two he received today.


    Amused for the first time in a long while, Ludwig continued to observe Se-Hoon until he had left the central square.

 Chapter 10

    <h4>Chapter 10</h4>


    Today was the first day of ss.


    Normally, freshmen would be trying their best to establish themselves in the hierarchy, but it was different here at Babel Academy.


    ¡°Were there sses today?¡±


    ¡°No, no. They said the first day is only for tests.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. We¡¯re going to be sweating buckets again.¡±


    Most departments encouraged freshmen to socialize even before the entrance ceremony. They greeted each other and started casual conversations, as ties had already formed among them. Naturally, cliques that ruled over the sses had also formed. And, for this ss and the Department of cksmithing, the leader was Hans, who was second-ranked in the department.


    ¡°Where should we have our lunchter?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I have an appointment with Howard sunbaeter.¡±


    ¡°Howard sunbae... you mean the top-ranking third-year student of Borsippa College? You guys know each other?¡±


    Hans chuckled and nodded in response to the unconvinced reaction from his ssmate.


    ¡°Our families are close, so we meet sometimes. He said we should meet up so he can give me some advice on academy life.¡±


    ¡°Wow... will other sunbaes be there too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I did hear that a few top-ranking sunbaes from other departments will join us.¡±


    ¡°Then it seems you¡¯re getting introduced to them ... lucky you.¡±


    As Hans spoke, both the students who sat around him and the ones who were far away leaned in to listen. Most of the students admitted to Babel Academy were children of well-known heroes, guild masters, orpany CEOs, which meant that there was an unspoken hierarchy in the ssrooms. In this ss, Hans was right at the top of that hierarchy.


    <i>Dealing with people like these is a piece of cake.</i>


    The Barmuths were well known around the world for their cksmithing, and they were a leader in the development of alchemical forging. It was obvious that Hans ruled over the entire ss, as his background was outstanding even among ssmates who came from rtively well-off families.


    ¡°Hm. I¡¯ll ask the sunbaester if I can bring some friends along.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯d really appreciate it if you would!¡±


    ¡°Can you also bring me with you, please?¡±


    ¡°No need to worry, guys. We¡¯re meeting in a spacious ce; there should be plenty of room left for you all.¡±


    The moment Hans mentioned this, the other students exchanged nces with each other. Then, after hesitating for a while, a few finally mustered the courage to stand up and cautiously approach Hans.


    <i>Click!</i>


    The atmosphere in the lecture room changed drastically when Se-Hoon entered the room with a sharp look in his eyes; it was as if he had just killed a man. His face was full of discontentment, and he seemed ready to explode in anger at any moment.


    Seeing him, the students all tensed up as if they were about to witness a volcanic eruption.


    ¡°...¡±


    Noticing the changed atmosphere, Se-Hoon slowly looked around the room. His eyesnded on Hans, who was surrounded by other students.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Faced with the same ferocious expression Se-Hoon had when he entered the room, Hans maintained a calm demeanor, but his gaze flickered faintly.


    <i>What is up with him?</i>


    Even though they clearly looked like they were about the same age, when Hans¡¯s eyes met Se-Hoon¡¯s, Hans couldn¡¯t help but cower. It was as if he were facing an insurmountable superior. Overwhelmed by this instinctive fear, Hans bit his lips.


    <i>It looks like he knows his ce now.</i> Se-Hoon smirked when he saw Hans¡¯s reaction.


    He was worried that Hans might belittle him and pick a fight without understanding how puny he actually was. But judging by his reaction, it seemed he had clearly learned how drastically far apart they were in terms of skills.


    Having assessed the situation in the department, Se-Hoon slumped down on a seat in the corner.


    ¡°Whew...¡±


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    When he sat down in the corner, the students exchanged subtle nces and murmurs. The center of attention seemed to have shifted toward him. Hans¡¯s grasp over the ss, which he had been gradually building since the freshman orientation, was now instantly handed over to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°...¡±


    Hans bit his lips and clenched his fists tightly.


    At that moment, In-Cheol opened the door and stepped into the room. The students, who had momentarily been in amotion, promptlyposed themselves. In-Cheol stood by the podium and briefly scanned the room.


    ¡°It looks like everyone¡¯s here. Today is our first ss, so we should probably just go over attendance and introduce ourselves... but we¡¯ll leave those things aside for now, and I¡¯ll give you a quick overview of the courses.¡±


    He tapped a panel on the podium, and three documents appeared in midair.


    ¡°Our academy encourages students to be independent learners. In simple terms, that means you can take any ss you want as long as you pass your major sses.¡±


    The curriculum at Babel Academy allowed students to take up to dozens of sses in a semester, which included not only sses within the College of Borsippa but also those of other colleges.


    But there was one thing to be careful of.


    ¡°However, once you sign up for a ss, you cannot drop it mid-semester. And once you receive three failing grades, you will be expelled from the academy immediately. Please keep this in mind.¡±


    The students were given freedom, but they were held responsible for their choices.


    That was Babel Academy¡¯s motto, and it was something the students had to remember until the day they graduated. Problems regarding this matter urred very often, so In-Cheol gave them a stern warning.


    ¡°Registration for elective sses for this semester is avable through the Registrar''s Office until the end of the week, so you all better be diligent and do your research when you have time. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°I assume this is enough for registration and whatnot; now, let¡¯s talk about the major courses.¡±


    In-Cheol touched the panel again, and the disy changed, showing three categories.


    ¡°The major course consists of three sses: Ore Analysis, Metallurgy, and Understanding Tools. These can be considered the basics of cksmithing.¡±


    Grasping the nature of materials, refining them correctly, and drawing out their potential using the right tools¡ªthesepetencies were necessary not only for a cksmith but for any craftsman.


    ¡°Afterpleting these three sses this semester, you will all be assigned to different sses based on your grades and aptitude. There are still six months left, so let¡¯s save the talk forter. Come on in.¡±


    At his call, the door to the ssroom opened, and Associate Professor Han In-Sung stepped inside along with arge, cloth-covered cart.


    The students¡¯ eyes lit up, and they adjusted their postures as if they had been waiting for him.


    <i>What is that?</i> Se-Hoon was puzzled by the students¡¯ sudden change in attitude.


    Then, In-Cheol peeled back the cloth covering the cart.


    <i>Isn¡¯t that...</i>


    Revealed under the cloth were immacte silvery ingots, without a single speck of dust. Although they looked like ordinary iron, there was one key difference.


    The center of an ingot was transparent, and a small me burned faintly within.


    ¡°This ingot is made of what¡¯s called ¡®projection alloy.¡¯ It¡¯s tuned to be dozens of times more sensitive to mana than normal metals.¡±


    In-Cheol pulled a projection alloy ingot out of the cart and held it up in front of the students.


    ¡°If you infuse mana into the projection alloy...¡±


    As his mana was infused, the me at the center of the ingot slowly made it melt inward. And then, as if Alchemical Forging had been utilized, the alloy copsed into a liquid form, transforming into a longsword.


    ¡°You can easily forge the equipment that you are depicting in your mind.¡±


    <i>Hmm. It¡¯s not as bad as I thought...</i> Se-Hoon looked at the longsword and couldn¡¯t help but be impressed.


    In-Cheol¡¯s foundational skills were wless, reaching a point where there was no room for Se-Hoon to criticize. He demonstrated a mastery that justified his inclusion among the world¡¯s top 100 cksmiths.


    Yet, the longsword wasn¡¯t entirely without room for improvement.


    <i>I sensed it in his Fatestone, too... he seriously has some issues with his cksmithing.</i>


    As In-Cheol raised the longsword, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes narrowed upon discovering small dents on the de. In-Cheol turned his head, noticing the re, and their eyes met in midair.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...Let me go on with the exnation.¡±


    In-Cheol turned his head as if nothing had happened, casually shoving the longsword under the cart and continuing the conversation.


    ¡°Because of its sensitivity, using projection alloy to forgebat equipment is challenging, but its reflective nature allows you to see aspects of yourself that you may not be aware of. That¡¯s why a piece of equipment forged from projection alloy ismonly referred to as a doppelg?nger.¡±


    This was a material that showed a side of oneself that one may not be aware of. At that description, the eyes of all the students lit up in curiosity.


    ¡°Now, the way you¡¯ll introduce yourselves today is by forging these ingots of projection alloy into your own pieces of equipment. They will be disyed in the main building¡¯s exhibition hall for a week, so make sure you try your best. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    At the enthusiastic replies of the students, Se-Hoon finally understood why the atmosphere of the room had suddenly changed. The equipment they were about to forge would be showcased to fellow ssmates, sunbaes within the department, and even beyond¡ªto all members of Babel Academy. Therefore, it was inevitable that they felt a sense of tension.


    <i>It looks like we are going to have a fancy, Babel-like self-introduction.</i>


    With projection alloys of that quality, each one would easily exceed ten million won. It was absurd that they were using that much money just for self-introductions.


    Although it might seem overly extravagant, considering its effectiveness, it wasn¡¯t a waste. As In-Cheol had mentioned, the equipment forged from projection alloys reflected even the subconscious. It was not only for assessing a student¡¯s potential but also for identifying potential issues.


    And in some cases, it might even help uncover informants hired by the demons.


    This effect would be discovered by research that hadn¡¯t been done in this era yet, but that was precisely why it could be useful to him, depending on the circumstances.


    As Se-Hoon entertained all these thoughts, In-Cheol grabbed an ingot of projection alloy from the cart and looked at the students.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s have everyonee out in order, starting from the front.¡±


    ording to In-Cheol¡¯s instructions, the students went up to the podium one by one. Each of them forged a piece of equipment using the ingot of projection alloy they had been given.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    The students, despite feeling nervous due to their unfamiliarity with the new alloy, began to forge their own equipment without losing theirposure.


    Se-Hoon, who had been examining the scene carefully at first, quickly lost interest.


    <i>They¡¯re not bad... but there¡¯s nothing else to say other than that.</i>


    Compared to the students at other academies, they were certainly outstanding. But none of them had the pinnacle of talent that Babel Academy sought.


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    At least Hans¡¯s rapier, which their ssmates were eyeing with awe, was bearable to see. But to Se-Hoon, that rapier was also disappointing.


    <i>Although it¡¯s pretty fancy on the outside, the insides arepletely hollow.</i>


    His skills were passable for now, but once he started creating equipment that reflected his true self, he¡¯d get stuck right away.


    After witnessing the average skill of the students at Babel Academy, Se-Hoon reconsidered In-Cheol¡¯s offer to study at Vulcan Academy.


    ¡°Lastly, Lee Se-Hoon. Pleasee forward.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Responding to In-Cheol¡¯s summons, Se-Hoon stepped forth to the podium. In an instant, all the attention was focused on him. Everyone wondered what skills and talents he had that helped him win the title of honor student, a feat unattained by their department for over twelve years.


    Amidst the curious gazes, he checked out the ingot of projection alloy in his hand.


    <i>Projection alloy, huh...</i>


    Before his regression, he had extensively dealt with this alloy in the pursuit of acquiring a new skill, but the alloy was otherwise useless to him. If he leveraged that experience, it would be easy to conceal his skills from In-Cheol.


    But he didn¡¯t see the need to do so.


    <i>I''m already an honor student; there¡¯s really no point in hiding the entirety of my powers.</i>


    Keeping a trick up his sleeve might work in a fight, but since he was a cksmith, hiding his skills would only make him look bad. For the sake of the people that he nned to meet in the future and for the possible funding he might receive from Babel Academy, it was best for him to show off his skills here.


    <i>While I¡¯m at it, should I just go all out?</i>


    If he forged it too perfectly, others might raise suspicions against him. But if he forged something that they wouldn¡¯t even be able to tell what it was, there wouldn¡¯t be any doubts.


    Having made his decision, Se-Hoon channeled his mana into the projection alloy.


    Infused with mana, the ingot¡¯s shape started changing gradually.


    He pondered what to forge to amaze everyone in the room. Various shapes filled his mind, and naturally, the blueprints for those designs were also drawn out. One by one, thepleted blueprints piled up in his mind until they became a pile.


    <i>Boom!!!</i>


    A huge explosion ripped through the entire room.


    ***


    Located on the seventh floor of the main building of the Department of cksmithing, the exhibition hall was where the graduation works of previous students were typically disyed, and they usually attracted few visitors. However, during the period when the projection alloy works of the freshmen were showcased, it was a different scene. Visitors flocked from all corners of the academy, looking to coborate, entrust projects, or discover new talents or potential apprentices. And this year¡¯s exhibition, in particr, was notably different.


    ¡°Wow, there are so many people here.¡±


    ¡°Are they all here because of Lee Se-Hoon?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s hard not to take a look at his work.¡±


    Se-Hoon was the honor student that the Department of cksmithing hadn¡¯t been able to produce for over twelve years. Not only had he already forged Rare-tier equipment, but he had also given a demonstration during the entrance ceremony that had overshadowed Jake Myer¡¯s and Erika Inoue¡¯s. He had prevailed over these two students from prestigious families who had been known as prodigies even before they entered the academy.


    The buzz around him was so great that he was considered one of the biggest names in the lineage of honor students, so onlookers came from all over.


    ¡°I heard that Jake and Erika already came by to look.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I heard that too. Erika came in a couple of hours before the exhibition opened and went in first.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, those two weren¡¯t the only ones...¡±


    Rumors spread that not only the fellow honor students of the freshmen but also famous undergraduates hade to see Se-Hoon¡¯s work, so naturally, a mass amount of attention was drawn.


    Consequently, skeptical conversations about his work began to emerge.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he still just a freshman?¡±


    "Honestly, the works made by freshmen are all pretty much the same. It¡¯s kind of ridiculous to say that the lines are different or the grain is different.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡±


    Sure, Se-Hoon was still just a freshman.


    Those in technical fields naturally held prejudice against neers, and a few entered the exhibition hall with that condescending attitude. Then, reaching the innermost section, they arrived in front of Se-Hoon''s work, which seemed to be upying the entire spacious hall by itself.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    In front of the gigantic exhibit, measuring five meters, everyone was left speechless. There were swords and spears, shields and axes, sickles and ws, gauntlets and staves, and an uncountable variety of equipment sticking out in an eerie formation throughout a sphere.


    The sight alone was staggering, but what was even more astonishing was the intricate craftsmanship of each protruding weapon.


    ¡°They somehow look pretty good.¡±


    ¡°They seem better than my current weapon.¡±


    Despite knowing that equipment made from projection alloy was unusable, for some reason, they found that these pieces looked even better than the ones they were using.


    They all stared at the exhibit speechlessly, overwhelmed by the sheer perfection of the work, and onlyter did they notice the sign at the bottom of the disy.


    ¡°While forging this exhibit, an anomaly urred where neen projection alloys in the surrounding area were absorbed. Considering it as an inherent mark of Lee Se-Hoon¡¯s capabilities, we are presenting this as is.¡±


    Everyone was confused when the exnation informed them that the work was created by an unexpected event.


    <i>This is...</i>


    <i>How should we describe it?</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s work set itself apart from all the other exhibits, and therefore, the reviews about it were quite diverse.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably just a coincidence resulting from his skill.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like there have never been such cases.¡±


    The majority of people described the work as a result of the peculiarity of his skill, regarding it as not particrly impressive.


    ¡°How are we supposed to evaluate something like this?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this just the result of using multiple pieces of projection alloy? He forged under an entirely different condition, which obviously made the result different from everyone else¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since the Department of cksmithing had an honor student. Are they pushing the ¡®genius¡¯ narrative for him?¡±


    The general consensus was that they couldn¡¯t really judge Se-Hoon based on this work alone. His work was so different from what was expected that there were more negative reactions than positive ones.


    ¡°I have some different thoughts about it.¡±


    ¡°Same here.¡±


    But there were also some positive responses, and they all conveyed the same sentiment.


    That amount of projection alloy was insufficient to fully portray Lee Se-Hoon¡¯s abilities.

 Chapter 11

    <h4>Chapter 11</h4>


    Babel Academy students had an onlinemunity known as <i>Tower</i>.


    This anonymous site was created by an alumnus who was top-ranking in his department, as a way for students to vent their frustrations toward professors. But over the years, it had be Babel Academy¡¯s unofficial onlinemunity.


    The students loved it not only because of its convenience but also because they could speak freely without being judged. And on <i>Tower</i>, there was a topic that had been generating a lot of buzz: Lee Se-Hoon, or more urately, his exhibit.


    <i>[I don¡¯t get what they¡¯re all hyped up about] (493ments)</i>


    <i>Even the professors say that it was due to an unusual phenomenon caused by his skill. But people still imed it was the best exhibit in history just because of its uniqueness.</i>


    <i>I¡¯m not saying that the exhibit was bad, but it felt a bit off to rate it that high just because it¡¯s unique.</i>


    <i>I understand that they are excited about having an honor student after twelve years, but it would be nice if they just toned it down a bit.</i>


    Anonymous 1: It¡¯s really funny that they are boasting about it this much like its their moment.


    ©¸Anonymous 2: I know right, they went too far.


    ©¸Anonymous 3: It¡¯s funny that they¡¯re judging the exhibit as if <i>they </i>were<i> </i>professors.


    .


    .


    .


    Anonymous 5: I think you guys are just twisted.


    ©¸Anonymous 1: ¡®Sure¡¯ we are; you guys are even worse.


    ©¸Anonymous 2: Of course, someone¡¯s going to cover for him.


    ©¸Anonymous 13: Some people think everything that¡¯s grand is a great piece of work.


    It was amon belief that one had to be unique, but only to a certain extent¡ªenough to be called ¡°original.¡± If that line was crossed, the evaluation would turn into ¡°entric.¡±


    Moreover, because Se-Hoon¡¯s work was exined as the result of his unique skill, negative opinions poured in, with people saying that it was pretentious, insubstantial, or made up to attract attention.


    However, there were also those who imed to have recognized the true value of the exhibit.


    Eun-Ha, the Dean of Borsippa College, was one of them.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I eat¡ªuh, I mean, <i>purchase</i> this piece of work?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to be returned to the student after the exhibition anyway?¡±


    In-Cheol, standing across from her, smiled bitterly. He could tell from her expression that she was struggling to maintain a poker face and contain the hunger she actually felt.


    <i>She changed too muchpared to before.</i>


    She used to be the kind of person who got things done without caring about anything else, but when she handled matters that involved Se-Hoon, her attitude changed.


    Seeing that Eun-Ha was acting more like the Gourmet than the Dean, In-Cheol exined to her step by step why she wasn¡¯t allowed to purchase the exhibit.


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you not to buy equipment to consume, but when ites to exhibits, you should surely know why you shouldn¡¯t purchase it.¡±


    The students of the Department of cksmithing were only allowed to forge doppelg?ngers twice: once after their entrance ceremony and once before their graduation exhibition.


    After being forged, the two doppelg?ngers were stored and then disyed side by side during their graduation exhibition. The intention was to showcase how life at Babel Academy had influenced and fostered the growth of the student.


    ¡°As it is our department¡¯s tradition, I would like you to respect it.¡±


    In-Cheol spoke firmly as if there were no exceptions that could be made. Eun-Ha stared silently and then nodded her head.


    ¡°I apologize. I¡¯ve been a bit rude.¡±


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am. I do understand where you¡¯reing from...¡±


    When In-Cheol first saw Se-Hoon¡¯s exhibit, he also felt the urge to analyze it immediately. He wondered how someone could forge such an inexplicable object. He thought that discovering the secret behind it might help unravel some of his own concerns.


    <i>Still, buying it is thest thing I could do.</i>


    Some might suggest that if they were that interested, why didn¡¯t they just ask Se-Hoon to reforge it? However, the two of them were in fact in agreement on that matter.


    <i>No matter how many times he reforges it, it will never taste the same as the first one.</i>


    <i>They will all be knockoffs of the original piece of work.</i>


    No two objects in this world were perfectly equal to one another. Eating or analyzing another version of Se-Hoon¡¯s work would only make them crave more.


    ¡°We should probably get back to work.¡±


    ¡°That would be great.¡±


    Continuing the conversation would only leave them with a sense of regret, so they moved on to the next topic.


    ¡°The exhibit has caused quite a stir; how is Lee Se-Hoon doing?¡± asked Eun-Ha.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t shown any noticeable reactions. It appears he is attending his sses as usual and exploring his options for his minor degree.¡±


    ¡°A minor degree, huh..."


    In the Department of cksmithing, one could roughly guess what kind of equipment the student would forge in the future by examining which minor subjects the student signed up for.


    At that thought, questions arose in Eun-Ha¡¯s mind: what minor would Lee Se-Hoon choose, and what would he forge based on the knowledge gained?


    ¡°This is just my personal opinion, but...¡± said In-Cheol, as if to answer Eun-Ha¡¯s question.


    ¡°I think he would start by training his body first.¡± In-Cheol chuckled softly.


    ***


    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>


    Hammering sounds echoed regrly in front of the furnace.


    With each blow, the heated iron unfolded, meticulously shaping into a refined de. All of the other students in the room, who were also forging, observed Se-Hoon and whispered to one another softly.


    ¡°Did you check the time?¡±


    ¡°...There wasn¡¯t even a single deviation between his swings up to the hundredths of a second.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s <i>literally</i> insane...¡±


    After the appearance of the Towers of Heroes, two key factors were integral to the newly established cksmithing techniques.


    The first was the uniform distribution of mana within the ore, and the second was the precise adjustments made during the mana infusion process to prevent any warping of the ore.


    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>


    If he only focused on the distribution of mana, the ore would be distorted, but if he only focused on maintaining the shape of the ore, the distribution of mana would be disrupted and render the piece unusable.


    Thus, it was of the utmost importance that these key factors were properly bnced throughout the forging process. And that was exactly what Se-Hoon was doing right now, without a single error.


    ¡°Um...¡±


    When In-Sung, the substitute proctor teaching this Metallurgy course, saw Se-Hoon¡¯s peculiar actions, he was perplexed.


    <i>What am I even supposed to teach him...</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s cksmithing abilities were already beyond the point where he could give some advice. He momentarily pondered the undeniable skill that left no room for intervention, then promptly reached a decision.


    <i>I should just ignore him.</i>


    He might be embarrassed in front of the students if he tried giving advice without much thought. He went to the other students as if nothing had happened, and a whileter, the ss ended.


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon, with his hands drenched in sweat, stopped hammering. He looked at the swords he had forged.


    The des were well-ground, adhering to the fundamentals of cksmithing. There was nothing really special about the swords, as only simple forging methods were used. But with a little more tuning, these would be good enough for lower-rank heroes to wield.


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    But Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes shed with anger, and his hands that were gripping his hammer trembled as he examined the swords.


    ¡°Hmmm...¡±


    After much thought, he was about to swing the hammer with the speed of lightning, but...


    "Are you going to break them again?¡± asked In-Sung, who hadn¡¯t stood near Se-Hoon for the entire ss.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need those for our next ss, so try not to break them. We¡¯re delivering them to the market after this week¡¯s lesson is over.¡±


    ¡°You mean we¡¯re selling them?¡±


    ¡°Where do you think the students¡¯ budgets areing from? We sell the equipment to the market, and based on the performance, we receive subsidized fees from the academy. Unless youe from a wealthy family, you should be mindful of this.¡±


    The equipment was either sold to students forbat training or to active-duty heroes through externalpanies. This was a part of their evaluation as well as an opportunity to give students some social experience.


    ¡°...<i>Sigh.</i>¡±


    In the past, Se-Hoon would have smashed the swords as soon as he realized they were being sold to the market. However, since it would affect the budget he would receive from the academy, he had to reach apromise.


    Loosening his grip on the hammer, he looked down at his body with a dissatisfied expression.


    <i>I should just rebuild my body from scratch.</i>


    Since the regression, there hadn¡¯t been a day when he wasn¡¯t dissatisfied with his physical abilities, but recently, his dissatisfaction peaked. He had tried to forge equipment using the inkstone ore, one of the materials he¡¯d gotten from Ludwig, but his physical capabilities were socking that he couldn¡¯t even make a proper attempt.


    <i>I used the easiest forging method, but... I didn¡¯t expect that method wouldn¡¯t work either.</i>


    He had tried numerous times in his forging roomte at night, but all he got out of it was muscle pain and frustration toward his seemingly useless body. As he recalled those memories and sharpened his resolve once again, In-Sung, who had been watching closely, asked him, ¡°What exactly are you unhappy about right now?¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like your physical abilities, right? So I¡¯m asking you if it¡¯s your body or your mana that you¡¯re not happy about.¡±


    After a moment of contemtion in response to In-Sung¡¯s unexpectedly serious question, Se-Hoon answered, ¡°For now, it¡¯s my body that I¡¯m not happy about.¡±


    The forging method for the inkstone ore he would be using didn¡¯t require a lot of mana, but it took a long time, so it demanded some physical stamina.


    Se-Hoon was currently struggling with the stamina aspect.


    ¡°The body, you say... is this going to help you with your forging?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So it doesn¡¯t matter if your physical abilities are temporarily boosted only when you¡¯re forging... ah!¡± In-Sung seemed to have figured something out.


    ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t it be faster to buff yourself rather than do training?¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes widened at In-Sung¡¯s idea, and he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    <i>Why haven¡¯t I thought of that?</i>


    Since he had avoided buffing himself during forging before the regression, it seemed he had unconsciously neglected the method this time as well. Having found a breakthrough, Se-Hoon stood up and appreciatively bowed his head to In-Sung.


    ¡°Thank you for your advice.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Since buffse in various types, you should visit different ces and experience them firsthand.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    During the entrance exam, In-Sung looked like a rookie to Se-Hoon, but looking at him now, In-Sung was indeed a sunbae. Se-Hoon looked at In-Sung and then nced at the sword In-Sung had forged for demonstration.


    ¡°When you¡¯re forging...¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re using too much mana. Reduce it to seventy percent of what it is now and hammer like you are focusing on one single point. You¡¯ll be better off that way.¡±


    Se-Hoon then promptly walked out of the room, as if he didn¡¯t feel the need to hear any responses. In-Sung stared nkly at his figure.


    ¡°Did he just give me advice on how I should forge?¡± he muttered in a low voice after realizing his situation.


    <i>A freshman who just started school is giving me a lesson?</i>


    If it were any other time, he would have made a fuss about it, but strangely, he didn¡¯t feel angry at all right now.


    Was it because Se-Hoon was an honor student at Borsippa? Or was it because In-Sung thought there was something to that piece of advice?


    ¡°...¡±


    After ncing around the empty forging room, he grabbed the hammer he¡¯d left at his post.


    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>


    Strangely intense hammering sounds echoed.


    ***


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>.¡±


    After showering and changing from his workwear to his school uniform, Se-Hoon hopped on the light rail and headed to Ur, the college for students who specialized in support.


    <i>It¡¯s annoying that I have to take the light rail every time I go somewhere. I guess it¡¯s not all that great to have such arge campus.</i>


    Babel Academy was divided into threerge sections, excluding the central square where the Tower of Heroes and the Marduk Mansion were located. Each section was managed separately by each college, and because of this, the atmosphere in each area subtly differed, as if they were different viges.


    <i>Borsippa feels cluttered with equipment prototypes scattered all over the ce. Ur gives off a clean vibe, almost like a newly developed city.</i>


    Looking at the scenery outside the window, he pondered which department to visit first.


    <i>Even if I use buffs to enhance my physique to the level I need, it doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s the same as actually training to that level.</i>


    While it was easy to enhance his physical abilities, the precision of his forging could suffer, which could lead to equipment that didn''t match his intended designs. Some of his senses could also be distorted, which would render him unable to forge ording to the blueprints.


    Consequently, themon belief was that it was better not to forge at all than to forge while buffed. Before the regression, Se-Hoon had also shared this sentiment, but things now were a bit different.


    <i>One could say I¡¯m currently debuffed.</i>


    His body was so deteriorated that it was almost shameful topare it to what it was like before the regression. So, boosting his physical abilities with buffs was more like returning his body to its previous state.


    <i>Since I have to keep the buff throughout the forging process, it should be simple andst a long time.</i>


    As he was narrowing down possible buffs that matched the requirements, an announcement red from the speaker.


    ¡ªThe next stop is the Department of Spells.


    <i>Spells, hm...</i>


    Although spells were simpler to cast than buffs, their effects were applied in a more straightforward manner, which didn¡¯t quite match theplexity of cksmithing.


    <i>Still, they have excellent duration, so maybe I should take a look.</i>


    Babel Academy¡¯s Department of Spells was one of the prominent departments even within Ur. Since their standards were high and they received ample funding, there might be spells that also enhanced precision.


    Having decided to take a look, he got off the train.


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    As he got off the train, he bumped into Erika, who had the same pale skin and jet-ck hair as before.


    Her way of not avoiding eye contact and staring more intently created a peculiar atmosphere between the two. She looked at Se-Hoon as if she had something to say, while he gazed back at her, prompting her to say anything.


    ¡°Hey.¡± One of the students that were surrounding Erika broke this strange standoff.


    ¡°Move out of the way.¡± He red at Se-Hoon fiercely.


    It seemed like he was trying to speak politely, but his speech was filled with hostility.


    Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the student, who seemed to be the belligerent kind.


    ¡°<i>You</i> guys should get out of <i>my</i> way.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t itmon sense to wait for the people to get off first before boarding the train? Even though Se-Hoon had stated the obvious, the student and his gang scowled as if they had just been insulted. Se-Hoon was stunned at the rapidly intensifying atmosphere.


    <i>Do I seem like that much of a pushover?</i>


    Subjected to this hostility that he didn¡¯t understand at all, his fiery temperament began to emerge.


    ¡°Where are you headed to?¡± Erika asked quietly.


    In response to her question, Se-Hoon casually nced at the gang of students surrounding her.


    ¡°The Department of Spells,¡± answered Se-Hoon nonchntly.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°To see if there¡¯s a course I should take for my minor degree.¡±


    Upon hearing his response, Erika thought for a while, then made a decision.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Her sudden proposal surprised not only Se-Hoon but also the gang of students surrounding her.


    ¡°Excuse me? Mydy, you have a meeting after...¡±


    ¡°Attend it yourselves.¡±


    ¡°B-but, the sunbaes really wanted you to attend this meeting...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Erika waited for Se-Hoon¡¯s response as she ignored her stuttering subordinates. Se-Hoon hesitated briefly, then looked at her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go with you.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened at Se-Hoon¡¯s unexpected response.

 Chapter 12

    <h4>Chapter 12</h4>


    Leaving the station, Se-Hoon headed toward the main building of the Department of Spells, with Erika following him.


    She didn¡¯t bother concealing her presence, staying only three steps behind. When he noticed she had no intention of going away, he stopped and turned around.


    ¡°...¡±


    Upon seeing that he had stopped, Erika also stopped and stared at him. She looked at him intently, as if questioning why he had stopped.


    ¡°Are you going to keep following me?¡± he asked, dumbfounded by her reaction.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I told you I don¡¯t want to go with you.¡±


    ¡°I know. I have my own agenda.¡±


    ¡°What agenda?¡±


    She thought for a moment before answering, ¡°Following you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At her shameless response, he made a peculiar expression.


    <i>What¡¯s up with her?</i>


    Apart from the brief eye contact during the entrance ceremony, there wasn¡¯t much interaction between them.


    He stared back at her, who seemed suspiciously interested in him.


    ¡°Have we met before?¡±


    ¡°Nope. The entrance ceremony was the first time.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you so interested in me?¡±


    She stared at him, puzzled by his question.


    ¡°Am I not allowed to be interested because we only just met?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Stopping himself from replying with ¡°of course,¡± he looked at himself objectively once more.


    If it were before the regression, his current state would be quite disappointing. Therefore, it was natural that he felt suspicious when someone as prominent as Erika was interested in him. However, now, he was the honor student of the College of Borsippa, garnering attention from both inside and outside Babel Academy.


    <i>Maybe there¡¯s nothing wrong with her.</i>


    No matter where one went, it was natural for people to be interested in someone with outstanding abilities.


    After he sort of understood the motive behind her actions, he looked at her again with a perplexed expression.


    ¡°I can¡¯t?¡± Erika asked. She seemed to be sincerely asking if she wasn¡¯t allowed to follow him.


    In response to her seemingly harmless question, he hesitated for a moment.


    ¡°Well... it¡¯s not that you aren¡¯t allowed.¡±


    ¡°Good then.¡± She nodded in satisfaction.


    Feeling an inexplicable awkwardness in her unassuming demeanor, he turned away and continued walking. Thinking she had obtained permission to follow him, she narrowed the distance between them and walked by his side.


    ¡°Precisely which minor courses are you looking for?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Any about buffs.¡±


    At first, he was simply thinking of finding someone or something to apply a buff to him temporarily. However, after considering the future, it didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea to learn it himself. It would be easier to tune the buffs if he applied them himself, and it seemed like there would be many asions in which he would need to apply buffs to himself.


    <i>I was too focused on my pre-regression methods.</i>


    Inadvertently, he found himself utilizing his pre-regression level-up methods. But given the changed circumstances, it was a necessity to widen his vision. And the first step in that direction would be to properly learn about buffs.


    ¡°What kind of buff are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°The kind that can buff me in specific ways that don¡¯t interfere with the forging process.¡±


    ¡°Forging process, hm...¡±


    She contemted his requirements for a moment and then asked him again, ¡°Then, what about barrier spells?¡±


    ¡°Barrier spells? Aren¡¯t those more of a defensive technique?¡±


    ¡°It depends on how it¡¯s used. For example.¡±


    She pulled out an elegantly patterned square envelope from her pocket and gently ran her right hand over its surface. Her hand,ced with silver mana, seamlessly drew a spell on the surface.


    ¡°Here. Try ripping it.¡±


    After receiving the envelope from her, he grabbed it with both hands and energetically tried to tear it from top to bottom without hesitation.


    However, not only was the square envelope intact, there wasn¡¯t even a single crumple; it held up as if it were made of steel. Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes narrowed in confusion.


    <i>Was the durability enhanced? No, rather than that...</i>


    Sensing that something was different about the envelope, instead of tearing it apart, he opened the p. To his surprise, the envelope that seemed as stiff as steel just moments ago bent smoothly. To him, this difference in the properties of the envelope was intriguing.


    <i>I see; she¡¯s trying to tell me that barrier spells can be used in such a way.</i>


    When subjected to a certain amount of force, the envelope became as tough as steel, but in other conditions, it maintained its original qualities. This was a spell that was actively turned on and off depending on the situation.


    It was well-suited for him due to the delicacy of the forging process.


    <i>This spell seems oddly familiar.</i>


    Perhaps he had seen something simr in the study materials he had used before the regression.


    As he examined the envelope, Erika continued to exin, ¡°Complex applications of barrier spells like this may not be easy for you to do for now. But if you¡¯re only using the spells for specific situations, you should seek the professor¡¯s assistance to create a suitable barrier spell.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°I have connections to a professor who teaches the Barrier Compositions ss, so perhaps I can connect you if you wish. But in return, um...¡±


    ¡°Ah. This was it.¡±


    <i>Riiip!</i>


    Her eyes widened at the sight of the envelope that had been torn in half.


    Despite being reinforced by her family¡¯s barrier spell, the envelope had been torn by the hands of someone without much mana. It was bewildering.


    ¡°...¡±


    There were only two possible ways he could¡¯ve torn the envelope: he possessed a skill specialized in destroying barriers, or he figured out the structure of the spell and destroyed it in such a short period.


    Regardless of which method he used, both were extraordinary abilities to possess.


    As she observed him with a serious expression, he tore apart the rest of the envelope as if dismantling the remainder of the spell.


    <i>With a structure like this, it would definitely be useful for forging.</i>


    If he were to use it during a battle, it might be challenging. But if he used it only while forging, it seemed like it was worth learning a bit. He wore a satisfied expression and looked at Erika.


    ¡°Barrier spells are quite nice. Thanks for the advice.¡±


    ¡°...<i>mhm</i>¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sign up for the ss. You can go grab a meal with your subordinates, who have been following us from behind. I¡¯ll throw this away.¡±


    Waving his hand, he turned toward the main building of the Department of Spells without hearing her response. Erika¡¯s subordinates, who had been silently following them, ran straight to her as if they had been waiting for him to leave.


    ¡°Are you okay, mydy?¡±


    ¡°Did he do anything weird to you?¡±


    They fussed over all sorts of concerns and checked her body. However, Erika didn¡¯t even give them a nce. Instead, she continued to look at Se-Hoon, or more specifically, the square envelope that was crumpled in his hands and then discarded into the trash can.


    ¡°... the invitation letter.¡±


    The envelope contained an invitation for the social gathering Noblesse, a gathering exclusive to elite members among the students at Babel Academy. Almost everyone eagerly sought an invitation, yet Se-Hoon had just shredded one with his hands.


    ¡°I was giving him one...¡± she muttered with a sulky expression.


    ***


    ¡°...¡±


    Rays of sunlight streamed through the seams in the blinds, illuminating the dimly lit room.


    Se-Hoon, waking from his sleep,y in bed. He slowly regted his breathing and tried to recall what happened yesterday.


    <i>After finishing registering for my minor course, I trained at the training center.</i>


    After thoroughly reviewing his memories to ensure there was nothing vague or awkward about recent events, he checked his body and the objects around him for textures.


    After about thirty minutes of examination, he sat back down on the bed, sighed, and muttered to himself, ¡°This is real.¡±


    This was the daily verification process that he had been doing every morning after the regression. He was checking if this was all a dream and he was still on the verge of death, or if this was the result of the demons stimting his brain after they stored it in a jar.


    <i>Even though I know that probably neither is the case, it¡¯s diforting if I don¡¯t confirm it myself...</i>


    He felt a bit frustrated about this daily ritual, but there was no choice besides letting time resolve it. Plus, he did also felt a sense of freshness.


    Now done with his ritual, he got out of bed and headed straight to the living room.


    The living room was equipped with basic furniture such as a sofa, table, and TV. It was extravagant for one person, but as the honor student of the Department of Borsippa, it was all given to him.


    <i>Somehow, this house feels like it¡¯s much better than the house I lived in before.</i>


    After looking down at the panoramic view of the College of Borsippa, he took a light shower and changed into his school uniform before heading outside.


    <i>It looks like I only have to visit the Department of Spells in the morning.</i>


    He was heading there to take a simple test for the Barrier Composition course, the minor course he signed up for yesterday. After that, he nned to train himself in the training center until lunchtime to get his damned body in shape.


    With his morning schedule sorted out, he stepped off the elevator.


    ¡°What is she doing here?¡±


    He heard a strange murmur from the front of the dormitory.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe she¡¯s here to see him."


    ¡°Come to think of it, when she was at the exhibition... here hees.¡±


    The students gathered at the entrance were whispering among themselves. However, as soon as they spotted Se-Hoon, they all turned their gazes towards him, as if they had nned it out.


    <i>What¡¯s this all about?</i>


    In response to the unexpected situation, he turned his head in the direction where the students had been looking.


    ¡°...¡±


    His gaze fell upon Erika, who was standing still with her back turned toward him. Although he wanted to think that she didn¡¯te here for him, after considering the looks on the faces of the students and his encounter with her yesterday, it was clear who she was waiting for.


    He sighed silently and walked towards Erika.


    ¡°Who are you waiting for?¡±


    Erika, who had been staring straight ahead, slowly turned her head to him and met his gaze.


    ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Why was it that when he hoped something wasn¡¯t true, it always turned out to be so?


    With a bitter smile, he asked Erika, who continued to stare at him, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a test for the Barrier Composition course today. I happen to be taking the test too, so I am going with you.¡±


    ¡°Then you could have waited in front of the Department of Spells building."


    He didn¡¯t understand why she woulde all the way here and create such a stir. In response to his incredulous expression, she looked at him with a puzzled one.


    ¡°Am I not allowed toe?¡±


    ¡°... never mind. Yes, you cane looking for me.¡±


    She seemed like a promising young student at the entrance ceremony. But now, after talking to her, she turned out to be a strange person who only looked normal on the outside. Deciding it would only cause him headaches, he shook off his thoughts and looked at her.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go together.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    The two of them walked side by side towards the Department of Spells, and naturally, attention was drawn wherever they went. Even though it was still early in the day, there were quite a few students out for morning exercises or breakfast. Besides, both of them were honor students of their respective colleges, so almost everyone was able to recognize them.


    <i>I wonder if there¡¯s going to be some strange rumors going around about this.</i>


    To others, it might seem like she liked him, but he knew that wasn¡¯t the case at all. If she genuinely liked him, then, due to his unique skill, cksmith of Bonds, a bond should have formed with her.


    <i>Perhaps she¡¯s only mildly interested in me. And if her interest falls even slightly, she would probably erase me from her memory right away.</i>


    As he gazed at Erika, who was silently walking beside him, he naturally recalled who she was before the regression.


    She was an S-rank hero who wielded mythical-tier equipment. She wasmonly known as the Million Carved, due to being able to cast countless spells proficiently.


    <i>I remember sheter became the demon named Gluttony.</i>


    Among the demons, there were those who were once human before being corrupted by the Abyss of Demons, and she was one of them. Not only that, she was one of the demons among the Ten Evils, those powerful enough to ughter S-rank hunters. Erika, being Gluttony, was a formidable demon worthy of being in the Ten Evils.


    He didn¡¯t know how she became Gluttony, but it was clear that he should be cautious.


    <i>Well, at least I don¡¯t have to care about it for now.</i>


    She became a demon in the distant future when humanity was pushed to the brink of extinction by the Abyss of Demons. There was still a long time until then left, and her fate could have changed now that she had met him, the biggest living variable existing in this timeline.


    While he was lost in thought, they arrived at the main building of the Department of Spells. Then she pointed to one side.


    ¡°They said the test would be conducted outdoors. Follow me.¡±


    She took the lead and strode forward. Se-Hoon followed behind, ncing around toward the gazes that were now pouring in more sharply than before.


    <i>If the gazes earlier were in curiosity, these are more in hostility.</i>


    He had heard that there was a culture of exclusion between departments, but the Department of Spells was especially exclusionary. Considering that he hadn¡¯t felt these gazes when he came here yesterday, their hostility was likely because Erika was walking alongside him.


    <i>She¡¯s quite popr indeed.</i>


    With such a prestigious family background and excellent abilities, it was obvious that people naturally became her subordinates, unless she rejected them herself.


    Amidst their gazes full of hostility, they went to the back of the main building and immediately entered the dense forest.


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    The forest had an oddly dismal atmosphere, with little sunlight pouring in. Around them, there were other students who also seemed to havee for the test, but they all seemed to be doing something weird.


    ¡°Shit...¡±


    ¡°Where the hell is it?¡±


    They grumbled as they walked around as if they were looking for something. Se-Hoon was puzzled at their behavior.


    <i>Are we doing a treasure hunt?</i>


    Maybe they were supposed to find objects that were hidden in the forest using barriers. He furrowed his brow at the seemingly bothersome test and continued to follow Erika.


    Suddenly, a wide, open space appeared in front of them. He looked at the open area in utter shock, and those there also looked back at him in surprise. An eerie silence lingered in the air.


    ¡°Y-you have passed the test.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    He heard a notice that was even more bewildering than the sudden appearance of this open area.

 Chapter 13

    <h4>Chapter 13</h4>


    Robert Parry was a professor of the study of Barrier Composition.


    During his hero days, he mainly operated in Japan, and that led to deep connections with one of the three prestigious families there, Inoue. Not only did he receive various forms of support from the head of the family, but his wife also hailed from the Inoue family¡¯s line of session. Bound by both ties of loyalty and blood, he tended to pay extra attention to students who were affiliated with Inoue.


    ¡°The youngdy has shown interest in the honor student of Borsippa?¡± Robert was surprised at the news brought by one of his disciples.


    ¡°Yes. Please take a look.¡±


    Seitz, the fierce-looking young man who confronted Se-Hoon at the bus stop, showed a photo to Robert. In the photo, Erika and Se-Hoon were looking at each other. There was nothing particrly weird about it, but Robert showed a troubled expression.


    ¡°No wonder she signed up for the ss out of the blue... now I see why.¡±


    The Barrier Composition ss had always been a rtively well-known course in the Department of Spells, but there had never been a time when they needed to filter out iing students through tests. This year, however, the number of applicants increased threefoldpared to the previous year. It was mainly because many had applied for the ss after hearing the rumor that Erika had applied for it too.


    <i>Since there¡¯s also the young master¡¯s request, I should try to separate those two.</i>


    After pondering over a way to break them apart, he quickly came up with a suitable n.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be using the Labyrinth of Illusions for tomorrow¡¯s test.¡±


    Saitz was surprised at Robert¡¯s decision. Although the Labyrinth of Illusions was just a basic barrier spell that could twist one¡¯s senses, it should by no means be underestimated. The spell patterns were well hidden, and that made them difficult to detect for those not well-versed in barriers or not naturally talented in the field.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that going a bit overboard?¡±


    ¡°With so many applicants for the ss, a bit of excessive filtering won¡¯t be criticized. Besides, there¡¯s no point in taking the ss if they can¡¯t even pass this.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Hearing Seitz¡¯s response, he looked at Se-Hoon inside the picture.


    <i>I¡¯m not sure if this guy can pass the test.</i>


    Although Se-Hoon possessed the talent of an honor student, it wasn¡¯t guaranteed that he was proficient in barrier spells as well. After a moment of contemtion, Robert quickly reached a conclusion.


    <i>That wouldn¡¯t be so bad either.</i>


    Either he could make Erika lose interest in Se-Hoon, or both Erika and Se-Hoon would drop out of the ss. Regardless of what urred, the test would still prevent students who were neither good nor bad at barrier spells from taking the ss.


    Robert had no expectations for Se-Hoon to make it through the test, so he wasn''t worried about it.


    ***


    ¡°Y-you have passed the test.¡±


    Se-Hoon looked surprised at the unexpected result.


    ¡°A test?¡± He looked around in disbelief.


    As Robert realized that Se-Hoon seemed to have no clue about the test he just passed, his expression hardened.


    <i>Was there a problem with the Labyrinth of Illusions? No, there shouldn¡¯t be.</i>


    If there was a problem with the barrier, the caster himself could not be unaware of it. Realizing that it was impossible that the barrier was the issue, Robert¡¯s nce fell upon Erika, who had entered the courtyard with Se-Hoon.


    <i>Did she help him through?</i>


    Although it would be possible for someone like her, who was born with innate talent in magic, to help Se-Hoon traverse through the barrier spell, Robert would have noticed that she was assisting Se-Hoon, as he had been watching the entire time.


    After considering various possibilities, he soon realized that there was only one possible exnation.


    <i>Lee Se-Hoon breached through the Labyrinth of Illusions with his abilities alone.</i>


    Moreover, he had neither used the conventional method that used spells to counteract the illusions nor the method of umting mana to resist them. He had arrived at this open space solely by breaking through the effects of the Labyrinth of Illusions with his instinctive intuitions alone.


    <i>How should I even describe this...</i>


    He wasn¡¯t sure whether Se-Hoon was talented in spells or not, but at least in terms of intuition, he was fitting of the title of an honor student.


    After the initial confusion, Robert soon collected himself and looked at the group of students who managed to break through the test.


    ¡°We will now begin the second filtering of applicants. Please step forth in order.¡±


    At his call, a student nced at Erika and strode confidently forward.


    ¡°I would like to go first.¡±


    ¡°Good. The second test is simple.¡±


    As Robert lightly waved his left hand, a trail of red mana flowed along the ground, following the trajectory of his fingertips, and then seeped into the ground. In the blink of an eye, a spell had been drawn.


    A web-like, red-colored barrier appeared between Robert and the student. The student observed it nervously while Robert proceeded with his exnation.


    ¡°Destroy this barrier using only your mana. I will score you guys based on the time taken, so make sure you are quick and urate. You may start now.¡±


    Upon the announcement of the start of the test, the student promptlyid both hands on the barrier and infused his mana into it. He was trying to find and dismantle the core that was maintaining the barrier. The process itself was simple, but the target barrier was tooplex.


    ¡°<i>Argh</i>...¡±


    Robert¡¯s barrier had an effect resembling a spider web. When mana was infused into the spell, the core would swiftly relocate, just like a spider that scurried away after sensing vibrations in its web.


    Consequently, destroying this barrier would require the epassing of the entire spell pattern and then gradually surrounding the core. However, this method would be both mana-intensive and physically taxing.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>.¡±


    Unlike the enthusiastic start, the student only destroyed the barrier after struggling considerably. After examining the whole process, Robertmented calmly, ¡°Two minutes and thirty-three seconds. You focused more on figuring out the structure. Not bad.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    His evaluation wasn¡¯tcking, but that was about it. Seeing that Erika had not even given him a nce, the student shrugged his shoulders and stepped aside. The following tests unfolded in a simr fashion, with some students even failing to destroy the barrier.


    ¡°You all will start in the beginner ss.¡±


    Since they managed to pass through the Labyrinth of Illusions and came all the way here, it was unlikely that they would be dropped from the course. However, given theirck of knowledge, assigning them to the foundational ss was a natural course of action. The students, who were eager to show off their abilities, now stood like defeated soldiers. With their gazes upon her, Erika finally stepped forth.


    ¡°You may get started.¡±


    At Robert¡¯s word, she touched the barrier''s center with her hand and promptly retracted it. A ripple of silvery mana spread subtly throughout the red barrier, with the undtion slowly reaching the edges.


    Then, the barrier started crumbling from the outer edges. Instead of locating and destroying the core of the barrier, she chose to dismantle the entire spell, causing the barrier to copse.


    Witnessing the scene unfold, the students were left astonished. Typically, such a method was considered cumbersome and inefficient. It was typically used either by those whocked foundational knowledge and blindly forced the method, or by those who needed a quick method to destroy the barrier.


    ¡°No... What...?¡±


    ¡°How did she do it so quickly?¡±


    With just a single gesture and a minimal amount of magic, Erika was able to effortlessly execute that method. This meant that, for her, destroying a barrier of this level¡ªwhether by locating the core or dismantling the entire spell¡ªwas so straightforward that it didn¡¯t matter which method she decided to use.


    ¡°Twenty-two seconds. That was fine, but if you used the conventional method, it would have been about two seconds faster. Please choose your method more carefully next time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±


    They talked back and forth, seeming unfazed. Seeing this, the students from the other departments realized once again who the person they wanted to impress was.


    <i>So that¡¯s what you need to be an honor student.</i>


    <i>She is way out of my league in terms of skills.</i>


    While everyone was admiring her, Erika stepped aside, and Se-Hoon plodded to the front.


    ¡°Thank you for your attention.¡±


    There was not a single hint of tension in him whatsoever. The students, who had looked down on Se-Hoon because he was from the Department of cksmithing, now observed him slightly nervously.


    Given Erika¡¯s outstanding performance as an honor student, they were expecting him to also disy a certain level of remarkability. Robert, who was standing in front of him, also felt a sense of anticipation.


    <i>He doesn¡¯t look that special...</i>


    To Robert, Se-Hoon was just a young man with aggressive-looking eyes and bad manners. The only unusual thing he found about him was that his eyes held a sense of maturity that was hard to find in people of his age, but that was not enough to make him special.


    <i>I¡¯ll just have to find out from now on.</i>


    Postponing his judgment on Se-Hoon, Robert swung his hand toward the ground and created another barrier.


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    While other students anxiously prepared for the test while the barrier was slowly taking shape, Se-Hoon intently examined the process of the formation of the barrier. He focused especially more on the traces being engraved on the ground as the barrier was formed.


    Robert looked at him with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Even when he was responding, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t take his eyes off the floor.


    Despite being irritated by his somewhat insolent demeanor, Robert, with a furrowed brow, calmly continued speaking, ¡°I see. Well then, you may start.¡±


    <i>Beep!</i>


    Seitz, who was the assistant for this test, pressed the timer. Only now did Se-Hoon slowly raise his head to view the barrier.


    ¡°...¡±


    However, all he did was stare at it. He didn¡¯t make any contact with the barrier or infuse his mana into it. He didn¡¯t show any other behavior indicating an attempt to destroy the barrier either.


    The students around him were puzzled by his behavior.


    ¡°What is he doing?¡±


    ¡°Does he not know that the timer has started?¡±


    In the midst of the confusion caused by his unexpected actions, Se-Hoon immersed himself in his own world and focused his attention on the barrier in front of him.


    <i>This barrier¡¯s motif is based on spiders and their webs. It¡¯s easily deployable in various environments and is resilient as well, being able to regenerate unless the core is shattered.</i>


    Although itcked uniqueness, it proved to be stable for defensive purposes. The craftsmanship disyed by Robert was exceptional, and what especially caught Se-Hoon¡¯s attention was the intricate structure of the spell.


    <i>Even though he expended arge quantity of mana, I can¡¯t find a single trace.</i>


    No matter how exceptional his control of mana was, repeatedly deploying a barrier in the same spot was bound to leave an imprint on the ground due to each barrier¡¯s aftereffects. However, Robert had deployed his barrier spell so delicately that not even a single de of grass on the floor was crumpled.


    <i>Now I see that it has a structure specialized in assimting with the surrounding environment...</i>


    As he studied the characteristics of the barrier, a material suddenly came to mind: inkstone ore.


    It was ore that could effortlessly devour everything¡ªfrom the mes of a furnace to the striking of a hammer, and even the infused mana. The difficulty in using it as a forging material was due to this extraordinary characteristic.


    <i>So, to prevent it from simply absorbing all of the work I put in, I should hit it with two different things simultaneously.</i>


    While heating the ore, he would have to hammer it. Likewise, while hammering the ore, he would have to heat it so that it wouldn¡¯t be able to devour all of the impact from the hammer.


    Also, it wasn¡¯t just a straightforward process; he had to carefully maintain a slight difference in the input of energy between the two, holding them at approximately fifty-one percent and forty-nine percent. Otherwise, the ore would absorb some of the umted energy, and the bnce during the forging process would be thrown off.


    ¡°What in the world is he doing?¡± blurted Robert.


    There were two essential factors that Se-Hoon needed to keep in mind for the forging process of inkstone ore. The first was an acute sense that doesn¡¯t even tolerate a one percent margin of error, and the second was the stamina to withstand a forging procedure that would take several times longer than conventional forging methods.


    Realizing this, Se-Hoon suddenly had one question in mind: What if he could somehow take hold of the energy umted in the inkstone ore without having it dissipate?


    ¡°Are you even listening to me¨D¡±


    Right as Robert was about to warn Se-Hoon, Erika stopped him.


    ¡°Let him be.¡±


    ¡°Um...¡±


    The moment he saw a glimpse of a possibility, a schematic for a bracelet was spontaneously drawn in Se-Hoon¡¯s mind. It included precise details of its appearance, structure, and embedded magic circuit.


    Now that he hadpleted the overall design, all that remained was proof of its feasibility.


    Havinge back only now from his own world, Se-Hoon gazed once again at the barrier before him.


    <i>The structure... I think I have a rough idea about it.</i>


    Before the regression, he had been umting a myriad of random pieces of knowledge without ever knowing their contexts. Adding the barrier spell Erika had briefly shown him yesterday to that, he was able to figure out a way to destroy the barrier in his mind.


    He immediately gathered his mana into his right hand.


    <i>Fwoosh.</i>


    And then he lightly tapped the center of the barrier with his right hand, which was enveloped in Scarlet me.


    <i>Fwooosh!</i>


    The mes from his hand began to spread across the entire barrier, quickly dismantling it. The sight left everyone stunned and at a loss for words.


    An awkward silence filled the air.


    ¡°...It worked.¡±


    Se-Hoon clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with determination.


    ¡°This will work!!!¡±


    He swiftly turned and dashed out of the forest, shouting as if he had sessfully pulled out an aching tooth. Everyone stared in bewilderment at his departing figure, and it was only a few momentster that Seitz regained his senses and switched off the timer.


    <i>Beep!</i>


    ¡°Seven minutes and forty-five seconds...¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s time was the longest among the students who had managed to destroy the barrier. However, everyone knew that the time he spent held little significance. What Se-Hoon had just aplished was not just destroying the barrier; he had created an effective dispelling technique specifically designed to destroy this kind of barrier.


    ¡°The time it took for him to create a dispelling technique for a spell he hasn¡¯t seen before was a mere seven minutes and forty-five seconds...¡±


    Although it took Se-Hoon seven minutes and forty-five seconds to destroy the barrier this time, if he faced the same kind of barrier again, he would be able to destroy it in less than ten seconds.


    ¡°...¡±


    Upon realizing this, Robert¡¯s expression became stern as he fell into deep thought.


    ¡°...¡±


    Simrly, Erika, too, was staring intently at Se-Hoon¡¯s retreating figure with a serious expression.

 Chapter 14

    <h4>Chapter 14</h4>


    The forging rooms in the Department of cksmithing were freely essible to any student affiliated with the department, but there were strict safety rules to be followed in return. Most of these rules were simple, such as submitting a written description of the materials that were to be used or recording the usage time of the room.


    However, there was one very stringent rule that led to a restriction on the usage of materials.


    ¡°Workshop Safety Rule #8: Always have a supervisor overseeing the forging process when using materials of the Hero tier or higher.¡±


    There were built-in safety mechanisms present in the workshop that could address any issues while forging with Rare-tier materials or lower. However, materials of the Hero tier and above had a high, erratic potential to cause danger, which made it hard for the safety mechanisms alone to prevent any hazards.


    Thus for safety reasons, it was imperative that the forging was done under the supervision of a professor or teaching assistant. However, given the value of these materials, requests for supervision from freshmen were almost non-existent, as most of them hadn¡¯t received their budget yet.


    [A request for an intermediate-level forging session has been received from first-year student Lee Se-Hoon. Those wishing to supervise, please proceed to contact us.]


    And now, for the first time in years, that rare asion happened today.


    <i>I wonder how many will ept the request this time...</i>


    The administrative staff, who had sent the message to all the professors in the department, looked at the panel with curiosity. The general consensus among the professors was that supervising a forging process was troublesome. It involved having to spend multiple hours monitoring and staying alert for idents that could ur at any time and in any way.


    Hence, rather than the professors, it was usually the teaching assistants who took on this responsibility. When it came to a student with high grades and no affiliated organization, however, the situation changed.


    <i>Ring!</i>


    ¡°Wow... one came right away.¡±


    Less than a minute after sending the message, a reply hade.


    The person who replied was none other than Professor Kim In-Cheol, the head professor of the Department of cksmithing and the person who arguably had the highest authority within the department.


    ¡°As expected from an honor student...¡±


    The reputation of those who teach, like professors, came not only from themselves but also from the disciples they were able to nurture. In that sense, as the first honor student of the Department of cksmithing after twelve years, Se-Hoon was a disciple any professor would want to recruit.


    <i>Ring! Ring! Ring!</i>


    As if to prove Se-Hoon¡¯s poprity, replies arrived one after another. Now, it was easier to count the professors who hadn¡¯t replied than those who did.


    <i>It seems no professors who are affiliated with Vice Dean Michael have replied.</i>


    It seemed like the atmosphere around Michael was not good after his son had been pushed down to second ce in the grade.


    Judging that most of the replies had arrived, the administrative staff reviewed the list of professors who had expressed their intention to participate as supervisors.


    <i>It¡¯s probably better to assign it randomly this time around.</i>


    If there were no specific requests for a supervisor from the student¡¯s side, the supervisor would be picked ording to a predetermined order to ensure equal opportunities for recruitment. However, considering therge number of professors, all eager to recruit, participating this time, it was more appropriate to assign the role randomly.


    But just as the staff was about to open a ghost-leg game[1] website to choose the supervisor, a response came in.


    [The Dean would like to supervise Lee Se-Hoon¡¯s intermediate-level forging session herself.]


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    The professors were all suddenly faced with unjust authority.


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you, Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Arriving at the workshop with the gathered materials, Se-Hoon was bewildered upon seeing the red-haired Eun-Ha waiting for him. He thought that some random professor would end up being his supervisor, but to his surprise, the Dean herself hade.


    <i>Once she¡¯s hooked on something, she never lets go. She¡¯s just like before.</i>


    Considering that it was still early in the semester and that this was her first year in office, she should be fairly busy. Yet, seeing as how she was here as the supervisor, which made it seem as if she had eagerly been awaiting this session, it seemed she had fairly high expectations of Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you quite busy nowadays? Why did you bother signing up as my supervisor...¡± Se-Hoon asked her.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t that busy. Also, as the Dean, it¡¯s my duty to assess your abilities as a student.¡±


    He knew that she was probably just curious about the taste of his equipment, so Se-Hoon just nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to put in some extra effort then.¡±


    ¡°Um. If I¡¯m being a burden to you, maybe...¡±


    Although she brought up those words out of consideration, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to suggest calling someone else for supervision. Seeing her lingering reluctance, he smirked inwardly.


    ¡°No, no. I don¡¯t have any problems with it. In fact, I think it would be helpful if you were the supervisor. I will greatly appreciate your guidance.¡±


    While most cksmiths would be unsettled if the notorious Gourmet oversaw their forging process, Se-Hoon, who routinely experienced it before the regression, didn¡¯t mind at all. If anything, having her observe would likely add some tension, improving his concentration even more.


    ¡°...¡±


    She looked at him with a slightly surprised expression. Nobody had ever said that having her watch from the side would be helpful; hence, she was never allowed near any upied workshop. She was ustomed to only this kind of treatment.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Seemingly finding Se-Hoon¡¯s attitude a little bit pleasing, her previously expressionless face softened ever so slightly.


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want to do, please go ahead. As long as I¡¯m supervising, there won¡¯t be any harming your way.¡±


    "Then I will trust you and leave it in your hands.¡±


    Given that she was<i> </i>Ryu Eun-Ha and not any other professor, it was assured that she could perfectly safeguard herself, no matter the circumstances.


    <i>Though there will never be a case where she has to protect me.</i>


    He took out the inkstone ore, which he received from Ludwig, and a pre-made cast and ced them both on the workbench. After examining the two items, he reviewed the forging process.


    <i>I should portion out the material first.</i>


    Having already estimated how much inkstone ore he was going to use, he promptly brought a water container, ced the ore inside, and closed the lid. He was going to use a method that was not as well-known as the conventional methods.


    Eun-Ha looked at him with surprise due to his choice of method.


    ¡°Have you handled inkstone ore before?¡±


    ¡°I only know the method in theory. This is actually my first time trying it myself.¡±


    Hisposed response only left her more puzzled.


    <i>He¡¯s using that method even though this is his first time handling the ore...</i>


    There were various methods for separating inkstone ore, but among them, the most challenging one was shadow istion, the method Se-Hon was currently using.


    <i>That method involves cing inkstone ore in a spacepletely devoid of light and separating it using only mana.</i>


    Though it may sound simple, dealing with inkstone ore that was shrouded in darkness was practically like rebuilding it from start to finish since it tended to spread like water. This was a difficult method, and novice cksmiths who hastily performed this method could end up lowering the quality of the ore.


    <i>Tap tap tap tap.</i>


    However, Se-Hoon tapped the container and infused his mana into it unwaveringly. After a moment, he opened the lid and took out the ore.


    ¡°...!¡±


    A portion of the inkstone ore had been precisely cut off and into a square shape, about the size of a golf ball. Seeing that its form was wless without a single sign of misproportion, Eun-Ha found herself at a loss for words. Se-Hoon looked at the piece of ore as if he had done no surprising feat.


    <i>About one-fourth, I believe.</i>


    Although he was reluctant to use this much, if he were to use even less, the finished equipment wouldn¡¯t perform as desired. There was no choice.


    Setting the remaining inkstone ore aside, he lit the furnace, then gripped the ignition stones with his hands and shed them together.


    <i>Cr-crackle!</i>


    Sparks flew from the ignition stones as they were heated up. Normally, he would have tossed them in the furnace at this point, but he needed a much more substantial me to melt inkstone ore.


    <strong><i>Scarlet me</i></strong>


    <i>Fwooosh!</i>


    Scarlet me, his fire-attribute elemental mana, enveloped the ignition stones. Soon, its form changed.


    It flowed like water in various directions, following his gestures while still keeping the nature of Scarlet me. He looked inside the furnace, and then immediately reached in with his left hand to pluck out mes of different colors.


    <i>Hiss!</i>


    He continued plucking out mes as if he were separating egg whites and yolks. Suddenly, there was a shift in the internal bnce and the mes swiftly turned green.


    <i>Fwoosh.</i>


    Unlike the initial vigorous ze, this new me burned calmly.


    ¡°This is an unusual me,¡± shemented, intrigued.


    ¡°This me is called the Hoya me. Its characteristic is...¡±


    With a gesture, he sent the Hoya me into the furnace. It instantly dyed the interior like mes spreading across a field.


    Confirming that the entire furnace was now aze with a green hue, he continued exining calmly, ¡°maintaining the temperature at which it started. It¡¯s a useful me when the control of temperature ys a crucial role in the oue.¡±


    There was a limitation in that it couldn¡¯t surpass a certain temperature, but for inkstone ore, which wasn¡¯t particrly sensitive to temperature, this me was perfect.


    ¡°You sure know a lot of different techniques, Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Who would believe that this was the skill level of a freshman who just entered the academy this year? Faced with Eun-Ha¡¯s inquisitive gaze, he shrugged it off by saying, ¡°It¡¯s just because of my skills.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Considering that she was someone who literally devoured metal due to her skills, she found his exnation reasonable. Sessfully dodging her suspicion, he examined the inkstone ore in the furnace as it began to heat up.


    Faintly distorted mes danced around the ore. As he inspected the mes that were expanding and slowly cooling down, he quickly grabbed the hammer and the chisel ced beside him.


    <i>ng! ng!</i>


    He pounded the ore with the hammer and chisel in order, starting where the ore entered the furnace. As he struck each part, it seemed to lighten in color, and the region where the mes were distorted seemed to diminish. The reduction of the distortion indicated that the ore was too busy absorbing the impacts from his hammering.


    <i>Let¡¯s get started, then.</i>


    Repeating this process was the forging procedure for inkstone ore. With his two eyes shing, he assumed the least physically taxing posture and began to repeat the process.


    <i>ng! ng!</i>


    The forging process was methodical. He heated the ore at the right moment as he struck with the exact amount of strength and mana. Although it could be mundane, Eun-Ha could not pry her eyes away.


    <i>It¡¯s surprising that he isn¡¯t showing any reaction when he¡¯s moving like that in front of the furnace...</i>


    Unless he was unable to perceive pain at all, he would have naturally reacted to the pain. However, Se-Hoon moved as if he regarded the pain as a given.


    This kind of behavior was only found in those who had honed themselves throughout a long endurance of suffering, and not those with talents alone. To reach a level at his age, what kind of life did he need to endure?


    ¡°...¡±


    Recalling that Se-Hoon¡¯s parents had been ughtered at the hands of the demons, Eun-Ha looked at him with somber eyes. The serious atmosphere persisted throughout the entire forging session, and Se-Hoon was soon covered with sweat, his arms shaking.


    The inkstone ore, its color unchanged since the start, had started melting slightly. The distortion phenomenon had also diminished.


    It had been four hours since the start of the session, yet the properties of the ore had only now begun transforming.


    <i>Now, it really begins.</i>


    If he were to show any hesitation during this step, the ore would return to a worse quality of its original form. The thought of failing to forge it and downgrading its quality made him churn and act quickly.


    Using tongs, he pulled out one of the containers that held the molten inkstone ore. Holding the container, he headed towards the cast.


    Eun-Ha, watching by the side, was taken aback.


    <i>Casting?</i>


    Casting was a cksmithing method that involved pouring the molten metal into a cast that was in the shape of the equipment.


    Although it was a method that was simpler than smithing, it had its shorings. The main one was that the work that would be put into adjusting the magic array would be significantlycking, which would lower the durability and performance of the equipment.


    <i>Why is he using that method on inkstone ore...</i>


    While there was a selection of materials that worked well with this method, inkstone ore had particrly poorpatibility.


    She contemted whether to intervene and stop him or to just trust him and let him be.


    <i>Blub blub blub.</i>


    Before she could decide, Se-Hoon had already poured the molten inkstone ore into the cast.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    She knew there was no going back now. He should have his reasons if he hadn¡¯t shown any hesitation up to this point. She gazed at him in curiosity.


    ¡°Hgh!¡±


    Bracing himself, he shoved his right hand into the cast.


    ¡°Wa¨Dwait...!¡±


    Eun-Ha sprang from her seat in surprise at hispletely unexpected action. She knew prior that he was resistant to mes, but the temperature of molten inkstone ore was on apletely different level. To change properties, the inkstone ore had to absorb heat to its limit, which resulted in a ridiculously high temperature.


    <i>Hiss!</i>


    As if to prove the absurdity of the temperature, violent sounds resounded from the cast with fuming smoke.


    While hurting other parts of the body was eptable, the hands were the only body parts a cksmith must never injure. Eun-Ha couldn¡¯t stand by any longer and moved to pull his right arm out of the cast.


    But before she managed to pull it out, Se-Hoon¡¯s mana flowed out.


    The reason casting was notpatible with inkstone ore was that the absence of light inside the cast would instantly change the properties of the ore before it was engraved with magic arrays.


    Thus to use the casting method, he needed something to slow down that change in property.


    <i>Cling!</i>


    To put it simply, he needed something to keep it together.


    The cast, now infused with mana, shined brightly. The spell that was inscribed on the surface activated immediately.


    He was using what he learned from the dispelling technique that had destroyed Robert Parry¡¯s barrier to prevent the inkstone ore from reverting to its original state after expelling all the heat.


    <i>Hiss!</i>


    Due to the technique, the temperature of the ore that should¡¯ve been dropping by now was fixed at the highest level. Naturally, Se-Hoon felt the excruciating pain in his hand.


    Yet, he smiled amidst the pain. With the temperature constant, he knew that he had seeded in maintaining the changed property of the ore.


    <i>Now let''s get the rest of it over with...!</i>


    Recalling the schematics he had in mind, he swiftly began to intricately carve the interior of the ore. His mana delved inside without any waste, gradually constructing the circuit.


    <i>Craaaack-</i>


    As its presence seemed to fade, the inkstone ore, squirming like a dying fish, intensified its absorption of the surroundings. Under the vigorous suction, the spell inscribed on the surface was gradually absorbed.


    And at that moment, the magic circuit and the spell seamlessly meshed together, as if they had agreed upon it beforehand.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The cast shattered into pieces, revealing thepleted equipment.


    <strong>[Weapon ¡®Inkstone Bracelet¡¯ has beenpleted!</strong>


    <strong>Sometimes it takes an unconventional challenge that doesn¡¯t spare one¡¯s body to shatter prejudices! While the potential of the material has not been fully drawn out, the cksmith¡¯s craftsmanship, which unearthed new possibilities, is undoubtedly top-notch.]</strong>


    <strong>The tier evaluation for ¡®Inkstone Bracelet¡¯ is ¡®Rare¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[Skill ¡®ck Weaver (D)¡¯ has been acquired.]</strong>


    The bracelet had a matte ck color like inkstone ore and was engraved with web-like patterns. Its tier seemed to be decent, and it looked well-crafted, but he could only know for sure after inspecting it more closely.


    To examine the details of the bracelet, he tried to raise his right arm, but he felt a strong sense of resistance as if someone was pulling his arm downward. While the forging session hadpletely burned out his body, he felt like that alone couldn¡¯t exin this amount of weight.


    Despite it, he determinedly raised his right arm and pressed on the bracelet to inspect its information.


    <strong>[<u>Inkstone Bracelet</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Rare] [Quality: Average]</strong>


    <strong>[A bracelet forged from inkstone ore.</strong>


    <strong>It has the ability to absorb the wearer¡¯s mana. The weight of the bracelet increases proportionally to the amount of mana stored.</strong>


    <strong>*Absorbs and stores the wearer¡¯s mana</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Adrenaline¡¯]</strong>


    <i>... It worked.</i>


    The bracelet was forged exactly the way he intended. He smiled in satisfaction after reading the bracelet¡¯s information.


    <i>Growl-</i>


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He heard an embarrassing sound from behind.


    1. The ghost-leg game is also referred to as dder climbing game" if you are more familiar with that. ?</a> </a>

 Chapter 15

    <h4>Chapter 15</h4>


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    Se-Hoon stretched as he felt the fatigue coursing through his entire body. He looked at the four inkstone-color bracelets, which he had managed to forge, on top of the workbench.


    All of them were of the same average quality, and their intended performance was perfectly implemented.


    <i>It seems like thepatibility of the inkstone ore and the spell is better than I expected.</i>


    The duration of the forging process was more than halved, and the manifested effects exceeded what he originally nned. However, above all, there was something else that truly satisfied him: the four bracelets were emitting a faint resonating sound.


    Although it was just a subtle undtion of mana without any special effects, resonance held a significant meaning in the world of cksmithing. With a few improvements, the four bracelets could create a set effect where they would synergize with each other when used together.


    <i>There should be a way to make them work with my state of body right now, but... I should just wait on it.</i>


    With the effects of the bracelets already pretty burdensome for him to wear, if the set effect was added as well, they might be too much for his body to equip. Thus, he decided to improve the bracelets at ater date, when he found a suitable solution or when his physical abilities improved.


    ¡°Is that a resonance effect?¡± muttered Eun-Ha as she widened her eyes, only now noticing it.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not that evident right now, but I think we could aim to create a set effect.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Unlike Se-Hoon, who was acting casually, Eun-Ha was staring at the bracelets with disbelief. In order to create a resonance effect between different pieces of equipment, there had to bemonalities in both the materials and the forging techniques, and their overall quality must be evenly matched.


    Therefore, the cksmith¡¯s skill had to be pretty well established for it to ur. However, Se-Hoon was already able to achieve such a feat, and not just once¡ªhe achieved the resonance effect between four pieces of Rare-tier equipment.


    ¡°<i>Mm</i>...¡±


    To Eun-Ha, a set effect was like chocte she was saving forter, chocte that tasted even better if she ate it in one bite. She gazed intently at the bracelets, but then slowly settled her emotions, closing her eyes tightly. She then brought what she received from Se-Hoon to her lips.


    <i>Crunch, Crunch!</i>


    She munched on the pieces of the cast as if she was eating potato chips.


    These pieces were given by Se-Hoon, who felt pity for her after he heard her stomach growling. Now, she was voraciously crunching on these pieces, as if she were trying to calm her hunger.


    Whenever she consumed a piece, her crimson hair faintly glowed, shimmering like flickering mes. As he watched her hair glow like mes in furnaces, he felt nostalgic as memories from the past flooded back.


    <i>This takes me back.</i>


    This phenomenon was due to her unique skill, Soul Furnace. The glow of her hair was the result of the gain in power from digesting the consumed equipment. Right now, the glow was at the level of matchstick fire ifpared to what he had witnessed before the regression.


    <i>Back then, her hair and everything were no joke.</i>


    While he reminisced with a bitter smile on his face, she eventually noticed his gaze and coughed dryly.


    ¡°<i>Ahem</i>. It seems I caused a disturbance. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°No, no. I really appreciate your efforts in helping me out. I should be the one apologizing for not being able to provide proper equipment.¡±


    Based on what he had heard from her before the regression, the effects and vors of the equipment she ate varied and deepened depending on the type of material used as well as the end quality of the equipment. That was why he believed that the hastily prepared cast would taste like nothing more than flour sprinkled with salt.


    She shook her head at his remark.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. This was quite tasty as well.¡±


    ¡°You mean the cast?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If I were topare it to something... it tasted like fried crumbs.¡±


    At this review, which was better than expected, Se-Hoon was surprised. After momentarily contemting whether such a vor could be tasted from the hastily made cast, he came up with a usible exnation.


    <i>Maybe it is because I¡¯m too used to forging equipment tailored to her taste.</i>


    Just like how people had different tastes, Eun-Ha also had a preferred vor. Of course, since he couldn¡¯t taste the equipment himself, he wasn¡¯t able to perfectly match her preference. But by adjusting the equipment for her based on her feedback, he had managed to make them somewhat to her liking.


    <i>Perhaps I could raise her bond level more easily than I thought. </i>He smiled slightly at the unexpected gain.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you liked it.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a shame to be eating this cast instead of those magnificent bracelets... speaking of which, when are you nning to deal with your Five-me Sword and your ming Scabbard?¡±


    Her eyes were shining with desire, and her appetite had intensified due to the bracelets. At this sight, Se-Hoon contemted how to answer her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any ns to sell them for now.¡± In the end, he openly conveyed his thoughts to her.


    ¡°What? Was the price I offered too low?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not because of the price. I just would like to keep them for my sses.¡±


    While most sses at Babel Academy allowed students to use the practice equipment, with sses that were more applicable in real-life situations, such as those that involved ying monsters, students brought their own equipment. It was possible that Se-Hoon would take such sses, so he wanted to keep the Five-me Sword and the ming Scabbard, as they were bothpatible with him.


    <i>And also... it¡¯s still a bit too early.</i>


    Although he had promised himself that he wouldn¡¯t dwell on the past, his unpleasant memories involving Eun-Ha made him hesitate to feed her properly forged equipment. He knew that he couldn¡¯t evade her forever, but considering that a bond had already been established, for the time being, it would probably be okay to postpone it for a while.


    <i>There is a saying that there is no better condiment than an empty stomach.</i>


    The higher her expectations of his equipment rose, the more drastically her bond level would increase. Of course, failing to meet her expectations would disappoint her. However, he was sure that would never happen, as his promise to himself was that he would resign as a cksmith if it did happen.


    ¡°Then I guess there¡¯s no helping it if that¡¯s the case.¡± She nodded as if she understood. Yet, even though her expression remained unchanged, a sense of regret could be felt in her eyes.


    Se-Hoon smiled wryly at this sight and added a few more words.


    ¡°I will inform you first once equipment bes avable in the future.¡±


    ¡°Hm. I look forward to it.¡± She poured the remaining pieces of the cast into her mouth and then nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°Are you done forging?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m done with everything.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s leave the room. Don¡¯t worry about the cleanup since the staff should take care of itter.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness. I don¡¯t have much strength left to clean this all up.¡±


    At the academy he attended before the regression, he had to do all these minor chores by himself. This made him appreciate the differences in academies, even with such trivial matters.


    After collecting all the bracelets and remaining materials, he tried to stand up from his seat.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    He suddenly felt light-headed, his surroundings spinning rapidly.


    These were the symptoms of fatigue that urred when his mana and stamina were drained. This was a condition he had experienced frequently while hammering before the regression.


    <i>Did I push myself too far?</i>


    He thought he was managing his stamina well, but it seemed he was only barely holding on throughout the session thanks to his tension. If he were to copse now, it would probably be a bit painful.


    <i>Bump.</i>


    But before he could copse, Eun-Ha stretched out her hand and supported his body before it even tilted. Turning his head toward her, he saw that she was worried.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Yes. It seems I have made a mistake with the management of my stamina. This is just some light dizziness.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t regard this dizziness seriously, as he had experienced it countless times before the regression, Eun-Ha had a different opinion.


    ¡°...¡±


    His body was trembling and his breathing had roughened; it was as if he were squeezing out his limits. With symptoms this severe, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if every single bone and joint in his body ached, yet he didn¡¯t show a hint of pain. It was as if he waspletely numb to pain rather than resilient to it.


    Eun-Ha stared at him before helping him up.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re working hard, but don¡¯t overexert yourself. You should go home and rest for the day.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Really, you should rest. Once you¡¯re injured, you can¡¯t go back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°I mean it sincerely.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He found it odd that she kept cautioning him even though he had told her he understood. He looked at her with a puzzled expression.


    <i>Did she eat something wrong?</i>


    How could someone who used to insistently nag him to forge equipment for her before the regression be so different?


    As he examined her with curiosity, he quickly realized the reason behind her difference in attitude.


    <i>Ah. It¡¯s because I¡¯m a student right now.</i>


    Before the regression, their rtionship was one of customer and cksmith. But right now, as she was the dean, it was obvious that her attitude toward him would be different.


    <i>And it would be a shame for her if a student with promising talents like me, got injured.</i>


    No matter how he looked at it, the situation had changed significantly from before the regression. He chuckled unconsciously, and seeing this, Eun-Ha¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re taking me seriously.¡±


    ¡°No. About that...¡±


    ¡°Never mind. Just lean on me; I¡¯ll take you to your dormitory.¡±


    Despite telling her that he could walk on his own now that some strength had returned, she firmly refused and continued to help him. The two of them left the main building closely together, and then she examined her own body.


    ¡°This should be enough...¡±


    Her body condition seemed just right for her to leap once. She finished the calctions before looking at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Are you scared of heights, by any chance?¡±


    "No, I¡¯m no... <i>agh</i>!¡±


    Before he could finish his response, she swiftly reached under his thighs and promptly lifted him up. Unwillingly hanging onto her neck, he made a weird face.


    Then, the crimson tips of her red hair started flickering with a vermilion glow.


    ¡°Here we go.¡±


    <i>Vroooom.</i>


    Sounds simr to an engine revving up emanated from within her body, and in that instant, her toes gently kicked the ground.


    <i>Thump-!</i>


    The two soared high into the sky.


    The scenery around them changed in the blink of an eye. They were now looking down at thendscape of Borsippa College beneath the night sky. Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment.


    <i>How is the energy output from the cast thisrge?</i>


    Judging from her stomach growling, she probably hadn¡¯t consumed any other pieces of equipment before the session. In other words, she was extracting such arge amount of power from just a cast. This was way beyond what Se-Hoon had anticipated, almost double the expected output.


    <i>So the better the taste, the higher the output.</i>


    Before the regression, he believed that the increase in her output was due to the improvement in his skills. But now, he realized that the taste of the equipment also mattered quite significantly.


    As he was looking down at the College of Borsippa, he was surprised to find a familiar figure near the entrance of the main building of the Department of cksmithing.


    <i>Erika?</i>


    He tried to take another look, but they began to descend and the view was obstructed by other buildings. Recalling what he had just witnessed, he shook off the possibility.


    <i>It couldn¡¯t be Erika.</i>


    He believed there was no way she would follow him all the way to the main building of the Department of cksmithing and wait there for hours, even after they had already finished taking the test for the Barrier Composition ss. He quickly dismissed the idea that he had seen her.


    Momentster, theynded in front of the dormitory.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    Thending was softpared to the immense leap. The crimson glow at the tips of her hair faded, as she seemed to have depleted all of her stored power for the leap. She gently lowered him to the ground and grabbed his shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, but get some rest¨D¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°¨Dnever mind; you definitely seem like you are going to rest.¡±


    She interrupted herself after seeing his expression. She let go of his shoulders and changed the topic of the conversation.


    ¡°Today¡¯s forging session was brilliant.¡±


    Herpliment brought back his old memories. He smiled to hide his bitter feelings.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll head back then.¡±


    After she bid farewell and left, he went up to his room and threw himself onto the bed after taking a quick shower.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    Even though he was lying on the soft bed, his whole body ached. It seemed like he had overestimated the limits of his current body. It was no wonder that Eun-Ha had made such a fuss back there.


    <i>I really should take a break for today.</i>


    As the drowsiness overwhelmed his senses, he calmly gazed up at the ceiling. Although he was tired enough to fall asleep at any moment, surprisingly, his mind became clear when hey down. At this discovery, memories from before the regression slowly resurfaced.


    <i>Maybe it¡¯s because I met Ryu Eun-Ha...</i>


    Although he had spent most of his life holed up in the workshop, he still had a vast amount of knowledgepared to ordinary people. Furthermore, Frost Dog Amir, who excelled in gathering intelligence, had told him all kinds of information to boast his knowledge further. Thus, with his vast knowledge, in his final years, he became a central figure in the human alliance.


    <i>But most of what I heard from him was about events that happened way in the future.</i>


    Certainly, some of these events were most likely unfolding discreetly right now. However, dealing with them at the moment was challenging, as the information he had was fragmented and scarce.


    <i>Well then... for now, I should start with the ones I can deal with inside Babel Academy.</i>


    Having already decided on what he should do first, he took out his phone and read the articles he had looked up earlier.


    ¡°¡®Inferno Ring¡¯ is on the verge of losing its Intangible Cultural Heritage title. Controversy over the current wielder¡¯s qualifications.¡±


    ¡°me Sect: ¡®They will soone back with aplishments.¡¯ Will a sessor emerge to end this vacancy?¡±


    ¡°The rising star that will take charge of South Korea: Who is this Yeom Sung-Ha?¡±


    Pictures of Yeom Sung-Ha¡¯s face popped up here and there among the news articles, annoying Se-Hoon. Looking at how young the Mad Dog was, he found himself chuckling.


    <i>Just you wait.</i>


    This time, Se-Hoon nned to firmly discipline him to prevent him from doing anything foolish. With that resolve, Se-Hoon closed his eyes.

 Chapter 16

    <h4>Chapter 16</h4>


    It was early in the morning.


    Currently, the freshmen from the Department of cksmithing were gathered in a lecture room for their major ss, and they were all ncing at one side of the room.


    There, Se-Hoon was face down on the desk without moving a muscle. His body was so slouched that it seemed as if he was dead. At this sight, the other students in the room exchanged whispers.


    ¡°Was he not able to forge it well?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably just tired. He already managed to forge Rare-tier equipment, so he should have pulled it off this time too.¡±


    ¡°Well, he did use Hero-tier material.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s forging session was the first attempt at an intermediate-level forging session among the freshmen. And since he was Borsippa College¡¯s freshman honor student, there was naturally a heightened interest in his forging sessions.


    But even though everyone was curious about the finished equipment, none of the freshmen dared to approach him. His so very grim expression on top of his atmosphere, which was so unique for someone of their age, made it difficult for other freshmen to strike up a conversation with him.


    <i>He¡¯s definitely going to explode if we approach him now.</i>


    <i>He¡¯s an honor student, after all; we should be careful.</i>


    As everyone cautiously gauged the atmosphere and quietly made their own internal deductions, Se-Hoon, who had his head buried in the desk, quietly muttered to himself, <i>I¡¯m going to die...</i>


    He thought he would get better after a nap, but it seemed that he had overestimated his young body. With every single part of his body aching, he slouched down, without any strength left to muster up.


    <i>But it was definitely worth it.</i>


    <strong>[Lee Se-Hoon]</strong>


    <strong>[Strength - E (68) Endurance - E (63)</strong>


    <strong>Mana - F (47) Agility - F (52)</strong>


    <strong>Unique Skill: cksmith of Bonds</strong>


    <strong>Elemental Mana: Scarlet me (F)</strong>


    <strong>Learned Skills: Master of mes (C), ck Weaver (D)]</strong>


    He hadn¡¯t started to train, yet his stats had already increased by about five points across the board. Considering the path ahead of him, however, this was but a drop in the bucket. Regardless,pared to his past self, it was a remarkable rate of growth.


    <i>And now, this is where it truly begins.</i>


    He could feel the heavy Inkstone Bracelets, which were attached to his wrists and ankles, absorbing his mana. Despite the feeling of his already minuscule strength draining even faster, he smiled instead. He knew that the greater the pain, the faster his physical growth became.


    <i>Before the end of my first year, I will definitely strengthen my body to a usable state.</i>


    As he slouched with widened eyes, the lecture room door opened.


    <i>Is the professor here?</i>


    Today¡¯s ss was one of his major sses: Understanding Tools. Although the description of the ss mentioned that they would learn about the different characteristics of forging tools, judging from the fact that they were instructed to wear athletic attire, there seemed to be some physical activity involved.


    <i>This ss will be perfect for performance testing the Inkstone Bracelets.</i>


    He raised his head and looked at the podium, where a man who seemed to be the professor was standing. The man had insanely rugged muscles that made one wonder if he could scratch his own back. Puzzled, Se-Hoon observed the man¡¯s body, which almost seemed like a living weapon.


    <i>Why is someone like him in the Department of cksmithing?</i>


    He seemed more of a warrior than a cksmith, evident not only from his muscles but from every part of his body. Moreover, he seemed to have a considerable amount of physical skill, to the extent that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he were a professor at Aqar Quf.


    As Se-Hoon curiously wondered why such a man was here, the man standing on the podium began to speak, ¡°I am Ricaros Miles, who will be leading Understanding Tools starting today. Just like you all, this is my first year in office. I look forward to working with you guys.¡±


    <i>p, p, p.</i>


    After the light apuse from the students, Ricaros continued with a bright smile, ¡°I think that¡¯s enough for my introduction. Now, let¡¯s head over to the training center. Let¡¯s get up, everyone.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be a theoretical ss?¡±


    The ss seemed to be different from what they heard from their sunbaes, starting from when they were told to wear athletic attire to ss.


    Although confused, they stood up from their seats one by one.


    ¡°Thest one there runs twentyps around the track.¡±


    Ricaros¡¯s eyes gleamed with a spark of mischief.


    ¡°And... start!¡±


    At his signal, Se-Hoon rushed out of the ssroom. He was able to prepare early by quickly catching onto the fact that something was off, while other students, who btedly realized the situation, only followed after quickly regaining theirposure.


    ¡°Dude, what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just run!¡±


    The distance from the main building of the Department of cksmithing to the training center was approximately two kilometers. Although they were students who dealt with equipment all day, they all possessed basic physical fitness. They were able to quickly sprint to the training center.


    However, there was one person whogged behind.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>...!¡±


    Despite being the first one to start running, Se-Hoon quickly found himself at the very back. To others, it seemed as if he had deliberately slowed himself down, but of course, that wasn¡¯t the case.


    An ominous sound came from his arms and legs. As his movements strained his nerves, the previously suppressed Inkstone Bracelets began to absorb his mana at a frightening speed. Like sponges that soaked up water, they became heavier as they soaked up mana.


    Although it was difficult for him to even walk, Se-Hoon smirked.


    <i>It¡¯s working... remarkably well!</i>


    It was extraordinary that he was able to train his strength this much during such an ordinary running session. But although this was exactly what he wanted, at this rate, he might copse before the ss ended.


    Thus to prevent himself from copsing, he utilized another feature of the bracelet.


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


    The mana stored inside the Inkstone Bracelets was released and seeped into his body, restoring his vitality, which was on the verge of copsing. This released mana was able to seep in deeper and elerate his physical growth due to the extreme strain on his body.


    Now with newfound vitality, he was able to teeter on the edge between falling and remaining upright.


    <i>This is excellent...</i>


    He chuckled as he casually used training methods that others would be too terrified to even try.


    Observing him from behind, Ricaros made a bitter expression.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know he would be <i>this </i>weak.¡±


    He had already heard from In-Cheol about how Se-Hoon¡¯s physical abilities were on the lower side. However, he didn¡¯t expect Se-Hoon, the honor student from the department, to be this feeble. Ricaros, who was unaware of the effects of Se-Hoon¡¯s bracelets, looked at him incredulously.


    Eventually, the two btedly arrived at the training center.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>...¡±


    Se-Hoon had arrived five minutes after the other students. And it was only five minutes because the other students had started to slow down when noticed that Se-Hoon was undoubtedly going to be thest ce. If not for that, he would have been at least ten minuteste.


    <i>I¡¯m going to die...</i>


    The effects of the bracelets were just <i>too</i> excellent. Se-Hoon breathed heavily, his body pushed to its limits.


    But despite just arriving, a thick hand immediately grabbed onto his shoulder.


    ¡°Twentyps.¡±


    ¡°...Okay. I¡¯ll start right now.¡±


    He quickly caught his breath and started running around the track. At that sight, some of the freshmen who were watching sneaked a smile.


    ¡°His stamina must be at rock bottom.¡±


    ¡°I know right? He must stink inbat.¡±


    To see Se-Hoon, who had a tremendous presence as the top student, in such an embarrassing state, some of them felt a sense of familiarity, while some of them even belittled him. It was at this sight that they all realized that, in the end, he was just like them¡ªjust a fellow freshman.


    ¡°Well then. Attention, everyone.¡±


    With a light p, Ricaros captured the attention of the freshmen. He started the ss with a loud voice, making sure Se-Hoon could hear as well.


    ¡°Originally, Understanding Tools was more of a theory-based ss focused on the study of the structures of tools. However, due to the ongoing Fire Sword cksmith Hunt, we decided to reformat the ss.¡±


    At the mention of the Fire Sword cksmith Hunt, the students began murmuring. Recently, several cksmiths who had forged a fire-attribute sword were targeted in this hunt.


    While there was no casualty yet, the incident sparked significant controversy, as the victims lost both their hands and weapons during the assaults.


    ¡°Even as cksmiths, it is necessary for you all to have basicbat abilities. Some of you might argue that such abilities could be learned from minor sses alone; however, we have decided there will be no exceptions, especially considering what¡¯s happening nowadays.¡±


    Ricaros looked at the freshman with a serious expression.


    ¡°No matter what kind of armor you might wear, in the end, you are the one who will protect yourself. So, through this ss, you all are to learn how to utilize the tools and find the right techniques to protect yourselves. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Good. Well, then, we are going to dive into swords today. Training swords are over there, so...¡±


    As Ricaros began ss, Se-Hoon, who was listening while running around the track, made a strange expression.


    <i>The Fire Sword cksmith Hunt...e to think of it, I did hear about it before.</i>


    Since it happened so long ago, his memories of it were a bit hazy. However, he still remembered it pretty wellpared to other memories. After all, before the regression, the me Sword cksmith Hunt had concluded as an unsolved mystery, with the culprit¡¯s identity remaining unknown until the very end.


    <i>I think thest sword stolen was the Fire Illusion Sword.</i>


    Although he didn¡¯t remember who forged the sword, he did remember that it was an item of considerable perfection, a Legendary-tier weapon. As he thought about the Fire Sword cksmith Hunt, he once again became aware of his own body.


    <i>I should also be careful this time.</i>


    As an honor student of Babel Academy, even if his current skills werecking, he was in a position where others regarded him as a future master cksmith. Considering that he might run into some kind of ident here and there, it would be wise to be prepared for such unforeseen situations.


    With these thoughts in mind, he nced at the ongoing ss.


    ¡°As you can see, you can deflect attacks like this.¡±


    <i>ng!</i>


    Ricaros easily deflected the student¡¯s swing.


    <i>He handles the sword well, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be his specialty... huh? </i>Se-Hoon started watching Ricaros¡¯s fluid movements attentively.


    Usually, those who focus intensively on a specific weapon or technique tend to reveal some of their form even while wielding apletely different weapon. However, in Ricaros¡¯s movements, Se-Hoon could only see swordsmanship, which was quite mismatched with his actual strength.


    <i>Hm. I¡¯ve seen this kind of characteristic before somewhere...</i>


    Se-Hoon squinted his eyes and closely observed Ricaros¡¯s swordy while he was running. Immediately noticing his gaze, Ricaros shouted at him, ¡°Stop running ande over here!¡±


    In response to his call, Se-Hoon turned immediately and headed toward Ricaros. Examining Se-Hoon, who was covered in sweat from head to toe as though the running had been exceptionally challenging, Ricaros became surprised.


    <i>His condition isn¡¯t that bad.</i>


    Even while he was gasping for breath, Se-Hoon¡¯s core remained stable and well-aligned. Although hecked stamina, it seemed like he genuinely understood how to use his body. Intrigued, Ricaros handed Se-Hoon a training sword he had prepared in advance.


    ¡°You heard about the purpose of this ss when I mentioned it earlier, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll judge whether swordsmanship suits you. Go ahead and swing it at me.¡±


    As soon as he held the sword, Se-Hoon instinctively appraised it.


    <i>Quite crude.</i>


    It wasn¡¯t the worst, but it was far from passable. He supposed it was suitable for training purposes, but it wasn¡¯t appealing to him.


    <i>Let¡¯s see. I can bnce it like this...</i>


    Ricaros¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched Se-Hoon modify his grip to adapt to the sword.


    <i>That adjustment just now...</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s movements were so subtle that other students wouldn¡¯t have noticed anything unusual, but Ricaros immediately picked up on the change brought about by his grip adjustment. Hisx posture suddenly adopted a new stance, aligning perfectly with that of another person.


    <i>He doesn¡¯t seem to have learned swordsmanship.... Maybe he¡¯s naturally talented at it?</i>


    As Ricaros watched with a puzzled expression while doubting his own eyes in disbelief, Se-Hoon checked his posture.


    <i>It¡¯ll be hard for me to move properly due to the Inkstone Bracelets.</i>


    He knew that sluggishly swinging the sword aimlessly would only ignite his frustration.


    <i>Hm. Right, maybe I could use that skill.</i>


    It wasn¡¯t a refined technique, but it seemed decent enough for parrying once. Envisioning how he was going to move, he swung the sword forward, prompting a gleam in Ricaros¡¯s eyes.


    <i>His posture isn¡¯t bad.</i>


    However, the strength in his swing wascking, perhaps because he had been runningps. While he could have easily deflected the swing, Ricaros swung his sword instead, matching Se-Hoon¡¯s speed in order to see his potential.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Their swords shed somewhat sluggishly, drawing murmurs from the students.


    ¡°That swing was so slow. Did he really be exhausted after running that much?¡±


    ¡°Still, his form¡¯s pretty decent.¡±


    ¡°Man, if I swung that slowly, I could probably manage something like that too.¡±


    Everyone thought that Ricaros was going easy on Se-Hoon. However, the person who was actually facing Se-Hoon¡¯s sword had a different opinion.


    <i>Brilliant.</i>


    Unlike other students, whose swords iled in all directions, Se-Hoon¡¯s sword moved unwaveringly along a set path. To wield the sword with such precision meant that either he was exceptional in swordsmanship, or he had a remarkable sense of body control.


    <i>No wonder he was chosen as an honor student.</i>


    Although his potential was hidden by hisck of physical abilities, if he invested ample time in growth, he would be apletely different person. Ricaros, now engaged with genuine interest, faced Se-Hoon¡¯s sword with sincerity. This swiftly changed the atmosphere between the two.


    <i>Hm...</i>


    Although Se-Hoon had been blocking Ricaros¡¯s attacks quite effectively so far, there was a ring w in his defense that was caused by his misstep. Ricaros had noticed that Se-Hoon had been doing it habitually throughout their entire duel.


    Now, this persistent mistake manifested itself, exacerbated by his drained stamina.


    <i>I should fix his mistake right now.</i>


    Although such mistakes could be overlooked during practice sessions,mitting such an error during realbat could cost him his life. Deciding to bring an end to the duel with his final attack, Ricaros swiftly exploited the opening.


    ¡°...?¡±


    Ricaros involuntarily looked into Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes. He had such a calm demeanor that Ricaros could hardly believe that it belonged to someone whose defenses were about to be breached.


    elerating his thoughts, his gaze moved toward the tip of Se-Hoon¡¯s sword. At the sight of the trajectory of that tip, Ricaros¡¯s eyes became stained with astonishment.


    <i>ng!</i>


    A sword flew through the air.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    A still silence settled among the students. At that moment, Ricaros nced down at his hands, realizing that his sword was still tightly gripped.


    As he realized what he had just done, an expression of disbelief crossed his face.


    <i>I... I didn¡¯t trust myself.</i>


    At that realization, he stood there with a shocked expression.


    He found it hard to believe that he had imagined that he would not be able to parry a strike from a student who was not even from Aqar Quf but from Borsippa.


    <i>...How did that work?</i>


    Se-Hoon, too, looked down at his own hands, shocked.

 Chapter 17

    <h4>Chapter 17</h4>


    Before the regression, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t have much of a chance to learn martial arts properly. After all, it was more beneficial for him to spend his time striking the hammer than learning martial arts, especially considering he wasn¡¯t particrly talented in them.


    <i>You seem to have learned only half. To put it nicely, your skill is mediocre, but honestly speaking, it is utter garbage that won¡¯t be good for anything.</i>


    Despite his foul temperament, Mad Dog Yeom Sung-Ha had a remarkable talent for training others. Yet, Se-Hoon¡¯sck of skill in martial arts had managed to make Sung-Ha give up on training him.


    That, along with the fact that he still showed no improvement in martial arts even after learning a few skills from his regr customers, made him never really ambitious about learning.


    ¡°...¡±


    However, the swordy he had just disyed left him in a confusing situation.


    <i>Even before the regression, I was never able to wield my sword this smoothly...</i>


    Rather than feeling the strain of barely replicating the technique, he had felt the fulfillment from wlessly executing it from start to finish.


    He looked down at his bleeding palms with a bewildered expression, still experiencing the unfamiliar sensation that he had felt for the first time.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Ricaros asked Se-Hoon as he approached and looked at his hand.


    ¡°Ah. It¡¯s just torn a bit.¡±


    ¡°Hm. This should be treatable in the break room. Everyone, take a moment to practice.¡±


    After briefly giving instructions to the other students, Ricaros led Se-Hoon to the break room inside the training center. The interior was equipped with various amenities, such as sofas, beds, and a fridge stocked full of beverages.


    Se-Hoon found the amount of amenities staggering, as it seemed to be enough for a person to live in the room.


    <i>This academy really likes to flex their money, huh?</i>


    As Se-Hoon was busy checking out the room, Ricaros returned, having brought the first aid kit. He gestured toward a chair with his eyes.


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    Ricaros treated Se-Hoon¡¯s torn right hand himself with disinfectant and regenerative spray, and his wounds quickly began to heal. As Se-Hoon gazed at the treatment, Ricaros looked around before opening his mouth to say something, ¡°I have something I want to ask.... I¡¯m not going to interrogate you or anything, so answerfortably.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°That swordsmanship you disyed earlier, did you learn it from someone?¡±


    Se-Hoon examined Ricaros¡¯s expression in response to the somewhat anticipated question.


    <i>It does look like he¡¯s not going to interrogate me.</i>


    It appeared that Ricaros was asking with genuine curiosity. Se-Hoon contemted how he should respond to this. He couldn¡¯t exin how he knew the sword technique, as he had learned that technique before the regression from one of his regr customers in ce of the overdue interest fees.


    <i>Well, since he also invented the technique on the spot... </i>He thought that it would be okay to also say that he had improvised the technique on the spot.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t learn it from anyone; I just made it myself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that you created that swordsmanship yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I just roughly came up with it while watching footage of other heroes fighting on the inte...¡±


    Since the old man who had taught him the technique had actually invented it that way, what he said wasn¡¯t entirely baseless. Although the technique had unfolded quite well this time, Se-Hoon considered it not that big of a deal, knowing that it had no solid foundation.


    <i>He made this technique himself...?</i>


    However, Ricaros thought differently about the technique. The technique consisted of three features, the first being the subtle control of footwork, which smoothly opened up exposed areas in the opponent¡¯s defense. The second was the appropriate grip, which perfectly brought out the characteristics of the sword. The third and final feature was the harmonious synchronization of the previous two features, achieved through methodical breathing.


    Each aspect on its own didn¡¯t seem particrly remarkable, but thebination of those three features could inflict fatal injuries on unsuspecting opponents.


    <i>I was fortunate that his swing was slow enough for me to respond. If someone of simr or even slightly lower skill level used that technique...</i>


    He would be lucky if the usage of that technique only resulted in a serious injury; it wouldn¡¯t be weird for it to be an insta-kill.


    Although Ricaros was dueling in a more rxed manner than usual, as his opponent was a student, this was only an excuse after all.


    ¡°Um...¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°No. There is no issue. Everything is fine, but... well, I¡¯m not sure where to start...¡±


    After much contemtion, Ricaros looked at Se-Hoon with a determined expression.


    ¡°First of all, from now on, do not recklessly use the sword technique you just demonstrated.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°That technique is designed to kill an enemy within seconds. If you use it too much, its effectiveness will diminish as information about it spreads. It¡¯s better to reserve it for specific situations.¡±


    While Ricaros didn¡¯t provide a detailed exnation, Se-Hoon immediately understood the specific situations he was referring to.


    <i>So, I should only use it when I intend to kill.</i>


    The more people aware of the technique, the less powerful it became. The only way to preserve its effectiveness was, of course, to eliminate all witnesses.


    <i>If I think about it, there was a point in time when it became difficult for me to use the technique.</i>


    When he first acquired the technique, he used it quite effectively. However, as time passed, there was hardly anyone unaware of his technique left.


    With that realization, Se-Hoon suddenly thought of something, <i>Was that why it felt so frustrating to use?</i>


    The reason the technique felt so frustrating to use was not because hecked proficiency in it, but rather because his opponents had aplete understanding of it. He pondered this hypothesis momentarily before quickly brushing it off his mind.


    <i>Ehh. There¡¯s no way. </i>Even though he wasn¡¯t talented in martial arts, he would¡¯ve realized such basic things.


    He desperately tried to avoid facing reality.


    ¡°And also...¡± Ricaros, after thinking for a moment, looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Do you have any interest in learning swordsmanship seriously?¡±


    If he was able to create such a technique just by watching videos, he was definitely not ordinary. There was no way Ricaros could let such talent go unpolished; he simply couldn¡¯t eptmitting such an irresponsible act as an educator. Seeing his eyes burning with educational fervor, Se-Hoon¡¯s expression turned bitter.


    <i>It seems there might be a big misunderstanding.</i>


    The self-defense technique he had used seemed to be quite an effective one. If he were careless, he might end up being embarrassingly misunderstood as a prodigy in swordsmanship.


    He pondered how to handle the situation and then realized one important fact, <i>Does it even matter?</i>


    There were plenty of people who were praised as geniuses in their youth but didn¡¯t meet those expectations after growing up. He himself had heard various evaluations as a cksmith before the regression, which embarrassed many people who had no hopes for him during his youth.


    <i>There¡¯s no reason for me to reject what they are willingly offering me.</i>


    As a cksmith, even though his reputation would take a slight hit, it wouldn¡¯t matter as long as he could forge decentlyter on. With this decision in mind, he subtly steered the conversation in the direction he needed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not particrly interested in swordsmanship.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... that¡¯s a real shame...¡±


    ¡°But I am slightly interested in the movement of my body.¡±


    Ricaros, who was thinking of a way to persuade Se-Hoon in some way, became puzzled after hearing his response.


    ¡°Body?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I guess I should say I am more interested in the way my body moves than in mastering a specific weapon.... I invented that sword technique simply because swords were the mostmonly used weapon, not because I felt something special about it.¡±


    Upon hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s words, Ricaros reflected on the sword technique he had experienced and pondered over it again.


    ¡°Indeed... there isn¡¯t anything particrly inspiring about it in terms of swordsmanship.¡±


    When it came to the adjustment of footwork or breathing, it was something that he could easily pick up. Not only that, the appropriate grip that perfectly utilized the characteristics of the sword could also be considered a natural talent of a cksmith.


    As a genius, rather than simply fusing his inspirations into his techniques, Se-Hoon discovered how to move his body precisely as needed. Ricaros¡¯s eyes gleamed as he realized exactly what Se-Hoon¡¯s talent was.


    <i>If that¡¯s the case, then that is all the more reason for me to not let his talent go to waste.</i>


    If prodigies were the ones who paved new paths, then Se-Hoon was someone who smoothed and polished those paths for others to walk on. In a way, he could be considered even more necessary than those typical geniuses.


    <i>It would probably be better for him to take sses where he can be exposed to a variety of weapons...</i>


    Understanding Tools wouldn¡¯t be a bad choice, but there were too many other students, which might make it hard for him to stay focused. Also, the facilities were severely limited.


    As all of this called for a much better learning environment, Ricaros pondered for a while, wondering if there were any suitable ces.


    <i>There is one ce...</i>


    There was one ss that matched all the requirements in Aqar Quf.


    However, after Ricaros remembered who the professor was, he involuntarily furrowed his brow. Although that professor was known for his skills, his personality was too abrasive.


    <i>Well, there¡¯s no other choice anyway.</i>


    That ss was perfect for developing Se-Hoon¡¯s talent. Plus, who knew, the two of them might even get along.


    With his decision made, he looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°There is a ss I want to rmend to you... would you consider making a visit and getting a feel for it?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Se-Hoon responded with a smile to his suggestion.


    ***


    After Se-Hoon had finished the day¡¯s Understanding Tools ss and received a rmendation letter from Ricaros, he returned to the dormitory. He changed his clothes and turned on his phone.


    <i>Aqar Quf¡¯s Physiology Control course, hmm.</i>


    From the name alone, it didn¡¯t seem particrly special. He searched for information about the ss on the onlinemunity, <i>Tower</i>, but he couldn¡¯t find much useful information.


    <i>Hm. I never heard about it before the regression either...</i>


    If Ricaros went to the trouble of writing a rmendation letter, there must be something to it. But what kind of ss could it be if there wasn¡¯t a single piece of information about it?


    Puzzled, he continued browsing through the website. Then, a post on the popr posts tab caught his eye.


    <i>[What is she doing here?] (673ments)</i>


    ¡°...¡±


    Feeling a chill down his spine, he intuitively sensed that something was wrong. He immediately clicked on the post and saw a photo of Erika standing alone in front of the main entrance of the Department of cksmithing. She didn¡¯t blend in with the surroundings at all in the photo, as if she were photoshopped into it. However, what startled him even more was the surroundingndscape.


    <i>This ce is...</i>


    This was the exact location where he faintly caught a glimpse of Erika¡¯s shadow when he was flying to the dormitory in Eun-Ha¡¯s arms. Only now did he realize what the situation was that day after seeing the photo of Erika standing in the exact same position. He proceeded to read the entire post to understand what had happened.


    <i>[What is she doing here?] (673ments)</i>


    <i>Isn¡¯t she an honor student of the Department of Ur?</i>


    <i>She¡¯s been standing in front of the main building of the Department of cksmithing for three hours... brrrrr.</i>


    Anonymous 1: ??


    Anonymous 2: Huh?


    .


    .


    .


    Anonymous 38: Is she waiting for the honor student of Borsippa? She did wait outside his dormst time.


    ©¸Anonymous 22: Maybe?


    ©¸Anonymous 18: Then she would have already contacted him saying that she was here, idiot.


    ©¸Anonymous 38: I was just saying that might be the case... I can¡¯t even say anything I guess...


    .


    .


    .


    Anonymous 128: Please take down this post. This is clearly an infringement on the right of publicity.


    Anonymous 129: Delete this post quickly.


    ¡°What the...¡±


    After reading through thements, he made a bewildered expression.


    Initially, most of thements were asking why Erika was behaving that way. However, after his name started being mentioned a few times, thement section became filled with those who urged for the post to be taken down. It was pretty obvious that it was those who were rted to Erika.


    <i>It seems she left after she conversed with a professor...</i>


    Although he wasn¡¯t sure, it seemed like she left after hearing that he was done with the forging session. While it did feel like he was being too conceited, there was no other apparent reason for Erika toe all the way to the Department of cksmithing and act like that.


    <i>I just don¡¯t understand her.</i>


    If a bond had been formed between them, her actions might have made sense depending on her personality, but that was not the case either. Feeling perplexed by thepletely inexplicable situation, he made his way down to the dormitory entrance to make a trip to the College of Aqar Quf.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon made eye contact with Erika, who had the attention of all the students around them.


    Naturally, their attention shifted along with her gaze, and their expressions changed to disy a sense of curiosity. Perhaps they were thinking about the post on <i>Tower </i>and entertaining weird fantasies.


    <i>They¡¯re all so young... and youthful...</i>


    Ignoring the gazes filled with anticipation, he approached Erika, who was still staring at him.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came after hearing that you returned to your dorm.¡±


    ¡°So, you were waiting for me toe out?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She nodded as if genuinely asking what the issue was. Se-Hoon looked at her with a sense of pity.


    ¡°Then you should¡¯ve attended some ss or practiced during this time. It¡¯s not like you have all the time in the world.¡±


    ¡°I am practicing.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She pointed at her head in response to his question.


    ¡°In my head.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    If some other student said the same thing, he might have dismissed it as nonsense. However, as she was an honor student, saying it in such a calm demeanor made it seem somewhat usible.


    Staring at her with a concerned expression, he eventually sighed and changed the topic.


    ¡°So, what were you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°The thing you forged yesterday. Can you show it to me?¡±


    Of course that was her intention all along. Since he wasn¡¯t nning to keep it a secret anyway, he rolled up his sleeves and showed her the Inkstone Bracelets.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She gazed intently at the bracelets without uttering a word. It seemed like she was reading the information message or scrutinizing its structure.


    <i>Hm. This is kind of ufortable.</i>


    Unless it was well-forged, presenting equipment that hadn¡¯t fully drawn out the potential of its materials made him feel uneasy. At that moment, the urge to smash the bracelets crept up again from deep within his heart.


    ¡°I had a good look at them.¡±


    ¡°...Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Although it was better that she didn¡¯t probe him, her lukewarm response stimted his imagination which was plenty irritating. Se-Hoon, further fueled by the desire to destroy, narrowed his eyes and stared at the bracelets.


    <i>I reforge them no matter what by the end of the year.</i>


    While he was grinding his teeth, Erika pulled something out of her uniform and extended it toward him.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    It was a square envelope that was identical to the one she handed him back then to demonstrate what barrier spells were. Seeing the moreplicated barrier spell attached to it, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    <i>She¡¯s still a kid, after all.</i>


    Although she didn¡¯t mention it, it seemed like she was a bit annoyed when her spell was destroyed back then.


    After he received the envelope from her, she looked at him with a keen gaze. He examined the barrier that surrounded the square envelope and couldn¡¯t help but be impressed.


    <i>She sure inscribed it properly this time.</i>


    While the spell looked simr to the previous one, there were no visible gaps in it.


    Realizing that he didn¡¯t move hastily likest time, she looked at him with slightly triumphant eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably different from thest one.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Yeah, it¡¯s definitely different.¡±


    Although he should have been able toe up with a viable dispelling technique if he spent more time examining it, he believed that it would be better to try a different approach this time, as that might take some time.


    <i>ck Weaver.</i>


    <i>Ching.</i>


    A ck thread extended from his fingertip. This was the skill that he acquired while forging the Inkstone Bracelets; it had a very straightforward effect.


    <strong>[ck Weaver] ¡ºD¡»</strong>


    <strong>[A thread-like barrier spell made frompressing spell patterns.</strong>


    <strong>This allows the user to deploy a barrier in any environment, and its durability increases with eachyer.</strong>


    <strong>*Rate of mana consumption increases depending on the environment where it is deployed</strong>


    <strong>*Durability of the barrier increases with eachyer]</strong>


    This skill produced a barrier spell that could be easily deployed anywhere. It was for versatility, so its effects were not outstanding. However, depending on how it was used, its potential was boundless.


    <i>The basic structure itself is simr, so...</i>


    ck Weaver began connecting the focal points of the spell pattern, and momentster, a ck spider web that spanned across the envelope wasplete.


    He then promptly flicked a section with his index finger.


    A shock reverberated through the entire barrier via ck Weaver, causing the spider web to ripple in response to the recoil. Observing these subtle movements, he quickly adjusted the previous dispelling technique and then grasped the envelope.


    ¡°That envelope is actually...¡±


    <i>Riip! Riip!</i>


    The square envelope was torn apart vigorously.


    Erika¡¯s eyes widened, and surprised murmurs began to echo among the onlookers. Amidst all this, Se-Hoon looked down at the now-unrecognizable envelope.


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    He nodded in satisfaction.

 Chapter 18

    <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.


    ¡ªWe 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.


    ¡ªThe 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.¡±

 Chapter 19

    <h4>Chapter 19</h4>


    Feeling a damp sensation from his nose, Jake slowly wiped his index finger across it to examine what it was.


    ¡°...This is blood.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t remember thest time he had shed blood while fighting someone of his own age. After all, he had never fought this intensely, and he had never allowed himself to be vulnerable enough to sustain such wounds.


    <i>He dove precisely for my weak points.</i>


    It would be meaningless to say, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t let my guard down,¡± as Se-Hoon would have taken it into ount whenunching the attack.


    Thus instead of making feeble excuses, Jake tried to recall the blow that made him bleed.


    <i>That attack... could it be...?</i>


    The attack was so sudden that he couldn¡¯t grasp it properly, but he had a sense of how it unfolded. How could a student from the Department of cksmithing use such a technique? Jake looked at Se-Hoon with a glint in his eyes.


    ¡°Hey...¡±


    ¡°You,¡± interrupted Kwang-Soo, who was pointing at him with aposed expression.


    ¡°You¡¯re out.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You got hit first. I¡¯m pretty sure I said I would only teach you if you won.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. That was just...¡±


    As Jake recalled the situation he was in, he began to be flustered. Observing the scene, Se-Hoon spoke up, ¡°Since I struck him first, isn¡¯t that more of a reason for you to teach him?¡±


    ¡°...What did you say?¡±


    Ma Kwang-Soo red at him with sharp eyes as if asking, ¡°Who do you think you are, butting in?¡±


    Nevertheless, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t bat an eye and replied, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the fact that an honor student of Aqar Quf took a blow from a student of Borsippa sound quite grave?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s im left Jake with a nk expression while Kwang-Soo became intrigued.


    Being the honor student of Aqar Quf meant being the cream of the crop of that cohort. To put it more emphatically, it wouldn¡¯t be an overstatement to call them the face of the entire year.


    Yet, that honor student took a hit to the face which led to a bleeding nose during a sparring session with a student of Borsippa. For those at Aqar Quf who held their college in high regard, whether they were students, professors, or alumni, this would be a matter that would truly infuriate them.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re not going to tell anyone, right?¡± Jake pleaded with Se-Hoon.


    Se-Hoon didn¡¯t have any particr thoughts about telling anyone, as he knew that stories like these tended to be bothersome when they started spreading around.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see.¡±


    But after bing amused at how Jake was fumbling, he smiled mischievously.


    ¡°Oh... oops...¡±


    Jake seemed shocked, a bluish hue showing on his face, after seeing Se-Hoon like that.


    ¡°...I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Kwang-Soo spoke up after watching the two of them.


    ¡°If I let a weak student like him be without supervision, he¡¯ll only create more mishaps... I¡¯ll just have to teach him so that he can at least fulfill his responsibilities.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the specific schedule for the sster, so make sure you can attend it at that time.¡±


    ¡°Th-thank you so much!!¡±


    Kwang-Soo disapprovingly eyed Jake, who was bowing his head. He then shifted his gaze towards Se-Hoon.


    ¡°You can leave now, Jake. I have something to discuss separately with him.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Sure, professor!¡±


    Jake quickly left the ssroom after nodding slightly to Se-Hoon, leaving only two people in the room.


    Kwang-Soo looked down with a stern expression, while Se-Hoon remained seated, calmly looking up. Although their subtle standoff seemed to continue forever, Kwang-Soo, who seemed less patient than Se-Hoon, spoke up first, ¡°About the technique you just used, did you learn it from someone or did you create it?¡±


    ¡°I made it myself.¡±


    In actuality, this technique was one of the many he had learned from Kwang-Soo before the regression, but Se-Hoon had the rights over these techniques as Kwang-Soo exchanged them instead of paying interest.


    <i>How did someone like him manage to create such a technique?</i> Kwang-Soo was perplexed at how confident Se-Hoon was.


    In fact, the technique Se-Hoon had just disyed was not as original as it might have seemed. It involved harnessing the initial impact generated when Jake deflected his sword, redirecting it to his left arm by rxing his muscles, and then shing it against his mana.


    This technique relied on the rebound effect to elerate the strike, and it was a fairlymon type of technique that many experienced heroes had in their arsenals.


    <i>That¡¯s only something for experienced heroes...</i>


    Although the technique seemed simple, even the slightest mistake in the distribution of force could result in the area where the collision with mana urred breaking under pressure. Therefore, only heroes with a considerable amount of experience would dare to use it.


    It was unbelievable that a freshman from Borsippa was able to execute it skillfully.


    <i>There¡¯s no way this kid has umted that much experience. Then the only exnation would be that he possesses an ability that allows him to calcte things precisely...</i>


    He finally understood what Ricaros meant in the rmendation letter¡ªthat he believed Se-Hoon¡¯s skill should be preserved and developed. Having roughly understood the situation, he nced at Se-Hoon with a somewhat disapproving expression. He then moved and brought back two training swords.


    ¡°Show me the technique you showed to Ricaros.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As Se-Hoon assumed his stance, Kwang-Soo swiftly lunged forward, and the two of them engaged with their swords intertwining at distinct angles.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s sword was sent flying far away after the single sh. The embarrassingly one-sided oue left Se-Hoon rubbing his numb right hand as he nced at Kwang-Soo.


    <i>Couldn¡¯t this damn old man have controlled his strength? </i>Se-Hoon silently cursed him.


    After contemting for a while, Kwang-Soo spoke up, ¡°Quite crude.¡±


    ¡°...Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Your idea is good, but the execution iscking. Even if the technique is specialized for killing your opponent on sight, do you think it¡¯s a well-designed technique if it disys a weakness immediately after the first strike?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you only used it yourself. If you had taught it to someone, they¡¯d probably break their arms and legs.¡±


    Se-Hoon looked at Kwang-Soo with a peculiar expression as he critiqued the technique.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just because the technique is tailored to me?¡±


    ¡°That is just an excuse inexperienced folks use. They don¡¯t know how to create a technique properly, so they just bber on and on about how the technique is specialized and such.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± Se-Hoon wondered how Kwang-Soo could so easily spit on someone¡¯s face like that.


    While Se-Hoon was restraining his inner feelings from rushing out of his mouth, Kwang-Soo clenched his fist and continued condescendingly, ¡°Just wait until I flesh out your idea into the technique, which right now is nothing more than the mere framework.¡±


    Watching Kwang-Soo unt himself, Se-Hoon just calmly nodded.


    ¡°I understand. So the ss is confirmed, right?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Well, yeah...¡±


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll leave for today.¡±


    Se-Hoon nodded politely and walked straight out of the training area. As he left, Kwang-Soo narrowed his eyes.


    While watching Se-Hoon¡¯s retreating figure, Kwang-Soo thought that, given that <i>he</i> was offering direct guidance over some ordinary professor, shouldn¡¯t there be a bit more appreciation or something?


    ¡°He¡¯s one unenthusiastic bastard...¡±


    Feeling a twist in his gut, he contemted whether he should just ignore it or not.


    But then, all of a sudden, Kwang-Soo remembered the bracelet snugly wrapped around Se-Hoon¡¯s left wrist.


    <i>Come to think of it, that technique earlier... did he create a collision using the mana stored in that bracelet?</i>


    It was quite evident that was the case, considering how much mana emanated from the bracelet just before he employed the technique. Kwang-Soo¡¯s expression became even more confused as he pondered.


    That technique was difficult to execute even with one¡¯s own mana, yet Se-Hoon had opted to utilize the mana stored inside the bracelet. Unless he was able to manipte the bracelet as if it were a part of his body, it would have been an even more daunting task.


    ¡°<i>Tsk.</i> I should bear with teaching for now.¡±


    Since there was nothing else for him to do to upy his time, he reasoned that a momentary leisurely activity wouldn¡¯t hurt. With that in mind, he looked at the sword in his hand and, for a brief moment, revisited the techniques Se-Hoon had disyed.


    ***


    ¡°Imagine showing off when he¡¯s just going to fix my technique...¡±


    Se-Hoon grumbled as he recalled the smug look on Kwang-Soo¡¯s face. Though he hadn¡¯t expected much from a technique that was created on the spot, he couldn¡¯t believe that it was made so haphazardly that Kwang-Soo himself felt the urge to curse at it.


    <i>Just wait and see.</i>


    If Kwang-Soo didn¡¯t make a proper technique this time around, he promised himself that he would smash Kwang-Soo¡¯s sword, the one he couldn¡¯t smash before the regression.


    While Se-Hoon was sharpening his resolve, someone outside the ssroom called out to him.


    ¡°Ah. Here, here!¡±


    Jake energetically waved his hand at Se-Hoon in case he might miss him. Intrigued by Jake¡¯s lively attitude, Se-Hoon approached with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Ah. It¡¯s nothing special. I just have something I want to give to you.¡±


    Jake pulled out a square envelope from his pocket and handed it to Se-Hoon, who had a quizzical look in his eyes upon seeing the familiar design.


    ¡°This is...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an invitation letter for the uing Noblesse event. Oh, you don¡¯t know what it is, do you?¡±


    ¡°Nope, never heard of it before.¡±


    Though Se-Hoon had heard a few a little about it before, he couldn¡¯t quite recall the details.


    ¡°Well, you can think of it as a gathering ce for students from well-off families.¡±


    ¡°Aha. I get it.¡±


    As Se-Hoon finally realized the identity of the square envelope he had torn several times, a strange expression crossed his face.


    <i>Was Erika... trying to hand me one?</i>


    But after thinking about it again, she hadn¡¯t explicitly asked him to open it or anything. And after considering that her bond didn¡¯t work out, he reasoned that she might have given him her extras.


    ¡°The party might not be that interesting, as most of the participants are pretty cocky... but it could turn out to be a good opportunity for you. Since the date hasn¡¯t been set yet, take your time to think about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can simply ept this.¡±


    Jake grinned in response to Se-Hoon¡¯s reply.


    ¡°Thanks to you, I ended up being allowed to attend the ss, so I should at least express this much gratitude. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Pretty vigorous indeed,¡± Se-Hoon quietly mumbled to himself.


    Jake was better-natured than Se-Hoon had thought, but contrary to his warm attitude, the information message that told him that they had sessfully formed a bond did not appear.


    <i>So this guy also has strict standards.</i>


    While internallyining about how the other two honor students both had unnecessarily stringent ideals, he picked up the invitation letter.


    ¡°Alright, see youter then.¡±


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re free, let''s have a rematch.¡±


    After Jake bid him farewell, Se-Hoon walked away grinning, feeling the gaze on the back of his head.


    ¡°It looks like he¡¯s morepetitive than I thought.¡±


    Jake sent him off with a smile for now, but it seemed that he was annoyed by the blow he received, judging by the tingling sensation. It was important for Se-Hoon to exactly understand the nature of Jake¡¯s emotions if he wanted to sessfully form a bond with him.


    <i>It¡¯s not easy to form a bond with honor students...</i>


    Ironically, while Se-Hoon appeared as the most difficult person of the three to others, he remained oblivious to such perceptions. He just conscientiously cataloged information about Jake in his mind and then steadily reconfirmed his own circumstances.


    <i>The minor sses I applied for so far are the Barrier Composition ss and Physiology Control ss. I also formed bonds with Ryu Eun-Ha and Kim In-Cheol, and I found promising candidates for establishing bonds in Jake and Erika, I suppose.</i>


    As of now, his top priority was Yeom Sung-Ha of the Three Dogs. Since he was in his third year, meeting him was not easy. However, after checking on Tower, it seemed like there might be an opportunity during the weekend.


    After briefly reviewing the information he had, he thought about the piece that concerned him the most.


    <i>Are two sses for my minors enough?</i>


    Since he could apply for minors every semester anyway, he thought there was no need to rush. However, he still felt a bit unsatisfied with just two minor sses. While pondering his options, he quickly made a decision.


    <i>I should also check out what Borsippa has to offer.</i>


    While he had learned a lot by picking things up as they came before the regression, everything had be a bit of a mess due to the haphazard approach. It would be more beneficial for him to take a few more minor sses, whether it was for revisiting past knowledge or for acquiring new skills.


    <i>For now, I could think of curses... alchemy... enchantments... ah, learning about spirits would be nice too...</i>


    Se-Hoon walked while lost in thought, contemting which minor ss he should register for next.


    <i>Bump.</i>


    Consequently, his shoulder collided with the person in front of him. Realizing that he had been distracted, Se-Hoon reflexively turned his head toward the other person to apologize.


    ¡°I¡¯m sor...?¡±


    But before he could finish his words, the other person grabbed his left hand. Se-Hoon, trying to naturally gloss over the unexpected touch, turned his gaze toward the person who had grabbed him.


    ¡°...¡±


    The girl in front of him had thick, chestnut hair that flowed over her shoulders, punctuated by hairpins carefully tucked in. Her emerald eyes bore a faint, unsettling haziness, suggesting an air of peculiarity rather than conventional normalcy. Moreover, her choice of attire¡ªa white gown over a shirt instead of a jacket¡ªadded to the impression of peculiarity rather than thoughts of traditional beauty.


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    As the enigmatic girl stared intently at his left arm, or more precisely, at the Inkstone Bracelet wrapped around it, Se-Hoon put on a perplexed expression.


    <i>What now?</i>


    Based on the look in her eyes as she gazed at the bracelet, she didn¡¯t seem to want toin about the collision. Sensing something unusual about her, Se-Hoon observed her closely.


    ¡°This bracelet.¡± The girl opened her mouth for the first time.


    ¡°Did you make it yourself?¡±


    She addressed the matter at hand before even going through formal introductions. It might havee off as impertinent, but as Se-Hoon felt a strange energy radiating from her cloudy eyes, he responded with curiosity, ¡°And what if I did?¡±


    In response to his question, the girl smirked.


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Lea udel¡¯.]</strong>


    ¡°Should I enchant it for you?¡±


    A wacky bond had been formed.

 Chapter 20

    <h4>Chapter 20</h4>


    Cafe Lc was located in the shopping district of Borsippa.


    It was one of the shops set up by graduates and was famous for its lively decorations with various flowers. The cafe was always bustling with students and visitors from outside the academy.


    ¡°The manager here is actually a graduate of our Department of Enchantments, and he¡¯s no joke. He enchanted all the flowers in this cafe so that they stay in perfect condition year-round.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, this might not really impress you if you don¡¯t know much about enchantments. Just know that with living things, like these flowers, it¡¯s pretty hard to apply enchantments that help maintain their quality...¡±


    Se-Hoon looked at Lea strangely, wondering how she had so much to say.


    Whenever a cksmith was asked which profession they worked the most with, nine out of ten times the answer was ¡°enchanter.¡± The cksmiths forged the equipment, and the enchanters enhanced its ability. Unless the cksmith lived like a hermit, such a rtionship between a cksmith and an enchanter was inevitable.


    <i>Lea udel...</i>


    As a result, even if he didn¡¯t want to hear about famous enchanters, he had no choice but to be aware of them, and Lea was no exception.


    She was a genius whopletely revolutionized the enchanting industry, a genius who was able to enhance Rare-tier weapons by two levels, transforming them into Legendary-tier weapons.


    That was the future of the girl in front of him.


    <i>I knew we weren¡¯t far apart in age, but I didn¡¯t think she would be at Babel Academy... no, perhaps it should have been obvious.</i>


    Most prominent heroes graduated from Babel Academy, so if their ages were simr, it was highly likely that they would have been ssmates. And while Se-Hoon was aware of this, he didn¡¯t expect an encounter with someone as famous as her this easily, so he looked on with wonder.


    <i>If she really is Lea udel, there¡¯s nothing for me to lose here.</i>


    Regardless of what exactly happened, a bond between them had been established in the blink of an eye. Considering her future fame, the effect of the Fatestone would likely not be bad either.


    Having somewhat finished organizing his thoughts, Se-Hoon looked at Lea again, who was still chattering nonstop.


    ¡°So, the important thing about blood flow...¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut the chatter and get down to the main point.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Shall we?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    As if waiting for it, Lea promptly changed her attitude. At this behavior, Se-Hoon observed her with a bemused expression, causing her tough awkwardly.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve had a conversation with someone that I ended up bringing out all these stories I had piled up without even realizing...¡±


    ¡°The main point.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Right. The main point, the main point.¡±


    After tapping her mouth, Lea took a sip of the coffee ced in front of her. Then, with a slightly calmer voice, she resumed the conversation, ¡°My point is, I want to enchant that bracelet you made.¡±


    ¡°You mean this one?¡±


    He slightly rolled up his sleeve and showed her the bracelet. At the sight, Lea¡¯s eyes began to sparkle. As he moved his arm, her head followed his movement. He chuckled after realizing how engrossed she was.


    <i>It makes sense. This is made from Inkstone, after all.</i>


    Given that Inkstone was Hero-tier material that sold like hotcakes, it was tough for ordinary students to even acquire some.


    After seeing the onceckluster eyes being reced by a gaze that was vibrant and full of life, he undid the rosary bracelet from his right arm and extended it toward her.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even looked at the information message, right? Take a look.¡±


    ¡°What? Ah. Information... information message? Don¡¯t tell me this is Advanced... no, Rare-tier?!¡±


    She looked down at the bracelet in her hand with wide-open eyes. At her overly dramatic reaction, Se-Hoon made a strange expression.


    <i>She really is an odd one.</i>


    It was evident that she didn¡¯t talk to others often and was only fascinated by enchantments, seeing as how she didn¡¯t even know that Se-Hoon was an honor student.


    Before the regression, he heard that she was obsessed with enchantments, and seeing her now, it was clear the rumors were not exaggerated.


    But while some might find her off-putting, Se-Hoon quite liked this aspect of her.


    <i>She would be persecuted if she was just an unqualified lunatic, but the story changes if she possesses the necessary skills. And she does.</i>


    ¡°So this is a piece of Rare-tier equipment made from Inkstone. It even has the ability to absorb and store mana. If I just add a few more forms here... no, that won¡¯t be enough...¡± Lea mumbled as she gazed at the Inkstone Bracelet.


    Without bothering her, Se-Hoon sipped on the smoothie in front of him while passing the time.


    And so, ten minutes, then thirty minutes, and then an hour passed. People around them started buying sandwiches for their lunch.


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± She put down the bracelet and muttered with a vacant expression.


    He observed that she was still somewhat spaced out.


    ¡°Is it worse than you expected?¡± he asked while eating the sandwich he had ordered.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no problem with the bracelet. In fact, it¡¯s even better than I thought, to the point that it got me all worked up.¡±


    She looked at him with her sparkling eyes after she gulped down her fourth cup of coffee in one go.


    ¡°But there are too many things I want to try.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes! This bracelet just doesn¡¯t make sense! Why is itspatibility so high when it¡¯s made of Inkstone? There are too many forms that can be added, making it hard for me to decide which ones I should put in...¡±


    She was about to spill more of the story, but Se-Hoon cut her off by cing a sandwich he had ordered in advance in front of her.


    ¡°So, in other words, you¡¯re worried because it can ept more enchantments than you thought?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s what it is.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Noticing Lea¡¯s puzzled look, Se-Hoon rolled up the opposite sleeve to show another Inkstone Bracelet.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got more.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Oh, and.¡±


    He brought the bracelet he got back from her close to the one he was wearing. As soon as they were brought close to each other, they created a resonating phenomenon, causing them to tremble.


    ¡°Keep in mind the fact that they can trigger a resonance phenomenon if you¡¯re going to enchant them.¡±


    ¡°...¡± She nkly stared at the scene before her, then rubbed her forehead and ordered another cup of ck coffee.


    ¡°Wait a minute. I feel like I¡¯m overloaded right now. Just give me a moment.¡±


    After drinking the newly arrived coffee and barely managing to eat the sandwich, she looked at Se-Hoon after a long thought.


    ¡°Who exactly are you?¡±


    It took quite a long time for her to ask for simple introductions.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lee Se-Hoon. A freshman of the Department of cksmithing and this year¡¯s honor student of Borsippa College.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only a freshman? Ah, but being an honor student might exin it. That¡¯s impressive...¡±


    It seemed she was slightly impressed by his introduction. She coughed lightly and introduced herself, ¡°I¡¯m Lea udel, a junior of the Department of Enchantment. And... hmm... is there anything else I should exin?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you want to enchant my equipment, you need to show me your skills first.¡±


    Having roughly figured out what kind of person he was dealing with, it was now time to see her skills. Lea nodded at his words.


    ¡°Alright. Since you¡¯ve shown me something impressive, I should return the favor.¡±


    <i>Click.</i>


    She proudly handed one of the hairpins tucked into her braided hair to him.


    The hairpin had a silver body centered around a blue gemstone. At first nce, it seemed like a shooting star. Se-Hoon became intrigued by its appearance.


    <i>The level ofpletion is higher than I thought... could it be?</i>


    He immediately examined the information message of the hairpin he received.


    <strong>[<u>Mercury Mk. 1</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Rare] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A hairpin modeled after the Mercury.</strong>


    <strong>It¡¯s crafted from water-attribute elemental ore, refining its power and enhancing the potency of bestowed skills by mimicking the birth of stars.</strong>


    <strong>*Increases the wearer¡¯s water-attribute resistance and mastery</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Water Comet¡¯]</strong>


    <i>Wow, Rare-tier equipment of the highest quality. Even though the materials don¡¯t look that great, it¡¯s well-forged.</i>


    The tier was high for the materials used, and above all, the quality of the hairpin was excellent. With a bit more finesse, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she advanced this hairpin to Hero-tier through enchantments.


    Of course, acquiring that bit of finesse wouldn¡¯t be as easy as it sounded. However, depending on how prepared one was, the difference in difficulty was huge.


    <i>As I expected... this is impressive.</i>


    While he examined the hairpin with interest, there was a suddenmotion near the cafe entrance.


    Thinking that it was just a group that hade to eat, he tried to not pay them any attention.


    ¡°Hey, hey. Behind you.¡±


    ¡°...<i>sigh</i>.¡±


    When Lea pointed behind him, Se-Hoon turned around to figure out whose gazes were piercing through him. The first thing he saw was a familiar, fierce-looking student, who was surrounded by other students. He quickly recognized who they were.


    <i>They¡¯re Erika¡¯s subordinates</i>.


    He could immediately think of many reasons for them to suddenlye looking for him while wearing murderous expressions.


    He looked back at them, urging them to say something.


    ¡°I have something to talk about with you. Can you step outside for a minute?¡±


    Though he sounded like he was kindly inviting Se-Hoon, his eyes implied the opposite.


    <i>What should I do? </i>He pondered, finding himself in a situation simr to the one he encountered at the train station.


    The look in their eyes suggested that ignoring them and walking away was no longer an option. Thus, he tried to figure out how he should resolve this situation.


    At that moment, Lea, who was seated across from Se-Hoon, narrowed her eyes and red at the subordinates.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking him outside? Where to? Can¡¯t you see that I was having a conversation with him?¡±


    ¡°...I want to resolve this quietly. It¡¯ll only take a moment, so please,¡± Seitz said to Se-Hoon, ignoring her words. His attitude caused her to contort her face, her lip curling in scorn.


    ¡°So you¡¯re just a dog that only listens to your master, huh? You can¡¯t understand human speech, can you?¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Shall I make it clearer for you? Woof! Scram, you idiot, just bark!¡±


    She mocked Seitz directly, even imitating a dog¡¯s bark. Seitz¡¯s face contorted viciously at the tant mockery and he started gnashing his teeth.


    ¡°You¡¯re still so impertinent despite losing your honor student position.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Says someone who has never been an honor student before, let alone a top-ranking student in their department. You¡¯re calling that a provocation? How ridiculous...¡±


    ¡°A provocation? I¡¯m merely stating facts. It¡¯s not my fault that you¡¯ve failed every test. Plus, it¡¯s true that your grades dropped, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    <i>Grind.</i>


    At Seitz¡¯s sneer, Lea gnashed her teeth, her eyes zing as her mouth twisted in derision.


    ¡°Ha. Ha. Ha. Still, I¡¯m in the upper ranks, you know? I¡¯m not a pathetic dog that has to tail after an underssman just to get a job after graduation because they don¡¯t have much skill.¡±


    ¡°You...¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯m just stating facts. Oh, did I forget to mention your amazing ¡®young master¡¯ act? My bad~¡±


    <i>Grind.</i>


    A terrifying tension swirled between the two.


    Amidst an atmosphere where it seemed they might actually start fighting at any moment, Se-Hoon focused calmly to take note of any essential information that was mentioned during their quarrel.


    <i>A slump. That¡¯s quite unexpected.</i>


    Considering her fame before the regression, he thought that her sess started way earlier, but it seemed like she also had difficult times.


    Realizing why Lea was so interested in his bracelet and why their bond had been formed so quickly, he decided that it was time to mediate this fight.


    ¡°And... that¡¯s enough.¡±


    <i>p!</i>


    With a light p, he gathered their attention. Then he turned to Lea, whose eyes were nearly spinning.


    ¡°Let me ask you one thing.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Is there a minor within the Department of Enchantment that you¡¯d rmend?¡±


    Though he spoke somewhat indirectly, it wasn¡¯t so indirect that his hidden intentions couldn¡¯t be understood.


    At those words, Lea¡¯s eyes sparkled and she responded enthusiastically, as if she hadn¡¯t been angry at all, ¡°Try the ss on Ancient Enchantment. The professor is excellent, and there¡¯s an awesome sunbae too. You¡¯ll like it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±


    Since the bond had already formed, it wouldn¡¯t be toote for him to learn the details of the Fatestone by taking that ss together.


    Deciding to check out the Fatestone at that time, Se-Hoon stood up and looked at Seitz and his subordinates standing in the back.


    ¡°You wanted to talk to me somewhere quiet, right? Lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    ¡°If that guy pulls anything weird, you can tell meter!¡±


    Receiving Lea¡¯s farewell, Se-Hoon followed the subordinates out of the cafe and to the location. Shortly after, they arrived somewhere not far from the shopping district, the Department of Curses. It was one of the departments with a high standing in Borsippa.


    But like its name, both the main building and the surrounding forest had an eerie atmosphere.


    ¡°From here on, you guys should all wait here.¡±


    Leaving the other subordinates behind, Se-Hoon and Seitz entered the forest alone. Amidst the strange atmosphere, Se-Hoon looked around.


    <i>A secluded forest with no prying eyes. Quite the ssic setup.</i>


    As Se-Hoon followed with an intrigued expression, Seitz suddenly stopped walking and turned around.


    ¡°You should be pretty busy, as it¡¯s still the first week of enrollment, so I¡¯ll get straight to the point.¡±


    ¡°Go for it.¡± Se-Hoon nodded, urging Seitz to continue.


    Seitz then furrowed his brow and sighed before continuing, ¡°Apologize for being rude to Miss Erika.¡±


    ¡°But I haven''t done anything rude.¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s calm response, Seitz bit his lip and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Are you even listening to yourself? You tore up the invitation Miss Erika gave you twice in front of others.¡±


    ¡°Well, she told me to tear it up.¡±


    Having only done as instructed, he found it absurd that he was being questioned about it. Seitz nodded at Se-Hoon¡¯s incredulous look.


    ¡°Yeah. What you¡¯re saying does make sense to some extent...¡±


    He looked at Se-Hoon with a cold gaze.


    ¡°However, that¡¯s only if you hadn¡¯t received an invitation from Jake Myers.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡ªoh?¡±


    When Se-Hoon was about to be puzzled by Seitz¡¯s crypticment, he suddenly remembered what Jake said to him.


    The Noblesse party was a gathering for students with dazzling backgrounds, and naturally, there was no guarantee that they were on the same team.


    There would be rivalries within certain fields, as well as rtionships tangled with debts and grievances.


    <i>It seems like the Myers and the Inoue aren¡¯t on good terms</i>.


    The act of tearing up both of Erika¡¯s invitation letters while easily epting Jake¡¯s invitation might seem coincidental on the surface, but those attending the party wouldn¡¯t let gossip of this caliber go untouched.


    <i>Is that why they¡¯re here, upset over how I made them lose face?</i>


    Although this seemed ridiculous to Se-Hoon, it was an intolerable situation for those who prioritized the faction over the individual.


    Having roughly understood the situation, he took a moment to think before questioning Seitz, ¡°Did Erika tell you to do this?¡±


    ¡°Miss Erika has nothing to do with this. It was my own decision.¡±


    Se-Hoon chuckled at his response.


    <i>As if I would believe that.</i>


    If he so valued the reputation of his faction, would he have acted independently on this matter? Though it seemed possible, Seitz didn¡¯t seem foolish enough for that.


    After pondering briefly, Se-Hoon quickly figured out who the instigator was.


    ¡°Is it that young master or whatever?¡±


    ¡°...Just apologize to Miss Erika. Then I¡¯ll leave you to be.¡±


    Though Seitz ignored his question, the answer was pretty clear in his words.


    At Seitz¡¯s response, Se-Hoon tried to recall who the young master might be.


    <i>It¡¯s probably... Ren Inoue, the next heir to the head of the family.</i>


    Ren Inoue was Erika¡¯s brother, a genius shikigami user who led the Inoue family in the distant future. He had often heard from Frost Dog Amir that Ren was the most sketchy among the heroes, and it seemed like those rumors were not unfounded.


    <i>So, he made the first move, huh?</i>


    Considering what he had done before the regression, it made sense that he would be overly concerned about the family¡¯s reputation even now. Understanding the whole situation, Se-Hoon looked around the forest in a more rxed manner.


    ¡°And if I refuse, do I die here or something?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far, however...¡±


    <i>Snap.</i>


    The moment Seitz snapped his fingers, mana surged throughout the forest, and a chilling air enveloped the surroundings.


    It was a sign that a barrier had been activated. Revealing his hostility, Seitz looked at Se-Hoon with cold eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that you might be found injured in the forest of the Department of Curses after you ¡®identally¡¯ stumbled in here.¡±


    The implication was clear: he intended to beat him just enough, without leaving any marks, until he came to his senses and agreed. Se-Hoon chuckled after realizing Seitz¡¯s intention perfectly.


    ¡°Right, and I assume you¡¯ve prepared everything to avoid any trouble.¡±


    Se-Hoon felt that there was no need for him to hold back either. Having reached a conclusion, he spoke calmly to Seitz, ¡°Say, do you know what I¡¯m best at mending, after equipment?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    With a clueless look, Seitz watched as Se-Hoon began to take off his uniform.


    Then, Se-Hoon finished his words in a calm voice, ¡°People.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    While Seitz was confused, Se-Hoon tossed his jacket behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯m good at beating sense into fools.¡±

 Chapter 21

    <h4>Chapter 21</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    At the sight of Se-Hoon¡¯s confident demeanor, Seitz was more bewildered than angry.


    <i>What makes him think that he can act like that?</i>


    As an honor student of Borsippa College, information about Se-Hoon was already circting in the academy. And that information contained the fact that Se-Hoon¡¯s physical abilities were among the lowest of this year¡¯s freshmen.


    He hadn¡¯t learned anybat techniques, and he didn¡¯t have proper equipment.


    <i>The only variable is probably the weapons he showcased at the entrance ceremony, but he doesn¡¯t even have them right now...</i>


    Seitz wondered if he had missed something, but he couldn¡¯t find anything that might pose a threat to him.


    <i>... then I guess it¡¯s that, after all.</i>


    Realizing what the source of Se-Hoon¡¯s confidence was, he sighed deeply and slowly began to speak, ¡°Right. Since you also were admitted into Babel Academy, you must have a trick or two up your sleeve. You probably think you¡¯re unmatched if you give it your all.¡±


    Oftentimes, there were students who made baseless assumptions that they were the most exceptional at Babel Academy. This often urred among students from humble backgrounds, and the reason was simple.


    ¡°But this is Babel Academy. Every student here has some kind of talent and strength, and you¡¯re just one of them. Do you get it?¡±


    Due tocking the chance to meet someone superior, these students often fell into the ridiculous delusion that they could do anything if they just set their minds to it. Usually, such freshmen tasted the harsh, cold reality before even the first semester ended.


    ¡°It means that you¡¯re nothing special.¡±


    Today would be the day Se-Hoon swallowed the bitter pill.


    <i>Keeing!</i>


    Seitz¡¯s mana activated the barrier, and the environment around them changed. The gloomy air pressed down as if wrapping around their bodies, and the shadows in the forest grew denser and darker.


    Then, from within the forest, dark shadows began to dash through the bushes. Obscured by the shadows, they each made a low, strange howling sound, reminiscent of wild beasts.


    At this sight, anyone¡¯s fear of darkness and beasts would be stimted.


    However, up to this point, one would still think that these were merely illusions created by the barrier.


    <i>Swish!</i>


    Yet, the shadow wolf that just whisked past Se-Hoon¡¯s head made it obvious that they weren¡¯t mere illusions.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    A few strands of hair fluttered down as if it had been cut by something sharp. As Se-Hoon calmly observed, Seitz continued with a cold look in his eyes, ¡°This is yourst chance. Apologize to Miss Erika.¡±


    Realizing that Seitz still didn¡¯t understand even after being told many times, Se-Hoon decided to resort to force.


    He pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°What you told me just now, is that your story?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It just seemed like your emotions were leaking out of your words; you didn¡¯t sound like you were just saying it for the sake of it. So you also got a proper beating after acting tough in your freshman year?¡±


    Surprised by the unexpected response, Seitz¡¯s mouth fell open. Se-Hoon nodded at this reaction.


    ¡°Well, I do understand. It must be bitter to realize you¡¯re not the best after all.¡±


    ¡°You... you...!¡±


    ¡°But you should have still kept your pride. How foolish to just cling to others and pick up after them without caring about your own growth... <i>tsk, tsk</i>.¡±


    Shaking his head in disapproval, he looked at Seitz with pity.


    ¡°This is why you ended up being called a dog.¡±


    His calm yet prating remark dug deep into Seitz, and Seitz finally lost it.


    ¡°Shut up!!!!¡±


    His mana exploded, and the shadows in the forest rushed toward Se-Hoon all at once.


    <i>Wha¡ª</i>


    Dozens of ck wolves came out, baring their fangs and letting out monstrous screams.


    Seitz¡¯s signature skill, Shadow Wolf Barrage, was a C-level barrier that immobilized the target while creating shadow wolves.


    <i>Crackle!</i>


    Although these shadow wolves were illusions created by the barrier, they were able to inflict wounds if imbued with additional mana. Thus, distinguishing between the real and the illusory could be tricky, making it a challenging skill to counter if one wasn¡¯t able to tell the difference.


    <strong><i>ck Weaver</i></strong>


    But that only applied to those who couldn¡¯t recognize the differences.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The moment his hand, covered in ck spiderwebs, pierced through a shadow wolf, it vanished like mist.


    ¡°What...¡±


    ¡°So they aren¡¯t just made out of mana.¡±


    While receiving Seitz¡¯s astonished gaze, he observed the object held in his hand.


    It was a ck dagger, about twenty centimeters in length. Its surface was densely engraved with magic patterns, and there were signs that mana had been infused into it recently.


    ¡°You¡¯re using a dagger as a medium to increase the mana efficiency and enable illusions to attack even without extra mana. Not a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°How did you...?¡±


    Seitz looked on incredulously. His skill and its application were seen through with just one encounter.


    At that question, Se-Hoon looked back with an expression of disbelief.


    ¡°What do you mean by how? I can tantly hear the sound.¡±


    ¡°Sound? Wait, don¡¯t tell me you...¡±


    Using a dagger as a medium always ended up making a whistling sound. Had Se-Hoon actually understood everything just by hearing that sound when it first passed him?


    As Seitz was stunned, finding this realization unbelievable, Se-Hoon casually surveyed his surroundings.


    <i>So, there are about twenty-five daggers in total. It seems I can deal with about ten at a time, but... that won¡¯t be enough.</i>


    If the battle prolonged, he would be at a disadvantage since he had a lower amount of mana and stamina. As such, he decided to make a simple yet bold move.


    <strong><i>Bond Imprint</i></strong>


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Iron Desire¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s right hand turned a reddish hue, and the dagger seemed to melt before it was absorbed into his skin.


    This was the effect of the Fatestone of the S-rank hero, Weapon Eater Ryu Eun-Ha. Iron Desire, the ability to gain strength by consuming metal, was partially activated and attached to his right hand.


    ¡°Wait... stop!!!¡±


    Unfortunately for Seitz, the custom-designed dagger, worth over a million won, melted away without a trace in Se-Hoon¡¯s grasp.


    After regaining his senses btedly, Seitz mustered all of his mana and directed the shadow wolves to all charge at once, exerting his full strength upon realizing that Se-Hoon¡¯s capabilities exceeded his imagination.


    <i>Ah.</i>


    But his realization came much toote.


    <i>So this is what it tastes like...</i>


    The taste, which couldn¡¯t be found in ordinary food, pierced through Se-Hoon¡¯s body, starting from his mouth. Simultaneously, the blood in his right hand boiled before surging through his body in an instant.


    As he slowly scanned the shadows rushing toward him, the ends of his hair faintly started flickering like mes.


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


    His body kicked off the ground and narrowed the distance in an instant.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The menacing shadow wolves pounced, but the daggers inside them simply collided with each other before scattering on the ground.


    Se-Hoon had instantaneously broken through them to reach right in front of Seitz.


    <i>Wham!</i>


    And his clenched fist shot up with enough force to pierce through Seitz¡¯s abdomen.


    ¡°<i>Argh</i>!¡±


    Even on the brink of death, a barrier conjurer had to maintain their deployed barrier. This was amon rule among barrier conjurers, yet Seitz¡¯s Shadow Wolf Barrage was undone by a single strike.


    Se-Hoon¡¯s punch just hurt that much.


    ¡°Wait...¡±


    No matter what he did, he knew that taking another hit like that would make him go insane. Sensing that, Seitz tried to say something to make Se-Hoon stop.


    But before he could, Se-Hoon¡¯s hand brutally grasped his neck.


    ¡°<i>Ughhh</i>!¡±


    Deprived of the chance to speak, he looked at Se-Hoon with trembling eyes. It was only then that he understood everything.


    ¡°Didn''t I mention it earlier?¡±


    Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t underestimating him or ignoring him.


    ¡°My second specialty is beating the senses into idiots.¡±


    He was simply assessing him without any emotion like he would with materials on a workbench. Nothing more, nothing less.


    For Se-Hoon, this fight was a form of refinement.


    ¡°Wa¨Dwait...¡±


    And his refinement didn¡¯t stop until the weapon was forged.


    ¡°Now, be a human, won¡¯t you?¡±


    Se-Hoon rxed his shoulders and clenched his fist tightly.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll stop.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Now, speak.¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s order, Seitz, with a swollen face, opened his mouth with a hoarse voice, ¡°I apologize for unterally imposing my opinion... without considering the circumstances or contexts.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°I will not project my inadequacies onto others... or overstep my bounds beyond what I am ordered to... ever again.¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    Seitz¡¯s shoulders began twitching at the hint of dissatisfaction in Se-Hoon¡¯s voice. Each time this happened, he was beaten up for not being fully ¡°reformed.¡±


    <i>Please... please...</i>


    Seitz trembled due to the bizarre yet terrifying beating by Se-Hoon. He wished he had been knocked out and didn¡¯t have to endure the excruciating pain that somehow left him painfully conscious.


    ¡°Ok, fine.¡± Se-Hoon nodded as if he had no other choice.


    ¡°You¡¯re still my sunbae. I can¡¯t be too harsh on you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    If this wasn¡¯t too harsh, then what on earth would be considered too harsh? The mere thought made Seitz¡¯s face go pale with fear.


    Se-Hoon stood up.


    ¡°But make sure you ry this to your young master. Tell him that he shouldn¡¯t drag me into such pointless fights.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Answer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes...¡± Seitz responded reluctantly.


    Se-Hoon clicked his tongue and smacked the back of his head hard.


    <i>Whack!</i>


    ¡°<i>Aack</i>!¡±


    ¡°Ugh, how pathetic...¡±


    Se-Hoon didn¡¯t consider all factions vile, but he wondered how ¡°impressive¡± a family could be if it would even send someone over for such trivial matters.


    Although Seitz might think of himself as a member of the Inoue family, he seemed like no more than a receable part to Se-Hoon.


    <i>I hope he learns something from this.</i>


    If he wasn¡¯t able to realize anything, he would be used like a part of a machine until he was discarded.


    Shaking off the thoughts about Seitz, he picked up his jacket from the ground.


    ¡°I''m leaving. Do the cleanup yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    ¡°And if we ever cross paths again, you know what to do.¡±


    With those final words, Se-Hoon left the way they came in. Until the sound of the footsteps faded, Seitz continued kneeling with his head down. He then copsed onto the ground, drained of strength.


    ¡°Damn it.¡±


    He hade to warn a freshman, yet he was the one beaten up. What was worse was that he had been ordered to clean up the mess.


    It was a pathetic situation, but Seitz had no other choice. He had lost the option the moment he went too far out of frustration.


    <i>And I still lost after I did all that.</i>


    Though he was in the upper-middle ranking among the third-years, he believed that he would be in the upper rankings if he had fought for real.


    Yet it seemed that the deluded one wasn¡¯t Se-Hoon, but himself.


    As Seitz sighed deeply, feeling vain from how he hadn¡¯t changed at all, a girl emerged from the forest.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s all over.¡±


    ¡°M-Miss Erika...?¡±


    Seitz¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the sight of Erika, who appeared before him.


    How long had she been watching? The thought that she might have witnessed his actions that went beyondmission caused Seitz¡¯s face to turn pale.


    ¡°This... this is actually...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your excuses. Just answer my questions.¡±


    Her eyes were on him, but it felt as if he wasn¡¯t even there.


    Facing a gaze more devoid than even Se-Hoon¡¯s, which seemed to regard him as inorganic matter, Seitz swallowed dryly and nodded.


    ¡°U-understood...¡±


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon absorbed one of your daggers to unleash something, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    ¡°The dagger, bring one to me.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    At hermand, Seitz hurriedly examined the daggers scattered on the ground. Sooner orter, his eyes widened in surprise.


    <i>What? Why are there only fourteen?</i>


    Since Se-Hoon absorbed one, there should be twenty-four left. Vaguely realizing the whereabouts of the missing ten daggers, Seitz¡¯s mouth fell open.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m on it.¡±


    He hurriedly gathered all the remaining daggers and presented them to Erika, who immediately examined their surfaces.


    <i>Sure enough, there¡¯s an anti-theft enchantment engraved.</i>


    Weapons that were used as a medium be powerless if stolen by the opponent, so preventing that was crucial.


    Thus, the daggers had been enchanted to prevent theft, but Se-Hoon had somehow effortlessly nullified that.


    <i>That ck spider web-like spell made it possible...</i>


    Judging based on its form and effects, she theorized that it was a new spell based on Professor Robert¡¯s Blood Matrix and the Spiritless Array she had shown. He had extracted only the versatile element from the two barriers to optimize the spell.


    Although it seemed iplete, it was sufficient to be recognized as a proper skill.


    Recalling the potential Se-Hoon had shown until now, she slowly revised the assessment of him in her mind.


    <i>His aptitude for refining techniques is S-level or above. And his aptitude for spells can be adjusted from B-level to A-level or even higher.</i>


    With such potential, she expected that Se-Hoon would reach the minimum level that she could ept, even if progress was slow. Having reached that conclusion, she looked at Seitz again.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to report to my brother when you return, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to report this.¡±


    Seitz¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°Then, the young master would...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll report it directly to the head of the family. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes!¡±


    ¡°And starting tomorrow, you''re going to work under me.¡±


    Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, Seitz was unable to hide his bewilderment, but he quickly tried topose himself.


    Given that his situation had already gone south, he figured he had no choice but to go along with the unexpected flow and somehow survive.


    ¡°Understood. Do you have any orders for me?¡±


    ¡°Keep an eye on Lee Se-Hoon and assist him with anything he needs. That will be your main task.¡±


    Seitz¡¯s solemn face stiffened at hermand. Hadn¡¯t Se-Hoon clearly warned him to never cross his path again?


    But more importantly, seeing how effortlessly Se-Hoon had stolen ten of his daggers, it was obvious that an encounter with Se-Hoon would lead to trouble.


    ¡°Uh... if we ever meet again, he might beat me up...¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    She coldly responded to his cautious question, ¡°Consider it as a form of stress relief, then. That should be good enough.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Take it with all you have.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At this moment, the remaining time at the academy was determined for Seitz, a third-year student of the Department of Spells under the College of Ur.

 Chapter 22

    <h4>Chapter 22</h4>


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Erika Inoue¡¯.]</strong>


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    As soon as he emerged from the forest, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes widened due to the information message that appeared.


    Why did a bond with Erika, which he hadn¡¯t been able to achieve until now, suddenly form? Caught off guard by the sudden situation, he recalled the fight just now.


    <i>Did she sneak a peek?</i>


    He wondered if her previously ambiguous evaluation of him had been revised after witnessing his battle with Seitz. And perhaps as a result of that, a bond had been formed. Though he might have been over-imagining it, considering her habit of appearing out of nowhere only to stare at him, it seemed usible.


    <i>I still can¡¯t figure out what she¡¯s thinking at all.</i>


    The fact that the bond was formed as soon as he showcased some of his abilities in front of her suggested she cared more about practicality, but he couldn¡¯t quite grasp the actual reason behind it.


    Pondering for a moment, he quickly dismissed the thoughts from his mind.


    <i>Well, whatever.</i> After all, a bond had been formed, so he would find out more when they met again.


    Switching his focus, he decided to check out Eun-Ha¡¯s Fatestone which was partially attached to his right hand.


    <strong>[<u>Fatestone - Iron Desire</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[Consumes other metals, generating energy in the process. It corrodes the metal it touches, melting its core into itself.</strong>


    <strong>*Devours metal to create Blood Ore</strong>


    <strong>*Remaining durability: 78%]</strong>


    <i>Is it because of the grade or the quality? The durability decreased by less than I thought.</i>


    At this rate, he could probably use it two or three more times. Smiling at the durability remaining, he recalled the sensation he had felt.


    <i>That must be simr to what Ryu Eun-Ha tastes when she consumes equipment.</i>


    It was a taste that pierced through his body the moment he consumed the dagger. The taste waspletely different in structure to anything, even despite all of the extravagant meals he had consumed. It had an irreceable presence that could not be substituted by ordinary food.


    He unconsciously licked his lips, still tasting the gritty and rich vor on them.


    <i>They say there¡¯s always a reason when someone is expressionless...</i>


    It made sense that she became desensitized to everyday stimuli after experiencing such intense vors regrly. With that understood, he now had a better understanding of Eun-Ha than before his regression.


    <i>Hm. With this, I could even aim to match her taste in the future.</i>


    He continued to savor the taste, as understanding the vor was a tremendous gain. After all, matching Eun-Ha¡¯s taste had always been the most challenging part of forging equipment for her.


    If he could utilize the information well, he would smoothly obtain her Fatestones and level up their bond quickly.


    <i>These also seem quite usable.</i>


    Although the daggers he took from Seitz aspensation were somewhat crude to use, with a few modifications and integrations with ck Weaver, they would be quite usable.


    With what he gained, he was still satisfied even though the fight was a bit of a hassle.


    <i>Was it Ore Analysis this afternoon?</i> he thought as he checked the time.


    As this ss was taught by In-Cheol, it was one of the most popr sses in the Department of cksmithing.


    <i>Well, he is one of the world¡¯s top 100 cksmiths.</i>


    Even with the many expert cksmiths around the world, he was worthy of his ce among the world¡¯s top 100 cksmiths. Thus, although his hero rank was A, his value was practically equivalent to that of an S-rank hero.


    <i>I wonder how he''ll lead the ss...</i>


    With these thoughts in mind, he arrived at the main building of the Department of cksmithing and headed straight to the ssroom.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    As soon as he entered, the previously rowdy ssroom quieted down in an instant, and all of the students¡¯ eyes turned to him. Already ustomed to such attention, he shrugged it off, took a seat in a corner, and let out a sigh.


    <i>I¡¯m tired...</i>


    He had fought Seitz right after his duel with Jake. Also, the aftereffects of using Iron Desire to drastically enhance his physical abilities made every part of his body ache.


    He sat there lightheaded, showing signs of exhaustion that were creeping up due to ack of strength and mana.


    <i>Creak-</i>


    A few momentster, the ssroom door opened and In-Cheol came in, followed by arge cart that was moving on its own.


    The sight of that drew a look of interest from Se-Hoon.


    <i>Is that a golem?</i>


    An often misconception of cksmiths was that they were only able to forge equipment, but in reality, they were able to handle anything as long as it involved ores.


    Golems, especially, were popr items that were made in coboration with sorcerers. Even Se-Hoon had made a few before the regression.


    <i>Now that I think about it, Luize was good at making golems too. </i>He was suddenly reminded about st Dog Luize Valent, one of the Three Dogs.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start ss now. Everyone, please turn to page sixteen of your textbooks.¡±


    In-Cheol, now standing on the podium, immediately began the lesson. Soon after, Se-Hoon quickly grew bored with the content.


    <i>Cheh, it¡¯s just a theory ss.</i>


    The ss consisted of In-Cheol exining the textbook contents while adding his own experiences. To Se-Hoon, who had a career historyparable to In-Cheol¡¯s, it was boring, but there was some useful information for the other students who listened intently.


    <i>Did I expect too much...?</i>


    While the Metallurgy and Understanding Tools sses were manageable since they involved some moving around, just sitting still and listening was quite challenging.


    With an indifferent expression, he continued to listen to the lecture.


    ¡°It seems like that¡¯s enough theory for now. Let¡¯s get to the fun part of the lecture.¡±


    In-Cheol closed the textbook, took out small iron ingots from the cart beside him, and ced them on the table in front.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve just exined, you can dramatically alter the form, even with two pieces of the same metal, based on how you change the arrangement of mana.¡±


    As soon as hepleted his exnation, mana emanated from his fingertips. Then he lightly tapped the iron ingots.


    They began to tremble faintly, each undergoing different transformations that caused various phenomena.


    <i>Crack! Snap! Creak!</i>


    Their forms changed in diverse ways: some curled inward, others twisted into spiral shapes, and some even unfoldedpletely.


    The students watched with fascination, and Se-Hoon¡¯s lips curled up slightly at the sight.


    <i>He¡¯s quite good at this.</i>


    Achieving such drastic transformations of ingots of that size required a perfect understanding of how to arrange their mana, which was possible only with years of experience and exceptional skill.


    ¡°The diversity of a weapon is determined by how well you can utilize these shape changes. This is why a cksmith must fully understand the potential of the metal they work with.¡±


    <i>Tap, tap!</i>


    When In-Cheol tapped the iron ingots again with his fingers, they reverted to their original forms as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    The students were all amazed at how In-Cheol was able to perfectly restore the ingots¡¯ original shapes without using any special skills.


    As the surprised gasps resounded, In-Cheol continued nonchntly, ¡°Today, we¡¯ll practice metal transformation techniques using these iron ingots. They¡¯ve been tuned to react more sensitively than ordinary ingots, so handle them with care.¡±


    Each student was given an ingot to work with, and Se-Hoon began to examine his.


    <i>Hm. Did they make it sensitive to transformations by linking the mana array with the Ore Essence?</i>


    It seemed that In-Cheol hadn¡¯tpletely dismissed the idea of magic forging yet, despite Vice Dean Michael¡¯s disapproval.


    As Se-Hoon looked on with interest, In-Cheol picked up an ingot.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start with the basics. Manipte the mana array and create a three-centimeter scratch in the middle of the ingot, then restore it. You have ten minutes.¡±


    Following In-Cheol instructions, the students began to manipte the mana array just like they had learned, trying to transform their ingots.


    ¡°Uh, uh-oh... why isn¡¯t it working?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not going back to its original shape.¡±


    They immediately realized that hearing and understanding the instructions was worlds apart from actually doing it themselves.


    Most students ended up failing to create the scratch, and even the top-ranking students struggled with the cement and depth of the scratch.


    However, amidst all the confusion, there were two that had finished perfectly.


    ¡°I¡¯m finished.¡±


    ¡°Done here as well.¡±


    It was Se-Hoon and Hans, the top-ranked and second-ranked, respectively.


    ¡°Then the two of you will move on to the next step. I¡¯ll show you the array as an example, so try to apply it yourselves.¡±


    In-Cheol immediately disyed the next level of transformation with a hologram, and the two quickly began to manipte the mana array of their ingots.


    They bothpleted the array quickly and although Se-Hoon was slightly faster, the difference wasn¡¯t significant.


    All the attention in the room was drawn to their silentpetition.


    <i>I can do it... this time, I can do it for sure...! </i>Hans thought.


    The speed and thepleteness of his transformations were almost the same as Se-Hoon¡¯s. He clenched his teeth and continued to transform the ingot, aiming to catch up with Se-Hoon, who was not far ahead.


    Quietly observing this, In-Cheol calmly projected the next array into the air.


    ¡°This is the next one. Try to apply it.¡±


    The next array was soplex that it was almost impossible to guess how it would transform the ingot.


    At this array, the two of them finally showed different reactions.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°This is it...!¡±


    Se-Hoon was just staring at the ingot, without moving to start transforming it. In contrast, Hans immediately began transforming his ingot.


    The resulting ingot split into an X shape, each leg slowly curling upwards in a curve. The shape turned out to be a small sphere that wasposed of four curved spines.


    Hans inwardly cheered at the sight.


    <i>Got it!</i>


    To anyone¡¯s eyes, this ingot was transformed perfectly.


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon was still just looking at his ingot, with no movements at all. Seeing this, Hans wore a confident expression and was about to dere his victory, but...


    ¡°Hans Barmuth.¡±


    In-Cheol called his name with a cold voice.


    ¡°Return the ingot to its original form.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°You heard me; try to revert it.¡±


    Caught off guard by the sudden instruction, Hans ced his hands on the ingot he transformed, and his eyes widened in shock. No matter how hard he tried to revert the mana array, it wouldn¡¯t return to its original state.


    ¡°This... this is...¡±


    The ingot had beenpletely damaged.


    As Hans stared nkly at it, In-Cheol began to speak calmly, ¡°The ingot wasn¡¯t able to withstand the mana array you used to transform it. In other words, your method was wrong from the beginning. Did you know that?¡±


    ¡°But, I-I just did as you instructed...¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I mention it earlier? It¡¯s necessary to fully understand the potential of the metal.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just about transforming the ore; it was also about understanding whether it could truly withstand the transformation. Hans bit his lip at In-Cheol¡¯s words.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t restore the manipted array, you wouldn¡¯t be transforming the equipment; instead, you would be degrading it. This significantly affects its quality and performance, so make sure to pay attention to this aspect in the future.¡±


    Hans nodded somberly at In-Cheol¡¯s critique.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    It turned out that he had squandered such a precious opportunity in vain.


    Frustration welled up in him as he looked at Se-Hoon, who still hadn¡¯t started transforming his ingot.


    <i>Did he realize this instantly?</i>


    <i>Maybe he just lucked out and was actually dumbfounded because he couldn¡¯t follow the mana arrange pattern.</i>


    Hans red at him with dissatisfaction.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Just then, Se-Hoon began shaping his ingot into the sphere, just like Hans had. Everyone looked on with puzzled expressions at this sudden action.


    ¡°This should do it.¡±


    <i>p-</i>


    The disfigured ingot instantly reverted to its original form.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At that spectacle, the whole ssroom became deathly still.


    Then, a single voice broke the silence.


    ¡°...Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Although In-Cheol spoke as calmly as possible, the students could all hear a subtle tremor in his voice. Se-Hoon, sensing the tremor in his voice, looked back at In-Cheol btedly.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Please bring the ingot down here.¡±


    ¡°Ah, sure.¡±


    With a puzzled expression, Se-Hoon went down to the front. In-Cheol stared at the ingot in his hand with a stern expression.


    ¡°Can you perform the transformation you just did once again?¡± In-Cheol asked, his eyes glowing red with mana.


    He was using a skill for proper verification, which made Se-Hoon realize the gravity of the situation.


    <i>Ah, darn... did I cause a misunderstanding?</i>


    It seemed In-Cheol was a bit flustered by the unexpected situation.


    Se-Hoon briefly considered exining verbally, but he decided that just showing it would be faster.


    He immediately transformed the ingot in his hand.


    <i>p-</i>


    The ingot split into four, then each leg curled up in a curve toward one vertex to form a sphere. Then, as if rewinding the process, it perfectly reverted to its original form.


    The transformation technique he showed just now slightly varied from the previous one. It was so wless that it was hard to believe that a freshman had improvised it on the spot. In-Cheol was left both amazed and deted.


    ¡°...I see. So it was possible because it was this specific ingot.¡±


    The transformation technique In-Cheol demonstrated was made based on ingots that fit international standards, but the ones used in today¡¯s practice session were modified with additives to make them easier for the students to handle.


    Thus, the transformation that Se-Hoon had aplished, which made use of those additives, was impossible with regr ingots.


    <i>And yet I was startled without even recognizing that...</i>


    In-Cheol smirked at his own reaction. However, his astonishment was for another reason.


    The person who hade up with the transformation technique featured in the textbook was none other than the top-tier craftsman, Sacred Craftsman, who was on par with Chairman Ludwig.


    <i>It shouldn¡¯t have been possible for him to pull it off.</i>


    The question about what the fundamental truth of iron was remained unsolved for decades, even before the Sacred Craftsman became an S-ss hero and conquered a tower. Thus the transformation technique was considered both a universal puzzle to solve and also part of the foundation for all cksmiths.


    <i>Maybe I thought it was possible that he could solve it.</i>


    It seemed too much to expect from a freshman just starting, but after considering the capabilities Se-Hoon had shown so far, In-Cheol believed that it was perfectly possible.


    With newfound certainty in the matter he had been pondering for a while, In-Cheol made up his mind and looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Although you adapted the existing transformation technique, it should¡¯ve still been difficult to modify it to the state of the ingot. Well done.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You can return to your seat.¡±


    As Se-Hoon returned to his seat with his ingot, nces were thrown his way. They were all marveling at the praise he had received from In-Cheol. Everyone was aware of the extraordinary technique Se-Hoon had demonstrated on the spot.


    ¡°...¡±


    And among those ncing was Hans, who felt so overshadowed by Se-Hoon that he seemed to have lost all his vigor. Seeing this, Se-Hoon merely smiled at him before turning his gaze back to the ingot.


    <i>The fundamental truth of iron...</i>


    Lee Ken-Sei, the Sacred Craftsman, was both a top-tier cksmith and a conqueror of a Tower of Heroes.


    As Se-Hoon reminisced about how he was a notoriously noisy old man before the regression, he couldn¡¯t help but smirk.


    <i>If I break it again this time, I guess that will make it the second time.</i>

 Chapter 23

    <h4>Chapter 23</h4>


    ¡°That¡¯s it for today¡¯s ss. Take the ingots with you to practice until the next ss.¡±


    As the students hurried out, Se-Hoon, who got upte, felt his eyes droop slightly.


    <i>Ah... here we go.</i>


    Before ss, he had already exhausted his physical strength, and now, after fiddling with the ingot throughout the ss, his mana was drained as well.


    The exhaustion crept up, but it was countered by a surge of endorphins. As he staggered, he could feel the mana in his body drying up.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    In-Cheol, who also hadn¡¯t left yet, called out to him.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I have something to discuss with you.... Do you have a moment?¡±


    Since this was today¡¯sst ss for today and he had no other schedule, Se-Hoon nodded after briefly considering it.


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°Good, let¡¯s head up to my office.¡±


    Se-Hoon nced around the room when they entered In-Cheol¡¯s office which was on the second floor of the main building. The office was neatly organized, but due to theck of personal items, it barely showed the upant¡¯s presence.


    <i>Well, to judge a cksmith, you have to look at their workstation.</i>


    As he scanned the rather uninteresting room, In-Cheol gestured to the sofa across from him.


    ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    When Se-Hoon sat down, his body immediately loosened and started to sway. At the sight, In-Cheol¡¯s eyes widened in rm.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m fine. I just had a long day...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Didn¡¯t the intermediate-level forging session just ur yesterday?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been a bit busy, but otherwise I¡¯m alright. You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±


    <i>If he insists that he is fine despite that paleplexion, what can I possibly do?</i> In-Cheol reluctantly nodded, as he felt a strange sense of stability emanating from Se-Hoon despite the current state of his body.


    ¡°If you say so... ah, is that the equipment you forged yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Would you like to have a look?¡± Se-Hoon said as he rolled up his sleeves.


    ¡°If you would allow me.¡±


    Receiving the bracelet from Se-Hoon, he examined its rough shape and the information message. Soon after, a surprised expression showed on his face.


    ¡°Remarkable. To be able to handle Inkstone to such an extent already... the internal spell pattern is unique; what did you use?¡±


    ¡°I applied the structures of barrier spells I learned recently. So I made it by...¡±


    Since Se-Hoon felt like he didn¡¯t need to keep it a secret, he exined the entire process as In-Cheol marveled silently.


    <i>To think that he can skillfully incorporate a spell he learned not so long ago into the equipment...</i>


    Although learning spells and integrating spells into equipment might seem like simr techniques, they were of entirely different disciplines.


    The ability to masterfully do both was extraordinary. Although In-Cheol had served as a professor at Babel Academy for many years, he had never encountered a student with such broad knowledge and exceptional potential.


    <i>Though I was uncertain about him until just now, it seems my intuition was right.</i>


    In-Cheol finally recognized that Se-Hoon had the potential to revolutionize the Department of cksmithing and the entire cksmithing industry.


    Although In-Cheol had nned to gradually increase his support for him throughout the semester, he now felt that there was no need to wait. Reassured of Se-Hoon¡¯s capabilities, heposed his expression.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon. I have a suggestion for you.¡± He spoke earnestly after returning the bracelet.


    The sudden change in demeanor made Se-Hoon pull himself together.


    ¡°Please, go ahead,¡± he said with a nod.


    ¡°Would you be interested in taking a minor course that I¡¯m teaching?¡±


    At this proposal, which he had already somewhat anticipated, Se-Hoon put on a curious look.


    ¡°Do you mean the Origins of Equipment course?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Do you know what it covers?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve looked into the ss before.¡±


    The Origins of Equipment ss that In-Cheol taught was, as the name suggested, a study of the fundamental nature of what makes up equipment. Even outside the academy, its reputation was well known.


    The reputation wasn¡¯t just because In-Cheol, one of the world''s top 100 cksmiths, was teaching it, but also because of the substantial budget it received from Babel Academy which ranked it among the top-funded courses.


    <i>I remember Ludwig saying he was particrly interested in the course.</i>


    Besides its role as an academy for nurturing promising talents, Babel Academy also served as a research institution that supported its professors. After all, without such conditions, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy to employ famous heroes as professors here.


    <i>Actually, it would have still been possible because of who the chairman is.</i>


    Heroes who were able to conquer a Tower of Heroes had immense influence simply due to the title that came with conquering one. Thus, Ludwig was able to establish Babel Academy, and as a part of it, In-Cheol¡¯s course on the Origins of Equipment naturally garnered attention.


    <i>But if I remember correctly, it didn¡¯t end that well...</i>


    Before the regression, Se-Hoon had never heard of In-Cheol¡¯s name. The study that Origins of Equipment focused on was also dismissed as nonsense.


    For some reason, it seemed In-Cheol had failed to produce significant results, and as a result, he lost the support of Ludwig and faded into obscurity.


    <i>If I consider the future, then taking this ss might be a waste of time...</i>


    But considering only the present, it was one of the most supported courses in the Department of cksmithing due to Ludwig himself. Regardless of how the study during Origins of Equipment ended up, any significant findings could help him garner more of Ludwig¡¯s interest which, consequently, would lead to more benefits.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the course.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? ording to what I¡¯ve heard, you¡¯ve already registered for a fair number of minor sses...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, this will only be the third... no, the fourth ss.¡±


    Barrier Compositions, Physiology Control, Ancient Enchantments, and now, Origins of Equipment¡ªit was a seemingly well-bnced selection of sses.


    <i>If I feel like I need to take more, I¡¯ll look into clubs.</i>


    His first semester would be enough with these sses. At Se-Hoon¡¯s confident demeanor, In-Cheol nodded.


    ¡°If you¡¯re fine with it, then I look forward to working with you.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it too.¡±


    They naturally shook hands, and in that moment, Se-Hoon subtly extracted a new bond.


    <strong>[Extracting bond from subject ¡®Kim In-Cheol¡¯]</strong>


    <strong>[The bond with the host is Lv. 1.]</strong>


    <i>Hm... there¡¯s still no sign of leveling up.</i>


    It seemed he needed to actively participate in the sses to see any improvement in the level of the bond. Disappointed, Se-Hoon let go of his hand after finishing the extraction.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave then.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for keeping you for so long when you must be tired. Then... ah, I almost forgot.¡±


    In-Cheol stood up and walked over to his desk to fetch a small wooden box that he extended toward Se-Hoon.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Your enrollment gift. I prepared it as a token of appreciation for the help you¡¯ve given me by joining Babel Academy.¡±


    Surprised by the unexpected gift, Se-Hoon made a startled expression which prompted a humble smile from In-Cheol.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing exquisite. Go ahead, open it.¡±


    Se-Hoon nodded and opened the box.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    A subtle light and warmth seeped out, drawing an intrigued look from Se-Hoon. The box contained a red hexagonal piece of ore.


    ¡°Is this Scarlet Jade?¡±


    ¡°I heard you could wield Scarlet mes, so I thought this might help.¡±


    Scarlet Jade, as the name implies, contained the essence of the Scarlet me that Se-Hoon had mastered, making it an item he could significantly benefit from. Extracting its essence and absorbing it could permanently enhance his Scarlet me.


    <i>This gift was definitely expensive. Especially since he managed to obtain one that is such high purity.</i>


    With an ore this refined, he could not only enhance his Scarlet me but potentially evolve it to a new level.


    Pleased by the thoughtful gift, Se-Hoon nodded in gratitude.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make good use of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be satisfied if it helps you in any way. Can you handle the extraction on your own?¡±


    Extracting the essence was akin to neatly separating the peel and pulp of fruit without damaging either¡ªa task that was not so easily aplished even by upperssmen.


    ¡°There is no problem.¡±


    But to Se-Hoon, such concerns were irrelevant.


    ¡°I can manage on my own.¡±


    In-Cheol smiled as if he had expected Se-Hoon¡¯s nonchnt response.


    ¡°Good. Then go and rest now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be on my way then.¡±


    Se-Hoon swiftly exited the room, the previous signs of fatigue nowhere to be found. In-Cheol smiled wryly at the sight.


    <i>Youth sure is good.</i>


    ***


    Returning to the dormitory, Se-Hoon immediately changed intofortable clothes and assessed his condition.


    ¡°Right now... my remaining mana should be about seven percent.¡±


    The faint traces of mana that he sensed before were now mostly gone, and his body felt heavy like a sponge soaked with water. It felt like he was an ordinary human that hadn¡¯t noticed mana.


    Satisfied with his body condition, Se-Hoon felt like he had depleted just the right amount of mana.


    <i>The most optimal situation would have been less than 1%, but considering that this is my first time, this should be enough.</i>


    Sitting in a cross-legged position on the floor of the living room, he examined the Inkstone Bracelets wrapped around his wrists and ankles.


    Each bracelet contained a blue line, the thickness covering about one-third, that ran through the middle. It was an indicator of the amount of mana stored inside the bracelets.


    <i>With this amount, I can continue with the quenching process... maybe it¡¯s time to start on it.</i>


    After confirming that all preparations wereplete, he took out the Scarlet Jade, which he received from In-Cheol, to examine it.


    <strong>[<u>Scarlet Jade</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Rare] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A gemstone containing the essence of Scarlet mes that has the attribute of melting ores.</strong>


    <strong>*Can quickly melt mixed ores]</strong>


    <i>Quite excellent, as expected.</i>


    Scarlet Jade of such quality would be worth nearly ten million won. As he was just a student. materials of this grade sparked Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes with anticipation.


    <i>I¡¯ll scrape you down all the way to the marrow.</i>


    With Scarlet Jade in hand, he closed his eyes to contemte the forging process he was about to begin.


    Typically, those without special skills could only wield two to three types of elemental mana due to the risk of the mana conflicting within the body.


    <i>The higher the tier, the higher the risk. Even with careful control, the different elemental manas tend to interfere with each other.</i>


    While these minor influences might be deemed negligible for students specializing inbat, they were fatal to cksmiths as precision was the key to forging.


    As a result, most cksmiths stuck to a single type of elemental mana which was suited to their affinity, but Se-Hoon was different.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>...¡±


    After exhaling lightly, he focused on the Scarlet Jade.


    He felt the essence of the Scarlet Jade pulsating; it was more pure and more intense than any me he¡¯d wielded before. He slowly began to draw it into his body.


    <i>Hiss!</i>


    Smoke immediately rose from his palms, and his entire body heated up as sweat poured down like a waterfall. Normally, his mana would have shielded him from the heat, but right now, his mana was nearly depleted.


    <i>Bubble-</i>


    Together with the essence of the Scarlet Jade, the sensation of his blood boiling began to spread from his arms throughout his entire body.


    As his body had almost no mana left, his body instinctively tried to absorb anything that was simr to mana. This helped the essence of the Scarlet Jade spread to every corner of the body.


    ¡°...¡±


    But although it was good for him, it felt as though mes were flowing through his veins from his head to his toe. Yet, despite the pain from his insides seemingly burning and melting that would have been unbearable for most heroes, Se-Hoon managed it with just a slight grimace.


    <i>I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯m young. My body¡¯s pretty resilient...</i>


    When he tried the process before the regression, the pain he felt was simply like being burned with a lighter. However, now, it felt like heated metal was searing his body. Perhaps it was due to his younger body not having been desensitized to the pain like his old one was.


    Enduring the agony, Se-Hoon recognized that the essence of the Scarlet Jade was rampaging within him and began to guide it along a specific path.


    <i>You go this way.</i>


    He meticulously created a new magic circuit within his body exclusively for the Scarlet mes to ensure that there would be no interference no matter what other elemental mana he might use in the future.


    As he visualized the blueprint in his mind, the essence of the Scarlet mes swiftly settled into its designated path as if it understood where it needed to go.


    It excitedly raced through its designated magic circuit. To prevent the essence from running wild and eventually dissipating, he calmed his mind and envisioned a hammer with his imagination. Then, with all of his might, he struck down on his body with it.


    <i>ng!</i>


    His body jolted at the sound of metal ringing.


    ¡°<i>Cough</i>!¡±


    He coughed dryly as the sharp pain brought him to full alertness. He looked down at himself, gasping for breath as he felt the lingering sensation of being crushed by the hammer.


    <i>It¡¯splete.</i>


    The newly established magic circuit and the Scarlet me essence running through it confirmed that his body had been sessfully forged. He quickly channeled the mana stored in the bracelets into his body.


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


    Mana burst from the bracelets and seeped into his parched body, cooling down the heat of the Scarlet mes. The refreshing sensation made himpletely forget the heat he had experienced until just now, and he finally let out the breath he had been holding.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>...¡±


    Like steam, his breath dispersed.


    The entire processpleted, he began to survey his surroundings. Hours had passed, and it was now dark outside. He looked out the window at the night view of Babel Academy and smiled.


    <strong>[Skill ¡®Soul Honing (S)¡¯ has been acquired.]</strong>


    <strong>[The effect of ¡®Soul Honing¡¯ significantly boosts all stats.]</strong>


    <strong>[The elemental mana ¡®Scarlet mes (F)¡¯ has been enhanced to ¡®Scarlet Lotus (E+)¡¯.]</strong>


    At the barrage of notification messages, he immediately checked to see how much his stats had changed.


    <strong>[Lee Se-Hoon]</strong>


    <strong>[Strength - D (105) Endurance - D (100)</strong>


    <strong> Mana - D (119) Agility - E (87)]</strong>


    <strong>[Soul Honing] ¡ºS¡»</strong>


    <strong>[The body is the most primal material that a cksmith can forge and refine.</strong>


    <strong>Refining the body¡¯s mana circuits can enhance physical abilities and strengthen the powers contained within.</strong>


    <strong>*Mana Circuit ¡®Scarlet Lotus¡¯: Enhances control over mes and enables the creation of new paths for flow]</strong>


    <strong>[Scarlet Lotus] ¡ºE+¡»</strong>


    <strong>[Fire-attributed elemental mana that evokes the image of scarlet mes. It possesses specialized properties for melting metal and can control the flow of the mes it makes contact with.]</strong>


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    Before the regression, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t feel much difference after acquiring the skill as he was already quite established. However, this time, the increase in stats was tremendous.


    Of course, his original stats were so poor that this dramatic improvement was expected, but it was still a satisfactory oue for him.


    <i>Still below average, but... efficiency is what matters in the end.</i>


    On top of his stats improving, his efficiency in handling mana had also been enhanced, effectively making his actual performance equivalent to 1.5 times what his stats indicated.


    At the sight of his newly enhanced body, he naturally recalled the first time he learned Soul Honing.


    <i>You¡¯re giving up without even giving it a try? Why would you, especially when you have all the materials? Are you a fool?</i>


    He thought of his master, an unmatched genius who casually attempted what others deemed suicidal and seeded. They were a monster with a human face; a monster who ruthlessly forced their ordinary disciple, Se-Hoon, to use his skills and pushed him to the brink of death.


    After briefly reminiscing about his always-confident master, he repeatedly sped and unsped his fists.


    <i>That¡¯s right. I should use everything at my disposal.</i>


    There was no reason to pick between future allies or enemies.


    With a firm resolve to leave no regrets behind this time, he prepared to push his newly empowered body to its limits.

 Chapter 24

    <h4>Chapter 24</h4>


    It was a Friday morning.


    As Se-Hoon woke up, he checked his surroundings and memories like usual before getting up. Unlike hisnguid self from yesterday, his body sprang up energetically.


    Feeling the lively vigor pulsing throughout his body and the faint warmth from Scarlet Lotus, he found himself smiling unwittingly.


    <i>This feels nice.</i>


    Though it might just be because he slept without the Inkstone Bracelets on, the greatest cause was Soul Honing allowing him to move his body a lot more efficiently.


    <i>I should be in my best condition today.</i>


    Today was the day he would forge some equipment to sell in the market as a Metallurgy assignment. As the honor student, he felt a burden to forge something reasonably useful. Plus, his physical condition had improved to a usable level, so he felt a sense of anticipation for what he could achieve.


    <i>I''ll wear thister...</i>


    Putting aside his rosary Inkstone Bracelet, he took a quick shower and headed to the entrance of the dormitory.


    Just like every other day, there was a strange buzz around the entrance of the dormitory. But he was ustomed to this situation, so he just stepped outside without paying much attention to it.


    As he started walking away, footsteps quickly approached his side. He turned his head slightly and saw Erika walking beside him like it was a natural thing to do.


    ¡°What is it today?"


    ¡°I have errands at the Department of cksmithing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? What are you doing here, then?¡±


    ¡°So I can go with you.¡±


    He nced at her, who spoke without hiding anything.


    <i>Nothing seems to have changed even after we formed a bond.</i>


    Of course, since it was only a level one bond, he didn¡¯t expect any significant changes. However, with someone like Erika, whose conditions for forming a bond wereplicated, there should be noticeable differences.


    After a bit of pondering, Se-Hoon decided to simply ask her.


    ¡°Erika.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to gain by bing friends with me?¡±


    His point-nk question halted the conversation, and the two just walked in silence side by side. They didn¡¯t make eye contact and continued looking straight ahead. Though their situation might have seemed awkward to onlookers, they just kept walking, seemingly unaffected.


    As the uncanny silence lengthened, Erika suddenly broke it.


    ¡°I willplete myself.¡±


    ¡°Complete yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Into what my family expects of me.¡±


    The ideal form desired by her family. He had a vague idea of what she meant by that.


    <i>Is she aiming to be the head of the family?</i>


    To be the head of a family asrge as Inoue, she would require not only brutal strength but also external influence. In that sense, securing talented prospects early on could be considered a valid strategy.


    ¡°Then it shouldn¡¯t matter to you whether it¡¯s me or not.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But the more candidates, the better.¡±


    ¡°Candidates, huh...¡±


    Although her response was rather materialistic and could upset some people, he rather appreciated her honesty. It seemed that leveling up their bond was potentially easier than he thought.


    <i>In the end, all I need to do is help her be the head of the family.</i>


    Before the regression, Ren, her brother, became the head of the family. Erika, who was just a family member, ended up bing a demon and waster subdued. The details of those events were unclear to him, but by helping Erika be the head of the family, he would naturally learn what led to it, and even possibly prevent her from bing a demon this time.


    <i>This should be enough for now.</i>


    He believed that he could learn more in the future.


    Having grasped the situation to some extent, he decided to figure out the specifics of her Fatestone.


    ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is, the higher my value, the better I¡¯ll be treated?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Erika suddenly stopped walking. After a few more steps, Se-Hoon also stopped before turning around to look at her. Just like the first they met, they stared into each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°It will get better.¡±


    A strange emotion flickered in her eyes.


    ¡°More than you think.¡±


    Was it simple anticipation or just her desire to monopolize talented people? Regardless, Se-Hoon now had a clearer understanding of who she was after seeing her sincerity for the first time.


    <i>I can make it.</i>


    He felt as though he could envision Erika¡¯s Fatestone right then and there, but he needed to focus on the uing forging session. He nodded as he tried to remember her exact image forter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡±


    With those words, they resumed walking side by side until they reached the main building. However, before they parted ways, Erika stopped in front of him.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    She handed him a square envelope which he had seen several times before.


    ¡°You can¡¯t tear this one up,¡± she said calmly when he reflexively examined it.


    ¡°Hm. I¡¯ve already received an invitation letter though.¡±


    ¡°I know. But it doesn¡¯t hurt to have multiple. They¡¯ll increase your value.¡±


    Indeed, an invite from two families rather than just one could make him seem a bit more prominent.


    <i>It might reduce unnecessary conflicts too.</i>


    Looking at the invitation letter, he curiously asked, ¡°By the way, when exactly is this happening?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no set date yet. The sunbaes will gather to decide on it, but it usually happens a few weekster.¡±


    Se-Hoon wondered if the reason for the usual date was so they could not only assess them based on their results from the entrance exam but also observe how their abilities developed.


    He nodded and put away the invitation.


    ¡°Alright. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    As Se-Hoon pocketed the invitation, Erika suddenly extended her left hand.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Handshake.¡±


    Her request was so unexpected that Se-Hoon was a bit perplexed, but since he could preemptively extract her Fatestone, it wasn¡¯t a bad deal for him.


    ¡°Well. Okay.¡±


    He naturally grasped her extended left hand and immediately initiated Bond Extraction.


    <strong>[Extracting bond from subject ¡®Erika Inoue¡¯]</strong>


    <strong>[The bond with the host is Lv. 1.]</strong>


    <i>I wonder what kind of ability her Fatestone will have.</i>


    With such a peculiar personality and talent, he expected her Fatestone would turn out quite useful. An intrigued expression slowly crept onto his face.


    ¡°...¡±


    It was then that he noticed Erika was still staring intently at their sped hands. Although she should have let go of his hand after a light shake, she continued to hold on tightly. As attention from those around them increased due to the prolonged contact, Se-Hoon¡¯s once intrigued expression became somewhat awkward.


    ¡°How long are you nning to hold my hand? Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just that...¡±


    She finally released his hand, and as she let go, she gently brushed Se-Hoon¡¯s palm and murmured in a strange voice, ¡°It¡¯s bigger and rougher than it looks.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    What else did she expect from a cksmith¡¯s hand? He found himself in an odd spot, not knowing how to react. He just looked at her with a strange face.


    ¡°See you next time.¡±


    After a brief goodbye, Erika walked away, leaving the watching Se-Hoon with a puzzled expression on his face.


    <i>She¡¯s an enigma.</i>


    He pushed his thoughts about her aside and headed straight for the forging room.


    ***


    Arriving at the forging room, Se-Hoon observed that some students had already arrived and were checking their equipment with nervous expressions. He sat down in an empty spot and examined his equipment as well.


    <i>Come to think of it, I should get a new hammer.</i>


    Up until now, he used the standard-issue forging hammer provided by the academy. However, for him to forge proper equipment in the future, he needed a better hammer.


    The hammer which he received from his master and had used until the end of the regression, would have been the best choice due to how familiar it was to him, but it was hard to acquire now. Besides, he was also not keen on acquiring it again.


    ¡°...¡±


    Shaking off the memories of the past that momentarily rose, he looked at his hammer again. As he drew out the blueprints of a hammer that would be the optimal recement for him, the door to the forging room opened. Teaching assistant In-Sung entered with a cart-type golem.


    ¡°Today, you guys will be finishing the equipment you¡¯ve worked on for the past few lessons. You should all know that those finished pieces of equipment will be sold both on-campus and off-campus, right?¡±


    The students confirmed in unison, and In-Sung continued with his exnation.


    ¡°Of course, they won¡¯t be sold right away. Every piece will first go through a screening process by the department, and if it passes, only then will it proceed to be sold. If the equipment does not pass the screening process, you¡¯ll be given the basic budget; if it does pass, your budget will be determined based on the equipment¡¯s auction price.¡±


    After returning the previously collected equipment to the students, In-Sung looked at them in a serious manner.


    ¡°Remember, the equipment you forge today could very well set the tone for your entire semester. Make sure to do your best so you can forge something you won¡¯t regret. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± answered all of the students together.


    ¡°Then, the time starts... now!¡±


    At In-Sung¡¯smand, all the students began to work. Simrly, Se-Hoon began by examining the swords he had forged during previous sses.


    <i>Utter garbage...</i>


    Even by his current standards, these were atrocious.


    He could see traces of attempts to make it look decent, but there were still far too many minor misalignments, probably due to how his physical strength couldn¡¯t keep up with the forging process. These small defects in the equipment would umte over time into a significant w.


    Igniting the forge, he took off his workwear and tied it around his waist.


    <i>There¡¯s no time forcency.</i>


    Before, without the heat protection spell on his workwear, the heat from the forge would have quickly drained his stamina. But now that he was imbued with Scarlet Lotus from Soul Honing, it would rather provide a diverse amount of information.


    With only a ck undershirt on, he intently watched the forge heat up and soon inserted the de of the sword into it.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The de glowed red, and the internal mana array began to destabilize. He had to watch for the precise moment that it loosened just enough without copsing entirely.


    The moment he noticed the first signs, he immediately removed the de from the forge and began smithing it on the anvil.


    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>


    His hammer swung with unerring precision. Though the swings seemed identical to before, they were more urate and gradually corrected the de¡¯s bnce.


    Before he needed to muster up all of his strength just to swing once, yet now, the magic circuit created by Soul Honing supported his movements. He didn¡¯t utilize a temporary fix; he just finally acquired the minimum qualifications.


    For the first time since the regression, he truly felt that he was forging.


    <i>ng! ng!</i>


    Despite his methods being crude and imperfect, he finally had everything to truly begin.


    Reveling in the sensation he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time, he hammered away, shaping the de.


    <i>Sizz!</i>


    Now finished with the quenching, he inspected the newly forged de.


    <i>This is decent... but it seems there¡¯s not enough time for the rest...</i>


    Although he had previously forged a total of five swords, at his current pace, it was impossible to fix and finish them all.


    <i>The right choice is probably just focusing on forging one decent sword.</i>


    While five mediocre swords might have brought in more budget, his brand value as an honor student would diminish. His n to focus on a single sword decided, he assumed his position in front of the whetstone and began sharpening.


    <i>Shhhhhk- Shhhhhk-</i>


    Among cksmiths, mana was described as both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because it enabled transformations and repairs that were previously impossible, but it was also a curse because it introduced a greater number of variables in return.


    <i>Even now, I still prefer the world with mana.</i>


    The greater a cksmith¡¯s skill, the stronger the equipment they could forge. There was no greater joy to him than surpassing his limits and forging something powerful.


    <i>Shhhhhk- Shhhhhk-</i>


    With every passing over the whetstone, the de was honed, a bit more sharpness etched in with each movement. His focus on the de intensified, aiming for even greater sharpness.


    <i>Even sharper...</i>


    It was inevitable that the sharpness of a de would be dull with use, but how sharp the de could be would be significantly affected by how the mana array was arranged at the moment of its creation.


    <i>Shhhhhk- Shhhhhk-</i>


    His hands moved tirelessly as if he were not just honing the de but forging an entirely new sword. The surrounding noises all faded away, and the scenery before his eyes blurred as the entirety of his concentration poured into the sword in his hands.


    <i>Swoooosh-</i>


    The dreaded sound once again echoed in his ears.


    <i>Ah.</i>


    The sound of the world¡¯s demise.


    He gnashed his teeth at the silent and peaceful sound of waves, but instead of anger, he felt rxed throughout his body.


    Whenever that sound reached his ears, he knew for a fact that he had created something exceptional. And as if proving that fact, his body started to move naturally.


    <i>This is ridiculous.</i>


    Was it right for him to find joy in the sound of the world¡¯s end? Though this fleeting question of morality crossed his mind, he quickly dismissed it.


    All he wanted right now was to savor this long-missed moment. With his full focus, he directed every sense toward the sword in his hands and unleashed the full extent of his cksmithing skills, which hadin dormant until now.


    <i>Swoooosh-</i>


    The gray exterior of the de began to peel away, and a pristine, white figure was revealed underneath.


    Apanying the white de was a blinding white light that felt as though it was sharp enough to cut through skin.


    The de¡¯s sharpness wasn¡¯t just temporary; it was etched into the very essence of the de. The sharpness was imbued with white light which naturally altered its mana array to settle perfectly into ce.


    <i>Schwing-</i>


    With a swish, the surface of the whetstone was thinly sliced away.


    ¡°<i>...Huff ...huff.</i>¡±


    At the sight, Se-Hoon froze. His hearing, which had beenpletely silent, returned, filling his ears with the sounds of heavy breathing and the beating of his heart. His body was drenched in sweat, and his mana was depleted.


    Though he still had some stamina left, the fact he had been brought to this state by just sharpening a single de was utterly tragic.


    <i>At least I managed to forge one properly.</i>


    A sense of satisfaction and refreshment coursed through him; it was a joy to experience the feeling after a long time. He smiled slightly as he inspected the de in his hand.


    <i>Though it¡¯s a bit disappointingpared to before the regression... it¡¯s not bad.</i>


    Given his current stats, this was the best he could do. Letting go of any lingering regrets, he lightly cleaned the de and immediately assembled the guard and handle.


    <i>And... done.</i>


    A long sword that boasted pure white sharpness.


    Though that was its only unique aspect, that alone was enough for him.


    <strong>[Weapon ¡®Radiant Long Sword¡¯ has beenpleted!</strong>


    <strong>A great cksmith unfolds their intent with the basics alone! The skill of a cksmith who has drawn out the full potential of the material to forge a state-of-the-art de surpasses even the first-rate.</strong>


    <strong>The tier evaluation for ¡®Radiant Long Sword¡¯ is ¡®Advanced¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[Skill ¡®White Light Surge (C)¡¯ has been acquired.]</strong>


    <i>Well, I guess this can be considered fairly good.</i>


    Although it was only Advanced tier, it was impressive considering that it was made from ordinary iron. Moreover, when he previously forged the Five-me Sword, the achievement message imed that his skill was approaching those regarded as first-rate, but now it imed that he had surpassed them.


    <i>I managed to slightly improve my abilities.</i>


    That alone could be regarded as a significant achievement. He looked around, now satisfied.


    ¡°How on earth can I...¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°I really hate this...¡±


    And saw his colleagues looking despondently at their own equipment.

 Chapter 25

    <h4>Chapter 25</h4>


    <strong>[<u>Radiant Long Sword</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Excellent]</strong>


    <strong>[A gleaming white longsword.</strong>


    <strong>The delicately sharpened de has been imbued with a mana array that endows it with both strength and a sharp aura. It is a masterpiece by a highly skilled cksmith.</strong>


    <strong>*Imbuing mana enhances cutting force]</strong>


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    ¡°This is...¡±


    ¡°Uhhh...¡±


    Three professors of the Department of cksmithing were at a loss for words upon the sight of the gleaming white Radiant Long Swordid before them; they simply stared at the sword.


    Although Babel Academy contained countless iron swords that surpassed this one in performance, that wasn¡¯t what was important.


    ¡°Mr. Han, was this really forged using only iron ingots? He didn''t use any other materials or skills?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes... that¡¯s correct,¡± In-Sung replied.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Really, for real?¡±


    As if they couldn¡¯t believe his words or their eyes, the professors once asked again.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually true! Can¡¯t just you see for yourselves?!¡± In-Sung responded upsetly.


    ¡°Well, it does seem true.¡±


    ¡°But, no matter how you look at it, isn¡¯t this level ofpletion a bit strange?¡±


    Despite the clear-cut evidence in front of their eyes, the professors still murmured their suspicions. At that sight, In-Sung felt not just injustice but also absurdity. It was a sorrowful thing that they were doubting his eyes as a teaching assistant, even when they could see the result of Se-Hoon¡¯s forging skill. However, he could understand such reactions.


    ¡°How could a freshman, who¡¯s not even an active-duty cksmith, forge something like this?¡±


    ¡°Active-duty cksmith? I doubt even one out of ten of them could forge something like this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen a sword that disys such a strong foundation of the basics. Really, it¡¯s truly remarkable...¡±


    Although the professors had evaluated the swords of countless students before, they still found it unbelievable that a sword this close to perfection was in front of them.


    ¡°Professor Kim, for a sword of such quality, there¡¯s no need for us to worry, right? Let¡¯s just set the starting bid at the highest price.¡±


    At the suggestion from Professor Lis, a short, stout middle-aged man, Kim In-Cheol shook his head.


    ¡°We still need to determine the price urately. If we¡¯re not careful, we might end up misrepresenting him as a faux genius that was made by our hands.¡±


    ¡°Professor Kim, you worry about the strangest things. He made an Advanced-tier sword with just basic skills and ordinary iron ingots. Who would treat him like that?¡±


    ¡°The people who know those facts won¡¯t. But among those who don¡¯t, rumors will start circting. We need to be careful.¡±


    If their actions were to negatively affect Se-Hoon¡¯s future in any way, they would feel an incredible amount of regret.


    Thus, In-Cheol, one of the three that came to evaluate, began pondering over an appropriate price that wouldn¡¯t cause any misunderstandings.


    ¡°Is this the sword made by the honor student?¡± asked Michael, who was followed by ten other professors. They had suddenly entered the workshop.


    With their arrival, the atmosphere in the workshop instantly became suffocatingly tense and heavy. The Department of cksmithing contained two main factions. In-Cheol led the ssic cksmithing faction, while Michael led the Advanced cksmithing faction.


    Under the heavy atmosphere, In-Sung tensed up.


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s magnificent. As expected of the honor student... I¡¯m really looking forward to his endeavors.¡±


    Michael smiled calmly as he praised the sword. It was an unexpectedpliment, but the professors of In-Cheol¡¯s faction still looked on with wary eyes. Michael had a reputation for backstabbing under the guise of a friendly demeanor.


    ¡°What brings you here? We are supposed to handle this inspection,¡± asked In-Cheol.


    ¡°Why so hostile? I simply wanted to see the honor student¡¯s sword.¡±


    ¡°Then now that you¡¯ve seen it, you can leave.¡±


    In-Cheol didn¡¯t even spare a nce at him, as if this were the end of their conversation. At the tant disregard, Michael¡¯s expression became slightly distorted.


    <i>It¡¯s funny how he¡¯s acting all high and mighty just because he found some breathing room after being cornered all the way to the edge.</i>


    Although Michael wanted to remove In-Cheol from the department right away, In-Cheol was still the lead professor and was under the watchful eye of Ludwig, at least for now. Plus, he also now had Se-Hoon, a monstrously talented freshman, under his wing. Unlike before, Michael was no longer able to easily get rid of In-Cheol.


    <i>In situations like this, caution is paramount.</i>


    It was only a matter of time until In-Cheol was eliminated. The oue wouldn¡¯t change. Affirming himself, heposed his expression and spoke up again.


    ¡°But are you really fine with just this? With a sword of this caliber, it might be better to take advantage of it...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re busy with the evaluations, so please get to the point.¡±


    ¡°Pairing it against Lee Se-Hoon¡¯s peers would be pointless, so how about we put it up for next week¡¯s regr auction with the second-year students? It just so happens to fit the auction theme: iron swords.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you serious?¡±


    At Michael¡¯s suggestion, Lis became bbergasted.


    Although the Radiant Long Sword was indeed excellent, he thought it was nowhere near the level required topete with the other pieces in the uing regr auction for second-year students.


    Rather than it being because Se-Hooncked skills, it was because the swords submitted by second-year students were enhanced with various skills and made out of processed materials, making it inherently unfair topare Se-Hoon¡¯s with theirs.


    ¡°It should be doable based on the honor student¡¯s capabilities,¡± Michael said provokingly.


    ¡°But the second-year students have been preparing their submissions since winter break! It¡¯s absurd to evenpete with theirs...¡±


    ¡°That sounds good to me.¡±


    Both of their gazes immediately turned to In-Cheol at his calm eptance.


    ¡°Then, we will assess Se-Hoon¡¯s budget ording to the final bid price during the auction, just like the second-year students.¡±


    ¡°But, Professor Kim, that¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°Shush.¡±


    In-Cheol cut off Lis and looked at Michael with a calm face.


    ¡°Anything else you want to address?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡±


    ¡°Then you can leave now.¡±


    In-Cheol turned his gaze away, not sparing Michael another look. Michael, unable to discern his thoughts, just turned and left the room.


    After watching his departing figure disappear, Lis looked at In-Cheol with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°Professor Kim! Why are you willingly sending this sword to the auction when we don¡¯t know what dirty tricks he might pull off?"


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible that he will y dirty when ites to the honor student and risk our department¡¯s face.¡±


    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for jokes...!¡±


    Lis beat his chest in exasperation, frustrated by In-Cheol¡¯s calm response. ording to what he knew, Michael was infamous for tarnishing the department¡¯s reputation for his own gain.


    In fact, several professors had already been fired because of his schemes. The decline of the reputation of the Department of cksmithing was mostly due to Michael, or more precisely, the Barmuth family.


    ¡°At this rate, the department might actually fall into their hands!¡±


    The other two showed worried expressions, agreeing with Lis. In response, In-Cheol just looked at them quietly.


    ¡°<i>Tsk tsk</i>...¡±


    He clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction and pointed at the Radiant Long Sword.


    ¡°Look.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Do you not feel anything even after looking at this sword?¡±


    Lis looked puzzled.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    It was well-made, but that fact seemed unrted to the current situation. The others also showed simr reactions, prompting In-Cheol to sigh.


    ¡°Just wait and watch...¡±


    He then looked at the gleaming white de and smiled faintly.


    ¡°For what will inevitably happen.¡±


    ***


    It was a Saturday morning.


    It was the first weekend since the year started, and that brought most of the freshmen out onto the streets, all dressed up. Upperssmen also joined in, hoping to recruit freshmen into their circles. It was the busiest time inside Babel Academy, except for when events were urring, offering perhaps the best opportunity to witness the kind of scenes the freshmen dreamed of before entering the academy.


    ¡°Is this it...¡±


    However, unlike the other freshmen, Se-Hoon stood alone in front of a ssroom in the main building of the Department of Enchantments: Ancient Enchantments.


    This was a minor course of the Department of Enchantments, introduced to him by Lea. Se-Hoon lightly knocked on the ssroom door.


    ¡°Ah,e in!¡±


    A familiar voice came from inside. Se-Hoon opened the door and was greeted by a ssroom filled to the brim with all sorts of clutter.


    ¡°...What a mess.¡±


    The room was cluttered with bookcases and desks. The floor and any conceivable empty space werepletely overrun by items. The sight was more befitting a storage room than a ssroom.


    He looked around with a grim expression.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    ¡°Wee to the Ancient Enchantments ss!!!¡±


    Lea emerged from amidst the clutter next to the entrance, greeting him with a flourish.


    ¡°...¡±


    She was covered in an assortment of unidentified fabrics, talismans, and papers. However, this disheveled appearance elicited no response from Se-Hoon. While even the thickest-skinned person might feel a bit embarrassed by such a cold reception, it was different for Lea.


    ¡°Wow. I like them.¡±


    Her eyes sparkled with interest instead.


    ¡°Your eyes are so cold; it¡¯s as if you were doused with cold water. I really like them.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°People who are excited by this kind of situation don¡¯t go well with enchantments. It¡¯s better to be cool and rational like me.¡±


    She smirked as she peeled off the papers stuck to her.


    ¡°In that sense, you¡¯re excellent. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that your mental potential is on par with mine.¡±


    It was hard to tell if that was apliment or an insult. Deciding to assume it was meant in good spirits, Se-Hoon looked around the room.


    ¡°Is the ssroom always like this?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s usually not this bad...¡±


    She nced around the ssroom with an awkward expression.


    ¡°I just thought I should find something interesting to show you, so I ended up pulling all this out.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really... impressive.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? It¡¯s notmon for a sunbae like me to go this far for an underssman.¡±


    In response to her shameless demeanor, Se-Hoon looked at her incredulously and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the professor?¡±


    ¡°Ah. The professor has some business today and won¡¯t be here. He left me in charge of your application, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Is there going to be some kind of test?¡±


    ¡°Rather than a test, it¡¯s more like a simple interview? Give me a moment.¡±


    She skillfully navigated through the clutter and approached arge box adorned with borate decorations. She then pressed the red gem embedded in the lid.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The items scattered throughout the ssroom were instantly sucked into the box. All the clutter, except for the items on the bookcases, disappeared within moments. As this spectacle went on, Se-Hoon watched with interest.


    ¡°Is it designed to freely store enchanted items?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Did you notice? You really do have talent, being able to recognize this on your first day...¡±


    ¡°But that alone shouldn¡¯t be able to achieve such a performance... ah, it¡¯s using the fragmentation attribute,¡± Se-Hoon said. He realized the intricacies as he continued to stare at the box, intrigued.


    ¡°...What?¡± At his exnation, Lea became puzzled.


    ¡°It absorbs the items, assuming they are in theplete state that was registered when they were first stored in the box. You¡¯ve also added enchantment patterns to each item to prevent them from merging, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah. That should be it...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite sophisticated. I didn¡¯t expect to see something this impressive right away.¡±


    Lea stood slightly stunned while Se-Hoon continued to interestingly examine the box. She had nned tovish praise on him, regardless of his actual talent, so that he would sign up for the ss. Yet, this situation was unexpected.


    <i>How did he manage to figure out all that just by watching how it sucked in the items? He didn¡¯t even check the information message or anything like that.</i>


    While it was true that those sensitive to mana could immediately recognize an enchantment, discerning the specifics of the enchantment pattern applied was not merely a matter of having good intuition. It suggested that he either had a profound understanding of enchantments or an exceptionally high aptitude for them. It was likely thetter, considering Se-Hoon was still a freshman.


    <i>He¡¯s truly impressive...</i>


    Suppressing a twitch in her smile, she pointed to a now-tidy spot.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish our interview first. You can take your time looking around afterward.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Okay.¡±


    Se-Hoon sat down, Lea sitting on the opposite side. She straightened her back and assumed a formal posture. Then, with a serious expression to set the mood, she began.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What do you think is the most important aspect of enchantment?¡±


    The answer to this question could vary based on personal views. Since there wasn¡¯t a definite correct answer, Se-Hoon immediately responded with what he personally thought, ¡°Harmony.¡±


    No matter how well one enchanted, if the base equipment was subpar, its power would diminish. The opposite was also true, thus highlighting harmony as the most crucial aspect of enchantments, in his view.


    ¡°Hm. I see.¡±


    She nodded solemnly at his answer. Then, as if she hadn¡¯t been serious just until now, she suddenly chuckled and pped her hands.


    ¡°Good. You passed the interview! I look forward to working with you!¡±


    ¡°Quite casual, aren¡¯t you...¡±


    ¡°It just means your answer was straight to the point. So now...¡±


    With sparkling eyes, she leaned forward in her chair and looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Now that the interview is over, how about we discuss something more constructive and future-oriented?¡±


    Seeing through her thinly veiled question immediately, he chuckled and asked, ¡°You mean enchanting the Inkstone Bracelets?¡±


    ¡°That, and if you¡¯ve forged anything else, that would be great too. I have a feeling that anything you forge will be good.¡±


    ¡°Enchanting them... well, it¡¯s not a bad idea.¡±


    At his positive response, her eyes lit up and she jumped off her seat.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go to my workshop right now!¡±


    ¡°But.¡±


    He cut her off and looked at her indifferently.


    ¡°Only if you show me how skilled you are first.¡±


    Considering her reputation in the future, her skills should undoubtedly be solid. However, currently, she was in a slump she wasn¡¯t aware of how to solve yet.


    In order for him to entrust her with the bracelets, which he would continue to use for a while, he needed to be more meticulous.


    <i>I need to see exactly what kind of slump she¡¯s in.</i>


    Contemting his proposal, which was filled with various reasons, she nodded after a moment.


    ¡°What exactly would you like to see?¡±


    ¡°Your fundamental basics would be good, for starters.¡±


    ¡°Hm... alright.¡±


    She immediately strode towards the door, puzzling Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°You said you wanted to see my basics.¡±


    She turned around with a grin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head to my workce!¡±

 Chapter 26

    <h4>Chapter 26</h4>


    Following Lea, Se-Hoon soon arrived at the bustling streets of Aqar Quf. There, he was surprised by the sight before him.


    ¡°There are so many.¡±


    Everywhere he looked, he saw a restaurant sign; it was as if every business on the street was a restaurant. And, due to it being lunchtime, an enormous crowd filled the street as well.


    ¡°Is it always this crowded here?¡± he asked, amazed at the sheer number of people. He felt as though he would be swept away by the crowd if he wasn''t careful.


    ¡°It does seem more crowded than usual since it¡¯s the first week of school, but it¡¯s not much different normally. I mean, there are a lot of popr restaurants in Aqar Quf.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    Despite the amount of congestion, people moved smoothly like flowing water. Since both students and staff members seemed very ustomed to moving without bumping into one another, the scene was very orderly.


    <i>This sight can only be seen here...</i>


    As he quietly observed the crowd, Lea, who was leading the way, looked back.


    ¡°What are you doing? Chop-chop, hurry up.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    She navigated through the crowd and eventually stopped in front of a store located halfway down the bustling street: Aqar Quf Hardware Store.


    Unlike the surrounding stores that were neatly organized, all sorts of cooking utensils were piled messily up like a mountain at the entrance of this hardware store.


    Noticing how worn out they were, he asked Lea, ¡°What is this ce?¡±


    ¡°I told you that we were going to my workce.¡±


    With those words said, she entered the store as if no further exnation was needed. Entering after her, Se-Hoon looked around. Given its location among the restaurants, the interior was mostly filled with kitchen-rted utensils.


    After some observation, he found them intriguing.


    <i>These are pretty well-made.</i>


    Though they were piled up like a cluster of random items, he was able to notice the marks of craftsmanship that were left on them by a skilled artisan who had mastered the basics.


    Intrigued, Se-Hoon closely examined the utensils. Meanwhile, Lea looked the back of the shop.


    ¡°Granny! I¡¯m back!¡± Lea suddenly shouted toward the back of the shop with an overly loud voice.


    At Lea¡¯s voice, an elderly woman appeared, parting thedles that hung like curtains. Her sharp eyes, downturned corners of her mouth, the chopsticks that were used as a hairpin, and her loose work clothes, gave off a rather fierce atmosphere.


    ¡°I¡¯m not deaf, you know.¡±


    ¡°I know, but you won¡¯te out unless I call you like this,¡± said Lea.


    ¡°Be quiet.¡±


    Helena, the elderly woman who seemed annoyed at Lea, promptly turned to look at Se-Hoon who was standing behind her.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this kid? Your boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no way. He¡¯s an underssman that entered the academy this year. Again, he¡¯s just an underssman.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. A freshman, I see.¡±


    Hearing Lea¡¯s reply, Helena tantly scanned Se-Hoon up and down and then clicked her tongue.


    ¡°<i>Tsk tsk</i>. Babel has really gone downhill, bringing in such a softie.¡±


    Although it sounded like she was picking a fight, Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t offended at all.


    <i>I am pretty weak.</i>


    In terms of physical abilities, he was among the lowest of this year¡¯s freshmen. The only reason he was admitted was his skill. If he hadn¡¯t retained the memories of his life before the regression, that would probably have prevented his admission.


    As he wasn¡¯t upset, he nodded, agreeing with her. The sight of it caused Helena¡¯s expression to change subtly.


    ¡°Are you sure you should be saying that?¡± asked Lea with a smirk on her face.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s actually this year¡¯s honor student of Borsippa College, and, in fact, he¡¯s also a student of the Department of cksmithing.¡±


    ¡°Really? This kid here is?¡± Helena¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    At her reaction, Se-Hoon smiled and nodded slightly.


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Lee Se-Hoon, a first-year student of the Department of cksmithing.¡±


    ¡°...Helena.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Now that introductions were done, Helena nced at Lea strangely and grumbled.


    ¡°Stop messing around and get to work. Because of freshmen this week, a lot has piled up.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Come this way.¡±


    Lea led Se-Hoon through a path hidden by frying pans, which revealed arge workshop.


    <i>Hm...</i>


    Though it looked a bit old to Se-Hoon, the workshop had all of the necessary tools. They were all in good condition, each bearing the marks of proper maintenance and the skill of a capable cksmith.


    <i>That olddy seems to be more skilled than I thought.</i>


    He couldn¡¯t understand why she was running a hardware store here.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Lea groaned at the sight of the pile of kitchen utensils.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty bad...¡±


    Seeing her disgusted expression, Se-Hoon approached to inspect the piled items.


    <i>I guess these are for repair.</i>


    On each utensil, enchantments with signs of wear from repeated use were clearly visible. Now realizing what Lea did at her workce, hemented, ¡°So, enchanting them is your job here?¡±


    ¡°Correct! It¡¯s a pretty sweet deal because I can earn money enchanting things as much as I want without worrying about the cost,¡± she said with a smile as she showed him a frying pan that had its enchantment worn off.


    Since enchanting kitchen utensils likely wouldn¡¯t earn her much, the opportunity to freely practice enchanting must have been the main appeal.


    ¡°Come on, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to see my enchantments? Come here.¡±


    She tapped the space next to her as she pulled an enchantment palette toward her side.


    The palette was filled with sixteen powders of various colors, each made from ground mana stones.


    <i>Quite the assortment, considering that normal palettes only include eight colors.</i>


    As he observed the palette with interest, Lea took out her enchanting brush from her sleeve.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to start.¡±


    Infused with her mana, the tip of the brush lit up blue, but when she dipped it into the red powder, it started to shimmer with a red glow.


    Now coated, she flipped the pan and slowly moved the brush.


    <i>Swish</i>


    With a swirling red aura, her brush swiftly passed over the faded enchantment runes, reviving the lifeless bottom of the frying pan.


    In an instant, the enchantment came back to life.


    <i>To revive a damaged enchantment so easily... she¡¯s definitely quite skilled.</i> Se-Hoon was impressed.


    Reviving a damaged enchantment was like patching torn clothes; if the patch¡¯s color was slightly off or the stitching was sloppy, it would be clearly visible.


    Usually, it was easier to remove the entire enchantment and start anew. Lea, however, wlessly restored the enchantment, making it seem as if it was freshly done.


    As he watched the process, he nodded to himself.


    <i>Not bad.</i>


    Her fundamentals were wless, allowing him to easily see the cause of her slump without too much examination.


    <i>I should be able to solve it pretty easily.</i>


    Right as he figured out a solution for her slump and was about to speak, she picked up a new pot after finishing and immediately began enchanting once again.


    ¡°...¡±


    Completely absorbed in her work, she continued enchanting without blinking once. Se-Hoon smiled quietly at the sight.


    <i>Nice.</i>


    Being able to immerse oneself like that was a talent in and of itself.


    Even while struggling with a slump, she was diligently building her foundation as an enchanting genius. Deciding to let her finish, he quietly stood up to look around the workshop again.


    <i>There¡¯s pretty much every tool here. Maybe I should make my new hammer here... hm?</i>


    His eyes sparkled after spotting the rectangr stones of various colors that were lined up on one side of the workshop. Immediately recognizing that they were whetstones, he immediately walked over.


    <i>They¡¯re all special-made.</i>


    The whetstones were not just for sharpening but also for adding special effects through resonance with mana arrays. They all required precise usage to avoid damaging the de, but Se-Hoon had a rough idea of how to use them.


    <i>The honed de would be quite sharp....</i>


    Just by touching the whetstones, he could imagine the sharpness of the finished de. Having recently imbued the Radiant Long Sword with a sharp white light, he felt eager to hone a de. Having the proper tools in front of him just made it even harder for him to resist.


    As he pondered what to do¨D


    ¡°Try using one.¡±


    Helena¡¯s brusque voice suddenly sounded from the corridor.


    ¡°If you even can, that is.¡±


    She looked over with a challenging gaze as she leaned against the wall with her arms crossed,


    Se-Hoon pointed at the whetstones.


    ¡°Can I really use them?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Just pick any of those knives piled up over there.¡±


    He looked at the various types of kitchen knives, each with a damaged de, that were stacked on one side of the workshop.


    <i>I assume these are meant to be sharpenedter.</i>


    Although he felt somewhat exploited, he took it as a chance to use a special-made whetstone.


    ¡°Understood.¡± So he epted her offer.


    Before choosing a whetstone, he examined the piled-up knives.


    <i>While I¡¯m at it, I might as well grind a proper knife.</i>


    He picked up a crude knife from among the in-looking ones, which surprised Helena.


    ¡°You¡¯re going with that one?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It seems like it was used by a skilled person. It¡¯ll be satisfying to sharpen.¡±


    The de of a knife usually carried the mark of its user. To Se-Hoon, the person who wielded this knife seemed well-versed in swordsmanship.


    <i>The de is evenly worn and not twisted.</i>


    While a regr person would¡¯ve considered it dull halfway through its wear, this knife¡¯s owner pushed it to its limits with their skill.


    Whoever that person was, they were clearly skilled in handling a sword.


    <i>Let¡¯s see. For the whetstone... I¡¯ll use this one.</i>


    Among the whetstones, there was one that had the most evenlypressed mana particles. He believed that the craftsman who could create such a whetstone would be able to handle the extreme sharpness of the resulting honed de.


    <i>Whirrrr-</i>


    He sprinkled water mixed with mana stone powder on the whetstone and began honing the de slowly.


    <i>Shhhhhk- Shhhhhk-</i>


    As the de scraped against the whetstone, it slowly regained its sharpness, shining brightly.


    Helena straightened up from her slouch and intently watched him, who had already be lost in his work.


    ¡°...¡±


    <i>Is he really a freshman who just entered the academy this year?</i>


    As she continued staring at the knife in his hand, she found the sight more and more unbelievable. As if entering a lull, the workshop became filled with only the sounds of sharpening and a brush.


    Momentster, the two sounds died down.


    ¡°Done!!!¡±


    Now finished with enchanting thestdle, Lea straightened up and cheered.


    ¡°Oh. Since when have you been here, Granny?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Huh, why are you so grumpy... ah.¡±


    Noticing Se-Hoon inspecting a knife, Lea smirked, soon realizing what had happened.


    ¡°Looks like he caught you by surprise, right?¡±


    ¡°Be quiet.¡±


    <i>Smack!</i>


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    Helena smacked Lea¡¯s forehead with a metal chopstick and approached Se-Hoon, who had finished honing the de.


    ¡°Are you done?¡±


    ¡°Um...¡±


    At her question, Se-Hoon looked at the de, which was glowing a faint blue.


    The sharp aura gently rippling over the de was a phenomenon caused by the surrounding mana being naturally drawn to the sword¡¯s mana array.


    Although this indicated that the knife was properly honed using the special-made whetstone, Se-Hoon frowned at the result.


    <i>It¡¯s not perfect yet.</i>


    Compared to the sharpness that he should have achieved with this whetstone, this was merely a superficial attempt. The iplete result disappointed him.


    <i>If only my mana was able to keep up with the process... tsk.</i>


    He sighed internally and looked at Helena, who was gazing at him intently.


    ¡°This is as far as I can go for now,¡± he honestly answered.


    ¡°Alright. Both of you can leave now.¡±


    Seemingly losing interest in them, she pointed at the corridor with her chopstick. Se-Hoon put down the knife without hesitation and stood up.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so irritated... let¡¯s leave,¡± said Lea.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As Lea rubbed her forehead and grabbed Se-Hoon¡¯s arm to head out¨D


    ¡°Can you hone this de the same way next time?¡± asked Helena suddenly as she looked at the knife.


    At her question, Se-Hoon smiled after a moment of thought.


    ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll do an even better job.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact you when we¡¯re short on hands. Drop by if you¡¯re interested.¡±


    After the blunt response, Helena turned away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it,¡± said Se-Hoon as he nodded.


    Leaving those words, the two left. Helena, now alone in the workshop, stared at the knife Se-Hoon had sharpened as if she was entranced.


    And in that moment of strange silence...


    ¡°Sister! Are you forging something right now?!¡±


    A burly man entered the workshop with a booming voice.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re not even doing anything. Why didn¡¯t you answer me?!¡±


    ¡°Be quiet.¡±


    ¡°If you answered me earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have been this noisy in the beginning. Where¡¯s the knife? The orders are piling up!¡±


    The man¡¯s incessant urging made Helena frown and nce over.


    ¡°When will you give up on that restaurant? You, a professor of the Department of Swordsmanship, of all people...¡±


    ¡°You should learn how to respect other people¡¯s hobbies. Whatever, where¡¯s the knife... ah, there it is!¡±


    Spotting his knife, he strode over and picked it up. A peculiar expression appeared on his face as he examined it.


    ¡°Huh? Did you drink against night? The condition of the de is a bit off.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, no? The de is only about 70% of its usual quality. You can¡¯t do this to me, a regr.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hone it,¡± she calmly responded to the grumbling man.


    ¡°What? Then who did? Did you call those old acquaintances of yours to do it?¡±


    ¡°A freshman did.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    At her words, Kasar, the swordsmanship professor, became puzzled. To this, with a certain intensity in her eyes, she just repeated her words.


    ¡°A freshman who just entered the academy this year honed it.¡±

 Chapter 27

    <h4>Chapter 27</h4>


    ¡°She¡¯s a former professor?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She said that it was five years ago when she retired and opened the hardware store. Interesting, right?¡±


    As Se-Hoon walked through the park while listening to Lea¡¯s story, he grew puzzled. He couldn¡¯t fathom why a former professor of the Department of cksmithing was running a small hardware store. Given her skills which seemedparable to those of In-Cheol, one of the world¡¯s top 100 cksmiths, it was even more perplexing.


    ¡°Does she have a backstory?¡±


    ¡°Who knows... I haven¡¯t heard anything specific. Whenever I ask her, she just tells me to be quiet.¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    ¡°Ah. It¡¯s nothing special, though. Over the past ten years, quite a few professors of the Department of cksmithing have left.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    This was something Se-Hoon hadn¡¯t known before his regression. The detail intrigued him.


    <i>So professors have been leaving for the past ten years...</i>


    It could have been for personal reasons, but after considering that the Department of cksmithing had be one of the weakest departments in Babel Academy, it was a significant piece of information worth looking into.


    <i>I should look into it.</i>


    It was worth investing time in since if his affiliated department grew, so would the support for him. As Se-Hoon pondered various thoughts, Lea tapped his shoulder.


    ¡°What did you think of my skill in enchantments?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it was good. Your fundamentals are solid. I saw you in a new light.¡±


    ¡°<i>...Cough</i>. It was really nothing much.¡±


    ttered by the unexpectedpliment, Lea chuckled awkwardly. But Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t finished and continued, ¡°But you¡¯re too conservative.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Her face stiffened as if she had been hit where it hurt or as if her pride had been wounded.


    Confident that he had pinpointed her issue, Se-Hoon pressed on without hesitation.


    ¡°When you were enchanting at the hardware store, you were able toe up with a better method but didn¡¯t use it, right?¡±


    ¡°That... well... yes. But... how...¡± She looked at him incredulously.


    Back in the workshop, she had hesitated only for a moment before moving her brush to reapply an enchantment. How did Se-Hoon deduce such a thing from such a subtle pause?


    His talent for enchantments seemed to surpass any simple exnation.


    ¡°Being unable to think of a better way is one thing, but choosing not to go with what youe up with is worse, especially if fear of failure is your reason. That¡¯s as good as not having any talent at all.¡±


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s enchanting or cksmithing, the artisan¡¯s imagination is crucial. Imagination is a weapon and a talent in and of itself; do you think it¡¯s reasonable to suppress that?¡±


    ¡°Ow...¡±


    As his indifferent assessment continued, Lea grimaced, as if pierced by a de.


    <i>Like I didn¡¯t know that.</i>


    She had identified her issue long ago and had tried everything to ovee it for over a year, even spending all her savings, but nothing had changed.


    She thought of the item locked away in her workshop¡¯s safe. The aftermath of the incident that plunged her into this slump refused to leave her mind.


    <i>Grind-</i>


    She gnashed her teeth in frustration and self-loathing, and that caught Se-Hoon¡¯s eye.


    <i>So... this is the kind of person she really is.</i>


    Her attempts to hide her slump had obscured her true character, but now Se-Hoon had a clear understanding of it.


    Having achieved his goal, he ceased the criticism and offered a solution.


    ¡°Take a look at this.¡±


    Lea looked at the object he was holding. His hand held a dagger which was simple in design with a ck base and had basic enchantments. It was far from extraordinary, somethingpletely unlike the Inkstone Bracelets.


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    ¡°Just watch; I can¡¯t show you for long because I have stuff to doter."


    Confused, she watched Se-Hoon who was nning to show her what he was talking about to help her understand.


    While Se-Hoon had only selectively learned enchantment techniques before his regression to aid his forging, he still understood the basic structure of enchantments in general.


    <i>Unlike cksmithing, which builds from scratch, enchanting is like oveying an additional image over an alreadyplete image.</i>


    If tasked to ce a stone beneath the water¡¯s surface, a cksmith would craft an entirely new stone to insert under, whereas an enchanter would inscribe the image of a submerged stone onto the surface of the water.


    Thus, the essence of enchanting was imitation and reproduction. The technique was akin to a dream, ethereal and intangible, yet to the observer, it was no different from the genuine thing.


    <i>It won¡¯t be easy to demonstrate with just the basics alone... but I have something perfect to help.</i>


    Done with inspecting the dagger¡¯s enchantments, he covered them with his hand and summoned Scarlet Lotus, his elemental mana.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    A burst of mes appeared in his hand, instantly erasing the protective enchantment on the dagger. The protective enchantments now gone, he applied a newly learned skill.


    <strong><i>White Light Surge</i></strong>


    A white, sharp aura blossomed and covered the dagger.


    Lea looked down in surprise at the iplete imitation of the white light, which appeared when a de was honed to perfection, that was created through mana.


    <i>How is this method even possible...?</i>


    Typically, skills that enhanced equipment strengthened its entire structure. White Light Surge, however, only fortified the shell on the surface, leaving both the core and deeper parts of the dagger untouched.


    She wondered why he chose such an inefficient method.


    ¡°If oneyer isn¡¯t enough, divide it into more.¡±


    He controlled White Light Surge and mingled it with Scarlet Lotus¡¯s flow-control property. Thisbination turned a portion of the white, sharp aura red and made it surge as well.


    He then mixed the newly formed red portion with the rest and coated the dagger with the result. Then he tossed it toward a flowerbed for Lea to see.


    <i>Shnnk!</i>


    The dagger pierced through a petal and embedded itself in the ground. At first nce, it seemed like an ordinary, simple throw that used mana.


    But then, along with a slicing sound, the flower that was below the daggerpletely untouched by it¡ªwas cleanly bisected, showcasing an extraordinary technique.


    ¡°...¡±


    The sharp aura clinging to the de¡¯s edge, which was influenced by the flow-control nature of Scarlet Lotus, had trickled downward and sliced the flower in two. It was as if the falling droplets had transformed into des. Though technically different, this technique could also be seen as a form of enchantment, causing Lea¡¯s face to freeze and her eyes to widen in astonishment.


    <i>Let¡¯s see how this goes... </i>This was an impromptu demonstration that used Se-Hoon¡¯s knowledge and skills before the regression. Although it wasn¡¯t a proper technique, he knew that it would impress and stimte Lea.


    <i>She¡¯s not stuck, just simply gathering her potential.</i>


    Invisible to the eyes, geniuses, even in their hesitation, unconsciously always prepared the way to move forward.


    And if that obstruction was breached by a trivial trigger...


    ¡°Se-Hoon!!!"


    An outpour of inspiration, like a bursting dam, would be released.


    ¡°Let me borrow that! I¡¯ll make it work properly, please, please!!!¡±


    Her eyes sparkled with excitement and her body trembled. She rushed over to grab the dagger from the flowerbed.


    <i>Uhm, she¡¯s a bit too much.</i>


    He had anticipated excitement from breaking her slump, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be to this extent. Seeing her seemingly on the verge of tears if not given the daggers, he felt it was fortuitous and pulled out the other nine daggers as well.


    ¡°Take these as well and...¡±


    ¡°Thank you! I love you!¡±


    Before he could even finish, she ran off somewhere like mad after grabbing the rest of the daggers and the one embedded in the flowerbed. Seeing her disappear in a frenzy, he looked down at the hand that had briefly touched hers and smiled contentedly.


    <i>Such youth.</i>


    <strong>[Extracting bond from subject ¡®Lea udel¡¯]</strong>


    <strong>[The bond with the host is Lv. 1.]</strong>


    ***


    After Lea left, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t head back to the dormitory but toward a different area of Aqar Quf. He had a specific ce he wanted to visit today.


    <i>There are so many people...</i>


    Even as he approached the area, crowds had already started to gather. The area was bustling with people from all years, from freshmen to upperssmen, all mixed together. The sight indicated that the entirety of Babel Academy¡¯s interest was currently focused here.


    Se-Hoon looked toward the building he was approaching.


    <i>I guess that¡¯s the Hall of Martial Arts.</i>


    Contrary to its old-fashioned name, it was a modern-style six-story building. It was one of the buildings that symbolized Aqar Quf, and its fame was well-known by those both inside and outside the academy, as proven by the crowd today.


    He observed the ce with interest, due to it being muchrger than what he had heard.


    ¡°Huh?¡± A familiar voice came from behind as he stood there observing.


    ¡°What? You also came to watch?¡± asked a blond young man who naturally approached him. In an instant, Se-Hoon recognized the man was Jake.


    ¡°For a bit. Did youe to see it too?¡± asked Se-Hoon as he nodded in response to Jake¡¯s question.


    ¡°Ah, I came because my friends said we should watch.¡±


    Following Jake¡¯s gaze, Se-Hoon turned his head to see four students huddled together. At a nce, they seemed reasonably useful. He believed that it was likely that they were friends Jake had been close with since before admission.


    ¡°Are you here alone?¡± asked Jake.


    ¡°Yeah, you could say that.¡±


    ¡°Hm... then, do you want to join us? My guys wouldn¡¯t mind if it¡¯s you,¡± Jake casually invited, a kind smile on his face.


    Se-Hoon looked at him with a curious expression due to the invitation.


    <i>Strange. I thought he regarded me as a rival...</i>


    Even though Jake must be internally gnashing his teeth, he was still so friendly; it was odd. Jake had to be either really naive or just cunning.


    Observing Jake¡¯s expression, which showed no ulterior motives, Se-Hoon shook his head.


    ¡°No, It¡¯s okay. I prefer watchingfortably on my own."


    There were also a few things that Se-Hoon needed to check personally.


    With a disappointed expression, Jake nodded.


    ¡°Alright. See you next time, then!¡±


    Jake waved his hand goodbye as he returned to his group, and Se-Hoon turned his head.


    ¡°...¡±


    And he immediately spotted Erika standing quietly in front of the entrance to the Hall of Martial Arts.


    Normally, he would think that she was waiting for him. However, after what just happened with Jake, Se-Hoon thought that simrly, she might be waiting for another friend. With that thought in mind, he naturally walked toward the other entrance.


    ¡°...¡±


    There, he once again saw Erika standing conspicuously at the entrance. He was unable to understand how she had suddenly moved there.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting,¡± she calmly replied.


    Though it might seem like she was putting on an act,ing all this way just to wait for him, her genuinely puzzled gaze suggested that this was no act; she was just an oddball.


    Having seen his fair share of unique individuals before the regression, he epted it and just looked down at her indifferently.


    ¡°Will you still follow even if I say no?¡±


    ¡°I will. Since I can just watch from a bit further away.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like he could stop her from watching from further away, and besides, having someone beside him wouldn¡¯t be much of an issue in the first ce.


    Havinge to a conclusion, he smirked and gestured with his chin toward the entrance.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Before they entered the Hall of Martial Arts, the staff members checked their student IDs or tickets. After showing their student IDs, they soon reached a wide hall at the end of the passage.


    All around them, countless shops were selling various foods and drinks. The scale, reminiscent of a giant sports stadium, made Se-Hoon click his tongue as he surveyed the surroundings.


    <i>They¡¯re always unnecessarilyvish...</i>


    Though this hall was asionally used when inviting heroes from outside the academy, it was over the top for a facility, considering that it was still primarily used by students. The thought of this made Se-Hoon question what the creators were thinking when they first nned out this building.


    As he pondered the iprehensible scale of Babel Academy, a roaring cheer suddenly erupted from the center of the hall.


    Realizing that the scheduled match had begun, he left the snack area and immediately made his way to join the audience.


    There, dazzling spotlights poured down from the ceiling, illuminating the two students who stood prominently at the center of the arena. Surrounding them, thousands of students filled the stands.


    ¡ªWee, freshmen of Babel! We sincerely wee all of you to a ranking battle, the highlight of our Hall of Martial Arts!!


    A lively voice boomed from the speakers, and a four-way projection appeared in midair. On the projections, a woman with her hair tied in round buns on both sides, giving off a bubbly impression, made her appearance.


    ¡ªTo introduce myself, I am the youngest professor of the Department of Martial Arts, Lan Fang. I am in charge of broadcasting the event match today. Thank you for your attention!


    The crowd erupted into cheers again as she greeted them while waving her hands.


    Babel Academy hosted several events under the guise of friendly matches to foster the improvement of the skills of the students, the ranking battle held in the Hall of Martial Arts being one of the most notable among them.


    It was a simple event where students used their martial arts topete and were then ranked ordingly. It was simple yet invigorating for everyone involved. Additionally, the focus on martial prowess attracted significant external interest.


    <i>Plus, with annual rewards based on the ranking, there¡¯s no reason not to participate.</i>


    If one was confident in winning, there was nothing to lose, whether it was in terms of fame or practical benefits. That was precisely what the ranking battle was.


    ¡ªFirst, let¡¯s introduce today¡¯s yers. Starting with¨D!


    At Lan Fang¡¯s shout, the spotlight suddenly focused on the student standing on the left. She was a blonde woman who held a slender rapier at her waist.


    ¡ªThe top-ranking fourth-year student of Aqar Quf and the next head of the Myers family, which had fostered countless S-rank heroes! An unbeatable superhuman who has dominated the number-one spot of the Hall of Martial Arts rankings for three years in a row, setting a new record! Our champion!


    The woman smiled leisurely under the spotlight. It was as if the light was emanating from her. As all the students marveled at her morous appearance, which made even the exaggerated introduction seem reasonable, Lan Fang shouted out her name as if to drive the point home.


    ¡ªAria Myers!!!


    Aria, the blond woman, waved to the cheers of thousands of students.


    Her introduction made Se-Hoon¡¯s brows furrow slightly.


    <i>Tsk. I met her earlier than I thought...</i>


    She was currently the strongest student in the academy, a real genius who was already acknowledged as an active A-rank hero. Before the regression, she was termed Holy Swordsman after finally conquering a Tower of Heroes.


    She was the biggest name among the prospects he had seen so far, but he wasn¡¯t pleased.


    <i>I didn¡¯t want to see her.</i>


    He knew that they would meet someday, but he wished it could have beenter. She was just that displeasing to Se-Hoon.


    ¡ªAnd now, the first to challenge such a champion today!


    As if realizing that Se-Hoon was in a bad mood, Lan Fang¡¯smentary naturally directed everyone¡¯s gaze to the opposite side.


    ¡°...¡±


    There stood a ck-haired young man lightly aiming a cross-shaped spear downward, his focus solely ahead.


    Even under the intense spotlight, his face remained stern. The sight of him shook Se-Hoon¡¯s gaze significantly.


    ¡ªThe third-year top-ranking student of Aqar Quf¡¯s Department of Spear Arts. The inheritor of the Inferno Ring, a South Korean intangible cultural heritage. The promising next-generation contender who proudly holds the rank of ten in the Hall of Martial Arts!!!


    Though slightly different from the person he knew, Se-Hoon saw the same spirit in the man¡¯s eyes that he saw when that man was standing before the Harbingers.


    Without needing further confirmation, Se-Hoon found himself smiling unwittingly.


    ¡ªYeom Sung-Ha!!!


    Finally appearing was the future troublemaker, one of the figures who shocked the entire world¡ªMad Dog Yeom Sung-Ha.

 Chapter 28

    <h4>Chapter 28</h4>


    The introductions of the two students renowned for their fame and martial prowess among the current students of Babel Academy further heated up the atmosphere in the arena: Aria Myers, the fourth-year top-ranking student of Aqar Quf, and Yeom Sung-Ha, the third-year top-ranking student of Aqar Quf.


    ¡ªNow, before the duel, shall we take a look at their records?


    Seemingly excited by the atmosphere, Lan Fang grinned and brought up an information board in the air.


    [Aria Myers: 932 battles - 932 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses]


    [Yeom Sung-Ha: 1,238 battles - 714 wins, 128 draws, 396 losses]


    The moment every student there saw the battle records, they all gasped and looked at Aria. While Sung-Ha boasted a high win rate that ranked him tenth, it was iparable to Aria¡¯s wless record¡ªshe had won every single one of her matches.


    ¡ªFor your information, these two students have faced each other quite often. The official count is two hundred fifty-six times. And if we include the unofficial duels, the count totals over four hundred matches! And the one who came out on top is...


    After a brief pause, Lan Fang mmed her palm on the table and shouted.


    ¡ªAria Myers!!! It¡¯s her total victory!!!


    In over four hundred matches, Aria had never given up a single draw. That fact drew admiration from the audience, and many gazes directed at the two became emotional.


    Watching from the audience, Se-Hoon naturally realized who the star of today¡¯s duel was.


    <i>So he has also received this kind of treatment before.</i>


    Although Sung-Ha certainly did notck talent or skill, this was simply a bad matchup for him.


    ¡ªAh. It seems that the introductions have gone on for too long. Now, let¡¯s end the talk and...


    A moment of silence swirled around the arena. Without anyone telling them to, Aria and Sung-Ha raised and aimed their weapons at each other.


    And the moment a surge of golden and dark red mana erupted from their bodies and ignited the atmosphere¨D


    ¡ªStart!


    At Lan Fang¡¯s signal, the two immediately shed.


    <i>Boom!!</i>


    Wrapped in dark red mana, Sung-Ha¡¯s spear tore through the air with terrifying momentum. In response, Aria simply swung her rapier with a rxed smile, no signs of stepping back at all.


    Like turning a page in a book, the rapier, covered in golden mana, was swung with light and smooth movements.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Sung-Ha¡¯s spear was repelled as if it had been sted away, and Aria immediately tried to dive in, taking advantage of the moment Sung-Ha was exposed. However, Sung-Ha¡¯s mana moved first.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    All at once, the scattered traces of mana along the trajectory of the spear exploded into mes. Losing the opportunity, Aria slightly braked and swung her rapier again.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The mes scattered with a single swing from her, but it had bought enough time for Sung-Ha to regain his posture.


    Once again, he swung his spear fiercely, and Aria, counterattacking just as fiercely, swung her thin rapier with smooth fast motions.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The center of the arena was dominated by the spear of mes and the golden sword weaving through it.


    The audience, stunned by the incredible level of skill that seemed beyond that of ordinary students, btedly came to their senses and burst into a cacophony of cheers.


    The heat in the arena was palpable from just the first match.


    Se-Hoon watched Sung-Ha fight with all his might.


    <i>Still pretty inexperienced, huh?</i>


    From his basic physical abilities to his techniques, nothing could match his Mad Dog days. But that was expected, after all, he would only be renowned as a Mad Dog thirty-one years from now. That said, Sung-Ha¡¯s level was still much lower than Se-Hoon had anticipated.


    <i>I thought he would have received plenty of support as the sessor of the Inferno Ring.... Did he not receive as much support as I thought?</i>


    Sung-Ha¡¯s condition was disappointinglycking, even after considering his age. As Se-Hoon examined Sung-Ha, the tide of the match gradually changed.


    <i>Has she already decided to close the distance?</i>


    The greatest advantage of a spear was its reach. And that advantage was gradually diminishing now.


    Keenly aware of this, Sung-Ha tried to maintain the distance, but Aria easily broke through his resistance and caught up to him step by step.


    <i>It¡¯s hard to tell what I should criticize first...</i>


    As Se-Hoon was closer to Sung-Ha than anybody else, he could easily figure out the points that needed improvement from their duel, such as the fact that Sung-Ha¡¯s bad habits and the weaknesses of the Inferno Ring had a harsh dissonance.


    But while there were many points to criticize, the single most annoying one was how Sung-Ha wielded his weapon, and this was Se-Hoon¡¯s field of expertise.


    <i>His cross-shaped spear can be skillfully used to execute both attacks and defenses. Flexibility is usually added to the spear shaft so that the wielder can easily respond even when the opponent closes the distance, just like now.</i>


    The swirling dark red mana around the spear shaft and the asional bursts of energy also suggested it had an additional effect of scattering stored mana in all directions.


    There wasn¡¯t much to criticize about the spear in terms ofpletion; it was quite usable.


    <i>But they really have no eye for choosing a suitable weapon.</i>


    A spear was not suitable at all for Sung-Ha, the Mad Dog.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Experiencing his attack being repelled again, Sung-Ha tried to use the scattered mana left along the trajectory of his spear to emit mes and gain some distance.


    But before he could, Aria coated her hand with a golden light and cut through the residual mana with her hand, then instantly closed the distance.


    Sung-Ha¡¯s posture immediately copsed, and the bursting mes that were created by the Inferno Ring also fizzled out.


    Although it was clear who would stand victorious, Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes zed.


    <i>Thwoom!</i>


    He abandoned the spear boldly to regain his posture and then swung his fist. This was an obvious desperate move, a showcase of Sung-Ha¡¯s obsession with victory.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    But before he could even follow through with his swing, Aria¡¯s golden rapier touched his neck.


    Even in the end, Sung-Ha wasn¡¯t allowed to resist. He quietly looked at the rapier, pointed at his neck, and then slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°I lost.¡±


    ¡°It was a good duel.¡±


    With those brief words, she sheathed her rapier. As if waiting for that moment, Lan Fang promptly announced the oue of the duel.


    ¡ªThe duel is over!! The winner is Aria Myers!!!


    The winner was decided, and the audience burst into a roaring cheer.


    The spectating students couldn¡¯t hide their excitement; their eyes sparkled at the sight of such a high-level duel that seemed impossible to have been by their fellow students. If current heroes came and fought the same duel, it would have simply been admired as something in their far future.


    However, these two were also students who were only two or three years apart from them. The sense of familiarity with their ages stirred theirpetitive spirit and desire for improvement.


    <i>They¡¯re all quite energetic...</i>


    Though a majority of them would eventually realize the difference in talent and end up frustrated, being students of Babel Academy, there could be a few that might follow in their footsteps.


    Intrigued by how amusing this academy was, Se-Hoon turned to the unusually quiet person beside him.


    ¡°...¡±


    Erika was staring at the arena indifferently, with no changes in expression. The sight of her prompted a curious expression from Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Was it boring?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s not much to take notes on as they¡¯re in different fields of study.¡±


    ¡°Then why did youe?¡± he asked incredulously.


    ¡°I was curious who you came to see,¡± Erika calmly replied.


    ¡°...¡±


    To Se-Hoon, the fact that he had managed to form a bond with such a peculiar person became stranger than ever.


    As he looked on with a resigned expression, Lan Fang''s voice red again in the hall.


    ¡ªNow, we will proceed with the interview of the two yers... however, due to personal reasons, regretfully, we will only be able to interview Aria Myers before moving on to the next duel.


    Following Lan Fang¡¯s announcement, the spotlight on Sung-Ha disappeared after he nodded his head. Every light in the arena was now illuminating Aria as if she were the main character of the scene. Actually, considering that the event today was promoted as Aria Myers¡¯s 9-consecutive battles, it should have been expected.


    ¡°Fighting against my next opponent who is ranked ninth right after this would be tough... should I substitute the empty interview time with a personal Q&A session?¡±


    A cheer erupted from the audience at her proposal. As she talked, Sung-Ha trudged out of the dueling arena.


    To an outsider, he might have seemed like his usual self, but to Se-Hoon, who had observed him for a long time, it was easily recognizable that he was fairly upset.


    <i>This bastard...</i>


    It seemed like he was currently immature in many ways.


    Se-Hoon chuckled softly and immediately turned away, prompting Erika to ask with a puzzled expression, ¡°Are you leaving?¡±


    Perhaps it hadn¡¯t urred to her that he had actuallye to see Sung-Ha.


    At Erika¡¯s question, Se-Hoon turned his gaze toward the arena below.


    There, Aria stood under the bright lights, shining brilliantly. Her presence was undeniable, whether it was during her future days as the so-called hope of humanity, their holy swordsman, or even now as a student.


    Her charisma made even those just seeing her for the first time instinctively feel a sense of awe. She was a figure that the students of Babel Academy couldn¡¯t help but admire.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really like that kind of person,¡± he said, looking down at Aria, who was waving with a smile.


    ¡°They¡¯re just so full of themselves,¡± he added with a look of difort.


    With that, he turned his head and left without saying anything more.


    As she watched him leave, Erika¡¯s expression darkened slightly. She had never seen him show such intense emotions before. He always seemed so rxed, which made his behavior all the more strange.


    <i>It¡¯s good that he didn¡¯te to see my brother, but...</i> Her thoughts paused there, somewhat concerned by his current state.


    Just as she was about to change her ns and follow him, she felt a strange sensation from behind and slowly turned her head toward the arena ground.


    ¡°An interesting freshman? Well...¡±


    Her eyes met Aria¡¯s, which had been following Se-Hoon until he left.


    ¡°It seems I¡¯ve found one.¡±


    ***


    <i>Woooooo!</i>


    The cheers from the stadium indicated that the duel between Aria and the ninth ranker had begun.


    But to Se-Hoon, the fight held no interest. His thoughts lingered on Sung-Ha.


    <i>He¡¯s not the type to just walk away...</i>


    Just like his nickname suggested, Sung-Ha could go on a rampage when provoked, but normally, he was a somewhat decent guy with a strong pride and a rough demeanor. He also valued face greatly, tending to iste himself whenever he was in a sour mood.


    <i>A ce he¡¯d likely would be...</i>


    Se-Hoon wandered near the Hall of Martial Arts while recalling his pre-regression memories and soon found Sung-Ha in a secluded corner of a nearby park.


    ¡°<i>Whoo... Whoo...</i>¡±


    Se-Hoon approached cautiously, his eyes fixed on Sung-Ha as he took breaths with his eyes closed. This sight stirred aplex feeling within Se-Hoon.


    Despite their rocky rtionship, Sung-Ha had been a pivotal member of Forlorn Hope, ultimately sacrificing his life in their final battle.


    This time around, Se-Hoon hoped that their rtionship could start off on a more harmonious note. He believed that he could use his past experience to form a bond, and perhaps even gain a Fatestone, with Sung-Ha. Right as Se-Hoon was about to approach, Sung-Ha suddenly opened his mouth, ¡°A freshman, huh? Were you watching the duel?¡±


    ¡°...Well, yes,¡± replied Se-Hoon reluctantly.


    Sung-Ha¡¯s question forced Se-Hoon to grimace slightly as he struggled with his response. The mere idea of having to speak respectfully to Sung-Ha was more than just ufortable to Se-Hoon; it twisted his insides.


    Yet, despite the difort, he understood the necessity of cautious interactions. The Yeom Sung-Ha in front of him might differ from the one he knew, thus requiring a more measured approach.


    As Se-Hoon was internally grappling with his feelings, Sung-Ha slowly opened his eyes.


    ¡°To find me like this... you must be quite skilled...¡±


    Sung-Ha started off calmly, but then he paused, his gaze hardening and his brow furrowing as he looked at Se-Hoon¡¯s face.


    <i>What¡¯s up with him?</i>


    Sensing that the atmosphere had shifted in an unexpectedly awkward direction, Se-Hoon wondered what had brought it about.


    ¡°Are you Borsippa College¡¯s honor student? What brings you here?¡± Sung-Ha asked with a voice that was now more subdued.


    ¡°I was hoping to have a little chat with you... if you would allow me, that is.¡±


    Se-Hoon hoped that they could have a meaningful conversation about the future of the me Sect, potential improvements to the Inferno Ring, and the unique trait that only Mad Dog Sung-Ha possessed.


    Unfortunately, while he wanted to start the conversation right away due to the number of topics, Sung-Ha¡¯s response was dismissive.


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    He showed no intention of engaging in this conversation further. He even turned his head away and closed his eyes again to calm his breath, treating Se-Hoon like he were invisible. At such treatment, Se-Hoon¡¯s expression distorted.


    ¡°This would benefit you, though, sunbae.... Just hear me out¡ª¡±


    ¡°Since you didn¡¯t understand me the first time, I¡¯ll say it once more,¡± interrupted Sung-Ha, his eyes still closed.


    ¡°I hate weak people.¡±


    Silence followed.


    ¡°And people who can¡¯t do anything on their own, yet think that they¡¯re somehow equal orparable to me just because they have a mediocre talent of some kind are even worse.¡±


    The calm voice filled with disdain made Se-Hoon recall a memory from before the regression.


    <i>¡°You¡¯re just a weapon forger working in the background. Don¡¯t overstep your bounds.¡±</i>


    That was what Sung-Ha had told him when they first met during a meeting of the human alliance before the regression. At the time, Se-Hoon thought it was just Sung-Ha being unpleasant, but now Se-Hoon realized that it was a misunderstanding on his own part.


    ¡°So, I don¡¯t care about whatever you want to talk about; just leave.¡±


    Sung-Ha wasn¡¯t just being unpleasant.


    ¡°cksmith.¡±


    He was just a despicable person who refused to even consider that someone weaker than himself was worthy of attention.


    <i>Right. Of course.</i>


    Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but let out a hollowugh.


    He had hoped that maybe Sung-Ha would be different during his youth, but it seemed that was a naive thought. There was no way these three hopeless dogs were going to be nice to him just because they were young.


    Feeling the weight of this truth, Se-Hoon looked back at Sung-Ha.


    <i>At least he¡¯s a bit better than during his Mad Dog days.</i>


    If it were before the regression, Sung-Ha would have attacked Se-Hoon already for even speaking up again. The fact that he was willing to warn Se-Hoon a second time was a sign of patience as well as a small indication of possible redemption.


    <i>From his attitude, it¡¯s probably impossible to resolve this through words.</i>


    To even begin a conversation, it seemed necessary to demonstrate his strength or capability in some manner first. The challenge was whether Se-Hoon could actually manage to do so.


    Though Sung-Ha had plenty of weak points, Se-Hoon¡¯s physical capabilities were toocking to exploit any of them.


    <i>Even if I could use Iron Desire, there¡¯s no proper material... ah.</i>


    Suddenly, his gaze fell on his right hand, thinking of the girl he had met earlier.


    She was someone who let her talents shine, and she approached those she could help with without hesitation. Although she initially didn¡¯t believe in herself, that was already changing.


    A faint light flowed from his grip, and soon a piece of ore took shape.


    <strong>[<u>Fatestone - Explosive Fusionite</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A multicolored piece of ore with a mix of various colors.</strong>


    <strong>It serves as an excellent amplifier that maximizes the potential of mixed materials.</strong>


    <strong>*Amplifies the potential ofbined materials]</strong>


    The ore resembled a haphazardly clumped-together mass of powdered mana stones from an enchantment palette. It shone with a messy yet luxurious array of colors.


    <i>This is good. </i>Se-Hoon smiled at its appearance.


    This Fatestone would be useful not only now but even in the future. Its benefits exceeded his expectations.


    ¡°It seems you have no intention of leaving. You¡¯ve brought this upon yourself.¡± Feeling the subtle change in mana, Sung-Ha opened his eyes once again.


    He turned his body toward Se-Hoon, indicating that he wouldn''t hold back any longer. Yet, despite the oppressive atmosphere, Se-Hoon not only didn¡¯t flinch but he also met Sung-Ha¡¯s gaze head-on.


    ¡°I heard something before, so I¡¯ll pass it on to you at this opportunity.¡±


    Sung-Ha approached indifferently, not caring about what Se-Hoon was going to say. Sung-Ha¡¯s calm yet heavy presence made Se-Hoon smile.


    ¡°The legacy of the Inferno Ring is going to end because of you.¡±


    At those words, Sung-Ha finally reacted, freezing mid-step. His eyes widened in shock, and his breath halted. He never imagined he would hear such a statement from an underssman, especially one significantly weaker than himself.


    But his moment of shock was brief. Fully understanding the meaning of Se-Hoon¡¯s words, Sung-Ha started to move again.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    With just one step, he was right in front of Se-Hoon.


    Sung-Ha swung his clenched fist, mana scattering in its wake. If it hit Se-Hoon dead on, it wouldn¡¯t be just his head that shattered; his entire body would be obliterated by the following mes, with no trace left behind.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Iron Desire¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    But that was assuming he would foolishly take the hit.


    <i>Thwoom!</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s palms reached out and gently redirected Sung-Ha¡¯s punch. His right hand smoothly deflected the force using the mana gathered in his palm, and then his left hand pushed away Sung-Ha¡¯s wrist. The neat defense caused Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes to twitch.


    <i>He redirected it.</i>


    Even if it was a casually thrown strike, Sung-Ha¡¯s punch was filled with his mana. It wasn¡¯t something a first-year honor student of Borsippa, let alone the first-year honor student of Aqar Quf, could easily block.


    Yet the cksmith before him had nonchntly redirected his attack as if he knew it wasing.


    <i>He¡¯s showing off that he is an honor student, huh?</i>


    The tips of Se-Hoon¡¯s hair flickered like mes, and a faint warmth, most likely indicating that he had enhanced his physical abilities, emanated from his body.


    Having assessed the situation, Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes lit up. He acknowledged that Se-Hoon had the right to fight him.


    <i>But this is the end for you.</i>


    His punch might not have connected, but the trailing residual mes still lingered. The true power of the Inferno Ring was the explosion of mes that would erupt soon.


    Naturally, Sung-Ha envisioned the arrogant freshman in front of him tumbling on the floor, caught in the st.


    Unfortunately for him, Se-Hoon¡¯s right hand, drawing up Scarlet Lotus, touched the residual mes before they exploded properly.


    <i>Boooom!!!</i>


    And an enormous me burst between the two.


    Although Sung-Ha controlled his mana output to lower the temperature, preventing the surroundings from being scorched, the shockwave alone was still enough to snap flowers and cause leaves to cascade down.


    It was as if a bomb had exploded. The resulting smoke that covered the area between them started to clear, and soon the figures of the two men were revealed.


    ¡°Whew...¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s hair and clothes were simply disheveled from the shockwave, but Sung-Ha¡¯s clothes werepletely scorched.


    ¡°...¡±


    Frozen by a result far different from what he had expected, Sung-Ha watched as Se-Hoon smoothed back his tousled hair and grinned.


    ¡°It seems that I was right. ¡±

 Chapter 29

    <h4>Chapter 29</h4>


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Despite seeing the situation unfold in front of his own eyes, Sung-Ha could hardly believe it.


    The residual me left by the Inferno Ring would normally only explode in response to the explosion trigger, a mana pulse created by the caster. Therefore, it was possible to scatter the ensuing mes like Aria did in the duel, but it was impossible to lose control of the explosions.


    <i>But... it was taken away.</i>


    The moment Se-Hoon¡¯s hand, wrapped in mana, touched the residual mes, the trajectory of explosions twisted and poured toward him instead.


    Sung-Ha¡¯s thought process momentarily halted upon realizing that he had lost control over the Inferno Ring.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Instinctively, he swung his fist toward Se-Hoon.


    <i>Bang!!!</i>


    The punch barely grazed Se-Hoon¡¯s nose. If the first strike Se-Hoon had avoided was strong enough to force him to rest for at least four weeks, this one was strong enough to disable him for at least twelve weeks.


    <i>This bastard is about to lose himself.</i>


    Se-Hoon realized that Sung-Ha was almost no longer capable of rational thought from his eyes.


    The most significant reason, among many, that Sung-Ha was called the Mad Dog was the fact that he would relentlessly execute something without regard for the consequences. Once he decided to do something, he would undoubtedly carry it out, regardless of whether it was disadvantageous to him or not.


    It was apulsion bordering on obsession, and the first incident that revealed this trait was the massacre of the me Sect.


    <i>He wasn¡¯t lying when he told me that he was born this way... </i>


    Right now, Se-Hoon had been forced to realize that Sung-Ha¡¯s grumblings, which he had dismissed as nonsense, were true.


    He continued to skillfully dodge and deflect the punches thrown at him.


    <i>Thwoom! Bang!</i>


    He was able to pull this off thanks to the absorption of Lea¡¯s Fatestone, Explosive Fusionite, using Iron Desire. Despite how the situation wasn¡¯t bad for him, he coldly assessed the situation, looking for a solution.


    <i>The effect of Iron Desire is almost over... and honestly, my body is almost at its limit.</i>


    He believed that someone would interrupt the fight after hearing the sound of the explosion, but if they were even slightlyter than expected, he would be hit by Sung-Ha¡¯s punches and would suffer serious injuries.


    <i>I guess there¡¯s no other way.</i>


    Though reluctant, he had no choice. Se-Hoon decided to give up the chance of forming a bond in favor of utterly destroying Sung-Ha.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Suddenly, a massive fist wrapped in mana rushed toward Se-Hoon¡¯s face.


    <i>Booom!!!</i>


    A shock wave swept across the entire surrounding area. Stopping for a moment, Sung-Ha examined the situation before him since someone had stopped his punch which could have crushed Se-Hoon¡¯s head. Frowning, he saw that a blonde student, Jake, had caught his fist with both of his hands.


    ¡°Do you know him?¡± Sung-Ha asked Jake.


    ¡°Yes, well... for now...¡± Jake¡¯s hands trembled as he answered Sung-Ha¡¯s question.


    Although he managed to block the attack, he couldn¡¯tpletely deflect the force, leading to the numbing of his entire body, starting from his hands.


    <i>What was he even thinking...</i>


    Jake thought that if he hadn¡¯t intervened, the strike could have caused a serious injury, if not death, in the worst case. While Jake was feeling incredulous due to Se-Hoon¡¯s reckless actions, Sung-Ha just silently looked past him at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°...¡±


    Returning his gaze, Se-Hoon looked back at him, his hands still calmly raised in front of his chest, fully prepared to block. His demeanor showed no sign of being daunted, and at the sight, Sung-Ha withdrew his fist.


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir! Let¡¯s go, Se-Hoon!¡±


    Jake eagerly pushed Se-Hoon toward the exit of the park; he had just been waiting for Sung-Ha¡¯s approval. Unable to resist the rough push, Se-Hoon could only turn his head to look back at Sung-Ha.


    ¡°Remember my words...¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense and just go...!¡±


    Se-Hoon, pushed by Jake, disappeared out of the clearing without being able to finish his sentence. Now alone, Sung-Ha closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    <i>That was close... </i>


    He had actually considered severely injuring Se-Hoon after he took control of the Inferno Ring. Had that happened, the reputation of the Inferno Ring would have plummeted, putting himself and his master in a difficult situation.


    Although btedly, Sung-Ha was relieved that he regained his senses. He carefully recalled his memories right before Jake appeared.


    ¡°...¡±


    He had no idea whether he hade back to his senses by his own will, or rather, because he felt an unknown threat. Reflecting on how inscrutable and imprudent Se-Hoon was, he murmured softly, ¡°Lee Se-Hoon...¡±


    After just one meeting, Sung-Ha made sure to remember Se-Hoon¡¯s name. This was truly some significant progression toward their bond.


    ***


    ¡°Why on earth did you pick a fight with that sunbae?¡± Jake asked, mystified.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t pick a fight with him. I just said one thing to him,¡± answered Se-Hoon calmly.


    ¡°... You do realize you could have died if you had messed up even once earlier, right?!¡±


    Se-Hoon chuckled at Jake¡¯s exaggerated concern.


    ¡°I could have died? At most, I would have just rolled across the ground a few times.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Sung-Ha¡¯s Inferno Ring required delicate control of mana despite its explosive ability. Even though the punch Sung-Ha threw seemed deadly, he could have just released mana in the reverse direction to adjust the force as needed.


    <i>Thest punch wasn¡¯t meant to finish me off; he was just trying to knock me down.</i>


    Having spent an ample amount of time with Sung-Ha, Se-Hoon could immediately tell. That was why Se-Hoon had also stopped quickly before he exerted all the force he could.


    <i>He¡¯s definitely softer than he was back then.</i>


    If it was the Mad Dog version of Sung-Ha, one of them might have ended up seriously injured. Se-Hoon smirked as he recalled the past.


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Yeom Sung-Ha¡¯.]</strong>


    <i>There it is.</i>


    He calmly epted the system notification that appeared before him.


    It would have been strange if a bond <i>hadn¡¯t </i>formed after that wholemotion. Everything up to now had been expected, so he started pondering the next issue at hand.


    <i>How should I extract this bond and increase the level?</i>


    Although he knew Sung-Ha well, strictly speaking, he was only familiar with Mad Dog Yeom Sung-Ha. Even if it was the same person, the different experiences he had gone through could have led to significant alterations in his personality.


    The sight of Sung-Ha¡¯s softer side made this especially clear; Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t believe that Sung-Ha was the same person he once knew.


    <i>I might need to adjust my method a bit...</i>


    The effects of the Fatestone could have changed a bit as well. However, since his innate qualities wouldn¡¯t be much different, Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t too worried about it.


    <i>Well, I should think about thatter...</i>


    After roughly sorting out his thoughts on Sung-Ha, he turned to look at Jake, who was standing puzzled by his side.


    <i>This guy is also quite something.</i>


    Without a moment of hesitation, Jake stepped in and blocked the attack without budging even an inch. The feat was quite impressive considering he was still a first-year and hadn¡¯t even entered a Tower of Heroes.


    <i>He¡¯s definitely going to be useful...</i>


    He reevaluated Jake¡¯s worth and then looked down at Jake¡¯s hands, which had blocked the attack.


    ¡°Are your hands okay?¡±


    ¡°Ah, they¡¯re fine. My hands are tougher than other parts of my body.¡±


    Jake flexed his hands to show they were alright. Besides the fact that they were slightly red, they were without any visible injury.


    <i>Tough hands, huh...</i>


    Se-Hoon mentally noted Jake¡¯s characteristics and considered various ways he could make use of them.


    ¡°By the way, did you say anything weird while watching the duel in the arena?¡± Jake suddenly asked, changing the subject after remembering why he hade to find Se-Hoon in the first ce.


    ¡°Anything weird?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Like, did you say anything bad about... my sister?¡±


    ¡°By sister... you mean Aria Myers?¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s question, Jake nodded.


    ¡°Yes. Did you say anything about her?¡±


    ¡°Well... I don¡¯t think I said anything much.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then why did she...¡±


    ¡°All I said was that I don¡¯t really like people like her because they¡¯re so full of themselves.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    For a moment, Jake stared nkly at Se-Hoon¡¯s response, and then sighed deeply.


    ¡°Maybe I should have warned you...¡± Jake murmured, stressed out. He looked at Se-Hoon wearily.


    ¡°You should be a bit more careful from now on. It seems like my sister has taken an interest in you.¡±


    ¡°In... me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She must have heard what you said in the arena.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon reacted to Jake¡¯s exnation incredulously. The fact that she could hear his voice urately from hundreds of meters away in the arena, and amidst all the cheering and talking of all the students in the noisy stadium too, was absurd. At that level, it wasn¡¯t a matter of good hearing anymore; it was a supernatural level of perception.


    <i>They do say she¡¯s already at a levelparable to A-rank heroes... but even considering that, she¡¯s a monster.</i>


    She had an unbelievable level of skill, fitting of a future top-tier hero. Realizing that he had inadvertently dered war on Aria, he thought for a moment before responding nonchntly, ¡°Oh well. What¡¯s the harm in a little interest?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something you should take lightly. She¡¯s actually...¡±


    ¡°Narrow-minded and sinister?¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s probing response, Jake flinched as if he had been struck and immediately scanned the surroundings with a tense expression. His reaction served as silent affirmation of Se-Hoon¡¯s question.


    Se-Hoon chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She wouldn¡¯t go as far as hiring someone to beat me up, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, she definitely won¡¯t go that far, but your campus life might get a bit more difficult...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s what I wanted, actually.¡±


    From what he had observed, Sung-Ha¡¯s primary concern seemed to be winning against Aria. Thus, attracting the attention of his rival would naturally boost his presence. This would make it much easier to make Sung-Ha behave better.


    ¡°Why do you dislike my sister so much, anyway?¡± Jake asked, puzzled by Se-Hoon¡¯s attitude.


    Most of the time, cksmiths crave for their equipment to be used by Aria. Se-Hoon, on the other hand, seemed to harbor some form of animosity toward her.


    Jake¡¯s questioning gaze made Se-Hoon recall a memory from the past.


    <i>¡°This sword is also nothing special.¡±</i>


    Her voice was saturated with boredom, and her gaze was filled with disdain. She then walked toward the legion of demons without hesitation. After that, one of the champions at the forefront of humanity, the Holy Swordsman, vanished.


    ¡°Well.¡±


    What came after her disappearance was the Harbinger of Destruction, who was able to forge weapons from the remnants of fallen Harbingers.


    ¡°Her face doesn¡¯t sit well with me.¡±


    Though it was an event of the far future, he had already experienced it before the regression. Thus, he wasn¡¯t able to look at that psychopathic narcissist without bias.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Se-Hoon ended the conversation and walked away, leaving Jake with aplicated expression.


    Jake had assumed that there was some unknown history between them or that Se-Hoon genuinely judged people by their faces. Whatever the reason was, it was clear that they surely wouldn¡¯t get along well.


    ¡°What the heck...¡±


    <i>Buzz-</i>


    Feeling the vibration in his pocket, he took out his phone and read the text.


    Aria: Seems like you¡¯ve made an interesting friend. Keep me posted on everything.


    It seemed she was going to use him as a go-between in the future. Jake sighed deeply as his gaze fell on the second message that was sent.


    Aria: This narrow-minded and sinister sister would like to ask for a favor. ^^


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    It dawned on Jake that he might have gotten himself into bigger trouble than Se-Hoon did.


    ***


    On Monday morning, Se-Hoon stepped out of the dormitory and furrowed his brow due to the sensations all over his body.


    <i>Guess I overdid it...</i>


    The current state of his body was the side effect ofbining Explosive Fusionite and Iron Desire to enhance it. All around his body, he felt as if it were being torn apart piece by piece. Thankfully, Soul Honing made the pain bearable, but without it, his body would have already burst somewhere.


    <i>I can¡¯t believe I haven¡¯t recovered even after resting for a whole day.</i>


    Iron Desire had consumed Explosive Fusionite too fast, and the bacsh was too severe. Deciding to use Iron Desire judiciously in the future, he arrived at the ssroom.


    ¡°Whew...¡±


    He slowly scanned the interior of the ssroom after sitting down. A week had passed, and everyone seemed to have gotten somewhat used to each other. They were all chatting normally, though some flinched upon meeting his gaze.


    ¡°T-the exchange me-meeting is s-soon going t-to happen."


    Hans, in particr, twitched and stuttered every time their eyes met. Perhaps Hans was more sensitive to Se-Hoon¡¯s gaze, as he was the second-ranking student at the end of the day.


    <i>Interesting.</i>


    Se-Hoon smirked, deciding to tease Hans for a bit with his gaze, but then the ssroom door banged open.


    <i>Rattle- Rattle-</i>


    A short, stocky professor entered on top of a cart golem. His striking entrance easily captured everyone¡¯s attention.


    Seeing the astonishment of the students at his entrance, he tapped the board behind him and shouted, ¡°Pay attention!¡±


    His voice was loud and boomed across the room; it was surprising given his small stature.


    The students straightened up at hismand, and the professor crossed his arms.


    ¡°For the next two weeks, I¡¯ll be teaching the Metallurgy ss. The subject I¡¯ll be focusing on is Attribute Forging.¡±


    Metallurgy, apulsory major course, rotated professors throughout the first semester to expose students to various fields. It was a way of identifying their potential in more specific majors for the second semester.


    ¡°Some of you might think that you can just breeze through the basics. Feel free to think that way, and I¡¯ll also freely give you failing grades.¡±


    Lis, the cart-mounted professor, issued them a warning which made all of the students tense up. He was well-known in the Department of cksmithing, notably for once grabbing a student who relied on his family¡¯s name and smashing his ribs with a hammer after throwing him on an anvil.


    <i>¡°I¡¯m avoiding him to stay away from trouble. Remember that.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Ever seen anyone with more pride than a lion?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°If you don¡¯t want to be bitten, stay away.¡±</i>


    The students adjusted their postures once again after remembering the advice of their sunbaes. Se-Hoon gauged the atmosphere and smiled subtly.


    <i>He seems like a good professor.</i>


    Satisfied, Lis sat down on the cart and continued, ¡°Before we start the lesson, let¡¯s go over the evaluations of your project submissions fromst week and distribute the budget ordingly for this semester.¡±


    It was their first budget since entering Babel, and since the money could be used for personal expenses without much restriction, all of the students looked forward to it with anticipation.


    ¡°Come up when I call out your name.¡±


    As Lis called out each name and handed out evaluation papers, the reactions varied between joy and dismay. As the process went on, everyone¡¯s attention gradually focused on one person.


    <i>How much will he get?</i>


    <i>It¡¯ll probably be three times mine.</i>


    Having forged an overwhelmingly superior weapon, not to mention causing several disturbances since his enrollment, the budget amount was especially anticipated.


    As everyone looked on with bated breath, ¡°Lastly... Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Your budget hasn¡¯t been determined yet.¡±


    The unexpected announcement surprised the cadets.


    Then, with a displeased expression, Lis added, ¡°Due to the overwhelming quality of your submission, it¡¯s been decided that it will be included it in a public auction with the pieces of the second-year students this Wednesday. Your budget will be determined based on the auction price, so you need to wait until then.¡±


    From Lis¡¯s exnation and expression, Se-Hoon was roughly able to understand the situation.


    <i>Pulling mine aside like this... are they plotting something again?</i>


    If it was orchestrated by Michael, it could potentially be unfavorable to Se-Hoon. However, Se-Hoon decided it wasn¡¯t worth worrying over. If it was a serious problem, In-Cheol would have intervened.


    <i>And... it might be an interesting scene to see.</i>


    ¡°Understood.¡± He nodded calmly with a slight smile.


    Lis became displeased at Se-Hoon¡¯s unworried demeanor.


    <i>Does he not care enough to question it? Or does he think there is something good about this...</i>


    Lis had been prepared to object to In-Cheol¡¯s decision if Se-Hoon had raised any objections, but it seemed that there had been no need. Sighing deeply, he changed the subject.


    ¡°Ok, now, back to the lesson... today, we¡¯ll start with applying fire mana to the forging process. Specifically, we¡¯ll learn how to handle residual mana so that the equipment¡¯s durability doesn¡¯t suffer.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s interest was piqued at the mention of fire and residual mana, abination that immediately reminded him of Yeom Sung-Ha.


    <i>This is quite timely.</i>


    He had been wanting to refine his basics before obtaining Sung-Ha¡¯s Fatestone.


    ¡°And we also have a volunteer student that will assist with today¡¯s lesson on residual mana.¡±


    ¡°A student?¡±


    ¡°Who is it?"


    While everyone wondered who it could be, Se-Hoon had an inkling of what was going on and instinctively looked toward the ssroom door.


    ¡°Come on in.¡±


    The door slid open, and Sung-Ha entered with a stoic face, just like the appearance Se-Hoon had seen over the weekend.

 Chapter 30

    <h4>Chapter 30</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    Upon Sung-Ha¡¯s unexpected appearance, Se-Hoon¡¯s mouth dropped in surprise. Simrly, the other students looked shocked as well, even more than Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Uh, what?¡±


    ¡°Why is that sunbae here...?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    To Se-Hoon, Sung-Ha was just a dog whose skills barely deserved some attention, but to the other students, it was apletely different story. Sung-Ha was the next sessor of the Inferno Ring, an intangible cultural heritage of South Korea, and also a promising S-rank hero candidate.


    Most importantly, in terms of the Hall of Martial Arts ranking, he possessed martial prowess that brought him to stand among the top ten of the academy. His strength virtually ced him in a whole different world from normal students.


    ¡°He¡¯s been appointed as the temporary teaching assistant of this ss. His name is Yeom Sung-Ha. He¡¯s a third-year student of the Department of Spear Arts of Aqar Quf. You all should already know how famous he is, so make sure to treat him with respect.¡±


    After Lis¡¯s straightforward introduction, Sung-Ha simply nodded his head in greeting.


    The students, who had been staring at Sung-Ha with surprise, suddenly became filled with ambition, their eyes opening wide. Sung-Ha was a rising star who had astounding skills, talents, and even an impressive background. Even if they didn¡¯t manage to be close friends with him, simply being seen favorably by him could be a huge advantage for their futures.


    While the students were all eager to make an impression on Sung-Ha, Se-Hoon just chuckled to himself.


    <i>It seems he was quite in a hurry.</i>


    He didn¡¯t expect that Sung-Ha would show up on his own before Se-Hoon even had a chance to contact him. Initially thinking it was unexpected behavior, after some reflection, Se-Hoon realized that it wasn¡¯t as strange as he thought.


    After all, this was about his me Sect and its symbol, the Inferno Ring. Se-Hoon had imed that Sung-Ha would be the one to end its legacy and then took control of the Inferno Ring right in front of his eyes.


    It wouldn¡¯t be strange if Sung-Ha came looking for him in the middle of the night with a mask on; there were too many possible consequences that the method to steal control of the technique could bring.


    <i>If he chose this method toe to see me, then maybe he¡¯s not hostile toward me.</i>


    Se-Hoon looked down with interest, and feeling his gaze, Sung-Ha turned his head to meet Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes.


    As they stared at one another, the other students started to notice the strange tension that seemed to flow between them.


    ¡°We¡¯re still in ss, guys.¡±


    <i>Bang bang!</i>


    Lis banged on the desk, recapturing the attention in the room.


    ¡°If only you guys would show this much enthusiasm for your studies... <i>tsk</i>,¡± grumbled Lis, dissatisfied with the attitude of the students.


    He then lowered the height of the cart before operating the panel by his side. Several characters and the general form of a mana array appeared in the air.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough introductions; let¡¯s start with the basics before we move to practical exercises.¡±


    Still sitting on his cart, Lis began the lecture.


    ¡°When forging equipment, the use of residual mana can lead to two types: the independent type, which can absorb and generate mana on its own, and the rechargeable type, which requires an external supply of mana.¡±


    The independent type specialized in sustainability, whereas the rechargeable type sacrificed sustainability for a higher output of mana.


    They each had their strengths and weaknesses, but in terms of difficulty, the independent type was much harder to handle.


    <i>It¡¯s hard to create a core that can absorb and generate mana at the same time. Plus, above all, expanding its range is extremely hard.</i>


    For example, since Se-Hoon¡¯s Inkstone Bracelets could only absorb mana from the wearer and not from the ambient air, they could not be ssified as independent types even though they still absorbed mana.


    ¡°Independent types are quite tricky to forge. The method to create the mana corepletely changes depending on the materials, skills, and mana output of the cksmith.¡±


    Thus the method to forge them was not covered in the textbooks and could only be self-taught. It wasn¡¯t something that could be easily forged unless one had rted skills or previous knowledge of the process.


    ¡°So, you guys will start with rechargeable types first. Those who already know how to forge them should still listen to the lecture; just think of it as refining your skill. Assistant, please.¡±


    At Lis¡¯s call, Sung-Ha stepped forward and slowly moved his hand.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    Dark red mana appeared along the trajectory of his indifferent strokes. As if he were painting, the mana stayed fixed in the air. The students all widened their eyes in amazement.


    ¡°Fire mana is highly vtile and thus has a tendency to spread. That¡¯s why it¡¯s difficult to use the residual mana which needs to be fixed in ce.¡±


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    While Lis exined, mes surged from the dense mana that remained in the air, gradually refining the shape. In the blink of an eye, three me rings formed and started rotating, still fixed in their positions.


    ¡°However, if you can suppress its tendency to spread, the residual mana can show very resilient sustainability. An example is the technique the teaching assistant is currently demonstrating, the Inferno Ring.¡±


    The me rings continued to burn without any supply of mana whatsoever. To maintain each ring, fire mana had to be delicately controlled by a specific method to perfectly preserve the burning mes. Yet, Sung-Ha was juggling three of them at once.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s able to handle fire mana to such an extent...¡±


    ¡°I can barely even handle a furnace...¡±


    If the spear technique Sung-Ha disyed at the arena brought about a sense of raw power, then the sight of him maintaining the me rings would bring about a sense of awe to a cksmith. Everyone present knew how whimsical and violent fire mana could be.


    ¡°Well, it might not look that impressive since the assistant made it look too easy. Let¡¯s have another example...¡±


    Lis scanned the students and locked eyes with Se-Hoon, who was sitting in the back.


    ¡°The honor student would be appropriate to provide an example. Do you happen to possess fire mana?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then, just like how the assistant did, try forming a ring of fire mana.¡±


    Since a ring of fire mana was something that even second-year students struggled to produce, Lis intended to show that even the infamous honor student could not easily aplish it.


    ¡°Like this, right?¡±


    Unfortunately for Lis, Se-Hoon effortlessly formed a me ring above his hand. Unlike Sung-Ha¡¯s rings, which were freely fixed in the air, Se-Hoon¡¯s was surging from his hand, seemingly connected to it. However, there was no sign of additional mana supplying the ring.


    With a different method, Se-Hoon sessfully created and maintained a me ring using residual mana alone.


    The sight dropped Lis¡¯s mouth, and Sung-Ha¡¯s eyebrows twitched. In an instant, the atmosphere of the ssroom turned awkward, but Se-Hoon ignored it and just stared at the ring he had created.


    <i>Hm. I thought so. It¡¯s still too difficult to copy it exactly with my current body.</i>


    It wasn¡¯t difficult for him to create the me ring thanks to what he had learned from Sung-Ha before the regression, but maintaining it was quite challenging. He barely managed to maintain it with Soul Honing and the flow-control property of Scarlet Lotus. Without them, it would have copsed immediately after creation.


    <i>He¡¯s not the department¡¯s top student for nothing...</i>


    Although Lis¡¯s attempt to show the difficulty failed, the astonished reactions of the students suggested there was no need to continue stressing the difficulty of the process.


    Clearing his throat, Lis nonchntly continued, ¡°Well done. That will be enough.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ahem. Well, if I were to summarize the theme of this lesson, it would be this.¡±


    After gathering the students¡¯ attention, he manipted the panel to disy a word in the air.


    [me Ring]


    ¡°Since we have a fine assistant here, let¡¯s make the most of this opportunity. You guys may create anything, but try to stick to the theme of fire mana, rechargeable residual mana, and me rings.¡±


    Lis stood up from his cart and looked at the students with a smile.


    ¡°The deadline for submissions is next Thursday. You may submit something before then and treat the remaining time as free time. Of course, that would mean you are confident in your submission, so ordingly, I will assess your submission more critically.¡±


    He finished with a warning that he would not let off those who hastily submit work to ck off. Although the students tensed up at his warning, their eyes sparkled with excitement.


    Last week, there were many restrictions on forging methods under the pretext of assessing their basics, but it was different this week. Additionally, there was an important spectator this time¡ªSung-Ha.


    ¡°That¡¯s the end of the exnation; let¡¯s move to the forging room now. I¡¯ll show a few temte submissions, so hurry up.¡±


    Lis exited the ssroom, but Sung-Ha remained, standing silently on the podium.


    The students who had gotten up to leave nced at each other upon seeing Sung-Ha¡¯s standing there. They wanted to approach and talk to him, but his indifferent expression and the heavy atmosphere around him made it difficult to approach.


    Yet, despite all that, one student boldly stepped forward.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Yeom Sung-Ha sunbae-nim.¡±


    Hans had on a polite and gentle smile, and his attitude was so impably perfect that it was hard to believe he was the same person who had been pressured under Se-Hoon¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°My name is...¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    Sung-Ha¡¯s cold response made Hans retreat dejectedly. Instantly realizing that now was not the time to try striking up a conversation, the students left the ssroom one by one, not wanting to get on Sung-Ha¡¯s bad side.


    Then, when only two students were left in the ssroom, Sung-Ha slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Sung-Ha looked up silently from the podium, like a me about to burst.


    ¡°What,¡± responded Se-Hoon, looking down at Sung-Ha from his chair.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    It was a somewhat unexpected question, but it was the only one Sung-Ha was able to ask.


    He had investigated Se-Hoon throughout the weekend, but all he could find out was that Se-Hoon¡¯s family was unfortunately caught in a disaster. Se-Hoon had no particr master and he didn¡¯t show a disy of incredible talent before admission either. It was truly mysterious how he was able to control the Inferno Ring.


    <i>He¡¯s shrouded in mist.</i>


    The information on him was too scant for even a guess. With no other option, Sung-Ha chose to ask him directly.


    <i>Straight to the point as always, </i>thought Se-Hoon.


    Rather than snooping around or observing, he always just straight-up asked the person involved. Rather than saying he was bold, he bordered on being foolish, but this was always a critical moment when dealing with Sung-Ha.


    <i>He doesn¡¯t hesitate at all.</i>


    The moment one tried to gauge his reaction, he would judge them based on that alone and act immediately. If he perceived someone as an enemy due to unnecessary words, he would attack indiscriminately, no matter what they had to say.


    <i>Though he seems softer than during his Mad Dog days... there¡¯s no need toplicate matters unnecessarily.</i>


    Se-Hoon already knew that Sung-Ha wasn¡¯t interested in his life story.


    ¡°I heard that the performance of the Inferno Ring depends on how many me rings one can maintain at once... the ones you just showed us are those me rings, right?¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°It seemed easy for you to maintain three. If you did it properly, you could probably maintain five¡ªno, probably six.¡±


    The current sect master, Lee Won-Ryong, was an A-rank hero whose skills were close to those of an S-rank. He was someone who had achieved the state of maintaining eight rings simultaneously.


    And Sung-Ha, who was decades younger, was already catching up to his level.


    ¡°So what? Just answer my question.¡±


    But this was amonly known fact. Thus, Sung-Ha pressed for an answer without saying anything, yet Se-Hoon just continued with a smile, ¡°You once managed to maintain up to seven rings, right? Then one day, suddenly, you weren¡¯t able to maintain them anymore.¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s remark, Sung-Ha¡¯s once stoic face flushed. How could a freshman possibly have known something he had only shared with one person and no one else, not even the Sect Master?


    Caught off guard by his unexpected words, Sung-Ha¡¯s thought process nearly ground to a stop. Se-Hoon quickly continued, sensing the opportunity, ¡°I don¡¯t know if noticed at the entrance ceremony, but I have some talent for handling mes. Should I describe myself as what peoplemonly term the phrase genius?¡±


    It felt a bit odd tobel himself a genius, but to persuade someone who resorted to fists at the slightest inconvenience, he had to be blunt.


    ¡°And watching how you wielded the me rings in the arena, something seemed off. You had the energy, but you weren¡¯t fully utilizing it, letting it dissipate aimlessly instead...¡±


    Sung-Ha remained silent, unable to refute. Looking down at him, Se-Hoon spoke with conviction.


    ¡°You used to have a much better skill, but it¡¯s deteriorated now.¡±


    Such a im sounded absurd, but astonishingly, everything he had said was true. After all, Se-Hoon had heard it from Sung-Ha himself before the regression.


    <i>¡°When my skills deteriorated, I couldn¡¯t even properly deploy six rings. Everyone said they couldn¡¯t notice a difference, but that made it even more terrifying. It made me wonder if it was me who had changed.¡±</i>


    At that time, Sung-Ha felt something was wrong, but he was the only one who did. This led him to struggle with only six rings for years alone, marking the stagnation period and the starting point of his twisted life.


    <i>It sounded like nonsense at the time, but after seeing it firsthand, I sort of understand now.</i>


    Perhaps because of his prior knowledge, Se-Hoon was also able to notice a serious distortion in Sung-Ha¡¯s me rings. Any further progress was impossible without recognizing and correcting this distortion.


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s causing it?¡± Sung-Ha urgently asked him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure... but I do have a guess.¡±


    ¡°Can you prove it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can.¡±


    Hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s answer, Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes zed as Se-Hoon met his gaze.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t see why I should help you,¡± Se-Hoon said with a smile on his face.


    With the hierarchy between them established, it was now time for Se-Hoon to start negotiations. Offering Sung-Ha help without expecting anything in return would only result in ungrateful responses like, ¡°Are you stupid?¡±


    It was absolutely necessary to clearly define the terms.


    ¡°Say what you want.¡±


    It seemed Se-Hoon¡¯s offer was sopelling that Sung-Ha epted it readily. Responding to his cooperative attitude, Se-Hoon held up two fingers.


    ¡°First, for any advice and help you receive from me, you will pay a fair price.¡±


    He wanted to establish that this was a transaction, not mere goodwill.


    ¡°Second, if you think you¡¯re about to overlook something, consult with me.¡±


    With this, a safety for events that Se-Hoon might not have considered was created.


    Sung-Ha looked at Se-Hoon with a slightly strange expression.


    <i>His offer isn¡¯t bad.</i>


    Rather than simple exploitation, Se-Hoon¡¯s offer leaned toward a cooperative rtionship. However, it was significantly in Sung-Ha¡¯s favor, and considering his current situation, Sung-Ha felt uneasy, like a pig walking into a butcher shop.


    ¡°Are you in or not? I have to go to ss, so hurry up.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t answer by the time I leave, I¡¯ll take it as a no.¡±


    Seeing Sung-Ha continue to remain silent, he got up and started walking to the door. Right before he was about to pass by Sung-Ha and exit the ssroom, Sung-Ha finally managed to squeeze out his voice.


    ¡°...I¡¯ll do it. But only if you show me the evidence,¡± Sung-Ha said with a look of reluctance.


    At that, Se-Hoon grinned and pointed toward the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you right now.¡±

 Chapter 31

    <h4>Chapter 31</h4>


    Finished with their conversation, Se-Hoon and Sung-Ha finally left the ssroom and arrived at the forging roomte. Lis, who had been doing a demonstration for the other students, narrowed his eyes after seeing them.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you toe quickly?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Sung-Ha sunbae wanted to briefly discuss the me ring,¡± replied Se-Hoon confidently.


    ¡°...Yes, I did,¡± confirmed Sung-Ha bluntly.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>... next time, save the personal discussions for after the lecture.¡±


    Lis normally wouldn¡¯t tolerateziness, especially from those without skill, but there was no reason to reprimand someone who was overflowing with talent like Se-Hoon.


    Se-Hoon took his seat at a forging station and the demonstration resumed. As Lis talked, he nced around the room.


    <i>I guess it¡¯s still basic instructions for now. Half of the students are already drawing out their designs.</i>


    Quickly realizing there was no need to listen attentively to Lis, he quietly got up to examine the materials that were on one side of the room.


    <i>Hm. Even though these are just typically provided materials, there are quite a few useful ones.</i>


    These materials were provided to lessen the financial burden on the students and would not affect the budget they were allocated earlier. Surprisingly, the quality was quite good.


    <i>I remember working like a ve in the workshops run by professors before the regression and getting paid with materials instead of money...</i>


    As he recalled his past, he chose some materials and then returned to his seat. The sight of him choosing without hesitation surprised the students who noticed.


    <i>He¡¯s picking materials already?</i>


    <i>Does he not need to verify his design?</i>


    Normally, theplex nature of mana circuits in equipment with residual mana caused the design to require meticulous nning and verification before starting the forging process.


    Yet Se-Hoon had skipped straight to forging, not even sketching a draft.


    This unconventional approach surprised not only the students but also Lis, who was still amid his demonstration.


    Feeling a particrly intense gaze among the stares from all over, Se-Hoon nced over.


    ¡°...¡±


    He immediately noticed Sung-Ha, eyes wide open, ring at him; he seemed determined to catch Se-Hoon¡¯s every move. Realizing that his gaze was mixed with suspicion and anticipation, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but smirk.


    <i>That bastard¡¯s eyeballs are going to pop.</i>


    Noticing the smirk, Sung-Ha¡¯s gaze intensified even further, but Se-Hoon just ignored it and examined his chosen materials.


    The primary materials for his forging session were Fire Crimson Stone and Dark Cloud Stone, which contained fire and darkness mana respectively, making them standard choices for materials.


    <i>The ratio should be about seven to three... I should start with the heating.</i>


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The furnace roared to life as soon as it was switched on and began devouring mana as fuel. After checking the temperature, Se-Hoon immediately ced the Fire Crimson Stone and Dark Cloud Stone into the furnace.


    ¡°He¡¯s just tossing them in?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t all of the intrinsic elemental mana just dissipate?¡±


    Since this was a mistake that not even a novice would make, the students found it unbelievable that the honor student had done it. As everyone watched with perplexed expressions, Se-Hoon rolled up the sleeve of his right arm and looked into the furnace.


    <i>Here ites.</i>


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The heated Fire Crimson Stone and Dark Cloud Stone cracked, leaking the intrinsic elemental mana they contained.


    The two types of mana immediately began shing with the mes inside the furnace. Noticing that they were seemingly about to be consumed entirely by the mes, he protected his right arm with Scarlet Lotus and plunged it into the furnace.


    ¡°<i>Gasp</i>...!¡±


    ¡°<i>Agh</i>...!¡±


    The daring sight surprised the watching students. Meanwhile, Se-Hoon, the man of the hour, nonchntly stirred the mes inside the furnace with his right hand.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    With each movement of his hand, the two different types of mana blended with the mes.


    After stirring the mes inside the furnace for a while, Se-Hoon felt a sense of resistance with his palm and promptly withdrew his arm.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    A me, intricately mixed with red and ck mana, was slowly swiveling inside the furnace. This sight of such a mysterious me left the surrounding students agape, and even Lis became astonished.


    <i>Fire transmutation...?</i>


    Fire transmutation was a technique used to imbue elemental mana by controlling the mes. It was a high-level technique that required not just precise mana control but also proficiency in handling mes.


    Yet Se-Hoon had just managed to pull it off while simultaneously imbuing both fire and darkness mana.


    <i>So there was a reason behind Professor Kim¡¯s confidence...</i>


    To Lis, it was as if he were watching a cksmith with decades of experience, one that had faced all manners of challenges.


    Overwhelmed by such undeniable talent, Lispletely forgot about the ss, lost in his admiration for Se-Hoon.


    <i>Maybe it was too early, </i>thought Se-Hoon with a frown as he tried to shake off the heat from his right arm.


    He had wondered if he could pull the technique off with the Master of mes and Scarlet Lotus, and it seemed he was still unable to withstand that level of heatpletely.


    <i>Although they mixed a bit less than I thought... the more important matter is the control of the me.</i>


    It might seem like a regr fire transmutation to others, but to Sung-Ha, it likely was a different scene entirely. Rather than forging equipment, Se-Hoon¡¯s main goal for this forging session was to make Sung-Ha understand what controlling mes really meant.


    <i>Watch closely.</i>


    After ensuring that the me¡¯s flow wouldn¡¯t stop, Se-Hoon carefully adjusted the furnace¡¯s internal mana using the buttons at his feet. Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes soon widened from afar at the sight of the resulting scene.


    <i>Is that...</i>


    Inside the furnace, fire mana spun rapidly in circles while the darkness mana, flowing slowly, enveloped it.


    In disbelief, Sung-Ha started at the harmonious interaction of the two types of elemental mana.


    <i>How can the two types of mana with conflicting natures blend so seamlessly...?</i>


    Fire mana was known for its outward-spreading nature and rapid movement. It was a stark contrast to darkness mana, which was known for its inward-eroding nature and its slow movement. It was astonishing that Se-Hoon was able to mix these two fundamentally opposing types of elemental mana seamlessly.


    Captivated by the phenomenon, Sung-Ha was able to quickly discern the trick after some observation.


    <i>It¡¯s thanks to a proper ratio that allows the two types of elemental mana to maintain bnce, and... ayout that reflects the characteristics of the mana.</i>


    By cing the inward-eroding darkness mana on the outside and the outward-spreading fire mana on the inside, the two counterbnced, stabilizing each other. While this was simple to say, bncing the ratio and controlling the movement of each type of mana was aplex task. If one could reach an even higher level ofpetence, they would be able to support an even faster rotation, which would lead to the formation of a perfect circle.


    <i>...A circle?</i>


    The moment this thought urred to Sung-Ha, a vision naturally formed in his mind.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The vision showed a murky, crimson me ring speeding up and separating into two colors to form a red circle enveloped in ck wisps.


    Seeing the form of the me ring in his mind, he naturally came to a realization.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Not being able to use his other type of elemental mana, because it was thought to hinder the acquisition of the Inferno Ring, had been holding him back.


    ***


    After the ss ended, students slowly gathered around Sung-Ha, who was once again standing still in the room. They didn¡¯t know why, but he seemed to be in a slightly better mood than when he was in the lecture room.


    ¡°Um... sunbae-nim, would you like to have lunch with us...?¡± asked Hans and his group, who approached more politely this time.


    Noticing their eager eyes, Sung-Ha slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood right now.¡±


    ¡°Then, perhaps...¡±


    ¡°So, get lost before it bes bad again.¡±


    At his curt response, the students withdrew with drooped shoulders. After watching them leave, Sung-Ha turned around to look at the only person left in the room with him.


    ¡°Did you get the gist of it?¡± Se-Hoon asked.


    He was smiling as if he already knew what Sung-Ha¡¯s answer was. Although Sung-Ha found Se-Hoon¡¯s self-satisfied look somewhat annoying, he nodded in confirmation.


    ¡°Thanks to the control method you showed, I¡¯ve found a clue.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then try making one.¡±


    ¡°...Don¡¯t order me around.¡±


    Despite the gruff response, Sung-Ha still created a me ring by drawing a circle in the air.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    As usual, a dark, crimson me arose and formed a circle, but this time, it was thicker and elerating faster than usual. The speed pushed the dark tones of the ring to the surface, while the red tones sank inward. The result was the ck me Wheel, a symbol of Mad Dog Yeom Sung-Ha. Its appearance made Se-Hoon feel a slight bit of admiration for him.


    <i>I didn¡¯t expect that he could make it in a single try after looking at my example just once.</i>


    Sung-Ha possessed two types of A-tier elemental mana: the fire-attributed Crimson me Soul and the darkness-attributed Nightshade Soul. However, he practically only used the Crimson me Soul due to the traditions of the me Sect.


    <i>Themon belief among them is that they can only reach the pinnacle of the Inferno Ring with pure mes.</i>


    Because of this tradition, Sung-Ha had to suppress the Nightshade Soul despite having a natural gift for it. Initially, there seemed to be no issues, but problems arose as he achieved higher levels of the Inferno Ring. Sometimes, the color of the me ring would be a murky dark crimson, and at other times it became difficult to control the me rings.


    <i>That¡¯s why he regressed from seven rings to six.</i>


    The reason Sung-Ha was struggling was a phenomenon caused by a conflict between the understanding of the technique and the usage of mana. But after today¡¯s revtion, he should return to seven rings soon enough.


    <i>He¡¯ll also awaken his unique skill, Complete Source Resonance.</i>


    Once Sung-Ha awakened his skill and properly harnessed it, it would allow him to fight on equal terms with Aria Myers, whom he had overwhelmingly lost to many times.


    ¡°Not bad. While you¡¯re at it, let¡¯s see how many you can create.¡±


    ¡°I told you not to order me around.¡±


    ¡°Would you be so kind as to do it?¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Seemingly curious himself, Sung-Ha started to create more ck me Wheels. In the blink of an eye, five ck me Wheels werepleted and lined up in the air. Five rings nowpleted, Sung-Ha summoned the mes for the sixth ring.


    <i>Spark! Fwoosh!</i>


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Despite the mes showing up, Sung-Ha failed to form another me ring, prompting Se-Hoon to look at him with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not working.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the strength to create the sixth me ring.¡±


    Despite Sung-Ha¡¯s furrowed brow that showed his focus on exerting his full effort, there were no signs of the sixth me ring forming.


    With some observation, Se-Hoon btedly realized the cause.


    <i>Is it because creating ck me Wheels requires so much concentration?</i>


    It was natural that Sung-Ha was unable to create the sixth ring, as each ck me Wheel had to be elerated faster than normal rings. He also needed to simultaneously handle two types of elemental mana while controlling the precise ratios.


    <i>But to think that he would be unable to even make six rings when he could make seven before...</i>


    Though Se-Hoon was initially somewhat taken aback by this unexpected setback, he wasn¡¯t overly concerned. After all, it only appeared as a degeneration in skill; considering the power and characteristics of the ck me Wheel, Sung-Ha¡¯s strength had actually increased.


    He would naturally be able to increase the number of ck me Wheels he could maintain as he grew familiar with them, so there was no need to rush.


    ¡°This is problematic.¡±


    However, unlike Se-Hoon, Sung-Ha seemed concerned.


    ¡°Problematic? Why?¡±


    ¡°The me Sect regrly sends mentors to check up on the sessors of the Inferno Ring. And...¡±


    After pausing briefly, he continued with a heavy tone, ¡°Failing to maintain at least six me rings will disqualify one from sessorship.¡±


    nkly staring at him, Se-Hoon, needing rification asked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t being strong be enough?¡±


    ¡°The me Sect is a n that passes down the Inferno Ring, a cultural heritage. While strength is important, one¡¯s aptitude for the Inferno Ring is a priority.¡±


    Prioritizing the refinement of technique over brute strength was characteristic of a n that passed down a martial tradition. But to Se-Hoon, it was simply a pain in the neck, as it was something Se-Hoon hadn¡¯t known before the regression.


    ¡°Just do it the old way then...¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t work either.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Instead of exining in words, Sung-Ha attempted to create six me rings using the old method. But when he tried to form the sixth ring, his Nightshade Soul surged uncontrobly and swallowed the me, preventing more than five rings from forming.


    ¡°Trying to make me rings with the old method like before causes the Nightshade Soul to be uncontroble. The old method is no longer viable.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    There was a saying in the cksmithing industry: if youcked skill, you could easily make poor-quality equipment, but once your skill improved, you couldn¡¯t make poor-quality equipment even if you wanted to.


    In other words, there was no way Sung-Ha was messing up on purpose. The current situation fit the saying perfectly.


    ¡°So, when is this <i>mentor</i> arriving?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°...Tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Tomorrow, on Tuesday.¡±


    Hearing his response, Se-Hoon furrowed his brow in frustration. One could argue that losing heirship was temporary, as reiming the ability to produce six rings could warrant a rechallenge, but it wasn¡¯t as simple as it sounded.


    ording to what Se-Hoon had learned from Sung-Ha before the regression, once his heirship was revoked, he would be emunicated immediately, as if they had been eagerly awaiting the moment.


    <i>That might not be the exact situation, but the real one won¡¯t be that much different.</i>


    The grim expression on Sung-Ha¡¯s face was enough to confirm it.


    Although the situation was infuriating enough to warrant cursing, Se-Hoon kept a cool head and thought things through.


    <i>There¡¯s still time.</i>


    The regression to the state of five rings was merely a temporary phenomenon for Sung-Ha. With just a bit of guidance, he could easily go back to maintaining six rings.


    <i>But the issue is how do I help him achieve that in just a day...</i>


    As Se-Hoon pondered what training method could benefit Sung-Ha, an old memory soon surfaced.


    <i>¡°Such an inconvenient weapon. If I had received it back then, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to use it.¡±</i>


    He remembered how Sung-Ha hadined upon receiving the first weapon Se-Hoon had forged for him. It was an infuriating experience at the time, but it seemed like a feasible solution for now.


    cing his hand on Sung-Ha¡¯s shoulder, he quickly performed Bond Extraction.


    <strong>[Extracting bond from subject ¡®Yeom Sung-Ha¡¯]</strong>


    <strong>[The bond with the host is Lv. 1.]</strong>


    ¡°What are you doing...?¡±


    ¡°Shush.¡±


    Ignoring the confused Sung-Ha, Se-Hoon immediately conjured an image of Sung-Ha in his mind. What came to him was a stubborn individual who never bent their belief once they were set on it. Yet, he was also someone who possessed a warm personality and deep loyalty and humbleness, willing to set aside his pride to repay kindness.


    This unbending, yet in some ways, paradoxical character was the Mad Dog Se-Hoon knew.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    As if shaping ording to his thoughts, red-colored mana surged within his hand and formed Sung-Ha¡¯s Fatestone. The stone was interspersed with red and ck specks, engraved with patterns that seemed to spread out in circr waves. It looked more crudely shaped than before the regression.


    <i>Perhaps it¡¯s because he¡¯s still young.</i>


    Regardless of the shape, it would be fine as its performance was simr. Se-Hoon immediately checked the Fatestone¡¯s information.


    <strong>[<u>Fatestone - Dark Crimson Stone</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A piece of ore containing both fire and darkness mana.</strong>


    <strong>The wavelengths produced by the two elemental attributes resonate within itself.</strong>


    <strong>*Amplifies the power of materials used together]</strong>


    Seeing traces of Sung-Ha¡¯s yet-to-be-awakened unique skill, Complete Source Resonance, in the Fatestone, Se-Hoon was able to confirm that it was suitable for use.


    He then faced Sung-Ha and asked, ¡°Are you willing to do anything to retain your heirship?¡±


    Sung-Ha hesitated momentarily before nodding firmly.


    ¡°I am willing to do anything.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Gaining confidence from Sung-Ha¡¯s resolve, Se-Hoon lit up with determination.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll start with changing your weapon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    It was time for aplete overhaul.

 Chapter 32

    <h4>Chapter 32</h4>


    Located in the third sector of the north section of Aqar Quf was a private training room that was created for students who wanted to hide their abilities from the public eye. However, the right to use it was a privilege granted only to a select few students at Babel Academy.


    To use this facility, they needed to meet one of the following conditions: be ranked within the top 100 of the Hall of Martial Arts, be among the top thirty of any department, or be recognized after an interview with the dean.


    With such conditions, most students graduate without ever having the chance to see this ce.


    Se-Hoon, however, was able to easily enter the private training room with the help of Sung-Ha.


    [ess granted.]


    After showing that message, the door to the training room opened with a short mechanical sound. The entire interior¡ªthe ceiling, walls, and floor¡ªwere covered in white tiles that were marked with a grid-like pattern, presenting a rather deste scene.


    ¡°You can change the room theme, right? Try changing it to something else,¡± Se-Hoon said, urging Sung-Ha.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine as it is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not fine with it, so change it quickly.¡±


    ¡°How pathetic...¡± Sung-Ha muttered before tapping on the panel in the air to tweak the room settings. The walls shimmered with mana, and the scenery changed instantly.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    A small house with a blue-tiled roof and a courtyard enclosed by a fence appeared. Beyond the fence, trees swayed in the wind and hills stretched endlessly. Everything was under a clear blue sky, creating a refreshing atmosphere.


    <i>This is not bad.</i>


    Se-Hoon looked around slowly and discovered a sign that read ¡°me Sect¡± above the tile house. He smirked at Sung-Ha.


    ¡°You say that I¡¯m pathetic, yet it seems you use scenery quite often. Perhaps you¡¯re homesick?¡±


    ¡°My master sent it to me, so I used it asionally.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Sure.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not even listening to me.¡±


    Ignoring Sung-Ha¡¯s gaze, Se-Hoon gently touched the wall of the fence.


    <i>The replica uracy is about eighty percent.... Their technology is about twenty years ahead of the outside world.</i>


    The technology used in this room was environment creation via mana. At this current point in time, the technology was still under development and not very efficient, yet at Babel Academy, it was provided to the students on such arge scale.


    It was truly a sight only possible here.


    <i>I could maybe even use this for forging sessionster on.</i>


    Taking note of the room, Se-Hoon turned his gaze to Sung-Ha, who was looking at him disapprovingly.


    ¡°What about the weapon I mentioned earlier?¡± asked Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Sung-Ha tapped the panel again, opening a section of the courtyard. There, neatly organized spears, part of the standard equipment provided to those using the training room, rose from the ground. There was a variety that ranged from spear des to shafts, and the quality of each was not bad at all.


    <i>Hmm. These should do it.</i>


    After choosing suitable spears, Se-Hoon approached the idly standing Sung-Ha. He held out the spears to him.


    ¡°Take them.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sung-Ha made a strange expression as he looked at the two spears Se-Hoon held out.


    They were approximately 150 and 100 centimeters in length. There was nothing particrly faulty with them since they were standard spears provided by the academy, but the issue was that there were two spears rather than just one.


    ¡°Am I really supposed to handle these?¡±


    ¡°Yes. My arms are getting sore, so hurry up and take them.¡±


    ¡°Um...¡±


    Handling a single spear was awkward enough already, yet dual-wielding?


    As Sung-Ha hesitated, Se-Hoon lightly spun the spears and aimed the ends of the shafts at him.


    ¡°You said it yourself, didn¡¯t you? That you¡¯d do anything.¡±


    ¡°...I did, yes.¡±


    To Sung-Ha, once he promised something, he had to uphold it. So he received the two spears and tried adjusting his grip here and there before tentatively executing the basic moves of the Inferno Ring.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    The two spears traced circles, onerge and one small, in the air. As he was about to furrow his brows in frustration from how clumsy his movements were...


    <i>...Hm?</i>


    His expression softened as he observed the movement of the spears gradually bing smoother.


    The spacing between the two short spears meshed perfectly, dominating the space around them. Although the attack range was shorter than when using the traditional long spear with the Inferno Ring, the density of mana had increased.


    <i>Now that I¡¯m using Nighshade Soul, this might indeed suit me better...</i>


    Although it was still awkward to use both hands independently, there was a feeling that he would be stronger than before once he got used to it.


    As Sung-Ha looked at the two short spears with a mixed expression, surprised by the unexpected oue, Se-Hoon took out Sung-Ha¡¯s Fatestone, the Dark Crimson Stone.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Your training tool. Just wait a moment.¡±


    Closely examining the ck and red patterns engraved on the Dark Crimson Stone, Se-Hoon gathered mana into the tip of his finger and lightly struck the ore.


    <i>ng-!</i>


    The Dark Crimson Stone cleanly split into three pieces; it was almost like it had been sliced with a knife. Sung-Ha looked on with a slightly surprised expression.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°I just hit it in the right spot. Now, bring the spear tips here.¡±


    With a reluctant expression, Sung-Ha held out the spear tips, and Se-Hoon tightly secured a piece of the Dark Crimson Stone to each. From a distance, the two short spears would now look like poles.


    Se-Hoon stepped back after confirming they had been tied tightly.


    ¡°From now on, use your left hand to create me rings with Crimson me Soul and your right hand to release Nightshade Soul. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Do I just need to keep releasing Nightshade Soul through my right hand?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t even have to move your right hand. Just make sure the release isn¡¯t interrupted.¡±


    ¡°Hm... Got it.¡±


    Following Se-Hoon¡¯s instructions, Sung-Ha simultaneously released both types of mana.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Fiercely zing me rings and heavily dispersing darkness both filled the air. Maintaining the release of the two types of mana, Sung-Ha increased the number of me rings one by one.


    <i>Humm-!</i>


    Suddenly, the sound of something resonating burst from the tip of the spear in his left hand.


    ¡°What...?¡±


    ¡°That sound indicates that you unconsciously sent some of Nightshade Soul to your left hand.¡±


    Sung-Ha¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed at Se-Hoon¡¯s exnation. He was certain he was only using Crimson me Soul with his left hand, so to have Nightshade Soul mixed in was unexpected.


    After all, it meant that he didn¡¯t have proper control over his own mana.


    ¡°It¡¯s natural for your mana to mix if you possess multiple types of elemental mana. However, yours are entangling to the point of hindering each other.¡±


    ¡°Um...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because you¡¯ve been suppressing Nightshade Soul that you¡¯re having trouble controlling it now. Once you get used to handling both types of mana simultaneously, you¡¯ll be able to create six me rings easily.¡±


    Contemting Se-Hoon¡¯s exnation, Sung-Ha asked, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it be better to train with me rings mixed with both types of mana...¡±


    ¡°Just call them ck me Rings.¡±


    ¡°...Right. Won¡¯t it be better to train with ck me Rings?¡±


    ¡°That might be effective, but it won¡¯t be as efficient.¡±


    If Sung-Ha was able to establish the basics, creating ck me Rings would naturally be possible, so there was no need to take a more difficult approach.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll trust your methods this time.¡± Sung-Ha nodded.


    ¡°Good. Then wear this as well for your training.¡±


    Wearing the Inkstone Bracelets that had just been on Se-Hoon¡¯s arms, Sung-Ha¡¯s expression twitched slightly.


    ¡°You have pretty good equipment,¡± he calmly muttered.


    ¡°Well, work hard.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is important to me too,¡± answered Sung-Ha seriously before he resumed swinging the spears around, drawing me rings and scattering darkness in the air.


    <i>Humm-! Humm-!</i>


    Even though the training seemed to be going well, the sounds of mana resonating kept emerging.


    Due to how the bracelets absorbed mana, Sung-Ha wasn¡¯t able tost as long as he did initially, but he didn¡¯t blink an eye and repeated the practice over and over. With each urrence of the sound, he managed tost longer, and the awkward movements of the short spears also became slightly smoother.


    <i>He¡¯s adapting quickly. Maybe it¡¯s because this training method was created by his future self. </i>


    Like he had stolen a nce at an exam sheet already filled with answers, Sung-Ha found the right answer in no time and grew stronger quickly.


    His astonishing rate of growth made Se-Hoon smile bitterly.


    <i>Meanwhile, I never managed to do it well, no matter how hard I tried...</i>


    As Se-Hoon watched Sung-Ha train, he recalled how, before the regression, Sung-Ha used to harshly scold him and then sigh heavily at how Se-Hoon was unable to do what he was told.


    <i>Let¡¯s see how great you actually were in the past, </i>Se-Hoon thought before calmly observing Sung-Ha¡¯s movements from the corner of the courtyard.


    Se-Hoon was able to observe the shifting of Sung-Ha¡¯s center axis to the movement of his muscles, the pattern of his breathing, and the wavelength of the mana released from the tip of the spear as it circted through his body.


    ¡°...¡±


    Feeling the gaze, Sung-Ha slightly flinched, but he quickly continued training as if nothing had happened.


    Two hours had quickly passed, and they were nearly approaching the third hour.


    ¡°<i>Huff... huff...</i>¡± Sung-Ha was breathing roughly due to his depleted mana.


    ¡°What are you... staring at...¡± he said between breaths as he slowly turned his head.


    Annoyed, he looked at Se-Hoon, who continued to observe his breathing and movements.


    ¡°I¡¯m just collecting data.¡±


    ¡°Data?¡±


    ¡°The data needed for the weapon you¡¯ll use.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Sung-Ha widened his eyes in surprise.


    Se-Hoon chuckled at his reaction.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, though. I¡¯m making it for an assignment.¡±


    ¡°...I wasn¡¯t expecting anything from a weapon forged by a first-year,¡± replied Sung-Ha gruffly. He then continued training after replenishing his depleted mana with Adrenaline.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    The wind created by the training room brushed past them, gently swaying the trees.


    The sight of Sung-Ha calmly swinging his spears in the courtyard of the me Sect resembled a scene from a painting and made Se-Hoon feel a strange emotion.


    <i>This must be where the Inferno Ring began.</i>


    Although the me Sect¡¯s headquarters was currently a ten-story building located in the middle of Seoul, he had heard that the original headquarters was in a forest in the countryside. That was Sung-Ha¡¯s childhood home.


    Having only heard stories of the scenery, Se-Hoon naturally asked, ¡°Is there a reason why you must retain your heirship?¡±


    Before the regression, Sung-Ha had loudlyined about the events that made him who he was, but he was always reticent about this particr aspect.


    All he mentioned was that everything went wrong after he was stripped of the heirship. He never specified what the problem was or what urred.


    Thus, Se-Hoon wanted to hear about it from him right now, if possible.


    ¡°...¡±


    But Sung-Ha just continued swinging his spears as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything.


    <i>Hm... is it still difficult to hear it from him directly?</i>


    Considering that Sung-Ha never told him the backstory even when their bond was level five before the regression, it was perhaps a natural reaction as their bond was still level one.


    <i>Did I identally make him wary of me? Oh man, it¡¯s going to be a headache once this guy starts doubting¡ª</i>


    As Se-Hoon fretted over possibly having caused unnecessary suspicion, his thoughts were quietly interrupted by Sung-Ha who continued to swing his spears.


    ¡°My master wants me to be the next sect master. And as his disciple, I am simply following his wishes. There¡¯s no other necessary reason.¡±


    His answer felt genuine and not evasive, which made Se-Hoon stroke his chin thoughtfully.


    <i>It¡¯s probably more urate to say it was the wish of his father rather than his master.</i>


    Sung-Ha was actually an orphan who was adopted by Yeom Jin-Hyun, the founding father of the me Sect.


    Yeom Jin-Hyun was once an S-rank hero, but he retired due to injuries. Although everyone regarded him as a has-been who lost all real power within the sect, he still wielded absolute influence over Sung-Ha.


    <i>It might be good to learn more about Yeom Jin-Hyun.</i>


    Before the regression, Se-Hoon had met Sung-Ha after Yeom Jin-Hyun¡¯s death and the dissolution of the me Sect. However, right now, they were both very much alive.


    Understanding the rtionship between Yeom Jin-Hyun and the sect seemed crucial for navigating the future with Sung-Ha smoothly.


    <i>Being on good terms with Yeom Jin-Hyun might make things easier, considering how devoted he is to his master.</i>


    Maybe getting close to Yeom Jin-Hyun could directly boost their bond level to level three. As Se-Hoon entertained such idle thoughts, he was interrupted by Sung-Ha.


    ¡°Why are you helping me, though?¡± asked Sung-Ha in turn after halting his spear-swinging.


    ¡°Did someone pay you to?¡±


    His question was mixed with suspicion and genuine curiosity. After a moment of contemtion, Se-Hoon answered candidly, ¡°You know about the Six Great Demon Realms, right?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    They were ces where the Abyss of Demons had engulfed everything, altering the ecosystem entirely. Although they were teeming with demons now, Se-Hoon knew of the secret hidden within each realm.


    <i>The cores that maintain the environment of the Demon Realms are the fragments of the Harbingers.</i>


    Before the regression, he had only learned of this after the Six Harbingers had emerged in their full forms, catching humanity utterly defenseless. But this time, he had no intention of being foolishly caught off guard.


    ¡°I n to enter all the Demon Realms. To do that, I need people who can protect me and materials for their weapons.¡±


    Even if he didn¡¯t tell Sung-Ha the full story, just sharing the necessary parts should be enough. Without holding anything back, Se-Hoon revealed the rest of his n to Sung-Ha, ¡°So, I thought the next sect master would be a good candidate, both in terms of skill and financial ability.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s rather avaricious of you.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is. Why else would I help you when we only just met? It¡¯s all about give and take.¡±


    Well, there was also the goal of preventing him from bing the Mad Dog this time around, but mentioning that now would only make him seem crazy.


    Considering Se-Hoon¡¯s response for a moment, Sung-Ha slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°It seems we won¡¯t get along after all.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°If it were me, I would have be strong enough to enter the Six Great Demon Realms on my own. I can¡¯t trust my life to anyone else."


    ¡°Well... that¡¯s a valid point,¡± Se-Hoon agreed readily.


    Sung-Ha, after looking at him for a while, added, ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. If you¡¯re nning to receive my help, you should offer something reasonable in return.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you did.¡±


    ¡°So help me be the sect master.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°In return, I¡¯ll apany you into the Six Great Demon Realms.¡±


    Sung-Ha¡¯s casual proposal reminded Se-Hoon of a scene from before the regression.


    <i>¡°Forge a weapon for me, then I¡¯ll kill the Harbinger for you.¡±</i>


    The Mad Dog always kept his word, no matter what he said. Seeing the simr determination from Sung-Ha¡¯s younger self made Se-Hoon smirk unwittingly.


    ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t regret this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t regret such matters.¡±


    ¡°Heh... alright. If you say so, I trust you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    While Sung-Ha was contemting whether their deal was somewhat unfair, Se-Hoon took out the Fatestone he had previously shown Sung-Ha from his pocket.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°What else could it be? It¡¯s the material for your weapon.¡±


    After taking a quick look at the piece of ore in his hand, Se-Hoon covered it with his right hand, and mana began to swirl inside.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Dark Crimson Stone¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    Two types of vibrations flowed from his right hand.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Surprised by the energy that far surpassed anything he had unleashed before, Sung-Ha looked on in astonishment.


    ¡°Starting now, I¡¯ll make you a sect master even if you say you don¡¯t want toter.¡±


    Se-Hoon announced Sung-Ha¡¯s future with shining eyes.

 Chapter 33

    <h4>Chapter 33</h4>


    Babel Academy was known for itsrge structures, so of course it had to have a gigantic circr building reminiscent of the Colosseum.


    And before it stood Se-Hoon, who gazed up nkly at the sight of the building, which stood out due to its unparalleled scale even in Babel Academy.


    <i>Though I already felt this before my regression... the size of this building is really different.</i>


    uvium, the circr building, was known as the symbol andndmark of Aqar Quf. Every single department rted to weapons was based here.


    As Se-Hoon walked around its perimeter, he looked around curiously.


    <i>The building is divided into sections for different weapon departments. They¡¯re technically separated from each other, but they¡¯re all essentially part of onerge body.</i>


    Administratively, dozens of departments resided within, but in reality, vium as a whole was a massive collective known as the Department of Weapons. Aqar Quf often had several departments forming a single group, among which vium boasted thergest scale.


    <i>That¡¯s also why they¡¯re so damn big...</i>


    Se-Hoon continued observing his surroundings as he headed toward the central area of Aqar Quf. Eventually, he reached the ce he was headed.


    <i>I guess that¡¯s the park.</i>


    There was a park established in the central area that was surrounded by buildings. It exuded a mystical atmosphere with its dense trees and thergeke. Several students were lightly jogging around a track located on the outskirts.


    ¡°How many kilometers is onep?¡±


    ¡°Four kilometers.¡±


    ¡°What... that¡¯s really long. How manyps can you run?¡±


    ¡°I run about tenps in the morning and ten more in the evening.¡±


    To Sung-Ha, running eighty kilometers was a mere warm-up. That might seem abnormal to some, but considering he was among the top-ranking students of Babel Academy, it wasn¡¯t that strange.


    ¡°Is there anything else in the park? Theke looks like it has something to it too.¡±


    Se-Hoon, curious about things he had only heard about before the regression, asked one question after another. His curiosity made Sung-Ha squint his eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°Can you shut up so I can focus?¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been focused all night; what more is there to focus on? You¡¯ll naturally be able to concentrate once we get to the sparring grounds, so you might as well rest for a bit.¡±


    While some people would lose their focus once they rxed, others could regain their concentration anytime, anywhere. Sung-Ha belonged to thetter, so it was better for him to rx when possible and recover his focus when needed.


    Sung-Ha looked at Se-Hoon for a bit before sighing.


    ¡°You can¡¯t see it from here, but there¡¯s a garden decorated with flowers over there. I don¡¯t know much about theke.¡±


    ¡°Who takes care of the garden?¡±


    ¡°The garden managers, I guess. I¡¯ve heard that the students can manage the ones they¡¯ve nted themselves though.¡±


    Their conversation had basically been Se-Hoon pouring out an endless barrage of questions and Sung-Ha reluctantly answering each one of them. The other students, seeing this sight in the hallway, were shocked; their eyes were wide open as if they had seen a ghost.


    ¡°...Was that Yeom Sung-Ha sunbae?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the person next to him the first-year honor student of Borsippa...?¡±


    ¡°What the...¡±


    Among the students, Sung-Ha was famous for not ncing a single time at those without skills, and when it came to those with skills, he was famous for not engaging in any interactions outside of sparring with them. Thus, it made total sense that they found it absurd that Sung-Ha was having a casual conversation with a freshman from Borsippa.


    Aware of the shocked gazes of those in their surroundings, Se-Hoon chuckled and asked, ¡°What did you even do to make them look at you like that?¡±


    ¡°I only did what was necessary.¡±


    ¡°Then it must have been a mess...¡±


    Sung-Ha¡¯s life consisted of fighting those who were worth fighting and ignoring everyone else. The thought of how Sung-Ha had no interest in anything but bing stronger made Se-Hoon shake his head.


    ¡°Are you not going to check out the auction that¡¯s happening today?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, you mean the auction for second-years?¡±


    He was talking about the regr auction of the Department of cksmithing, where the Radiant Long Sword would be auctioned off. It should have been an important event for Se-Hoon since it would decide the budget for his first semester.


    ¡°Eh, why should I bother?¡± Se-Hoon replied indifferently.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like the bid price will go up just because I¡¯m there. It¡¯ll manage to get a good enough price on its own.¡±


    Although a part of him was curious about the skill level of the second-year students, he could always check that whenever he wanted. Taking care of Sung-Ha¡¯s matter first would be more beneficial.


    ¡°I see...¡± Sung-Ha silently nodded, deep in thought.


    Se-Hoon grinned at his reaction.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me; just make sure you don¡¯t waste all the effort you put in throughout the night.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been quite cocky since yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Should I address you formally then? Sung-Ha sunbae-nim~ like this?¡±


    ¡°Forget it. It sounds like you¡¯re mocking me.¡±


    Exchanging unnecessary banter, they arrived at themunal sparring ground on the first floor of vium. Se-Hoon immediately examined the people already there.


    They were wearing a uniform with me patterns on the cuffs and hems. On the right shoulder, there was a drawing symbolizing a me ring, and at its center, was a number written using a Chinese character.


    <i>That must represent the number of me rings they can maintain.</i>


    Examining the disciples of the me Sect standing in line, Se-Hoon nced at the shoulder of the man standing at the forefront.


    <i>Seven rings, he must be the leader.</i>


    The man, slender with sharp eyes, seemed a bit thin at first nce. However, the muscles visible beneath the cuffs and hems showed he was well-trained in both physique and mana.


    As Se-Hoon was examining him, the man stepped forward and bowed his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, young master.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly after being called young master. But quickly, he rxed his eyes and responded calmly, ¡°Long time, no see, Mentor Kang.¡±


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve improved significantly in just half a year. The leader would be delighted to see this,¡± Kang Hyun-Woon said with a smile.


    Sung-Ha turned his gaze to the disciples lined up behind him.


    ¡°Who are these people?¡±


    ¡°Ah, they are disciples selected by the leader. He wanted them to broaden their horizons with our sparring match since you are considered the next most outstanding after our current sessor for the leader position¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mentor Kang Hyun-Woon.¡±


    Interrupted Kang Hyun-woon, Sung-Ha continued calmly, ¡°The next Sect Master has not been decided yet. Be careful with your words.¡±


    ¡°...Ah. My apologies. It seems I¡¯ve made a mistake.¡± Kang Hyung-Woon was smiling with his mouth, but not with his eyes.


    From Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s reaction, Se-Hoon was able to roughly grasp the internal affairs of the sect.


    <i>It seems Sung-Ha waspletely abandoned by his sect.</i>


    Although he wasn¡¯t sure about the specifics, it seemed that Yeom Jin-Hyun and Sung-Ha were not only marginalized within the sect but also seen as a pain in the neck. He already knew their treatment wasn¡¯t good, but he didn¡¯t expect it was to this extent.


    As Se-Hoon was pondering the situation, Kang Hyung-Woon spoke, ¡°By the way.¡±


    Kang Hyun-Woon looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I was wondering who he was, and he turned out to be one of the new honor students. It seems you¡¯ve formed quite a rtionship.¡±


    ¡°...We¡¯re just acquainted.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still pretty impressive. You were able to establish a rtionship with a person with such a promising future... you¡¯ve changed a lot in just half a year.¡±


    Although Kang Hyung-Woon was acting like he was admiring Sung-Ha, his eyes still narrowed.


    <i>This fool, who knows nothing but training, has started using his head.</i>


    He was here to check Sung-Ha¡¯s abilities just as a precaution, but he knew it wasn¡¯t something to be taken lightly. Kang Hyun-Woon quickly gathered his thoughts when he realized that the already settled issue of session might face disruptions due to Sung-Ha.


    ¡°Then, for the check-up...¡±


    ¡°I want to apply for the promotion to seven rings.¡±


    ¡°...Excuse me?¡± asked Kang Hyun-Woon back in surprise.


    Sung-Ha calmly repeated himself once again.


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly as I said. Prepare it.¡±


    After indicating that no further discussion was needed, Sung-Ha stepped onto the sparring ground. At these actions, Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s eyes sank deeply.


    The me Sect treated those who achieved six rings as potential sessors, but that was only the story for the public. In reality, they had to reach seven rings, obtain the mentor qualification, and gain the support of other mentors to even be a proper sessor.


    In other words, up until now, Sung-Ha had never been treated as a sessor within the sect.


    <i>He¡¯s finally crossing the line.</i>


    If he had stayed at six me rings, then as the disciple and adopted son of the founding father, he would have been treated decently. Why was he throwing away such a fortune?


    Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s eyes turned cold, and seeing this, Se-Hoon smirked slightly.


    <i>So Sung-Ha is going to be a nuisance if he achieves seven rings, huh?</i>


    Sung-Ha, who entered Babel Academy and showed tremendous talent, was receiving the spotlight as an outstanding prospect. As such, if he reached seven rings and dered his intention to be the next sect master, the me Sect could not act recklessly due to external scrutiny.


    ¡°Unlike the previous promotion tests, starting with the one for seven rings, they include a sparring match with a mentor. I do believe that it¡¯s a bit too early for you, young master.... Are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I urge you to reconsider; at least think about your master, Yeom Jin-Hyeon, at the main temple¡ª¡±


    ¡°You talk too much.¡±


    Sung-Ha interrupted Kang Hyun-Woon with a calm gaze.


    ¡°Are you afraid of being stripped of your mentor title?¡±


    ¡°...You brought this upon yourself,¡± muttered Kang Hyun-Woon coldly as he walked over to the sparring ground. He lightly tapped the hexagonal void pocket at his waist.


    <i>Whooosh! </i>


    From the pocket, he withdrew a red spear that was vibrating with mana. The spear de was transparent like a cut crystal, with red-colored mana emitting heat and flowing down it in strands.


    <i>Hm. That looks like a Hero-tier weapon...</i>


    Se-Hoon analyzed the spear and determined that the primary material was Dragon Firestone, a Hero-tier material known for its efficiency in containing fire mana and for its high durability, making it pretty valuable and rare.


    Intrigued, Se-Hoon took a closer look and something caught his eye, gradually twisting his expression.


    <i>Who the heck forged this?</i>


    Who had forged such a mediocre weapon with that priceless material? Se-Hoon¡¯s expression grew increasingly menacing.


    While Se-Hoon observed the spear, Sung-Ha also pressed his interspace pocket to draw out his equipment.


    <i>Whooosh-</i>


    Two short spears were drawn from the pocket.


    The longer one had a straight de tinged with red, and the shorter one had a cross-shaped de tinged with ck; they were both pretty simple in design, but they were meticulously maintained. Though the spears were in, they revealed the skill of their maker.


    Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s eyes widened at the new weapons in Sung-Ha¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Did you... change your weapon?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering why you were suddenly up to all this, and it turns out you had a reason after all. I¡¯m not sure what to say.¡±


    Kang Hyun-Woon smirked as if the situation was ridiculous, and then he looked down at Se-Hoon below the sparring ground.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re more remarkable than the rumors suggest. To change the young master this much with just those crude, short spears. I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    ¡°...What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll speak well of you to the leader when I return. It seems like this annoying matter will be resolved due to your help.¡±


    Now that he understood the reason behind Sung-Ha¡¯s sudden change, Kang Hyun-Woon felt there was no need to care about Se-Hoon any further.


    But just as Kang Hyun-Woon was about to turn away, Se-Hoon spoke, ¡°That spear...¡±


    He trailed off and a frighteningly eerie grin appeared on his face before he continued, ¡°You¡¯d better take good care of it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s cruder than my spear, you asshole.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Stunned by the unexpected reply, Kang Hyun-Woon twisted his eyebrows in anger.


    <i>How dare he, a mere student, act so insolently toward me...</i>


    Even if he was an honor student, he was still just a student. In terms of pure strength, he stood no chance against Kang Hyun-Woon, an A-rank hero.


    Yet, here Se-Hoon was, disying such a disrespectful attitude. Aware of the disciples standing behind him, Kang Hyun-Woon was about to genuinely unleash his killing intent at that moment.


    ¡°Kang Hyun-Woon.¡±


    But Sung-Ha¡¯s mana pressed down on him first.


    ¡°Must I urge you three times?¡±


    Faced with an overpowering amount of mana that couldn¡¯t be dealt with lightly, Kang Hyun-Woon realized it wasn¡¯t the time to be concerned about Se-Hoon and withdrew his killing intent.


    ¡°...My apologies. Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    After giving Se-Hoon onest re, he exined, ¡°This promotion test will be conducted through domain sparring. To pass, you must achieve victory or a draw. Is there anything you would like to object to?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start right away, then."


    Sung-Ha had to go beyond achieving six rings; he had to achieve seven rings, two whole stages above what he could achievest night. Even though he had reached it before, he had to do it again right now.


    Despite how crazy it might sound to other disciples, Sung-Ha was unfazed.


    <i>I¡¯ve already verified it.</i>


    Remembering the sensation he felt at dawn, Sung-Ha slowly infused his mana into the two short spears in his hands, the Red Sun Spear and the ck Cross Spear. As if they were extensions of his body, the spears vibrated as they smoothly absorbed his mana.


    He swung them through the air.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Crimson and ck mes separated into distinct colors as they elerated, creating a spectacle of ck wisps enveloped in red mes which stunned the disciples.


    <i>What is that me ring...?</i>


    <i>It feels sort of heavier than regr me rings.</i>


    <i>How is he creating these me rings with those short spears... </i>


    This was an unseen weapon and an unusual form of the me ring technique in the me Sect.


    As everyone was stunned by the sight, Sung-Ha had already created the fifth ck me Wheel and was creating the sixth.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    There were two reasons Sung-Ha regressed from six to five rings. One was hisck of focus, and the other was that he wasn¡¯t able to mix Nightshade Soul and Crimson me Soul with the right proportions.


    The solution was to ovee the side effects of suppressing Nightshade Soul, but doing it in a day wasn¡¯t easy, especially considering his currentck of skill. So, Se-Hoon chose the simplest method. He decided to create the solution for Sung-Ha himself.


    When excess mana entered, the Red Sun Spear and ck Cross Spear would tremble faintly. Thus, based on the faint vibrations, Sung-Ha could immediately adjust the mana ratio ordingly to form ck me Wheels.


    The sixth, and then the seventh me ring was formed under the guidance of the two spears. Facing the ck me Wheels, Kang Hyun-Woon watched sternly.


    ¡°Have you forgotten how the leader told you to suppress Nightshade Soul?¡±


    ¡°Suppressing it was hindering my abilities, so I¡¯m utilizing it instead.¡±


    ¡°Such unruly me rings won¡¯t be recognized as proper rings.¡±


    The me Sect¡¯s me ring technique ced more importance on how the rings should be created from pure fire mana. However, Sung-Ha was unfazed by his remark.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see. Come at me.¡±


    ¡°...You will regret this,¡± Kang Hyun-Woon muttered coldly.


    He then unleashed his spear and created seven me rings in an instant.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    This was domain sparring¡ªa traditional method of the me Sect where the two would crash their me rings together, and the one that maintained their me rings until the end won. But rather than being just a show of brute force, there was a delicate bnce of power and technique that had to be maintained.


    Therefore, Kang Hyun-Woon was confident in his victory.


    <i>Being able to achieve seven rings already is impressive, but that¡¯s a terrible quality.</i>


    He had the upper hand in terms of physical abilities, skills, and even weapons. Facing a scenario where losing was not an option, he recalled a conversation he had with the Sect Master alongside other mentors, <i>¡°If Sung-Ha challenges the promotion test for the seven rings, act boldly. Whatever happens, I¡¯ll cover for you.¡±</i>


    As the fight was an internal matter of the sect, outsiders weren¡¯t able to interfere as long as there wasn¡¯t lethal danger. With a firm resolve, Kang Hyun-Woon gripped his spear even tighter, his mana surging through it tumultuously.


    <strong><i>me eleration</i></strong>


    The weapon skill embedded in the long spear activated, further elerating the rotation speed of the surrounding me rings. The mana resonated as it created waves and heat.


    Drawing upon his full strength to neutralize Sung-Ha, Kang Hyun-Woon kicked off the ground and thrust forward with his spear, unleashing seven me rings.


    <i>Booom!</i>


    The collision between his me rings and the seven ck me Wheels exploded into a massive ze.


    Kang Hyun-Woon had trained for over twenty years in the me Sect and reached seven rings more than five years ago. On the other hand, Sung-Ha seemed to have reached seven rings just a few days ago.


    Anyone aware of these facts would have predicted the oue as an overwhelming victory for one side, and indeed, that was how the situation was currently unfolding.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The ck wisps began to engulf Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s me rings.


    ¡°What...? How...!?¡±


    Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s eyes widened in shock as the ck wisps prated deep into the mes of his rings, clinging to and dyeing them ck. He used his weapon skill to its fullest, so why couldn¡¯t his mes burn away the wisps? Why were his mes being devoured?


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense.... It can¡¯t be... this shouldn¡¯t happen...¡±


    His seven me rings dwindled to six, and then to five. Meanwhile, the opposing ck me Wheels were far from being extinguished. They stabilized and red up even more intensely.


    It was as if the ck me Wheels had learned something from the sh and started to terrifyingly grow. Seeing how Sung-Ha was looking at him without any emotion from across the grounds, Kang Hyun-Woon btedly realized the truth.


    <i>Craaaack-</i>


    The Sect Master was not wary of the weakened founding father...


    <i>Crack!</i>


    But of the talented prodigy in front of him.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    All seven of his me rings disappeared, along with the tip of the spear he had thrust forward.


    He had bought this spear with years of savings, but it was now shattered beyond repair. Kang Hyun-Woon could only dumbfoundedly stare down at the remains of his spear.


    ¡°Crude.¡±


    Sung-Ha calmly spoke for someone else.

 Chapter 34

    <h4>Chapter 34</h4>


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the promotion ceremony,¡± said Kang Hyun-Woon irritably before handing over the shattered spear to a disciple and leaving the sparring ground.


    Sung-Ha sighed deeply once all of the other disciples had left as well.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    The overnight trainingbined with the recoil from creating seven rings using the unfamiliar technique for domain sparring had caused a lot of fatigue. However, he also felt a sense of relief from having sessfully created seven rings.


    With a tired expression on his face, he took his time catching his breath; he hadn¡¯t felt the sense of total exhaustion in a long time.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made an utter mess,¡± said Se-Hoon after climbing to the sparring ground.


    He looked around at the floor.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to break his spear?¡± Sung-Ha asked.


    ¡°You should have broken it more gracefully. Do you know how expensive Dragon Firestone is?¡±


    There were hardly any fragments of the spear left; most of them had been pulverized into powder with no trace left. Se-Hoon continued grumbling while picking up a few remaining fragments. Sung-Ha looked on curiously.


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    ¡°That there was a problem with Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s spear.¡±


    Sung-Ha was able to win this domain spar partly due to the specialized properties of the ck me Wheel for this particr type of sparring and partly because Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s skill was at a lower level than the other mentors.


    However, he was only able to have such an overwhelming victory because he heard about the spear¡¯s w from Se-Hoon.


    ¡°As soon as our me rings shed, I could tell that with a little pressure, the weapon skill that enhanced his me rings would immediately twist.¡±


    Reliant on the weapon skill, Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s seven rings crumbled instantly the moment Sung-Ha¡¯s ck me Wheel prated the gap and engulfed it. Essentially, it was the deciding factor for the domain spar.


    Proven true, Sung-Ha couldn¡¯t help but find Se-Hoon¡¯s ability to detect the fault in the spear with just his eyes fascinating.


    ¡°Hm. To be precise, there wasn¡¯t an actual problem with the spear. It was actually in its best condition.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me I should believe that?¡±


    How could a spear in its best condition fall apart so disastrously under such slight pressure? Sung-Ha looked skeptical, so Se-Hoon responded while examining the fragments he picked up.


    ¡°Although I didn¡¯t get to look closely, that spear must have specialized in amplifying and elerating mana. The output level was probably at least Hero-tier.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Yeah, probably.¡±


    ¡°But focusing solely on increasing the outputpromised its stability. The mana that leaked out when he first drew the spear is proof of that.¡±


    This was a phenomenon that urred when the magic circuit was over-engineered in an attempt to increase output.


    Depending on how it was used, it could be an advantage, but Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s spear was so extremely over-engineered that its durability was affected.


    ¡°As a result, when it collided with a much denser cloud of mana while maintaining its maximum output, it shattered instantly. It¡¯s no different from a ss cannon.¡±


    Sung-Ha looked puzzled by Se-Hoon¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°How did such a wed piece of equipment receive a Hero-tier evaluation?¡±


    ¡°Because the system usually grades equipment ording to its best performance. In the hands of those that specialize in one-hit kills or could handle the output, it could be a powerful weapon.¡±


    So the spear had shattered due to Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s dismal understanding of his weapon. Sung-Ha looked down at the fragments as if fascinated by Se-Hoon¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the system worked like that.¡±


    ¡°You should be careful too. If something like this happens in realbat, your head will be blown off.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not <i>that </i>dumb.¡±


    Ignoring his grumbling, Se-Hoon looked down at the fragments he had collected again.


    <i>Even so, this is a bit too much.</i>


    Considering the properties of the Dragon Firestone which was the main material of the shattered spear, adding a small cooling function could have allowed for both high output and stability.


    However, the cksmith who made this spear chose not to include a cooling function and instead mixed it with other pieces of ores to prolong a high output.


    It was a method thatpletely disregarded the material¡¯s properties. Whoever the cksmith was, their foresight was not just poor, but dead and withered.


    <i>What a waste of materials... tsk.</i>


    Clicking his tongue in regret, Se-Hoon pocketed all the fragments and stood up.


    ¡°By the way, what happens now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°If Kang Hyun-Woon reports this to Sect Master, the promotion ceremony will be held soon. From then on, I¡¯ll be recognized as an official sessor candidate and as a mentor of the me Sect.¡±


    ¡°What do you need to do to be the leader?¡±


    ¡°I need to satisfy two conditions. The first is reaching the eight rings; the second is gaining the approval of more than half of the mentors.¡±


    In order for Sung-Ha to be the next sect master, he needed to excel in the Inferno Ring and also get approval from the mentors. Hearing these conditions, Se-Hoon made a questioning look.


    ¡°Getting eight rings is one thing, but can you get their approval?¡±


    ¡°I can win their approval by sparring with them. The problem is, it won¡¯t be as easy as the domain spar today.¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    All of the mentors at the me Sect were active-duty A-rank heroes and masters of the Inferno Ring, having honed it over many decades. Their weapons were also of the highest tier thanks to the support that they received.


    Even Kang Hyun-Woon, a low-ranked mentor, would be challenging to face in a normal sparring session.


    ¡°I guess it won¡¯t take too long, then,¡± Se-Hoon said nonchntly.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying it because it actually seems possible. Just like today¡¯s spar, right?¡±


    The slump that held back Sung-Ha before the regression had been resolved already, and Se-Hoon nned to continue teaching the training methods Sung-Ha himself developed in the future.


    With the amount of talent Sung-Ha had, he would grow immensely in the blink of an eye.


    <i>Especially with the Towers of Heroes.</i>


    They were scattered around the world, and one of them was in the center of Babel Academy, the Tower of Pristine. If his abilities were unquestionable, the power of the towers could help him conquer the constraints of time in an instant.


    ¡°I know I already said it yesterday, but again, even if you hate it, I¡¯m going to make you the next sect master. So, you should start thinking about how you¡¯re going to pay the price,¡± Se-Hoon said with confidence.


    ¡°...¡±


    Sung-Ha silently looked at Se-Hoon. He had never received help from anyone in such a manner since entering the academy.


    Receiving help from others was burdensome because their intent was unclear. Additionally, it felt unpleasant since it was as if he was acknowledging his own weakness if he epted help.


    <i>I still feel the same about his offer to help, but...</i>


    For some reason, help from the annoying guy in front of him didn¡¯t bring about the anxiety and displeasure he usually felt.


    Until yesterday, he wasn¡¯t able to pinpoint the reason, but now that his head felt much lighter after the promotion test, he seemed to understand.


    ¡°...Right.¡±


    <i>I won¡¯t ept the help of those with unknown intentions, but...</i>


    ¡°You too will have to pay for what you¡¯re going to receive.¡±


    A materialistic transaction was, conversely, something worth putting his trust in.


    <strong>[The bond with ¡®Yeom Seong-Ha¡¯ has increased to Lv. 2.]</strong>


    <strong>[Since the bond has increased to Lv. 2, a Rtionship has been established. Your Rtionship with ¡®Yeom Seong-Ha¡¯ is currently ¡®Transaction¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[Rtionship: Transaction]</strong>


    <strong>[While some may find it cold, a Rtionship built on transactions, where one returns what they have received, is convenient and clean. For someone who is still awkward with Rtionships, such a Rtionship may feel morefortable.</strong>


    <strong>*A Fatestone is created with each established transaction.</strong>


    <strong>*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases during an ongoing transaction.</strong>


    <strong>*Currently created Fatestone: None]</strong>


    Notification messages popped up one after another in front of Se-Hoon. The content surprised him.


    <i>Level two?</i>


    If reaching bond level one meant that they knew each other¡¯s names, then from level two onwards, it signified a specific Rtionship had been formed.


    It wasn¡¯t rare to reach level two quickly under normal circumstances, but Se-Hoon was surprised because the person in question was none other than Sung-Ha.


    <i>The bond with this guy is already level two...</i>


    Before the regression, it took Se-Hoon at least a year to reach this level with Sung-Ha. Why was it so fast this time?


    While Se-Hoon was still in shock, Sung-Ha calmly spoke, ¡°State your price for your help in the promotion test today. Whether it¡¯s cash or materials, I¡¯ll prepare as much as I can.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll tell youter.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s something else I¡¯d like to request additionally.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡± Se-Hoon asked puzzledly.


    Sung-Ha nced down at the two spears in his hands.


    These were just Se-Hoon¡¯s ss submissions. They weren¡¯t bad, but they weren¡¯t without their shorings.


    <i>If this is what he can forge in just a few hours, it might be worth expecting something more. What kind of weapon will he forge for me next time?</i>


    Having never been attached to a weapon in his life, this sense of anticipation was unfamiliar yet not entirely unwee. Thus, without even realizing it, the corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly.


    ¡°Forge me a more usable weapon next time.¡±


    <i>Grind-</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s teeth made a harsh sound as they gnashed together.


    ***


    ¡°<i>Huff...</i> <i>huff</i>...¡±


    Upon exiting vium, Se-Hoon focused on calming his boiling rage by taking deep breaths.


    If he didn¡¯t control his anger, he felt like he might just pull out the Red Sun Spear and the ck Cross Spear from the void pocket and thrust them directly into Sung-Ha¡¯s abdomen.


    <i>That ungrateful bastard...</i>


    Even a stray dog passing by would do better than demanding a properly forged weapon after getting help. There wasn¡¯t even a mere thank you.


    <i>And that smirk of his...</i>


    That smirk was something Sung-Ha had never made before the regress, and now that he did, all it did was make Se-Hoon¡¯s neck stiffen in irritation.


    But, despite how he gnashed his teeth, Se-Hoon calmed down quickly since he knew that Sung-Ha was an inherently rude person. What was more important anyway was that his demand wasn¡¯t entirely unreasonable.


    <i>Those spears were forged using only basic materials and just a slight application of the Fatestone. They were fine for practice but not for serious use.</i>


    To properly harness Sung-Ha¡¯s power, the weapon needed to be of at least the highest quality of Rare-tier, if not Hero-tier.


    <i>A properly forged weapon, huh.... Let¡¯s see what I can do about that.</i>


    Today¡¯s humiliation would be paid back twofold. Resolving himself, Se-Hoon habitually turned to his side and asked, ¡°Were you waiting for me again?¡±


    ¡°No. This time was just by chance,¡± answered Erika naturally as she walked by his side.


    Having be ustomed to her behavior, Se-Hoon continued to talk to her as they waited for the light rail at the station.


    ¡°Are you headed to the Department of Spells?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m on my way to the Borsippa auction house.¡±


    ¡±Why are you going there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious about the weapon you¡¯ve forged.¡±


    ¡°...Ah.¡±


    Se-Hoon hadpletely forgotten that the second-year regr auction was going on.


    He had forgotten even though the auction in the Department of cksmithing was where his first semester¡¯s budget would be at stake. But since the issue with Sung-Ha had ended sooner than expected, he still had some time left to visit the auction.


    <i>Hm. Should I go or not...</i>


    Although he was tired due to observing Sung-Ha all night and forging the spears, it wasn¡¯t that unbearable. Plus, the only remaining thing for today was Metallurgy, and he had alreadypleted the assignment.


    <i>It won¡¯t matter if I skip ss... and I¡¯m also too tired to train...</i>


    If he went back to the dorm now, he would just end up going to sleep and then waking at an awkward time. The choice was simple, Se-Hoon looked at Erika.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together, then.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ***


    Arriving at the Borsippa auction house with Erika, Se-Hoon nced around.


    <i>So this ce used to look like this back in the day. Interesting.</i>


    As he stepped into the auction house, which was somewhat smaller than he remembered, he found it just asvishly built as a high-end department store. The sight made him furrow his brows.


    <i>I vaguely remember hearing that there was some incident that led to its reconstruction... but I can¡¯t quite recall the details.</i>


    Such trivial memories might not matter now, but they could be crucialter. Remembering once again how important his memory was, Se-Hoon thought of the Dream Ivory he received from Ludwig.


    <i>I should prepare for that soon.</i>


    nning out various things in his mind, Se-Hoon suddenly became aware of the stares directed at him. Some of the gazes belonged to headhunters from outside the academy. They hoped to find promising talents, and when they saw Se-Hoon, their gazes shone especially bright.


    <i>The entrance ceremony must have been impactful.</i>


    Some genuinely seemed interested in proposing a deal and hovered nearby, but no one dared to approach him directly. While they were wary of each other, it wasrgely because of Erika¡¯s formidable presence.


    ¡°...¡±


    Erika was able to detect anyone who tried to approach, and she stared them down without saying a word, ensuring that no one dared cross the Inoue family¡¯s prestige.


    Having been worried about being swarmed by people, Se-Hoon smiled slightly due to thefortable environment created by Erika¡¯s presence.


    <i>This is not bad.</i>


    If the Inoue name kept someone from approaching, then there was no need for him to bother with them. The discovery made Se-Hoon seriously consider using Erika as a filter in the future.


    ¡°Over there.¡± Erika, tugging at his sleeve, pointed toward a door to the side.


    Next to therge door was a te with ¡°Hall 6¡± on it and a small information board that said ¡°Department of cksmithing Second-Year First Semester Regr Auction. Item theme: Iron Sword.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    They quietly entered, and Se-Hoon surveyed the interior of the hall.


    There were enough seats to amodate up to one thousand people. While normally less than a tenth of the seats would be filled, nearly all of them were upied today.


    <i>An honor student has quite the reputation, huh...</i>


    He had anticipated a crowd, but not to this extent. Marveling at the turnout, he carefully scanned the audience and soon spotted a familiar face.


    Jake was in the audience, looking as if he¡¯d been threatened into attending. After roughly figuring out who had sent him, Se-Hoon smirked at the sight.


    <i>That guy sure has it tough.</i>


    Having observed everyone in the auction hall, he became curious.


    <i>With such a high turnout, that guy won¡¯t be able to interfere as much... I wonder what he has prepared.</i>


    Just how thought out was Michael¡¯s attempt to take control of the Department of cksmithing? Se-Hoon waited with interest, and soon a familiar sound echoed through the hall.


    <i>Rumble. Rumble.</i>


    The sound of wheels from the back of the stage caught everyone¡¯s attention, drawing their gazes to the thing on top of the cart.


    It was a stark white cloth, one that was taut and fixed in ce. Its soft yet metallic texture hinted at something extraordinary. Anyone who recognized it was admiring the material.


    ¡°Is that the Hero-tier material that is made from the fur of the White Tiger?¡±


    ¡°Ah, the West Gold Fabric, right? But why would they bring it here?¡±


    ¡°They must be doing some kind of experiment. That piece of fabric is famous for its resistance to shing attacks.¡±


    The curiosity of everyone in the hall peaked over the item that was seemingly unrted to the auction. At the sight, Se-Hoon found himself smirking unwittingly.


    <i>Ah. So that¡¯s the n.</i>


    He now fully understood what Michael had in mind to destroy the Radiant Long Sword.


    With an understanding of the entire situation, he looked at the key material, the West Gold Fabric, and thought to himself, <i>Not bad at all.</i>


    Imagining how the Radiant Long Sword would be refined, his lips twisted into a slight smile.

 Chapter 35

    <h4>Chapter 35</h4>


    ¡°Our seats are over there,¡± Erika said, leading him to some empty seats.


    The sight of the seats made Se-Hoon curious.


    ¡°I thought you said we met by chance earlier.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then why is my seat reserved?¡± Se-Hoon asked incredulously, staring at the two conspicuously empty seats.


    ¡°It was just in case something like this happened,¡± Erika said without batting an eye.


    ¡°...I see. How <i>thoughtful</i> of you.¡±


    Regardless of the reason, watching the auction sitting down would be morefortable than standing. Now sitting down, he pulled out a catalog ced behind the seat in front of him and began to flip through it.


    <i>A total of thirty-six swords, huh?</i>


    The items up for auction today were already on the stage with six swordsid out on a stand spanning each table.


    <i>Hm... it seems like there isn¡¯t a notable figure among the second-year...</i>


    There were no names he was able to recognize, and honestly, their iron swords were inferior to Hans¡¯s. His interest cooled as he read through the catalog.


    Eventually, the auctioneer walked out from behind the stage and stood in front of the podium to finally start the auction.


    ¡°We will now begin the regr auction. The auctioned items will be the equipment forged by the second-year students of the Department of cksmithing. The theme today is iron swords. A total of thirty-six items have been submitted. For detailed information, please refer to the catalog in front of your seats.¡±


    The interior lights dimmed slightly while the stage lights brightened intensely, naturally drawing the audience¡¯s attention.


    The auctioneer smoothly continued the exnation, ¡°Before we start, let me exin the quality verification process that has been specially added just for this auction.¡±


    As he spoke, the lights focused on the center of the stage. The bright white fabric on top of the cart reflected the light in all directions.


    ¡°This white fabric is called West Gold Fabric, and it is made of thin threads spun from the processed fur of the mythical creature White Tiger. It¡¯s soft yet as durable as metal. It also has excellent endurance against shes.¡±


    Following the auctioneer¡¯s exnation, a staff member swung a sword downward toward the fabric.


    Sparks flew in all directions.


    The sight of a fabric resisting a sword was unbelievable. Seeing how the entire audience was taken aback, the staff member applied more force.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The sword broke in two, unable to withstand the force. The staff member, after picking up the broken pieces, lifted them to show that the de waspletely worn.


    ¡°With this, swords that sacrificed durability to increase their sharpness can be easily identified. This auction aims to find such defective products using this West Gold Fabric.¡±


    ¡°Oh, this is going to be interesting.¡±


    ¡°They seem well-prepared.¡±


    The verification method was one that could potentially destroy the submitted work, yet the participating second-years were simply intrigued by this umon method. They were able to easily tell that it was designed to highlight Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Are they nning to break all of our swords for dramatic effect?¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t go that far. Maybe they¡¯ll use our swords to wear out the fabric for his?¡±


    Whenever a promising student emerged in any department, a bit of staging wasmon. The participants considered the verification with West Gold Fabric as part of such an effort.


    From the back of the stage, Michael smiled at this scene.


    <i>Things are going smoothly.</i>


    The reason for the quality verification process was clear, and there even was a good rationale behind it. Even if it were questioned and investigatedter, the process would just be seen as an enthusiastic initiative taken by the vice dean to showcase a new talent.


    <i>Though that¡¯s only if his sword passes the verification process.</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s sword, the Radiant Long Sword, was indeed superb, but it didn¡¯t ovee the limitations inherent to swords specialized in cutting.


    Of course, expecting a student to surpass this limitation using only iron was a harsh task, but that was not something he had to worry about.


    <i>I hope he likes my surprise.</i>


    He smiled slightly as he watched Se-Hoon in the audience.


    ¡°The auction will start now. The first sword is made by Joseph...¡±


    When the auctioneer mentioned the first item, a staff member brought forward a sword from the stand and lightly swung it across the fabric.


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    ¡°The color is different, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Unlike how the sparks were dark during the previous demonstration, it was blue this time. Surprised exmations filled the auditorium, and Erika surprised as well, looked at Se-Hoon for an exnation.


    ¡°Why does that happen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a characteristic of West Gold Fabric, or to be more precise of the White Tiger¡¯s fur, West Gold Fur.¡±


    The White Tiger was an S-rank mythical creature. Although it was caught long ago and many believed it was just physically strong, its actual abilities were a bit moreplex.


    The fur, skin, flesh, and bones each had different properties thatbined to create an ultimate defense. Among these, the fur had the property of mimicry.


    ¡°The hair mimics the sharpness of the weapon that contacts it, reducing the durability of even the best weapons. It¡¯s a monstrous thing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t destroy hundreds of Hero and even Legendary-tier weapons with nothing. And if you add the skin, flesh, and bones together, it¡¯s really no joke.¡±


    During his exnation for Erika, he suddenly remembered something from before the regression and stroked his chin.


    <i>Now that I think about it, isn¡¯t the West Gold Tiger King armor being made around this time?</i>


    The West Gold Tiger King was armor made from the by-products of the White Tiger.


    It was the only piece of equipment that was made using the heart of the White Tiger, reputed to almost perfectly replicate the creature¡¯s actual defensive ability.


    <i>I wonder if there¡¯s any way to get my hands on the heart...</i>


    The cksmith of the armor was unknown. Also, since it was first sold on the ck market, it wasn¡¯t easy to track it down either.


    As Se-Hoon pondered this, Erika frowned and asked, ¡°Then, does that mean the sharper the sword, the more it¡¯s at a disadvantage?¡±


    ¡°Right. Swords enhanced for sharpness usually have lower durability.¡±


    A well-bnced sword wouldn¡¯t suffer much damage from being swung against the fabric. cksmiths also usually tended to focus on the durability of the sword rather than overly focus on the de¡¯s sharpness.


    However, Se-Hoon had honed the Radiant Long Sword to the extreme for sharpness, so it inevitably had lower durability.


    <i>Which means the Radiant Long Sword will likely break against the fabric.</i>


    For those knowledgeable about the material, it was an obvious mismatch, yet it was difficult to criticize the approach since it wasmon for students to focus on sharpness at the expense of durability.


    <i>If the Radiant Long Sword breaks, it¡¯ll just be seen as another defective product.</i>


    With the other second-year students¡¯ swords passing the test one after another, if his sword was the only one to break, there was no need to borate on the kind of scrutiny he would face.


    No matter what he forged after such a situation, it would be tainted by rumors that Kim In-Cheol of the Department of cksmithing had a hand in it. This would significantly damage his reputation.


    <i>It won¡¯t be easy to change such a reputation after.</i>


    Then, Michael would likely either persuade In-Cheol to resign or outright dismiss him from the department, simr to how the other professors ended up.


    <i>He¡¯s morepetent than I thought.</i>


    Michael was able to obtain such a fabric and even dared to act against someone under Ludwig¡¯s wings; it seemed that he didn¡¯t get his position by mere chance.


    Se-Hoon internally reassessed his view of Michael.


    ¡°Will you okay?¡± Erika asked concernedly as she looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn''t your sword be at a disadvantage, considering it¡¯s focused on sharpness?¡±


    ¡°Well, that would be the case...¡±


    Se-Hoon nced at his Radiant Long Sword, standing uniquely on the stage, and smiled slightly.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t forged it properly.¡±


    Different colored sparks flew as the swords of the other students were shed across the fabric, and most ended with just slight damage.


    ¡°The verification of sword number twenty-five isplete. The starting bid is two million won...¡±


    As soon as each verification process finished, the biddingmenced. Most swords were quickly sold after a couple of bids without much fuss. This was because most of the swordscked weapon skills and were only of the Advanced tier.


    Besides, most of the audience came here today for just one item on the list.


    ¡°Now...stly, sword number thirty-six. The Radiant Long Sword, forged by the first-year honor student of Borsippa, Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    A staff member carefully lifted the sword and presented it to the audience.


    It shone eerily white in the spotlight. Its sharpness seemed capable of slicing through the air itself, drawing the rapt attention of everyone in the auction hall.


    ¡°Hoo...¡±


    With far more interest than any previous item, the staff member steadied his breath and slowly brought the sword toward the fabric.


    <i>Screech!</i>


    And apletely different scene unfolded on stage.


    Instead of the de chipping, a strange noise urred as if they were scrapping against one another. Simultaneously, the white aura of sharpness enveloping the Radiant Long Sword blossomed and spread out.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Sparks flew from the protective gloves of the staff member holding the handle.


    ¡°Yikes...!¡±


    After realizing that he was almost cut by the aura, the startled staff member backed away, letting go of the sword.


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    The sword easily pierced through the floor of the auction hall.


    As the audience looked on in surprise, a heavy silence fell over the auction hall at the sudden turn of events. What exactly happened? Even the auctioneer was at a loss for words.


    ¡°May I exin?¡± Se-Hoon asked calmly after standing up.


    ¡°Ah... it¡¯s just...¡±


    ¡°Let him exin, please.¡±


    Seeing the auctioneer hesitating to make a decision amidst the unexpected situation, In-Cheol, sitting in the front, spoke up.


    ¡°The person who forged the sword should be able to give the best exnation, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Understood.¡±


    The auctioneer couldn¡¯t refute the head professor¡¯s decision. With the auctioneer¡¯s permission, Se-Hoon ascended the stairs onto the stage.


    The gaze of the audiencepared to when he was seated among them waspletely different now. Leisurely observing the scene, he lightly pulled out the sword that had pierced through the floor.


    ¡°Uh... your protective gloves...¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    No matter what happened, he would never cut himself with his own sword.


    Dismissing the staff member, he slightly ran his fingers over the de while looking at the audience.


    ¡°First, I¡¯ll re-exin the characteristics of the West Gold Fabric used in this verification, or more precisely of the West Gold Fur from the White Tiger.¡±


    He repeated the exnation he had given Erika, and the audience buzzed upon hearing it.


    Anyone with a bit of insight could tell that the verification process was quite disadvantageous for Se-Hoon¡¯s sword.


    ¡°Therefore, normally, a sword focused only on sharpness would easily break against this fabric... however, my Radiant Long Sword is a bit different."


    He highlighted the de, showcasing the shining white aura of sharpness on its surface.


    ¡°This aura of sharpness on the Radiant Long Sword is not merely a reflection of light. It shows how the mana is circting the de.¡±


    ¡°Mana?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like that at all...¡±


    After all, if the sword¡¯s sharpness was created from mana, the audience would be able to feel it. Seeing the puzzled look on their faces, he smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal to not feel much mana from it because it uses a small amount of mana from the air. It¡¯s simr to a firefly.¡±


    Se-Hoon swung the sword lightly in the air. With each swing, the white aura on its surface shone more brightly. Swinging the sword allowed more mana to seep into the de, strengthening the aura.


    ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t <i>just </i>shine brightly like a real firefly. The mana arrangement is adjusted so that the released mana ispressed.... To put it simply, think of it as a very thin de of mana that forms on the edges of the sword.¡±


    The density of mana wasn¡¯t high enough to ssify it as actual Sword Aura, but it was too sharp to be just light. Hence, it was described as an aura of sharpness.


    ¡°Then, is the phenomenon we just saw caused by the auras meshing?¡±


    Se-Hoon nodded at Erika¡¯s apt question.


    ¡°Right. When two auras of the same sharpness lock together, they don¡¯t cancel out but resonate. And with that, you can do something interesting.¡±


    Having finished his exnation, he took a deep breath and looked toward the fabric.


    <i>If I mess up, the sword could actually break or even cut someone.</i>


    Either oue would mar his reputation. He had to perform this wlessly, but his physical condition was not the best due to staying up all night to help Sung-Ha.


    <i>Although I¡¯m still confident that I can pull it off... I should be cautious.</i>


    He thought about what he had on him that he could potentially use right now. At that moment, he noticed Erika staring intently at him.


    <i>Come to think of it, she enhanced an ordinary crow during the entrance ceremony.</i>


    Her magic was so precisely entwined that she was able to pull off such a feat. Just like the barrier she had cast on the invitation letter when they met, Erika¡¯s precision was impable.


    <i>A perfectionist who doesn¡¯t deviate from her n even a single bit after deciding on a target. And she moves aggressively to achieve her goal.</i>


    Her method sought extreme efficiency without any waste. The image of Erika formed in his mind, and it fully manifested in his hands as a piece of ore. The ore looked like a fusion of thousands of thin wires. He immediately checked the ability of the newly created Fatestone.


    <strong>[<u>Fatestone - Harmonite</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Below Average]</strong>


    <strong>[An artificial ore containingpressed mana.</strong>


    <strong>When mixed with other pieces of ores, it adjusts the disordered internal mana circuit to achieve harmony.</strong>


    <strong>*Adjusts the arrangement of materials used together]</strong>


    <i>This looks good.</i>


    Seeing how perfectly its ability matched his intention, he immediately grasped the Harmonite.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Harmonite¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    Silver threads spread from his grip onto the sword. The de¡¯s aura, which had been gently wavering, gradually settled in the shape of a pure white de.


    The mana circuit had been perfectly adjusted, creating a shape resembling Sword Aura.


    ¡°He made it into such a distinct shape with such a small amount of mana...¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be Sword Aura, right...?¡±


    To those watching, Se-Hoon had performed an unbelievable feat. Feeling their astonished gazes, he smiled slightly, looking at the de.


    <i>It¡¯s done.</i>


    This was enough to refine it further.


    After extending the sword forward, he slowly drew it down across the fabric.


    <i>Screech!</i>


    The aura emitted by the West Gold Fabric perfectly meshed with the aura of the Radiant Long Sword, covering the de in a V-shape.


    Se-Hoon pressed down on the sword a bit more after seeing this.


    Sparks flew as the two auras collided. At that moment, he quickly pulled the de toward himself.


    <i>ng-!</i>


    With a sharp metallic sound, the de of the Radiant Long Sword had been further sharpened.


    <strong>[¡®Radiant Long Sword¡¯ has been upgraded to ¡®Rare¡¯ tier.]</strong>


    <strong>[<u>Radiant Long Sword</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Rare] [Quality: Poor]</strong>


    <strong>[A long sword forged with a pure white aura of sharpness.</strong>


    <strong>The de, refined to its limit, possesses a strong and sharp aura thanks to the alignment of its mana array. The infused mana ispressed and released through the de.</strong>


    <strong>*Imbuing mana enhances sharpness</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®White Aura¡¯]</strong>


    <i>Hm, this should be good enough...</i>


    He managed to further hone the edge that couldn¡¯t be properly sharpened with amon whetstone. Of course, it fell shortpared to sharpening with a special whetstone, but still, it wasn¡¯t bad as an item for his first auction.


    In the middle of inspecting his sword, he suddenly noticed that the audience was staring at him nkly.


    ¡°Ah. It just leveled up from Advanced to Rare. Please reflect this in the starting price.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ah, then about the weapon skill...¡±


    ¡°It seems to be White Aura. You can take a look.¡±


    He lightly used White Aura which caused a more distinct aura to burst forth above the de.


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple skill that enhances the aura.¡±


    ¡°Then... ording to the manual, we will adjust the starting price from one million to five million won.¡±


    The price jumped more than five times from just the addition of one weapon skill. Of course, this was just the starting price, so the actual auction price was still unknown.


    ¡°Then... shall we start the bidding?¡±


    Everyone in the auction house swallowed dryly at the sight of the Radiant Long Sword.


    It was a sword that was forged by the honor student who was currently gathering a lot of attention. And, as it was an upgraded item that went from Advanced to Rare, the already high rarity value of the Radiant Long Sword increased even more.


    ¡°Seven million!¡±


    ¡°Ten million!!¡±


    ¡°Fifteen million!!!¡±


    The price started to rise at a terrifying speed.


    The precise mana array of the sword, which couldpress a tiny amount of mana to the level of Sword Aura, made it a useful weapon for researching Sword Aura.


    Since the sword had the added value from the ability to use it for research, people kept bidding higher, and the price continued to rise.


    When the bidding finally surpassed hundreds of millions, there were only two people who hadn¡¯t given up yet.


    ¡°Two hundred million.¡±


    Erika, with sparkling eyes, calmly raised her hand.


    ¡°Ugh... two hundred ten million!¡±


    Jake raised his hand in a hurry at the sight of Erika.


    From the stage, Se-Hoon sincerely admired the sight of two fellow first-year honor students who were also scions of renowned families.


    <i>So this is how the upper ss ends up spending money like water.</i>


    It seemed crazy to think that they were nning to burn hundreds of millions on just a Rare weapon, but what did it matter? The price the winner shouted out was all going to be his, after all, serving as the foundation of his budget.


    ¡°Ah, two hundred ny million. Is this where it ends? Are you really okay with going back empty-handed?!¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon shaking the Radiant Long Sword and shouting, Jake¡¯s eyes flickered.


    ¡°...Three hundred million!!¡± Jake raised his hand again.


    ¡°Three hundred ten million.¡±


    ¡°Three hundred... twenty million...!¡±


    ¡°Three hundred forty million.¡±


    Erika kept calmly raising the price, while Jake groaned and followed up.


    No matter how scarce this sword might be, the price they were shouting was too much to spend on a Rare sword, let alone a low-quality one.


    The bidding war that seemed to have be apetition between Inoue and Meyers to recruit Se-Hoon shocked everyone.


    ¡°Six hundred million.¡±


    The entire auction hall suddenly froze.


    The red-haired woman, Dean Ryu Eun-Ha, was raising her hand with a nonchnt expression at the entrance. Jake and Erika¡¯s faces stiffened at her arrival.


    The Gourmet, Ryu Eun-Ha, was famous for always buying and consuming any weapon she set her eyes on. To everyone, the Weapon Eater would never give up.


    <i>Six hundred million... that¡¯s just...</i>


    <i>I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s even worth that much...</i>


    The two that had been having a heated bidding battle hesitated, unable to raise their hands due to the price being far beyond expectations.


    ¡°Maybe I bid too low...¡± muttered Eun-Ha. Her voice echoed in the quiet auction hall.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The two sighed and shook their heads.


    ¡°Ra-Radiant Long Sword. Sold for six hundred million won.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s first auction concluded sessfully.

 Chapter 36

    <h4>Chapter 36</h4>


    [ount Bnce: 600,110,250 won]


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    Seeing his newly updated ount bnce, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. When he first checked his ount after regressing, there was only a measly 110,250 won.


    After suffering a long drought, his bank ount finally received some rain.


    <i>What do I spend it on first...</i>


    The first thing that came to mind was buying materials to enhance Soul Honing, but he also needed to prepare for the forging session using the Dream Ivory. On top of those, he also needed new equipment, like hammers and whetstones. The list of potential expenses just went on and on.


    Finally unable to think of anything else, Se-Hoon quickly came to a conclusion once he reviewed the list.


    <i>Investment is the way to go.</i>


    Six hundred million won was not a small amount, but it was far from enough to cover everything he needed. As such, he decided to only address urgent matters first and then focus on growing his ount.


    Of course, investment wouldn¡¯t always guarantee a return, but if he used the knowledge he had before the regression, it should be rtively safe.


    <i>If I act too hastily though, I could end up like that old fool, Ma Kwang-Soo, and lose everything.</i>


    Considering his fuzzy memories and the possibility that the future could change with his intervention, he decided to avoid being too reckless with investing. Before he invested, he needed to carefully examine each memory he had.


    As Se-Hoon was pondering the future, lost in his thoughts, he was interrupted by Eun-Ha¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Have you finished checking your bnce?¡± asked Eun-Ha, who was sitting in front of him, with an expressionless face.


    ¡°Ah, yes. The amount seems to be right.¡±


    ¡°If you think it¡¯s insufficient, please let me know. I believe the Radiant Long Sword is worth it, so I am willing to pay whatever it takes,¡± Eun-Ha said, ncing at the sword on the table.


    She seemed to be quite fond of it as she looked at it every chance she got. Se-Hoon shook his head in response.


    ¡°No, you were already overly generous with the amount. I can¡¯t ask for more.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I thought it was worth that much...¡±


    While it wasn¡¯t good to undercut his own achievements, in this case, Se-Hoon was simply speaking candidly about the value of the Radiant Long Sword.


    <i>For now, it¡¯s one of a kind, but eventually, it will be mass-produced.</i>


    The Radiant Long Sword was difficult to forge, but there wasn¡¯t a specific condition that made it hard to replicate. As long as they knew the basic framework, anyone could replicate it. It was so easy that skilled cksmiths would likely be able to forge something simr just by hearing its characteristics.


    <i>I want to be conscientious with Ryu Eun-Ha, at least.</i>


    While Erika and Jake had been bidding because they were more interested in recruiting him than in purchasing the weapon, Eun-Ha had bid as a critic who wanted to purely evaluate and enjoy it.


    However, beating down the price too harshly could lower her expectations of him and make it difficult to increase their bond level, so he had to adjust the price ordingly.


    ¡°Hm. It certainly isn¡¯t at a level that can¡¯t be replicated, but the forging process shouldn¡¯t be that easy...¡±


    ¡°A skilled cksmith will be able to replicate it easily. That¡¯s why the six hundred million feels a bit too generous to me. I¡¯m wondering if I should really ept this...¡±


    Se-Hoon trailed off, and hearing him, Eun-Ha stated firmly, ¡°You should ept it. Even if there¡¯s a possibility of replication, this sword is the only one of its kind for now.¡±


    And even if the sword was mass-produced in the future, there was no guarantee that the copies would be as good as the Radiant Long Sword that Se-Hoon had forged. That was why Eun-Ha had told him to ept the money without a hint of hesitation.


    ¡°The Radiant Long Sword is definitely worth six hundred million.¡±


    As she spoke as a customer expressing her sincerity and not as a dean encouraging her student, her words made Se-Hoon quietly nod in appreciation.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m d I sold it to you, Dean.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Hearing his words, Eun-Ha¡¯s eyes slightly widened, and then she murmured calmly, ¡°I see.¡±


    Her expression made it hard to discern her thoughts, but he noticed that she seemed somewhat pleased.


    <i>She¡¯s still bad at receivingpliments.</i>


    To cksmiths, Eun-Ha was both a coveted and dreaded customer. A cksmith¡¯s equipment was meant to be used over time, spreading their fame in the process, so Eun-Ha¡¯s unique skill, Soul Furnace, which tended to turn their equipment into one-time use and effectively erase their presence, made her an undesirable customer.


    <i>Plus there are her harsh critiques, so who would like her as a customer?</i>


    The anecdote about a cksmith rushing to buy back his equipment from the auction before Eun-Ha could purchase it spoke volumes about the industry¡¯s view of her.


    Yet, despite knowing all that. a promising neer said he appreciated that she bought his weapon? Naturally, as a human being, she felt pleased.


    <i>The bond level is still level one, but... with this kind of atmosphere, it¡¯s not bad.</i>


    Observing her expressionless face, he cautiously opened his mouth.


    ¡°I have a question, Dean...¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°When do you n to eat the Radiant Long Sword? I¡¯m just a bit curious.¡±


    Pondering his question, she soon replied, ¡°I n to use it when I go to a danger zone. It¡¯s too precious to use it for training.¡±


    Her words relieved him since the sword wouldn¡¯t be treated as a mere snack. He had expected otherwise since it was <i>just </i>a Rare weapon.


    ¡°Have you decided where to go?¡± asked Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Not yet...¡±


    Realizing the intent behind Se-Hoon¡¯s question, she decided to confirm it.


    ¡°Do you wish to apany me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If you¡¯re okay with it, I¡¯d like to go to Mount Silver Moon together.¡±


    ¡°Mount Silver Moon... that¡¯s a D-rank danger zone.¡±


    Danger zones were areas where the environment had been transformed due to being contaminated by the Abyss of Demons. Mount Silver Moon, one of those danger zones, was rmended for heroes of D-rank and above; it was also one of the potential training grounds for the first-year¡¯s first subjugation practical.


    ¡°What are your reasons?¡±


    ¡°I want to see how the Radiant Long Sword performs in realbat... and experiencing it might be helpful for the uing subjugation practical.¡±


    Babel Academy, an institution for training heroes, regrly conducted practical training sessions by sending students to danger zones to subjugate monsters.


    For students of Ur and Aqar Quf, their performance would be reflected in their grades, so it was required. Borsippa students, on the other hand, would have to apply to join, and Se-Hoon was already preparing for it.


    <i>That¡¯s all just an excuse.</i>


    His real intention behind his request to apany her was to use Eun-Ha¡¯s strength to secure useful items forter use.


    One such item was hidden in Mount Silver Moon. Se-Hoon distinctly remembered the artifact from before the regression.


    <i>The artifact of Wurgen Kruger, a Perfect One.</i>


    He was the most powerful necromancer, known as the Eternal Nocturne for transcending death, and the chairman of UD Group, the leading conglomerate for decades.


    The item hidden somewhere on Mount Silver Moon was one of the artifacts that he lost during the war with the demons.


    <i>I remember that someone found that artifact and delivered it to UD Group for hundreds of billions in rewards.</i>


    If Se-Hoon found it this time, he could also opt for a mary reward or demand something else of equivalent value.


    Being a Perfect One and one of the wealthiest people in the world, securing the artifact of Wurgen Kruger would be useful in any situation.


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    After a long moment of consideration over Se-Hoon¡¯s proposal, Eun-Ha opened her mouth.


    ¡°Considering my position as dean, that might be a bit...¡±


    ¡°In return, I¡¯ll forge any kind of equipment you desire.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s decide on the date then. How about next week?¡±


    At his words, her eyes sparkled and she immediately changed stances. Se-Hoon smiled, seeing how she was no different from before the regression.


    ¡°Next week it is.¡±


    ***


    ¡°<i>Hahhh...</i>¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Hearing the irritated sigh from across the table, Jake flinched.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you couldn¡¯t get it in the end,¡± said Aria.


    ¡°...M-my apologies.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. Someone might actually think that I¡¯m reprimanding you. Do I seem that petty to you?¡±


    The fact that she said that implied that she was not just petty but also twisted, yet Jake quickly banished the thought from his mind. With a sister who could basically read his every thought, it was better not to think such things in the first ce.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s a bit disappointing. I thought I made it clear to you that no matter the cost, you were to obtain Lee Se-Hoon¡¯s sword... yet, you gave up so easily just because Ryu Eun-Ha, the dean, intervened.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I didn¡¯t make it clear enough? Or maybe... did I seem too easy?¡±


    Jake tensed up at her soft murmur. He hadn¡¯t felt this much pressure even during his private meeting with Ludwig. He had grown up with Aria, but to Jake, she was more of a terrifying monster than a caring sister.


    Jake began unwittingly clenching his fists due to the tense atmosphere that seemed as if it was about to crush his entire body, but then...


    ¡°Ah, sorry, Jake. I¡¯ve been on edgetely because of some troubling matters.... I didn¡¯t mean to snap at you.¡±


    The oppressive atmosphere suddenly vanished, reced by her lively voice. It was a relief that he had been looking at the ground; had he been making direct eye contact with her, he might have fainted on the spot.


    ¡°You¡¯re not upset, are you?¡±


    ¡°...No, it¡¯s my fault for acting recklessly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you understand. But...¡±


    Her hands, which were previously resting on the table, were now interlocked. They supported her sculpted chin that rested on top, bringing the emotionless curve of her lips into his field of view.


    ¡°How long do you n to keep your head down?¡±


    Hearing what seemed like a veiled warning, Jake quickly lifted his head and saw his sister, smiling brightly as always.


    ¡°When we talk, we should face each other, right?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Well, we can¡¯t change what¡¯s past, so we need to think about what to do next,¡± Aria said, pondering what to do next while resting her chin on her hand.


    Seeing this, Jake cautiously spoke up.


    ¡°Um... Aria, may I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so interested in Lee Se-Hoon?¡±


    Jake, the errand runner for Aria within the family, had a rough idea of her interests.


    Aria, like all members of the Myers lineage who were renowned for their swordsmanship, was interested in world-renowned master swords and the cksmiths who could forge such masterpieces. However, unlike the others, she had a particrly <i>intense</i> fascination with them.


    <i>Lee Se-Hoon doesn¡¯t seem to be on that level.</i>


    He might be a promising candidate, but his sister wasn¡¯t one to entertain such uncertain possibilities.


    He couldn¡¯t figure out why was she so interested in Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Hm. That¡¯s a good question. Why am I so interested...¡± she mumbled.


    It was as if she was contemting the reason for the first time today. Confused by the even more perplexing reaction, Jake looked at her quizzically.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s his looks?¡±


    ¡°Cough! Cough! Keugh!¡± Jake choked and coughed at the unexpectedment.


    Aria let out a smallugh.


    ¡°Just kidding. Just kidding.¡±


    ¡°R-Right?¡±


    ¡°I do like the wild dog vibe he has, but that alone isn¡¯t enough for me to go this far. I know how to keep personal feelings away from business.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Listening to her, Jake seriously wondered if he should warn Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a little curious...¡±


    A brief pauseter, Aria continued in a calm tone, ¡°About what kind of sword he can forge.¡±


    She remembered how, for some reason, only Se-Hoon¡¯s voice clearly stood out to her amidst the roaring crowd and attention on the stage in the Hall of Martial Arts.


    <i>¡°They¡¯re just so full of themselves.¡±</i>


    Although it sounded like nothing more than a spiteful remark driven by jealousy, her abnormal sensitivity allowed her to perceive a certain emotion from those brief words.


    It was as if he understood exactly what kind of person she was, perhaps even empathizing with her.


    <i>No. I shouldn¡¯t expect too much from him for now.</i>


    She knew that the higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment. Having been betrayed more than once, she tempered her burgeoning hope and decided to conclude their conversation.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ll be counting on you from now on. You understand what I mean, right?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, about how you should approach him... ah, didn¡¯t you say you guys were taking the same ss? Professor Ma Kwang-Soo¡¯s Physiology Control ss?¡±


    At her inquiry, Jake nodded.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re both taking that ss.¡±


    ¡°Then try asking him during ss. Tell him we¡¯ll pay properly.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a bad idea, but Jake felt uneasy. He didn¡¯t have any issue with making the request; it just seemed unlikely Se-Hoon would ept it.


    <i>I¡¯ll be grateful as long as he doesn¡¯t badmouth my sister...</i>


    Yet, it wasn¡¯t like he could ask Aria to make the request herself. She was usually too busy with subjugation missions assigned by the academy for her graduation.


    <i>Plus, if she was going to persuade him herself, she wouldn¡¯t have asked me in the first ce.</i>


    He wondered what he had done in his past life to deserve getting stuck in such predicaments. As Jake internallyined, Aria spoke, ¡°If you manage to resolve this well, I¡¯ll speak to Father about your session ceremony.¡±


    Her statement made him flinch.


    ¡°He said he wouldn¡¯t think about it until you graduate, but that¡¯s too far in the future. Besides, if things stay as they are now, you might even lose your honor student position soon.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve anticipated this much already, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Jake¡¯s expression wavered at her words because that exact thought had crossed his mind when he had suffered an utterly disappointing defeat in the duel with Se-Hoon.


    <i>I¡¯ll finally have my own sword...</i>


    Unlike his family members, who possessed their own swords after going through the session ceremony, Jake hadn¡¯t gone through his. Clenching his fist, he made up his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ve recently done some favors for him, so if I speak to Father about it, he¡¯s likely going to agree. So¡ª¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Jake interrupted with a serious expression.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to obtain a sword from Lee Se-Hoon, by any means necessary.¡±


    If his earlier attitude was one of reluctance, his attitude now was clearly one of determination.


    At Jake¡¯s resolute deration, a smile grew on Aria¡¯s face.


    ¡°Is it alright for you to interrupt while I¡¯m speaking?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Their awkward conversation continued a bit longer.

 Chapter 37

    <h4>Chapter 37</h4>


    ¡°I finished the assignment.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lis looked at the two spearsid out in front of him with a nk expression on his face.


    <strong><u>[Red Sun Spear]</u></strong>


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


    <strong>[A spear made from exquisitely refined pieces of alloy.</strong>


    <strong>It can store fire mana and assist with forming me rings.</strong>


    <strong>*Can store fire attribute mana</strong>


    <strong>*Increases efficiency when creating me rings]</strong>


    <strong>[<u>ck Cross Spear]</u></strong>


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


    <strong>[A spear made from exquisitely refined pieces of alloy.</strong>


    <strong>It can store darkness mana and assist with stabilizing me rings.</strong>


    <strong>*Can store darkness mana</strong>


    <strong>*Increases stability when maintaining me rings]</strong>


    The bnce of each spear was excellent, and a mana circuit had been wlessly embedded into both shafts. As in spears alone, they were already splendid weapons, but when their effects were added, they became truly astonishing.


    <i>I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d forge a weapon that helps create me rings.</i>


    From just the information messages alone, one might think that the spears merely aided in forming me rings, but in reality, they did much more than that.


    To create a me ring, one needed a main and a support spell. Each one was monitored by a spear, and if the mana supplied to either was even slightly too much, the excess would be repelled and the caster would be notified.


    <i>These basically act as both a training tool and a textbook.</i>


    He thought Se-Hoon would just submit something that roughly made me rings, so he never imagined that he would bring something like this.


    Lis, who had been blown away, looked over at the calmly standing Se-Hoon with an incredulous gaze.


    <i>How should I even grade this...</i>


    He finally understood why In-Cheol had been so adamant about increasing the budget allocated to Se-Hoon at the meetingst night.


    After some contemtion, Lis slowly started speaking, ¡°First of all... they¡¯re remarkable. I¡¯ve been teaching for quite a long time, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen someoneplete an assignment so quickly and so perfectly. I¡¯m truly impressed.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I was originally nning to grade only after I collected everyone¡¯s assignments ... but honestly, I don¡¯t think I need to dy my assessment for spears of this quality. I¡¯m giving you a full score for this assignment.¡±


    ¡°...A full score?¡±


    ¡°What, really?¡±


    Hearing that Se-Hoon got a full score, a buzz of excitement spread among the other students.


    Generally, receiving a full score from professors was nearly impossible since the standards were set so ridiculously high. It was set up this way because Babel Academy believed that students should always aim for the top.


    Therefore, to earn a perfect score, one had toe up with an assignment so wless that no one could deny its perfection. And Se-Hoon had managed to do just that with the item he created for his first assignment.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve submitted your assignment, you¡¯re exempt from attending ss until presentation day. However, if you so wish, you can still attend ss.¡±


    On top of receiving a perfect score with a weapon forged in just one day, Lis, one of the strictest professors in the department, exempted Se-Hoon from attending the lesson.


    With feelings that surpassed jealousy and were in the realm of disgust, the students who were still struggling with their designs, sneaked nces at Se-Hoon.


    <i>Can¡¯t they just skip him to the third year?</i>


    <i>From what I can see, he should be able to graduate right now.</i>


    <i>Why am I ssmates with him? I¡¯m so unlucky...</i>


    Amidst the pouring gazes, Se-Hoon just nced at Sung-Ha, who was standing next to Lis.


    <i>Do you see this?</i>


    The spears that Sung-Ha had disregarded as trash were this remarkable.


    Noticing his gaze, Sung-Ha looked him in the eyes and pondered for a moment before slightly lifting one corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Good job.¡±


    That single phrase drove Se-Hoon nuts.


    ¡°...¡±


    For a moment, Se-Hoon wondered if he had been making others feel the same with his own smirk. Reflecting for a moment, Se-Hoon calmed his mind and nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving then.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Take the spears with you. Just let me know if you¡¯re going to sell them.¡±


    Once Se-Hoon collected the two spears and left the room, Lis immediately began preparing for the ss.


    <i>There¡¯s no need to attend if there¡¯s nothing to learn.</i>


    While most students wanted to learn from the major sses of the Department of cksmithing, Se-Hoon mainly wanted to enhance his reputation as an honor student and rehabilitate his stiff body.


    Since there was nothing to learn, it was better for him just to skip; the things he really wanted to learn were mostly from electives.


    <i>Today¡¯s ss is... that old man Ma Kwang-Soo¡¯s ss.</i>


    With three hours of free time due to being exempted from Metallurgy, he nced at the two spears in his void pocket and considered going to the training room.


    <i>Maybe I should try these out.</i>


    He had never fully utilized spears even before the regression, but considering that he had a young and vigorous body now, with the self-defense techniques he had learned from Kwang-Soo, he might be able to pull it off.


    Deciding to try out the spears, he headed to the lecture room for Physiology Control since he didn¡¯t like to practice in front of others.


    <i>It seems like... the room¡¯s empty.</i>


    Seeing the empty lecture room with Kwang-Soo nowhere to be found, Se-Hoon thought it was a good opportunity and quickly changed into his training uniform.


    As he was leaving the changing room, he ran into a familiar face.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Jake, who was also in his training uniform, had also arrived at the lecture room.


    ¡°What, do you have ss here?¡±


    ¡°No, my ss is in an hour, but I came to warm up.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Se-Hoon had thought that they would end up taking the ss together, but it seemed like Kwang-Soo had decided to teach them individually instead.


    <i>Given that old man¡¯s personality, one-on-one teaching sessions probably suit him better.</i>


    However, upon learning that Jake¡¯s one-on-one session was in an hour, it became awkward to practice on the training grounds. Se-Hoon briefly considered using the private training room as an alternative, but he realized that he wasn¡¯t officially registered in the system yet.


    While Se-Hoon was contemting whether to just go to the regr training room for a normal training session, Jake spoke up.


    ¡°Um...¡±


    Jake hesitated for a moment before earnestly continuing his words, ¡°Is it okay if I have a favor to ask?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not okay.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At the blunt response, Jake''s face stiffened. Se-Hoon just looked at him calmly.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious that your sister ordered you to get a weapon from me. But just give up because I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re not even going to hear our offer?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m really not interested.¡±


    The Myers family¡¯s offer would surely be generous, but Se-Hoon had two reasons for his refusal. The first was his difort with the existence of Aria Myers, who could potentially awaken as the Destroyer of Light in the future. The second reason was that whatever he forged for her now would likely disappoint her, given her high standards.


    <i>Her expectations are way too high.</i>


    Se-Hoon still had to decide how to deal with Aria, but regardless of what he ended up deciding, he couldn¡¯t afford to lose her interest.


    After all, Aria, a former Perfect One, had turned into the Destroyer of Light because she was no longer able to feel anticipation from anyone.


    <i>I should maintain a distance that makes her think about me but doesn¡¯t let her get too close... that¡¯s probably the best approach for now.</i>


    Until he figured out the exact requirements that Aria wanted for her sword, this was the right approach.


    Biting his lip slightly at Se-Hoon¡¯s firm refusal, Jake spoke up.


    ¡°What about this?¡±


    Jake reached into his void pocket at his waist, pulled out a small hammer, and extended it toward Se-Hoon.


    The hammer, with a ck handle and a silver body, perfectly fit in one hand, and its head, protruding on both sides, was dyed red and ck. It exuded strong elemental mana.


    Seeing the clearly valuable item, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Take a look.¡±


    Se-Hoon took the hammer offered by Jake and immediately examined the information message.


    <strong>[<u>ck me Hammer</u>]</strong>


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


    <strong>[A hammer forged from Dragonite.</strong>


    <strong>Each side of the head is coated with fire mana and darkness mana, amplifying both types of elemental mana.</strong>


    <strong>*Amplifies both fire and darkness mana</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Elemental Convergence¡¯]</strong>


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    It was a Hero-tier hammer of above-average quality. It seemed to have been made specifically for cksmithing, with a specialization in maximizing the output of darkness and fire elemental mana. Its performance wasn¡¯t bad at all.


    But what Se-Hoon liked the most was that it had the potential to be upgraded.


    <i>This is pretty good...?</i>


    A hammer of this quality would have sold for quite a high price on the market. He looked at Jake.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s this about?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a rematch. If I lose, I¡¯ll give you this ck me Hammer.¡±


    ¡°And if I lose, I will forge a weapon for your sister?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Of course, you¡¯ll still be paid ordingly.¡±


    To others, this might seem like a win-win situation for Se-Hoon; however, Se-Hoon decided never to show his hand to Aria, so he had no reason to ept.


    <i>The hammer looks useful, but... it¡¯s not worth the risk.</i>


    He decided to refuse the offer again, but he noticed something.


    ...<i>Hm?</i>


    Jake was staring at him intently, waiting for an answer, but unlike how he seemed reluctant at the auction, there was no such hesitance Se-Hoon could find in him now.


    Jake was fully determined to beat him.


    Recognizing a genuine emotion from Jake for the first time, Se-Hoon considered it an opportunity and spoke up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s add one more condition.¡±


    ¡°What condition?¡±


    ¡°If I win... don¡¯t bring up your sister in front of me for a month. And make sure she knows about it too.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Depending on the person, a month might be short or long. However, considering the nagging he would have to endure, it would be a bitter pill for Jake.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    But Jake still nodded, epting the bet. He made a bet that he had to win, and he was confident he wouldn¡¯t lose like before.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get started then.¡±


    The two immediately stepped onto the training ground, this time with protective gear meticulously covering their entire bodies.


    <i>Last time, I allowed an unexpected counterattack... but I¡¯m going all out from the start this time, </i>Jake thought, drawing up his mana.


    Pouring the mana into his fists, a blue mist started to surround them. The amount of mana gathered was enough to easily break a steel sword, but Jake went a step further.


    <i>Clench-</i>


    He clenched his fist tighter and tighter, and the manapressed further, releasing blue steam from the gaps between his fingers. The mana¡¯s concentration continued to deepen as impurities leaked out from between his fingers, turning Jake¡¯s fists a deep blue.


    Se-Hoon widened his eyes in surprise.


    <i>He canpress mana to that extent just by clenching his hands...?</i>


    Noticing that Jake had abnormally high grip strengthpared to his physical abilities, he suddenly recalled how Jake caught Sung-Ha¡¯s punch.


    <i>That¡¯s why he intervened... he was confident he could catch the punch, even if it was a full-power one.</i>


    He knew Jake had potential, but he was surprised it was to this extent. Redefining Jake¡¯s abilities in his head, Se-Hoon also braced himself.


    <i>It¡¯ll be over for me in an instant if I¡¯m careless.</i>


    He wouldn¡¯t stand a chance based purely on physical abilities, but if he used everything at his disposal, it could be a different story.


    Se-Hoon raised his hands and interlocked his fingers in front of his chest. He deactivated the Bond Imprint equipped on his left hand.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Harmonite¡¯ has been deactivated.]</strong>


    Having confirmed that the Harmonite had emerged from his left palm, he immediately activated the Bond Imprint equipped on his right hand.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Iron Desire¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    Immediately feeding the recently emerged Harmonite to Iron Desire, he felt all the muscles in his body move involuntarily. It was as if his body had been attached to thousands of strings and was manipted by someone.


    Eventually, his body gradually adjusted, letting him escape the bizarre feeling.


    ¡°Whew...¡±


    He hadn¡¯t moved much, but his stance became more refined than before. Confirming his entire body was perfectly in sync, he immediately drew his weapon.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    He pulled out the two spears from his void pocket. Jake looked on with curiosity.


    <i>So he can use spears, too.</i>


    It seemed Se-Hoon was quite familiar with them, as there were fewer ws in his stance than before.


    Realizing again that Se-Hoon was not to be underestimated, Jake focused on his tightly clenched fists.


    <i>I¡¯ll break his weapon with my first move.</i>


    The method might be a bit rough, but it was a surefire way to win.


    Readying his full power with Azure Compression, what he called thepression of mana to its limit in his fists, he discarded any hesitation and slowly took his stance.


    With the absence of a referee to signal the start, an eerie silence hung between the two motionless figures.


    <i>Twang-</i>


    Suddenly, the protection machine made a small noise as it was used after a long period of inactivity. At that moment, both of their eyes shed simultaneously.


    <i>Boom!!</i>


    In an instant, they had kicked against the ground and were rushing toward each other.


    <i>It¡¯s my victory...!</i>


    If Se-Hoon chose to evade rather than flee like before, he would bepletely overwhelmed by Jake¡¯s sheer force.


    Jake¡¯s eyes sparkled as he thrust his fist that was empowered by Azure Compression with all his might.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    In front of Jake¡¯s eyes, me rings had erupted from the tips of Se-Hoon¡¯s spears.

 Chapter 38

    <h4>Chapter 38</h4>


    Before the regression, the Three Dogs had told Se-Hoon various stories.


    It all started when, one day, they began talking about the unfortunate incidents they experienced in their childhood. They then eventually told him everything from the background of the crimes they eachmitted to the reasons for their bizarre actions that defiedmon sense.


    What started as part of an effort to increase their bond levels had, over time, be the catalyst that allowed the Three Dogs to open up and share the emotions they harbored, one by one.


    Naturally, as their bond level gradually increased, so did the depth of their stories.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    They even ended up teaching Se-Hoon their techniques, something they had never passed on to anyone else.


    <i>ng!!!</i>


    Jake¡¯s blue fist, which was aiming for the de of the spear, was struck down in an instant, and Se-Hoon immediately followed up with a counterattack using the other spear.


    Reacting in the blink of an eye, Jake quickly countered the iing ck spear with his fist.


    <i>ng!!</i>


    Once again, his fist had been deflected upon collision, but this time, he quickly retracted it for another strike. And it seemed Se-Hoon had done the same.


    <i>tter!!!</i>


    The blue fists, wrapped inpressed mana, and the spear des, engulfed in mes, were swung at each other relentlessly. Like a choreographed dance, their attacks shed again and again.


    Anyone watching this scene might think that Jake, an honor student of Aqar Quf, was deliberately restraining himself against Se-Hoon; however, in reality, that was far from the case.


    <i>This doesn¡¯t make any sense at all...!</i>


    When Se-Hoon created the me ring, Jake was merely slightly surprised because he had heard through his friends that Se-Hoon and Sung-Ha had been in the vium together on Monday, walking and talking.


    Though he wasn¡¯t exactly sure what their rtionship was, it wasn¡¯t too strange that Se-Hoon would know about the Inferno Ring, given their close association.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    However, knowing was one thing; the Inferno Ring that Se-Hoon was using was entirely another thing.


    Normally, the Inferno Ring was a single spear technique focused on using firepower to dominate the surrounding space to pressure the opponent. Thus, if the opponent also specialized in firepower, it usually led to a showdown of strength.


    <i>Here ites again...</i>


    <i>ng!</i>


    However, the Inferno Ring that Se-Hoon used utilized two short spears and upied significantly less space with rings of much higher mana density.


    Now unable to destroy the rings easily, Jake¡¯s n to destroy the spear through a test of strength went entirely awry, and he was continuously dragged along, unable to recover the initiative he had lost at the start.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The spear grazed just below Jake¡¯s chin.


    Thinking he had narrowly avoided it, Jake was immediately surprised to see Se-Hoon twisting his wrist half a turn and then pulling the spear inward.


    ¡°Ugh?!¡±


    <i>ng!</i>


    The de of the ck Cross Spear grazed his nape.


    While it was rather simple to perform a spear technique using the cross-shaped spear, executing it with such lethality was another story. Se-Hoon¡¯s strike just now could have been a fatal one in a real battle, one where it wouldn¡¯t have been blocked by a protective barrier.


    The fact caused Jake¡¯s body to stiffen for a brief moment, and Se-Hoon, not missing it, poured down attacks even more relentlessly.


    <i>Whoosh! ng! Boom!</i>


    The des and shafts of the spears, along with the residual mes that lit the air aze, relentlessly pressured him. But even though he was being pushed back helplessly, Jake¡¯s eyes continued to shine brightly as he fortified his defense even further.


    <i>I still have a chance...!</i>


    Jake had noticed that the physical prowess Se-Hoon was demonstrating was merely temporary, likely a result of his skill. And he became certain after noticing that the mes at the tips of his hair were gradually dying down.


    If he could exploit the moment Se-Hoon¡¯s skill wore off and his physical abilities decreased, then he was certain he couldpletely turn the tide of the battle.


    Waiting for that moment, Jake calmed down and strengthened his defense. Seeing that, Se-Hoon inwardly clicked his tongue.


    <i>Tsk. He caught on.</i>


    It seemed that Jake had figured out that Iron Desire had a duration to it. After all, Jake had stopped counterattacking, and his posture became more stable and calm.


    <i>He didn¡¯t be Aqar Quf¡¯s honor student for nothing, I guess.</i>


    If the battle continued, Se-Hoon would lose the moment the effect of Iron Desire wore off. epting the change in situation, Se-Hoon checked his physical condition.


    <i>My body¡¯s moving as well as I expected.</i>


    Despite learning the Inferno Ring from the Mad Dog directly before regression, Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t able to mimic it properly and was scolded mercilessly because of it. Now, however, he could somewhat reproduce it thanks to the power of the absorbed Harmonite, which adjusted his body ordingly.


    <i>I should just...</i>


    He decided it was time for him to go beyond just basic techniques.


    Propelling himself backward by kicking off Jake, the distance between them widened again. Deciding not to pursue him this time, Jake just adjusted his stance and watched Se-Hoon.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re nning to end it with your next move,¡± remarked Jake.


    ¡°That¡¯s the n.¡±


    ¡°I could just dodge it, you know?¡±


    Previously, Jake had rushed in to end the battle quickly. However, now that he knew he would gain the advantage as the battle prolonged, there was no need to engage directly head-on.


    Jake seriously considered running away until the skill¡¯s effect wore off.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re just a coward, there¡¯s nothing I can do,¡± Se-Hoon calmly responded.


    ¡°...What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it would be somewhat awkward if the honor student of Aqar Quf loses to the honor student of Borsippa twice, wouldn¡¯t it? I get you, so you can do as you please. I won¡¯t call you a coward.¡±


    Adjusting his stance, Se-Hoon slightly curled the corners of his lips.


    Se-Hoon¡¯s slight smirk along with his words caused Jake¡¯s eyes to widen. His face flushed with heat, but then it was quickly drained of color as Jake felt his entire body cool down.


    <i>Crack-</i>


    He had never felt such calmness despite his boiling anger before.


    All this time he had been swinging his fists to fulfill his sister¡¯s request and gain another chance to undergo a session ceremony.


    But now, the reason behind his fists had changed.


    <i>I will... absolutely not lose a second time...!</i>


    Thepetitive spirit that had arisen on the day he first lost to Se-Hoon reared its head once again. He had never felt such an emotion against an opponent of a simr age.


    The feeling caused his eyes to shine even brighter. He lowered his posture, raised his fists to his waist, bent his back forward, pointed his head at the ground, and then pointed his elbows toward the sky.


    Although he looked too unguarded and unprepared to face an opponent, the sight caused Se-Hoon to lick his dry lips.


    <i>I¡¯ll be smashed to pieces if I¡¯m unprepared.</i>


    Though it wasn¡¯t apparent outwardly, the intensity of the manapressed inside Jake¡¯s fist was extraordinary. Astonished, Se-Hoon quickly adjusted his stance.


    <i>Right. Let¡¯s end this now.</i>


    He slightly lowered his spears, crossed them, and gathered all his mana.


    The blood heated by Iron Desire and Scarlet Lotus, his fire mana, raced through his entire body using the pathway constructed by Soul Honing with a fearsome momentum.


    Although it was enough to knock down most freshmen of Aqar Quf, his opponent was both a top-ranking student and an honor student of Aqar Quf. Deciding not to cut any corners, Se-Hoon released all of the mana stored in the Inkstone Bracelets on his right arm and right ankle.


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


    <i>Sssst-</i>


    Unlike usual, it was darkness mana that was quietly absorbed into his body.


    The Nightshade Soul left in the bracelets by Sung-Ha during his practice brought pain to his entire body. Se-Hoon grimaced.


    ¡°Agh...¡±


    Taking in elemental mana that one did not possess into the body was a strictly forbidden act. Its inefficiency aside, a body not equipped with the proper mana circuit could react adversely, leading to the mana running wild.


    Therefore, to others, what Se-Hoon was doing right now was basically a suicidal act.


    <i>A temporary pathway... it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve used one...!</i>


    Of course, there was still a way to take it in.


    Metallic sounds echoed inside his body.


    Se-Hoon forced the Nightshade Soul, which was being eroded by the Scarlet Lotus, into the pathway that he had just hastily created throughout his body.


    ¡°Hmphh...!¡±


    Creating a pathway with Soul Honing was like dissecting a live body and then dividing it into dozens of pieces.


    To those hearing about it for the first time, the danger made it seem like a mad endeavor, and indeed, Se-Hoon had struggled tremendously just to create a single path before the regression.


    But thanks to that experience, he now had a perfect understanding of how his body could be divided.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    This meant that there was no elemental mana that Se-Hoon could not handle.


    mes and darkness converged at the intersection of the tips of the crossed spears. Having perfectly harnessed the two types of elemental mana, he took a deep breath with all his might and then steeled his gaze.


    The hum of mana quietly spread as they both halted their breaths. They were waiting for the moment when the muscles and mana throughout their bodies perfectly aligned and all their power converged.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    At that exact moment, they both kicked off the ground, rushing toward each other.


    The distance closed in the blink of an eye. Just moments before the collision, with less than a second to go, Jake suddenly stomped down on the ground.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    He forced open his clenched fists and pped his palms together as if he were praying.


    <i>¡°Grunt...!¡±</i>


    Compressed to the extreme, the mana in each hand shed. Feeling as if his palms were about to burst, Jake slightly parted the tips of his joined fingers under the intense pressure to create an outlet.


    <strong><i>Myers Style Pseudo Sword Aura Technique: Azure Compression Light Thread</i></strong>


    A strand of blue light shed toward Se-Hoon, splitting the floor it crossed in two.


    Although the technique was a bit rough, itspression rate was high enough that the resulting mana de could be considered a type of Sword Aura.


    Facing the strike that made Jake seem worthy of the title of honor student, Se-Hoon lowered his stance further, gripping the shafts of his spears tightly in both hands.


    <i>A bit lower.</i>


    Though Jake¡¯s technique might appear perfectly executed, it was essentially no different from recklessly releasedpressed mana. Quickly finding a w in the strand of light, he rotated his wrists and pointed both of his spears at once.


    <strong><i>Inferno Ring¡ªModified: Darklight Crescent.</i></strong>


    A red crescent chasing the darkness shed through the blue strand of light.


    <i>Booom!!!</i>


    A terrifying shock wave immediately erupted from the collision, shattering more than half of the protective barrier spells that were spread across the training ground in an instant. The emergency systems immediately activated and wrapped the two in a much thicker barrier.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s spear des were gleaming dangerously on both sides of Jake¡¯s neck, one crossed over the other, while Jake¡¯s hands were barely a handspan away from Se-Hoon¡¯s sr plexus. If the barriers had not been there, it could have been a deadly oue for both.


    At the ambiguous end of the duel, the two just looked at each other calmly.


    Then, Jake withdrew his hand and sighed deeply. ¡°...I lost.¡±


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Jake Myers¡¯.]</strong>


    A bond had been established the moment Jake admitted his defeat.


    But, despite establishing a bond and officially earning Jake¡¯s recognition, Se-Hoon just looked at Jake full of perplexion.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a draw?¡±


    Considering the stakes of the duel, which involved Hero-tier equipment and the request from Aria, Jake¡¯s readiness to ept defeat was surprising.


    At his question, Jake awkwardly answered, ¡°Well, I could argue it was a draw if I wanted to...¡±


    He made a bitter smile as he looked at the slightly dulled des of the two spears as they were lowered from his neck.


    ¡°But it just doesn¡¯t seem right to call it a draw when only my weapon broke.¡±


    Jake¡¯s weapon, Light Thread, had been devastatingly destroyed in the battle, while Se-Hoon¡¯s two short spears remained intact.


    So Jake readily epted his defeat.


    <i>I should ept my defeat anyway since the fight ended in a draw when I even used Light Thread...</i>


    Light Thread was a killer move among the techniques he could fully utilize. It was something he had never even properly used against his peers of Aqar Quf. Having lost even after going all out, he couldn¡¯t help but feel defeated.


    ¡°...¡±


    His frustration surged intensely as his fighting spirit was dragged deep down by a sense of vain. Though Jake had admitted defeat, his mind was not at ease.


    <i>If only I had a sword...</i>


    With a sword, he wouldn¡¯t have given up the advantageous distance between them, and his weapon wouldn¡¯t have easily broken.


    Though some might call it unsightly, his lingering regret did not fade. Jake dejectedly looked down at his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering about somethingtely,¡± began Se-Hoon. ¡°Are you unable to wield a sword?¡±


    The peculiar sense of incongruity that Se-Hoon had felt during their previous duel became evident just now. Initially, he thought he was just being too sensitive, but the recent duel confirmed the source of that strange feeling.


    <i>He¡¯s executing swordsmanship with his bare hands.</i>


    Those unfamiliar with the Myers family¡¯s swordsmanship might not notice, but since Se-Hoon had analyzed it before the regression, he found it very weird.


    <i>Someone skilled in swordsmanship wouldn¡¯t deliberately avoid using a sword without a reason.</i>


    There had to be a special circumstance that he didn¡¯t know about.


    Jake hesitated briefly before nodding with a sour expression.


    ¡°I have my own reasons.¡±


    ¡°Is someone forcibly preventing you from using one...?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. Should I say that I¡¯m just unskilled...¡±


    Jake made a bitter smile while rubbing his swollen hands. Seeing that, Se-Hoon was able to roughly understand the situation.


    <i>It¡¯s because of his grip strength.</i>


    Jake had an abnormally strong grip strength that even surpassed his physical abilities. It was likely the main reason Jake insisted on using those inefficientbat methods.


    ¡°Anyway, since I lost, here¡¯s the hammer...¡±


    ¡°Hey, Jake.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to forge you a sword?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    He slightly lifted the corners of his mouth upon seeing Jake¡¯s baffled expression.


    ¡°I mean a sword that you won¡¯t break and can actually use.¡±


    Se-Hoon smiled confidently, thinking that by doing so he could quickly raise Jake¡¯s bond level to level two.


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Ma Kwang-Soo¡¯.]</strong>


    ¡°...Hm?¡±


    Se-Hoon btedly noticed Ma Kwang-Soo standing dazedly at the entrance to the ssroom.

 Chapter 39

    <h4>Chapter 39</h4>


    Kwang-Soo, a former S-rank hero who once traveled the world with Ludwig and hunted countless monsters and demons, had a foul personality and mouth which didn¡¯t earn him the greatest reputation. However, back then, he was considered an outstanding figure, thought to be the next Perfect One.


    And even now, as a professor at Babel Academy, he was still a respectable figure to the graduates he had taught.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    <i>Rub. Rub.</i>


    But to Se-Hoon, he was nothing but a senile old man who would not stop examining him with fumbling hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare move. I warned you.¡±


    Kwang-Soo touched Se-Hoon¡¯s entire body, starting from his shoulders and going all the way to his calves. He even fiddled with Se-Hoon¡¯s hands and feet. Meanwhile, Se-Hoon just looked at Kwang-Soo with a strange expression.


    <i>No matter how I look at him, he just seems senile...</i>


    He had been assuming that Kwang-Soo was half-senile, and now it seemed certain that he was. Se-Hoon started to seriously ponder whether Kwang-Soo¡¯s senility was a result of the butterfly effect caused by his intervention with the current timeline.


    ¡°You. What exactly are you?¡±


    Finally taking his hands off Se-Hoon after ten minutes, Kwang-Soo looked at Se-Hoon with sharp eyes.


    ¡°Last time, you seemed like an experienced cksmith. And this time, you¡¯re seemingly like an experienced spearman with that stance. What kind of sorcery is this?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Is it your unique skill? Or is this your true strength?¡±


    Hearing the questions Kwang-Soo asked as if interrogating him, Se-Hoon realized what he was thinking after taking into consideration the suspicion and faint hostility in Kwang-Soo¡¯s gaze.


    <i>Does he think I¡¯m an informant sent by the Demon Force?</i>


    To protect the Abyss of Demons, which eroded the Earth¡¯s environment and changed the ecosystem to make it suitable for them, the demons gathered together into what was known as the Demon Force.


    ¡°It would be wise for you to answer carefully.¡±


    Although Kwang-Soo wasn¡¯t tantly showing hostility, his gaze deepened as he stiffened his right hand like a de. He wasn¡¯t going to kill Se-Hoon, but the moment Kwang-Soo was convinced that Se-Hoon was a spy, he would make sure to sever at least one of Se-Hoon¡¯s limbs.


    It was a situation that would make even an A-rank hero sweat, yet Se-Hoon began to feel nostalgic.


    <i>Wow. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been in this position...</i>


    Thinking about it, he was in this same kind of situation back when he first met Kwang-Soo before the regression. The memory made Se-Hoon chuckle to himself.


    And upon seeing that, Kwang-Soo found him extremely strange.


    <i>...Perhaps he¡¯s just a madman, after all?</i>


    From how Se-Hoon reacted while under his intent to kill, he appeared more like a mad genius than a spy.


    As those thoughts went through Kwang-Soo¡¯s head, Se-Hoon calmly opened his mouth, seemingly having finished thinking.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that, even though I¡¯m a cksmith, my stance during the duel was so wless that it¡¯s suspicious.¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    At Kwang-Soo¡¯s response, Se-Hoon nced down at his own body.


    <i>I knew that Harmonite would help me skillfully use my body... but it seems like its effect is beyond what I imagined.</i>


    Rather than just skillfully using a spear, Harmonite had helped him even adopt the stance of a skilled spearman. Though the two things sounded simr, Se-Hoon knew the difference was significant.


    His entire body, from head to toe, had been optimized for handling a spear. The result that Kwang-Soo referred to as a stance wouldn¡¯t be possible with just pure talent; it also needed the years that one spent bing familiar with the weapon.


    <i>I need to exin this well.</i>


    He was able to form a bond with Kwang-Soo thanks to the misunderstanding, but if he didn¡¯t exin properly, this newly formed bond would potentially turn into a bad Rtionship.


    Not wanting to waste this opportunity, Se-Hoon slowly began to speak, recalling how he handled Kwang-Soo before the regression.


    ¡°This is the result of an applied technique of my skill. It¡¯s not as significant as you think.¡±


    ¡°An applied technique?¡±


    ¡°Let me stand up for a moment.¡±


    Getting up, Se-Hoon started to move his body, jumping lightly on the spot. As he moved around, the threads he felt tied to his body were unwound, loosening up any tension left.


    Confirming that the traces of the Harmonite hadpletely vanished from his body, he looked directly at the intently observing Kwang-Soo.


    ¡°That stance just now was temporarily mimicked using a skill. As you can see, after the skill ended, the effect disappears quickly.¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the result of specifically controlling muscles here and there... anyway, it can be considered as an applied technique that changes my body into someone else¡¯s momentarily.¡±


    If the technique only applied to a single part of the body, it would be categorized as a type of enhancement. However, since it applied to his entire body, including his organs and extremities, it was something beyond just ordinary enhancement.


    <i>The more I think about it, the more I realize how incredible this technique is...</i>


    Aside from once again realizing how incredible Harmonite was, Se-Hoon also realized how remarkable Iron Desire, or rather Eun-Ha¡¯s talent, was. He began to consider being more considerate when forging equipment for her.


    After Se-Hoon¡¯s response, Kwang-Soo, with a serious expression, asked, ¡°Is there a limit to that skill?¡±


    ¡°It takes time to observe and using it forcibly puts a strain on my body. In fact, I can barely even stand right now.¡±


    In reality, it was a technique he knew before the regression that he was only able to perfectly reproduce with the power of Harmonite. But seeing how well it turned out this time, using Harmonite in such a way seemed viable.


    With an unusually serious expression, Kwang-Soo began muttering, ¡°Observation, huh... then...¡±


    Seeing Kwang-Soo¡¯s interest, which was greater than expected, Se-Hoon soon realized what he was thinking.


    <i>He must be thinking about that Doppelganger guy.</i>


    Doppelganger was one of the demons of the Ten Evils. It was a vile creature that ughtered countless talented heroes by mimicking their techniques.


    For some reason, Kwang-Soo seemed to have a deep grudge against Doppelganger. There was no other reason why he would rush off wherever there was a sighting of it.


    <i>The bond formed right now must also be because of that guy.</i>


    Kwang-Soo either suspected he was Doppelganger or thought that his technique would be useful for finding the creature. No matter what the reason was, it was clear that Kwang-Soo had decided it was beneficial to form a bond with Se-Hoon. In other words, to easily raise Kwang-Soo¡¯s bond level in the future, Se-Hoon would need to assist with hunting down Doppelganger.


    ¡°Ahem. I questioned you earlier because... well, my apologies. There¡¯s a demon with a simr ability as yours, so I reacted a bit sensitively,¡± Kwang-Soo exined, looking somewhat embarrassed as his suspicion was alleviated.


    In response, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°I understand. If it¡¯s rted to demons, I would have done the same.¡±


    ¡°Right? Heroes these daysck awareness of demons. Back in my day...¡±


    Noticing Kwang-Soo was about to start reminiscing unnecessarily, Se-Hoon quickly shifted his posture, cutting off Kwang-Soo.


    ¡°Um...¡±


    ¡°Ah, right, you said that the technique strains your body. Perhaps today¡¯s ss can be put off for a different date.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s actually a good thing.¡±


    After scanning Se-Hoon from top to bottom, he stroked his chin.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve seen your technique, I need to change the entire teaching method. Initially, I nned to just fine-tune your technique... but now, I think it¡¯ll be better if I overhaul it entirely starting with the fundamentals.¡±


    ¡°The fundamentals?¡±


    ¡°What I mean is that there are more efficient ways that you can use your body. I¡¯ll exin when everything¡¯s prepared, so you can go for today.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll be going...¡± Se-Hoon nodded and left the training ground.


    Stroking his chin, Kwang-Soo watched his departing figure.


    <i>Why did a guy like that choose Borsippa?</i>


    Given his talent and how he fought during the duel, he could aim for the position of Aqar Quf¡¯s honor student if he set his mind to it.


    <i>Ah,e to think of it, his family background was grim.</i>


    Though initially uninterested in Se-Hoon¡¯s background, he decided to look into itter. Apart from his newly found interest, he needed to figure out what was needed to persuade Se-Hoon to join the search party for Doppelganger.


    <i>Once he grows up... I might even rmend him for the Enforcer role after graduation.</i>


    Of course, it was uncertain if Se-Hoon would reach that level, but for now, it would be better if he paid a bit more attention than usual. Unknown to Se-Hoon, Kwang-Soo, who had been indifferent to teaching others, began to show motivation for the first time.


    ¡°My own sword...¡±


    Meanwhile, Jake, who had been pushed aside to a corner, intently stared at the door Se-Hoon had exited through.


    ***


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    Stepping out of the ssroom, Se-Hoon began mulling over what just happened with a curious expression.


    <i>I didn¡¯t expect to form a bond with that old man...</i>


    Before the regression, Se-Hoon had only awakened his unique skill, cksmith of Bonds, after the war against Demon Force and the Six Harbingers of Destruction had officially begun.


    Thus, since Kwang-Soon had gone MIA while tracking Doppelganger and waster considered killed, he had been unable to form a bond with him.


    <i>I wonder what kind of Fatestone his bond would yield.</i>


    Given Kwang-Soo¡¯s skills, it would likely be something rted to physical abilities. The exact nature would need further confirmation, but since Kwang-Soo was an S-rank hero, Se-Hoon expected it to be useful.


    While pondering how he should naturally extract the bond, Se-Hoon¡¯s phone began to vibrate in his pocket. Only a few people knew his number, so Se-Hoon immediately checked the caller: Yeom Sung-Ha.


    ¡°...Tsk.¡±


    Though reluctant, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t ignore the call.


    ¡°What?¡± he answered gruffly.


    ¡ªHave you decided what you want in return?


    Sung-Ha¡¯s immediate straightforward question made him frown.


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a day. What¡¯s the rush?¡±


    ¡ªI feel ufortable since I haven¡¯t paid for something I¡¯ve received.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡ªAnyway, that¡¯s how it is. I want to pay you, at least partially.


    Realizing that Sung-Ha was feeling uneasy about receiving help merely out of goodwill and not as a part of a transaction, Se-Hoon sighed deeply.


    ¡°You¡¯re really being a drag...¡±


    ¡ªStop yapping and just tell me what you want. I¡¯llpensate by trying to get my hands on it, materials or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Compensation, hm...¡±


    Se-Hoon initially thought of just asking for some expensive material, but after pondering for a moment, he had a better idea.


    ¡°Help find someone for me.¡±


    ¡ª...Find someone?


    ¡°She¡¯s someone I¡¯m personally curious about. Her name is Luize Valent. She¡¯s a mage, probably a student of Babel Academy.¡±


    Se-Hoon decided to look for the next of the Three Dogs¡ªst Dog Luize Valent.


    Unlike Sung-Ha, Luize wasn¡¯t well known in the past, so it was difficult for him to find her through ordinary searching methods.


    However, Sung-Ha, who was unlike him, would have a better chance of finding her.


    <i>Plus, this guy isn¡¯t someone who would go around talking about it.</i>


    If it became known that Se-Hoon was inquiring about her, then given the st Dog¡¯s sensitive nature, their rtionship would turn sour before it even began.


    Therefore, maintaining secrecy, even if it took additional time, was crucial.


    ¡ªThat¡¯s a new name to me. Are you somehow acquainted with her?


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern. Just find out what she¡¯s doing right now and where she is. Speaking of which, do you even know anyone who could help find her?¡±


    ¡ªAre you underestimating me?


    ¡°Of course I am. Aren¡¯t you just a lowlife in the me Sect?¡±


    ¡ª...I have other sources.


    The fact that Sung-Ha didn¡¯t deny being a lowlife, made Se-Hoon chuckle.


    ¡°Anyway, just find out what she¡¯s up to. And make sure you keep this a secret. Got that?¡±


    ¡ªGot it. I¡¯ll contact you as soon as I find her.


    <i>Click-</i>


    The call ended abruptly as if Sung-Ha no longer cared now that he had heard what he wanted. His habit of hanging up immediately after finishing his business seemed to be the same as before the regression.


    <i>If this guy is like this, I wonder what Luize will be like...</i>


    If Sung-Ha was a headache due to his stubborn personality, then Luize, the st Dog, was a ticking time bomb.


    She would be fine for a moment but would then suddenly ignite, causing all sorts of incidents and idents in her anger. The trouble she caused was unmatched among the Three Dogs in terms of scale.


    <i>But she said she became like that after her injury, so she might be a bit more calm now.</i>


    There was a high chance she might have a screwed-up personality like Sung-Ha, but as long as it wasn¡¯t to the extent it was pre-regression, he thought he could manage.


    Deciding to prepare, Se-Hoon started to organize his thoughts.


    <i>Vrr-</i>


    But before he could start, his phone vibrated again in his hand. Seeing Sung-Ha¡¯s name reappear so soon, Se-Hoon became puzzled.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    Had something elsee up? The moment he answered, Sung-Ha¡¯s blunt voice entered his ears.


    ¡ªFound her.


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t believe that the information he couldn¡¯t find himself was uncovered in mere minutes. Taken aback, he wondered if Sung-Ha¡¯swork was more extensive than he thought.


    ¡ªLuize Valent is a second-year student in the Department of Elements. She <i>was</i> originally a promising student, ranked second in her department.


    ¡°Ooh. Second ce, that¡¯s quite... wait. What do you mean by ¡®was¡¯?¡±


    Why did Sung-Ha use past tense? Sensing something wrong, Se-Hoon¡¯s expression hardened.


    ¡ªSix months ago, during a sparring session in the Hall of Martial Arts, an ident urred. A weapon had exploded, leaving her with severe injuries. She¡¯s been on a leave of absence since.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    For the first time, Se-Hoon felt cursed by his own thick-headedness.

 Chapter 40

    <h4>Chapter 40</h4>


    <i>Luize Valente, ranked second among the second-year students of Aqar Quf¡¯s Department of Elements. </i>


    <i>Her parents are C-rank heroes who died during an extermination mission eight years ago. She has rtives but does not talk with them. </i>


    <i>She has shown exceptional talent ever since enrollment, and she grew rapidly throughout her curriculum. During the first semester of her second year, she rose to second rank and became an honor student candidate of Aqar Quf, receiving full support from the Ivory Tower. She was also invited to the Noblesse, but she declined. </i>


    <i>Then, during the previous summer vacation, an ident urred during a duel with Gerwin Kruger, the top second year of the Department of Operation Commands of Aqar Quf, where her wand exploded. </i>


    <i>As a result, she suffered mana impairment in her neck and right hand. It significantly reduced her aptitude for mana utilization by more than fifty percent, resulting in all support from the Ivory Tower being put on hold. She is currently on a leave of absence, but it seems difficult for her to return...</i>


    ¡°...¡±


    Reviewing the information handed over by Sung-Ha, Se-Hoon looked out the dark window.


    ¡°Fxck my life, man...¡±


    He had thought that the incident hadn¡¯t happened since he couldn¡¯t find news or information about it on the inte, but it turned out that it was because it had already ended six months ago.


    Since he thought he had sessfully prevented Luize¡¯s injury, the news gave him a stinging pain in the back of his head.


    <i>So she ended up suffering from mana impairment.... This is troublesome.</i>


    Mana impairment was a kind of injury where one¡¯s mana circuits were permanently damaged, causing not only a decrease in mana efficiency but also excruciating pain whenever mana passed through the affected area. It was one of the most dreaded injuries by heroes.


    <i>If a mage suffers mana impairment in the neck and hand... that¡¯s practically a death sentence.</i>


    Every time she drew up mana for casting spells or forming contracts, she would feel pain from the body parts inflicted with mana impairment; it would feel like those parts were being torn apart, disrupting her concentration.


    Although Sung-Ha mentioned that there was about a fifty percent reduction in aptitude for mana utilization, it was no exaggeration to say that, actually, it had been reduced to more than ny percent.


    And that was no different from a death sentence for a mage. It was a hopeless situation, and it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she became a good-for-nothing.


    <i>Still, maybe I¡¯m lucky that it¡¯s not as severe yet...</i>


    He still had a chance to set things right.


    <i>She¡¯s currently undergoing rehabilitation treatment at Ur¡¯s general hospital ward for vitality tests. However, she has shown no significant improvement so far, and many are skeptical about the sess of her treatment.</i>


    <i>It¡¯s fine as long as she¡¯s still at Babel Academy.</i>


    If he had regressed a yearter, she might have formed a contract with <i>them</i> and left the academy. The thought of him almost having to fight the fanatical mages of that group all around the world made him dizzy.


    <i>Tch, I really need to figure out a way to deal with my damn memory soon.</i>


    But before that, resolving the situation of st Dog Luize was the priority. He turned the page of the packet of information that he received from Sung-Ha and reviewed the content he had read earlier.


    <i>Luize Valente sued Vier Barmuth, the cksmith of the wand she used and the top-ranking second-year student of the Department of cksmithing. She imed that he intentionally sold her a defective wand. </i>


    <i>However, the investigation found out that Vier Barmuth was not at fault. In response, Vier Barmuth filed a defamation suit. But after he suddenly withdrew thewsuit, the matter was considered resolved.</i>


    This was the moment that turned Luize into the st Dog.


    Reading the name of Vier Barmuth, who was now the current third-year top-ranking student of the Department of cksmithing and could be considered the root of all of these issues, Se-Hoon murmured in a low voice, ¡°Right. It was you, not Hans...¡±


    Even though the incident had already ended, it was never toote for revenge as long as the offender was still alive and well.


    Rubbing the still stinging back of his head, he chewed over the name with cold eyes.


    ***


    The next morning, Se-Hoon went down to the main floor of the dormitory, and upon seeing the students gathered in a bustling group, he made a listless expression.


    <i>How are they so energetic in the morning...</i>


    This wasn¡¯t their first time gathering like this, so it was surprising they weren¡¯t tired of it yet. Ignoring them like usual, Se-Hoon made his way through and took a step through the entrance.


    ¡°Good morning!¡±


    And immediately saw Jake cheerfully greeting him.


    ¡°...Did you two n this?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Never mind. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know how we weren¡¯t able toe to a settlement about our fight as the professor came by suddenly yesterday? There¡¯s that and...¡±


    Jake paused, nced around sneakily, and then continued in a low voice, ¡°The proposal you gave me.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Although Jake hadn¡¯t given a clear answer to Se-Hoon¡¯s proposal, given that he hade all this way, it was as good as saying that he agreed to it.


    Se-Hoon nced at the students crowded around them and then nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk as we walk. We¡¯ll get scolded for blocking the entrance if we stay here.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ahem</i>. I guess I was being a bit inconsiderate.¡±


    The rumor that this time it was Jake, not Erika, who had been waiting for Se-Hoon must have spread already, as more and more students continued to gather at the entrance.


    Since some students kept trying to speak to Jake, perhaps because he was the honor student of Aqar Quf, Se-Hoon decided to move quickly toward the bus stop with Jake.


    ¡°Let¡¯s settle our match first,¡± Se-Hoon told him.


    ¡°Ah, here.¡±


    Receiving the void pocket from Jake, he took out the ck me Hammer from within.


    <i>Hm. It¡¯s pretty good, as expected.</i>


    As Se-Hoon was shifting the hammer to find the right grip by flicking his wrist, Jake carefully opened his mouth after looking around cautiously.


    ¡°Yesterday, you said that you would forge a sword that I could use, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    ¡°Is it really possible?¡±


    His question was filled with both doubt and anticipation, but he still looked somewhat excited. Se-Hoon chuckled at the sight.


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible. Well, unless your grip strength is monstrously beyond that of even the Perfect Ones.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not <i>that</i> extreme, but...¡±


    Looking down at his own hand, Jake murmured in a troubled voice, ¡°I¡¯ve even broken a Hero-tier sword before...¡±


    ¡°Hero-tier?¡±


    Se-Hoon stopped walking and looked at him.


    ¡°What was the ratio of durability?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh... it was twenty percent into sharpness and eighty percent into durability. It was specially ordered to withstand my grip strength, but... it broke instantly.¡±


    The fact that the cksmith focused eighty percent on durability meant they focused all of its potential into withstanding Jake¡¯s grip strength, yet it still couldn¡¯tst even a moment.


    Looking at Jake¡¯s hand with a subtle expression, Se-Hoon gestured to the side.


    ¡°Come with me for a sec.¡±


    He took Jake to a nearby park, where they were out of sight. Se-Hoon checked for any onlookers and then gestured at Jake.


    ¡°Give me your palm.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to see my palm all of a sudden...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want your sword?¡±


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Jake said, promptly opening his palm.


    Supporting it with his right hand, Se-Hoon lifted the ck me Hammer high up with his left hand.


    Seeing Se-Hoon get ready to swing the hammer down at any moment, Jake¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Wait. What are you...¡±


    ¡°Rx your hand. And try not to use your mana.¡±


    ¡°But at least exin what you are...!¡±


    <i>Bam-!</i>


    Before he could finish his sentence, the hammer mmed down on his palm. The resulting sound filled the entire park, indicating its tremendous power. And being the receiver of that power, Jake¡¯s face and hand turned slightly red.


    ¡°Ugh... gah...¡±


    Feeling the pain, Jake was about to let out a scream and curse, but he swallowed it instead. Meanwhile, Se-Hoon, ignoring Jake¡¯s pain, examined Jake¡¯s palm which was now red. He noticed how the mana was reflexively released onto the palm.


    <i>Just like I thought. His mana doesn¡¯t just strengthen his grip; it has altered theposition of his entire hand.</i>


    With mana like that, it was no wonder why it was difficult to forge Jake a usable sword with ordinary materials and skills. Having confirmed the reason behind Jake¡¯s strength, Se-Hoon extracted his bond.


    <strong>[Extracting bond from subject ¡®Jake Myers¡¯]</strong>


    <strong>[The bond with the host is Lv.1.]</strong>


    Although forming the Fatestone wouldn¡¯t be hard now that he had a rough idea of Jake¡¯s personality, he just looked at Jake, who seemed slightly angered by the sudden turn of events, instead.


    ¡°What is this all about...¡±


    ¡°I think I can make it.¡±


    ¡°...Really?¡± It was like Jake had never been angry.


    Se-Hoon nodded in response.


    ¡°The materials needed are a bit tricky to get, but you should be able to obtain them easily. It won¡¯t take long to forge your sword. Maybe about a week, including the preparation time?¡±


    ¡°A we-week...¡±


    The fact that Se-Hoon casually dered he could forge Jake a sword that wouldn¡¯t break when even the renowned cksmith sponsored by his family had given up was astonishing. It might have seemed like a careless remark, but the confidence in Se-Hoon¡¯s demeanor indicated that he wasn¡¯t bluffing.


    <i>Besides, there¡¯s no reason for him to tantly lie...</i>


    Given his previous demonstrations of his ingenuity, it actually seemed possible that he could create a sword suitable for Jake. Thinking up to that point, Jake swallowed hard.


    ¡°Then, we could maybe start right away...¡±


    ¡°Not now.¡±


    ¡°Wait, why?¡± Jake puzzledly asked.


    ¡°I have something else that needs to be taken care of first,¡± Se-Hoon replied, putting the hammer back into the void pocket.


    While he could raise Jake¡¯s bond level anytime, Luize¡¯s situation was like a bomb with a lit fuse. If things went as they did before the regression, she would probably be okay for another year, but because of the butterfly effect that resulted from the disruptions he made to this timeline, the fuse could ignite the bomb at any moment.


    <i>I should resolve her situation as soon as possible.</i>


    So, for now, he needed to set aside everything else to check on Luize¡¯s condition and form a bond with her.


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s firm response, Jake bit his lip anxiously.


    ¡°Can¡¯t it wait even a week?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What if I triple your payment?¡±


    ¡°Even if you give me ten times the amount, I still won¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    If Se-Hoon had said the sword was difficult or would take a long time to make, Jake would have epted it. After all, going without a sword was nothing new for him since it often took months to get a new sword even back home.


    But Se-Hoon had told him that it would only take him a week. In just one week with the right materials, Jake could have his sword. Seeing the chance to finally get a sword dangling in front of his eyes, waiting another day was torturous.


    ¡°Do you know when you¡¯ll be done with your business?¡±


    ¡°I have to see how it goes. It might take a while since I need to look into various things.¡±


    ¡°And if I help?¡±


    Se-Hoon looked surprised at his question.


    ¡°You want to help?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help in any way I can, as long as it¡¯s within my power. In return, promise me you¡¯ll make my sword as soon as this is over.¡±


    Jake was determined to get his sword, no matter what. Facing Jake¡¯s earnestness, Se-Hoon pondered for a moment before nodding.


    ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t see why not.¡±


    After all, Sung-Ha was practically penniless, but Jake, as the second son of the Myers family, would surely have better ess to information.


    <i>And he offered.</i>


    Se-Hoon had been reluctant to ask for information as a part of the payment, so this worked out well. He immediately mentioned the names of the two people of interest.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking into two people. The first one is Gerwin Kruger, the top-ranking third-year student of the Department of Operation Commands. The second is Vier Barmuth, the top-ranking third-year student of the Department of cksmithing. Do you happen to know them?¡±


    Jake nodded at his question.


    ¡°Gerwin sunbae is the twenty-fifth son of Wurgen Kruger. Vier sunbae is the second son among the three sons and two daughters of the Barmuth family.¡±


    ¡°Is there any kind of connection between them?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about connections...¡±


    Pausing to ponder for a moment, Jake recalled something and then continued, ¡°Ah. They¡¯re both members of the Noblesse. You know what that is, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    The Noblesse was a social gathering where the elite members of Babel Academy invited and recruited talented students to their cliques. And Luize had once declined the invitation to such a meeting. Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t sure whether it was rted to her ident or not.


    <i>So those two were in cahoots.</i>


    However, he was sure that the explosion of the wand was no ident.


    ¡°There was an incident half a year ago where the second-ranking student of the Department of Elements was seriously injured during a duel with Gerwin Kruger. Find out if Vier Barmuth was involved in that,¡± said Se-Hoon.


    ¡°This sounds moreplicated than I thought. I¡¯ll look into it. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°And...¡±


    A moment of contemtionter, Se-Hoon was seemingly struck by a satisfactory idea and requested, ¡°Break my arm for me.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°Cleanly.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ***


    The general hospital ward, Askus, was located at the eastern end of Ur.


    At easily three times the size of an average department building, Askus was renowned not only within the academy but also externally¡ªthanks to the full support of Chairman Ludwig, the heroes who specialized in healing and were employed as professors, and the quality of medical staff they brought in.


    ¡°<i>Hah</i>... <i>hah</i>...¡±


    Askus was also renowned as one of the top three hospitals in the world, and it was undisputedly number one in the field of rehabilitation, which was something heroes especially cared about.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>...¡±


    However, there were still some patients even they could not heal.


    In the center of a white room, a girl in a hospital gown was extending her right hand forward. Cold sweat trailed down her pale skin, each breath causing her dull silver hair, which reached down to her chin, to flutter.


    She looked like she was going to copse any second, but she just narrowed her blue eyes and barely managed to spit out some words.


    ¡°159th attempt... starting... now...¡±


    Steadying her rough breathing, she focused on the tip of her right hand and mana began to flow from her heart.


    She imaginedva being called to her fingertips, surging through the cracks in the earth¡¯s mantle and erupting into the air. Having formed the image of the spell, she naturally recalled its pattern and began concentrating it at her fingertips.


    But, all of a sudden, she felt a surge of intense pain, as if a giant de had pierced through her palm.


    Her breath stopped, nearly causing a reflux of mana. However, she bit her lip and continued to cast the spell.


    Mana began to condense at her fingertips, igniting a spark.


    The moment the condensed mana burst, the spell she had envisioned in her mind would beplete. Thinking about the image in her head, her mouth opened.


    ¡°Lava Ba¡ª¡±


    <i>Crack.</i>


    Her throat tore, forcing her to spit blood out.


    ¡°<i>Ek</i>...!¡±


    Despite knowing that the blood was actually from biting on her lip too hard, she felt her body tremble as her mana began to backflow.


    The pain, reminiscent of what she felt during the ident, and the sight of blood staining the floor red seemed to have tricked her into thinking her wounds had reopened.


    <i>¡ª</i>Mana backflow detected. Initiating mana freeze.


    A magic array quickly activated in the room and calmed Luize¡¯s mana. The doctors outside immediately rushed in.


    ¡°Halt the experiment right now. Administer the mana neutralizer and a sedative immediately.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Check her mana circuit for any cases of new mana impairment, just in case.¡±


    Following the professor¡¯s orders, the assistants quickly proceeded with the treatment.


    As the sting of the mana neutralizer and sedative spread through her neck, the pain gradually faded. Realizing that she had been tricked by her own sensations, she steadied her breath and looked at the professor with a stern face.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay... I just need a little rest... then I can continue the experiment...¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s enough for today. You should rest.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°And for the time being, we will limit the rehabilitation experiments to fifty times a day. We¡¯ll also be adjusting the spells used to basic level spells.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    She found it outrageous that they were reducing the number of her rehabilitation experiment opportunities to a third and limiting her to basic spells, which were hardly beneficial for rehabilitation. It was virtually the same as pausing the rehabilitation experiments for a while. Startled, Luize urgently spoke up.


    ¡°Wait a minute, Professor. I... <i>cough</i>...!¡±


    ¡°Go back to your room and rest for now. Let¡¯s start cleaning up, everyone.¡±


    The professor, seemingly not open to opinion, turned around and left the room. Luize wanted to voice her objection, but the sedative took effect too quickly, fading her consciousness.


    And when she opened her eyes again, the familiar sight of the hospital room ceiling greeted her. She groaned as she felt her dry throat.


    ¡°...Ah. Fu...ck.¡±


    The fact that she was kicked out just for coughing up some blood made her mad, and all sorts ofints flooded her mind, but she kept them to herself. After all, she was the one who had pleaded to increase the number of attempts from the original hundred.


    <i>I should¡¯ve stopped at 150...</i>


    She ended up wasting her chance, thinking something might work out after pushing herself to her limits. Lying in bed, she sighed repeatedly before forcing her limp body to sit up.


    <i>If rehabilitation experiments aren¡¯t an option, I need to do something else.</i>


    She had to try something, whether it was exercising, reading, or even meditating. Maybe something would help heal the mana impairment in her neck and hand and restore her to her former self.


    Fueled with determination, despite the situation that might have broken others, she stepped out of her room.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    And walked straight into the chest of a young man passing by the door.


    ¡°Ugh! Ah... fuck...¡±


    She tried to stop before colliding with him, but it seemed that the sedative still hadn¡¯t fully worn off. Embarrassed by unintentionally burying her face in the chest of aplete stranger, she looked up at the young man she had bumped into.


    ¡°...¡±


    His hair was pitch ck, and his sharp eyes made him look like someone who had just murdered a few people. But overall, his fierce expression which was more akin to that of a ferocious dog than a person made her curiously inspect him.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    With a right arm wrapped in a cast, Se-Hoon, a young man with a temperament as foul as a rabid dog, greeted Luize with a gruff voice.

 Chapter 41

    <h4>Chapter 41</h4>


    <i>¡ª</i>Air raid alert. Air raid alert. Visitors in the building, please evacuate to the nearest exit. I repeat...


    The area was covered in smoke that seeped in through the soot-ckened ceilings and a newly made hole in the wall. Screams rang out everywhere and sirens red in the air, but instead of intensifying it, thebined noise cleared Se-Hoon¡¯s dizzy head.


    ¡°<i>Cough, cough</i>...¡±


    When he got up and looked around, the luxurious room and fat pigs had vanished without a trace. They must have turned to dust and disappeared with the explosion.


    <i>I almost died...</i>


    Had he not wornyers of armor just in case, he would have been turned to dust without leaving a single bone fragment behind, just like those pigs.


    Taking off his half-melted armor, he walked toward the hole in the wall to look outside. ck smoke and mes were rising from various ces. It seemed that all of the surrounding buildings, which were owned by <i>them</i>, had been attacked simultaneously.


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll never make a deal with those bastards again...¡±


    He only came here because they said they would give him a good deal on hard-to-find materials, but he should have known better than to get involved with those with shady backgrounds.


    Staring down at the burning view, he was cursing alone when suddenly, he sensed someone¡¯s presence above him and looked up.


    <i>Isn¡¯t that...</i>


    The person¡¯s dirty silver hair ran down to their shoulders, and a gas mask covered their entire face. They were dressed in a rider suit with a ck leather jacket, and judging from the curves of their body, they seemed to be a woman.


    At first nce, she seemed to just be a delinquent in some strange cosy. However, from how she was floating starkly in the air above the devastated downtown, it was clear that she was the cause of this catastrophe.


    ¡°...Talk about being unlucky.¡±


    Thinking the situation couldn¡¯t get any worse, he frowned as she approached him, stepping through the air as if on invisible stairs.


    With each step, she constructed an intangible form of mana beneath her. It seemed she would be a formidable foe from how she was creating those steps without any casting or incantations.


    <i>She must be A-rank... no, perhaps even higher?</i>


    He backed away and prepared for battle, but when she entered through the hole in the wall, she just stared at him.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± she asked.


    And with those rude words, she turned her head and walked into the building, ignoring himpletely.


    That was Se-Hoon¡¯s first encounter with the terrorist who attacked Manhattan, New York¡ªLuize Valente.


    ***


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Luize frowned, seemingly displeased by his greeting.


    For some reason, despite her frail appearance which suggested that there was no reason for him to be afraid, he instinctively felt intimidated by her gaze and tone.


    Feeling the imposing demeanor, which was simr to what she had pre-regression, Se-Hoon skillfully responded by saying, ¡°I said, what are you looking at.¡±


    Instead of anger, she felt perplexed seeing his calm gaze.


    Normally, most people would panic when she snapped at them like that. So how was this guy not even blinking an eye?


    <i>This sort of feels... familiar....</i>


    To be more precise, it felt as if he was familiar with her.


    Caught up in the inexplicable tickling sensation, she just stared at him with a strange expression. Seeing this, Se-Hoon clicked his tongue.


    ¡°You only know how to scowl and not how to apologize.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°My arm hurts like hell... <i>tsk</i>. Forget it.¡±


    He shook his head and passed by, which finally made her recall her actions. She had burst out the door and collided directly with his chest and injured arm. And then she blurted out ¡°Ah... fuck...¡± before saying anything else.


    Although Se-Hoon was also pretty prickly, she realized that it was her own rude behavior that had led to this situation. Messing up her hair in irritation, she chased after Se-Hoon, shouting, ¡°Hey! Wait a minute! I just need a... ah, crap...¡±


    However, Se-Hoon continued to walk away without acknowledging her. He wasn¡¯t walking particrly fast, but with the sedative still affecting her, she couldn¡¯t catch up at all.


    Realizing she might lose him, she reflexively extended her hand to draw up mana.


    ¡°Chain... <i>ack</i>?!¡±


    And she immediately felt pain piercing through her right hand and neck, making her copse to her knees.


    ¡°Ah... fuck...¡±


    Her hastily summoned mana had aggravated her wound and dissipated the lingering effect of the sedative without a trace. Feeling as if her whole body was on fire, she cursed while clutching her bandaged neck.


    <i>I can¡¯t let them... know...</i>


    If she was caught by the professors in such a state, it wouldn¡¯t just end in a temporary halt to her experiment; she¡¯d be confined to a sick room, unable to do anything for at least a week.


    Imagining that dreadful scenario, she hurriedly tried to get up to return to her room.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    However, her legs, unable to support her, gave way, making her stagger forward.


    With no time for her to regain her bnce, she was about to fall. As the ground got closer and closer, she tightly closed her eyes.


    <i>Thump-</i>


    But then, Se-Hoon, having returned unexpectedly, caught her falling body.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling well, you should be lying down quietly. Why are you wandering around?¡±


    He looked down at her as if he couldn¡¯t understand her, and his gaze made her eyes narrow.


    ¡°You... you...¡±


    The words ¡°It¡¯s all because of you¡± almost escaped her throat, but she held them back. It was clear that she had made a mistake first, and she was also the one who used mana in an attempt to stop him.


    <i>Damn it...</i>


    Whether it was then or now, it seemed she was always making the wrong choices. She inwardly chastised herself.


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon helped her up with his left arm and supported her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you to your room; just grab onto me and walk.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need...¡±


    ¡°Should I call the nurse then?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Hearing that, Luize allowed herself to be supported without a word by Se-Hoon, who naturally entered the room she had juste from.


    The room was a clean single room about thirty-three square meters in size. It was decorated with furniture such as a bed, a desk, and a bookcase packed with books, giving it more of a personal room feel than a hospital room.


    <i>Things turned out better than I expected.</i>


    He had intended to just imprint his presence on her and leave, but her copse allowed him to get into the room. He decided to seize the opportunity toy a better foundation for their bond and helped her to the bed.


    ¡°Do you need anything?¡±


    ¡°Nothing really.... You should leave now...¡±


    She red sharply at him. The pain seemed to have made her even more irritable than before. However, Se-Hoon just responded calmly.


    ¡°If I leave and something happens to you, I¡¯d feel responsible. It¡¯s nagging me, so just tell me what you need quickly.¡±


    ¡°Just...¡±


    ¡°If you tell me to leave again, I¡¯ll call the nurse before I go.¡±


    He looked like he really would press the nurse call button that was next to the bed at any moment.


    She red at him irritably due to his annoying yet malice-less attitude before sighing deeply.


    ¡°It¡¯s in the drawer second to the left on the desk... <i>cough!</i> The ck case.¡±


    ¡°You should have just told me from the beginning.¡±


    He went to the desk and retrieved the ck case from the drawer, bringing it to her. Receiving it, Luize looked at him intently, pressuring him with her eyes to leave. But despite that sharp gaze, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t blink an eye.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave on my own once you¡¯re okay, so just hurry up already.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being awfully intrusive... for someone you met for the first time today...¡± grumbled Luize with difficulty.


    She then opened the ck case and took out a silver inhaler, which she then put in her mouth. She pressed the button and took a deep breath, causing green mana to softly flow into her throat and calm the tremors in her body.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>...¡±


    Removing the inhaler, she slowly steadied her breath. Watching her, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes narrowed when he saw her quickly stabilize from a state where she could undergo a seizure at any moment.


    <i>Wait, isn¡¯t that...</i>


    Before the regression, Luize had mentioned that she was diagnosed with mana disability, a result of her attempting rehabilitation experiments too aggressively in her childhood, rendering her unable to use her mana at all. That was also the main reason she had dropped out of the academy and made a contract with <i>them</i>.


    But Se-Hoon found something odd about her situation.


    <i>It doesn¡¯t make sense for mana impairment to worsen during rehabilitation...</i>


    She was being treated at Askus, one of the top three hospitals in the world that was unrivaled in the field of rehabilitation. It didn¡¯t make sense that they would let such a thing happen.


    <i>Luize told me it was because she had acted recklessly out of impatience... but that doesn¡¯t make sense either.</i>


    If her condition worsened, Askus would have certainly taken appropriate measures. Yet, the fact that her condition deteriorated to the point of her being diagnosed with mana disability suggested that there was something else she didn¡¯t know.


    Back then, there was no way Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t have known the truth, but now, having regressed back in time, he could easilye to a conclusion using what he already knew.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>... you should leave now that I¡¯m feeling better. How long are you going to stay?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Se-Hoon.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    ¡°Why are you harming yourself instead of getting treatment?¡±


    Hearing his seemingly ridiculousment, she looked at him incredulously.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°To think you aren¡¯t even aware that that thing is making your neck worse... <i>tsk, tsk</i>.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Her eyes sharpened as he clicked his tongue. She felt sorry for bumping into him and was thankful for the help, but that was a separate matter. How dare he be so presumptuous toward her?


    <i>What an asshole...</i>


    Perhaps due to the pain subsiding, her mind was now clear. Thanks to that, her anger toward Se-Hoon, who was addressing her informally and meddling with her business from their first meeting, began to simmer.


    ¡°You piece of...¡±


    <i>¡ª</i>Patient Lee Se-Hoon, please immediatelye to the nurses¡¯ station on the second floor. Patient Lee Se-Hoon, please...


    The announcement resounded throughout the ward.


    Se-Hoon nced at the speaker.


    ¡°I¡¯ve left my room empty for too long. I should go for now.¡±


    ¡°<i>You</i> are Lee Se-Hoon?¡±


    Upon hearing his name, her expression turned even colder, and her demeanor changed from just wariness to outright hostility. Ignoring her reaction, Se-Hoon just nonchntly pointed at the inhaler.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be worse than you are now, don¡¯t use that. That¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°Get lost. Right now.¡±


    Her voice resounded in the room as if echoing throughout the floor. He involuntarily flinched, but he continued to look at her with interest.


    <i>Her condition isn¡¯t as bad as I thought.</i>


    Thanks to this confrontation, he was able to confirm the cause of her mana disability, confirm her current condition, andy enough groundwork for their rtionship.


    With his assessment done, he turned around without another word and headed toward the door. But before he left, he made sure to remind her.


    ¡°Remember what I said if you don¡¯t want to get mana disability.¡±


    Se-Hoon then walked out, leaving that unsettling remark.


    ¡°Self-harm, mana disability... he¡¯s choosing only the worst things to say.¡±


    His words felt more like a curse than a warning.


    She wanted to chase after him and beat him up, but she desperately suppressed her emotions.


    <i>If he¡¯s from the Department of cksmithing, who knows what he might do...</i>


    Luize knew that he was the first honor student the declining Department of cksmithing had produced in a long time. But given that the real power in that department now effectivelyy with Vice Dean Michael, she believed that there was a good chance Se-Hoon was also involved with them.


    <i>Barmuth...</i>


    It had been more than half a year, but the scene of the ident was still vivid in her mind. The image of the wand that suddenly exploded during a duel and the sensation of shards of metal tearing through her right hand and neck came back to her.


    <i>Grind-</i>


    She also remembered Vier Barmuth, who looked down at her with a sneer.


    She gripped her pillow tightly in an attempt to suppress her rising anger, but her own helplessness only made her more upset.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...<i> ack</i>...¡±


    The pain in her right hand and neck red up as her mana fluctuated in response to her emotions. Feeling the symptoms of mana bacsh begin again, she reflexively reached for the inhaler, the mana neutralizer.


    <i>¡°Remember what I said if you don¡¯t want to get mana disability.¡±</i>


    At that moment, Se-Hoon¡¯s words echoed in her ears again.


    It was irritating to take his words to heart, but ignoring them made her feel worse. Conflicted and in pain, she ended up gripping the mattress to endure instead of using the mana neutralizer.


    ¡°Fxck... damn those... cksmith bastards...¡±


    Whether it was now or back then, she had never taken a liking to cksmiths.


    Vowing to not let Se-Hoon off the hook the next time they met, she spent a long time squirming on her bed, grimacing and tearing at the mattress.


    ***


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Luize Valente¡¯.]</strong>


    The notification message that appeared out of nowhere surprised Se-Hoon.


    <i>What? A bond was formed just from that?</i>


    All he had done wasy some groundwork, yet a bond was established just like that? He frowned at how Luize thought of their encounter.


    <i>It¡¯s good that a bond has been formed, but... this could be a bit bothersome.</i>


    The fact that she had allowed a bond to be formed between them from just this single encounter meant that he had left a significant impression on her. However, the problem was that her impression of him wasn¡¯t entirely positive.


    If she harbored hostility from this incident and he failed to rectify it before their bond level increased, their bond could be as troublesome to resolve as it had been pre-regression.


    <i>I need to be more careful the next time we meet.</i>


    He pondered how to approach Luize in the future.


    ¡°Hm. It doesn¡¯t seem like it will be that big of a problem.¡±


    Professor An Jung-Wan, who was reviewing Se-Hoon¡¯s medical records, smiled.


    ¡°Your bone broke cleanly, which prevented any damage to the muscles or magic circuits. This¡¯ll heal perfectly in a week.¡±


    ¡°A week...¡±


    ¡°You might think that it¡¯s a long time, but please understand. Speeding up the rate of healing might also increase the risk of side effects.¡±


    ¡°So, I can be discharged after a week?¡±


    An Jung-Wan nodded gently at Se-Hoon¡¯s question.


    ¡°That¡¯s the n. However, I would like for you to continue receiving treatment for another week after the bone has healed. You never know when it might cause trouble again.¡±


    Realizing that he would be staying a week, maybe up to two, inside Askus, he quickly thought,<i> I need to get close to Luize and cure her mana impairment within this time.</i>


    Most importantly though, he needed to deal with the inhaler, a mana corrosion device disguised as a mana neutralizer, so that he could rest easy after leaving Askus.


    <i>To do that, I need to increase my chances of meeting her.</i>


    He needed to think of a way since she might have her own schedule, such as her rehabilitation experiment. After a moment of thought, he came up with a rather good idea.


    ¡°Professor, do you know a student named Luize Valente?¡±


    ¡°Hm? She¡¯s one of my patients... do you know her?¡± asked the professor with a curious expression.


    Putting on his best concerned look, Se-Hoon replied, ¡°I saw her in the hallway earlier, trying to cast a spell. She then clutched at her throat as if she were about to have a seizure.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°She told me not to tell anyone, but it seemed dangerous...¡±


    ¡°Understood. You may leave now.¡±


    Seeing An Jung-Wan immediately call someone with a serious expression, Se-Hoon smiled and walked away.


    <i>That was perfect.</i>


    With that, the patient Luize Valente, from room 204 in rehabilitation ward two, received a two-week mandatory rest order.

 Chapter 42

    <h4>Chapter 42</h4>


    Sung-Ha: How about I pay off my debt by taking care of that Jake guy?


    ¡°What in the world is he up to...¡±


    Seeing the message Sung-Ha left on his phone first thing in the morning, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but express his disbelief.


    Just when he thought it was time to settle down, Sung-Ha suggested personal revenge as payment. It seemed he truly wasn¡¯t that different from when Se-Hoon knew him pre-regression; Sung-Ha was as ruthless and unsparing as ever.


    <i>I can¡¯t believe I have to drag this guy along with me again... I guess I¡¯m just unlucky.</i>


    After sending a reply to Sung-Ha, telling him to stop saying such foolish things, he promptly called Jake.


    ¡ªHello...?


    The sound of Jake¡¯s voice, which sounded like he had been pulling all-nighters for days, caught Se-Hoon off guard.


    ¡°What¡¯s with your voice?¡±


    ¡ªHm? Oh... it¡¯s nothing. What¡¯s up?


    ¡°I just called to check in on the information I asked for before.¡±


    ¡ªAh, that... hold on a second.


    After some sounds of rustling, which sounded like Jake was moving to a quieter spot, he continued, ¡°I found something suspicious while looking into that incident from six months ago.¡±


    ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡ªYou heard about the Ivory Tower, right?


    The Ivory Tower was a thirty-story skyscraper located in downtown Ur that was primarily used by students in the discipline of magic. However, when mentioned, people were essentially referring to the sponsorship foundation housed within.


    The foundation, supported by professors and graduates in the field of magic, along with rted organizations, operated independently and wielded significant influence over students in the discipline of magic at Babel Academy.


    ¡°I know a bit about it.¡±


    ¡ªI¡¯ll exin then. Every year, the Ivory Tower selects a handful of students for sponsorship, and Gerwin was aiming to be the sophomore candidate six months ago. But, there was another promising sophomore candidate mentioned at the time...


    ¡°Luize Valente.¡±


    With Jake¡¯s new information, the pieces of the puzzle were finallying together. But there was still something missing. Se-Hoon asked another question that piqued his curiosity.


    ¡°How does Vier Barmuth fit in?¡±


    ¡ªThey probably interacted a few times since the UD Group and the Barmuth family started a business coboration a few years ago. They¡¯re also tied together by marriage.


    ¡°Marriage?¡±


    ¡ªThe twenty-second daughter of the Kruger family married the eldest son of the Barmuth family. It was right before their business coboration too, so it was probably a strategic marriage.


    ¡°What a messy story.¡±


    It was now almost certain that Gerwin and Vier had conspired against Luize. Organizing his thoughts, Se-Hoon posed another question.


    ¡°Was there anything else that caught your attention? Maybe something rted to Luize Valente?¡±


    He had somewhat expected all the information he learned up until now. So now, he needed to figure out the origin of the inhaler Luize was using.


    ¡ªHm, anything else... oh, right. Did you hear about the legal dispute between Luize Valente and Vier Barmuth?


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of that.¡±


    ¡ªWhen Luize Valente lost the case, Vier Barmuth countersued her. However, Professor Charles of the Department of Elements mediated between them. He seems to be personally sponsoring her even now.


    ¡°I see...¡±


    While it might sound like a heartwarming tale of a mentor never giving up on his student, Se-Hoon could easily see through his hidden motives.


    ¡°Thanks. That should be enough for now. Then...¡±


    ¡ªAh. Wait, just a moment.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡ªThere¡¯s... um... I have a favor to ask...¡±


    Hearing Jake¡¯s hesitation as he struggled to find the words, Se-Hoon was prompted to ask, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡ªWell... there are people worried about you. Like Yeom Sung-Ha sunbae... and Erika...


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡ªIf you have some time, could you let them know that you¡¯re okay? Their res sting.


    It seemed that Jake was stuck between Sung-Ha, who was eyeing this as a perfect opportunity to settle a debt, and Erika, who was probably furious since a prized talent was harmed.


    Considering the peculiar temperaments of both, Jake must have been enduring quite the situation.


    <i>If Aria joined in on this...</i>


    Understanding Jake¡¯s predicament to some extent, Se-Hoon made a wry smile and replied, ¡°Got it. I already sent a message to Sung-Ha, and I¡¯ll reach out to Erika too.¡±


    ¡ªThanks...


    ¡°I should be thanking you. Let me know if you find out anything else.¡±


    Ending the call, he checked the reply from Sung-Ha.


    Sung-Ha: Got it.


    ¡°Got it my ass...¡±


    Having sent another message to stay away from Jake, he looked through his contact list to message Erika, but...


    ¡°I don¡¯t have her number... right.¡±


    He realized they had never exchanged numbers; their conversations always happened when she came to find him or when they <i>coincidentally</i> bumped into each other.


    Pondering what to do, Se-Hoon soon shrugged it off.


    <i>Well, nothing¡¯s going to happen.</i>


    Although Sung-Ha¡¯s actions were unpredictable, Erika wasn¡¯t the type to cause big trouble. Deciding to pass a message to her through Jaketer, he walked down the corridor.


    Arriving at his destination momentster, he lightly knocked on the door of Luize¡¯s room, which he had visited the day before.


    <i>Knock, knock.</i>


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°The person who helped you yesterday¡ª¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Before he could finish his sentence, the door mmed open. Two pale hands immediately shot out, grabbed him by the cor, and pulled him down.


    Pulled down to eye level, he was able to see zing blue eyes burning with rage. It seemed the mana inside her body was resonating with her emotions and revealing itself through her eyes.


    <i>She¡¯s pretty mad, all right.</i>


    Had she been pre-regression Luize, she probably would already have unleashed enough mana to render him incapacitated for four weeks. He immediately mentally prepared himself for what mighte next.


    ¡°Youuuuuuuuu...¡±


    She had lost any sense of reason to anger.


    ¡°Fuuuuuckinggg baaaaaastarddddddd!!!¡±


    Her voice, which wasn¡¯t even amplified by mana, was loud enough to make his ears ring. Faced with her vehement wee, he looked at her with displeasure.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly cursing at me?¡±


    ¡°Suddenly? Suuuuuddenly, you say? Do you have any idea what you have done to me?!¡± screamed Luize, her insides twisting with rage upon seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s calm demeanor.


    She might have epted two weeks of absolute rest as the consequence of her actions, but Professor An Jung-Wan went a step even further.


    <i>¡°It seems the intensity of the rehabilitation experiments was too much for you. Let¡¯s reduce the intensity level to level one and start over gradually.¡±</i>


    She had painstakingly increased the intensity of the rehabilitation experiments over thest six months, but it was reduced from level ten to level one in an instant because of him.


    While it wasn¡¯t as bad as her injury worsening, to Luize, who had been enduring her hospital stay using the intensity of the experiments as milestones, it was nothing short of a disaster.


    ¡°If only you didn¡¯t say anything to the professor... or scare me with that stupid mana disability warning...!¡±


    Shouting those words, Luize shook his cor as if she had been wronged. But contrary to the expected reaction, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t use that inhaler yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t. But so what! If you were in my situation, would you have used it?!¡±


    His warning that she would worsen her injuries or even develop mana disability had rendered her unable to use the inhaler, especially since he said it at a time when she was seeing no progress during her rehabilitation experiments.


    <i>If I knew it would turn out like this, I should have just used it...!</i>


    While Luize internally vented her frustrations, Se-Hoon was staring at her in surprise due to her actions.


    <i>I just hoped that she would remember my warning.... She¡¯s definitely different from her st Dog days.</i>


    Perhaps it was because she still harbored the hope that she would be able to cure her mana impairment that she was somewhatx regarding other rted matters.


    Thinking things might be easier than expected, he waited for her hands to stop shaking him.


    ¡°So, you do trust me, huh?¡±


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>... I absolutely do not! Why would I trust someone like you, you son of a¡ª¡±


    ¡°What if I said I could treat your mana impairment?¡±


    Hearing his suggestion, Luize suddenly stopped, holding back all the curse words she was going to bombard Se-Hoon with. She hesitantly locked eyes with him.


    His gaze, despite being shaken for three minutes straight, was steady; to him, he was just stating something easy. The sight made her involuntarily swallow dryly.


    ¡°...Do you even know what mana impairment is?¡±


    ¡°I know that it¡¯s an incurable condition that even the Perfect Ones struggle with, at least for now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Hearing his confident words, Luize bit her lip. If it had been anyone else, she would have just dismissed their proposal as nonsense. But it hadn¡¯te from just anyone; it hade from <i>Se-Hoon</i>, so she couldn''t just ignore it.


    <i>Ordinary Student Forges Rare-tier Weapon with an effect Resembling Sword Aura!</i>


    <i>The Mass Production of Sword Aura Weapons Finds Light in a Breakthrough after Previously Ending in Failure.</i>


    <i>Vulkan Academy¡¯s Principal: ¡°If all the rumors are true, a new faction will emerge from this breakthrough.¡±</i>


    Rather than the thousands, if not tens of thousands, of ordinary people, it was always a single genius who advanced technology into new realms.


    And the talent of Se-Hoon, who was standing right in front of her, was so prominent that it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call him one of those geniuses. As such, despite the absurd im that he could cure mana impairment, an inexplicable belief began to form within her.


    <i>Damn it...</i>


    For a moment, she thought that this entire situation was perhaps a setup by Vier. But, if she didn¡¯t even listen to what he had to say, she felt like she would regret it forever.


    Done with wrestling with incessant doubts a whileter, she clenched her teeth and made a decision.


    ¡°If you spout nonsense again, I really won¡¯t let you off. Got it?¡±


    ¡°When have I ever said any nonsense...¡±


    ¡°Quiet! Stop twisting my words!¡± grumbled Luize with dissatisfaction.


    Letting go of Se-Hoon¡¯s cor, which she had been gripping tightly, she turned around.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    With that, she entered the room first.


    Reminded of old memories from her cold response, he chuckled and followed her in, closing the door behind him.


    ¡°Sit here.¡±


    Se-Hoon sat down in a chair pulled over from the desk, facing her, who was perched on the bed.


    Their gazes intertwined in the air. For a while, they stared at each other¡¯s ck and blue eyes without avoidance until Se-Hoon decided to speak first.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot to talk about... but let¡¯s start with what you¡¯re most curious about.¡±


    He walked over and took out the silver inhaler from a ck case he pulled out of a drawer.


    ¡°Who did you get this from?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°Never mind. It must be hard to say outright that a professor of the Department of Elements secretly got it for you.¡±


    ¡°What...?¡±


    Seeing her eyes widen, which basically confirmed his guess, he flicked the inhaler in his hand.


    ¡°This ¡®inhaler.¡¯ I don¡¯t know its official name, but I call it a mana corrosion device.¡±


    ¡°A mana corrosion device...?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a bitplicated to exin in detail, so I¡¯ll just show you.¡±


    ¡°What? No, wait...!¡±


    Before she could stop him, he put the mana corrosion device in his mouth, pressed the button, and took a light breath, causing green mana to immediately flow into his body.


    Feeling a strange, refreshing sensation from the presence of the green mana, he quickly created a temporary passage with Soul-Honing.


    <i>Click-</i>


    Following his guidance, the green mana entered the newly created path, quietly circting it to find a ce to stay.


    And the moment it confirmed there were no other types of mana present in the mana circuit it had entered¡ª


    <i>Crack-</i>


    It revealed its true nature, rooting itself in the mana circuit.


    ¡°You pervert... huh?¡±


    Stopping in her tracks, Luize widened her eyes at the scene before her. She no longer cared about snatching the inhaler back.


    Se-Hoon¡¯s entire body was glowing softly with green light. The sight might simply make it seem like he was absorbing mana, but she immediately recognized what was actually urring in his body.


    <i>Who is he...</i>


    He definitely looked like the same brash cksmith in her eyes, but for some reason, it felt like someone else was sitting there. Faced with the alien sight, she finally understood what Se-Hoon meant by corrosion.


    <i>Itpletely changes the mana circuit...?</i>


    It wasn¡¯t simply corroding the mana within the circuit; it was rooting itself throughout the entire mana circuit and changing its very nature. At the realization, she reflexively grasped her throat.


    She always thought that the green mana was healing her wounded throat, but it turned out that it had been rooting itself in her mana circuit, which had lost any resistance due to mana impairment.


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    She felt as if hundreds of parasites were burrowing into her throat and trembled with the urge to tear her throat out immediately. Noticing this, Se-Hoon, who had been examining his body, frowned.


    <i>She¡¯s going to have a bacsh again.</i>


    If a mana bacsh urred, she might be put in intensive care; if that happened, it would be difficult for them to meet.


    Deciding to calm her down, he quickly infused Scarlet Lotus into the mana circuit he temporarily created. The green mana was instantly engulfed by Scarlet Lotus, and every tiny root was burned away to prevent future problems.


    Removing Scarlet Lotus from the temporary mana circuit, he quickly grabbed Luize¡¯s wrists.


    ¡°Don¡¯t clutch your throat. Take deep breaths.¡±


    ¡°<i>Haah</i>... <i>hah</i>...¡±


    Curled up, she continued to tremble, seemingly unable to hear him. Seeing this, he quickly grabbed her face, forcing her to meet his gaze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t close your eyes. Look at me and breathe deeply. Breathe.¡±


    Closing her eyes would make her remember her trauma and worsen the seizure, so it was crucial to make her focus on a real object.


    Having done this many times for her before the regression, he continued to calmly order her to take deep breaths, never breaking eye contact. Thankfully, Luize¡¯s condition began to improve gradually.


    ¡°<i>Haah...</i> <i>hoo</i>...¡±


    Eventually, her breathing slowly stabilized, and her eyes cleared.


    Seeing the seizure subside, he let go of her face and waited until she waspletely calm. Finally calmed down, she let out a sigh.


    ¡°Thank you...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Anyway, do you understand why I said you would develop mana disability?¡±


    She nodded in response to his question.


    ¡°If the corrosion had continued, the mana circuit in my throat would have transformed into one that was different from the rest in my body... and from that point on, there would have been a conflict with my body¡¯s main mana circuit, rendering me unable to use mana at all.¡±


    Put simply, her mana circuit originally could handle two amps of current, but due to the corrosion, the mana circuit in her throat could now only handle one amp of current. As a result, the mana circuit in her throat would be overloaded by the output of the main mana circuit. With mana unable to flow through one circuit, she would ultimately be rendered with mana impairment.


    ¡°...¡±


    Having learned the whole truth, Luize made a look of destion.


    Her professor had always been there for her, supporting and helping her no matter what. He had been there when the Ivory Tower had suspended her since she was injured and when she was nearly expelled from school due to a false usation.


    <i>¡°You can ovee the mana impairment. So no matter what troublees your way, never give up.¡±</i>


    The image of Professor Charles, an elderly man who had handed her the inhaler with an encouraging smile, appeared in her mind.


    But then his smile twisted into a sneer in her head, one that was simr to Vier Barmuth¡¯s.


    <i>Grind-</i>


    And she clenched her teeth hard.


    She had just wanted to be an outstanding hero. What had she done to deserve such torment? Overwhelmed by the miserable reality, her sense of injustice, resentment, and rage exploded.


    ¡°No matter what, I will definitely get back at them...¡±


    She vowed to repay those who brought her this misfortune a hundred, no, a thousandfold, or until she felt satisfied.


    <i>Crack-</i>


    Unaware of the blood flowing from her mouth, she ferociously gnashed her teeth. As she did so, a peculiar change took ce in the room. All of the mana in the room was trembling, responding to her ¡°will.¡±


    Se-Hoon smiled slightly at this sight.


    <i>Good.</i>


    Her unique skill, Mana Assimtion, was finally showing signs of awakening.


    Though it hadn¡¯t fully awakened, if she could assimte this amount of mana already, she would surely easily master the skill, the symbol of the st Dog.


    Having confirmed everything he needed to, he looked at Luize, who was still growling.


    ¡°I¡¯m still looking into Professor Charles, so let¡¯s talk when things are clear, okay?¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Next, about your mana impairment.¡±


    She flinched at his words, but she quickly calmed down by taking a deep breath. She then nodded.


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    ¡°To be precise, there¡¯s nothing I can do about the mana impairment itself. I¡¯m a cksmith after all, not a healer.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But I can help you ¡®adjust¡¯ so that you can cast spells.¡±


    Others might find it difficult to follow through with his method, but it was certainly possible for st Dog Luize Valente with the talent she possessed.


    Quietly looking into his eyes, she slowly opened her mouth.


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    Her doubts about his abilities had vanished, but her suspicion surrounding his motives deepened because of Professor Charles.


    Knowing that a half-hearted exnation wouldn¡¯t do him any good, he decided to answer honestly.


    ¡°I want two things from you. First, help me explore the Six Great Demon Realms in the future. And second...¡±


    He paused. Then, looking at the tense Luize, he slightly raised the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°Be stronger than anyone else.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If you truly believe you can do it, then whether it¡¯s revenge or rehabilitation, I¡¯ll help you with all I¡¯ve got.¡±


    Taken aback by the unexpected response, she stared nkly, but then she quickly made a smile.


    ¡°You can¡¯t back outter, okay?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk.¡±


    The deal made, they naturally shook each other¡¯s left hands.


    Though their bond level hadn¡¯t increased, the amount of trust Luize had for him felt much stronger than before. Now, he could help her train until she was discharged. With that thought, he nced at the mana corrosion device on the desk.


    <i>Now that I think about it... that can also be useful for training if used correctly...</i>


    Deciding to use it one more time to confirm his thoughts, he reached for the device.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just use it one more time...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡±


    Unfortunately for him, she snatched it away before he could put it in his mouth.

 Chapter 43

    <h4>Chapter 43</h4>


    Returning to Luize¡¯s hospital room the next day, Se-Hoon presented her with a ck stic bag.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°The training equipment we¡¯ll use today.¡±


    ¡°Huh...¡±


    Although she initially felt indifferent upon hearing his dry exnation, she tensed up when she was about to receive the bag. After all, the bag held training equipment that would enable her to use magic despite her mana impairment¡ªin other words, it held her lifeline.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and take it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±


    Swallowing nervously, she cautiously took the stic bag and nced inside.


    ¡°...What are these?¡±


    And made an incredulous expression upon seeing the glossy cherries.


    ¡°These are cherries,¡± she added, answering her own question.


    ¡°To be precise, they¡¯re Jason cherries. They¡¯re actually quite expensive due to their calming effects and high sugar content¡ª¡±


    ¡°Forget that. Where¡¯s the actual training equipment?¡±


    Pointing to the cherries inside the bag, Se-Hoon nonchntly responded, ¡°Right there. That¡¯s the training equipment.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She gave him a cold look, making it clear that she thought he was insane. Seeing it, Se-Hoon gestured inside the room with his chin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll exin, so just go in and sit down first.¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡±


    Though his words and actions weren¡¯t entirely reassuring, this was the path she had chosen. Thinking such, she firmly suppressed her doubts and entered the room with Se-Hoon.


    Inside the room, a whiteboard, desk, and chairs starkly furnished the room, making it resemble a modest ssroom. The sight made him smile.


    <i>She¡¯s always enjoyed these kinds of things.</i>


    Luize had always valued and considered the environment and atmosphere for learning and teaching, unlike his master, who would impart lessons spontaneously, even during meals.


    <i>He would always throw a fit if I didn¡¯t learn as much as the effort he put in...</i>


    While he reminisced about how he once endured thirty-four hours of continuous lessons, Luize took her seat and started ring at him.


    ¡°What are you doing? Let¡¯s start quickly.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡±


    He approached the whiteboard and picked up a marker.


    ¡°Before we dive into training, let¡¯s revisit your throat condition.¡±


    With a swift movement of his hand, an illustration of the throat and its intertwined mana circuits appeared on the whiteboard.


    ¡°Basically, mana impairment refers to a state where the original path of a circuit was changed due to an injury and it healed in that state. Its symptom is severe pain when using mana.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Now, the important part is...¡±


    He circled the misaligned mana circuits and looked at Luize.


    ¡°The mana that causes pain due to the mana impairment¡ªwhat kind of mana is it?¡±


    ¡°Refined mana, duh.¡±


    To use mana properly, it had to first go through a specific refinement process via mana circuits. And luckily, that process was a reflexive bodily function that even young kids could naturally perform.


    ¡°Right. Mana impairment only reacts to refined mana, not to ordinary mana. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t feel pain despite mana circting your body right now.¡±


    Summarizing what they discussed on the whiteboard, looked at her with a grin.


    ¡°So, the question is, how do we use mana without triggering the pain caused by mana impairment? It¡¯s simple.¡±


    <i>Tap. Tap.</i>


    ¡°Just refine the mana here.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Staring at Se-Hoon tapping the mouth he added to his drawing of the throat with the tip of the marker, Luize couldn¡¯t help but make an expression of disbelief.


    ¡°Do you genuinely think that¡¯s going to work?¡±


    The output of one¡¯s mana directly corrted with the rounds of refinement it went through, so when it came to spellcasting, the number of rounds naturally made an immense difference. Intermediate spells, which any student of the Department of Elements could cast, required mana that had to be refined at least four times by mana circuits throughout the body. Even basic spells required mana that was refined at least once.


    Yet here Se-Hoon was, suggesting that she should do all of those rounds with just the mana circuits in the mouth. He was practically asking her to shoot a missile with a handgun.


    ¡°Ha... it¡¯s just as I thought. I shouldn¡¯t have expected much¡ª¡±


    ¡°It might not work for others,¡± Se-Hoon said, cutting off her words.


    He then looked at her calmly.


    ¡°But you can do it.¡±


    She was Luize Valente, the st Dog. She had been the most feared terrorist in the world, gaining infamy as the bane of mages. Regardless of whether the mage was a hero or a demon, she killed and killed; she had killed an uncountable number of them.


    That dreadful talent of hers could turn even the inefficient methods Se-Hoon was about to teach her into weapons of her own.


    ¡°...<i>Ahem</i>.¡±


    Embarrassed by the confidence in his words, she turned away.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll hear you out for now. What should I do?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll start by training the mana circuits in your mouth. Since they aren¡¯t heavily used when casting spells, they¡¯re rtively dull.¡±


    ¡°Hm. By mouth... you mean the tongue?¡±


    She rolled her tongue inside her mouth, a curious expression on her face.


    Given that the tongue was at the periphery of the body, its mana circuits were almost negligible. How could they possibly handle all the refining that her entire body used to do?


    <i>I doubt I can even cast any spells.</i>


    Pressing her cheek with her tongue, her gaze suddenly shifted toward the cherries.


    ¡°So, what are the cherries for?¡±


    ¡°Like I said before, they¡¯re for training. Let¡¯s start using them now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re actually using these?¡± she puzzledly asked.


    She couldn¡¯t even imagine how the cherries could be used to train the mana circuits in the mouth.


    As she was at a loss, Se-Hoon extended his hand toward her.


    ¡°Toss me a cherry.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±


    Lightly catching the cherry she tossed, Se-Hoon popped it into his mouth and chewed.


    A whileter, he stuck out his tongue.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The stem of the cherry had been perfectly tied in a diamond shape.


    ¡°This is just the basics. You can easily make it by precisely manipting the mana circuits in your tongue.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°With some practice, you should be able to use mana generated within your mouth to assist, but since it might be difficult for you initially, just use your teeth for now. And...¡±


    As Se-Hoon nonchntly continued to exin while drawing the method to move the tongue on the whiteboard, Luize closed her eyes tightly.


    <i>I must be crazy.</i>


    She realized that it was not a genius that she had gotten involved with¡ªshe had gotten involved with an absolute madman.


    ***


    After imparting the cherry knot training method to her, he introduced several more exercises.


    ¡°She sixth sells sick sea sheik¡¯s shells by sixth the sheep¡¯s sea sick sh¡ªgeh.¡±


    ¡°Put more force into it!¡±


    ¡°Stop making me do weird stuff, you lunatic!!!¡±


    She was currently training with a method that forced her to read abination of two tongue twisters aloud while embedding both mana and emotion into her words.


    ¡°Your pronunciation has to be clear.¡±


    ¡°Juss kee me.¡±


    And all while bitting down on a rod designed to twist her pronunciation. To an outsider, the training methods might seem absurd, but Se-Hoon had taught her them with the utmost seriousness. As such, although Luize was alwaysining, she obediently went along.


    ¡°It¡¯s too sweet...¡±


    ¡°At least it¡¯s not bitter. Just eat it.¡±


    Since she had been consuming over a hundred Jason cherries a day, each costing 1,000 won, her tongue and lips had be perpetually bitten and sore. And on top of that, her voice had be hoarse due to how much she had been using her throat nowadays.


    Yet, despite it all, she continued to relentlessly train day and night. Soon, a week passed.


    ¡°I did it...!¡±


    She had finally seeded in tying the cherry stem into a perfect hexagonal shape, which Se-Hoon had recently taught her, in her mouth.


    Seeing how firm and undistorted the knot was, Se-Hoon apuded. ¡°Wow. You actually did it. Impressive.¡±


    ¡°I told you. This is nothing for me!¡±


    ¡°Hm. Excellent.¡±


    He was genuinely amazed that she had managed to achieve the hexagonal shape, which he had expected to take at least a month, in just one week.


    <i>Maybe it¡¯s because she made this training method. She got it down so quickly.</i>


    He had been worried about how much he would be able to teach her in two weeks, but with this rate of progress, it seemed teaching her everything was entirely feasible.


    He looked at her was a face full of satisfaction.


    ¡°<i>Aaaagh</i>!!¡±


    Suddenly, Luize, who had been happilyughing at the knot she had made, started scratching her head furiously and screaming.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you acting like that?¡±


    ¡°Why? Because all I¡¯ve learned for the past week is how to tie a stupid knot!¡±


    She had be adept at moving her tongue delicately, and she could sayplex sentences smoothly without stumbling. Moreover, her vocalization and pronunciation had improved remarkably, to the point where one might think she was a show host if they listened to her recorded voice.


    Considering she had done all of that in just a week, it was an incredible achievement.


    <i>What was the point?! How does any of this rte to magic?!</i>


    All of it seemedpletely unrted to treating her mana impairment. Frustrated at how she had focused so much on the seemingly useless training, she began loathing herself for disying tremendous talent in such futile endeavors.


    ¡°Ughhhhh!!¡±


    Overwhelmed by her sudden emotions, she clenched the perfect hexagonal knot tightly in her hand, ready to throw it on the ground.


    But, after fuming for a bit, she sighed deeply and lowered her hand.


    ¡°<i>Haaa</i>...¡±


    What was the point in taking out her anger on a knot she had worked so hard, biting her tongue countless times in the process, to make? Defeated, she slumped down in her chair.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... my mind has been a bit scatteredtely.¡±


    ¡°Well, that happens.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue the training. What knot do I have to make next?¡± she said, already chewing on a cherry with a resigned look on her face.


    Se-Hoon smirked slightly.


    ¡°The next training is focused on refining mana for Incantation Magic.¡±


    ¡°Right. Incantat¡ªwait, Incantation Magic?¡±


    Hearing something totally different from what she expected, her eyes widened in surprise. Se-Hoon began to gather his mana.


    ¡°I''ll show you how it¡¯s done, so watch closely.¡±


    Unrefined mana gathered in his mouth, and once he felt like he had gathered enough, he awakened the mana circuits in his tongue and lightly flicked it.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Bouncing off his tongue, the gathered mana coalesced in various directions.


    She had thought that the mana circuits in her mouth would only be used for mana refinement, but it turned out they were usedpletely differently in practice.


    To use Incantation Magic, one had to have two things. The first was a minimal amount of mana to serve as the focal point for the incantation. The second was a strong imagination that allowed one to manifest the image of the spell as magic; in other words, one essentially needed to create a synesthetic mindscape.


    And if the caster was able to make the image of their spell more urate and vivid, the Incantation Magic would be exponentially stronger.


    <i>First, I need a good demonstration... a sphere should do.</i>


    The moment his synesthetic mindscape was perfected, the mana that had been coalescing in his mouth transformed into a spell pattern, drawing the raw mana in his body toward it.


    Confirming that the spell was ready, he lightly opened his mouth.


    <strong>¡°Sphere.¡±</strong>


    The spell shot out, materializing in the air by drawing in the surrounding mana, and formed a neat sphere that was the size of a fist.


    Though the sphere had no special effects, it was special since it was cast using only the mana circuits in his mouth.


    ¡°...¡± Speechless, Luize stared nkly at the sphere.


    She had half-doubted him, but right before her eyes was proof that there was a way that allowed her to use magic despite her mana impairment. Facing the sight that she could hardly believe, she stood there bbergasted.


    Se-Hoon smiled slightly at the sphere.


    <i>My condition is good today.</i>


    Before the regression, six out of ten attempts at creating a sphere with this method would fail and end up misshapen. However, today, for some reason, it came out smooth on his first try.


    It was so smooth that if it was before the regression, even the st Dog, who was famed for this, would have admitted that it was impressive. With that thought in mind, he nced at Luize, who was still staring nkly.


    <i>Maybe I should demonstrate a bit more, seeing as how it¡¯s going so well.</i>


    Considering her talent, it was guaranteed that she would surpass him soon, so to ensure that she would trust him unconditionallyter, he needed to impress her as much as possible now.


    Looking at the sphere floating before him, he decided to use Incantation Magic to cast a moreplicated spell.


    <strong>¡°Transform.¡±</strong>


    The sphere twisted, then stretched out into a thin, spiralnce. The new form was just as wless as the sphere. His lips curled up slightly at the sight.


    <i>Not bad.</i>


    Usually, eight out of ten attempts with this spell would result in a slightly unstable form, but it came out perfectly this time.


    Feeling lucky, he boldly performed more spells with Incantation Magic.


    <strong>¡°Attribute Element.¡±</strong>


    mes burst forth from the spiralnce.


    <strong>¡°Attribute Rotation.¡±</strong>


    Thence spun furiously, buzzing like a ho.


    As the menacing result took shape before his eyes, he realized something was a bit off.


    <i>Why is everything going so well?</i>


    He had already seeded with a forty percent sess rate, a thirty percent sess rate, then a ten percent sess rate, and even a five percent sess rate. He had been nning to cancel the spell once he failed, but the spell just continued to evolve.


    The fearsome, mingnce spun wildly, causing the air to tremble.


    Observing the spell, he decided to open the window of the hospital room and direct thence toward the sky just in case.


    <strong>¡°Attribute eleration.¡±</strong>


    <i>Thwoong-!</i>


    The mingnce shot out and soared toward the sky with terrifying momentum, shining ominously as if it could shatter the sky at any moment.


    Realizing the possibility of a massive explosion, he quickly uttered onest spell.


    <strong>¡°Dispel.¡±</strong>


    <i>Pew- Bang!</i>


    Thankfully, it had be a small firework that burst harmlessly in the air.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Was it from the training rooms?¡±


    The explosion was so insignificant that only the people walking outside would notice it, but Se-Hoon was shocked <i>because </i>the force was so pathetic.


    <i>H-How did I...?</i>


    He had somehow stopped a truck running at 300 kilometers per hour, but it wasn¡¯t by hitting the brakes; he had somehow disassembled the entire truck on the spot to stop it. Before the regression, he had never sessfully performed such a spell with Incantation Magic.


    This time, it was Se-Hoon¡¯s turn to stare nkly. He reflected on his achievement as he looked nkly up at the sky.


    <strong>[Skill ¡®Incantation Attribute (C)¡¯ has been acquired.]</strong>


    He had somehow restored another one of his skills from before the regression.


    <strong>Kyokon:</strong> Well, at least I don¡¯t think the cherry knot training method is <i>entirely </i>useless.


    <strong>Sigh:</strong> Did he just... train her tongue...?

 Chapter 44

    <h4>Chapter 44</h4>


    <strong>[Incantation Attribute] ¡ºC¡»</strong>


    <strong>[A specialized method of using incantation for bestowing mana onto objects.</strong>


    <strong>The effect changes depending on the synesthetic mindscape envisioned during the incantation, the amount of mana used, and the material of the object.</strong>


    <strong>*Duration of effect is affected by thepatibility between the object and incantation]</strong>


    Reading his new skill, Se-Hoon put on a peculiar expression.


    <i>I can¡¯t believe I relearned this so soon...</i>


    Before the regression, he just barely managed to acquire this skill after casting spells with Incantation Magic to the point of exhaustion, yet he had just acquired it with only a few uses for demonstration. The drastic difference in experiences left him too doubtful to feel joy.


    <i>Why did I seed so easily?</i>


    With both the Incantation Magic he used today and the self-defense techniques he learned from Kwang-Soo, things that he struggled with before the regression he could easily execute now.


    His improvement in the self-defense techniques could be attributed to his body having returned to its prime, but with Incantation Magic, it was different.


    <i>It should just be a matter of pure talent.</i>


    As Incantation Magic did not depend on one¡¯s age or physical condition, even Luize, who was inflicted with mana impairment, could use it. The sole thing that was needed was talent for it. That was why Se-Hoon, who was already a slow learner, had taken five whole years to properly use it, even though he was taught directly by the creator of the skill herself, st Dog Luize.


    <i>And yet, somehow, I¡¯ve be extremely good at it...</i>


    Normally, he would have thought highly of himself, but it was different this time. He stared intently at the skill¡¯s information message before looking down at his own body.


    <i>Has something changed in my body?</i>


    He looked down at his body with a curious expression, wondering if there were any other changes to his body apart from bing younger.


    ¡°Teach me,¡± Luize suddenly said, finally snapping out of her daze and approaching him.


    ¡°How do I do it? No, what should we start with? I¡¯ll do anything you say, just tell me how to do it. Quickly!¡±


    Her eyes sparkled without a single trace of the futility she had felt just moments ago. To her, the bizarre training sessions that had seemed meaningless had just been proven to be effective, so it was impossible that she wouldn¡¯t feel energized.


    ¡°Calm down and sit. I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    She quickly sat at the desk, her full attention on him. Thinking about how their roles had reversed, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but wear a bitter smile as he wrote the form for the sphere he had just cast on the whiteboard.


    ¡°Incantation Magic is all about how perfectly you canbine your mana with a synesthetic mindscape. As such, you can somewhat ignore the structure and efficiency of the form.¡±


    The most important thing needed was the conviction to believe in anything if necessary, even if it was treating fire as if it were water. To those who used regr methods to cast spells, such a thing was extremely inefficient, but when it came to Incantation Magic, that strong belief made casting extremely efficient.


    Like how magic defied thews of physics, Incantation Magic defied thews of magic.


    ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re improvising.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. But that doesn¡¯t mean you can skip the theory part. You need a basic foundation in order to picture a variety of synesthetic mindscapes.¡±


    Besides needing confidence in herself, she also couldn¡¯t conform to the norms of magic. And straying from that norm required her to have a broad range of knowledge and a thinking approach that was a lot more unbound than that of other mages.


    In other words, it was a skill that she should abandon if shecked the talent.


    ¡°You have to believe that your synesthetic mindscape will be reality. There is nothing more important than confidence and willpower in yourself.¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand better once you try it yourself. Let¡¯s start with the sphere.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Recalling the rough exnation, she immediately began to refine her mana the way Se-Hoon had taught her.


    Feeling the mana faintly fluttering in her mouth, she furrowed her brow. Despite being ustomed to using her tongue thanks to the recent tasks, flicking her tongue to weave a spell was still difficult.


    However, rather than focusing on her clumsiness, she remembered Se-Hoon¡¯s words and focused more on her will.


    <i>It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s a bit clumsy...!</i>


    It didn¡¯t matter if more mana was used or if the calction process was longer; all that mattered was that she could use magic again without any pain.


    With gleaming eyes, she poured her will and the synesthetic mindscape into the spell taking form in her mouth.


    <strong>¡°Sphere.¡±</strong>


    <i>Thwoong-</i>


    She had formed a small sphere, one the size of an eyeball. Although the shape was right, she had failed to consolidate enough mana which resulted in the small size.


    Seeing the half-failed attempt at Incantation Magic, Se-Hoon became intrigued.


    <i>So even she was a novice once.</i>


    Before the regression, all he had seen was hershing out at him because he hadn¡¯t managed to do what she told him to. That was why watching her perform worse than himself brought about a peculiar sense of satisfaction.


    With a content smile on his face, he was about to offer her advice when¡ª


    <strong>¡°Rebuild.¡±</strong>


    Her sudden incantation began seeping inside the sphere.


    The sphere, pulsating slightly, absorbed the surrounding mana andpressed to the size of a fingernail in an instant.


    Then, with a shockwave, a sphere twice the size of his face expanded in the air.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Though mana was leaking out of the sphere and the shape was slightly distorted, its form was solid enough that it could be considered proper magic.


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes widened at the sight.


    <i>What the...</i>


    He thought it would take her at least three or four days just to create a proper sphere. Yet, she had finished already by using another incantation toyer another spell on top of the original.


    Though using two uses of incantation toplete the job of one indicated ack of skill, in reality, it was much more difficult to use another incantation toyer a spell on top of the original.


    <i>Even the slightest differences in the synesthetic mindscapes can cause a collision, yet...</i>


    Before the regression, he had practiced for at least half a year to master it, yet here she was, instinctively doing it in a single breath.


    <i>I guess her talent didn¡¯t go away.</i>


    It seemed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to boast about being good at Incantation Magic for long.


    Staring at thepleted sphere, he suddenly realized how quiet she was. He turned his head to look.


    ¡°...¡±


    In front of his eyes was Luize, who was just staring at the sphere she had created with a vacant expression.


    For a while, she just simply gazed at the sphere, but then she slowly raised her hand to gently stroke her bandage-wrapped neck.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt...¡±


    Despite having used magic, she felt no pain at all. All she felt was a slight dizziness and a heaviness in her body. But that was likely due to the depletion of mental energy from weaving the spell and the void left by the mana drawn out by the incantation. Both would naturally recover.


    <i>Right... it was this feeling.</i>


    She finally remembered that this was what using magic felt like. It had only been half a year, but to her, the sensation, which felt strangely unfamiliar, caused her hand to tremble faintly before she bit her lip hard.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Her eyes welled up with tears, ready to flow at any moment. However, instead of letting her tears flow, she tilted her head back, bit her lip, and endured.


    Seeing her desperately trying not to cry, Se-Hoon chuckled and asked, ¡°Why are you holding back? Just let it all out.¡±


    ¡°Not yet...¡±


    Being able to use magic again was merely an intermediate step.


    ¡°Those bastards who did this to my neck... I¡¯m not going to cry until I¡¯ve torn out every single one of their throats.¡±


    Her eyes, glistening with tears, shone with a burning blue light.


    <i>Yes. That¡¯s how it should be,</i> Se-Hoon thought, pleased with her fiery spirit.


    He was worried that her happiness due to being able to use magic again would affect her fighting spirit, but it seemed she hadn¡¯t lost any spirit at all.


    Looking away from her struggle to hold back her tears, he looked at thepleted sphere again.


    <i>It¡¯s still unbelievable that she achieved this level ofpletion in just one day...</i>


    He had nned to spend the full two weeks solidifying the basics and gradually improving her skills, but seeing her progress, it seemed it would be better if she was just discharged and they could meet more easily.


    <i>Now that I¡¯ve also acquired Incantation Attribute ... it should be fine.</i>


    Making some calctions in his head, he looked at Luize, who was sniffling with her head tilted back.


    ¡°With this, we can move on to the next stage.¡±


    ¡°<i>Sniff...</i> the next stage?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He pulled out his phone as the corners of his mouth slightly lifted.


    ¡°Oveing your trauma.¡±


    ***


    On the mock training ground set up in the Ivory Tower, numerous people were together, moving about briskly.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    ¡°Stop being a nuisance and get out of the way!¡±


    ¡°Damn it...!¡±


    <i>ng! Crash!</i>


    Seven students were swinging their weapons with desperate expressions. Though each of them wielded a different weapon, they shared a fewmonalities.


    Firstly, all of them were freshmen. Secondly, they were all students from average or less fortunate family backgrounds.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Andstly, they were all fighting against skeletons made of ck bones.


    <i>Why are these skeletons so strong...!?</i>


    Skeletons, the most basic form of undead in necromancy, were often considered limited in usage and insignificant due to theirck of muscles and other bodily organs.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    However, the ck skeletons before them were using sheer strength and skills, without any special techniques, to overwhelm them. And that fact that mere skeletons were pushing them back, brought about a sense of self-loathing in each of the freshmen.


    Meanwhile, outside the training ground, the brown-haired Gerwin Kruger watched the scene with boredom.


    ¡°Not a single one of them is useful...¡±


    He had summoned the freshmen to gatherbat data, but none of them put up a fight. Disappointed, he flicked his finger at the fight that was no better than a ragtag fight.


    <i>Pang-!</i>


    ck mana immediately swept over the skeletons as their empty eye sockets ominously lit up with ck mes.


    <i>Bang! Thud! Crack!</i>


    <i>¡°Kek!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Argh!¡±</i>


    The skeletons, now iparably stronger than before, quickly knocked the seven students off the ground. Frowning at the sight, Gerwin clicked his tongue.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>. This is why we need to be more selective with the freshmen...¡±


    He believed that epting students just because they showed a bit of talent led to a lot of useless ones, just like the freshmen before him. Retrieving the skeletons back into his void pocket, he looked at the students sprawled across the ground.


    ¡°You all are useless. Get out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    With his dismissal, the groaning students quickly helped up the ones who couldn¡¯t stand and exited the training ground.


    Since all of them were connected to the UD Group, it was in their best interest not to upset Gerwin, a member of the family that owned the group.


    ¡°What a waste of time...¡±


    The Ivory Tower¡¯s selection of students for sponsorships was imminent. He had secured his position without any issuesst year, but this year¡¯s oue was uncertain, so he couldn¡¯t afford to becent.


    <i>The biggest thorn in my side right now is... Lea udel.</i>


    Although her grades had dropped steadily after enrollment, causing her to fail to secure the top-ranking spot, he had heard rumors circting that she had recently been skipping all of her sses to hole up in her workshop.


    And in Babel Academy, where geniuses were abundant, such acts of seclusion were the most threatening.


    <i>I¡¯d like to deal with her if possible... but it might be a bit tricky.</i>


    If her family background was as insignificant as Luize¡¯s, whom they dealt with half a year ago, it would have been simple.


    <i>Maybe I should ask Vier for help again.</i>


    All they needed to do was somehow exclude her from the candidate list for the sponsorship. While Gerwin was seriously contemting this¡ª


    <i>Rrr-</i>


    His phone suddenly rang. Noticing that the caller ID was Vier, he immediately answered.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡ªGerwin. Someone challenged you to a duel. It¡¯s on the bulletin board on <i>Tower</i>.


    ¡°A duel?¡±


    ¡ªThings are getting a bit troublesome. Check it out quickly.


    Prompted by Vier¡¯s slightly urgent voice, Gerwin quickly opened <i>Tower </i>to check the bulletin board.


    <i>[Challenge for a Duel] (485ments)</i>


    That brief title was at the top of the popr posts. Feeling somewhat displeased, he clicked on the post.


    <i>[Challenge for a Duel] (485ments)</i>


    <i>After a long rehabilitation, I¡¯ve ovee my mana impairment and, albeit insufficiently, can use magic again.</i>


    <i>Before re-enrolling, I would like to request a duel with Gerwin Kruger, the third-year top-ranking student of the Department of Operation Commands, to whom I owe a debt from six months ago.</i>


    <i>The time of the duel is one week from today at 1 pm. The location is the Hall of Martial Arts.</i>


    <i>If you¡¯re concerned about potential injuries and cannot participate, I will humbly ept your decision, so please respond at your convenience.</i>


    <i>-Leave of absence student, Luize Valente-</i>


    The challenge was brief, yet, its intent was crystal clear: ¡°Refuse the duel if you¡¯re afraid to fight someone who¡¯s been critically ill.¡±


    The challenge notice was tant and somewhat childish. It also left no room for refusal, which made Gerwin twist his expression.


    ¡°That... piece of...¡±


    <i>Crack-</i>


    The phone, crushed in his fury, marked his eptance of theeback duel.

 Chapter 45

    <h4>Chapter 45</h4>


    Once Luize¡¯s public challenge became the top trending post on <i>Tower</i>, it didn¡¯t even take a full day before <i>Tower </i>was overrun with posts about it.


    Anonymous 24: Who¡¯s Luize Valente???


    ©¸Anonymous 31: I asked a sunbae and apparently she lost in a duel against Gerwin Kruger six months ago.


    ©¸Anonymous 35: She was also the top second-year student of the Department of Elements. I think she¡¯s been on a leave of absence because of serious injuries from that duel.


    ©¸Anonymous 24: And she¡¯s challenging him again? damn... .


    .


    .


    Anonymous 25: She overcame mana impairment? lol how did this nonsense be a trending post?


    ©¸Anonymous 26: Seriously. Where are the mods? There¡¯s no way she wrote this herself. Is someone impersonating her?


    ©¸Anonymous 28: Her student id is below. She wrote this herself.


    ©¸Anonymous 43: If she actually recovered, it might be a huge deal... .


    .


    .


    Anonymous 26: Seems like she doesn''t want to work as a heroter lmao


    ©¸Anonymous 31: fr


    ©¸Anonymous 33: Is she just yapping because she¡¯s about to be expelled?


    Even if he was the twenty-fifth son, Gerwin was still a member of the family that owned the UD Group and was led by a Perfect One. And his background aside, he himself was the top-ranking third-year student of the Department of Operation Commands and was sponsored by the Ivory Tower.


    In some ways, he was more recognizable and influential than even the three yearly honor students of each college.


    As such, it was unthinkable that a student of Babel Academy would challenge Gerwin. So when Luize did that very unthinkable thing, everyone naturally became interested and began to reassess the duel from six months ago.


    In the end, the entire academy was abuzz over the duel scheduled for a weekter.


    ¡°You crazy bastard!!!¡±


    Meanwhile, Luize, the person of interest, was currently grabbing Se-Hoon by the cor and shaking him.


    ¡°You said that it wasn¡¯t something to worry about!!!¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t. It¡¯s not like I made a murder threat.¡±


    ¡°Do you even hear yourself?!¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon talk calmly without even blinking, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sick to her stomach.


    When he said the next step of the training was about oveing her trauma, she thought it was rted to her throat injury. But to her shock, Se-Hoon had sent a challenge letter out of nowhere. The unexpected situation left her more than just perplexed; she suspected him as well.


    <i>Was this bastard aiming for this from the start?</i>


    No matter how proficient she had be at Incantation Magic, she was still at a beginner¡¯s level. Plus, since he had been focused solely on her rehabilitation, all of her skills had deteriorated over thest six months.


    There was no way Se-Hoon didn¡¯t know that, so it didn¡¯t make sense that he believed that she could face Gerwin, who had likely grown stronger over the past half year. It had to be a scheme to deal with her.


    <i>No... it can¡¯t be... but...</i>


    Seeing theplicated face Luize made upon realizing that she was stuck in an iprehensible situation, Se-Hoon decided to exin.


    ¡°Calm down. Do you think I would have done this without any thought?¡±


    ¡°...<i>Sigh</i>.¡±


    With a deep sigh, she straightened Se-Hoon¡¯s cor, which she had wrinkled, and then sat down heavily on a chair.


    ¡°Right. You would have put some thought behind it, of course...¡±


    Though the scale of his n was overwhelming, she realized that he had always been like this, ever since he taught her the basics of Incantation Magic.


    Half-resigned, she looked at him and asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s the n?¡±


    ¡°Like I mentioned before, Incantation Magic is more about the caster¡¯s will than precise calctions. It¡¯s instinctive magic, and that means the unconscious part of the mind has arge influence over it. Now, what do you think that means?¡±


    ¡°That it¡¯s sensitive to the caster¡¯s state of mind?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    When creating mes with Incantation Magic, a mage who was familiar with fire would be able to produce stronger and more varied mes.


    On the flip side, if the mage had trauma rted to fire, then not only would they have a difficult time controlling the magic, but it might not even manifest at all. Their trauma would have caused them to imbue their desire to avoid fire into the magic unconsciously.


    ¡°You might not want to admit it, but the incident six months ago made you scared of using magic. That¡¯s probably why the sphere incantation from yesterday was only half sessful.¡±


    ¡°That... might really be the case.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, your desire to use magic is stronger, but as things stand right now, there are too many things holding you back. To put it simply... it¡¯s like you¡¯re running on two legs instead of your original four.¡±


    ¡°Your analogies are really something...¡±


    ¡°What I mean is that you have real talent.¡±


    Though learning Incantation Magic had allowed her to wake up from the nightmare of being unable to use magic, she wasn¡¯t able to shake off the emotional shock and psychological anxiety so easily.


    Just like how scars remained even after wounds healed, the remnants of traumatic memories from the ident still deeply lingered in her subconscious.


    <i>Besides, if she¡¯s left as is, someone might take advantage of her.</i>


    Before the regression, she had allowed herself to be illegally experimented on by an organization called Dawn because they imed that they could treat her mana impairment.


    But in the end, they remodeled her entire mana circuit and imnted a device called a cor, which allowed them to constantly stimte her trauma by using the corroded mana that had taken root in her body.


    <i>Like with the mana corrosion device, I don¡¯t know what methods they might use. I have to make sure to deal with them this time.</i>


    While the best treatment for Luize right now would be topletely remove the corroded mana and prevent that future from urring again, it could worsen her mana impairment in her current condition. As such, oveing her trauma was the best solution for now.


    ¡°This duel is absolutely necessary if you want to ovee your trauma. It¡¯ll be tough, but please bear with it.¡±


    She sighed deeply at his sincere words.


    ¡°Fine. I did say I¡¯d do anything.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for understanding.¡±


    ¡°But what if I lose? Won¡¯t my trauma get worse? You should have been more careful with such an important matter...¡±


    Seeing her muttering with a discontented expression, Se-Hoon burst intoughter.


    ¡°You¡¯re really funny, you know.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly lose to someone like him.¡±


    Whether he was the twenty-fifth son of Wurgen Kruger or whatever, the amount of talent Luize had wasn¡¯t something to be regarded so lightly. With it, there was no way she would lose to a nobody he had never heard of before the regression.


    Hearing his confident words, she looked nkly at him for a moment before she smirked.


    ¡°That¡¯s so cringe.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s stop wasting time and start preparing for the duel. I said that you would win, but I didn¡¯t say we had enough time to be rxed.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. So? What are we doing today? Since it¡¯s a duel, are we going to practice usingbat-rted Incantation Magic?¡± Her voice was cheerful, with no signs of ever having been upset.


    Hearing her, Se-Hoon pulled out the sanitary gloves he had brought in advance and said, ¡°Examination.¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    At her puzzled look, he pulled the gloves on firmly and answered again.


    ¡°Oral examination.¡±


    ***


    In the second hospital ward of Askus, passersby in the corridor stopped with surprised expressions on their faces upon seeing the ck-haired girl striding by them calmly.


    Ignoring the stares, Erika, whom people had only heard of through rumors, continued walking without blinking an eye. The sight of her caused the people nearby to break out in whispers.


    ¡°That¡¯s Erika, right? The freshman honor student of Ur.¡±


    ¡°It seems like her. What¡¯s she doing here? She doesn¡¯t look injured.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know. Lee Se-Hoon, the freshman honor student of Borsippa, is hospitalized here. She must havee to see him.¡±


    ¡°Then, the rumors before were...¡±


    Regardless of whether it was their stares or their interest-filled whispers, which Erika was able to easily hear with her keen senses, she still moved on without caring.


    Right now, her top priority was checking on Se-Hoon¡¯s condition. She didn¡¯t have the leisure to react to every trivial rumor.


    <i>I have to make sure he¡¯s not seriously injured.</i>


    Her thoughts went back to the demonstration Se-Hoon had done at the auction with the Radiant Long Sword, and she remembered the technique, one that was akin to pseudo-Sword Aura, to sharpen the de. Such a technique definitely required a delicate sense of precision.


    So, if his injury caused him to lose that sense, it would be a huge loss not only for the cksmithing industry but also for Erika.


    <i>If that¡¯s really the case... I won¡¯t let this go easily.</i>


    She imagined Jake, who always broke out in cold sweat whenever their eyes met. Her expression grew colder and colder at the thought.


    ¡°Hey!!!¡±


    A shout suddenly pierced through a room¡¯s door.


    The door had soundproofing thick enough that screams couldn¡¯t even be heard as whispers, but the shout just now was loud enough to easily pass through. Naturally, Erika¡¯s gaze was drawn to the te beside that door¡ª<i>Room 204: Luize Valente.</i>


    Confirming that she had found the room she was looking for, Erika immediately opened the door and entered.


    Inside, she saw a silver-haired girl sitting on a chair and a ck-haired young man standing in front of her. Though their proximity wasn¡¯t particrly strange, what they were doing was.


    ¡°My ears are going to fall off, seriously,¡± Se-Hoon said, frowning.


    He was probing every corner of Luize¡¯s mouth with his right hand; it was as if he had never been injured.


    ¡°You peece of shee,¡± Luize barely managed to say, her mouth wide open. She was trembling with shame and anger in her eyes.


    ¡°...¡±


    Dumbfounded by the scene she couldn¡¯tprehend, Erika simply froze at the door. It was only then that the two noticed her presence.


    ¡°Huh? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Whoa! Wh-what?! Who are you!!¡±


    Seeing thepletely contrasting responses¡ªSe-Hoon simply looking puzzled and Luize panicking with her face turning red¡ªErika quickly regained herposure and calmly stated her business.


    ¡°Jake said he had an urgent matter, so he entrusted me with something to deliver.¡±


    ¡°Really? He told me he didn¡¯t have much to do today...¡±


    ¡°It just became like that,¡± Erika firmly stated.


    Catching on quickly, Se-Hoon gave a wry smile.


    ¡°Alright, alright. So, what were you entrusted with?¡±


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Receiving the small case that came out of her void pocket, Se-Hoon immediately unlocked it and looked at what was inside.


    Contained within was a silver metal ingot with a small me sealed inside its transparent core. Looking at it from beside Se-Hoon, Luize puzzly asked, ¡°What¡¯s that? Isn¡¯t that projection alloy?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It was the special metal he had used for the self-introduction session during the first week of school. He took the projection alloy out of the case and inspected its condition.


    <strong>[<u>Projection Alloy</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A piece of alloy with extremely enhanced mana sensitivity.</strong>


    <strong>It can transform its shape ording to the infused mana, bypassing the processes of smelting, smithing, and polishing.</strong>


    <strong>Attempting to reprocess it after its transformation significantly reduces its durability.</strong>


    <strong>*Mana can be infused to transform its shape]</strong>


    ¡°Looks like he sent one of superb quality.¡±


    Normally, projection alloy wasn¡¯t suitable for forging proper equipment, but with a high-quality one, it was definitely usable.


    He was about to express his satisfaction with Jake¡¯s work, but before he could, Erika spoke.


    ¡°I obtained it,¡± Erika stated in a firm voice.


    ¡°...Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It wasn¡¯t Jake; it was me.¡±


    She spoke adamantly, not letting any misunderstandings arise. Noticing what she wanted, he nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Hm. Good job.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Next time something like thises up, I¡¯ll ask you first. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Anytime.¡±


    She finally nodded in satisfaction after hearing the consecutive affirmations. Se-Hoon chuckled, seeing her easily readable face.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Luize, at his side, tapped his arm, interrupting his conversation with Erika.


    ¡°So, what are we going to do with that? Exin it to me quickly.¡±


    ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no need to rush this much... ah, you can go back now. Thanks for your help.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Instead of leaving, Erika, who had been intently looking at both the projection alloy and the two, slowly opened her mouth.


    ¡°Are you going to forge equipment now?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes?¡±


    ¡°Then I want to watch.¡±


    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s¨D¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Luize irritably cut him off before he could respond.


    She red at Erika with a furrowed brow, looking annoyed.


    ¡°If you¡¯re done with your business, leave. Don¡¯t disturb us.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Did you not hear me? Get out of my room.¡±


    Erika quietly listened to her irritation-filled demand, and then, tantly ignoring it, turned her attention back to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I want to watch.¡±


    Seeing Erika ignore her and treat her as if invisible, Luize gnashed on her teeth, her frustration bing visible.


    <i>Grind-</i>


    In an instant, the atmosphere in the room chilled as the air and the swirling mana responded to the tension between them.


    Se-Hoon looked on disapprovingly at the trivial quarrel.


    ¡°You guys are fighting over something so minor.... You may stay and watch if you¡¯re curious.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Luize shouted fiercely in protest, but Se-Hoon approached without blinking an eye.


    ¡°Come on. We¡¯re wasting time right now. Open your mouth quickly.¡±


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    ring in protest at Se-Hoon, who was flicking his fingers, Luize eventually sighed and opened her mouth again.


    Having changed into a new pair of sanitary gloves, he once again inserted his fingers into her mouth and carefully examined the inside with slow strokes.


    ¡°To continue my exnation, weapons like wands or staves are not suited for you. The casting time for your magic is much shorter than typical magic.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Erika asked, inquiring on behalf of Luize, who couldn¡¯t speak during the examination.


    Calmly, Se-Hoon exined, ¡°To use a weapon properly, you need to infuse it with refined mana and use it as if it¡¯s a part of your body. But she¡¯s only able to refine mana in her mouth.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s a matter of which part of the body one uses to wield the weapon.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. She could hold a weapon in her mouth to infuse it with refined mana, but then she wouldn¡¯t be able to cast spells.¡±


    Ultimately, those who used Incantation Magic needed either objects that enhanced their physical abilities or custom weapons that were tailored to their form.


    ¡°So since that¡¯s the case, this oral examination is part of the process to create a custom weapon for you. Do you understand now?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Truthfully, Luize couldn¡¯t understand how the act of him feeling around the interior of her mouth was rted to making a custom weapon, but she nodded slightly anyway, assuming it made sense since he wasn¡¯t one to lie despite his weird personality.


    <i>But still, he should send that girl away...</i>


    She noticed how Erika was staring intently at Se-Hoon, paying no attention to her, just like before, making her inexplicably irritated.


    <i>Why does she bother me so much?</i>


    Maybe it was because Erika left a bad first impression; just seeing Erika¡¯s face seemed to annoy her for some reason. This was especially the case after their recent conversation, which somehow made Erika seem like the winner, and that fact only added to Luize¡¯s irritation.


    When Luize was about to gnash her teeth unintentionally¡ª


    ¡°Hey, my hand is still in there.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Sorry.¡±


    Startled, she quickly opened her mouth again, and Se-Hoon resumed stroking the sides of her mrs.


    ¡°Try to avoid grinding your teeth with your mouth open like that. It¡¯ll make your teeth sensitive to cold thingster.¡±


    Luize snorted at his advice.


    ¡°You sound like an old man.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, old man? It¡¯s a valuable piece of advice.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    Her reaction prompted a peculiar look from Se-Hoon. After all, he had heard it from her future self, the st Dog.


    <i>Well, you wouldn¡¯t know until you¡¯re older.</i>


    Thinking about the st Dog, who frowned whenever presented with ice cream, he chuckled. Seeing him chuckling, Luize narrowed her eyes and bit down hard.


    ¡°Ouch! Hey, I know that was on purpose.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. If you do that again, I¡¯m just going to...¡±


    ¡°Ouch?! Hey! Don¡¯t pull on my tongue!¡±


    With a curious expression, Erika watched these two bicker even during the examination.


    <i>They sort of feel familiar with each other.</i>


    Even though they should have only met a week ago, the ambiance around them seemed like they had known each other for years. It was probably because Se-Hoon, who always maintained a certain distance from everyone, was acting so familiar with Luize. He almost seemed like a different person.


    ¡°...¡±


    Faced with this unusual scene, Erika properly observed Luize, who was sitting across from her, for the first time. Perhaps the person to be wary of was not Jake or Eun-Ha, but someone else entirely.


    Thus, Erika¡¯s assessment of Luize changed.


    <i>Look at those eyes; they¡¯re so annoying, </i>Luize thought, upon seeing Erika¡¯s change.


    The rift between the two deepened even further.

 Chapter 46

    <h4>Chapter 46</h4>


    <i>[I ept the challenge.]</i>


    By the time Gerwin epted the challenge, the incident from half a year ago had already spread so widely that no one was unaware of it. Back then, everyone had treated it as just another incident, but looking back on it now, there were numerous suspicious aspects to it.


    ¡°Was it a coincidence that it ovepped with the selection period for the sponsorship?¡±


    ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for that incident, wouldn¡¯t Luize have received it? Not to mention the fact that the person who forged her wand was Vier Barmauth, who is well-known for his cooperative rtionship with the Kruger family...¡±


    ¡°When ites to the Krugers or Barmauths... you never know, at least based on the rumors.¡±


    What started as a small suspicion had grownrger andrger as it passed from person to person, and it eventually overflowed, reaching ears beyond the academy.


    ¡ª<i>Tsk.</i> Pathetic.


    And that included the UD Group which was owned by Gerwin¡¯s family.


    ¡ªYou can¡¯t even handle one insignificant person properly? How did you let such gossip spread around?! There¡¯s a limit to how much you can tarnish the family name.


    The irritated voice of Daniel Kruger, the third son, resounded clearly through the phone. Hearing Daniel¡¯s words, Gerwin bit his lip hard.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... Brother.¡±


    ¡ªWe¡¯d only make things worse if we get involved, so handle it by yourself. Got it?


    ¡°...Understood.¡±


    ¡ªYou fool...


    <i>Click-</i>


    The call was hung up coldly and Gerwin¡¯s hand, the one holding the phone, began clenching tightly.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The phone was crushed in his hand. His anger still fuming, he muttered in a low voice with his head bowed down, ¡°Damn old man...¡±


    Daniel Kruger, the third son of Wurgen, was seventy-three years old this year. It wouldn¡¯t be strange to consider their rtionship as grandfather and grandson, but their actual rtionship was far from such a harmonious-sounding one.


    In the Kruger family, the sons continuallypeted over the numerous subsidiaries of the UD Group regardless of age. As such, to Daniel, this incident was a perfect opportunity to oust Gerwin.


    <i>If only Father would help, this could be taken care of instantly...</i>


    As the UD Group¡¯s CEO and one of the few Perfect Ones in the world, if Wurgen Kruger took action himself, such a trivial matter would easily be resolved, but that was all the more reason for him not to intervene.


    Rather, upon hearing that one of his sons couldn¡¯t even solve a problem of this level on their own, his assessment of them would be lowered and he would take away a corresponding amount of their inheritance and authority.


    ¡°Damn it...¡±


    How did the situation that should have already been resolved end up like this? Annoyed, Gerwin began swearing and clenching his fist. At that moment, a young man, with neatlybed-back blonde hair and a robust impression, entered his room without knocking.


    ¡°Gerwin.¡±


    Seeing the young man who carried an unusual pressure, Gerwin twisted his expression.


    ¡°Well, well, well, look who it is. If it isn¡¯t my dear <i>friend</i>, Vier Barmuth!?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So? What brings you here all of a sudden? Did youe to prove to everyone that we did, in fact, try to get rid of that scum half a year ago? Huh?¡±


    Hearing his sarcasm, Vier simply stared back without a word.


    Seeing this, Gerwin¡¯s smile twisted, and he soon red at Vier with zing eyes.


    ¡°Say something, you idiot. It was <i>you </i>who changed the n that could have cleanly ended with her getting expelled and thrown in jail. Or do you want me to say that it was actually Professor Charles¡¯s fault?¡±


    Originally, Gerwin intended to cleanly eliminate Luize from the academy without leaving a single trace. However, Vier had gone against the n and withdrew the countersuit after receiving a proposal from Professor Charles. And, because of that, the situation had now twisted to this point.


    At the time, he had epted, thinking it would also be beneficial for him, but now that things had turned out this way, it had be a different story.


    Facing Gerwin¡¯s sharp gaze, Vier sighed.


    ¡°I have nothing to say about this matter. It was my mistake.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to hear your apology,¡± Gerwin said, walking up to Vier. His eyes flickered with dark mana, ring intensely.


    ¡°Come up with a solution right now unless you want to be dragged out of the line of session as well.¡±


    The struggle for session within the Barmuth family was no less fierce than that of the Kruger family. Hearing Gerwin¡¯s words, Vier looked at him silently for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.


    ¡°There will be a simple inspection of the power room for the Hall of Martial Arts on the day of the duel. It won¡¯t be much of a difference, but if something happens during the duel, the barriers will react slower.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And since that could be dangerous if something happens ¡®by chance¡¯ during the duel, it¡¯d be wise to caution the staff to prevent any idents.¡±


    Hearing Vier¡¯s suggestion, Gerwin was skeptical.


    ¡°Is that all? If so, I¡¯m disappointed.¡±


    ¡°...There¡¯s also something that can sabotage her condition on the date of the duel. If things go well, she¡¯ll probably copse, but even if she doesn¡¯t, she won¡¯t be able to fight properly.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Fine. At least that sounds usable.¡±


    Although the Barmuths were a bit sloppyst time, there really was nobody else who handled matters as thoroughly as the Barmuths. If Vier was making such a firm statement, Luize would likely be taken care of by them this time.


    ¡°You may leave now.¡±


    ¡°...Good luck.¡±


    <i>Wham-</i>


    mming the door shut, Vier exited the room. Seeing his behavior, Gerwin smirked.


    <i>He still doesn''t know his ce...</i>


    It seemed Vier had be a bit too proud recently thanks to his growing influence, but ultimately, Gerwin was holding his leash.


    Recalling Vier¡¯s stiff expression, Gerwin looked at the void pocket on his desk.


    <i>I should be able to easily beat her now, but...</i>


    It wouldn¡¯t hurt to be prepared for any possible event. With that thought, Gerwin opened the void pocket and took out his weapon.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    A ck mist instantly filled the room and his eyes began sparkling with a dark light upon feeling his whole body surge with power.


    ***


    Finally finishing his examination, Se-Hoon withdrew his hand, finally putting an end to the ring contest Erika and Luize had been having out of the corners of their eyes.


    ¡°That should do it.¡±


    ¡°My jaw is killing me.... So, is it over with this?¡±


    Nodding in response to Luize¡¯s question, Se-Hoon added, ¡°But, I need to prepare one more material. Both of you, please step outside for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°You should have prepared such things in advance...¡±


    Erika nodded and stepped out first, with Luize trailing behind, grumbling as she followed.


    Taking the chance, Se-Hoon, pretending to hurry her along with a gentle push, naturally extracted Luize¡¯s bond.


    <strong>[Extracting bond from subject ¡®Luize Valente¡¯]</strong>


    <strong>[The bond with the host is Lv. 1.]</strong>


    Her bond seeped into his hand, and upon seeing the amount, he became slightly surprised.


    <i>This is way more than I thought.</i>


    He had expected there to be some umtion since he had helped her treat her mana impairment and taught her Incantation Magic, but it seemed she thought more highly of him than he expected.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push me.¡±


    ¡°Then hurry out.¡±


    Sending Luize out of the room, he looked at the two standing side by side before closing the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fight and behave yourselves.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    While he had expected that Luize would avoid eye contact, he didn¡¯t think that even Erika, who had always been prompt with her replies, would avoid answering. Seeing the sight of them already acting like enemies, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    ¡°Just duke it out then.¡±


    It was better to settle it with a fight than to leave them in this awkward tension. Turning his back, he ignored the sounds from outside and closed the door. He took a deep breath.


    <i>Luize¡¯s Fatestone...</i>


    Having already raised their bond to level five pre-regression, he could have easily manifested it, but he had decided to carefully build it up from the beginning.


    <i>She has a strong will that doesn¡¯t break under any circumstances. But rather than being stubborn, she always tries to use her emotions to appeal strongly to others. She¡¯s someone who¡¯s always true to her emotions.</i>


    While some might call her things such as emotional, hot-tempered, or rude, to him, she was just foolish. She naively believed that if she was sincere, others would respond in kind. That foolish belief was the very foundation of the person known as Luize Valente.


    <i>But the st Dog didn¡¯t believe in such foolishnesster on.</i>


    The difference between the st Dog and Luize was whether she held onto such a foolish belief or not. And that difference would be apparent in the Fatestone that had just manifested.


    Examining the Fatestone, its shape resembled a transparent balloon filled with water. Its texture felt close to rubber, and it wobbled with even a slight shake, making it seem more like a slime than an ore.


    <i>This is... way too different.</i>


    He couldn¡¯t help but look at the squishy Fatestone with surprise.


    Originally, Luize¡¯s Fatestone looked terrifying with its pitch-ck color, which looked like ink had been dissolved into it, and thorns that sprouted immediately upon contact, trying to corrode any mana.


    Yet now, the Fatestone in front of him was essentially theplete opposite in everything but texture. That contrast intrigued him.


    <i>Its effect might have changed significantly too, then.</i>


    Thinking that the equipment he was going to forge would also have to change, he immediately checked the information message of the Fatestone.


    <strong>[<u>Fatestone - Enchanted Aquamarine</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A transparent mineral like water.</strong>


    <strong>It reflects the characteristics of the mana infused into the mineral to specialize its own properties.</strong>


    <strong>*Also reflects the characteristics of the materials used to specialize its own properties]</strong>


    <i>Its specialization effect seems the same, but the method has changed.</i>


    Before the regression, its information message had stated that it specialized its properties by dominating everything else¡¯s, but now it stated that it specialized its properties by itself by reflecting everything else¡¯s.


    Trying to examine the difference, Se-Hoon carefully picked up the Enchanted Aquamarine.


    <i>Gloop-</i>


    <i>It¡¯s so squishy. Then, the durability must be...</i>


    After examining the Enchanted Aquamarine, he slightly pulled it apart with some force.


    <i>Twang-</i>


    The stone lightly bounced and then split into two pieces. The quality of each was the same as before, and when brought back together, they naturally merged as if they had never been separated.


    <i>Its durability has decreased, but its restoration power has improved.</i>


    Now done fully examining its properties, he infused his mana into it.


    As the stone absorbed his mana, it began to be dyed a murky color. And when the inside waspletely dyed, the stone changed with a small vibration, the once murky tangled colors now organizing themselves in order of brightness.


    With that test, he now clearly understood how the effects of the Fatestone had changed.


    <i>Hm. It became more cooperative.</i>


    Before the regression, it forcefully adapted other materials to itself by dominating them, but now it was adapting itself to other materials. Simply put, the stone, once selfish before the regression, had be more generous.


    <i>This is not bad at all.</i>


    With the new effect, it seemed possible to forge an even better piece of equipment for Luize than initially nned. He immediately modified the design of the nned piece of equipment, and then he retrieved the mana he had infused into the Enchanted Aquamarine.


    His mana now gone, the Enchanted Aquamarine returned to its original transparent color, just like when it was first manifested. He double-checked to make sure that there were no changes to the material and then called the two people he had sent out back in.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Immediately, he noticed that Erika and Luize were no longer ring at each other. He didn¡¯t know what they had talked about nor why it seemed as if their rtionship had worsened, but he decided not to worry about it too much.


    <i>Fighting is also a form ofmunication.</i>


    He himself had also fought fiercely with the Three Dogs, but in the end, they were able to cooperate in battle. After all, when it came to a situation where they <i>had</i> to cooperate, they would end up working together regardless of how bad their rtionship was.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start now. Erika, you can watch from over there. Luize,e here and sit down.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,e here quickly.¡±


    After she sat down, he ced the Enchanted Aquamarine in her cupped hands which he had told her to make.


    ¡°Pour your mana into it until it doesn¡¯t change color anymore. You don¡¯t need to worry about refining the mana; just let it flow.¡±


    ¡°Ah, got it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so nervous. Just think of it like registering a fingerprint.¡±


    Nodding, Luize carefully began to channel her mana into the Enchanted Aquamarine, and it began to slowly turn into a cloudy single color.


    The reaction of the Fatestone waspletely different from when Se-Hoon had poured his mana into it, showing numerous colors mixed messily. But that was natural, since it was her own Fatestone, after all.


    ¡°Good. Keep going like that.¡±


    While Luize was infusing the Fatestone with her mana, Se-Hoon, sitting in front of her, grabbed the projection alloy ced on the desk.


    <i>Unlike the st Dog, her teeth are almost undamaged and her magic circuit is still intact.</i>


    Before the regression, the equipment he forged for her was focused on correction due to her poor body condition, but this time, since both her body condition and the materials were good, it would be better if the equipment focused on drawing out her power.


    As Se-Hoon¡¯s mana seeped into the projection alloy, the core¡¯s me caused the shape to melt inward and change like freshly smelted metal.


    ording to his will, the projection alloy began stretching out into a square shape, bing progressively thinner as it increased in size. The sight drew an interested look from Erika, who was watching from the side.


    <i>He¡¯s thinning it out while maintaining a uniform thickness.</i>


    Since projection alloy reflected the cksmith¡¯s subconscious, when forging, it was often affected by even the slightest of stray thoughts. As such a cksmith had to maintain an intense unwavering concentration throughout the entire session.


    And here Se-Hoon was, his concentration intently focused on finishing the thin metal te.


    <i>But... how does he n to process it?</i>


    Projection alloy was unlike other metals, in that reprocessing it typically resulted in a significant drop in durability. As such, cksmiths usually tried to perfectly craft it in one try.


    Yet, Se-Hoon was forming a metal te first, which required further processing.


    <i>I can¡¯t understand him at all.</i>


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon had stopped stretching the projection alloy, and soon, a change urred.


    <i>Creak-</i>


    The entire metal te instantly became covered with intricately engraved magic circuits, ones soplex that they were hard to grasp at a nce.


    Erika¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment.


    <i>How can he perfectlyprehend suchplex magic circuits...?</i>


    He wasn¡¯t simply recalling some knowledge bit by bit; he hadplete awareness of every circuit from start to finish. It was like the difference between doing a puzzle by searching for each piece one by one and immediately fitting pieces together without hesitation as one grabbed them.


    Such a thing required not just the skill of a cksmith but also born talent.


    <i>I might have to revise my evaluation of him, </i>Erika thought, her eyes deepening at the unexpected sight.


    Now that the magic circuits were fully engraved, Se-Hoon spoke up.


    ¡°Luize. Are you done?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah. I think so.¡±


    Seeing that the Enchanted Aquamarine had beenpletely dyed silver, Se-Hoon ced the metal te under her hands.


    ¡°Carefully ce it on top of this.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    <i>Gloop-</i>


    When Luize opened her hands to carefully ce the Enchanted Aquamarine on the metal te, it slowly began to fill the magic circuits.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    They both watched the stone¡¯s lifelike movements in amazement. Then, Se-Hoon began casting Incantation Magic with the circting mana in his mouth.


    <strong>¡°Mana Amplification.¡±</strong>


    <i>Zzzzt-</i>


    With a buzz, the Incantation Magic spell was bestowed upon the magic circuits filled by Enchanted Aquamarine.


    But, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t stop there. He continued to use incantations, bestowing suitable spells onto each magic circuit. It was as if he was soldering many parts onto the metal te.


    <strong>¡°Spell Correction, Voice Amplification, Pain Relief...¡±</strong>


    With his newly acquired skill, Incantation Attribute, he was able to easily use incantations to bestow simple spells with desired effects, unlike enchantments that require precise forms.


    In exchange, however, the effects of the spells were weaker and less durable, making them unsuitable for permanent use. But, that was only if he didn¡¯t have Luize¡¯s Fatestone.


    <i>Sssss-</i>


    The effect of Enchanted Aquamarine, reflecting any characteristics bestowed upon itself, enhanced and prolonged the effects whichpensated for the drawbacks.


    Se-Hoon licked his dry lips, looking over the entire metal te, which had been bestowed seventy-three different spells via incantations.


    Like a painting, thepleted metal te showcased an exquisite intery of colors.


    ¡°...It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Luize said, staring at it with a dazed expression.


    On full disy, the phenomenon that arose due to the ability of the Enchanted Aquamarine, which added color with each incantation, was shown beautifully.


    The sight, which would have been impossible with Luize¡¯s Fatestone before the regression, also made Se-Hoon crack a smile.


    ¡°It is, indeed.¡±


    With that, the preparation for Luize¡¯s new piece of equipment had been finished. Now, Se-Hoon could begin assembling it slowly, following the seams he had pre-defined in advance. It was like folding a piece of paper with a blueprint drawn on it.


    <i>Creeeak- Screeech!</i>


    With each fold, the metal te began to bend and fix into ce on its own, interlocking with itself.


    <i>Click-</i>


    And with thatst part, the piece of equipment that had been uniquely designed for Luize waspleted.


    <strong>[Equipment ¡®Vargr¡¯ has beenpleted!</strong>


    <strong>A great cksmith transcends conventional wisdom to create equipment that exceeds expectations! The cksmith¡¯s imagination, which fully leverages the potential of the materials to create a new type of equipment, surpasses even first-rate craftsmanship.</strong>


    <strong>The tier evaluation for ¡®Vargr¡¯ is ¡®Rare¡¯.]</strong>


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>...¡±


    Seeing the achievement message in front of him, he let out a sigh of relief.


    He was worried that the tier might drop due to the rtively modest materials used, but fortunately, he managed to achieve Rare.


    <i>I remember how Luize¡¯s weapon, especially, consumed a lot of money to forge.</i>


    The cost of the materials he wasted during trial and error could probably have bought a small city.


    <i>Let¡¯s see what its effects are...</i>


    <strong>[<u>Vargr</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Rare] [Quality: Excellent]</strong>


    <strong>[A special piece of equipment made specifically for the subject ¡®Luize Vale¡¯.</strong>


    <strong>The finely engraved spells via incantations and magic circuits transform this equipment into one that draws out the user¡¯s limitless potential. It strengthens the will contained in the infused mana, allowing more powerful incantations.</strong>


    <strong>*The seventy-three incantations used to bestow spells apply in aplex manner depending on the situation</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Transformation¡¯]</strong>


    <i>Hm. It turned out decently.</i>


    If the materials had been slightly better, it might have barely reached the Hero tier. He was satisfied with how it had turned out.


    ¡°...This is my equipment?¡±


    But, understandably to Se-Hoon, Luize was looking at thepleted piece of equipment with a dubious expression since at first nce, it didn¡¯t look like a piece of equipment.


    ¡°Um... can I try using it?¡± Luize asked with half-doubtful eyes.


    Smiling, Se-Hoon handed the Vargr over to her.


    ¡°Sure, but try to use the weakest spell possible.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you might not be able to control it.¡±


    Seeing how confident he was in his assertion, she looked at Vargr with a puzzled expression.


    <i>A weak breeze should be okay, right?</i>


    ***


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>...¡±


    Professor An Jeong-Wan walked down the hospital corridor with a deep sigh.


    ¡°Just when I thought they¡¯d stay quiet, they pull something like this...¡±


    The fact that the student causing a stir in Babel Academy was his patient weighed heavily on him. Recalling the flood of calls fromst night, he felt a headacheing on.


    <i>I didn¡¯t expect that fellow, Lee Se-Hoon, to... tch.</i>


    When he heard that Luize was doing some kind of strange training with Se-Hoon, he decided not to interfere. The training didn¡¯t seem particrly dangerous, and more importantly, Luize had be more lively and less insistent on pushing herself during rehabilitation experiments.


    <i>I never expected that they would spout nonsense about oveing her mana impairment.</i>


    It didn¡¯t matter if they were just getting along, but if it could lead to health issues, then it was another matter entirely.


    Worried about potentialplications, he quickened his pace towards Luize¡¯s room. And the moment he arrived¡ª


    <i>Boooooom-!!!</i>


    A tremendous explosion sounded from inside the room. Startled, Professor An Jeong-Wan quickly opened the door.


    ¡°...This thing is nuts.¡±


    And he found Luize muttering dazedly in the center of the room, which looked as if a typhoon had swept by.

 Chapter 47

    <h4>Chapter 47</h4>


    The Hall of Martial Arts, located in Aqar Quf, was usually quiet at the beginning of the semester since the students were still adjusting. However, today, over one thousand students were gathered, bringing the ce to life.


    ¡°Is she really going toe?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way she wouldn¡¯t. She challenged him so openly.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s just creating a scene before being expelled. Since she was diagnosed with mana impairment, she can¡¯t be a hero anyway.¡±


    Although many were here because they were curious about the duel, only a few actually believed that Luize would show up. After all, the mere idea of oveing mana impairment seemed far-fetched, and more importantly, Gerwin wasn¡¯t the kind of opponent who could be overlooked.


    ¡°I told you, she¡¯s just trying to bring the incident from six months ago back into the spotlight.¡±


    ¡°Some say that she already fled overseas.¡±


    ¡°If this is a bust, let¡¯s just go grab some food.¡±


    In the end, most of the students hade with light hearts, simply stopping by during a weekend stroll.


    And watching all of their reactions was Se-Hoon, who was sitting on the benches.


    ¡°See? I told you they¡¯re not expecting much from you,¡± he said, stuffing thest third of his triangr gimbap into his mouth.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Luize responded gruffly.


    Finishing a triangr gimbap, she readjusted her slightly askew hat and pushed up the sunsses perched on her nose. To anyone looking, her bizarre disguise made her stand out suspiciously. Watching her, Se-Hoon simply sighed in disbelief.


    ¡°I wonder how the duel is going to go down...¡±


    ¡°Ah, shut it!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Okay.¡±


    Regardless of how it looked to others, if covering up like that made her feel morefortable, what could he do? He just quietly sat next to her tense figure and unwrapped another triangr gimbap.


    <i>Thirty minutes until the duel...</i>


    She should have already been making her way to the waiting room, but Luize showed no sign of getting up from the bench.


    That was when he realized that this was her first duel after six months of rehabilitation. Her opponent was the person who had defeated her before, and she would be in front of over a thousand spectators who hade to watch. It would be odd if she wasn¡¯t nervous.


    ¡°As I said before, don¡¯t shrink back in any situation.¡±


    But instead of trying to empathize with her, he further pressured her.


    ¡°Incantation Magic loses its power if your confidence wanes. If you can¡¯t even handle a duel like this, you won¡¯t be able to use even a quarter of your real strength in actualbat.¡±


    Before the regression, Luize often repeated that the true test for an incantation mage was how well they could fare against a stronger opponent. If they didn¡¯t have the confidence to win, then they wouldn¡¯t satisfy one of the most important aspects of Incantation Magic. After all, no matter how exceptional one¡¯s skills may be during practice, it was all meaningless if it couldn¡¯t be replicated during realbat.


    ¡°I know already. Enough with the lectures...¡±


    She grumbled in dissatisfaction and stuffed thest triangr gimbap into her mouth, pulling up the mask she had lowered beneath her chin.


    After chewing for a while, she asked with her head slightly bowed, ¡°You said I would win, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. There¡¯s no reason you would lose.¡±


    ¡°...Right.¡±


    <i>There is no reason to lose.</i> She repeated it quietly to herself and slowly stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m going, then.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll head to the waiting room before it starts.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t, you¡¯ll just be a distraction,¡± she brusquely responded before heading inside.


    Se-Hoon looked on with a vague expression.


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    Judging from her skill level, her performance with Vargr, and how the magic she used was superior to her opponent¡¯s, there should be no way she could lose.


    <i>Well, that¡¯s if she can fully utilize her skills...</i>


    The Luize he knew before the regression had the temperament of a wild beast. Even if she was nervous, she would be more frenzied as the battle progressed.


    However,pared to when she was the st Dog Luize, who had experienced many ups and downs in her life, the current Luize was only a little kid.


    That meant that there was still a chance she would make mistakes even when everything seemed to be in her favor.


    <i>Hmm... maybe I should encourage her more.</i>


    He wouldn¡¯t have bothered if she was still the st Dog, since she¡¯d probably just tell him to get lost, but as she was right now, she might actually appreciate it, albeit grumpily. Although he felt a bit embarrassed, he resolved to help her turn over a new leaf.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    Before the regression, he had been told not to praise others too liberally, but just this once, if he spoke sincerely, maybe she would understand.


    His mind made up, he stood ready to leave. But suddenly, there was a strange ringing in his ears.


    It was faint enough that one wouldn¡¯t notice without focusing, but he felt all his senses sharpen.


    <i>What¡¯s that noise?</i>


    His physical abilities were currently among the lowest in the academy, so if the students around him weren¡¯t reacting, then it wasn¡¯t a matter of hearing abilities. They would have far better hearing than him after all.


    Pretending not to hear anything, he immediately began moving naturally. He had to find the source of the ringing that made him feel disconnected from everything he was seeing.


    <i>If it¡¯s not a problem with my ears, then there has to be a certain reason why only I can hear it.</i>


    Normally, he wouldn¡¯t react so sensitively, but it was the day of Luize¡¯s duel. He had been wary of Dawn since he knew they didn¡¯t want her to win and ovee her trauma.


    Reaffirming his decision to locate the source of the sound, he immediately utilized his mana to enhance his hearing.


    However, when the surrounding noises became clearer, the ringing grew fainter. He narrowed his eyes at the discovery.


    <i>Is this...</i>


    Having a rough idea of what the source of the ringing was, he quickly subdued his mana and employed Soul Honing, which unfolded a temporary channel within him.


    The moment an unupied channel, one yet to be filled with mana, was established, the ringing he had been hearing grew louder. It was now iparably clearer, and he could feel something burrowing through the empty channels.


    He immediately realized what was causing the ringing.


    <i>It¡¯s the mana corrosion!</i>


    The greenish mana that had taken root within him before was struggling inside him, causing the ringing. Realizing the truth, he wasted no time and rushed to find what was triggering the mana corrosion.


    <i>I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re aiming for, but I need to stop it right now.</i>


    Without Luize knowing, he had secretly used the mana corrosion device a few times, but he had always burnt it away after with Scarlet Lotus. So if the scant remnants were reacting this strongly, Luize, who had been subjected to long-term corrosion, would be overwhelmed.


    He had to find and eliminate whatever was triggering the mana corrosion as quickly as possible and then check on Luize¡¯s condition. The effect it had on himself didn¡¯t matter.


    <i>In order for them to make sure that Luize is affected, they likely would have put it near the waiting room or the arena.</i>


    Remembering that Luize¡¯s waiting room was on the third floor, he rushed up the stairs, forcing mana into the Inkstone bracelets wrapped around his limbs.


    With less mana in his body, the mana corrosion moved more freely, causing the once faint ringing to now sound like a clear screech in his ears. With the new rity, he was able to roughly determine where it wasing from.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Quickly pulling out the ck me Hammer he received from Jake from his void pocket, he swung it with all his might toward the storage room door that was tucked away in the corner of the third-floor corridor.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The locked doorknob shattered instantly, revealing the neatly organized storage room. Quickly scanning the items inside, his gaze finallynded on arge cardboard box.


    <i>That must be it.</i>


    He immediately recognized that whatever was in the box was his target.


    He gripped the hammer and moved toward it, but at that moment¡ª


    ¡°You¡¯ve been dreaming a rather long dream, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    A woman¡¯s voice came from behind, freezing his body in ce. Although it was a familiar voice, he froze because of how improbable it was to hear in this timeline.


    ¡°How long do you intend to keep up these childish pranks? You¡¯re embarrassing me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you find it funny that you were sent back to the distant past by that worthless dagger?¡±


    Hearing the woman¡¯s question, which was clearly a taunt, Se-Hoon calmly responded, ¡°Well, it¡¯s <i>not </i>impossible.¡±


    ¡°No. It <i>is</i>. You always try to make sense out of unreasonable situations.¡±


    The voice grew closer, and the surroundings blurred. Then, a familiar sound followed.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    A ck wave surged from afar, slowly sweeping away thendscape there. His body, which had returned to its young days, also began to crumble, returning to the battered and blood-soaked aged body he once knew.


    Looking ahead, the sight of three figures sitting powerlessly and the image of the world on the brink of destruction reappeared before his eyes.


    ¡°Dreams are like that. They feel endlessly long when you¡¯re in them, but once you wake up, you realize how fleeting they are.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°The wave ising. Are you still willing to live on, so disgracefully?¡±


    The voice behind him tickled his ears, manipting him to softly grip the handle of the hammer in his hand. Right before being swallowed by the wave, he was urged to smash his head.


    Hearing the woman¡¯s words, Se-Hoon slowly raised his hand.


    ¡°There¡¯s just one thing to correct.¡±


    Without turning his head, he spoke to the illusion of his master behind him.


    ¡°My master wouldn¡¯t make such a lengthy speech to tell me to drop dead.¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The hammer, charged with all his mana, flew forward, tearing through the hallucination.


    <i>Crash!!</i>


    And with a loud noise, the cardboard box was crushed, causing everything to vanish. Having confirmed that it was now quiet, he slowly caught his breath.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>...¡±


    The Inkstone bracelets, filled with his mana, felt like they were dragging his limbs down. His body felt heavy, like a sponge soaked in water, but it firmly confirmed that this was reality and not some dream.


    Of course, even that could be a falsehood, but he cut off the thought quickly.


    <i>It doesn¡¯t matter. This is the reality I¡¯m in right now.</i>


    There was no need or reason to worry any longer; he confirmed that fact every morning. Now full of certainty, the greenish mana lingering in his bodypletely dissolved and disappeared.


    <strong>[Skill ¡®Awakening Dream (C)¡¯ has been acquired.]</strong>


    He had suddenly acquired a new skill, one he had never seen, not even before the regression.


    <i>What is this...?</i>


    He puzzled over it, but he soon realized the situation he was in and shook his head.


    <i>I¡¯ll deal with itter.</i>


    He ensured that there were no issues with his body, then quickly set aside the hammer that had crushed the cardboard box and looked inside.


    <i>Buzz-</i>


    Inside the box was a mechanical device so brutally destroyed that its original form was unrecognizable. As he reached out to it to examine it¡ª


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The device suddenly ignited, burning to ashes without leaving a trace. The evidence disappearing right before his eyes was disheartening, but his eyes sparkled because he had learned something more important.


    <i>This is Dawn¡¯s doing.</i>


    It was Dawn¡¯s ssic method of cleaning up traces. Having seen it a few times before, he was able to recognize it immediately.


    <i>It¡¯s a pity to lose the evidence... but it¡¯s not the worst.</i>


    He had been able to confirm all of his suspicions of who was behind all of the schemes. Shaking off the disappointment, he checked the time.


    <i>There are still ten minutes left until the duel.</i>


    The ringing stimted the trauma of those affected by mana corrosion, driving them to harm themselves. But even if he considered the fact that he had elerated the corrosion, if he was affected this much, then Luize would have been affected quite dramatically.


    <i>No... she¡¯ll be okay.</i>


    She might have been vulnerable before, but after two weeks of growth, he believed that she would be able to endure. Believing firmly in that faith, he once again pushed his tired body and ran toward Luize.


    ***


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    Arriving in the waiting room, Luize sat down and looked at the mirror in front of her. Despite the turmoil inside her head, her face was calm, which surprised her. But thanks to howposed she looked, it slightly eased her tension.


    <i>It¡¯s going to be okay.</i>


    Her physical condition was good, and her mind was clear. There was no reason that she would lose this time. Like a prayer, she murmured that to herself in the mirror.


    ¡°I can do this.¡±


    Even if it seemed impossible, believing in oneself was the standard of being an Incantation Mage. Recalling Se-Hoon¡¯s advice, she continued praising herself.


    But amidst her session, a faint ringing started ringing in her ears. It wasn¡¯t loud, but it was irritatingly noticeable. Luize furrowed her brow and looked around.


    <i>Is iting from there?</i>


    She looked at a speaker attached to the ceiling, thinking that something might have gone wrong with the mic test before the duel.


    Assuming it would be fixed soon, she covered her ears and tried to focus again.


    However, the ringing didn¡¯t stop, and as time passed, the sound only grew louder, making her feel nauseous.


    ¡°Ah, seriously...¡±


    If it continued bothering her like this, she knew that nothing would go right, not the duel or anything else. Annoyed, she got up from her seat, intending to leave the waiting room, when suddenly¡ª


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    The ringing disappeared.


    She looked at the speaker with a strange expression; it had disappeared so suddenly that it was as if the silence had never been broken.


    ¡°What was that...?¡±


    Even though the ringing was resolved, she felt uneasy.


    Shaking her head to clear the distracting thoughts, she released the doorknob and turned around.


    ¡°...¡±


    That was when her neck, wrapped in white bandages, came into view.


    She had never once removed these bandages, not even when bathing or sleeping. They had be as familiar to her as her own skin, and yet, for some reason, she felt somewhat suffocated by her appearance.


    <i>Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m still wearing these even though I¡¯ve already healed.</i>


    If she continued looking like this, she felt that no matter how much she insisted she was healed, no one would believe her. Thus after some brief contemting, she made a decision.


    <i>It should be fine.</i>


    She was no longer the person who didn¡¯t dare to change her own bandages. Slowly raising her hand, she began to peel off the tape and unwrap the severalyers of bandages.


    And then, her unusually pale skin was exposed.


    <i>Woosh-</i>


    A scar crossing half her neck was reflected in the mirror. Although she had seen the scar in photographs during check-ups and heard descriptions, this was her first time seeing it in person.


    <i>It¡¯s okay...</i>


    It was apletely healed wound that wouldn¡¯t hurt anymore. She continued reassuring herself of this obvious fact repeatedly, yet her body never stopped trembling.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>...¡±


    Her breathing became rough, chills ran through her body, and her vision shook unstably. She tried to look away due to the difort that surged up, but no matter how hard she tried, her eyes wouldn¡¯t leave the scar.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>cough</i>...¡±


    Her breathing refused to calm down, and the chills that covered her body quickly drenched her in sweat. She started to feel a headache so intense that it was as if her head were about to split, and at the same time, a nauseating sensation that twisted her stomach.


    On the verge of losing consciousness, she reflexively tightened the bandages around her neck with her own hands.


    ¡°<i>Cough</i>...¡±


    Though the tangled bandages dug into her neck, her hands didn¡¯t stop tightening them. And when shepletely used up the bandages, she slowly lifted her head to look at her reflection in the mirror.


    ¡°...¡±


    Her hair was disheveled, and her face was covered in cold sweat. The bandages around her neck were wrapped tighter than ever before. Exposed to her pathetic state, her once-firm resolve wavered.


    <i>I haven¡¯t...</i>


    She realized that she hadn¡¯t changed at all.


    Neither Incantation Magic nor Vargr had transformed her. It didn¡¯t matter that she was able to use magic thanks to Se-Hoon or that Vargr significantly boosted her power.


    Realizing this, a question bloomed in her heart.


    <i>Will I really be fine?</i>


    Could she really defeat Gerwin Kruger in this state?


    If it were just him alone, perhaps, but behind him stood Vier Barmuth and her once-trusted mentor, Professor Charles.


    ¡°...¡±


    Who knew what tricks could have been set up in the arena, or even within this very waiting room? The endless surge of doubt and fear gnawed at her heart, distorting the view of the waiting room reflected in the mirror.


    And naturally, her gaze fell to her neck.


    <i>Drip-</i>


    Suddenly, the tightly wrapped bandages around her neck had been stained red.


    ¡°<i>Cough</i>...¡±


    There was absolutely no reason for a healed wound to suddenly reopen. But, even though she knew that the vision before her was a hallucination caused by a panic attack, she reflexively gripped her neck tightly with both hands.


    Yet, no matter how hard she pressed down on her neck to stop the bleeding, blood continued to seep through the gaps in her fingers.


    ¡°This is all hallucination. I¡¯m not bleeding.¡±


    Despite desperately murmuring this to herself, her face, reflected in the mirror, had already lost all its color.


    <i>No, not like this...</i>


    She had be unable to trust the scene before her eyes and even her own sensations.


    If it were true that she had been ambushed and genuinely injured, then what? The thought made it impossible for her to deny the reality of the scene before her any longer.


    <i>I need to stop this bleeding.... I need something... anything...</i>


    Scanning her surroundings, she spotted a towel in front of the mirror and hurriedly reached out with her right hand.


    <i>Ripp-</i>


    Right before her eyes, beyond her shredded right hand, her neck which had been torn more than halfway through was reflected back at her.


    She immediately spewed liquid out of her mouth, too disoriented to even determine whether it was blood or bile. Immediately losing her bnce right after, she fell to the ground and curled up, closing her eyes and covering her ears.


    <i>I don¡¯t like this.</i>


    She instinctively knew this was the trauma Se-Hoon said she must ovee.


    But when faced with the obstacle she needed to surmount, she chose to turn away instead of confronting it.


    <i>I don¡¯t want to fail again.</i>


    How could she, unchanged, ovee such a thing? She felt that she would surely fail and be miserable again.


    <i>I don¡¯t want to disappoint him.</i>


    She questioned whether Se-Hoon would still help her if she failed again this time. She was certain that he only valued her talent.


    She was terrified of what would happen if that talent proved to be insignificant. Her thoughts spiraled down and down, each one sinking her consciousness further and further. And just when she was about to sink into the depths¡ª


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The door burst open, abruptly ending her spiraling thoughts and allowing her to breathe.

 Chapter 48

    <h4>Chapter 48</h4>


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>...¡±


    mming open the door to her waiting room, Se-Hoon appeared, panting heavily. His body was drenched in sweat, and he looked like he might copse at any moment. The sight caused Luize¡¯s eyes to widen.


    ¡°You...¡±


    Having never seen his exhausted appearance before, she was at a loss for words, wondering what had happened to him.


    Ignoring her for now, Se-Hoon slowly scrutinized the room.


    <i>Is there... anything else...?</i>


    They would really be in danger if other traps had been set up as well. Confirming there were no other traps a few momentster, he sighed in relief and walked over to Luize.


    <i>Thud-</i>


    Now sitting on the floor, he looked at Luize, who was leaning against the wall.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to take a nap before the duel?¡±


    ¡°...Ugh!¡±


    Finally realizing how she looked, she quickly sat up. Seeing her swift reaction, Se-Hoon chuckled and then asked, ¡°There was a strange ringing in your ear earlier, right?¡±


    ¡°... How did you know?¡±


    ¡°I heard it too. It seems like those guys prepared it in advance, so I just smashed it on my way here.¡±


    Her eyes widened at his exnation.


    ¡°It was a device that triggered the mana corrosion within the body, causing one to cast a mental curse on oneself by awakening their trauma. It gave me quite a hard time.¡±


    ¡°My trauma...¡±


    Hearing his words, she realized why the bandage around her neck had been bothering her. So she had been experiencing seizures because she had been swept away by the curse.


    The truth made her put on a bitter smile.


    ¡°So that was it...¡±


    In the past, she would have been furious because of the interference, but right now, she didn¡¯t feel much anger.


    Her opponent¡¯s scheme had forced her to face her trauma, but running away from it had been entirely her own choice.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s pathetic?¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°To walk right into their tricks at such a crucial moment... and end up like this.¡±


    Her hair was a mess from rolling on the ground, and the bandages around her neck were in disarray from her trying to strangle herself. Her left hand was also bleeding, likely because she had identally scratched herself.


    She thought she had changed, but after seeing her own pathetic state, it turned out that she hadn¡¯t changed at all. Her expression turned even more bitter.


    ¡°I know that this situation is exactly what they are aiming for... but I just can¡¯t seem to get a grip on myself.¡±


    The problem with confidence from self-suggestion was that once the built-up facade copsed even once, the debris made it overwhelmingly difficult to stand up again.


    Completely deted, Luize sat there weakly, hugging her knees to her chest. Watching her from the side, Se-Hoon pondered for a moment before responding, ¡°It does seem pathetic.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°After all, getting so scared that you¡¯re trembling before you even fight doesn¡¯t exactly scream ¡®impressive¡¯, does it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡±


    ¡°To be honest, it kind of breaks the illusion. You swore you wouldn¡¯t cry until after you got your revenge, yet right now, you¡¯re all deted and gloomy.... Don¡¯t you think your resolve is a bit shallow?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re still young, so it¡¯s understandable, but you should take responsibility for what you say, especially because you use Incantation Magic. Seeing you break so early on... <i>sigh</i>. Never mind. It must be tough on you too.¡±


    <i>Squeeze-</i>


    Listening to his harsh critique, Luize¡¯s eyes twitched, and she bit her lower lip hard. Others would have stopped at the sight, but Se-Hoon just looked sympathetically at her and continued.


    ¡°But don¡¯t be too disappointed. Unless you¡¯re as physically and mentally developed as I am, it¡¯s naturally going to be hard. Maybe that¡¯s just the fate of a mediocre genius.¡±


    ¡°...Stop.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be upset about your efforts. No one¡¯s going to criticize you for being unable to do something that impossible at the start, so just keep your chin up and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop it, you annoying jerk!!!¡±


    <i>Whack!</i>


    Finally snapping from the endless nagging, she struck his forearm and charged at him.


    ¡°Who started all this genius talk in the first ce?! Who was it that egged me on, saying a week would be enough for me to get prepared?! You were the one that set all of those expectations and pushed me forward, yet now you¡¯re calling me pathetic??? I¡¯m shallow??? I¡¯m mediocre??? Are you ying with me?!!!¡±


    She screamed out all the frustrations that arose because of the pressure she had been enduring.


    ¡°Do you even know how stressful it was every time you called me a genius? And that bizarre training too! If you just told me about Incantation Magic from the start, I would have worked hard from the beginning!!! Are you trying to humiliate me on purpose?! Huh?!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You always proceed without exining, and then you look at me as if it¡¯s obvious! Common sense dictates you exin things first, you clueless jerk!!!¡±


    <i>Thump! Whack!</i>


    Straddled on top of him, she hammered away at his chest and arms. And without a single sound, Se-Hoon just took the beating from her soft, noisy fists. Then, when her punches weakened to mere pats, Luize grabbed him by the cor with her trembling hands and exhaled roughly.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>... you damn... annoying jerk...¡±


    Even in such a situation, he was simply looking up at her, his eyes questioning what the problem was. That infuriating look made her insides boil with rage. Every time she saw that expression, she always felt repulsed; it made her think that all this was her fault.


    <i>Why is it always me...</i>


    Why was she the only one feeling this way? Overwhelmed by the injustice, her emotions uncontroble, she impulsively shouted, ¡°If I lose... or if something goes wrong... it¡¯s all your fault... all your fault!!¡±


    Could she even say something more ungrateful to someone who had supported her in every way? Even now, as she screamed her feelings at him, she didn¡¯t stop loathing herself. Her expression twisted.


    ¡°Yeah. It <i>is</i> my fault,¡± Se-Hoon said, agreeing readily.


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°If you lose, it¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    Completely calm, he directly met Luize¡¯s gaze and spoke matter-of-factly.


    ¡°After all, I¡¯m the one who taught you Incantation Magic, forged your equipment, and sent you into this duel.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So, naturally, the responsibility lies with me. Why did you think it¡¯s on you?¡±


    Caughtpletely off guard by his question, she fumbled, trying to find words. A momentter, she barely managed to answer in a trembling voice.


    ¡°Because... this is the path I chose...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± Se-Hoon cut off her words firmly.


    ¡°I made a promise, and all you did was ept it. There¡¯s only one thing you need to be responsible for.¡±


    Holding her hand, which was grabbing him by the cor, he looked up into her blue eyes.


    ¡°Just trust me to the end and do your best.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Anything else is my responsibility.¡±


    With those words, the room became quiet and they simply stared at each other for quite some time.


    Eventually, Luize¡¯s trembling blue eyes slowly calmed down, and she slowly opened her tightly shut mouth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bullshit me. You would¡¯ve made fun of me for losing to someone like him.¡±


    ¡°...Not really?¡±


    ¡°Talk is cheap.¡±


    Seeing his shameless face, she smirked. Then, as if interrupting the moment, an announcement came from the waiting room¡¯s speaker.


    ¡ªThe duel between Gerwin Kruger and Luize Valente will start in five minutes. We are requesting that both participants enter the arena and wait.


    With the announcement indicating the duel was imminent, she let go of his cor and got off him.


    ¡°Where will you be watching from?¡±


    ¡°Me? I was nning to watch from the audience.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Passing by him on her way out, she grabbed the doorknob and calmly said, ¡°Because the duel will be over before then.¡±


    As if she had never been disheartened, she was brimming with confidence. Seeing that familiar back, he unknowingly smiled and responded, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll follow you soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going, then.¡±


    Leaving the waiting room behind, she headed straight for the arena with confident steps.


    Before, the silence of the empty hallway might have been frightening, but with her focus now on the light beyond it, she would no longer be afraid.


    <i>Badump-!</i>


    Her heart was beating violently, and her body felt feverishly hot. Every sense was on edge, and the tightness around her neck had be unbearably ufortable.


    ¡°This is getting in the way.¡±


    Why did she bother wearing the bandage around her neck if she wasn¡¯t even bleeding? She quickly unwrapped it and then carelessly used it to bandage her wounded left hand.


    Now exposed for the first time in a long time, she was able to gently caress her neck with her fingertips. The scar felt deeply engraved, like it would never fade. But, it was far smaller than she thought and there was no pain at all.


    <i>So, this is the scar.</i>


    It might look unsightly, but, that was all.


    Moving her hand away from the scar that could no longer cause her any pain, she proudly walked out of the hallway and into the arena. In an instant, she was surrounded by the roaring cheers of the crowd and blinded by the spotlight pouring down on her.


    The eyes of over a thousand students were watching her. Some among them may even be her enemy, their attacks uncertain and unknown to her.


    <i>They cane if they want.</i>


    No matter when or how they would attack, she just had to do her best to fight back. Ignoring the surrounding stares, she looked across the arena at the young man standing opposite her.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    Gerwin, the idiot with brown hair and an arrogant expression, seemed to bementing with a ck staff in his hand.


    ¡°I thought I taught you quite the lesson half a year ago, yet here you are, recklessly challenging me again. Your actions are quite shameful for someone who was once considered my rival.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Luize just silently observed Gerwin as he talked.


    In her memories, he was bigger and the pressure he emitted was immense. But now, seeing him up close, they were of simr height, and he seemed quite slender, which made it evident that he had only be stronger by spending money.


    ¡°I do feel sorry about the injury you suffered back then...¡±


    ¡°Just bring out your undead already.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯ll just be carried out embarrassingly after being unable to do anything.¡±


    To summarize the situation in a nutshell, she didn¡¯t feel like there was any chance she was going to lose.


    ¡°...¡±


    Softughter arose from various ces, as their conversation had been amplified and spread throughout the arena this entire time.


    Amidst theughs, Gerwin tightly gripped the Hero-tier ck staff in his hand, Rest of the Dead.


    <i>Ssss-</i>


    Soon, a ck mist spread around him, seemingly responding to his intent.


    The staff not only enhanced his mana, but it also strengthened his undead and increased the control he had over them. It was a powerful piece of equipment that any necromancer would desperately desire just for its ability to boost the power of their undead.


    ¡°If you want me to use my full power, then I suppose I have toply.¡±


    Winning against an opponent who had been in rehabilitation for half a year with Hero equipment might not earn him any praise, but at this point, he couldn¡¯t care less.


    <i>You asked for this.</i>


    With a ghastly look in his eyes, Gerwin forcefully nted the staff into the ground.


    <i>Screech-</i>


    Alongside the screech, the ck mist spread across two-thirds of the arena like a swamp. The air then slightly parted, revealing Gerwin¡¯s undead from the void space.


    There were ck skeletons, beastly chimeras that retained their flesh from their living days, and even a zombie golem that neared three meters tall. The appearance of the continuously emerging undead caused a stir in the arena.


    ¡°Thirty enhanced skeletons...?¡±


    ¡°Each of those chimeras is worth millions. He¡¯s just fighting her with money...¡±


    ¡°That zombie golem seems to be made solely from element-attribute monsters. Can a mage really stand against that?¡±


    The expensive undead, costing from thousands to billions, lined up in formation in front of Gerwin. Hearing the admiration of his legion, which wasparable to a fortress in terms of invested capital and durability, from various parts of the audience, Gerwin wore a satisfied expression.


    ¡°You see, I haven¡¯t just been ying around for half a year.¡±


    He nearly lost to her during thest duel because he couldn¡¯t respond to her relentless barrages of magic. However, with the elemental resistance of the zombie golem and the buff from Rest of the Dead, he believed that this time, he would overwhelmingly trample her.


    Seeing his confident look, Luize simply pressed summoned her weapon out of her void pocket without saying much.


    <i>Thud-</i>


    Vargr appeared in her hand.


    Though it seemed insignificantpared to the vast army in front of her, just holding it released thest of her tension.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>.¡±


    She proudly ced Vargr, a ck chocker, around her neck and locked it in ce.


    <i>Click-</i>


    The choker had a sleek design that featured a silver buckle and ck body. Looking over at the floating live broadcast to check her appearance, she unwittingly smirked when she saw how it obscured the scar on her neck.


    <i>He¡¯s so unnecessarily thoughtful.</i>


    While she gently caressed the oddlyforting Vargr, Gerwin put on a dumbfounded expression on the other side.


    ¡°So that¡¯s your trump card? Isn¡¯t that just a dog cor...¡±


    Though it radiated with mana, whenpared to Rest of the Dead, even calling that a weapon seemed insulting.


    Ignoring his openly mocking demeanor, she just looked back at him calmly and slowly started speaking.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made a new friend recently.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°This friend of mine keeps saying that I can definitely win this duel.... At first, I thought it was just nonsense.¡±


    The strength of Incantation Magic increased with the rity of the caster¡¯s intent.


    Luize had heard it every day from Se-Hoon, but she could never truly grasp its meaning. It was difficult to transition from learning magic theoretically to suddenly embracing such emotional and abstract concepts.


    ¡°But now, I think I understand what he means.¡±


    Mana began to surge around her. It wasmon to see mana respond to strong wills, but the scale of the phenomenon unfolding before Gerwin¡¯s eyes was different.


    <i>Rumble-!</i>


    The mana in the arena of the Hall of Martial Arts, capable of amodating up to thousands, vibrated violently in response to the will of a single person. The massive vibration of mana was felt directly on his skin, and the terrifying hostility contained within it widened Gerwin¡¯s eyes in shock.


    ¡°What... how...¡±


    How could a mere student, a patient who had been confined to a hospital for half a year, assimte such a vast amount of mana? It felt like she had be one with the mana.


    Feeling incredulous at the unbelievable sight, he clenched his teeth and red at her.


    ¡°What trickery is this...!¡±


    ¡°Over the past half year, I¡¯ve lived only for this moment.¡±


    Whether it was when she had seizures caused by nightmares, when she felt excruciating pain in her throat during rehabilitation, or even when she just wanted to give everything up and leave, she had managed to persevere with just a single thought in mind.


    She wanted to tear apart the necks of those who had ruined her life, just as they had done to her.


    Reaffirming the synesthetic mindscape that was more vividly imprinted within her mind than any magic spell, she lightly pressed the buckle on Vargr.


    Immediately, a thin metal te rose from the ck choker, swiftly covering her mouth and snapping shut forcefully.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Like those of a hound, the metal te formed ck teeth. The sight of the metal mask that appeared in the blink of an eye stirred the audience. Besides the novelty of the item, the audience had stirred because of the way Luize¡¯s aura increased in ferocity the moment she equipped it.


    If the mana had only been responding to her will before, it was now directly manifesting hostility toward Gerwin.


    ¡°Th-this is... impossible...¡±


    Feeling as if he were inside the mouth of a giant beast, the indescribable difort and fear made his eyes tremble faintly.


    There was something horribly wrong, but it was toote to turn back.


    ¡ªThree.


    With both sides ready, the countdown began.


    Stroking the ck teeth that covered her mouth, she looked at him with scattered bits of blue luminescence in her eyes.


    ¡ªTwo.


    ¡°I beg you.¡±


    And with sincerity, she conveyed her true feelings to him.


    ¡ªOne.


    ¡°Please hold out for a long time.¡±


    She promised herself that she would inflict him with pain tens of times more terrible than what she had received.


    ¡ªStart!


    ¡°Kill her now!!!!!!¡±


    The moment the protective barrier dividing the center of the arena was lifted, Gerwin, as if convulsing, swung Rest of the Dead and screamed.


    With hismand, the undead, breaking their meticulously formed ranks, raised their weapons and rushed madly toward her.


    To him, who had already summoned all of his forces, while she hadn¡¯t even started preparing any spells in advance, it was clear who seemed to have the upper hand.


    <strong>¡°Set-¡±</strong>


    But to her, that was not the case at all.


    The incantation resounded throughout the arena. Her will, formed purely of mana and not tainted by her vocalization, seized control of the mana within the arena and recreated her synesthetic mindscape.


    In an instant, magic arrays, each glowing red like a cor, appeared around the necks of the skeletons charging at her, the chimera that followed behind, and even the lumbering zombie golem.


    ¡°What...¡±


    But before Gerwin could finish¡ª


    <strong>¡°Death Bite.¡±</strong>


    Invisible teeth tore through everything.


    <i>ng-!</i>


    With the sound of shing steel, dozens of heads soared into the air before plummeting to the ground.


    <i>Thud! Bang!</i>


    The undead legion, which lost its bnce as it charged, was now sprawled across the arena floor. Its initial grandiose momentum waspletely gone, leaving a pitiful sight that made Gerwin¡¯s eyes widen in disbelief in its ce.


    <i>This is... impossible.</i>


    With a single spell, every undead had fallen. There was no borate casting or magic array, they had all fallen with just two words.


    The sight before him was nearly impossible to believe, and in a moment of shock, he found himself stepping back. Realizing what he had done, he bit down hard.


    <i>No, it¡¯s not over yet!</i>


    Ordinary summons might not be recoverable, but undead could be reanimated with his mana as many times as needed. With that thought, he immediately used Rest of the Dead to gather his mana again.


    However, before he could gather his mana, another red magic array encircled his neck.


    <i>ng-!</i>


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>!¡±


    As if his neck were being severed, an incredible pain erupted.


    He fell to the ground, the pain making him unable to do anything, and looked at his neck with a pale face.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>...¡±


    <i>Craaack-</i>


    The barrier created by his equipment, which easily blocked magic attacks from the third-year top-ranking student of the Department of Elements, had been destroyed by more than half with a single strike.


    <i>It hurts this much even though the barrier blocked her attack...</i>


    With that thought, he naturally began wondering what would have happened if he had been hit without any protection. His gaze turned to the decapitated undead, and an intense tremble shot throughout his body.


    <i>Something¡¯s... not right.... This is strange...</i>


    No matter how he thought about it, this level of power was abnormal. And why was shepletely unaffected despite Vier¡¯s im that she would be weakened?


    <i>Maybe this was all his n from the beginning...</i>


    Perhaps Vier hadn¡¯te to help him, but to cut him off. The multitude of doubts that started blooming in Gerwin¡¯s mind bewildered him.


    ¡°That barrier.¡±


    Unnoticed to Gerwin who had been upied by the pain and his thoughts, Luize had managed to approach him.


    ¡°It looks pretty sturdy.¡±


    ¡°Wait... hold on...¡±


    <strong>¡°Set-¡±</strong>


    But before he could finish speaking, dozens of red magic arrays densely covered his entire body. The terrifying sight made his eyes widen in shock, and he turned pleadingly toward her.


    <strong>¡°Revenge Bite.¡±</strong>


    Ignoring him, she twisted her lips and unleashed the incantation from behind the mask.


    <i>Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch!!!</i>


    Dozens of invisible teeth savagely tore into him, shredding the barriers and equipment alike, only stopping when his entire body had been gruesomely chewed up.


    Although his body was still intact, the tremendous amount of pressure had crushed his bones and pulverized his muscles and magic circuits.


    Under normal circumstances, the duel would have been interrupted the moment he experienced such an impactful attack, but a ¡°coincidental¡± malfunction in the power room had dyed the response by about a second.


    <i>Boom-!</i>


    When the arena¡¯s protective system finally activated to block her magic¡ª


    ¡°<i>Cough</i>... <i>cough</i>...¡±


    There was only something barely alive lying in utter ruin atop the arena.


    <strong>[Winner: Luize Valente]</strong>


    The arena¡¯s duel system dered the winner on the floating screen, but there wasn¡¯t a single cheer. Everyone had been stunned speechless by the power and cruelty of her Incantation Magic, which was far beyond anything they knew.


    Amidst that deafening silence, she silently faced the camera.


    ¡°If you want to pick a fight with me, just know that this is how you¡¯re going to end up.¡±


    It was a wlesseback.

 Chapter 49

    <h4>Chapter 49</h4>


    Once the duel between Luize and Gerwin ended, everyone in Babel reacted as if a bomb had exploded. The oue had taken everyone but two people by surprise, causing amotion.


    ¡°Huh? The undead¡¯s heads all flew off in one go?¡±


    ¡°Seriously. She didn¡¯t even properly cast any spells; after she just muttered a few words, the entire dueling arena shook, and then, before I knew it, all of their heads had flown off in one go.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps Gerwin just prepared some random undead or equipment?¡±


    ¡°Random? He came out wearing the same thing he wore during the previous extermination practical. He was fully armed, you know??¡±


    Filming was not allowed inside the Hall of Martial Arts, so only the students who had witnessed the duel could spread tales of Luize¡¯s valor. And anyone who heard those stories was bbergasted, finding them hard to believe.


    ¡°Gerwin is at least a B-rank hero, so if he was subdued in an instant, wouldn¡¯t that mean she¡¯s at least an A-rank hero? How does that even make sense?¡±


    ¡°It must be because Gerwin let his guard down. Didn¡¯t you say he froze up and couldn¡¯t do anything after the undead were swept away?¡±


    ¡°He might have been in a panic because he was facing never-before-seen magic. There¡¯s also talk that she might have awakened a unique skill.¡±


    To those who had not seen the duel, and even those who did see it, they believed that Gerwin had merely let his guard down. However, their doubts would remain unanswered forever¡ªGerwin couldn¡¯t fight ever again.


    ¡°Thirty-eight different parts of his body have been afflicted with mana impairment. With injuries of this extent, he could be considered mana disabled.¡±


    Putting down Gerwin¡¯s medical report on his desk, Michael sighed and rubbed his eyebrows.


    ¡°The UD Group says they will properly impensation for this incident. To them, Gerwin was foolish, but as the twenty-fifth son, he had quite a bit of potential.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°This incident also made the Hall of Martial Arts strengthen its security, making it difficult to y such tricks again. Moreover, Professor Charles and Dawn have sentints about how we foolishly wasted this chance.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Their order got dyed, even after they supported us with equipment, so it¡¯s understandable that they¡¯re upset. But now, thanks to you, our rtionship has been furtherplicated.¡±


    And on top of all that, the red gs surrounding Vier and the Barmuth family, who had been mentioned alongside Gerwin, had increased. Although there was no definite evidence at the moment, such suspicions always tended to umte and be a problemter on.


    And to Michael, such a situation was no different from giving away their tail.


    ¡°Do you now understand how severe the damage our family has suffered from this incident is?¡±


    Standing in front of Michael, Vier, a young man with a sturdy appearance, nodded with a stern face.


    ¡°Yes. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... now that things havee to this point, I hope you have a solution of your own. What do you n to do?¡±


    ¡°Since Luize Valente has returned to Babel, I n to head over to the Ivory Tower to discuss with the members of Dawn there about how we should get rid of her. I¡¯m considering using the uing sponsorship selection event of the Ivory Tower,¡± responded Vier calmly.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°I n to deal with Lee Se-Hoon during the uing extermination practical. If you lend a bit of support, I will make sure to end things decisively on my end.¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    After a moment of contemtion, Michael nodded, seemingly having made up his mind.


    ¡°If you need anything, just say the word. I¡¯ll support you as long as it won¡¯t cause any problems.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡ª¡±


    ¡°But,¡± interrupted Michael, looking at his son with cold eyes.


    ¡°If you fail this time as well, it would be best to give up your sessorship.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°You may leave now.¡±


    With that, Michael turned his attention back to the documents on his desk which signaled the end of the conversation. Seeing this, Vier bowed his head slightly and quietly left the office.


    ¡°...¡±


    Now alone, Vier started walking through the corridor with an indifferent expression, his footsteps echoing solemnly through the hall. And soon, a strange noise started apanying the echoes.


    <i>Krr- Grind-</i>


    It was the chilling sound of gnashing teeth. But despite the obvious source of the sound, Vier¡¯s expression was unmoving, giving the impression that he was wearing a mask.


    Then, when all sounds abruptly stopped, his mouth slowly opened.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon, was it...¡±


    Though he hadn¡¯t directly appeared, it was clear that Se-Hoon had influenced this matter greatly if one gave it some thought. After all, Luize had changed dramatically after bing friends when Se-Hoon was admitted to Askus.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon...¡±


    Vier muttered the name of the insolent underssman who ruined his n before clenching his fists with a determined look in his eye.


    Then, as if nothing had happened, he resumed walking with a calm face.


    ***


    In the lobby of their Askus hospital ward, Se-Hoon was sitting on an empty sofa re-reading the information message about his newly acquired skill.


    <strong>[Awakening Dream] ¡ºC¡»</strong>


    <strong>[A form of self-hypnosis that forcibly awakens a blurred mind.</strong>


    <strong>This skill automatically activates when mental contamination reaches a certain level. However, with prolonged use, the effectiveness decreases.</strong>


    <strong>*Forcibly awakens the mind</strong>


    <strong>*Weakens if activated repeatedly in a short period]</strong>


    <i>A psychic-type skill, huh...</i>


    Considering that even powerful heroes could die in vain due to mental attacks, this was a valuable skill regardless of its tier. However, he felt uneasy about it.


    <i>No matter how I think about it, something feels off...</i>


    There were various theories on how skills were acquired and formed, but every single one shared amonality: one must have the talent for or know the basics in the relevant field. In other words, to acquire psychic-type skills, one had to possess at least some rted qualities.


    <i>I¡¯ve never acquired a psychic-type skill before regression, so why?</i>


    Although some might say that gaining a brand new skill was a wonderful thing regardless, to Se-Hoon, who had returned to the past, it was an irksome matter.


    <i>Is it really because I¡¯ve just been unaware of my talent for it?</i>


    He was beyond lost over what the reason could be if it really was just a case of a new talent emerging. Perhaps all of it¡ª


    <strong>[Activating Awakening Dream]</strong>


    <i>Whoosh-!</i>


    In an instant, his mind became clear like he had been doused with ice-cold water, and he quickly realized that his deep thoughts had been abruptly cut off. He quickly looked down at his body with wide eyes.


    <i>So that¡¯s how it works.</i>


    It turned out that Awakening Dream was a skill that forcibly awakened his mind if he started having thoughts that might negatively impact him. As he thought about how surprising the straightforwardness of the effect was, he suddenly came up with a usage for it.


    <i>Hm. This could be used for the Dream Ivory...</i>


    A few momentster, the missing parts of the blueprint for the equipment that would reinforce his vague memories of what happened before the regression had been quickly filled in.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    When hepleted the blueprints, Luize approached after walking out of the adjacent corridor.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± asked Luize nonchntly.


    Calmly looking up at her, who was leaning to one side in front of him, Se-Hoon responded, ¡°Just sitting.¡±


    ¡°As if I won¡¯t know that...¡± she grumbled before flopping onto the same sofa, one seat away from him.


    The sight of the two, who appeared close yet somehow distant, side by side attracted curious looks from passersby, but the two in question didn¡¯t mind and just continued their conversation.


    ¡°Have youpleted the discharge procedures?¡±


    ¡°I wish. I have to undergo examinations all week.¡±


    Luize¡¯s discharge and return to school had only been allowed on the condition that she stayed for an extra week to undergo thorough examinations. Such a condition was set because not only did Professor An Jeon-Wan want to document a case of oveing mana impairment, but he also wanted to meticulously check Luize for outbreaks or recurrences of her wounds. Since such a thing had happened in the past, it was natural that he was worried.


    ¡°He¡¯s a true doctor.¡±


    ¡°I agree. He¡¯s been a great help in many ways over thest six months,¡± she said, looking out at the lobby with a vacant expression. Many memories of the many ways she had been helped by An Jeong-Wan had resurfaced.


    Taking a moment to reminisce, she brought up another topic in a subdued voice.


    ¡°I met Professor Charles yesterday.¡±


    To Luize, Professor Charles was her mentor who had helped her in many ways. However, now she knew that he was also a member of Dawn who had attempted to afflict her with mana disability through mana corrosion.


    Hearing that Luize met with Professor Charles, Se-Hoon asked, ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°Well, he told me toe back to the Department of Elements and try my best again. He even said he¡¯d talk to the Ivory Tower about the second-year student sponsorship.¡±


    Such an offer would have made most students widen their eyes in excitement, but because of the offerer, just remembering it made Luize¡¯s face twist in displeasure.


    ¡°I should have torn his throat out...¡± she quietly muttered.


    ¡°Did you refuse right away?¡±


    She nodded at his question.


    ¡°I said it would be difficult because I¡¯m nning to transfer to the Department of Battle Magic, and he seemed to ept after I gave him my reasons.¡±


    It was easy toe up with a reason. After all, because Incantation Magic was far from the theoretical emphasis of general magic, the sses of the Department of Elements wouldn¡¯t be of much helppared to the sses of a department that taughtbat techniques with magic.


    ¡°Good. Like I said before, we can¡¯t show our hands yet.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I bit my tongue and endured it.¡±


    Se-Hoon had advised her early on to pretend that she knew nothing about Professor Charles, or more precisely, about the group that he was affiliated with.


    It was currently too dangerous to antagonize Dawn rashly, especially since they could easily cut ties and cover their tracks if the only evidence they had was just a single incident of mana corrosion.


    <i>Those guys wouldn¡¯t hesitate to resort tomitting terrorism even in Babel if necessary.</i>


    As a fanatical group of magicians who worshiped magic, Dawn was known for their extreme beliefs and actions, making them particrly dangerous. And considering the fact that they were also the subgroup of the even more dangerous Watchers, a group of madmen intent on manipting the Six Harbingers of Destruction to their liking, far more preparations had to be made.


    He would have to deal with them eventually, considering their bad blood with Luize, but now was definitely not the time.


    ¡°Remember, don¡¯t get too cocky. Your victory was only possible due to abination of many factors.¡±


    There were four main factors that hadbined to lead her to a decisive victory. The first was the synesthetic mindscape rted to her vengeance, which had been deeply ingrained over thest six months. The second was the outstanding performance of Vargr, which specialized in amplifying Incantation Magic. The third was the fact that Luize¡¯s Incantation Magic waspletely new. Finally, the fourth was that Gerwin only specialized in <i>controlling </i>the undead; hecked realbat experience to use them effectively, leading to inadequate responses.


    If Luize had faced someone with specs simr to Gerwin¡¯s but was smarter and had more practical experience, then she wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance.


    ¡°Do I look like a kid to you?¡±


    ¡°You <i>are </i>a kid.¡±


    ¡°As if you¡¯re older than me... anyway, don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    She stroked the still visible scar on the back of her right hand and gave him a bitter smile.


    ¡°Do you think I would make the same mistake after my throat nearly got cut open?¡±


    While it was true that those targeting her had set a trap, she had been far too arrogant due to her talent and fell into the trap as a result.


    Her self-deprecating tone and bitter expression made him pause and ponder for a moment before nodding.


    ¡°Well, thinking about it now, if it did actually happen to you again, the result would have been deserved.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re crazy.¡±


    Despite the topic that would make anyone flustered, Se-Hoon always seemed to have something ready to say. And the expression on his face as he said it, which made him seem like he was asking if he said something wrong, just made her shake her head and turn her gaze back to the lobby in front of her.


    ¡°...¡±


    The sight of the ward, which she had already grown ustomed to over the past six months, would soon be a memory of the past. Memorizing the scenery like she would never see it again, she slowly opened her mouth.


    ¡°When I was first hospitalized here, I thought I would be expelled soon.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I was burning with the desire for revenge... but, it was inevitable that I would realize that it¡¯s not an easy task.¡±


    She had been diagnosed with mana impairment which even Professor An Jeong-Wan, who was considered the highest authority in the field of rehabilitation, had no idea how to treat. All this time, Luize had been living in denial, but deep down, she was well aware of her condition.


    Yet she had stubbornly stayed in Askus, but it wasn¡¯t for the grand reason of revenge.


    ¡°Giving up was too scary.¡±


    She looked down at the scar on her hand and smiled bitterly.


    ¡°What could I even do? It wasn¡¯t like I was an official hero. How could such an insignificant person like me ever get revenge on them? I was terrified of such a bleak future, so I hid here.¡±


    Knowing that she wouldn¡¯t be able to cure her mana impairment and would eventually be miserably expelled from Babel, she was unable to do anything but stay in Askus. At least the rehabilitation experiments made her feel like there was a slim possibility for herself.


    ¡°Looking back, it was such a foolish thing to do. I was just wasting time, too scared to think of anything else even though I knew it was meaningless.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But... um...¡±


    Struggling to organize her thoughts, she opened and closed her mouth repeatedly. Seeing this, Se-Hoon just waited silently with no ns of urging her.


    Finally managing to organize her thoughts a momentter, she slowly continued her story.


    ¡°But thanks to you, I think I¡¯ve found an excuse for myself.¡±


    ¡°Excuse?¡±


    ¡°That I was able to learn Incantation Magic because I endured through these hardships; that I could easily defeat Gerwin...¡±


    Trailing off, she nced at him and then muttered in a low voice, ¡°Or that I could meet you here.¡±


    If she had endured those hardships knowing all these facts, she might have praised herself for doing a great job. However, her meeting with Se-Hoon had been nothing short of a miracle.


    That was why she said he gave her an excuse. It was all thanks to him that she could find a reason for her otherwise meaningless time in Askus.


    ¡°So... what I want to say is...¡±


    How should she conclude this lengthy story she brought up haphazardly? Trying to think of something, she began to reminisce about every moment with Se-Hoon.


    He was selfish, quirky, and without a trace of consideration, but he was her benefactor who always guided her in the right direction in desperate situations.


    <i>What... That was easy.</i>


    With just a little bit of thought, it was obviously clear how she should conclude this story.


    She smirked and said, ¡°Thanks for your help.¡±


    She simply expressed her gratitude with full sincerity.


    <strong>[The bond with ¡®Luize Valente¡¯ has increased to Lv. 2.]</strong>


    <strong>[Since the bond has increased to Lv. 2, a Rtionship has been established. Your Rtionship with ¡®Luize Valente¡¯ is currently ¡®Guidance¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[Rtionship: Guidance]</strong>


    <strong>[Guiding others is a heavy responsibility as it deeply influences their future. </strong>


    <strong>Guiding them on the right path might not be easy, but if you lead them correctly without shirking responsibility, there won¡¯t be a Rtionship more reliable than this. </strong>


    <strong>*A Fatestone is created every time you guide the subject correctly. </strong>


    <strong>*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases during situations where you guide the subject. </strong>


    <strong>*Currently created Fatestone: None]</strong>


    Reading the notification message that appeared before him, Se-Hoon wore a surprised expression.


    <i>So she can also have such thoughts, huh? </i>


    He remembered how the st Dog was extremely self-centered. If things went well, it was all thanks to her; if things went wrong, it was always someone else¡¯s fault.


    She had self-hypnotized herself to prevent her Incantation Magic from weakening due to self-me. But in actuality, there was no need as she genuinely thought that way.


    <i>She couldn¡¯t trust anyone but herself.</i>


    However, the st Dog¡ªno, Luize Valente had be capable of trusting others. Whether such a thing was better was uncertain, but he decided not to think too deeply about it.


    <i>Now it¡¯s up to me.</i>


    Thinking about the distant future, he looked at her, who was ncing at him.


    ¡°You make it sound so hard to say thank you.¡±


    ¡°...Why did I expect a touching response from such a rude bastard?¡±


    She sighed deeply and then looked at the clock in the lobby before standing up.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    ¡°Ah, hold on,¡± he called out.


    He pointed at the ck choker around her neck.


    ¡°You can give that back now. Since it¡¯s broken anyway, I¡¯ll make use of it when I make you a new one.¡±


    Vargr, the ck choker, had lost all functionality after the battle with Gerwin. It was natural since the projection alloy it was made of had low durability and thus overloaded when she used such high-output Incantation Magic.


    <i>I¡¯ll have to make it with proper materials next time.</i>


    Although the materials were not easy toe by, he thought it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to obtain with the money earned from thest auction. And if that didn¡¯t work, he could just go get them himself.


    ¡°What? This?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You won¡¯t need it anymo¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Seeing him puzzled by her unexpected response, she stroked the choker around her neck. It felt cold, yet somehow warm. That ticklish yet precious sensation made her grin.


    ¡°It¡¯s mine now.¡±


    And with that, she turned and walked away briskly.

 Chapter 50

    <h4>Chapter 50</h4>


    At Babel, there was one piece of advice given to all freshmen shortly after their admission, regardless of their department.


    <i>¡°No matter what, don¡¯t skip any sses until at least the end of the first semester.¡±</i>


    Though it sounded like the typical ¡°study diligently,¡± freshmen who had truly begun their lives at Babel always soon realized the significance of that advice.


    ¡°I see that you¡¯ve been on a break due to an injury for three days; take all of these assignments that have piled up in the meantime and finish them by this week.¡±


    ¡°Today, we will practice defending against thirty-eight types of irregr attacks using automatons. You missed thest ss? Just watch and follow along.¡±


    Taking a few days off meant that either dozens of assignments had piled up or that they would be facing unreasonably harsh lessons, oftentimes both.


    Of course, all students epted by Babel were exceptionally talented and caught up quickly, but the problem was that by the time they caught up, their recent assignments had piled up like a mountain.


    ¡°Why are these sses like this...¡±


    ¡°I would have only taken one minor ss if I knew it would be like this...¡±


    Students who casually took on too many minor courses felt the burden increase, and some even started to give up on the difficult sses.


    Eventually, that fate would creep up on all of those who did not heed the advice.


    ¡°Here are all the assignments you¡¯ve missed.¡±


    <i>Boom!</i>


    And Se-Hoon found that very fate creeping up on him as well.


    ¡°...¡±


    Looking at the mountain of papers before him, he wore a puzzled expression.


    He was sure he had signed up for the Barrier Composition ss, so why had he been greeted with this pile of papers?


    <i>Did they change the subject during thest two weeks?</i>


    Entertaining that ridiculous thought, he just silently stared at the pile of assignments, and soon, Robert, the professor, calmly spoke to him.


    ¡°The deadline is the day after tomorrow. I rmend finishing everything since it will all count toward your grade. Of course, if you¡¯re confident you can make up for it with the first semester exams, then you don¡¯t have to do it.¡±


    ¡°The day after tomorrow...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to start the lesson now, so you may go back to your seat. Since you won¡¯t understand the ss material in your current state, it might be better to work on the assignments for now.¡±


    Concluding the conversation, Robert turned to prepare for the lesson, leaving Se-Hoon to nkly stare at the papers before sighing deeply and stuffing the assignments into his void pocket.


    <i>This is why I hate school.</i>


    How could such a heap of assignments pile up after just two weeks? And since this amount was for the Barrier Composition ss alone, he couldn¡¯t even imagine what would happen when he attended his other sses.


    <i>The sses under the Department of cksmithing might be doable since they¡¯re more focused on practical skills, but still... tsk.</i>


    If it was a field he had learned before the regression, he might have just skimmed the material and made up for it with the exams, but Barrier Composition was apletely new field for him. As such, he was determined to learn everything so thoroughly, that there was no need to study it twice.


    <i>I just need to cut back on sleep, that¡¯s all.</i>


    Deciding toplete every single assignment, he took his seat.


    ¡°Hello,¡± greeted Erika, who had sat down next to him naturally.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you sitting over there earlier?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why did you move?¡±


    ¡°Because you sat here.¡±


    Her manner of speaking was still as direct and truthful as ever. And while Se-Hoon knew that there was no hidden meaning behind her words, the students around them thought differently.


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>...¡±


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    ¡°It must be true...¡±


    Despite seeing it with their own eyes, some students were still in disbelief, having to confirm with each other.


    Meanwhile, others red with wide-open eyes, acting like they had been robbed of a treasure. Naturally, they were all students of the Department of Spells.


    <i>As if I forced her to sit here, </i>Se-Hoon thought, looking at them with an incredulous expression.


    Then Robert, who had finished preparing for the lesson, tapped the ckboard to gather their attention.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue from ourst lesson and learn about how to apply the five elements¡¯ mutual prity in all directions. First, we¡¯ll align the directions...¡±


    He went on with the lesson, not minding those who had missed sses or couldn¡¯t keep up. Realizing that what Robert said was not a joke, Se-Hoon sighed deeply, unable to understand anything about the content of the lesson.


    <i>I should just work on the assignments.</i>


    Pulling out some of the assignments from his void pocket, he flipped through the papers and read the content.


    <i>Using the spell patterns provided in the example above, create a barrier that allows entrances at north-northwest and south-southeast ording to the sixteen cardinal directions... it basically wants me to assemble the whole thing.</i>


    It was essentially figuring out how to fit parts together without a manual and just the shape of the parts. Theplex assignment was quite intriguing to him.


    <i>Let¡¯s see...</i>


    While Se-Hoon was intently examining the assignment, the other students were ncing over with curious expressions.


    <i>Why is he just looking at it?</i>


    <i>Is he trying to do it all in his head?</i>


    The spell patterns provided in the question looked fine at first nce, but in reality, important parts were missing here and there. They had to be modified to create a proper barrier, but there were too many variables to solve it withoutying it out.


    <i>Maybe he¡¯s being cautious because it¡¯s during ss?</i>


    <i>Tsk tsk. That¡¯s what you get for missing two weeks of ss...</i>


    With everyone looking skeptically at him, Se-Hoon, who had been lightly spinning his pen in thought, suddenly gripped it with sparkling eyes and started writing.


    <i>Scribble scribble-</i>


    Having quicklypleted the barrier, he immediately turned the page to read the next problem.


    <i>This time, an entrance in the southwest and an exit in the south-southwest...</i>


    The example contained a different spell form than before, but when he closely examined its structure, he slightly lifted the corners of his mouth.


    <i>They¡¯re simr, as I expected.</i>


    Although the spell form was different from the previous problem, the way both of them had been twisted was simr. Having caught on to how Professor Robert tended to twist the spell forms, he easily tweaked all of the following spell forms to create the barrier.


    <i>Scribble scribble-</i>


    Initially, each problem made him think for a few minutes, but as he continued to solve them, the intervals between solutions became increasingly shorter.


    Then, once he solved a day¡¯s worth of assignments, he was able to write down the answers immediately without any hesitation after reading the questions.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Forgetting that they were in the middle of ss, the other students just stared at him nkly.


    How could he solve the problems that they had struggled with so effortlessly!? He looked as if he was simply copying down the answers.


    <i>Is he just showing off?</i>


    <i>No, why would he do such a pointless thing...</i>


    Moreover, calling it showing off seemed off the mark, looking at the sense of exhration on his face. Se-Hoon was barely concealing his smiles, the ones that people would wear when sessfully solving a problem.


    Puzzled by the iprehensible sight, the students¡¯ gazes suddenly shifted toward the one next to him¡ªErika.


    ¡°...¡±


    Instead of paying attention to the lesson, she was just intently watching Se-Hoon solve his assignments and then nodding slightly after quickly reviewing the answers he wrote.


    Picking up on what her reaction meant, the students¡¯ eyes widened.


    <i>Are they really the correct answers?</i>


    <i>What...</i>


    As the students were all stunned by Se-Hoon¡¯s unexpected capabilities¡ª


    ¡°The advanced ss this year sure is impressive.¡±


    A voice full of admiration resounded from the front of the ssroom.


    ¡°Does this mean my lessons are too easy for you guys? Maybe I underestimated you all.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not, just...¡±


    Snapping back to reality, the students started sweating once they realized who was speaking. In front of them stood a person known for being one of the most malevolent professors of the Department of Spells.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure to <i>adjust </i>future lectures ording to your capabilities.¡±


    With that, Robert ended the conversation calmly and turned around to continue the lesson, leaving the students¡¯ faces to harden.


    Before, Barrier Composition was already considered quite difficult within the Department of Spells, and now, it had be even more difficult.


    If one dared to take the course casually now, they would seriously fail.


    <i>We¡¯re so screwed.</i>


    <i>Shit...</i>


    While most students turned pale-faced because of the sudden disaster, two students just continued to focus solely on their tasks.


    <i>Scribble scribble-</i>


    Se-Hoon was tirelessly solving assignments which were then reviewed by Erika with quiet nods.


    The two contrasting atmospheres continued until the school bell rang two hourster, signaling Robert to conclude the ss.


    ¡°That¡¯s all for today. I¡¯ve prepared some assignments at the front, so make sure to grab them on your way out.¡±


    Seeing the thick pile of assignments brought by the assistant professor, the students sighed and got up. And as they did so, Se-Hoon also stopped his busy hands.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    The two hours of continuous work on assignments for an unfamiliar field was headachingly intense, but in the end, it was ultimately rewarding.


    <i>I didn¡¯t expect that I would finish it all during the lecture.</i>


    Having solved all of the assignments that umted over two weeks, he felt a sense of pride, but some uncertainty nagged at him.


    <i>Is it really okay to solve them like this?</i>


    By figuring out Robert¡¯s tendencies when twisting the spell forms, he just tweaked and fit them together to solve the question, which made the assignments feel more like he was piecing together puzzles than studying how to create barriers.


    As he doubted whether these assignments were truly beneficial or not, Robert approached him and looked at the mountain of finished assignments by his side.


    ¡°Have you finished them all?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯vepleted everything.¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    ncing at Se-Hoon, Robert picked up a few assignments.


    Skimming through the answers, which had beenpleted cleanly without any apparent trial and error, Robert¡¯s expression stiffened slightly. The thought that the answer sheets had been filled out in advance shed past Robert¡¯s mind.


    <i>How did he understand the material to do these so perfectly in such a short time...</i>


    Se-Hoon had done more than just answer some questions; he had precisely grasped the intention of the caster when theyid the foundation. If he was able to understand this much, then he would be able to easily create dispelling techniques to break simr barriers¡ªjust as he did before.


    <i>So there </i>was <i>a reason she was intently watching him...</i>


    Glimpsing at Erika, who was still intently looking at Se-Hoon, Robert put down the assignments.


    ¡°Good work. Don¡¯t forget to take today¡¯s assignments with you.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    Bowing his head, Se-Hoon picked up the assignments and left, Erika naturally following behind. Soon they were walking side by side, but instead of paying attention to the nces from all around them, Se-Hoon was thinking about his uing ss.


    <i>The next ss should be... Origins of Equipment.</i>


    The ss was taught by In-Cheol, the lead professor of the Department of cksmithing. Today would be his first time attending the ss since he had been hospitalized right before the first lesson.


    <i>I¡¯m curious about this one.</i>


    Before the regression, the origins of equipment theory was considered one of the less significant hypotheses, but considering that it was currently being studied at Babel, it could hold different implications.


    Lost in his thoughts about his next ss, Erika, who was still walking next to him, very naturally asked, ¡°Can you forge a weapon for me too?¡±


    ¡°A weapon?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why all of a sudden? You don¡¯t even use weapons.¡±


    For the demonstration during the entrance ceremony, she only used amon crow as a familiar. He had never seen her use any auxiliary tools like talismans.


    Much like Jake, who fought with his bare hands, Erika seemed to be the type that wouldn¡¯t use weapons.


    ¡°I want a weapon you¡¯ve made.¡±


    ¡°But you haven¡¯t been interested until now... ah, is it because of Luize?¡±


    To others, it seemed as if Luize¡¯s return was simply because she became stronger, but Erika, who had seen the creation of Vargr and its powerful effects firsthand, knew that Vargr was behind Luize¡¯s strength. As such, it was natural that she¡¯d be interested in obtaining one of his weapons after witnessing such a scene.


    ¡°...Somewhat,¡± she admitted after a short pause.


    Se-Hoon smirked involuntarily.


    <i>She¡¯s like the other students after all.</i>


    Despite her nonchnce, she seemed to be interested in bing stronger. It was understandable since she had to have some degree of martial prowess to win the sessorship.


    ¡°What kind of weapon do you want?¡±


    ¡°Anything made by you would be good.¡±


    ¡°...Is that so.¡±


    He sighed internally at her answer.


    Amateurs would typically think that asking for anything from the cksmith made it easy, but in reality, it was the mostplex and annoying request.


    <i>Since they don¡¯t know what kind of weapon they actually need, they expect </i>me <i>to figure out something that¡¯s useful and not cumbersome for them.</i>


    It wasn¡¯t like he could make something without much either. Doing such a thing could easily backfire, something he had learned thanks to a lesson during his novice days before the regression.


    <i>A weapon suitable for her, hm...</i>


    To properly handle such cases, he had to consider the person¡¯s innate talent, amount of mana, andbat style. However, since it was for Erika, he didn¡¯t need to do any of that because he knew what weapon she wielded when she was an S-rank hero.


    <i>Forging something simr to the Mythic weapon she used back then should be sufficient.</i>


    Of course, sourcing the materials wouldn¡¯t be easy, but that didn¡¯t matter to him since it was Erika¡¯s responsibility.


    Seeing Erika staring at him, he quickly drew out a rough blueprint in his mind and then came to a decision.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s going to be difficult.¡±


    He decided to promptly refuse her request.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I have prior appointments, and there¡¯s quite a backlog of things I need to forge.¡±


    He had several projects on his hands already: the memory aid tool that would be made out of the Dream Ivory, Jake¡¯s sword, and the new equipment for Sung-Ha and Luize.


    Sung-Ha¡¯s and Luize¡¯s equipment could be dyed since there was some time before their Fatestones were ready, but he had already dyed the Dream Ivory project and Jake¡¯s sword for too long. He needed to address them now.


    ¡°...¡±


    Erika looked slightly shocked at being refused, seemingly having never expected such a thing. He was pondering over how he would handle her reaction when he heard Jake, who was approaching quickly with a lively expression.


    ¡°Ah. There you are!¡±


    ¡°I got all the materials you asked for! We can make it now, right?¡±


    Excited and oblivious to Erika¡¯s presence, Jake eagerly awaited a response.


    Nodding, Se-Hoon said, ¡°We can start right away if everything¡¯s ready. But like I said before, even if we start now, it¡¯ll take at least a week toplete. Got it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. But before that, can you exin what kind of sword it will be...?¡±


    Suddenly feeling a chill, Jake¡¯s bright voice trailed off and he reflexively looked to the side.


    ¡°...¡±


    There, he saw Erika staring at him with an expressionless face, one devoid of any emotions.


    Caught off guard by the coldness in her eyes, Jake flinched unknowingly.


    <i>Uhm, huh?</i>


    Flustered, he wondered if he had somehow upset her by interrupting their conversation.


    While Jake unsettledly endured the suddenly tense atmosphere, Erika slowly turned her head back to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°The prior appointment... is it him?¡±


    ¡°One of them is, yes.¡±


    ¡°Why did you ept his?¡±


    Her question, clearly loaded with intent, made him put on a slight smile before responding, ¡°Because he offered a Hero-tier tool and valuable information in exchange. It wouldn¡¯t be right if didn¡¯t deliver something on par with the fair requester¡¯s fee.¡±


    ¡°Requester¡¯s fee...¡± she muttered softly.


    Seemingly pondering something, she nodded.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯lle backter.¡±


    With a final nce at Jake, she walked away as Se-Hoon watched with a contented expression. Considering her assertive actions at the second-year auction, he believed that when she returned, she¡¯d likely bring something valuable enough to warrant a reservation.


    <i>I¡¯m looking forward to what she thinks is worthy of an appointment.</i>


    Interrupting his thoughts, Jake, who had been watching her departure as well, cautiously asked, ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±


    The question filled with genuine confusion made Se-Hoon chuckle softly.


    ¡°Maybe a little?¡±

 Chapter 51

    <h4>Chapter 51</h4>


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Looking around Jake¡¯s amodations with a curious expression, Se-Hoon noticed that the interior was spotless, with not a speck of dust in sight. The ce seemed more like a model home than a ce that someone actually lived in.


    ¡°Wait, did you clean up because I wasing?¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t do anything special.... Want something to drink?¡±


    Stopping Jake who looked like he was about to head into the kitchen right away, Se-Hoon shook his head.


    ¡°No. Let¡¯s look at the materials first. Where are they?¡±


    ¡°In that room over there. Follow me.¡±


    Entering the room Jake had led him to, he became slightly surprised by what he saw. There was arge cab upying an entire wall, holding various ores that were neatly arranged, each one sharing amon feature.


    ¡°These ores here, did you test your grip on them all?¡±


    ¡°Well... yes.¡±


    Noticing Jake¡¯s sheepish expression, he examined the ores ced in the cab again. Each had been squished like y, obviously from being tightly clenched in one hand. There were even several Hero ores renowned for their durability, but they had also been squashed by Jake¡¯s grip.


    <i>So even ores of this caliber couldn¡¯t withstand it.... I guess regr ores aren¡¯t a good match after all.</i>


    Having finished scanning all of the materials inside the cab, he finally noticed something ced in the middle of the room.


    All alone in the middle was a white basin that was about two-thirds full of a blue liquid that had been created from liquefying magic stones. Even with just a nce, the liquid seemed highly concentrated.


    <i>That should be worth about 200 million.</i>


    Jake had prepared everything exactly¡ªno, even better than ordered. It was like he was unting that his background wasn¡¯t ordinary.


    Realizing once again how wealthy the Myers family was, he approached the basin to inspect the material submerged inside.


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    A fist-sized blue orby at the bottom, absorbing the mana from the liquid. Its faint glow resembled arge firefly.


    <i>This is not bad.</i>


    With just one nce, it already looked satisfactory. Deciding to check it in depth himself, he rolled up his right sleeve and dipped his hand into the basin.


    The moment his hand touched the magic stone liquid, it began to scatter light and churn violently, rejecting the mana within his body.


    Seeing that, Jake reached out in panic.


    ¡°Wait...!¡±


    He thought that if he let Se-Hoon continue, the magic stone liquid would ssh everywhere, just like when he carelessly put his hand in before, rendering it unusable.


    He reached out to hastily pull Se-Hoon¡¯s hand out but then suddenly stopped, a bewildered expression on his face.


    ¡°Uh... huh?¡±


    Instead of sloshing out, the magic stone liquid regained its calm, looking as if it had never churned. And that peaceful state was maintained, regardless of Se-Hoon¡¯s movements.


    <i>Did he really adjust the mana within his arm to match the mana of the magic stone liquid as soon as he put his hand in?</i>


    Though it wasn¡¯t impossible, dealing with magic stone liquid was not an easy task unless one had a lot of experience or the natural talent for it.


    <i>Considering the price, it shouldn¡¯t be that he has experience with it... did he actually do it by instinct? </i>


    When his thoughts reached that point, Jake internally began to marvel with interest as he watched.


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon was checking the blue orb¡¯s information after taking it out of the basin.


    <strong>[<u>Water Golem Core</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Rare] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[The power source of a naturally formed water golem.</strong>


    <strong>It uses absorbed mana to create a special liquid with the same durability as the body of the subdued water golem.</strong>


    <strong>*Creates special liquid equivalent to the amount of mana consumed </strong>


    <strong>*Current grade of special liquid: D</strong>


    <strong>*Current mana charged: 100%]</strong>


    ¡°Hm... this looks good enough.¡±


    Satisfied by how there were no scratches and by how it was fully filled with mana, he turned to Jake, who approached him curiously.


    ¡°So how do you n to forge a sword with this?¡± Jake asked.


    While the Water Golem Core wasmonly used as construction materials, and for alchemy and creating familiars, it was notmonly used for forging. The durability of the magic circuits inside was too weak, which would cause it to easily break down during the forging process.


    ¡°We can¡¯t use it as it is; it needs to be further developed a bit.¡±


    ¡°Developed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    Inspecting the Water Golem Core, Se-Hoon spread out the index finger of his left hand and used White Light Surge.


    <i>Sssss-</i>


    A sharp, white aura flowed from the tip of his finger. Seeing that it looked a bit unstable, he focused his mind.


    <i>A bit thinner...</i>


    The aura flowing downwards gradually focused at the tip of the finger, forming a uniform shape.


    Though it wasn¡¯t Sword Aura, to the untrained eye, it was stable enough to be mistaken for it. Refined to his satisfaction, he immediately swung his finger toward the Water Golem Core.


    <i>Slice-</i>


    His finger, moving effortlessly through the air, was followed by thin lines, each etched onto the surface of the core, that ovepped to form aplex magic array.


    ¡°Hm~¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Though he seemed to be carelessly swinging his finger while humming, the end result seemed like something that had been meticulously worked on for days.


    And even though Jake had watched the whole process unfold before his eyes, it felt so surreal that it made him wear a strange expression.


    Finished with the etching of all the magic arrays, Se-Hoon dissipated the aura created by White Light Surge and thoroughly inspected the core.


    ¡°Hm. Done.¡±


    He ced the core, now intricately engraved with numerous magic arrays, back into the basin of magic stone liquid.


    Immediately, the lines of the magic array began to glow blue and the magic stone liquid became slightly transparent as it faintly churned.


    Realizing that the core was absorbing mana, Jake let out an exmation.


    ¡°Ah! Are you overcharging it?¡±


    Overcharging was a technique that used magic arrays to fill the material with mana beyond its limit. It was often used with lower-quality materials, requiring a deep understanding of both magic arrays and the materials themselves, making it a ratherplicated skill.


    ¡°Right. A full one hundred percent won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just use a higher-tier core then? That one could overload and break if something goes wrong.¡±


    Jake looked worried, but Se-Hoon just smiled confidently.


    ¡°Just watch and see.¡±


    When the magic arrays engraved on the core of the water golem were fully charged, Se-Hoon gathered mana in his mouth and used Incantation Attribute.


    ¡°Property Assimtion, Awareness Enhancement.¡±


    Dissolving into the magic stone liquid, the fragments of the spells soon formed small bubbles. Together, they created a chaotic mix that, supposedly, wasn¡¯t even worth deciphering.


    A moment after the chaotic mix seeped into the core, the magic arrays began to glow and tremble.


    ¡°Your right hand.¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    ¡°Give me your right hand.¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry. Here.¡±


    Waking up from his nk stare, Jake btedly stretched out his right hand. Seeing it, Se-Hoon resummoned White Light Surge to nick the tip of Jake¡¯s finger slightly.


    <i>Drip-</i>


    Jake¡¯s blood dropped into the basin.


    Instead of mixing with the magic stone liquid, it sank like a bead to the bottom, where the Water Golem Core was emitting light.


    The core trembled faintly and then absorbed the blood. At that moment, Jake suddenly felt a strange sensation despite there seemingly having been no significant change on the outside.


    <i>Just now, it almost felt like it was a part of me...</i>


    Like it was a part of his body, he felt both a simrity in mana and a bizarre sense of kinship.


    Faced with a situation he had never experienced before, he looked on with a peculiar expression while Se-Hoon continued to squeeze out more blood from his fingertip.


    ¡°For the next week, drop blood into the magic stone liquid like so once a day. The amount of blood should match the amount the core can absorb for that day, which is on average about ten milliliters a day. It can vary, so you¡¯ll need to do it daily.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is this process?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯splicated to exin, but to put it simply... it¡¯s a kind of trick.¡±


    ¡°A trick?¡±


    At Jake¡¯s puzzled expression, Se-Hoon pointed to the hand that was dripping blood.


    ¡°The reason for your abnormal grip strength. Manapression isn¡¯t easy to control as it happens unconsciously, almost like an instinct.¡±


    ¡°Such...¡±


    ¡°So, instead of trying to control it the hard way, we¡¯re going to use a trick that can bypass it by using your own body.¡±


    That was what Se-Hoon hade up with to ovee Jake¡¯s grip strength; it had been tricky since it was the result of a skill that only activated under certain conditions.


    Hearing the usible exnation, Jake became captivated.


    ¡°By shedding blood into it, we can trick it into thinking the weapon is part of your body through assimtion.¡±


    ¡°A part of my body...¡±


    ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t literally be a part of your body. It¡¯s mainly about creating that sensation, and that should be pretty doable now.¡±


    If his grip strength, presumed to be a unique skill, fully awakened and became even stronger, there was a high chance that even this method couldn¡¯t withstand it. However, that was a problem to be solved when the time came.


    Pondering Se-Hoon¡¯s exnation, Jake slowly nodded.


    ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Any further questions?¡±


    ¡°Not for now. I¡¯ll see the oue in a week anyway.¡±


    Normally, he would inquired about the entire forging process that followed, but he realized there was no need to ask after the thorough exnation. Listening to it wouldn¡¯t make a difference after all, since it was apletely different method from the norm.


    <i>Realistically, it¡¯s no different than gambling.</i>


    It was a method that was unprecedented and untried by anyone. From a client¡¯s perspective, it was an unsettling story, but Jake was surprisingly not worried.


    He had faith that Se-Hoon, of all people, would nonchntlyplete his weapon, just as he had been doing with everything he created until now.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how it turns out.¡±


    Hearing the excitement reminiscent of a child anticipating a birthday gift in Jake¡¯s voice, Se-Hoon chuckled and then stood up.


    ¡°Keep it up then. It seems like you¡¯ve already exceeded ten milliliters, but from how it¡¯s still trembling, it might need a lot more.¡±


    ¡°Got it. So I do this until it stops trembling?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I have ss now, so I¡¯ll leave.¡±


    Now alone in the room, Jake continued to drip blood from his fingertip into the basin. He looked down at the core submerged within.


    ¡°How much longer do I have to...¡±


    Assuming the average was about ten milliliters, a little more should suffice. With that thought, he stared nkly at the falling blood.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    But even after thirty minutes, the core did not stop trembling.


    ***


    <i>Jake... he seems to be more stubborn than he looks.</i>


    Having returned to Borsippa, Se-Hoon wore a curious expression as he thought about what had just happened.


    The assimtion process varied depending on one¡¯s personality, typically taking longer for those with stronger wills. In other words, it meant that despite being constantly dragged around everywhere, Jake was still considerably stubborn.


    <i>I should keep this in mind when creating his Fatester.</i>


    Since his view of Jake was still a bit ambiguous, he postponed the Bond Extraction. However, seeing as how Jake would be filled with anticipation throughout the week, it should be possible to create a fairly usable Fatestone after.


    Organized his thoughts, he arrived at the main building of the Department of cksmithing and headed straight for the ssroom where In-Cheol¡¯s ss was being held.


    <i>The location isn¡¯t as good as I expected.</i>


    Considering that In-Cheol was receiving a lot of funding, enough to be ranked among the top five most funded figures at Babel, Se-Hoon had assumed the ssroom would be in a prime location. However, it seemed rather tucked away and small.


    However, given In-Cheol¡¯s personality, it made sense that he would choose a smaller ssroom if there weren¡¯t that many students attending his lectures.


    <i>It¡¯s good that he doesn¡¯t put on airs... but it would be problematic if he also cut back on the spending for it.</i>


    The main reason he chose to take this ss was to earn Ludwig¡¯s attention and tap into his substantial budget. Therefore, In-Cheol¡¯s unnecessary frugality could be a hindrance.


    With a somewhat worried expression due to the not-so-great first impression, he entered the ssroom.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    ¡°Urk...¡±


    ¡°Mmm...¡±


    And saw five students, each clutching distinct tools and ring at them.


    ¡°...¡±


    He looked on with a curious expression at the students, who were holding a sword, a shield, a pick, a shovel, and a frying pan.


    The topic of Origin of Equipment wasplex enough to anticipate an unconventional ss, but thispletely exceeded his expectations.


    <i>What should I make of this...</i>


    Chuckling at the sight, he heard footsteps sound from behind, and then Kim In-Chul appeared.


    ¡°Oh, d to see you here. Are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯mpletely recovered now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I was thinking of paying a visit, but the start of the semester has been quite hectic. Sorry about that.¡±


    Se-Hoon shook his head at In-Cheol¡¯s sheepish look.


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t a serious injury anyway. But...¡±


    Quickly ncing around the ssroom, he turned to In-Cheol.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡±


    ¡°Ah,e to think of it, you haven¡¯t attended the lecture before. I¡¯ll exin it to you;e this way.¡±


    Despite his entrance, the students paid him no attention and remained focused on their tools. Simrly, In-Cheol walked in without minding them.


    Taking a seat at the front, Se-Hoon looked up at In-Cheol standing before him.


    ¡°Origin of Equipment, as the name suggests, is about understanding what the origin of the equipment we forge is and how we canprehend and encapste that.¡±


    Picking up a long sword ced on one side of the ssroom, he showed it to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Take this sword, for example. What do you think the cksmith intended when forging it?¡±


    ¡°It seems specialized for stabbing. Looking at where its center of gravity lies, it seems to be made for someone who leans on their right foot.¡±


    Hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s immediate response, In-Cheol nodded with slight admiration.


    ¡°Correct. I did think you would get somewhere close... impressive.¡±


    ¡°The more skilled the cksmith is, the more it shows on their sword.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Can you discern any other intentions behind it?¡±


    Receiving the sword from In-Cheol, he examined the de, the handle, and then finally the emotions emanating from within, before answering.


    ¡°It seems the creator of this sword did not want to kill anyone.¡±


    ¡°...Why do you think that?¡±


    ¡°The de is quite blunt, yet the bnce of the sword itself is excellently maintained. Therefore, the degree of dullness has to be intentional rather than due to poor maintenance.... Usually, cksmiths who forge swords are reluctant to do this.¡±


    This was a sword that its creator did not want to use to harm anyone, but, because they also didn¡¯t want it to break in battle, they eventually reached apromise between the two.


    Hearing his exnation, In-Cheol¡¯s eyes widened, and then he smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Correct. The intention behind a tool like a sword is typically to slice through something, but that can change depending on who makes it and how.¡±


    Taking back the sword, In-Cheol gently stroked the dull de.


    ¡°So, in the end, is the origin of this sword the intent to kill that all weapons carry, or is it the intent that it isn¡¯t used to kill which was wished by the cksmith who forged it? That¡¯s what my ss is about.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    Upon hearing the full exnation, Se-Hoon became intrigued.


    Before the regression, the study of the origin of equipment that he had encountered was vaguely about discovering the universal origin of all equipment.


    However, what In-Cheol was teaching was more of a detailed and realistic examination, which Se-Hoon found more appealing.


    <i>It¡¯s better that he starts with something small and with potential than starting with grand theories without practical application.</i>


    Though it might be a bit challenging, once mastered, the field could be highly useful if a bit more structure was added.


    He was now developing a sense of anticipation for how the ss would proceed, but that was when In-Cheol spoke up with a troubled voice, ¡°It seems you¡¯ve alreadypleted all the learning materials for this semester¡¯s course.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°This semester¡¯s lessons are about discerning the meanings embedded in equipment. That¡¯s why everyone <i>was </i>staring at the equipment they were holding like that,¡± he said, gesturing behind him.


    Se-Hoon looked over his shoulder.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    No longer focused on the equipment in their hands, the five students were now staring at him dazed. Realizing he had perhaps moved too quickly through the material, Se-Hoon turned back to In-Cheol.


    ¡°Then... what happens now?¡±


    ¡°Well, what else can we do?¡±


    Responding to his question, In-Cheol justughed and finished his answer.


    ¡°You¡¯ll just be getting full marks for this semester.¡±

 Chapter 52

    <h4>Chapter 52</h4>


    The students taking Origin of Equipment were all doing so for the sake of their own interests and various schemes. They all aimed to get close to In-Cheol, one of the leading professors at Babel who received significant funding, to receive various benefits. Such a goal was almost identical to what Se-Hoon was aiming for.


    ¡°How does this seem?¡±


    ¡°Hm. It¡¯s a bit iffy. It¡¯s good that they used specific attributes of the materials to improve the resulting purity, but theypletely failed to utilize any of the other advantages. It seems like they need to correct their entire forging method.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I was thinking the same. If it were me, I would have adjusted the ratios during the forging process...¡±


    However, from how Se-Hoon and In-Cheol were examining numerous pieces of equipment while naturally exchanging words, the students couldn¡¯t help but realize that their opportunity had beenpletely taken by the first-year honor student who showed up for the first time in two weeks.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end today¡¯s lesson here. You cane and study these whenever you like, and when you feel like you¡¯ve understood the intentions behind the equipment, then you cane and find me.¡±


    With those words, they were dismissed and the students walked out with their shoulders slumped. Watching their backs, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but wear an awkward expression.


    ¡°It seems like I¡¯ve inadvertently crushed their motivation.... Is that alright?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. If they¡¯re going to be discouraged by just this, then it just means that they weren¡¯t even worth teaching.¡±


    Though it was a rather harsh statement, Se-Hoon nodded in agreement.


    ¡°That <i>is</i> true.¡±


    Babel was not a ce that forced people to move forward; it simply offered paths that people could choose to walk on.


    If the ss was too difficult then that was one thing, but if they were so disheartened that they gave up this easily despite being in of theirpetitor, then there really was no need to painstakingly encourage and teach them.


    <i>Anyway, does this mean that all of mypetitors are gone now?</i>


    All he had to do now was figure out how he should receive In-Cheol¡¯s funding. While Se-Hoon pondered ways to take thatst step, In-Cheol asked in a subtle voice, ¡°Do you have another ss after this?¡±


    ¡°No, this was myst ss for today.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... could you spare me some time, then? I have a proposition I¡¯d like to discuss with you.¡±


    Seeing his serious expression, Se-Hoon nodded, realizing that the opportunity he wanted hade.


    ¡°Yes, that would be fine.¡±


    ¡°Then let us go somewhere else. Follow me.¡±


    Exiting the ssroom, they headed toward the parking lot located behind the main building.


    Given the vast size of the man-made ind that Babel was built on, it wasn¡¯t surprising to see people with their own cars. And In-Cheol seemed to be one of those people.


    <i>Is it because it¡¯s Babel that everyone has expensive cars...?</i>


    Scanning the parking lot, his eyes widened when his eyesnded on a motorcycle parked in a corner.


    The tires appeared to be at least three times the size of a normal bike and it had an engine exuding ferocity. Its body, coated in red, was no less formidable. However, what truly surprised him was the materials used to create it.


    <i>That¡¯s a V16-horsepower hybrid engine capable of powering a ship, and the tires seem to be made of basilisk leather... and the body is made of an alloy? Everything seems to be at least Hero tier...</i>


    Just from what he could see, the motorcycle seemed more expensive than all the other vehicles in the parking lotbined. The sight of the behemoth disguised as a motorcycle fascinated him.


    <i>Who would ride such a crazy thing?</i>


    Wondering about the owner, he saw In-Cheol naturally walk over and open the storagepartment at the back of the motorcycle to take out a red helmet.


    ¡°Put this on.¡±


    ¡°This is... your bike, Professor?¡±


    ¡°Yes...?¡±


    Se-Hoon looked at In-Cheol oddly, and In-Cheol looked back as if wondering what the problem was.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing...¡±


    It seemed that In-Cheol wasn¡¯t as modest of a cksmith as he had thought. Deciding to keep this in mind for future reference when extracting his Fatestone, he put on the helmet and climbed onto the back seat.


    ¡°There¡¯s also a protective device, just in case.¡±


    <i>Vroom-</i>


    The engine roared to life when In-Cheol pressed a button near the handle, and Se-Hoon¡¯s entire body was wrapped in a thinyer of red mana.


    Though the barrier seemed temporary, its durability wasparable to that of Hero armor. Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but be astonished by its functionality.


    ¡°This is an amazing device.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been using it quite handily even before I became a professor. It¡¯s my treasure number two.¡±


    ¡°Number two...¡±


    Se-Hoon wondered what the first treasure would be. Seemingly seeing through his curiosity, In-Cheol pulled down his goggles and smirked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you number one soon.¡±


    <i>Vroom-!</i>


    The engine roared and the motorcycle swiftly shot out of the parking lot before beginning to smoothly cruise down the road.


    Despite its formidable appearance and speed, the ride was remarkably smooth, without any noticeable vibrations. Curious about the mechanics, Se-Hoon examined the motorcycle¡¯s ability to naturally disperse shocks.


    <i>The bike seems to be running at less than thirty percent of its output. If driven properly in the open, it would be unstoppable.</i>


    At its full speed, it could probably mow down any average monster.


    In the midst of his inspection of the motorcycle¡¯s performance, he suddenly noticed thendscape around them had changed.


    <i>Is this the outer area?</i>


    They had left the department area where most of the students studied, arriving at a zone where not only Babel¡¯s staff but also personnel from variouspanies and guilds dispatched by those outside resided. This ce was effectively no different from a normal residential area.


    Eventually, In-Cheol stopped in the most secluded area of the zone.


    ¡°This is my house.¡±


    They arrived at a two-story detached house with a garden. It was a neat and faultless ce, but Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes were drawn to the building next to it. That building, seemingly made of an alloy that was often used for special buildings, had arge chimney sticking out at the top. It was obvious that it was In-Cheol¡¯s workshop.


    ¡°Did you build the house here specifically because of the workshop?¡±


    ¡°Being closer to the department areaes with restrictions on personal research, so I had no choice but toe out here.¡±


    ¡°Aha. I guess Professor¡¯s research can be quite dangerous.¡±


    Even if protective measures were taken, once things went wrong, the experiment could unpredictably blow up.


    That was something Se-Hoon had learned firsthand before the regression when he blew up a few mountains along with his workshop due to a few minor mistakes.


    <i>I remember how I was once a wanted man for that.... It was such a headache.</i>


    Meanwhile, In-Cheol, having parked the motorcycle in the garage, broke Se-Hoon out of his memories and gestured for him to follow.


    ¡°Come this way.¡±


    He led Se-Hoon to the front of his workshop, forcefully pulling up the closed shutter.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    When the two entered, the workshop lit up brightly. The first thing that caught Se-Hoon¡¯s eye were the five furnaces lined up against the wall, each covered by a semi-transparent lid that held back wildly swirling mes of various colors.


    <i>Custom furnaces that are adjusted for specific uses, huh? Maintaining these must cost a pretty penny...</i>


    Besides those, the workshop contained many hextech devices, mana engines included, and its walls and shelves were neatly organized with various tools on them.


    The workshop, a seemingly state-of-the-art facility built with great expense, contrasted greatly with how modest and conservative In-Cheol was at the academy. With that realization, Se-Hoon finally got a sense of what kind of person In-Cheol was.


    <i>So he¡¯s someone who¡¯s open-minded when ites to their field of work.</i>


    In-Cheol wasn¡¯t someone who would hesitate to spend money or embrace new technologies if it was rted to cksmithing.


    That kind of mindset was one that had a lot of strengths and potential pitfalls, but Se-Hoon knew of them all.


    <i>If I do well, he¡¯llvishly support me... but if not, he¡¯ll just spend extravagantly on himself.</i>


    It seemed that to tap into In-Cheol¡¯s budget, he needed to be actively appealing. While Se-Hoon had been inspecting the workshop, In-Cheol had put on thick gloves and picked up a pair of tongs.


    ¡°Do you have any fire resistance skills?¡±


    ¡°I have a C-tier skill called Master of mes.¡±


    ¡°That might not be enough. Put on the protective suit hanging over there.¡±


    Nodding, Se-Hoon promptly picked up the protective suit from the wall.


    <strong>[<u>Salmander¡¯s Protective Suit</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Excellent]</strong>


    <strong>[A protective suit made from the hide of a fire smander.</strong>


    <strong>It consumes mana to regte the body temperature and can absorb external heat to generate mana.</strong>


    <strong>*Consumes mana to regte body temperature.</strong>


    <strong>*Can absorb heat to generate mana and restore damages</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Fire Control¡¯</strong>


    <i>Is the heat to the extent that I have to wear this?</i>


    It seemed like he was about to be shown something that would require at least an A-tier skill to withstand. Curious about what the so-called treasure number one could be, he quickly put on the protective suit and approached In-Cheol.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move from there.¡±


    Taking a moment to catch his breath, In-Cheol approached thergest furnace in the middle of the five and opened the lid that covered the firebox.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    A st of scorching hot air rushed out the moment the lid was opened.


    Despite the immediate activation of the workshop¡¯s protective devices, the heat haze surrounding him indicated that the temperature and nature of the me were extraordinary.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    Facing the hot st head-on, In-Cheol approached the furnace, deeply inserted the tongs he was holding, and then pulled out something.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Out came a de, shining bright white and emitting tremendous heat.


    It had a slightly curved form with arge crack in the center, from which mes undted and leaked out.


    When it appeared, the moisture in the workshop instantly evaporated, and even the mana seemed to boil. Seeing the sight of the de, which resembled a fragment of the sun, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    <i>Isn¡¯t that...</i>


    Though it was different from what he knew, it felt incredibly familiar. He began scanning through his memories.


    In the meantime, In-Cheol, after pulling out the de, frowned and quickly moved it over to the anvil.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    When the de was ced on it, the anvil transformed into a giant cage with dozens ofyers of magic arrays covering the inside,pletely trapping the heat.


    Sighing, In-Cheol put down the tongs and gestured to Se-Hoon, who was standing at a distance.


    ¡°Come here. Just to be safe, don¡¯t take off the protective suit yet.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Still in the protective suit, Se-Hoon approached and took another look at the de that seemed to be In-Cheol¡¯s number one treasure. Currently, it was suspended in midair in the middle of the ck cage that had just formed. He examined its information message.


    <strong>[<u>Shattered me</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A de imbued with fire mana.</strong>


    <strong>Though it was originally apleted sword, its core was destroyed, causing it to lose all functionality and even the ability to contain its own heat.</strong>


    <strong>If all the stored heat is released, it will be permanently destroyed.</strong>


    <strong>*Permanently destroyed if the heat charge falls to 0%</strong>


    <strong>*Current heat charge: 89%]</strong>


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    Despite the fact that its core had been destroyed and it had lost all functionality, it still ranked as a perfect-quality Hero-tier item. If it was in its perfect state, the de would have been a Legendary weapon.


    <i>I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m seeing such an item so early on...</i>


    He stared at the de with great interest. Simrly, In-Cheol was also looking at the de by his side, and soon, In-Cheol slowly began to speak.


    ¡°I was in possession of this even before entering Babel. Initially, it only had less than ten percent of its heat. So, I used every method I knew to increase its heat charge.¡±


    However, since he wasn¡¯t able to repair the fundamental issue¡ªits core¡ªthe maintenance cost persisted. In no time at all, his wealth dwindled away.


    ¡°I sold all my possessions except for the workshop and used most of my earnings for maintenance costs, but it still wasn¡¯t enough. I was about to give up when the Chairman came to me.¡±


    In exchange for the funding of the maintenance cost of Shattered me, he was to take up the position of a professor in the Department of cksmithing. There was no way In-Cheol could refuse Ludwig¡¯s offer, so he quickly epted and entered Babel¡¯s artificial ind.


    Having heard the entire story, Se-Hoon became fascinated.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re studying the Origin of Equipment? To repair this, right, Professor?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If fixing Shattered me is possible, then anything goes for me. I¡¯m only researching that field of study because the Chairman wants to see results in that area...¡±


    Seeing his awkward demeanor, Se-Hoon looked back at Shattered me.


    Although the indiscriminately spewing heat distorted the interior of the cage, making it difficult to see its shape properly, he could somewhat guess its form.


    It was a red de with white mes burning above it. Originally, the mes were supposed to be condensed within it, but since its core had been destroyed, they kept leaking out.


    ¡°So, you showing this to me means that you want my help in your research.¡±


    The idea of the lead professor in the Department of cksmithing asking a freshman for help might sound absurd, but In-Cheol nodded affirmatively with no hesitation.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s embarrassing to say it directly... but at this rate, I feel like I¡¯ll never find a solution.¡±


    After dedicating many years to establishing oneself in any field of research, one would inevitablye to realize their own limits. No matter how hard they tried alone, what they were reaching was beyond where they could go. And In-Cheol, who was facing this wall that waspletely different from any he had ovee before while trying to repair the Shattered me, knew of his limits.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I want your help. You have the most exceptional talent out of all the students... no, all the cksmiths I¡¯ve ever seen so far.¡±


    Some might deny or ignore their limits, but In-Cheol chose to acknowledge them straightforwardly and look for solutions.


    If the problem couldn¡¯t be solved through experience, he chose to seek out a genius superior to himself for advice. And that genius, to him, was Se-Hoon, who had amazed him time and again.


    <i>Hmm... I like his personality.</i>


    Pleased with his honesty which was devoid of any pretense, Se-Hoon nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Understood. It¡¯s a rare opportunity to research such a weapon. So much so that I¡¯d actually like to ask <i>you</i> to let me do it as a favor.¡±


    ¡°Really? Thank...¡±


    ¡°But.¡±


    Se-Hoon nced at In-Cheol before continuing.


    ¡°To properly conduct the research, it seems we¡¯ll need various items... and the budget I¡¯m set to receive this semester seems a bit tight... ahem.¡±


    Se-Hoon tried to beat around the bush, but in the end, he had precisely conveyed what he wanted. Dazed by his words, In-Cheol chuckled a momentter.


    ¡°Try to not make it too obvious.¡±


    It seemed that he, indeed, had a generous heart when it came to his field of expertise. Reaffirming what kind of person he was in his mind, Se-Hoon extended his hand with a bright smile, and In-Cheol grasped it firmly.


    At this moment, Se-Hoon sessfully connected himself to one of the major cash cows of Babel.


    ***


    ¡°Let¡¯s do some research once a week. Also, you¡¯re getting full scores for the ss anyway, so you don¡¯t have to attend the lectures if you have other matters to take care of.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Then.¡±


    <i>Vroom-!</i>


    With a roar, the motorcycle disappeared into the distance. Watching it vanish in the blink of an eye, Se-Hoon looked on in wonder.


    <i>Today has been quite the day for reassessment.</i>


    He had reassessed not just the study of the origin of equipment but also In-Cheol.


    <i>Honestly, I thought it would be hard to get his funding.</i>


    In-Cheol appeared so old-fashioned and rigid that Se-Hoon never expected it would be so easy. And the fact that In-Cheol let Se-Hoon manage the budget himself went beyond his imagination. While he was amused by how he could exploit the situation, he also had an enormous headache because of it.


    <i>Shattered me.... If I¡¯m not mistaken, that¡¯s definitely a piece of the Five Element Equipment.</i>


    Among Legendary equipment, five pieces possessed unparalleled abilities in their respective elemental domains. They were collectively known as the Five Element Equipment, and they were renowned amongst heroes.


    In the hands of a madman, they could obliterate entire cities, and in the hands of an ordinary person, it would be quickly stolen, their life lost. And whenever they resurfaced after vanishing, they would always bring about an inevitably fierce struggle to possess it; they were just thorns in the flesh.


    <i>While all Legendary equipment tends to be problematic... that¡¯s especially the case with the Five Element Equipment.</i>


    They were known for their power to significantly enhance the elemental mana that matched its own, offering the potential to permanently increase affinity and control.


    Hence, thousands died in vain over these pieces of equipment. And currently, In-Cheol possessed Shattered me, the broken Fire Heaven Greatsword.


    <i>Thest sighting of it before the regression was... in the hands of the Puppeteer.</i>


    The Puppeteer was one of the Ten Evils, who was able to craft automatons from corpses and weapons. Upon acquiring the Fire Heaven Greatsword, it was transformed into an automaton named Surtur, which caused the deaths of over six hundred heroes, S-rank heroes included, and nearly forty thousand civilians.


    An entire city had been literally vaporized, with not a single trace left behind. It was an event so catastrophic that calling it a great disaster hardly did it justice.


    <i>Though it was swiftly eliminated, such an incident should have never urred in the first ce.</i>


    Should the existence of the Fire Heaven Greatsword be known, it would attract not only the Puppeteer but also other potential threats.


    He had no idea how it was stolen from Babel, which was Ludwig¡¯s domain, but regardless, it was prudent that he prepared in advance.


    <i>If I didn¡¯t know how to repair it, I wouldn¡¯t have had to ponder this...</i>


    Whether it was fortunate or not, he was able to discern how to repair the Fire Heaven Greatsword upon inspection. However, he still needed a few essential items.


    <i>Brrr-</i>


    The sudden vibration of his phone cut through his thoughts. He checked it immediately and read the newly arrived message.


    Eun-Ha: Regarding the extermination practice we discussed earlier, it seems that I¡¯m only avable this weekend. Are you okay with that? I¡¯ll be awaiting your response.


    Upon seeing Eun-Ha¡¯s message regarding the promised extermination practice, he sighed and pondered briefly.


    <i>I can think about whether to repair it or not after I gather that item first.</i>


    If he missed this opportunity, it was uncertain when another chance woulde. Having made up his mind, he immediately sent a response.


    Se-Hoon: Let¡¯s do it immediately.

 Chapter 53

    <h4>Chapter 53</h4>


    Getting up early on a Saturday morning, Se-Hoon packed the luggage he had prepared in advance and then headed to the Void Space Terminal in Ur.


    Soon, he arrived in front of arge building, consisting of five floors, that was so vast and splendid that it couldn¡¯t even bepared to an average public transportation terminal. The security was extremely tight as well, which made sense considering the importance of this ce.


    <i>This is a hub connecting the whole world, after all...</i>


    The Void Space Terminal was a transportation hub that allowed people to timely travel to hundreds of locations ranging from capitals and major cities of each country to various Danger Zones.


    It was one of the pirs that supported the abnormal educational institution known as Babel.


    <i>I still feel the same way as before... it¡¯s amazing that this huge facility is always so well-maintained.</i>


    Given the scale of wealth that passed through the Void Space Terminal every day, it should have been a prime target for demons or terrorists who sought societal chaos.


    However, such worries were in vain since the terminal had seldom been directly targeted, even before the regression. The reason was simple.


    <i>The terminal¡¯s owner is Ludwig.</i>


    This was a ce that was created and managed personally by the one who was the first Perfect One and the strongest hero¡ªthe Emperor of Ascension.


    Nearly every single surprise sabotage had been subdued beforehand. Even Great Evil, a member of the Ten Evils, retreated after sustaining injuries during an attempted attack.


    In this way, Ludwig had managed to maintain its stature until it was destroyed together with the Destroyer of Heavens. In a way, that made it a prizedpany for investment.


    <i>Wait. Now that I think about it, shouldn¡¯t I just buy this terminal¡¯s stock?</i>


    He remembered how the terminal¡¯s stock once plummeted due to crisis rumors but then soared again and maintained a consistently upward trend when Ludwig thwarted an invasion.


    Pondering the investment opportunity that hade up identally, Se-Hoon suddenly noticed that the surroundings had be peculiarly noisy. He looked toward the source.


    ¡°...¡±


    And saw Eun-Ha, dressed in a ck suit, standing at the meeting location.


    Her expressionless face and red hair, which could be considered her trademarks, made her unmistakable. Naturally, people would nce her way and wonder why she was there.


    ¡°Why is Ryu Eun-Ha here? Is she supervising someone?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? She¡¯s famous for not doing such things. She even publicly turned down the son of the Seraphim Guildmaster.¡±


    ¡°Then do you think it makes sense that an S-rank hero would visit a D-ss Danger Zone?¡±


    People all around Eun-Ha were curiously theorized about why she would visit such a ce. And amidst that enthusiastic atmosphere, Se-Hoon once again realized the heights that she had reached.


    <i>The ce an S-rank hero stands is indeed far above reach.</i>


    Before the regression, he had seen her so often that he became desensitized to it. Normally, however, S-rank heroes were hard to even get close to, let alone talk to. Furthermore, with her position as the dean of the College of Borsippa, hardly anyone dared to present their business card to her.


    <i>In the past, she was just a picky regr to me... but now, she¡¯s a reliable sponsor.</i>


    While he was pleased that he had formed a good rtionship with her, he was also bitter, feeling the drastic gap between their standings.


    Feeling the mixed emotions swirling inside of him, he made eye contact with Eun-Ha, who had been waiting for him.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Upon seeing Eun-Ha approaching Se-Hoon without hesitation, people reflexively stepped to make way, leaving Se-Hoon standing alone.


    ¡°...¡±


    Now up close, she silently scanned him from head to toe before asking calmly, ¡°How¡¯s your injury?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯ve fully recovered now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    Though her response sounded emotionless, he felt sincerity in it. After all, if there had actually been an issue with his arm, the quality of the equipment he forged in the future would have dropped, and that would understandably be a concern for her, who was always looking for new vors to taste.


    <i>Otherwise, I¡¯m pretty sure she wouldn¡¯t care even if my arms were chopped off...</i>


    While he reminded himself that he could never let down his guard around her, the crowd that had gathered began to murmur again.


    ¡°So, the rumor about Ryu Eun-Ha sponsoring him is true?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible.... Of all people, Ryu Eun-Ha...?¡±


    There had been rumors after the auction that she took an interest in him, but as they were merely rumors, no one took them seriously. However, now that there was evidence of the two meeting separately over the weekend, the story changed.


    This news was so big that it would spread not only within Babel but also outside of it. Noticing the crowd¡¯s reaction, both of them looked at each other nonchntly.


    ¡°Shall we go?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±


    Neither Se-Hoon nor Eun-Ha was the type to be delicate enough to care about such needless reactions. Ignoring the stares from around them, they headed straight for one of the gates.


    <i>Beep-</i>


    [Student Lee Se-Hoon. You have not been authorized to enter the D-ss Danver Zone.]


    When he brought his student ID close, a hologram appeared in midair, denying him permission. Then, Eun-Ha presented her own ID.


    <i>Beep-</i>


    ¡°I will apany him.¡±


    [Dean Ryu Eun-Ha. Escort to D-ss Danger Zone confirmed.]


    The gate finally opened. Walking through the passage, a blue portal,rge enough for ten adults to enter simultaneously, materialized, revealing its interior.


    Examining thendscape shown on the other side, Eun-Ha warned Se-Hoon.


    ¡°You might feel a bit queasy; try to stay focused.¡±


    Following Eun-Ha, who went through the portal first, Se-Hoon took a step inside.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    With a single step, he felt an odd sensation, like he had traversed a long distance instantly. The peculiar feeling from the distortion of distance unique to these portals made him frown.


    <i>This damn unpleasant feeling is still the same...</i>


    It might be due to his body being younger, but it seemed worse than before. Shaking off the lingering sensations, he quickly stepped through the portal with Eun-Ha.


    ¡°It¡¯s still night here.¡±


    ¡°Yes. There are still five hours left until the sun rises here.¡±


    While the terminal, enclosed by a giant barrier, was brightly lit, the D-ss Danger Area beyond, Mount Silver Moon, was pitch-ck.


    <i>So Wurgen Kruger¡¯s artifact is somewhere in here...</i>


    He had arrived on the mountain earlier than before the regression, but he still wasn¡¯t sure if the artifact would be there. As he looked on with a mix of hope and worry, Eun-Ha spoke up.


    ¡°Let me check your equipment first.¡±


    With a slightly stern expression, Eun-Ha continued, ¡°Please show me the equipment you¡¯ll be wearing today.¡±


    Hearing her request, Se-Hoon took off his coat to show the equipment he was wearing.


    His weapon was the Five-me Sword sheathed in the ming Scabbard he had forged during the entrance exam. Armor-wise, he wore the standardbat uniform provided by the academy, with extra light armor covering his vital points.


    It might look like he just threw on some armor over workout clothes, but in reality, it was equivalent to wearing two or threeyers of steel armor.


    <i>Though it¡¯s practically nothing against tough enemies...</i>


    But he thought that shouldn¡¯t be a big problem since it would be difficult to go toe-to-toe against tough enemies in his current state, and Eun-Ha was with him.


    However¡ª


    ¡°As expected, your armor is inadequate.¡±


    Disapproving of his armor, she tapped her void pocket like she had been expecting it.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Without waiting for him to respond, she pulled out a ck cube from her void pocket and immediately pressed it against his body.


    <i>Click! Ka-chunk.</i>


    The ck cube split into pieces like a puzzle being disassembled and quickly molded itself around his body, taking the form of armor. From a distance, it looked as sleek and sharp as a suit.


    Surprised by how seamlessly it felt like a second skin, he checked its information message.


    <strong>[<u>Shadow Matter Armor</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[Armor made using the darkness attribute material, shadow matter.</strong>


    <strong>It automatically adjusts to fit the shape of the wearer¡¯s body and disperses impacts into surrounding shadows.</strong>


    <strong>*The armor¡¯s shape adjusts to the wearer¡¯s body.</strong>


    <strong>*Impacts on the armor can be dispersed into connected shadows</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Shadow Hedgehog¡¯]</strong>


    <i>Armor made from shadow matter... she really did put some thought into this.</i>


    The armor didn¡¯t interfere with his physical capabilities, fitting the purpose of extermination practice well, and its automatic response to attacks increased his safety.


    The fact that its performance seemed as if it were custom-made for today prompted his curiosity.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t buy this just for me, did you?¡±


    ¡°It was a gift I received and never used; I had been storing it away I realized it seemed suitable for today. It fits well, as expected,¡± she exined, seeming pleased with his fully armed state.


    He looked back down at the armor.


    <i>This must have been something she wasn¡¯t keen on keeping.</i>


    He knew that she wouldn¡¯t easily hand over something she valued or nned to use. So the ease with which she gave it away implied it wasn¡¯t up to her standards or wasn¡¯t something she wanted.


    <i>Since she said it was a gift, someone must have attempted to gain her favor... but it backfired due to theirck of tact.</i>


    Even if she had a taste for equipment, tant offerings would be off-putting. And since she was someone meticulous in this aspect, she wouldn¡¯t have appreciated the gesture.


    <i>Maybe if it was well forged... but that¡¯s also not the case.</i>


    It was simply something made in the shape of armor using shadow matter. To put it nicely, the creator had stayed faithful to the material; to put it bluntly, the creatorcked the skill and ambition to properly utilize the material.


    ¡°Such a waste,¡± he thought, examining the armor.


    Now ready to start the extermination practice, Eun-Ha instructed, ¡°We¡¯ll start moving now. Please follow me.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Understood.¡±


    Following her, he looked at the barrier entrance in the distance, which was blocked by a blue electromaic field. From it, sparks flew intermittently, presenting a quite intimidating sight to those seeing it for the first time.


    While they walked toward the entrance, she exined about the barrier, ¡°This is a hextech device that blocks any demonic aura from passing through. It¡¯s harmless to humans, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    With that short exnation, she crossed the electromaic field with Se-Hoon following right behind.


    <i>Zap!</i>


    Blue sparks ran over his entire body.


    Although it simply felt like static electricity was sweeping through him, if there had been any demonic aura inside him, like a monster or a demon, it would have triggered a reaction and fried his insides.


    <i>It¡¯s still as deadly as ever...</i>


    Having safely crossed the electromaic field, he turned his gaze toward a forest, where the wind eerily blew. At a nce, it was just a forest on a gloomy mountain, but there was one key difference.


    ¡°The atmosphere of Danger Zones is mixed with not only human but also demonic auras. Your body might reject it at first, so let it adjust slowly.¡±


    With just a few breaths, his lungs tingled and his body flinched. Feeling how sensitive his body was to such a small amount of demonic aura, he chuckled.


    <i>I guess it really is a new body.</i>


    Though he was mentally ustomed to the contaminated atmosphere of Danger Zones, his body instinctively shrank back as this was its first exposure. However, that strange sensation was brief. Soon, synching with his mind, his body began skillfully filtering out the demonic aura and the feeling of foreignness dissipated.


    ¡°It seems I¡¯m adjusted now; how do I look?¡±


    Although it hadn¡¯t even been a minute since they entered, he was already naturally dealing with the demonic aura. The sight made Eun-Ha¡¯s eyes widen slightly.


    ¡°Impressive. It should be challenging at first, no matter how talented...¡±


    ¡°I have a bit of a knack for this sort of thing.¡±


    Even if he had a knack for it, adapting in less than a minute was an abnormal feat, but Eun-Ha didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it.


    ¡°Excellent.¡±


    She knew of his extraordinary talent already, and being a genius who had achieved many such abnormal feats herself, she quickly epted it.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll move on now.¡±


    Leading the way again, they entered deeper into Mount Silver Moon.


    As they traveled, a chilling windden with demonic aura blew. The absence of even insect sounds made their footsteps echo, and it constantly felt like something in the darkness was watching them.


    Observing the eerie atmosphere created by the demonic aura, Eun-Ha spoke up calmly.


    ¡°The monsters inhabiting this ce are all nocturnal. They have a keen sense of smell and high intelligence, and they are capable of scouting and coordinating attacks. There are two methods of hunting them: attacking the monsters¡¯irs directly during the day and defeating the monsters that roam at night.¡±


    ncing around, she naturally changed direction.


    ¡°And at times like now, in the middle of the night, we could stealthily ambush and defeat them one by one or sweep through them as theye. Naturally, the former is the usual choice.¡±


    Suddenly stopping after they walked for a while, she stared at the bushes.


    ¡°Today, we are here for your extermination practice, so I n to not intervene unless necessary. How do you wish to proceed?¡±


    Now doneying out the basics, she left the decision to him.


    Responding to the clear question, he stared straight ahead like her and stepped forward.


    ¡°Since I have a reliable supervisor, I¡¯ll go for a frontal assault.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll reiterate that I won¡¯t intervene unless it¡¯s a dangerous situation. That armor should prevent you from getting seriously injured, but if I deem such a situation is likely to ur, I will immediately halt the practice.¡±


    She clearly set some boundaries, wary of how he could be overreliant on the armor¡¯s capabilities. Considering her nature, that didn¡¯t seem like an empty threat.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he calmly said in response to her warning.


    Even though his physical capabilities were utterly disappointing, he wasn¡¯t concerned that he would struggle against the monsters here.


    ¡°Okay...¡±


    She nodded and stepped back, letting him take the lead.


    In the quiet forest, the presence and gazes of monsters silently dispersed around them, beginning to encircle them. And the moment Se-Hoon, pretending to be unaware, walked right into the tightening encirclement¡ª


    <i>Growl-!</i>


    ck wolves burst from the bushes, baring their white teeth and charging in unison.


    These were the E-rank monsters, Silver Wolves, that inhabited Mount Silver Moon. Though they were the weakest in this area, their close-knit coordinated attacks made them a formidable foe for novices.


    <i>Eight of them... perhaps that¡¯s a bit too many.</i>


    Although the Shadow Matter Armor would prevent injuries, the unpredictability of realbat remained a concern. Getting ready to intervene at any moment, especially if Se-Hoon were to injure his hand, Eun-Ha prepared herself.


    At that moment, the ming Scabbard on Se-Hoon¡¯s waist began to stir with fire mana.


    And when his right hand gripped the handle of the Five-me Sword tightly, a burst of multicolored mes erupted in a crescent shape, slicing through the bodies of the Silver Wolves.


    In the blink of an eye, the bodies of the Silver wolves had been split in half, tumbling miserably on the ground and spreading a burnt smell from the charred cut surfaces.


    Eun-Ha¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at the sight.


    To achieve such a thing, he waited until all eight Silver Wolves were perfectly within range before he unleashed his sword technique. It wasn¡¯t just his technique and patience that were remarkable; his profound understanding of the weapon he wielded was also nearly perfect.


    <i>Impressive...</i>


    Hisbat style, full of the traits of a cksmith, piqued her interest more than any other hero¡¯s. She silently admired him and the Five-me Sword he held.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Suddenly, an awkward sound broke the silence of the forest.

 Chapter 54

    <h4>Chapter 54</h4>


    Ascending Mount Silver Moon with Eun-Ha, Se-Hoon demonstrated an overwhelmingly dominant performance in battle.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Each time he drew the Five-me Sword from his waist, most of the monsters that charged fearlessly were left breathless, sprawled on the ground. asionally, the quicker ones were able to dodge, but even with those cases, the oue didn¡¯t change much.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    He would just throw the Five-me Sword in his hand, cutting off the breath of one immediately.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Then, without his sword, he would draw the ming Scabbard from his waist and smash the rest¡¯s skulls.


    <i>Slice!</i>


    Or he would cover his hands with White Light Surge and slice through them, leaving no chance for resistance as they died one after another.


    To anyone watching, his skills did not seem like those of a first-timer in realbat. However, Se-Hoon himself wore a look of dissatisfaction.


    <i>Tsk... it¡¯s harder to control my strength than I thought.</i>


    He intended to only slice through their hearts but ended up severing their spines as well, and sometimes, he took an extra step when a single one would have sufficed.


    Though they were minor mistakes that didn¡¯t significantly impact his overallbat ability, he meticulously checked each one and corrected them immediately.


    <i>If it¡¯s not even fun, it should at least be efficient.</i>


    As a cksmith down to his bones, he didn¡¯t care for honing his strength through battles like typical heroes. He didn¡¯t enjoy suffering injuries, so why would he go out of his way to risk his life in battle, especially when he barely had time to hammer in the first ce?


    However, as life went on, he realized that just because he didn¡¯t want to do something didn¡¯t mean that he couldpletely not do it. Thus, he came up with a solution, which was optimizedbat.


    <i>With my current physical abilities and equipment, the energy needed to kill one wolf should be about 5. But so far, the average cost used is about 5.7... I need to reduce it further.</i>


    With every fight, he considered three things¡ªmana, physical strength, and equipment capabilities¡ªto achieve the optimum movement to defeat the opponent.


    However, viewingbat purely as some sort of task was a rather dry notion. Though he had no particr thoughts on it himself, the reactions of other heroes were quite cold.


    <i>Hecks the fundamentals.</i>


    <i>He¡¯s exactly as he looks.</i>


    <i>Bro, just stick to your hammering.</i>


    Besides the Three Dogs, who had been teaching him various things, other heroes who excelled inbat also bombarded him with harsh criticism that went beyond just critiques of his method ofbat.


    It slightly annoyed him, but he didn¡¯tin much since he did the same thing himself and disparaged cksmiths who only cared about efficiency.


    <i>Well, there still were some who looked upon my style favorably.</i>


    One of them was Kwang-Soo, though he might have just been trying to please him, perhaps because of his debt.


    <i>Growl-</i>


    The other one was Eun-Ha, whose stomach was currently growling incessantly from behind him.


    ¡°...¡±


    Normally, she was just silently watching his battles. But after each time her stomach growled, she would immediately pull out something from her void pocket and bite into it.


    <i>Crack! Crunch- Crunch!</i>


    The de of the red dagger, which she just pulled out, snapped off like a chocte bar and melted in her mouth. Its sharpness,bined with the fire mana contained within, prated throughout her body, starting from the tip of her tongue.


    It had a clean taste worthy of Advanced equipment. Under normal circumstances, that would have been enough for a pte cleanser and would even have somewhat satisfied her hunger.


    <i>Grrr-!</i>


    But today, her stomach growled even louder, protesting.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    She slightly furrowed her brow due to the hunger that only intensified with every bite, instead of getting closer to being satiated. Such a reaction was starkly different from usual. And even now, she didn¡¯t know she was like this, but she was beginning to have an inkling why.


    <i>Is it because of him...?</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯sbat style actively utilized the capabilities of his equipment. At first, she simply thought it was admirable, but as the battles continued, she gradually realized the terrifying aspect of it.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The Five-me Sword once again emerged from the ming Scabbard, embroidered with mes of five colors. To others, it might just seem like he was enhancing the sword further with the abilities of the scabbard, but she saw through the intricate details of its use.


    <i>He¡¯s using the properties of each of the five different mes contained within the Five-me Sword to enhance its shing power in different ways.</i>


    For example, he would increase the proportion of the green-colored me, breaking the initial bnce between the five mes, resulting in the mes acting like the wind and increasing the speed of his swings.


    <i>He¡¯s utilizing the traits of the mes which don¡¯t even show up in the information message. And he even uses the ming Scabbard to amplify them further...</i>


    Such a technique was only possible if he had a deep understanding of his equipment and an exceptional sense for how to manipte it. With it, he was able to exert more than a hundred percent of the ming Scabbard¡¯s and the Five-me Sword¡¯s potential.


    The thought that it might have added a new vor to the equipment made Eun-Ha curious.


    <i>Gulp-</i>


    It was like elevating food that already tasted good with the expertise of a professional; like offering someone torn between ordering a Hawaiian pizza or something else the solution of just ordering half of each.


    To her, who had already been eyeing the sword and scabbard for a while, the battle before her eyes was nearly torture.


    <i>Growl-!</i>


    No matter how much she ate, her hunger refused to be satisfied.


    <i>Wow, this is a first...</i>


    She had never felt this way even when she had seen people using equipment as part of themselves. What could the difference be?


    Taking out a new piece of equipment, she chewed on it to quell her hunger. Meanwhile, Se-Hoon, who had just smashed thest remaining wolf monster¡¯s head, was catching his breath.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>...¡±


    The number of wolves he had in in thest twenty minutes totaled ny-four. Except when they were moving, he had been fighting non-stop, so his stamina was starting to wane.


    <i>I could deal with about eighty more, but... it¡¯s better to conserve my energy from now on.</i>


    In the first ce, his purpose ining to Mount Silver Moon today was to discover and tackle the dungeon where Wurgen Kruger¡¯s artifact was hidden. Even if he were to leave all the monsters to Eun-Ha, he still needed to reserve at least some stamina for any unforeseen circumstances.


    His decision made, he looked back at Eun-Ha, who was chewing on a double-edged axe.


    ¡°Dean.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Dean?¡±


    <i>Crunch- Crunch-</i>


    She continued to chew on the de of the double-edged axe without responding. Noticing how her gaze was fixed on the ming Scabbard and Five-me Sword, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    <i>She must really want them.</i>


    He thought that he could probably sell them for a much higher price at this moment, much like cup noodles sold at the summit of a mountain. Still chuckling at that thought, he inserted the sword into the scabbard.


    <i>Click!</i>


    ¡°Ah, um. Yes, I was listening. Please, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Would it be okay if I take a break now?¡±


    ¡°Do as you please. I can take you back to the terminal if you wish. What do you prefer?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just rest here. It¡¯s all part of the experience, after all.¡±


    Hearing his response, she nced around to ensure that there were no lingering dangers and nodded.


    ¡°This ce seems fine; let¡¯s take a rest here.¡±


    With her consent, he went to a spot he had eyed earlier and sat down on the ground, leaning against a rock.


    As soon as he sat down, the Shadow Matter Armor rippled on the surface, reshaping itself to remove any ufortable sensations felt on his hips and back. The fact that the armor was able to adapt not just to the body but also to the surroundings intrigued him.


    <i>This armor is better than I thought.</i>


    Although the technology behind the armor wascking, the primary material used, Shadow Matter, seemed exceptionally versatile and valuable, providing significant performance on its own. He was satisfied by the sensation of the armor, which truly felt like an extrayer of skin, yet there was a lingering disappointment.


    <i>If only I could use this properly, then I could reduce the energy cost to four, no, even three.</i>


    However, he was given the Shadow Matter Armor to use as a protective device to prevent possible injuries. Using it aggressively inbat wouldn¡¯t earn him good remarks from her, given her nature.


    <i>Plus, I might even break it.</i>


    Even if she didn¡¯t care much for this armor, breaking it might mean she wouldn¡¯t lend him anything else in the future.


    Staring at Se-Hoon while he was inspecting the Shadow Matter Armor, Eun-Ha called out to him.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Sitting a short distance away, Eun-Ha continued, ¡°May I ask you something, if you don¡¯t mind?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Please, ask away.¡±


    ¡°I noticed movements while you were fighting that usuallye from extensive experience. Could you tell me who you learned yourbat style from?¡±


    Hearing the curiosity, expectation, and hint of suspicion in her question, Se-Hoon flinched.


    <i>Did I go overboard?</i>


    He thought that it wouldn¡¯t matter since he hadn¡¯t used any special techniques, but it seemed that had only fueled her curiosity. However, since this was a question he had anticipated he would face one day, he naturally brought up the excuse he prepared, hiding any signs of concern.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t learn from anyone in particr. It¡¯s just something I picked up on my own over time.¡±


    ¡°Something you picked up?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve always pondered how I could move my body more efficiently. So, through continuous reflection and constant practice, such movements naturally tranted into mybat style.¡±


    Though he answered calmly, Eun-Ha became even more puzzled.


    ¡°What kind of life have you lived to have such a thing ingrained into your body?¡±


    Understanding one¡¯s surroundings and physical condition and then applying it to move efficiently may sound straightforward, but consciously adjusting every action was far from easy. And yet, such a lifestyle habit seemed very natural to him.


    Just as she was starting to feel a flicker of doubt, he spoke up.


    ¡°I was poor,¡± he exined matter-of-factly.


    ¡°I spent my parents¡¯ entire inheritance setting up the workshop, and the monthly stipend of financial aid was mostly invested into acquiring materials for practice, leaving hardly any money left. So, I decided to change my thought process.¡±


    ¡°Your thought process...?¡±


    ¡°Yes. In the end, it boils down to whether I could maintain my health, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    He picked what to eat based on its nutritional value and cost-effectiveness over taste, and he didn¡¯t buy clothes unless they directly affected his health. He also spent his free time just resting on his workshop floor.


    Beforeing to Babel, that lifestyle, akin to that of a machineponent, was his way of surviving every day.


    ¡°It might seem easy to find the right bnce for this lifestyle, but it was actually quite difficult. If I eat too little, my strength wanes; if I eat too much, I can¡¯t purchase enough materials to train myself.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why the right bnce is so crucial to me. I often copsed from exhaustion at first, and during my first winter, I nearly died...¡±


    Though it should have been quite a recent event in this timeline, he had returned from thirty years in the future, making it the distant past to him. But with just a bit of reflection, the memories vividly resurfaced; this was the period when he was obsessively focused on avenging his parents¡¯ deaths, making each day starkly clear.


    <i>I tried my hardest at everything during those days.</i>


    There was no respite whatsoever, neither mentally nor physically; every single day was a struggle.


    But now, only the vivid sensations of those times remained. Though the main reason was the passage of time, he thought that perhaps, it was also because he had already achieved his goal of revenge.


    <i>I should have in the demons in such a manner too...</i>


    Awakening from his thoughts after some time, he realized that Eun-Ha had been quietly observing him. Her eyes were filled withplexity, prompting him to second-guess if he had simplified his story too much.


    Deciding to add more credibility to his story, he quickly delved into his past experiences.


    ¡°Do you know of the E-rank monster Hornpig? Its meat is cheap and packed with nutrients, so I used it as a staple food. But because it tasted like rubber soaked in food waste, I became cautious about how I spent my energy.


    ¡°Once, during my cksmith training, a mp that I bought second-hand broke while lifting a barrel of molten metal, spilling it all over my foot. After nearly losing three toes, I learned not to skimp on equipment.


    ¡°On another asion, I injured my shoulder but decided to just hammer with my other arm because I couldn¡¯t afford the hospital. Two weekster, it hurt so much that I went to the doctor, and they said it had been close to permanently being damaged. After that, I always made sure to get my body checked from time to time.¡±


    He became increasingly engrossed in the conversation, enthusiastically recalling and sharing tales from his past.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    But then, Eun-Ha cut him off with a stern expression.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve been through such experiences... then yourbat style just now makes sense.¡±


    She only knew of his history through documents, so she didn¡¯t know of the harsh days that he had endured. But now, after hearing his story, she thought it was a natural oue of how he risked his life as fuel to push his talents to their limits.


    She looked at him with a somewhat sympathetic gaze.


    ¡°You¡¯re not still living like that, are you?¡±


    ¡°Not anymore. Living that way doesn¡¯t help with physical development.¡±


    Her previously tense expression rxed.


    ¡°Instead, I¡¯m now focusing on growing my muscles and mana circuit as much as possible without having it necrotized...¡±


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Approaching him, she grabbed his shoulders with a serious look.


    ¡°I understand your desire for growth, but you shouldn¡¯t overexert yourself. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Well... I¡¯ll do it appropriately...¡±


    ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    Her determination to continue the conversation until she heard the answer she wanted was a sight he had often seen before the regression, so he knew that he had no choice but to nod for now.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Do you really?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He actually had no intention of doing so, but in situations like this, he knew it was more efficient to just agree and move on.


    <i>Besides, I¡¯m not overdoing it yet.</i>


    It wasn¡¯t like he was consciously moving every single organ in his body, or that he had to consciously control his movements because his nervous system was so twisted. He wasn¡¯t even cutting and reattaching his mana circuit every day.


    Seemingly knowing what he was thinking, she sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s still early in the semester, so there will be many opportunitiesing for you guyster on. That¡¯s especially the case for you, the honor student of Borsippa...¡±


    Listening to her talk about the benefits of being an honor student, his gaze began drifting past her shoulder.


    ¡°...Wait.¡±


    Upon seeing the faint light spilling over the dark ridge, he immediately looked up. High up in the sky, the moon was revealing itself from among the thick clouds, seemingly about to be obscured again at any moment. He abruptly turned to Eun-Ha.


    ¡°Dean! Please jump high while carrying me, right now!¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an urgent matter. Quickly!¡±


    Though she was taken aback by his sudden urgency, she quickly gathered her energy and jumped with him in her arms.


    <i>Whoosh-!</i>


    They soared into the sky, the intense wind pping their faces as the view under them rapidly changed. He quickly surveyed thendscape of Mount Silver Moon, which stretched beyond the horizon.


    <i>I heard that the dungeon containing Wurgen Kruger¡¯s artifact absorbs demonic aura that¡¯s imbued with moonlight.</i>


    He had heard before the regression that the few A-rank heroes who discovered the dungeon only sessfully found the location after three weeks of investigation due to stumbling upon this phenomenon by chance.


    The search, which was impossible without the guidance of the moonlight, was so challenging because it also involved following the flow of the demonic aura which was so subtle and secretive that it was hard to even find traces.


    He remembered how the heroes boasted that, without them, such an early discovery wouldn¡¯t have been possible.


    <i>But that¡¯s only when you¡¯re searching from below.</i>


    By observing the natural flow of the demonic aura and the contaminated air that was riding the air currents along the mountain ridge, he was able to spot an area where its movement was different from his calctions.


    To the naked eye, it appeared to be just another mountain peak. However, beneath a clearing mid-slope, demonic aura was seeping into the ground ever so slightly and naturally.


    He pointed toward that spot without hesitation.


    ¡°Over there!¡±


    ¡°...Isn¡¯t that?¡±


    Worthy of her S-rank hero title, she immediately sensed the anomaly where he pointed.


    But before she could ponder further, he urgently shouted, ¡°It might disappear soon! We need to break in now!¡±


    Even though he could have broken into the dungeon alone, he knew clearing it would be problematic if Eun-Ha decided that it was too risky to proceed.


    Responding to his urgent call, she quickly assessed the situation and started elerating.


    <i>Boom-!</i>


    Kicking through the air, her body shot forward toward the entrance of the dungeon, leaving a red trail like a meteor. The distance of tens of kilometers shrank in the blink of an eye.


    But just before her body was about to collide with the ground¡ª


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    With a half-turn in midair, her left foot swept across the ground.


    <i>Crash-!!</i>


    The earth erupted and the cliffside crumbled. But instead of bouncing off the ground, they started to fall even further downward, which allowed both of them to confirm that they had indeed entered the hidden dungeon.

 Chapter 55

    <h4>Chapter 55</h4>


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Carefullynding amidst the shattered rocks, Eun-Ha quickly surveyed her surroundings. They had fallen about a hundred meters into the center of a dome-shaped cave that had a diameter of about five hundred meters. Looking around, the entire cave seemed artificial, as if it had been carved out.


    <i>There are signs that this cave was carved out by something sharp. And judging by the shape, it was likely done by ws.</i>


    Having made a rough assessment, she nced down at Se-Hoon, who was in her embrace, and quietly said. ¡°This seems like an artificially created dungeon by a beast-type monster. There¡¯s no sign of erosion by demonic aura, and considering how Mount Silver Moon is a D-ss Danger Zone, it¡¯s likely a C-rank monster...¡±


    Trailing off, she peered into the darkness of the cave and then continued softly, muttering, ¡°Given that it wasn¡¯t discovered during the preliminary investigation, there¡¯s also a chance it could be A-rank or higher.¡±


    Since Mount Silver Moon was one of the potential sites for the first-year extermination practical, professors from Babel had been continuously visiting and assessing it beforehand. Yet, the fact that a dungeon of this magnitude had never been discovered suggested that it couldn¡¯t possibly be an ordinary dungeon.


    <i>I couldn¡¯t even find it myself until he pointed it out directly. I can¡¯t underestimate it.</i>


    Reaching that thought, she briefly wondered how Se-Hoon had identified the dungeon so quickly, but she soon realized that focusing on the current situation was more crucial.


    She deliberated whether to continue the investigation or retreat, but then Se-Hoon, who was still in her embrace, gazed into the darkness of the cave and spoke up.


    ¡°They¡¯reing.¡±


    <i>Gurgle-</i>


    With those words, the surrounding darkness immediately stirred and giant beasts emerged from within. Around two meters in height, the beasts¡ªck wolves¡ªcontinuously oozed a sticky ck substance from their bodies that seeped into the ground. The ck wolves¡¯ out-of-focus red eyes were quickly directed toward them.


    Upon seeing the clearly abnormal wolves, Eun-Ha narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Undead-type monsters, it seems. They appear to be at least B-rank.¡±


    Just one would be able to drench all of Mount Silver Moon in blood. Yet, right now, they were looking at over two hundred such monsters encircling them.


    <i>Growl-</i>


    The wolves bared their teeth, their hostility on full disy. But despite that the malice emitted by hundreds of B-rank monsters was a weapon in and of itself, the two in the middle showed no changes in expression.


    ¡°It seems they¡¯re all here now.¡±


    One of them was unconcerned despite the number of opponents.


    ¡°Just stick close to me; don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    And the other had full trust in the strength of hispanion.


    <i>ng- ng-</i>


    A deep sound of rattling resonated from within Eun-Ha.


    Then, channeling the mana that was amplified several times over by the equipment she recently consumed all into her right leg, she slowly scraped the ground with her right foot.


    <i>Crunch-</i>


    The ground easily gave way.


    Seeing that, she slightly lowered her stance, drew her right foot back in a semi-circle, and surveyed the wolves encircling her.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    With the stomp of her right foot, a red line made a full circle around the cave, and then Eun-Handed like nothing had happened.


    A heavy silence fell over the cave.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    Breaking the silence, Se-Hoon, still in her embrace, covered his mouth with a queasy expression.


    <i>Thud-</i>


    And immediately after, the hundreds of wolves surrounding them simultaneously split in half and began to burn.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    Seeing the soft mes¡ªwhich made the wolves¡¯ undead characteristics seem irrelevant¡ªmade Se-Hoon smile, despite still trying to settle his uneasy stomach.


    <i>Now this is an S-rank hero.</i>


    For heroes who were active on Mount Silver Moon, even a single B-rank monster would be disastrous. However, for S-rank heroes like Eun-Ha, B-rank monsters were no different from D-rank monsters like Silver Wolves.


    And that fact was only reaffirmed by how she had cleared out the dungeon with just a single kick.


    ¡°Dean, can you put me down now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still not safe until the investigation ends...¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t investigate properly with me in your arms. Plus, I feel a bit queasy.¡±


    Hearing hisment, she scanned the area once more and nodded.


    ¡°Alright. But don¡¯t stray too far away from me.¡±


    Leaving her embrace, he steadied himself and began to closely inspect the cave.


    <i>From the interview I read before the regression, Wurgen Kruger¡¯s artifact is supposed to suddenly appear after all the monsters are defeated.</i>


    Since he hadn¡¯t seen other monsters other than those undead wolves, this should have been the end. However, as he looked around, he began to doubt that it was.


    <i>Could such a dungeon be created by just one artifact?</i>


    He only remembered the interview so clearly despite the countless incidents that urred before the regression because of that doubt.


    The artifact lost by Wurgen Kruger, a Perfect One, was found in a dungeon within a D-grade Danger Zone. If it was just one of these factors, it wouldn¡¯t be that strange, but the two together made the doubt too significant to overlook.


    <i>There was nothing special mentioned before the regression... but that can¡¯t be the case.</i>


    No matter how noteworthy a Perfect One¡¯s artifact might be, it wouldn¡¯t have the power to create such a secretive ce on its own. And if the item was actually the one he knew, it was even more improbable.


    <i>So what could it be?</i>


    What purpose could be behind using Wurgen Kruger¡¯s artifact to help create such a dungeon? Keeping that question in mind, he took another look around the cave.


    <i>Flicker-</i>


    Examining the structure of the cave, which had been illuminated by the mes burning the wolves, he observed that the walls appeared as if they were haphazardly dug out by a beast. While Eun-Ha hadn¡¯t been able to discern more than that, he noticed something hidden within.


    <i>There¡¯s a magic array that draws in mana; it can also camouge itself by blending with the surrounding environment. And this shady structure that¡¯s designed to be mistaken for a natural formation...</i>


    It seemed that this dungeon was created using a technique that was vastly different from publicly known techniques. However, precisely because of that, he was able to realize who the group behind this dungeon was.


    <i>Exuviation, those bastards...</i>


    Exuviation was a group of madmen that researched how to evolve monsters using all manners of bizarre methods. Simr to Dawn, who had approached Luize, they were a subgroup of Watcher.


    Recalling the bad blood he had with them before the regression, he grimaced. Then, suddenly¡ª


    <i>Gurgle-</i>


    A silver Lycanthrope emerged from the shadows before him.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Meeting eyes, its giant ws immediately tore through the air toward him.


    In just a fraction of a second, he had sessfully identified the enemy and its attack thanks to the life-or-death situation elerating his thinking, but that was all.


    <i>It¡¯s too fast.</i>


    Judging by its speed, it had to be at least A-rank. It was only three ranks above him, but the gap was overwhelming, making it seem impossible for him to even escape with ordinary means.


    Watching the ws draw closer in the slowed world, he contemted his next move.


    <i>sh-</i>


    But before he could do anything, a red afterimage whisked past his face.


    <i>Boom-!</i>


    And the Lycanthrope¡¯s body mmed into the cave¡¯s wall.


    Eun-Ha, having already reached it in the blink of an eye, clenched her fists and mercilessly swung at the monster.


    <i>Wham, wham, wham, wham!!</i>


    With a barrage of punches that left a trail of red, the Lycanthrope¡¯s body was utterly pulverized. But even though the torso of the Lycanthrope had already disintegrated, leaving nothing but bloodstains and its limbs, Eun-Ha didn¡¯t stop.


    <i>Always eliminate the threat thoroughly.</i>


    The fact that it had managed to perfectly conceal itself until now suggested that it surely had a trick up its sleeve. But right as she was about to crush the remaining limbs¡ª


    <i>Creak-!</i>


    The surge of energy within her body halted, stiffening her body. She had overused her mana due to the unexpected appearance of the monster.


    Taking advantage of that moment, the Lycanthrope¡¯s index finger, previously lifeless, pointed at Eun-Ha.


    ¡°B-bind...¡±


    In the blink of an eye, a ck shadow shot out from its finger. Unable to even guess the nature of that technique, she instinctively moved before she could think.


    <i>Slick-</i>


    However, the ck shadow was too fast and it managed to reach her diaphragm. It then seamlessly gathered together and solidified into a ck sphere. A momentter, a thin line down the center began to slowly widen, transforming into an eye.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    And with one blink, Eun-Ha disappeared from the cave.


    With Eun-Ha gone, the cave that was previously filled with roaring noise instantly quieted down, leaving only the sticky sounds that were emerging from the blood-stained debris.


    <i>Squish, drip, ng, crack-</i>


    Slowly returning to its original form, its body and head began to regenerate along with its pulverized limbs.


    Completing its regeneration soon after, the Lycanthrope murmured with a trembling voice, ¡°To be able to destroy ny percent of my body in less than a second... is this what fighting someone close to being a Perfect One feels like...?¡±


    Though it was initially filled with resentment due to having its evolution interrupted, now that it knew who its opponent was, it felt lucky to have even survived.


    It knew that it would have been obliterated if it didn¡¯t have the artifact imnted in its body and Se-Hoon had joined in.


    <i>But I can¡¯t let my guard down yet.</i>


    Though it had managed to seal Eun-Ha, it was only a matter of time before the seal broke.


    <i>I have to create a situation where she won¡¯t follow me after breaking out.</i>


    With that thought in mind, the Lycanthrope looked at Se-Hoon, who was standing quietly, and immediately kicked off the ground.


    <i>Whoosh-!</i>


    Whipping its dying body, it swung at Se-Hoon¡¯s abdomen with all its might.


    <i>Boom!!!</i>


    Seemingly unable to retaliate properly, Se-Hoon was mmed into the wall. At the sight of Se-Hoon¡¯s slumped body, the Lycanthrope muttered in a low voice, ¡°You should be thankful to that monster. It saved your life.¡±


    Though the fight was brief, the Lycanthrope was able to tell that Eun-Ha had been trying to protect Se-Hoon. It knew that if he were hurt, she would heal him instead of pursuing it.


    With no more business left here, the Lycanthrope turned to leave.


    ¡°I remember now.¡±


    But suddenly, it heard Se-Hoon¡¯s murmuring as he emerged from the wall.


    ¡°S-tier monster, Moon Coveter Vollmond... ah, yes. You¡¯re that kind of monster.¡±


    Though he had never seen it directly, he remembered that it was listed among the monsters created by Exuviation.


    It was a monster that could regenerate its original form from even a single strand of hair if it had moonlight-imbued demonic aura. Although it wasn¡¯t in itspleted form and differed slightly from the records, its basic framework was simr.


    ¡°...You. How do you not have a single scratch on your body?¡±


    Vollmond, the Lycanthrope, stared at Se-Hoon in disbelief,pletely taken aback. Though it had held back its strength to avoid killing him, it was unbelievable that it was not able to inflict even a minor injury.


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    A low-frequency vibration echoed throughout the cave. Realizing that it wasn¡¯t from the crumbling of the wall but the entire space itself shaking, Vollmond¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    <i>What is this monster...!</i>


    Eun-Ha was already trying to break out despite only just having been sealed.


    Realizing there wasn¡¯t much time, Vollmond charged at Se-Hoon again without hesitation.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The moment Se-Hoon barely managed to stand up, Vollmond swung both fists with all of its might and mmed him back into the wall.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Though its strength was significantly reduced due to having to regenerate its body, it was still strong enough to match at least B-rank monsters. It wasn¡¯t something that Se-Hoon, who seemed like a C-rank at best, should be able to withstand.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...!¡±


    But no matter how hard it hit, Se-Hoon showed no sign of injury. He even managed to brace himself and withstand the attack. Was it due to the odd sensation that felt like it was hitting something else? Confused, Vollmond suddenly shifted its gaze to its surroundings.


    <i>Crumble!</i>


    And the abnormally devastated surrounding walls caught its eye.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Making use of the moment Vollmond was distracted, an attack burst forth from Se-Hoon. The opportunity was perfect, but due to the difference in physical capabilities, it barely grazed past the chest.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>... so attacking directly doesn¡¯t work,¡± Se-Hoon said, expressing his frustration.


    Meanwhile, Vollmond looked down at its regenerating chest and gazed back with calm eyes.


    ¡°Your armor... so it can disperse the impact of attacks into the shadows.¡±


    Seeing that the wall behind Se-Hoon waspletely shattered like it had been struck directly by Vollmond¡¯s attacks, it realized that it had been outmaneuvered all this time. Vollmond felt a surge of murderous intent.


    It felt frustrated that it had been deceived by a mere piece of armor, not even a technique.


    ¡°You shot yourself in the foot.¡±


    It bared its fangs and bristled, showing apletely different demeanor from its earlier restraint.


    Seeing that, Se-Hoon chuckled.


    ¡°Stop bluffing. You were so scared that you were about to run away¡ª¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Before he could finish, he was mmed against the wall again.


    Seeing that the attack had been diverted once more, its eyes shone as it spread both of its arms wide.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Simmering eerily in silver, massive ws that were akin to longswords had emerged from its fingertips.


    <i>sh!</i>


    And they mercilessly shed at Se-Hoon¡¯s Shadow Matter Armor.


    It unleashed a barrage of attacks, this time with ws, each carrying a dimensionally different force than before.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The floor and the surrounding walls were instantaneously shredded into tatters, sparks flying from everywhere around the armor. The previous punches had been easier to deflect due to the broad area of impact, but since the concentrated shes from the thin ws had a much smaller area, they were much harder for the armor to handle.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    The Shadow Matter Armor, which had easily withstood Vollmond¡¯s attacks until now, began to wear down under the relentless onught.


    <i>Hiss!</i>


    And the moment the thin armor finally cracked slightly, a single sh managed to graze by, drawing blood. Though it was only a light wound, the fact that the attacks could now affect him,pared to when they were previously deflected fully, made a significant difference.


    ¡°Did you really think you were on par with me with just that piece of junk?¡±


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Though the Shadow Matter Armor could transform its shape, it couldn¡¯t restore its durability. And that was made clear by how the armor was gradually deteriorating overall; its attempts at trying to repair itself by spreading out to fill in the prated areas were visibly slowing down.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Finally, the armor reached its limit. The shoulder area broke, unable to withstand any more shes. It seemed like the area¡¯s mana circuit was damaged, preventing it from rapidly repairing itself like before. Luckily, however, the cut wasn¡¯t deep thanks to the shoulder guard inside.


    ¡°Time to cut off that slow arm of yours!¡±


    With terrifying force, Vollmond¡¯s ws swung toward the now exposed right shoulder.


    <i>Crunch-</i>


    But instead of the sound of flesh and bone being sliced, a metallic, scraping noise urred instead¡ªthe Shadow Matter Armor¡¯s breastte had been crushed. Facing thepletely unexpected situation in the midst of battle, Vollmond¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    <i>What the...</i>


    The attack, aimed precisely at the shoulder, had inexplicably grazed the breastte instead. Pondering the reason, it quickly realized the answer.


    <i>Click-</i>


    The fool in front of it, Se-Hoon, had reacted to its attack and dodged.


    <i>ng-!</i>


    At that moment, a strike of multicolored mes erupted from Se-Hoon¡¯s waist, seemingly the same attack as before. Despite reflexively dodging it, Vollmond found itself in a dire situation.


    <i>Sizz-</i>


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...!¡±


    The attack, barely grazing the skin, managed to cleanly prate deep into its chest, burning its insides. Caught off guard by the unexpected pain, it clenched its chest and looked at Se-Hoon with a bewildered expression from afar.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    There, Se-Hoon was trying to catch his breath while holding the Five-me Sword.


    It looked like the Shadow Matter Armor was no longer regenerating, which suggested that it waspletely ruined. But while he wasn¡¯t fatally injured, there wasn¡¯t a single spot on Se-Hoon¡¯s body unhurt, with blood flowing from wounds all over his body.


    He looked like he could be easily killed at any moment, yet Vollmond¡¯s body refused to move.


    <i>Am I really... nervous?</i>


    Under normal circumstances, it would have easily killed such a fool. The mere fact that it was nervous in such a situation was unbelievable, and yet...


    Managing to catch his breath, Se-Hoon spoke up.


    ¡°Are you done now?¡±


    Then, with a grin on his face, Se-Hoon lightened his stance.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn now.¡±

 Chapter 56

    <h4>Chapter 56</h4>


    Every piece of equipment had a metric known as the assimtion rate. It wasn¡¯t in any information messages, but numerous studies proved that it definitely existed. And its meaning was exactly what the name suggested.


    <i>It¡¯s important to know how naturally the equipment is perceived as a part of the body.</i>


    The assimtion rate was essentially a measurement of how familiar the user was with that piece of equipment. To heroes, who sometimes even perceived their equipment as an extension of themself, it was a considerably important factor.


    <i>Since all skills are manifested through the physical body.</i>


    When a skill was activated while wearing gloves, it was normal to expect it to collide with the glove when it manifested from the hand inside. However, in practice, the skill manifested perfectly through the glove. Why? The reason was simple.


    Heroes unconsciously considered the equipment they wielded as extensions of their bodies and thus manifested their skills like it wasn¡¯t there.


    <i>But if it is not directly from the physical body, there¡¯s a dy.</i>


    Although it was handled unconsciously, their brains were correcting their perception of their equipment at every moment and <i>then </i>manifesting their skills.


    It was only a slight dy, but that slight pause was enough to determine life or death in the world of superhumans and heroes.


    And so, since Se-Hoon prioritized efficiency in battles over everything else, he began researching ways to increase the assimtion rate because that would reduce the dy. Many yearster, he was able to discover one fact.


    <i>If any piece of equipment reaches an assimtion rate of one hundred percent, then it will be permanently destroyed.</i>


    When a piece of equipment stopped being seen as an extension of the body and instead as part of the body, the wielder¡¯s mana would start eroding the equipment, eventuallypletely ruining the mana circuit and rendering it unusable.


    Although Se-Hoon had been frustrated that all those years of research only led to an even more inefficient conclusion, it had also led to an amazing discovery.


    <i>Creak-</i>


    He had figured out how to release the sheer amount of power a piece of equipment could exert after reaching an assimtion rate of one hundred percent.


    <i>Boom!!!</i>


    At one hundred percent, the equipment literally became a new body.


    <i>¡°Ugh...!¡±</i>


    Vollmond spat out blood with its eyes wide open after being kicked in the abdomen by Se-Hoon, who had charged toward it.


    While the impacted area looked fine externally, Vollmond was forcibly relocating body tissues from its hands and feet to regenerate the damaged parts. Though the slightest shock could now force it to vomit blood, it was far more surprised by something else.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Se-Hoon swung his sword toward its neck. The initial swinging speed seemed negligible enough that it could be easily avoided with its current condition, but that was just the beginning of the attack.


    <i>Crack-</i>


    Changing into a muscle-like form, Se-Hoon¡¯s armor distorted, and soon, his swinging speed gradually elerated.


    His sword was now rushing toward Vollmond with a threatening speed.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Its abdomen was split and its intestines ignited.


    ¡°You... what have you done...!¡±


    Vollmond couldn¡¯t believe that such power coulde from that piece of scrap armor that should have already been out ofmission.


    Still unable to believe what it was experiencing, it quickly moved its body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get cute with me!!!¡±


    <i>ng!!</i>


    Sparks flew as its w swung spasmodically and collided with the Five-me Sword.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...!¡±


    Unable to withstand the recoil, Se-Hoon¡¯s arm was flung backward, leaving his chest unguarded and wide open for its w to dig into.


    Realizing the severity of his position, he immediately manipted the Shadow Matter Armor that was connected to his mana circuit.


    <i>Creak!</i>


    The shadows inside the armor tightened, grasping his arm that was pushed back and forcibly swinging it forward.


    <i>ng!!</i>


    The iing w was repelled, colliding with the Five-me Sword once again.


    He had managed to parry sessfully, but every muscle in his body felt like it was tearing apart. Trying his best to endure it, he grimaced and swung the sword again.


    <i>ng!!</i>


    Within the cavity, an unbelievable scene unfolded: a D-rank hero and an A-rank monster were exchanging blows continuously. Even if one considered that he had regressed thirty-one years and that Vollmond was barely alive, its entire body in tatters, the battle had been prolonged for an incredible amount of time.


    And the secret to ity in Se-Hoon¡¯s skill¡ªSoul Honing.


    Soul Honing allowed him to partition his body to create multiple mana circuits, which people would normally use to handle multiple types of elemental mana. But aside from that, Se-Hoon had developed another way to exploit the skill while researching assimtion rates.


    <strong>[Soul Honing] ¡ºS¡»</strong>


    <strong>[The body is the most primal material that a cksmith can forge and refine.</strong>


    <strong>Refining the body¡¯s mana circuits can enhance physical abilities and strengthen the powers contained within.</strong>


    <strong>*Mana Circuit ¡®Shadow Matter Armor¡¯: You can control the Shadow Matter Armor. ]</strong>


    <strong>[Shadow Matter Armor] ¡º-¡»</strong>


    <strong>[A temporary mana circuit that mimics the mana circuit of the equipment ¡®Shadow Matter Armor¡¯.</strong>


    <strong>Coupling the mana circuits allows for even more of the equipment¡¯s potential to be drawn out.]</strong>


    He had figured out how to create temporary mana circuits that matched the circuits of the equipment and then how to forcibly connect them. It was a risky method that could cause both the body and the equipment to break down if handled incorrectly, but its effect was undeniable.


    ¡°Die!!¡±


    Even with its head split in half, Vollmond still swung its w again, demonstrating its monstrous regenerative power even in its weakened state. Seeing this, Se-Hoon was prompted to concentrate on operating the mana circuit.


    <i>Creak-</i>


    The only function of the Shadow Matter Armor was to transform ording to the wearer¡¯s body; in other words, it was solely for defense. However, it was a different story if the wearer was able to manually shape the armor.


    <i>Crack-</i>


    In an instant, muscles capable of deflecting the ws formed from the tip of his toes to his fingers that were wrapped around the Five-me Sword. As artificial muscles, they would copse like a house of cards if even one was formed out of ce, but he wasn¡¯t worried about it at all.


    <i>I¡¯m no inexperienced amateur...!</i>


    He had already mastered the structure of the human body long ago.


    <i>ng!!</i>


    He perfectly deflected the ws, but severe pain swept throughout his body. But despite the pain, which felt like all his muscles were being simultaneously pulled by tens of thousands of pincers, he didn¡¯t stop moving.


    ¡°<i>Hmph</i>...!¡±


    Right now, there was no method more efficient at his disposal.


    <i>ng!</i>


    This was his only opportunity to steal the artifact held by the opponent in front of him.


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    The cavity shook during the violent sh between Se-Hoon and Vollmond. But rather than being because of the fierce exchange between them, the shaking was because Eun-Ha was slowly beginning to break free from the seal.


    <i>No... if this continues...!</i>


    To ensure that it could escape in its current condition, it had to injure Se-Hoon to hold her down here. However, he was made painfully aware that Se-Hoon was far from being a shackle to bind Eun-Ha; he was a shackle to bind it instead.


    Sensing the shadow of death inch closer, Vollmond steeled itself.


    <i>I¡¯ll have to give up on limiting my strength.</i>


    It had hesitated all this time, fearing it might kill Se-Hoon, but continuing to think like that would only lead to its death. With that thought, its eyes shed, believing that the vermin in front of it could withstand its next attack.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Its heart pumped blood so vigorously that it seemed like it might burst. Filled with the fresh blood coursing through it, its finely tuned physique came under itsplete control, despite being an artificial monster.


    Embracing the seemingly omnipotence, it spread its arms wide, gathering all its strength.


    <i>Boom!!</i>


    nting its legs on the ground, its chest became wide open and the muscles in its arms began swelling to 1.5 times their normal size, hinting at an imminent attack.


    With full trust in its remarkable regenerative ability, it prepared a strike with all its might.


    Upon seeing that, Se-Hoon quickly responded by sheathing the Five-me Sword in the ming Scabbard instead of taking the opportunity to swing at its exposed chest.


    With the sword now sheathed, his attributed elemental mana, Scarlet Lotus, was amplified by the scabbard which heated the Five-me Sword. Not stopping there, the Shadow Matter Armor also abandoned its armor form for a more vivid muscr form.


    nning to pour all of his strength into his next attack as well, Se-Hoon had abandoned even a minimum level of defense. Seeming pleased by this, Vollmond smirked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can block this!¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Vollmond¡¯s foot dug deeper into the ground, and soon, its tensely pulled muscles suddenly halted.


    And at the moment when all that strength was aimed forward¡ª


    <i>Crash-!</i>


    Ten sets of des sprouted from its fingertips, tearing through everything in its way.


    Responding to the terrifying strike that seemed capable of cutting through everything in its path, Se-Hoon finished preparing Untamed Fire, the equipment skill of the ming Scabbard that he had showcased during the entrance ceremony.


    But just as he was about to draw his sword to counterattack¡ª


    <i>Crack-</i>


    The two arms swinging towards him split in half.


    <i>Creak!</i>


    The straightforward attacks were now gone, reced by four arms that were rushing in from all directions and encircling him. Such a thing was only possible because Vollmond¡¯s body was artificially made.


    Facing the surprise irregr attack that could not be countered with just his two arms and a single sword, he froze.


    Seeing that, Vollmond let out a cry of joy.


    <i>I finally got you...!</i>


    It was essentially akin to being suddenly attacked by another person when he was already busy fighting one. It was a move that perfectly utilized its ability to transform its body.


    And to anyone unaware of it, it would have been a fatal blow.


    <i>I was wondering when you¡¯d use this.</i>


    But it just so happened that Se-Hoon, a regressor from thirty-one years into the past, was his opponent.


    <i>Crack!!!</i>


    Hundreds of shadow spikes pierced upward from the ground.


    Having been waiting for this moment, he immediately activated Shadow Hedgehog, the equipment skill of the Shadow Matter Armor, and spikes pierced through Vollmond¡¯s entire body.


    ¡°<i>Argh</i>-!¡±


    For Se-Hoon¡¯s move to work on Vollmond, several factors hade into y. Firstly, Vollmond had arrogantly thrown itself into the fight, overly reliant on its regenerative abilities. Secondly, it had poured all of its strength into its attack, leaving it vulnerable and unable to dodge in that short moment. Thirdly, Se-Hoon had been able to swiftly activate the skill due to the assimtion rate being at one hundred percent. Lastly, Se-Hoon simply just had the upper hand, possessing full knowledge of everything about Vollmond.


    ¡°Aaaah!!¡±


    Though it desperately continued to swing its ws even with its body fully pierced, the initial eleration of its attack did not return.


    With a sharp glint in his eye, Se-Hoon stared at Vollmond¡¯s hand, specifically the left index finger that pointed at Eun-Ha, and drew the sword at his waist with all of his might.


    <i>Click-</i> <i>Boom-!!!</i>


    A storm of colorful mes burst forth alongside the draw and engulfed Vollmond, burning its entire body and lighting up the cavity as if it were broad daylight.


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    Unable to withstand the aftermath of the explosion, the cavity trembled. After swinging the Five-me Sword with all of his might, Se-Hoon exhaled the breath he had been holding.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>...¡±


    His mana and physical strength had beenpletely depleted. With the fight over, his body began to feel heavy, his muscles and joints screaming from the impact of the strike.


    Additionally, the Shadow Matter Armor had begun to crumble due to theplete erosion of its magic circuit.


    <i>I basically traded top-quality Hero-tier armor for one A-rank monster that¡¯s on its final breaths...</i>


    The eroded armor was now far beyond recyble, rendering it essentially worthless, but he wasn¡¯t too concerned about it.


    After all, he had only borrowed it from Eun-Ha, and the rewards that he would gain from this endeavor would be immense.


    In the now silent cavity, moonlight poured in through the hole in the dome¡¯s center. And in the midst of it, Se-Hoon noticed a small shadow soaring high into the air before beginning to fall.


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    Managing to catch it before it hit the ground, Se-Hoon felt an unfamiliar yet somehow familiar sensation inside his fist. Deciding to see, he slowly opened his hand and looked at the item he had caught.


    There, in his hand, was a finger bone with tiny characters engraved around each joint like a ring. Though one might mistake it for Vollmond¡¯s severed index finger, it couldn¡¯t actually be it because it was far too small and slender to be the finger of a three-meter-tall Lycanthrope. But the most important giveaway was that it was a human¡¯s bone rather than a beast¡¯s.


    <i>Just as I thought.</i>


    This was the artifact lost by Wurgen Kruger, one of the few Perfect Ones.


    Though details of it were only mentioned briefly in interviews, he was aware of how it roughly looked, allowing him to be certain that this was indeed the artifact.


    It was one of Wurgen Kruger¡¯s body parts that had been scattered across the world thirteen years ago¡ªwhen he was sliced apart by a group of demons.


    <strong>[You have acquired the item ¡®Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx¡¯.]</strong>


    And Se-Hoon had just acquired one of the pieces.

 Chapter 57

    <h4>Chapter 57</h4>


    <strong>[<u>Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[The left index finger bone of the absolute conqueror, Wurgen Kruger.</strong>


    <strong>The body part of a necromancer who walks the line between life and death has be a powerful catalyst for necromancy on its own.</strong>


    <strong>By imbuing it with mana, you can activate three necromantic spells that were engraved on the index finger.</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Eye of the Boundary¡¯</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Call of the Dead¡¯.</strong>


    <strong>*Skill ¡®Vision of the Abyss¡¯ cannot be used yet]</strong>


    <i>Just his finger bone alone is a Hero-tier artifact... that¡¯s terrifying. He truly is worthy of being a Perfect One.</i>


    Already a rival for high-tier equipment, if this severed finger hadn¡¯t been separated from the main body so long, it might have been even more powerful.


    <i>So this is what it looks like.... It¡¯s certainly interesting.</i>


    Before the regression, Se-Hoon had only heard about Wurgen Kruger¡¯s secret after all of his body parts had been recovered, so this was his first time seeing one directly. It was more intriguing than he expected.


    <i>Even though it seems to have been imnted in Vollmond¡¯s body for a long time, there¡¯s not a single trace of contamination by demon aura...</i>


    It was ssified as Hero tier, but its actual current potential could be even higher. When his thoughts reached this point, his whole body itched.


    <i>This... might be useful.</i>


    It wouldn¡¯t be an easy forging process, given that it was a part of a Perfect One¡¯s body, but it didn¡¯t seem impossible. He started pondering over the schematics that began to form in his mind.


    <i>St-</i>


    Hearing something, Se-Hoon looked over to see something blood-red emerging from the wall.


    ¡°My... long... endure... such... mistake...¡±


    And from it, a voice sounded intermittently while swelling continuously. Like a bag that kept having items crammed in, the mass of flesh kept expanding.


    Soon, two eyes and a set of teeth indiscriminately sprouted on its body, its limbs growing before being mashed together like y.


    At the sight of what used to be Vollmond, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes.


    <i>It went berserk the moment the artifact that acted as the linchpin disappeared... their craftsmanship sure isckingpared to the old days.</i>


    As a regressor, the technology of Exuviation at this current point in time was inferior to what he was familiar with.


    Wondering if there was more to gain from here, he simply stood there and continued to observe the rampaging regeneration process.


    ¡°You...!¡±


    Hundreds of eyes, each sprouting from the mass of flesh, all red at him in unison.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you...!¡±


    Even though its very existence was copsing, Vollmond still possessed a clear intent to kill. And responding to that intent, the bloated body burst and surged toward him like a tidal wave.


    But instead of running away, he continued to do as he did before¡ªsimply observing the mass of flesh.


    Then, just as the thousands of teeth that sprouted from the mass of flesh were about to tear his body to shreds¡ª


    <i>Creak-</i>


    A giant rift split the space before his eyes.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    With a massive shockwave, the advancing mass of flesh was pushed back into the walls, trembling. But rather than out of anger, the trembling was due to pure fear.


    From the rift, two hands emerged and grabbed onto the sides, forcefully pulling it open.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Stepping out from the pitch-ck space, a woman with red hair, Eun-Ha, urgently looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon! You¡¯re not hurt, right...?¡±


    ¡°Ah. You arrived just in time.¡± Like nothing had happened, his greeting waspletely calm.


    However, upon seeing that his entire body was covered in blood from the wounds all over and that his armor waspletely destroyed, she trembled. Se-Hoon was even clutching his chest with his right hand and trembling which indicated that he might have suffered internal injuries as well.


    ¡°...¡±


    While he had no fatal wounds, his condition was still no less than severe. The state of his body caused her entire face to stiffen.


    Though she appeared emotionless externally, inside, turbulent emotions, their intensity indescribable, swirled within her.


    But right before the emotions could begin to seep out, a scream echoed, shaking the entire cave.


    ¡°<i>Rarrrrr</i>!!!¡±


    The mass of flesh, no longer able to possess an ego, still understood what it needed to do in this situation.


    Quickly burrowing into the fissures that had been created by the previous battle, the blood-red mass of flesh shook the surroundings violently.


    <i>Is it nning to copse the cavity and crush us with its body?</i>


    Surveying the surroundings with that thought in mind, he noticed Eun-Ha approaching him with a calm expression.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I n to move you to a safe location momentarily to deal with this monster. Please understand.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    ¡°You should wear this, just in case. It may look like ordinary clothing, but it¡¯s Hero equipment, so you shouldn¡¯t be hurt anymore.¡±


    With those words, she took off her ck jacket and draped it over him.


    ¡°Also, I n to defeat that by consuming the Radiant Long Sword... I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t keep my promise to show you.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, that¡¯s okay...¡±


    Seeing how she seemed more concerned with dealing with the monster than savoring his Raidant Long Sword, he wore a slightly awkward expression.


    <i>It¡¯ll be troublesome if she doesn¡¯t enjoy it properly.</i>


    Her evaluation of the Radiant Long Sword could potentially alter any future expectations that she had of him. So, hoping that she wouldn¡¯t forget his original intention, he added, ¡°Please enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Because I forged it just for you, Dean.¡±


    Caught off guard by his unexpectedment, she looked somewhat dazed before slowly nodding.


    ¡°I will savor it properly.¡±


    Finishing what she had to say, she drew upon all the residual energy left from her escape, amplified her mana, and immediately grabbed him. Then, looking up at the hole in the ceiling that had been blown wide open, she gathered all her strength.


    ¡°Hph...!¡±


    And threw him up toward the hole with all of her might.


    ¡°Ahhhh-!¡± Se-Hoon¡¯s terrified scream faded away in an instant.


    Now alone in the cavity, she took out thest weapon remaining in her void pocket. With a sharp, pure white aura, the longsword slightly illuminated the dim cave.


    Seeing the Radiant Long Sword disy its presence so elegantly and unmistakably, she swallowed her saliva unconsciously.


    <i>He made this for me...</i>


    Despite knowing it was just smooth talk, she couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. Trying her best to suppress her exhration, she gently bit into the de just above the guard.


    Until now, she had consumed equipment without leaving a single piece behind, but in actuality, it wasn¡¯t necessary to go that far to draw out its energy. What was important when devouring equipment was consuming the power held within.


    In other words, if she so wished, she could gain all the energy that the equipment could provide in just a single bite.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The de broke, and the power of the Radiant Long Sword melted in her mouth.


    <strong>[¡®Radiant Long Sword¡¯ has been devoured.]</strong>


    <strong>[Unique skill ¡®Soul Furnace¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    Enjoying the texture of the finely honed de and the magic circuits housed within, she savored the savory taste of the cksmith¡¯s craftsmanship which blended exquisitely with everything.


    The rity of the vor, unimaginable for Rare equipment, both surprised and perplexed her.


    <i>This is...</i>


    It was certainly the first time she had tasted the equipment that Se-Hoon forged, yet the taste evoked a sense of longing for some reason. It was as if she had tasted and longed for it before.


    While confused by the inexplicable emotion, something unexpected happened to her.


    <strong>[The first furnace ¡®me Alteration¡¯ has reached its critical point.]</strong>


    <strong>[The second furnace ¡®Crimson Eye¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    The heat being emitted by her burning crimson hair shifted, transforming her eyes into zing scarlets. Feeling the amount of power brewing inside of her, she was astonished. The heat and rising energy within her body had surpassed her expectations.


    <i>Crimson Eye in one go?</i>


    Her unique skill, Soul Furnace, caused physical transformations and an increase in her abilities each time the energy inside her body reached a certain level.


    The first stage, me Alteration, could be activated by consuming any equipment, but the second stage, Crimson Eye, was different. She normally had to consume the equivalent of ten pieces of perfect-quality Rare equipment to reach this level of energy.


    However, the Radiant Long Sword had somehow achieved this in just one go.


    <i>What on earth...</i>


    Seeing that Eun-Ha was confused by the situation she had never encountered with any piece of equipment before, the mass of flesh reacted swiftly.


    Until now, it had been trying to kill her at all costs, yet it was currently trying to flee in fear by attempting to burrow into the ground. Unfortunately for it, Eun-Ha knew that letting a monster with the regenerative abilities of a B-rank go would be a hassle even if it was weakened.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>.¡±


    She wanted to savor the sensation more, but there was no time.


    With a frown on her face, she clenched her right fist.


    <i>Rrrrr-</i>


    Then, along with the intense engine noise that was resonating from within her body, her right fist began to ze. It exuded an immense amount of heat,pletely created by the energy she absorbed and her mana.


    Unable to withstand the heat, the sleeve of her specially-made dress shirt melted away. Her now exposed arm, reddened up to the elbow, shone brilliantly in the dim cave.


    And the moment all that power was concentrated into her fist¡ª


    ¡°<i>Hmph...!</i>¡±


    A red meteor plummeted toward the floor of the cave.


    ***


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...!¡±


    Confirming that the whipping wind had ceased, Se-Hoon immediately looked down.


    The scenery of Mount Silver Moon was nowhere to be seen, his visionpletely covered by dark clouds filled with mana. Seeing that, he realized Eun-Ha had thrown him beyond the clouds. He marveled at her strength.


    <i>I wonder if she properly savored it.</i>


    Compared to before the regression, everything from his equipment to his physical abilities was inferior, but there was one aspect in which he had an advantage. In this timeline, he finally managed to grasp the taste of equipment by directly experiencing it through the use of Iron Desire.


    <i>It¡¯s still a bit ambiguous since there weren¡¯t a lot of chances, but it¡¯s certainly better than not knowing what it tastes like at all.</i>


    Back then, when he was forging the Radiant Long Sword, he had actually been consciously keeping the taste of the equipment in mind while forging it. After all, he had recently experienced the taste for himself, and whenbining the stories Eun-Ha had told him before the regression, he had felt like he could make something that tasted good.


    Thinking that she might be tasting it right about now, he looked down with a tense expression.


    <i>I wonder if it ended up tasting mediocre because of my meddling.</i>


    To cater to Eun-Ha, a couple of cksmiths before the regression had fallen into a slump while experimenting with this and that, and Se-Hoon himself was one of them.


    Recalling those nightmarish memories, he grew anxious.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Suddenly, a red light burst through the clouds.


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    Seeing a sight he shouldn¡¯t have been able to see yet, his eyes widened in shock before quickly covering his ears with his hands.


    Following the red sh that tore through the clouds, soaring high into the sky, was a fearsome roar that reached him even through his palms covering his ears.


    Naturally, the resulting shockwave also headed his way, but the jacket thrown over his shoulders neatly shielded him and prevented him from being swept away.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>... my eyes...¡±


    Unable to close his eyes in time, he had to wait for the red afterimages to fade before he was able to look down again.


    Before his eyes, through the clouds that had a gigantic hole torn through them, were hundreds of uprooted trees that were unable to withstand the shockwave. Landslides had alsopletely transformed the terrain in several ces.


    Meanwhile, the terminal in this danger zone had deployed its defense mechanisms to its fullest extent, thinking they were under attack by monsters and demons.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    From high above the chaos, he naturally looked toward the epicenter of the explosion that had created this mess.


    ¡°She¡¯s crazy...¡±


    A giant crater, hundreds of meters deep, had been gouged out. Everything from the dungeon to the small mountains around it had beenpletely annihted.


    Seeing the devastation caused by Eun-Ha, he couldn¡¯t help but wear an expression of disbelief.


    <i>All this from devouring just the Radiant Long Sword? That can¡¯t be right...</i>


    For her to produce such power, she would need to be at least the second stage, Crimson Eye. He knew that such a stage normally required her to consume about ten pieces of Rare equipment, so only disbelief remained in him.


    <i>Whoosh-!</i>


    While he had been staring in disbelief, a red meteor started soaring up toward him.


    ¡°We¡¯re going down now.¡±


    Upon hearing that voice, he felt like someone had grabbed him, and then in the blink of an eye, he fell rapidly downward toward the center of the crater.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    Now on the ground, he felt unusually dizzy, perhaps due to his weakened state. Watching Se-Hoon staggering about, Eun-Ha looked at him with a serious expression.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes...¡±


    ¡°What exactly did you do with the Radiant Long Sword?¡±


    No matter how much she thought about it, it seemed impossible that Rare equipment could produce such power. Facing her question filled with doubt, Se-Hoon, tried to calm his nausea before responding.


    ¡°I just tailored it to your taste.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°I thought you might prefer this vor, so I made it with that in mind. Was it not to your liking?¡±


    ¡°No... it¡¯s just...¡±


    She was unable to answer, finding herself at a loss for words.


    Every piece of equipment she had consumed until now wasn¡¯t tasteless, but every single one had always left her thinking that something was off. There were always minor disappointments¡ªsuch as if it were only a bit less sweet, less rich, less spicy, or less bitter¡ªbut there was no way to adjust them.


    <i>No one ever understood...</i>


    She was the only one in the world who knew the taste of equipment, so there was nobody who understood and could tailor it to her taste. Thinking that such a situation would never change, she gave up on expecting that someone could forge something that matched her taste. After all, it was less disappointing if it was impossible in the first ce.


    ¡°...No.¡±


    But today, a young cksmith who had just begun to realize his genius had managed to do the impossible and revitalize her tastebuds. With the satisfying taste still lingering in her mouth, she once again remembered the nature of the longing that she had initially felt: the joy of meeting the long-awaited person who could understand her.


    ¡°It was really delicious.¡±


    <strong>[The bond with ¡®Ryu Eun-Ha¡¯ has increased to Lv.2.]</strong>


    <strong>[Since the bond has increased to Lv. 2, a rtionship has been established. Your rtionship with ¡®Ryu Eun-Ha¡¯ is currently ¡®Empathy¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[Rtionship: Empathy]</strong>


    <strong>[To someone who has been isted for a long time, finding someone who understands them can, by itself, act as a solid pir of support.</strong>


    <strong>Although fully understanding and empathizing with each other may not be easy, gradually expanding that connection can lead to an unbreakable bond.</strong>


    <strong>*A Fatestone is created whenever the subject feels like you empathize with them.</strong>


    <strong>*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases whenever the subject feels understood.</strong>


    <strong>*Currently created Fatestone: None]</strong>


    Upon reading the notification messages that popped up, Se-Hoon wore a perplexed expression.


    <i>What the...</i>


    Just by catering to her taste, he had increased their bond to level two. While he knew such a thing might have been possible if things turned out really well, he had never expected it to be this easy.


    Caught off guard by this unexpected situation, he had to ponder his next course of action. But before he could decide on something, Eun-Ha spoke up.


    ¡°I have a proposal for you, Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Looking at Se-Hoon, who was still in her arms, Eun-Ha had an earnest expression. Her face, without its usual stoic look, was openly disying desire. Watching her eyes sparkle like she had discovered Legendary equipment or something even more amazing, he immediately came to a realization.


    ¡°Would you make my meals every day from now on?¡±


    The effect turned out to be much stronger than he had anticipated.

 Chapter 58

    <h4>Chapter 58</h4>


    Upon their return from Mount Silver Moon to Babel, Se-Hoon was immediately brought to Askus, still cradled in Eun-Ha¡¯s arms.


    His entire body, covered in blood from all the cuts by Vollmond¡¯s ws, was under considerable strain due to forcibly enhancing his physical abilities.


    <i>My condition isn¡¯t even that serious...</i>


    However, Se-Hoon determined the severity of an injury solely by whether he was still able to forge. Thus, he considered his current injuries manageable since he believed that he could still forge if he just acted a bit more carefully.


    ¡°Just stay still.¡±


    But Eun-Ha was not like him. She dismissed his ims outright and immediately had him hospitalized.


    And soon, she was proven correct.


    ¡°It¡¯s a six-week recovery.¡±


    ¡°...Excuse me?¡±


    Surprised by the unexpectedly long recovery period, Se-Hoon puzzledly looked at Professor Jung-Wan who had conducted the examination.


    ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t mean six days?¡±


    ¡°You heard me correctly. It¡¯s six weeks.¡±


    ¡°How can that be...? With these injuries?¡±


    Even though he acknowledged that he had pushed himself a bit too far, six weeks was excessively long.


    Sighing at his reaction, Jung-Wan began exining.


    ¡°Take a look at this first.¡±


    <i>Snap-</i>


    With a flick of his fingers, three images were disyed in the air, showing diagrams of Se-Hoon¡¯s muscles, bones, and mana circuits.


    His muscles were torn everywhere, his bones were cracked in several ces, and his mana circuits, the most severe of them all, had been severely damaged in many areas. Some parts of his mana circuits had even shriveled or been blocked up to as much as two-thirds.


    ¡°In over thirty years of my medical career... I¡¯ve never seen anyone who has meticulously wrecked their body to this extent.¡±


    When the body reached its limit, usually the weakest parts would fail first, leading to serious injuries there. In Se-Hoon¡¯s case, however, his injuries had been evenly distributed across his body, leaving no part unscathed.


    ¡°Your body is like... cracked ss. It looks fine on the outside, but even just a little stimulus can cause it to shatterpletely.¡±


    ¡°In other words, as long as there¡¯s no such stimulus¡ª¡±


    ¡°How will the treatment proceed?¡± Eun-Ha asked, cutting off Se-Hoon.


    Responding to Eun-Ha¡¯s question, the Jung-Wan erased the images before answering.


    ¡°Rapid treatment will be risky since his mana circuits have been weakened overall. Thus, we¡¯ll likely go with catalyzing his natural healing. We also n to bind him with special bandages forpression; it¡¯ll protect his body.¡±


    ¡°Please take good care of him.¡±


    ¡°No. Wait...¡±


    Completely disregarding Se-Hoon¡¯s input, the treatment proceeded swiftly. A blink of an eyeter, his entire body had been meticulously wrapped in gray bandages.


    ¡°These are special bandages engraved with physical support and mana suppression enchantments. It won¡¯t interfere with your daily activities, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Feeling the special bandages clinging tightly to part of his body, Se-Hoon frowned in difort.


    Meanwhile, Eun-Ha nodded gratefully to Jung-Wan.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving you two then.¡±


    With the exit of Jung-Wan, who bowed before he left, a heavy silence enveloped the room.


    The silence, which was a bit different from the one he experienced on Mount Silver Moon, was filled with indescribable difort. Se-Hoon cautiously looked at Eun-Ha.


    Seated by his side, Eun-Ha was silently lowering her head slightly, seemingly lost in thought. Seeing her posture, he made a curious expression.


    <i>I can¡¯t tell what she¡¯s thinking right now.</i>


    Compared to other high-ranking heroes, who usually seemed to be missing a screw each, Eun-Ha had always been rtively easy to deal with. She treated those who forged good equipment well and, conversely, decisively cut off those who forged subpar equipment, even if she had known them for years.


    Some called her cold-blooded, but her clear standards made her a lot easier to deal with.


    <i>This time it¡¯s a bit different...</i>


    Before the regression, she would sign regr supply contracts with cksmiths she favored, the duration depending on their skill. And Se-Hoon had managed to make a deal to supply her once a week, which was already far more often than other cksmiths; the normal was usually once a month at best. It was not an exaggeration to say that her standards were on apletely different level.


    Thus, with that in mind, he had decided to try and maintain some distance from her this time around.


    <i>¡°Would you make my meals every day from now on?¡±</i>


    But, her recent proposal had turned all of his ns upside down.


    Even when they had a level four bond before the regression, all he had managed was supplying her with equipment at a maximum of once a week. Yet now, with just a level two bond, she was craving his equipment so much that she even asked if he would forge something for her every day.


    <i>I didn¡¯t expect that understanding the taste of equipment would bring about this much change.</i>


    While he was deep in thought about how he should gauge the distance with her now, Eun-Ha raised her head.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    After being lost in thought for a while, Eun-Ha finally spoke up.


    ¡°Do you remember the proposal I mentioned on Mount Silver Moon?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You asked for a meal every day...¡±


    Hearing his response, her eyes flickered slightly before she quickly looked away.


    ¡°What I was referring to was the equipment you forge. I apologize if my words led to any misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Hm? There¡¯s no need to apologize. There is nothing wrong with using the term ¡®meal¡¯ given your abilities.¡±


    In fact, since she could maintain her physical condition by just consuming equipment, she had never eaten conventional food before. While it wasn¡¯t like she couldn¡¯t, it wouldn¡¯t be enjoyable since she would hardly taste anything and the energy efficiency would be very poor.


    ¡°Ahem... I¡¯m d you understood it that way.¡±


    With a quick clearing of her throat, she regained control of the atmosphere. Looking at him again, she continued, ¡°Anyway, though hasty, my proposal to secure the supply of your equipment was sincere.¡±


    ¡°Supply, you say...¡±


    ¡°When I consumed the Radiant Long Sword, I was truly shocked. I was moved by the taste, which transcended the mere tier of the weapon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit too...¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not an exaggeration. I can honestly say that the satisfaction I felt at that moment was in no way inferior to when I consumed Legendary equipment in the past.¡±


    Hearing her repeatedpliments, his face twitched.


    While he, being a human himself, didn¡¯t mind receivingpliments, it was difficult to get used to, especiallying from someone like her.


    <i>¡°Can¡¯t you do better?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°It¡¯s not bad, but not impressive. Try harder.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Do you really think this is your limit?¡±</i>


    She always gave out critiques that, when put positively, pointed out ws, and when put negatively, were justints and expressions of dissatisfaction. There was a reason she was always avoided by cksmiths.


    For her to praise him using a word as strong as ¡°moved¡± was both pleasing and oddly unsettling.


    ¡°So... what do you think about my proposal?¡± she asked, carefully gauging his reaction.


    ¡°I will offer more than ten times the market price for each piece of equipment provided. And I can also pay for the materials and equipment needed for the workshop.¡±


    She was essentially offering him the privilege of being able to focus solely on forging equipment. In some ways, this would allow him to grow faster than studying at Babel.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    But he immediately shook his head to decline.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not satisfied with the conditions, I can offer more...¡±


    ¡°The conditions are more than sufficient. It¡¯s just that I prefer gaining a variety of experiences over being tied down.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± she murmured bittersweetly, seemingly understanding his point.


    <i>It¡¯s a lie, though, </i>Se-Hoon thought to himself.


    No matter how good of an educational institution Babel may be, it wasn¡¯t likely that it would provide experiences valuable enough to turn down such an offer. He had declined for only one reason: the offer was from none other than Eun-Ha herself.


    <i>She feels like this right now, but she¡¯ll change her tune once she gets used to it.</i>


    It was just like how home-cooked meals would be moving to someone who had been living abroad for a long time, but to someone who ate it routinely, it would lose its charm once eaten for months on end.


    If he did ept the offer and supplied her with equipment every day, then one day the taste might be too familiar, making her tired of it.


    <i>I also need to observe her more.</i>


    Because he now understood what equipment tasted like, his rtionship with her had changed to empathy, which was different from before.


    Whether this change was positive or negative could only be told by time. Therefore, it was better to carefully observe her changes, step by step.


    <i>I don¡¯t want to make her feel that regret twice.</i>


    Briefly reflecting on his memories of her before the regression, he quickly dismissed them with a nod.


    ¡°I apologize for declining your generous offer.¡±


    ¡°No problem. On second thought, asking for equipment every day was too much of an ask. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Seeing her slightly disheartened appearance, he decided to bring up a suggestion he had been considering.


    ¡°How about we coborate on research instead?¡±


    ¡°Research?¡±


    ¡°I n to research the taste of equipment, as perceived by you, Dean.¡±


    While a regr supply agreement would create a strictly transactional rtionship, framing it as research could change the narrative.


    <i>With this, any mistakes made can just be regarded as part of the research process.</i>


    Plus, the pretext of research could also allow him to secure funding from Babel, hitting two birds with one stone.


    Pondering his proposal, Eun-Ha nodded seriously.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Given the subject, it¡¯s highly likely the chairman will approve, and we could even mask the failed products as... ahem.¡±


    Quickly covering her mouth, she cleared her throat before continuing.


    ¡°Anyway, it seems like a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Then, once my health results are out...¡±


    ¡°Actually, the chairman said he¡¯d like to speak with you as soon as you¡¯ve been treated. Perhaps you can discuss it with him then.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Confused as to why the chairman would want to see him, he was about to ask, when suddenly, a strange sense like d¨¦j¨¤ vu wrapped around him.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Unable to even react, he found himself standing upright despite lying in bed just moments ago. And on top of that, the hospital room had also transformed into a familiar, old, antique shop-like space.


    Realizing he had been transported to the chairman¡¯s office in the Madurk Mansion, he looked at the old man who had summoned him.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Have you been well?¡±


    With a gentle smile, the old man in front of him¡ªLudwig¡ªgreeted him, causing Se-Hoon to stiffen slightly.


    <i>He really is a Perfect One... summoning me in such an abrupt manner...</i>


    The fact that Ludwig was able to move him from the hospital room to the office was astonishing in and of itself, but Ludwig had even changed his position from lying down to a natural standing position.


    Such a thing proved that Ludwig was proficient at not only moving objects through space but also manipting the process freely.


    If Ludwig had been an adversary, Se-Hoon would have already been torn to pieces without ever realizing it.


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Reading Se-Hoon¡¯s expression, Ludwig became slightly amused.


    <i>It seems he has quite an understanding of spatial movement.</i>


    Most students summoned this way usually only felt shock and fascination, rarely ever thinking about its potential implications. So, in a way, it showed that Se-Hoon had a rich imagination¡ªor a cautious nature.


    The more Ludwig thought about it, the more intriguing Se-Hoon looked in his eyes.


    At that moment, twisting through space, Eun-Ha alsonded in the office as if she had been flung here.


    ¡°I apologize for beingte.¡±


    ¡°No worries at all. The fault is mine for not summoning you guys properly.¡±


    Unlike Se-Hoon, who had been dragged here without a chance to resist, it seemed she had managed to exert some resistance.


    <i>So, an S-rank can withstand it to some extent, </i>Se-Hoon thought, closely observing her.


    Meanwhile, Ludwig looked at both of them.


    ¡°Exin to me what happened on Mount Silver Moon. It seems we need to sort this out soon; there has been an endless stream of inquiries from those outside.¡±


    While Ludwig had the power to cover up most of the incidents that urred within Babel, this matter had gotten entirely out of hand, as an entire mountain in the Danger Zone had vanished.


    ¡°May I exin first?¡±


    Standing beside Se-Hoon, Eun-Ha briefly summarized the events on Mount Silver Moon. Listening quietly to the exnation, Ludwig grew more and more fascinated.


    ¡°An A-ss dungeon concealed in a D-ss Danger Zone... it seems it was no ordinary dungeon.¡±


    After a moment of pondering, he turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I heard you faced the monster while Eun-Ha was bound. Could you exin to me what exactly happened?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    While hiding the details about Wurgen Kruger¡¯s finger bone, considering the possibility that Ludwig might take it from him, Se-Hoon told his story.


    ¡°Then, when I cut off its finger, a strange item appeared and the monster went on a rampage... but I don¡¯t know where that item went.¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    Ludwig observed Se-Hoon quietly, his gaze suggesting he was questioning if that was the whole story. But while ordinary students might have felt intimidated by such scrutiny, Se-Hoon could meet his gaze without flinching.


    They stared at each other, about to extend the moment of silence, but Eun-Ha subtly stepped in between them, as if to separate the two.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon is not in good condition, so it would be best to wrap this up quickly.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Seeing her intervention, Ludwig¡¯s eyes sparkled, intrigued. He soon nodded with a smile.


    ¡°I see. I was being thoughtless. My apologies.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    ¡°I understand the situation now. Given the current circumstances... it would be best for us to regard it as if the dungeon never existed.¡±


    Addressing both of them, Ludwig continued calmly, ¡°There must be a reason that our professors weren¡¯t able to find it. However, now that the evidence has disappeared, there¡¯s no way to prove its existence. Thus, as it stands, it would likely only reflect poorly on Babel¡¯spetence.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°And since it¡¯s still the start of the semester, with the freshmen just having been enrolled, there¡¯s no need to create unnecessary noise. So, this incident will be... yes, attributed to an attack by a demon.¡±


    Seeing how smoothly Ludwig hade up with a way to conceal and manipte this incident, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but be intrigued. It was a familiar sight that confirmed his suspicion.


    <i>Although I expected that he wouldn¡¯t be entirely straightced... he¡¯s quite a seasoned yer.</i>


    It seemed like Ludwig was a figure capable of stepping beyond the bounds of thew if necessary. Se-Hoon carefully observed him, seeing aspects of the Emperor of Ascension that he hadn¡¯t known before.


    ¡°The problem is that this turns out rather unfortunate for you.¡±


    Ludwig looked at Se-Hoon with a concerned expression.


    ¡°You¡¯ve discovered an A-ss dungeon that even our professors couldn¡¯t find and even fought on par with an A-tier monster, albeit a weakened one. All of that will be buried as if it never happened.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s...¡±


    While gaining some fame from this incident could have been beneficial, he knew that it wasn¡¯t entirely a good thing.


    <i>If I¡¯m unlucky, I might attract too much attention.</i>


    Though Exuviation was more interested in monsters, they would still be quite furious if they knew that one of their test subjects died, losing a Perfect One¡¯s body part in the process.


    Thus, having the dungeon story covered up was overall a better oue for Se-Hoon.


    ¡°It is a bit of a shame, though...¡±


    However, Se-Hoon knew that it would be foolish to not show disappointment in this kind of situation.


    ¡°I thought I could show something to those who ignored me...¡±


    ¡°There are people who ignore you?¡± asked a low voice from his side, their tone ominous.


    But Se-Hoon deliberately avoided giving the voice attention, instead just focusing on Ludwig¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    Taking a moment to ponder Se-Hoon¡¯s words, Ludwig seemed to have decided on something before nodding.


    ¡°It <i>would </i>be somewhat improper to just ignore your achievements. Do you have anything you need?¡±


    ¡°Anything...?¡±


    ¡°You heard me. Tell me whatever you need; it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll try topensate you for the fame you would have gained.¡±


    Though his proposal was extremely vague, the fact that it came from Babel¡¯s chairman, a Perfect One, made it far more creditable.


    <i>The fame I would have gained, you say...</i>


    Knowing that Ludwig must have some calctions in mind, Se-Hoon started with the easiest request after organizing the list of things he needed in his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to research the taste of equipment that Dean Ryu Eun-Ha perceives. Could you approve that?¡±


    ¡°Oh.... With Dean Ryu?¡±


    Seeing Ludwig looking at her, trying to verify the truth, Eun-Ha nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°So, this young man has managed to make something to your taste?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t say for sure yet, but... it was the closest among all of the equipment I¡¯ve tasted.¡±


    At her response, Ludwig smiled brightly.


    ¡°Then of course we must research it. I¡¯ll approve this request independently of the current matter. Next?¡±


    Hearing that it wouldn¡¯t be counted as part of thepensation, Se-Hoon celebrated internally and moved on to the next request.


    ¡°I¡¯d like the uing extermination practical location to be the ck Lotus Seas.¡±


    Surprised by the request, Ludwig asked, ¡°This is an unexpected request. Do you have a reason for it?¡±


    ¡°I think I can earn the fame I missed out on this time here.¡±


    Of course, his real intention was to acquire the special material hidden there, but there was no need to say that.


    Seemingly understanding, Ludwig nodded.


    ¡°Asking for an opportunity rather thanpensation... that¡¯s not a bad choice. Next?¡±


    Though Se-Hoon thought it would be quite a burdensome request, given its impact on the curriculum, it seemed like it wasn¡¯t a big deal to Ludwig.


    Now encouraged by Ludwig¡¯s generosity so far, Se-Hoon moved on to his main request.


    ¡°I need the Southern me Feather, the Vermilion Bird¡¯s feather.¡±


    This Hero material was the final material he needed for the forging of the memory device that he had been putting off due to iplete preparations and designs.


    <i>I hope he actually has one.</i>


    While Dream Ivory and Inkstone Ore had both been rare enough on their own, a Southern me Feather was in a different league entirely.


    Firstly, the material itself was a drop from the S-tier magical beast Vermilion Bird. Moreover, its properties made it particrly troublesome to acquire.


    Even if one somehow managed to defeat the beast, its whole body would suddenly ignite, evaporating ny percent of its physical form.


    <i>I heard that its feathers are almost never recovered...</i>


    It was such a rare material that even Se-Hoon had never seen it before.


    He had just asked out of hope, thinking that Luiwg might actually possess one.


    ¡°Southern me Feather, you say.... Wait a moment.¡±


    Ludwig waved his hand through the air nonchntly.


    <i>Click-</i>


    And just like before, a golden keyhole appeared in the air, rotated ny degrees, and then split vertically.


    From the white void that appeared, something began to stir, and soon an item fell out.


    <i>Thud-</i>


    A neatly cut, rectangr crystal appeared, housing a palm-sized red gemstone inside. Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Could it be...?¡±


    ¡°You may take a look.¡±


    Examining the information message of the crystal that Ludwig pushed over to him, he wore a slightly tense expression.


    <strong>[<u>Southern me Feather</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[The feather of a Vermillion Bird that rules over fire.</strong>


    <strong>It contains powerful fire mana and has the power to resist psychic interference.</strong>


    <strong>*Increases fire resistance.</strong>


    <strong>*Increases resistance to psychic attacks]</strong>


    ¡°...¡±


    Whaty right in front of Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes was a perfectly preserved Southern me Feather.


    Seeing how Ludwig had nonchntly offered an ultra-rare material, Se-Hoon immediately revised his opinion of Ludwig¡¯s ability.


    <i>There¡¯s something fishy about him... I should keep him close.</i>


    Who could possibly be more important to a cksmith than a dealer or customer who provided him with the necessary materials?


    Noticing Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes sparkling at the sight of the feather, Ludwig asked calmly, ¡°Is the quality sufficient enough?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. It¡¯s enough. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    With this feather, Se-Hoon could now forge the equipment that would aid in examining his pre-regression memories. He waspletely satisfied with the appropriate trade.


    ¡°So, what next?¡±


    But it seemed like Ludwig was not, as he asked again with a gentle smile.


    ¡°...Pardon?¡±


    ¡°What else do you need?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon blinked multiple times at Ludwig¡¯s question.


    The Southern me Feather alone was already easily worth billions, yet Ludwig was still offering morepensation...?


    Deciding to just ept after a moment of contemtion, Se-Hoon proposed his next request.


    ¡°Do you happen to have a Dragon Lung Stone?¡±


    This was something he needed to upgrade the Hero-tier tool, the ck me Hammer, which he won in a bet with Jake.


    Originally, he had been considering asking Sung-Ha since it was a difficult material to obtain. However, he felt like Ludwig, who had nonchntly provided an ultra-rare material like the Southern me Feather, would be able to easily provide him with one.


    <i>Thud-</i>


    Quickly confirming his expectation, a dark red ore soon fell onto the desk. Pushing it to the edge of the desk again, Ludwig calmly spoke.


    ¡°Take a look.¡±


    <strong>[<u>Dragon Lung Stone</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Excellent]</strong>


    <strong>[An ore that can umte fire mana.</strong>


    <strong>If the internal mana is stimted in a certain direction, it can release the stored fire mana in one go.</strong>


    <strong>*Can store and release fire mana]</strong>


    ¡°Ho...¡±


    With just a nce, he knew that this was enough to upgrade the ck me Hammer.


    Seeing the two Hero materials, Se-Hoon was satisfied with what he had obtained.


    ¡°...?¡±


    But for some reason, Ludwig was still smiling and staring quietly at him. He seemed like he was waiting for Se-Hoon to continue.


    ¡°Next?¡±


    Hearing that, Se-Hoon was immediately prompted to correct his opinion of Ludwig.


    He was a very, very, <i>very</i>, nice person, one that was rare to find in this harsh world.

 Chapter 59

    <h4>Chapter 59</h4>


    ¡°For now, I will only ept this much.¡±


    Faced with Ludwig¡¯s seemingly endless offer topensate him, Se-Hoon decided to stop with the Dragon Lung Stone. He had already secured every item he urgently needed, and considering what Ludwig was capable of, it seemed wise to save the chances forter.


    <i>He must have set some standards for me, but as my value increases, so should those standards and the likenesses of receiving more from him.</i>


    Plus, having an excuse to meet him privatelyter to receive the leftoverpensation wasn¡¯t a bad thing.


    ¡°I might forget over time, so try to collect the remainder as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Then, you may go back and rest now.¡±


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    The moment Ludwig¡¯s gaze fell on Se-Hoon, Se-Hoon¡¯s entire body vanished from the office, just like how he was summoned.


    Checking that he had safely returned to his hospital bed, Ludwig withdrew his senses and looked at Eun-Ha.


    ¡°As I mentioned earlier, I¡¯ll use the cover story that you were attacked by a demon. It might be bothersome, but if you get interview requests, try to amodate them a bit. You can name... the ones you usually don¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°And for the research budget... let¡¯s start with around one billion for now. As it¡¯s only for you and that friend to use, the other professors mightin if I allocate too much.¡±


    It was true that it was a smaller amount than the research grants professors usually received, but it wasn¡¯t much of a problem. When considering that, in reality, only Se-Hoon alone would be using it, that was especially true. Besides, if he were to produce results, the budget and funding could be increased indefinitelyter.


    Affirming that the conditions were not bad, Eun-Ha nodded.


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    ¡°Good luck. It might be the path that¡¯ll lead you to be a Perfect One.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Hearing that, Eun-Ha silently stared forward.


    Perfect One was a title and mark of aplishment granted only to those who were a step higher than S-rank heroes and had ascended to the top of a Tower of Heroes. To her, that title was something she felt close to yet immensely distant from.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best,¡± she answered calmly.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    Bowing, she turned around to leave the office, but she suddenly turned around and looked at Ludwig.


    ¡°Chairman.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°My eyes were on Lee Se-Hoon first.¡±


    Caught off guard by her sudden statement, Ludwig stared nkly at her before chuckling and asking, ¡°So, what do you wish to propose?¡±


    ¡°...I just wanted you to know.¡±


    Leaving behind that evasive answer, she vacated the room. With no one left in the office besides Ludwig, a low voice echoed from beyond the white hole.


    ¡°Even that chunk of metal knows how to be greedy.¡±


    Hearing the sarcasm, Ludwig nodded.


    ¡°Indeed. I never thought that, out of all the professors, Dean Ryu would be the one giving me a warning.¡±


    ¡°Be careful. From the way it¡¯s growling at you already, it might even try to bite with just a little provocation.¡±


    Had he pushed a contract and promised Se-Hoon funding instead of just stopping atpensation, Eun-Ha wouldn¡¯t have just watched silently.


    Ludwig recalled how Eun-Ha had blocked the way while he was talking with Se-Hoon and let out a smallugh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s not at that point yet.¡±


    ¡°You truly have an iprehensible hobby.... Anyway, which side do you think was involved in this?¡±


    Immediately erasing his smile upon hearing the voice¡¯s question, Ludwig answered, ¡°It must be Exuviation. That dungeon was probably a ce where they were conducting their research. They seem to have used Wurgen¡¯s body part as a linchpin.¡±


    ¡°To think they imnted the body part of a Perfect One into a monster to elerate its awakening... their technology keeps advancing.¡±


    Despite the fact that this incident would cause a tremendous uproar if publicly announced, Ludwig had felt no particr feelings about it. As the leader of Babel, an educational institution and a giant researchb, he would have eventually encountered those who were a part of this realm anyway.


    ¡°It does seem a bit too early though...¡±


    ¡°Then, what will you do?¡± the voice asked, sounding a bit higher than usual. It seemed to be expecting something.


    ¡°It would be best to take care of it once.¡±


    Seemingly answering that expectation, Ludwig vanished from the office leaving that calm reply, and the white hole disappeared along with him as if it had never been there.


    From that day on,ndslides and building copses of unknown origin urred all around the world.


    ***


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    Waking up from a nap after returning, Se-Hoon immediately checked his body condition.


    His entire body felt like it was being pricked by needles, his bones ached, and his joints creaked as if they were being wrung out.


    He could only sigh upon feeling the horrible pain in every part of his body.


    <i>Still... this isn¡¯t too bad.</i>


    Painful as it was, a wound without pain was far more frightening. In that sense, this level of injury was manageable, but no matter what he said, those around him wouldn¡¯t listen.


    <i>Maybe I should have asked for an elixir from Ludwig...</i>


    With the right elixir, he could have used Soul Honing to instantly treat himself. With that thought, he began to seriously ponder whether to save the reward or shorten the six weeks of recovery time.


    <i>Knock knock-</i>


    ¡°Hey. Are you asleep?¡±


    He suddenly heard a casual knock and a quiet voice. Recognizing the owner, he sat up.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door opened as soon as he gave permission and a girl with silver hair¡ªLuize¡ªcame in holding a ck stic bag.


    ¡°What did youe here for?¡±


    ¡°I came because I heard you were attacked by a demon and were injured,¡± she answered without hesitation.


    Sitting down on the chair next to his bed, she looked over his body from head to toe.


    ¡°But you look better than I thought? I heard you were badly injured...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, badly injured? This is practically nothing.¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon, who, apart from the bandages, seemed to have no injuries at all, she grew puzzled.


    ¡°Really? Professor An wouldn¡¯t have restrained you here for six weeks without a reason though...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. I just have some torn muscles, slight cracks in my bones, and slightly weakened mana circuits.¡±


    ¡°Which parts?¡±


    ¡°Every part.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Staring quietly at him for a moment, Luize wore a bitter expression and murmured, ¡°I was wondering where you were injured, and it seems it was your head after all...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry, and just eat this. It¡¯s your favorite, Jason cherries.¡±


    Seeing how she held out the ck stic bag with Jason cherries and spoke gently, Se-Hoon¡¯s face was full of disbelief. It was hard for him to adapt to how different she was.


    <i>Back in the day, she would¡¯ve just spat on me, saying it would heal.</i>


    On one hand, he was pleased to see that she hadn¡¯t be twisted, yet on the other hand, he was disappointed that there was no one to empathize with his nostalgia.


    As he ate the cherries whilementing, Luize cautiously asked about his condition again.


    ¡°So... you¡¯re not seriously injured, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. Are you that worried?¡±


    ¡°Worried? What¡¯s there to worry about? I was just curious, that¡¯s all. You make it sound so strange...¡± she grumbled, annoyed.


    Quietly watching her, Se-Hoon slightly lifted the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°Really? But I heard from Professor An that he was tired of you nagging about whether I was okay.¡±


    ¡°What?! I told him not to tell anyone about that, yet he already...!¡±


    Midway into her reflexive shout, she suddenly widened her eyes, realizing something. Soon, her neck began to turn red.


    ¡°You... you...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. If anyone, it should be me you should be worried about.¡±


    After all, he had helped her through tough times in the hospital and had taught her Incantation Magic that suited her aptitude. It was only human to worry a bit about their benefactor, wasn¡¯t it?


    Satisfied by her reaction, he nodded. At that moment, he suddenly remembered a method he often used before the regression.


    ¡°Ah, perfect timing actually. Say you want me to get better quickly using Incantation Magic. The more sincere it is, the better it works.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m the patient here, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Trembling slightly, her eyes glowed blue as she clenched her fists.


    <i>Knock knock-</i>


    ¡°I¡¯ming in.¡±


    But before Luize could do anything, the door burst open without even waiting for a response to the tidy knock.


    The one that walked in was a young man with ck hair and a blunt expression¡ªSung-Ha. Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°What? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I came after hearing that you were injured,¡± Sung-Ha replied indifferently.


    Then, acting like there was no other reason to be there, he approached and examined Se-Hoon from head to toe.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be that injured. Aren¡¯t you being a bit of a crybaby?¡±


    To others, his tone could be interpreted as him trying to pick a fight, but Se-Hoon responded with a brightened expression, seemingly having been waiting for someone to say that.


    ¡°Right? I said I was fine, yet they still won¡¯t discharge me...¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee to the hospital in the first ce. From now on, don¡¯t you dare get treatment unless you¡¯re on the verge of death.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the same.¡±


    Looking at the two of them, who seemed to be in perfect agreement, Luize couldn¡¯t help but wear a peculiar expression.


    <i>Am I the odd one here...? </i>She was baffled by the absurdity of their conversation.


    Meanwhile, Sung-Ha took out a small booklet and handed it to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Take it.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯vepiled a list of items you might need.¡±


    Hearing his exnation, Se-Hoon briefly flipped through the booklet. It was a catalog listing various elixirs and equipment that aid the body, all of remarkable quality, leaving Se-Hoon quite surprised.


    ¡°What? Am I supposed to choose from these?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll pay for my debt with that.¡±


    ¡°Thanks... wait, what?¡±


    Upon the unexpected answer, Se-Hoon became puzzled.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t this a get-well-soon gift?¡±


    ¡°No, I just came here to settle an unpaid debt. Anyway, you must have a rough idea of what you need by now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± He looked at Se-Hoon as if questioning what the issue was.


    Se-Hoon sighed in resignation.


    ¡°Of course...¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t be Yeom Sung-Ha if he actually brought a get-well-soon gift. It made more sense that he had taken this as a chance to settle a debt instead.


    Se-Hoon wondered how he should deal with Sung-Ha.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you just leave right now?¡±


    But before he could figure it out, Luize, who had been watching from the side, spoke up, staring at Sung-Ha with an annoyed expression.


    ¡°If you want to sell stuff, go and sell it at a market stall. Don¡¯te all the way to the hospital to be annoying.¡± She openly disyed her hostility.


    In response to her fierce tone, Sung-Ha turned to look at her and asked calmly, ¡°Are you Luize Valente?¡±


    ¡°So what if I am?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Scrutinizing her from head to toe, he muttered in a deted voice, ¡°You¡¯re not very strong.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Be quiet and leave the room. This is none of your business.¡±


    Losing interest in her, he spoke dismissively, not even bothering to look at her. Upon his tant disregard, her eyes turned cold.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said I don¡¯t want to. Are you deaf?¡±


    She red at him, her lips twisted in disdain.


    ¡°Who are you to tell me to leave? Ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°...Presumptuous.¡±


    ¡°At least I¡¯m not rude like you.¡±


    As the conversation went on, the temperature in the room seemed to drop and the air was filled with a dangerous tension. It felt like a fight might break out at any moment.


    Yet instead of doing something, Se-Hoon just watched with a fascinated expression, ignoring the charged atmosphere.


    <i>These two... the way their personalities are ipatible with each other is the same as before.</i>


    He had always thought that their shes in the past were because of their messed up personalities, but he now realized that it was simply because their inherent natures didn¡¯t mesh.


    <i>Though, whenpared to before the regression, they¡¯re both rtively polite.</i>


    If they were still the Mad Dog and the st Dog, they would have already thrown punches at each other.


    Wondering when things would escte, Se-Hoon continued watching with interest.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Ah, huh? Why is the door open... Yeom Sung-Ha sunbae?¡±


    Entering through the door left open by Sung-Ha, the unexpected arrival of Erika and Jake slightly eased the previously tense atmosphere.


    ¡°Did youe to visit?¡± Se-Hoon looked at them in surprise.


    ¡°We heard you were seriously injured... but what happened here?¡±


    Sensing the unusual atmosphere in the room, Jake nced around cautiously. Unlike Jake, however, Erika strode forward, positioning herself between Luize and Sung-Ha.


    She had inserted herself without paying attention to either of them, causing both their brows to furrow slightly.


    ¡°Here. A get-well-soon gift.¡±


    She handed Se-Hoon a wooden box she had brought. The box¡¯s elegant and unusual appearance caught his eye, prompting a curious expression.


    ¡°This is a get-well-soon gift?¡±


    ¡°Yes, open it.¡±


    Following her suggestion, he carefully opened the wooden box.


    Inside was a small pill with the appearance of yin and yang. The extraordinary aura it emitted caught his attention, and he immediately checked the information message.


    <strong>[<u>Yin-Yang Pill</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A miraculous pill that holds yin and yang mana in perfect bnce.</strong>


    <strong>It specializes in stimting body regeneration, and its power can be amplified based on the affinity with the elemental attribute of the wielder¡¯s mana.</strong>


    <strong>However, caution is needed when consumed by those with elemental mana attributes that have no affinity with yin and yang mana, as there may be a conflict.</strong>


    <strong>*Stimtes body regeneration</strong>


    <strong>*Amplifies elemental mana that has an affinity with yin and yang mana]</strong>


    She had given him a difficult-to-acquire Hero elixir, the Yin-Yang Pill, which was known for its exceptional versatility and effectiveness.


    Looking at Erika, who was proudly presenting the valuable gift, Se-Hoon spoke up.


    ¡°Is this really a get-well-soon gift?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re not going to ask me to pay for it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t do petty things like that.¡±


    At her firm response, Se-Hoon briefly nced at Sung-Ha, whose expression had hardened, perhaps finally realizing that he had made a mistake. In the meantime, Jake also approached and handed over a ck box.


    ¡°I... brought something too.¡±


    Upon receiving the box from him, Se-Hoon immediately opened it to find a palm-sized ck jelly. At first nce, it resembled a slime, but inside it, he saw dense clouds of darkness mana.


    <i>Isn¡¯t this...</i>


    He quickly checked the information message.


    <strong>[<u>Shadow Ether</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Rare] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[Ether refined from darkness mana.</strong>


    <strong>It helps rapidly recover weakened darkness mana and enhances its sensitivity.</strong>


    <strong>*Recovers darkness mana and increases its sensitivity]</strong>


    <i>Shadow Ether... at this quality, I might even be able to use this to fully awaken my darkness mana attribute.</i>


    He had been considering fully awakening his darkness mana attribute soon, and this material seemed perfectly suited for the task. Seeing how Se-Hoon was pleased, Jake smiled.


    ¡°I heard it¡¯s hard to treat injuries inflicted by mana of the darkness mana attribute, so I went looking for this. How is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing. You¡¯re not going to ask me to pay you, right?¡±


    ¡°That sort of thing... well... I usually wouldn¡¯t do it, right?¡±


    ncing at Sung-Ha, Jake was cautious with his answer, seemingly understanding what was going on.


    Now shifting his gaze slightly to Sung-Ha, Se-Hoon asked, ¡°Anything you learned from them?¡±


    At this point, one would probably assume Sung-Ha had understood what he did wrong.


    However, upon hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s question, Sung-Ha looked at Se-Hoon quietly before his expression hardened. Then, he leaned in closer. With a grave voice, he whispered into Se-Hoon¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way they¡¯d give away items like those for free. It¡¯s likely that they have some scheme in mind.¡±


    Seeing the seriously concerned expression on Sung-Ha¡¯s face, it seemed he was offering Se-Hoon some advice from the bottom of his heart.


    And upon hearing Sung-Ha¡¯s sincerity, Se-Hoon wore a big smile on his face and patted Sung-Ha¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    And with that, Sung-Ha was ushered out of the room alone.

 Chapter 60

    <h4>Chapter 60</h4>


    ¡°Stupid fool...¡± Sung-Ha muttered discontentedly, leaving the hospital room.


    Se-Hoon frowned as he watched Sung-Ha leave.


    <i>So he was still a bit paranoid when he was young.</i>


    Sung-Ha¡¯s personality led him to doubt first if something didn¡¯t seem rational to him. And while such a mindset wasn¡¯t bad, Sung-Ha, or more precisely, the Mad Dog, took it to the extreme, making it problematic.


    <i>I remember how it took him three years to drink the water I gave him.</i>


    Before that, Sung-Ha would either pierce through the water bottles Se-Hoon threw at him with a spear or cause a ruckus over how Se-Hoon was trying to assassinate him.


    <i>His personality seems much better than in his Mad Dog days, but... it seems I still need to sort it out considering what happened just now.</i>


    It didn¡¯t matter if Sung-Ha just screwed up on his own, but it would be quite troublesome if, like just now, he tried to intervene when others approached Se-Hoon in the name of helping.


    With that thought, he began pondering over how to deal with Sung-Ha¡¯s paranoia.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too close to Yeom Sung-Ha.¡±


    But before he could think too much about it, Erika, sitting on the bed, calmly spoke up.


    ¡°His position has be more precarious now that he has be a sessor candidate. You could be swept into the me Sect¡¯s power struggle if you¡¯re not careful.¡±


    ¡°Really...? You think they¡¯d bother me just because I know him?¡±


    ¡°They will,¡± Erika answered promptly, a serious on her face.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past the current sect master, Lee Won-Ryong.¡±


    Regardless of whether Sung-Ha was studying in Babel or not, Lee Won-Ryong was someone who would go to great lengths to eliminate him if he thought Sung-Ha was an obstacle.


    Upon hearing her assessment, Se-Hoon reconsidered his thoughts about Lee Won-Ryong.


    ¡°I did hear about how sly he was, but... it seems he¡¯s beyond what I imagined.¡±


    Thinking about how the many changes he brought to this timeline might change the course of events, he knew he needed to be more cautious. Once he came to such a conclusion, he looked at Erika.


    ¡°In that case, could you tell me if he seems dangerous?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing how, despite her warning to not get too close, he still seemed to have no intention of giving up, she couldn¡¯t help but wear a peculiar expression.


    <i>Does Yeom Sung-Ha hold that much value to him?</i>


    Though Sung-Ha was recognized as an outstanding prospect by the public, the hero society was a bit wary of him because of his position within the me Sect. Just getting close to him even slightly could lead to someone misunderstanding that they were nning on meddling internally, which would be troublesome.


    Yet, despite knowing that, Se-Hoon still intended to take Sung-Ha under his wing.


    Erika quickly pondered over his intentions beforeing to a decision.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Although getting involved in the power struggles of the me Sect could be bothersome, it was worth it if Se-Hoon had judged that it was worth the risk.


    ¡°But don¡¯t forget to forge my equipment as soon as possible.¡±


    Because she could also use that to her advantage.


    Hearing her condition, Se-Hoon readily nodded.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    The Yin-Yang Pill she brought this time was also a down payment for her equipment, which they had discussed before. And if she were to provide information about the me Sect on top of that, then there was nothing he couldn¡¯t do for her.


    ¡°Ah. You can have some, too. Enjoy them to your heart¡¯s content.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon taking a handful of Jason cherries from the bag and handing them to Erika, Luize¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°I did buy those for <i>you</i> to eat, not her.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they mine once you give them to me.... What, do you want some too?¡±


    ¡°No thanks. To think that you¡¯re smiling like a fool just because you got something expensive...¡± she grumbled, full of dissatisfaction. Luize nced away, only to meet Erika¡¯s eyes as if Erika had been waiting for it.


    ¡°...¡±


    <i>Munch munch-</i>


    Erika was eating the cherries smugly while staring intently at her.


    Seeing that, Luize¡¯s eyes twitched and she gnashed her teeth at the provocation, which was fully transparent in its intent.


    ¡°That darn Hero elixir... just you wait...¡± she growled in frustration.


    Ignoring her growl, Se-Hoon looked at Jake.


    ¡°By the way, did something happen to you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that... you seem a bit gaunt.¡±


    Se-Hoon had noticed that Jake¡¯s face had obviously paled and thinned out, which puzzled him. Upon realizing what Se-Hoon meant, Jake forced a smile.


    ¡°Ah. Actually... I came because I have something to consult with you.¡±


    ¡°Consult?¡±


    But instead of replying, Jake nced at Louize and Erika. Quickly understanding the hint, Se-Hoon looked at the both of them.


    ¡°Can both of you step outside for a moment?¡±


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>...¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After the two left, he immediately asked Jake, ¡°Is there a problem with the Core of the Water Golem?¡±


    If Jake hade to find him this soon, then it could only be that.


    However, Jake shook his head at Se-Hoon¡¯s question.


    ¡°The Core of the Water Golem itself is fine. It seems to be assimting properly.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the issue?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s consuming too much blood.... With the amount I¡¯ve been giving it every day, it¡¯s bing difficult to manage. That¡¯s why I came to see if there¡¯s any way to deal with it.¡±


    Hearing Jake¡¯s story, which was told with a voice full of fatigue, Se-Hoon became bewildered.


    ¡°How much blood is it consuming, exactly?¡±


    Although the amount of blood needed for assimtion could increase depending on one¡¯s character, it shouldn¡¯t require an amount that would make one look gaunt in only a few days.


    ¡°About one liter a day, I think.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes widened.


    Given that Jake was about 170 centimeters tall, his blood volume would roughly only be around three liters. And yet he was using about a third of it every day for the assimtion process.


    If Jake weren¡¯t the honor student of Aqar Quf, looking gaunt might have been the least of his problems; an ordinary person would have faced serious health issues already.


    <i>But why? It shouldn¡¯t possibly be consuming that much.</i>


    Before the regression, the most blood used in an assimtion process was about three hundred milliliters per day. So the fact that Jake had to give three times that amount clearly indicated that the issue wasn¡¯t because of Jake¡¯s character¡ªthere had to be another reason.


    ¡°Do you have a photo?¡±


    ¡°I took a video.¡±


    Receiving the phone from Jake, Se-Hoon immediately yed the video.


    He watched as Jake dripped an enormous amount of blood into the magic stone liquid, which then seeped into the Core of the Water Golem thaty submerged inside. To make it easier, it seemed Jake had made a cut on the back of his hand instead of his fingertip.


    Trying to catch what the problem was, he examined the video closely. And what he discovered shocked him.


    <i>Huh? The magic array has changed, and it¡¯s gotten smaller.</i>


    The magic array that he had etched himself now had additional red lines to it. But what was more important was that the core¡¯s size had reduced by about five percent of its size from a few days ago.


    Normally, such changes with something as delicate as the Core of a Water Golem would result in the assimtion process halting altogether, but it was still progressing without any issues. It even seemed like the quality had improved somewhat.


    ¡°These red strokes in the magic array here, did you add these?¡±


    ¡°No way. I just did as I was told and gave it my blood.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Is that so...¡±


    If Jake hadn¡¯t meddled with it, then there was only one exnation for the current situation: the core had altered the magic array and undergone a mutation on its own.


    <i>Since the materials themselves have no such ability, it must be his blood that¡¯s causing it...</i>


    Sessfully identifying the cause, he nced at Jake, who was waiting for his response.


    <i>I never imagined he would have a constitution for mutations.</i>


    He had a special constitution where one¡¯s body would mutate due to the influence of their skills, mana circuits, mana attributes, and other such things. It was an extremely rare case, even among heroes.


    <i>In that case, the core shrinking should be somehow rted to his unique skill.... This is getting quite interesting.</i>


    Upon learning that fact, Se-Hoon quickly realized that it could lead to something beyond his initial expectations. He returned the phone and exined what he had discovered to Jake.


    ¡°I never imagined that I would have a constitution for mutation,¡± Jake said, astounded.


    ¡°Since the effects appeared over a long period of time, it was probably hard to notice. If you hadn¡¯t begun the assimtion process, you might have never known.¡±


    Considering there was no mention of Jake having a constitution for mutations before the regression, it was possible that he could have died without ever knowing.


    ¡°Well, for now, the maturation is proceeding correctly, so there¡¯s no need to worry. If anything, the sword will only turn out better, not worse.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Jake¡¯s eyes sparkled at the prospect of a better sword being forged, and seeing that, Se-Hoon gently patted his shoulders.


    ¡°But for that, there¡¯s something more you need to do...¡±


    ¡°What is it? I¡¯ll do anything that I can!¡±


    At Jake¡¯s eagerness, Se-Hoon put on a wry expression.


    ¡°Looking at the video, it seems it would be better to spend a bit more time maturing it. How about another two weeks?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Immediately upon hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s suggestion, Jake¡¯s eyelids began trembling.


    He was already exhausted from giving blood every day while dealing with sses and assignments, yet Se-Hoon was suggesting that the period should be extended? The thought of questioning the sanity of the suggestion rose up, but he couldn''t bring himself to voice it.


    <i>A better sword...</i>


    Considering that his swords would likely have to be forged this way from now on, perhaps it would be better to get used to it from the start. He steeled himself and looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯lle to check on it whenever I have time, so keep working on it steadily until then.¡±


    While Se-Hoon could somewhat tell with just a look, there was nothing like seeing and touching to know for sure.


    Jake nodded at his words.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then, is that everything?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... ah, wait a minute. Just a moment.¡±


    Stopping Se-Hoon from calling out to the girls who were waiting outside, Jake stopped him upon remembering something.


    ¡°There was something I needed to tell you, but it slipped my mind.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Before replying, Jake put on a serious expression.


    ¡°The Noblesse. The date has been set.¡±


    ***


    In the evening, after everyone had left, Se-Hoony in bed, deep in thought.


    <i>The Noblesse social gathering...</i>


    The Noblesse was a gathering of elite students with prestigious backgrounds in the hero industry and the talented students chosen by them.


    Although it was simply called a social gathering among the students, it was essentially a miniature version of the hero industry, a ce vast and tied down by various connections.


    <i>I¡¯m not fond of these things, but... I guess I have to go.</i>


    It was a ce where future big shots gathered, so if he utilized his knowledge from before the regression wisely, he could possibly gain a significant advantage.


    <i>But to do that, I need to get out of this hospital first.</i>


    The gathering was scheduled for next Saturday. With only a week left, he needed to recover as quickly as possible.


    Thus, deciding to act on his decision, he immediately took out the Yin-Yang Pill and Shadow Ether he received from Erika and Jake respectively.


    <i>It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had to consume elixirs like this.</i>


    People often mistakenly believed that they would be stronger just by consuming elixirs, but in reality, it wasn¡¯t that simple. Even the slightest of oversights could cause a sh with the body¡¯s mana, leading to mana backflow or even altering the body¡¯s constitution, possibly twisting the skills they possessed. And that was just two out of the numerous side effects.


    <i>¡°We¡¯ll provide a professional support team for you. So don¡¯t take these elixirs until you¡¯ve recovered to some extent. You might actually die.¡±</i>


    Considering his body was currently as fragile as cracked ss, there was a high likelihood of problems urring even despite plenty of preparations. Erika had warned him multiple times because of that.


    In other words, if he had somemon sense, he wouldn¡¯t even think about consuming the elixirs.


    <i>Gulp-</i>


    However, he was someone who had lost hismon sense long ago.


    Upon swallowing the Yin-Yang pill, it evaporated instantly, and a heavy amount of mana descended towards his stomach, exploding throughout his body.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...!¡±


    Feeling as though a small bomb had detonated inside him, the sensation of being torn apart nearly consumed him. He immediately activated Soul Honing.


    While it was often said that moving and training the body when injured was dangerous, he thought differently.


    <i>Whether it''s the body or metal, it¡¯s always easier to make changes when it¡¯s in its vulnerable state. </i>


    The injuries he had sustained this time were the result of exerting more power than his physical abilities could handle. Thus, if he was able to do some proper refining, he could create an even more perfect body.


    <i>Crack-</i>


    Using the energy from the Yin-Yang Pill, his muscles and bones were torn and forcibly connected, forming the ideal physique he was envisioning.


    Although losing focus for even a moment could literally cause his body to explode, he continued without hesitation.


    <i>The muscles and bones areplete...!</i>


    With his physique adjusted, he directed the remaining energy into his mana circuits.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Acting like it had found fuel, his fire mana¡ªScarlet Lotus¡ªburned fiercely with the arrival of the immense energy of the Yin-Yang Pill.


    <i>Screech-</i>


    The Scarlet Lotus, heating up his weakened mana circuits, raced through his body at a terrifying speed. The movement of mana was so intense that the special bandages meant for mana suppression began to char. He bit down hard, enduring the pain.


    As the heat increased, his mana circuits became stronger and the power of his fire mana deepened.


    ¡°<i>Hmph</i>...!¡±


    Steam began to rise from various parts of his body as the mes of Scarlet Lotus, fueled by the energy from the Yin-Yang Pill, became fiercer without end. But then, suddenly, the mes began to wane.


    Confirming that the Yin mana, which Scarlet Lotus couldn¡¯t absorb, had reached its peak purity, he immediately swallowed the Shadow Ether he had holding in his mouth with his tongue.


    <i>Gulp-</i>


    Seeping into his organs, the Shadow Ether acted like it was trying to cling to them. And upon feeling its energy, Scarlet Lotus tried to resist fiercely. However, Se-Hoon had already previously created a new path for the Shadow Ether.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    Soon, a new mana circuit, separated from Scarlet Lotus, formed.


    With a nest for itself, the Shadow Ether naturally seeped deeper. Sensing this, Se-Hoon directed the pure Yin mana left behind by Scarlet Lotus toward it.


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    Absorbing the Yin mana, the Shadow Ether became thicker. In the meantime, the mes of Scarlet Lotus were reaching their peak temperature.


    Circting in their respective domains, the two types of elemental mana refined his physique ording to the blueprint he had envisioned.


    And when they reached their limits¡ª


    <i>ng-!</i>


    He struck down on hispleted physique with the hammer he envisioned in his mind.


    ¡°<i>Cough cough</i>! <i>Gasp</i>...¡±


    His ears still ringing with a high-pitched metal sound, he coughed relentlessly. Calming down a bit, he immediately grimaced at the indescribable stench of the ck smoke emanating from his mouth, the result of burning the umted waste within his body.


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>... still, it¡¯s better than before...¡±


    Before the regression, the amount of waste was so enormous that smoke emanated from his entire body. The smell of that smoke was so horrendous that he was actually kicked out of the workshop and banned from entry by his master for a month.


    Reminiscing about the old memories, he smiled slightly.


    <i>Snap-</i>


    Suddenly, the bandages wrapped around his body snapped and fell apart.


    It seemed they weren¡¯t able to withstand the turbulent movements of his mana during the refinement process. Deciding to take a look at his new body, he took off his hospital gown.


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    The shape of his muscles had be more defined, their structure now solidly intertwined¡ªit was the body of someone who had been training for years.


    <i>Is this... the power of money...?</i>


    His body which had been refined beyond expectation truly amazed him. Soon after, a cluster of notification messages popped up in front of him.


    <strong>[The effect of ¡®Soul Honing¡¯ significantly boosted all stats.]</strong>


    <strong>[The elemental mana ¡®Scarlet Lotus (E+)¡¯ has been enhanced to ¡®Scarlet me Wheel (D+)¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[Elemental mana ¡®Moon Shadow (D)¡¯ has been developed.]</strong>


    Seeing that his stats had been boosted once again, he immediately checked his updated stats.


    <strong>[Lee Se-Hoon]</strong>


    <strong>[Strength - C (168) Endurance - C (156)</strong>


    <strong>Mana - C (185) Agility - C (159)]</strong>


    ¡°Wow... this turned out really well.¡±


    All of his stats had increased by over fifty, each reaching C-rank. He was especially content that his mana stat, which used to particrly bother him, showed the most significant increase.


    He checked his elemental mana next.


    <strong>[Scarlet me Wheel]¡ºD+¡»</strong>


    <strong>[Self-circting scarlet fire mana. It specializes in melting metals and reduces consumption rates by controlling the flow of mes and circting them.]</strong>


    <strong>[Moon Shadow]¡ºD¡»</strong>


    <strong>[Shadow-like darkness mana that seeps under the moonlight. It specializes in eroding objects. While it doesn¡¯t have a dominant presence, it can project the properties of the target to some extent onto something else.]</strong>


    His second developed elemental mana, Moon Shadow, wasn¡¯t bad either; it waspatible with Scarlet me Wheel and seemed useful for the equipment he nned to forge.


    <i>The preparations are about finished.... All that¡¯s left is to find an assistant who¡¯ll help by my side.</i>


    He contemted whether to contact that know-it-all sunbae to introduce someone when he heard a sound.


    <i>Brr-</i>


    His phone lit up.


    Turning his head to check the message, he saw it was from someone perfect for the job.


    Lea udel: Finished.


    He chuckled at the amount of confidence in that single phrase.

 Chapter 61

    <h4>Chapter 61</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    Still in the hospitalte at night due to organizing some research materials, Professor An Jung-Wan was currently looking at the sight in front of him with a dazed expression.


    ¡°<i>Hmph</i>!¡±


    Right before his eyes was the recently admitted Se-Hoon, who was currently stretching out his body in a big ¡°X¡± shape, with only one hand on the ground for support.


    To an untrained eye, it would just look like a simple trick, but to Jung-Wan, it was something amazing since he had noticed one crucial fact.


    <i>To think he can perfectly maintain such a posture without using mana at all...</i>


    Since Se-Hoon was a student at Babel, it was expected that being able to support his body with one hand was something simple. However, doing so without using mana and still being stable was another story entirely. Such a thing was only possible if Se-Hoon¡¯s sense of bnce, understanding of his own body, and ability to perfectly control each muscle were all exceptional.


    <i>I knew he was extraordinary, but... I didn¡¯t expect him to be this exceptional.</i> He continued staring at Se-Hoon in amazement.


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon lightly pushed off the ground with his hand.


    <i>Twang-!</i>


    Soaring about one meter into the air, his body made an arc beforending cleanly back on the ground. Proud of his new physical abilities, Se-Hoon looked at Jung-Wan.


    ¡°How was it?¡±


    ¡°...It does seem certain that there¡¯s no need for you to be treated further. I¡¯ll arrange your discharge; you can pack up your stuff.¡±


    Originally, Jung-Wan had dismissed it as nonsense when Se-Hoon asked to be discharged, but after seeing the proof with his own eyes, there was nothing more for him to say.


    Hearing that he finally got permission, Se-Hoon nodded slightly to Jung-Wan.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me for doing my job. But...¡±


    Finishing onest examination of Se-Hoon¡¯s body, he became curious.


    ¡°Did you say you were able to recover by using a healing skill and an elixir?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Could you tell me what skill it was?¡±


    If it was a skill that aided the user when consuming an elixir and left no side effects even when one was weakened, then it wouldn¡¯t be an ordinary skill. Deeply interested, Jung-Wan patiently waited for Se-Hoon to finish thinking.


    ¡°It¡¯s a B-tier skill called Mind and Body Refinement.¡±


    Since Soul Honing was a skill unique to him and his master, he knew that revealing it now would likely lead toplications. As such, he decided to respond with a skill known to have a simr effect.


    ¡°The Mind and Body Refinement skill? You used that to consume the elixirs?¡± Jung-Wan asked, his eyes widening in surprise upon hearing what Se-Hoon said.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°Huh...¡± The answer filled Jung-Wan with disbelief.


    The B-tier skill, Mind and Body Refinement, was a physical maniption skill focused on refining one¡¯s body, just like the name implied. It aided the user when they used elixirs for healing purposes.


    However, the catch was that it was very difficult to pull off. Unlike other skills, the user had to directly control the entire process when using Mind and Body Refinement.


    <i>He would need to have not only a perfect understanding of the body but mastery over the elixir¡ªunderstanding its ingredients and how it works¡ªas well. Having such a level of expertise is challenging even for a second-year student¡ªno, even for the top-ranking third-year of the Department of Regenerative Medicine.</i>


    Thinking about the potential of the students he taught, Jung-Wan looked at Se-Hoon after an idea came to him.


    ¡°Have you ever considered taking the Physical Evolution course?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°I teach that course myself. I think it will be greatly beneficial if you want to master Mind and Body Refinement.¡±


    Hearing the full offer, Se-Hoon instantly became uninterested.


    <i>I¡¯ve already learned enough about that field of study because of Soul Honing...</i>


    He would have considered taking it if it were something he hadn¡¯t dabbled in yet. However, on the flip side, if it was something he was already familiar with, then he saw no point in taking it.


    He was about to decline the offer, but Jung-Wan caught on to his reluctance and proposed something else before Se-Hoon could.


    ¡°How about being a teaching assistant then?¡±


    ¡°A teaching assistant?¡±


    It was already astonishing enough that he would entrust such a role to a first-year student, and yet he was entrusting it to a first-year who wasn¡¯t even from the Department of Regenerative Medicine; Se-Hoon¡¯s Department of cksmithing wasn¡¯t even rted at all.


    However, Jung-Wan confirmed with a nod without hesitation.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to conduct a lesson on elixirs soon, and I want to show the students a good example. With your proficiency in Mind and Body Refinement, I think you could handle the role without any problems.¡±


    He was basically asking Se-Hoon to consume elixirs in front of other students and demonstrate how they worked. Put nicely, he was asking for help with demonstrations; put cynically, he was asking Se-Hoon to be ab rat.


    It was a daunting request considering the risks associated with elixirs, even with precautionary measures in ce.


    ¡°I n on using five different types of Rare elixirs for the ss. And if you ept, I¡¯ll prepare materials of equivalent value as a token of gratitude. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Call me whenever.¡±


    To Se-Hoon, who could handle elixirs with his eyes closed, it was an irresistible offer.


    ***


    Havingpleted his discharge procedures, Se-Hoon arrived at a secluded spot in a small park near the dormitory of Borsippa. He sat down on a bench and recalled his conversation with Jung-Wan.


    <i>Five Rare elixirs, huh...</i>


    Though Rare elixirs couldn¡¯t match up to the Hero-tier Yin-Yang Pill that he had recently consumed, the ones Jung-Wan was nning to use might be able to offerparable benefits depending on their type.


    To Se-Hoon, it was a good opportunity to fix his physical abilities which were still among the lower-to-mid tier among the students his year, so he eagerly epted.


    Still, a part of him couldn¡¯t help but wonder, <i>What is he really up to?</i>


    As a cksmith who had met countless people before the regression, he was able to vaguely figure out what kind of person someone was from just a short conversation with them.


    He was able to tell who was on his side despite their rudeness, who wasn¡¯t on his side despite their politeness, who was thinking about bing a potential client, and other such things.


    Using that ability, he just now figured out that Jung-Wan was exuding the aura of a potential client.


    <i>Considering what Luize said, he seems to be quite the figure in Askus... so why is he entrusting the teaching assistant role to a student?</i>


    There were only two possibilities he could think of¡ªeither Jung-Wan held him in high regard, or it was a task that couldn¡¯t be entrusted to an ordinary cksmith.


    He sat there pondering the difficult-to-guess reason.


    <i>Pzzzt!</i>


    Suddenly, the streetlight above him sparked and went out. Then, the surrounding lights also turned off, one by one, plunging the area around the bench into darkness.


    Experiencing the sudden situation, Se-Hoon quickly squinted his eyes and began scanning the surroundings. At that moment, something swiftly flew out from the bushes in the distance toward him without any warning.


    <i>Thwack!</i>


    Missing him, a dark-colored dagger embedded itself in the tree behind the bench he was sitting on. It was hard to see it clearly in the dark due to its matte finish, but its size and sound were somewhat familiar.


    <i>Isn¡¯t that...</i>


    The moment he figured out where it was that he had seen the dagger, more quickly began shooting toward him from beyond the bushes.


    <i>Thud, thud, thud!</i>


    In the blink of an eye, ten knives were embedded in the tree. Each impact had shaken the tree violently, causing leaves to fall. But right before those leaves were about to fall on his head, someone¡¯s mana swiftly traveled the previously invisible thread tied to the handle of one of the daggers.


    Soon after, white gear-like patterns began to shine on the knives with the influx of mana. The patterns, seemingly interlocking, swiftly circted the mana, slowly changing the daggers¡¯ properties. Now, they seemed sharp enough to cut with just a look.


    Looking closely, the aura, which was being concentrated at the end of the thread, that was forming had a familiar white glow.


    <i>Shing!</i>


    As if proving its sharpness, every leaf that brushed past a dagger for even a second was sliced into dozens of pieces.


    <i>Flutter-</i>


    Feeling the cut leaves falling on his head, his eyes widened upon seeing the imbued sharpness that could make even ordinary threads cut through falling leaves.


    <i>sh!</i>


    With a flicker, the streetlight turned back on and illuminated a girl who suddenly appeared in front of him.


    She was wearing ab coat that was stained and cluttered with leaves, and the braids that were tying up her brown hair were on the verge of being undone. Adding the dark circles under her eyes and her paleplexion, she looked as though she could copse at any moment, but a confident smile was on her lips, void of any fatigue.


    ¡°Huhu<i>...</i>"


    Lea udel, the girl who seemed somewhat out of her mind, was crossing her arms and looking at him with a triumphant smile.


    ¡°So, how was it!?¡±


    Out of nowhere, she suddenly asked for his thoughts. Bewildered by the events that had urred, he looked at her before turning his gaze to the daggers embedded behind him.


    He had indeed seen them before. They were the daggers that were surrendered to him by Seitz, the third-year Department of Magic student and one of the frontmen of the Inoue family, as a token of reconciliation.


    Originally, they had been inscribed with simple enchantments, including protective ones, but they had all beenpletely transformed into something else by Lea¡¯s hand.


    <strong>[<u>White Light Dagger</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Rare] [Quality: Awful]</strong>


    <strong>[A ck dagger imbued with a sharp, white aura.</strong>


    <strong>Though an ordinary weapon on its own, with the White Light enchantment, it can produce a sharp aura.</strong>


    <strong>However, the more the White Light enchantment is used, the faster the durability decreases.</strong>


    <strong>*Inscribed with the White Light enchantment]</strong>


    The doubleyered White Light enchantment elerated andpressed the mana infused within, perfectly reproducing the aura of White Light Surge, which he had previously demonstrated. Her ability to perfectly recreate what was shown to her as a demonstration through an enchantment slightly amazed him.


    <i>To raise a weapon that was barely above the cutoff for the Advanced tier to Rare... She¡¯s definitely quite skilled.</i>


    Of course, the tier would fall again if the durability dropped and the inscribed enchantment wore out, but it was still rtively cost-effective since it had still increased the dagger by an entire tier level.


    <i>So this is the reason she was able to monopolize the enchantment industry in the future...</i>


    He had been somewhat unsure of her potential before, but now, there was no doubt.


    ¡°Ho, is it not good? I-I thought I did well...¡± she mumbled, her voice deted, upon seeing Se-Hoon simply staring at the daggers without saying a word.


    Although herck of confidence showed she hadn¡¯t fully ovee her slump yet, it was no longer at a level where it would be a problem.


    ¡°No.¡±


    He stood up and looked at her with a satisfied smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s excellent. Honestly, I was a bit surprised since it exceeded my expectations.¡±


    ¡°...Really?¡±


    ¡°I never would have thought that you could perfectly recreate the example I showed you with an enchantment. Looking at the quality of this, I now understand why you haven¡¯t contacted me for a while.¡±


    ¡°<i>Cough</i>... right? You know how hard it is to create that kind of aura. I broke over a hundred kitchen knives during experimenting.¡±


    Heartened by hisvish praise, she shrugged her shoulders and shared her struggles, all while acting like she hadn¡¯t been nervous at all. Energized by her spirited demeanor, he collected the daggers embedded in the tree and looked at her calmly.


    ¡°With enchantments of this level, we might even be able to attempt mass-producing sword auras. We could try it next time when we¡¯re free.¡±


    ¡°Sure. That should be... wait, mass-producing sword auras? Is that even possible?¡±


    The task of mass-producing sword auras was a long-standing challenge in the hero industry. Manypanies and researchers had tried and bitterly failed, each ruing losses during the process. Thus, Lea couldn¡¯t help but be surprised by the nonchnt tone of the underssman in front of her.


    ¡°Why not? The process is already halfpleted,¡± he replied, still nonchnt.


    ¡°...What, this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. This.¡±


    She was unaware of the potential hidden in the enchantment she had created, but Se-Hoon had urately assessed it.


    <i>There¡¯s still a lot to fix, but if wepress it a bit further, we can start mass production right away.</i>


    Before the regression, the Starlight series¡ªthe first collection of mass-produced sword aura¡ªhad been introduced to the public by the Gxy Company. And the White Light Dagger was practically a prototype of that legendary series¡ªthe series that once turned Lea, from an unknown enchanter, into the enchanter known as the Maestro.


    ¡°Mass-producing sword auras with my enchantments... if this goesmercial, the royalties would be...¡±


    Although her mind wasn¡¯t working well after several all-nighters in a row, she still knew that it was almost certain that she would earn astronomical sums of money if she seeded.


    Seeing her daydreaming about being buried under money, Se-Hoon pped his hands in front of her.


    <i>p!</i>


    ¡°Eek!¡±


    ¡°Snap out of it. We¡¯re far from ready based on our current level.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Right...¡±


    The power of the White Light enchantment was far too petty to even call it a proper sword aura. Plus, there were too many shorings, like durability and vulnerabilities.


    Btedly realizing it was indeed too early for such discussions, she cleared her head of all distractions and calmed her mind.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the favor you mentioned in your message?¡±


    Like flipping a switch, she switched gears cleanly. And upon seeing her switch gears, Se-Hoon got straight to the point.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to forge some equipment, and I need enchantments for it to achieve the performance I desire. Can you help?¡±


    ¡°I wee that kind of project any time. But what materials and types of enchantments are you thinking about?¡±


    Even if there were enchantments that looked the same, it was still likely that they varied greatly depending on the materials and intended effects. Knowing how entric Se-Hoon was, she knew that it was bound to be a challenging request.


    <i>The timing might be a bit tight because the Ivory Tower¡¯s student selection contest is soon... but this will likely turn out very rewarding.</i>


    Having somewhat lifted her slump with the creation of the White Light enchantment, she felt that she could use this request as the momentum she needed to help herpletely ovee it.


    Now fired up with determination, she listened as Se-Hoon replied, ¡°I¡¯m nning to inscribe Corrosion Enchantment and the Mana Amplification enchantment on Dream Ivory.¡±


    ¡°Dream Ivory?¡±


    Her eyes fluttered at his words.


    Dream Ivory was infamous in the enchantment industry for its ability to contain the power of dreams making it a notoriously difficult material to handle. If the enchanter made even the slightest of mistakes or was distracted for even a moment, the enchantments inscribed up to that point could be erased entirely by the dream mana.


    <i>Yet he¡¯s trying to add both Corrosion Enhancement and Mana Amplification.... It¡¯ll be extremely tough to do both, let alone one.</i>


    The doubt that she would be unable to aplish such a thing began to rise, but she immediately pushed those second thoughts back down.


    <i>No, I will make it happen!</i>


    She had no longer wanted to be dragged around by this dreadful slump. Determined to seed no matter what, she looked at him.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give it a¡ª¡±


    ¡°And I''ll also be using the Southern me Feather, which will need the Spatial Separation and Designated Inscription enchantments.¡±


    ¡°...Southern me Feather? You mean the Phoenix feather?¡±


    The Southern me Feather was an ultra-rare material that was hard to acquire even with a hefty sum of money. It was also infamous, being known for how easily it burned up and resetting the entire enchanting process.


    Yet he was asking her to inscribe such a notorious material with Spatial Separation and Designated Inscription, enchantments that took hours just to inscribe.


    ¡°Can you do it?¡±


    Facing her underssman¡¯s confident smile, she hesitated.


    ¡°Can you look for someone else...?¡±

 Chapter 62

    <h4>Chapter 62</h4>


    <i>Rrring!</i>


    The rm clock rang loudly on the desk, signaling morning.


    Then, with a stir, a hand reluctantly slipped out from under the nket covering the bed. After a bit of groping around, it then fiercely tried to smash the button on the rm clock.


    <i>ng-!</i>


    However, an enchantment inscribed onto the rm clock just lightly bounced the hand away, before it turned off. A few momentster, Lea crawled out from under the nket, her hair sticking out in all directions.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go.¡±


    Her face looked even more haggard than it did when she pulled multiple all-nighters. She had been up all night thinking about the enchantments she had to work on when morning came, causing her whole body to shake, goosebumps forming all over.


    <i>Should I just say that I¡¯m sick and won¡¯t be able to make it? </i>She momentarily contemted seriously making an excuse to avoid going.


    But, she just sighed deeply and got up from her bed.


    ¡°Simply avoiding it won¡¯t solve anything.¡±


    Regardless of the oue, she had no choice but to give it a try.


    Quickly washing up, she casually tied her hair and then tucked in a hairpin that had a red gem on it.


    <i>Whoosh-!</i>


    In a sh, the enchantment carved into the hairpin instantly evaporated the moisture in her hair. Double-checking that her hair waspletely dry, she then changed into her uniform and tucked in another hairpin, this one with a purple gem.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Simr to thest one, the enchantment in this hairpin sent mana flowing through her hair. It then began to move as if it were alive, braiding itself into a single braid.


    ¡°Hm... maybe it¡¯s time to adjust the enchantment.¡±


    Observing that her hair was braiding slower than usual, she waited for it to finish while looking at a picture frame on the table.


    Inside it was a photo of a smiling man with long hair and round sses. On hisp was a child who was ying with the man¡¯s hair which was also tied up as a single braid.


    ¡°...¡±


    She gazed at the child¡ªher innocent five-year-old self¡ªsitting with her young father. Then, her gaze naturally drifted to one side, fixating on a white hand that was gently ced on her father¡¯s shoulder. But that was all there was¡ªthe owner had beenpletely torn off.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    A long whileter, she tore her gaze away and exhaled deeply, her anxious eyes slowly settling down.


    ¡°Get it together, Lea.¡±


    Now was not the time for her to immerse herself in such thoughts.


    Repeating those words over and over again, which she did several times a day, she tucked in the remaining hairpins and hair clips to her braided hair.


    Finishing up, she put on a pristine whiteb coat and grabbed her void pocket filled with equipment.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Kicking open the door with all her might, she stepped outside the workshop.


    ***


    ¡°<i>Huh</i>...¡±


    In the workshop set up in the main building of the Department of cksmithing, In-Cheol, having epted Se-Hoon¡¯s request for an intermediate-level forging session, arrived early and was startled by the list of materials that Se-Hoon would be using this time.


    <i>Dream Ivory and a Southern me Feather... he managed to procure such rare items?</i>


    They were both rare materials that were hard to acquire, even with money.


    And that was especially the case for the Southern me Feather, the feather of the Vermilion Bird, which was a material so rare that even some professors coveted it.


    <i>Where on earth did he get these...? Could they possibly be from the Chairman?</i>


    Breaking In-Cheol out of his thoughts, a soft voice was sounded nearby.


    ¡°Freshmen these days really don¡¯t fear anything. To think they would handle such rare materials so rashly.¡±


    The woman who spoke had neatly braided brown hair and was wearing a brown shawl. Although she appeared to only be in her mid-thirties, she was emitting the matura aura of a much older woman.


    ¡°Out of everybody, I think Professor Reba is thest one who should be saying that,¡± In-Cheol calmly replied.


    ¡°Oh, what have I done?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember how you recklessly used a Legendary-tier material that took you six years of searching and then ended up wasting it all?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At his rebuke, Reba udel, a professor of the Department of Enchantments and the one who taught the ss on ancient enchantment studies, twitched her eyebrows.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t waste it; it was used for research. It¡¯s all for my future sess.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. I¡¯ll be looking forward to hearing good news in <i>six</i> years.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Hearing his sarcasm that poked at her sore spot, her eyes fluttered nervously. A momentter, she sighed.


    ¡°This student must mean a lot to you, seeing how you¡¯re being so aggressive.¡±


    She was just being a bit grumbly since her granddaughter, Lea, was involved despite supposedly struggling with her slump. And knowing that In-Cheol knew that, she was surprised by how he responded so prickly.


    ¡°I care for him as much as you care for your granddaughter, professor.¡±


    ¡°That much...?¡± She was genuinely surprised upon hearing his response.


    She had heard from her granddaughter that Borsippa¡¯s honor student this year was exceptional, but she hadn¡¯t expected that In-Cheol would care for that student this much.


    ¡°Have you not met him yet?¡±


    ¡°I entrusted the first ss to Lea due to personal reasons. After that, I was hospitalized due to an injury and couldn¡¯t meet him in ss.¡±


    He nodded at her exnation, finally understanding the reason behind her grumpy attitude.


    ¡°Now I see.¡±


    He was certain that she would have acknowledged Se-Hoon if she had met him even once.


    Seeing his reaction, she looked at In-Cheol with aplex expression. At that moment, the door opened.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me...¡±


    Upon the arrival of Se-Hoon and Lea in the workshop, In-Cheol stood up and just calmly said to Reba, ¡°Well, see for yourself.¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡±


    Weing the two students, In-Cheol quickly introduced Reba to them.


    ¡°This is Professor Reba udel from the Department of Enchantments; she will be supervising with me today. Please introduce yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Pleased to meet you,¡± said Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. We should have met sooner, but our schedules just didn¡¯t match until today.¡±


    ¡°No problem at all. Also, by any chance...¡±


    Quickly ncing at how tense Lea was, Se-Hoon asked Reba, ¡°Are you Lea¡¯s grandmother?¡±


    ¡°...Grandmother?¡±


    Reba looked puzzled by his question.


    ¡°Did you just say grandmother?¡±


    ¡°Yes... is that not the case?¡±


    ¡°Well, it is, but...¡± she trailed off, taken aback by Se-Hoon¡¯s seemingly confused expression.


    <i>It doesn¡¯t seem like Lea has mentioned anything about me, though...</i>


    In that case, given that she appeared to be in her mid-thirties, shouldn¡¯t he have guessed that her rtion to Lea was either a sister, an aunt, or at most, her mother?


    Wrapped in her own questions, she decided to ask Se-Hoon.


    ¡°How did you figure it out?¡±


    ¡°I was just able to when I first saw you.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a lie; he was instantly able to tell her age range the moment he saw her. With the countless amount of heroes and corpses he hade across that were able¡ªor once able¡ªto slow their aging, he was able to easily distinguish between how old one appeared to be and their actual age.


    <i>It¡¯s hard to hide the look in one¡¯s eyes, the aura of their mana, and their overly developed physique.</i>


    Although these marks of time were hard to discern, once one got the hang of it, it was quite useful for identifying those trying to conceal their identity.


    ¡°...¡±


    With a slightly stiff expression, Reba had started touching her face after hearing his answer. Suddenly, Lea interjected between them.


    ¡°Why are you here? Didn¡¯t you say you had work this weekend?¡±


    ¡°I stopped by because I heard about how, after being cooped up in the workshop for a month, you suddenly started shouting and then ran out. So, I epted your request for an intermediate-level enchantment session.¡±


    Reba then looked at Lea with a slightly stern expression, her arms crossed.


    ¡°The Ivory Tower¡¯s schrship selection contest is only two months away. Have you finished making your submission?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Upon seeing how Lea averted her gaze, Reba sighed.


    ¡°I won¡¯t interfere with whatever you¡¯re up to, but only as long as you don¡¯t forget our promise, okay?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright. That¡¯s settled then.¡±


    With that, Reba stepped back, indicating that she had nothing more to say. Picking up the conversation, In-Cheol spoke up.


    ¡°If you encounter any problems, notify us immediately. We will help right away.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Then, good luck.¡±


    Left with nothing else to say, In-Cheol and Reba returned to their seats.


    Se-Hoon turned toward Lea.


    ¡°...¡±


    She had already seemed quite tense when they first arrived, and the recent conversation seemed to have made it even worse. Noticing this, he hesitated for a moment before speaking up.


    ¡°It seems you have something on your mind.¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    Although she tried to smile and reassure him, he shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worrying. I just wanted to know in advance if you think you can¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll only be wasting my materials if I force you to do this when you can¡¯t even focus.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Stunned by his blunt words, she looked at him with a nk expression, her eyes blinking rapidly. They weren¡¯t close enough to worry about each other, but that didn¡¯t mean he had to be so cold.


    ¡°Then why did you even burden me with your request if you¡¯re just going to tell me to quit...¡± She grumbled with dissatisfaction.


    He had conveniently pawned off the task on her, yet he was now suggesting that she quit.


    Hearing her grumbling, he calmly exined, ¡°Because I know you¡¯re the best.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Do I need any reason other than that?¡±


    If he wanted to make a safe bet, it probably would¡¯ve made more sense to use someone other than Lea, since she hadn¡¯tpletely ovee her slump yet. However, he didn¡¯t have any regrets about his choice. Aside from how he could take this opportunity to raise the level of their bond, her enchantments suited the materials they were dealing with this time better than anyone else¡¯s.


    ¡°...<i>Whew</i>.¡±


    With a deep sigh, she rolled up the sleeves of herb coat to her elbows and twisted her braided hair, securing it with a hairpin that had a purple gem. She then neatly arranged her bangs with other hairpins before ring at Se-Hoon with a disgruntled expression.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to say something nice, at least try to use a nicer tone. Okay?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started right away. I¡¯ll be getting ready too.¡±


    Having said her piece, she began to set up the tools she stored in her void pocket.


    <i>She¡¯s definitely not ordinary, </i>Se-Hoon thought with a chuckle.


    Beginning his own preparations, he selected the necessary types of ignition stones from the material box, turned on the furnace, and then quickly tossed the selected ignition stones inside.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Mixing with the various types of ignition stones, the me inside the furnace red up in a disorderly manner.


    Upon seeing his actions, Reba became bewildered.


    <i>What is he nning to do with such a chaotic me...?</i>


    Wondering if he had already made a mistake, Reba nced at In-Cheol, who was sitting next to her. However, in direct contrast to her, he seemed to be looking forward with anticipation to what would happen next.


    <i>Crack! Snap!</i>


    Suddenly, from the dazzling mes of the ignition stones, which were flowing in Se-Hoon¡¯s palms, dry sounds sounded¡ªthe stones had collided.


    Then, as Reba¡¯s eyes widened, Se-Hoon threw a glowing red ignition stone into the furnace.


    <i>ng-</i>


    At that moment, a terrifying explosion burst forth from the furnace, shaking the entire workshop and making Reba jump up in rm.


    <i>Boom-!!!</i>


    ¡°Wha-what...!¡±


    ¡°Calm down.¡±


    Stopping Reba from taking out an emblem the size of a palm, In-Cheol calmly said, ¡°That¡¯s just the process of creating the fire.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Don¡¯t you see that the furnace is cracked?¡±


    With an explosion of that scale, it was practically no different from a bomb.


    Seeing Reba trying to put a stop to the forging session immediately, In-Cheol sighed and said, ¡°Rather than making such a fuss, just take a closer look. You¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°What am I supposed to...¡±


    At In-Cheol¡¯s repeated insistence, she looked at the furnace again, and her eyes widened upon noticing something.


    Like the explosion moments before had been a lie, the furnace was perfectly calm. And within it was a white me that was flickering like it would go out at any moment.


    ¡°A white me...?¡±


    The me, which looked like it had been bleached white, almost seemed like a model, supported by the fact that no heat was felt from it. However, its flickering nature and the fact that it was absorbing mana from the furnace made it clear that it was a real me.


    ¡°What is... that...?¡± She was dumbfounded by the iprehensible scene.


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon slightly furrowed his brows upon examining the furnace¡¯s mes.


    <i>So much for a state-of-the-art furnace. It can¡¯t even handle a proper White Phoenix Fire.</i>


    The white mes were supposed to have formed a sphere, but due to the furnace¡¯s insufficient functionality, it didn¡¯t seem like the top would close. On top of that, the furnace was creaking and cracking here and there. Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue.


    <i>Looks like I¡¯ll have to make up for it with my body.</i>


    Taking off his workwear, he casually tied it around his waist before picking up the Southern me Feather, which he hadid out on one side.


    While it appeared simply like a normal red ore that was stored inside a blue crystal, if it was carelessly handled, it would immediately burn up and vanish.


    <i>Let¡¯s see...</i>


    Manipting the furnace to bring the White Phoenix Fire closer to the mouth, he moved the crystal containing the Southern me Feather to his left hand and then took out the ck me Hammer with his right.


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    He examined the crystal, turning it over in his hand.


    Also examining the crystal, Reba asked In-Cheol, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a Lace crystal?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Reba immediately wore an incredulous expression.


    ¡°And he¡¯s going to smash that with a hammer?¡±


    Lace crystals were used to preserve special materials because of their property where, before processing, they were very malleable. However, once preservation magic was cast on them, they became extremely hard. And that perfect property for preservation was what made it a very rare mineral.


    Thus, the permanent preservation magic had to be undone to remove the material safely without shattering it, but it seemed Se-Hoon was about to smash it with a hammer.


    <i>Potentially damaging the material aside, that should be too hard to break in the first ce...</i>


    His actions logically made no sense, yet Se-Hoon appeared unbothered, and In-Cheol was looking on with anticipation. Even Lea, her granddaughter, paid Se-Hoon no mind, leaving her feeling like the odd one out.


    <i>What on earth is going on...?</i>


    She was lost in confusion.


    In the meantime, Se-Hoon, after fiddling with the crystal for a moment, found what he was looking for.


    ¡°Found it.¡±


    Pressing onto a part of the crystal with the tip of his thumb, he started gathering a white, sharp aura with White Light Surge at the top of his thumb.


    Now gathered, he brought the ck me Hammer over to where his thumb was and then lightly tapped his thumb with it.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Like it had been cut in half, the Lace crystal, which was enveloping the Southern me Feather, split open instantly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that...!¡±


    ¡°What...?¡±


    Upon seeing the supposedly impossible sight, In-Cheol widened his eyes in surprise and Reba was left speechless.


    Se-Hoon had just used a technique that astounded even the esteemed professors of Babel, but he moved swiftly, unconcerned.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Since the crystal had been split and the permanent preservation magic had been undone, the Southern me Feather began to burn immediately. It wasn¡¯t just a superficial burn either; its durability was being consumed in real-time, prompting Se-Hoon to quickly ce it inside the White Phoenix Fire.


    With the cement of the feather, the red glow of the feather intensified, and an ominous pulse began to emanate.


    Closely observing the pulse, In-Cheol soon realized where it was emanating from, and his eyes widened.


    <i>Is he refining the Southern me Feather by resonating it with the white me?</i>


    Normally, this was a useful process, since a material¡¯s properties needed to be fully drawn out for a forging session. However, after remembering the S-Rank Vermilion Bird¡¯s characteristics¡ªits intelligence, ability to speak humannguages, and... its frequent way of showing mercy for heroes who confronted it¡ªIn-Cheol shouted urgently.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon! Take that out now!¡±


    Demon beasts were monsters that roamed freely outside of Danger Zones and were akin to demons. And the S-rank demon beast, the Vermilion Bird, was infamous because of its mercy for heroes. Its so-called mercy was sometimes an even more horrifying end since their minds could bepletely burned by its mes.


    <i>A pulse of that strength could cause dementia or turn someone into a vegetative state...!</i>


    The professors were about to act swiftly to deal with the critical situation, but Se-Hoon¡¯s calm voice stopped them.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    He enclosed the White Phoenix Fire with both hands.


    Following his touch, the heatless white mes slowly closed, and the White Phoenix Fire, now resembling a white egg,pletely enclosed the mes of the Southern me Feather inside.


    Now contained inside, the Southern me Feather raged fiercely, thrashing about. Had it been an ordinary fire, the properties of the Southern me Feather might have overpowered it and broken through, but the White Phoenix Fire was different.


    <i>This is a pure fire that rejects all impurities.</i>


    The purpose of the White Phoenix Fire was simply to act as a shell to contain wild mes; it wasn¡¯t meant to be used to heat metal for forging.


    For a while, Se-Hoon continuously smoothed and adjusted the White Phoenix Fire, like shaping pottery, and the Southern me Feather inside began to calm down bit by bit.


    When the violently spreading pulse also settled, he drew upon his fire mana, Scarlet me Wheel.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    Laying the fire wheel on its side, like a nest, over his palms, he carefully moved his hands under the bottom of the White Phoenix Fire egg while maintaining the flow of the wheel.


    Then, as he slowly lifted his hands away from the furnace, the White Phoenix Fire egg also began to rise.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    In-Cheol and Reba stood dumbfounded at this mystical sight before their eyes.


    With the giant fire egg that was resting in a nest made of mes in his hands, Se-Hoon approached Lea.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why the fire...?¡±


    Turning around from her enchantment preparations, she was left speechless at the sight before her.


    What was this huge egg in his palms, and what were those mes enclosed inside?


    She looked up an exnation for this extraordinary scene, however, before she could say anything, Se-Hoon smiled and extended the White Phoenix Fire toward her.


    ¡°Enchant this.¡±

 Chapter 63

    <h4>Chapter 63</h4>


    Typically, enchantments were only inscribed on materials with fixed properties because fluid properties increased theplexity of devising the form exponentially. Fluid properties were far too variable, and they also had the added burden of needing additional reinforcement to maintain the enchantment.


    These materials were so difficult to enchant that they were infamous among enchanters. ording to them, these vtile materials would vanish unpredictably during the enchantment process, shortening the enchanter¡¯s lifespan from the shock.


    And right now, in front of Lea, was the giant White Phoenix Fire egg which possessed both fluidity and vtility.


    ¡°...¡±


    Inspecting the White Phoenix Fire egg that was offered to her, she carefully picked up her brush and began to inscribe the form she had prepared.


    <i>Scribble-</i>


    She began with inscribing the Spatial Separation enchantment which isted and tied down the material to a different space. It was a required enchantment for the Southern me Feather, which tended to burn itself up if left unattended due to its strong expending properties.


    However, before she could even finish inscribing the framework, the me of the Southern me Feather surged from inside White Phoenix Fire, burning away the painstakingly inscribed pattern.


    Aghast at how her work had literally gone up in smoke, she covered her eyes with her palms and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m screwed...¡±


    Given the notoriously bad reputation of fire-attributed materials among enchanters, she had somewhat prepared herself. However, upon facing the situation that was far beyond her expectations, she felt the immediate urge to flee, her resolve this morning now seemingughably inadequate.


    <i>How am I supposed to enchant something that resets the inscribed enchantment pattern every five seconds?</i>


    What made it worse was that the enchantments requested by Se-Hoon, the Spatial Separation and Designated Inscription enchantments, were among the most voluminous enchantments she knew. Even normally, it would take hours to inscribe, and yet she was supposed to seed under the condition that her work would be reset every five seconds? It seemed physically impossible.


    <i>How does this even make sense? No matter how I think about it, it¡¯s impossible. So why is he saying that it¡¯s doable? I shouldn¡¯t have fallen for his sweet talk. What will I do about the Ivory Tower preliminaries? Grandma seems angry, too. Should I start by just dropping out of school?</i>


    Overwhelmed by the problem at hand, all sorts of irrelevant thoughts began filling her mind. She did this every time; whenever there was an immediate challenge before her, she habitually avoided it by filling her mind with useless thoughts. And a year ago, when that <i>incident </i>urred, it had pushed her over the edge, causing her current slump.


    ¡°...<i>Ha</i>.¡±


    Reba immediately became disappointed upon noticing Lea¡¯s condition. Part of her had hoped that Lea had actually ovee her slump, but unfortunately, it seemed Lea had merely forgotten their promise and gone astray.


    <i>Was it too much for her after all?</i>


    Her encounter with Se-Hoon seemed to have sparked something within her, but ultimately, it seemed like it wasn¡¯t enough for her topletely shake off the slump.


    Recalling the vivacious image of her granddaughter, the once first-year honor student of Borsippa, she made a bitter face before her gaze inadvertently fell on the White Phoenix Fire.


    <i>Well, he¡¯s also being too ambitious. Althoughcking knowledge about enchantments is a problem, what he¡¯s trying to do is so absurd...</i>


    However, despite her thoughts, she remained quiet. She was here as a supervisor right now, but had it been during a lesson, she would have scolded them severely.


    For him to ask for an enchantment that would seemed impossible to anyone was nothing short of harassment.


    <i>I should properly teach him about what enchantments are in the next lesson.</i>


    Currently, both granddaughter and grandmother were looking at the White Phoenix Fire with the same thought in mind¡ªit was impossible to enchant it. However, despite their thoughts, Se-Hoon looked at Lea with a baffled expression.


    ¡°What are you doing? Why are you zoning out when I told you to enchant? My arms are going to fall off at this rate.¡±


    Seeing him trying to urge her by beckoning with his hands, which were still holding the White Phoenix Fire, Lea¡¯s eyebrows shot up and she red at him sharply.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just see the enchantment pattern go up in smoke after only a few seconds? How can you still say that? How am I supposed to inscribe the Spatial Separation and Designated Inscription enchantments under such a condition?!¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t mind that he had expectations of her, there had to be a limit to it.


    She was about to continue protesting, however, Se-Hoon spoke up, a nonchnt look on his face, before she could.


    ¡°Just inscribe the enchantment within five seconds. Is <i>that </i>difficult?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is, you maniac!¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Really?¡±


    Genuinely puzzled by why she was screaming, Se-Hoon continued muttering, ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re saying that despite already knowing how.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Lea was originally going to retort with, ¡°What nonsense is that?¡± but she held back upon suddenly remembering something.


    Se-Hoon¡¯s indifferent remark had triggered the remembrance of the structure of the White Light enchantment that she had been brainstorming for a month.


    <i>Usingyers to finish the enchantment instead...</i>


    Just as dozens ofyers formed a picture that looked like a single image, the White Light enchantment had been designed to be separate yet interlocking.


    With that structure still in mind, she swiftly moved her brush.


    <i>Scribble-</i>


    Instead of contemting the framework of the Spatial Separation in one go, she separated it intoponents that could beter connected into one enchantment.


    Using this method, the entire framework was able to bepleted in one breath, and mana was allowed to begin circting. Then five secondster, the me of the Southern Feather once again surged from within and touched the enchantment.


    However, instead of burning the enchantment pattern away, it gradually tinted the enchantment red.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Amidst the red me, the inscriptions of the red-tinted enchantments stood out clearly on the White Phoenix Fire, like red letters on a white canvas.


    ¡°YES!!¡±


    Seeing her enchantment sessfully stay anchored on the surface of the White Phoenix Fire, her eyes widened and she turned to Se-Hoon, seeking confirmation of whether it was eptable or not.


    In response, Se-Hoon smiled and extended the White Phoenix Fire closer to her.


    ¡°Hurry up. My arm¡¯s falling off.¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    While she still didn¡¯t know anything about the impossible, what she did know, was that the task before her was very much possible.


    Finally able to put aside the myriad of distracting thoughts, she neatly dissected the patterns for Spatial Separation and Designated Inscription in her head.


    <i>Cut out the unnecessary parts of the patterns...press only the basic frameworks...</i>


    To liken it to something, she was basically trying to assemble a robot as she pleased, focusing on each part separately and thenbining the limbsst, instead of methodically building it from the bottom up.


    Without hesitation, she took her brush and began densely inscribing a pattern with every touch. She cut, attached, oveyed, and then finallybined the different parts of the enchantment patterns on the White Phoenix Fire.


    Meanwhile, the me of the Southern me Feather continued to surge, bathing each pattern in mes and spreading cracks throughout the White Phoenix Fire egg.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Like a real egg about to hatch, the White Phoenix Fire shook violently.


    Upon the unusual sight, In-Cheol and Reba immediately stood up from their seats to get a better view. In contrast, the two people with the best view¡ªfrom directly in front¡ªdidn¡¯t even blink an eye.


    ¡°Just a little... a little more...!¡±


    Although Lea had finished inscribing all of the enchantment patterns Se-Hoon had asked for, the power of the Southern me Feather still remained uncontrolled. And if it was left that way, the patterns she had painstakingly inscribed would disperse in vain. Thus, she didn¡¯t let her brush stop moving and continued to add parts of enchantment patterns that came to her mind.


    <i>Shape Fixation, Consciousness Projection, Psychic Synchronization...</i>


    Each additional part intertwined with the already existing enchantments, adding new functions that amplified one another.


    A momentter, barely making it in time, Lea finally managed to fill up the White Phoenix Fire with inscribed enchantments.


    <i>Crack-</i>


    Secondster, the Southern me Feather broke the shell, unleashing its full potential.


    Now fully unleashed, its own mes, as well as the mes of the White Pheonix Fire, copsed inward as if being sucked into the core,pressing.


    The Southern me Feather¡¯s true potential, which would have originally just burned away, had started its attempt to be reborn, using the inscribed enchantments as its base.


    <i>This would be fairly usable as is, but...</i>


    This time, the Southern me Feather was merely ying second fiddle to the main material for the equipment being forged.


    Wrapping the Scarlet me Wheel around his hands, Se-Hoon immediately covered thepressing mes.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Although some mes managed to seep through the gaps between his fingers, he was slowly able to gain control over the raging wild mes by using the flow of the Scarlet me Wheel.


    Directing the Southern me Feather mes to follow the flow he created, they gradually intertwined and knotted with each other, calming down with each knot.


    Soon after, the leaking mes and the vibrations against his palms stopped and a soft light began flowing out from between his fingers.


    Seeing this, he carefully spread his hands out and saw the red letters embroidered in the air.


    The me¡¯s forms, connected as one and endlessly circting, had taken shape.


    <i>Are those... what I inscribed? </i>Lea thought, nkly looking at the elegant and magnificent shapes.


    She had inscribed the enchantments at the moment they came to her without any verification at all. Despite that, however, the chaotic enchantment patterns perfectly meshed with the Southern me Feather, vividly bringing it to life.


    <i>It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt this sort of feeling.</i>


    For the first time in a long while, the sight of her work reminded her of the times before she fell into a slump, back when she had been a confident enchanter.


    Many emotions surged within her, a sense of regret among them.


    <i>I could have done better.</i>


    Would such a momente again? Just as suddenly as it hade, the sensation had already begun to fade, leaving her with a bittersweet expression.


    ¡°You did well.¡±


    Seeing the Southern me Feather, Se-Hoon smiled.


    ¡°With this, we can start right away.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Wonder what he meant by start, Lea wore a puzzled expression. However, instead of exining, Se-Hoon just turned his gaze toward the workbench.


    There, a piece of white ivory, inscribed with a geomantic pattern, was hovering in the air. Finding the target he was looking for¡ªthe Dream Ivory which was capable of traversing the boundary between reality and dreams¡ªSe-Hoon immediately reached out with his left hand.


    Flying toward the Dream Ivory, the precise red enchantments began wrapping around it, slowly lifting it even higher into the air. Everyone watched Se-Hoon control the mes of the Southern me Feather like a part of his body with pure amazement.


    Momentster, purple mana began to flow out of the Dream Ivory, and its edges started to blur.


    Noticing the weight of the mes bing lighter, he heightened his senses even more.


    <i>This is just the beginning.</i>


    The basic characteristic of dream mana was Dream Substitution. This ability, which could push objects into the boundaries of dreams, made processing Dream Ivory a difficult task. And the reason for that was simple.


    Once activated, whether one was trying to heat it with fire or trying to carve it with a knife, they would fail, since all stimuli would pass through Dream Ivory like a mirage.


    <i>And while they keep trying, the dream mana within is gradually depleted, turning into ordinary ivory before they even know it.</i>


    Dream Ivory was a treacherous material that could easily vanish into thin air, potentially wasting millions if mishandled. As such, few dared to process and use Dream Ivory.


    <i>But that¡¯s only when it¡¯s used as is.</i>


    He began to heat the Dream Ivory without hesitation.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    In an instant, the purple mana was engulfed by the mes, causing them to burn more fiercely. Normally, dream mana would have been evaporated entirely, but there was a different reaction when using Southern me Feather mes.


    Rather than evaporating, the dream mana that flowed out of the Dream Ivory waspletely absorbed by the mes, gradually turning the mes hazy.


    ¡°What is... this...?¡±


    Was this really a method of handling dream mana? Wondering if she was the only one unaware of such a method, Lea turned her head slightly to look at the professors behind her.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    There, In-Cheol and Reba were fully standing up, their starespletely nk.


    Fully understanding from their expressions alone, she chuckled and turned back to look at the monstrous underssman in front of her.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°You know how the mes of the Phoenix are famous for burning even the human spirit? This is what I thought of when I heard that.¡±


    Staring at the dissipating purple mes in his hands, Se-Hoon continued to calmly exin.


    ¡°I guessed that these mes could also adhere to the dreams managed by dream mana, considering how dreams are also a part of the psyche.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Of course, the dreams managed by dream mana are probably a bit different, so it wouldn¡¯t work just like that. That¡¯s why I made it easier for the mes to adhere to the dream mana by using the Designated Inscription enchantment. The coat of the Spatial Separation enchantment was to prevent the mana from burning up.¡±


    Still staring at the purple mes, which had nowpletely absorbed the dream mana, he smiled contentedly.


    ¡°And it seems to have worked out just as intended.¡±


    Upon hearing about how he had so casuallye up with such an astonishing method and then even seeded with it, Lea was taken aback.


    Then, before she could stop herself, she asked him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared?¡±


    ¡°Of what?¡±


    ¡°That the idea you¡¯re so confident in might be wrong,¡± she barely managed to murmur, unable toprehend his thoughts.


    She looked at the mes in front of her.


    ¡°I mean, everything will be gone if it fails, right?¡±


    Her eyes were on the mes, but her gaze seemed to be looking somewhere else. Upon seeing that expression of hers for the first time, he faintly grasped the cause of her slump.


    <i>She must have gone through something terrible.</i>


    Challenges are apanied by the risk of failure, and failurese at a price. While it was a simple truth, its weight varied from person to person. And when that price was something precious, failure would never be taken lightly again.


    <i>So it''s the fear of failure that stops her... not the doubt of her talent.</i>


    Having seen it in others, and even experiencing it himself, Se-Hoon knew full well of the depths of despair it could leave.


    So, in this situation where his words could potentially alter the future of someone who was once called the Maestro, he chose his words carefully before responding.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°You heard me. If you¡¯re that scared, then just don¡¯t do it.¡±


    Pausing, he looked at the purple mes rising above his hands.


    ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that the dangerous path is better, so why choose it if it¡¯s not your thing? Unless you¡¯re a masochist.¡±


    ¡°But you...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m<i> </i>doing this <i>because </i>I have no other path.¡±


    Then his voice dropped to a whisper, low yet clear, audible only to Lea standing beside him, ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to choose only the safe paths.¡±


    With every action he took, even the ones right now, the future was constantly changing because of him. And to respond to those countless variables, he had to prepare by creating at least a minimal margin of room to maneuver.


    ¡°You...¡±


    She looked at him with aplex expression.


    Despite the growth rate that was iparable to that of his peers, he was still saying that there wasn¡¯t enough time. What was at the end of his path for him to say such a thing?


    With an inkling that he was being chased by something, Lea was about to carefully ask for more details, however, Se-Hoon spoke up before she could.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do?¡± Se-Hoon asked, lifting his head to look at her.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to force yourself to do it if you don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s up to you to choose your own path.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But, if I¡¯m allowed to speak from personal experience, then whether the path is safe or dangerous doesn¡¯t matter. There¡¯s only one thing that <i>does</i> matter.¡±


    Though he hadn¡¯t lived a life so great that he was able to offer life advice to others, there was one thing he had be painfully familiar with.


    Thinking that this one piece of advice could, perhaps, convey his true feelings and thoughts, he opened his mouth.


    ¡°Choose the path that leaves no regrets. That¡¯s all that truly matters.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Out of all of the advice she had ever heard, this was the simplest yet heaviest. She looked at the purple mes in front of her.


    The mystical purple mes were blurring like a mirage. Just moments earlier, there had been no space left to enchant the Southern me Feather any further, but the situation changed when the dream mana shifted, activating Dream Substitution.


    <i>The previous enchantment patterns have crossed the boundary of dreams, freeing up space.</i>


    It was akin to revealing the nk side of a double-sided page when the filled-out side was flipped. However, while the newly created possibility of adding more enchantments was wee, it was not without its difficulties.


    Just as the picture on the opposite side of a thin page showed through, the previously inscribed enchantment patterns remained faintly visible.


    <i>Adding Corrosion Enhancement and Mana Amplification enchantments on top so that the previously inscribed enchantments aren¡¯t affected... this is madness.</i>


    The difficulty was as great, if not greater than inscribing the previous enchantment on the Southern me Feather.


    <i>Regrets, huh?</i>


    She had thought that regrets only came from failures, from not seeing a return on what was paid.


    But wouldn¡¯t she regret ignoring the task before her and denying the brilliant inspiration that hade to mind? Facing down the challenge before her, she recalled how she was first drawn to enchanting.


    <i>Hold it more loosely.</i>


    She thought of the white hand that had cautiously handed her a brush when she had dirtied the house with magic stone powder as a child.


    <i>I always fell short...</i>


    And of the woman that had brushed past her, covered in her father¡¯s blood, leaving the house for good.


    ¡°...Right.¡±


    Lea gripped the brush tightly, thinking of her mother, whom Lea had to find despite no longer being able to remember her face.


    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to weigh things out!!¡±


    With a sweep of her brush, a thick line crossed through the mes.


    Then, ignoring the faintly visible enchantment patterns, her brush began to inscribe new enchantments around that line.


    The first to be inscribed was Corrosion Enhancement. The mystical mes, faintly oveying reality, blurred further into the dream.


    Meanwhile, despite the risk of losing two Hero materials, Se-Hoon just calmly observed the situation.


    <i>I shouldn¡¯t break the atmosphere.</i>


    His newly acquired darkness mana, Moon Shadow, darted into the mes like a shadow underneath the moonlight, thin and fine.


    <strong><i>Moon Shadow ck Weaver</i></strong>


    With a sizzle, the ck silk barrier threads enhanced by Moon Shadow clung to and constricted the mes, aiding Lea, who immediately revised the structure of the enchantment before continuing to inscribe the enchantments.


    <i>A few errors don¡¯t matter.</i>


    Just like how Se-Hoon trusted her skills, she trusted his. Her brushstrokes hesitated no more once she decided to leave the aftermath to him.


    Like a concerto, Se-Hoon suppressed the rampaging mes while Lea inscribed enchantments without restraint. Completely in harmony, like they had been working together for a long time, their efforts meshed together. Soon, the purple mes were densely filled with enchantment patterns.


    Momentster, Lea finally put on the finishing touches with her brush and let out a shout.


    ¡°Done!!!¡±


    At her shout, Se-Hoon¡¯s palms came together crisply, and the Dream Ivory and mystical mes that softly illuminated the workshop vanished without a trace.


    Lea immediately turned to look at him, a tense expression on her face. She didn¡¯t know what to expect.


    ¡°Good job.¡±


    With a breath of relief, when his palms opened, apleted dagger was revealed.


    <strong>[Weapon ¡®Phantasmal Spyde¡¯ has beenpleted!</strong>


    <strong>An artistic dagger crafted through the cooperation of an outstanding cksmith and an enchanter seeking new paths! The skill of both individuals, perfectly drawing out the potential of two difficult materials, is worthy of apuse.</strong>


    <strong>The tier evaluation for ¡®Phantasmal Spyde¡¯ is ¡®Hero¡¯.]</strong>

 Chapter 64

    <h4>Chapter 64</h4>


    <strong>[<u>Phantasmal Spyde</u>]</strong>


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


    <strong>[A dagger forged from the mes of dreams.</strong>


    <strong>It increases resistance to mental interference and also possesses dispelling capabilities against it. It can also consume the mes of dreams to push a designated target into the boundary of dreams and then incinerate them.</strong>


    <strong>However, all functions will cease once the mes of dreams have beenpletely depleted.</strong>


    <strong>*Significantly increases the user¡¯s resistance to mental interference</strong>


    <strong>*Dispels mental interference targeted at the user</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Mirage Fire¡¯]</strong>


    ¡°...¡±


    Finishing her read-through of the information message, Lea slowly examined the dagger¡¯s form.


    It had a de that gradually narrowed toward the tip; the violet de itself was a bit translucent, like it had been carved from a gem, and her own enchantments were faintly visible within. Adding its straight and clean crossguard and a handle as white as a magnolia, it looked elegant and luxurious.


    Lea unwittingly admired it.


    ¡°So this is what well-made equipment looks like...¡±


    The mana circuit perfectly contained the dagger¡¯s power, maintaining an almost even bnce. And, with her own enchantments perfectlyplementing it, its most ideal form that coulde out of a coboration between a cksmith and an enchanter was realized.


    Intently staring at the Phantasmal Spyde, she pondered something for a moment before saying it to Se-Hoon with a serious expression.


    ¡°Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Judging by how my heart is racing wildly, I think this is love. Can I confess to you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Doubting his ears, Se-Hoon looked at her with an incredulous expression upon hearing the nonsense that she was talking about while inspecting the dagger.


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>... okay.¡±


    While she was disappointed by his firm rejection, it didn¡¯t dishearten her too much. In the first ce, it was just a spur-of-the-moment statement that she made while still excitedly observing thepleted dagger.


    However, to another person¡ªto an elder in her family¡ªit soundedpletely different.


    <i>p!</i>


    ¡°Agh!!¡±


    Painfully smacked on the back, Lea straightened up and shivered, feeling the narrow-eyed stare of Reba, who had approached from behind.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this about love? Fooling around with your underssman with such nonsensical talk... I can¡¯t¡ªno, I won¡¯t stand for it!¡±


    ¡°F-fooling around? It was a sincere feeling that came from the depths of my heart...¡±


    <i>p!</i>


    ¡°Eek!¡±


    Seemingly unable to bear hearing Lea¡¯s words any longer, Reba silenced Lea with another smack to the back. With a sigh, she turned to look at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon, if it¡¯s alright, may I take a look at the finished product?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Please feel free to.¡±


    Though the specifics of how he would use the Phantasmal Spyde were a secret, he didn¡¯t have a particr reason to hide its performance.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Gaining his permission, Reba immediately took the Phantasmal Spyde from Lea and read the information message.


    ¡°It really is a Hero tier...¡±


    While she had already somewhat guessed it from its appearance, it was still unbelievable when after confirming it directly.


    Normal, Advanced, Rare, Hero, Legendary, Mythical¡ªthese were the six tiers of equipment, with Hero being the fourth tier.


    And once one was able to forge Hero equipment, it would be a turning point for them in the cksmithing industry. Equipment of this tier didn¡¯t merely assist a hero¡¯s capabilities; at this tier, the hero was the assistant in leveraging the equipment¡¯s capabilities. Thus, the tier name.


    <i>Most students usually can only achieve such a feat after graduating and gaining some field experience...</i>


    Of course, since the dagger was essentially a consumable that would lose its functions after fully consuming the stored mes of dreams, it wasn¡¯t true Hero equipment.


    However, considering that it was made from difficult-to-handle materials, like Dream Ivory and the Southern me Feather, Reba deemed Se-Hoon¡¯s craftsmanship to be more than sufficient.


    <i>To think that it¡¯s only a matter of time before he can forge Hero-tier equipment on his own...</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s talent didn¡¯t fall short even whenpared to second-year students¡ªno, even the current third-year honor students, who were known as the best cohort ever.


    She finally understood why In-Cheol had been so confident when talking about him. Gaining some newfound interest in him, she looked toward him.


    ¡°May I take a look as well?¡±


    In-Cheol, having approached btedly, also asked for permission from Se-Hoon.


    ¡°By all means.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll have a brief look.¡±


    Receiving the Phantasmal Spyde from Reba, he lightly scanned the information message before carefully examining the de.


    ¡°The feathers of the Vermilion Bird were recorded to be mes in the form of crystals. Did you take inspiration from this fact?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was in its crystal form when I first received it, so I thought mixing it with other minerals might degrade its purity. Therefore, I tried this approach.¡±


    ¡°Hm... It seems like you¡¯ve made a good choice. Otherwise, it might have been difficult to use it to control the dream mana...¡±


    Examining the Phantasmal Spyde, In-Cheol couldn¡¯t help but admire the violet mes of dreams contained within.


    <i>It¡¯s truly remarkable that he can handle such mes to this extent.</i>


    Even most mages would struggle with dream mana by itself, let alone a mix with the notoriously difficult-to-control Southern me Feather. In-Cheol immediately began wondering if he could have also forged such a weapon with these mirage-like mes.


    He soon came to an answer: <i>I won¡¯t be able to do it either.</i>


    Maybe he could with several attempts, but even thinking about controlling all of the variables in the forging process from the start to the end was beyond what he dared to do.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    Letting out a sigh filled with various emotions, In-Cheol handed the Phantasmal Spyde back to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Your first-semester budget was just approved, but it looks like I¡¯ll need to submit a reconsideration request already,¡± he said with a smile.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Not acknowledging your ability to forge Hero-tier equipment would be an oversight. You have to get what you deserve.¡±


    Forging equipment up to the Rare tier could be managed within the department, but when it came to forging equipment at the Hero tier, it was a matter that didn¡¯t allow such a simple resolution. It was an achievement that would undoubtedly be reported to the Dean and even the Chairman, ensuring widespread recognition.


    Moreover, if word got out, the entire hero industry would be abuzz, leading to Se-Hoon receiving love calls from everywhere.


    ¡°You might even receive requests formissioned work from those outside the academy. Third or fourth-year students normally also receive such requests, but...¡±


    In-Cheol smiled bitterly at the workload that would soon fall upon Se-Hoon, considering the amount of requests he would receive.


    Contemting In-Cheol¡¯s words for a moment, Se-Hoon spoke calmly, ¡°Um... could you guys just overlook this?¡±


    ¡°Overlook it? You mean you don¡¯t want us to report it at all?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d be grateful if you reported that I just forged Rare equipment or that I failed in forging itpletely.¡±


    ¡°Is there a particr reason?¡± In-Cheol asked, puzzled.


    Hearing In-Cheol¡¯s puzzlement, Se-Hoon responded with an embarrassed smile, ¡°I¡¯d prefer it if people underestimated me for now.¡±


    Pondering Se-Hoon¡¯s request to be underestimated, In-Cheol¡¯s eyes soon lit up.


    ¡°I see. Come to think of it, <i>that </i>is<i> </iing up next weekend, right?¡±


    He quickly realized that it was rted to the uing Noblesse event.


    Se-Hoon nodded in acknowledgment.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s rted to that. Could you do me this favor?¡±


    ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t mind, but...¡±


    He nced sideways, prompting Se-Hoon to also look toward Reba. Under their expectant gazes, Reba considered it for a moment before nodding.


    ¡°After such an entertaining spectacle, I owe you one. I¡¯ll do as you wish.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No, thank <i>you</i>. This was a good experience for Lea, so I owe you one as well.¡±


    ¡°Ugh... it still hurts...¡± Lea muttered, rubbing her back with both hands and ncing at Reba.


    Then, in a gentle tone, Reba continued, ¡°If there¡¯s anything else you need, feel free to ask.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be off, then. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Left with nothing else to say, Reba headed out, Lea following behind. He watched as Lea waved goodbye, thinking about how she had more control over herposure than when she had entered.


    <i>It seems she¡¯s found her path.</i>


    While the specifics of Lea¡¯s goals and what was at stake in the Ivory Tower schrship selection exam remained unclear, she seemed capable of handling it on her own.


    Suddenly, Lea turned around and walked over to Se-Hoon again.


    ¡°...I guess I have to ask. Honestly, out of a perfect score of one hundred, what would you give my enchantment today?¡±


    It seemed she had returned to request a rating.


    Seeing that she was asking seriously without a hint of a smile, Se-Hoon pondered briefly.


    ¡°About seventy.¡±


    ¡°And the passing score is?¡± she pressed, still serious.


    ¡°Seventy.¡±


    Although the resulting dagger had the performance he desired, it was just barely. There had been too many minor mistakes in the process, which detracted from the overall quality.


    It was a harsh assessment for someone just oveing a slump, but Se-Hoon was firm with his assessment.


    <i>If she gets disheartened by the facts, she won¡¯tst long.</i>


    If she was determined to improve, then she should be able to critically assess her own abilities and current state.


    Contemting his candid response, she opened her mouth once again, ¡°What about this one?¡±


    She began tracing an enchantment pattern in the air with her brush that had been dipped in green wind-attributed magic stone powder on the enchantment palette.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    The strokes, drawn without hesitation, branched into dozens of paths and transformed into a new form that looked like a single enchantment constructed by dozens of organically connected enchantments.


    It seemed to be an improved version of the enchantment she had previously just inscribed. Aside from an improved amplification of the effect, Lea had also included additional patterns that would aid in controlling the mes of dreams.


    ¡°Huh...¡±


    It was as if she had reviewed and fixed the mistakes she made on thepleted Phantasmal Spyde.


    Unfortunately, it couldn¡¯t be engraved again, making its practical application moot, but her talent was truly undeniable, seeing as how she was able toe up with such quick modification.


    ¡°This would be... around eighty.¡±


    ¡°Eighty? Shouldn¡¯t you give it at least ny?¡±


    ¡°Well, self-assessment and actual assessment are different.¡±


    Considering that a score of more than ny by his standards would mean reaching the level of one of the top hundred craftsmen, a student scoring an eighty was already remarkable.


    Narrowing her eyes, she red at Se-Hoon, who stood there somewhat arrogantly, confident in his scoring.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. I still managed to improve by ten points, anyway.¡±


    In the past, such failures and disappointments might have discouraged her, but it was different now. Instead, she was constantlying up with enchantment patterns in her head that could possibly score a ny, a hundred, or even exceed perfection, making Se-Hoon drop his jaw in amazement.


    <i>He wouldn¡¯t be a bad stepping stone.</i>


    With a newly formed goal in mind, she looked at him and dered confidently, ¡°One day, I¡¯ll make you gasp in amazement and give me a standing ovation.¡±


    She was determined to surpass his expectations one day.


    <strong>[The bond with ¡®Lea udel¡¯ has increased to Lv. 2.]</strong>


    <strong>[Since the bond has increased to Lv. 2, a Rtionship has been established. Your Rtionship with ¡®Lea udel¡¯ is currently ¡®Rivalry¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[Rtionship: Rivalry]</strong>


    <strong>[Striving to surpass someone superior to you is an instinctive Rtionship of the most intense form.</strong>


    <strong>Although it might be problematic if bes twisted, if it remains apetition of goodwill, there could be no other Rtionship more positive.</strong>


    <strong>*A Fatestone is created whenever the subject is in a position that is superior to yours.</strong>


    <strong>*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases when your position is superior to the the target¡¯s.</strong>


    <strong>*Currently created Fatestone: None]</strong>


    Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but be dumbfounded by the notification message that appeared in front of him and by Lea¡¯s confident demeanor from behind it.


    Her desire to outdo a thirty-one-year-old cksmith who had been active until the end of the world seemed utterly ludicrous. But... it was also slightly motivating.


    <i>It¡¯ll be embarrassing if she really overtakes me.</i>


    Although he wasn¡¯t ever nning on cking off, the thought of not letting that genius catch up made him resolve to work even harder.


    With that newly found resolve in mind, he looked at her and grinned.


    ¡°I look forward to it, sunbae.¡±


    ***


    Returning to the dormitory that evening, Se-Hoon sat on the sofa in his dark living room and gazed down at the Phantasmal Spyde on the table.


    With the fall of night, the Phantasmal Spyde began to scatter a faint purplish aura. The mes of dreams had begun growing stronger, but they were fortunately perfectly contained and controlled.


    <i>Push what I desire into the boundary of dreams and then burn it away...</i>


    Using the Phantasmal Spyde to clearly view his memories from before the regression was a somewhatplex problem, but he had a vague idea of how to do it from the start.


    cing his hand over his heart, he took a deep breath and then extracted his own bond.


    Within his palm, a faint light flickered, and soon his slightly opaque Fatestone revealed itself. Although his stats had leveled up and the tier of the fatestone had increased, its usefulness was still unclear.


    But this time might be different.


    <i>Bonds are entanglements of emotions and memories built up over time.</i>


    Even if everything was entangled, murky, and difficult to distinguish properly, if he could separate them, he might be able to view only his memories.


    Deciding to confirm his hypothesis, he took out the small finger bone, which was inscribed with dense spells, from his void pocket and used the skill contained within.


    <strong><i>Eye of the Boundary</i></strong>


    Dark mana flowed from his fingertips, enveloping his entire body before settling in his eyes. And upon feeling the foreign sensation in his eyes, as if he were wearing lenses, faint ck borders soon began to appear in his field of vision.


    He had been granted the eyes that could see the boundaries of objects. Touching the boundaries of objects wouldn¡¯t break them or anything, but it was especially useful when needing to distinguish something urately.


    <i>Like finding a needle in a haystack in one go or instantly distinguishing which m in a soup is without its meat.</i>


    It was a powerful ability that had applications in forging and various other areas. And the fact that a skill that could grant such an ability was contained in a single finger bone amazed him once again.


    <i>Whether it was before the regression or now, I still feel like the Perfect Ones are hardly human.</i>


    A momentter, when he finally adjusted to his new vision, he slowly turned his gaze toward his Fatestone.


    <i>I can see it.</i>


    He examined the intricate borders etched within the small Fatestone. Paying close attention to the crack-like lines spreading in all directions, he precisely memorized the entire structure and reinforced it in his mind.


    <i>Alright...</i>


    Although he was uncertain of how sessful he would be, he had nothing to lose, so he steeled his resolve and brought his Fatestone close to the de of the Phantasmal Spyde.


    <strong><i>Mirage Fire</i></strong>


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    With the activation of the skill, the de of the Phantasmal Spyde unfurled like mes, transforming a part of the Fatestone into a dream-like substance and burning it.


    Then, when only oneponent among the many that made up the Fatestone remained, the mes of dreams receded like there was nothing left to burn.


    Seizing the moment, he gripped the handle of the dagger and unhesitatingly plunged it into his heart, losing consciousness immediately.

 Chapter 65

    <h4>Chapter 65</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    Before anything else, Se-Hoon felt the soft sofa supporting hisid-down body and the sensation of the thin, slightly rough paper covering his face. Quietlyying there, amidst the vivid sensations as consciousness slowly awakened, he took stock of his body.


    His body, though damaged in ces, was still somewhat solid thanks to the various ways it was being forcibly held together. His mana circuits were also heavily damaged, but since they had been isted using Soul Honing, they weren¡¯tpletely unusable. Within his body were also seven types of elemental mana and the blood that could pulsate under his will.


    Finishing his assessment, he quickly arrived at a conclusion.


    <i>I¡¯m in the past.</i>


    To be more precise, he had returned to the period when the war with the Harbingers of Destruction had just begun. Having figured out the approximate era, he slowly moved his body and removed the paper covering his face.


    ¡°Wait, this ce is...¡±


    He gazed at the room¡¯s transparent ss ceiling and the vast Milky Way that was clearly visible beyond it. Then, lowering his gaze to what was beneath the stars, he saw bookshelves that seemed at least three times his height. The floor of the room was covered by a red carpet, and various books and documents were messily piled on top of it. In that room, where luxury and clutter coexisted, his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Have you woken up?¡±


    Suddenly, an astonished voice came from behind.


    ¡°Barging in and then sleeping for four hours straight. I knew you were brazen, but this is something else.¡±


    Upon hearing the provocative tone, full of pure astonishment at how a human could do such a thing rather than sarcasm, Se-Hoon turned his head to look at the figure sitting at the elegant desk.


    He had jet-ck hair, brown skin, and silvery peculiar eyes that sparkled as he slightly lifted the corner of his mouth.


    Seeing that face, which he wanted to punch so badly for reasons different than those for Sung-Ha, Se-Hoon slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Amir Singh...¡±


    The person in front of him right now was the final of the Three Dogs¡ªthe Frost Dog. As Se-Hoon hadn¡¯t seen the Frost Dog in a long time, he narrowed his eyes.


    And upon seeing that, Amir quickly waved his hand in response.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa. Calm down. I was just joking. It¡¯s going to be problematic if you cause a scene in the office, right?¡±


    His gaze right now seemed to consider Se-Hoon as a walking bomb rather than a person.


    Feeling that gaze, Se-Hoon internally admired the vividly reproduced memory. However, at that moment, a reply filled with irritation suddenly shot out of his mouth, unwittingly.


    ¡°Dude, people might think <i>I¡¯m</i> the Mad Dog because of you. I wasn¡¯t even thinking about causing a scene in the first ce.¡±


    <i>...Huh?</i>


    Surprised by the answer that had left his mouth without his consent, he became bbergasted when it moved once again.


    ¡°Anyway, why did you ignore the summons? I told you toe.¡±


    His voice, despite feeling bizarrely alien even though it wasing from his own mouth, flowed out smoothly.


    Experiencing the situation repeatedly, he re-examined his body and only then realized what was happening.


    <i>Am I experiencing memories of the past in my own shoes?</i>


    Rather than simply dreaming about his memories of the past, he was vividly experiencing them. When that clicked into ce, he finally understood why he couldn¡¯t move his body freely.


    <i>So even if it definitely is my body, I can¡¯t control it.</i>


    Well, he intended to view the memories of his past anyway; he just never expected that it would be done this way. He continued to examine his body,pletely fascinated by the strange sensation.


    ¡°Ignored? I¡¯m a bit disappointed that you would say that.¡±


    Amir then pointed at the documents piled up around the desk with a wronged expression.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see all of these piles here? While you can just receive an order and start hammering away, I have topile and analyze the information delivered by my subordinates from all over the world, and thene up with something new...¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap and just tell me your real intentions before I actually blow everything away.¡±


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>. You¡¯re being quite serious right now, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Upon hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s warning, Amir made a deted expression and leaned back in his luxurious leather chair with his arms crossed.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, I acknowledge you since you won that bet with me, but when ites to that rabble that talks about alliances or whatever, I don¡¯t trust them.¡±


    ¡°After the Emperor of Ascension, the Pilgrim died too. Two Perfect Ones have died within a year, yet you think they¡¯d still backstab you?¡±


    ¡°Ah... you genuinely don¡¯t understand, do you?¡±


    Amir sighed deeply, his eyes cold.


    ¡°This is the <i>perfect </i>time to backstab since the situation is so ripe.¡±


    Hearing the deeply rooted distrust in his response, Se-Hoon was reminded anew of what kind of person the Frost Dog was.


    <i>He¡¯s friendlier on the outside, but in some ways, he¡¯s even more distrustful of humans than even the Mad Dog or the st Dog.</i>


    That fact was further proven by the fact that even though he had interacted the longest with Se-Hoon, he was thest to join the allied forces among the Three Dogs. Reminiscing about the vivid memories that resurfaced, Se-Hoon continued watching with interest.


    ¡°Se-Hoon.¡±


    Getting up from his chair, Amir wore a serious expression.


    ¡°Do you know what percentage of the S-rank heroes that have appeared in thest twenty years are from Babel?¡±


    ¡°How would I know something like that?¡±


    ¡°Seventy percent. Including those who were expelled.¡±


    S-rank heroes were those who were qualified to challenge a Tower of Heroes and had the power to change the entirendscape of the world, like natural disasters. They were humanity¡¯s most formidable force, only overshadowed by the monsters known as Perfect Ones, and Babel had nurtured the majority of them.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fascinating? You¡¯d think that even fifty percent would be unbelievable, yet it¡¯s way more than that...¡±


    Walking to the back of the room, Amir lightly pushed aside one of the bookshelves, revealing hidden shelves behind it.


    Continuing to push the countless shelves aside, he continued his story.


    ¡°But there¡¯s something else that Babel produces just as good as S-rank heroes. Do you know what that is?¡±


    ¡°I said I wouldn¡¯t know. Just get to the point.¡±


    ¡°Demons.¡±


    Pausing, Amir took some books from the shelves and only then continued.


    ¡°Fifty percent of the currently identified S-rank demons are actually from Babel. And if we include the unidentified demons, the percentage probably increases. But that¡¯s not known because those nobles tend to erase their mistakes because of sheer embarrassment.¡±


    Amir then lightly set down the stack of books that umted in his hand in the empty air. At that moment, the moisture in the air froze, forming an ice tray¡ªthin enough to be translucent¡ªthat effortlessly supported the books Amir had ced down. Floating in midair, it followed behind Amir.


    ¡°People think the Demon Force have only left Babel alone because they were afraid of the Emperor of Ascension... but that¡¯s only half right.¡±


    Finished with selecting the books he wanted, he walked over, leaned on the back of the sofa with his arm, and pointed forward with his finger.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The ice trays, which had increased to five at some point, dropped from midair onto the table in front of the sofa, dissolving into the air and disappearing.


    A blink of an eyeter, piles of books and documents appeared in front of Se-Hoon. Scanning through them, a few titles caught his eye.


    ¡°Professors at Babel Suspected to be Part of the Watchers.¡±


    ¡°Report on the Unofficial Cooperation between Babel and the Demon Force.¡±


    ¡°Blueprints of Special Facilities Hidden Within Babel.¡±


    ¡°The demons had no real reason to attack. After all, Babel nurtured future demons for them.¡±


    The paradoxical story of the <i>hero </i>academy Babel nurturing powerful demons brought back some of Se-Hoon¡¯s hazy memories.


    <i>Right... I¡¯ve heard of this before.</i>


    In the past, there were many suspicions about how Babel was considered just an ordinary educational institution despite being so abnormallyrge and advanced. Questions about its founding purpose and the Emperor of Ascension were endlessly raised.


    Of course, without proper evidence, every single one ended as a conspiracy theory. However, the evidence that could support those theories was nowid out in front of him.


    <i>If only these were viewable to everyone...</i>


    He thought that, perhaps, this information could help him make future decisions in Babel. But, the moment he had that thought, a question arose as well: <i>But why don¡¯t I remember any of this?</i>


    Even if his memory wasn¡¯t the best, if he had seen Amir¡¯s organized materials, he should at least have remembered something.


    Confused, he looked at the materials in front of him and tried to remember.


    ¡°So what?¡±


    But then, his own listless voice interrupted him.


    ¡°Babel is a rotten ce, but so what?¡±


    ¡°It means there¡¯s also a possibility that they are colluding with the Demon Force...¡±


    ¡°They <i>are</i> colluding. But, so are you.¡±


    The conversation ceased, and the surrounding air grew cold.


    He couldn¡¯t see Amir¡¯s face as he had never turned his head in the past, but he could tell that Amir was very dissatisfied.


    ¡°Just be honest. You¡¯re just afraid that you¡¯ll lose the cash cows you worked so hard to get as an information broker by selling information to both sides.¡±


    ¡°You really <i>are</i> ignorant, talking like that without knowing anything.¡±


    With his pretense stripped away, Amir revealed his cold, original tone. And hearing that response, Se-Hoon¡¯s past self also snapped back irritably.


    ¡°I may not know everything that I need to know, but there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m certain about. Both the Emperor of Ascension and Babel, the ones that you''re suspicious of right now, fought to the death against the Harbingers of Destruction, sacrificing everything they had.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Compared to someone like you who skulks in a corner, trusting no one and only harboring suspicions, wouldn¡¯t they be more trustworthy?¡±


    Without even looking at the documents in front of him, he uncontrobly stood up.


    ¡°You can sell your internal information, but try to cooperate at least a little. Those Harbingers of Destruction seem more dangerous than I imagined.¡±


    Leaving behind those words, he walked toward the door. At that moment, the surroundings began to blur, a sign that the memory was fading.


    <i>Wait... it ends like this?</i>


    It was good that he was able to remember the suspicions about Babel thanks to this, but was that all he was able to gain?


    Despite his desire, his body continued to walk forward. Completely unable to control the situation, twisted his expression in frustration.


    <i>Damn... even though it¡¯s all right there...</i>


    It felt unfair that he wasn¡¯t even allowed a single chance to grasp the evidence before his eyes. As his anger began to simmer due to the frustrating memory¡ª


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    A purple me red up in his chest.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    His body immediately stopped, the strange constraint binding his body disappearing. Quickly realizing that he had regained control of his body, he immediately turned around without thinking.


    ¡°...¡±


    And saw Amir biting his lip and looking down with a frustrated expression. A momentter, he realized the reason.


    <i>Now that I think about it, the reason he was trading information with the Demon Force was because of the Dream Demon.</i>


    The Dream Demon, one of the Ten Evils, was known as the owner of the pleasure quarters that were deeply entrenched in society¡¯s shadows.


    And it hadpletely subjugated Amir¡¯s family, which had been information brokers in the underworld for generations. Because of that, he had no choice but to remain neutral even when the war with the Harbingers of Destruction unfolded.


    <i>He must have thought it was unfair every time was called sly and all that.</i>


    But what could be done? Even Se-Hoon had only learned of his circumstances long after the Dream Demon was killed and the alliance had started to crumble.


    Ignoring Amir, since it was a memory of the past, he ran toward the books and documents.


    ¡°...Se-Hoon?¡±


    Although he heard Amir¡¯s puzzled voice, he pretended he didn¡¯t hear and began quickly reviewing the materials.


    <i>There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be able to remember all of the details right now.</i>


    Putting aside everything else, he only looked for the most significant, or at least relevant-looking, ones among all the documents. Leveraging his experience of skimming through numerous papers, he managed to find and remember all of the key points of the vast amount of information.


    ¡°The extinct Inoue family. Evidence of regr interactions with Watchers. Affiliated factions require further verification.¡±


    ¡°Lea udel, CEO of Gxy Company. A creditor-debtor rtionship with one of the Ten Evils, the Puppeteer. Details require further investigation.¡±


    ¡°Involvement of the Barmuth family with Watchers, using the now-closed Department of cksmithing at Babel Academy as a base. Additional investigation on the circumstances required.¡±


    ¡°Evidence of the involvement of the Demon Force in the death of the youngest archbishop of the Pilgrimage Church. Further detailed investigation required.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    Although many of the names he saw in the documents were unknown, there were quite a few that were recognizable. Meanwhile, in the midst of his examination of all of the documents, the space around him began blurring more and more until even the documents he was holding started to crumble away.


    At thatst moment, he turned over one more page of the document he was looking at, and onest headline caught his eye.


    ¡°Former Department of cksmithing Lead Professor Kim In-Cheol. Confirmed to have been a cksmith affiliated with Watchers. Presumed dead after being involved in the Fire Sword cksmith Hunt.¡±


    ***


    <strong>[Activating Awakening Dream]</strong>


    <i>Whoosh-!</i>


    With the activation of the skill, Se-Hoon¡¯s mind was forcefully awakened, and he immediately sat up and covered his mouth.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    He felt like vomiting; his body felt like it had been forcibly stuffed into a narrow hole. However, despite his condition, he was able to quickly identify the cause.


    <i>Is my mind having a hard time telling apart my physical body from the one in my memory? I never expected something like this...</i>


    He guessed that the bodily dissonance was so intense since he had vividly experienced the past in the first person. If Awakening Dream had not woken him up, it could have led to severe issues, such as twisted internal organs.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>...¡±


    Taking a moment to take deep breaths and collect his scattered senses, he slowly looked around.


    Not much had changed since he used the Phantasmal Spyde. Checking the time, he realized that not even a minute had passed.


    <i>It seems like it doesn¡¯t take any time at all to review my memories. This could be pretty useful.</i>


    Assuming he had trustworthy people around him, diving into his memories while out and about didn¡¯t seem like it would be much of an issue.


    Pondering the potential uses of the Phantasmal Spyde, he looked around for it.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    To his surprise, the purple dagger was nowhere to be seen. He became confused.


    <i>Did I drop it somewhere?</i>


    He looked under the sofa and the table, but it was nowhere to be found. His expression gradually stiffened.


    ¡°No way... is it a one-time use?¡±


    He refused to believe that the dagger, which was forged from extremely rare materials like Dream Ivory and the Southern me Feather, only allowed a single use before it disappeared.


    Still unable to find it, his expression hardened in disbelief. He turned his gaze toward the living room window.


    ¡°...?¡±


    He was able to see thendscape of Babel, darkened even in the downtown areas, and his blurry reflection above it. Suddenly, after noticing something, his eyes moved toward his chest, where he had stabbed himself with the Phantasmal Spyde.


    <strong>[The equipment ¡®Phantasmal Spyde¡¯ has been absorbed into your body.]</strong>


    <strong>[Skill ¡®Dream Storage (A)¡¯ has been acquired.]</strong>


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    A purple me proudly red up within him, signaling the new skill he had gained.

 Chapter 66

    <h4>Chapter 66</h4>


    One of the major courses in the Department of cksmithing was Metallurgy.


    And since it was a ss that taught the basics of the forging processes, the content itself had the reputation of being easy among the students. However, despite the easy content, the assignments were notoriously difficult in many ways.


    ¡°The next assignment is a small shield made of alloy number twenty-one. It should weigh 1.2 kilograms with a diameter of twenty-eight centimeters. The main theme of the assignment is recoil, so try to pay attention to dealing with that aspect during the forging process. Also, it has to at least be normal tier to be submitted, so keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Nervous of what In-Seong might say next, the students looked on with way expressions. And upon seeing their faces after a nce, In-Seong wore a slight smile before continuing.


    ¡°And, just like the previous assignments, you can submit this assignment anytime before the end-of-semester evaluation. Be thankful for the professor¡¯s consideration.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°No way...¡±


    Hearing about the rxed submission period, the students all sighed and covered their faces. While it might have seemed good because of the extra time, in reality, it wasn¡¯t.


    The assignments in this ss were graded on a curve. Meaning, that the better the other students¡¯ submissions were, the lower their own would score, which naturally turned it into a game of strategy.


    <i>I¡¯m not good at making shields. But maybe it''s doable if I invest about two weeks...</i>


    <i>I want at least an A in this ss... I wonder how much the others will do...</i>


    While there was a big gap among students when it came to their ability to utilize various materials and their specialties, there wasn¡¯t a significant one if it strictly came down to their basics. And that was especially true with such a lenient deadline.


    As a result, those in the lower ranks of the grade grit their teeth to score points here, but those in the upper ranks had a simr mindset and did the same to avoid falling behind.


    ¡°<i>Hehe</i>...¡±


    Throughout the semester, the students would observe each other¡¯s equipment and endlessly repeat the forging and designing process while using what they learned.


    Watching them, In-Seong had a content smile on his face. He remembered how much he also struggled in this Metallurgy ss when he was a student. Back then, he wanted to bash the professor, but now he respected the professor¡¯s spirit of not going with a different grading method despite numerousints.


    <i>After all, it¡¯s only in the early stages of enrollment that you get to struggle like this.</i>


    Right now, the foundation of each student might all be at a simr level, but with more time at Babel, the gap between them would only be wider based on each of their talents. Being able to witness such apetition between these students was a spectacle only avable up until their second semester.


    Meanwhile, as In-Seong was watching the students struggle, terrifying mes erupted in a corner of the workshop.


    <i>Fwoosh! ng! ng!</i>


    Separate from the other students, Se-Hoon was in a zone of his own, heating and hammering the metal in front of him.


    <i>Sizz!</i>


    Unlike the other students, he finished forging his equipment in the blink of an eye, like time was being fast-forwarded at several times the speed. Very quickly, the finished equipment started to pile up on one side.


    <i>Clink-</i>


    Havingpleted the four backlogged assignments due to his two-week hospital stay, he gathered them all and presented them to In-Seong.


    ¡°I would like to submit these.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    In-Seong looked at the equipment presented to him with aplex expression.


    Had it been any other student, he might have scolded them upon seeing theirck of effort regardless of the quality, but he knew that Se-Hoon¡¯s equipment was too good for such criticism.


    ¡°All of them are Advanced tier, with above-average quality...¡±


    Have there been any Advanced-tier submissions before?


    Looking at Se-Hoon, who had surpassed exceptional and was standing on apletely different level, In-Seong licked his lips briefly and nodded.


    ¡°Well done.... The professor said you don¡¯t have toe to ss until the next assignment if you¡¯ve submitted everything, so do as you please.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going then,¡± Se-Hoon said, immediately leaving now that his business here was done.


    Seeing him leave, the students watching his back started murmuring among themselves.


    ¡°Is he really injured? Why does he look perfectly fine?¡±


    ¡°He must not have been that badly injured.¡±


    ¡°Did you not see the photo? He was brought to the hospital covered in blood, in Dean Ryu¡¯s arms.¡±


    They were talking about the photo that had stirred up the general forum on <i>Tower,</i> which showed Eun-Ha carrying a blood-covered Se-Hoon to the infirmary. It had quickly be a hot topic for discussion, not just because of his injury but also due to the rare expression of urgency on the typically stoic face of Eun-Ha.


    ¡°There¡¯s a rumor that Dean Ryu personally provided him with an elixir.¡±


    ¡°What? No way.¡±


    ¡°Why not? It¡¯s entirely possible, considering she took him hunting personally over the weekend.¡±


    Photos of the two walking together through the Void Terminal had also been posted, raising several suspicions.


    However, neither Se-Hoon nor Eun-Ha seemed to be bothered by the rumors, with both offering no official rifications. As a result, even more spective opinions emerged.


    ¡°Even if he looks okay on the outside, who knows what his internal condition is. I also heard that hepletely wasted all of the materials in an intermediate-level forging session.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard about that too. Didn¡¯t Professor Kim In-Cheol have to save him from almost causing an ident?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also a rumor that he received an injury to his mana circuit from a demon. If that one is really true, then it¡¯s only a matter of time before he falls behind.¡±


    No matter how amazing someone¡¯s talent was, it was inevitable that they would fall behind if they couldn¡¯t properly manipte their mana.


    And so, with Se-Hoon not rifying anything, days passed. With each day that had passed, spection about Se-Hoon¡¯s injury and eventual underperformance grew, and then when he was seen struggling to manipte his mana, it exploded.


    But before anything could happen, the weekend had approached.


    ¡°What did you even do?¡± Lea curiously asked, sitting across from Se-Hoon.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Hearing her question, Se-Hoon, who was inscribing an enchantment on cheap pottery, nced at her.


    ¡°How can someone be underestimated so much in just a week? It doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Lea said, looking back at him with apletely puzzled expression.


    The hero industry was known to be perilous, and it was often that a single injury could plummet one¡¯s reputation, but rumors and suspicions usually remained unconfirmed until proven. However, that wasn¡¯t the case when it came to Se-Hoon.


    The rumors and nders about Se-Hoon had spread too rapidly, to the point that it was almost an epted fact that he had suffered an injury that affected his ability to manipte mana. She knew that he had kept his sess in forging the Phantasmal Spyde a secret, but even then, the atmosphere was unnervingly abnormal.


    Seeing the confusion on her face, he remained indifferent.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m showing suspicious aspects and not denying anything. I think that¡¯s enough to raise these doubts.¡±


    All of the controversy surrounding him could be easily quelled by just a single word from either Jung-Wan, Eun-Ha, or In-Cheol¡ªhis attending physician, the Dean of Borsippa, or the leading professor of the Department of cksmithing respectively¡ªyet the rumors continued to spread.


    The reason was simple. At his request, all three individuals¡ªJung-Wan, Eun-Ha, and In-Cheol¡ªhad refrained frommenting.


    ¡°It¡¯s natural that people might think that there¡¯s some truth to the rumors if I stay too silent despite all the usations. And, of course, those who dislike me are definitely adding fuel to the fire.¡±


    There was no way that Vice Dean Michael, who was coveting the position of Dean of Borsippa and wanted to take control of the Department of cksmithing, wouldn¡¯t be seizing this opportunity to stir things up.


    Hearing his exnation, Lea nodded in understanding, though her expression was still full of puzzlement.


    ¡°Still... if the rumors turn out to not be true, wouldn¡¯t all this have been for nothing? What¡¯s the point of going through all this...¡± she questioned.


    At the end of the day, rumors were just rumors. No matter how much people talked about them, Se-Hoon wouldn¡¯t suddenly develop an injury and lose his skills.


    <i>Well, that guy probably believes that he can turn the rumors into reality.</i> Se-Hoon thought, his response going unsaid.


    Taking advantage of the chaotic moment to genuinely render him incapacitated seemed excessive, but his actions had changed the circumstances.


    <i>If the Barumuth family has joined forces with Watchers to shut down the Department of cksmithing...</i>


    If they were aiming for something beyond mere power at Babel, then it was definitely worth a try to them.


    It was a good chance to erase Se-Hoon thoroughly, as the talent he had demonstrated could elevate the Department of cksmithing from ruin to the leading department of Babel.


    <i>I have to keep an eye on them.</i>


    He recalled the memories he had seen through the Phantasmal Spyde. Those were indeed events that had happened in the past, but being able to read through the documents before leaving was something that hadn¡¯t urred before.


    Therefore, he couldn¡¯t be sure if the information he had seen was urate.


    <i>Yeah. For now, I can¡¯t say take anything for sure...</i>


    Done recalling and organizing the information he had nced over¡ªespecially thest piece that was rted to In-Cheol¡ªin his head, he stopped his brush.


    ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Oh? That was fast. Let me see.¡±


    Taking the pottery from him, Lea turned it all over in her hands, examining the enchantments inscribed onto its surface.


    The lines were inscribed cleanly without a single mistake, and the framework perfectly encapsted the patterns he had been taught, with visible adjustments made in several ces.


    <i>Did he use barrier magic as a base? The connections between the patterns seem a bit loose.... No, it¡¯s structured that way to be filled out by the mana. What kind of beginner can disy such techniques...?</i>


    It was clear he hadn¡¯t been formally trained in enchantment before, yet his skill in it was several times better than many of those in the Department of Enchantments.


    <i>No, wait. I should see if it activates first.</i>


    However, if it didn¡¯t function properly, then it didn¡¯t matter how impressive the enchantment pattern looked, it would just be meaningless. Carefully examining the pottery, she slowly infused it with her mana.


    The freshly inscribed enchantments absorbed the mana and began to faintly glow, causing the air around the pottery to slightly tremble.


    Soon, the pottery began drawing in the air, which created a soft noise from within.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Despite all the windows being closed, the sound of the wind echoed in the room.


    Feeling the faint vibrationsing from the pottery, she quickly turned it over and shook out its contents.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    And out came a small green whirlwind that spun on the desk.


    The whirlwind created by the pottery made from wind attribute materials and Se-Hoon¡¯s enchantmentssted for about twenty seconds before it copsed and disappeared.


    ¡°...¡±


    Observing the remnants of the whirlwind quietly, she blurted out, ¡°I can maintain it for over a minute.¡±


    Her statement sounded more like she was trying to protest than boast. Hearing that, Se-Hoon gave her a slight smile.


    ¡°Who asked?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so annoying. You can just be the best at everything then.¡±


    Ending that conversation with that ¡°praise¡±, she set down the pottery, an assignment for the Ancient Enchantments ss, next to her and looked at him again.


    ¡°Anyway, now that you¡¯re done with your assignment, let¡¯s work on enchanting together. My condition¡¯s pretty good these days, so I¡¯ll help you with any difficult materials you manage to bring. Oh, didn¡¯t you mention that you¡¯re nning to have the Inkstone Bracelets enchanted? How about we enchant those?¡±


    Chattering as if she hadn¡¯t just been grumbling moments ago, her mood shifting quickly. Amused yet perplexed by her rapid change, Se-Hoon brought up something he had been postponing until now.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to show you first.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Just wait and see.¡±


    Saying no more, he began to unbutton his jacket and shirt.


    Upon seeing his unexpected action, her eyes widened in surprise. Then, after what was seemingly a long process to her, that surprise turned into an involuntary exmation when his bare skin was fully revealed.


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Although she might not know much about muscles, it was clear at a nce that his muscles were pretty impressive. She couldn¡¯t help but stare intently at the area near his sternum. Then, at that moment, a familiar purple me burst forth.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    ¡°<i>Ah</i>!¡±


    Completely startled¡ªdue to being broken out of her intense focus on his muscles¡ªshe jumped up. Seeing her exaggerated surprise, Se-Hoon amusedly looked at her.


    ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡±


    ¡°How can I not be surprised when mes suddenly spurted out of your body? Wait, is that... the Phantasmal Spyde?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s been absorbed into my body.¡±


    ¡°What... wait a minute!¡±


    <i>tter!</i>


    She crawled under the desk and quickly emerged beside him, pressing her face close to his sternum to examine the mes of dreams.


    ¡°It really is connected to your body.... But even if it is made of dream mana, how can it have such an interaction...?¡±


    Completely bewildered, she examined the me from various angles. Meanwhile, Se-Hoon checked the information message about the newly acquired skill again.


    <strong>[Dream Storage] ¡ºA¡»</strong>


    <strong>[A void space essed by crossing the boundary of dreams.</strong>


    <strong>Utilizes the substitution characteristic of dream mana to store objects within the body. However, storage is not possible when the user¡¯s dream mana is exhausted.</strong>


    <strong>*Objects can be stored within the body.</strong>


    <strong>*Storage is not possible when the user¡¯s dream mana is exhausted</strong>


    <strong>*Currently stored objects: Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx, Phantasmal Spyde]</strong>


    In an era where void pockets already existed, one might question the significance of the skill, but he knew the real convenience it offered.


    <i>There¡¯s no risk of anything being stolen, and I can pull out objects without any extra movements.</i>


    In a way, it was like a secret weapon. But aside from all that, what he found particrly intriguing was the kind of space Dream Storage utilized.


    ¡°Give me your hand.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Stopping her intense examination, Lea obediently extended her hand, which Se-Hoon grabbed and immediately thrust toward his sternum.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    The hand prated the mes and was engulfed up to her wrist. The sight made Lea¡¯s eyes sparkle¡ªher hand definitely should have pierced through his heart.


    ¡°Oh... wow... what even is this? My hand went into your body.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t store your hand, but passing it through works just fine. Interesting, right?¡± he said as he stirred the space with her arm.


    Although others might have been disgusted by the sight, regardless of the actual sensation, Lea was amazed, wiggling her fingers inside.


    ¡°It feels more like touching smoke than mes. And there¡¯s something lightly touching the tips of my fingers.... Wait, don¡¯t tell me, are those my enchantment patterns?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    The enchantments carved into the Phantasmal Spyde were floating in the mysterious space.


    Hearing his confirmation, she became even more intrigued by the sensations at her fingertips. Se-Hoon added an exnation.


    ¡°It seems like this happened because of the intery between dream mana, the enchantment patterns, and the skills I possess.¡±


    ¡°This is amazing. Equipment bing a permanent skill... this is the first time I¡¯ve heard of such a phenomenon in my life.¡±


    If it became known that he had created such a piece of equipment, it was definite that all of the useless rumors circting outside would disappear. Pondering for a moment, she decided to ask something, just in case.


    ¡°Are you going to keep this a secret too?¡±


    ¡°It has to be. It could be a huge hassle otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Right. Everyone woulde running, trying to study it.¡±


    While his response slightly disappointed her, she quickly shook off the thought and withdrew her hand before asking, ¡°So, what¡¯s the reason for showing me this? Don¡¯t tell me you just wanted to brag.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to study how this Dream Storage was created. Let¡¯s take a look at it together whenever we have time.¡±


    Her eyes sparkled with anticipation upon hearing the answer she hoped for.


    ¡°Ah... there¡¯s really no one else like my underssman! This is why I love¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to work with you if you talk nonsense.¡±


    ¡°... Although it¡¯s not really to the extent of love, this is why I adore you! You¡¯re the best, the best!¡±


    Upon seeing how she yfully diverted the conversation again, he looked at her with a mix of amusement and incredulity.


    Giggling, she continued and asked, ¡°So, when do we start? Right now? We might figure out something if we spend the entire weekend on it. I¡¯ll buy lots of food and coffee, so let¡¯s pull an all-nighter. How about it?¡±


    Unfortunately, he shook his head, despite seeing how eager she was.


    ¡°Not this week.¡±


    ¡°What? Why... ah, right. The Noblesse is tomorrow.¡±


    Upon remembering that the social gathering was tomorrow, a part of her became surprised.


    ¡°That¡¯s unexpected of you. I thought you didn¡¯t like those kinds of ces.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you attending?¡±


    Buttoning up his clothes, a sly smile began growing on his face.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Done adjusting his appearance, he looked at her and grinned.


    ¡°I¡¯m going there to make a fuss.¡±

 Chapter 67

    <h4>Chapter 67</h4>


    It was a Saturday night. The bustling areas of each district, teeming with people as always, were made up of a slightly different mix today.


    ¡°When is it supposed to start?¡±


    ¡°It should start in a bit, right?¡±


    And in Borsippa¡¯s bustling academic district, that was the case as well. A crowd had gathered below the hills, each member managing to find their own spot beyond the barricades as they looked up toward the peak.


    The atmosphere was bustling like the one before a festival, with that strange warmth swelling as time passed.


    <i>Fwiiing-</i>


    Suddenly, a faint sound resounded, and seven trails of me shot up from atop the hill. Seemingly about to disappear into the night sky at any moment, each soared high until they converged at one point.


    And then, when the tremendous mana began bursting forth from within¡ª


    <i>Boom!!!</i>


    Colored fireworks vibrantly dyed the sky.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting!¡±


    ¡°Quick, take a picture!¡±


    The crowd cheered, seeing that the anticipated event had begun.


    <i>Boom! Boom!</i>


    Following the first explosion, more explosions soon followed, the resulting fireworks overshadowing even the starlight in the night sky with their brilliant sparkles.


    Theunched fireworks were chain explosion fireworks, won through fierce bidding by the Department of Enchantments. The professors, teaching assistants, and students had poured their hearts and souls into improving them, and right now, they were bursting endlessly in the sky with dazzling colors.


    ¡°The fireworks are so pretty...¡±


    ¡°How can mana burst so clearly? That¡¯s insane...¡±


    ¡°How long does this go on?¡±


    While everyone was able to see the brilliance of the fireworks, only those with sufficient ability could notice the overall structure of the mana contained within. Moreover, only those who had seen the exact price knew about their terrifying cost.


    Regardless of why, everyone was captivated by the fireworks disy. Unfortunately, it came to an end before long.


    <i>Wizzz-</i>


    The fireworks began to fall downward, exhausted of their strength. But, before the crowd could truly feel disappointed that it had ended already, the sky was illuminated once more.


    <i>sh!</i>


    A thousand rays of light that were shot from the hill began to mix with the remnants of the dispersed fireworks, soon moving vividly across the night sky like living creatures. Captivated by the new sight, the crowd¡¯s gazes naturally followed the lights to reveal the building now atop the hill.


    ¡°So that¡¯s <i>the</i> Shangri-La.¡±


    ¡°That building really is no joke...¡±


    The now-revealed white mansion shone like a star thanks to the thousands of lights. This mansion was Borsippa¡¯sndmark, therge banquet hall¡ªalso the world¡¯s most morous one¡ªwhere various events at Babel were held.


    ¡°This year¡¯s first Noblesse is no joke. How much have they already spent?¡±


    ¡°Well, the third-years managing the event this year are no joke. Plus, with <i>those </i>freshman this year, they must have received proper funding.¡±


    ¡°I wish I had been invited...¡±


    Unlike the outsiders who were there to simply enjoy the following event, the students of Babel looked toward Shangri-La with a mix of jealousy, envy, and admiration.


    The Noblesse¡ªthe banquet organized by those at the very top of Babel and the hero industry¡ªhad now officially begun.


    Meanwhile, from inside a limousine driving by, Se-Hoon was utterly dumbfounded by the fireworks show. He couldn¡¯t understand why they would spend so extravagantly on merely the eve of an event; it was just a ce where students gathered to simply chat. He couldn¡¯t even begin to guess the budget they had to have to even make it possible.


    <i>There¡¯s still the decor of the inside too... I can¡¯t even imagine it. They might as well just go all out and bring all sorts of expensive items to brag about and show off like an exhibition. </i>


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Erika asked in a calm tone, breaking him out of his thoughts.


    Erika, sitting opposite him, was dressed in an elegant ck dress in ordance with the dress code. Tonight, she seemed more mature and imposing than usual, perhaps due to the outfit.


    ¡°About what?¡± he asked back.


    ¡°The eve ceremony. How was it?¡±


    Wondering if she was just curious or asking as an insider, he answered honestly.


    ¡°It was impressive.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really.¡±


    He nodded without hesitation and looked outside again.


    ¡°What kind of crazy people coulde up with such a creative idea to waste money? While the mere fact that they coulde up with such an idea is impressive, their execution of it is just as impressive.¡±


    The fact that they put on such arge-scale event solely to unt their power showed that they weren¡¯t bound by money and were fundamentally different from others.


    ¡°I wish they would sponsor me. It seems like they¡¯d lob money my way if I hinted that I needed it, right?¡±


    He pondered whether he should seriously give it a try. Seeing him do that, Erika, who had been quietly watching, spoke up.


    ¡°We did it.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°The nning of this eve ceremony. Our family handled it.¡±


    An awkward silence filled the limousine.


    A momentter, Erika intently looked at him and calmly asked, ¡°Do you want me to sponsor you?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    When he realized that he shouldn¡¯t discuss spending money in front of her, the limousine smoothly finished climbing the hill and pulled in front of Shangri-La''s main building.


    <i>Click.</i>


    Stepping out the door an employee opened, Se-Hoon looked at the mansion before him.


    Illuminated from all sides, the grand mansion shone brilliantly white. And now that he was up close, he could see a rainbow subtly adorning it.


    <i>It¡¯s already impressive even though it hasn¡¯t even been fully activated.... Ordinary bunkers wouldn¡¯t stand a chance if they werepared.</i>


    The grandeur was probably because the mansion had been built to wee distinguished guests and high-ranking individuals from all over the world.


    Inspecting the surroundings, they approached the entrance. Soon, a staff member naturally came forward and bowed.


    ¡°Wee, Miss Erika. May I check the invitation ticket of the person apanying you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seeing Erika¡¯s nce, Se-Hoon handed over the invitation he had prepared in advance.


    Receiving it, the staff member lightly scanned it with mana to verify its authenticity before nodding and stepping aside.


    ¡°Wee to the Noblesse. We hope you enjoy your time.¡±


    Along with that greeting, the front doors smoothly swung open, revealing a circr central hall shining with chandeliers past thevishly decorated grand doorway.


    <i>Is that where the social gathering is held?</i>


    He took a step inside.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    And an endless corridor appeared before him.


    ***


    Every group had its traditions, no matter trivial, and the Noblesse was the same. Their initiation tradition, Labyrinth, forced the attendees to wander through endlessly connecting corridors that were formed using the spatial magic imbued throughout the Shangri-La mansion.


    At first nce, it seemed like a pointless prank, but it had its practical reasons.


    ¡°What, where did everyone go?¡±


    ¡°This is...¡±


    When first put into the maze, some frantically looked around in confusion, while others quickly grasped the situation and started to dispel the spatial magic. And watching all that unfold on their own floating panels were the members of the Noblesse who shared their opinions with each other.


    ¡°Hm. This guy is a bit slow, but he has good senses. He should be useful with a bit of investment.¡±


    ¡°That guy is quick-witted butcks talent. It seems like we overestimated him.¡±


    With Labyrinth, they could re-evaluate the potential and abilities of the promising students they had been keeping an eye on. Or, in other words, they could appraise the value of the attendees.


    ¡°Hey, this guy isn¡¯t bad.¡±


    ¡°Let me see.¡±


    While those thirsty for talents busily flipped through their panel hoping to find promising individuals, others deliberately chose to watch only the most hopeless students and enjoy themselves.


    And among these diverse individuals, was a young man with neatlybed blonde hair and a dependable appearance sitting quietly¡ªVier Barmuth.


    ¡°...¡±


    Unlike the others who were proactively scanning through their panels, Vier wasn¡¯t even ncing at his.


    Seeing this, Carter Dous, the burly young man sitting next to him who was also the top-ranking second-year student of the Department of cksmithing, cautiously asked, ¡°Um... sir, maybe you should take a look at some of the others...¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Carter Dous quickly silenced himself upon Vier¡¯smand, knowing all too well that unnecessaryments could bring trouble upon himself.


    ¡°Hans.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes! Sir.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain that Se-Hoon is participating?¡±


    Hearing Vier¡¯s question, Hans immediately wore a noticeably tense expression,


    ¡°Most likely. While he did refrain from using mana during sses, he didn¡¯t seem to be in poor health...¡±


    ¡°I asked if you¡¯re certain.¡±


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s...¡±


    Under Vier¡¯s indifferent gaze, Hans started sweating bullets.


    <i>Why is he making a fuss with me...</i>


    He had hardly interacted with Se-Hoon during sses, and recently, it had be even harder to see him since he submitted all of his assignments early. How was he supposed to confirm whether Se-Hoon was attending the Noblesse or not?


    <i>He¡¯s so petty and nasty...</i>


    Although they were originallypetitors for sessorship, and thus never on good terms, when he lost the top-ranking position and lost the right to sessorship, Vier treated him like a servant. However, even though the situation made Hans feel a rush of bitterness, he couldn¡¯t utter a word because that was just how the Barmuth family was.


    ¡°So...¡±


    ¡°Ah. Sir. He¡¯s here!¡±


    Unintentionally saving Hans from having to muster up some excuse, Carter Dous, who had been intently watching his panel, quickly brought up a feed.


    What appeared on the panel was a young man with a sharp expression that was just about to enter a red corridor. He was dressed in a ck suit, seeming more like a hitman vibe than a student, and drew gasps from those also watching.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, that guy has surely murdered someone before.¡±


    ¡°Is he really a cksmith?¡±


    ¡°He definitely deserves to be the honor student; it seems like he¡¯s been on a different level since the start.¡±


    With the appearance of Se-Hoon, every single person in the room switched their feed without hesitation, and soon, every panel was disying just one person. It was clear who the main character of this year¡¯s Noblesse was.


    Vier, too, had picked up his panel to watch Se-Hoon intently.


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    On their panels, Se-Hoon seemedpletely calm even upon being put in the maze; he even seemed to have been expecting this. He just carefully surveyed his surroundings.


    ¡°How is he so rxed?¡±


    ¡°I know, right? Maybe he was tipped off.¡±


    ¡°That might be it.¡±


    While the maze was meant to be kept a secret, given the somewhatx atmosphere of the Noblesse, there had been instances when attendees were given a heads-up to make their sponsored student stand out.


    And considering that Se-Hoon had received an invitation from the Inoue family, which wielded significant influence in the Noblesse, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange at all if he received a tip. However, there was something odd about his demeanor.


    <i>Those who are tipped off usually can¡¯t hide it... but he seems different.</i>


    <i>Rather than just knowing about it, it feels like he¡¯s simply familiar with the maze itself...</i>


    Starkly contrasting other students who were eager to showcase their abilities, his calm, indifferent attitude stood out. Even without doing anything special, his presence drew everyone¡¯s attention. Suddenly, he started making unexpected actions¡ªhe started knocking on the walls.


    ¡°Here... hm. Not here...¡±


    Watching Se-Hoon meticulously examine and tap the walls, looking for a hidden entrance, the previously noisy room fell silent, only to be filled with the sound of detingughter soon after.


    ¡°What a letdown. I thought he was onto something big...¡±


    ¡°Figured as much.¡±


    The maze could only be solved by those with a keen sense of spatial magic, and simply at that; they just had to infuse a bit of mana into the gaps to unravel it. So, Se-Hoon¡¯s persistent knocking on the walls implied that he either had dull senses or issues manipting his mana.


    ¡°Given his previously impressive sensing abilities, he must be injured.¡±


    ¡°Although I really want to see his skills, there¡¯s nothing to see if he just keeps doing that.¡±


    Seeing him continue to knock on the walls, the viewers gradually switched to a different feed, leaving only those who were mocking his seemingly confused state.


    Unlike them, however, Vier just kept his eyes on the panel, silent. Meanwhile, Hans and Carter Dous were cautiously observing his reaction, waiting.


    Then, a momentter, he finally said, ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    Though he felt like Se-Hoon was onto something, it seemed to be meaningless after all. Thinking about Se-Hoon¡¯s persistent actions, Vier¡¯s gaze narrowed.


    <i>Was his injury more severe than I thought? If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no need for me to take such risks. I¡¯ll just ask for assistance from Dawn...</i>


    He reassessed some of his ns in his mind.


    <i>Click-</i>


    Suddenly, an unusual sound came from the panel. But when Vier looked toward it this time, he only saw an empty corridor.


    ¡°What?¡±


    As long as the maze persisted, there was no way that an empty corridor would be shown because if Se-Hoon had escaped, it would have been deactivated immediately. So then, where was Se-Hoon?


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Lee Se-Hoon disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Did he use some sort of invisibility spell?¡±


    ¡°Why would he suddenly use that? And he¡¯s a cksmith, remember?¡±


    The sudden turn of events stirred upmotion inside the observation room, and those who had switched their feeds away immediately switched back to the now-empty corridor. However, even when they watched for a while, Se-Hoon still remained unseen.


    Suddenly, Vier stood up, putting down the panel he had been quietly observing.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re heading to the corridor. Follow me.¡±


    Determined to see for himself what trickery was at y, he approached the door. However, before he could open it, it opened from the outside.


    <i>Creak-</i>


    And Se-Hoon, who had vanished from the corridor just now, poked his head through.


    ¡°You...¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s not here either, huh?¡±


    Realizing he hadn¡¯t arrived at the banquet hall, Se-Hoon withdrew his head, looking somewhat deted. At that moment, he finally noticed Vier.


    ¡°<i>Tsk, tsk.</i> So creepy,¡± he remarked disdainfully.


    Leaving behind those words, he clicked his tongue in disdain and closed the door.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    When the door shut, Carter Dous and Hans, who had witnessed the scene alongside Vier, started mumbling in confusion.


    ¡°How did he get up here...?¡±


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have been able to enter without a pass. What on earth...¡±


    They werepletely mystified, unable to believe what they had seen.


    Regaining his senses, Vier btedly yanked open the door and quickly surveyed the corridor outside. But all he saw was an empty corridor, just like on the panel moments earlier. But this time, he realized what Se-Hoon had done.


    <i>Did he figure out the structure of the spatial magic imbued throughout Shangri-La and use it for himself?</i>


    The knocking on the walls he saw Se-Hoon doing through the panel wasn¡¯t meaningless at all; Se-Hoon had been searching for a gap he could exploit.


    However, understanding it in theory and actually daring to execute it neededpletely different levels of skill.


    Recalling Se-Hoon¡¯s effortless disy, Vier¡¯s eyes grew cold.


    <i>¡°So creepy.¡±</i>


    <i>Gnash-</i>


    A chilling sound echoed in his mouth as his teeth clenched.

 Chapter 68

    <h4>Chapter 68</h4>


    The banquet hall on the first floor of Shangri-La had been prepared for the Noblesse.


    Technically, the entire first floor was the setting for the Noblesse, as every room on the first floor was interconnected through spatial magic which formed a space of immense size. But thatrge space wasn¡¯t the most astonishing thing¡ªit was amenities that adorned the interior.


    Water jetted out of the fountain in the center, forming life-like birds and fish that moved through the air like they were alive. And above that, hung the massive chandelier that gently scattered light across the entire space, illuminating the banquet hall.


    There were also human-shaped golems dressed in suits that served food, and the dozens of types of musical instruments floating in the air worked together to y music.


    On top of all that, numerous decorations difficult to see from outside adorned every part of the banquet hall, leaving the mouths of the students who had just made it through the maze agape.


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    ¡°What are all these...¡±


    They thought they had adapted to the otherworldly facilities of Babel to some extent, but the scene before them made them feel like what they had already experienced was just a teaser.


    Seeing the freshmen overwhelmed by the scene that was beyondmon sense, the ones who had invited them approached with a smirk.


    ¡°You¡¯re surprised just by this? Come, there¡¯s even more interesting stuff inside.¡±


    ¡°Let me introduce you to the people I mentioned before. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Any of the invitees who had been captivated by the scene had basically already been sessfully half-recruited. And, going deeper into the banquet hall, they gradually became more and more absorbed into the atmosphere.


    But unlike them, Erika, standing next to the entrance, was looking at the enchanting scene indifferently.


    ¡°Useless...¡± she quietly muttered.


    To her, neither the promising invitees nor the members of the Noblesse who invited them had any value. She just watched the meaningless scene devoid of emotions, and seeing her, the students wandering nearby swallowed their saliva hard.


    <i>Why is she looking at us like that...</i>


    <i>How can one even approach her...</i>


    Although her impable background and talent as the honor student of Ur and the eldest daughter of the Inoue family¡ªthe hosts of this meeting¡ªmade everyone want to take this opportunity to form a connection with her, her unique aura made it difficult to even approach, let alone strike up a conversation.


    The only thing everyone in the surroundings could do was hope for a chance toe by eventually. At that moment, someone approached her.


    ¡°Ah. Here you were.¡±


    Dressed in a white suit, Jake approached Erika and started a conversation naturally.


    ¡°When did you arrive?¡±


    ¡°Just now.¡±


    ¡°Really? Ah, your dress suits you well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Despite Erika¡¯s short responses that clearly showed herck of interest, Jake didn¡¯t seem to mind at all.


    Seeing that sight, the students couldn¡¯t help but exchange puzzled gazes.


    <i>What? Since when were those two close?</i>


    <i>I thought the Inoue and the Myers didn¡¯t really get along...</i>


    To those who knew about the incident that happened two years prior at the first Noblesse, it was truly a strange scene. However, regardless of all the gazes, the two continued their conversation, unaffected.


    ¡°Where did Se-Hoon go?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still in the maze.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. That was a thing. How long has he been there?¡±


    ¡°Five minutes and forty-three seconds.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    The unexpected answer surprised Jake.


    It wouldn¡¯t be that surprising if they were talking about someone else, but they were talking about the one who could easily handle even the tricky magic stones. Se-Hoon should have been able to solve the maze in less than five seconds.


    <i>Was his injury that serious? It didn¡¯t seem that severe when I saw him... Or did someone tamper with the maze?</i>


    He thought such a thing wouldn¡¯t be out of the question since there were indeed people who enjoyed watching the invitees struggle in the maze.


    His thoughts reaching that point, Jake began contemting whether to go looking for Se-Hoon when¡ª


    <i>Creak-</i>


    The entrance to the banquet hall opened and Se-Hoon walked in.


    ¡°I¡¯m finally here... hm? Were you guys waiting for me?¡±


    Upon spotting the two, Se-Hoon smirked, but that only puzzled Jake. Why was Se-Hoon acting like nothing had happened?


    ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, I got a bit lost while taking a detour.¡±


    ¡°...A detour?¡±


    Jake had never heard before that the maze was connected to other rooms, so his puzzlement only grew upon hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s story. Meanwhile, Se-Hoon recalled the corridors he had just been wandering through.


    <i>I examined it because I thought it was something Ludwig had set up.... Spatial magic is, indeed, reallyplicated.</i>


    The spatial magic imbued throughout Shangri-La allowed therge mansion to be split into thousands of blocks that could be freely assembled. It was kind of like a puzzle, so even if one didn¡¯t have aplete understanding of spatial magic, it could still be navigated to some extent by figuring out the structure.


    However, if one made a mistake, they would end up going down the wrong path, just like Se-Hoon.


    <i>Well, thanks to that, I stumbled upon some unexpected gains.</i>


    After identally encountering Vier in the observer¡¯s den while lost, he immediately received a new notification message.


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Vier Barmuth¡¯.]</strong>


    <i>To think a bond was formed with just a few words... he must really hate me.</i>


    Thanks to his detour, he had formed a bond with Vier. Of course, unlike the bonds he had made until now, this one was unlikely to be a friendly one. Regardless, it was still a pretty good gain for him.


    <i>Now I know that his awareness of me is enough to form a bond.</i>


    If it was to this extent, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if something happened during the Noblesse.


    He began organizing his thoughts, trying to prepare.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Erika, who had approached, looked at him seriously.


    ¡°Were you able to visit other rooms?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go to a lot. I went to a room with the observers, a room piled with junk, oh, and a room with a magic array.¡±


    Hearing Se-Hoon nonchntly recounting the ces he visited, Erika¡¯s expression grew even more serious.


    <i>The monitoring room, the storage room, and the control room...</i>


    Each of those rooms should have been under strict security. If he truly had visited all of them, it was essentially the same as having dispelled Shangri-La¡¯s spatial magic.


    <i>Even if the security wasx because of the Noblesse, it still shouldn¡¯t have been easy without prior knowledge of spatial magic. At this level... his magic aptitude is likely A-tier if not S-tier.</i>


    Not only did he possess an aptitude for spells that relied more on his senses, but he also possessed an aptitude for ones that demanded meticulous calctions.


    Realizing that she had discovered his new talent, her eyes sparkled.


    And upon seeing that, Se-Hoon wore a resigned expression.


    <i>At this rate, her bond level will increase when there¡¯s an opportunity.</i>


    It was true that he was pleased by the smooth progress, but the intensity of her gaze was somewhat burdensome.


    Trying to not look at her, he scanned the banquet hall while dodging the gazes his way.


    ¡°Anyway... these stares are getting quite intense.¡±


    He had just arrived, and yet the number of students gathering around him was unusual. Seeing the encirclement of students gradually forming around them, Jake chuckled.


    ¡°Well, we, the freshmen, are the stars of the Noblesse today after all.¡±


    The students invited to the Noblesse usually found their future sponsors here unless they possessed a significant w. In other words, failing to recruit talented students during the Noblesse could mean missing out on the chance for several years, perhaps even entirely.


    <i>Plus, cksmiths like Se-Hoon are especially popr.</i>


    Though the influence of a powerful hero would end once they died, powerful equipment could live on and be reused as many times as necessary. Therefore, for families with the power and capital, technical professionals, cksmiths especially, were desperately needed.


    That was why there were so many students gathered around Se-Hoon, each was trying to seize any opportunity to speak with him.


    And upon seeing the scene before him, Se-Hoon was reminded of an event in the past.


    <i>¡°He¡¯s the cksmith who forged the Mad Dog¡¯s spear! Kill him!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Are you the one rted to the st Dog? If youe quietly, I''ll spare you your limbs.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Freedom for our leader!!¡±</i>


    Just because he had been associated with the Three Dogs, he had been embroiled in kidnappings and assassination attempts. Eventually, people started to avoid him, fearing they¡¯d be swept up in the chaos just by being near him.


    <i>It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve experienced something like this.</i>


    The stares of the friendly crowd, a long-unfelt sensation, left him feeling slightly awkward yet still pleasant. However, if they kept standing still like this, they would just be mere spectacles.


    He turned around to face the two and smiled.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s act like the main characters.¡±


    Upon seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s confident demeanor, Jakeughed.


    ¡°Right. I¡¯ll lead the way.¡±


    They started walking through the hall, the surrounding students flinching and quickly stepping aside. Though they had gathered in hopes of sharing some words with Se-Hoon, the presence of Erika and Jake, both from notably influential families, made them hesitant to approach rashly.


    ¡°Excuse us for a moment.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Unlike how Jake politely asked the others to make way for them, Erika just red at everyone who was eyeing Se-Hoon, giving the impression that she¡¯d remember themter.


    Then, amidst everyone who hesitated to speak due to the tight defense of the two, a timid-looking young man approached.


    ¡°Um, excuse me...! I have something I want to ask about.... C-could I have a moment?!¡± asked the brown-haired young man, so nervous that he was stuttering.


    Noticing his frail appearance, Se-Hoon looked at him contemtively.


    ¡°So suddenly?¡±


    ¡°Ah, ah! That¡¯s Adam Viner, the top-ranking second-year student of the Department of Martial Arts.¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    Upon hearing the man¡¯s introduction, Se-Hoon took a closer look at him. Seeing that, Jake, who was standing nearby, leaned in.


    ¡°He¡¯s a sunbae that I know; he shouldn¡¯t have any ulterior motives,¡± Jake whispered.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Taking Jake¡¯s information into ount, Se-Hoon considered for a moment and then nodded.


    ¡°What are you curious about?¡±


    ¡°Is it really okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; tell me.¡±


    With Se-Hoon¡¯s approval, Adam Viner took a deep breath and started speaking with a tense expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s not something extremely important, but I have this new gauntlet that just doesn¡¯t feel right inbat. I had it checked, but they said there wasn¡¯t any problem with it...¡±


    ¡°So you can¡¯t ept their evaluation. Did you bring the gauntlet today?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ah, here you go!¡±


    Hurriedly pulling out a ck gauntlet from his void pocket, Adam Viner handed it over. Receiving it, Se-Hoon casually swung it around, as if shaking the dust off. To everyone else, it seemed like he was ying with a toy.


    In the meantime, even more students had gathered due to their curiosity. A momentter, Se-Hoon spoke up, tapping a part of the gauntlet with his finger.


    ¡°The mana circuit between the index and middle fingers seems slightly misaligned.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s minor, but it reduces the efficiency of the gauntlet. It¡¯s quite impressive that you noticed the difference, given how slight it is.¡±


    Fiddling with the seams in the gauntlet, he looked at Adam Viner with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°Who checked it? Was it an idiot? If they have eyes, then there¡¯s no way they could¡¯ve missed this.¡±


    Although it might be hard to tell with just a nce, a closer inspection should have easily revealed such a simple w.


    Hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s question, Adam Viner looked slightly hesitant.


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Seeing how he hesitated and nced around, Se-Hoon waved his hand dismissively.


    ¡°Forget it. If they can¡¯t even find something this basic, there¡¯s no point in finding out their name.¡±


    He had no reason to bother with someone so ipetent when there were plenty of talented individuals instead.


    Turning his attention back to the gauntlet, he lightly flicked the misaligned part of the mana circuit with his finger.


    <i>Ting-</i>


    Satisfied by the clear ringing sound that echoed, he handed the gauntlet back.


    ¡°It¡¯s fixed.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It was only slightly misaligned, nothing serious.¡±


    However, upon seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s utterly nonchnt demeanor, Adam, as well as the surrounding students, wore peculiar expressions. How did he fix the mana circuit so easily when equipment could have been damaged if mishandled? It was hard to believe, even if Se-Hoon was an honor student.


    Looking at the gauntlet that was returned, Adam Viner cautiously fitted it onto his right arm.


    <i>Click-</i>


    The moment he inserted his arm, the gauntlet tightened smoothly and his mana began to flow inside.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    Rather than the out-of-ce feeling of before, the gauntlet felt like it was moving more smoothly than ever.


    ¡°I made some adjustments to a few inefficientponents. You should take the other gauntlet to someonepetent enough and have them tune the other in the same way.¡±


    In that short moment, not only had Se-Hoon repaired it, but he also made adjustments. Dazed by that fact, Adam Viner quickly regained hisposure.


    ¡°Th-thank you. How should Ipensate...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you my ount details; just send whatever you think is fair.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Thank you so much!¡±


    Confirming that he received the text with Se-Hoon¡¯s ount details, Adam Viner repeatedly thanked him before leaving.


    Meanwhile, the students who had been watching all nced at one another.


    <i>With that level of skill, just being affiliated with him would...</i>


    <i>As long as we don¡¯t try to recruit him, it seems neither Inoue nor Myers will bother with us...</i>


    <i>I¡¯ll definitely regret it if I miss this opportunity!</i>


    Quickly making some calctions, the students began approaching Se-Hoon, attempting to strike up a conversation. However, before they could, arge man pushed through the other students and stepped forward.


    ¡°Get out of my way!¡±


    The easily over two-meter tall man looked intimidating at first nce. his suit ready to burst at the seams due to his bulging muscles.


    ¡°Was it you?¡±


    Like a growling beast, his voice rumbled. However, despite the aura of intimidation the man inherently carried, Se-Hoon just looked straight up at him without even blinking an eye.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Are you the one who talked crap about my gauntlet?¡±


    The man¡¯s face twisted, seemingly about to throw a punch at any moment.


    Seemingly stiffening at the man¡¯s dangerously fierce demeanor, Se-Hoon¡¯s expression hardened. Seeing that, the man, sensing he had the upper hand, was about to press further, but before he could, Se-Hoon spoke up.


    ¡°I was wondering why it was so trash; so it was made by an amateur... my bad. If I had known it was the result of just some hobby, I wouldn¡¯t have criticized it so harshly.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Jake. Why would your sunbae let an amateur from Aqar Quf handle the creation of his gear? He should¡¯ve at least left it to a professional.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    With each word that left Se-Hoon¡¯s mouth, the atmosphere grew tenser and tenser.


    Jake smirked awkwardly in response.


    ¡°<i>Ahem</i>. Um... Dous sunbae isn¡¯t from Aqar Quf.¡±


    ¡°What? Then is he from Ur?¡±


    ¡°No. He¡¯s the top-ranking second-year student of the Department of cksmithing.¡±


    Upon hearing Jake¡¯s exnation, Se-Hoon began closely observing Carter Dous, therge man in front of him. Seemingly about to explode, Carter Dous¡¯ face was flushedpletely red, and his fists were clenched so tightly that they almost turned white.


    However, Se-Hoon just continued quietly observing while stroking his chin. Then, with a deted expression, he muttered, ¡°You mean this... <i>thing</i>?¡±


    ¡°You bastard!!!¡±


    Immediately losing hisposure and forgetting Vier¡¯s order to bring Se-Hoon to him, Carter Dous swung his fist in rage. Feeling the palpable murderous intent in that strike, Jake quickly stepped in between them.


    Simrly, Erika¡¯s eyes grew cold, preparing for the fight.


    However, unlike them, Se-Hoon waspletely calm, totally ignoring the iing fist to observe the empty space next to it.


    <i>Tap.</i>


    Suddenly, a ck dowel appeared from thin air¡ªwhere Se-Hoon had been looking¡ªand intercepted Carter Dous¡¯s fist.


    ¡°What...¡±


    The ck dowel had effortlessly blocked the punch, despite no sense of weight behind it at all.


    Then, upon recognizing the wielder, Carter Dous¡¯s eyes widened in shock, his face turning pale.


    The air behind the dowel split open, and a young man stepped out from the corridor that appeared beyond.


    He had the same jet-ck hair as Erika, and he was wearing rimless sses. With a cold demeanor, his appearance screamed ¡®elite,¡¯ but there was also an unsettling, unpleasant vibe to him.


    <i>Isn¡¯t he...</i>


    At the sight of the familiar figure, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Brother.¡±


    Erika called softly to the young man.


    The young man was the S-tier hero who had in numerous demons and sealed Gluttony, one of the Ten Evils, before the regression. He was also the head of the Inoue family, as well as a possibly dubious figure who might have contributed to turning his sister Erika into a demon.


    ¡°I am pleased to meet you.¡±


    Inoue Ren was smiling at Se-Hoon.

 Chapter 69

    <h4>Chapter 69</h4>


    The Inoue family, who were among the top three leading families that dominated Japan, was the most prestigious. They enjoyed unparalleled power and possessed an exclusive right to vision magic.


    There were some unsettling rumors about them, but it was a fact that they were one of humanity¡¯s allies. They had generously contributed their power to the war effort against the demons.


    ¡°Huh...¡±


    However, that family has beenpletely erased from history today.


    ¡°There¡¯s really nothing left...¡±


    The sacred mountain¡ªwhere the main house of the Inoue family was supposedly once located¡ªonce held a mysterious atmosphere and was a ce visited by countless people, with its barriers and dense forest. But now, there was not a single trace of life.


    The entire mountain had be a wastnd devoid of life, the only thing left there being a giant cage.


    Sitting in the center of the wastnd, the silver cage was about twenty meters high, its interior covered by ck shadows. Those shadows made it hard to see what was inside, but from the way it intermittently shook, there was definitely something trapped inside.


    <i>So they sealed it rather than killing it.... It seems Gluttony had been stronger than I thought.</i>


    Imagining how the battle had unfolded, Se-Hoon observed the cage. Soon, a space next to him split open, and out came a short, silver-haired, fierce woman¡ªst Dog Luize Valente.


    ¡°Ugh, this is freaking disgusting.... What the hell were those Inoue bastards doing?¡± the st Dog grumbled with a frown.


    The sight of the cage had made her visibly upset.


    ¡°Is it that disgusting? It looks just like a normal cage to me.¡±


    ¡°Lucky you. You get to see that thing as an ordinary cage because you can¡¯t see the sealing magic that was made by twisting tens of thousands of living humans.¡±


    ¡°Were those all... innocent people?¡±


    ¡°No. It seems like they were all affiliated with the family in some way, but it doesn¡¯t seem like they consented to this. All I could hear were screams for help when I approached the cage.¡±


    The cage, which could be considered elegant enough to be seen as beautiful, was apparently dirtier than anything.


    ¡°How¡¯s the cage¡¯s status?¡±


    ¡°The seal itself is fine. But, if you touch it carelessly, Gluttony might immediately burst out.¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    He hade to deal with the aftermath, but what could he do if there was a chance of creating unexpected variables if he touched the cage carelessly? Confused by the problem, Se-Hoon began contemting what he should do. However, before he could figure something out, the st Dog tapped his shoulder.


    ¡°Just leave it be. We¡¯re already struggling to handle the Destroyer of Moralities and the Destroyer of Seas; if that thinges out, we¡¯re done for.¡±


    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s just stay on our guards then for now.¡±


    Although the annihtion of the Inoue family was a heavy loss, considering that they had managed to seal the Gluttony, the most dangerous of the Ten Evils, it honestly wasn¡¯t that big of a loss.


    Switching his focus to estimating the amount of remaining allied forces, he gestured to the st Dog.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°You should start speaking politely before I m you into the ground.¡±


    Clicking her tongue, she ced her hand on his shoulder and began preparing for a spatial warp. In the meantime, Se-Hoon took onest look at the distant cage.


    Gluttony, in her human form, had been the pride of the Inoue n with her S-tier hero status. However, when she became a demon and gained her Ten Evils status, she eradicated her entire family.


    That tragic tale was the story of Erika Inoue, the human form of Gluttony.


    However, while it was certainly a tragic event, for some reason, doubts about it arose when he looked at the scene before him.


    <i>Is the cage shaking because Gluttony is attempting to break out, or is it because something new is attempting to be born...?</i>


    The doubt left him uneasy, but he had no way to check. As a result, he tore his gaze away and threw away his doubts, leaving the question forever unresolved, washed away with the cage that had been taken by the tides.


    ***


    ¡°...¡±


    Waking up from the memories that whisked through his mind in the blink of an eye, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes.


    <i>Was that... triggered by the Phantasmal Spyde?</i>


    It had been far too vivid to be merely a recollection of a memory. However, he put the thoughts about the unknown reason for his trip down memoryne to the side and focused on Inoue Ren, the young man who appeared before him.


    <i>Come to think of it, the head of the family at that time was this guy.</i>


    It wasmendable that he had managed to seal away Gluttony, a threat as significant as a Harbinger of Destructions, but his method that sacrificed tens of thousands of living humans as a medium for the seal was difficult to overlook.


    <i>Plus... there were those documents that said that the Inoue family was involved with Watchers.</i>


    Even taking into ount that the validity of the documents read through the Phantasmal Spyde was still uncertain, the creepy sealing spell he had seen in the past made them seem more authentic, to some extent.


    <i>Now, what should I do with this information...</i>


    But before he could finish pondering over how he should respond, Ren spoke up first, a smile on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you from my sister. I feel like she¡¯s always owing you one way or another. I hope she hasn¡¯t been too much of a burden.¡±


    Hearing Ren¡¯s words, Se-Hoon paused but then quickly shook his head.


    ¡°Nothing was to that extent.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. It¡¯s embarrassing to say this myself, but my sister has quite a unique personality. I was worried she might have caused you difort.¡±


    ¡°She did sometimes... but I think those cases were all pretty mild considering everything.¡±


    Thinking back to how he had to clean up after the Three Dogs, Erika¡¯s antics seemed almost cute byparison.


    ¡°...¡±


    At that moment, he felt a slightly strange gaze from the side, but he pretended not to notice.


    Ren let out a smallugh.


    ¡°You two seem to be getting along well. It¡¯s reassuring to see that you two will probably continue to do so.¡±


    Just like that, the conversation flowed toward a warm atmosphere, just like a typical first meeting with a friend¡¯s family.


    However, there was one thing that was still a bother.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>... <i>cough</i>...¡±


    Carter Dous was still frozen midway through his punch. He had been trying to move somehow this entire time, but it only ended up in his face bing grotesquely twisted. His body refused to budge,pletely mounted in the air.


    ¡°What on earth did he do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see him use any magic or anything...¡±


    The iprehensible state of Cater Dous made the surrounding students murmur in confusion.


    Eventually, even Se-Hoon¡¯s gaze turned in that direction.


    ¡°Ah, I forgot to clean that up.¡±


    Btedlying to a realization, Ren lightly tapped his palm with the ck dowel¡ªa fan¡ªthat was held in his hand.


    <i>Snap-</i>


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>?!¡±


    With a sudden snap, Carter Dous¡¯s previous awkward posture straightened into attention posture and then he began to walk quickly to one side of the hall.


    Seeing the natural yet somehow disturbing and unsettling movements, the atmosphere dimmed and Ren grimaced.


    ¡°Sorry about that. Sometimes, there are friends who don¡¯t know their ce. It¡¯s not easy whatsoever to manage all of them.¡±


    ¡°Managing people is always the hardest, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for understanding. Also, don¡¯t worry, I promise this won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Despite Ren¡¯s seemingly apologetic words, the gathered students all tensed up.


    Originally, the association hosting the Noblesse was supposed to be led cooperatively by its members, but ever since his sophomore year, Ren had been overseeing it as president. As such, his words meant that Carter Dous could no longer participate in the Noblesse¡ªforever¡ªbecause of what had just happened.


    ¡°Shall we go somewhere else?¡±


    ¡°Sure. There¡¯s a lot more to see over there.¡±


    Picking up on the cues, the gathered students quickly began to disperse, and before long, the surroundings became quiet.


    Seeing how Ren¡¯s influence dispersed the crowd in the blink of an eye, Se-Hoon became slightly amazed.


    <i>He¡¯s got them on a tight leash.</i>


    Se-Hoon initially thought that Ren was nothing more than a ringleader, but it seemed he had underestimated how tight Ren¡¯s grip on the association was.


    Meanwhile, Ren looked around at the now-empty surroundings with an awkward expression.


    ¡°It seems I¡¯ve inadvertently caused a disturbance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. If that was enough to cause them to run away, I wouldn¡¯t want to be too close to them anyway.¡±


    The calm response made Ren chuckle.


    ¡°Haha, right. You are better off interacting with the right people. Impressive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing impressive...¡±


    ¡°No, I mean it. It¡¯s rare to see someone who actually chooses who they associate with. Ah, well, it¡¯s probably more urate to say there aren¡¯t many who <i>can </i>do that...¡±


    Trailing off, Ren began wondering how many of the invitees to the Noblesse could even afford to be selective about their associations. They would need a talent that could overshadow anyone, along with a confidence befitting of it, to allow them to ignore the other¡¯s background.


    And, upon observing Se-Hoon¡¯s attitude that implied he was such a person, Ren looked at him with renewed eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to talk more, but I have things to prepare. Let¡¯s meet again when we have time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡±


    ¡°It was nice meeting you.¡±


    Seeing Ren extend his hand, Se-Hoon grasped it, shaking it and nodding in agreement.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to have met you too.¡±


    ¡°See youter, then. Ah, Erika.¡±


    At Ren¡¯s brief call, Erika, who had been standing by Se-Hoon¡¯s side, turned to look at Ren.


    ¡°Do you mind helping me out? There¡¯s a lot to do.¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡±


    With a reluctant nod, she looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°See youter.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be looking around with Jake, soe find us when you¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Nodding one final time, she headed toward Ren, and the siblings moved deeper into the banquet hall.


    From their brief conversation, it was clear that Ren bore goodwill toward Se-Hoon. However, while it would make most students happy that they established a good rtionship with Ren, to Se-Hoon, it was far from it.


    <i>He put a curse on me with a smile on his face.</i>


    Looking down at his hand, which he had used to shake Ren¡¯s, he sneered.


    To the naked eye, his hand appeared unchanged, but thanks to Soul Honing allowing him to perfectly perceive his own body, he could feel a curse imnted there.


    <i>Sssss-</i>


    <i>Well, it¡¯s more of a mark than a proper curse.</i>


    Although a curse nheless, it was faint and made from ck mist. It seemed that Ren had ced it on his palm during the handshake, supposedly for some sort of preliminary preparation for a serious curseter on. Perhaps that was the reason why it seemed secrecy and persistence had been strengthened and focused on.


    Taking a moment, he pondered over its structure.


    <i>I could probably dispel it right now...</i>


    Now that he was aware of it, he could easily dispel it using Soul Honing. However, he thought that might actually be disadvantageous for him.


    <i>If he¡¯s cing a curse on me so openly, then that must mean he¡¯s underestimating me.</i>


    If he were to dispel the curse immediately, Ren¡¯s evaluation of him might change, leading to Ren potentially increasing his wariness of Se-Hoon. And since Ren¡¯s true intentions werepletely unknown, it wasn¡¯t a particrly wee development.


    <i>Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s just leave it for now.</i>


    When dealing with such sly characters, the key thing to keep in mind was how powerful one could strike back when they let down their guard, treating them as an easy target.


    His decision made, he pretended not to notice the curse, avoiding the urge to look down at his hand, and then turned to Jake.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going then... what are you doing?¡±


    Seeing how Jake nced around the hall with an ufortable expression, Se-Hoon gave him a curious look.


    And in response, Jake made an uneasy face.


    ¡°Ah. I just feel a bit uneasy about something.¡±


    ¡°I could go around by myself if you¡¯re tired.¡±


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve just been a bit low on energytely. Let¡¯s go deeper in.¡±


    With those words, Jake brought Se-Hoon deeper into the banquet hall, pushing forward as if fleeing from something.


    This time, however, no students were approaching them thanks to Ren¡¯s warning, allowing them tofortably browse the surroundings. Experiencing the calm, Se-Hoon was promoted to reflect on their recent encounter.


    <i>Now that I think about it, maybe that was just him marking me.</i>


    Socializing was merely the superficial reason for attending the Noblesse. The true goal was to scout for students with talent and skills, making the Noblesse a marketce for recruitment. And Se-Hoon btedly realized that he had a bid ced on him during that brief encounter with Ren.


    <i>It feels like I¡¯m being treated as amodity, but... at least I get the chance to look around in peace.</i>


    Walking through the banquet hall undisturbed under the guidance of Jake, he was able to nce at the faces passing by. Most of them were unremarkable, but there were a few that he remembered from before the regression.


    <i>That guy was caught for corruption... and that one for contract killing. There are also those guys who got caught for ckmail and fraud, and there¡¯s even someone who colluded with the demons...</i>


    He was able to see plenty of individuals who wouldter be infamous for their various nefarious deeds. However, those events hadn¡¯t happened yet, so he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit deted.


    <i>The Noblesse is more disappointing than I thought.</i>


    The students gathered were all recognized in Babel for their talents and skills. If they graduated without any issues, they were all capable of bing A-tier heroes¡ª<i>just</i> A-tier heroes.


    <i>They¡¯re not bad, but...</i>


    Since he nned to fight the Demon Force, the Ten Evils, and the Six Harbingers of Destructions, all of whom even S-tier heroes struggled against, he needed to recruit the best of the best. And apart from the demons, he also needed to watch out for Watchers, whose ns were currently unknown. Thus, hispanions needed to be at least S-tier heroes or possess equally unique abilities.


    <i>I hoped that I could find at least one person worth recruiting here, yet...</i>


    Had his expectations been too high?


    He looked around, his disappointment growing.


    ¡°...Um.¡±


    Suddenly, Jake stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°I, I have someone I need to meet quickly. Can you wait here for a bit?¡±


    His hesitant request seemed suspicious, but Se-Hoon still nodded, guessing Jake had reasons for being so.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back!¡±


    Leaving behind a puzzled Se-Hoon, Jake hurriedly ran off toward the garden outside the banquet hall.


    <i>Is he being threatened or something?</i>


    Though curious about Jake¡¯s behavior, he continued to wander through the banquet hall alone, thinking that Jake didn¡¯t seem to be in danger.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>...¡±


    Very quickly, however, he also stopped wandering after finding nothing of interest. Bored, he quickly settled in a secluded spot and sipped his beverage.


    <i>I thought someone would have approached me by now...</i>


    Regardless of whether it was Ren or someone else, he scanned the hall with boredom, hoping for some interaction.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re bored.¡±


    A familiar voice suddenly came from beside him.


    ¡°Can¡¯t find anyone of interest?¡±


    Turning his head, Se-Hoon silently stared at the neatlybed blonde young man, Vier Barmuth.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer if it makes you ufortable. Your expression says it all, anyway.¡±


    Speaking as if he had never expected an answer, Vier stood next to Se-Hoon and surveyed the banquet hall.


    ¡°Everyone needs outstanding talent, but that bes especially important when ites to cksmiths. At the end of the day, the reputation of their forged equipmentes not from its creator but its user.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t youe here for that reason, too? To see if there¡¯s someone worthy of forging equipment for, or perhaps if there¡¯s someone who can offer you adequate support.¡±


    Listening to Vier talking as if he knew everything, Se-Hoon just simply sipped his drink instead of responding.


    ¡°But as you already know, such people are hard to find. Well, to be precise, those who meet your standards wouldn¡¯t bother struggling in a ce like this.¡±


    Most of the students who participated in the Noblesse were simply those who were grasping at straws, since the talented ones were dedicating themselves to training, already having found a sponsor to back them.


    ¡°If you want a proper client, you should join hands with us. It¡¯ll be iparably better than being associated with some professor who might be kicked out of the department someday.¡±


    The recruitment offer genuinely seemed sincere. Finishing his drink, Se-Hoon put the empty cup down on a nearby table.


    ¡°I have a question I want to ask first.¡±


    Then, with a face full of genuine bewilderment, he looked at Vier and asked, ¡°Why do you talk as if you¡¯re not a part of them?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    At the unexpected question, Vier furrowed his brows, to which Se-Hoon smirked.


    ¡°In my eyes, you¡¯re the same as them, yet you ramble on as if you¡¯re someone special.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t even forge decent equipment, and yet you¡¯re here lecturing <i>me</i>... <i>tsk tsk</i>.¡±


    Clicking his tongue, Se-Hoon looked up at Vier and then walked away, seemingly no longer interested in listening. Still speechless due to the sudden turn of events, Vier just simply watched him go.


    <i>¡°You can¡¯t even forge decent equipment.¡±</i>


    That remark dug deep, but he clenched his fists, holding back his frustration.


    <i>Not yet...</i>


    He knew this was an opportunity that might nevere again. So, suppressing his nearly bursting emotions, Vier spoke again.


    ¡°You have no eye for talent.¡±


    At that remark, Se-Hoon stopped and turned around.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Let me show you. Follow me.¡±


    Without saying anything else, Vier began leading the way. And a moment of hesitationter, Se-Hoon followed.


    They soon arrived at an exhibition zone on one side of the banquet hall, still in a state of preparation and somewhat chaotic. Then, pushing through the other students, Vier moved deeper into the zone.


    Following behind, Se_hoon soon noticed what appeared to be a palm-sized metal badge disyed at the center of the zone. It bore the luxurious emblem of two crossed swords, catching Se-Hoon¡¯s eye.


    <i>Isn¡¯t that...</i>


    Surprised by the unexpected appearance of a piece of equipment he had seen before the regression, Se-Hoon stared at it, listening to Vier¡¯s next words.


    ¡°This is a prototype of the new alchemical piece of equipment that our family has been developing¡ªthe Iron Warden.¡±


    Clutching the metal badge, the Iron Warden, Vier tossed it to Se-Hoon.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    ¡°It¡¯s made from the Hero material Ripple Crystal that is processed with our family¡¯s alchemical forging technique. It¡¯s iparable to any alchemical equipment currently on the market.¡±


    While Vier exined, Se-Hoon examined the Iron Warden.


    <i>He¡¯s not wrong, it </i>is<i> overqualified by today¡¯s standards.</i>


    While the Barmuth family¡¯s craftsmanship mightg behind others when forging a single perfect sword, when it came to mass-producing powerful equipment, they had the upper hand.


    ¡°And this is just one of the many projects our family is working on. Joining hands with us means that you¡¯ll have the opportunity to be involved.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Even this doesn¡¯t impress you?¡±


    Realizing that the next course of events would change depending on his response, Se-Hoon calmed down before answering Vier¡¯s question, facing Vier¡¯s eyes that were shining sharply.


    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±


    He gave a positive response. But before the disappointment in Vier¡¯s eyes could flicker away, Se-Hoon followed up.


    ¡°The materials, I mean.¡±


    ¡°You mean... only the materials are good?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You showing me this w-ridden thing with such arrogance... leaves me absolutely speechless.¡±


    The moment the harsh assessment resounded, the expressions of not only Vier but also the other students in the exhibition zone solidified. Disparaging a prototype developed by the Barmuth family itself was different from dismissing an artifact made by Vier personally.


    ¡°Can you stand by that statement?¡±


    Despite the warning in Vier¡¯s question, it was met by Se-Hoon¡¯s confident response.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t stand by.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s assured reply implied that there was no chance he was wrong. Vier frowned in anger.


    <i>Idiot.</i>


    He was already aware of the significant w in the Iron Warden; it had only been brought to entice Se-Hoon.


    <i>He¡¯s probably taking this as an opportunity to damage our reputation thinking that we can¡¯t harm him here....</i>


    However, what Se-Hoon had overlooked was that the Barmuth family was prepared to sacrifice one project and suffer a hit to their reputation to eliminate him for sure.


    <i>Had you joined us, everything could have been overlooked.... Unfortunately, your arrogance has cost you everything.</i>


    The moment Se-Hoon infused the Iron Warden with mana, Vier gathered his own mana, about to detonate the Iron Warden covertly using a skill already tested on another student before¡ªLuize Valente.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    But before Vier could do anything, Se-Hoon hurled the Iron Warden into the air.


    Astonished by Se-Hoon¡¯s unexpected action, everyone watched Se-Hoon infuse his mana in the Iron Warden through the strand of ck Weaver that he had attached moments before.


    Mana immediately seeped into the surface, spreading cracks,


    <i>Crackle!</i>


    In the blink of an eye, the Iron Warden had beenpletely disassembled, its thousands ofponents exploded across the sky above the banquet hall.


    ¡°What the...¡±


    Overwhelmed by the spectacle before him, Vier¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Watch closely,¡± Se-Hoon said with a smirk.

 Chapter 70

    <h4>Chapter 70</h4>


    ¡°Then I¡¯lle again next time!¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Th-thank you!¡±


    Giving a deep ny-degree bow, like they were addressing a superior, the student left. Watching their departing figure, Ren started speaking calmly.


    ¡°That friend just now seems to have some potential. Put in a word with the Department of Archery for their funding.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Also, reduce the funding for that Department of Alchemy student earlier; they don¡¯t seem to have the aptitude needed. If they try to cling on, have them sign a contract or something.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The members of the Noblesse who had brought the students ording to Ren¡¯s instructions nodded in response. They were currently going through the sponsorship selection process for the freshmen invitees.


    At a nce, some might think Ren was merely ranking students based on their aptitude for his own purposes, but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. With a word from him, the selected students could receive sponsorships from various backgrounds¡ªcorporations, guilds, or even high-ranking heroes who attended the Noblesse.


    <i>We¡¯ve be stronger than before.</i>


    Once Ren took control of the Noblesse, they had be more organized than ever before and had even begun receiving sponsorships from various groups. Under Ren¡¯s leadership, they had be an elite group that was solidifying around its origin of Babel; they were a new powerhouse in the making.


    And Erika was currently quietly watching the cause of it all do his work.


    Checking the time, Ren smiled.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end it here for now. Good work, everyone.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    The others bowed their heads and left, leaving Ren and Erika alone.


    ¡°When I be a fourth-year, you¡¯ll have to take over, so make sure to watch closely today. It will be a great source of strength for our family once we solidify the foundation,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Though Erika thought it was meaningless, if it was necessary for the family, then she would get it done.


    ncing at her due to her dry response, Ren slowly said, ¡°By the way, that guy, Lee Se-Hoon, was it? He seems a bit disappointing.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I thought that he would have been able to detect the ck Mist Curse.¡±


    By itself, the ck Mist Curse was merely a vision spell that connected the target and the caster¡ªa curse without much of an effect¡ªbut its true value was revealed when used with other curses.


    With its effect of connecting the target and caster, it allowed other curses, including itself, to infiltrate deeply into the body of the target without resistance.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite amusing that one can lose control of their body with just a snap of a finger without them ever realizing why.¡±


    Just like Carter Dous, whom he had previously driven out of the banquet hall, Ren could summon Se-Hoon right now and make him kneel if he wished.


    He couldn¡¯t help but sigh with disappointment upon feeling the still-connected ck Mist Curse and the unstable mana beyond it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s worth looking at any further.... What do you think?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At his question, Erika recalled the sight of Se-Hoon from earlier.


    <i>He noticed it.</i>


    The moment the ck Mist Curse was ced on Se-Hoon¡¯s right hand, she noticed that his consciousness had been drawn to it for a brief moment.


    It was such a subtle reaction that it would have been nearly impossible to notice unless one was already observing him closely. And having noticed due to doing just that, Erika decided to specte what Se-Hoon¡¯s true intention was instead.


    <i>Considering the level of the countermeasures he¡¯s shown before, it¡¯s probably easy for him to dispel something like the ck Mist Curse. So if he¡¯s leaving it alone, then that probably means... he ns to retaliate.</i>


    Having quickly reached that point in her thoughts, it became clear what she needed to do. She indifferently responded, ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then please proceed as you see fit.¡±


    Her answer which was full of indifference and yet carried a sense of certainty intrigued Ren.


    <i>So she¡¯s this sure about that guy.</i>


    Was there something he hadn¡¯t seen yet? Although Ren had been about to dispel the curse, he paused and decided to reconsider.


    <i>It wouldn¡¯t hurt to observe a bit longer. </i>


    Looking at his sister, standing by his side indifferently, he began pondering carefully.


    However, he was interrupted by the movement of mana that was transmitted to him through the ck Mist Curse. Then, a sudden burst of light and ensuing murmurs came from one side of the banquet hall.


    Recognizing that the light wasing from the exhibition zone prepared by the Barmuths, he quickly realized what was happening.


    ¡°Vier...¡±


    Even though Vier had seen Ren intervene, he still dared to act again. His displeasure growing, Ren immediately began heading toward the exhibition zone.


    And the moment he arrived after cutting through the crowd¡ª


    <i>Click! ck!</i>


    He saw a piece of newly assembled equipment floating in midair.


    ***


    Alchemical equipment was a type of equipment that was highly versatile and could be assembled into various forms depending on the situation, upying a significant ce in the future cksmithing industry.


    However, right now, in its early stages, it hadn¡¯t receive much attention at all due to two main reasons.


    <i>¡°First off, their actual performance is terrible, and secondly, they¡¯re utterlycking in stability. This scar on my chest was from mishandling one of the prototypes, not from a monster.¡±</i>


    The S-tier hero Weapon Master, who was one of Se-Hoon¡¯s regrs, oftenined about nearly losing his life because of a prototype alchemical weapon that he had been provided in the past.


    And since he had heard this story more times than he could count, he remembered the name of it well¡ªIron Warden. It was the equipment in front of him.


    <i>...This is definitely bound to explode.</i>


    True to its Hero tier, it boasted a high output and a respectable eighteen forms of transformation. It was decent overall, but it had a problem due to its overly precarious structure.


    <i>The smelting process itself seems to have been faulty, reducing its durability. And they also recklessly increased the number of mana circuits to enable more transformations, lowering the durability even more.</i>


    To put it simply, it was like stacking blocks in the form of an inverted pyramid without any adhesives. It looked majestic, but it was so unstable that even a breeze would copse it.


    <i>The durability is too low to be used as a conventional weapon... so in that case, it would be better to specialize its weapon skills.</i>


    Having decided on how to improve the Iron Warden, he immediately began to manipte the connected ck Weaver.


    <i>Click! Creeeak-</i>


    The fragments of thepletely disassembled Iron Warden began to rearrange, fitting together like a new puzzle. Its new form was that of a sword, its de made of smaller desyered on top of each other like an alligator tail. Though it was a rather grotesque shape, there was not a single part that felt unstable.


    <i>nk!</i>


    When thest piece clicked into ce, Se-Hoon immediately snatched up thepleted sword.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see... Waiter,e here.¡±


    Calling over a passing golem, he picked up a piece of fruit from the tray it was carrying.


    Then, throwing the fruit into the air, he lightly swung the newly recreated Iron Warden in his hand.


    <i>Whoosh-!</i>


    With the sound of the air tearing apart, a wind de split the fruit in two.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    But rather than dispersing, the wind de continued forward, striking the protective magic that was cast on the ceiling of the banquet hall. It had outputted such an absurd amount of power from just a light swing.


    Everyone but one was dumbfounded by the sight.


    ¡°Give it to me!¡±


    Rushing toward Se-Hoon, Vier snatched the Iron Warden from his hand, immediately examining its information message.


    <strong>[<u>Iron Warden: Gale Cutter</u>]</strong>


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


    <strong>[A piece of alchemical equipment forged from Ripple Crystal.</strong>


    <strong>Its organically connected joints allow whip-like flexible movements, and the embedded mana circuits elerate the sword, creating wind des.</strong>


    <strong>*Can create wind des by infusing mana</strong>


    <strong>*Can be transformed into other weapons</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Gale Cutter¡¯]</strong>


    ¡°...¡±


    Originally, the Iron Warden was a poor-quality Hero-tier piece of alchemical equipment, and no matter what form it transformed into, its quality had never increased.


    However, the Iron Warden that Se-Hoon had just reconstructed had risen to above-average quality. In just that short amount of time, Se-Hoon had managed to solve the issue of the Iron Warden.


    <i>This is absolutely nonsensical...</i>


    The reason Vier chose to use the Iron Warden as bait was because it was believed to be impossible to fix, despite its obvious ws. As such, he couldn¡¯t believe that Se-Hoon was somehow able to fix what even their entire research team couldn¡¯t.


    And that very fact made Vier¡¯s eyes grow cold.


    <i>He must be eliminated.</i>


    If Vier wasn¡¯t able to deal with Se-Hoon right now, it was certain that it would be much harder the next time due to his elevated status.


    His decision made, heposed himself and red at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Trickery.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You increased the output without considering its stability to refine its quality, right? Did you think I¡¯d be fooled by such a trick?¡±


    Upon his usation, the crowd stirred. Seizing the moment, Vier continued his tirade.


    ¡°To think you¡¯d boldly pull a trick in front of me, do I look that foolish to you?¡±


    Hearing the earnest contempt in his voice, which was full of hostility and disdain, the surrounding students had been convinced.


    ¡°Did he really use some trick?¡±


    ¡°But the quality improved, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s saying that Se-Hoon used a shortcut by just boosting the output, though. Don¡¯t you know that stability is crucial for alchemical equipment? Without it, it¡¯s meaningless.¡±


    Between Se-Hoon and Vier, it was clear who the students¡¯ faith would lean toward.


    Vier was a third-year student of the Department of cksmithing and the next heir of the Barmuth family. On the other hand, Se-Hoon, a first-year honor student, had various controversies surrounding him, including his injuries.


    It made sense that looks of doubt and suspicion gradually began being poured toward Se-Hoon. Without proper evidence, the situation seemed likely to turn against him.


    Feeling the gazes, Se-Hoon finally realized what Vier was aiming for.


    <i>So he¡¯s trying anything he can, huh? </i>And he had a rough idea of what Vier intended to do.


    With a slight smile, Se-Hoon looked straight at Vier.


    ¡°If you¡¯re that suspicious, why don¡¯t you just test it out?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If I did cut corners like you said, infusing it with a lot of mana at once should cause it to overload. Try verifying it that way.¡±


    Hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s words, everyone began watching them with tense expressions.


    And Vier, holding the Iron Warden, coldly said, ¡°Don¡¯t regret this.¡±


    Gray mana immediately gathered in his hand, indicating the significant amount of elixir he had consumed so far, and the Iron Warden began to tremble.


    Seeing how it looked unstable even before he fully infused his mana, Vier thought he could easily break it with just mana. However, just to be sure, he also activated his skill, Ore Resonance.


    Ore Resonance was an A-tier skill that allowed one to manipte the ore freely by resonating their mana with the essence of the ore. It was typically used during forging, but it could also be used to destroy equipment naturally.


    <i>He¡¯ll be hurt more than I initially nned... but I guess it can¡¯t be helped.</i>


    In a way, Vier was just clearing up any suspicions thoroughly. Vier infused the rest of his mana into the Iron Warden.


    <i>Creeeak-!</i>


    Sounding like was about to explode at any moment, the stacked des of the Iron Warden began to tremble, unable to contain all the mana. It seemed like it was about to break apart.


    Vier prepared to deliver the final blow by destroying the essence and exploding the sword, but before he could¡ª


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    A gray de unfolded before him.


    ¡°...?¡±


    The des, structured like a spine, separated and expanded in midair, the gray mana he had infused forming the de. The scene was drastically different from what was expected.


    Everyone was watching in awe, when suddenly, someone bewilderedly murmured, ¡°Is that... sword aura?¡±


    The rity of its form was too distinct for it to be merely a mass of mana, meaning it could only be sword aura. And that realization, left everyone, including Vier, utterly stupefied.


    <i>How...?</i>


    Though its mass production had failed, weapons capable of generating sword auras already existed. However, everyone was so astonished <i>because </i>it already existed.


    <i>He should¡¯ve needed a hero that could wield sword aura to process the mana circuits...</i>


    Even if they were identical mana circuits, without someone who could properly wield sword aura to process them, it was impossible to create sword aura weapons. That one specificity was the main obstacle preventing the mass production of sword aura weapons.


    And yet, Se-Hoon had easily ovee it, using the equipment that Vier had deemed a failure at that.


    ¡°...¡±


    When Vier¡¯s thoughts reached this point, he hesitated no more, his eyes filling with gray as he maximized the power of Ore Resonance.


    Immediately, the vividly maintained sword aura began to disperse and cracks began spreading through it, slowly breaking it apart piece by piece.


    <i>Kaboom!</i>


    Shards of gray sword aura shot in every direction.


    <i>So, this is how he¡¯s going to act.</i>


    Se-Hoon knew Vier¡¯s personal feelings were involved, but he hadn¡¯t expected Vier to choose a method that could harm the other students around them.


    Se-Hoon began gathering his mana in response.


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    But before he could, a white hand reached out from the side, its fingertips scattering the afterimages left by the shards covered in sword aura flying by.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    In the blink of an eye, the shards covered in sword aura vanished without a trace.


    At the overwhelming scene, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes widened, and the owner of the hand stepped forward.


    <i>Click- click-</i>


    The owner of the hand had a white jacket draped over her shoulders, covering the elegant red dress hugging her body, and long golden hair that seemed to emit its own light. Her presence was somanding that no one dared say a word.


    And right now, that woman was nonchntly fiddling with a shard covered in sword aura in her hand, full of interest in it.


    ¡°So that <i>was </i>actual sword aura...¡±


    Done inspecting the shard, she lightly crushed it.


    <i>Crack-</i>


    With no resistance at all, the shard, which was supposedly sharper and more durable than ordinary steel, crumbled into dust.


    The woman, who just demonstrated how easily she could eliminate the shards of sword aura, was currently the strongest student in Babel.


    That woman was the one destined to be a Perfect One¡ªand the Destroyer of Light¡ªin the future.


    ¡°Shall we have a chat?¡±


    Aria Myers was smiling warmly at Se-Hoon.

 Chapter 71

    <h4>Chapter 71</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    A heavy silence loomed over the banquet hall.


    Vier stared nkly ahead, dumbfounded at how his master stroke had been thwarted so easily. And the surrounding students, still surprised by the sudden explosion, were moving their eyes back and forth, unsure of what was happening.


    Meanwhile, Aria, the blonde woman who had caused the situation, was ignoring them all, waiting for an answer from Se-Hoon.


    <i>Should I be relieved about this...?</i>


    Se-Hoon wore a grim expression.


    It was a good thing that everything had been neatly resolved without him needing to intervene, but he wasn¡¯t thrilled about the encounter with Aria. To him, she was thest person in all of Babel that he wanted to meet.


    <i>Damn it Jake. You should have told me if she was going to attend the Noblesse too... </i>He unendingly cursed Jake, who had left earlier, in his mind.


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    Approaching until she was right in front of him, Aria looked upward at his face with a curious expression.


    ¡°Did you not hear my words?¡± she asked, her tone gentle yet sharp.


    Se-Hoon internally sighed.


    ¡°No, I did hear you. I was just a bit startled by what happened just now, so my response was dyed.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. You could have been seriously injured...¡±


    Seemingly smiling in understanding, she scanned his body. Before long, her eyes sparkled.


    ¡°No, it seems like it might not have been a big deal for you after all.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Hearing that whisper, a shiver ran down his spine. He felt like she had seen through seventy percent of him with just that quick scan.


    <i>I hope she didn¡¯t notice Soul Honing.... Though, she must have realized that I have no injuries.</i>


    Quickly epting that it was impossible to feign an injury against someone like her, he slowly spoke up.


    ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. What¡¯s your answer to my question, though?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about having a chat, aren¡¯t we having one right now?¡±


    Easily seeing through his attempt to dodge the question, she smiled softly.


    ¡°I meant a quiet conversation somewhere with just the two of us. But there¡¯s nowhere indoors that¡¯s favorable... so how about the garden? It¡¯s quite nicely decorated. What do you think?¡±


    She showed not a single sign of letting him go easily. Sighing internally, he decided to relent and take it positively.


    <i>I can¡¯t keep avoiding her forever, so this might work out for the best.</i>


    Considering that her evaluation of him had improved due to the sword aura equipment he had just processed, the conversation this time might end up reducing unnecessary encounters with her.


    He nodded.


    ¡°We can do that.¡±


    ¡°Good. Shall we go then?¡±


    Naturally grabbing his wrist, she led him outside, amidst the gazes of the still puzzled audience. However, before they could leave, Vier blocked their path.


    ¡°Why...¡±


    With his face hideously twisted, Vier spoke to Aria.


    ¡°What do you even want from this worthless piece of...!¡±


    Seeing Vier unable to finish his sentence due to his surging emotions, Se-Hoon became confused.


    <i>Why is he suddenly like this?</i>


    He confusedly pondered why Vier, who had been calmly handling everything until now, was suddenly falling apart. At that moment, Aria, who had been quietly observing, calmly responded.


    ¡°Hm... still pathetic.¡±


    With that, she resumed walking, seemingly deeming it no longer worth responding. And Se-Hoon, who was being dragged along by the wrist, naturally met Vier¡¯s gaze.


    <i>Grind-</i>


    He saw Vier revealing intense emotions, seemingly about to charge at them at any moment. Realizing that this would be the perfect moment to extract a bond from him, Se-Hoon stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°Just a moment.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Stopping Aria, he approached Vier and naturally ced his hand on Vier¡¯s shoulder before he could react.


    <strong>[Extracting bond from subject ¡®Vier Barmuth¡¯]</strong>


    <strong>[The bond with the host is Lv.1.]</strong>


    The bond prickled like thorns as it seeped into his hand.


    Feeling the clear indication of the feelings Vier harbored toward him, Se-Hoon gently patted Vier¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Try practicing a bit harder. And stop wasting so much of your time,¡± Se-Hoon said, in a voice easily audible to everyone.


    It was a sincere piece of advice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    Finished with saying his piece, he headed out to the garden with Aria, leaving a heavy silence swirling through the banquet hall.


    Normally, it would be unthinkable that a freshman who just enrolled this year would be criticizing the skills of a third-year. However, after witnessing Se-Hoon¡¯s abilities, everyone there knew that it was no longer unthinkable.


    ¡°...¡±


    And being the one to experience that interaction firsthand, Vier was unable to do anything but look toward his shoulder with an impassive face.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    A chilling sound echoed inside his mouth. Then, after silently wiping away the blood flowing out his mouth from his shattered teeth, he endured the terrible pain and walked out of the banquet hall without blinking an eye.


    ***


    <strong>[The bond with ¡®Vier Barmuth¡¯ has increased to Lv.2.]</strong>


    <strong>[Since the bond has increased to Lv. 2, a Rtionship has been established. Your Rtionship with ¡®Vier Barmuth¡¯ is currently ¡®Envy¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[Rtionship: Envy]</strong>


    <strong>[Selfish and arrogant individuals feel envy and resentment toward those superior rather than admiration for them.</strong>


    <strong>They look for faults in others rather than in themselves and will try to eliminate the other in this rtionship in any way they can.</strong>


    <strong>*A Fatestone is created whenever the subject feels envy.</strong>


    <strong>*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases whenever the subject feels envious.</strong>


    <strong>*Currently created Fatestone: None]</strong>


    <i>It worked! </i>cheered Se-Hoon internally, having stepped into the outdoor garden.


    Seeing how Vier¡¯s look was clearly filled to the brim with dissatisfaction, Se-Hoon prodded Vier just a little, and as expected, their bond level increased.


    <i>Envy, huh? I didn¡¯t expect to form a malevolent Rtionship with someone so quickly.</i>


    Unlike friendly or neutral Rtionships, malevolent Rtionships were filled with malice toward him. Any Fatestone created from these Rtionships always required caution when handling.


    Normally, Fatestones usually amplified one¡¯s abilities, but when it came to those formed from malevolent Rtionships, they invariably had curse-like effects that either diminished one¡¯s abilities or caused them to go berserk.


    <i>Using it for Bond Imprint seems risky... so maybe I¡¯ll just use itter to create a cursed item.</i>


    While Se-Hoon was pondering over what kind of curse item to make, Aria stopped and slowly turned around after they had walked for a while.


    ¡°This should be far enough.¡±


    The garden they arrived in was beautifully adorned under the moonlight, with the fountain scattering water under the lights. And with the scene as a backdrop, Aria herself seemed to shine.


    However, despite the picturesque scene, Se-Hoon was unimpressed. Instead, he recalled Vier¡¯s strangeness and asked, ¡°Were you affiliated with Vier Barmuth in any way before?¡±


    ¡°There was an incident... though it¡¯s not even significant enough to call it one. Two years ago, he showed me a sword he had forged for me, and I just gave him my thoughts on it.¡±


    Listening to her story, he quickly grasped what those thoughts had been.


    ¡°You thought it was pathetic, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Right. It really was pathetic,¡± she said with a gentle smile.


    From her answer seemingly devoid of malice, he finally understood why Vier¡¯s bond level had dramatically increased.


    <i>Did I inadvertently make him recall past trauma?</i>


    At this rate, he believed that Vier might even send an assassin after him someday soon.


    ¡°By the way, since when?¡± Aria asked.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Since when have you been able to use sword aura?¡±


    ¡°What do you... oh.¡±


    Although initially puzzled by the question, he quickly understood the intent behind it.


    <i>Is it because of the Iron Warden I showed earlier?</i>


    It wasmon knowledge at this point in time that to create sword aura equipment, one needed the help of a hero who could wield sword aura. Believing that as well, Aria assumed that Se-Hoon could use sword aura.


    ¡°I think there¡¯s been a misunderstanding. I can¡¯t use sword aura.¡±


    ¡°Then what about that piece of sword aura alchemical equipment that you processed just a short while ago?¡± she asked, confused.


    ¡°You see, sword aura is essentiallypressed mana. So, all I did was add apression form to recreate it.¡±


    To be able to wield sword aura, one had to be able topress their swordsmanship into a single de in their mind, a processmonly referred to as enlightenment.


    However, that was purely a mental aspect. In reality, as long as the mana on the de waspressed into a certain shape, it could turn into sword aura.


    <i>Well, it¡¯s not as easy as it sounds.</i>


    Thepression form he used to produce the sword aura was his own creation thatbined various bits of knowledge from before the regression¡ªthings such as knowledge on the nature of mana, the characteristics of swordsmanship, and the mental image of a sword.


    Standardizing it was essentially akin to creating a body part from just mana circuits alone. It was so difficult that the mass production of sword aura had been impossible up until now.


    <i>But it''s not actually impossible to make.</i>


    To Se-Hoon, who had personally modified his body and mana circuits using Soul Honing, it was as familiar as the back of his hand.


    ¡°Compression form...¡±


    Pondering Se-Hoon¡¯s exnation for a moment, Aria asked, ¡°But it seems to reduce the equipment¡¯s efficiency quite a bit. Do you have any ns to improve it?¡±


    ¡°If I add the auxiliary enchantment I¡¯m currently developing, it should be improved to where even D-rank heroes could wield it a few times.¡±


    To wield sword aura barehanded, heroes typically need to be at least C-rank, and even then, only skilled practitioners could. Thus, the user was typically B-rank.


    However, the goal of mass-producing sword aura equipment was to train lower-rank heroes in it early on, so Se-Hoon¡¯s method of processing had to be sufficient enough that D-rank heroes could wield it.


    <i>Adding on the power output that wasn¡¯tcking...</i>


    Recalling the quality of the sword aura she had touched earlier, Aria looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Have you signed a contract for the mass production of sword aura equipment with anyone?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Then how about partnering with us?¡±


    Having somewhat already anticipated her proposal, he immediately asked, ¡°What are the terms?¡±


    ¡°The manufacturing and salespanies will be decided after consultation with our family. And for the next two years, the mass-produced sword aura equipment will be limited to swords. Those are the main conditions.¡±


    Honestly, the terms intrigued him.


    While limiting the type of mass-produced equipment to swords was normally an inefficient choice if the goal was simply to make money, with the Myers family, who were known for their swordsmanship, that wasn¡¯t the case.


    <i>Members of the Myers family are often invited as swordsmanship consultants, so the more heroes that wield swords, the stronger their influence bes.</i>


    Furthermore, using the priority rights for the supply of mass-produced sword aura equipment as a negotiation card could literally help them captivate entire government organizations and giant guilds.


    Considering whether the terms would put him at a disadvantage, he came to a conclusion not longter.


    ¡°The terms are not bad, but since we don¡¯t even have a prototype yet, I think it would be better to discuss this in more detail once I¡¯ve made more progress.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let me know through Jake once it¡¯splete.¡±


    ¡°Is that all you wanted to discuss?¡±


    Aria nodded with a smile in response to his question.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°But starting now, there¡¯s a personal matter.¡±


    Seeing her looking at him with sparkling eyes, he sighed internally and then reluctantly asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re forging a sword for Jake? And that you¡¯re using a unique method involving blood.¡±


    She sat on the edge of the fountain, an intrigued look on her face.


    ¡°As far as I know, such forging methods are only used for bioweapons, which are illegal.... Do I have that right?¡±


    Despite knowing the answer already, she still pressured him by asking; she was just like this before the regression.


    ¡°If used in earnest, yes. But I only use it as a part of the inscribing process, so it shouldn¡¯t be an issue,¡± responded Se-Hoon calmly.


    Before the regression, bioweapon manufacturing was fully legal due to dire circumstances. However, since humanity wasn¡¯t currently on the brink of annihtion, rted technologies were banned.


    Knowing this, he had acted cautiously, ensuring he wouldn¡¯t be unjustly used of crimes¡ªunlike before.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief then. It would be troublesome if Jake were involved in illegal weapon manufacturing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being extra careful about that aspect, so you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    ¡°Good. I hope it turns out well.¡±


    Despite her smile, her response seemed to carry a hint of sarcasm. However, Se-Hoon chose to ignore it and just continued the conversation.


    ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to discuss?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    Bowing slightly, he turned around and was about to start walking back to the banquet hall. But he stopped, hearing a soft voice behind him.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you forge a sword for me?¡±


    Though soft, the voice carried a chill that allowed him to discern Aria¡¯s apathetic demeanor.


    <i>As expected, she isn¡¯t that easy to get away from.</i>


    Since he had agreed to forge Jake¡¯s sword himself, he couldn¡¯t just simply ignore her request.


    <i>Well, I can¡¯t refuse her forever...</i>


    Seizing the opportunity toy some groundwork, he stopped and opened his mouth without turning back.


    ¡°I believe each piece of equipment should be used by someone who actually needs it, for it to serve any purpose.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What meaning is there in giving an ordinary sword to someone who can wield a twig no differently from a perfectly crafted sword?¡±


    Of course, it did have some sort of meaning; no matter how skilled the wielder, a steel sword would almost always be better than a twig.


    But regardless, the point he was trying to make was slightly different.


    <i>What¡¯s the point in forging a mediocre sword for someone who treats perfectly forged swords and twigs the same?</i>


    Whether it was a perfect sword or a twig rolling on the ground, in Aria¡¯s hands, neither held any significance.


    And that abnormal sense of a gap between the weapon and the wielder¡ªan assimtion rate of zero percent¡ª-was a sensation that only Aria Myers could feel.


    ¡°I cannot make a sword that sunbae would need at the moment. And I don¡¯t want to provide you with an inadequate sword, whose only fate is to be disregarded.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯d appreciate it if we no longer discussmissions.¡±


    With that firm statement, Se-Hoon closed his mouth, leaving only the sound of the fountain filling the silence between them.


    But before the silence could linger for too long, Aria spoke up.


    ¡°Alright. If it¡¯s that burdensome for you, I won¡¯t mention it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡±


    Leaving behind that brief response, he headed back to the banquet hall before any further conversation could ensue.


    Watching his retreating figure, Aria began murmuring to herself.


    ¡°So he¡¯s saying that right now it¡¯s...¡±


    If someone else had said it, it might have simply sounded like they were trying to evade the situation, but she felt a certain confidence from Se-Hoon.


    It was as if he knew exactly what the problem was and how to solve it.


    ¡°Truly interesting...¡±


    She had been worried that she would be disappointed, but now, the anticipation only excited her, making her more impatient than ever. Feeling those emotions that she hadn¡¯t experienced recently, she enjoyed them for a while before deciding to let them go.


    <i>There¡¯s no need to force him yet.</i>


    Whatever the oue, she wanted to savor the anticipation. Keeping that thought in mind, she began musing about the sword he was forging for Jake.


    <i>He thinks dealing with Jake¡¯s ability is the only issue... but the real problem is the session ceremony.</i>


    The session ceremony was a ritual where one was acknowledged as a swordsman and bestowed with a sword. And while it was known to the public as a typical event, it was actually far from it.


    <i>I wonder how far Jake can make it...</i>


    The oue of Jake¡¯s ceremony would significantly influence her opinion of Se-Hoon.


    Truly enjoying the thrill, she smiled as she watched him enter the banquet hall.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to you, Lee Se-Hoon,¡± she murmured softly.


    With that murmur still in the air, she disappeared from the garden.

 Chapter 72

    <h4>Chapter 72</h4>


    The banquet hall, which had been in a state ofplete restlessness due to the various incidents, was quickly calmed, and the warm, friendly atmosphere it originally had returned. Now, the students were back to introducing themselves to each other and exchanging stories as they moved around the hall. It was time for the main purpose¡ªgathering connections¡ªwith the recruitment process for the freshmen being over.


    Everyone moved around enthusiastically, enjoying the Noblesse, which they had been most looking forward to for a while.


    ¡°...¡±


    However, despite the atmosphere, Se-Hoon¡¯s table was dead silent, without a single studenting to interact. The scene seemed like he had invisible walls around him, protecting the area. And within those ¡°invisible walls,¡± Se-Hoon was resting his chin on his hand.


    <i>They¡¯re treating me like I¡¯m not even here...</i>


    Realizing that Se-Hoon was an enemy of the Barmuth family, everyone began staying clear of him, avoiding any interaction with him if possible. It was theplete opposite of the atmosphere around him earlier when students would voluntarily gather to talk to him.


    <i>Well, these students most likely aren¡¯t able to make a decision yet.</i>


    The Barmuth family, led by Vice Dean Michael, wielded significant influence within Borsippa. No matter how exceptional Se-Hoon¡¯s abilities were, it was unfavorable if they rashly antagonized such a group by joining him.


    <i>At least they¡¯re not outright attacking me after basically allying with those guys.</i>


    Now that he had be an adversary of the Barmuths, he expected aggressions from not only within the Department of cksmithing but also from multiple other sources.


    Thus, he reviewed the ns he had in mind, making sure he wasn¡¯tcent about anything.


    <i>I guess partnering with the Myers for the mass production of sword aura swords shouldn¡¯t be an issue... but maybe I should gather more investors, just in case.</i>


    While Se-Hoon was lost in thought, alone at the table, Jake approached with a fatigued expression.


    ¡°Sorry, I was held up by people on the way back here...¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize. Where were you earlier?¡±


    Upon hearing his question, Jake nced around quietly before saying, ¡°My sister called me over. She told me to leave quietly without telling you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course...¡±


    It seemed it was just as he had suspected; she had been at the banquet hall earlier and inspected the interior then.


    Thinking about her meticulous actions, Se-Hoon inwardly clicked his tongue. In the meantime, Jake was ncing around again. Then he asked, ¡°I heard you had a conversation with my sister alone earlier.... Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Something?¡±


    ¡°Like, did she... if she spoke to you in a coercive manner.... That kind of...¡±


    Seeing Jake trying to be so roundabout due to being afraid that Aria might be listening, Se-Hoon chuckled.


    ¡°Nothing like that happened. We just talked about your sword and the mass production of sword aura equipment.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief... wait. Mass-production of sword aura equipment?¡±


    Surprised by the unexpected topic, Jake asked again, to which Se-Hoon calmly nodded.


    ¡°She asked if I¡¯d like to cooperate with the Myers, but since there isn¡¯t even a prototype yet, we decided to postpone it. She said to let you know once it¡¯s made.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Jake said, perplexed by Se-Hoon¡¯s story.


    Although Se-Hoon had attracted attention at the auction house for creating pseudo-sword aura, it wasn¡¯t at the level where she would discuss its mass production with him, so there had been no particr discussion about it within the family. So, the fact that such a topic came up meant that his sister had made a unteral decision.


    <i>It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen her take such an initiative...</i>


    Adding on the fact that she had decided to participate in the Noblesse after two years, it seemed Aria held Se-Hoon in higher regard than he had imagined.


    Now finally understanding the situation, Jake became even more cautious than before.


    ¡°Did you guys discuss anything else?¡±


    ¡°She asked why I declined her request, but I exined that part well, so don¡¯t worry. She won¡¯t bother you about it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Upon hearing his words, Jake immediately brightened up. It was a ray of sunshine after rain since he had just been reprimanded for not securing the request and cheekily having his own sword forged instead.


    <i>I¡¯m finally free...! </i>Jake silently celebrated.


    Se-Hoon chuckled.


    ¡°It seems she has been bothering you quite a lot.¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t that bad...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean it wasn¡¯t? It¡¯s all over your face. Besides, she¡¯s already gone, so what¡¯s the harm inining a bit?¡±


    Se-Hoon was utterly nonchnt, sitting there sipping his drink and exuding confidence.


    Jake nced around.


    <i>That¡¯s true... Aria should have since her business here is finished...</i>


    Convincing himself it was safe, Jake rxed and let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t too bad, but... honestly, it was tiring.¡±


    ¡°Does she always say to do as you please, but then, if she doesn¡¯t like the result, she pretends to encourage you while actually picking on you? She feels just like that kind of person.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! I would rather she yell at me than continue to deal with her...¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s aptly participation allowed Jake to vent the frustrations about Aria that he had been holding back. They began chatting, feeling a bit relieved, but then they heard an announcement echoing throughout the banquet hall.


    ¡ªThe closing ceremony will soon take ce, so we ask the students to please make their way to the garden.


    At the announcement, the students in the banquet hall, who had been mingling, began moving one by one.


    Simrly, Se-Hoon also stood up from his seat.


    ¡°I should be heading off.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to watch the closing ceremony? I heard it¡¯s going to be a different fireworks show than the one at the opening ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Well, fireworks are just fireworks. See you next ss.¡±


    With that, Se-Hoon walked away, leaving behind Jake, who was hesitant to hold him back since he seemed very tired due to all the events he¡¯d gone through.


    <i>Maybe I¡¯ll stay just a bit longer before heading back as well.</i>


    Thinking of how his friends would already be outside, Jake got up. At that moment, he felt something in his pocket.


    <i>Brrr-</i>


    His phone was buzzing in his pocket.


    His body immediately stiffened, and he felt an inexplicable sense of dread. Then, with trembling eyes, he slowly took out his phone from his pocket, checking his message inbox.


    Aria Myers: ^^


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    He sighed, dreading the despair that would soone down on him.


    ***


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Fireworks exploded loudly behind the great mansion. Standing in front of the mansion, Se-Hoon watched the fireworks that asionally burst into promotional images for clubs in the sky with interest.


    ¡°Was that kind of firework already developed?¡±


    The shape-shifting fireworks could change forms based on the kind of mana infused just before the explosion. He had used them as weapons before the regression despite their expensive cost since their effectiveness was undeniable.


    <i>Unfortunately, it¡¯d be difficult to use them like I did before. They need some modifications.</i>


    Deciding to look into them if neededter, he turned around and began walking down that hill. But at that moment, he heard a sounding toward him.


    <i>Vroom-</i>


    A ck limousine smoothly stopped before him on the adjacent road. He looked at it with curiosity, and soon, the window rolled down to reveal Ren¡¯s elite visage.


    ¡°Are you on your way back?¡±


    ¡°...Well, yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long walk to the dormitory; I can take you there if you want.¡±


    Considering Ren¡¯s offer for only a moment, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that; thank you.¡±


    After he got into the limousine and sat across from Ren, the car smoothly continued down the road.


    <i>Boom-!</i>


    All the while, the fireworks were still incessantly bursting into the sky. Seeing Se-Hoon examining them through the car window, Ren smirked.


    ¡°They seem pointless, right?¡±


    ¡°...Not really.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to hide it. I felt the same way, even though I nned them myself.¡±


    Turning his gaze to the fireworks through the car window, Ren began muttering indifferently.


    ¡°No matter how brilliantly they bloom, the fact that they will eventually fade away makes them futile. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not fond of fireworks.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you choose to use them for both the opening and the ending ceremony?¡±


    ¡°To support and gain influence over the Department of Enchantments¡ªwhat other reason would there be?¡±


    With a slight smile, he turned his gaze back to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°You made a mistake by being hostile toward Vier there. Barmuth has roots deeper and wider than you can imagine.¡±


    Though it was known to the public as an emerging noble family that had only started to grow recently, its true depths were far from shallow.


    Having that understanding of the Barmuth family, Ren continued to openly share his thoughts.


    ¡°But you¡¯ll be somewhat safe on the grounds of Babel. This ce is like a garden tended by the Emperor of Ascension, after all.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t guarantee you¡¯ll be safe once you step outside the garden. Well, unless you be a Perfect One, that is.¡±


    Far from being scared by Ren¡¯s sincere warning, Se-Hoon looked at him silently, urging him to go on. And seeing that calm demeanor, Ren¡¯s eyes slightly widened and a satisfied smile appeared on his face. He quickly got to the point.


    ¡°Ally with me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯llpletely erase the entire Barmuth family from this world before you even graduate.¡±


    His voice was filled with conviction, seemingly assured that they would be gone in the future.


    <i>To think that he actually considers the Barmuths as an enemy.... That¡¯s unexpected. </i>Se-Hoon thought, intrigued by Ren¡¯s confident demeanor.


    He had thought Ren was simply waiting for the right moment to ask him to join forces with them, so he hadn¡¯t expected that Ren would take such an aggressive approach.


    But after thinking about it for a while, he faintly understood the reason behind Ren¡¯s unexpected attitude.


    <i>The sword aura equipment must have left quite the impression on him.</i>


    Maybe Ren was just eager because the principles behind it could potentially help with the research on the Mythical equipment that the Inoue family was still keeping secret.


    Arriving at this point, Se-Hoon hesitated for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I must decline,¡± he said eventually.


    ¡°If you trust the Myers, I can assure you that¡¯s not a good choice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not really because of them.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡±


    To his question, Se-Hoon already had an answer.


    ¡°You made the offer using the Barmuths as an excuse, but I can easily handle them myself. Whether their roots run deep or not, ultimately, they¡¯re just weeds to me.¡±


    If he couldn¡¯t even handle the Barmuths after regressing decades, how would he deal with the Six Harbinger of Destruction in the future? He already had a rough n for the future, so there was no need to desperately seek Ren¡¯s help.


    ¡°But what¡¯s more important, is that I¡¯ve already taken someone else¡¯s hand.¡±


    ¡°And who might that be?¡±


    ¡°The next head of the Inoue family.¡±


    Not even a secondter, Ren¡¯s eyes widened in realization, and he lowered his head to hide his expression. Then, his body began trembling faintly, and he raised his head, bursting intoughter.


    ¡°Hahaha! Right. I didn¡¯t expect she¡¯d already taken the lead.¡±


    Heughed sardonically, thinking that the partnership of Se-Hoon and Erika wasughable. A whileter, he finally managed to calm hisughter andpose himself. He nodded.


    ¡°Then, I won¡¯t insist further. Once I be the head, you¡¯ll serve under me anyway.¡±


    ¡°You seem quite confident.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    With that arrogant yet natural answer, he twisted his lips and looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯re onpletely different levels.¡±


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Inoue Ren¡¯.]</strong>


    The notification message immediately appeared in front of Se-Hoon.


    Narrowing his eyes slightly, Se-Hoon realized that, in the end, Ren had recognized his existence.


    <i>Such a jerk...</i>


    It was clear that in Ren¡¯s eyes, he had changed from simply being a useful pawn to an enemy.


    <i>These siblings are both missing a screw.</i>


    Why was it that all the so-called geniuses were like this? Hemented internally. Meanwhile, Ren nced at his right hand.


    ¡°Ah. By the way, there¡¯s something I need to apologize for.¡±


    ¡°Apologize?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see how capable you were, so I nted a simple curse on you. Sorry about that.¡±


    Showing his surprise at Ren¡¯s honesty, Se-Hoon quickly frowned, now showing his displeasure.


    ¡°And you still nned to recruit me even after doing that?¡±


    ¡°I was going to remove it right away, but one thing led to another, and I forgot. I¡¯ll send my apologies through Erika.¡±


    Turning to look at the fireworks¡ªthe bunches of money¡ªbursting in the sky, Se-Hoon reluctantly nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll decide whether to forgive you after seeing your sincerity.¡±


    Ren smiled softly at the blunt request: send generouspensation.


    ¡°It won¡¯t becking. I¡¯ll lift the curse now, so may I see your hand for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sure...¡±


    Extending his right hand, Ren naturally grabbed it.


    <strong><i>ck Mist Mirror</i></strong>


    Ripples of waves began emanating from Ren¡¯s hands and deeply permeated Se-Hoon¡¯s body.


    <i>I¡¯ll look into him onest time.</i>


    ck Mist Mirror was a spell that merged with the target and illuminated the darkness within their heart. And since it simply made Se-Hoon reflect on his past, with no malice imbued at all, Ren could easily bypass Se-Hoon¡¯s wariness with it and delve deeper into his consciousness with it.


    Soon, the darkness within Se-Hoon¡¯s heart was reflected in Ren¡¯s eyes, and a faint voice echoed in his ears.


    <i>¡°I''ll let you live since I promised you that.¡±</i>


    In a ce filled with blood and corpses, a man stood in front of a younger man who was kneeling on the floor helplessly.


    <i>¡°I will... kill you... no matter what it takes...¡±</i>


    The scene then faded away, and the emotions and thoughts of the young Se-Hoon, crying and tirelessly hammering away, after the event were felt by Ren for a moment before they also vanished like a mirage.


    Mulling over the fleeting memory, Ren let go as if nothing had happened.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    ck Mist Mirror was pulled from the palm, dissipating into the surrounding mist. Realizing the curse was no longer present, Se-Hoon looked at Ren.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re done with your business, so please let me out now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still far from the dormitory.¡±


    ¡°I feel too ufortable to stay any longer.¡±


    Seemingly unable to refuse Se-Hoon¡¯s rough request, Ren pressed the call button beside his seat to stop the car.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    When it stopped, Se-Hoon stepped out of the limousine, gabbing the door before it could close automatically. He red at Ren.


    ¡°Make sure you properlypensate me.¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Closing the door with as much strength as he could muster, he walked away. leaving behind a leisurely smiling Ren.


    <i>So that¡¯s why he acts so abruptly and fiercely.</i>


    Within Se-Hoon¡¯s consciousness, Ren had seen the burning re of revenge. And the target was a demon so well known in the underworld that even he was aware of it.


    He realized that Se-Hoon must have been revealing his talents indiscriminately, increasing his enemies and allies, since he had no clues on how to find this demon.


    <i>Waiting until I be the head of the family will allow me to naturally gain him, but... I can¡¯t just wait until then.</i>


    Ren believed that if he could fully utilize Se-Hoon¡¯s talents for his family, then they could monopolize the cksmithing industry within ten years¡ªand eventually also forge the miracle weapon out of the divine artifact that was sealed in the main house.


    With his decision made, Ren calmly gave the driver their next instruction.


    ¡°Get me all of the information on the A-rank demon Immortal.¡±


    ***


    Now out of the limousine, Se-Hoon was heading toward the dormitory on foot. Along the way, he was looking down at his right hand.


    The curse nted on their first meeting had been bothersome, but he had let it be, thinking it might be useful. And thanks to his insight, it did turn out to be quite helpful.


    <i>A spell that infiltrates the body to peek into one¡¯s heart.... He really acts just like how I¡¯d expect him to.</i>


    It was a spell that stealthily allowed the user to cross psychological barriers rather than crossing directly, making it quite tricky to counter. And that was probably the exact reason why Ren had used it so confidently. However, unfortunately for him, his target this time wasn¡¯t an easy one.


    <i>cksmith of Bonds is just the superior alternative.</i>


    With his unique skill that could peek into the heart and extract a mix of everything inside to materialize them, he was able to skillfully use it to only show Ren the unimportant memories. Then, he took advantage of the situation and extracted Ren¡¯s bond.


    <strong>[Extracting bond from subject ¡®Inoue Ren¡¯]</strong>


    <strong>[The bond with the host is Lv.1.]</strong>


    Taking the opportunity, he used the Phantasmal Spyde to confirm that memories were mixed into bonds. Of course, it wasn¡¯t easy to view those memories, but since Se-Hoon had been semi-assimted with Ren, he had managed to glimpse a part of those memories.


    <i>¡°If you wish to be the head of the family, you must discard even trivial emotions like familial love.¡±</i>


    The shadow of a man flickered against the candlelight beyond a thin veil.


    It seemed unbelievably cold for a conversation with a son who had just turned ten, but neither the father nor the son seemed to care.


    <i>¡°If it¡¯s really necessary... I can discard it.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Then kill Erika. That will be the day you be the head.¡±</i>


    The man demanded the boy, Inoue Ren, prove himself by killing his own sister. Answering those expectations, Ren responded without hesitation.


    <i>¡°I will definitely prove it to you.¡±</i>


    It was a very brief conversation. But while Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t uncover the secrets of the Inoue family with that one scene, it had made something very clear to him.


    <i>These guys are definitely rotten.</i>


    A family that enacted human sacrifice spells and encouraged fratricide for session couldn¡¯t be normal.


    <i>Cooperation for the Myers and caution for the Inoues.</i>


    If he kept aiding Erika, it would naturally be clear whether the Inoues were actually affiliated with Watchers.


    Done deciding how he would interact with the two families, he revisited his current goal.


    <i>...The Barmuths must bepletely destroyed.</i>


    Ren had mentioned that he would erase them before Se-Hoon¡¯s graduation, but Se-Hoon didn¡¯t n on letting themst even the rest of the year.


    Thinking about his ns for the future, Se-Hoon¡¯s lips curled up.

 Chapter 73

    <h4>Chapter 73</h4>


    Se-Hoon was currently contemting how an individual like him would fight against an entire conglomerate, and for his first strategy, he thought back to the Three Dogs.


    <i>¡°Train until you can win.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°If you get rid of ces rted to them one after another, they''ll copse on their own.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Only fools fight head-on. You should infiltrate and gnaw away at them from the inside.¡±</i>


    Their methods were either brutish, insane, or bothersome, but despite that, they did have a sess rate matching their promise. He still outrightly excluded them from potential options though¡ªthose options were only possible since they were the strategies of a powerful hero, a terrorist, and the leader of an intelligence organization. Not a single one was suitable for a cksmith like himself.


    As such, he went back to pondering what method would then suit him, and soon, he found the answer.


    ¡°Can you assist me in bringing down the Barmuths?¡±


    Deciding to stay true to his identity as a cksmith, he nned on just spectating from afar after forging weapons for his allies.


    ¡°...¡±


    Upon hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s out-of-the-blue proposal, In-Cheol nked out.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that Se-Hoon hade all the way to his workshop on a Sunday morning just to make the oundish request of enlisting his help in taking down the Barmuths.


    Wondering if he was still half asleep, In-Cheol rubbed his eyes.


    ¡°Are you talking about Vier?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m talking about the entire Barmuth family.¡±


    ¡°So... you¡¯re nning to bring down the entire family?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    In-Cheol then sat up straight, his sleepiness disappearing when he heard not a single trace of hesitation within Se-Hoon¡¯s response.


    ¡°Start by telling me what happened.¡±


    Se-Hoon roughly exined the incidents that urred at the Noblesse, including the sh with Vier and Aria¡¯s partnership proposal to mass-produce sword aura equipment.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you improved Barmuth¡¯s prototype on the spot and even forged sword aura equipment without the help of a sword aura user... you really are something.¡±


    Realizing that he was worried about Se-Hoon not because hecked talent but because he was <i>too </i>talented, In-Cheol chuckled bitterly.


    ¡°I understand the situation now. Now that you¡¯ve rejected their recruitment and even belittled their technology upfront, they surely won¡¯te at you peacefully anymore.¡±


    In-Cheol frowned and sighed, remembering the viiny that the Barmuths had done in the Department of cksmithing.


    ¡°Unfortunately, however, given the current situation, it¡¯s quite difficult to put any real pressure on them. There¡¯s no solid evidence that Vier attempted to injure you.¡±


    Raising any objections against the Barmuths right now would just end with the prototype¡¯s ws or Vier¡¯s own ipetence being med. It was far from serving as justification to bring down the entire family.


    <i>He was attacked unterally, and yet there¡¯s nothing I can do...</i>


    It wasn¡¯t the first time such a situation urred, but In-Cheol felt a greater sense of powerlessness than before. He felt miserable at the thought that a talent capable of making significant changes to the era could crumble due to his shorings.


    <i>I absolutely cannot let them have their way this time. </i>He began solemnly pondering the methods at his disposal. But then, Se-Hoon spoke up with a calm expression.


    ¡°I have no intention of shooting them down with such methods, either. I¡¯ve already generally nned out how to dismantle the family, so I just need you to help with the finer details.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already... nned it all out?¡± In-Cheol waspletely mystified by how Se-Hoons was talking like he found it easy to tackle a massive conglomerate like the Barmuths.


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about apany going under? That¡¯s just what will naturally happen if their products don¡¯t sell.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but...¡±


    Considering that the Barmuths were far ahead in terms of technological capabilities in the cksmithing industry, it was far from as easy as how Se-Hoon made it sound.


    Unconvinced, In-Cheol was about to dismiss the unrealistic approach, but Se-Hoon brought out something from his void pocket.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Se-Hoon had dropped arge stack of papers on the table.


    ¡°Are those... blueprints?¡±


    Puzzled at the bundle of blueprints Se-Hoon had just taken out, In-Cheol picked up the blueprint on the top to examine it.


    At first nce, the sword drawn on the blueprint seemed like nothing special, but when he looked closer, his eyes widened in astonishment.


    ¡°Wait, what is this...?¡±


    The blueprint was detailed enough that it could immediately be brought to mass production. But what truly shocked In-Cheol wasn¡¯t thepleteness of the blueprint, but the note written on it.


    <i>These will be over twenty percent more powerful and durable than the Barmuths¡¯ E-tier mass-produced longswords that currently dominate the market. The cost of materials can be further reduced by up to thirty percent if the forging process is properly set up.</i>


    The blueprint depicted a perfectly superior alternative to the Barmuths¡¯ current mass-produced longsword. Realizing what the others likely were, In-Cheol quickly examined the other blueprints as well.


    <i>Flip. Flip.</i>


    Superior alternatives to the various weapons, armors, auxiliary devices, and everything else that the Barmuths were currently mass-producing were precisely drawn in the blueprints.


    They had exceeded his expectations by so far that In-Cheol was overwhelmed; all he could do was read and review each blueprint over and over.


    <i>These are actually... real.</i>


    He didn¡¯t need to test them out to know; his intuition forged by decades of cksmithing told him the forging processes described in the blueprints were genuine. Unable to take his eyes off them, he remembered Se-Hoon¡¯s confident smile and felt a mixture of disbelief and amusement.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s question, In-Cheol set the blueprints down again andughed helplessly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but be amused.¡±


    Even before the concept of mana was introduced to humanity, consistently forging high-quality equipment inrge quantities was not easy. Then, after the advent of mana, it became even harder. The process had be dozens of times moreplex due to now needing to consider the structure of the mana circuits and the properties of the materials.


    <i>Even one of these blueprints would have taken a research team years to develop... yet he¡¯s carrying dozens of them around.</i>


    He knew about Se-Hoon¡¯s exceptional talent already, but it was truly a situation that was extremely unusual.


    It was to the point that In-Cheol even briefly considered whether Se-Hoon might actually be associated with the group he had been part of in the past, but he quickly dismissed the thought.


    <i>Those guys wouldn¡¯t simply hand out blueprints to exaggerate someone¡¯s skill.</i>


    These blueprints were purely the result of Se-Hoon¡¯s talents.


    Gathering his thoughts, In-Cheol asked, ¡°So, how do you n to use these?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pick some appropriate manufacturers who are willing topete against the Barmuths to the end, and then I¡¯ll pass the blueprints to them. I¡¯ll leave the minor negotiations, like profit sharing, to you, Professor.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that? You could make an iparable amount of money that far surpasses what you would gain by setting up your own workshop and selling them yourself.¡±


    ¡°That would take too long. To shake a business as big as them, you have to hit them all at once.¡±


    Also, setting up his own workshop would make it an easy target, increasing the likelihood of getting entangled in all sorts of troublesome situations.


    So, Se-Hoon had chosen the easiest way, even if it meant giving up a bit of profit.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, I have no objections. But for this n to work, we¡¯ll need two more things.¡±


    He looked at Se-Hoon with a serious expression.


    ¡°Firstly, a way to guarantee the quality of the equipment to the public. And secondly, protection for the manufacturers that we''ll coborate with.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t likely that their coborators would be eliminated all at once, but a ¡®coincidental¡¯ explosion could wipe out an entire manufacturer without a trace. Simr incidents had actually happened before the regression, slowly eliminating those who had opposed the Barmuth family.


    Thus, without any preparation for these potential sabotages, few would be willing to step forward.


    However, Se-Hoon was already prepared.


    ¡°Of course, I have a n that solves both of those too,¡± responded Se-Hoon confidently.


    ***


    ¡°The Barmuths are trying to kill me, so I¡¯m going to bring them down before they can. Are you willing to help me?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sitting across from Se-Hoon, Eun-Ha didn¡¯t respond immediately to his request, slightly lowering her head in thought. Her face was expressionless, giving no hint of what she was thinking. A whileter, her lips slowly parted.


    ¡°Do you mean... bringing them down through brute force?¡±


    Her determined expression made it seem as though she was ready to devour some equipment and reduce the Barmuth headquarters to dust right then and there.


    Seeing that, Se-Hoon quickly rified, saying, ¡°No. I mean bringing down their business. Not literally demolishing them.¡±


    Although physically destroying them would be easier, actions warranting a worldwide manhunt didn¡¯t seem advisable, especially since he had memories from before his regression.


    However, despite his words, Eun-Ha¡¯s expression remained unchanged. She nodded her head.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Yes. So...¡±


    ¡°Do I just need to destroy their factories at night?¡±


    Confronted with her new solution, he suppressed the urge to agree and shook his head.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to do this legally. It defeats the purpose if we be wanted.¡±


    ¡°Hm... I understand. Then, how do you n to proceed?¡±


    Was it because he told her that he was being targeted for assassination? Pleased by her proactive stance in bringing down the Barmuths, Se-Hoon briefly outlined his n.


    ¡°...Impressive.¡±


    Her eyes sparkled upon hearing about the dozens of blueprints he had. And seeing that her usually expressionless face now had some vitality, Se-Hoon smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to consume both mine and Barmuth¡¯s equipment forparison. Your reputation in this field is well-known, after all.¡±


    If Se-Hoon or In-Cheol had stepped forward, they would have been quickly dismissed as simply hostility toward the Barmuths, but Eun-Ha¡¯s endorsement was different.


    As the Dean of Borsippa and the S-rank hero Weapon Eater, known also as the Gourmet in the equipment industry, even the Barmuths wouldn¡¯t be able to dismiss her influence.


    ¡°So I just need topare those two?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Oh, and it needs to be filmed since it¡¯s going to be uploaded to the inte. The rest we¡¯ll take care of, so you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Seeing her agree without hesitation, Se-Hoon made a mixed expression.


    <i>She¡¯s being more cooperative than before the regression.</i>


    Even though she hadplied with most of his requests back then, now it felt like she was willing to go above and beyond. He looked at her curiously.


    A moment of thoughtter, Eun-Ha spoke again.


    ¡°If it still seems impossible to take them down after trying this... let me know.¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Yes, me.¡±


    She nodded, her tone carrying an odd chill. Immediately convinced that he absolutely should not ask her for help, Se-Hoon nodded reluctantly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind... for now.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll contact you as soon as I¡¯m ready,¡± said Eun-Ha.


    Now finished notifying Eun-Ha of her part in his n, he left the office and headed straight to Aqar Quf.


    The final issue remaining was the protection of the coborating workshops that would manufacture the equipment in the blueprints. This part was the most troublesome aspect of the n.


    <i>There are way too many workshops to protect, and more importantly, we won¡¯t know when or how the other side might attack.</i>


    They could attack immediately following the announcement or suddenly after a few months.


    He had considered hiring securitypanies or heroes to guard the workshops during this uncertain period; however, it was questionable if they could even provide the needed protection, and the cost would be enormous.


    <i>In the end, it¡¯s better to entrust it to the one remarkable person I know.</i>


    Thus, Se-Hoon decided to consider an entity capable of protecting dozens of workshops scattered around the world. And there was only one way to reach out to that person. He organized his thoughts.


    <i>It¡¯s worth a shot.</i>


    If possible, great; if not, then it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    With his thoughts in order, he knocked on the door of the Physiology Controls ssroom, located in the deepest part of the Department of Martial Arts.


    <i>Knock knock.</i>


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    A brusque response came from inside. Opening the door and entering the room, Se-Hoon saw Kwang-Soo lying on the bed with dissatisfaction on his face.


    ¡°While other guys are desperate to rest on weekends, you¡¯re here, wandering around in broad daylight.... You seem to have a lot of free time.¡±


    ¡°My apologies. It¡¯s just a bit of an urgent matter...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hear about it for now. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Se-Hoon exined the general situation, simr to how he exined it to the previous two. After hearing everything, Kwang-Soo furrowed his brows.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to say that you¡¯re being delusional... but if it¡¯s rted to those Barmuth guys, then there¡¯s a lot to talk about. Way more than enough.¡±


    ¡°Would you be able to help me?¡±


    ¡°Well... I¡¯m curious about one thing...¡±


    Trailing off, he looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Why do you think I can help? I¡¯m just a has-been, retired from active duty.¡±


    His question wasced with doubt¡ªfor good reasons. There was no apparent reason to ask <i>him </i>for help based on the situation at hand.


    <i>Well, it¡¯s because I know which organization you belonged to before the regression, but I can¡¯t say that.</i>


    Unable to reveal the true reason, Se-Hoon somewhat indirectly answered.


    ¡°Just because one has retired from active duty doesn¡¯t mean all their connections will just disappear. I¡¯m asking you because I thought you were the most suitable among the people I know.¡±


    ¡°And what if I turned out not to be?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just have to look for another way.¡±


    Letting Se-Hoon¡¯s calm reply hang in the air, Kwang-Soo stared at him for a moment before getting up from the bed.


    ¡°Fine. There¡¯s nothing impossible about it, anyway. But I¡¯m not doing it for nothing.¡±


    ¡°We could discuss the protection fee separately¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t need your money.¡±


    Cutting off Se-Hoon, Kwang-Soo picked up a packet of documents from one side of the ssroom and threw it to him.


    Catching it, Se-Hoon read the words written at the top of the first document: Eyes of irvoyance Ver.12.


    <i>That¡¯s quite the number of revisions...</i>


    As he flipped through the pages, he soon realized what the documents were about.


    ¡°This is the technique you said you¡¯d teach me before.¡±


    It was a skill that could potentially enhance his talent for stealing the opponent¡¯s movements.


    <i>Did he manage to systematize it this much in such a short time?</i>


    A part of him was impressed by Kwang-Soo¡¯s capability, but... he was also slightly annoyed by it.


    <i>If he could make stuff like this, then what were all those random techniques he taught me in exchange for his debts before...</i>


    As something that happened before the regression, he tried to let it go, but it still irritated him. He vowed to himself that he would get back at Kwang-Soo properly someday.


    Meanwhile, Kwang-Soo finally got to his condition.


    ¡°If you can master that, I¡¯ll lend you a hand.¡±


    ¡°This is all it takes?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You should at least be able to pull that off for me to bother dealing with those annoying guys.¡±


    Se-Hoon nodded, understanding his intentions.


    ¡°Understood. Let¡¯s get started then.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll start tomorrow. Just take it with you for today and have a look.¡±


    They weren¡¯t able to start right away since the necessary equipment to practice the Eyes of irvoyance couldn¡¯t be gathered immediately.


    However, Se-Hoon shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not suggesting we practice.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°The Eyes of irvoyance. I¡¯ll show it to you right now.¡±

 Chapter 74

    <h4>Chapter 74</h4>


    Coming back from changing his clothes, Se-Hoon began lightly warming up in the training area inside the lecture hall. Watching him, Kwang-Soo wore a puzzled expression.


    <i>That guy... what is he thinking?</i>


    The Eyes of irvoyance that Kwang-Soo had developed boasted a level of difficulty that ranked among the top out of every technique he had created so far.


    Even he himself had failed two to three times out of every ten attempts. That was why he couldn¡¯t believe that Se-Hoon could pull it off without even practicing it once.


    <i>He doesn¡¯t seem talented enough to pull this off...</i>


    Experiencing the iprehensible situation, Kwang-Soo looked on with aplex expression.


    A few momentster, Se-Hoon finished warming up and turned around.


    ¡°How do you want me to show you?¡±


    ¡°You can just start by activating it first.¡±


    The Eyes of irvoyance was a technique that directly enhanced one¡¯s vision¡ªand was also one of the most rarely used techniques in the world. It was so rarely used because vision skills and techniques could lead to potential side effects if not controlled perfectly since the eyes, weaker than other organs, were easily affected by mana.


    ¡°If you feel like it¡¯s not going to work, stop immediately. Otherwise, you might end up having to see hallucinations for the rest of your life.¡±


    Among all the organs, the eyes were the most difficult to heal once damaged.


    Se-Hoon nodded at Kwang-Soo¡¯s warning.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be worried.¡±


    ¡°Worried...? Just hurry up and show me.¡±


    Seeing how Kwang-Soo was grumbling yet urging him on, Se-Hoon smiled slightly and slowly recalled the activation method for the Eyes of irvoyance¡ªsomething he had been taught before the regression.


    <i>The activation method itself isn¡¯t that difficult.</i>


    All it consisted of was inserting a set amount of mana into a predetermined path. Of course, the path was very narrow andplex, and even the slightestpse in mana control could result in injury.


    <strong><i>Soul Honing</i></strong>


    But it was an easy task for Se-Hoon, who could freely divvy up his body.


    <i>Click-</i>


    A temporary mana circuit formed along the path of the Eyes of irvoyance, and following its creation, mana seeped into it.


    Soon, gray mana appeared on his retinas.


    This special type of mana, altered by the unique operating method of the Eyes of irvoyance, swirled slightly above his pupil before stabilizing like a lens.


    Confirming that the activation was sessful, he slowly gazed through his altered vision.


    ¡°Ho...¡±


    His view of the surroundings was like it was straight out of a ck-and-white photograph.


    Everything from the ceiling of the lecture room to the floor of the training area turned ck and white, but there was one thing that still had color.


    Kwang-Soo¡¯s body still had gray hues moving along a certain path within his body.


    <i>So this is how it looks.</i>


    What Se-Hoon was experiencing right now was the Eyes of irvoyance¡¯s most basic usage: Observation.


    It was a vision technique specialized in detecting the mana of living beings, which was why he couldn¡¯t view the mana in the various facilities in the room, including the training area.


    <i>Hm. It feels less like detecting mana and more like sensing the Synesthetic Mindscape within it.</i>


    Meanwhile, as Se-Hoon mused over the somewhat familiar sensation, Kwang-Soo was frozen in shock, his mouth open in surprise.


    <i>He actually pulled it off?</i>


    He immediately began thinking that he was seeing things, but the glossy look in Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes and the way his gaze followed the mana flow in his body made it clear that he had sessfully activated the Eyes of irvoyance.


    Activating it on his first try¡ªmore skillfully than himself at that¡ªwas beyond his expectations.


    <i>Lee Se-Hoon... I need to take a closer look at him.</i>


    Until now, he simply thought that Se-Hoon would only be of help to him after graduation, but after seeing that disy of skill, it seemed appropriate to assume that he was guaranteed to pass the qualification exam for the Executor role.


    With his assessment of Se-Hoon now revised, he abandoned his initial n to teach him simple swordsmanship and took up a proper stance.


    ¡°Can you see how my mana is moving?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see the details, but I can see how it¡¯s flowing overall.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then, I¡¯m going to show you a new sword technique.¡±


    Holding a training sword, Kwang-Soo slowly took a stance and looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°If you can urately see through this sword technique, I¡¯ll consider it a pass. Can you do it?¡±


    Discerning that Kwang-Soo¡¯s attitude had changed, no longer doubting his abilities, Se-Hoon responded confidently in satisfaction.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°Here I go.¡±


    Kwang-Soo loosely dangled the sword toward the floor. He appearedpletely negligent at first nce, but to Se-Hoon, whose eyes were enhanced by the Eyes of irvoyance, the situation seemedpletely different.


    Assuming his stance, mana began racing through Kwang-Soo¡¯s body, then when his body turnedpletely silver, he began to move forward.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    He extended his right foot smoothly, basically gliding over the ground. Normally, he would have swung his sword in tandem with that movement, but for some reason, his sword remained pointed at the ground.


    His movement, more akin to sweeping a broom than an actual sword technique, would have been a strange scene to anyone watching, but Kwang-Soo continued to move like that with a serious expression.


    <i>Sssk-</i>


    He moved with smooth footwork, the point of his sword still pointing at the ground at every instant. Then, suddenly, Se-Hoon noticed something out of ce.


    <i>Is that an... afterimage?</i>


    He saw a faint silver afterimage in the shape of a sword trailing in front of Kwang-Soo. Realizing this afterimage was the essence of the sword technique that was currently disyed, Se-Hoon sharpened his senses further with the Eyes of irvoyance.


    His vision, still clear despite being ck and white, had now started to appear as a ck background covered in white lines; the movement of mana within Kwang-Soo¡¯s body became clearer.


    He saw the mana race through Kwang-Soo¡¯s body, starting from the foot that stepped forward, then through the knee, pelvis, spine, shoulder, and elbow, before finally heading toward the tip of the sword. And the moment that stream of light extended outward¡ª


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The silver sword split the air, leaving an afterimage behind.


    ¡°Finished.¡±


    Kwang-Soo stopped his technique and looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Were you able to understand what kind of sword technique it was?¡±


    ¡°Um...¡±


    Pondering the question for a moment, Se-Hoon extended his hand forward.


    ¡°May I borrow the sword, please?¡±


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Catching the sword Kwang-Soo threw to him, he took a stance slowly, just like the one he had observed.


    <i>A bit more rxed...</i>


    He further rxed his body as mana rapidly began circting throughout his body ording to what he saw.


    Seeing Se-Hoon take the exact same stance as he did earlier, Kwang-Soo felt both admiration and some sort of disappointment.


    <i>It seems he was only able to grasp my preparatory stance.</i>


    He had hoped that with such talent, Se-Hoon would be able to see through one of his Vision Sword Techniques, the Celestial Infinity de, but it seemed like his expectations were too high after all.


    epting the result, he was about to critique Se-Hoon¡¯s stance for the deficiencies he had observed, but before he could, Se-Hoon moved.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Se-Hoon swung the sword, which had been pointing at the ground, naturally upward toward the sky.


    ¡°What the...¡±


    Then, he moved his feet the exact same way Kwang-Soo had earlier, the sword following the afterimage Kwang-Soo had produced earlier.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Gradually, his mana began matching his own physique as he continued to follow the movement of the sword he had seen. His movements, which were initially slow, started to speed up.


    <i>It¡¯s not enough. I need to reduce the discrepancy between my physique and mana even more...</i>


    He instantly began cutting out and improving upon the inefficient parts of his movements, taking Kwang-Soo¡¯s earlier demonstration as a reference. Although it wasn¡¯t an easy task to improvise his movements based on a technique he had only seen once, it was sort of a different situation this time.


    <i>I just need to align my movement properly based on the essence of the movement I observed through the Eyes of irvoyance.</i>


    Using the Eyes of irvoyance, which could glimpse into one¡¯s mana and the Synesthetic Mindscape within, he was able to recreate the framework of the technique. With the framework done, all he needed to do was fill in the flesh with what he had been able to figure out from his observations of Kwang-Soo¡¯s sword, a weapon he had tirelessly refined before the regression.


    ¡°Hmph...!¡±


    He had initially nned to perform the technique only once, but somehow, he ended up naturally repeating it multiple times, reaching closer and closer to perfection with each repetition.


    But then, during the moment all his mana surged from his toes to his fingertips and converged into the sword, he heard a sound.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The sword shattered into pieces.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>...¡±


    His fluid movements were inadvertently broken, Se-Hoon caught his breath and looked at the sword in his hand, frowning. The sword was shattered beyond recognition, only the hilt remaining.


    <i>Such a poorly forged sword.</i>


    He hadn¡¯t expected the sword to fail him like this, leading to an inconclusive result.


    <strong>[Skill ¡®Eyes of irvoyance (A)¡¯ has been acquired.]</strong>


    <strong>[Skill ¡®Celestial Infinity de (S)¡¯ has been acquired.]</strong>


    ¡°...?¡±


    Two notification messages popped up before his eyes. He sort of understood why he had acquired the Eyes of irvoyance, but the notification that followed filled his mind with questions.


    <i>Celestial Infinity de? Isn¡¯t that one of Kwang-Soo¡¯s Vision Sword Techniques?</i>


    It was a bizarre sword technique that he heard was impossible to master even if he was reborn. Unconvinced, he had made numerous attempts, but he never even came close to grasping it.


    Yet... he had acquired it so simply just now. Se-Hoon turned to Kwang-Soo, bewildered.


    ¡°Um...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve acquired it, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Kwang-Soo¡¯s tone made it seem like he already knew. And upon hearing it, Se-Hoon paused and made a confused expression.


    ¡°I think so...???¡±


    ¡°What do you even mean by ¡®think so¡¯....¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s confused expression, Kwang-Soo recalled the scene he had just witnessed with an incredulous look.


    <i>It was interrupted, but... that was definitely sword aura.</i>


    Not just any sword aura at that; Se-Hoon had almost disyed the Celestial Infinity de, a skill, developed by Kwang-Soo himself, that no one else had been able to replicate.


    Facing the unexpected oue, he looked at Se-Hoon for a moment before making a decision.


    ¡°You passed for now. I guess I¡¯ll help you out then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    It was a natural result; Se-Hoon had not only seen through the sword technique but also executed it perfectly.


    And to Se-Hoon, who was still slightly bewildered, he was content that he was able to secure Kwang-Soo¡¯s and his associate¡¯s assistance.


    ¡°But you¡¯ll have to be my apprentice starting today.¡±


    ¡°...Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one thing if you learned the Eyes of irvoyance, but since you¡¯ve learned one of my Vision Sword Techniques, you¡¯re going to have to pay the appropriate price.¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s face¡ªfull of bewilderment due to Kwang-Soo¡¯s reasoning¡ªKwang-Soo waved his hands in dismissal, incorrectly thinking he had understood Se-Hoon¡¯s thoughts perfectly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for thanks. Just start preparing yourself because mastering the rest of the Vision Sword Techniques won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And from now on, you should address me as Master and treat me with respect. Understand?¡±


    When Kwang-Soo¡¯s pompous speech finished, not even a moment had passed before Se-Hoon came to a conclusion in his mind.


    ¡°I refuse.¡±


    ***


    Now left alone in the ssroom, Kwang-Soo was lying down on the bed with a frown.


    ¡°Such an impudent brat...¡±


    How dare Se-Hoon refuse him, even when he had offered to take him in as an apprentice and teach him his Vision Sword Techniques, especially the Celestial Infinity de.


    He had never faced a rejection like this; even A-rank and S-rank heroes often begged him to take them as apprentices.


    <i>Should I just beat him until he submits? Actually, judging by that look in his eyes, I don¡¯t think he would bow down even if I beat him to death.</i>


    Seeing a bit of himself in Se-Hoon, he realized that persuading him wouldn¡¯t be an easy task. Soon, frustration surged through him, prompting him to sit up abruptly from the bed.


    ¡°Wait. Why am I even worrying about this? If he doesn¡¯t want to be my apprentice, then so be it!¡± he yelled to himself.


    However, before the echo of his voice had faded in the ssroom, the image of Se-Hoon mastering the Eyes of irvoyance and the Celestial Infinity de technique with only a single attempt resurfaced in his mind.


    ¡°<i>Grrr</i>...¡±


    Continuing to ponder for a long while on the bed, he eventually muttered in an irritable voice, ¡°If only he wasn¡¯t <i>that</i> talented...¡±


    Now that he knew having Se-Hoon on his side would undoubtedly make both the transmission of the Celestial Infinity de technique and the search for the Doppelganger much easier, he couldn¡¯t stop pondering how to deal with such a stubborn brat.


    <i>Well, I should fulfill my part of the promise first...</i>


    Knowing Se-Hoon was more of a materialistic person, he thought it might be possible to make Se-Hoon ept being his apprentice if he could somehow show Se-Hoon the amount of influence he exercised.


    With that thought, he grabbed the phone from the bedside table and made a call.


    ¡ªYou¡¯rete.


    The call connected immediately after one ring, as if the person on the other end had been waiting.


    ¡°Were you watching?¡±


    ¡ªI wasn¡¯t watching; it was just in my field of view. There are gaps everywhere since Ludwig is away.


    Hearing the leisurely voice of the woman on the phone, Kwang-Soo scowled. Then, the woman spoke again, her voice full of the intention to tease.


    ¡ªWhat a sight to see, the high and mighty Ma Kwang-Soo pandering to a kid and even resorting to making a call.


    ¡°...Shut up.¡±


    ¡ªShut up? It¡¯s hriously entertaining, though.


    Kang-Soo¡¯s eyes twisted in deep annoyance at the woman¡¯s cheeky voice. He sighed deeply.


    ¡°Can we get to the point?¡±


    ¡ªYou mean the Barmuths?


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡ªWell, okay. They do deserve some attention since they¡¯ve started disturbing such a promising talent.


    Hearing the woman¡¯s ready agreement, Kwang-Soo sighed in relief. It would have been extremely troublesome for him if she thought there was ack of reason.


    ¡°Then, once I finishpiling the list of those that have to be protected¡ª¡±


    ¡ªAh. But there¡¯s one condition.


    At the bted mention of a condition, Kwang-Soo frowned, but he quickly epted it with a sigh.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡ªThat kid from earlier. He seemed quite insightful.


    The woman¡¯s interest in Se-Hoonpletely startled Kwang-Soo.


    ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of... teaching him, are you?¡±


    ¡ªNot to that extent yet. But I¡¯ll be sending over my sibling¡¯s grandchild, so make a ce for them.


    Taken aback by her tone, which suggested a willingness to teach depending on the oue, Kwang-Soo hesitated.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll make the arrangements once theye.¡±


    ¡ªGood. Oh, I¡¯ve got a call from an S-rank. I¡¯m going to have to hang up.


    Unable to even respond, the call ended abruptly. Kwang-Soo wore aplex expression as he stared at the phone.


    <i>Perhaps he¡¯s not just an ordinary prodigy...</i>


    To think that he would immediately catch the attention of the world¡¯s most discerning Perfect One¡ªVisionary Ha Baek-Yeon¡ªmade him something else.


    But despite his admiration, Kwang-Soo felt an odd sense of unease. He wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone in terms of skill, but in terms of recognition, he knew he was no match for a Perfect One.


    ¡°...Is there anything else I could try?"


    For the first time in his life, he had found someone who he wanted to be his apprentice. Determined not to let this opportunity slip away, he lost himself in his thoughts, brainstorming ways he could persuade Se-Hoon, grumbling the entire time.

 Chapter 75

    <h4>Chapter 75</h4>


    Stepping outside the main building of the Department of Martial Arts, Se-Hoon looked back at the building with a curious expression.


    <i>Getting asked to be his apprentice out of the blue was a bit of a surprise.</i>


    To Se-Hoon, it was unbelievable that Kwang-Soo¡ªsomeone known for his high standards and said to even surpass Perfect Ones in pickiness¡ªhad asked him to be his apprentice. If it had been before the regression, Se-Hoon would have thought Kwang-Soo had gone senile.


    <i>I refused for now... but it¡¯s not a bad offer.</i>


    One of Kwang-Soo¡¯s Vision Sword Techniques, the Celestial Infinity de, was as powerful as the skills of Perfect Ones. But more importantly, Kwang-Soo had a strong force behind him¡ªthe Executioners. They were an unofficial organization, founded by none other than Kwang-Soo himself, that dedicated their whole lives to hunting down demons.


    <i>They helped me a few times before the regression.</i>


    Since the members of the Executioners were all over the world, their identities ranging from well-known high-ranking heroes to ordinary citizens, Se-Hoon could receive their help even in remote ces, which was quite beneficial.


    However, despite all that, he still refused Kwang-Soo¡¯s offer because of one very simple reason.


    <i>¡°If you serve another master, wouldn¡¯t that make me look ipetent? You¡¯re not allowed to be someone else¡¯s apprentice without my permission unless you want to die.¡±</i>


    His master¡¯s warning was still fresh in his mind.


    While he didn¡¯t actually need to obey a warning made in the past, he still tried to avoid breaking the promise he had made to himself once.


    <i>Master... now that I think about it, she should be alive and well right now.</i>


    As the genius founder of the outrageous skill Soul Honing, Se-Hoon nned to visit her. Unfortunately, however, that didn¡¯t seem possible anytime soon.


    His master was probably busy running away from various organizations, constantly changing her identity, and wandering from ce to ce.


    <i>Well, there¡¯s no rush.</i>


    Out of everyone, he was confident that his master wouldn¡¯t end up dying a miserable death, no matter what kind of butterfly effect he might cause. Completely assured, he put the thoughts of his master aside for the moment and checked the skills he just acquired.


    <strong>[Eyes of irvoyance] ¡ºA¡»</strong>


    <strong>[A technique for observing the mana in living beings.</strong>


    <strong>The color of the observed mana changes ording to the different properties of the mana inside the target. Prolonged activation can lead to vision degradation and hallucinations.</strong>


    <strong>*Can observe the mana of living beings</strong>


    <strong>*The greater the target¡¯s skill ispared to the user, the greater the strain on the user¡¯s eyes and mana consumption]</strong>


    <strong>[Celestial Infinity de] ¡ºS¡»</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>


    <i>They both seem quite useful.</i>


    The Eyes of irvoyance seemed perfect for finding the weak spots of enemies and urately analyzing what equipment would suit each person best.


    And while the Celestial Infinity de wasn¡¯t fully mastered, carrying some uncertainties for actualbat, it was likely still powerful given its S-tier ssification.


    <i>It seems like I got just what I needed right before the extermination practical.</i>


    With these two skills, he could pass the extermination practical trouble-free, scoring points and obtaining the hidden materials quite straightforwardly.


    He waspletely satisfied by how smoothly the situation was unfolding. But at that moment, he suddenly heard a clear voice.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    From afar, the clear voice hit his ears with a resounding impact.


    He turned towards the source of the sound and saw the silver-haired Luize running toward him with a grim face and an ominous arrow made of mana floating above her.


    ¡°What the...¡±


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    Before he could even properly respond, she grabbed his wrist and quickly dragged him away. She pulled him toward a back alley near the bus stop with a look of urgency on her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s so urgent that you have to drag me to such a shady ce?¡±


    Finally letting go of his hand, she stared at him with sharp eyes.


    ¡°There¡¯s a rumor saying that you picked a fight with Vier. Is it true?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t pick a fight with him. He had just lost hisposure when I gave him some advice.¡±


    ¡°You... <i>sigh</i>.¡±


    Seemingly troubled, she looked at him with aplex expression full of both annoyance and gratefulness. At that embarrassing reaction, the awkwardness between them increased.


    <i>Why is she acting like this all of a sudden?</i>


    Was there a reason for her to react so oddly to his fight with Vier? Pondering for a moment, he btedly remembered the scar hidden behind the choker he had made for her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me... are you thinking that I fought Vier because of you?¡±


    ¡°What? Of course not... huh?¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s baffled face, Luize grew more and more flustered.


    Amidst the awkward silence that settled between them, her eyes began to flicker wildly as she gradually came to an understanding of the entire situation.


    ¡°No. No, no, no, no. Do you think I¡¯m crazy?? I was just worried that you might drag me into your mess. Do you even hear yourself? This is ridiculous...¡±


    ¡°Is that really it?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Why else would Ie looking for you!¡± denied Luize vehemently, her voice raising in desperation.


    Se-Hoon nced at the arrow floating above her.


    ¡°You used incantation magic to track me, right?¡±


    ¡°...So what if I did.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you before? Incantation Magic tends to be empowered by the rity and intenseness of the caster¡¯s intent.¡±


    He chuckled, seeing how the arrow was pointing precisely at him.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t have been easy to cast such a delicate spell like location tracking with Incantation Magic and yet...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You must have been quite worried about me¡ª¡±


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Luize covered Se-Hoon¡¯s mouth, ring at him with her face that was turning red with embarrassment.


    ¡°Shut up already.¡±


    She looked like she might actually use Incantation Magic to cast a spell if he had spoken any further.


    Deciding it was for the best to stop teasing her, he raised his hands in the air, prompting her to change the subject and release her grip.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Well, the Barmuths are bound to pull all sorts of tricks. You have to be prepared for that. Or do you want to end up with a hole in your throat like me?¡± she said, fiddling with her choker.


    Feeling her sincerity, he pondered for a moment.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m prepared enough.¡±


    ¡°You... are?¡±


    ¡°It seems I¡¯ll acquire a strong ally.¡±


    He knew that his attack on the Barmuths with just his few blueprints would have ended with a premature disruption in production before he was able to deal any significant damage.


    <i>Now that I¡¯ve managed to contact Ha Baek-Yeon, that changes everything.</i>


    Visionary Ha Baek-Yeon was a Perfect One and humanity¡¯s strongest archer. Once a target had been seen by her even once, there was no escaping her arrows, no matter where in the world they were.


    With such a monster involved, Se-Hoon knew that the Barmuths would stand no chance, no matter how hard they tried.


    <i>Even if the Barmuths still think they have a chance, they wouldn¡¯t waste their efforts on a matter like this.</i>


    Now that all the preparations wereplete, all he had to do was sit back and watch.


    Seeing hisid-back demeanor, Luize looked at him curiously.


    ¡°Where do you find all these allies from?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find them; they found me. I¡¯m a pretty impressive individual, you know.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She wondered why she had even worried about him.


    Feeling somewhat lighter, she sighed in relief internally.


    ¡°Still, contact me immediately if you need any help. If it¡¯s about demolishing that Vier guy, I¡¯m all in.¡±


    Observing Luize¡¯s mana surging at the mention of her mortal enemy, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you if I need help. Just make sure you keep up with your training so you won¡¯t hold me back.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so annoying... I¡¯m going.¡±


    Shooting him a re, she began muttering something to herself as she walked away. But before she could fully leave, Se-Hoon spoke up.


    ¡°Thanks for worrying about me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She halted briefly. Then, a momentter, she sharply retorted, ¡°Who said I was?¡±


    Leaving behind that retort, she vanished into the alley with a sprint, her flustered demeanor making Se-Hoon crack a smile.


    <i>It¡¯s more fun to tease her now. She even knows how to show gratitude.</i>


    Sometimes, she reminded him of the st Dog he knew before, but then, at other times, she showed apletely different side.


    He marveled at how much she had changed since their first meeting.


    <i>Brr-</i>


    Feeling a short vibration in his pocket, an indication that a new message had arrived on his phone, he immediately checked it.


    Yeom Sung-Ha: I¡¯ll repay the remaining debt by taking care of that Vier Barmuth guy for you.


    Speechless by the message, Se-Hoon stared at it for a while, rubbing his eyes, every so often. Then he muttered, ¡°This guy hasn¡¯t changed at all though...¡±


    ***


    A week after the Noblesse had ended, a rumor about the confrontation between Se-Hoon and Vier had spread so widely within Babel that there was hardly anyone unaware of it. It had be such a popr topic of conversation that it was even discussed among the professors.


    ¡°What do you think will happen to Lee Se-Hoon?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to think about? He¡¯ll probably end up holding hands with either the Inoues or the Myers. What else?¡±


    ¡°True. He probably can¡¯t rely on Dean Ryu alone to protect him from the vast Barmuth family.¡±


    While there had been instances of individuals rising against entire organizations in the past, the oues were always the same. They always either met a mysterious death for standing alone till the end or sought refuge in another organization to escape harm.


    ¡°Every now and then, there¡¯s always such an individual. Remember that guy from Aqar Quf? He also revolted against an organization on his own, but that just ended in him losing favor with everyone so badly that he couldn¡¯t graduate for years.¡±


    ¡°Some people only learn the hard way.¡±


    Assuming Se-Hoon¡¯s defeat was already a foregone conclusion, the main curiosity was which organization he would seek refuge with.


    However, regardless of which organization he chose, the amount of talent and abilities he had shown during his sh with Vier had been so overwhelming that all previous doubts of whether he would thrive¡ªbecause of his injuries¡ªwere obliterated.


    <i>Whether it¡¯s with the Inoues or the Myers, wherever Lee Se-Hoon ends up will gain significant influence over the hero industry¡¯s future.</i>


    <i>We need to choose our side quickly.</i>


    Knowing that Se-Hoon was a figure capable of disrupting the delicate bnce maintained in the hero industry until now, everyone¡¯s attention became focused on his next move.


    Meanwhile, a peculiar rumor had begun to spread under all the discussions.


    ¡°Have you heard of Carlton¡¯s workshop?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the swordsmith workshop that nearly went bankrupt because of the Barmuths? What about it?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve started mass producing new D-grade swords recently, and they¡¯re supposedly pretty incredible. The fast movers are already in talks for contracts.¡±


    ¡°Really? But isn¡¯t that market already dominated by the Barmuths... have they managed to forge something better?¡±


    Currently, the Barmuths¡¯ grip on the lower-grade mass-produced weapon industry was extremely firm. So, when various small to medium-sized workshops began to challenge their monopoly in this market all of a sudden, the people¡¯s response to this news wasn¡¯t very positive.


    They trusted the well-regarded technical prowess of the Barmuths over the small workshops that were mostly in a state of decline.


    ¡°People are probably just hyping it up too much before the official productunch. How does it even make sense that a nearly bankrupt workshop woulde up with something like that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably just a im that they can mass-produce some equipment that they handmade one by one; it¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve seen something like this.¡±


    With no solid proof, everyone remained skeptical.


    Then, amidst all the skepticism, a certain video was uploaded to a famous global video tform.


    <i>D-grade Mass-Produced Longsword Comparison Mukbang (Eating it fr) </i>Ryu Eun-Ha


    Views: 0 Comments: 0


    It was a peculiar video, its title promising a longswordparison video in <i>mukbang </i>format. With the title alone, most would have dismissed it as simple clickbait, but when people noticed the channel¡¯s name, everyone was caught off guard.


    ¡°Ryu Eun-Ha? Could it be the S-rank hero Ryu Eun-Ha...?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s an impersonation video? But then it would have been taken down immediately if that were the case...¡±


    No one believed that Eun-Ha, known for shunning public appearances and rarely giving interviews, had uploaded a video on the inte. However, despite being extremely dubious, the setup was too intriguing for people to ignore, forcing many to click on the video out of curiosity.


    The moment the video was yed, the screen revealed a woman with red hair¡ªit was actually Ryu Eun-Ha herself.


    ¡¸Hello. I am Ryu Eun-Ha, the Dean of Borsippa at Babel Academy and an active S-rank hero.¡¹


    She was speaking in her usual impassive manner as she looked down at the dozens of different pieces of equipmentid out in front of her.


    ¡¸Today, I will beparing the most popr D-grade mass-produced longsword from the Barmuths to a newly released longsword.¡¹


    Giving only that brief introduction, she stepped off-screen to fetch two longswords and ce them on the desk.


    The weapons were unadorned, typical mass-produced equipment, but one of them caught the eye of the viewers due to its de shining more brightly than the other.


    ¡¸This is the Barmuths¡¯ longsword, and the other one with a brighter de is a new model from Carlton¡¯s workshop. Now that the introduction is over, let¡¯s get to eating.¡¹


    Holding up each sword in turn for the camera, she began with the Barmuths¡¯ longsword, chewing on it starting from the tip.


    <i>Crunch, crunch.</i>


    In the blink of an eye, the longsword disappeared into her mouth and the tips of her hair flickered like mes.


    ¡¸The charge rate is about one percent at level one. It¡¯s fairly decent for a mass-produced weapon. It seems to be focused on durability, so the slicing force might be a bit lower, but its mana conductivity ismendable...¡¹


    Having consumed the entire longsword, she was able to analyze the weapon¡¯s performance with uracy rivaling that of experts and, in some aspects, even surpassing them.


    ¡¸However, if the mana circuit is structured this way, itspatibility will decrease when infused with special kinds of mana, creating vulnerabilities. The most ipatible mana would undoubtedly be divine mana.¡¹


    Pausing to bring out another copy of the Barmuths¡¯ sword, she took out a bead filled with divine mana and melted it into the interior of the longsword.


    Closely showing the longsword glimmering with a soft golden hue to the camera, Eun-Ha then swiftly tapped a section of it with her fingertip.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Without any resistance, the longsword snapped in half instantly. She then showed the cross-section of the sword and continued her exnation.


    ¡¸As you can see, the internal mana circuit has been altered by the addition of divine mana. This is how its durability can be weakened, and also...¡¹


    Essentially dissecting the longsword, she continued her detailed exnation. Then, when she was done exining, eight swordsy broken by her side.


    ¡¸Now, I¡¯ll try out this new longsword from Carlton¡¯s workshop.¡¹


    Still speaking in her usual indifferent tone, she took the longsword and started to chew on it from its tip as well.


    ¡¸...¡¹


    However, unlike how she had eaten the Barmuths¡¯ swords without hesitation, she paused momentarily. Then, the corners of her mouth lifted ever so slightly.


    ¡¸Indeed...¡¹


    With that murmur full of satisfaction, she resumed her expressionless demeanor and finished eating the remaining bits of the longsword.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    When she got close to finishing the longsword, her hair flickered more intensely than when eating the Barmuths¡¯ sword. She calmly said her exnation.


    ¡¸The charge rate is about three percent at level one. This... should be the highest among D-grade mass-produced weapons. Both the durability and slicing force are excellent, about thirty percent better than the Barmuths¡¯ longsword.¡¹


    ¡¸The mana conductivity is about ten percent better, and itspatibility, especially, seems to be remarkable. It shows little variance with different types of mana and can even amodate divine mana...¡¹


    After that, Eun-Ha verified the new longsword with the exact same procedure used for the Barmuths¡¯, and the results were outstanding in every aspect.


    Havingpleted her exnation, she grasped both swords.


    ¡¸With the general exnation concluded, I¡¯ll do a final, simple crossparison.¡¹


    She spread her arms wide, with a sword in each hand, and swung them toward each other without any hesitation.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Sparks flew as Barmuths¡¯ longsword was cleanly sliced in half.


    ¡¸That concludes this evaluation. Next time, I¡¯ll review shields.¡¹


    The video ended abruptly, without any further exnation. And despite itsck of subtitles and editing, making it an unfriendly thirty-minute sequence, people couldn¡¯t take their eyes off it for even a moment.


    Not only was the sheer presence of the renowned S-rank hero Ryu Eun-Ha drawing, but the content of the video itself was very professional and impactful.


    <i>How did she manage to address such a controversial topic so directly...</i>


    <i>This is definitely going viral.</i>


    For once, the S-rank hero recognized by numerous cksmiths for her discerning eye for equipment, Ryu Eun-Ha made a review¡ªsomething that used to always be shrouded in rumors¡ªand publicly shared it.


    As a result, the video spread with the speed and ferocity of mes across a dry field throughout the hero industry. And just one day after the video was uploaded¡ª


    Views: 9,282,146 Comments: 70,216


    The entire hero industry was rocked by the ensuing controversy.

 Chapter 76

    <h4>Chapter 76</h4>


    The headquarters of Borsippa was adjacent to the central section of Babel Academy. Here, they oversaw all activities within Borsippa, which given the scale of the academy, meant the size of the headquarters was also considerable.


    At ten stories tall, the Borsippa Headquarters housed the hundreds of administrative staff working there and the tens of thousands of people who were visiting for various purposes. As such, the lower floors experienced a variety of noises, but that wasn¡¯t the case for the Dean¡¯s office on the top floor.


    <i>Scribble scribble.</i>


    The quiet sound of documents being signed could be distinctly heard in the room. And amidst that quiet sound, Eun-Ha was examining documents as usual.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    But all of a sudden, that serenity was shattered by a middle-aged blonde ck hair man. mming open the door and entering without knocking, Michael Barmuth looked at Eun-Ha with a cold expression.


    ¡°Dean Ryu Eun-Ha.¡±


    Although his tone was polite, it was filled with palpable anger.


    It was so tant that the end of his sentences carried mana, causing the entire office to tremble faintly, but Eun-Ha didn¡¯t even look up from her documents.


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°Do you even realize what you have done?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Please exin it to me.¡±


    Furrowing his eyebrows at her calm, indifferent attitude, which showed she had no intentions of engaging in conversation, Michael forced himself to quickly calm his emotions.


    ¡°Your biased review video has caused substantial economic losses to the Barmuth family.¡±


    Due to the video Eun-Ha uploaded, the Barmuth family struggled with refund requests that exceeded their order volume¡ªthis was the first time. Many enterprises and guilds that still had doubts over the performance of their uing newly created mass-produced equipment immediately switched to Carlton¡¯s workshop as if they had been waiting.


    <i>We would have fixed all those faulty parts before we publicly released them to the market... but all because of that one video...!</i>


    And even though the Barmuths <i>had </i>immediately taken countermeasures when the video first started spreading, they had all still switched.


    ¡¸The facts that are currently being disputed are not official, and any defamation or dissemination of false information will be met with legal action.¡¹


    Along with their statement, they nned to suppress the rumors by pressuring the owners of the website where the video was uploaded to take it down.


    However, their n was wed from the start because the influence of the uploader¡ªRyu Eun-Ha¡ªwas just too significant.


    anger231: The Barmuths just published their official statement. Time to sit back and watch.


    ©¸RedGinsengMint: Watch what? Ryu Eun-Ha uploaded the video herself lol


    ©¸anger231: Is she above the official association? You¡¯ll see how wrong you were.


    ©¸RedGinsengMint: lol even the top one hundred cksmiths won¡¯t even make a peep about equipment evaluation in front of her, yet here you are talking about the association. What¡¯s the association going to do? p an official certification on it and call it a day?


    .


    .


    .


    HGBeam: The overall performance is a whole thirty percent higher, yet the price is twenty percent cheaper? Isn¡¯t this obviously a scam?


    ©¸NeonBlue: What would an S-rank hero even get from scamming others?


    ©¸HGBeam: I mean, it¡¯s not like there isn¡¯t anything. Isn¡¯t she also human?


    ©¸NeonBlue: Do you think everyone is like you???


    .


    .


    .


    dd: I feel like this is the first time I¡¯ve seen Ryu Eun-Ha genuinely smile. Is it just me?


    ©¸RyuEunHaSuperFan: It¡¯s the first time, for sure. I¡¯ve seen every single uploaded video that she¡¯s in and she¡¯s never smiled once. My heart almost stopped when I saw her smile.


    ©¸LiteLeft: If someone who usually eats the Seraphim Guild¡¯s Hero equipment with a straight face is actually smiling while eating those, then how insane are those pieces of mass-produced equipment?


    Eun-Ha, who had be an S-rank hero at a young age, had made tremendous contributions by purifying various Danger Zones and subduing countless monsters and demons. And thanks to the widely spread inte anecdotes about how she was a weapon gourmet, the Barmuths¡¯ response inadvertently reinforced her position instead.


    <i>It¡¯s past the stage where we can handle this ourselves.</i>


    Realizing that her review couldn¡¯t be challenged without bacsh since it was an unexaggerated mention of facts and that legal disputes were likely to be smoothed over by someone even more formidable than her¡ªChairman Ludwig¡ªthe Barmuths found themselves with only one option left.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are trying to get out of this, but we will try to amodate you as much as possible. So please, could you be so kind as to take down the video and then make an exnation video¡ª¡±


    ¡°Vice Dean.¡±


    Cutting off Michael¡¯s proposal, Eun-Ha continued to sign documents as she spoke to Michael.


    ¡°If you came here to just say that, please leave. You¡¯re disturbing my work.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Clearly indicating that she had no intention to discuss it any further, she dismissed him. But rather than anger, all Michael felt was bafflement.


    <i>Was it just a n to strike us from the start?</i>


    Given that she was not the type to engage in such negotiations, he had somewhat anticipated the refusal, but it still made no sense to him.


    Why would such an oddball, who showed interest in nothing but consuming equipment, pull something like this?


    <i>Could it be the Seraphim Guild? No, they also seemed surprised by her actions...</i>


    If it wasn¡¯t her long-time sponsor, the Seraphim Guild, then who had made her act this way? Unable toe up with an answer, Michael wrestled with his thoughts, but then, he was interrupted.


    <i>Knock knock.</i>


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    The voice that followed the knock instantly irritated Michael. Turning around, he saw the young Lee Se-Hoon, leaning against the door.


    ¡°I thought he was done with his business with you, so I just came in, but... he¡¯s still here?¡±


    Upon seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s puzzled face, full of wonder as to why Michael hadn¡¯t left yet, Michael¡¯s expression twisted in annoyance. Se-Hoon¡¯s behavior was arrogant and presumptuous.


    ¡°How dare you just walk into this ce casually...¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    Michael was about tosh out at Se-Hoon, but he trailed off when he heard Eun-Ha¡¯s voice from behind. Feeling like something was different, Michael turned around and saw something thatpletely surprised him.


    Eun-Ha, who hadn¡¯t spared him a nce during their conversation, was now looking at Se-Hoon with eyes full of warmth.


    <i>Could it be that... she did all that for him?</i>


    It was hard to believe, but after seeing those eyes, there seemed to be no other exnation. And now, after learning that Eun-Ha and Se-Hoon were in a cooperative rtionship, Michael naturally recalled the other massive question he had been harboring.


    <i>Who exactly forged that newly released equipment?</i>


    ording to the Barmuths¡¯ intelligencework, there was no way the workshops in question could have produced equipment of such caliber. Therefore, he naturally thought there was an intervention from another power, but with that new piece of information, one more possibility suddenly clicked into ce.


    <i>No, it can¡¯t be...</i>


    Although it was a possibility he had considered, he had found it impossible to believe and thus disregarded it, but since the situation was unusual enough, it came back to him.


    Turning his head once again, Michael stared at Se-Hoon, who was leaning against the door frame.


    ¡°What are you doing? You should just leave already if you¡¯re done with your business here.¡±


    Unlike how normal students weren¡¯t able to even make proper eye contact with him, Se-Hoon was speaking to him with ease. But rather than being angered by the amount ofposure and mockery in Se-Hoon¡¯s tone, Michael was finally convinced.


    ¡°So... it was you.¡±


    Though it was absurd, the one who had forged all that new equipment was indeed the one standing before him¡ªLee Se-Hoon. At this revtion, Michael¡¯s face went cold, his feelings surpassing astonishment to reach pure shock due to Se-Hoon¡¯s chilling talent.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be better off not getting too arrogant.¡±


    Leaving that warning, Michael passed by him and left.


    Se-Hoon smirked at his retreating figure, his head simply tilted back.


    <i>Now he¡¯s really pissed off.</i>


    Had there been no one around, Michael would have attempted to kill him right then and there. But despite that fact, Se-Hoon just smiled at how smoothly things were going.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    Approaching his side silently, Eun-Ha looked at Michael¡¯s retreating figure.


    ¡°Judging from his murderous intent just now, it seems like he could be dangerous if not dealt with. How do you n to proceed?¡± she said quietly, a glint of murderous intent in her eyes.


    Seeing that glint, full of willingness to vaporize Michael in an instant if he asked, Se-Hoon quickly spoke to abate her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have something prepared for him.¡±


    ¡°...Understood.¡±


    With that slightly reluctant-sounding confirmation, she went back into the room.


    Following her in, Se-Hoon closed the door behind him.


    ¡°Did the Chairman contact you after you uploaded the video?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He told me I might as well hire a proper video editor while I¡¯m at it.¡±


    ¡°Hm. So, he¡¯s notpletely against it.¡±


    While the pressure from the Barmuths could be easily ignored, the pressure from Ludwig was an entirely different matter. As the Chairman of Babel <i>and </i>a Perfect One, his influence was overwhelmingly stronger than Eun-Ha¡¯s.


    <i>It¡¯s unlikely for him to get involved... but still, I should be careful.</i>


    He had information on Ludwig from before the regression, but he knew that he shouldn¡¯t blindly trust it.


    Still, he could breathe a sigh of relief since the biggest potential obstacle seemed to have been resolved.


    <i>Brr-</i>


    ncing at the screen of her phone vibrating on her desk, Eun-Ha immediately declined the call.


    Seeing that, Se-Hoon became curious.


    ¡°Who was it that you declined right away?¡±


    ¡°After I uploaded that video, I¡¯ve been getting various offers from everywhere. It¡¯s nothing for you to worry about.¡±


    Typically, S-rank heroes either joined guilds or signed contracts withrge corporations, using them to create their paths in one way or another. However, Eun-Ha had shown little interest in doing that, only engaging in contracts she deemed necessary, which naturally made her less receptive to solicitations.


    <i>Do people think that changed because of the video?</i>


    For those who were unaware of the current circumstances, it might seem like she had changed her mind, and whenbined with the strong impact of the video, they persistently proposed offers to her.


    <i>That definitely has to be annoying... I feel somewhat sorry for her.</i>


    Eun-Ha¡¯s phone rang again, making Se-Hoon feel embarrassed.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re dealing with something quite annoying because of me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s really no need to worry. It¡¯ll gradually stop once I ignore them enough times.¡±


    ¡°No, we should make an equal deal.¡±


    Although she appeared indifferent and seemed like she didn¡¯t care, there was no one more decisive when it came to making and breaking ties than her. He knew that assuming she was fine and doing nothing in this situation could lead to a significant setback someday.


    ¡°Should you find yourself in a difficult situation or in need of assistance, please let me know at any time. I will aid you in any possible way.¡±


    It was unlikely he would be able to assist her with issues that corresponded with her current stature, but it was the thought and effort that counted.


    Touched by his sincere offer, Eun-Ha looked at him quietly before nodding.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    With that, he was satisfied that there was no room for any hard feelings to harbor, so he changed the subject.


    ¡°Professor Kim In-Cheol mentioned that there are other workshops that are joining in, solving the disruption in the production supply chain. You should be able to upload the remaining videos in sequence soon.¡±


    The video uploaded yesterday was just a teaser. Soon, the remaining seventy-sixparison videos would be released, each also showing a rigorousparison between a type of mass-produced equipment of the Barmuths and the ones prepared by him.


    ¡°Will the workshops be alright, though? It¡¯ll be difficult to cover so many workshops, even if there are security personnel in ce,¡± Eun-Ha asked after a moment of thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine.¡±


    Se-Hoon smiled at her valid concern.


    ¡°I¡¯ve appointed quite the reliable person.¡±


    ***


    In the darkness of the city, a small voice sounded from the shadows of a dark alleyway where all the streetlights were off.


    ¡°Right side fence, a thirty-eight-year-old woman, a twelve-year-old boy, and a nine-year-old girl. Take care of them, and make it look like a simple ident.¡±


    Leaving behind a single shadow clump that detached and climbed over the fence, the remaining shadows rippled and moved to the corner of a stairwell in a distant apartment.


    ¡°Apartment 1802, sixty-year-old woman. Proceed in the same manner.¡±


    Leaving behind another shadow clump that detached and began climbing the stairs, the remaining shadows rippled and moved once again.


    The shadow clumps that were detached across the city were all from an A-rank demon, the Shadow Phantom.


    He recalled the task at hand.


    <i>Targeting the families instead of directly attacking the workshops, huh? Truly a forward-thinking individual.</i>


    Attacking the workshops that were protected by security personnel would likely result in failure and raise unnecessary suspicion. Therefore, his client, the Barmuth family, chose a different approach; they would assassinate the families of a few selected involved individuals.


    <i>There¡¯s nothing more effective than instilling fear.</i>


    The n for today was simple assassinations, but going forward, the Barmuth family nned to slowly kill one or two individuals at a time, disguising them as idents.


    And unlike ordinary people who would dismiss each incident as a coincidence, the involved parties would immediately recognize the warning. Frightened, they would inevitably withdraw entirely.


    <i>It¡¯d be nice if they all backed out at once out of fear. I wouldn¡¯t have to drag this on for ten years then.</i>


    He dearly wished to eliminate everyst target in one go, but doing so would make him a target for pursuit and he¡¯d lose trust in the underworld, so he decided it was best to exercise restraint.


    He annoyedly sent out another shadow subordinate, but at that moment, something flew past.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    And a blue arrow impaled its heart.


    ¡°<i>Cough</i>...!¡±


    Thrashing violently, the impaled shadow subordinate eventually spat out a man¡¯s body.


    Without warning, one of his subordinates had been instantly killed by an arrow to the heart. Rapidly noticing the curse imnted in the arrow, which was the real cause of his subordinate¡¯s death, Shadow Phantom quickly made a decision.


    <i>The enemy is at least S-rank. I have to flee.</i>


    If someone was able to locate him in this city and snipe without being noticed, fighting back was out of the question. Acting immediately, he activated his skill, Shadow Sacrifice.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Ten subordinates hidden in his shadow then burst into ck blood, the blood spraying in all directions to create a magic array. Whenpleted, twenty more subordinates were used as fuel to instantly activate the skill.


    <i>Whoom!</i>


    The scenery changed in the blink of an eye. Although he had warped dozens of kilometers away to a remote forest, Shadow Phantom refused to rx and continued to use his skills.


    <i>I don¡¯t know what the enemy has up their sleeves, so I need to be sure of my escape.</i>


    While calling all of his subordinates back again wouldn¡¯t be easy, he did it anyway, knowing that facing an S-rank hero meant he could lose his head at any moment.


    Activating Shadow Sacrifice again, the recalled subordinates turned into ck ichor, covering his body entirely.


    In an instant, Soul Cloak and Magic Neutralization, along with powerful stealth magic like Nature Assimtion, wereyered. And this time, he crossed hundreds of kilometers, weaving through shadows in a sh.


    He was confident in his technique which required the sacrifice of many of his subordinates since he had escaped an S-rank hero before. However, a strange unease lingered.


    <i>Is this really enough?</i>


    Recalling the precision of the snipe that wasn¡¯t noticeable until the arrow had pierced through, the chilling sensation that followed forced him to use a scroll he had been saving.


    <i>Sssss-</i>


    Now torn, purple mana erupted from the scroll, enveloping his entire body. Amidst it, Shadow Phantom¡¯s form began to blur, melting away as if about to disappear without a trace.


    But, before his body could scatter in all directions and vanish, he was expelled from the mist of purple mana.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Falling into an abandoned, dpidated building, Shadow Phantomy gasping on the ground, breathless and without the strength to hide in the shadows any longer.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>...¡±


    The sight of Shadow Phantom, gasping on the ground, drew the attention of other demons who had gathered around.


    ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t he the shadow guy?¡±


    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s in bad shape. Did you get beaten up by an S-rank hero?¡±


    The demons, each a notorious assassin and user of the Dream Refuge, mocked Shadow Phantom upon seeing his condition.


    <i>This should do it...</i>


    The Dream Refuge¡ªcreated by one of the Ten Evils and the master of brothels, Dream Demon¡ªwas a hideout that was notorious for its elusiveness, a ce not even the most formidable of S-rank heroes could infiltrate.


    As such, Shadow Phantom rxed.


    ¡°I was sniped and had to run immediately. And... it seems like I¡¯ve expended all of my subordinates. Damn, I didn¡¯t even break even.¡±


    ¡°Sniped? Who would even be capable of sniping you?¡±


    Completely bewildered by Shadow Phantom¡¯s story, the other demons looked puzzled; Shadow Phantom was the most skilled in stealth among them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. One of my subordinates was hit by an arrow so I just ran without even figuring out where it came from.¡±


    ¡°...Arrow?¡±


    An ominous tension immediately built up.


    <i>Poof!</i>


    Without warning again, the head of one demon exploded without a trace.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Normally, the demons would have prepared immediately to counter the next attack, but they couldn¡¯t even muster the thought, staring at the arrow that had pierced theirrade.


    <i>Sssss-</i>


    Appearing to be made of special steel at first nce, the tip of the blue arrow, firmly embedded in the ground, began disintegrating into mana, revealing its true nature.


    <i>Invisible sniping and the ability to see through the Dream Refuge, plus this arrow made of mana.</i>


    Each clue slowly clicked into ce in each demon¡¯s mind, and soon, all of their thoughts were naturally led to one notorious entity.


    A fiend that hunted monsters on the contaminated African continent from the world¡¯s highest peak for fun, effortlessly sniping any demons caught in their sight.


    ¡°The Visionary...¡±


    Realizing they had been exposed to Ha Baek-Yeon, their faces turned pale in despair.


    ¡°Ah fu¡ª¡±


    <i>Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh.</i>


    A barrage of arrows rained down, piercing through the heads and hearts of every single demon present in the Dream Refuge.

 Chapter 77

    <h4>Chapter 77</h4>


    Situated in Nepal, Mount Everest¡¯s peak held the title of the highest in the world. Here, the climate had long been known for its severe erratic changes, but after the advent of mana, even that was iparable to what it was after.


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    From out of nowhere, a violent windstorm struck and ruined the clear day on the mountain.


    Its howling wind, capable of hurling even massive boulders effortlessly, relentlesslyshed at the summit, bringing in a freezing chill. It was a bitter cold that wouldpletely extinguish a person¡¯s body heat and freeze their mana.


    And this was just one such example of the weather at the peak. Being one of the most affected, the advent of mana and its subsequent mutations had turned the peak of Mount Everest into a nightmare. However, amidst the nightmarish alpine environment, an incongruous sound echoed.


    <i>Creak-</i>


    A brown rocking chair slowly swayed to and fro with the wind. Beside it was aid-out pristine white longbow, its owner being the old woman dressed in a white coat and fedora who was rocking back and forth. She seemedfortable¡ªher white hair was in a ponytail, her eyes were closed, and she was leaned back.


    The old woman, Ha Baek-Yeon, was seemingly enjoying the harsh mountain conditions as if she were at a resort. And just like she was at a resort, she was having a leisurely call with wireless earphones in her ears.


    ¡°I cornered every part of them thinking I might find their main body, and then they happened to lead me to the Dream Demon¡¯s refuge. So, I just killed them all.¡±


    ¡ªYou killed them all? How many were there?


    ¡°Thirty-four. Fourteen of them were A ranks, and the rest were B. There were quite a number of them.¡±


    Hearing Ha Baek-Yeon¡¯s casual recounting of the event, Kwang-Soo was in sheer disbelief.


    <i>If the Dream Demon provided them with a Dream Refuge, then they should¡¯ve been quite experienced demons yet... she sounds like she dealt with mere underlings.</i>


    If made public, such an incident would probably receive a ton of spotlight for being a significant extermination mission. But, Ha Baek-Yeon appeared utterly uninterested.


    Unlike normal heroes, she was indifferent to such des. Plus, dealing with such demons was just a walk in the park for a Perfect One like her.


    ¡ªThen, did you find anything that could serve as evidence?


    ¡°Of course not. People who exploit demons would¡¯ve already prepared for such contingencies. Their tracks are likely covered by now.¡±


    -<i>Tsk</i>. Nothing¡¯s straightforward, is it?


    While they did seed with their primary objective of safeguarding those affiliated with the workshops, without something to leverage against the Barmuths, the core issue remained unresolved.


    Unsatisfied, Kwang-Soo scowled at the phone in his hand, which prompted a slight smirk from Ha Baek-Yeon.


    ¡°Rx. You¡¯ll just add more wrinkles to that ugly face of yours, and that¡¯s thest thing you should want.¡±


    ¡ª...Stop spying on me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not spying on you; you¡¯re just in my field of view."


    <i>Whooosh!</i>


    From the imperceptible summit of Everest to the artificially created ind of Babel in the North Pacific, she had seen through thousands of kilometers as though it were nothing. Her abnormal sight, or rather, her capability that transcended conventional understanding, made Kwang-Soo grimace. Then, letting out a sigh, he red in the approximate direction he thought Ha Baek-Yeon would be.


    ¡ªCan I make one request?


    ¡°What, keep an eye on him?¡±


    ¡ªYes. Since they won¡¯t mess with the workshops now that they know you¡¯re involved, they might pour all their efforts into harming him instead.


    Aiming at the workshop was, in some ways, a more straightforward and moderate approach from the perspective of the Barmuths. But with that path blocked by Ha Baek-Yeon, it was likely that they would shift focus and target Se-Hoon, the root of the entire issue.


    <i>We need to keep an eye on him everywhere, especially outside of Babel.</i>


    However, because he had responsibilities of his own, he wouldn¡¯t always be by Se-Hoon¡¯s side to protect him. Thus, the best course of action was to ask Ha Baek-Yeon, who could see anywhere on the, to provide protection.


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    Considering it upon seeing how solemn Kwang-Soo was, Ha Baek-Yeon stroked her chin, but unfortunately...


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that will be possible.¡±


    ¡ªWhat?


    ¡°I normally would have... but I¡¯m not as free as I used to be.¡±


    Kwang-Soo¡¯s expression hardened. Though anyone could be busier depending on their circumstances, it was a different story when it came to a Perfect One.


    ¡ªDid something happen?


    ¡°The ck Sea is beginning to stir. I¡¯m not too sure... but I think something might happen soon.¡±


    Despite being able to observe the entire world, there were some things that even Ha Baek-Yeon couldn¡¯t see through: the Abyss of Demons covering Antarctica, powerful demons like the Ten Evils, and the Six Great Demon Realms scattered around the world.


    And among these, one of the Six Great Demon Realms, the ck Sea, was suddenly moving north from the Antarctic Ocean.


    ¡°There¡¯s also been some unrest around the African continent recently. I¡¯ll take a look whenever I have some time, but I can¡¯t promise you anything.¡±


    ¡ªI guess there¡¯s nothing I can do then.


    Kwang-Soo epted that everyone had different priorities, after all, he himself would have prioritized killing the Doppelganger if he knew its location, so he reluctantly let go of any regret.


    At that moment, Ha Baek-Yeon nced somewhere in the distance and then smirked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much, though. The situation is bing quite interesting.¡±


    ¡ªWhat, how?


    ¡°You¡¯ll find outter. Anyway, I¡¯ll keep an eye on the workshops as promised, so you should work on arranging that meeting with my sibling¡¯s grandchild.¡±


    With that, Ha Baek-Yeon ended the call and Kwang-Soo frowned. Seeing him, she chucked for a bit before turning her gaze.


    ¡°Hm. That should be an A rank.¡±


    In an alleyway of a city in China, a demon was carefully emerging through an opened manhole cover.


    Realizing it was one of the demons on her watch list, she reached toward the bowstring of the white longbow, still leaning against the rocking chair.


    <i>Twang-</i>


    And she lightly flicked the bowstring with her index finger.


    Unlike how insignificant her movement seemed, the blue arrow that wasunched tore through the surrounding whirlwind, vanished beyond the horizon, and then precisely pierced through the demon¡¯s head from above.


    <i>Poof!</i>


    Just like that, the demon vanished in a spray of blood.


    Never having moved her body, she confirmed that the target was eliminated with her eyes closed.


    <i>Creak-</i>


    Under the now sunny sky, where there wasn¡¯t a trace of the storm, the chair slowly started to rock again.


    ***


    ¡°The Barmuth Family: A Comprehensive Review of the Mass-Produced cksmithing Industry.¡±


    ¡°Head of the Family, Max Barmuth: ¡®We will reconsolidate our foundation and move forward again, focusing on the projects that are currently in preparation.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Small and Medium Workshops that Defeated the Barmuths: ¡®We will form a new group to protect the non-contracted cksmiths by joining forces.¡¯¡±


    Headlines revolving around the Barmuths, who had secured an overwhelming market share over the vast mass-produced equipment market, raising the white g to the small and medium workshops also in the mass-produced equipment market filled every news site worldwide.


    The entire world had been shocked by the unbelievable news, and those who heard about it btedly naturally flocked to Eun-Ha¡¯s review videos¡ªthe starting point of it all.


    <i>D-grade Mass-Produced Longsword Comparison Mukbang (Eating it fr) </i>Ryu Eun-Ha


    Views: 94,282,146 Comments: 150,216


    The view count had nearly reached 100 million in less than a week. Each follow-up video also garnered over ten million views, turning Eun-Ha¡¯s serious equipment reviews¡ªvia chewing and eating each piece like food¡ªinto a hot topic.


    Furthermore, as time went on, the attention only grewrger andrger.


    <i>I expected it to go viral to some extent... but I didn¡¯t think the response would be this good.</i>


    He seriously wondered if taking advantage of Eun-Ha¡¯s newfound talent to make <i>mukbang </i>videos for money was a good idea.


    ¡°This is really unbelievable...¡±


    Peeking over his shoulder, Lea looked at the news with a curious expression.


    ¡°How were the Barmuths torn apart overnight like some local hole-in-the-wall shop? This isn¡¯t photoshopped or anything, right?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s all over the inte. Don¡¯t you watch the news?¡±


    At his chiding, Lea rested her chin on his shoulder, and grumbled, ¡°Well, some nasty underssman has been nagging me to develop an enchantment for mass-produced sword aura equipment, so I didn¡¯t have time to watch the news. I¡¯m sorry for not knowing about the outside world~¡±


    Catching sight of the dark circles under her eyes, which suggested that she had been engrossed in her work, Se-Hoon indifferently muttered, ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, then don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°...It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t do it; it¡¯s just that the time and budget given are ridiculously insufficient. Those two situations are clearly different!¡±


    How could he be so indifferent when she was trying to solve the mostplicated problem of the current cksmithing industry that dozens ofpanies and research teams had given up on?


    Despite her frustration, however, Se-Hoon just put on an incredulous expression at her words.


    ¡°Did I say anything wrong? I just want you to hurry up a bit since I¡¯m already done preparing on my side. Yet you¡¯re hereining...¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like he had threatened to lock her up if she couldn¡¯t finish the development in a few months, so he couldn¡¯t understand her.


    And seeing his genuine puzzlement, Lea gave him a big smile.


    ¡°You should definitely start your business alone in the future. Ah, never mind; everyone around you will just die of anger anyway. Hahaha.¡±


    Instead of responding, to the strange remark that seemed to be caused by the stress of work, Se-Hoon pulled out a credit card from his pocket.


    ¡°Take it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were short on budget? There¡¯s about twelve billion in it; buy whatever you need with that.¡±


    The card was connected to an ount with the money he received inpensation for handing over the blueprints to the workshops. He had also been told that it would take time to see profits in the ount due to initial investment costs, but it didn¡¯t matter since he deemed there was already more than enough to cover Lea¡¯s and his own research expenses.


    ¡°...¡±


    Taking the credit card, Lea looked at it with a nk expression. Soon after, she turned to him with a serious look.


    ¡°I love you, Boss.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. Now, stop with the nonsense and go get some work done.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Leaving him with that polite response, she rushed over to one corner of the disorganized ssroom. Shaking his head after seeing that, Se-Hoon turned his attention back to his phone.


    <i>People are starting to suspect that someone is controlling all of the workshops in the background.</i>


    Since every piece of the Barmuths¡¯ mass-produced equipment had simultaneously been outssed by superior alternatives, it would be odd not to suspect anything weird.


    <i>Professor Kim In-Cheol will probably appear pivotal... and that means their most likely suspect would be that man, Ludwig.</i>


    It wasmon knowledge that Se-Hoon and In-Cheol were close, but logically, it would be insane to think that a freshman who had just enrolled had created all those blueprints.


    As such, it was more than likely that many would think Ludwig was secretly supporting various workshops to develop the blueprints and take over the mass-produced equipment industry.


    <i>Then when they realize a Perfect One is involved, most won¡¯t even think of intervening. The UD Group is a different story though.</i>


    Wurgen Kruger, the head of the UD Group and one of the wealthiest conglomerates in the world, was also a Perfect One like Ludwig. With his strength, he wouldn¡¯t back down easily, especially since they had a cooperative rtionship that was tied by blood with the Barmuths.


    <i>The crux of the matter is whether the Barmuths will mention me or not.</i>


    Se-Hoon had intentionally revealed his involvement in this incident to the Barmuths. Besides wanting to exploit any opening the Barmuths exposed when they rushed to deal with him, he was also curious about the nature of their rtionship with the UD Group.


    <i>If it¡¯s a solid, cooperative rtionship, they¡¯ll draw the UD Group in, but if not, they¡¯ll just hide my identity from them.</i>


    Se-Hoon knew that anyone who knew the truth of this incident wouldn¡¯t take him lightly anymore. With his talents, not only would the UD Group rather kidnap him and make use of his talent, but even the Barmuths would do the same.


    <i>If the Barmuths decide not to inform the UD Group... then it¡¯d be for the best topletely remove them from this game.</i>


    There were three Perfect Ones involved in this situation: Ludwig, the Emperor of Ascension and his backer; Ha Baek-Yeon, the Visionary who was also protecting the workshops; and Wurgen Kruger, the Barmuths¡¯ coborator.


    However, Ha Baek-Yeon couldn¡¯t be counted since she only took on the protection of the workshops and wouldn¡¯t interfere beyond that, making it essentially a one-on-one situation.


    <i>If the UD Group is going to assist, the Barmuths wouldn¡¯t rush anything...</i>


    For a while, Se-Hoon pondered over how he could ensure that the UD group would withdraw from this fight. Then, suddenly, the news site on his phone refreshed, revealing a breaking news headline.


    ¡°The Pilgrimage Church: ¡®We will cooperate in protecting weak cksmiths for the peace of humanity.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Pilgrim Karl Andersen: Supplying superior equipment to believers is the true proof of faith.¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    ***


    Inside theboratory, Michael was sitting at his desk, expressionless.


    ¡°UD Group has decided topletely withdraw from this matter. It seems that the Pilgrimage Church¡¯s involvement was the decisive blow,¡± Michael muttered.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Even if we reveal that Lee Se-Hoon is behind all this, the UD Group will probably sever ties with us and try to win him over instead of joining forces with us. No, that¡¯s what they <i>will </i>do.¡±


    Looking at his eldest son Vier, who stood silently before him, Michael then calmly began informing Vier of the news that he received from the family.


    ¡°The damage the family has suffered from this incident is almost too much to list. It¡¯s so serious that your grandfather is reconsidering passing on the headship to me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Your uncle must be thrilled right now. He thought he¡¯d be stuck underground for life, but now an opportunity has arisen.¡±


    Michael looked at the namete in front of him: Vice Dean of Borsippa.


    Caressing it, he reminisced about how much effort he put in to reach this position and to pave the way to bing the Dean.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    All of a sudden, the namete flew towards Vier¡¯s face and shattered to pieces.


    <i>Drip.</i>


    Blood trickled down Vier¡¯s face, flowing under his chin.


    If Vier were an ordinary person, his head would have been crushed, but since he wasn¡¯t, his only injury was a cut on his forehead. Seemingly dissatisfied by the fact that it was merely a superficial wound, Michael furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Vier.¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about your session anymore. My lifetime promise of headship is about to vanish because of your foolish actions.¡±


    Seeing Michael¡¯s eyes harboring a hint of murderous intent, Vier quietly said, ¡°I apologize.¡±


    Even with blood flowing from his forehead, Vier¡¯s expression was unchanging. And seeing that undisturbed demeanor, Michael took a moment to catch his breath.


    ¡°You must have prepared something if you¡¯vee to see me so brazenly. Speak.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made contact with the Puppeteer.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Michael¡¯s eyes widened.


    The Puppeteer was one of the Ten Evils, someone far surpassing the demons theymissioned before. So the news that Vier had been able to make contact with such a demon made Michael look at him with a more serious expression.


    ¡°And the price?¡±


    ¡°Apart from the usualmission, he wants the body of the target.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, with that kind of talent, he wouldn¡¯t simply hand it over to us.... ept his condition only if we are allowed to study it first. When is the date?¡±


    At Michael¡¯s inquiry, Vier¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ¡°The next extermination practical.¡±

 Chapter 78

    <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¡ªthe 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¡ªthe main ingredient and biggest variable of them all¡ªwas 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] ¡ºS¡»</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¡ªperhaps 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¡ªactually, 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¡ª¡±


    <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.¡±

 Chapter 79

    <h4>Chapter 79</h4>


    Befitting its enormous scale, the artificial ind of Babel was also home to many other types of establishments. These included rxation resorts, research institutes of corporations and guilds partnered with Babel, and the residential vis ofrge families.


    ¡°Over here.¡±


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    Now at one of those vis after a ride to the ind shore in the Myers¡¯s car, Se-Hoon looked at the Myers family vi.


    <i>It¡¯s more modest than I thought?</i>


    It was arge and luxurious building that could easily amodate ten people, butpared to the other vis he had seen on the way, it was a lot more modest in size.


    He followed Jake into the entrance.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Sensing someone in the living room, Se-Hoon noticed that the person had also noticed that Se-Hoon and Jake had arrived. Then, as if confirming his thought, the person abruptly popped out from the end of the corridor.


    In front of them was a weary-looking man¡ªhis long blond hair was tied up carelessly in a ponytail, and he was dressed in a shabby white shirt and wrinkled suit pants¡ªwhose eyes lit up upon seeing Jake.


    ¡°Jake!!!¡±


    ¡°Uncle?!¡±


    ¡°You little rascal!!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the man crossed the hallway and picked up Jake by the armpits, lifting him effortlessly. With the man¡¯s height easily surpassing 190 centimeters, Jake looked like a little kid dangling in the air, making Se-Hoon involuntarily smirk.


    ¡°Uncle, my friend is here...¡±


    ¡°So?! Isn¡¯t greeting your uncle who you haven¡¯t seen in half a year more important?!¡±


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>!¡±


    The man, Miles Myers, joyfully shook Jake like a toy with a bright smile. Se-Hoon looked on with amazement.


    <i>I didn¡¯t expect the Mad Sword would have such a soft side...</i>


    Before the regression, Miles Myers was an A-rank hero known as the Mad Sword because he didn¡¯t stop swinging his sword until the battle waspletely over.


    But, despite the reckless fighting style, he had survived for a long time. In hister years, he was virtually recognized as an S-rank swordsman.


    <i>That guypletely disregarded anyone not affiliated with his own family though...</i>


    Due to Miles¡¯s entric personality, he had often been involved in various quarrels, but those had significantly decreased once he had made some kind of deal with Aria.


    <i>Thinking about it now, maybe this time...</i>


    Lost in his thoughts, Se-Hoon just quietly observed, wondering what path Miles would choose this time. A whileter, Miles put Jake down and turned around.


    ¡°It seems like I¡¯ve been having too much fun in front of a guest. My apologies if I¡¯ve been rude.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯spletely fine, seeing as how it¡¯s been half a year. Please feel free to continue; don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    Hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s calm reply, Miles looked at him curiously before smiling and extending his hand.


    ¡°My boy Jake made a good friend. I¡¯m Miles Myers, Jake¡¯s uncle. Feel free to call me Mr. Miles.¡±


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    As the two of them exchanged friendly handshakes, Jake, who had be a mess in the blink of an eye, brushed his disheveled hair back.


    ¡°By the way, uncle, what brings you here all of a sudden? I heard you¡¯ve been incredibly busytely...¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I came? I immediately volunteered and rushed over when I heard my nephew was finally going to undergo his session ceremony.¡±


    ¡°So... you¡¯re conducting the ceremony?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Why? Are you disappointed because it isn¡¯t your father?¡±


    At Miles¡¯s question, Jake flinched, but he quicklyposed himself.


    ¡°Well, I knew Father would be even busier. I expected this much.¡±


    ¡°Pretending to be tough even though you¡¯re clearly disappointed... let¡¯s talk about the rest inside. Se-Hoon, youe along too.¡±


    When Se-Hoon and Jake sat down side by side on the living room sofa, Miles headed to the kitchen and asked, ¡°Do you guys want anything to drink? There¡¯s pretty much everything here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Me too; I¡¯m good.¡±


    ¡°Really? Well, I¡¯m drinking one myself then.¡±


    Grabbing a bottle of whiskey from the cupboard, Miles sat down on the opposite sofa. He then lightly flicked off the cork with his thumb.


    <i>Pop!</i>


    The cork came out effortlessly, and Miles just started drinking directly from the bottle like water.


    <i>So, he¡¯s always been an alcoholic then? </i>Se-Hoon thought, surprised.


    He knew that Miles drank alcohol instead of water, but he hadn¡¯t expected that would be the case this early. It made Se-Hoon gain a newfound appreciation for how resilient the livers of high-ranking heroes were.


    Conversely, Jake, who was sitting by his side, closed his eyes tightly out of embarrassment.


    ¡°Uncle... can¡¯t you drink thatter?¡±


    ¡°Whew... no, no. My brain just doesn¡¯t work right without alcohol these days,¡± said Miles, chugging down half the whiskey in one go.


    He chuckled and looked at Jake.


    ¡°So, where is that sword you said you got this time?¡±


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>... here.¡±


    With a sigh, Jake pulled out the Luminescent Sword from his void pocket and handed it over to Miles, who took it with his free hand.


    ¡°This looks pretty unique. Let¡¯s see...¡±


    Trailing off, Miles examined the sword. Suddenly, he seemed to freeze in ce and a look of astonishment appeared on his face.


    ¡°...¡±


    Quickly bing more serious, he put down the bottle of whiskey on the table and started to examine it.


    A whileter, he turned his gaze to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I heard from Aria that you forged this sword. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I forged it.¡±


    ¡°Did you use Jake¡¯s blood in the process?¡±


    Somewhat impressed that Miles had discerned the main material used in the sword after just a brief examination, Se-Hoon nodded affirmatively.


    ¡°Yes. I thought that using his blood would prevent the sword from breaking.¡±


    ¡°I see. This is certainly something I wouldn¡¯t have thought of... no, even if I had, I wouldn¡¯t have tried to attempt it.¡±


    The idea of using Jake¡¯s blood might be conceivable, but the amount of materials that Miles thought he had to prepare wasn¡¯t. Yet, despite that, Se-Hoon had prepared all of it not long after meeting Jake.


    <i>I wondered what kind of odd person he would be when Aria, of all people, said that she found someone interesting... but this is just unbelievable.</i>


    Taking another look at the sword, Miles then ced it on the table and looked at both of them this time.


    ¡°There should be no problem using it for the session ceremony, but... you do realize this was a very dangerous method, right?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s about the bioweapon aspect, then yes, I¡¯m aware. Aria also warned me,¡± answered Se-Hoon.


    Miles nodded at Se-Hoon¡¯s response.


    ¡°Good. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem since it¡¯s only to this extent, but still, you shouldn¡¯t use it from now on. It¡¯s a forging method that¡¯s regted particrly thoroughly because of the Puppeteer.¡±


    Because the Puppeteer used the corpses of heroes to replicate their abilities in the equipment it created, the field of bioweapons, which had been somewhat tolerated in its early days, was put under strict regtion entirely.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped for this sword since it¡¯s already been forged, but... unless you¡¯re looking for sponsorships from the demons, don¡¯t even think about going around and mentioning that you forged the Luminescent Sword.¡±


    Though a sponsorship from a demon might sound nice, it could also mean getting kidnapped and being forced to forge equipment in confinement.


    Se-Hoon nodded at Miles¡¯s sincere advice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get moving then.¡±


    Finishing the remaining whiskey in one gulp, he stood up and nodded at the two of them.


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    They descended a staircase to the basement under the guidance of Miles and arrived at a neatly arranged training area. With the lights all on, the interior was revealed to be equipped with thetest training devices and sparring facilities, even including abat arena.


    Heading straight to the arena, Miles gestured to Se-Hoon before he could follow.


    ¡°You should stay back just in case. There are protective barriers installed, but they¡¯re not as robust as what¡¯s in Babel.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°And Jake, you cane up with your sword.¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    Watching Jake ascend to the arena with the Luminescent Sword in hand, Miles tapped the void pocket at his waist and lightly drew a golden sword.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    At first nce, the de seemed to have been unmaintained for an iprehensible amount of time due to the de¡¯s teeth being worn down like a saw. However, despite its shabby appearance, the energy emanating from the sword was far from ordinary.


    <i>Drip, drip.</i>


    Golden energy was dripping down the sword like blood, soaking into the floor of the arena. Upon seeing such a bizarre phenomenon, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    <i>That seems more like sword aura than magic...</i>


    The energy umted within the sword was seemingly leaking out, but the notable aspect was that Miles was not using his own mana.


    <i>Was it pre-infused by someone else...? But who?</i>


    Intrigued by the strange sword which was unlike anything he¡¯d seen before, Se-Hoon observed curiously. Then, suddenly, he heard a voice by his side.


    ¡°That sword has been passed down from my great-grandfather.¡±


    Without a single sound, Aria appeared beside him and started exining.


    ¡°It¡¯s an artifact that could be said to embody our family¡¯s ideals.¡±


    ¡°...I wish you¡¯d make some noise when you approach.¡±


    Stopping himself from reflexively attacking her, Se-Hoon caught his breath. Seeing that, Aria smiled amusedly.


    ¡°You talk like you didn¡¯t sense me. Are you pretending to be weak?¡±


    Amazed by her superhuman senses, which managed to notice the killing intent in his voice even though he had suppressed it, Se-Hoon hid that as well and kept calm.


    ¡°What if I had attacked? That would have been a disaster.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I¡¯d feel sorry if you developed a habit of hesitating because of me.¡±


    Hearing her response which implied that she could easily handle his attacks, a bewildered look appeared on Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you simply just make your presence known when you approach?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do. It might turn into a bad habit of mine.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Faced with her logic, which was just as iprehensible before the regression as it was now, he sighed and changed the subject.


    ¡°So, how does the session ceremony work?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Jake just needs to match his sword against that sword, Origin, and receive the sword aura flowing from it.¡±


    ¡°Receive the sword aura?¡± asked Se-Hoon, puzzled by the unusual method.


    Aria calmly nodded.


    ¡°It means to directly feel and refine the sword aura of our great-grandfather, who was close to being a Perfect One. It¡¯s also a way to see how proficient one is with the family¡¯s swordsmanship.¡±


    Now understanding thanks to her exnation, Se-Hoon looked once again at Origin, which was in Miles¡¯s hand.


    <i>Receive the sword aura, huh...? The method itself seems sound.</i>


    Although the Myers family¡¯s swordsmanship would have evolved over generations, its essence was likely still intact. And if talented sessors like Jake could directly experience the sword aura of a hero who had reached a higher realm than anyone in the family, it could lead to many revtions.


    ¡°Normally, the result of the session ceremony is used to forge a custom sword that perfectly fits the sessor, but it seems like it¡¯s reversed in Jake¡¯s case.¡±


    Se-Hoon looked at Jake.


    <i>A custom sword, huh...?</i>


    Could he really say that the Luminescent Sword perfectly fit Jake¡¯s body? Unsure, he watched on as the session ceremony began to take ce in the arena.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s give it a try now,¡± said Miles.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    At his cue, Jake immediately infused his mana into the Luminescent Sword and gripped the handle tightly.


    <i>Crackle-</i>


    The flowing mana crystallized into a bluish de. Seeing that mystical form that looked like it contained starlight, Miles watched with interest.


    <i>It¡¯s technically called a sword, but it¡¯s practically the same as sword aura.</i>


    The mana shined brightly inside the de, fullypressed. Though its slicing force might be reduced since it couldn¡¯t easily release mana, its durability seemed to be enough to withstand a sh with Origin.


    <i>I thought its Hero tier was for its uniqueness... but it seems forged perfectly well.</i>


    Revising his assessment of the Luminescent Sword once more, Miles extended Origin forward.


    ¡°You know how it proceeds, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Just rx and naturally receive it.¡±


    Following Miles¡¯s instructions, Jake nodded and slowly brought his de close to Origin.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    The golden sword aura that flowed downward naturally transferred to the de of the Luminescent Sword, settling onto its edge.


    <i>So this is... actual sword aura...</i>


    He felt a sense of fulfillment like the sword was brimming with power from within and a confidence that he could cut through anything. Feeling the sword aura of his ancestors, he followed the sensations, fully enchanted.


    Seeing Jake¡¯s immersion, Miles watched on with a pleased look.


    <i>I never expected that Jake, having never properly swung a sword before, would be able to maintain it to this extent...</i>


    Wishing that perhaps talent didn¡¯t lie, he hoped that his nephew would learn even more from this experience as he continued to transfer Origin¡¯s sword aura.


    Meanwhile, as the two in the arena were focused on the session ceremony, Aria smiled gently as she observed them.


    ¡°Hm. Not bad. Your sword¡¯s better than I thought.¡±


    ¡°...Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Just from seeing how Jake, who hasn¡¯t been properly trained in swordsmanship until now, is steadily receiving the sword aura to that extent, it means it¡¯s a remarkable sword,¡± Aria said brightly.


    Turning her gaze to Se-Hoon, she then added, ¡°As expected of the honor student of Borsippa.¡±


    Normally, recognition from Aria Myers, the woman celebrated as the strongest student in history, would be enough to make anyone puff up with pride, but Se-Hoon felt a certain unease.


    <i>There¡¯s something about the way she¡¯s speaking...</i>


    Despite her radiant appearance, there was a feeling of emptiness in her.


    He looked back at the Luminescent Sword in Jake¡¯s hand. Although the bluish de was still receiving and integrating the golden sword aura, there was a slight blurring of the boundary between the two des that caught his eye.


    ¡°So, next time¡ª¡±


    ¡°Give me a minute.¡±


    Abruptly interrupting Aria, he headed toward the arena.

 Chapter 80

    <h4>Chapter 80</h4>


    Origin was faintly trembling.


    Seeing that behavior, Miles, having confirmed that the session ceremony was almostplete, looked at the golden sword aura that Jake was managing to integrate.


    <i>The integration rate is about ny percent. Compared to Aria... no, never mind; there¡¯s no point inparing with her.</i>


    During Aria¡¯s session ceremony, she had been the first in the family to perfectly integrate a hundred percent of the ancestor¡¯s sword aura. And so, given that her talent in swordsmanship was beyond measure, it was only right to consider her an exception.


    <i>Anyway, with a rate like this, it should be perfectly possible for him to reach S-rank.</i>


    Admiring Jake¡¯s potential which was far beyond his own that was stagnant at A-rank, Miles reexamined the Luminescent Sword once more.


    <i>And with this, there¡¯s no need for him to wait for a custom sword.</i>


    Satisfied by the smoothly proceeding session ceremony, Miles watched on, but then he noticed a young man suddenly making his way to the training arena.


    ¡°...Hmm?¡±


    Realizing that the man was Se-Hoon, Miles wore a puzzled expression.


    <i>What is he up to?</i>


    Wondering whether there was an urgent matter, he watched Se-Hoon approach swiftly. Then, when Se-Hoon approached closer, he noticed something in Se-Hoon¡¯s right hand.


    <i>A hammer...?</i>


    Confused by the inexplicable scene, Miles watched Se-Hoon climb onto the training area and squint his eyes at the sight of the Luminescent Sword.


    <i>As expected... </i>Se-Hoon thought.


    The golden sword aura from Origin had permeated not just the surface but also the inside of the Luminescent Sword. And while that might just seem like a phenomenon that was urring due to an abundance of sword aura, the reality was slightly different.


    <i>It¡¯s being stained by it.</i>


    As swords were meant to cut everything except themselves, they shouldn¡¯t ever be tainted by anything they could contain or cut through. If a sword were to be tainted even slightly, it would bepletely different from what it was initially.


    <i>It shouldn¡¯t be tainted, even if it¡¯s the sword aura of their predecessor.</i>


    Having decided how to refine the sword, he moved behind Jake.


    At his movement, Miles¡¯s gaze deepened.


    <i>He¡¯s not showing any murderous intent, but...</i>


    If anything were to interrupt Jake while he was receiving the sword aura, his control over it might loosen, potentially resulting in everyone around him being severely injured. Thus, knowing that it would be dangerous even with the protective barriers in ce, Miles was about to subdue Se-Hoon. However, before he could, a calm voice resounded in his ears.


    ¡°Just leave him be.¡±


    Following the voice, Miles turned his gaze to Aria, who was watching from below the training area. He was baffled by her instructions.


    <i>Just leave him be...?</i>


    If it were anyone else, he would¡¯ve dismissed it as nonsense, but since he knew Aria never spoke without reason, he hesitated. And during that moment of hesitation, Se-Hoon, standing right behind Jake, had raised the ck me Hammer. Then, with all of his might, he swung at the dimmed and blurred de of the Luminescent Sword.


    <i>ng!</i>


    ¡°<i>Argh</i>?!¡±


    Startled by the strong vibrations, Jake, who had beenpletely immersed in receiving the sword aura, reflexively gripped the handle tighter.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    A huge crack immediately spread throughout the de, blue light leaking from its crevices.


    Jake paled, thinking that the sword was about to shatter at any moment, but what actually unfolded was different from his expectation.


    The specks of mana that had been sparkling like stars within the de were interconnected by the crack, causing them to shine even brighter. Then, the shining blue light began pushing out the golden sword aura that had stained the Luminescent Sword. And when the golden sword aura had beenpletely expelled¡ª


    <i>Shhhh-</i>


    The sword aura of Origin began to be dyed blue.


    ¡°What...¡±


    Miles¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing Origin, the symbol and milestone of his family, the sword which had been imparting the predecessor¡¯s sword aura to generations of the family, was dyed blue by Jake¡¯s very own sword.


    <i>What is even happening right now...</i>


    Shocked by the sight he had never imagined, Miles froze, not knowing what to do. Simrly, Jake, who was still clutching onto the Luminescent Sword, was also at a loss.


    ¡°This, this is....¡±


    Unlike when the session ceremony started, the sensation Jake currently felt was entirely different. He was overwhelmed by a feeling of fullness; his arms, which felt like they were holding far too much, began to tremble.


    The Luminescent Sword, which had previously been much lighter than a simrly-sized two-handed sword, suddenly felt as if its weight had increased by a hundredfold.


    <i>Huh...</i>


    No matter how strong his grip was, bearing a weight this heavy was apletely different story. Feeling like he was about to fall, overwhelmed by the weight dragging down his entire body, he rxed his grip.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Slipping out of his grasp, the de of the Luminescent Sword shattered into pieces, particles of blue light scattering into the air.


    ¡°<i>Ah</i>...¡±


    No longer feeling the weight he had felt moments earlier, he realized what had happened.


    <i>I wasn¡¯t able to handle my own sword aura...?</i>


    Stunned by the ridiculous reality that he, who couldfortably handle even the sword aura of his predecessor, couldn¡¯t withstand his own created sword aura, he nkly stared at the remaining handle of the Luminescent Sword.


    ¡°<i>Hm</i>...¡±


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon stood awkwardly next to him.


    ¡°Strange... that shouldn¡¯t have happened...¡±


    Hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s puzzled mutters, Jake¡¯s attention was caught, and he was about to ask what Se-Hoon was talking about. But before he could, Miles yelled out.


    ¡°You!¡±


    Coming back to his senses btedly, he approached Se-Hoon and grabbed him by the shoulders.


    ¡°What did you do to Jake¡¯s sword just now? Were you the one who created the blue sword aura? What exactly did you...¡±


    Still trying to organize his thoughts, he continued to raise his voice at Se-Hoon. Naturally, his grip on Se-Hoon¡¯s shoulders tightened, making Se-Hoon furrow his brows.


    <i>This guy really should learn how to control his strength...</i>


    Thinking that Miles must have forgotten that he was an A-rank hero and that he was just a student, Se-Hoon attempted to wiggle out of his gradually strengthening grip.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Suddenly, Miles¡¯s hand was knocked away and Se-Hoon was pulled backward.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Standing protectively in front of him, Aria¡¯s hand gently supported his waist. But rather than being thankful, upon seeing that stance, Se-Hoon wore a bittersweet expression.


    ¡°Yes. Well... my shoulders don¡¯t seem broken.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    She gently smiled, removed her hand, and then turned to Miles, who still hadn¡¯t grasped the situation.


    ¡°Uncle, you should calm down a bit.¡±


    ¡°What? What on earth do you mean... oh.¡±


    Switching nces between his hands and Se-Hoon¡¯s shoulders, he finally understood the situation and panicked slightly.


    ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry. It seems I got too worked up...¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess sometimes that happens. I¡¯ll take care of our guest until you¡¯re done sorting yourself out. Jake?¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes!¡±


    Jake quickly responded to Aria¡¯s call, knowing all too well that the smile on her face right now only appeared when she was particrly irritated.


    ¡°Come up with your uncle after he has calmed down.¡±


    Understanding that she intended to have a one-on-one conversation with Se-Hoon, Jake quickly nodded.


    ¡°Okay, got it.¡±


    He personally also had many questions he wanted to ask Se-Hoon, but he knew that bringing them up insensitively now would only make his life harder. And seeing that her brother perfectly understood, Aria made a satisfied smile. She turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Shall we head up and have a chat then?¡±


    Experiencing firsthand how she had swiftly taken control of the entire atmosphere, Se-Hoon realized who was holding the most authority here. Making a wry smile, he responded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ***


    Coming out to the back courtyard of the vi, the two sat across from each other at a round table.


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    With one hand on her chin, Aria stared intently at the Luminescent Sword. Her long hair shimmered in the sunlight, turning a golden color, and her deep-set eyes gleamed like gold itself.


    Her appearancemanded admiration and a sense of awe.


    Yet, every time Se-Hoon saw her, his view was oveid with scenes from before the regression.


    <i>¡°Your swords aren¡¯t that special after all.¡±</i>


    He recalled how Aria looked down at him with eyes full of disdain and a voice dripping with boredom, while his own hands were stained with blood.


    The unpleasant scene made his brows furrow slightly.


    <strong>[Activating Awakening Dream]</strong>


    <i>Whoosh-!</i>


    A cold sensation swept away the clutter in his mind. Realizing that the oveying memories had vanished, he sighed inwardly.


    <i>This is also an illness itself.</i>


    Though he tried to keep his memories from before the regression separate from his current memories, it wasn¡¯t easy sometimes.


    As he tried to organize his somewhat chaotic thoughts, Aria spoke up. ¡°I wasn¡¯t really sure at the Noblesse, but...¡±


    Trailing off, Aria observed him for a moment, then, with a gentle smile, she continued, ¡°You do really hate me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Anticipating that such a situation would happen someday¡ªwhen he tried to hide his emotions in front of someone as sensitive as Aria¡ªhe had prepared a response in advance.


    ¡°I have my pride as a cksmith, you know.¡±


    ¡°Pride?¡±


    ¡°How can I like someone who treats my swords like mere branches?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Hearing his answer, Aria¡¯s eyes widened slightly before she covered her mouth and let out a smallugh.


    ¡°I see. I overlooked that part.¡±


    epting the reason she couldn¡¯t deny, she looked at Se-Hoon with a satisfied smile.


    ¡°Then you should strive harder; I don¡¯t want to be disliked by someone I admire, you see.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    He internally scoffed at her, who had just openly criticized hisck of skill.


    <i>If she truly took a liking to me, a bond would have been established already. Lies after lies...</i>


    Just like the first time she praised Jake¡¯s sword, her reactions were not to be taken superficially.


    <i>This is exactly the reason I didn¡¯t want to show anything to her.</i>


    He immediately began pondering if what he had shown earlier might have been another detriment to her.


    ¡°Oh, about the refinement of Jake¡¯s sword earlier.¡±


    With a faint smile, Aria closely observed his reaction.


    ¡°It was quite amusing.¡±


    Her response was somewhat lukewarmpared to how shocked Miles was, but Se-Hoon was surprised¡ªshe was being genuine.


    <i>I swear it wasn¡¯t anything that impressive...</i>


    He had merely refined it because he had caught onto a part that could be easily fixed; he wasn¡¯t expecting any sort of favorable evaluation for a Hero-tier weapon.


    Seeing Se-Hoon appear ambivalent, Aria continued, ¡°The Fragment contained in Origin has a quite flexible power. It fills in the void when there¡¯s emptiness in the other sword, and conversely, it seeks to fill its own void when the other sword seems filled.¡±


    Pondering for a moment, Se-Hoon asked, ¡°So, you mean that the initial de that Jake created with the Luminescent Sword had empty spots in it.¡±


    ¡°Right. Of course, my foolish brother is to me for that¡ª¡±


    ¡°But being able topensate for such shorings is also a mark of a cksmith¡¯s talents.¡±


    At the perfect interception of what she was about to say, Aria looked at Se-Hoon with interest.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange. We haven¡¯t met many times, but I feel a sense of familiarity with you. Is this what they call good chemistry?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because I¡¯m somewhat proficient in dealing with people.¡±


    Upon Se-Hoon¡¯s refusal to even politely agree to the remark about good chemistry, she inadvertently chuckled, reminded of a chained wild dog snarling defiantly.


    <i>He¡¯s a truly interesting individual.</i>


    How long had it been since she had a conversation with someone this intriguing? Wanting to know more about him, she brought up what seemed like the most appropriate topic for the current situation.


    ¡°Anyways, I have a proposal for you.¡±


    ¡°A proposal?¡±


    ¡°Jake hasn¡¯t had a proper sword in a long time, but I feel like he will keep on misusing it if things stay as they are. Can you help me with this?¡±


    ¡°Hm....¡±


    Contemting her request for a moment, Se-Hoon calmly asked, ¡°What¡¯s thepensation?¡±


    ¡°Whatever I can provide that¡¯s within a reasonable range.¡±


    Though the answer was vague, he instantly knew that she was willing to amodate nearly anything.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll ept your proposal.¡±


    Aria smiled satisfactorily at his straightforward eptance.


    ¡°My brother may be slow, so I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Take care on your way.¡±


    But instead of leaving, Se-Hoon stopped and turned around right before he was about to step inside the vi.


    ¡°By the way, how did your session ceremony turn out?¡±


    He had asked due to mere curiosity about how the Fragment in Origin had reacted to Aria¡¯s talent. A moment of silence ensued.


    ¡°The sword aura of my great-grandfather¡ª¡±


    Breaking the silence, Aria¡¯s answer was tinged with boredom.


    ¡°¡ªshone a bit differently than now.¡±


    All along, the ancestral sword aura had long been reced by that of someone far more skilled¡ªAria herself. Surprised by the unexpected answer, Se-Hoon only had one thought.


    <i>Jerk.</i>


    He realized once again that they were indeed not a good match.

 Chapter 81

    <h4>Chapter 81</h4>


    In the deserted Borsippa dormitory parking lot, a golden sports car smoothly came to a halt, and from it emerged Se-Hoon and Jake.


    ¡°Thank you for the ride.¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s words of gratitude, Miles waved his hand dismissively from the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°No, not at all. This is the least I can do after what I¡¯ve done. I really am sorry about what happened earlier.¡±


    Experiencing Miles¡¯s polite behavior and repeated apologies for grabbing his shoulders, Se-Hoon wondered if he was indeed the Mad Sword he knew. He shook his head, still amazed.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. To be honest, I did look pretty suspicious up there.¡±


    ¡°Right? That¡¯s what I was¡ª¡±


    ¡°Uncle.¡±


    Miles flinched when Jake interrupted him in a subdued voice, then quickly fixed his previously rxed expression.


    ¡°<i>Cough</i>. Never mind. It¡¯s entirely my fault. If your shoulders feel ufortableter, you can immediately inform Jake. I¡¯ll take full responsibility for it.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and about the session ceremony...¡±


    Seeing Miles nce around subtly, Se-Hoon roughly guessed what he wanted to bring up, so he spoke first.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about asking me to keep it a secret; I¡¯ve already discussed it with Aria sunbae.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Well, Aria is quick to handle such matters...¡±


    Nodding in eptance, Miles then made an awkward smile.


    ¡°Given that this is an unprecedented situation, our family might conduct an investigation. Depending on how things go, we might ask for your cooperation. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re wellpensated, so please take epting into consideration when the timees.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best when the opportunityes,¡± Se-Hoon earnestly responded,pletely satisfying Miles.


    ¡°Thank you. If we had more time, I would have loved to grab a drink with you, but my brother... no, the head of the family is hurrying me.¡±


    With a bothered sigh, he extended his left hand to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet again when we¡¯ve got time.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I look forward to it.¡±


    The moment Se-Hoon shook Miles¡¯s hand, a notification message appeared in front of Se-Hoon.


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Miles Myers¡¯.]</strong>


    <i>Woah...</i>


    This was a bond that hadn¡¯t been established before the regression. Taking the opportunity, Se-Hoon quickly extracted the bond.


    <strong>[Extracting bond from ¡®Miles Myers¡¯]</strong>


    <strong>[The bond with the host is Lv. 1.]</strong>


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going then. See you next time; you too, Jake!¡±


    <i>Vroom!</i>


    With that farewell, Miles quickly drove away in his sports car, prompting Jake to sigh deeply.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seems like I got you involved in a troublesome matter.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    He had an inkling that he had gotten himself involved in a slightly unusual incident when talking with Aria, and now, after speaking with Miles, he confirmed it.


    <i>So the oue of Aria¡¯s session ceremony was kept a secret, even within the family.</i>


    If Miles had known about the result of Aria¡¯s session ceremony, he wouldn¡¯t have been so surprised by Jake¡¯s.


    <i>A secret not even known to the family head¡¯s own brother... it seems like I¡¯ve stepped into deep waters.</i>


    Taken positively, it could lead to a deeper rtionship with the Myers family, but when taken negatively, it could mean risking getting his neck chopped off, depending on the situation.


    <i>The Myers were rtively honorable, but... I still need to be careful.</i>


    He had learned the hard way that one should never let their guard down when dealing with any group or individual. That was why, even before the regression, he hadn¡¯t joined an alliance.


    <i>If I want to build a strong foundation for the rtionship with their family... I¡¯ll have to deal with this guy first.</i>


    He turned to look at Jake, who was making an awkward face.


    ¡°Jake.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yeah, what?¡±


    ¡°Do you know why I struck the Luminescent Sword with my hammer?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, isn¡¯t it because...¡±


    Hesitating, Jake paused for a moment before he sighed deeply and finished his answer, ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t able to create the de properly.¡±


    ¡°And what do you think the reason for that is?¡±


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it just because I wasn¡¯t proficient at handling the sword aura? I even broke the de at the end...¡±


    Recalling the embarrassing moment when he couldn¡¯t handle his own sword aura, Jake grew ashamed.


    ¡°Nope. You¡¯re wrong,¡± said Se-Hoon with a firm shake of his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m wrong?¡±


    ¡°If it were due to yourck of skill in handling the sword aura, there would have been an issue the first moment you received the sword aura from Origin. The actual reason lies elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°The actual reason...?¡±


    Jake looked perplexed, unable to guess what it could possibly be.


    And seeing that, Se-Hoon calmly gave him the answer.


    ¡°Strength control.¡±


    ¡°...Strength control?¡±


    ¡°Mhm. To be more precise, the problem was with your strength control when you created the de. The de came out iplete because you unconsciously eased the strength in your hand.¡±


    ¡°That, that can¡¯t be...¡±


    To Jake, who was fairly certain that he had gripped the handle with all his might, it was hard to believe that he had actually somehow unconsciously eased up on his strength. However, he wasn¡¯t able to confidently deny it either.


    Regardless of what he thought though, Se-Hoon, the one who noticed the fault in the de and immediately fixed it on the spot, was the one Jake was talking to.


    <i>If the problem is actually me...</i>


    Jake looked down at his hands, a determined glint in his eyes. He then turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Is there a way to solve this issue?¡±


    ¡°There are a few that I can think of.¡±


    While Jake¡¯s issue seemed challenging to fix due to how it was rted to the subconscious, ultimately, it was just one of his habits that had been ingrained in his body. And since it was just a habit, it definitely could be solved by just erasing that habit with a light shock and then reconstructing a new one from scratch.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see. Somehow making you bedridden for at least a week to maximize your sensation, restricting all of your senses and putting you in a cave, reversing all of the mana in your body temporarily¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, hold up.¡±


    rmed at the horrifying methodsing out of Se-Hoon¡¯s mouth, Jake stopped him for a moment.


    ¡°Are these methods even doable?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I have... not tried them myself, though. But I have clearly witnessed their effects before.¡±


    Each and every method was something Se-Hoon learned from high-ranking heroes he had met before the regression. Thus, despite how they sounded, their effectiveness was certain.


    <i>I¡¯ve also tried them all myself too.</i>


    Though some of these methods could be dangerous enough to be fatal if carried out carelessly, even those were rtively safe with proper preparations and adjustments.


    But despite the confident look on Se-Hoon¡¯s face, Jake decided to ask something just in case.


    ¡°And... where did you find these methods?¡±


    ¡°On a... video tform?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The two fell into awkward silence.


    Seeing Jake looking at him strangely, Se-Hoon squinted back.


    <i>Here I am, offering to teach him invaluable know-hows for free, yet he¡¯s being picky about it...</i>


    In the past, Se-Hoon would have just told him to figure it out himself at this point, but he realized that his method did seem dubious from Jake¡¯s perspective, so he decided to show a bit more consideration.


    <i>Given his personality, he won¡¯t refuse just because it seems tiring.... So it¡¯s more important to make it seem usible then.</i>


    Shifting through the numerous methods in his head, he eventually brushed by a certain memory from the past.


    <i>¡°If your body seems perfectly fine but doesn¡¯t move as you want it to, it means you¡¯re not using it properly. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make you understand your entire body from your head to your toes without missing a single thing.¡±</i>


    That was what his master had told him during his first lesson. And just recalling it made him shiver, but he realized that there was no other method that better suited Jake right now.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll teach you a technique that¡¯ll be useful for your current situation.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not something you learned from a video, is it?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s a technique I often use myself, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°...Really?¡±


    Hearing that it was a technique Se-Hoon used himself, Jake¡¯s skepticism was immediately blown away and reced by curiosity. Given that it could be one of the things he used to surpass everyone¡¯s expectations numerous times, it was obvious that Jake would be intrigued.


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not any easier than the methods I mentioned before. There <i>will </i>be moments when you look back and wonder if this is really right. So, are you sure you¡¯ll trust me and learn it to the end?¡±


    ¡°...Of course.¡±


    Determined, Jake believed that he was prepared for anything as long as he could properly wield his sword and its blue sword aura.


    ¡°You can throw me anything. I¡¯ll try my hardest to learn all of it,¡± Jake vowed.


    Within Jake¡¯s solemn demeanor, Se-Hoon saw a reflection of his past self.


    <i>So this was how she felt...</i>


    He remembered how his master had looked at him with a peculiar smile when he told her of his resolve. Back then, he couldn¡¯t understand why she wasughing at him like that, but now, he sort of understood how she might have felt.


    <i>She was looking forward to how long my resolve wouldst... that¡¯s why she made that expression.</i>


    He thought his master was rather ill-spirited, but decided not to me her too much.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Because he was also looking forward to how long Jake¡¯s resolve wouldst too.


    ***


    Walking through a corridor of the Department of Martial Arts, Kwang-Soo chugged down arge bottle of vodka after a long visit to the chairman¡¯s office.


    ¡°<i>Hah</i>...¡±


    Tasting the alcohol and mana linger in his mouth, Kwang-Soo grimaced as he felt the buzz start to kick in.


    ¡°That damn Ludwig...¡±


    If anyone had heard him, such curses would have made them break out in a cold sweat. And yet, Kwang-Soo continued shouting out loud as if he wanted everyone to hear.


    ¡°He should have done a favor as a friend.... Why is he so narrow-minded with all the money he has?!¡±


    Having racked his brain for days on how to make Se-Hoon his disciple, Kwang-Soo eventually sought help from his old friend and boss, Ludwig. He thought about negotiating using the support Ludwig had promised to offer him, knowing that he could force Se-Hoon to be his disciple if Ludwig used his authority as Chairman.


    <i>¡°He won¡¯t be able to learn properly, then. You should try harder.¡±</i>


    Shattering his n, Ludwig had declined him outright with a smile, leaving Kwang-Soo empty-handed even after muchmenting.


    <i>I swear he used to tell me to teach the Celestial Infinity de to some random Joe. Yet, he¡¯s making a big fuss now, when I¡¯m just asking him to lend me a hand in making Se-Hoon my disciple.</i>


    Perhaps he shouldn¡¯t have mentioned that Se-Hoon had learned the Celestial Infinity de just by examining it for a moment. Recalling Ludwig¡¯s sly behavior once again, he cursed under his breath and took another gulp of vodka.


    ¡°Hah... how am I even supposed to persuade him...?¡±


    Se-Hoon was easily able to acquire materials without having to go through him, and it seemed unlikely that someone who refused to properly learn the Celestial Infinity de and his other sword techniques could be enticed with the promise of learning even more techniques.


    In desperation, Kwang-Soo had also considered threatening him with his grade, but given Se-Hoon¡¯s character, he was more likely to just walk away than submit.


    <i>If there¡¯s something that he might be interested in, it would be Celestial Night.</i>


    He sunk deep into his thoughts about his cherished sword, Celestial Night. It was a Legendary sword that many cksmiths around the world would treasure, wishing to catch a glimpse of it even once. But despite knowing of its allure to any cksmith, there were concerns that he still harbored.


    <i>It might be fine to show to anyone else, but he might glean more secrets about the Celestial Infinity de by just taking a look at Celestial Night.</i>


    Celestial Night was essentially akin to the manual for the Celestial Infinity de. And although it wasn¡¯t like one could understand just by looking, it was a different matter for Se-Hoon. He was someone who had learned the Celestial Infinity de by just seeing it once.


    Torn over whether to go this route, he suddenly reconsidered his stance and frowned.


    ¡°Wait, why do I have to go to such lengths?¡±


    No matter the talent, why should he reveal all his secrets just to beg someone to learn the Celestial Infinity de? Realizing how humble his approach had been, he firmly resolved himself.


    <i>In the end, he will be the one regretting not being able to learn such techniques, not me.</i>


    Remembering the many who begged to be taught his technique, he smirked at Se-Hoon¡¯s apparent ignorance of its value.


    <i>He must not realize the fortune he¡¯s spurning. He¡¯ll probably be begging on his knees if I just show him a few application techniques... damn.</i>


    Catching himself still struggling to devise ways to somehow entice Se-Hoon, he sighed at his own pathetess.


    ¡°It¡¯s this damn alcohol...¡±


    Telling himself that he wouldn¡¯t have entertained such folly as long as he was sober, he grabbed a new bottle of vodka and entered the ssroom. Upon entering, he heard a faint voice from the training area.


    ¡°Give it to me!¡±


    The cry, filled with earnestness, sharpened his gaze as he kicked open the door to the training area.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The door burst open with a loud noise.


    He quickly looked toward the source of the sound as he assumed a fighting stance.


    ¡°You¡¯ll die at this rate! You¡¯re going to die!!¡± yelled Se-Hoon.


    In front of him, Jake was standing on his hands, covered in blood.


    ¡°If this is all you¡¯ve got, you¡¯ll die! Draw in the blood already! Do you want me to smash this and never forge something for you again?!¡±


    And Se-Hoon was threatening to smash the Luminescent Sword with a hammer held in one hand.


    Staring nkly at the abnormal scene, Kwang-Soo thought, <i>I really should cut down on the alcohol.</i>


    Fearing the hallucinations caused by alcohol, he tucked the vodka back into his void pocket.

 Chapter 82

    <h4>Chapter 82</h4>


    ¡°Humans are likeplex machines.¡±


    A human¡¯s body is formed by the skin, nerves, muscles, skeleton, organs, and blood all intricately intertwining.


    So, with so many parts that formed the body, the question was: how should one handle thisplex machine well?


    The answer to the question varied from person to person, and likewise, Se-Hoon¡¯s answer was to focus on the blood aspect.


    ¡°A human¡¯s blood is fundamentally simr to fuel or lubricant, and with the advent of mana, it can also be used as a separate source of power.¡±


    Normally, people were only able to move their bodies through their nerves and muscles, however, when mana was introduced into the blood, people were able to move their muscles by controlling their blood instead of nerves.


    Of course, manipting theplex muscle system using blood wasn¡¯t easy, so one had to first fully understand their own body.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just let the blood within you flow freely. You have to be fully aware of where it¡¯s going and how it¡¯s moving throughout your body, just like how you arepletely conscious of how you blink and breathe.¡±


    And during that learning process, one was required to consciously monitor tasks that usually happen unconsciously.


    Sharing his basic method of manipting the body once again, Se-Hoon looked at Jake standing before him¡ªor more precisely, at Jake, who was doing a handstand before him.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>... <i>agh</i>...¡±


    <i>Creakkkk-</i>


    Having been in a handstand for hours, Jake¡¯s face was flushed red, one of his hands burrowed into the floor and tightly clenching the ground. Given his physical abilities, he should have been able to manage such a posture for ten hours under normal circumstances, but right now, the circumstances were anything but normal.


    <i>Drip-</i>


    Very thin wounds, nearly invisible to the naked eye, were scattered all across his upper body, blood welling up and dripping down from each one.


    ¡°<i>Mmph</i>...!¡±


    Feeling the sensation of blood flowing down, Jake hastily tensed his body to try to stop the bleeding, but the blood that had already started flowing out was no longer under his control. Soon, like a dam bursting open, blood began dripping out from everywhere, prompting Jake to panic and look at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°It dripped again. One centimeter closer,¡± Se-Hoon said as he moved the ck me Hammer one centimeter closer to the Luminescent Sword on the floor.


    ¡°Three centimeters left. If you let your blood drip three more times, all that remains of your sword will be its shattered pieces.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...!¡±


    ¡°Also, don¡¯t you even dare to assume that I¡¯ll just forge you another one. If I end up breaking your sword today, I¡¯m not going to make you another one until next year.¡±


    Hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s words, Jake realized that he was serious; three more mistakes and not only would his Luminescent Sword end up as scrap but he¡¯d also be stripped of his own sword until next year.


    <i>That¡¯s the one thing I cannot ept...!</i>


    Envisioning a bleak future where the single ray of hope that he had finally found after years would be taken away overnight, he clenched his teeth and tried to sense the blood pulsing through his body again.


    <i>Thump-!</i>


    A picture of the flow of blood spinning from the tips of his fingers to his toes was drawn in his head as his mana burrowed into his veins, solidifying its form.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    The blood vessels across his upper body began bulging in vivid colors, and then, like he had turned off a faucet, his blood stopped flowing out.


    Se-Hoon smiled satisfactorily, realizing that Jake had managed to control the movement of his blood.


    <i>He definitely has a mutated constitution.</i>


    Normally, to control one¡¯s blood to the extent that Jake was doing right now, it would take months just to understand the process and then at least a year to actually control it.


    However, Jake had condensed the entire process into just one day, proving that he already had a thorough understanding of his body and that his mutated constitution had made it easier for him to control his blood.


    <i>The fact that mana is already blending into his blood means that he has alreadypleted ny percent of the work. Is this what you need to be called naturally talented?</i>


    Completely satisfied by Jake who had quickly mastered everything Se-Hoon had taught him, Se-Hoon continued watching him, pleased.


    <i>Rrring!</i>


    The rm on Jake¡¯s phone, ced beside him, loudly rang.


    ¡°And... done.¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s call, Jake immediately tumbled onto the ground without even properly executing a falling technique. His mentality and mana were too drained from excessively controlling the blood, and his body felt too stiff due to his veins being swollen. And on top of those two, he also felt the onset of anemia from losing too much blood.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    Jake squirmed on the ground, on the verge of passing out from exhaustion. Seeing him like that, Se-Hoon flipped him over and brought a potion to his lips.


    <i>Glug, glug.</i>


    Thanks to the potion that went down Jake¡¯s throat, the swollen veins of his upper body subsided, and his heart started to beat furiously, trying to replenish the lost blood.


    Wondering if the extraordinary rate of recovery was due to his youth or talent, Se-Hoon smiled slyly as he looked down at Jake.


    ¡°It¡¯ll probably be easier for you to feel your blood right now since it¡¯s moving more vividly. Keep an eye on it even as you rest.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, alright...¡±


    ¡°And...¡±


    Despite Jake just wanting to rest, Se-Hoon continued talking incessantly.


    Meanwhile, Kwang-Soo, who had been observing everything from a distance, wore a peculiar expression.


    <i>Where in the world did that guy learn such a Blood Art?</i>


    Although Blood Arts, or blood maniption techniques, sounded evil due to the name, in reality, that wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    <i>Using someone else¡¯s blood requires one to expend several times more mana, making it inefficient, but using one¡¯s own blood is structurally dangerous.</i>


    Blood Arts, which were once considered actual techniques, were currently only regarded as mere folk remedies. However, unlike the general perception of Blood Arts, what Se-Hoon had just taught Jake was on apletely different level.


    <i>Understanding and controlling the body using one¡¯s own blood... it sounds insane, but it should be a viable technique if mastered.</i>


    If one managed to learn how to perfectly control the blood throughout their entire body, they would be able to continue fighting even if vital spots like carotid arteries were hit. They would also be able to further strengthen their blood vessels to create internal armor-like protection.


    Such an ability would be incredibly useful in realbat, where even a minor injury could lead to death.


    <i>And that training method... it looks bizarre, but it¡¯s pretty systematic.</i>


    The training method had two main points to it. The first was forcing Jake to stand on his hands; this corrected the abnormal inverse flow of blood and made it overall easier to master the sense of control. The second was etching cuts all over his upper body; although the cements appeared haphazard at first nce, each was strategically ced to prevent the disordered blood from overflowing and bursting out.


    Intrigued, Kwang-Soo had paid close attention to Se-Hoon¡¯s bizarre Blood Art the entire time.


    ¡°Have you been waiting?¡± Se-Hoon suddenly asked him, having finished Jake¡¯s training session.


    ¡°That Blood Art, who did you learn it from?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking about that? I created it myself.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Seeing Kwang-Soo¡¯s surprise at his unexpected answer, Se-Hoon calmly added an exnation.


    ¡°I actually modified and improved a Blood Art I learned from a cheap manual that I bought at a market. It turned out better than I thought, so I¡¯ve been diligently practicing it until now.¡±


    In reality, however, it was one of his master¡¯s techniques that he had been taught before the regression. But of course, he couldn¡¯t exin it like that, so he gave a vague answer.


    It wasn¡¯t like Kwang-Soo could verify his story either, seeing as how he made it out to be something that happened before he enrolled in Babel. But regardless, it didn¡¯t matter in the end because he was sure that Kwang-Soo would believe such a narrative from the start.


    <i>Hmm... considering that he learned the Celestial Infinity de by eye, it¡¯s not an impossible story, </i>Kwang-Soo thought.


    After all, if Se-Hoon could steal his own Vision Sword Techniques, what would make such a story unlikely?


    Praising his own technique in his mind, he shook off his doubts about Se-Hoon and looked toward Jake, who was far away from them.


    ¡°So why are you teaching that to him?¡±


    ¡°Ah. I thought it might help him since he has a mutated constitution. Plus, we have the subjugation practicaling up soon.¡±


    Unable to speak about the session ceremony, Se-Hoon gave another suitable, vague response.


    Hearing that, Kwang-Soo nodded in response, seemingly satisfied.


    ¡°Well, with his skill level, just learning that minor technique would make him a top swordsman, prepared for many unexpected variables. It¡¯s a pretty decent choice.¡±


    ¡°...You actually think highly of it? I thought you would take a dim view of it since you barely teach your sses.¡±


    ording to Jake, Kwang-Soo held his sses barely once a week, and even then, they weren¡¯t sses but sparring sessions that always ended up with Jake being beaten to a pulp.


    Of course, thanks to that experience, Jake¡¯s stance had stabilized and his techniques became sharper, but he hadn¡¯t been taught any special technique like the Eyes of irvoyance, unlike how Se-Hoon had.


    ¡°That¡¯s just because he doesn¡¯t need much teaching. Is this guycking in physical abilities or techniques? Apart from not being able to properly wield a sword, he¡¯s wless.¡±


    ¡°...Now that I think about it, that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°The only thing hecks is experience, and that¡¯s why I¡¯ve been tough on him. If he knew how to wield a sword, he might even be an S-rank by now.... But well, what can¡¯t be done, you know, can¡¯t be done.¡±


    Despite Kwang-Soo¡¯s indifferent demeanor, he seemed to have a clear understanding of Jake, which surprised Se-Hoon¡ªhe had never expected that much out of Kwang-Soo.


    <i>Hm. So Ludwig did have his reasons for appointing him as a professor after all.</i>


    Though Kwang-Soo was always grumbling about not wanting to teach anyone, once he took on the responsibility, he always aimed to fulfill his duties as an educator.


    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that if he had dedicated himself to teaching, he might have been the Dean of Aqar Quf by now.


    <i>Seeing his attitude right now...</i>


    Experiencing a new side of Kwang-Soo that he had never seen before, Se-Hoon pondered for a moment before opening his mouth.


    ¡°I have a favor to ask of you, Professor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    ¡°Actually, Jake has recently managed to wield a sword.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Kwang-Soo quickly turned to face him, thinking he had heard nonsense. Instead of exining, Se-Hoon presented the Luminescent Sword to him.


    ¡°This is a sword I¡¯ve forged for him. Take a look.¡±


    ¡°This is...¡±


    Recognizing it as the thing Se-Hoon was using to threaten Jake, Kwang-Soo immediately took the sword and examined its information message.


    ¡°...¡±


    <i>How could a sword that so many cksmiths failed to create be created so easily?</i>


    Watching Kwang-Soo¡¯s expression turn incredulous, Se-Hoon got to the point.


    ¡°To properly use that sword, he needs to be familiar with my Blood Art. However, I¡¯ll be a bit busy preparing for the subjugation practical myself. Could you take over his training for now?¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡±


    ¡°Now, you don¡¯t need to be that... wait, excuse me, what?¡±


    Surprised by the unexpected agreement, Se-Hoon looked at him with wide eyes.


    ¡°I said I¡¯d do it. Is there a problem?¡± responded Kwang-Soo gruffly.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no problem at all...¡±


    Truthfully, Se-Hoon had expected Kwang-Soo to just outright refuse or try to negotiate with a weird condition like bing his disciple, but instead, Kwang-Soo just readily agreed.


    <i>Did he have a daytime drink? </i>Se-Hoon tried to reason, puzzled


    If that was the case, then it was no wonder he had smelled a hint of alcohol; perhaps the alcohol Kwang-Soo had drunk beforeing was affecting his judgment.


    Kwang-Soo¡¯s brows furrowed slightly upon receiving Se-Hoon¡¯s suspicious gaze, but he quickly calmed himself and said, ¡°There¡¯s not much time left until the practical. You should go on now.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes... but don¡¯t you need an exnation on how you should teach him?¡±


    At his question, Kwang-Soo sliced the tip of his index finger with the outer edge of his other hand.


    <i>Sssk-</i>


    Before a drop of blood could fall from the tip of his finger, it was reabsorbed into his skin. The neat control over his blood, which was way cleaner than Jake¡¯s, made Se-Hoon marveled slightly.


    ¡°I can learn from watching too. I¡¯ll make sure he can do as much as I can, so don''t worry.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you very much.¡±


    Giving Kwang-Soo a bow, Se-Hoon turned to leave the training ground.


    ¡°Ah. And take this with you.¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Remember something, Kwang-Soo threw a book urately into Se-Hoon¡¯s hands. Catching it, Se-Hoon read the title on the front.


    ¡°Mortal Combat Techniques...?¡±


    The title was simple and to the point; the book likely described different methods to kill duringbat. Intrigued, Se-Hoon looked at it curiously, which prompted Kwang-Soo to gesture toward it.


    ¡°It¡¯s based on the strange sword technique you showed me at the beginning. It¡¯s a bit too annoying to exin everything right now, so juste find me if you ever face any difficulties.¡±


    He seemed genuinely annoyed, but he was also being quite considerate, offering Se-Hoon more of his time. Surprised again by his unexpectedly gentle demeanor, Se-Hoon looked at him with a peculiar expression before quickly bowing his head again in thanks.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re really grateful... no, never mind. Just go.¡±


    Though puzzled by Kwang-Soo¡¯s abrupt turn of his head, Se-Hoon still left the training ground, leaving Kwang-Soo, who sighed quietly, behind him.


    ¡°Do I really need to go this far...?¡±


    The thought of going to such lengths just to potentially take a new student under his wing made him dreadful, but upon seeing the Blood Art Se-Hoon demonstrated and the Luminescent Sword in his hand, he reconsidered his viewpoint.


    <i>With Ha Baek-Yeon and who knows who else thinking about taking him, it¡¯s better to just teach him quickly rather than waste time deliberating.</i>


    Finallying to a decision, he decided to just leave it up to Se-Hoon on what to do with the legacy of the Celestial Infinity de once he had sessfully passed it on to him. With that new mindset, he looked toward Jake.


    ¡°<i>Khuk</i>...¡±


    Far from focusing on his blood, Jake had somehow fallen asleep. Picking up the Luminescent Sword lying next to him, he approached the sleeping Jake and tapped the floor lightly with his foot.


    ¡°Ah, of course I wasn¡¯t sleepi... Professor?¡±


    Startled awake, Jake looked around in confusion.


    Examining the Luminescent Sword in his hand once again, Kwang-Soo calmly said to Jake, ¡°Lee Se-Hoon has entrusted your training to me.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean...?¡±


    ¡°He has to prepare for the subjugation practical, too. He told me you¡¯ve got the basics down already, so he asked me to take care of the rest.¡±


    ¡°Ah. That does make sense.¡±


    Jake truly didn¡¯t want his training sessions to interfere with Se-Hoon¡¯s own preparations for the subjugation practical.


    <i>Maybe I can get some rest now...</i>


    Although he was learning fast, with the practical around the corner, managing his condition was also crucial.


    But unfortunately for Jake, who was sighing in relief internally, Kwang-Soo spoke up.


    ¡°I actually saw you train; it seemed to be quite soft.¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡± Jake eximed.


    The words ¡°In what way?¡± almost escaped his mouth, but he held them back.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to learn something new, you should always increase the training intensity when you¡¯re on a roll. From what I can tell, you should be able to handle 1.5 times the current intensity easily,¡± said Kwang-Soo, aiming his fist at the Luminescent Sword.


    Like a kidnapper making demands, he looked at Jake with fierce eyes.


    ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll control your blood while spinning on your hands for thirty minutes. You have a total of five lives. If you bleed more times than that... you know what happens, right?¡±


    <i>Tap, tap.</i>


    He lightly tapped the sword with his fist.


    Staring at him nkly, Jake eventually closed his eyes tightly.


    <i>Kill me...</i>


    A clear drop of blood formed at the corner of his eye and trickled down.


    ***


    ¡°Faster!¡±


    ¡°Save me... <i>aagh</i>!¡±


    Hearing the desperate cries echoing from the training ground, Se-Hoon smirked. It was an all-too-familiar scene.


    <i>Mhm. That¡¯s how it should be.</i>


    Even though Jake was already learning quickly, learning a bit faster wouldn¡¯t hurt. But because being too harsh could breed resentment, he had delegated the task to Kwang-Soo, who could squeeze out Jake¡¯s effort more cleanly.


    <i>At this rate, Jake will get the basics down pretty fast.</i>


    The Blood Art Jake was learning was essential for mastering Soul Honing, which allowedplete control over one¡¯s body. Although Jake was only going to learn parts of it, even mastering those parts would allow him to correct his unconscious habits quite easily.


    <i>Okay. With Jake taken care of... maybe I should start preparing, too.</i>


    There wasn¡¯t much to prepare for the practical itself, but finding the target he was after required him to prepare many things. His main objective for this practical was to monopolize all of the drops from subjugating the Divine Tree, a hidden monster and material within the ck Lotus Seas. Before the regression, he hadn¡¯t managed to do it.


    <i>I¡¯ll make sure I get them all in my hands this time around.</i>


    With the materials he would be obtaining this time, he nned to forge Sung-Ha¡¯s spear, some bows, and some staves¡ªbasically anything that caught his fancy. Thinking about that moment, he headed to the workshop with both of his eyes sparkling intensely.

 Chapter 83

    <h4>Chapter 83</h4>


    The vast forest of giant trees, each easily surpassing twenty meters in height, stretched all the way to the horizon. Its interior, covered by dense leaves, could only be illuminated by sunlight that managed to slip through the gaps in the leaves. As such, the ground was slippery and damp with moss, hidden by a faintyer of mist above it.


    And before the entrance to such an ominous forest¡ªthe C-ss Danger Zone, ck Lotus Seas¡ªwere hundreds of students, each trying to calm their breaths with tense expressions.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>... this ce seems tough.¡±


    ¡°I thought the first subjugation practical is usually held in D-ss Danger Zones. What is thi¡ª <i>cough! Cough</i>!¡±


    With most of the students never having been to a Danger Zone before, they were unable to adapt, caught up in constant coughing or retching. Even those who did have prior experience seemed mostly left in bad shape.


    But that wasn¡¯t strange; this was the ck Lotus Seas, a ce famous even among other C-ss Danger Zones for its high concentration of demonic aura in the air.


    ¡°<i>Agh</i>... I don¡¯t think I can do this...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m heading back...¡±


    Many quickly dered forfeit and retreated, having underestimated the intensity of the demonic aura here. Feeling their own rapidly deteriorating condition and experiencing symptoms of mana backflow, they knew that overexerting themselves here could lead to serious injuries and potentially ruin their entire semester.


    ¡°I need to be more cautious...¡±


    ¡°This ce sucks...¡±


    Watching the ones who retreated already, the remaining students braced themselves and heightened their senses as they slowly adapted to the harsh atmosphere of the ck Lotus Seas.


    ¡°Hm. That should do it,¡± said Se-Hoon.


    Despite having just passed through the terminal, Se-Hoon was already able to walk lightly, shaking off his body as he moved.


    ¡°How is he...¡±


    ¡°Huh...?¡±


    Mystified, the surrounding students, who had been busy catching their breath, all wondered how Se-Hoon had so rapidly adapted to the atmosphere. Though he was an honor student, wasn¡¯t he still a student of Borsippa, a nonbat technical college?


    <i>Did he wear some special equipment?</i>


    <i>He seems to be only wearing light armor...</i>


    Meanwhile, the person in question was taking a deep breath.


    Breathing in the air mixed with demonic aura into his body, his darkness mana¡ªMoon Shadow¡ªspread out like a inside him.


    <i>Ssss-</i>


    Experiencing the efficiency of Moon Shadow in expelling the demonic aura, Se-Hoon made a satisfied smile.


    <i>As expected, it¡¯s way easier with darkness mana.</i>


    Unlike the quite tricky-to-control fire mana, which collided with the demonic aura when attempting to burn it away, darkness mana just calmly removed any demonic aura in his system.


    The process wasn¡¯t as fast as before the regression, but he was still satisfied with how it was now.


    He turned to look at his side.


    ¡°Have you gotten used to it already?¡±


    Answering his question, Erika, who somehow managed to walk alongside him, nodded.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°<i>Caw</i>!¡±


    A harsh caw followed her short response.


    Lowering his gaze at that familiar sound, Se-Hoon saw her holding a stark white birdcage with a crow sitting on a perch inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen that one.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t usually need it.¡±


    It was the same crow that Erika had buffed to shatter the automaton during the entrance ceremony. Se-Hoon remembered the moment clearly since she had buffed an ordinary animal and not a familiar spirit.


    <i>I thought it was only for the demonstration... So it¡¯s used inbat too?</i>


    Although Erika was highly proficient at buffs, there was a high chance that she would be overwhelmed immediately once the effects of the buffs weekend even slightly.


    And if that happened, then aside from the crow¡¯s misfortune, the real concern would be that her only weapon would be gone in an instant, which wouldn¡¯t be good at all.


    ¡°Is an ordinary crow going to be enough?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not very dangerous here anyways.¡±


    ¡°Hm. True, true.¡±


    While he hadn¡¯t properly seen her inbat yet, based on the buffs she applied during her demonstration and glimpses of her potential, herbat abilities were at least B-rank.


    And since the ck Lotus Seas, despite being a notoriously difficult Danger Zone, was ultimately only a C-ss zone, it was unlikely to pose a danger to her.


    <i>She must be really confident, judging by how she came here in just her student uniform.</i>


    Also noticing that she seemed to have brought no other special equipment aside from the birdcage, Se-Hoon further inspected her, wondering if she had hidden something.


    ¡°<i>Caw</i>!¡±


    The crow inside the cage protested his gaze by spreading its wings and cawing. Realizing what it was doing, Se-Hoon looked at it incredulously as Erika inserted her index finger into the cage.


    ¡°<i>Caw</i>?¡±


    The crow hopped toward her finger, rubbing its beak and face against it.


    <i>It haspletely be her pet. </i>He was fascinated by the affectionate crow.


    Lowering her head to also look down at the cage, Erika calmly started to speak.


    ¡°And¡ª¡±


    <i>Boom!</i>


    But before she could finish, a heavy sound interrupted her words.


    Wondering if a monster had appeared, Se-Hoon quickly turned his head, but all he saw was a small tform on the ground and a man standing on it.


    <i>Isn¡¯t he...</i>


    The man was over two meters tall, boasting a physique that looked like a carving from a log. His short hair was peppered gray and his face bore deep wrinkles and scars, imparting both the weight of years and an intimidating presence.


    Narrowing his eyes at the familiar figure, Se-Hoon watched the man, who had drawn the attention of the surrounding students, begin to speak.


    ¡°I am Kasar, the head professor of the Department of Swordsmanship and the one in charge of this first-year subjugation practical! Now, before we officially begin, I¡¯ll talk briefly for a minute, so pay attention!¡±


    Hearing his introduction, the students quickly straightened up and focused on him.


    Considering that Kasar was the man poised to hold one of Babel¡¯s highest authorities next year¡ªthe position of the dean of Aqaur Quf¡ªeveryone had immediately responded to his instructions.


    ¡°As you all might already know, this practical is one of the most important evaluation assessments in Babel! After all, heroes are always evaluated based on how well they can subjugate monsters and demons.¡±


    Letting those words sink in, Kasar slowly looked over the tense faces of the students, before continuing calmly, ¡°As this should be you all¡¯s first practical, many of you should be nervous right now, so let me give you one piece of advice! And that is... don¡¯t worry too much about your results today!¡±


    Upon those words, every student expected some clich¨¦ advice about trying harder next time even if they fail today, but what followed was different.


    ¡°Regardless of whether you are more nervous than usual, toocent, or too careless, your results today will be purely based on your talents! So, if you performed poorly today, it simply means that your talent and skill arecking! There is no other grandiose reason!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Thus, I will warn you all in advance: if anyone dares toe to me with some foolish reason, asking to appeal the results after the exam, I¡¯ll make sure you get a failing mark for this practical!¡±


    Do not make excuses for the results¡ªthe warning disguised as advice did the opposite of rxing everyone¡¯s expressions; it made them all more tense.


    With Kasar¡¯s warning on top of the high pressure on the students due to the harsh atmosphere of the ck Lotus Seas, the students immediately suffered.


    ¡°<i>Agh</i>...I don¡¯t think I can... <i>rgh</i>!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m just going to try again next time.¡±


    The ones who were holding on despite their poor condition fled to the terminal, and the ones who had been somewhat confident re-evaluated their condition.


    Watching the students turning into a chaotic mess, Kasar made a satisfied look.


    <i>Mmm. It should be at least this intense to give it some resemnce to a realbat situation.</i>


    Considering that the practical was conducted with various safety measures in ce and even the supervision of many instructors, it was hard for the students to regard it as an actualbat.


    As such, Kasar pressured the students psychologically to instill a sense of real pressure.


    <i>Blustering without knowing one¡¯s own ce will only lead to a swift defeat.</i>


    No matter how much the times had changed or how much the training methods had evolved, it was a principle that remained unchanged throughout the centuries.


    He scanned the students again.


    ¡°At least it¡¯s not raining, it should be easy to find the monsters.¡±


    ¡°I can find them well even in the rain.¡±


    Despite the chaos among the students, he noticed two students chatting amongst the crowd without any disturbance.


    <i>...Have they already gotten used to the atmosphere?</i>


    Within their own world, Se-Hoon and Erika were chattingfortably while breathing in the atmosphere that should have been tough for freshmen to get used to. Even Kasar¡¯s warning just now didn¡¯t seem to have burdened them in any way.


    But what was even more perplexing was that they weren¡¯t arrogant at all over the fact that they had gotten used to the atmosphere already. They just seemed to find such an environment extremely natural.


    <i>Erika I understand, but Lee Se-Hoon... that guy is pretty unusual.</i>


    Even though he was supposed to be a student of the Department of cksmithing, his current demeanor resembled that of an experienced hero. And while that alone was peculiar, what truly piqued his interest was something else.


    <i>He was the one who honed the kitchen knife I left at Helena¡¯s ce.</i>


    He recalled how the kitchen knife¡¯s de was unbelievably sharp for a de that a freshman honed. Back then, he had been skeptical, but now, after witnessing all of Se-Hoon¡¯s various aplishments so far, he couldn¡¯t help but believe that Se-Hoon had actually honed it.


    <i>I¡¯ll have to see how he fights today.</i>


    Thinking about his ability to tell what kind of a person someone was just by watching them fight, he decided to keep a close eye on Se-Hoon.


    With his decision made, he resumed the briefing, ¡°It seems like this is everyone that remains, so I¡¯ll start exining the procedure.¡±


    Waiting for the chaotic cluster of students to settle down again, he gestured to the teaching assistants waiting by his side. Momentster, a giant screen was projected in midair.


    ¡°The subjugation practical will be conducted on a point system. It means we¡¯ll see how efficiently you can hunt down monsters within the given time limit.¡±


    Images of monsters inhabiting the ck Lotus Seas appeared on the screen, along with assigned points.


    E-rank monsters were worth twenty to thirty points, D-ranks were around sixty to eighty, and several C-rank monsters were assigned significantly higher points.


    ¡°The ck Lotus Seas has fewer C-rank monsters rtive to its vast size, so if you¡¯re confident in your abilities, you¡¯ll need to move quickly.¡±


    To prevent theirpetitors from getting ahead, the students had to move around incessantly. Realizing how the practical would work, the students nced at each. Satisfied by their reactions, Kasar, began to finish up the exnation.


    ¡°The time limit is six hours. Failing to return within the time frame will result in a penalty, so keep this in mind... and there¡¯s another point I need to talk about.¡±


    Receiving a cloak from an assistant standing by, he dramatically raised it above his head.


    ¡°This cloak is a newly developed protective armor that can absorb all damage inflicted on the wearer.¡±


    He lightly tapped on the cloak to activate its protective mechanism and then looked around at the students.


    ¡°However, to prevent it from overly shielding and affecting the exam¡¯s integrity, we¡¯ve added one feature to it: the Forced Transfer function.¡±


    He then struck the cloak with a powerful punch.


    The moment the punch connected with the cloak,plex magic arrays appeared all over it before it vanished from the stage.


    Dusting off his hands, Kasar looked back toward the students who were looking on in surprise.


    ¡°If you umte enough potential injuries that would render you incapacitated or dead, the cloak will transport you back to the terminal. Do you understand what this means?¡±


    Being ejected from the exam midway through equated to failure in any test.


    ¡°Those who are forcibly transferred, regardless if they were in first or second ce, will automatically fail the practical. Your points will mean nothing if you¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So for this subjugation practical session, think of it as realbat and use it to understand your own level. This is the foundation that every hero possesses.¡±


    Seeing the students tense up once again, Kasar nodded.


    ¡°The practical starts in twenty minutes. Entry will proceed sequentially with the cloak on, so if you don¡¯t want to fail, feel free to withdraw now. That¡¯s all!¡±


    Finished with his briefing, he stepped down from the tform and lifted what he had been standing on.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The sound alone indicated the tform¡¯s hefty weight.


    Holding it in one hand, he turned to head back inside the terminal, but then he paused.


    ¡°Ah. I almost forgot.¡±


    He looked back at the students.


    ¡°This subjugation practical allows for teams of two. Feel free to team up as you wish.¡±


    Dropping that crucial piece of informationst, he entered the terminal, leaving behind the students who naturally began to look at each other.


    Thinking about the imminent grueling test that demanded squeezing oneself to the limit for six hours, the students became determined to secure the presence of a reliable ally that could make a world of difference in the scores.


    ¡°I knew it! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Uh... weren¡¯t we a team of three?¡±


    ¡°Then who¡¯s dropping out?¡±


    Trying to meet the criteria, both those who had prearranged teams due to knowing that the previous practicals allowed students to work in teams and the teams with an uneven number of members swiftly kicked out or split up their groups.


    For those unfortunate enough without a party after all the various minor disputes that arose in the process, they had to hustle to find capable teammates in urgency.


    ¡°What a mess.¡±


    Having been informed about the two-person teams by her brother beforehand, Erika indifferently watched the struggle.


    ¡°Let¡¯s team up,¡± she said.


    She knew that Se-Hoon, whocked physical capabilities, would need someone like her who could provide support. Thus, with full confidence, she assumed that they would be on the same team.


    ¡°Ah, sorry. I¡¯ve already agreed to team up with Jake.¡±


    Unfortunately, Se-Hoon rejected her offer without a moment of hesitation.


    ¡°...Can¡¯t you team up with me?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I can¡¯t.¡±


    In truth, he had chosen Jake intending to properly train him in realbat situations, but he felt no need to exin that much so he just quickly rejected her.


    ¡°You have plenty of people lining up to team with you. Just find someone better than me from them. I¡¯ll be going then!¡±


    Waving his hand, he headed toward Jake, who was surrounded by other students.


    Leaving behind Erika, who stood motionless, watching his retreating figure.


    ¡°Uh...¡±


    As soon as Se-Hoon left, a student had approached her.


    ¡°Get a clue, will you?¡± But she brusquely shooed the student away.


    Seeing this, the rest of the students around her didn¡¯t even try to ask to team up with her, fearing they might be rejected as well. They quickly scattered, leaving Erika all alone, staring at the duo from afar.


    ¡°<i>Caw</i>!¡±


    The crow cried out fiercely inside the cage, speaking on behalf of its owner.


    ***


    There was a vastwork of tunnels within the ck Lotus Seas, formed by the D-rank monster, Lotus Rabbit. The tunnels wererge enough for an adult man to crawl into, and they wereplexly interconnected deep underground.


    <i>Crunch, crackle-</i>


    Inside one of these tunnels, a chilling sound echoed.


    The noise of bones being crushed and flesh being ground repeated several times over before ten figures emerged from the tunnel, wearing nothing but the remains of the monsters that once inhabited it.


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>... creating bodies from monster corpses feels disgusting every time,¡± grumbled Willy, the first to emerge. He frowned while inspecting his new body.


    Constructed from the carcasses of Lotus Rabbits and various artificial body parts, the sight instinctively provoked revulsion, but he shrugged it off as if it were nothing. Over the past few years, he had frequently switched to even more grotesque bodies, so it was nothing special.


    ¡°Captain. Are you sure we won¡¯t get caught?¡± asked one of Willy¡¯s subordinates as he emerged from the tunnel.


    Willy loosened up his body.


    ¡°We won¡¯t. To their radars, we¡¯ll appear just like monsters. We just need to be careful when we¡¯re on the move."


    ¡°To think we¡¯d go to such lengths just to kill a few brats.¡±


    ¡°I know right? But what choice do we have if the mastermands it?¡±


    Having fully adjusted to his body, Willy then reached for a small seam on his abdomen and pulled it wide open.


    <i>Click!</i>


    His abdomen opened up like a door.


    Reaching into the void space inside, he pulled out a ck bundle and tossed it to one of his subordinates.


    ¡°nt these thoroughly throughout the ck Lotus Seas.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    They nodded and quickly melded into the ground, disappearing into the forest beyond. Willy reached back into the void space to pull out another item.


    <i>Thump, thump-</i>


    This time, he pulled out a fist-sized cube with densely inscribed red letters, pulsing unpleasantly as if alive. Examining the cube, he reminded himself of themand from his master, Puppeteer.


    <i>The Divine Tree, huh...? I wonder how useful it is.</i>


    Thinking about how the Divine Tree was an ingredient that even his master, the Puppeteer itself, would swear by, he imagined the chaos that was about to unfold.


    Smiling at the thought, he quietly moved deeper into the ck Lotus Seas with the rest of his subordinates.

 Chapter 84

    <h4>Chapter 84</h4>


    In the lobby of the Void Space terminal connected to the ck Lotus Seas, the atmosphere was markedly different from the usual bustle of heroes from around the world. Hundreds of screens were floating in the air, each broadcasting vivid scenes of students fighting various monsters, the views of the many familiars spread throughout the area.


    And every so often, the many professors observing the screens would say something calmly.


    ¡°Team number 21, six Lotus Boars; score distribution: 192 points for A, 108 points for B. Team number 27, eight ck Dracos; score distribution: 108 points for A, 132 points for B...¡±


    As each pair of students hunted down monsters, their individual contributions were evaluated and points were allocated ordingly. It was an easy matter for the professors, who all possessed perception-type skills, to evaluate every single pair of students without missing anything. It didn¡¯t matter even if there were multiple pairs in simultaneous battle.


    <i>Tap. Tap.</i>


    Listening to the professors¡¯ assessments, the teacher assistants inputted the scores while asionally ncing at the screens.


    <i>He seems to fight better in actualbat and is actually quite adept at taking down monsters.</i>


    <i>His spirit-type skills are impressive, but he¡¯s too dependent on his spirit. With such a narrow field of view...</i>


    Aside from being an assessment, the practical doubled as an opportunity for professors, acquaintances, and clients who requested special attention be paid to certain budding talents to assess the abilities of notable underssmen.


    And of those notable underssmen, there was one pair of students that stood out.


    ¡°Team number 256, eight Lotus Boars; score distribution: 281 points for A, 119 points for B.¡±


    ¡°Again, Team number 256, five ck Dracos; score distribution: 30 points for A, 120 points for B.¡±


    ¡°Again, team number 256, seven Lotus Rabbits...¡±


    Unlike the intermittent updates for other teams, the evaluation for team number 256 continued relentlessly. Naturally, upon hearing that a single team was earning points at an abnormally fast rate, rushing ahead like a runaway train, the attention of those nearby was drawn to the screen.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Different from the majority who were cautiously maneuvering through the zone, the two students of team number 256 were effortlessly speeding through the forest.


    Seeing the ridiculous scene disyed on the screen, one of the teacher assistants incredulously murmured, ¡°They¡¯re able to run through that ce...?¡±


    The terrain of the ck Lotus Seas was difficult to traverse; it was muddy, covered by overgrown tree roots, and coated with a mix of nt slime and moss. It was amon urrence that students tripped while passing through. And yet, Se-Hoon and Jake were calmly running as if they were on t ground.


    <i>It makes sense that Jake could do that, but what about Lee Se-Hoon?</i>


    <i>Is he really from the Department of cksmithing?</i>


    Seeing their adept maneuvering across the treacherous paths, the staff nced at their own assigned screens forparison.


    ¡¸<i>Agh!</i>¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, get up now!¡¹


    Compared to everyone else who was tumbling and rolling across the ground during their fights against monsters, the seasoned movements of the two stood out in stark contrast.


    ¡¸<i>Roar!!</i>¡¹


    Emerging from the sticky mud in front of Jake and Se-Hoon, three monsters¡ªeach about three meters in size, with ck lotus flowers and stems protruding all over the body¡ª were moving around by dragging their legless forms with theirrge arms. Blocking their path were the C-rank monsters, the Lotus Golems. Standing among the pinnacle of monsters in the ck Lotus Seas, each was worth a whopping four hundred points.


    ¡°Hm. It looks like they¡¯ll finallye to a halt.¡±


    ¡°I agree, those monsters are incredibly tough.¡±


    Densely packed with lotus stems and mud, the golem¡¯s defense against physical attacks was on par with B-rank monsters. And even if one managed to scrape it, it would just immediately regenerate by absorbing the surrounding soil.


    With three such monstrous creatures present, defeating them without stopping their jog across the terrain like before would be challenging.


    Convinced that would be the result, everyone watched the screen.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Three white daggers shot from Se-Hoon¡¯s fingertips, each piercing deeply into a Lotus Golem¡¯s body. However, that was all they seemingly did¡ªthe observers were all puzzled by the attack that hadn¡¯t even left a scratch on the massive creature.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    At that moment, Jake elerated forward.


    <i>Swish-!</i>


    Seeing the blue trail extending from his waist, the staff followed the trajectory and were left dumbfounded by the sight of the weapon they found at the end.


    ¡°...A sword?¡±


    Sparkling like starlight, the greatsword gleamed blue.


    Its beauty, resembling a work of art, captured the focus of everyone watching. Meanwhile, the Lotus Golems¡¯ bodies, which the blue sword had passed through, began to crumble.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Thanks to Se-Hoon¡¯s daggers piercing the cores within them that powered their regenerative abilities, the golems were split in half without even being given a chance to regenerate.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Contrary to what the observers thought, the two were far from even slowing down. They continued on their way, effortlessly neutralizing any obstacles and advancing deeper into the Danger Zone. All the staff could do was watch in stunned silence; the performance of the two students had far exceeded their expectations.


    ¡°Team number 256, three Lotus Golems; score distribution: 800 points for A, 400 points for B,¡± Kasar said calmly with his arms crossed. He asked for confirmation.


    ¡°Is this score distribution satisfactory?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. That should be just right.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s not get too distracted and focus on the scoring process. Any omissions will result in a disciplinary report, professors included!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    Swiftly reviving the bustling atmosphere, Kasar looked at Jake, who was running across the screen.


    <i>That boy... since when could he wield a sword?</i>


    Jake, the second son of the Myers family, was known for reducing countless mastercrafted swords to scrap metal. In the end, he ultimately abandoned the path of swordsmanship to join the Department of Martial Arts.


    <i>Yet, that unfortunate boy seems to have learned to wield a sword overnight.</i>


    Knowing that it would surely cause some sensation as soon as it became known, Kasar grew puzzled.


    <i>If that sword had been forged by a currently active cksmith, their identity should have been known by now. Could it be...?</i>


    ncing at the man running beside Jake¡ªSe-Hoon¡ªKasar¡¯s disbelief deepened. He was merely surprised when he heard that Se-Hoon had honed his kitchen knife, but now, upon the thought that he forged a suitable sword for Jake, his emotions went well beyond surprise since it was an achievement on an entirely different scale.


    <i>Thinking about it, his control over the pace of battle is almost supernatural.... What kind of monster is he?</i>


    Being able to use just the right amount of force where necessary during every fight might not seem like an extraordinary feat, but it was actually something so significant that even an S-rank hero like himself had nothing to critique.


    <i>It¡¯s one thing if he¡¯s able to cover for himself, but to adjust and match the abilities of his teammate as well...? Did that drunkard, Ma Kwang-Soo, teach him that?</i>


    Initially, Kasar had been nning on just giving Se-Hoon a cursory look, but instead of seeing the limit of Se-Hoon¡¯s potential, he continued to discover more and more. He was unable to look away.


    Tearing his attention from his sole focus on Se-Hoon, a teacher assistant urgently approached his side.


    ¡°Professor, I have something to report...¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve just confirmed the eighth emergence of the Mist Forest.¡±


    The Mist Forest was a naturally urring phenomenon within the ck Lotus Seas that created a hazy mist that blocked all of the senses of those trapped within. It usually urred only three to four times a day, but today, it happened eight times in quick session.


    Quickly realizing it was no coincidence, Kasar stroked his chin.


    ¡°Is it an area boss?¡±


    ¡°It seems so.¡±


    Area bosses were powerful monsters that irregrly appeared in Danger Zones. They had the potential to evolve and upgrade the danger level of the zone if left unchecked.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t we told the chances of it happening were low during the preliminary survey? It seems we¡¯recking in technological capabilities on this front.¡±


    ¡°My, my apologies.¡±


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t trying to criticize you or anything... never mind.¡±


    Waving off the assistant bowing in apology, Kasar tapped on the floating panel in front of him to read the information on the area boss.


    [Lotus Hive: a giant-type monster of C+ rank. ]


    The plus indicated that heroes of the corresponding rank could engage it, but their victory was not guaranteed. In this case, it meant that B-rank heroes or those with equivalent firepower were needed for a sessful subjugation.


    <i>The top-ranking students might be able to handle it together, but the real issue is the Mist Forest.</i>


    The appearance of the Lotus Hive also expanded the Mist Forest¡¯s reach, making the monsters within more active. It was a daunting situation for the students whocked realbat experience.


    When his thoughts reached that point, Kasar¡¯s eyes lit up with an idea.


    <i>Wait. This could work out fine.</i>


    Wasn¡¯t the purpose of the subjugation practical to see how well the students could adapt to sudden real-life situations? Contemting it for a moment, he turned to the teacher assistant by his side.


    ¡°We will continue with the exam. There are plenty of safety measures already in ce and the area boss only appears in specific regions, so there shouldn¡¯t be any significant issues.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°And...¡±


    Turning to look at the students on the floating screens, his eyes focusing on Se-Hoon, he smiled.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how they adapt to this situation.¡±


    ***


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Kasar¡¯.]</strong>


    Stopping to rest, Se-Hoon was stretching when the notification message appeared before him.


    <i>It seems I¡¯ve left quite a good impression, </i>Se-Hoon thought, chuckling to himself.


    Kasar, who was known as the S-rank hero Mist Battalion Sword before the regression, had been one of the high-ranking officials of the human alliance. He was renowned not only for his martial prowess but also for his exceptional leadership, having achieved remarkable feats on various battlefields.


    He was most famous for wiping out an entire army of Demon¡¯s Edge, one of the Ten Evils, which dyed theplete destruction of Asia by about three years.


    <i>Though, because of that, he was the first to be killed after Demon¡¯s Edge became the Destroyer of Swords...</i>


    He naturally recalled how Kasar had died with hundreds of swords impaled through his body, but Se-Hoon quickly dismissed the scene in his head. After all, who even had a good end before the regression? What mattered currently was not his tragic demise but the help Kasar could possibly offer him.


    <i>He was always given themander role whenever strong monsters appeared.</i>


    Along with the guilds and corporations that usually kept everything to themselves, even the Hero Association, known for not sharingmand, hired him as a veteranmander for every major subjugation mission.


    That was the role Kasar had in this world, so Se-Hoon began eyeing the level of ess Kasar could possibly provide to the herowork.


    <i>Those guys have always hoarded the high-quality materials.</i>


    Materials from high-rank monsters that appeared on the market were usually of lesser rarity. The truly valuable resources were monopolized or sold only to those with personal connections.


    <i>I remember how I got into a lot of fights over that...</i>


    Before the regression, he often fumed over how those without the proper skills monopolized all of the high-quality materials using their connections. All they created was a bunch of worthless, rare junk.


    He despised those people the most, even going as far as using his own hammer to personally deal with some. That was also why he had deep enmity with many.


    <i>I¡¯d rather not fight them this time; it¡¯s just too annoying. I¡¯ll take the easier way this time.</i>


    With Kasar¡¯s connections, he nned to build his ownwork and acquire some rare materials. Mentally reviewing his n, he finished stretching and looked beside him.


    ¡°...¡±


    There, Jake was sitting quietly on the ground with his eyes closed. While he seemed calm from the outside, a closer listen revealed a different story.


    <i>Thump, thump, thump, thump-</i>


    His heart was racing inside his chest, its speed maintained by the blood art. Initially, he struggled with controlling his breath, but after a few minutes, he quickly adapted to the fast rate.


    <i>It took me months to reach this state... seeing him adapt so quickly is slightly irksome.</i>


    Rather than being jealous of Jake¡¯s talent, Se-Hoon was simply ufortable seeing Jake use less time and effortpared to himself. Dissatisfied, he nced at Jake before clearing his throat.


    ¡°Jake, let¡¯s get moving again.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±


    The two resumed running through the forest, with Jake scanning their surroundings.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting harder to spot monsters. Is it because the other students are catching them too?¡±


    ¡°Most likely, yes.¡±


    Given the vastness of the ck Lotus Seas and its reputation for inhabiting numerous monsters, the presence of nearly a thousand students stirring its interior meant that there was going to be some significant change to the ecosystem. It was likely that the monsters would begin to form groups among themselves when taking into consideration the monsters¡¯ tendency to act collectively despite being different species.


    <i>This seems like enough training for Jake for now.... Maybe it¡¯s time to wake up the Divine Tree, </i>thought Se-Hoon.


    Before the regression, the Divine Tree remained hidden in the Danger Zone thanks to being dormant deep underground and perceived as an ordinary nt. Thus, like a nt, awakening it from its dormant state required Se-Hoon to find its roots.


    <i>There¡¯s an easy way to find it, but... that method is kind of difficult right now.</i>


    Rather than relying on the slight chance of finding the root coincidentally, he decided that diligently searching for it would be the better approach. Deciding to use the Eyes of irvoyance, he prepared himself, but at that moment, a voice sounded.


    ¡ªAh, ah. This is an emergency announcement.


    Kasar¡¯s voice emanated from the emblem on their cloaks.


    ¡°Emergency announcement...?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop here for a moment.¡±


    Halting their run, the two paid close attention to the announcement flowing from the emblem.


    ¡ªCurrently, throughout the ck Lotus Seas, there are multiple signs of a possible appearance of an area boss. And although this is quite unexpected, we believe the situation is manageable, so we¡¯re going to be adding a few new rules.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The emblem pulsated with mana and a blue window appeared before them¡ªit was a map of the ck Lotus Seas with blue, white, and red dots marked on it.


    ¡ªAs you can probably tell, on the map, the blue dot represents your current location, the white dots are where the Mist Forests have emerged, and the red dots are the potential locations of the area boss.


    Alongside Kasar¡¯s exnation, each mentioned dot lightly glowed. Then, the white dots began to twinkle.


    ¡ªThose who enter a Mist Forest and destroy the Lotus Tree within will receive a reward of three thousand points each.


    ¡°Three thousand points...?¡±


    Jake¡¯s eyes widened at the announcement. An additional three thousand points on top of the points earned from normalbat was a pretty substantial amount, significant enough to shuffle the rankings of even the current top-ranking students, let alone those in the middle tier.


    ¡ªAnd if the area boss, the Lotus Hive, is encountered, there will be no limit on the number of participants. Each participant in the subjugation of the Lotus Hive will receive a reward of one thousand points. Furthermore, the total points allocated to the battle will be...


    Pausing briefly, he let the anticipation grow before he continued with a hint of amusement in his voice.


    ¡ªA total of fifty thousand points, distributed based on contribution.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡ªBased on the data, the Lotus Hive is expected to appear within the hour, so it would be best to move quickly. That is all.


    Digesting the information, Jake quickly came up with a strategy.


    <i>Fifty thousand points distributed based on contribution.... It sounds like it¡¯ll be split thin, but it definitely won¡¯t be.</i>


    The Lotus Hive, while less formidable inbat, possessed robust durability and regenerative capabilities. Hence, only those who could leave a significant scratch would be rewarded with points, likely concentrating the contribution scores among the top-ranking students.


    <i>A single person might even receive tens of thousands of points...</i>


    For the students in the lower ranks, it might simply be a daunting challenge, but for those at the top, participation was essential.


    Fully understanding the situation, Jake looked directly at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I think we should head towards the area boss right now to prepare in advance. What do you say?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Instead of responding, Se-Hoon examined the map.


    The Graveyard of Lotuses, the location where the area boss would probably appear, was only a ten-minute run away. They could easily reach it now, but his focus was elsewhere.


    <i>It seems today¡¯s my lucky day.</i>


    His gaze settled on a white dot near them, a marker of a Mist Forest. Within it would be a Lotus Tree, the core of the Mist Forest, which was unbeknownst to most as a root of the Divine Tree. Now, when everyone was focused on the area boss, was the perfect opportunity to approach the root unnoticed and awaken the Divine Tree.


    <i>I can just wake it up and make it seem like I just somehow stumbled upon it. Then, I can call the professors toe subjugate it.</i>


    Even if he wasn¡¯t directly responsible for the subjugation, discovering the hidden threat could earn him far more points than defeating the area boss. Plus, if he negotiated it well with Ludwig, Ludwig could secure a significant amount of by-products from the Divine Tree for him. It was wless.


    Trying his best not to grin, he pointed toward the white dot.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a detour to this Mist Forest before we go.¡±


    ¡°What? We could easily secure first ce just by taking down the area boss. Why bother¡ª¡±


    Cutting off Jake¡¯s grumbling, Se-Hoon quelled him with a simple reply: ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you don¡¯t want me to forge you a spare sword?¡±


    ¡°You look a bit tired. Should I slow down the pace? Or do you want me to carry you?¡± Like he had never been reluctant, Jake became extremely polite.


    And seeing this¡ªJake¡¯s eagerness to reim the hostage¡ªSe-Hoon smiled slyly.


    ¡°Great. Carry me then.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Now tasked with carrying Se-Hoon, who was heavier than him, Jake ran toward the Mist Forest with a mix of emotions ying across his face.

 Chapter 85

    <h4>Chapter 85</h4>


    Upon the announcement of the new rules, the students scattered throughout the ck Lotus Seas divided into three main groups.


    ¡°Ultimately, it¡¯lle down to who defeats the area boss.¡±


    ¡°I heard the area boss is tough only in terms of durability and is slow as hell. That means it¡¯s exactly my type of prey.¡±


    Those who were among the top-ranked and those confident in their firepower decided to head for the Graveyard of Lotuses, where the area boss was going to appear.


    ¡°Since the top ranks are out of reach already, let¡¯s just loot what¡¯s left.¡±


    ¡°There should be a lot of monsters inside, so we might even be able to aim for the high ranks if we y our cards right.¡±


    Those who knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to even scratch the area boss would decide to head into the Mist Forests to destroy the Lotus Trees within instead.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bigger loss if I overexert and get eliminated from the exam.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just stick to what we¡¯ve been doing.¡±


    And those who felt the pressure of the unexpected situation and decided to continue hunting down monsters in small numbers while roaming, just like at the beginning.


    Depending on their skills and preferences, the students each set their own goals and moved ordingly. Naturally, this only intensified thepetition, especially in the Mist Forests.


    ¡°Find the Lotus Tree first!¡±


    ¡°Wait! We got here first!¡±


    ¡°So what! Run!¡±


    The reward condition for each Mist Forest was strictly destroying the Lotus Tree within. Hence, some chose to ignore the monsters entirely and run straight toward the Lotus Tree, prompting others to start running as well.


    ¡°Huh? Where are we... <i>aghhhhhhhh</i>!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a cliff! Stop...!¡±


    Within the Mist Forests, the already harsh environment of the ck Lotus Seas was nowpounded with a hazy mist that blocked all senses. The visible range was less than three meters, making it hard for the students to avoid obstacles. As a result, many ended up rolling across the ground.


    ¡°A mon-monster!¡±


    ¡°These creatures are sniping us from the mist!¡±


    Attacked by monsters within the mist, the students who thought lightly of the forest experienced true hell. Entering was simple, but exiting a Mist Forest was a challenge on apletely different level.


    Meanwhile, there was one pair of students who were unlike the other students who cursed and wandered through the maze.


    <i>Thwoong!</i>


    Jake, carrying Se-Hoon on his back, dashed through the mist. He ran skillfully, urately stepping on the rugged tree roots, jumping over fallen trees, and leaping from the edge of cliffs to quickly traverse the densely grown trees.


    It seemed as if he had a perfect understanding of the terrain inside the mist. Anyone watching would have been amazed by the sight, but Jake, the person in question, wasn¡¯t thinking anything close to that.


    ¡°Over there,¡± said Se-Hoon.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>?!¡±


    The moment Se-Hoon, who was on his back, tapped his shoulder, Jake¡¯s body sharply turned to the right.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    A spike from a monster barely missed his cheek. Although it was a dangerously close call that could have pierced his eye, Jake had no time to be surprised.


    Every time Se-Hoon tapped a part of his shoulder, Jake¡¯s body swiftly moved, narrowly avoiding obstacles. Naturally, as a consequence, every muscle and bone in his body screamed for mercy.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>... <i>ugh</i>...!¡±


    Enduring the pain, Jake wondered if Se-Hoon had asked him to carry him just to torture him. However, while he struggled to keep his sanity amidst the tortuous pain, Se-Hoon merely stared down with a stern gaze.


    ¡°What are you doing? Focus!¡±


    ¡°It hurts too much...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just because you¡¯re using your muscles half-heartedly. Focus on your blood flow.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Jake couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of frustration upon hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s nonchnt advice.


    <i>If it were that easy, why would I need to go through such trouble...!</i>


    Running like this required him to control every single blood vessel stretching throughout his body and then using them to mobilize the appropriate muscles. It was a process that needed perfect mana distribution, blood pressure regtion, and muscle activation sequencing. The process wasplex enough to give anyone a headache in an instant.


    <i>Ba-dump!</i>


    And doing that despite his already elerated heart rate from using the Blood Art in the previous battles, meant Jake¡¯s situation was only worsening. Frankly, it was a miracle that he was still moving.


    ¡°Come on, we still have a long way to go.¡±


    <i>Tap, tap, tap.</i>


    ¡°<i>Aargh</i>!!¡±


    Tapping on Jake¡¯s shoulder nonchntly, Se-Hoon elicited screams from the running Jake. However, although it looked like Se-Hoon was merely tormenting Jake, Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t just idly passing time on Jake¡¯s back.


    Using the Eyes of irvoyance, Se-Hoon focused his monochromatic vision on the forest bathed in shades of gray to detect the mana in the creatures in their surroundings, thus gauging the rough terrain and the positions of monsters within the hazy mist.


    <i>That way doesn¡¯t seem... oh, no.</i>


    Deciding on a direction to go, Se-Hoon suddenly realized Jake had failed to recognize an obstacle ahead. Thus, he quickly tapped a strand of ck Weaver connected to Jake¡¯s shoulder.


    In an instant, mana spread throughout Jake¡¯s body through the stands of ck Weaver connected to various parts of his body, causing the highly sensitive blood vessels to react.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    ¡°<i>Ah</i>!!¡±


    Seeing that Jake managed to narrowly avoid the obstacle that had ended up right in front of him, Se-Hoon inwardly sighed.


    <i>Who would have guessed that an honor student would be this clumsy.</i>


    The naturally urring barrier of a C-ss Danger Zone was nothing too hard to ovee, especially with its only effect being sensory deprivation which was quite straightforward. However, despite the fact that Jake should have been able to manage with a bit of focus, he had struggled to adapt. Being preupied with maintaining the Blood Art aside, Jake seemed to have dull senses that didn¡¯t match his abilities.


    <i>It¡¯s probably because his physical prowess at a young age desensitized him to surrounding threats. Hmm, maybe it¡¯s time for some training now that we¡¯re in such a suitable environment for it.</i>


    Deciding to take advantage of the opportunity, Se-Hoon implemented his belief that one¡¯s senses were sharpened through frequent exposure to danger. Instead of guiding Jake through safer paths like earlier, he slightly altered the route, changing it to a shorter yet more perilous one.


    ¡°Wait, this way seems...¡±


    ¡°Here ites again. Dodge!¡±


    <i>Crack!</i>


    ¡°<i>Aaargh</i>!¡±


    Unlike the rest of the students wandering the outskirts, the two swiftly broke through to the center of the Mist Forest.


    And just as Jake¡¯s screams during their relentless advance began to fade away¡ª


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The two emergedpletely from the mist.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>...¡±


    Catching his breath with a haggard face, Jake looked at the clearing that opened up before his eyes.


    Right in the middle of the clearing was a giant tree about thirty meters tall, a huge lotus flower blooming at the top. The mist that surrounded them seemed to have spread from the center of the lotus.


    ¡°Is that... a Lotus Tree?¡±


    ¡°Seems so.¡±


    Se-Hoon, having dismounted from Jake¡¯s back, surveyed the hazy mist surrounding the clearing.


    <i>There isn¡¯t a single monster around...?</i>


    The Lotus Tree was the core that maintained the entire Mist Forest. Therefore, it was normal for monsters with high intelligence to have gathered to guard the area, but curiously, there was not a single one in sight.


    <i>Perhaps too many students entered at once?</i>


    Finally managing to catch his breath to some extent while Se-Hoon pondered the unusualness of the situation, Jake asked, ¡°So, how are we going to deal with it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be cutting it down, of course. It¡¯s the perfect opportunity to test your skills.¡±


    Though he could chop it down himself using the Five-me Sword, that method required consuming a lot of energy, so it was more convenient to leave this task to someone stronger.


    However, Jake thought otherwise, his face growing slightly surprised.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me... you brought us here just for this?¡±


    ¡°...Something like that.¡±


    The actual reason was partly to awaken the Divine Tree and partly just to see how Jake would fare, but there was no need to dampen the mood by delving into that.


    Motivated by Se-Hoon¡¯s answer, Jake, who had looked dissatisfied just moments before, energetically drew his Luminescent Sword.


    ¡°Alright. Leave this to me.¡±


    Jake approached the Lotus Tree, examining it once more before he decided to cut it down.


    The massive tree stood thirty meters tall, its circumference looking to be at least forty meters. It was a typical robustness expected from the creatures of the ck Lotus Seas.


    And because of his imperfect Luminescent Sword, Jake was uncertain of how much he could actually cut through.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t swing it half-heartedly like before. Use all of your strength.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Nodding, Jake took a deep breath and steadied his breathing, positioning his hands to the right of his waist. Seeing Jake preparing for a diagonal sh with a basic stance, Se-Hoon offered another piece of advice from beside him.


    ¡°elerate your heartbeat even more while calming your consciousness.¡±


    Jake always instinctively suppressed his own strength, like how one would instinctively pull their hand away when touching something hot. So to avoid that, he needed to bring that subconscious behavior to the surface.


    ¡°It¡¯s less about controlling the muscles and more about controlling the blood. You have to be aware of every reaction happening throughout your body, even those that are happening in the unconscious mind.¡±


    Listening to Se-Hoon¡¯s advice, he focused the entirety of his consciousness on his blood flow and began to elerate the movement of his heart.


    <i>Ba-dump. Ba-dump.</i>


    His already fast heartbeat sped up further, feeling as if it would burst through his chest. He distinctly felt the flow of blood moving from his heart to the tips of his fingers.


    Then, at the moment when a greater amount of blood than usual was forcefully pushed into the hands holding the Luminescent Sword¡ª


    <i>Swish!</i>


    A blue sh split the scene before his eyes.


    Immediately after, the blue de shattered into pieces.


    Gazing at the crystal shards¡ªdevoid of imperfections¡ªbefore him, he turned to look at the Lotus Tree he had just cut.


    <i>Thud-!</i>


    The Lotus Tree had been cut approximately seventy percent through. The sh initially was fine, but as it extended, it became rougher andrger, a sign of the imperfectly formed de energy.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    Jake clenched his fists at the sight. He had felt that he had gathered the right amount of force correctly in the beginning, but it had somehow dispersed throughout his bodyter on as if fleeing.


    <i>What exactly is wrong with me...?</i>


    What was he so afraid of that he instinctively suppressed his strength?


    Consoling Jake who was frowning in frustration, Se-Hoon tapped his shoulder. ¡°That wasn¡¯t that bad, up until halfway. Perhaps with a bit more practice...?¡±


    While trying to console Jake, he gazed at the gap in the Lotus Tree and spotted an object inside that made him widen his eyes in surprise. The object was some sort of puppet that seemed to have been carved within the tree itself.


    Knowing that such a thing shouldn¡¯t¡ªand couldn¡¯t¡ªhavee from the Lotus Tree, it caught his attention.


    ¡°Shit...!¡±


    Without a moment to think, he reached into the gap and pulled out the puppet.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    Feeling the sensation of something breaking along with the object, his eyebrows furrowed upon realizing that the surrounding mist had simultaneously started thinning slightly.


    <i>This is... the Puppeteer¡¯s marite.</i>


    It was a disposable item that the Puppeteer used to control the minds of monsters. Upon identifying the item, several pieces of information seemed to click together in his mind: the sudden appearance of the area boss, the monsters that seemed to have decreased in number or were not as visible, and the Puppeteer¡¯s marite that had been controlling a root of the Divine Tree, the Lotus Tree.


    <i>Those bastards... could they really be...?</i>


    Completing the puzzle, it seemed someone was controlling the entire ck Lotus Seas. He immediately grasped the emblem on his cloak in urgency to send a message.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    However, before he could ry what he had discovered, a faraway gigantic tree that had been sleeping deep underground burst upward through the seas.


    ***


    <i>Bzzz-</i>


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    During the busy monitoring, a teacher assistant, startled by static noise in their ear, cast a puzzled nce around. The lobby¡¯s scene remained unchanged and everyone was still focused on observing their students¡¯ battles.


    <i>Must¡¯ve heard wrong.</i>


    But just as they were about to shrug it off and return to work, they locked eyes with a professor who seemed to be scanning the surroundings as well.


    Silence lingered between the two, a foreboding feeling that couldn¡¯t be put into words enveloping them. Then, instead of deciding who would speak up first, they both turned to call for Kasar, the head instructor in charge.


    However, all the screens floating in the terminal lobby vanished at that moment. The extensive monitoringwork set up throughout the ck Lotus Seas had gone dark in an instant.


    Seeing the unnatural urrence, this time, the entire staff¡¯s eyes widened in shock before they urgently dered an emergency.


    ¡°Emergency situation!¡±


    ¡°Activate all of the force transfer devices now!¡±


    Following protocol, the staff swiftly sprang into action, and soon, a massive pulse erupted from the center of the lobby.


    In moments, the pulse had spread across the ck Lotus Seas. It was a fail-safe designed to activate the force transfer function of the cloaks, used only when internalmunications were totally severed.


    ¡°Huh...?¡±


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t anyone...?¡±


    Despite the confirmed activation of the fail-safe, not a single student had been transported back to the terminal.


    Frozen by the thoughts of it being the worst-case scenario, a loud crash thundered through the lobby as the terminal¡¯s ceiling rained down.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡±


    ¡°Calm down! It¡¯s just Professor Kasar going up!¡±


    Having ignored the voices below, Kasar began surveying the scene beyond the barriers after jumping onto the rooftop. The dense forest had vanished, reced solely by a stark dense white mist. The entirendscape had changed in the blink of an eye.


    <i>An evolution? No, the area boss hasn¡¯t even appeared yet...</i>


    Despite that fact, his instincts were warning him that the ck Lotus Seas Danger Zone was bing more and more dangerous every second.


    Coming to a swift decision, he shouted down through the broken ceiling to the terminal below.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Danger Zone evolution! All spatial transfers are likely blocked; contact the Dean and prepare immediately to go inside and rescue the students!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Reacting to hismand, the entire staff efficiently geared up for a rescue mission.


    Seeing them start to prepare, Kasar turned his gaze back to the barrier, pondering over the abnormal situation once more.


    <i>Only those damn Ten Evils would pull something this crazy. And their likely target is either me or the honor students.</i>


    Was this a plot to eliminate promising students? Or was it bait to lure him out to be hunted?


    Though uncertain, he unhesitantly drew his weapon from the void pocket at his waist.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    A murky gray, rectangr de, with a ck handle that was cracked here and there like charcoal appeared in his hands.


    ¡°<i>Hmph</i>...!¡±


    Gripping the hefty two-meter greatsword in reverse, he swung his arms back and then propelled his arms toward the mist.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    But all the greatsword did was soar over the terminal¡¯s barrier and disappear into the mist.


    <i>They must¡¯ve anticipated my intervention. Now it¡¯s just a battle against time... </i>


    He clenched his fists tightly.


    Would he find them first, or would they secure their objective first? Ultimately, the honor students would be the ones ying the decisive role in this crisis.


    Facing something beyond his control, Kasar could only hope that he wouldn¡¯t be toote as he stared into the mist beyond.

 Chapter 86

    <h4>Chapter 86</h4>


    Before Se-Hoon regressed, the sudden appearance of the Divine Tree in the C-ss Danger Zone, the ck Lotus Seas, had shocked the world. After finally revealing itself after decades of hiding from the eyes of the Hero Association, it took just two hours to evolve the entire ck Lotus Seas into an A-ss Danger Zone.


    The Divine Tree had spread its roots throughout the entire region, integrating itself until it became one with the Danger Zone. Its destructive power served as a significant wake-up call for humanity, which had growncent over the long years of peace.


    ¡°Here ites again!!!¡±


    And facing that disaster head-on right now, were Se-Hoon and Jake.


    Dozens of tree roots pierced majestically upwards, the size of each so immense that they seemed like fully grown trees sprouting from the ground, but there was no time to admire the sight.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The once-erect tree roots bent like serpents, terrifyingly lunging towards them. Seeing the roots filling up his vision, Se-Hoon quickly directed Jake.


    ¡°Go northwest!¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    They moved swiftly in harmony as if on some cue, shing their swords simultaneously.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The mes that erupted and the shes of the blue sword tore the tree roots before them to shreds, creating an opening that the two quickly escaped through.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    With enormous force, the remaining roots smashed into the ground where they just stood.


    However, despite escaping the encirclement of the tree roots, there was no time to rest. Se-Hoon surveyed the surroundings.


    <i>Moreing from that direction...!</i>


    Several more tree roots, each resembling terrifyingly fast-moving worms, pierced the air. Utilizing the Eyes of irvoyance once again, Se-Hoon managed to spot an opening in the attack and turned his gaze toward it.


    But his expression hardened instead¡ªhe saw a gigantic tree beyond the forest, the exposed form of the Divine Tree. He quickly shouted, ¡°We¡¯re going to break through again!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    They moved <i>away </i>from the Divine Tree, breaking through the encirclement. Se-Hoon coldly analyzed their foes.


    <i>It¡¯s probably barely at B-rank at best... seems like the effect of being forcefully awakened.</i>


    Of course, that should have been obvious since the Divine Tree, which was supposed to awaken naturally decadester, had been forced awake prematurely.


    Thanks to that, they had managed to escape the encirclement, but their predicament was far from over.


    <i>We¡¯re getting closer to theke where the Divine Tree sprouted.</i>


    Despite their efforts to flee in the opposite direction, they strangely moved closer and closer to the Divine Tree the harder they tried. Initially, Se-Hoon wondered if it was due to some sort of mirage or illusion, but upon examining the surrounding mist, he quickly understood the real reason.


    Simr to a mirage, space itself was rippling. The heavy mist enveloping them not only blocked their senses but also twisted space.


    <i>The Divine Tree didn¡¯t have such an ability before... but with the Puppeteer involved this time, there¡¯s nothing it can¡¯t do.</i>


    The Box, a type of bioweapon crafted from the corpses of heroes and demons that granted its wielder the powers the corpses once had, could have been used to imbue the Divine Tree with spatial abilities. If that were the case, then that would be the reason why the ck Lotus Seas was isted from the outside world right now.


    Quicklying up with a deduction, he realized that their situation was significantly more troublesome than he thought.


    <i>With this turn of events, it¡¯s highly likely that the forced transfer function doesn¡¯t work anymore.... It¡¯s as if all the students here have be hostages.</i>


    Without the forced transfer ability, their cloaks had been reduced to mere ordinary armor. It seemed clear that whoever was manipting the Divine Tree was also trying to enact a hostage situation after they had confirmed that all the students were trapped.


    <i>What exactly are they aiming for?</i>


    But regardless of whether they were aiming for someone among the staff members or one of the students, Se-Hoon knew they couldn¡¯t just stand by.


    Affirming the need to take action, he presented Jake with two options.


    ¡°Jake. We have two choices right now.¡±


    ¡°Two?¡±


    ¡°The first is to keep running away until the professors arrive. This is a safer way, but we don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll have to hold out, and others might die in the meantime¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go with the second one!¡±


    Before Se-Hoon could finish, Jake shouted his decision, prompting a surprised look from Se-Hoon.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to hear the second option?¡±


    ¡°Usually, the second option is the opposite, right? It would be a slightly risky method, but it could resolve the situation quickly without losing anyone else.¡±


    Pausing to cut down an approaching root with his Luminescent Sword, Jake looked back at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°If we¡¯re heroes, then we should choose thetter one.¡±


    Despite Jake¡¯s bravado, the faint trembling around his eyes and the tension evident throughout his body betrayed him. While he was a scion of a prestigious family, in the end, he was, after all, a student with limited experience. Fear was a natural response, yet he didn¡¯t back down because he believed in the righteousness of their path to be heroes.


    <i>Now I understand why he met such an early end before...</i>


    Finally understanding the depths of his character, Se-Hoon reached out and naturally patted him on the back.


    <strong>[Extracting bond from subject ¡®Jake Myers¡¯]</strong>


    <strong>[The bond with the host is Lv.1.]</strong>


    <i>With this... things should be much easier.</i>


    Feeling the bond and its power flowing through his fingertips, Se-Hoon looked at Jake.


    ¡°Okay. But promise me one thing.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°That you will focus only on what I tell you to do, no matter what happens.¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Slicing through a pursuing tree root with the Five-me Sword, concluded the conversation, his voice full of conviction.


    ¡°We¡¯ll definitely win if you can do just that.¡±


    ***


    At the northwestern edge of the ck Lotus Seasy a vastke, the Lotus Lake. Previously, its surface had been adorned with ck lotuses, but now, its appearance had been significantly altered.


    Theke was now twice its original size, not due to a natural increase in water but because it overflowed¡ªa huge tree that emerged from its center disced it all.


    The tree, standing seventy meters tall with a circumference of a hundred meters, overshadowed the size of even the area boss, the Lotus Hive, and was still continuing to grow.


    And observing the terrifying growth from above was Willy. He couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the sight.


    ¡°To think someone would even think about growing this underneath a C-ss Danger Zone.... Whoever they are, they¡¯re gruesomely clever.¡±


    With his curiosity about what the fully awakened tree would entail swirling in his mind, he gazed down at the Divine Tree.


    But then, a sudden call from one of his subordinates from behind broke him out of his contemtion.


    ¡°Captain! The target couldn¡¯t break through our encirclement and has changed direction!¡±


    ¡°Is that so? They must be getting tired by now.¡±


    He had decisively used the spatial abilities of an A-rank hero to herd them, so it was unlikely that even an honor student wouldst long. Feeling the end of this tedious mission drawing near, Willy issuedmands to his subordinates, ¡°Start wrapping things up and prepare for transport! Kill half of the hostages, and the remaining half can be used as leverage.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Done issuing orders, he turned back to the space behind him.


    There, a giant lotus bud perched atop the growing tree, its leaves ckened from the bottom up. It was surrounded by densely grown lotus stems that covered the entire area and pierced into the tree itself.


    That bud was the core of the Divine Tree, serving as both its brain and heart.


    ¡°Did it absorb the Box already? What a waste...¡±


    He had hoped to retrieve it after they hadpleted their mission, but with its nature as an erosive-type monster, the Divine Tree seemed to have absorbed anything left into its body.


    With a hint of regret, he tore out one of the stems piercing into the tree and pressed it against his neck.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Twisting and turning, the lotus stem began burrowing into it, darkening his vision momentarily before revealing apletely different scene. He watched Se-Hoon and Jake dodging aggressively and slicing through the tree roots as they ran towards theke. Despite knowing it was a trap, they proceeded forward like they had no other choice.


    Seeing their frustrated expressions, Willy smirked at their predicament.


    <i>They would have been better off giving up early to save themselves the sweat.</i>


    Deciding to quickly end their struggle for their sakes, he connected more stems to his body.


    <i>Crunch! Crunch!</i>


    Each additional branch caused his form to expand and widened his perspective little by little as thework of roots¡ªspread throughout theke and its vicinity¡ªbecame more present to him.


    <i>Cruuunch!</i>


    Now one with the Divine Tree, he watched the two young challengers approach him.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    Finally arriving and instantly feeling the overwhelming presence of the gigantic tree, Jake involuntarily took a deep breath. The intensity of the gaze caused all of the hair on his body to stand on its end. He wondered what it would feel like in a few moments when he stood directly below the massive foe.


    ¡°Jake,¡± calmly called out Se-Hoon.


    Running side by side with Jake, Se-Hoon nced over, ¡°You remember what you need to do, right?¡±


    His brief question helped Jake refocus on what needed to be done and push aside his nervousness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he replied, biting his lip.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    With that, it was now all up to Jake.


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon, turning to face the giant tree, tightly clenched the newly created Fatestone in his right hand.


    <strong>[<u>Fatestone - Compression Stone</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A piece of ore thatpresses itself endlessly.</strong>


    <strong>It has a property that absorbs and condenses mana within itself. However, it will break if the density of the condensed mana exceeds its durability.</strong>


    <strong>*Condenses absorbed mana]</strong>


    Holding the solid, deep-blue stone, which looked like it had been condensed under immense pressure, he immediately activated Bond Imprint with his right hand.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Iron Desire¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    <i>Crack! </i>


    The Compression Stone shattered like ice, and the power contained within melted deep into his body.


    <i>Crunch! </i>


    His entire body and everything within¡ªhis bones, muscles, and blood vessels¡ªfelt as though it were being condensed. However, it was no mere feeling. His field of vision had also dropped slightly, proof that his body had actually been condensed.


    ¡°<i>Hoo</i>...¡±


    Seeing the blue mist flowing from his mouth, a sign that all preparations wereplete, he looked toward theke which was faintly visible through the mist.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    With a single leap, theke unfolded beneath him.


    <i>Boom!!! </i>


    Reaching theke before the shockwave of his leap, he started to fall toward theke, forcefully dashing across the water¡¯s surface the moment he touched it.


    <i>Tad, tad, tad, tad!</i>


    Every time his feet touched the surface of the water, he released a small amount of mana to bounce off it. Such a thing was only barely possible because his physical abilities had been enhanced by Metal Desire and the Compression Stone¡¯s effect.


    <i>A part of me will definitely burst if I use it for too long...!</i>


    Even the slightest miscalction when controlling his mana would result in a part of him bursting, whether it was the soles of his feet or elsewhere, making it an extremely risky technique. However, he trusted his senses and dashed forward without hesitation.


    Tracking Se-Hoon, Willy became astonished by his frightening speed.


    <i>What... how is his speed suddenly so...</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s stats, which he had deemed to be no more than those of a C-rank hero, had elevated to nearly match those of a B-rank hero in just a few minutes.


    Observing him carefully, Willy soon noticed the tips of his hair were glowing, and red and blue steam was leaking from the corners of his mouth.


    Willy furrowed his brows in annoyance.


    <i>Did he enhance his body using some skill? Such a pointless endeavor...</i>


    Since any misstep couldpromise the material that they came here for, he decided to quickly subdue Se-Hoon, promptly mobilizing his body rooted around theke.


    At hismand, dozens of tree roots, twice asrge as those attacking from the forest and iparably faster, burst from beneath theke.


    <i>Enhancements or not, he¡¯s still just barely a B-rank.</i>


    The earlier attacks from the forest were mere child¡¯s ypared to now; if the movements then were the movements of a fingertip, this time, it was the movements of an entire arm in action.


    He began weaving a giant with the sprouting tree roots to capture Se-Hoon, whom he deemed to have underestimated the Divine Tree¡¯s abilities.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    mming down in front of Se-Hoon and Jake, the of tree roots enveloped everything, creating a blockade so vast and dense that not even the sharpest sword strikes could slice through or the quickest movements could evade. It was an attack that leveraged the full strength of a colossal monster that had rooted itself across an entire Danger Zone, capable of crushing even the most formidable B-rank heroes with its overwhelming mass.


    ¡°...Found you.¡±


    However, Se-Hoon, whose eyes were tinged with a steely gray, managed to pierce through the adversary before him.


    <strong><i>Mortal Combat Techniques: Chaotic Threads</i></strong>


    A brilliant white sh burst from his waist, slicing apart the tree roots in every direction. Amidst the ensuing shower of splintered fragments that collided and twisted, Se-Hoon effortlessly escaped through a path just wide enough for one person to slip through.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>...Huh?</i>


    With a thunderous crash, the once imprable now limplyid t over the desteke, a hole torn through it.

 Chapter 87

    <h4>Chapter 87</h4>


    The Mortal Combat Techniques, based on the foundation of swordsmanship designed to kill the opponent on sight, were a new set of techniques named quite straightforwardly for their purpose¡ªto kill. Like its name, it embodied a rather straightforward structure: observe the opponent, identify their attacks and weaknesses, and then respond reflexively. It was a form ofbat that helped execute attacks and evasions unconsciously.


    Though they could lead to one¡¯s downfall if not mastered properly or if their observational skills werecking, for Se-Hoon, who had always been obsessed with optimizing his movements, these techniques couldn¡¯t be more fitting.


    <i>How dare he try to pull off a dirty trick...! </i>Willy thought.


    He quickly shifted his attack strategy once his initial shock at Se-Hoon¡¯s breakthrough and rapid approach wore off.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Again, tree roots surged from beneath theke¡¯s surface. However, those tree roots, their trajectory simple, were not the true threat. The true threaty in the lotus stems entangled around them, whichshed out like whips in all directions, twisting and turning.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Though individually weaker than the tree roots, it was less likely that Se-Hoon could use the lotus stems as footholds or create any openings due to collisions, making them a more fitting choice for sustained attacks.


    <i>He may have broken through thes pretty well, but there must be a limit to his endurance. </i>


    Even if Se-Hoon could cut through the lotus stems, they were able to regenerate quickly, hindering his movement or even potentiallypletely trapping him in. Se-Hoon was essentially facing dozens, if not hundreds, all alone. He would easily be subdued if his stamina waned and his abilities reverted.


    Thus, ready for that moment, Willy became confident in his victory.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    But instantly breaking his confidence, Se-Hoon effortlessly maneuvered through the lotus stems in the blink of an eye. Dodging or parrying only when necessary, he managed to evade the onught with minimal movements, each calcted to avoid the lotus stems by a mere hair¡¯s breadth.


    <i>Slice-</i>


    The cut or curved lotus stems bent and intertwined in the directions Se-Hoon wanted them to, creating a path for him to continue advancing forward.


    Witnessing such an unbelievable scene, Willy became astounded.


    <i>Did he... predict all of my attacks?</i>


    The movements were so precise that he almost felt as if he was personally adjusting his attacks to match Se-Hoon. After all, aside from avoiding his attacks with ease, Se-Hoon also managed to anticipate the oues of the resulting offensive.


    Willy couldn¡¯t even begin to think about how many moves ahead Se-Hoon was predicting.


    <i>Slice!</i>


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon, having breached through the lotus stems, was sprinting across a tree root he cut off to use as a tform.


    Reaching the end of it, Se-Hoon leaped forward with such force that it seemed like the soles of his feet would burst, expelling mana as he did so.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    He propelled himself toward the Divine Tree like an arrow.


    <i>Shank!</i>


    Upon reaching the Divine Tree¡¯s bark, which was known to be tougher than steel, the Five-me Sword easily pierced through.


    Seeing that, Willy became momentarily surprised by its sharpness, but he soon smirked, dismissing it.


    <i>What a fool. What does he hope to achieve with that...?</i>


    Knowing that even the sharpest swords would struggle against a vast difference in size, he deemed Se-Hoon¡¯s de too short to cut through the massive Divine Tree spanning tens of meters.


    <i>Grind-</i>


    However, despite the obvious face, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t retreat. He gritted his teeth, holding the Five-me Sword in reverse, and forged a new sword within the body of the tree.


    <strong><i>Celestial Infinity de: White Light Surge</i></strong>


    A brilliant white sh burst from the Five-me Sword within the tree. Feeling the previously stiff de be free, he started running around the circumference of the tree with all his might.


    <i>Krrr-</i>


    Ascending the Divine Tree like running up a wall, he left marks on its surface with his newly forged sword.


    Confounded by Se-Hoon¡¯s iprehensible actions, Willy prepared a new attack.


    <i>Dududududu-</i>


    Hundreds of lotus stem spears pierced through the tree bark, lunging at Se-Hoon. Quickly assessing that it was difficult to dodge at such close range, Se-Hoon trusted the durability of his cloak and continued his ascent, tracing the weak points that could sever the tree¡¯s mana circuits in a single strike.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Finally finishing, he then detonated the mes of the Five-me Sword to signal Jake below.


    Seeing the signal, Jake, who had approached stealthily while Se-Hoon distracted the tree, charged forward and poured all his mana into the Luminescent Sword.


    The sword, now a massive greatsword at least three meters long, aimed for the marks Se-Hoon had just created.


    They needed just one, clean strike¡ªeven if it couldn¡¯t finish the tree off, it would at least disrupt its mana flow momentarily, potentially alleviating the heavy mist epassing the entire ck Lotus Seas. That would allow Professor Kasar and the other faculty members toe to their rescue immediately.


    <i>I have to make this work. </i>


    If there was ever a moment that demanded sess, it was now. Feeling his own wildly beating heart, Jake gripped the handle of the Luminescent Sword even tighter.


    <i>Crack-</i>


    However, a sound that should never have been heard echoed in his ears at that moment.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Shattering before his eyes, blue fragments scattered in all directions. His sword, which was imbued with all of his mana, shattered before he even swung it. In Jake¡¯s eyes, time immediately began to slow down as his disbelief grew.


    <i>Why...?</i>


    He had been drowning in desperation, knowing that failure wasn¡¯t an option. Yet...


    <i>Why am I unconsciously stopping myself from mustering the strength needed? What am I afraid of?</i>


    Swept away by the torrent of thoughts, he was pulled out by a sudden searing pain through his shoulder, snapping his body into reflexive action.


    <i>Boom! </i>


    A lotus stem spear had whisked past him and pierced through the ground. Surprised that he had managed to dodge, he looked up to find the source of the attack.


    <i>This is...</i>


    Thanks to Se-Hoon throwing himself in harm¡¯s way to alter the path of the attack, Jake had managed to evade. But because of that, Se-Hoon had been wounded even further. Despite the bleeding from his wounds in various ces, however, he continued to fend off the lotus stem spears shooting towards Jake, silently protecting him.


    Witnessing that, he was reminded of the role Se-Hoon had entrusted to him.


    <i>¡°Swing with all of your might.¡±</i>


    Whether his de shattered or his mana was depleted, his task was clear. Renewing his resolve, Jake charged forward once more.


    <i>Dudududu-</i>


    Ignoring every spear that barely missed him, he infused all his remaining mana into the Luminescent Sword, reconstructing its de.


    However, the newly formed de was significantly smaller¡ªfar too insufficient to cut through the Divine Tree or to encapste his full strength.


    <i>If only there were some other material...</i>


    <i>Drip-</i>


    At that moment, a sound caught his attention and his gaze shifted downward¡ªto theke water diluting his blood, seemingly merging into one.


    ¡°<i>Hmph</i>...!¡±


    His eyes widening from a revtion, Jake promptly thrust the tip of his Luminescent Sword, now dotted with crystalline drops, beneath the water¡¯s surface and ran with all the might he could muster.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Slicing through the water, he created an imperfect de. Then, looking at the sparkling blue light below, Jake funneled every ounce of his strength into his hands.


    <i>Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!</i>


    Despite being fully aware of the risk of his heart bursting, Jake no longer cared about anything except for the de he was constructing. For the first time, Jake concentrated the essence of his existence into his hands.


    Then, with a snap, a blue star began sparkling beneath the water.


    He forcefully drew the newly formed Luminescent Sword from within theke, putting all his energy into the effort.


    <strong><i>Azure Radiance Star</i></strong>


    The Azure Radiance Star illuminated everything within tens of meters, cutting through all that stood in its path with a blinding sh. The satisfaction Jake felt from his fingertips at that moment made him turn his gaze not to the enemy but to his own sword. With all of the water it drew from theke, its gigantic de radiated a massive amount of energy released by the burst, its edge gleaming with a distinct blue sharpness.


    ¡°...I did it,¡± Jake muttered with a weary smile.


    The Divine Tree split along its marked path, slowly toppling to the ground.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    The toppled tree crashed into theke, forming massive surging waves that swept away the surroundings. When the aftermath finally settled, two shadows emerged from the water¡¯s surface.


    ¡°<i>Fhaa</i>! <i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>...¡±


    ¡°<i>Cough</i>! <i>Cough</i>!¡±


    Having been swept away by the waves, both Se-Hoon and Jake were struggling for breath and coughing up water, utterly drained.


    ¡°How are you hanging in there?¡±


    ¡°Just barely...¡±


    Experiencing the tightness in his chest, Jake felt as though his heart had been overstrained, and his body was so drained of strength that moving became difficult. On top of those, his mind felt numb and was hardly able to string thoughts together, overwhelmed by the sensation of expending every bit of his energy.


    <i>Is this what giving your all feels like...? </i>


    The sense ofplete depletion was terrifying, to the point of thinking he might die from it, yet it was also profoundly full of relief, feeling like he had indeed given everything he had.


    Floated aimlessly on theke, he gazed dazedly at the sky, still veiled in remnants of the mist.


    ¡°Hey, snap out of it. It¡¯s not over yet.¡±


    Floating beside Jake, Se-Hoon broke him out of his reverie by lightly pping Jake¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°It¡¯s not...?¡± Jake mumbled, confused.


    ¡°What we cut down was just like its limbs. The core is still intact,¡± Se-Hoon exined.


    ¡°What do you mean...?¡±


    Jake waspletely perplexed, having believed that they had defeated it.


    As if trying to relieve his confusion, a massive lotus bud then rose from the wreckage of the Divine Tree, unfurling its leaves half-dyed in ck to reveal a giant eye ring at them.


    <i>¡°Damage rate: ny-five percent.... Control over the ck Lotus Seas: impossible.... Spatial abilities: unavable.... Nutrients needed...¡±</i>


    Upon hearing the voice that seemed to resonate directly in his mind, Jake became startled, realizing it came from the lotus itself.


    <i>That thing can speak?</i>


    Even monsters of the same rank could differ greatly in hazardousness depending on their abilities and intelligence. Thus, determining that the monster before him was no ordinary foe, Jake attempted to force his blood to circte faster, preparing to spring into action again.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    However, before he could act, Se-Hoon lightly tapped his body, forcibly calming his blood flow.


    ¡°That thing is ring at us like that, so shouldn¡¯t we be preparing to attack or defend somehow?!¡± Jake shouted.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have the strength for that. Don¡¯t overexert yourself; just stay still. The mist has been cleared already,¡± Se-Hoon mentioned nonchntly.


    ¡°The mist... has cleared?¡±


    Jake looked up at the sky in confusion, noticing the mist that had nketed the sky was now slightly murkier than before.


    Suddenly, a giant sword shot through the murky sky, piercing the body of the lotus.


    <i>¡°REEEEEEEEE!!!¡±</i>


    The screams and writhing of the lotus echoed in Jake¡¯s ears. He looked up to see the sword that had fallen from the sky.


    The de was dull gray, and its handle had cracks on it like charcoal.


    ¡°Ashen Smoke..."


    It was the legendary sword given to Kasar by the Perfect One, Sacred Craftsman Li Kenxiei, in recognition of his talent and character.


    Unlike Jake¡¯s surprise at its sudden appearance, Se-Hoon merely smirked and looked up.


    ¡°You think an S-rank hero would just sit by?¡±


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    The sky, now filled with smoke, stirred violently.


    Soon, smoky swords of simr shape to Ashen Smoke began to fall across the entire Danger Zone; it was the initiation of Smoke Heaven Rain, Kasar¡¯s unique skill. By using Ashen Smoke to spread smoke to form projectiles for widespread bombardment, the skill became renowned not only for its scale but also for its precision.


    <i>¡°No... I must... go on...¡±</i>


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Unable to resist, dozens of greatswords fell upon the core of the struggling Divine Tree,pletely subduing it. Entranced by the barrage, Jake murmured softly, ¡°Did we get it...?¡±


    He spoke the spell known to revive even the dead.


    But, contrary to its fame, there were no more voices to be heard.


    ¡°We got it.¡±


    The Divine Tree had been utterly defeated.

 Chapter 88

    <h4>Chapter 88</h4>


    ¡°Is it really all over now?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it. Since the Smoke Heaven Rain has fallen in other ces too, all of the students must have been rescued by now.¡±


    It was fair to say that all battles hade to an end the instant Kasar took action.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>...¡± sighed Jake in relief.


    With this, it truly was all over. At that realization, Jake felt his tension release and his gaze drifted toward the giant tree he had cut down.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask,¡± cautiously asked Jake, reflecting on the battle that unfolded moments ago.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Were you not worried about whether I would fail again?¡±


    Though they had ultimately been victorious, had Jake failed to muster up his second attempt, it could have been a real disaster. So why had Se-Hoon risked his own body to fend off the attacks for him?


    Se-Hoon fell into a brief moment of thought.


    <i>I was actually confident I could handle the tree by myself if needed... but saying that doesn¡¯t seem right.</i>


    If he said that to Jake, he would have to reveal his trump card and likely raise some suspicions about the source of his abilities. Thus, he slightly changed the subject in his reply.


    ¡°To be honest, if I said I wasn¡¯t worried at all, it would be a lie.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you take such a risk...¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a sense of duty.¡±


    ¡°...Duty?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. A cksmith¡¯s sense of duty.¡±


    Se-Hoon slid his hand under the water and lifted Jake¡¯s drooping right hand with his palm.


    Still grasped tightly within Jake¡¯s hand, the Luminescent Sword shimmered blue under the sunlight. Jake had swung it with all his might, but it still hadn¡¯t broken, prompting Jake to stare nkly at it.


    ¡°Who would trust a cksmith who doesn¡¯t even trust their own work?¡±


    With a chuckle, Se-Hoon pushed Jake¡¯s arm to the side, bringing the hand holding the Luminescent Sword to Jake¡¯s chest.


    ¡°...I see,¡± Jake replied.


    The weight of the Luminescent Sword felt heavy on his chest. Realizing that it felt heavier than usual, Jake btedly realized his true feelings.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t trusted... the Luminescent Sword itself.¡±


    Even after confirming the formation of the de with his own eyes, he had been unconsciously shrinking back and swinging it half-heartedly, fearing it might break at any moment.


    ¡°And only after seeing how you trusted me with your own life... did I believe that the de could withstand my full power.¡±


    Finally figuring out his unconscious thought, Jake wore a defeated expression.


    ¡°I really am a bastard.¡±


    He was disgusted by his own selfish nature, disgusted that he had only been able to believe in Se-Hoon upon seeing Se-Hoon put his life at stake for him.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that natural?¡± Se-Hoon responded with an indifferent expression, breaking Jake out of his moment of self-loathing.


    ¡°Actually, how long would we have to know each other for you to blindly trust me like that? It¡¯s natural to be skeptical without proper evidence.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯d love to smash your head with a hammer since you doubted my equipment... but that¡¯s just a personal thought.¡±


    If the cksmith had their own stance, then their customers would also have theirs.


    ¡°As the client, you should doubt and verify the equipment you buy. That¡¯s your position, which means it¡¯s also your right.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    Hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s exnation, Jake thought back to the cksmiths he had encountered in the past.


    <i>¡°This boy just doesn¡¯t seem to have a knack for swords.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°How about switching to martial arts, taking advantage of your grip strength?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°To ask me to forge a sword suitable for someone with such mediocre abilities! You think I¡¯m a fool, don¡¯t you?¡±</i>


    Those cksmiths, proud of their skills, always med others for any shorings.


    Recalling their contemptible attitudes, Jake slowly asked, ¡°So... I can keep doubting your equipment?¡±


    ¡°You should. Otherwise, it might break during a fight and end up costing you your head.¡±


    ¡°And I canin if it¡¯s not forged well enough?¡±


    ¡°If you could also purchase it elsewhere, what <i>couldn¡¯t </i>you do?¡±


    ¡°<i>Pfft</i>, right.¡±


    Bursting intoughter at Se-Hoon¡¯s witty response, Jake gripped the Luminescent Sword on his chest tightly.


    ¡°Hey, Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°What.¡±


    ¡°When I swung this around just now, I realized one thing.¡±


    Thanking his trustworthy cksmith, Jake left a satisfiedment for his trustworthy cksmith.


    ¡°Your sword is the best.¡±


    <strong>[The bond with ¡®Jake Myers¡¯ has increased to Lv.2.]</strong>


    <strong>[Since the bond has increased to Lv.2, a Rtionship has been established. Your Rtionship with ¡®Jake Myers¡¯ is currently ¡®Trust¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[Rtionship: Trust]</strong>


    <strong>[It¡¯s not easy to ask someone who doesn¡¯t trust even themself to trust others.</strong>


    <strong>But while it¡¯s difficult to repay trust, if you can instill the belief that they will rise again even after failures, this rtionship will continue indefinitely.</strong>


    <strong>*A Fatestone is created whenever you repay the subject¡¯s trust.</strong>


    <strong>*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases when you have the subject¡¯s trust.</strong>


    <strong>*Currently created Fatestones: 0]</strong>


    <i>This guy...</i>


    Looking at the notification messages that appeared before him, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but smile warmly.


    Compared to <i>someone</i> who only knew how toin, demanding better equipment, Jake was actually grateful. Reveling in the feeling of meeting a truly polite and excellent customer after a long time, he gazed at Jake.


    ¡°You should always be thankful, just like... hey, are you sleeping?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Floating motionlessly on theke, Jake¡¯s eyes were closed and his face was deathly pale.


    <i>He must have overused the Blood Art. </i>Unconcerned since it would be resolved with some rest, Se-Hoon used his ck Weaver to anchor Jake so that he wouldn¡¯t drift away.


    A momentter, he felt the presence of others approaching and turned his gaze toward the remains of the Divine Tree.


    <i>Come to think of it, the marites must have all run away already.</i>


    The marites were beings that were originally humans or demons but had been transformed to serve the Puppeteer, basically bing living puppets. They were particrly annoying whenpared to the other minions of the Ten Evils because they could survive and just switch bodies as long as their core wasn¡¯t destroyed.


    <i>Considering they used the Divine Tree and didn¡¯t show up in person, they must have used a temporary body made from a monster.</i>


    By now, they would have returned to their hidden original bodies outside the ck Lotus Seas, preparing to flee.


    <i>If I had the time, I would¡¯ve found their hideout and killed them all...</i>


    While it was still possible if he were to take off right now, he decided to let them go, considering potential unforeseen circumstances. Killing them all would reduce the amount of information passed to the Puppeteer, but if he missed even one, he would only give away the fact that he could track the marites.


    <i>Back in my previous lives, everyone used that method, but not now.</i>


    The Puppeteer was a dangerous foe, but Se-Hoon decided to only react with the same amount of interest. Since they had shown nothing special this time, he deemed it best to step back here.


    Pondering his next moves, he calmly floated on theke.


    <i>Caw-</i>


    Suddenly, he heard a familiar cawinging from the remains of the Divine Tree. Se-Hoon turned his attention there once more.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    A crow quickly disappeared over the forest.


    ***


    Several kilometers away from the ck Lotus Seas, in a secluded forest on a remote mountain where nothing but wild animals were present, the ground trembled faintly.


    And soon, a hand burst from the ground.


    <i>Fffttt. Fffttt.</i>


    Three figures emerged, digging through the soil. The first to surface was a pale-faced Western man, Willy, who was furrowing his brow.


    ¡°How are they only freshmen... Babel¡¯s crazy...¡±


    He had thought it was impressive enough that they were able to hold out until the Mist Battalion Sword arrived, so when they actually took him down, he was bbergasted.


    Frowning at the memory of the pain of his body being split in half, he wore a look of iprehension.


    <i>Myers¡¯s sword aura was ridiculously powerful, but what¡¯s truly absurd is the guy next to him, Lee Se-Hoon.</i>


    The regenerative ability of the Divine Tree rooted throughout the entire Danger Zone was at least of B+ grade, so it should have been able to endure being sliced by sword aura. However, the moment the sword aura reached the path etched by Se-Hoon, the mana circuit became entangled and the regenerative ability vanished.


    <i>Even I haven¡¯t fully grasped how the mana circuit is connected throughout the Divine Tree, and I was controlling it as if it were part of me...</i>


    To be able to see through it at first nce required more than just remarkable talent. The reason his master had taken an interest in Se-Hoon as outstanding material finally dawned on him. He checked on his subordinates.


    ¡°What about the others?¡±


    ¡°They were showing no response, so I finished them off myself.¡±


    Although the marites had their sensory organs removed so they would not feel any pain, they still experienced vivid agony the instant their bodies were forcibly destroyed and their consciousness returned to their original body.


    But as long as they could endure this pain, they were able to return to their original body or switch to a new one and survive. Yet if they weren¡¯t able to endure it, they either suffered from dementia or becamepletely unresponsive.


    ¡°Seven lost... seems like we got off cheap.¡±


    He was d that they weren¡¯tpletely annihted despite striking a location guarded by an S-rank hero.


    <i>Anyway, I¡¯ve gathered enough information worth reporting.</i>


    Se-Hoon, aside from the material the Puppeteer originally requested, was material worth targeting on his own. Managing to confirm the information, he looked at the two remaining subordinates.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here before their search squad finds us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    With no one around, the remaining three kicked off the ground and started running through the forest. The trees here, while not as dense as the ones in the ck Lotus Seas, also grew thickly. And because of the overcast skies, sunlight was scarce, making the forest even darker.


    <i>Was the aftermath worse than expected?</i>


    It was a temporary body, but it was a B-grade one. He shouldn¡¯t have been having trouble seeing through this darkness.


    Strands of Willy¡¯s hair began to stand on end as he grew more and more puzzled.


    <i>Caw-</i>


    Suddenly, a cry of a crow echoed from somewhere. Alert, Willy¡¯s eyes followed the sound, scanning the area.


    However, perhaps due to the dim light, he couldn¡¯t spot the crow, causing his brows to furrow.


    <i>Damn crow, why are they here out of all ces...</i>


    Although its cawing was annoying, he wasn¡¯t really worried about it; he felt no traces of mana from it. Thus, letting out a disgruntled sound, he surveyed his surroundings one more time before turning his gaze forward again.


    <i>Thud. </i>


    At that moment, a girl appeared far away, in front of a tree where the sunlight uniquely shone brightly.


    She had ck hair and a subtle hint of violet in her eyes, wearing only a cape over her school uniform. Seeing her defenseless appearance, Willy¡¯s eyes widened.


    <i>Inoue...?</i>


    Why was she, who should be in the ck Lotus Seas right now, in front of them?


    Startled by the surreal sight, Willy¡¯s gaze suddenly shifted to a silver cage in her right hand.


    ¡°<i>Caw</i>.¡±


    Within it was a crow standing upright.


    His gaze immediately focused on the fragments of the marites, which they had used for their temporary bodies, clinging to the crow¡¯s beak. At the sight, he quickly understood the situation.


    <i>She tracked us using a broken terminal...?</i>


    Could a freshman who just entered Babel this year really do something even S-rank heroes struggled with?


    Though flustered by the unimaginable situation, Willy quickly shouted orders to his subordinates.


    ¡°There might be others here. Capture her!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    There was no way she hade this far alone. With rational judgment, Willy and his subordinates quickly advanced.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    In response, the cage in Erika¡¯s hand was thrust forward.


    ¡°<i>Caw</i>-¡±


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    Silencing the crow that cried out, its neck twisted 180 degrees, and it fell limply to the bottom of the cage.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    ck blood began dripping from the ck beak and torn neck. Soon, what began as droplets increased in volume, and when the cage door opened, it poured endlessly downward, covering the entire surrounding ground.


    <i>Gloop, gloop.</i>


    The pooling liquid, neither blood nor water, exuded a sense of foreboding and impurity. Then, the ck swamp of liquid¡ªstill spreading endlessly around Erika¡ªbegan to bubble and boil.


    <i>Caw- caw-</i>


    Dozens of crows wed out from the sticky swamp below, pping their sticky wings to soar into the sky. Gaping at the eerie scene, Willy stared nkly, forgetting his initial intention to capture Erika alive.


    <strong><i>Shadow Crow Requiem</i></strong>


    The ck crows that had soared high into the sky plummeted toward the three marites.


    <i>Crack- crack- crack!</i>


    Facing the relentless onught of crows, Willy and his subordinates swung their weapons desperately to fend off the attack.


    However, the crows were unending¡ªevery single one that fell to the ground simply seeped back into the swamp and wed its way back out. With the crows wing out from the swamp as well, there was no stopping their assault.


    <i>Crunch- crunch!</i>


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be...!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re inside the body... <i>gah</i>...!¡±


    The crows, burrowing inside their bodies and assimting with them, slowly dragged them further... and further... down into the swamp.


    <i>Caw! Caw!</i>


    ¡°<i>Ha</i>... <i>haha</i>...!¡±


    Willy hollowlyughed, hearing the crows¡¯ cries echoing from within his own body. He had thought they were just mere honor students, just ordinary freshmen who hadn¡¯t stepped foot into a Tower of Heroes.


    But now, as he confronted Erika, Willy was stupefied.


    ¡°These monsters...¡±


    Unable to finish his words, his body was sucked into the depths of the swamp.


    ¡°...¡±


    Watching the three marites finally disappear without a trace, Erika nonchntly lowered the cage she had thrust forward.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    Like nothing had ever happened, the oozing swamp flooding their surrounding was sucked back into the cage, and soon enough, the forest returned to its original state.


    ¡°Se-Hoon¡¯s potential shouldn¡¯t be known too soon.¡±


    Whether it was the Ten Evils or anything else, she swore to herself that she wouldn¡¯t hand over anything until she assessed his full potential.


    She turned around and vanished into the shadows of the forest.

 Chapter 89

    <h4>Chapter 89</h4>


    Upon the students¡¯ return from the ck Lotus Seas, they were all transferred to Askus for examination.


    Among them was Se-Hoon, who was also undergoing a brief examination, despite not having any serious injuries.


    ¡°This should be fine; there¡¯s no need for hospitalization. You¡¯re cleared to be discharged today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Relieved that he wouldn¡¯t have to be trapped in the dreary hospital ward, Se-Hoon teased Jake, who had received a two-week prognosis, for a bit. However, it didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that he wasn¡¯t as free as he thought he¡¯d be after he stepped outside the hospital.


    ¡°You found the marite fragments in a Lotus Tree and realized something was off. Was there anything else unusual before that?¡±


    ¡°Were there any precursors before that new monster appeared? Like was there anything inside the ck Lotus Seas that seemed different than usual...¡±


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon! Just a word about what happened that day... <i>agh</i>!¡±


    Investigators from Babel and the Heroes Association, as well as reporters who had entered without permission, were all over the ce.


    It was no wonder; major incidents such as this one hadn¡¯t happened for quite some time. Both Babel and the outside world had been stirred up, naturally leading to attention on the living witnesses, particrly Se-Hoon, who had just been discharged.


    <i>I was wondering why Jake was smiling...</i>


    He felt like climbing back to Jake¡¯s room and hitting him with a hammer right then and there, but unfortunately, the people surrounding him didn¡¯t seem like they would let him go easily.


    ¡°Demons Cause Atrocities Every Day: Is this really okay?¡±


    ¡°Mysterious Monster Appears in the ck Lotus Seas! Estimated to have inhabited the area for at least fifteen years...¡±


    ¡°Wurgen Kruger, Head of the UD Group: ¡®The Heroes Association is currently incapable of managing all the Danger Zones.¡¯¡±


    After all, it wasn¡¯t just any demon, but the Puppeteer who had sent in his subordinates andunched an attack on Babel¡¯s students. The impact of such a thing was massive, especially because the culprit was one of the Ten Evils, as not one but two major incidents had urred simultaneously.


    Thus, taking advantage of the opportunity, various groups seized the moment to criticize each other for their own interests. And Babel, too, was dragged into the fray.


    ¡°The True Face of Babel is Now Exposed Beyond the Artificial Ind.¡±


    ¡°The Undisciplined Curriculum of Babel Must be Revised Now!¡±


    ¡°Evan Flynn, Principal of Chiron Academy: ¡®This incident is just the beginning.¡¯¡±


    All kinds of sensational articles that undermined Babel¡¯s capabilities were all over the news. The fact that there were zero casualties was remarkable, but criticism was inevitable due to theck of prior response.


    Thus, Babel opted not to rify anything and just cleanly acknowledged their mistake, diverting the spotlight elsewhere.


    ¡°Second Son of the Myers Family Saves ssmates by Defeating a B+ Rank Mutant Monster!¡±


    ¡°The Unfortunate Genius Abandoned by Numerous cksmiths: Who gave him the sword!?¡±


    The spotlight now shone on Jake, who defeated the B+ rank Divine Tree, and Se-Hoon, who forged his sword and assisted him in battle. Thanks to Babel highlighting the duo¡¯s heroic deeds to divert public attention, the focus began to shift.


    Ultimately, Babel was primarily an educational institute that wasn¡¯t responsible for overseeing all the Danger Zones like the Heroes Association was. For that reason, while there were some shorings in their response to this incident, overall, it wasn¡¯t something they could be found faulty for.


    ¡°Thanks to you, we managed to handle this situation pretty well. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Now that the situation had somewhat settled, Se-Hoon was invited to a famous Japanese restaurant by Kasar.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been through a lot, Professor. Weren¡¯t you incredibly busy with press conferences and association investigations?¡± responded Se-Hoon awkwardly due to the praise.


    ¡°Yup, you¡¯re right. Whether it¡¯s the past or now, it¡¯s more tiring to deal with all of this unnecessary talk after the fights than the fights themselves.¡±


    Kasar¡¯s tone was full of disgust due to having to deal with all the aftermaths, but he also seemed somewhat relieved that the situation was concluding. Noticing his shift in mood, Se-Hoon decided to cautiously ask a question.


    ¡°Professor, I have something I¡¯d like to ask.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What exactly are you doing in there...?¡±


    Seated at the counter, Se-Hoon¡¯s questioning look was met by a calm reply from Kasar, who was preparing fish on the opposite side.


    ¡°What do you mean, what am I doing? I¡¯m getting ready to make some sushi.¡±


    Like it was obvious, Kasar¡¯s response was nonchnt.


    Still confused, Se-Hoon nced between Kasar, dressed neatly in a chef¡¯s white robe that didn¡¯t quite match hisrge build, and the name of the restaurant written on the menu: <i>Mist Battalion</i>.


    <i>I thought he was just the owner... but it turns out he¡¯s the head chef.</i>


    Shocked by the revtion, he quietly watched Kasar finish preparing the sushi.


    ¡°Being an S-rank hero and a head professor puts everyone¡ªprofessors and students alike¡ªon their toes around me. I became annoyed at that, so I started this ce to have rxing conversations with people as a hobby.¡±


    ¡°Oh... so, has it made you more rxed?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Everyone ends up with indigestion and buys antacids after eating here. It seems bringing up work topics is too stressful.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Then what was the point of all this? Sensing Se-Hoon¡¯s puzzlement, Kasar cracked a smile.


    ¡°At least I¡¯m more at ease than before, so that¡¯s still a good thing.¡±


    Before, it was a situation where both sides felt ufortable, and now, it was still basically the same situation, just one side feeling a bit less so. Still processing that face, Se-Hoon suddenly noticed something.


    ¡°...<i>Huh</i>?¡±


    He was surprised by the sight of the kitchen knife that Kasar pulled out.


    <i>That knife is...</i>


    It was the very same knife he had sharpened on the special whetstone at the workshop of Helena, a retired professor of the Department of cksmithing. Though it had been quite some time, the knife still bore the marks of his own handiwork, causing his surprise to grow and prompting Kasar to nce over.


    ¡°I heard you honed this knife; am I right?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. How did you know?¡±


    ¡°I heard it from my sister. I thought it was nonsense at first when I heard that a freshman had sharpened it...¡±


    Thinking back to it now and considering what Se-Hoon had achieved recently, that very conversation might have been a precursor.


    A momentter, Kasar skillfully finished slicing up the sushi, ¡°For now, it¡¯s been decided that both you and Jake will be given perfect marks on the subjugation practical. Considering you two even took down a mutant monster, this much is granted.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°There will also be an award ceremony this weekend. The Chairman has arranged some special rewards, so start thinking about what you want to receive.¡±


    Any other academy would have merely given a mere certificate, but Babel always went the extra mile, which pleased Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Also, the investigation of the mutant monster, the Divine Tree, will soon be concluded,¡± added Kasar.


    Upon this particr bit of news, Se-Hoon adjusted his seat attentively.


    ¡°There seems to be no issue, so the materials from it will be distributed based on contribution to the battle... and Jake has decided to transfer all his shares to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we had a promise earlier.¡±


    They had agreed on this being the reward for forging the Luminescent Sword for him.


    ¡°So, you will take eighty percent, and I will have twenty.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon felt his heart pound at the thought of owning eighty percent of the drops from the Divine Tree, which countlesspanies and heroes had split into hundreds of shares in the past.


    <i>No, I shouldn¡¯t be toocent yet. Let¡¯s stay calm.</i>


    Unlike the Divine Tree subjugated before the regression, this one was barely B+ rank due to being awakened in an imperfect state. ordingly, it was important to secure as much as possible, with as immature as it was, since using it like before might now require several trials and errors first.


    <i>And choosing which part to take is also crucial.</i>


    Calming his excited heart, he looked at Kasar.


    ¡°Do you have any ns on selling your share to me?¡±


    ¡°<i>Ho</i>, you want to have it all for yourself?¡±


    ¡°The more materials, the better, and these don¡¯t seem like something you can just go out and get again.¡±


    Before responding, Kasar finished making a piece of sushi and ced it on a te in front of Se-Hoon.


    ¡°There are just two conditions.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    ¡°The exact date isn¡¯t set yet, but soon there will be a major subjugation mission of the Pilgrim¡¯s Path in Indonesia. If you have no special ns when that timees,e with me.¡±


    ¡°The Pilgrim¡¯s Path...¡±


    The Pilgrim¡¯s Path was a route along a holy barrier erected by the Pilgrim Karl Andersen, a Perfect One, to block the advancement of the Abyss of Demons. As such, a situation team was regrly organized to prevent the Abyss of Demons from eroding it. And Kasar was proposing that he participate in the mission.


    <i>If it¡¯s in Indonesia, it should be a C to B-ss Danger Zone... there shouldn¡¯t be much risk.</i>


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t apletely safe decision, but since Kasar would be going as well, there was no need to worry too much. Putting the sushi in his mouth, Se-Hoon contemted it further for a moment before nodding.


    ¡°Alright. What¡¯s the second condition?¡±


    ¡°I happen to know a few people who are quite skilled but can¡¯t properly wield their weapons. If there¡¯s time, I¡¯d like you to take a look.¡±


    Intrigued by the unexpected request, Se-Hoon asked for more details, ¡°You mean... people like Jake?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly like him, but simr. Also, I¡¯m not saying you must forge something for each of them; you just need to meet and assess their issues.¡±


    Considering they were individuals recognized by Kasar for their skills, he might also have known them in the past. Either way, it wouldn¡¯t hurt towork with some of them, so he nodded.


    ¡°Taking a look shouldn¡¯t be too hard. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll contact you when both schedules are set. I¡¯ll give you a two-week notice, so just focus on your own tasks in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    With that out of the way, Kasar nced at the now-empty tes.


    ¡°Shall I make more?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll dly have more.¡±


    When else would he get to enjoy sushi made by the Mist Battalion Sword himself? Noticing that Se-Hoon didn¡¯t even hesitate to ask for more, Kasar smiled in amusement.


    <i>This guy doesn¡¯t seem to be bothered by anything...</i>


    Considering how he had handled the Puppeteer¡¯s minions, he truly was a bold one. With a chuckle, he pulled out a fresh fish, his fondness for Se-Hoon growing.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll feed you all you can eat today.¡±


    Watching Kasar prepare the fish, Se-Hoon suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°By the way, where has the Chairman gone? He didn¡¯t seem to have been at the press conferences.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the Chairman?¡±


    Completely nonchnt, Kasar skillfully skinned the fish, and the moment he chopped its head off, he opened his mouth.


    ¡°He must be dealing with some ignorant fool.¡±


    ***


    In a dpidated warehouse on the outskirts of France, a hooded figure strode in briskly, swirling the dust within. Gazing at the light of the setting sun streaming through the broken windows and casting shadows in the increasingly dark warehouse, the figure, Vier Barmuth, spoke.


    ¡°Come out.¡±


    His voice echoed throughout the warehouse, stirring something from a shadowy corner, and then a shadow that resembled a human appeared.


    <i>Creak, squeak.</i>


    The puppet, still hidden in the shadows, moved jerkily before copsing into a chair in the shade.


    ¡°Our esteemed client seems quite upset.¡± Despite its eerie movements, a clear woman¡¯s voice came from the puppet.


    Vier furrowed his brow at his teasing tone.


    ¡°Are you making light of the situation even though you know what¡¯s happened?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I know what happened. Or should I not know? I didn¡¯t receive any reports from my subordinates after all...¡±


    Seeing the puppet stroke its chin, Vier clenched his fist without realizing it and shouted, ¡°Your damn puppets failed to kill Lee Se-Hoon, let alone inflict any serious injury!¡±


    He hadn¡¯t expected guaranteed sess when he firstmissioned the task to the Puppeteer. He knew how thoroughly Babel prepared for subjugation practicals and that an S-rank hero, the Mist Battalion Sword Kasar, was present at the scene.


    Hence, he had halved his expectations. As long as they managed to inflict Se-Hoon with severe injuries that required long-term care, they could have disabled his mana circuits in cooperation with Dawn.


    However, the result was aplete disaster. Far from being injured, Se-Hoon had ascended to an even higher position,plicating everything further.


    ¡°Now everyone around the world knows about him. If the Emperor of Ascension decides to protect him because of this, it¡¯s all over! What am I supposed to do now?!¡±


    Being an outstanding student and receiving the protection of Babel¡¯s very own Chairman, the Emperor of Ascension Ludwig, were twopletely different things. As the leader of Babel and a Perfect One, Ludwig wielded an enormous amount of societal influence. It would only be a matter of time before everyone around him would distance themselves since he had opposed someone Ludwig swore to protect.


    <i>It¡¯ll be inevitable that everyone rted to us in Babel will be reexamined for employment, including my father, and our business will also likely shrink...</i>


    For them to survive, the only option that would be left was to go under Wurgen Kruger of the UD Group, who wielded the same amount of influence as Ludwig. But if they were to do so, the identity of the Barmuth family would disappear and they would be just another subsidiary, unable to enjoy the same status and freedom as now.


    And with failure after failure, Vier¡¯s situation grew increasingly dire, so his fists clenched in anger and fear.


    ¡°Ahahahaha!¡± The puppet burst intoughter at Vier¡¯s words, its heartyughter causing dissonance with the eerily twitching shadow puppet.


    The twisted form sent shivers down Vier¡¯s spine as he watched, trying his best to keep a stern face. The puppet then waved its hand dismissively.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand what kind of person that old man is.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That old man does have a thing for talented individuals, sure, but his standards aren¡¯t that simple. Se-Hoon¡¯s nowhere near receiving his protection yet.¡±


    Completely assured, the puppet stroked its chin.


    ¡°But... given how obvious you made it seem like you were involved in this, it wouldn¡¯t take much for him to start pruning if something about you starts bothering hi¡ª¡±


    Vier flinched at the suddenly severed voice, waiting as the ensuing strange silence filling the warehouse stretched.


    ¡°Ah. Sorry. One of my ry points just blew away, so I got cut off for a moment. It seems the old man is a bit annoyed.¡±


    ¡°That means...¡±


    ¡°Our glorious Emperor of Ascension is flip¡ªping over my ba¡ªse like he¡¯s hunt¡ªing mice. Want me to keep talking until hees here too?¡±


    Vier¡¯s face turned pale at the Puppeteer¡¯s sly narrative. If he was used of dealing with the Ten Evils, it would lead to unforeseeable consequences.


    <i>But if I go back like this...</i>


    If he wasn¡¯t able to negotiate for another chance with the Puppeteer, then not only would he be fired, but his father might be as well.


    Vier became torn over whether to leave.


    ¡°Anyways, you don¡¯t need to worry about Lee Se-Hoon. I¡¯ll make sure he¡¯s taken care of next time,¡± the puppet said calmly, leaning back in its chair.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°The owner of the tree I used this time is quite mad at me. I agreed to help him with a job in exchange for keeping his mouth shut... so I think I can handle it then.¡±


    Was the Puppeteer plotting something else with a different group? Vier frowned at their vague exnations.


    ¡°If it ends like this time again...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    The puppet cut off Vier, leaning slightly forward from its chair. Now, out of the shadows, its face could be seen¡ªa coge of patches of human skin except for a grinning mouth.


    It then whispered softly, ¡°If necessary, I¡¯ll eliminate him by turning all of you into my puppets.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Vier¡¯s body instantly began to tremble faintly; though the Puppeteer¡¯s tone was filled with what seemed like kindness, they were suggesting that they would resort to erasing his entire lineage.


    Remembering what kind of being the Puppeteer was¡ªa fiend known to hunt even S-rank heroes for materials; a creator of thousands, if not millions, of puppets; a being whose true form was unknown to anyone¡ªVier clenched his fist tightly and barely managed to respond, ¡°That... won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    Leaving those words, he promptly left the warehouse, the puppet watching his retreating figure through a window bathed by the sunset.


    ¡°Babel...¡± it murmured.


    The Puppeteer, once a part of the Emperor of Ascension¡¯s little garden as well, thought of a flower that might have bloomed there and smiled, ¡°I hope it has grown well.¡±


    Then, like a thread had been cut, the puppet slumped lifelessly over the chair.

 Chapter 90

    <h4>Chapter 90</h4>


    In Marduk Mansion, the once main building of Babel that was now serving as the Chairman¡¯s office, two students stood side by side in a banquet hall, facing Chairman Ludwig himself.


    ¡°¡ªhaving risked their lives to save their peers and for being exemry heroes, I award these students with a certificate of appreciation.¡±


    Finishing his speech, Ludwig called out the names of the two standing before him.


    ¡°Aqar Quf¡¯s Department of Swordsmanship, first year, Jake Myers.¡±


    ¡°At your service!¡±


    ¡°Borsippa¡¯s Department of cksmithing, first year, Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°At your service.¡±


    Handing each certificate to the two in turn, Ludwig lined up with the two to take a photo together before moving on and concluding the ceremony. Then, once the brief ceremony hade to a close, Ludwig invited the two to his office.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bothering you two when it¡¯s the weekend. Today happened to be my only free day,¡± Ludwig apologized with a gentle smile.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it! We are grateful that you even spared the time, Chairman!¡±


    Noticing the nervousness in Jake¡¯s response, Ludwig gave him a kind smile.


    ¡°I appreciate that you think so. How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to the doctors in the hospital ward, I¡¯m fully recovered now!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. It¡¯s important to have the mindset of a hero, but don¡¯t overexert yourself. People like you are treasures to humanity.¡±


    ¡°Sir...¡±


    Jake¡¯s eyes sparkled. Hearing the genuine appreciation in the praise of Ludwig¡ªthe very first Perfect One and a hero admired by many¡ªwould thrill any student.


    <i>I¡¯m so bored... </i>


    However, Se-Hoon was not just <i>any</i> student; he was thoroughly unimpressed by the proceedings.


    <i>Couldn¡¯t we have just wrapped up after taking the photo? Why is he dragging this on for so long?</i>


    Having to go through a ceremonial event, which he had never been fond of, on top of being dragged around recently for investigations had made him increasingly irritable.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean to go off on that tangent,¡± remarked Ludwig, catching onto Se-Hoon¡¯s growing irritance. With a slight smile, he got back on track.


    ¡°Given your heroics in saving many students, as the Chairman, I¡¯d like to offer something in return. Is there anything you need?¡±


    With the conversation now onto the main point, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement, his previous annoyance disappearing.


    <i>If Ibine it with what he owes me, I should be able to get something quite decent.</i>


    Looking forward to Ludwig¡¯s generosity, Se-Hoon opened his mouth and was about to speak, but Jake beat him to it.


    ¡°Chairman.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Jake?¡±


    ¡°I would like my reward to be transferred to Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Having never expected Jake to say that, Se-Hoon became speechless, while Ludwig became interested.


    ¡°Is that really okay? I heard that you also handed over all of your portions of the drops from the Divine Tree.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything that I particrly need right now... and there¡¯s the promise I made with Se-Hoon before.¡±


    Jake nced at Se-Hoon and grinned.


    ¡°That I would pay him more than he could ever imagine.¡±


    Meeting Jake¡¯s eyes which seemed to be saying, ¡°Now, he surely won¡¯t say that this is still not enough,¡± Se-Hoon chuckled.


    <i>This guy...</i>


    He had thought Jake¡¯s repayment was over with the portion of the Divine Tree, but who would have expected things to turn out like this? Se-Hoon wanted to give Jake a pat on the head right here and then.


    epting Jake¡¯s reasoning, Ludwig nodded and said, ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what you truly want, I¡¯ll proceed with that in mind. I¡¯m looking forward to your future endeavors in the Department of Swordsmanship.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Then, you are now dismissed.¡±


    With a bow, Jake left the office. And Ludwig, watching his back the entire time, calmly noted, ¡°His potential has deepened more than before. It seems that the sword you forged for him matches him well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not <i>that</i> amazing of a weapon.¡±


    ¡°Ha, not amazing, you say? If you say that, then all of the cksmiths who struggled won¡¯t be able to show their faces.¡±


    Actually, the numerous cksmiths who tried to forge Jake¡¯s sword had erupted into a violent uproar once the stories of the Radiant Sword were leaked to the public.


    ¡°Babel is currently trying to create heroes through false propaganda! There¡¯s a limit to how much they can belittle us!¡±


    ¡°The true value of a weapon is revealed over time. Judging who is superior now is as meaningless it can be.¡±


    It was surprising enough that a first-year student, who was previously aplete nobody, had forged a Hero weapon. And then, it turned out that the sword he forged was the very sword that they had failed to forge, so they all imed that it was an exaggerated story. Of course, the general public also trusted this side of the story more.


    <i>Well, even I would deem it too far-fetched to believe without seeing it with my own eyes.</i>


    But what could they do? In the end, it was true that he had indeed seeded in forging the sword.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s more about the difference in ideas than skill. I believe everyone will understand eventually.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Well, don¡¯t worry about it too much. Dean Ryu is already nning to meet with each of the cksmiths directly and sort it all out.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Se-Hoon decided not to worry too much since Eun-Ha usually handled things cleanly, often being quite decisive.


    <i>She¡¯s like a clever version of the Mad Dog...</i>


    Though impulsive, she always assessed the situation properly before springing into action. So if Eun-Ha was stepping in, he knew that this noise would also be settled quickly.


    ¡°Now, about your reward... actually, before that, I have something to show you.¡±


    Lightly swiping his hand through the air, a giant keyhole appeared and turned before Ludwig, opening a white space from which an object dropped down.


    It was a fist-sized, dark-red fruit.


    Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes at the mysterious mist flowing around the fruit.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that...¡±


    ¡°Go on, take a look.¡±


    Receiving the fruit from Ludwig, Se-Hoon promptly examined the information message.


    <strong>[<u>Seed of the Divine Tree</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Awful]</strong>


    <strong>[A seed from a giant tree that tried to engulf an entire forest.</strong>


    <strong>Because it was formed hastily before the giant treepletely sumbed to death, its powers are imperfectly mixed, lowering its quality.</strong>


    <strong>However, holding this still grants resistance to spatial-type skills, and its properties change ording to the type of nutrients absorbed.</strong>


    <strong>*Grants resistance to spatial-type skills</strong>


    <strong>*Properties transform depending on the nutrients absorbed]</strong>


    Now understanding what it was, Se-Hoon stared nkly at the seed of the Divine Tree in his hand.


    <i>Have I ever seen this thing before?</i>


    It was a material he had never heard of, not even once before the regression. But regardless of whether that was because the tree had been subjugated after it had already fully grown or someone had snatched it, now that he had it, he could tell it was an incredibly valuable material just by reading its information message.


    <i>If handled well, this could potentially revive the Divine Tree, allowing it to achieve its desired form.</i>


    While it wouldn¡¯t be easy, it was definitely worth a try. But then, just as those thoughts crossed his mind, he suddenly began wondering why Ludwig had shown him it.


    ¡°This looks like a drop from the mutant monster that appeared recently.¡±


    ¡°Right. We discovered it inside a giant lotus while analyzing the collected remnants.¡±


    Growing serious, Ludwig¡¯s tone became grave as he looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°As you know, drops with resurrection attributes from monsters are strictly managed. Furthermore, there are remnants of the Puppeteer¡¯s Box in this one.¡±


    ¡°That means...¡±


    ¡°Under the Hero Special Act, I have no choice but to substitute it with a different reward.¡±


    Though expected, Se-Hoon felt his neck stiffen.


    <i>To have such a rare material be stolen in front of my eyes...!</i>


    If he had subjugated the tree alone, or at least had some strength left after the battle, he would have secretly taken it for himself.


    But before Se-Hoon could begin to inwardly curse his frustration, Ludwig gently smiled.


    ¡°Well, that would be the case, normally.¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    ¡°It seems a bit harsh to take away the material you put so much effort into obtaining. But more importantly... I¡¯m curious to see how you¡¯ll grow this.¡±


    Taken aback by the unexpected response, Se-Hoon wore a perplexed expression.


    ¡°Are you saying you¡¯ll give me this seed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. However, as I mentioned earlier, there are a few conditions that you must follow since it is a dangerous material.¡±


    Ludwig then set forth two conditions: Firstly, the ownership of the seed would be publicly acknowledged as Ludwig¡¯s to prepare for any eventualities, and it would be cultivated in a designated location within the campus grounds; secondly, regr reports on its growth status must be prepared and shown to him.


    <i>So he basically wants to conduct the research secretly to avoid any hassle.</i>


    Although regr reports seemed rather cumbersome, the conditions were still quite appealing since the location and materials would all be provided.


    <i>Growing it elsewhere myself is a bit risky as I can¡¯t watch it 24/7... but more importantly, increasing my chances to meet with Ludwig should be beneficial.</i>


    If he were able to gain Ludwig¡¯s attention, he would be able to receive more support and benefits from Babel. With nothing to lose, he decided to act immediately.


    ¡°When do you want me to start growing it?¡±


    ¡°Let me know when you have decided on how you want to cultivate it. At that point, I¡¯ll pick a suitable location and inform you then.¡±


    Facing the new challenge of cultivating the Divine Tree, Se-Hoon needed to think it over carefully so he nodded.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now then, let¡¯s talk about yourpensation.¡±


    Putting the seed back into the white space, Ludwig looked at Se-Hoon with anticipation.


    ¡°There¡¯s also that portion left over from before. Just ask me for anything you need.¡±


    Upon thinking about the Mount Silver Moon incident and his remainingpensation, Se-Hoon presented a response that he had thought of since then.


    ¡°I need something I can use to save myself in case of an emergency.¡±


    ¡°How severe of an emergency are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to use all of thepensation I¡¯m entitled to.¡±


    Hearing that Se-Hoon nned on using all of it, Ludwig became extremely interested.


    ¡°Most people would be more cautious after experiencing such an event... yet you seem to be preparing to continue moving around safely.¡±


    ¡°I am being cautious; it¡¯s just that making mey low could be what the enemy is aiming for. So, I would rather make them avoid me.¡±


    Se-Hoon had enough of being dragged around during his previous life.


    Surprised by his answer, Ludwig¡¯s expression widened into a smile, fully impressed by his determination.


    ¡°I like your mindset.¡±


    <i>Whoosh.</i>


    The white hole moved toward Se-Hoon and then dropped a small ring in front of him.


    ¡°<i>Ah</i>.¡±


    Catching it reflexively, Se-Hoon examined the ring in his hand.


    The ring had a simr pattern to the golden keyhole Ludwig often reached out in midair. He checked the information message of the seemingly ordinary ring.


    <strong>[<u>Ascension Ring</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A ring personally crafted by ¡®Ludwig Schubert,¡¯ the first to sessfully conquer a Tower of Heroes.</strong>


    <strong>It embodies the power of the Emperor of Ascension, specifically his spatial-type abilities. One can utilize this power by consuming their own mana.</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of spatial-type skills by consuming mana]</strong>


    He found the description too short for Hero equipment at first, but upon reading it in detail, his eyes widened.


    <i>Spatial-type equipment...?</i>


    This ring not only enabled the use of a specific type of skill but also allowed one to freely control it by consuming mana.


    Smiling at the sight of Se-Hoon¡¯s astonishment at its incredible versatility and convenience, Ludwig asked, ¡°So? How is it?¡±


    Though he had phrased it as a question, it was alreadyden with the certainty of what the response would be. And confirming that certainty, Se-Hoon looked up at Ludwig and responded, ¡°Chairman, you are truly a treasure to humanity.¡±


    He realized that the hero before his eyes was the real deal in this era.

 Chapter 91

    <h4>Chapter 91</h4>


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    Fascinated by the golden Ascension Ring, Se-Hoon slid it onto his finger, his full attention on it. It had a profound presence, somewhat reminiscent of the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx which he acquired within Mount Silver Moon.


    <i>The power of the Emperor of Ascension, huh? He gave me something really unexpected.</i>


    Though some might dismiss the ring once they saw that it was merely Hero tier, that would just be proof that theycked an understanding of what owning the ring truly entails. The Ascension Ring allowed one to do extensive research into how space was manipted and how Ludwig¡¯s powers functioned. Essentially, owning the ring was akin to owning a secret technique that could lead to bing the next Perfect One.


    <i>Well, that¡¯s just one possible scenario.</i>


    Just like how different people learned and achieved different things even while observing the same thing, what one could learn from the ring would also differ. For instance, the Pilgrim had generously taught his divine magic to the followers of the Pilgrimage Church, but he failed to train a new Perfect One before he died.


    <i>I¡¯ve always wondered... what even makes one a Perfect One.</i>


    Generally, the Perfect Ones were transcenders who climbed to the very top of a Tower of Heroes. But whether it was the conditions or their path to reach Perfect One status, even they themselves couldn¡¯t exin clearly.


    <i>Can I be one too?</i>


    If he analyzed this power or even refined it himself, could he be a Perfect One? He quickly grew deep in thought, pondering the possibility of such a thing; it was something he had never had time to consider before the regression.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Having been quietly observing, Ludwig saw Se-Hoon fall into deep thought asking, ¡°Have you ever handled spatial-type skills before?¡±


    ¡°Ah... no, I haven¡¯t used them before.¡±


    While he had forged spatial-type equipment before and even applied some of its basic principles to equipment, he had never directly wielded the power. Regardless, he found it difficult to handle since it demanded inherent talent rather than just theoretical knowledge.


    ¡°Hm. Then using it right away might be a bit premature,¡± Ludwig said a moment of ponderingter. Like swiping a phone screen, Ludwig swiped the air with two fingers.


    <i>Zing!</i>


    Noticing a tiny inscription being inscribed inside the ring, Se-Hoon flinched involuntarily.


    <i>This crazy old man...</i>


    Had the pressure used to inscribe the inscription been reversed, his finger would have been sliced through. The thought made his face turn bitter, still unaware of whether it was intentional or not.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I forgot you had quite a keen eye. Sorry about that. It seems I inadvertently threatened you by doing things the usual way,¡± Ludwig said, upon noticing the bitterness on his face. His expression was quite sheepish.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It seems like it wasn¡¯t intentional... anyway, what did you inscribe?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve inscribed a few spatial-type skills that you might find useful. Take a look.¡±


    Prompted by his exnation, Se-Hoon examined the ring¡¯s information message again and found three new lines.


    <strong>[*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Spatial Compression¡¯</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Spatial Leap¡¯</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Spatial Distortion¡¯]</strong>


    Three new spatial-type skills had been directly inscribed inside the Ascension Ring. Each was an often-used skill that was useful not only forbat but also for forging.


    ¡°First, start by getting ustomed to the concept of space with these skills. You should be able to get ustomed fairly quickly.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Se-Hoon acknowledged, growing confident.


    Now that he had been given such kind instructions, there should be nothing that he wasn¡¯t able to do. At Se-Hoon¡¯s confidence, Ludwig smiled gently.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡±


    Soon after Se-Hoon left, a voice suddenly emanated from the white hole.


    <i>¡°I thought his reward would just be a decent piece of armor, yet you actually handed over such power... what exactly are you plotting?¡±</i>


    ¡°There¡¯s no plot to speak of. I simply thought that power would be more useful to the boy.¡±


    At Ludwig¡¯s nonchnt response, the voice growled.


    <i>¡°That¡¯s exactly the problem. What if he analyzes the power? What then?¡±</i>


    Though the powers of Perfect Ones were transcendental, it was entirely possible that someone could utilize them, just like with the scattered remains of the Eternal Nocturne, Wurgen Kruger.


    Bestowing such a power openly was tantamount to exposing one¡¯s vulnerabilities¡ªthe exact reason why most Perfect Ones weren¡¯t entirelyfortable with doing such a thing.


    <i>¡°Even though most people won¡¯t be able to analyze it, that precocious bastard seems dangerous. He might actually pull it off and exploit your power.¡±</i>


    ¡°It seems you¡¯vee to look at him in a good light.¡±


    <i>¡°Do I sound like I¡¯m joking right now?¡±</i>


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    The entire office trembled faintly as an oppressive presence, enough to crush even high-ranking heroes like insects, flowed from within the white hole.


    But despite the presence, Ludwig maintained his smile and calm.


    ¡°Calm down. Haven¡¯t I always said that we shouldn¡¯t fear our power being analyzed and should enjoy it?¡±


    <i>¡°Says the one who wiped out half of Exuviation¡¯s research facility just because they got on your nerves.¡±</i>


    ¡°That was just a matter of timing. More importantly though...¡±


    Ludwig¡¯s gaze drifted to a newspaper on his desk, the front page featuring arge photo of Jake and Se-Hoon.


    ¡°This boy has potential.¡±


    <i>¡°Potential?¡±</i>


    ¡°The Perfect One and the Ten Evils. Heroes and demons. Humanity and the Demon Force.¡±


    By listing out the main yers dominating the world, he basically confirmed that they had all begun to focus their attention on Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Things might stir up more than we expect. So, we should lend him a little strength,¡± Ludwig said with a small smile.


    Grasping that Ludwig wanted to add to the turmoil and advance humanity one step forward, the voice from the white hole dryly said, ¡°<i>You are one sly bastard...¡±</i>


    <i>Click-</i>


    With that, the white hole was locked up once more, bing the golden keyhole again, and then disappeared. Ludwig turned to look out the window.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for me to start moving...¡±


    He needed to prepare for the direction the following series of events would take¡ªeven though he knew it would be something no one could ever predict.


    ***


    The next day.


    Entering a private forging room in the Department of cksmithing, Se-Hoon started up a furnace before sitting on a chair and gazing at his right hand.


    <strong>¡°Spatial Compression.¡±</strong>


    <i>p-</i>


    At themand, a pping sound had erupted from above his palm. Space had beenpressed from two directions, bursting the air between them.


    <i>The pressure isn¡¯t bad. I might be able to crush someone¡¯s finger if I use it properly.</i>


    Having verified its capability, he grasped an ignition stone with his right hand and lightly tossed it into the air.


    <strong>¡°Spatial Leap.¡±</strong>


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Though initially heading toward the door of the closed furnace, it suddenly disappeared before reappearing inside a momentter.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Seeing the mes within roar fiercely, he thought about the skill he just activated.


    <i>So it creates some sort of tunnel.... Considering the concentration and mana consumption needed, I shouldn¡¯t use it carelessly.</i>


    Using it with throwing weapons like the White Light Daggers might make it quite useful, but it seemed transporting his entire body was currently impossible.


    He picked up a sheet of paper and tried thest skill.


    <strong>¡°Spatial Distortion.¡±</strong>


    <i>Whoom-</i>


    A faint twist in space appeared above his palm, causing half of the paper to disappear before reappearing slightly arched upward from the center, forming a T-shape with the other half.


    He clicked his tongue at the still intact paper.


    <i>It¡¯s still terrifying to see.</i>


    On top of sending a part of an object to another location, the skill also connected the two parts seamlessly.


    And while the pieces of paper looked neatly attached, if it had been a finger, it wouldn¡¯t have been so clean.


    <i>Seems like I can¡¯t use this one easily either...</i>


    Like Spatial Leap, the stronger the desired effect, the more the difficulty would increase, though it depended on the size of the object and the presence of mana. It was virtually impossible to use Spatial Distortion to transport entire human bodies, as it often failed even with slightplications.


    <i>Still, this distortion phenomenon is quite fascinating.</i>


    Gazing down at the Ascension Ring, he became deep in thought about what he could potentially do with it.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon...?¡±


    Breaking him out of his thoughts, Eun-Ha entered the forging room, subtly shifting the atmosphere. She was looking at Se-Hoon with a peculiar expression, noticing that he was still examining his right hand.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but...¡±


    Her gaze was fixed intently on the Ascension Ring on his right ring finger.


    ¡°Where did you get that ring?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the reward the Chairman gave for my recent deeds.¡±


    ¡°A reward...¡±


    With that soft mutter, she began scrutinizing the ring with a wary expression, puzzling Se-Hoon.


    <i>What is she doing?</i>


    He wondered if she had some recent friction with Ludwig.


    Noticing his baffled gaze, Eun-Ha quicklyposed her expression.


    ¡°It seems you were given a fine reward. The Chairman should have been quite pleased with your performance.¡±


    ¡°Seems like it. He gave me this rather undeserved¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not undeserved.¡±


    Cutting off his words sharply, Eun-Ha firmly added, ¡°Rather, it¡¯s a fitting reward. There¡¯s absolutely no need for you to feel indebted or sorry to him for this. Do you understand?¡±


    Watching her impassive face turn serious as she spoke, Se-Hoon became slightly overwhelmed by her passion in trying to drive her point home.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I understand,¡± Se-Hoon agreed, nodding.


    ¡°<i>Ahem</i>. I apologize. I¡¯m just mentioning it because it seems you often underestimate your own worth.¡±


    Now that the mood had been reset, she stepped back and looked around the room.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s on the agenda for today¡¯s forging session? You mentioned in your message that you needed my help...¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. Let me exin now.¡±


    Remember what he called her for, he led her to the workbench to show her the materials prepared beforehand.


    On the bench was a dark red ore, a hammer with one side stained red, and piles of mass-produced equipment. Her gaze drawn to the ore, Eun-Ha¡¯s eyes soon lit up.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Dragon Lung Stone you received from the chairman before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    <strong>[<u>Dragon Lung Stone</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Excellent]</strong>


    <strong>[An ore that can umte fire mana.</strong>


    <strong>If the internal mana is stimted in a certain direction, it can release the stored fire mana in one go.</strong>


    <strong>*Can store and release fire mana]</strong>


    It was the other material he received from Ludwig because of the Mount Silver Moon incident. As he nned to use it for the modification of the ck me Hammer, it had been set aside until today due to ack of opportunities to properly use it.


    ¡°I n to use this to modify my hammer.¡±


    ¡°Modifying the hammer... what are these mass-produced equipment for then?¡±


    ¡°Ah, those are for you.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Why did he say he prepared the mass-produced equipment for her when he was going to modify his hammer? Mystified, she suddenly remembered the effect of the Dragon Lung Stone, and her eyes widened.


    ¡°Are you nning to use my mes as a material?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I n to do.¡±


    Se-Hoon intended to have the Dragon Lung Stone contain the zing me, the mes produced by Eun-Ha¡¯s unique skill, Soul Furnace. He would then use the ore to modify the ck me Hammer.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    But upon hearing his n, Eun-Ha¡¯s expression grewplicated.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that might be difficult...¡± she said in a subdued voice.


    ¡°Because the Dragon Lung Stone might melt?¡±


    ¡°You knew already?¡±


    She waspletely taken aback by the fact that he knew.


    Se-Hoon nodded. ¡°Yes, I did some research beforehand.¡±


    Aside from the fact that she literally consumed equipment, Eun-Ha was known as the Weapon Eater because of her affinity with equipment. Her zing me easily destroyed equipment and even ores.


    Hence, even if her enemies miraculously survived the battle, they often ended up losing all of their equipment.


    <i>I remember how much I spent trying to harness this me...</i>


    It took a year of research and eighty percent of his saved wealth. It was fortunate that he sessfully found a solution to it in the end, otherwise, he might have sumbed to frustration for the rest of his life.


    While Se-Hoon reminisced, Eun-Ha recovered and asked with a hint of surprise, ¡°So, you¡¯ve found a way to handle my zing me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a hypothesis. I¡¯ll test it out today, and if my solution seems usible, then we¡¯ll try using it with the Dragon Lung Stone.¡±


    Hearing the confidence in his voice, Eun-Ha pondered for a moment.


    She knew her me had cost many cksmiths their time and money. She also knew that going along with his n was reckless, but her gaze couldn¡¯t help but drift to the golden ring on his right hand.


    <i>That ring bears the Chairman¡¯s power.... He wouldn¡¯t have given it to him without any reason.</i>


    Though he had told her he wasn¡¯t interested in Se-Hoon before, that was then. Se-Hoon¡¯s recent aplishments might have changed his mind, and the ring on his finger would be proof of that.


    Thus, she became worried that Se-Hoon might be so enamored with rewards from Ludwig that he would vow to stay in Babel forever.


    <i>I won¡¯t let that happen.</i>


    She wouldn¡¯t let such a promising talent, her potential ally, be taken away so easily. Determined, she clenched her fist and nodded firmly.


    ¡°Understood. Shall I eat them up right now?¡±


    Seeing how she seemed ready to devour the mass-produced equipment, Se-Hoon quickly stopped her.


    ¡°No, there are a few experiments I want to try first.¡±


    ¡°Experiments...?¡±


    Confused, she watched as a sly grin appeared on Se-Hoon¡¯s face.


    ¡°Experiments that you¡¯ll like too, so please enjoy them.¡±

 Chapter 92

    <h4>Chapter 92</h4>


    Seating Eun-Ha beside the workbench, Se-Hoon picked up three identical mass-produced longswords and then walked over to stand in front of the furnace.


    <i>All three are Normal-tier. And from what I can tell, they won¡¯t be anything special in terms of vor.</i>


    To Eun-Ha, these would taste like baked potatoes sprinkled with sugar, a somewhat awkwardbination that wasn¡¯tpletely inedible.


    <i>Let¡¯s start lightly with the first one.</i>


    Done inspecting the mass-produced longswords, Se-Hoon immediately took one of them and started refining.


    <i>ng! ng!</i>


    He heated the de, tightening the misaligned structure and making the mana circuit more dense. He then used a whetstone to sharpen the edge before quickly finishing up the refinement of the de.


    <i>Good. That¡¯s enough for this one.</i>


    Setting down the refurbished sword, he picked up another and refined it in a simr manner. Like that, he soon finished refining all three.


    Now done with the refinement, he began the tempering process for one of them, picturing Miles Myers, the Mad Sword, in his mind to form the bond he had extracted before.


    <i>A person who opens his heart only to people who are rted to his family. He¡¯s someone who shows excessive aggressiveness inbat, but the root of the reason behind that seems to be something close to undervaluing his own life.</i>


    As Miles¡¯s personality didn¡¯t seem to be too different from before, it wasn¡¯t very hard for Se-Hoon to create a fairly decent Fatestone based on the Miles he knew before the regression.


    Momentster, a gently glowing yellow crystal formed in his hand. He inspected the almost weightless Fatestone before checking the information message.


    <strong>[<u>Fatestone - Nova Burst Stone</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Awful]</strong>


    <strong>[A crystal with a high concentration of light condensed inside.</strong>


    <strong>Infusing it with mana releases the light within in an explosive manner, producing some thermal energy.</strong>


    <strong>And if all of the stored light is released in this manner, it will be destroyed.</strong>


    <strong>*Releases the stored light instantaneously]</strong>


    <i>This is exactly like the Mad Sword</i>.


    Finished reading the information message, he gripped it in his right hand.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Nova Burst Stone¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    <i>Shing!</i>


    A brilliant ray of light burst out of his hand. Taking it, he channeled it through the hilt and into the de before plunging the entire de into the cooling liquid.


    <i>Sizz!</i>


    Smoke and light densely leaked out of the cooling liquid, only thinning a momentter, when a notification message appeared.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Nova Burst Stone¡¯ has been exhausted.]</strong>


    He pulled it out of the liquid.


    Looking at the sword now, a new bright yellow pattern had been engraved halfway up the de. Checking it, Se-Hoon ensured all the light had properly permeated inside and finished up the remaining work.


    Then, when he was fully finished, he offered the three swords to Eun-Ha.


    ¡°These are...¡±


    ¡°Please try each and tell me the differences.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Picking up that he had refined these swords to test her tastes, her eyes lit up and she quickly sat down on the chair in front of the longswords ced on the workbench.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡±


    Thanking him sincerely, she bit into the first sword.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    As she munched on the sword, her usually indifferent expression softened ever so slightly.


    ¡°Hmm... this is much better than it is normally. It has more umami... like it¡¯s been properly cooked.¡±


    ¡°Can you try the next one right away?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sure.¡±


    <i>Crunch, crunch.</i>


    She promptly devoured the second sword.


    Thinking for a moment, she said, ¡°It¡¯s simr to the previous one, but this one goes down the throat more smoothly. If I had to choose one to eat daily, I would prefer this one.¡±


    ¡°What about the charge rate of the Soul Furnace?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see... the charge rate...¡±


    Closing her eyes for a moment, she answered him with a slightly surprised look, saying, ¡°This one seems to be 1.5 times more.... How, though? There wasn¡¯t that much of a difference between them...¡±


    The charge rate of Eun-Ha¡¯s Soul Furnace differed by 1.5 times, even though the forging process for the two was nearly identical.


    At this new discovery, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes shone.


    <i>As expected, the actual performance of the equipment and her satisfaction don¡¯t corrte.</i>


    He had slightly modified the swords within a range that shouldn¡¯t have affected their performance, yet the charge rate had differed by 1.5 times. It convinced him that the judgment criteria of the Soul Furnace were quite specific.


    <i>So it depends on the taste... or more urately, the potential it possesses.</i>


    The only difference between the two swords was that further refinements might be difficult for the second since it was almostpletely refined.


    Long story short, the moreplete the equipment was, the higher its evaluation.


    <i>I need to research this more.</i>


    It was hard to be sure with just this one instance, so he decided to look into it again another time. Keeping the newfound information in mind, he looked at Eun-Ha, who seemed profoundly confused, again.


    ¡°Please try the third one now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, of course.¡±


    Nodding her head, she calmly picked up the third sword.


    ¡°...¡±


    Just by lightly gripping it, she already felt a difference, causing her to feel an odd palpitation.


    But it only made her pause for a moment; she bit into the longsword with one swift motion.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The instant the fragments of the de seeped into her body, her eyes widened.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Her usually calm hairtips red up instantly, giving off a bright crimson glow. It was a reaction unmatched by the first two swords.


    Swiftly inhaling the remaining bits of the de, she slowly opened her mouth.


    ¡°This one is...pletely different from the first two.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°It tastes like an entirely different dish that¡¯s made out of the same ingredients. To give an example... it¡¯s like the baked potato has turned into potato chips.¡±


    <i>Typical refinement is just like adding some seasoning or spices... but the Bond Imprint changes the recipe itself.</i> Se-Hoon was quite fascinated by her assessment.


    In the past, he hadn¡¯t been able to perceive the taste of equipment, so the method to match her tastes was unclear. But now it was clear that the effect of Fatestones, like Miles¡¯s, was better than he had thought.


    ¡°So, what about the charge rate?¡±


    ¡°The charge rate is worth about... 1.5 to 2 Advanced-tier pieces of equipment.¡±


    A single Normal-tier piece of equipment had managed to charge the near equivalent of Advanced-tier ones. While it might have just been because the Advanced-tier pieces of equipment mentioned were of the Awful quality, the statistics themselves weren¡¯t negligible.


    <i>Hmm. I¡¯m beginning to get a feel for it, </i>thought Se-Hoon, pleased with the satisfactory oue of understanding more about Eun-Ha¡¯s tastes.


    Meanwhile, Eun-Ha was reminiscing over the taste of the sword, a soft smile on her face.


    ¡°...yes. It was really delicious.¡±


    <strong>[The subject ¡®Ryu Eun-Ha¡¯ has felt like you deeply empathize with her.]</strong>


    <strong>[A Fatestone has been formed for the subject ¡®Ryu Eun-Ha¡¯.]</strong>


    A level two Fatestone had been formed.


    Seeing the soft smile on her face, the result of consuming somewhat mundane Normal-tier equipment, made Se-Hoon curious.


    <i>Was she always so expressive?</i> Before the regression, he would rarely see such rich emotions on her face.


    As he curiously watched her, the memories of the past began to ovep with his view of her.


    The memory of Eun-Ha, with a severed left arm and a hollowed-out chest, gazing at him with dimming eyes.


    Who then uttered, while revealing a hint of bitterness for the first time, ¡°I regret eating your equipment...¡±


    Those were herst words, ending when herst Fatestone finished seeping into him while he clutched her right hand.


    With that Fatestone, he had managed to forge new equipment to defeat the Destroyer of Light that had killed her, never forgetting herst words.


    <i>Why did she say she regretted it?</i>


    While he never fully understood what was going on in her mind, for the first time, he clearly understood that she truly regretted eating his equipment through the Fatestone that had seeped into him.


    As the doubt consumed him once again, memories long passed began flooding his mind.


    <strong>[Activating Awakening Dream]</strong>


    The scene before his eyes washed away like water in an instant.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon?¡±


    Wondering what happened to him, Eun-Ha puzzledly looked at him.


    Hearing her voice, Se-Hoon figured out that everything just now was a recollection from the past. He closed his eyes for a moment to clear his mind.


    ¡°Shall I prepare the rest of the swords like I did just now? Would that be alright?¡±


    At his suggestion, her eyes widened and she nodded excitedly.


    ¡°Yes, I would dly eat them all up if you did so.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go a lot faster this time since there¡¯s still a lot left.¡±


    Taking the chance, he rolled up his sleeves, heating up the stack of mass-produced equipment and hammering away all of the distracting thoughts.


    <i>The present is more important than the past.</i>


    It was crucial that he made sure both Eun-Ha and himself didn¡¯t leave any regrets this time. With each sword he refined, he hammered his determination into his mind. In the end, he refined over thirty mass-produced pieces of equipment and fed them all to Eun-Ha.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Seeing her vividly flickering hair, indicated that a reasonable amount of energy had been absorbed, he approached her and asked, ¡°Dean, could you gather some mes in your hand?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure..¡±


    Incongruous with her rxed expression, she rapidly drew up her mana, her palms reddening as mes began to burst.


    Likewise, Se-Hoon also drew up his own fire mana, summoning Scarlet me Wheel, and wrapped her hands with it.


    ¡°Wait wha...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just try to let the mes flow out as slowly as possible.¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    Reassured by his confident words, she nodded and slowly released the mes.


    <i>Ssss-</i>


    The Scarlet me Wheel channeled her mes deeper within Se-Hoon, who managed to maintain the intense and highly vtile zing me by circting it within his body.


    <i>Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve already used Iron Desire with Bond Imprint before that things are going more smoothly than in the past...</i>


    Upon receiving all of the mes, he slowly detached his hands and spread them open, showing a me dancing around his palms. Around it was a ring of circting scarlet-colored me, keeping it under perfect control. The sight astonished Eun-Ha.


    ¡°How did you...¡±


    She couldn¡¯t believe that the me that usually raged uncontrobly when transferred to another had been tamed.


    Instead of responding, Se-Hoon examined the me and asked, ¡°Could you bring the Dragon Lung Stone and my hammer here, please?"


    ¡°Ah, yes!¡±


    She fetched the two materials that were on the workbench. Looking at the materials in her hands, Se-Hoon first focused on the Dragon Lung Stone.


    ¡°Please ce the Dragon Lung Stone in the center.¡±


    She hesitated for a moment, but then nodded and ced the stone in the center.


    Walking up to it, he wrapped his hands around it, engulfing the Dragon Lung Stone in mes and quickly turning it into molten metal.


    ¡°This is... alchemical forging, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I thought it would be a good match with the mes.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter that a slight error in using this method could damage not just the impurities inside but even the power source of the ore, the Ore Essence, because such mistakes were unlikely with his vast amount of experience with it.


    <i>The Ore Essence of the Dragon Lung Stone should be at the deepest point. Then, it should be the Scarlet me Wheel and zing me in sequence...</i>


    Arranging the threeponents in his hands in a mold-like shape, he looked at Eun-Ha.


    ¡°Now, insert the red side of the hammer here, and on my signal, please activate the equipment skill, Elemental Convergence.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    With a nod, Eun-Ha grabbed the ck me Hammer and ced the red side as instructed inside the me in his hand.


    <i>Sizz!</i>


    One side of the ck me Hammer heated up, slowly merging with the mold Se-Hoon had created in his hand. Then, when the mana circuit he had mapped out in his mind was fully imprinted¡ª


    ¡°Now!¡±


    <i>Paang-!</i>


    All of the materials fused with the ck me Hammer. Making sure that the burst of air and mes properly seeped into the hammer, he slowly removed his hands, revealing a naturally engraved pattern of mes on one side of the hammer.


    Standing back, he admired the unexpectedly clean result.


    <strong>[The equipment ¡®ck me Hammer¡¯ has been transformed into ¡®Forgefire Hammer¡¯.]</strong>


    A new notification message popped up.


    <strong>[<u>Forgefire Hammer</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Excellent]</strong>


    <strong>[A hammer forged by refining Dragonite.</strong>


    <strong>Coated with the special mes absorbed by the Dragon Lung Stone, it can generate powerful mes capable of melting ores.</strong>


    <strong>It can also amplify the elemental mana applied to each side.</strong>


    <strong>*Amplifies the elemental mana applied to each side.</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Elemental Convergence¡¯</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Forgere¡¯]</strong>


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    Observing the hammer that turned out better than he had expected, he truly felt how much he had grown since he first regressed.


    <i>It¡¯s not perfect, but it¡¯s halfway there.</i>


    At this level, he might be able to use this hammer even inbat.


    <i>¡°Gulp.¡±</i>


    Suddenly, a loud sound resonated from in front of him.


    Looking up at the source, he saw Eun-Ha gazing at the Forgefire Hammer with a peculiar look.


    ¡°Dean?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Uh... Dean?¡±


    Feeling uneasy due to having to repeatedly call her, he watched her raise her head and meet his eyes. She looked like she was pondering something.


    A momentter, with a slightly shy expression, she carefully opened her mouth.


    ¡°Just one bite...¡±


    ¡°Nope, absolutely not.¡±

 Chapter 93

    <h4>Chapter 93</h4>


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    Finally finishing the intermediate forging session with Eun-Ha, Se-Hoon returned to the dormitory and took a quick shower. Now in fresh clothing, heid down on his bed.


    ¡°Did I push myself too hard...¡±


    He originally nned on doing simple tune-ups, but after seeing Eun-Ha gradually bing tired of eating the same swords over and over again, he unconsciously used his fire mana.


    As a result, he felt anguidness throughout his body, but his mind was clear. It was an awkward state to be in; he couldn¡¯t move or restfortably. In the end, Se-Hoon decided to check his stats, which he hadn¡¯t done in a long time.


    <strong>[Lee Se-Hoon]</strong>


    <strong>[Strength - C (170) Endurance - C (165)</strong>


    <strong>Mana - C (190) Agility - C (167)</strong>


    <strong>Unique Skill: cksmith of Bonds</strong>


    <strong>Elemental Mana: Scarlet me Wheel (D+), Moon Shadow (D)</strong>


    <strong>Learned Skills: Celestial Infinity de (S), Soul Honing (S), Dream Storage (A), Eyes of irvoyance (A), Mortal Combat Techniques (A), Master of mes (C), Incantation: Attribute (C), Awakening Dream (C), ck Weaver (D)]</strong>


    ¡°Hmm... not too bad.¡±


    Pure stat-wise, he was still average for Babel. Still, he had significantly increased the quantity of elemental mana he possessed and acquired many new skills, some of which he had never learned before the regression.


    <i>It¡¯s good that I¡¯ve gained skills I never learned before... but it feels a bit messy now.</i>


    Before regressing, he only ever developed new elemental mana through Soul Honing. He hadcked talent in both martial arts and magic, so it was an approach that suited his inclinations back then.


    <i>Though, I seem to be a bit different now.</i>


    During this second chance, he was able to quickly pick up techniques like Kwang-Soo¡¯s Vision Sword Techniques, Mortal Combat Techniques, and his Eyes of irvoyance. He was also able to easily master the arts of enchantment and sorcery.


    Perhaps¡ªno, he was now certain that he had developed a talent for martial arts and magic.


    It was an iprehensible thing, but since it was this way, there was only one thing for him to do.


    <i>I should properly learn something new.</i>


    <i>¡°Use whatever materials are avable.¡±</i>


    Recalling the teachings of his master, he pondered over how to develop himself moving forward.


    <i>First things first... let¡¯s acquire a third type of elemental mana.</i>


    The true potential of Soul Honing could only be seen after acquiring the third type of elemental mana. Thus he decided that he could think about what to learn and do after mastering Soul Honing fully again.


    <i>Let¡¯s see. Who should I ask... </i>


    Going over the choices in his head, he soon decided on the right person and sent a message on his phone. Then, he turned off the phone screen and waited for a reply.


    But instead of a reply, a phone call came in: Inoue Erika.


    <i>That was incredibly fast...</i>


    Wondering whether she had been coincidentally looking at her phone, he answered the call.


    ¡ªWhat do you need?


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing much. I was just wondering if you could get me some Purifying Earthstone.¡±


    A Purifying Earthstone was an ore that contained pure, intrinsic earth mana and was used to restorends contaminated by demonic aura. But while it wasn¡¯t necessarily rare, obtaining high-quality ones was challenging due to the Abyss of Demons eroding them and their popr usage by those in various cultivation facilities. As such, securing high-quality stones typically required good connections.


    ¡ªWhat tier are you looking for?


    ¡°At least Rare. I¡¯ll pay properly, including the intermediary fee¡ª¡±


    Before Se-Hoon could finish, he was interrupted by Erika¡¯s calm voice.


    ¡ªNo. I don¡¯t need the money.


    Pausing, Erika then got to her main point.


    ¡ªI just want your equipment.


    ¡°Ah, right, I did say I would make a piece for you.¡±


    Though he said that, Erika¡¯s equipment had been dyed by thepletion of the Luminescent Sword and the preparations for the subjugation practical, not to mention the ensuing aftermath.


    <i>Sung-Ha¡¯s and Luize¡¯s are supposed to be before hers, but it shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem to proceed with a quote.</i>


    Since she was helping him get materials, it was only right for him to show some sincerity. His decision made, he asked, ¡°Then, shall we meet now? Let¡¯s start with the quote...¡±


    ¡ªI¡¯lle over now. See you at the entrance.


    <i>Click.</i>


    Before he could even respond, the call abruptly ended. The anticipation conveyed in her calm voice momentarily flustered him before he then chuckled.


    <i>She must have really craved it.</i>


    Considering that she had been keen on recruiting him ever since realizing his potential, her reaction was expected.


    Thinking about that, he killed some time and then got up from bed, immediately going down to the entrance.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°<i>Caw</i>.¡±


    Upon stepping out, he was greeted by Erika, who had already arrived.


    She was wearing a white knit tee and a brown long skirt, a crow perched naturally on her shoulder. Her impable appearance made Se-Hoon feel slightly awkward.


    ¡°Were you nearby?¡±


    Seeing as how she was able to arrive so impably after the call, he wondered if she had been walking nearby.


    Erika shook her head.


    ¡°No. I flew here.¡±


    ¡°<i>Caw</i>,¡± the crow called, pping one of its wings as if it had done the flying itself.


    Upon her answer, Se-Hoon¡¯s face lit up with interest.


    <i>Does it have some kind of transportation spell? To arrive all the way here from Ur¡¯s dormitory in less than two minutes, the speed must be quite... huh?</i>


    Examining the crow perched on her shoulder, he suddenly narrowed his eyes, noticing something.


    ¡°Did the crow fromst time die?¡±


    At first, he thought it was the same one because it looked identical, but when inspecting it closer, the atmosphere around it and its overall feeling seemed a bit different.


    It was merely a hunch that was hard to exin precisely, so his question had been half-filled with doubt.


    Starting silently at him for a moment, Erika then slowly nodded.


    ¡°Yes. It died in battle.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. So it <i>was</i> challenging for an ordinary crow.¡±


    Dealing with the monsters from the ck Lotus Seas was one thing, but dealing with the overwhelming roots of the Divine Tree was an entirely different matter.


    <i>This new crow also seems pretty ordinary.... Maybe I should forge something useful for this one.</i>


    Thinking of how to incorporate a crow with the mythical equipment Erika used before the regression, he quickly conceived a blueprint in his mind.


    ¡°Can youe over here for a moment?¡±


    Leading Erika to a nearby park, he sat on a secluded bench and extended his hand.


    ¡°Lend me your crow for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    At her gesture, the crow gently glided down and perched on his hand.


    ¡°<i>Caw</i>.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see...¡±


    He activated the Eyes of irvoyance and examined the flow of mana circting within the crow¡¯s body. As he observed the thin line of purple mana flowing throughout its body and the silver mana embedded throughout its skeleton, his face grew more and more intrigued.


    <i>She embedded a simple spell pattern, and shortened the buffing time.... She¡¯s using it quite toughly.</i>


    To put it simply, she was enhancing the crow as if she was holding a sketchbook and sketching every moment of a moving subject, preparing to transition to a line drawing at any time. As a result, if a single line was off even slightly, the simple spell pattern could warp all of the mana inside the crow.


    It was a method of enhancement that required caution, but Erika handled it very naturally.


    <i>Since the overall framework is in ce, there shouldn¡¯t be any difficulties.</i>


    Having finished his examination of the structure of the simple spell form, he quickly found its focal point and ced his hand on it.


    <strong><i>ck Weaver</i></strong>


    Threads of ck Weaver sprouted from his fingertips and spread throughout the crow¡¯s body, prompting a look of interest from Erika.


    ¡°Are you trying to connect all of the spell forms into one?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I am trying to do. I¡¯m thinking of synchronizing them together... Spread your palm out wider, please.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Inspecting her right palm, he connected the strands of ck Weaver extending from his fingertips throughout various points.


    ¡°Right here... no, a bit more to the right...¡±


    Carefully aligning every strand of ck Weaver with the subtle flow of mana in her palm, he removed his hand.


    ¡°Try infusing some mana into it now.¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡±


    Examining the threads of ck Weaver Se-Hoon connected, Erika subtly narrowed her eyes.


    <i>The setup isn¡¯t bad, but... the efficiency isn¡¯t very good.</i>


    Compared to her usual method, it was only about eighty percent effective. She looked at him again, double-checking if it was right.


    Seeing her questioning look, Se-Hoon chuckled.


    ¡°Just give it a try.¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    Nodding, she infused her mana into the strands of ck Weaver, and the crow¡¯s body gradually began to turn silver.


    <i>Whoong-</i>


    A curtain of silver mana covered it from head to toe.


    However, parts of it were clumped or distorted, the result of the unusual method of infusing mana. Yet, despite that, Se-Hoon just nodded after inspecting it


    ¡°Good. Keep the output steady now.¡±


    He began drawing up Moon Shadow in his right hand, slowly smoothening over the mana surrounding the crow¡¯s body.


    <i>Sssss-</i>


    The parts of the mana curtain that were touched by Moon Shadow began to mold like y, causing him to nod in satisfaction at the transformation.


    ¡°Mmm. You spread your wings too.¡±


    ¡°<i>Caw</i>.¡±


    Slowly, the silver mana enveloping the crow was leveled out by his hand, transforming the crow into apletely different form.


    ¡°<i>Caw</i>!!¡±


    Silvery manes that were sharp as des sprang up all over its body, its form now resembling more of an eagle than a crow.


    But upon seeing it, Erika grew confused.


    <i>Does this matter, though?</i>


    The mana invested in creating that shape could have been used to enhance the crow¡¯s strength by thirty percent more than usual.


    But again, upon seeing her doubtful look, Se-Hoon just grinned.


    ¡°Try having it soar into the sky.¡±


    ¡°Okay....¡±


    Though skeptical, she infused the crow with her mana again andmanded it to fly upwards.


    <i>Boom-!</i>


    A silvery sh shot up from Se-Hoon¡¯s hand, piercing the air and shooting high into the sky.


    ¡°...?!¡±


    The crow¡¯s speed was overwhelmingly faster than when under the usual enhancement. And while that alone was surprising, what truly caught her attention were the other subtle changes.


    <i>The instantaneous eleration has at least doubled. And the manes are interlocking to increase their pration...</i>


    On top of that, the crow could pierce through the enemy with its beak while its manes shed the entirety of its surroundings as it brushed past them, inflicting more definitive damage.


    It was an oue that far exceeded her expectations, she looked on in wonder, amazed.


    ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Well, as you know, crows are not normally used forbat. Therefore, even if you simply enhance their physical abilities and add some spell patterns, it doesn¡¯t change their fundamentally inefficient parts. That¡¯s the part I solved.¡±


    Erika had perfectly optimized the enhancement of the crow itself, but she hadn¡¯t mastered transforming it into a form specialized forbat. Though considering that one of her main skills before regression was called Demon Crow Armament, an enhancement spell, perhaps it was just that she hadn¡¯t felt the need to rather thancked the ability to.


    ¡°I¡¯ll forge something that you can use to support and help you with your practice. Try to figure out how to apply what you¡¯ve learned today to it.¡±


    ¡°...Okay, got it.¡±


    Now even more invested, Erika nodded seriously.


    ¡°When will it be ready?¡±


    ¡°Well, there are two others ahead of this one...¡±


    The materials for Sung-Ha¡¯s were ready, so he could start today and continue intermittently. As for Luize, he likely needed to give her more time to get ustomed to using incantation magic, which worked out since he also needed more time to gather the necessary materials for her equipment.


    ¡°I do have some leeway, so I¡¯ll try to forge it within this week...¡±


    <i>Vrr-</i>


    Upon feeling a vibration in his pocket, he pulled out his phone and saw a familiar name: Yeom Sung-Ha.


    <i>Why is he calling all of a sudden...</i>


    It was slightly rming that the caller was Sung-Ha of all people, as it probably meant that he had caused some trouble.


    A brief momentter, he sighed and said to Erika, ¡°I need to take this call for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He excused himself and answered the phone, hearing a gruff voiceing through.


    ¡ªHave you finished the spear?


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡ª<i>Tsk.</i>


    ¡°...¡±


    Just two exchanges in, Se-Hoon already felt frustrated.


    Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he asked, ¡°Is there something going on? Why do you need it urgently?¡±


    ¡ªThere¡¯s something urgent. How long would it take if you started on it now?


    ¡°Uh... let¡¯s say five days, to be safe.¡±


    He had already finished nning out how to forge it, so it was definitely doable within a week. Upon hearing his answer, a moment of silence of silence passed.


    ¡ªMake it in four days.


    <i>Click-</i>


    Leaving that rude demand, he hung up like there was nothing more to say. Anyone else might have lost their temper, but Se-Hoon was more concerned about other things.


    <i>This guy... did something happen to him?</i>


    Even though Sung-Ha was known for being self-centered and inconsiderate, he wasn¡¯t the type to desperately ask for something unless it was actually necessary.


    Breaking Se-Hoon out of his pondering over whether to call Sung-Ha back, Erika spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s probably for the ceremony starting tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Ceremony?¡±


    ¡°I got a notice earlier that there would be a briefing on a new project and Yeom Sung-Ha¡¯s promotion ceremony at the me Sect.¡±


    ¡°...Looks like they¡¯reing up with something big.¡±


    Perhaps that was why Sung-Ha urgently needed the spear. Understanding the urgency of the situation, he looked at Erika.


    ¡°Thanks for letting me know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she replied calmly.


    Hearing that, Se-Hoon stood up with an awkward smile on his face.


    ¡°Unfortunately it looks like you¡¯ll have to wait for your equipment.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°Yeom Sung-Ha has already booked an order, and he wants it in four days. I¡¯ll need to rush a bit to meet the timeline.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Watching her face be expressionless as an ominous aura formed around her, Se-Hoon made a sheepish expression.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to make yours next, so just wait a little longer!¡±


    It was brutal that he had raised her hopes and then crushed them by telling her that she had to wait, but what could he do? Sung-Ha had booked him first.


    ¡°See you next time, then!¡±


    Leaving behind his regards, he quickly returned to his dorm room, leaving Erika alone on the bench, staring after him.


    ¡°<i>Caw</i>!¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The crow, havingpleted a vigorous flight,nded confidently and looked at its master.


    ¡°Does he dislike me...?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Hearing her menacing murmur, the crow quietly folded its wings and turned away.

 Chapter 94

    <h4>Chapter 94</h4>


    The splendid headquarters of the me Sect, located in the heart of Seoul, was bustling as usual, with numerous people hurrying about. From renowned journalists to heroes who managed their own guilds, various businesspeople, and Korean politicians, these distinguished guests¡ªinvited for the sect project briefing¡ªwere all being ushered into the massive sparring arena on the first floor.


    ¡°...¡±


    Below the arena, Sung-Ha stood stoically in his uniform, slowly scanning the murmuring crowd. It irked him that the spectators acted like they were watching an entertaining spectacle, but he dismissed it swiftly.


    <i>Those useless fools aren¡¯t worth my attention.</i>


    What mattered the most was ensuring today¡¯s promotion ceremony went off without a hitch.


    ¡°You fool.¡±


    Interrupting Sung-Ha while he was calming his breath, an old man, with stark white hair roots, stood beside Sung-Ha and scolded him.


    ¡°What were you thinking, showing your fangs to the Sect Master? Do you have a death wish or something?¡±


    Upon hearing the old man¡¯s scolding, Sung-Ha furrowed his brows.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern, old man,¡± he retorted.


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°Buzz off if you¡¯re just here to babble pointlessly.¡±


    With that, Sung-Ha closed his eyes and resumed his breathing, dismissing the old man with an audacity that bordered on disrespect. His behavior left the old man gaping in disbelief before he eventually sighed.


    ¡°Boy, if I had been concerned about such things, I wouldn¡¯t have approached you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°The Sect Master has finally unsheathed his sword because of this time. Even those of us who chose to be neutral have to choose a side now,¡± exined Park Jin-Hwan, the me Sect¡¯s associate cksmith.


    A long silence passed, and then Sung-Ha slowly responded, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you choose their side then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already been determined to be an obstacle for their ongoing project, which led to my demotion a while back. But even if I hadn¡¯t been demoted, I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to side with them.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sung-Ha didn¡¯t respond anymore.


    By applying for the promotion to the state of Seven Rings, he effectively marked the beginning of the contest for the position of the next sect master. He had pondered over the chaos that might ensue from this, but he ended up quickly dismissing the thought from his mind.


    <i>It doesn¡¯t matter what happens anymore.</i>


    His master wanted him to be the sect master, and he was determined to fulfill that wish. He reaffirmed hismitment to that in his mind.


    ¡°The moment you ascend that sparring arena today, the Sect Master won¡¯t hold back anymore,¡± Park Jin-Hwan suddenly said.


    ¡°He might even send people to eliminate you right after your promotion.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So, considering this is yourst chance, I¡¯ll ask again.¡±


    Looking seriously into Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes, Park Jin-Hwan asked, ¡°Are you truly confident in this?¡±


    At his question, Sung-Ha was suddenly reminded of a conversation with a peculiar individual.


    <i>¡°Starting now, I¡¯ll make you a sect master even if you say you don¡¯t want toter.¡±</i>


    Recalling the unmistakable assurance in Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes as he dered his ambition to make him the next sect master, Sung-Ha firmly stated, ¡°I will be the next sect master.¡±


    ¡ªThe promotion ceremony of disciple Yeom Sung-Ha to the state of Seven Rings will now begin. Distinguished guests, please take your seats...


    As the sparring hall quieted down, Sung-Ha watched the Sect Master¡¯s shadow pass through the doorway and calmly added, ¡°<i>He</i> made that kind of a deal with me.¡±


    ***


    On a Sunday morning, a time when students were relishing the remaining weekend and dreading the uing Monday, Se-Hoon was preparing for a forging session in In-Cheol¡¯s workshop.


    ¡°<i>Hmph</i>...!¡±


    <i>Thud!</i>


    A heavy sound echoed due to the heavy metal box that he ced on the floor.


    ¡°This is damn heavy...¡± muttered Se-Hoon, wiping the sweat from his forehead and slowly catching his breath.


    Usually, a void box of this size wouldn¡¯t be so heavy, but it was unavoidable this time because it contained all of the drops from the Divine Tree that were recovered from the ck Lotus Seas.


    <i>Well, at least I can move it all at once like this.</i>


    Anything could be conveniently transported using void spaces nowadays, but in the past, people had to manually transport everything because there were such no suitable means to transport everything at once.


    Thus, if they had defeated a monster like the Divine Tree back then, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to transport it all to Babel; a portion of the entire drops would have been recovered while the rest was destroyed.


    <i>If I think about it like that, Ludwig is one remarkable individual.</i>


    In the past, only a scarce few among those who could handle spatial-type skills could utilize void spaces, but everything changed when Ludwig became the first Perfect One and descended from the Tower of Heroes.


    He systematized the creation of void spaces with a form and then distributed it for free for everyone to use.


    <i>He also restored pipelines between nations, solved supply issues caused by monsters and demons, increased the recovery rate of monster drops, and improved the armaments of heroes... the list of his aplishments just goes on and on.</i>


    It was all just history now, but at that time, Ludwig was nothing short of a miracle worker to all those active. The thought made Se-Hoon click his tongue inwardly.


    <i>This is why Perfect Ones are terrifying beings.</i>


    They were transcendent beings capable of solving problems that neither entire nations nor humanity as a whole could address. Realizing once again how many natural aspects of everyday life were due to Perfect Ones, he ced his hand on the panel on the void box lid.


    <i>Keeing-</i>


    The Ascension Ring on his right ring finger faintly glowed, and then a warehouse-likeyout formed naturally in his mind. The neatly organized drops of the Divine Tree inside awed him.


    <i>An internal projection feature... this is quite an expensive box.</i>


    He had thought it was a cheap giveaway, but it turned out that Ludwig had given him a top-of-the-line model, possibly another part of the reward for his recent aplishments.


    Feeling impressed once again by Babel¡¯s generous spending, he selected thergest fragment of the Divine Tree among all of the different drops.


    <i>Click!</i>


    The front of the metal box opened like a door, and a dark fragment of the Divine Tree smoothly slid out.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Seeing that the single fragment of the Divine Tree wasparable in size to an ordinary tree, he was made acutely aware again of the substantial quantity of drops from the Divine Tree that he had managed to secure.


    <i>With these and the seed that I¡¯ll growter... I should have enough tost until I deal with all six Harbingers of Destruction.</i>


    While he reveled in the satisfaction of how many pieces of equipment he could forge with all that, In-Cheol, who had parked his motorcycle outside, entered the workshop.


    ¡°Is this a drop from that Divine Tree?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s huge, just like the rumors. May I take a closer look?¡±


    Seeing In-Cheol looking on with interest, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lent me the workshop already; go ahead. Just try not to use any mana.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Approaching the fragment of the Divine Tree, In-Cheol stroked its surface.


    <i>Usually, materials that are broken into pieces like thisck durability before processing... but this one is different. It feels like an entire tree, not just a fragment.</i>


    Marveling at the fragment of the Divine Tree, he checked the information message.


    <strong>[<u>Divine Tree Fragment</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Rare] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A part of the Divine Tree that grew in the ck Lotus Seas.</strong>


    <strong>Nourished by the vast nutrients of the soil, the Divine Tree grew abundantly but due to the aftermath of the destruction, the fragments have lost much of their original power.</strong>


    <strong>*The properties change depending on the mana infused into it]</strong>


    ¡°This is...¡±


    Upon finding out it was a material that changed its properties depending on the mana infused into it, In-Cheol¡¯s eyes widened in amazement.


    ¡°It¡¯s a material that changes properties while processing it.... With this level of versatility, this could be considered Hero material.¡±


    No matter how skilled the cksmith, if the materials used were inherently ipatible from the start, limitations in the final product were inevitable.


    However, since the properties of this fragment of Divine Tree could be altered at will, it could adapt to even the most difficult materials, making it essentially a material that could be used for everything.


    ¡°How much does this represent out of the total amount you¡¯ve acquired?¡±


    ¡°Less than one percent.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Astonished by the fact that Se-Hoon had secured so much of such material, In-Cheol, who wore a curious expression, then asked, ¡°But can you use all of it by yourself?¡±


    Even if Se-Hoon worked diligently, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to use thousands of tons of materials alone.


    To his question, Se-Hoon wore a slight smile.


    ¡°It definitely is quite a lot, but not to that extent. More than half of it will be disposed of once I sort out the usable ones.¡±


    ¡°...You will filter it out to such extremes?¡±


    The fact that so much could be reduced just by sorting out was baffling.


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand right away once you examine them for yourself, Professor. But for that to happen, the assistant needs toe quickly...¡±


    ¡°Assistant? But there¡¯s no one suitable from our department...¡±


    <i>Knock, knock.</i>


    The moment he finished speaking, a knock echoed from the entrance of the workshop. Turning around, In-Cheol saw a silver-haired girl peering shyly into the workshop.


    ¡°Um.... Is there a bastar¡ªno, a freshman here named Lee Se-Hoon?¡±


    ¡°Ah. This is the workshop. Come on in.¡±


    Hidden behind In-Cheol, Se-Hoon leaned to the side and gestured for Luize to enter. Noticing him, she frowned as she stepped inside.


    Seeing Luize wearing a in choker, a ck hoodie with a wolf character, and long jeans, Se-Hoon became intrigued.


    <i>So she does have casual clothes.</i>


    When she was the st Dog, he had only ever seen her wear a ck rider suit, even when she was asleep, so her ordinary attire felt quite unusual.


    ¡°...What are you staring at?¡± snapped back Luize, who slightly avoided his silent gaze.


    But Se-Hoon just grinned and shared his genuine thoughts, ¡°Your casual clothes suit you well.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    His words sounded like apliment, but she felt like it could also be an insult. She was too embarrassed to ask his intention though, thinking it would slightly wound her pride, so she nced at his side.


    ¡°And who is this?¡±


    ¡°Ah. This is Professor Kim In-Cheol, the owner of the workshop.¡±


    ¡°Pleased to meet you. I¡¯m Kim In-Cheol.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Nice to meet you. Luize Valente.¡±


    They exchanged a light bow. Though it was a bit awkward, Se-Hoon quickly got to the point since it had nothing to do with the work.


    ¡°Now that the assistant is here, let¡¯s get started.¡±


    ¡°Assistant? You only said you wanted to have a word with me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be talking, but it won¡¯t be with me.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What does that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get moving for now.¡±


    Gripping her shoulders, Se-Hoon pushed her toward the end of the fragment of Divine Tree and then pulled out a White Light Dagger from his pocket.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see...¡±


    Inspecting the woodgrain-like patterns on the fragment, he carefully carved a small notch and connected it to one end of a created thread of ck Weaver, tying the other end to the handle of the White Light Dagger.


    He then carved several notches and tied all the threads to the dagger before finally inserting the tip of the White Light Dagger into the center of the fragment.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°What is this... a tent?¡±


    Seeing Luize puzzled by the threads of ck Weaver spreading out in all directions from the handle of the White Light Dagger, Se-Hoon corrected her.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s more like a handset if anything.¡±


    ¡°This?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get it once you use it.¡±


    He then connected a new thread of ck Weaver to the handle of the White Light Dagger and then extended the end in front of her mouth.


    ¡°Go ahead, bite on it.¡±


    ¡°What am I even doing right now, on a weekend too...¡±


    However, despite her sighing and grumbling, she still bit on the thread, trusting her benefactor. The sight greatly pleased Se-Hoon, who was standing beside her.


    ¡°This piece of wood is in a sort of dormant state right now. So try to use your Incantation Magic to wake it up like giving a kick.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Seeing Luize look at him like he was spouting nonsense, he calmly simplified his instruction.


    ¡°Just try to wake it up.¡±


    ¡°What???¡±


    Still unable to grasp the concept, she grew more and more bewildered, prompting Se-Hoon to sigh deeply and remove the thread from her mouth.


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>... I¡¯ll show you a demonstration, so watch closely.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what...!¡±


    Before she could say more, he bit the thread of ck Weaver and quickly refined his mana, preparing to cast Incantation Magic.


    <i>My amount of mana is stillcking, so I¡¯ll have to make do with utilizing Synesthetic Imagery.</i>


    The nature of Incantation Magic varied greatly depending on the synesthetic imagery the cast harbored. To maximize the effect, he remembered a moment when he earnestly yearned that someone would wake up.


    <i>Master...</i>


    He immediately began seeing his own blood-soaked hands grasping at nothing. It was an extremely unpleasant memory, but one would only be a true user of Incantation Magic if they could utilize such memories as a tool.


    Steeling himself due to the advice of the st Dog from before his regression, he slowlypleted the synesthetic imagery, basing it on his memory.


    <strong>¡°Mental Awakening.¡±</strong>


    The incantation traveled through the thread, splitting off and prating deep into multiple locations of the fragment of the Divine Tree.


    <i>Drrrrrrrr-!</i>


    The fragment of the Divine Tree began to tremble wildly. Then, just as it seemed to be settling down, multiple changes started urring throughout it.


    <i>Crackkkkkkkk-</i>


    It shrank in size, and newyers of bark wrapped around its surface. When it seemed like it was about to be reborn as a new tree, he used another spell he had prepared.


    ¡°<strong>Growth Suspension.</strong>¡±


    The wild growth of the fragment of the Divine Tree halted. The sight astonished In-Cheol who had been watching from the side.


    ¡°This thing was... still alive?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it probably just went dormant after being split.¡±


    In the past, the Divine Tree had gained fame as a material due to its versatility and tenacious life force. It was to the point that, once in the past, an S-rank hero bought it for decoration and nted it in their garden. And just after one night, it had rooted itself and dried up all of the surrounding nts.


    ¡°It might not be as vigorous as the original, but if we can utilize its life force, we could easily adapt it to even the most challenging materials.¡±


    ¡°...You really have obtained an incredible material,¡± said In-Cheol in utter awe, imagining the wide variety of objects that could be made from it.


    In contrast, Luize was looking at Se-Hoon with a baffled expression.


    ¡°Why did you call me if you could do it yourself?¡±


    ¡°Because experience is important for an Incantation Mage. It seemed like a good training opportunity for you.¡±


    ¡°Then why on a weeken¡ª¡±


    ¡°Also, your Incantation Magic is more reliable.¡±


    Compared to Se-Hoon¡¯s incantations, which had shallow effects and were likely to fail, Luize¡¯s incantations could prate deeply inside the fragment of the Divine Tree and were more likely to seed due to her unique skill, Mana Assimtion. Thus, her assistance was absolutely necessary to efficiently process the fragments of the Divine Tree.


    ¡°...Excuses.¡±


    Snatching the thread of ck Weaver from his hand, she looked at him skeptically.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°Nothing difficult.¡±


    He approached the only unlit forge, forge four, on the workshop wall and pressed a button on the side.


    <i>nk!</i>


    The moment he pressed the button, terrifying mes erupted from behind the translucent cover. They were so intense that they seemed like they could melt even iron instantly. And standing beside that dangerous forge was Se-Hoon with a calm grin.


    ¡°You just need to make it strong enough to withstand these mes.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    How strong would the Incantation Magic need to be to allow the fragments of the Divine Tree to withstand those mes? Calcting it briefly in her head, she smiled back.


    ¡°You crazy bitc¡ª!¡±


    Curses echoed throughout In-Cheol¡¯s workshop.

 Chapter 95

    <h4>Chapter 95</h4>


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Scarlet mes surged violently, like tidal waves inside the furnace. The mes struck the walls, scattered in all directions, and then gathered in the center before surging toward the walls like tidal waves once more.


    With each cycle, a sh of crimson sparkled through the gaps in therge piece of charcoal at the center of the furnace. Having been observing it all this time through the translucent cover, Se-Hoon suddenly squinted his eyes.


    Along with the sh of crimson growing more vivid with the increasing heat, the surface of the piece of charcoal also began to change.


    <i>Crackle-</i>


    It began to disintegrate.


    ¡°Here we go!¡±


    With that robust shout, Se-Hoon quickly opened the translucent cover all the way.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    mes and an intense heat instantly burst out.


    However, despite the heat that seemed intense enough to easily prate the basic workwear¡¯s heat resistance, Se-Hoon reached in with the tongs without blinking once.


    <i>Whoom!</i>


    Grabbing the crimson-heated charcoal, Se-Hoon swiftly transferred it to the workbench and immediately started stabbing the charcoal in various spots with a metal skewer after making sure the furnace cover was closed.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    With each pration of the skewer, mes burst out like blood. But Se-Hoon managed to skillfully dodge all the mes to finish his work. Soon, he attached a thread of ck Weaver to the end of the skewer and finally threw it to Luize, who had been waiting nearby.


    ¡°Lastpression!¡±


    Catching the thread of ck Weaver, Luize immediately bit into it and imbued the synesthetic mindscape she had long honed into a single incantation.


    <strong>¡°Compression.¡±</strong>


    The spell prated the charcoal deeply through the ck Weaver, causing the shine of crimson light from the charcoal gaps to intensify further.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    New cracks quickly spread across the surface. Then, when the cracks seemed to have reached their limits and the surface was about to copse, a change urred.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The giant piece of charcoal exploded, scattering ash everywhere.


    ¡°<i>Cough, cough</i>... ah shoot....¡±


    Luize frowned, her face and body both covered in ash. It was a good thing she had changed into workwear; otherwise, her favorite outfit would have been ruined.


    ¡°Hey! What¡¯s the status right now? Did it work?!¡± shouted Luize, unable to see clearly.


    However, she received no reply, causing her to start feeling slightly anxious.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The workshop¡¯s venttion finally kicked in and started to clear the view.


    ¡°...¡±


    A momentter, she saw the back of Se-Hoon, who had also been covered in ash along with the workshop. Then, her face turned pale when her gazended on the now-empty workbench that had been at the center of the explosion.


    <i>Another failure?</i>


    Had they really been doing this for ten hours only to start all over again? The thought made her seriously start to contemte how she would flee after smacking Se-Hoon on the back of his head, but before she could do it, she heard Se-Hoon¡¯s voice.


    ¡°It¡¯splete.¡±


    Se-Hoon then turned around and smiled, holding a crimson rod in his hand.


    ¡°Ah jeez... you had me worried there.¡±


    Breathing a sigh of relief, she approached Se-Hoon to inspect the finished product in his hand.


    The rod was about 130 centimeters long and its surface had a strange sheen, making it look as if it were made of ss. The transformation of the piece of wood amazed her.


    ¡°Is it hot?¡±


    ¡°Just mildly warm.¡±


    ¡°Then give it to me. I want to see it too.¡±


    She snatched the rod from his hand, opening up the information message.


    <strong>[<u>Crimson me Rod</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Rare] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A rod made by heating a special type of wood over a long period of time.</strong>


    <strong>It has the ability to absorb and store mes, which can then be used as nourishment to regenerate damaged parts.</strong>


    <strong>It is able to maintain an efficient power output using its internal mana circuit, with its strength increasing while the circuit is in a steady state.</strong>


    <strong>*Can regenerate using the mes stored in equipment. </strong>


    <strong>*Strength increases when infused with mana</strong>


    <strong>*Current amount of stored mes: 100%]</strong>


    ¡°...Huh. It¡¯s only Rare?¡±


    Noticing that the Crimson me Rod was only a Rare tier, Luize became disappointed. Perfect-quality Rare-tier equipment might not be a bad result by novice standards, but considering the effort and time she put into it and the considerable amount of materials used, it seemed toocking.


    ¡°Is this really the final product? Ipressed so many of those strange pieces of wood just to get this?¡±


    She had used her incantations to awaken the fragments of the Divine Tree from their dormant state, tossed them in the furnace to have them adapt to the mes, and then, after multiple pieces were processed and reduced to a certain size, shepressed simrly processed pieces together.


    She repeated such a process dozens of times to create the current me-resistant and durable Crimson me Rod.


    <i>With that much effort, the result should at least be of Hero tier... </i>She frowned, feeling betrayed by her effort.


    Upon seeing her disappointment, Se-Hoon just chuckled, saying, ¡°Slow down. The rod is still iplete.¡±


    ¡°Iplete?¡±


    ¡°Normally, there would be a spear de attached at one end that is capable of releasing mana. If we just attached one, this would be at least Hero tier.¡±


    The current Crimson me Rod was akin to the outline of a drawing. And given that it nearly reached the Hero tier even in that state, it could be considered well-made in some aspects.


    <i>It would have been perfect if she hadn¡¯t failed so much along the way, </i>thought Se-Hoon,menting over the dozens of fragments of the Divine Tree that were turned into white ash.


    ¡°Wait, a spear de?¡±


    Luize narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re not nning to give this to that Yeom guy, are you?¡±


    ¡°Uh... I was going to sell it to hi¡ª¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmph</i>...!¡±


    Instead of listening to the rest of what he had to say, she attempted to snap the Crimson me Rod into two against her knee.


    Initially caught off guard by her sudden action, Se-Hoon quickly moved to block her with his hand and then looked at her incredulously.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°If I knew all of this was for that jerk, I wouldn¡¯t have helped in the first ce! Why would you make something like this for someone like him!¡±


    They had only met once, yet she was venting her frustration about Sung-Ha, whom she already disliked from the bottom of her heart.


    Recalling how the st Dog also bared her teeth at the sight of the Mad Dog before he regressed, Se-Hoon snickered and patted her shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too upset.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do. You don¡¯t get to tell me about...¡±


    ¡°I understand that Sung-Ha is a jerk with bad manners and a poor character. I also know that he always mes his equipment without considering his own skills. But he has his good points too.¡±


    ¡°...Okay, so why are you making something for him?¡±


    She was dumbfounded that Se-Hoon had simply stated what she was about to say, yet wasn¡¯t taking her side.


    ¡°If I only sold my equipment to those I was fond of, how would I do business? I¡¯ll always sell my equipment to people who meet certain criteria.¡±


    ¡°What, like their talents or something?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And they must have firm convictions. Those kinds of people tend to live long.¡±


    He knew that those who were able to keep to their own standards were the ones who persisted through battles and resisted external temptations, staying human until the end.


    That was why he had continued to forge equipment for the Three Dogs, despite the numerous conflicts with each of them.


    ¡°...You should tell me in advance next time. I don¡¯t want to feel drained again.¡±


    Though she spoke gruffly, she didn¡¯t mention that she wouldn¡¯t help him.


    At those words, Se-Hoon suddenly became curious about a part that bothered him, so he asked casually, ¡°Was there even anything during the process that would make you feel drained?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I thought you were going to use...¡±


    Trailing off, her body suddenly tensed up even though she had been responding naturally moments ago. Quickly grasping the situation, Se-Hoon¡¯s lips curved into a smirk.


    ¡°You thought I was going to use it? And then? Keep going.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re so dead.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m going to die, I want to die knowing what you were going to say. Ah! I figured it out. You thought I was going to use it, so you worked extra hard on it, right...¡±


    ¡°Stop!!!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Don¡¯t even dream of asking for my help with your forging sessions from now on!¡± Luize shouted angrily as she got into a taxi and left.


    Hearing her anger, In-Cheol, who hade out to greet Se-Hoon in front of the workshop, asked, ¡°What exactly happened while I was away for a moment?¡±


    ¡°I just made some jokes, but it seems shecks patience.¡±


    Whether it was before the regression or now, nothing had changed when it came to her losing control when teased about a slip of the tongue.


    <i>I should help her develop some tolerance this time,</i> he thought, making a mental note.


    Considering she was an Incantation Mage, it wouldn¡¯t be right if she lost herposure over just a little bit of teasing.


    ¡°Take it easy on her. Your way of speaking and your expressions are just right for making people dislike you,¡± In-Cheol replied with a bitter smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s a rather disheartening piece of advice. Oh, by the way, did you see the finished product?¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s question, In-Cheol nodded.


    ¡°It was quite impressive. The moment you attach any spear de to it, it will definitely be Hero tier.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°And...¡±


    Pausing to contemte for a moment, In-Cheol confidently added, ¡°There seems to be some potential to use that material with Shattered me.¡±


    Since the Divine Tree fragments were able to adapt to anything they were used for, it was only natural that they could also adapt to Shattered me as well, even though it inherently possessed an opposing nature.


    Thus, it might be possible to use Shattered me to manipte the piece of wood in a certain way so it could be used recement for the destroyed core.


    Hearing In-Cheol¡¯s conjecture, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°Although it won¡¯t work perfectly, I also believe it could be somewhat effective.¡±


    ¡°With that being said... would you be willing to sell me some fragments of the Divine Tree?¡±


    Even though Se-Hoon had many Divine Tree fragments, In-Cheol worried that he might be reluctant to sell some since it was uncertain if they could ever be obtained again. It was true that they were fellow research partners, but he couldn¡¯t help but be anxious as he awaited Se-Hoon¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Fortunately, Se-Hoon readily nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty, so I can definitely provide as much as you need.¡±


    ¡°...I really appreciate it.¡±


    In-Cheol was about to bow in genuine gratitude, but Se-Hoon stopped him by holding his shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, really. Besides, there was something I wanted to ask of you, Professor.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Se-Hoon cautiously said his request, ¡°I¡¯d like to try using the mes from Shattered me for my next forging session.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    In-Cheol¡¯s expression stiffened slightly.


    He was hesitant to let him do it, even if Se-Hoon had agreed to lend him a portion of his stocks of Divine Tree fragments. But eventually, as Se-Hoon carefully observed his reaction, In-Cheol slowly nodded.


    ¡°Alright. It might be a bit risky, but... it should be fine in your hands.¡±


    ¡°Then¡ª¡±


    ¡°But promise me just one thing.¡±


    In-Cheol looked at Se-Hoon with a serious expression.


    ¡°If any trace of Shattered me is left in the finished equipment, you must destroy it immediately.¡±


    If the existence of Shattered me leaked, it was sure that there would be countless attempts to steal it. Fully understanding In-Cheol¡¯s subtly conveyed concern, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust you then.¡±


    With a nod, In-Cheol looked up at the darkening sky.


    ¡°You should probably head back now. I¡¯ll give you a ride back,¡± he said, walking over to pull out his giant red motorcycle from the garage.


    A swift rideter, In-Cheol turned around and breezed down the road just as quickly as they arrived, vanishing beyond the horizon in the blink of an eye.


    <i>Vrooom-</i>


    Se-Hoon stroked his chin as he gazed in the direction In-Cheol had disappeared.


    <i>So there¡¯s someone out there that can recognize the traces of Shattered me.... Did Kim In-Cheol actually steal it from Watchers?</i>


    ording to the information he had seen through the Phantasmal Spyde, In-Cheol had once been a part of Watchers as their cksmith before being killed during the Fire Sword cksmith Hunt incident.


    Of course, whether that information was true couldn¡¯t be confirmed yet, but it seemed usible under the current circumstances.


    <i>The only cksmith-rted members of Watchers should be those Offering guys.</i>


    Offering was a group that believed they could sacrifice anything as long as it was for the creation of perfect equipment. They were also the ones who knew the most about the internal business of Watchers. Back then, Se-Hoon had known them quite well since he met them frequently due to their persistent pursuit of him.


    <i>To get to them, I need to find the perpetrator of the Fire Sword cksmith Hunt first.</i>


    If the guy really belonged to Offering, there would be a specific mark on his body. But the question was how to find a culprit who had not been caught even before the regression.


    Se-Hoon began pondering various possible methods, but he was quickly interrupted.


    ¡°You¡¯rete.¡±


    Arge figure blocked his path.


    Recognizing that the annoying voice was from the exact person who had made him work over the weekend, Se-Hoon instinctively looked up, but then, his eyes widened.


    ¡°You...¡±


    Before he could even start all-out cursing Sung-Ha, he was left speechless by Sung-Ha¡¯s appearance.


    The bandage wrapped around his forehead, the gauze stuck to his cheek, his lips torn, and the numerous small wounds all over his face made it clear that he had more than just a few injuries.


    Looking at hispletely disheveled face, Se-Hoon made a grim expression. ¡°Did you get beaten up?¡±


    Who could have beaten up this rascal so badly?


    However, instead of answering, Sung-Ha slightly furrowed his brow and tried to change the subject of the conversation, ¡°How much of the spear have youpleted?¡±


    His expression suggested he didn¡¯t want to talk about his injuries.


    Seeing his resolute demeanor, Se-Hoon acquiesced, albeit reluctantly, ¡°I just need to attach the spear de for the fire attribute, but I haven¡¯t started working on the darkness attribute yet."


    ¡°...¡±


    Falling into thought upon Se-Hoon¡¯s answer, Sung-Ha spoke after a short pause.


    ¡°Then try toplete as much as you can in the next three days and then hand it over.¡±


    After saying that, he tried to walk away like it was the end of the conversation. But, Se-Hoon blocked his way.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If you want me to forge your equipment, you should at least exin what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s really no need to...¡±


    ¡°I should at least know whose gut this spear is going to thrust through. Weren¡¯t we in the same boat? I¡¯ll actually be really disappointed if you keep things hidden from me like this.¡±


    Sung-Ha looked at Se-Hoon for a moment before finally sighing and giving an answer.


    ¡°I need to kill a person called the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter.¡±

 Chapter 96

    <h4>Chapter 96</h4>


    Inside Se-Hoon¡¯s dormitory room, the TV, which had been sitting in the living room like a decoration, was turned on for the first time. Soon, the screen came to life.


    <i>¡¸As a candidate for the next sect master, I request a sparring match with the current sect master.¡¹</i>


    Right after the promotion ceremony had ended, Sung-Ha publicly requested for a duel. The sudden challenge, causing a stir in the arena, was met by the opponent.


    <i>¡¸Good. Come at me.¡¹</i>


    In his heavy voice, Lee Won-Ryong¡ªa middle-aged man with short, red hair and a scar shaped like a me on his left cheek¡ªepted the challenge. The duel then started after the two each received a practice spear from below.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    With each swing of his spear, Won-Ryong¡¯s me rings burst forth, seemingly about to swallow the entire sparring arena. And the receiver of it, Sung-Ha, was barely managing to block and withstand it with his ck me Wheels.


    The duel between an A-rank hero treated as near S-rank and a newly promoted B-rank hero in his third year at Babel was, as expected,pletely one-sided.


    <i>Thump! Smack!</i>


    Not longter, Won-Ryong¡¯s spear struck Sung-Ha, who had been solely focused on defending, in the abdomen. Continuing the assault, a series of strikes across his face, shoulders, and the rest of his body came.


    Won-Ryong unleashed an onught of attacks without a moment of hesitation, beating Sung-Ha all over his body, trying to publicly humiliate him. Yet, Sung-Ha didn¡¯t cry out in surrender and continued to try and parry the attacks to the very end.


    Like that, Sung-Ha kept getting pushed back, and eventually, his body finally reached the edge of the sparring area.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Won-Ryong¡¯s final strike, aimed at Sung-Ha¡¯s sr plexus, shattered his two spears and knocked him out of the arena.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    He fell to the ground below and twitched briefly before slowly getting up.


    With his face and lips all covered in blood, he looked up at Won-Ryong, standing above the arena with unwavering eyes.


    <i>¡¸I will challenge you again next time.¡¹</i>


    The video then ended with that deration of war.


    ¡°...¡±


    Sitting on the sofa in his living room, Se-Hoon moved his gaze from the TV to the protagonist of the video on the other side of the sofa. There, Sung-Ha sat silently, looking back at him.


    Seeing his confident demeanor, Se-Hoon sighed deeply.


    ¡°Crazy bastard...¡±


    He had never imagined that Sung-Ha would promptly challenge the Sect Master in public once the promotion ceremony concluded. Dazed by his unimaginable actions, Se-Hoon endured the headacheing on to calmly ask, ¡°Let me hear what you have to say first. What was your reason for all this?¡±


    Although Sung-Ha was someone who tended to charge ahead without looking back once he made a decision, he was also someone who would carefully assess the situation beforeing to a conclusion. As such, there had to be a reason he made such a deration in public.


    ¡°The current sect master has started to purge those who had been maintaining neutrality. It seems he wants to clean up the entire me Sect before I even get to make my next move,¡± Sung-Ha calmly exined.


    ¡°So you yed your hand a bit early?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Se-Hoon nodded thoughtfully at his response.


    <i>If what he says is true, then he definitely should have stepped in now.</i>


    It was inevitable that Sung-Ha would surpass Won-Ryong in the future, but that didn¡¯t mean there would be absolutely no conflicts between them along the way. And on top of Won-Ryong, those who sided with Won-Ryong for their own interests would likely be hostile regardless of Sung-Ha¡¯s qualifications or abilities.


    Since that was the case already, it was best for Sung-Ha to seize any opportunity to check them without hesitation.


    <i>The public¡¯s opinion of this incident hasn¡¯t been bad either.</i>


    Se-Hoon nced at his phone and read the news articles he had looked up before watching the video.


    ¡°Yeom Sung-Ha, the youngest mentor of the me Sect, challenges the Sect Master.¡±


    ¡°Will mentor Yeom Sung-Ha, wielding two short spears, bring a new wave to the me Sect?¡±


    ¡°me Sect spokesperson: ¡®Mentor Yeom Sung-Ha¡¯s me ring techniques and spear techniques are independent of the teachings of our sect. We have no ns to adopt them until their efficiency is proven.¡¯¡±


    <i>It seems like they intended to embarrass him in front of everyone... but it really backfired.</i>


    While it was true that Sung-Ha was beaten to a pulp and ultimately defeated, those with a discerning eye saw the event differently. Even if the result of the sh between two different me rings was a one-way onught, Won-Ryong hadn¡¯t been able to instantly subdue a B-rank hero. It was true that Won-Ryong hadn¡¯t used his full power, but it still suggested two important things. <i>Either Won-Ryong¡¯s skills arecking... or Sung-Ha¡¯s talents are off the charts.</i>


    Either way, it forced people to consider Sung-Ha as the potential next sect master seriously.


    Truthfully, Se-Hoon slightly admired how well Sung-Ha had seized the opportunity despite the abrupt situation.


    <i>Is it because he¡¯s currently weaker? He¡¯s making his moves more intelligently than before.</i>


    If it had been the Mad Dog, he would have already smashed all his opponents and established himself as the rightful sessor of the me Sect. But while that method would be quicker, considering the future of the me Sect, a more roundabout way was likely better.


    ¡°Now I understand how your face ended up like that... but I still don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re hunting the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter?¡±


    Even with some context from the video and news articles, it was still hard for him to understand what this had to do with the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter.


    Sung-Ha remained silent for a moment before letting out a sigh, answering, ¡°In return for the various benefits that the mentors of the me Sect receive, they have to regrly take on missions. That¡¯s why they hand out a simple mission right after a promotion to urately test the new mentor¡¯s skills.¡±


    ¡°And your mission is to kill the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. The mission is to protect a cksmith affiliated with the me Sect; they¡¯re expected to be attacked by the hunter.¡±


    ¡°Expected, huh...¡±


    The Fire Sword cksmith Hunt was a case that had been left unsolved even before Se-Hoon¡¯s regression.


    <i>It doesn¡¯t make sense that such a meticulous guy would have been so careless that the me Sect could anticipate his next move...</i>


    Suddenly recalling the earlier conversation about how Won-Ryong had started purges, he asked Sung-Ha, ¡°The cksmith you are supposed to protect, is he disliked by the Sect Master?¡±


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard... yes.¡±


    ¡°Figures.¡±


    While it was unclear if the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter would truly show up, it was clear that whoever showed up would also be targeting Sung-Ha. It seemed that despite the attention from the recent duel, Won-Ryong was unabashed in hiding his intentions, putting a troubled look on Se-Hoon¡¯s face.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just refuse to take this mission?¡±


    ¡°If I do, a new mission will be assigned to me immediately. And if I refuse to undertake a mission more than three times without a valid reason, I will be stripped of my mentor title.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that figures.¡±


    With that idea shot down, Se-Hoon began contemting again. A whileter, he finally gathered his thoughts.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll figure something out within three days.¡±


    ¡°The payment will be¡ª¡±


    ¡°But.¡±


    Se-Hoon cut Sung-Ha off and looked him in the eyes.


    ¡°Only on the condition that I can go along with you on the mission.¡±


    Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes widened in shock at this statement, then his face contorted as if he had heard an insult.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. Why would I take you...¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t want a Hero-tier spear?¡±


    ¡°<i>Kuh</i>...¡±


    Sung-Ha had immediately faltered, his expression turning displeased. Then, he stood up and looked at Se-Hoon coldly.


    ¡°Do whatever you want, whether that¡¯s following me or just dying for all I care.¡±


    With that, he walked out of the room, ending the conversation. Se-Hoon just watched him leave, clicking his tongue all the while.


    ¡°When someone offers you help, just saying thank you would do.... This guy can¡¯t even warn someone properly.¡±


    Although he wanted to let Sung-Ha fend for himself, he had to do something. Despite his ws, that troublesome man was the ace of his team, capable of defeating a Harbinger of Destruction in the future.


    With Sung-Ha gone, Se-Hoon also stood up and then infused his mana into the Ascension Ring.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    A void space opened in midair, dropping a void box on the ground. Normally, it was impossible to store void space items using spatial abilities like this, but Ludwig had tweaked something to make it possible with the use of the Ascension Ring.


    <i>Well, since he¡¯s the one who literally created the void space spell, what couldn¡¯t he do with it?</i>


    nning to inspect the field of void spacester on, Se-Hoon promptly took out a material he previously had an eye on.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Out came the heartwood of a tree, with lotus stems rooted all over.[1]It was smaller than the pieces used for making the Crimson me Rod, but its density was iparable.


    <strong>[<u>Divine Tree Root</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Awful]</strong>


    <strong>[The root of the Divine Tree that grew in the ck Lotus Seas.</strong>


    <strong>It¡¯s a part of the roots that directly supplies nutrients to the tree¡¯s core and specializes in absorbing mana.</strong>


    <strong>*The properties change depending on the infused mana]</strong>


    This root of the Divine Tree was a material one tier higher than the pieces of the Divine Tree from before. Due to its specialization in absorbing mana, it had matured rapidly, making it a rare drop among all the other drops.


    ¡°And then...¡±


    Se-Hoon ced his hand on his sr plexus and activated Dream Storage.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Reaching into the purple me that burst out, he pulled out the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx, which was densely engraved with characters.


    <i>I haven¡¯t taken this out in a while.</i>


    Like the Ascension Ring, it was an object containing the power of a Perfect One. He had kept it hidden, fearing that Wurgen might detect its presence, but seeing that there had been no word of it so far, he deemed it safe.


    And since it had been a while, he checked the information message.


    <strong>[<u>Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[The left index finger bone of the absolute conqueror, Wurgen Kruger.</strong>


    <strong>The body part of a necromancer who walks the line between life and death has be a powerful catalyst for necromancy on its own.</strong>


    <strong>By imbuing it with mana, you can activate three necromantic spells that were engraved on the index finger.</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Eye of the Boundary¡¯</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Call of the Dead¡¯</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Vision of the Abyss¡¯]</strong>


    <i>Hmm. It seems like I can use Vision of the Abyss now.</i>


    Previously, it had been marked as unusable when he first inspected the phnx after snatching it from Vollmond. It was likely the same skill that had sealed Eun-Ha temporarily back then.


    <i>It should be quite useful since it even works on an S-rank hero just by making contact...</i>


    It seemed like a good idea to keep it ready for use when things got a bit risky. Finished with his brief reexamination of the phnx, he brought it close to the root of the Divine Tree.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    ¡°?!¡±


    The moment the two came into contact, the root began to shrink and turn ck at a tremendous speed. rmed by the rapid change, he quickly pulled the phnx away.


    <i>Crunch-</i>


    But despite his effort, the root continued to turn ck, and after a while, it had shrunk by about ten percent of its original size.


    ¡°...So, it¡¯s this powerful.¡±


    It was truly a part of a Perfect One, seeing as how it exceeded his expectations in terms of performance.


    The root had now been imbued with dense darkness mana; the sight of it made Se-Hoon fall into deep thought.


    <i>With this, it seems I have ample time to forge the spear... so the only remaining concern is dealing with the assassin from the me Sect.</i>


    Since the recent duel had taught them that Sung-Ha would likely be able to beat mediocre B-rank assassins, they were likely to prepare more thoroughly.


    <i>They¡¯re likely to send at least an A-rank. And they might also prepare something extra.</i>


    While they might be able to fend off a single A-rank assassin, if there were multiple of them, then it would be challenging to deal with, especially since there could be other factions also possibly targeting Sung-Ha. Therefore, they needed a reliable ally this time.


    They needed someone skilled in killing assassins, a veteran with extensivebat experience. And a cranky old man known as Ma Kwang-Soo fit that requirement perfectly.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to whine a bit for this,¡± Se-Hoon thought with a smirk, picturing it.


    ***


    On the next Sunday morning, a sharp nging of metal resonated from within the ssroom of the Department of Martial Arts, unbefitting of how it was supposedly quiet on the weekend.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Two iron swords collided in midair.


    Though the sight of the swords targeting each other¡¯s vital points was chilling to watch, the two exchanging blows were talking calmly.


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to follow him there?¡± asked Kwang-Soo in disbelief, fending off a sword aimed at his neck.


    Aiming at Kwang-Soo¡¯s heart next, Se-Hoon responded, ¡°If I send him there alone, there¡¯s a high chance something will go wrong. I should go and help.¡±


    ¡°This would sound absurd to anyone else.¡±


    A freshman from the Department of cksmithing was going to help Sung-Ha, the top-ranking third-year student from the Department of Spear Arts, the tenth-ranked student in the Hall of Martial Arts, and a top B-rank hero aiming to be promoted to A rank?


    If the proud students of Aqar Quf heard that, they would snort in disdain.


    ¡°People just don¡¯t know him well enough. That guy can fight people head-on, but he wouldn¡¯t know what hit him if attacked from behind.¡±


    ¡°And you think you¡¯ll know?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    <i>Krrr-</i>


    Before he could finish his reply, Kwang-Soo¡¯s sword slid down Se-Hoon¡¯s and dove toward his wrist. However, instead of being hit, Se-Hoon twisted his wrist halfway and kicked the back of his sword in the blink of an eye.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The swords deflected off each other once again, forcing both of them to step back. Taking advantage of the moment, Se-Hoon quickly regained hisposure and caught his breath.


    ¡°To some extent,¡± Se-Hoon finished.


    ¡°...¡±


    Kwang-Soo wore a sour expression upon seeing how Se-Hoon had adeptly deflected his sword. It was somewhat of a serious strike intended to dissuade Se-Hoon¡¯s careless thoughts, yet he had neatly parried it.


    <i>What a monster...</i>


    It had been less than a month since he taught Se-Hoon the Mortal Combat Techniques, so he never expected that Se-Hoon would be able to handle it so well already.


    Kwang-Soo cleared his throat and forced the conversation forward.


    ¡°<i>Ahem</i>. Anyway, this isn¡¯t something you should get involved in. Won-Ryong might be obsessed with the sect master position, but surely he wouldn¡¯t make such a desperate move, would he?¡±


    ¡°What if he really does?¡±


    ¡°Then... Yeom Sung-Ha would probably die,¡± Kwang-Soo said, casually scratching his chin. ¡°But that¡¯s the path he chose. He asked for it himself in the end.¡±


    If Sung-Ha were to give up on the sect master position, he would easily be able to live as a high-ranking hero without ever putting his life in danger. Yet, he had walked right into Won-Ryong¡¯s trap on his own two feet by insisting on bing the next sect master, so he had no right toin about his situation.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°So...¡±


    ¡°But what can I do?¡±


    Se-Hoon sighed deeply and looked at Kwang-Soo with a bitter smile.


    ¡°I¡¯d already promised to help him.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s just how things are, so I won¡¯t be able to attend the next ss. If you don¡¯t hear from me after that, just assume that things have turned sideways.¡±


    Leaving behind those words, Se-Hoon nodded, ced his practice sword back in its rack, and left the ssroom.


    Now alone, Kwang-Soo stood there with an incredulous expression on his face.


    ¡°That lunatic...¡±


    Why had he made such a promise and, more foolishly, kept it and invited danger? He felt a rising irritation at Se-Hoon¡¯s foolish actions.


    <i>Clearly, he¡¯s not someone who¡¯s going to survive for long. Maybe this is for the best.</i>


    If Se-Hoon was going to die before him, persuading him to learn the Celestial Infinity de would be pointless after all. Convincing himself of that, he was about to brush off his thoughts about Se-Hoon, but then, a memory suddenly surfaced.


    <i>¡°You promised me, okay?¡±</i>


    The image of a young man smiling at him made him pause for a moment. Then he sighed deeply.


    ¡°Why is it that none of the guys who talk about promises are ever normal...¡±


    Grumbling in dissatisfaction, he pulled out his phone and texted a second-year student whom he was scheduled to teach on Wednesday.


    Kwang-Soo: I¡¯m going out of town.


    1. Remember that the Lotus Trees mentioned earlier were the secret roots of the Divine Tree, hence why Se-Hoon pulled out the heartwood of a tree that had lotus stems rooted over it ?

 Chapter 97

    <h4>Chapter 97</h4>


    At the Korea section of the Void Space Terminal, Sung-Ha stood with his arms crossed in front of a pir in the bustling lobby, watching the clock.


    ¡°...¡±


    It was 1:50 PM. Although it was before the appointed time of 2:00 PM, Sung-Ha found it quite displeasing to be waiting like this.


    <i>All he had to do was forge a spear. Why is he going through all this unnecessary fuss...</i>


    What help could a mere cksmith even offer? Feeling like he was being burdened by an unnecessary weight, he frowned and uncrossed his arms.


    ¡°...What a waste of time.¡±


    Thinking that there would be plenty of spears at the workshop anyway, he decided to use one from there. Then, the moment he turned toward the gate, he heard a voice.


    ¡°Ah. Is it this way?¡±


    Se-Hoon naturally appeared to his side.


    ¡°When did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Just now. You seemed to be in a hurry, so let¡¯s go quickly.¡±


    With a rxed smile, Se-Hoon gestured toward the gate, causing Sung-Ha to grimace and turn his head away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you alone if youg behind, just so you know,¡± said Sung-Ha coldly before striding forward.


    But Se-Hoon just chuckled at his cold voice and followed him to the ticket gate.


    <i>Beep-</i>


    Holding his student ID to it, the barrier gate made a short mechanical sound and then revealed a wide corridor beyond, filled with portals that connected to various parts of Korea.


    Unlike the portals heroes used to travel to Danger Zones, these were mostly used by regr citizens; hence, the atmosphere here was quite rxed.


    ¡°So where is the workshop?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ignoring Se-Hoon¡¯s question, Sung-Ha silently walked toward the portal leading to Gangwon-do.


    <i>He acts like a child even though he has that bulky figure, </i>thought Se-Hoon with a chuckle before following.


    As they walked, various gazes came pouring in; there were some gazes marveling at his face, some gazes pretending to be casual nces but were actually scrutinizing him and Sung-Ha, and finally, some indistinct gazes.


    To Se-Hoon, it wasn¡¯t hard to distinguish who each of the gazes belonged to just from the gaze alone.


    <i>Some civilians, the guys sent by the me Sect, and that old man, Kwang-Soo.</i>


    It seemed Kwang-Soo had decided to deal with this matter to himself this time, possibly due to how they were entangled with the power struggles within the me Sect.


    <i>Or maybe it¡¯s because I used the word ¡®promise.¡¯</i>


    Before the regression, Kwang-Soo was mostly indifferent except when it came to killing demons, especially Doppelganger. However, he had always shown interest when it came to people who strived to keep their promises.


    <i>He did alwaysin about those who went to great lengths just to keep a promise.</i>


    Se-Hoon remembered how every time Kwang-Soo visited his workshop, he would curse them as fools. Yet, despite that, others often said that Kwang-Soo would often secretly help them behind the scenes.


    <i>I wonder if there¡¯s a story behind why he acts like that.... I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to hear it this time.</i>


    Before, Kwang-Soo rarely spoke about himself, but it might be possible now because they had formed a bond, unlike before the regression.


    Deep in thought, Se-Hoon startedgging behind.


    ¡°...¡±


    That was when he saw Sung-Ha¡¯s back, standing still. Unlike how he had been walking far ahead earlier, it seemed he had actually stopped to let the falling-behind Se-Hoon catch up.


    His action made Se-Hoon look on in disbelief before he ran to catch up to Sung-Ha.


    ¡°Dude. You¡¯re just putting on an act now, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Just say thanks for the help; why bother with your pointless pride...¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Without making eye contact, Sung-Ha started striding forward again, making Se-Hoon smile bitterly as he followed.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>...¡±


    Behind them, Kwang-Soo, wearing a baseball cap, quietly followed them.


    ***


    <i>Vroom-</i>


    Se-Hoon got out of the taxi and slowly looked around.


    ¡°It¡¯s very quiet around here...¡±


    They arrived at a small vige nestled among rice paddies in a mountain valley. There were only about five houses in this vige, and even those seemed deserted.


    Carefully surveying the eerie vige, Se-Hoon soon spotted a workshop on top of a hill, with smoke rising above it.


    ¡°Is that the workshop?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After that brief answer, Sung-Ha started climbing the hill. Following him, Se-Hoon nced at a house with the lights turned off.


    <i>Hmm.... It looks like they¡¯ve made some preparations.</i>


    There were various traps hidden around the house that seemed to have some effort put into them, but he had already noticed a few sloppy areas.


    <i>These will need some fixing if they¡¯re going to be of any use.</i>


    Taking note of a few traps, he continued up the hill and soon arrived in front of the workshop. The workshop looked like an old country house with modern chimneys and protective gear; it was as if someone who had an attachment to old houses had remodeled it.


    The design of it made Se-Hoon curious.


    <i>Is there a story behind this workshop too...?</i>


    Wondering that, Se-Hoon began observing the aged look of the ce. That was when the door of the workshop swung wide open, and an old man came out.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    ¡°...¡±


    When the old man with gray roots in his ck hair saw Sung-Ha, his eyes widened in surprise before he looked up at the sky.


    ¡°Is it over...¡±


    He had a look of resignation on his face and his voice was drained of strength, like he had given up on life.


    ¡°Why is he like that?¡± Se-Hoon whispered to Sung-Ha.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Seemingly puzzled by the cksmith as well, Sung-Ha frowned and approached the old man, Park Jin-Hwan.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Hearing Sung-Ha ask, Park Jin-Hwan slowly lowered his head to meet Sung-Ha¡¯s gaze. Then, as if snapping out of a trance, he grimaced, grabbed Sung-Ha by the cor, and began to shake him.


    ¡°How many times have I told you? The moment you show up here, both you and I are dead meat to the Sect Master! And yet you still dare to crawl here? Are you insane?!¡±


    Rather than out of anger, it seemed more like he was screaming out of frustration. Despite the shaking, Sung-Ha stood firm.


    ¡°We won¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we? Are you going to give up the sect master position after all you¡¯ve done until now?¡±


    ¡°I came here as your bodyguard; that¡¯s why we won¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I said we would die, you foolish... huh?¡±


    In the midst of his rant, Park Jin-Hwan btedly noticed Se-Hoon and his eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°You are...¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m a first-year student from Babel¡¯s Department of cksmithing¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon?¡±


    Interrupting his introduction, Park Jin-Hwan asked with a skeptical expression, ¡°Are you <i>the </i>honor student, Lee Se-Hoon? The one who forged a sword for the monster of the Myers...¡±


    ¡°If by monster you mean Jake, then yes, that¡¯s me.¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon nodding, Park Jin-Hwan looked back skeptically.


    ¡°Why would someone like you be here...?¡±


    ¡°Because the guy next to you asked for help.¡±


    ¡°He just followed me on his own,¡± Sung-Ha replied curtly.


    At that response, Park Jin-Hwan¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    <i>He¡¯s not swinging his fists...?</i>


    Surprised that Sung-Ha didn¡¯t resort to violence and used his words, Park Jin-Hwan suddenly recalled a rumor he had heard.


    <i>Was it true that he was close to Lee Se-Hoon?</i>


    He had thought the rumors of Sung-Ha conspiring with outsiders were fabricated to nder him, but it seemed he might have misunderstood. Caught off-guard by the unexpected situation, he looked back and forth between the two before finally gathering his thoughts.


    ¡°Let¡¯s, uh, talk inside.¡±


    ¡°Before that, I¡¯ll do a brief of the surroundings.¡±


    Saying nothing else, Sung-Ha headed to the backyard, leaving Se-Hoon as the only one to follow Park Jin-Hwan into the workshop.


    ¡°If I knew there would be guests, I would have tidied up a bit.... Please overlook the mess.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me for intruding.¡±


    Enduring his slight awkwardness, Park Jin-Hwan entered the workshop, allowing Se-Hoon in. Se-Hoon slowly looked around.


    <i>This is an old workshop.</i>


    Aside from the furnace and a few essential tools, everything else was old-fashioned, and the soot deeply embedded here and there spoke of its long use. Scanning the surroundings in more detail, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes soon caught sight of a weapon disyed on one wall.


    <i>Woah...</i>


    A red spear, about two meters long, was housed in a transparent case. The spearhead had a long triangle shape, sharply pointed at the tip like a harpoon. Its shaft had evenly spaced circr grooves cut into it that reached up to one-third of the length of the shaft.


    <i>Stab the enemy, and then scorch them with the mes bursting from the grooves.</i>


    Just from a nce, he was able to tell that it was a fearsome weapon that could send someone to their grave with a single proper stab. Drawn by what seemed to be a Hero weapon, he inspected it closely.


    The sight prompted Park Jin-Hwan to ask, ¡°Anything wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was just admiring how well it¡¯s made.¡±


    ¡°Is that... so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Whoever forged this spear seems to have paid careful attention, even to the minor habits of its owner. I like their style of forging.¡±


    The careful attention to detail made up for its old age and some other inefficient aspects.


    <i>It seems a bit tricky to use, but once the user is ustomed to it, it can probably be used for a long time.</i>


    A piece of equipment that focused on its high tier while also being tailored to fit the user¡ªthat was the direction Se-Hoon aspired toward and the style he admired.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already noticed that much... I can see why your name has been buzzing around.¡±


    Genuinely impressed, Park Jin-Hwan also looked at the disyed spear.


    ¡°That spear belonged to the first sect master, following him to every battlefield. It took me a year to forge this.¡±


    ¡°The first sect master...¡±


    He was talking about Yeom Jin-Hyun, the former S-rank hero who founded the me Sect and the Inferno Ring, and the adoptive father and master of Sung-Ha. The fact that it was his spear interested Se-Hoon.


    ¡°It seems young people these days might not know who he is. Well, hisst activities <i>were</i> more than thirty-five years ago,¡± added Park Jin-Hwan.


    ¡°I heard he was the only S-rank hero among all of the past sect masters.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s true. Though his tenure wasn¡¯t very long.¡±


    A bitter expression crossed Park Jin-Hwan¡¯s face; old memories had surfaced.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave the past behind. Those days are long gone.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Truthfully, Se-Hoon wanted to hear more, but such stories were best heard when emotions were high to get their full essence.


    The two then sat opposite each other at the living room table.


    ¡°I apologize that I¡¯m a bitte with my introduction. I¡¯m Park Jin-Hwan, the former associate cksmith for the me Sect.¡±


    At his introduction, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity.


    ¡°By ¡®former,¡¯ do you mean...¡±


    ¡°It means I¡¯ve been fired. As of yesterday, I¡¯ve been demoted to the shy-sounding advisory position,¡± said Park Jin-Hwan with a grimace beforeposing himself and looking at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°How much of the current situation do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I heard that you and Sung-Ha are to be eliminated by the Sect Master, Lee Won-Ryong.¡±


    ¡°Yet you came knowing this... can I take it that you are supporting Sung-Ha?¡±


    Asking a freshman about his allegiance might seemughable to some, but Park Jin-Hwan believed the information was critical.


    <i>This young man is no ordinary student.</i>


    He knew that In-Cheol, the leader of the Meister alliance that drove the Barmuths out of the mass-produced equipment industry, and Eun-Ha, who yed a significant role in that situation, were Se-Hoon¡¯s guardians. He had also heard that both the Myers and Inoue families were keen to recruit him.


    <i>There are also rumors that he has be a disciple under the Broken Sword Ma Kwang-Soo and that he has gained the favor of the Mist Battalion Sword Kasar too...</i>


    Of course, the favor toward Se-Hoon did not automatically extend to Sung-Ha, but at the very least, it could serve as a leash to curb Won-Ryong¡¯s excessiveness. A lot depended on how involved he could get Se-Hoon in the current situation¡ªwhether Sung-Ha, himself, the people of the neutral faction, as well as the recuperating Yeom Jin-Hyun, would have a future.


    ¡°Supporting him... yes, I suppose you could say that. I want Sung-Ha to be the next sect master.¡±


    Park Jin-Hwan caught his breath sharply at his response.


    ¡°May I ask why you are supporting him?¡±


    ¡°We made a deal that he would apany me through the Six Great Demon Realms.¡±


    ¡°The Six Great Demon Realms? Why would you...?¡±


    The Six Great Demon Realms were ces so perilous that even S-rank heroes hesitated to enter.


    He almost took it as a joke, but Se-Hoon¡¯s serious expression made Park Jin-Hwan realize he was sincere.


    <i>I thought he would talk about partnering with the me Sect...</i>


    Caught off-guard by the unexpected response, Park Jin-Hwan struggled to muster a response. Noticing his struggle, Se-Hoon continued calmly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. It¡¯smon for cksmiths to seek out strong heroes, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m trying to help Sung-Ha within my capabilities. There¡¯s no other motive.¡±


    ¡°Within your capabilities... I see.¡±


    Park Jin-Hwan bowed his head, acknowledging the risk Se-Hoon had taken ining here.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°We did make a deal, after all. I¡¯ll make sure to get my due from Sung-Ha, so don¡¯t be too pleased.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. The money he uses is all charged to the Sect Master anyway,¡± Park Jin-Hwan said with a smile, easing the atmosphere.


    With that topic concluded, Se-Hoon brought up the iing attack.


    ¡°I saw how the entire vige was deserted; did you send everyone away?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Given the threat of a demon attack, it¡¯s best not to have bystanders who could be exploited.¡±


    Aware that civilians could be brutally murdered to further portray Sung-Ha¡¯s ipetence to the public, he had sent everyone away a few days ago to prepare for any eventuality.


    The neat execution of it satisfied Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Well done. In that case, did you install the traps around the houses yourself?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve noticed them?¡±


    He had bought all of those disguised traps by liquidating his entire assets; he was surprised Se-Hoon had noticed them already.


    ¡°They¡¯re well-hidden, but there are parts that are less concealed. Do you mind if I do the finishing touches?¡±


    ¡°Alright. Any deficiencies should be fixed, after all.¡±


    Normally, he might have thought, ¡°What would a young guy know?¡± but for some reason, he didn¡¯t feel that way about Se-Hoon.


    <i>The rumors weren¡¯t exaggerated; they were understated. </i>It was a peculiar feeling that one couldn¡¯t understand without feeling it themself by meeting Se-Hoon in person¡ªit made him anxious.


    Se-Hoon then brought up a suggestion.


    ¡°I also have a proposal.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve forged a spear for Yeom Sung-Ha, but I¡¯m somewhat dissatisfied with the de.¡±


    He then looked at the red spear, Yeom Jin-Hyun¡¯s weapon, hung on the wall of the workshop.


    ¡°May I use that as a material?¡± he asked confidently.

 Chapter 98

    <h4>Chapter 98</h4>


    It was the winter of two years ago, when Sung-Ha was on the cusp of entering Babel.


    The valley had been painted a stark white by a sheet of snow, and from the wooden tform[1]in the workshop¡¯s yard, the view of the snowyndscape was fully visible.


    Watching a small, lonely figure silently gazing at that very sight, Sung-Ha unwittingly spilled the words he was thinking, ¡°Why do you leave Sun Shooter out there, Master?¡±


    Sun Shooter was his master¡¯s spear that pierced through numerous monsters and demons during the chaotic times of the past when Danger Zones weren¡¯t contained and the Pilgrim¡¯s Path wasn¡¯t blocking the Abyss of Demons. Sung-Ha couldn¡¯t understand why his master let such a spear, which his master handled as if it were his own body, rot away in this remote valley.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Thinking about Sung-Ha¡¯s question, his master slightly tilted the teacup he was holding and then slowly replied, ¡°Because it has already passed.¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡±


    ¡°I mean that both the strength and time to wield the spear have already passed by. Its power and golden hours have passed in my hands.¡±


    Despite having quenched his thirst, his master¡¯s voice when he continued was still dry, ¡°So I sent it back here. Better to melt it down and forge something new out of it than to let it rot quietly.¡±


    ¡°Melt down Sun Shooter... that¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha! Jin-Hwan also said something along those lines and then had it stuffed like that. It¡¯s truly pitiful... <i>cough, cough</i>!¡±


    ¡°Master!¡±


    At the sight of his master coughing due to a smallugh, Sung-Ha hurried to his side.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine...¡±


    But before Sung-Ha could touch him, he was stopped by his master¡¯s wrinkled hand. His master then took a few more moments to settle his cough before getting up from the tform.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see if it¡¯s finished.¡±


    Like nothing happened, he walked past Sung-Ha and headed toward the workshop. Watching him go, Sung-Ha''s mind filled with numerous thoughts.


    With each passing year, his back seemed smaller and his hair turned more and more white. And within his coughs that burst out in the middle of the night, were specks of red...


    ***


    <i>ng!</i>


    Sung-Ha¡¯s ongoing daydream was suddenly shattered by the sound of metal. Realizing that he got lost in his thoughts looking at the tform, he turned his head toward the sound.


    <i>ng! ng!</i>


    A sharp sound of metal echoed from the workshop, and upon seeing the smoke from the chimney thicken, he furrowed his brows.


    <i>Is he forging something?</i>


    Since he hadn¡¯t received his spear from Se-Hoon yet, he thought that Se-Hoon might be finishing it right now. As he listened to the continuous sounds of metal, Sung-Ha hesitated before heading toward the workshop.


    <i>I was nning to check out the workshop and see Master¡¯s Sun Shooter anyway.</i>


    It definitely wasn¡¯t because he was curious about the spear Se-Hoon would give him. Convincing himself, he peeked inside the workshop.


    ¡°Hmph...!¡±


    And saw Se-Hoon about to strike a red spear, Sun Shooter, with his hammer.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Before Sung-Ha could understand the situation, his body instinctively moved. He quickly closed the distance across the workshop, his fists clenched and ready to strike Se-Hoon¡¯s face.


    Meanwhile, the seemingly oblivious Se-Hoon continued to swing down his long-handled hammer with both hands.


    ¡°WAIT...!¡±


    A desperate shout came from the side, but it was toote. Sung-Ha¡¯s body was already in motion, his fist swinging with all of his might toward Se-Hoon¡¯s head.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Suddenly, the trajectory of the descending hammer twisted awkwardly.


    <i>Crash!!</i>


    In the blink of an eye, Sung-Ha¡¯s body was flying back toward one side of the workshop, smashing a table and scattering the materials and tools on it everywhere. The workshop had be aplete mess.


    Recovering a momentter, Sung-Ha saw Se-Hoon hanging from the ceiling. The sight was so bizarre that it briefly paused his thoughts.


    ¡°...What.¡±


    Then, he realized he had been sent across the workshop floor.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    With the hammer slung over his shoulder, Se-Hoon was looking down at him disdainfully, prompting Sung-Ha to quickly stand up.


    <i>What the...</i>


    How could it be that he, who had swung his fist first, was the one tumbling across the floor? Trying to understand, his eyes soon drifted to his pants.


    The knee of his pants was especially dirty, even among the dirtied clothes. Seeing the knee covered in soot, he realized what happened.


    <i>He struck my knee with the hammer to throw off my bnce.</i>


    The impact from the hammer was so minor that he had barely felt any pain, but it was enough to make his punch miss andpletely throw him off bnce, causing him to roll across the floor.


    Sung-Ha''s face grew in disbelief as he looked in front of him at Se-Hoon. Even though he had lost hisposure, considering the usual gap in their abilities, such a situation should have been impossible.


    <i>How much stronger has he be in that short amount of time...?</i>


    On top of his physical abilities, his skills had been honed¡ªhe was like apletely different person altogether. It was an absurd level of growth, one that left Sung-Ha absolutely speechless.


    Ignorant of Sung-Ha¡¯s thoughts, Se-Hoon suddenly said, ¡°Ah. Is it because of this?¡±


    He picked up Sun Shooter on the anvil.


    ¡°There seems to have been some misunderstanding; it¡¯s all...¡±


    <i>ck!</i>


    But before he could finish his sentence, Sung-Ha had swiftly stepped forward and snatched Sun Shooter away.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°This is not something you can tamper with.¡±


    ¡°But I had permission to.¡±


    ¡°I never gave it.¡±


    A chilling atmosphere enveloped the two. Then, after finally regaining hisposure, Park Jin-Hwan intervened, grabbing onto Sung-Ha.


    ¡°I gave him permission. I thought using the de of Sun Shooter toplete your spear was a good¡ª¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Interrupting Park Jin-Hwan, Sung-Ha turned his head toward him and red, his eyes filled with rage.


    ¡°Are you saying I should be grateful because you intended to use it for me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying...¡±


    ¡°You were so vehemently against melting it down when my master suggested it, yet you¡¯ve changed your stance so easily.... This is unbelievable.¡±


    Since Park Jin-Hwan was among the few who still remembered his master, Sung-Ha felt an even deeper sense of betrayal and began verballyshing out, ¡°Was it your greed that kept Sun Shooter here? Or was it because you soughtfort in your past work now that you can¡¯t even forge Hero equipment?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then this situation makes sense. By using it to forge a new spear now and giving it to me, your name would circte along with Lee Se-Hoon¡¯s. What a great opportunity, am I right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sung-Ha¡¯s frown deepened at Park Jin-Hwan¡¯sck of denial.


    ¡°Say something...¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± a low voice resounded, filling the workshop.


    Startled by it, Sung-Ha trailed off and turned his head.


    ¡°Get lost. I have nothing for the likes of you.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes were calmer and deeper than ever before, giving off an unexinable pressure that made Sung-Ha inadvertently recall the image of his master. His master¡¯s eyes always seemed to tower over him, no matter how strong Sung-Ha had be.


    Unsettled by the simrity, Yeom Seong-Ha tore his gaze away.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>...¡±


    And stormed out of the workshop holding Sun Shooter in his hand.


    With his departure, the frozen atmosphere in the tense workshop thawed, and Se-Hoon sighed.


    ¡°That insolent jerk...¡±


    It was understandable that he was upset because it was something rted to his master, Yeom Jin-Hyun, but he should still have watched his words.


    <i>Maybe I should at least be thankful that he didn¡¯t resort to punching.</i>


    Uponparing his current restrained behavior to his past rabid behavior, Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t sure whether to be relieved or disheartened. But before he could think about it, Park Jin-Hwan, who had been silently watching the two talk, slowly began talking.


    ¡°My apologies. I knew this would happen... I just didn¡¯t say anything to him because I knew Sung-Ha would oppose it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for apologies. It was his fault.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true. His words weren¡¯tpletely wrong.¡±


    ncing around the messy workshop, Park Jin-Hwan continued with a bitter voice, ¡°He made me realize that I was recalling my own image, not the first sect master¡¯s when looking at Sun Shooter.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Even though I know it¡¯s all in the past... I just couldn¡¯t let it go. Just recalling those memories made me feel like I was back in those times.¡±


    Copsing powerlessly into a chair, Park Jin-Hwan looked down at his hands, which were wrinkled and trembling with age. Then, he closed his eyes tightly and muttered, ¡°I never realized how pitiful I looked...¡±


    Se-Hoon could hear the deep sense of regret coloring his voice.


    <i>Everyone seems to worry about the same thing.</i>


    Everyone wallowed in nostalgia, wishing they could turn back time¡ªit was a wish that anyone, not just heroes, could have, and Se-Hoon was no exception either.


    <i>It¡¯s a tough problem.</i>


    Although everyone knew that wallowing changed nothing, they still clung to the past, not because they were pretending to be ignorant but because all they could do was look back at the path they¡¯d traveled since theycked the strength to move forward. There were no clear answers, and it was a moment that everyone would eventually face in their lives.


    Thinking about the miracle he got to actually change the past, Se-Hoon slowly spoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Seeing Park Jin-Hwan¡¯s puzzled look, Se-Hoon gave him a bitter smile.


    ¡°Whether it was by choice or was justpulsion... even trying to stand still is already hard enough.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Even if no one else understands, at the very least we shouldprehend and alleviate our own suffering.¡±


    Even if one continually refined and honed themselves, it would all be futile if all of the effort was just worn away to nothing in the end.


    ¡°You...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check the traps in the lower part of the vige. You should take a break.¡±


    Se-Hoon then left the workshop, grabbing the materials he needed before he left. The entire time, Park Jin-Hwan watched his back with aplex expression.


    Se-Hoon was definitely trying tofort him, but somehow, it felt like he was speaking to someone else too.


    ¡°How is he...¡±


    ***


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>...¡±


    Outside the workshop, Se-Hoon scratched his chin in awkward frustration. He had just been trying to use a decent material, yet the situation had turned into aplete mess.


    <i>My old memories also keeping back... so annoying.</i>


    At first, he had thought Sung-Ha was behaving better than his Mad Dog days, but the more he thought about it, the more detestable Sung-Ha seemed.


    He was just going to use Sun Shooter to forge Sung-Ha¡¯s spear; what part of that could even be a problem?


    <i>It seems like Yeom Jin-Hyun already gave permission too. So why is that guy making such a fuss all by himself? That little piece of sh*t.</i>


    Se-Hoon continued muttering curses under his breath all the way down the hill. Then, upon arriving at the empty vige¡ª


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    His surroundings were suddenly enveloped in darkness. But rather than it being due to his vision being directly blocked, the spell had absorbed all the light in the area. Thus, since it only affected a specific area, he should be able to just quickly step out of it, however, he wasn¡¯t given the chance.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Skilled assassins had appeared out of nowhere, blocking off all avenues of escape.


    Five shadows rushed into the dark curtain surrounding Se-Hoon, their presence melting into the darkness. A split secondter, a chilling sound resounded from within.


    <i>Shank!</i>


    It was the sound of des piercing through flesh.


    While that was going on, a middle-aged man watching the audacious daylight assault from on a mountain calmly said, ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Despite the distance, he was able to clearly watch their movement. Yet even to him, the sensation of their presence was so faint that it was barely noticeable¡ªhis A-rank eyes had been deceived by their strange characteristic. The man turned his head to look under the tree¡¯s shadow.


    ¡°Those Silent Shadow Squad guys. Did you say their physical abilities were around C-rank?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°Their skill in hiding their presence could easily deceive even B-rank heroes... the modifications they underwent are truly fascinating.¡±


    However, despite his words of admiration, there was an undertone of difort in his tone. Yet, from the unchanging chilly gaze still directed at the assassins, the shadow he spoke to didn¡¯t seem bothered.


    ¡°They have other abilities too. They could have shown them, but the target didn¡¯t resist,¡± the shadow replied.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see them eventually. I¡¯ll give a nice report to the Sect Master, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    The man then nced back, looking further up the mountain, and questioned the shadow again, ¡°What about the barrier?¡±


    ¡°It activated as soon as the targets ascended the hill.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then I¡¯ll leave the old man in the workshop to you.¡±


    Leaving behind those words, the man began to walk up the mountain. Shortly after, a different voice emanated from within the shadows.


    ¡°They don¡¯t even know who they¡¯re dealing with.¡±


    ¡°What would a banished mentor know? They¡¯re all just disposable pawns anyway.¡±


    Appearing like he had always been there, an old man sat on a rock behind the shadow, watching them.


    ¡°Once this is over, make sure to clean up that mess too. He had a protective charm on him, so make sure to confirm the kill.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Hearing the shadow¡¯s confirmation, the old man gazed back down into the darkness they had created.


    ¡°All this for nothing...¡± the old man muttered briefly before disappearing.


    Seeing that the old man had left, the shadow, the masked Silent Shadow Squad leader, turned his gaze toward the vige.


    <i>The ambush was good, but their cleanup is horrible...</i>


    What were they doing, seeing as how they still weren¡¯t out?


    Frustrated at how he had shown his subpar side to the old man earlier, he signaled to his other subordinates.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Appearing out of thin air, a few other shadows that were hidden throughout the vige revealed themselves and entered the darkened area.


    <i>Slice!</i>


    But immediately after their entrance, a sharp noise sounded and a ball wrapped in ck cloth rolled out from within. Instantly recognizing that it was the head of one of his subordinates, the squad leader¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    <i>What...</i>


    What happened?


    Though flustered, he instinctively signaled his remaining subordinates to strike once more.


    But at that moment, a ck spear shot out from inside the darkness.


    Watching the sleek spear, all-ck from the de to the shaft, flying toward him, he was stunned since it suddenly disappeared.


    It wasn¡¯t that it had just been hidden briefly, it had apparently vanished from this world.


    <i>Did it disappear because he ran out of mana after conjuring the spear?</i>


    If so, he judged that it would be better to continue moving stealthily while hiding his presence instead of trying to dodge the spear.


    <i>Rustle-</i>


    Seemingly taking advantage of his thoughts slowing his reaction time, a narrow line appeared out of thin air in front of him, and the ck spear reappeared, striking him.


    <i>Shank!!</i>


    ¡°<i>Argh</i>...!?¡±


    Though he tried to dodge it, the spear managed to pierce his thigh.


    Enduring the searing pain, he urgently turned his gaze back toward the vige and was bbergasted by what he saw. The darkened area had already been cleared, revealing the bodies of his subordinates, all fatally struck or beheaded, scattered in a grim disy.


    And standing in the middle of it all was Se-Hoon.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Having never moved an inch from his initial spot, Se-Hoon then pointed the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx at the squad leader.


    <strong>¡°Vision of the Abyss.¡±</strong>


    Darkness burst forth from the ck spear, engulfing the squad leader.


    1. A wooden tform is a traditional piece of furniture in Asia, designed for sitting or lying down on. It ismonly ced in courtyards or gardens, where people frequently use it as a seating area. ?

 Chapter 99

    <h4>Chapter 99</h4>


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>...¡±


    Feeling the connection between the sharp sensation of the ck mana sparkling in the forest and at the tip of his finger, Se-Hoon confirmed that his decisive strike had hit its mark and quickly surveyed his surroundings.


    Each assassin on the ground around him waspletely cloaked in ck fabric from head to toe. He had thought they were somewhat small at first, but having personally killed them, he realized that it was because their bodies were abnormally thin.


    <i>Deformed bodies with exceptional stealth abilities... Is it Tuner¡¯s doing?</i>


    Tuner¡ªone of the Ten Evils¡ªwas notorious for haphazardly modifying the bodies of living creatures. And they were someone Se-Hoon was especially wary of since it had been Tuner who had coborated with Watchers to create the Destroyer of Swords, one of the Six Harbingers of Destruction.


    <i>It was Puppeteerst time, and now it¡¯s Tuner? Seems like I¡¯ve be quite the sensation.</i>


    In hindsight, even if they did things differently, both Puppeteer and Tuner used human or demon bodies as main materials, so it wasn¡¯t strange that he had been targeted by them consecutively.


    Still, upon realizing he had been marked by two of the Ten Evils, Se-Hoon was left speechless.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Catching his attention, a rustling noise came from nearby.


    It seemed the remaining assassins were still searching for opportunities, calm even though their leader had been quickly dealt with. It was a sign of being well-trained regardless of their modifications.


    <i>Kwang-Soo¡¯s still nowhere to be seen.... It looks like a fish bigger than expected has shown up.</i>


    Hecked information about how the situation was unfolding, but he needed to ensure the safety of Park Jin-Hwan in the workshop and, more importantly, Sung-Ha, who had vanished somewhere, first.


    Decided on his next action, he infused his mana into the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx embedded within his index finger, which was etched with tiny letters, and activated one of its skills.


    ¡°<strong>Call of the Dead</strong>.¡±


    At his call, a ck ripple of mana immediately spread from the tip of the finger, forming eye-like patterns on the corpses around him before slowly beginning to wrap around them.


    Eventually, all of the eerie patterns turned into thin lines and burrowed inside the corpses.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    In the blink of an eye, the corpses disappeared, reced by eight shadows that appeared above where they originally were. The shadows of the assassins, which should have been still, rose in ce of their dead masters.


    Se-Hoon¡¯s brows furrowed slightly at the sight.


    <i>A resurrection skill, huh? I wonder if these resurrected guys are as weak as I¡¯ve heard.</i>


    Call of the Dead was a resurrection-type necromantic spell that created undead from corpses. However, while it may have looked impressive, the risen undead were weaker than their originals and consumed significant amounts of mana, making it an outdated method.


    However, with no time to consider alternatives, he promptly ordered the undead to protect him and ran towards the workshop.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Acting the moment he started moving, the remaining assassins pounced all at once, their shadow weapons thrown from all directions. Observing that the assassins were using even their own lives as tools, he gripped his Five-me Sword tightly.


    <i>Slice-</i>


    However, before he could retaliate, the undead cut down the assassins.


    <i>Crackle!</i>


    The bodies of the undead assassins stretched out like shadows,shing out like whips, silently cutting down everything threatening their master.


    Far from being weaker like he thought, the undead had retained their shadow-like characteristics and had also been enhanced to B-rank in terms of strength.


    It left Se-Hoon¡¯s mouth agape.


    <i>From a single finger bone, of all things...</i>


    Whether it was back then or now, it was near impossible to gauge just how monstrous Perfect Ones were.


    Shaking off his surprise, Se-Hoon quickly finished his assessment of their abilities and broke through the encirclement to continue rushing toward the workshop.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    ¡°Wha¡ªwhat¡¯s going on?!¡± Park Jin-Hwan eximed in shock, seeing Se-Hoon kicking open the door.


    Quickly scanning Park Jin-Hwan, Se-Hoon became relieved upon seeing the man perfectly fine, apart from his slightly swollen eyes.


    With one person¡¯s safety confirmed, he quickly asked about the second, ¡°We¡¯re under attack right now, and I can¡¯t seem to find Sung-Ha. Is there any ce he might go when he¡¯s upset?¡±


    Park Jin-Hwan¡¯s eyes widened and he quickly responded, ¡°The waterfall! If you go northwest from here, there¡¯s a waterfall that the first sect master often visited!¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll leave some of these guys behind, so take care of yourself!¡±


    Leaving four undead assassins as guards, Se-Hoon rushed out of the workshop and ran towards the forest, where he had thrown his ck spear.


    There were no other assassins around, making it seem likely that they had nned to finish things in the vige with that one ambush.


    With no assassins, Se-Hoon rapidly arrived in the forest strewn with rocks and promptly activated Eye of the Boundary with the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Scouring the ck outlines marking the boundaries of objects that appeared in his view, he soon spotted a long line and immediately extended his left hand toward it.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    When his left index finger, embedded with the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx, touched the line, a gap in space opened and the ck spear he threw earlier fell out.


    <i>The enemy... did they kill themselves?</i>


    Realizing they had beenpletely outmatched, the enemypletely destroyed any trace of themselves, from their body to their clothing. It seemed Tuner had nted a device that destroyed any evidence within their bodies.


    <i>This is why I hate assassins, </i>Se-Hoon thought, clicking his tongue at their meticulous actions.


    He then retrieved the ck spear and examined its condition, gazing at the ck veins along the entire spear shaft; it had quite an ominous appearance. He opened the information message.


    <strong>[<u>Nocturne Piercer</u>]</strong>


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


    <strong>[A spear corrupted by shadows.</strong>


    <strong>It can absorb the life force of those it makes contact with, converting it into darkness mana. </strong>


    <strong>By using the created mana, one can manipte the boundaries of reality; however, excessive use can lead to erosion, decreasing the overall performance.</strong>


    <strong>*Can absorb life force and convert it into darkness mana</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Stealth Shadow¡¯</strong>


    <strong>*Skill ¡®Shadow Projection¡¯ is not usable</strong>


    <strong>*Internal erosion has limited the performance]</strong>


    <i>Is Shadow Projection blocked?</i>


    The weapon skill Shadow Projection allowed mana to be stored inside the spear and manifestedter. It was thanks to this skill that Se-Hoon had been able to remotely use Eye of the Boundary, yet the spear had eroded with just one use, diminishing its functionality.


    <i>I can still use Stealth Shadow, so it¡¯s notpletely useless yet. What¡¯s left is...</i>


    Turning his head northwest, where the waterfall was said to be, he quickly spotted some traces.


    Right before his eyes were inly marked footprints, clear with no attempt to hide them. Following those would likely lead him to Sung-Ha.


    <i>Just be alive!</i>


    Even if Sung-Ha had lost a few limbs, Se-Hoon swore to himself that he would find a way to help. With that thought in mind, he rushed deeper into the mountains.


    ***


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    A small waterfall cascaded down over the creek, sshing water droplets that reflected the sunlight and sparkled beautifully in all directions. The sightpletely contrasted Sung-Ha¡¯s gaze which grew gloomier and gloomier.


    <i>Finding sce in memories... </i>Looking down at Sun Shooter in his hand, Sung-Ha recalled the harsh words he had spat at Park Jin-Hwan.


    Sun Shooter was the weapon his master had wielded on countless battlefields that dated back to before Sung-Ha was even born. It wasn¡¯t like he had seen it in action, but the traces left on the spear spoke of its past glory. They allowed him to naturally envision how his master had wielded the spear and the tremendous power and valor that characterized those moments.


    <i>Like I¡¯m different...</i>


    Watching his master grow weaker with each passing day was painful, and the fear of eventually not being able to see him at all drove him to flee to the past. Grimacing due to realizing his own pitiful actions, Sung-Ha gazed at his distorted face, reflected in the creek.


    <i>Am I really fit to be the next sect master?</i>


    He pondered over bing the sect master, the path his master intended. It was a goal that had never changed, yet he had his doubts.


    Could he truly lead the me Sect like his master? Could he really carry forward the legacy of the Inferno Ring?


    Bing a sect master and bing a sect master worthy of his master¡¯s fame were twopletely different things.


    <i>¡°Get lost. I have nothing for the likes of you.¡±</i>


    Upon remembering Se-Hoon¡¯s cold re and the disappointment in those eyes, his grip on Sun Shooter instinctively tightened.


    ¡°I am...¡±


    He would have usually dismissed such thoughts without even considering them, but for some reason, they weren¡¯t being so easily erased today.


    Lost in his thoughts, he stared nkly at his reflection for a while until a voice awoke him.


    ¡°Is that Sun Shooter?¡±


    The voiceing from the other side of the creek was full of provocation.


    ¡°To think such an outdated piece of equipment still exists. Park Jin-Hwan, that old fool, truly is pathetic.¡±


    With a crimson crescent moon ive slung over his shoulder, a middle-aged man approached from the opposite side. Instantly recognizing him, Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°An Gil-Hyun...¡±


    In the past, a former disciple of the me Sect had been expelled for attempting to destroy the evidence of him murdering his mentor during a mission in a Danger Zone.


    And now, An Gil-Hyun¡ªthat very disciple¡ªhad suddenly appeared after several years, prompting a tense expression on Sung-Ha¡¯s face.


    ¡°You should address me as ¡®mentor.¡¯ Seems like you stillck discipline.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason I should call someone who has been expelled a mentor.¡±


    At Sung-Ha¡¯s sharp retort, An Gil-Hyun stopped walking along the creek and clicked his tongue sharply.


    ¡°<i>Tsk, tsk.</i> To think someone aspiring to be the next sect master is so clueless... don¡¯t you understand the meaning of my appearance here?¡± An Gil-Hyun said disdainfully, slowly lowering the crescent moon ive on his shoulder.


    ¡°Unlike the rigid previous sect masters, our fourth sect master has acknowledged my grievances.¡±


    Understanding that the fourth sect master, Lee Won-Ryong, promised An Gil-Hyun a return, Sung-Ha fell silent for a moment.


    ¡°I see. So, you were already in league with Lee Won-Ryong since your expulsion.¡±


    ¡°Well, the person I killed back then <i>was</i> the much anticipated next sect master.¡±


    <i>Krr-</i>


    Dragging his crescent moon ive along the ground, An Gil-Hyun looked at Sung-Ha while twisting his lips.


    ¡°Just like you right now!¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The two stomped the ground simultaneously, their crimson spear des colliding above the creek.


    <i>Bang!!</i>


    Following the collision, a session of explosions burst forth immediately. The resulting mes intertwined, trying to devour each other, before soon receding, prompting the two to swing their spears engulfed in mes again.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The fundamentalbat technique of the Inferno Ring involved dominating the space before the user with the spear first and then subduing the opponent with the following residual mes. As a result, it was normal for intense situations to often arise, but when the same Inferno Ring technique was pitted against one other, the result changed slightly.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The spear des, fighting to upy the space, shed tightly and bounced off each other, followed by the explosions of the residual mes which were on a much smaller scale.


    <i>Boom! ng!</i>


    Each took advantage of the recoil of the explosions to unpredictably twist the trajectory of their spear des or obscure the other¡¯s view with mes to create openings.


    And in such a fierce exchange to seize the flow of the attack, it was naturally Sung-Ha who was gradually being pushed back.


    ¡°Your reaction is slow...¡± An Gil-Hyun taunted.


    <i>ng!</i>


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Retreating, Sung-Ha desperately deflected An Gil-Hyun¡¯s crescent moon ive, which was gaining dominance over the space, and thus more power.


    But that was natural. After all, An Gil-Hyun was once an active A-rank hero, having reached the position of a mentor and the state of Seven Rings over ten years ago. However, there was another reason for the disparity in their strength besides his upper hand in experience and strength.


    <i>This bastard... did hemit more than one murder...?</i>


    The know-how and experience of killing another user of the same Inferno Ring technique were etched into the tip of his spear, tearing apart Sung-Ha¡¯s spear technique by the fundamentals.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Experiencing An Gil-Hyun¡¯s skillful repeated targeting of his vital spots with his dispelling technique, Sung-Ha finally fully grasped who he was fighting against.


    A long-time hound of Lee Won-Ryong¡¯s who eliminated any obstacles within the me Sect¡ªthat was who An Gil-Hyung was.


    ¡°Your spear technique is the same as Yeom Jin-Hyun¡¯s, just like what I heard! Well, that makes sense considering you¡¯ve learned from him. But you should drop that outdated technique and show me the twin spear technique you disyed to Sect Master!¡± An Gil-Hyun taunted, perfectly countering Sung-Ha¡¯s spear technique.


    Hearing An Gil-Hyun¡¯s taunts, Sung-Ha experienced a whirlwind of emotions. The thought that he might havested longer if he had used the twin spear technique and his belief that his own spear technique¡ªhis master¡¯s technique¡ªcouldn¡¯t possibly be outdated, shed within him.


    Trying to endure the conflicting emotions, Sung-Ha gritted his teeth and infused his mana into the core of Sun Shooter, causing a gigantic me to erupt from the spear de.


    The weapon skill me Demon, which his master Yeom Jin-Hyun used to pierce through numerous monsters and demons, had been brought back to life by his hands.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Unfortunately, before Sung-Ha could do anything, An Gil-Hyun¡¯s crescent moon ive shed his body.


    <i>Rip!</i>


    It felt as if his chest had been scorched by mes where the spear grazed him. However, Sung-Ha barely even felt the pain. His eyes were fixed on Sun Shooter.


    ¡°...¡±


    The spear had been split in half.


    Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he stared at the lifeless Sun Shooter. It seemed it was truly dead, seeing as how the spear de was dull and refusing to respond no matter how much mana was infused; it was a sign of a problem with the internal mana circuit.


    Contrary to Sung-Ha, An Gil-Hyun gazed at it calmly and clicked his tongue.


    ¡°<i>Tsk, tsk, tsk.</i> I was just trying to split the spear into two for you, yet it broke from just that.... It¡¯s just as weak as its owner.¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    With bloodshot eyes, Sung-Ha red at An Gil-Hyun, who smirked in response.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m not entirely wrong, right? An old man who could die any day and a now broken-in-half spear that had previously been abandoned in a workshop. Like owner, like spear, right?¡±


    ¡°Shut up...¡±


    ¡°Why are you so stubborn... ah, right. Let me tell you a story you probably don¡¯t know.¡±


    Observing Sung-Ha¡¯s disheveled state, An Gil-Hyun smirked.


    ¡°The truth is, Sun Shooter was a weapon passed down through generations until the third sect master. Even Yeom Jin-Hyun, who was in better shape back then, taught its spear techniques, intending to pass them on.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!!!¡±


    Easily dodging Sung-Ha, who had kicked off the ground and swung the broken spear at him, An Gil-Hyun kicked him in the ribs.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    ¡°<i>Agh</i>...!¡±


    ¡°Just listen to the end. Anyway, when the fourth sect master, Lee Won-Ryong, took office, this tradition disappeared, and Sun Shooter ended up in the workshop as trash. Ever wonder why?¡±


    Grinning wickedly, An Gil-Hyun approached Sung-Ha, who was copsed by the creek.


    ¡°Because Yeom Jin-Hyun failed to control Sun Shooter.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t control its mes in a demonstration and was swept up in them, severely injuring himself.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be true...¡±


    ¡°The scars on his right arm and chest. You would have seen them being with Yeom Jin-Hyun, right?¡±


    At his response, Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes widened. Thergest scar on his master¡¯s body, which he had assumed was from a battlefield, had actually been from such an ident.


    ¡°Yeom Jin-Hyun also gave up toote. He would have been healthier if he had just stayed put... yet he was caught up in the past and that devoured his body.¡±


    Hearing those words, memories of what his master once told him surged within Sung-Ha.


    <i>¡°Both the strength and time to wield the spear have already passed by.¡±</i>


    Sung-Ha had taken that statement as his master letting go of the past, but it turned out to be a story about his master himself, who was left with nothing but ashes, unable to ignite once again.


    ¡°...¡±


    Taking in that Park Jin-Hwan, himself, and even his master were all bound by the past, he felt as if he were sinking into a deep mire.


    Was bing the next sect master for his master really the right path?


    <i>I¡¯m...</i>


    For the first time, Sung-Ha¡¯s steadfast eyes wavered. Taking advantage of that moment, An Gil-Hyun delivered his final words, ¡°And now, because of the nonsense of a son adopted in hister years, he¡¯s likely to die alongside him.¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    ¡°Well, if he cooperated well at the end... the Sect Master might have shown mercy. Isn¡¯t that so?¡±


    Staying silent, Sung-Ha¡¯s hand tightened around Sun Shooter once again, but soon, his grip began to weaken, his will to resist fading.


    It was a sight that made An Gil-Hyun smirk with satisfaction.


    ¡°Wise decision,¡± hemented, approaching the now-slumped Sung-Ha and looking down at him.


    To him, murdering someone was a simple act¡ªjust a matter of shing their throat or piercing their heart¡ªbut what he did care about was the process leading up to it.


    In that respect, he was thoroughly satisfied with the current Sung-Ha.


    <i>It¡¯s a bit regrettable that I didn¡¯t get to see the twin spear technique, but whatever.</i>


    He truly believed that if Sung-Ha had used the twin spear technique, as he did in his duel with the Sect Master, with Sun Shooter and another, he might havested longer.


    However, An Gil-Hyun soon suppressed his regret.


    <i>I must kill him when I can.</i>


    He hadn¡¯t shown it, but he had been surprised when Sung-Ha immediately recognized his dispelling technique and prepared to counter it. If he didn¡¯t kill Sung-Ha now, he was sure Sung-Ha would be a threatter.


    With that judgment, he slowly raised his spear. But at that moment, he suddenly noticed an attack.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    Nocturne Piercer was silently shooting toward An Gil-Hyun¡¯s head.


    ¡°...?!¡±


    Though surprised by the spear that had managed to hide from his senses, An Gil-Hyun still managed to swing his crescent moon ive to block. It had been shot with perfect timing, but it was slow enough.


    Fully confident there was no issue, he prepared to counterattack. But then suddenly¡ª


    <strong>¡°Stealth Shadow.¡±</strong>


    The tip of the Nocturne Piercer blurred, subtly shifting in position.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Like a shadow, the spear passed right through the crescent moon ive, causing An Gil-Hyun¡¯s eyes to widen in shock.


    <i>Shank-</i>


    And the spear pierced through his right eye before he could even blink.

 Chapter 100

    <h4>Chapter 100</h4>


    ¡°<i>Argh</i>...!¡±


    An excruciating pain came from An Gil-Hyun¡¯s right eye. However, despite it, he swiftly swung his crescent moon ive again.


    <i>Boom!!</i>


    mes erupted, forcing Se-Hoon slightly back. As he retreated, he briefly saw An Gil-Hyun¡¯s right eye, which should have been pierced by the Nocturne Piercer, trembling faintly.


    It appeared as if the attack had no effect, but in reality, it had.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    A faint me dimly flickered within the pocket of An Gil-Hyun¡¯s top, signaling that his protective charm had been consumed upon absorbing all of the damage from the attack.


    <i>How on earth did this guy get here?</i>


    He had witnessed firsthand Se-Hoon being utterly defeated at the hands of the Silent Shadow Squad, unable tond even a single blow. So how could he be standing here, unscathed? What could exin this unexpected resilience?


    He wanted to understand the situation, but Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t foolish enough to wait for him.


    <i>ng!</i>


    des silently surged behind An Gil-Hyun, forcing him to turn and counter with his crescent moon ive all in an instant. And when he pushed them back and found out who the assants were, his eyes widened in shock.


    <i>The Silent Shadow Squad?!</i>


    Their bodies blurred like a shadow and their physical abilities were more enhanced than before, yet their faint presence and movements were clearly those of the Silent Shadow Squad he had seen earlier.


    Assaulted by their unexpected hostility, An Gil-Hyun¡¯s mind raced with newly sparked possibilities.


    <i>Was I the target from the start? </i>Otherwise, there was no way Se-Hoon, whom he presumed dead, would ambush him with the Silent Shadow Squad.


    With limited information and the sudden turn of events cluttering his mind, it was natural that he wasing up with countless unbelievable scenarios.


    ¡°You seem quite lost in thought!¡± Se-Hoon shouted, swinging the Forgefire Hammer with all his might at An Gil-Hyun.


    ¡°<i>Urgh</i>...?!


    Though caught off guard by the attack that had precisely exploited his vulnerable spot, An Gil-Hyun quickly reacted. Se-Hoon had the upper hand, but even he couldn¡¯t ovee the overwhelming physical disparity.


    Now focused, An Gil-Hyun quickly closed the distance, swinging his crescent moon ive, trying to split the hammer.


    <i>You got way too cocky from that first attack...!</i>


    He didn¡¯t understand exactly what was happening, but regardless, all he had to do was simply eliminate both Se-Hoon and the Silent Shadow Squad.


    With his decision made, his eyes fixed on Se-Hoon as he was about to split the hammer into two.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Crimson mes arose from the Forgefire Hammer, precisely striking the de of the crescent moon ive.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The crescent moon ive was deflected, and the Forgefire Hammer sprung backward with great force. It was a situation significantly different from what An Gil-Hyun anticipated, which widened his eyes in shock.


    ¡°What the...¡±


    Had he panicked so much that he had failed to control his strength? However, before he could dwell on it, attacks from the Silent Shadow Squad poured in from all directions.


    ¡°Quite clumsy!¡±


    <i>ng! ng! Boom!</i>


    Despite being thrown off by their coordination, he managed to fend off the onught of attacks from the four undead assassins and Se-Hoon. And as time passed, he managed to stabilize his stance.


    If he could just hold on a little longer, he would be able to use a proper technique to take all of them down in one blow. But... he felt an inexplicable sense of doom, even if he had the upper hand.


    <i>What exactly... what exactly went wrong?</i>


    Why were these guys, who should have been dead long ago, clinging so persistently to him? Why were they purposely shouting before they attacked, drawing attention to themselves?


    Feeling more and more like they were baiting his counterattacks, his gaze strangely fell on his unresponsive crescent moon ive.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Causing him to finally notice that the shaft was gradually being deformed with each consecutive strike from the Forgefire Hammer.


    ¡°This crazy bastard...!¡±


    He hadn¡¯t been their target from the beginning¡ªit was his crescent moon ive all along.


    Realizing this btedly, he began to detonate the residual mes he had set around him to create some distance. But someone had been waiting for that.


    <i>Got you.</i>


    Se-Hoon struck the crescent moon ive¡¯s shaft once again with his Forgefire Hammer, creating a strange pulse.


    <i>Boom!!!</i>


    A terrifying explosion erupted around An Gil-Hyun.


    Having been observing An Gil-Hyun¡¯sbat with Eyes of irvoyance, Se-Hoon imitated the mana impulse, Explosion Trigger, to detonate the residual mes before the user could¡ªjust like when he first met Sung-Ha.


    Unlike how Sung-Ha had controlled his power in the past, though, An Gil-Hyun had exerted his full strength in this life-or-death situation. Thus, it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if the st from the residual mes left any ordinary hero in a near-death state.


    <i>Unfortunately, it seems like he was thoroughly prepared.</i>


    The movement of mana within the smoke indicated that the ordeal was not over yet.


    ¡°<i>Argh!!!</i>¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    With an explosive swing, An Gil-Hyun swung the crescent moon ive to clear the cloud of smoke. Appearing all charred and disheveled, he red at Se-Hoon with bloodshot eyes.


    The look in his eyes was now one ofplete alertness, devoid of anycency. Seizing the moment, Se-Hoon pulled a White Light Dagger from his waist and threw it without hesitation.


    ¡°<i>Hmph</i>...!¡±


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Though An Gil-Hyun easily deflected the White Light Dagger and shattered it to pieces, it was within Se-Hoon¡¯s calctions; he had been aiming to create an opportunity for the undead assassins tounch a coordinated attack.


    ¡°Come here!!!¡± An Gil-Hyun shouted.


    <i>ng!!</i>


    He had managed to block the onught of the undead assassins, but his breathing had be disordered and he was beginning to be pushed back. His eyes and face seemed to have any sign of rationality, but his mind was still rapidly assessing everything.


    <i>It¡¯s just that I used up all of my protective charms. I still have a chance.</i>


    He knew he would overpower the Silent Shadow Squad in a head-on confrontation, seeing as they specialized in ambushes. He also knew how to vary the frequency of his Explosion Trigger to prevent the residual mes from exploding preemptively.


    Thinking the situation wasn¡¯t that bad, he steadied his breathing and was about tounch another offensive, but hisposure was soon shattered.


    <i>Creak-</i>


    His foot had tripped an invisible wire.


    <i>Boom!!</i>


    ¡°You... you bastard!!!¡±


    Confirming that the trap he had set up was sessfully activated upon hearing the explosion from the forest and An Gil-Hyun¡¯s scream, Se-Hoon sighed in relief.


    ¡°At least we¡¯ve bought some time...¡±


    If the undead assassins could keep leading An Gil-Hyun through the surrounding forest to trigger the remaining traps, they would buy them enough time for him and Sung-Ha to rearm themselves.


    Taking a moment to steady his ragged breathing, Se-Hoon returned to the waterfall and Sung-Ha to ensure they could secure their advantage.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m going to pass you the spear now, so together we can... huh?¡±


    Trailing off in disbelief, Se-Hoon started at Sung-Ha who hadn¡¯t moved an inch and was still staring powerlessly at the ground.


    At this disheartening sight, he could only incredulously ask, ¡°Have you... have you seriously given up?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Wow. You actually have. Oh my God,¡± Se-Hoon eximed in amazement over and over, as if he had seen some precious artifact.


    His reaction caused Sung-Ha¡¯s eyebrows to furrow momentarily, but since his spirit had been ground to the finest of powders, it wasn¡¯t easy to reform it again.


    Having expected Sung-Ha to shout or grab him by the cor in anger, Se-Hoon wore a grim expression due to thepletely opposite reaction. The conversation between An Gil-Hyun and Sung-Ha wasn¡¯t supposed to have been taken seriously, but it seemed to have provoked many thoughts in Sung-Ha.


    <i>He isn¡¯t the Mad Dog any longer; he¡¯s just apletely drenched cur now...</i>


    Swallowing the fact that Sung-Ha could not be sent back into the fray, Se-Hoon stepped forward and stomped on the de of Sun Shooter.


    ¡°What are you...¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s iprehensible action, Sung-Ha looked up questioningly.


    <i>Smack!</i>


    Only to fall back listlessly due to Se-Hoon powerfully jabbing the end of the spear shaft into his sr plexus.


    ¡°<i>Ugh.</i>... What was that for...!¡±


    Since it was more of a push than a hit, Sung-Ha quickly regained his posture.


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon picked up Sun Shooter and said, ¡°You just died right now.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°So, this is mine now.¡±


    yfully shaking Sun Shooter in front of Sung-Ha, Se-Hoon tossed it upward and then struck its de fiercely with the Forgefire Hammer.


    <i>Boom-!</i>


    A shower of sparks burst, sending red fragments into the air. Seeing the shattered fragments of the spear de, Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes widened.


    <i>Why...</i>


    Why would Se-Hoon deliberately destroy Sun Shooter in this situation?


    He grappled with confusion, anger, and the shame of his helplessness due to just watching his own weapon be destroyed.


    <i>Thump.</i>


    Then, a red fragment fell into Se-Hoon¡¯s extended hand.


    Seeing that, Sung-Ha realized Se-Hoon had only broken off the sides of the spear de and straightened the main part into a new form. The fact shocked him.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem good enough...¡± muttered Se-Hoon.


    Although the new de had many imperfections, seeing as how it had been hastily destroyed when it should have been slowly chipped away, there was no other choice but to use the quickest method with whatever was avable in its current state.


    Hooking the Forgefire Hammer back on his belt, he began fitting the Crimson me Rod from his void pocket with the new de.


    Soon, the inside of the de, which had faded from use, began to glow a deep crimson, gradually intensifying to a vivid red.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>,¡± Se-Hoon exhaled, steadying his breath. He then looked at Sung-Ha, who stared nkly back at him.


    ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t just stand there; leave.¡±


    ¡°Leave?¡±


    ¡°I told you, you¡¯ve already died.¡±


    Turning away, Se-Hoon finished in an indifferent voice, ¡°Just leave right now and beg the Sect Master to spare your life. He might just pity you, seeing how pathetic you look right now.¡±


    With that, Se-Hoon sprinted away in the direction An Gil-Hyun had vanished.


    Sung-Ha¡¯s mind went nk.


    <i>I¡¯m... dead? </i>Sung-Ha thought, watching Se-Hoon¡¯s back getting further and further away.


    The words, almost yful, pierced deep into his consciousness, stirring a troubling question within him.


    <i>What was I even fighting for all this time?</i>


    Although his master had indeed instructed him to be the next sect master, if that were truly all, he wouldn¡¯t have needed to resort to such drastic measures. He could have hidden his power or simply allied with those who opposed Lee Won-Ryong.


    So why had he chosen not to hide and instead confront everything directly? Why had he chosen this inefficient and perilous path?


    <i>I just wanted to prove myself...</i>


    All along, he had wanted to prove that the spear techniques and the life taught by his master were correct. <i>That</i> was why he had chosen not topromise and faced all the obstacles head-on, aspiring to be the next sect master.


    He knew that was what his master had truly hoped for him.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    That was the path he had vowed to follow.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Getting back on his feet, he rushed into the forest, catching sight of Se-Hoon ahead of him. He also spotted An Gil-Hyun further past and noticed he had already dealt with three of the four assassins, looking poised to engage in battle with Se-Hoon at any moment.


    Seeing that, Sung-Ha shouted at Se-Hoon with all his might, ¡°STOP!¡±


    However, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t halt, treating him as if he were truly dead. Biting his lip in frustration, Sung-Ha pondered what he could say to gain another chance and make him listen.


    Then, a phrase burst forth: ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡±


    At that shout, Se-Hoon finally stopped in his tracks, turning his head and looking back.


    Seizing the moment, Sung-Ha shouted again with resolve, ¡°I¡¯ll pay double; just hand the spears over to me!¡±


    ¡°Haha. It¡¯s triple the price, you bastard,¡± Se-Hoon said, casually tossing the two spears at him.


    Catching the two spears hurled toward him, Sung-Ha swiftly bypassed Se-Hoon and charged right toward An Gil-Hyun, who had just finished dealing with thest remaining undead assassin.


    ¡°How... how dare you underestimate me!¡±


    Battered from the numerous traps and ambushes, An Gil-Hyun looked toward the approaching Sung-Ha and immediately stomped on the ground in defiance.


    <i>What difference does changing from one worn spear to two seemingly insignificant ones make?</i>


    Determined to behead Sung-Ha immediately when given the chance, he swung his crescent moon ive.


    <i>ng-!</i>


    However, unlike his expectation, Sung-Ha¡¯s twin spears easily deflected the crescent moon ive.


    ¡°...Ah?¡±


    The ck spear shifted the trajectory of the crescent moon ive and the red spear followed up by bashing it back with explosive force. An Gil-Hyun¡¯s eyes popped open upon the effortless deflection, and Sung-Ha seized that moment to press the attack.


    <i>ng, ng, ng!</i>


    The distance between the two closed quickly.


    The power of the residual mes An Gil-Hyun previously deployed slowly diminished as the space narrowed, while Sung-Ha, having drawn him into his range, relentlessly exploited any openings with his own residual mes.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Seeing the crescent moon ive swung downward once again, Sung-Ha blocked with twin spears, getting them all stuck together. He then immediately directed the crescent moon ive further down before stomping on the crescent moon ive¡¯s spear shaft.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Pinning the crescent moon ive to the ground, heunched a chilling flurry of strikes, targeting An Gil-Hyun¡¯s head and heart.


    In desperation, An Gil-Hyun infused his mana into his fists and struck back.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...!?¡±


    He had managed to divert Sung-Ha¡¯s attack, but his gauntlet had been cleanly sliced through. Seeing how Sung-Ha had managed to cut through the gauntlet even though he had infused quite a lot of mana, An Gil-Hyun began to sweat coldly as he frantically kicked the shaft of his crescent moon ive with all his might.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Sung-Ha was thrown backward, and An Gil-Hyun, having recovered his crescent moon ive, steadied himself and took stance again.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>...¡±


    He had originally thought that Sung-Ha would be a threat only in the far future if he had let him escape today. However, after that brief exchange, he realized he waspletely wrong.


    <i>He was... already a threat to begin with.</i>


    Having failed to kill Sung-Ha during their first encounter and then letting the twin spears be passed into Sung-Ha¡¯s hands, he was now faced with a certain truth¡ªit was now about how he would survive.


    Realizing it wasn¡¯t about the assassination any longer, An Gil-Hyun infused the rest of his mana into the crescent moon ive and swung it with all his might onest time.


    <i>Whooom!</i>


    As the crescent moon ive slowly traced its circr path, he soon became surrounded by a ring of mes that was rapidly elerating and shining brighter and brighter. He then swung the ive toward the brilliantly glowing me ring.


    <strong>Inferno Ring: Sun Disk Cleaver</strong>


    A fiery sh swept forward.


    It was a secret technique of the Inferno Ring that released all of thepressed mana infused in a single strike.


    Facing the ensuing mes, Sung-Ha gripped his twin spears tightly.


    <i>There¡¯s no way I could overpower that.</i>


    He knew that his only chance was to utilize his advantage in finesse,patibility, and talent.


    Recalling the strange pulse Se-Hoon had shown at the training grounds long ago, Sung-Ha infused the Nocturne Piercer with darkness mana and created a me ring in front of him.


    He then poured all his fire mana, Crimson me Soul, into the Crimson me Rod and thrust toward the center of the ring with all his strength.


    <i>Whooom!</i>


    The two different elemental manas resonated as one.


    <strong>Inferno Ring: Eclipse Shatter</strong>


    <i>Boom- </i>


    A massive me engulfed the battlefield. And piercing through its center was the Crimson me Rod, dispersing it in all directions. At the end of the spear¡¯s path was An Gil-Hyun¡¯s abdomen, which it pierced through with ease.


    ¡°<i>Cough</i>... what is... this...¡±


    An Gil-Hyun couldn¡¯t believe how this strange me entwined with ck swirls tore apart and overwhelmed his own; he was sure that his me was purer and more powerful.


    He stared at the heretic before him, unable to understand the situation.


    ¡°The old ones are you guys.¡±


    Sung-Ha twisted his spear half a turn.


    <i>Boom!! </i>


    An explosion erupted, and An Gil-Hyun¡¯s body vanished without a trace. Staring at the remnants of the me, Yeom Sung-Ha withdrew his spear.


    <strong>[The equipment ¡®Crimson me Rod¡¯ has been transformed into ¡®Sun Piercing Spear¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[<u>Sun Piercing Spear</u>] </strong>


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


    <strong>[A spear made by heating a special type of wood over a long time. </strong>


    <strong>It has the ability to absorb and store mes, which can then be used as nourishment to regenerate damaged parts. </strong>


    <strong>The imnted mana circuit helps maintain efficient power output, increasing the spear¡¯s strength.</strong>


    <strong>It can concentrate and release all of the absorbed mes from the tip of the de, with an adjustable range. </strong>


    <strong>*Can regenerate using the mes stored in equipment</strong>


    <strong>*Strength increases when infused with mana</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill Crimson me</strong>


    <strong>*Current stored me: 100%]</strong>


    A new spear, refined by the me of ck me Wheel, was revealed.

 Chapter 101

    <h4>Chapter 101</h4>


    <i>Thump-</i>


    Feeling a faint pulse from afar, Kwang-Soo turned his head toward the mountain.


    ¡°It seems they¡¯ve managed to pull through.¡±


    He thought An Gil-Hyun might be a bit much for them, but it appeared they¡¯d handled him well.


    With his only concern resolved, he turned his head forward again.


    ¡°...¡±


    There, an old man was lying on the ground. His hair was disheveled, his body was covered in blood, and his right arm had been cut off. The dagger the old man had been wielding had also been broken in half, the pieces beside him.


    Gazing down at the old man who was barely clinging to his life, Kwang-Soo ced the gray sword he had conjured in his right hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to finish up things here soon, too. Is there anything else you want me to rece with a shadow beside your right arm? If so, tell me right away. I¡¯ll immediately cut it off for you.¡±


    Listening to Kwang-Soo¡¯s nonchnt urging, the old man¡¯s eyes twitched before he soon smirked bitterly and muttered, ¡°You¡¯re still as arrogant as before, Sword Demon.¡±


    That nickname from the past made Kwang-Soo narrow his eyes.


    <i>From how he knows my old nickname, he must have quite a history...</i>


    As he searched through his memories for someone simr to the old man among those he had encountered, he suddenly remembered a name.


    ¡°Right. No wonder I found your movements familiar.... You¡¯re from Darkness.¡±


    Darkness was a group of demons that came out at night to mercilessly hunt heroes in the middle of the desert. They were notorious for turning numerous desert regions into Danger Zones.


    However, they should have been no longer active, having been eradicated long ago.


    ¡°...I didn¡¯t expect you to remember. Surprising.¡±


    ¡°I tend to remember all the troublesome ones. But how are you still alive? I¡¯m sure that Ludwig and I killed all of you guys back then...¡±


    ¡°Well, back then, he wasn¡¯t the Emperor of Ascension yet. He was only a mere hero known as the Sky Sovereign. Even if he was S-rank, he was still a human being at the end of the day. And, as you see, it¡¯s not too hard for me to run away from humans.¡± The old man¡¯s words were filled with venom, even bringing up Ludwig¡¯s hero name before he became a Perfect One.


    Frowning, Kwang-Soo¡¯s expression grew even moreplex.


    <i>Ludwig was never sloppy, even back then...</i>


    In fact, he knew firsthand that Ludwig had been even more cautious back then, in his less powerful days.


    Staying silent, Kwang-Soo stared at the old man for a while before he eventually sighed, shaking his head.


    ¡°You know what? Never mind. It looks like you have no intention of blurting it out, so let¡¯s just end it here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being far too harsh.¡±


    ¡°Like you¡¯re one to talk, thinking of taking innocent students hostages while chattering about pointless things.¡±


    ¡°...!¡± The old man¡¯s eyes widened.


    <i>He noticed the movement of the Silent Shadow Squad...?</i>


    Kwang-Soo had only just teleported them here after he had been subdued, so how could he have noticed? The old man¡¯s mind raced as he pondered whether Kwang-Soo had really noticed or if this was all just a part of a psychological tactic.


    <i>Ding-</i>


    The clear sound of a bell abruptly rang and dozens of blue swords flew through the forest towards Kwang-Soo, neatly lining up behind him.


    ¡°What...¡±


    Each sword was about sixty centimeters in length and elegantly shaped like a piece of fine art, all identical in form.


    It was a mystical sight on its own, but upon realizing the true nature of the swords, the old man became bbergasted.


    ¡°Sword aura...?¡±


    The swords were all, in fact, made from sword aura. A single one wouldn¡¯t have been surprising since any high-ranking hero familiar with handling sword aura would be able to form one, but producing and controlling dozens of them individually was another matter.


    <i>...I see. He wasn¡¯t able to be a Perfect One... but his skills have still been advancing ever since.</i>


    While Kwang-Soo had been tying down the old man, he had simultaneously been annihting the Silent Shadow Squad with these blue swords. Finally understanding, the old man btedly recalled why Kwang-Soo¡¯s nickname had changed from Sword Demon to Broken Sword.


    <i>Flee at the sight of the Broken Sword.</i>


    The Broken Sword was a nickname acknowledged by both humanity and the demons, given to tell others to avoid meaningless battles and save those who were oblivious to Kwang-Soo¡¯s actual strength from death.


    It was that monster, who once stood shoulder to shoulder with the Emperor of Ascension, that was now standing in front of him.


    Looking at the dozens of blue swords aimed at him, the old man smirked and said, ¡°I should at least get the chance to run away or something...¡±


    <strong>Celestial Infinity de: Blue Chime</strong>


    With a clear ringing sound, the swords pierced through the old man¡¯s body.


    Kwang-Soo then gestured with his eyes, and the swords dissolved into mana and disappeared. Not wasting any time, he quickly approached the old man and ripped off his tattered shirt.


    <i>Sizz-</i>


    Seeing the ck miasma rising from the various wounds across the old man¡¯s body, Kwang-Soo frowned upon discerning that the inside of the body was slowly being disintegrated.


    ¡°A bomb, some poison, and even a curse, all meticulously attached.¡±


    He had tried to remove as many hidden devices as possible as soon as he killed the old man, but it seemed the opponent¡¯s preparation was superior this time.


    ¡°Only Tuner would be as thorough as this...¡± muttered Kwang-Soo, looking down at the old man¡¯s body¡ªnow just a husk¡ªwith aplex expression.


    First the Puppeteer and now the Tuner.... Whether it was a coincidence or not, it was the first time he had encountered a freshman who was entangled with two of the Ten Evils in such a short period.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>... what a nuisance...¡±


    He had intended to leave the instant he was done dealing with the old man, but it seemed he needed to keep an eye out until Se-Hoon returned all the way to Babel.


    Continually grumbling, Kwang-Soo put the body into a void box and resumed his walk through the forest.


    ***


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    A clean ck edge was formed on the red spear de.


    Se-Hoon admired its pattern, which was engraved on the edge of the new de of the Sun Piercing Spear, as it looked neatly made for something carved by chance.


    <i>To think he managed to engrave a mana circuit in one go.</i>


    It was only possible because of a phenomenon that urred when the assimtion rate of a piece of equipment reached over ny percent.


    Usually, equipment only reached such an assimtion rate when the wielder considered the piece a part of their body, and Sung-Ha had managed to do just that on its first use, turning a hastily made spear into the Sun Piercing Spear.


    ¡°It looks like you can just use it as it is. Take it with you,¡± Se-Hoon said, returning the Sun Piercing Spear.


    Receiving the spear, Sung-Ha looked toward the direction they were running¡ªwhere the workshop was.


    ¡°Are you sure nothing would have happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure about it. Don¡¯t worry, and just... ah, there it is.¡±


    Finally exiting the mountain, Park Jin-Hwan¡¯s workshop came into view, along with the sight of two other people confronting the four undead assassins in the yard.


    Upon seeing their uniforms and the emblems¡ªproof they had reached the state of Seven Rings¡ªon their shoulders, Se-Hoon figured out they were mentors from the me Sect.


    He narrowed his eyes and asked Sung-Ha, ¡°Do you know these guys?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Kang Hyun-Woon and mentor Jean-Paul. They¡¯re both A-rank heroes who serve directly under the Sect Master.¡±


    ¡°Kang Hyun-Woon... ah, that guy.¡±


    Remembering the fool who had left with a broken spear aftering to test Sung-Ha¡¯s skills, Se-Hoon watched them with interest.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>...¡±


    Upon noticing the two running over, Kang Hyun-Woon adjusted his expression to greet them.


    ¡°d to see you¡¯re safe. We were worried we were toote.¡±


    ¡°Just get to the point. Did the Sect Master send you?¡±


    Sung-Ha¡¯s blunt question made Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s eyes twitch, but he still nodded as if nothing was wrong.


    ¡°Yes. The Sect Master thought you would struggle against the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter alone, so he sent mentor Jean-Paul and me as support.¡±


    Upon being mentioned, mentor Jean-Paul, a Westerner with short brown hair and a height of over two meters, nodded slightly in greeting.


    ¡°But it seems we were toote, seeing as how you¡¯re injured. Are you alright?¡±


    Though there were concerned expressions on Kang Hyun-Woon and Jean-Paul¡¯s faces as they checked his condition, Sung-Ha easily sensed their underlying intentions.


    ¡°I¡¯m not injured enough to die in your hands.¡±


    ¡°...Your jokes are a bit too much, young master,¡± replied Kang Hyun-Woon solemnly.


    Ignoring him, Sung-Ha indifferently turned his head to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Bring out the crescent moon ive.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Pulling out the crescent moon ive from his void pocket, Se-Hoon smugly extended it forward. Upon recognizing it, Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°This is...¡±


    ¡°The me Dragon ive of the expelled former mentor, An Gil-Hyun. That guy was pretending to be the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter and tried to attack the workshop. We just finished dealing with him on the way here.¡±


    As he listened to Sung-Ha exin, Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s expression grew more and more bewildered.


    <i>He took down An Gil-Hyun...?</i>


    How could the A-rank An Gil-Hyun, the hunting dog that took care of all of the traitors who defied the Sect Master, lose to someone who had only recently be a mentor? Unable to believe it, Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s eyes were drawn to the two short spears Sung-Ha was grasping in his hands.


    <i>I¡¯ve never seen those before.</i>


    The two short spears looked extraordinary at a nce. If they were both Hero tier and An Gil-Hyun had underestimated Sung-Ha¡¯s abilities, then perhaps, it wasn¡¯tpletely impossible that he would be defeated.


    <i>It¡¯s unlikely that a has-been like Park Jin-Hwan could have forged such spears. That means...</i>


    Realizing who might have forged those spears, Kang Hyun-Woon naturally looked at Se-Hoon, who was holding the me Dragon ive.


    When they first met, he thought Se-Hoon was just another cocky honor student. However, that cocky student had be an authentic supporter of Sung-Ha, who had now acquired both fame and skill.


    <i>If this mission bes known, it will only result in both Yeom Sung-Ha and Lee Se-Hoon attracting more attention than before.</i>


    He then recalled the Sect Master¡¯s order.


    <i>Eliminate them neatly whenever there¡¯s an opportunity.</i>


    Hesitating now would mess everything up. But right before Kang Hyun-Woon was about to tighten his grip on his spear and reassess the two in front of him, he heard Sung-Ha¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Those eyes.¡±


    Sung-Ha looked at him coldly.


    ¡°You should stop rolling them... unless you want to be sliced apart.¡±


    Gazing at the tips of Sung-Ha¡¯s two short spears that were pointed downward, Kang Hyun-Woon felt the pressure exuded by Sung-Ha and stiffened.


    Recovering his senses a mere momentter, Kang Hyun-Woon¡¯s eyes erged.


    <i>I was... intimated?</i>


    Before, Sung-Ha merely seemed like a wild stray dog, but now, there was a sense of madness in him¡ªone that was fierce enough to kill anyone even at the risk of his own life.


    Trying to understand how much Sung-Ha had transformed in just a few days, Kang Hyun-Woon stared back for a while before sighing.


    <i>You underestimated him too much, Sect Master.</i>


    If he had sent three, no, four mentors, they might have been able to deal with Sung-Ha right here and then. But since he hadn¡¯t, they stood no chance against Sung-Ha in the current situation.


    Thus, Kang Hyun-Woon put away his killing intent and bowed his head.


    ¡°I will be more careful in the future. Also, we will need some evidence to report back to the Sect Master; could you please hand over the me Dragon ive?¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Before handing it over, however, Sung-Ha spun the Sun Piercing Spear half a turn and flicked the me Dragon ive upwards with the spear shaft.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The me Dragon ive soared high into the air, and Sung-Ha spun the Sun Piercing Spear another half turn then swung the de with all his might.


    <i>Slice!</i>


    Like butter, the de and shaft of the me Dragon ive were separated.


    ¡°Take it.¡±


    <i>Thump!</i>


    As the spear shaft fell, Sung-Ha kicked it toward Kang Hyun-Woon, who caught it with a contorted face.


    ¡°What are you doing......¡±


    ¡°An Gil-Hyun told me he was close with the Sect Master, so just the shaft should be enough for him to recognize whose it is.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At the ambiguous statement, Kang Hyun-Woon stared intently at Sung-Ha for a while before finally looking toward Jean-Paul.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Without further ado, the two left promptly like they thought spending any more time would be a waste. But as they left, Sung-Ha opened his mouth once again.


    ¡°Go and tell them,¡± he said to their backs.


    ¡°...¡±


    The two stopped.


    Then Sung-Ha continued, his tone calm and filled with resolve, ¡°Even if my master leaves my side... his will shall be carried by my spear.¡±


    Even if Yeom Jin-Hyun were taken hostage or even killed, Sung-Ha would never back down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t regret this,¡± replied Kang Hyun-Woon calmly.


    Leaving behind those words, they continued on their way and disappeared. Sung-Ha then turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°You can take the de.¡±


    ¡°What...¡±


    Though initially surprised that Sung-Ha was offering to give him the Hero-tier de of the me Dragon ive, Se-Hoon soon chuckled upon remembering something.


    ¡°Is this also considered part of your payment?¡±


    In the past, such obvious schemes might have worked, but not anymore. Yet to his remark, Sung-Ha just looked at him with an incredulous expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m just splitting the spoils of the fight. Do you not even know such basic things?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was a reply that made Se-Hoon¡¯s expression stiffen. Forcing himself to take a deep breath, Se-Hoon smiled.


    ¡°Right... <i>thanks a lot</i>.¡±


    He then picked up the de of the me Dragon ive from the ground and lightly inspected its condition.


    <i>It¡¯s basically broken... but it¡¯s notpletely unusable.</i>


    nning to use it with other materials in the future, he put it away in his void pocket and looked back at Sung-Ha.


    ¡°So, what are we going to do next?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to prevent the neutral factions from being used as hostages by joining forces with them. Even if the Sect Master uses extreme methods, he won¡¯t be able to pull something like this too often.¡±


    ¡°The missions hemissions for you seem dangerous, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll regrly go out on monster subjugation missions to prevent that. By umting achievements, I should be able to refuse his missions soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Monster subjugations, huh...¡±


    Would there even be anyone within the me Sect who was willing to join forces with Sung-Ha? Even if they managed to find someone, it was uncertain what the details of the deal would be.


    <i>We would need people whom we can absolutely trust and those who won¡¯t fall for Lee Won-Ryong¡¯s maniptions.</i>


    Pondering who might fit the description, Se-Hoon soon thought of someone.


    ¡°Do you know Professor Kasar?¡±


    ¡°Everyone in Aqar Quf knows him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him and try to introduce you so that you can get monster subjugation missions through him. It¡¯s much safer than getting them from the me Sect.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Upon hearing his n, Sung-Ha looked at Se-Hoon with a strange expression. He was taken aback that Se-Hoon had even had connections with the Mist Battalion Sword.


    <i>He¡¯s quite resourceful...</i>


    Though he didn¡¯t want to admit it, he thought that Se-Hoon was superior in aspects other thanbat. This was the first time he purely acknowledged Se-Hoon¡¯s nonbat strengths.


    <i>Apart from this spear... the things I owe him have only increased.</i>


    The sum he had to repay had umted into a mountain, especially now that the spears he received this time had be triple the price. Yet, Se-Hoon still showed no intention of collecting the payment, which made Sung-Ha feel slightly ufortable.


    <i>Is this really a transaction...</i>


    As Sung-Ha contemted if he was indeed only incurring debt, having unterally caused all sorts of troubles, he heard Se-Hoon¡¯s voice.


    ¡°If you get any rare monster drops there, try to bring them to me right away. If there¡¯s something good, I¡¯ll take it as payment. Got it?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    After a moment of silently watching Se-Hoon try to emphasize that their rtionship was still purely transactional, not one of help or sympathy, Sung-Ha chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll bring back something good.¡±


    <strong>[A transaction with the subject ¡®Yeom Sung-Ha¡¯ has been established.]</strong>


    <strong>[A Fatestone has been formed for the subject ¡®Yeom Sung-Ha¡¯.]</strong>


    ***


    Now that everything was settled, the vigers who had been evacuated returned, and Park Jin-Hwan, left alone in the workshop, fell deep into thought as he began looking around the workshop.


    ¡°...Is this the end of this workshop, too?¡±


    He had stayed here tenaciously since it was a ce he could concentrate well, but it was far from a good ce to learn anything new.


    <i>Going back to the me Sect would make me a thorn in their side... maybe I should try joining Meisters instead.</i>


    Meisters was amunity of non-major cksmiths that gathered to exchange ideas. They were protected by the Pilgrimage Church, so it was difficult for anyone to touch them easily.


    <i>I might just be a shy old man, but they should still ept me.</i>


    Now that he decided on his future, he began to pack up his workshop, but he heard a voice that stopped him.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    A shadow appeared at the entrance of the workshop.


    ¡°I heard the owner here is skilled in making fire-attributed equipment.... Do you takemissions?¡±


    The man at the door had long hair down to his chest and a grizzled beard, giving him a gloomy appearance. His cloak hid the worn light armor, and the red scabbard fastened around his waist. And just his stance, allowed Park Jin-Hwan to deduce that he had a considerable amount of skill.


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for such a person, sorry about that. I¡¯ve resigned from business as of today.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s not easy to find someone who can properly forge Hero equipment....¡±


    The man¡¯s response carried a hint of regret, to which Park Jin-Hwan responded with a wry smile and shook his head.


    ¡°Those are just stories of the past. Now, even if I spent half a year on a single piece of equipment, it might stille out as junk.¡±


    For a moment, the man just quietly observed Park Jin-Hwan before nodding in understanding.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing I can do. If an opportunity arises, I¡¯ll ask you again.¡±


    Done saying his regards, the man departed the workshop and Park Jin-Hwan resumed packing. Then suddenly a thought urred to him.


    <i>The sword at his waist... seemed to be of the Hero tier.</i>


    A possibility flitted through his mind, but he quickly shook his head.


    <i>I must be getting too sensitive.</i>


    If that guy really was the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter, why would hee looking for him, who only forged spears?


    With his thoughts sorted out, he went back to packing as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Another wasted effort...¡±


    The man who had been watching Park Jin-Hwan the entire time as he contemted then disappeared into the darkness.

 Chapter 102

    <h4>Chapter 102</h4>


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Having finished putting on his training clothes, Se-Hoon scrolled through the news site on his phone and read the headlines that came up.


    ¡°me Sect announces new coborative rtionship with the Seraphim Guild.¡±


    ¡°The me Sect¡¯s youngest mentor, Yeom Sung-Ha, subjugates an A-rank wanted criminal.¡±


    ¡°Lee Won-Ryong, the Sect Master of the me Sect: ¡®The uing innovation will usher in a new golden age for the me Sect.¡¯¡±


    In the section of news articles rted to the me Sect, Sung-Ha¡¯s article came up somewhere in the middle. It hadn¡¯t garnered much attention since An Gil-Hyun wasn¡¯t that well known, but Se-Hoon still took it as a positive sign.


    <i>The fact that an article exists means that Sung-Ha has be noteworthy enough that the me Sect can¡¯t just cut off all of the attention in advance.</i>


    And since that had be the case, Lee Won-Ryong couldn¡¯t easily use the same overt tactics as before. At this rate, if Sung-Ha continued to develop his skills and spread his fame gradually, he would soon be able to challenge Lee Won-Ryong for the position of Sect Master.


    <i>I¡¯ve also asked Kasar for a favor, so Sung-Ha should be fine for now... though the Seraphim Guild is a bit concerning.</i>


    He clicked on the most-viewed article to examine its contents.


    <i>The Seraphim Guild, one of the world¡¯s top 100 guilds and the famous sponsor of the S-rank Weapon Eater Ryu Eun-Ha, has announced a new cooperative rtionship with the me Sect.</i>


    <i>Yuriel Oppenheimer, the guildmaster of the Seraphim Guild, stated: ¡°The me Sect possesses the excellent technique, Inferno Ring, but has suffered significant losses due to their underdeveloped armament system.¡± He ns to overhaul the entire system...</i>


    In short, the Seraphim Guild had announced that it was supporting the me Sect in the creation of a new armed force.


    <i>I remember they called themselves... Eden.</i>


    Eden was once a world-renowned hero training and nurturing institution, but it shut down due to financial difficulties and was reorganized into the Seraphim Guild. It was where Eun-Ha had grown from infancy to the youngest S-rank hero.


    <i>I heard that Yuriel Oppenheimer invested in her when he recognized her talent.</i>


    The guildmaster of the Seraphim Guild, Yuriel Oppenheimer¡ªa man in his fifties who looked to be in his thirties with reddish-brown hair¡ªwas an A-rank hero who even looked rted to Eun-Ha, perhaps because of his hair color.


    <i>There wasn¡¯t actually a personal rtionship between them.</i>


    Yuriel Oppenheimer only invested in Eun-Ha¡¯s talent because he was the chairman of Eden. It was a strictly business rtionship that would end about five years from now, due to the absence of a renewal of the contract.


    <i>After their contract ended, the Seraphim Guild disappeared due to financial difficulties.... And by the time I met Yuriel, their rtionship hadpletely ended.</i>


    Since he had only ever met Yuriel and Eun-Ha, Se-Hoon was concerned about how they would act in the future.


    <i>If they¡¯re in a cooperative rtionship with the me Sect, it would be quite ufortable for them if I continued my rtionship with Ryu Eun-Ha.</i>


    They would likely end up just asking Eun-Ha to refrain from meeting him, but would she quietly heed that request, now that she had acquired a taste for his equipment?


    Curious about the answer, Se-Hoon decided to ask Eun-Ha about the Seraphim Guild the next time he met her.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Awoken from his thoughts, Se-Hoon looked toward Professor Ricaros, the muscr giant standing on the training ground, who called out to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s your turn. Come up.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Se-Hoon said, casually slipping his phone into his void pocket and stepping onto the training ground.


    ¡°...¡±


    Eyeing his opponent¡ªHans, the third son of the Barmuth family, who was holding up his blue rapier with a tense expression under his blonde, slicked-back hair¡ªSe-Hoon casually scanned him from head to toe.


    <i>Pretty average.</i>


    With just one nce, he was able to tell that Hans was neither too weak nor too strong; Hans was just someone with basic skills.


    No longer concerned, Se-Hoon idly rotated his wrist, held the Forgefire Hammer, and waited for further instructions.


    ¡°The sparring will end immediately when one side is subdued or surrenders. If you fall out of the arena, it¡¯s an automatic loss. Keep that in mind.¡±


    Done with the brief exnation, Ricaros stepped back, and Hans positioned his rapier forward, assuming a stance. His demeanor was explosively intense; he looked as if he might charge forward and pierce through Se-Hoon¡¯s chest at any moment.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    However, Se-Hoon simply let the Forgefire Hammer dangle loosely by his side, prompting Hans to frown due to the seemingly vulnerable state.


    <i>This guy...</i>


    How much was Se-Hoon underestimating him, to consider that bizarre hammer a weapon?


    The faint fear Hans had about facing Se-Hoon swiftly turned into anger and greed.


    <i>It doesn¡¯t matter. Father¡¯s attitude toward older brother Vier has grown coldertely, so if I could just score against this guy now...</i>


    Fueled by the hopeful thought that his father might reconsider his views on him, Hans gripped his rapier tightly.


    ¡°Start!¡±


    ¡°<i>Haah</i>!¡±


    Hans let out a battle cry and stomped the ground.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Like apressed spring, he surged forward and immediately activated his main skill.


    <strong>Double el</strong>


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Blue mana wrapped around his body, elerating him and he quickly closed the distance with Se-Hoon, who was still leisurely standing his ground.


    Then, right before he attacked, Hans activated the weapon skill of his rapier.


    <strong>¡°Icing Needle!¡±</strong>


    With his shout, ice sprouted from the tip of the rapier. Thebination of the two skills quickly shortened the remaining distance further, and the icy de got closer and closer to Se-Hoon¡¯s chest.


    <i>I won...!</i>


    Hans¡¯s eyes sparkled with the certainty of his impending victory, having sessfully used thebination attack that even the sunbaes of the Swordsmanship Department praised.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    But like a fly, his ice de was easily swatted away by the Forgefire Hammer.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Listening to the sound of the ice de shattering that filled the air, Hans¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    <i>What...?</i>


    How did his attack, which was just moments away from reaching Se-Hoon, countered so easily? How was his ice de, which was strong enough to pierce steel, shattered so effortlessly with just a single strike?


    Not realizing Se-Hoon had skillfully stepped back to create distance, Hans stared nkly ahead, allowing Se-Hoon to seize the opportunity to strike.


    <i>Whack!</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s fist connected squarely with Hans¡¯s face.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...!¡±


    If this had been an actual battle, then Hans¡¯s nose <i>and </i>his teeth would have been smashed apart. However, thanks to the protective devices in the training arena, he was able to stand up unharmed and reassume his stance. But...


    ¡°The winner is Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Despite seeing Hans stand back up, Ricaros dered Se-Hoon¡¯s victory.


    ¡°Wait a minute! I can still fight!¡± Hans protested, feeling it was unfair to end the match just because he took a punch.


    ¡°Are you nning to fight barehanded?¡± Ricaros asked with a look of disbelief.


    ¡°What? What do you mean... huh?¡±


    Finally realizing that the rapier he should have been holding was nowhere to be seen, Hans reflexively looked straight ahead.


    ¡°Hmm... it seems a bit bent...¡±


    There, Hans saw Se-Hoon inspecting the rapier in his hands with a look of dissatisfaction.


    ¡°I... ept my defeat.¡±


    Taking his bent rapier back, Hans dejectedly descended from the tform and sat beside the other students who had also been defeated by Se-Hoon earlier. All of them had been subdued by Se-Hoon with a single strike, leaving them disheartened. Their physical superiority, which they once prided themselves on, had now been proven insufficient.


    <i>Are we at the Department of cksmithing or the Department of Weapons...</i>


    As Se-Hoon chuckled at the students¡¯ pointless fixations, Ricaros approached with a smirk.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve learned a lot from Professor Ma Kwang-Soo. I never expected you to improve this much...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just self-defense. So, do you think this is enough?¡± Se-Hoon asked.


    Ricaros pondered for a moment, then nodded.


    ¡°At your level, there¡¯s no need for you to continue attending the ss. I¡¯ll report this to the faculty; you are now free to do as you please.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Confirming his exemption from Understanding Tools, one of his major sses, he thanked Ricaros again before stepping outside.


    <i>With this, I¡¯ve passed Understanding Tools too.</i>


    Since he was already exempted from Metallurgy due topleting all of the assignments early, the only remaining major ss was Ore Analysis.


    And while he still had some elective courses, those sses were less frequent, which meant he was ultimately left with more free time.


    <i>I should use this time to catch up on some backlogged things...</i>


    While pondering which tasks to tackle first, he suddenly felt a vibration from his pocket.


    <i>Vrrr-</i>


    He took out his phone and looked at the name of the caller: Aria Myers.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    He had a feeling that it was about time for her to contact him, but even though he actually received the call, he wasn¡¯t particrly pleased.


    Hesitating, he stared at the continuously vibrating phone before eventually sighing and answering.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡ªLong time, no see. How have you been?


    Hearing Aria¡¯s gentle voiceing through the phone, Se-Hoon calmly replied to her awkward greeting, ¡°Well, as usual, I¡¯ve been getting by. How about you? I heard from Jake that you were assigned on a tough mission.¡±


    ¡ªThe target had tamed three A-rank magical beasts, so it took a bit longer than expected, but it ended well. After just a few more tasks, I¡¯ll be back at Babel.


    Though left unsaid, Aria had sessfully tracked and eliminated an A-rank demon mine and three A-ss magical beasts all by herself. And considering the time it took, the demon must have been desperately escaping until it was finally cornered and subjugated.


    <i>At this level, she must be considered top-tier, even among A-rank heroes.</i>


    If she managed to climb a few more levels in a Tower of Heroes, she could even aim to be S-rank.


    Her incredible level of skill left Se-Hoon mystified¡ªit was unbelievable for a fourth-year.


    <i>In a year or two, she might even break the record for the youngest S-rank hero.</i>


    Although he knew that Eun-Ha, by nature, wouldn¡¯t care about such records, he was still a bit curious to see how she would react.


    As his train of thought diverged to how Eun-Ha might react, he was abruptly brought back by Aria¡¯s calm voice.


    ¡ªYou don¡¯t seem interested.


    Feeling a chilling sensation, like a knife was pointed at his throat, Se-Hoon quickly cleared his throat and replied, ¡°<i>Ahem</i>. It¡¯s not that; I was just thinking about something.¡±


    ¡ªReally? I¡¯d like to hear what it was, but... I have a tight schedule after this, so let¡¯s get to the point.


    Ending that topic with a rather nonchnt reply, Aria then brought up the main topic.


    ¡ªThanks for helping Jake. I heard my brother was being a burden, and you even fixed his sword; we owe you a lot.


    ¡°No worries; I¡¯ve actually received a lot of help from Jake too. Does this mean your previous request is considered resolved?¡±


    Although he thought that he had done enough, he still needed to make sure that Aria was on the same page.


    ¡ªOf course. If that coward has decided to transfer to the Department of Swordsmanship, it means my request is perfectly resolved. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be changing my words for this.


    ¡°...¡±


    Her answer made a particr expression appear on Se-Hoon¡¯s face. He could practically see her making a slight smile as she responded, revealing that she had some sense of trust in Jake.


    Just like how she was before the regression, she would usually exude a twisted feeling like there was something off about her, but whenever Jake was brought up, a hint of humanity managed to peak through.


    <i>A brother is a brother, I guess.</i>


    Before the regression, Jake had been long dead by the time he met Aria, so he had never heard about their rtionship or what she thought of him.


    If <i>she </i>cared about him, then perhaps Jake wasn¡¯t as worthless as he had initially thought. Se-Hoon began wondering if he had been too hasty in his judgment of Jake.


    <i>I should keep an eye on their rtionship as well.</i>


    Having identified something new to observe, he gathered his thoughts and then asked, ¡°So about the reward...¡±


    ¡ªAs we discussed before, I¡¯ll provide anything I can for the help you provided. Think carefully about what you want to ask for.


    Even though Aria was powerful, she wasn¡¯t as strong as an S-rank hero yet, so Se-Hoon threw away the thought that she was ideal for escort missions and began thinking that she was the perfect way to secure an item.


    <i>I remember I effectively used her to secure items before the regression too.... In that case, I first need to find out where that thing is.</i>


    As he pondered where he should start looking, Aria curiously spoke up again, seemingly having remembered something.


    ¡ªAh, right. How is the mass production of sword aura equipment going?


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s actually...¡±


    Se-Hoon had already prepared everything on his end long ago, but he wasn¡¯t sure if his partner, Lea, was ready yet. Worried that he might drag Lea into trouble, he hesitated for a moment.


    Hearing his hesitation, Aria continued.


    ¡ªI¡¯m not trying to rush you. My father called me earlier.


    ¡°Your father, as in... Aaron Myers, the head of the family?¡±


    ¡ªYes.


    Aaron Myers, the Light Dragon Sword, was the current head of the Myers family and an active S-rank hero. The fact that such a powerful and influential figure was showing interest in him made him curious.


    ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡ªThere¡¯s an event we are preparing for this summer, so he wants the production line secured and manufacturing started before that. Do you think you can meet the deadline?


    ¡°Hmm... that¡¯s a bit tricky.¡±


    Truthfully, he could start immediately if he wanted, but he decided to be vague about his answer; being too assertive could cause problems, but above all, he wanted to hear what additional conditions might be offered from their side first.


    ¡ªIf you can meet the schedule, he said he¡¯d provide you with another benefit on top of yourpensation. So, give it your best shot.


    ¡°What exactly is this benefit he¡¯s talking about?¡±


    Hearing the tant curiosity about what benefits a family of their scale could offer from the other end, Aria smiled slyly.


    ¡ªA warehouse.


    ¡°...A warehouse?¡±


    ¡ªYou¡¯ll be allowed to pick anything from our family¡¯s warehouse.


    Decades of expertise in swordsmanship had earned the Myers family a vast amount of wealth and a massive reputation, along with countless treasures not shown publicly. So the prospect of ess to the secretive warehouse where all that was stored¡ªa ce he had visited once before the regression¡ªmade Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes sparkle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll immediately start on the prototype and then show it to you.¡±


    With that, he quickly headed towards the main building of the Department of Enchantments.

 Chapter 103

    <h4>Chapter 103</h4>


    Amidst the bustling scene of themunal workshop¡ªwhere students were busily etching enchantments onto their canvases and exchanging opinions¡ªin the main building of the Department of Enchantments, one lonely student in a secluded corner stood out from the rest, silent and unmoving.


    That student, Lea, was staring at the nk canvas before her with her arms crossed. If it wasn¡¯t for her slowly blinking eyes, she would have been mistaken as a statue, with how still she was. And as they were in a <imunal</i> workshop, the strange sight made the other students murmur.


    ¡°How many days have it been now?¡±


    ¡°Almost over two weeks.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s less than a week left until the pre-submission deadline, yet she¡¯s still like that. She definitely won¡¯t make it.¡±


    The fact that Lea sat frozen in the same spot every day, without doing anything, made most of the students feel she was both amazing and pathetic. Her current state was such a stark contrast to when she was the honor student of her department who was both admired and envied.


    <i>I¡¯m so done...</i>


    Meanwhile, the person in question¡¯s mind was so filled with other thoughts that she couldn¡¯t be bothered to care even a speck about her surroundings.


    <i>I thought I could make it work out somehow.... If I had known it woulde to this, I wouldn¡¯t have even considered taking on the cursed mass production of sword aura equipment!</i>


    In the end, she had bit off more than she could chew, trying to tackle both the student schrship selection for the Ivory Tower and the mass production of sword aura equipment at the same time.


    <i>I should work on the submission for now... wait, what if Iyer enchantments that are inscribed on both sides and then increase the mana input... no. The submission first... Right! If I refine the mana used by shing white light enchantments together... aghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!</i>


    Her mind knew the submission for the student schrship selection was due in a week, but her heart was focused solely on perfecting the enchantment for the mass production of sword aura equipment.


    Tormented by the seemingly unsolvable situation, her eyes flickered nervously as she continued staring at her nk canvas. At that moment, a concerned voice reached her ears.


    ¡°Another nk canvas?¡±


    The speaker, Howard Grant, had blue-tinted hair and a tall stature. Standing by Lea¡¯s side and looking at her canvas, he exuded a mature yet cool demeanor.


    ¡°If it¡¯s that hard, why not discuss it with others? That¡¯s what themunal workshop is for, after all.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Or you can tell me what you¡¯re struggling with, and I can help too. There¡¯s no problem with getting advice for the student schrship selection,¡± he said gently.


    ¡°...¡±


    However, despite his attempt to talk, Lea just continued staring at the canvas without even looking at him.


    And that scene made the other students watching her behavior narrow their eyes in annoyance.


    <i>Why did shee to themunal workshop if she was going to act like that?</i>


    <i>Does she still think she¡¯s the honor student or something...?</i>


    Between Lea, who wasn¡¯t known for her sociability, and Howard, the pride of the Department of Enchantments and the third-year honor student of Borsippa, it was clear who the students¡¯ sympathies wouldy with. Naturally, a hostile atmosphere would also form around her.


    <i>I¡¯m getting tired of this, too, </i>Howard thought, sighing inwardly.


    He had actuallye to tease Lea upon hearing that she appeared in themunal workshop despite usually confining herself to her own workshop when she didn¡¯t have a major ss. But herck of response made everything seem dull.


    Bored, Howard began pondering how to engage her before eventually brightening up.


    ¡°Is it because of that ¡®incident¡¯ from before?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now, so you should focus on the...¡±


    ¡°<i>Haah</i>...¡±


    At the sigh that escaped Lea¡¯s lips, the first reaction she showed, Howard looked at her expectantly.


    ¡°Why am I hungry even when I haven¡¯t done anything.¡±


    Unfortunately, she was just grumbling discontentedly as she packed her canvas into her void pocket before walking past Howard.


    Gazing at her as she walked past, her gaze briefly met his, but it was as if she were examining the scenery around her or avoiding a rock on the road¡ªshe hardly acknowledged his presence. Seeing that, Howard realized wasn¡¯t even ignoring him at this point; she simply didn¡¯t even register him properly.


    <i>Rude...</i> Howard thought, furrowing his brows.


    Her attitude suggested that she had no interest in anything except enchantments. It was as unpleasant as ever, but a part of Howard was also slightly pleased by that fact.


    <i>I thought she would change after she started hanging out with Lee Se-Hoon, but she¡¯s still the same as before.</i>


    Thinking that she must have only met Se-Hoon a few times for enchantment-rted matters, he assumed that her essence likely hadn¡¯t changed.


    Then, as if his thoughts summoned him, a young man appeared at the entrance of the workshop at that moment.


    He had dark hair, a fierce demeanor, and a face that students could no longer fail to recognize.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon...?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s he doing here...?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a rumor that he¡¯s close with Lea? Maybe that¡¯s why?¡±


    Curiosity filled the air as rumors were heard here and there, but ignoring all that, Se-Hoon scanned the room.


    ¡°Sunbae,¡± Se-Hoon called out, finally spotting her.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Unlike her reaction to everyone else until now, Lea immediately looked up, and her eyes widened upon seeing Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Uh... um... actually...¡±


    Seeing her eyes trembling and her face stiffening, Se-Hoon nodded in supposed understanding.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go outside to talk.¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    With her head bowed, she walked out with Se-Hoon, leaving behind the students in the workshop who had been watching in wonder.


    ¡°So they really are close, huh?¡±


    ¡°I heard that guy has been incredibletely... seems like Lea¡¯s got some serious skills too.¡±


    ¡°She probably tricked him by saying she was the former honor student. Once her actual skills are exposed, it¡¯ll probably all be over.¡±


    How long could a dropoutst alongside a genius? The room began buzzing withughter and gossip about Lea.


    ¡°...¡±


    But amidst everyone¡¯s giggles, Howard was silently watching the door that the two had used to exit the room.


    ***


    Now at Cafe Lc, Se-Hoon ordered some sandwiches and drinks before settling down with Lea and getting straight to the point.


    ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s hear about how much progress you¡¯ve made.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me that you¡¯ve spent over eight hundred million won and achieved nothing, are you?¡±


    The card he had previously given Lea for research expenses was regrly refilled by Meister through In-Cheol, and it didn¡¯t contain a small amount of money.


    <i>Don¡¯t you even dare say you¡¯ve got nothing prepared.</i>


    Though he didn¡¯t care about how much she spent as long as she didn¡¯t rue debt, that was <i>only </i>if she used it to achieve something. Achieving nothing despite such an investment was utterly inexcusable.


    Feeling the weight of Se-Hoon¡¯s serious gaze, Lea quickly responded, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve got something prepared! Who do you take me for?¡±


    ¡°Then show me. Or at least exin.¡±


    ¡°I... should. I do need to...¡±


    Lea fidgeted and rolled her eyes for a while before sighing deeply and pulling an item out of her void pocket.


    The ck ore, about thirty centimeters in length and resembling a short club, that she handed over caught Se-Hoon¡¯s interest as he opened the information message.


    <strong>[<u>Starweave Stone</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A fragment of darkness that contains mana within.</strong>


    <strong>It can emte repeated activations of the enchantment inscribed, with the maximum number of uses depending on its structure.</strong>


    <strong>*Can emte repeated activations of the inscribed enchantment]</strong>


    ¡°So this is where all the money went.¡±


    ¡°Mass-producing enchantments works best with this.¡±


    When technology was designed for mass production, the entire process tended to focus on the versatility of the product to ensure that it could be used by many people.


    And that was especially true for enchantments. When it came to their forms, which were made of mana, many factors¡ªsuch as the nature of the material, the mana circuits of the equipment, and the characteristics of the users¡ªall needed consideration.


    So to make sure all of that waspatible, Lea decided to use the Starweave Stone for validation.


    ¡°If the enchantment pattern is activated twice, thepatibility rate is fifty percent. For three times, it¡¯s seventy percent, right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    She was utilizing the Starweave Stone¡¯s characteristic, which decreased the number of reuses the more unique and ipatible the structure of the power stored inside was.


    Typically, to be recognized as suitable for mass production, the enchantment would need at least a seventy percentpatibility rate, which meant it had to activate three times at the minimum using Starweave Stone.


    ¡°So? How many times did it activate?¡±


    ¡°...Once.¡±


    With apatibility rate below fifty percent, it essentially meant that the enchantment couldn¡¯t be used for mass production as of now.


    Pondering this for a moment, Se-Hoon then asked, ¡°And you already etched the enchantments inside this?¡±


    Lea nodded, catching on to his intent. Without hesitation, Se-Hoon infused the Starweave Stone with his mana. As his mana merged with the Starweave Stone, the stored enchantment pattern inside began to be reproduced and activated.


    <i>Sss-</i>


    A white light wrapped around the surface of the Starweave Stone.


    Unlike the blurry White Light Surge of previous attempts, the edges were sharp this time, catching Se-Hoon¡¯s eye.


    <i>This is actual sword aura.</i>


    It still fell shortpared to the sword aura created by heroes due to its mass-produced nature, but it seemed like it could still withstand a few decent hits.


    This enchantment could potentially break the absolutepatibility nature of sword aura. Thinking about the technology in front of him, which had been developed much earlier than in his previous life, Se-Hoon became more and more engrossed as the sword aura took form.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Upon seeing the enchantment in the Starweaver Stone finally dissipate, Se-Hoon set it down on the table.


    ¡°...¡±


    Having been watching his every movement, Lea tensed up, waiting for a verdict. Then, as she endured Se-Hoon¡¯s scrutiny, he slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sor... wait, what?¡±


    Already nning to apologize, she had her head bowed, but upon hearing what Se-Hoon said, her head snapped up in surprise, revealing her face which was a mix of confusion and shock.


    ¡°What did you just say...?¡±


    ¡°I said you did well. The sword aura was properly formed.¡±


    ¡°But it only activated once with the Starweaver Stone?¡±


    If the mass production of sword aura equipment was their ultimate goal, then what good was it if they could only manage to produce a single product?


    However, her confusion was met with Se-Hoon¡¯s incredulous expression.


    ¡°That would be a problem if you were nning to sell the enchantment. What <i>I</i> asked you to help with was making mass-produced sword aura equipment.¡±


    The only purpose of the enchantment was to produce sword aura. Everything else was simply about creating a blueprint based on that enchantment so that a piece of sword aura equipment could be mass-produced.


    ¡°Ah... uh... ah...¡±


    Realizing the misunderstanding, Lea¡¯s expression changed rapidly.


    The futility of having torn through dozens of blueprints to increase versatility; the regret that came from sleepless nights fueled by endless cups of coffee; and now, the anger, resentment, and embarrassment toward this detestable underssman for only rifying this now¡ªall of that rushed through her head at once.


    ¡°Then you should have said that earlier...¡±


    ¡°I thought you would¡¯ve reported back as soon as you managed to produce sword aura. Who would have thought that a business partner wouldn¡¯t update their partner?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lea¡¯s mouth mped shut. She wanted toin, but his point was too valid to argue against.


    ¡°Ah... ah... ugh...¡±


    Stuck between a rock and a hard ce, she emitted strange noises before banging her head on the table.


    <i>Thud-</i>


    And she remained motionless, seeming like she had fainted from being overwhelmed by self-loathing. It was a sight that Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but chuckle lightly upon seeing.


    <i>People would think her life is ruined.</i>


    While it wasn¡¯t necessary to increase thepatibility rate of the enchantment, doing so would make the designing process of the blueprint easier, which wasn¡¯t a bad thing in itself.


    <i>For now... this doesn¡¯t look too bad. There are a few disappointing sides here and there, but we can make adjustments as we improve the enchantments.</i>


    Since it was only a prototype, there was no need to aim for perfection right from the start. Satisfied, he focused back on the situation at hand.


    <i>Then the remaining issue is this one.</i>


    He silently observed Lea, who still had her head down, motionless. A momentter, he stood up before returning to their table with the ordered sandwiches and drinks.


    ¡°Stop moping and eat your sandwich.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lea, apparently hungry, slowly raised her head and looked at the sandwich with an expression like a deted balloon.


    ¡°...I¡¯m so stressed out that I feel weak.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Feed me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Hearing her, Se-Hoon briefly considered just grabbing his sandwich and coffee and leaving her, but since she didn¡¯t seem to be joking, he sighed and picked up the knife and fork.


    ¡°Open up.¡±


    He cut the sandwich into bite-sized pieces and fed her, who chewed slowly.


    Their actions prompted a lot of strange looks from those around them, but Se-Hoon didn¡¯t care and asked her, ¡°So, what¡¯s really concerning you?¡±


    ¡°...What concern.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be making such a fuss over just some extra work. Is there something else that¡¯s worrying you?¡±


    Swallowing the bite of her sandwich, Lea spoke in a deted tone.


    ¡°Do you know about the student schrship selection of the Ivory Tower?¡±


    ¡°I do know a bit about it.¡±


    The student schrship selection contest was sponsored by the Ivory Tower, a foundation that sponsored students specializing in magic, which was located in a thirty-story building on campus. It was because of this that Luize suffered mana impairment after falling victim to Gerwin Kruger¡¯s sabotage, who had done it because he was eyeing the same schrship opportunity.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to participate this time, and the submission is due in a week...¡±


    ¡°And you haven¡¯t created anything yet?¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s right.¡±


    Noticing that she became even more deted, Se-Hoon grew more confused.


    <i>Why not just not participate?</i>


    While receiving sponsorship from the Ivory Tower would be beneficial, he didn¡¯t think it was absolutely necessary for her. However, upon recalling a past conversation, the pieces fell into ce in his mind.


    <i>¡°I won¡¯t interfere with whatever you¡¯re up to, but only as long as you don¡¯t forget our promise, okay?¡±</i>


    Lea¡¯s grandmother, Professor Reba, had mentioned a promise when talking about the student schrship selection during the forging session of the Phantasmal Spyde.


    ¡°What did you promise Professor Reba?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    After hesitating for a moment, she awkwardly replied, ¡°I promised that I would withdraw from the school if I don¡¯t receive the schrship.¡±


    ¡°Withdraw...?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At Lea¡¯s response, Se-Hoon took a sip of his lemonade and grimaced slightly at its sourness.


    ¡°Ah, shit.¡±

 Chapter 104

    <h4>Chapter 104</h4>


    Sitting side by side in front of a desk in the Ancient Enchantments ssroom, Se-Hoon and Lea looked at the person on the other side with tense expressions.


    ¡°...¡±


    That person, Reba, was dead silent as she examined a blueprint with a monocle. A long whileter, she slowly opened her mouth.


    ¡°This is an actual enchantment that produces sword aura...¡±


    She tried her best to suppress her emotions, but she couldn¡¯t stop her voice from faintly trembling. What Reba felt as she looked at the blueprint in her hand far surpassed amazement¡ªshe was astounded.


    <i>I heard she was up to something strange in themunal workshop... but to think she was creating such an enchantment...</i>


    The enchantment was formed by stacking threeyers of ten segments each. And while that alone was impressive, what astonished her the most were the organic links that connected the thirty different segments.


    <i>The links between each segment change depending on the characteristics of the enchanted object, optimizing thepression rate of mana.</i>


    The enchantment guaranteed sword aura would be formed as long as a certain threshold of infused mana was surpassed. Theplexity of the inscription process did reduce its versatility, but just being able toe up with such aplicated method was a remarkable feat in and of itself.


    <i>If we increase the variability of the links a bit more, it could be widelypatible and thus be recognized as a proper mass-production enchantment. Which means...</i>


    It meant that her granddaughter would achieve the monumental feat of sessfully mass-producing sword aura equipment¡ªsomething no one else had managed.


    Calming herself, Reba steadied her trembling heart and looked at Lea.


    ¡°Did you really create this enchantment?¡±


    ¡°...Who else could?¡± Lea dered confidently, hiding her slight nervousness.


    It was a response that normally would have made Reba scold her, warning her not to get cocky, but she couldn¡¯t help but nod this time.


    ¡°That does make sense.¡±


    Apart from using it to judge Lea¡¯s enchantment skills, Reba decided to view it in a different light, as this was an enchantment she herself could never have created.


    Grasping Lea¡¯s talent anew, Reba returned the blueprint and asked, ¡°So, what did you want to say?¡±


    ¡°Um... it was really toughing up with this... and I think this proves I¡¯ve gotten over my slump. So...¡±


    Pausing to gauge Reba¡¯s reaction, she cautiously continued, ¡°Can we cancel the bet about the student schrship selection...¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Reba answered without hesitation, leaving no room for consideration. At this reaction, Lea¡¯s eyebrows twitched and she forced a smile before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t decide so quickly, at least think about it for a while...¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that I spoke without thinking?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean; I just want you to consider it more carefully...¡±


    ¡°Carefully... huh?¡±


    Adhering to Lea¡¯s request, Reba closed her eyes tightly for about three seconds before opening them again and giving the same reply, ¡°No.¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®no¡¯?!¡± Lea shouted, abruptly standing up and mming her palms down on the desk.


    ¡°This is an enchantment to produce sword aura, of all things! With just a little help from Se-Hoon, this could be used for mass production¡ªit¡¯ll be one of the biggest achievements in the equipment industry! Yet you¡¯reparing that to a mere student schrship selection?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the whole point to test if my talent had reached its limits? Since I¡¯ve surpassed those limits, you should just say, ¡®Well done, keep it up¡¯! Why can¡¯t you cancel the bet?!!!¡±


    <i>Bang, bang!</i>


    Frustrated beyond measure, Lea pounded on the desk continually.


    Contrasting Lea, Reba just watched her quietly before nodding.


    ¡°You do have a point there.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°But a promise is a promise.¡±


    With unwavering eyes, Reba infused her mana into the void ring on her left index finger and pulled out a neatly coated piece of paper.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    It looked important, so Se-Hoon, who had been sitting silently the entire time, briefly nced over the content.


    <i><u>Pledge</u></i>


    <i>I, Lea udel, swear that if I am not selected for the third-year student schrship in this year¡¯s Ivory Tower selectionpetition, I will immediately withdraw from Babel without making excuses and return to my family home.</i>


    <i>A pledge, huh... what a headache.</i>


    Pledges used curses to enforce a promise, imposing various restrictions if not adhered to. While it wasn¡¯t powerful enough topletely control one¡¯s actions, it could affect delicate actions like mana control, making it impossible to disregard.


    ¡°You wrote it yourself here. If not selected for this year¡¯s student schrship, you would return home without making any excuses.¡±


    ¡°I did indeed write this, but the context is different here!¡±


    ¡°Context, huh...¡±


    Trailing off for a moment, Reba responded to Lea¡¯s argument, ¡°Then can the promise you made when you enrolled in Babel also be changed depending on the context?¡±


    ¡°That, that¡¯s...¡±


    For the first time in the conversation, Lea was at a loss for words, opting just to clench her trembling hands tightly. After a while, her lips quivered and her expression twisted.


    ¡°The hell if I know!!¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Unable to bear it any longer, she mmed the door as she ran out of the ssroom.


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>...¡±


    How did what should have been a joyous asione to this? Rubbing her temples due to her throbbing headache, she looked back across the desk.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to follow her?¡±


    ¡°Why? She¡¯ll still be somewhere in Babel anyway.¡±


    Since running away from Babel would ironically y right into Reba¡¯s ns, Lea wouldn¡¯t do that.


    <i>I¡¯ve already noticed it before, but... he¡¯s a strange one,</i> Reba thought, slightly taken aback by Se-Hoon¡¯s indifference.


    His involvement in the creation of the mass production of sword aura equipment, as well as his role in pulling Lea out of her slump to create such an enchantment, both made him far from ordinary.


    What he had done for Lea made Reba look at him with mixed feelings of gratitude and resentment. At that moment, Se-Hoon spoke up.


    ¡°I have something I¡¯d like to ask.¡±


    With a curious expression, he got straight to the point, ¡°Are you trying to send Lea back home because her talent is too exceptional?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Taken aback by the unexpected question, Reba hesitated for a moment before sighing deeply.


    ¡°Was it that obvious?¡±


    ¡°I also recently realized that being too exceptional can make life a bit exhausting.¡±


    Being globally recognized ultimately meant constant subjection to the scrutiny of the Demon Force, and to someone who knew all this as a retired hero, being concerned for Lea was inevitable.


    <i>It seems there¡¯s more to it, though.</i>


    Back when he was examining the archivespiled by the Frost Dog in the dream created by the Phantasmal Spyde, Se-Hoon had also stumbled upon information rted to Lea.


    ¡°Lea udel, CEO of Gxy Company. A creditor-debtor rtionship with one of the Ten Evils, the Puppeteer. Details require further investigation.¡±


    Before the regression, Lea had mysteriously disappeared one day. Back then, he had thought a typical assassination by the Demon Force was the reason, but the new piece of information from the Phantasmal Spyde suggested a new theory.


    <i>If Lea¡¯s obsession with enchantments is for revenge against the Puppeteer...</i>


    That could exin why she was so anxious now and why Reba wanted to send her back home. When his thoughts reached that point, Se-Hoon felt like he had gotten much closer to the truth.


    Now that her intention had been revealed, Reba adopted a serious manner and asked, ¡°Lee Se-Hoon. Can you help me persuade Lea?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not because I want to stop the mass production of sword aura equipment. As her grandmother, I just want to protect her until she can stand on her own by not exposing her to the outside world for now.¡±


    Her voice was full of deep fear and genuine concern.


    Gazing at Reba¡¯s anxious face, Se-Hoon pondered for a moment before shaking his head.


    ¡°I would like to respect Lea¡¯s wishes.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± she murmured.


    Acting like she had expected such a response, Reba¡¯s eyes became calmer.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t ask you further. <i>But </i>if I happen to find out you are aiding Lea in breaking her promise... I won¡¯t stand idly by either.¡±


    ¡°I will respect your wishes as well. Then...¡±


    Picking up the blueprint Lea left behind, Se-Hoon nodded and left the ssroom.


    With no one left besides her, Reba leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes tightly. With a voice filled with fear and longing, she murmured very softly, ¡°Reyna...¡±


    ***


    ¡°How dare she bring up something from so long ago? And even though Grandma clearly said she¡¯d send me back because I¡¯m not talented enough, I never said that I wanted to be sent back!!¡±


    <i>Thump, thump!</i>


    Frustrated beyond belief, Lea, lying face down on her bed, punched the mattress repeatedly.


    Bemused by the sight. Se-Hoon, sitting in a chair beside her, casually said, ¡°Then you should have told her that at the time.¡±


    ¡°...Ugh!!¡±


    <i>Thump, thump!</i>


    Ignoring Lea who continued to beat the helpless mattress, Se-Hoon shook his head and looked around.


    <i>I thought her workshop would be messier... but this is tidier than I expected.</i>


    They were in a small house located near the Borsippa shopping district. It was a home that had been renovated into a workshop, and it was cleaner than Se-Hoon thought it¡¯d be. The desk was piled high with various blueprints and books, but there was still room to rest an arm. And while the floor had various bits and pieces scattered around, there was still space to walk.


    <i>It¡¯s cluttered, but... not dirty.</i>


    Examining the unexpectedly tidy interior, he noticed a picture frame on the table.


    <i>Isn¡¯t that...</i>


    It held a photo of a young man and a child, clearly a family photo from Lea¡¯s childhood.


    But rather than the two in it, Se-Hoon examined the shoulder of the man who appeared to be her father.


    <i>That looks like her mother¡¯s hand... why was she removed from the photo?</i>


    Was this the only photo remaining? Or did Lea not want to see her mother? Debating which was more likely, Se-Hoon scrutinized the photo, prompting Lea to turn her head and narrow her eyes.


    ¡°...Hmph. Looking through someone¡¯s room like that... don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit rude?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit petty for the host to say that?¡±


    ¡°I invited you to cheer me up, not to have you snoop around. You didn¡¯t even chase me immediately when I ran out earlier; you really are tactless.¡±


    ¡°And you should watch less drama.¡±


    His nonchnt reply caused Lea to bury her face back into the bed with an annoyed expression, but after a moment, she quietly spoke.


    ¡°There¡¯s actually someone I want to take revenge on.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Grandma is scared of that person and wants to hide me at home... but I don¡¯t want to hide.¡±


    Clenched the sheets tightly, she continued with a heated voice, ¡°I want to make a name for myself, earn money, and gain fame. I want that bastard to know that I¡¯ming after them.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Listening to her words, Se-Hoon pieced together the puzzle in his mind.


    A person she wants revenge on; a photo with only her mother cut out; a vengeful connection with the Puppeteer; a father he had never heard about, both before and after her regression.


    <i>So it was like that...</i>


    While it was pure conjecture, if it were true, it was understandable why Reba was trying to dissuade Lea. What else could be as tragic and dangerous as killing her own mother, the Puppeteer, who left after murdering her father?


    <i>Did she ultimately fail before the regression?</i>


    Though Lea had just disappeared one day and the Puppeteer had been subjugated by other heroester on, it was unclear exactly what had happened. Regardless, the fact that she wasn¡¯t able to achieve her revenge made it the worst oue for her.


    <i>So what now...</i>


    What could he possibly do to help her? Mulling over it for a while, Se-Hoon then spoke up.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s all the more reason for you to try to be chosen for the student schrship.¡±


    Before he regressed, Se-Hoon had heard a few things about Lea, but none of them involved Babel. That meant there was a high chance she had not ovee her slump and had failed to receive the student schrship, leading to her withdrawal.


    <i>I have to make sure she doesn¡¯t withdraw this time.</i>


    For the sake of revenge and walking a different path than before, it was an absolute must that she stayed at Babel this time.


    However, the person in question trembled and slumped over. Then, Lea muttered in a defeated tone, ¡°But... I don¡¯t feel motivated at all...¡±


    When she was working on enabling the mass production of the sword aura enchantment, her mind was buzzing with ideas, but now, there was absolutely nothing.


    To that, Se-Hoon just asked calmly, ¡°That student schrshippetition. Was there an application period or any qualifications needed?¡±


    ¡°No, anyone from Babel just needs to submit a creation that uses mana within a certain period.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then I¡¯ll participate too.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Startled, Lea lifted her head to look at him, which prompted Se-Hoon to calmly repeat his words, ¡°I said that I¡¯d participate too. Wouldn¡¯t that motivate you a bit?¡±


    ¡°Huh...? What does that have to do with my motivation?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you confidently tell me that you¡¯d one day make me stand up and apud you sincerely?¡±


    Rtionships typically result from bonds. On the surface, it might seem merely a reflection of one¡¯s own perspective of their rtionship with others, but there was an additional element involved.


    ¡°That means you intend to surpass me.... So, if you score higher than me this time, that would mean you¡¯ve done it, right?¡±


    That element was motivation, whether positive or negative; it was fine as long as it moved one¡¯s heart. That was the exact way cksmith of Bonds defined rtionships between oneself and others.


    ¡°...Seriously.¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s words, Lea snickered and sat up.


    ¡°Do you really think that will spark my motivation? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m some three-year-old... Wait? No, it doesn¡¯t make sense... this is...¡±


    She became flustered out of the blue, stumbling over her words. Soon, her eyes fluttered.


    ¡°Oh my gosh...!!¡±


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Scrambling off the bed, she flipped over a blueprint on the desk and frantically began to scribble something down. She just stood at her desk awkwardly without ever sitting down, furiously sketching the inspiration that had suddenlye to her.


    Seeing this, Se-Hoon stood up from his chair with a shake of his head.


    ¡°Such a simple person...¡± he said before quietly leaving.

 Chapter 105

    <h4>Chapter 105</h4>


    The main building of the Department of Martial Magic¡ªa circr dome¡ªcontained more recovery rooms than any other building due to the innate nature of martial magic.


    Martial arts consumed physical strength, magic consumed mana and mental energy, and martial magic, which was abination of the two, consumed all three. Thus, even the slightest mistake with martial magic often resulted in theplete exhaustion of physical, magical, and mental energy.


    ¡°<i>Ughhhh</i>...¡±


    ¡°Professor, someone copsed!¡±


    ¡°Just get someone who¡¯s about to copse to move him to the recovery room. That way, they can rest together.¡±


    Naturally, the Department of Martial Magic became notorious for the sheer amount of students who fainted from exhaustion during both lectures and training. Due to the high usage because of this, the recovery rooms were redesigned for individual use, which also made them a great ce for students to hold private conversations.


    And, in the most secluded of these rooms were two students doing just that.


    ¡°So... what you¡¯re telling me right now is that you¡¯re nning to participate in the student schrship selectionpetition for Lea, or whoever?¡±


    Having heard the full story, Luize looked at Se-Hoon incredulously.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Se-Hoon said, nodding.


    At his calm confirmation, Luize crossed her arms and looked at him askance.


    ¡°And why... are you telling me this?¡±


    ¡°I thought it would be good if I could get your help.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Taking a moment of silence to gather her thoughts, Luize then asked, ¡°You know why my neck and hands are perforated, right?¡±


    ¡°Because you were targeted during the student schrship selectionpetition.¡±


    ¡°And you <i>do</i> know that Professor Charles is one of the judges there, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. How could I not know something rted to you?¡±


    ¡°...<i>Ahem</i>.¡±


    Clearing her throat, Luize, tried topose her seemingly annoyed face before continuing to say, ¡°And yet you¡¯re still asking for my help.... So you want to use this opportunity to take a stab at them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea.¡±


    Professor Charles Reynolds, a faculty member of the Department of Elements who doubled as a member of Dawn, was the main perpetrator behind Luize¡¯s mana disability. Until now, Se-Hoon had avoided contact with them to avoid drawing attention, but since a perfectly natural reason had nownded in hisp, he decided to use it to learn more about Professor Charles, or more specifically, Dawn.


    ¡°Are you sure? Didn¡¯t you say they were dangerous?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only if we¡¯re directly confronting them. A slight probe should be fine.¡±


    He knew the different groups under Watchers prioritized secrecy above all else, though each differed in degree. It was a must for them since they were so deeply rooted in society, unlike the Demon Force, that everything they had could copse instantly if their identities were to be exposed.


    ¡°What if they just take care of you beforehand?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something they can only do if the opponent is insignificant enough. <i>But</i>, as you can see, I¡¯m on a roll these days.¡±


    In addition to Ludwig, Eun-Ha, Kwang-Soo, and Kasar, were just a few of the big names that were involved with him. With such big names behind him, only the reckless types like those from the Demon Force might act impulsively; the cautious ones like Watchers would never make a hasty move under such circumstances.


    ¡°...Bastard.¡±


    Paying no need to Luize¡¯s disgust, he continued exining, ¡°Anyway, if we set it up to look like we¡¯re targeting a criminal that we just so happened to stumble upon, they¡¯ll likely just cut their losses and run rather than fight. That would be safer and more beneficial for them after all.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... that sounds usible.¡±


    ¡°Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean Charles will just sit and take it. He must have some countermeasures that can be implemented without revealing his identity. And the extent of that is what I¡¯m trying to figure out.¡±


    If he could figure out Charles¡¯s limits, the authority he held, and the exact value that the Dawn ced on Luize and himself, then he could easily deal with any kind of exposed tail.


    With all the context, Luize pondered momentarily before nodding.


    ¡°Okay. If that¡¯s the case, we absolutely must do it. What should we start with?¡±


    Motivated by revenge, Luize shone with enthusiasm, prompting Se-Hoon to check the time.


    ¡°Let me check up on your skills; it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Why all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°The student schrship selectionpetition is an individual entry. So, you¡¯ll participate as my assistant since I n to forge an item rted to Incantation Magic.¡±


    It was better for them to stick together as much as possible, since otherwise, it would be difficult to respond to any trickery the other side might try to pull off¡ªjust like back then, in the Hall of Martial Arts.


    ¡°Skills, huh... thene this way.¡±


    Luize then walked out of the lounge with Se-Hoon following behind.


    ¡°Passing through...¡±


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    As they walked, they often passed by a nonchnt student who was carrying someone who had copsed from exhaustion. It fascinated Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Even the upperssmen copse here.¡±


    Initially, he had thought it was only freshmen being carried out, but upon closer inspection, he found out that many sophomores and juniors had also copsed from exhaustion and were being carried out. Unlike other departments, where upperssmen typically carried themselves with more dignity, the Department of Martial Magic was clearly different.


    Hearing the fascination in Se-Hoon¡¯s voice, Luize chuckled and exined, ¡°The professors here believe that copsing from exhaustion during training is equal to saving your own life in battle. That¡¯s why they push students hard, regardless of their year.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... great minds do think alike...¡±


    ording to Se-Hoon¡¯s¡ªor more precisely his master¡¯s¡ªphilosophy, experiencing exhaustion during practice was beneficial for growth. Even if it wasn¡¯t actualbat, the body would grow more rapidly when pushed to extremes, and it would also allow one to grasp their own limits.


    <i>Though a single misstep while practicing like this could be disastrous, that danger must be well managed considering this is Babel.</i>


    He had thought this was some insignificant department, seeing as how he had never heard about it before, but upon finding out how they were training their students, he thought the department actually might be a decent ce.


    <i>Maybe I somehow just so happened to never hear about this ce; it¡¯s not like I knew everyone who yed a significant role in the battles against the Harbingers of Destruction.</i>


    Se-Hoon reevaluated the Department of Martial Magic, and soon, the two walked through some automatic doors into a new area.


    ¡°This is the mana control room. Ie here quite often these days.¡±


    The area they arrived at was a long, stark white hallway with doors set at regr intervals on both sides. Luize then approached one marked as vacant and pulled out her student ID.


    ¡°Swipe yours here.¡±


    <i>Beep-</i>


    Swiping her ID, she walked in when the door opened, and Se-Hoon followed after swiping his own ID.


    They had entered a room with a dull-gray ceiling and walls, and a white floor with a grid pattern. When they reached the center of the room, Luize stretched lightly and looked around.


    ¡°What do you want to see? My usual routine?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Set to sixty percent.¡±


    Activated by her words, mana was drawn into the walls, and the ambient mana concentration was soon adjusted to sixty percent. Feeling the slightly thicker air than usual, Se-Hoon, who hadn¡¯t experienced such an environment in a long time, became absorbed in it.


    <i>Come to think of it, this is my first time training in a mana-depleted environment after I regressed.</i>


    Since such conditions usually urred only in special Danger Zones or during prolonged duels among high-ranking heroes, it wasn¡¯t something that a normal student would typically train for without specific intent.


    Meanwhile, as he was getting ustomed to the surroundings, Luize had taken a deep breath and was about to cast her Incantation Magic.


    <strong>¡°Set-¡±</strong>


    A person-sized blue magic array appeared in the air one by one until a total of thirteen hung above her head.


    Then, when all of the magic arrays were fully charged with mana and had begun to glow¡ª


    <strong>¡°Lightning Vortex.¡±</strong>


    A blinding white sh engulfed the room.


    <i>Booom! Crackkk!</i>


    Thirteen lightning bolts burst from the magic arrays and began intertwining and swirling the room, scouring the walls and floor of the training room. Seeing the sheer force of the Incantation Magic that seemed capable ofpletely pulverizing an enemy, Se-Hoon was slightly impressed.


    <i>She¡¯s be quite good at it...</i>


    The power, activation speed, and control of Incantation Magic, which primarily utilized the ambient mana to cast spells, were all affected as the ambient mana concentration dropped.


    However, Luize had still cast her spell effortlessly, seemingly unaffected by the reduced ambient mana concentration. That wasrgely in part due to her dominance over ambient mana.


    Unlike Se-Hoon, who could only maintain a surrounding mana concentration of around sixty percent, Luize almost effortlessly kept hers near a hundred. Just deciding to cast magic would cause the surrounding mana to assimte with her thoughts, thereby creating the optimal environment.


    <i>Many were taken down by the st Dog because they didn¡¯t know about her ability.</i>


    It was already pretty impressive on its own, and her unique skill, Mana Assimtion, hadn¡¯t even awakened yet. Once it did, she would be able to turn all of the mana in the training room into her own.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>... how was it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve improved a lot. Is this the maximum output?¡±


    ¡°I could increase it if I loosened my limits a bit, but that might lead to injuries, so I¡¯m sticking to this for now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Limits, huh?¡±


    While he couldn¡¯t help with the output since it mostly depended on the caster¡¯s synesthetic mindscape, making something to help her control her Incantation Magic wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.


    <i>Equipment that assists in fine-tuning spell forms.... That could do quite well in thepetition.</i>


    A device that could assist in fine-tuning spell forms would certainly catch the interest of sorcerers, especially thosepletely obsessed with magic, like Dawn.


    Solidifying his new idea, he mentally drew some blueprints and then smiled.


    ¡°It seems we have a n. I¡¯ll make the prototype first and bring it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°...Is that it, then?¡±


    ¡°It seems so? Why, is there something else you would like to show me?¡±


    Flinching slightly at his question, Luize grumbled, ¡°It¡¯s not that.... It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve only seen it once, so I¡¯m wondering if that¡¯s enough to be so sure.¡±


    ¡°Seeing it once is more than enough. Who do you think I am? I¡¯m the unprecedented genius of the Department of cksmithing...¡±


    ¡°<i>Agh</i>, never mind. If you¡¯re done, just go.¡±


    Stopping his boasting, she began pushing Se-Hoon by the shoulders toward the door of the training room.


    <i>I was just trying to lighten the mood by acting so cocky since she seemed so worried... tsk.</i>


    He was dumbfounded by her prickly reaction, unable to understand why her emotions were so fickle, just like during her st Dog days.


    Pondering the reason while allowing himself to be pushed toward the entrance, he suddenly stopped when something came to mind.


    ¡°Ah. Wait a minute. I just remembered something I want to do.¡±


    ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°I want to try casting some Incantation Magic myself.¡±


    Having previously confirmed that his aptitude for Incantation Magic was different from before he regressed, he wanted to test its limits. And right now, he was currently in the perfect environment to do so, a ce where the ambient mana concentration was adjustable.


    Quickly turning himself and Luize around, he pushed her by the shoulders back to the center of the training room.


    ¡°Since I remembered, I might as well take an in-depth look at your Incantation Magic too. From what I saw earlier, it looks like you could start learning some new application methods.


    ¡°...<i>Ahem</i>. I was going to go back and rest, so you¡¯re really bothering me.¡±


    Despite her verbal reluctance, her excitement was evident in her demeanor. And that made him narrow his eyes.


    <i>Does she have some sort of emotional instability, just like before the regression?</i>


    The fact that her emotions were flipping like pancakes was a clear sign she wasn¡¯t in the best of states. Thus, Se-Hoon resolved to set aside a day for a more in-depth conversation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see... set to thirty,¡± he said as he walked forward after positioning her behind him.


    Feeling the mana concentration in the training room that had plummeted by half, Luize¡¯s face soured. The barren mana levels resembled dry soil.


    ¡°Can you really do it here?¡±


    At sixty percent, she was converging mana around her with minimal effort, but at thirty percent, she was barely converging any.


    Thus she couldn¡¯t help but gaze at him skeptically, wondering how Se-Hoon nned to cast his Incantation Magic in such conditions.


    Shrugging, Se-Hoon said, ¡°Well, I might fail. But I just want to see how far I can go.¡±


    In an environment that would have been utterly inessible to his pre-regression self, he wanted to test his limits.


    Readying himself, he purified the mana in his mouth before imprinting his synesthetic mindscape upon it, recalling the time the st Dog had ground down quite a few of her teeth in frustration to teach him an application method.


    <i>¡°I¡¯ve told you time and again that it¡¯s not hard. Just imagine how a rumor spreads. Like this.... It¡¯s so easy, so why don¡¯t you get it, you dense fool!!!¡±</i>


    Though he had managed to learn it in the end, he had never been able to use it effectively in realbat. Recalling the advice she had given back then, he imprinted his synesthetic mindscape deep within the mana.


    <strong>¡°Speech Proliferation.¡±</strong>


    The incantation swept through the entire training room like waves, filling the room with an eerie resonance filled the room.


    It made small amounts of mana begin to churn, which eventually formed a singr flow in front of Se-Hoon.


    ¡°This is...¡±


    Just like how people gathered upon hearing a circting rumor, the sparse mana in the training room clustered in front of him.


    Then, directing the massively clustered mana, he spoke the incantation.


    <strong>¡°Thunder Strike.¡±</strong>


    <i>Crash!!</i>


    The massive bolt of blue lightningshed out at the walls of the training room. Its firepower was stronger than the Lightning Vortex Luize had shown earlier, leaving her frozen in shock.


    <strong>[Skill ¡®Incantation: Attribute(C)¡¯ has been upgraded to ¡®Incantation Inscription (B)¡¯.]</strong>


    ¡°...Seems like I have quite the talent,¡± Se-Hoon muttered with a wry smile.

 Chapter 106

    <h4>Chapter 106</h4>


    <strong>[Incantation Inscription]¡ºB¡»</strong>


    <strong>[A skill that allows one to inscribe incantations onto a target.</strong>


    <strong>The effect varies depending on the synesthetic mindscape and the amount of mana infused into the incantation, while the duration depends on the material of the target.</strong>


    <strong>An inscription that has not been removed can be reactivated by infusing mana.</strong>


    <strong>*Duration of inscription varies depending on the target</strong>


    <strong>*Dormant incantation inscriptions can be reactivated by infusing mana]</strong>


    ¡°Huh...¡±


    As Se-Hoon read through the information message about his newly acquired skill, he couldn¡¯t help but be surprised that his skill, Incantation: Attribute, had been upgraded. But what was even more surprising was how the skill was named.


    <i>It¡¯s not Incarnation Inscription: Attribute, but just Incantation Inscription...</i>


    Normally, skills of certain series were harder to acquire than individual skills. For example, simply swinging a sword downward wouldn¡¯t typically result in one learning a simple skill like Sword Technique: Downward Strike.


    However, these basic and simple skills did exist, albeit rare, and one important condition existed for one to acquire them.


    <i>A genuineck of talent...</i>


    Taking the sword technique analogy, managing to execute a downward strike would only be considered a distinct technique when there was such ack of talent that doing so merited recognition from the system as a skill.


    That meant that just like before the regression, when he barely managed to learn an application method of Incantation Magic, the system recognized that hecked talent in it and thus deemed itmendable, granting him the skill Incantation: Attribute.


    <i>Incantation Inscription... does acquiring it mean I¡¯ve developed my own unique application method?</i>


    And since Incantation Inscription was a new application of Incantation Magic he developed himself, the effect was perfectly suited to his use.


    <strong>¡°Ignite me.¡±</strong>


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    The casually casted incantation had immediately created a me the size of a fingertip in the air, which disappeared as soon as it exhausted all of its mana. And normally, that would have been the end of it. However, Se-Hoon¡¯s Incantation Inscription left a small trace behind.


    <i>Is that the incantation I used earlier?</i>


    Seeing the pale form of the letters ovepping in midair to resemble a me, Se-Hoon reached out and infused mana into it.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Like it had never faded, the me burned brightly again.


    The scene made Se-Hoon recall shes of memories from the past.


    <i>¡°Why... why can¡¯t you do this? Even a seven-year-old can do it, so why can¡¯t you? Just tell me already that you¡¯re doing this on purpose!!!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°I¡¯ve felt disillusioned with life a few times, and half of those times were when I was teaching you Incantation Magic...¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Why am I teaching you such advanced skills again? It¡¯s almost like you¡¯ve managed to learn the easy ones. Sigh, just shut up and listen if you don¡¯t want to get pounded again.¡±</i>


    The st Dog had started off her lessons with anger and regret before she eventually epted it and started to use violence. He wondered how many wounds her verbal abuse had caused.


    He had desperately wanted to show off and fight back with Incantation Magic, but back then he genuinelycked talent, so all he could do was respond back with insults.


    Recalling those feelings, Se-Hoon felt a mix of pride and mncholy as he watched the me before him burn out again.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Breaking him out of his mncholy, Luize, who had been practicing in the background, approached while scratching the back of her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ve managed to spread the incantation but can¡¯t seem to gather it back. What am I doing wrong?¡± asked Luize, looking utterly puzzled since she couldn¡¯t grasp the concept.


    Hearing her ask him for help, Se-Hoon, who couldn¡¯t help butpare her to the st Dog and her harsh criticisms, chuckled.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I was just reminiscing about someone. There was just a friend of mine who used to say I had absolutely no talent.¡±


    His response made Luize nce at him suspiciously, wondering if he was mocking her.


    ¡°No talent?¡±


    She hated to admit it, but who else could match his talents that spanned various fields?


    Grinning, Se-Hoon replied, ¡°Yeah, there was someone like that.¡±


    Despite the reversed roles, nothing would change. Just like the st Dog, who continually cursed and heavily sighed but never gave up on teaching him, Se-Hoon was going to teach Luize earnestly.


    Shaking off the memories with a stretch of his neck, Se-Hoon said, ¡°You said you¡¯re having trouble after the spreading, right? If that¡¯s the case, just imagine how people gather around after hearing a rumor and keep that synesthetic...¡±


    Afterward, he spent several hours teaching her Incantation Magic until they stepped out of the main building of the Department of Martial Magic at dusk.


    ¡°It seems like the day is going by faster than usual...¡± Luize said, looking up at the sky with a mixed expression.


    It didn¡¯t feel like much time had passed, yet it was already evening. She then turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to finish the prototype by tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s no problem. I managed toe up with a good method while practicing earlier.¡±


    He originally thought it would take some time since he nned to use Incantation: Attribute, but acquiring Incantation Inscription had given him some leeway.


    Hearing that he had time, Luize nced at a clock and asked, ¡°Oh, really? Then... do you want to grab dinner together?¡± She looked somewhat awkward, seemingly not used to inviting others.


    With a nod, Se-Hoon replied, ¡°Sure, why not?¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s this ce I saw before...¡±


    ¡°Se-Hoon!!!¡±


    Hearing a booming voice echoing from afar, they both turned their heads and saw someone running toward them from a distance.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>... <i>huff</i>...¡±


    With hair frantically tousled from repeatedly being pulled and a whiteb coat that had been bunched up around the elbows, Lea appeared looking like she had been rolling on the floor. On top of that, her student uniform and face were smeared with magic stone powder, presenting a disheveled sight that left Se-Hoon shaking his head.


    <i>Did her workshop explode or something...?</i>


    As he marveled at her disheveled appearance, Lea soon reached them, gasping for air and trying to speak.


    ¡°Need... help... urgent... <i>cough, cough</i>!¡±


    She broke out into a violent coughing fit, her breathing ragged from sprinting so hard that she might copse. Sighing at her state, Se-Hoon ced a hand on her back.


    Activating his Blood Art, he stimted various parts of her body to allow her to naturally regte her erratic breathing.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>... thanks. I feel much better now...¡±


    ¡°So? What¡¯s all this about so suddenly?¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask you about for my submission to thepetition. Do you have time now?¡±


    ¡°Time? Well, the thing is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± a cold voice sounded, interrupting his response.


    Looking at him with narrowed eyes, Luize asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t we going to eat?¡±


    Observing Luize¡¯s visibly upset reaction to Lea¡¯s sudden intrusion, Se-Hoon wore a troubled expression.


    <i>Right, this one holds grudges for a long while.</i>


    Deciding it was better to just handle Lea¡¯s request after eating, he spoke up to inform Lea.


    ¡°Then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Se-Hoon.¡±


    But once again, a cold voice cut him off.


    Turning her head, Lea, who had been looking at Luize, asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to motivate me? You weren¡¯t lying, were you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I wasn¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, who do you think you are, interrupting every time someone talks?¡±


    Annoyed, Luize red at Lea, who turned her head and scoffed.


    ¡°So, you can interrupt, but I can¡¯t? What a joke.¡±


    ¡°What is really a joke is your appearance right now. Getting that dirty at your age is really a sight to behold.¡±


    ¡°Like the way you talk isn¡¯t. Do you think it¡¯s something to boast about, going around and swearing at everyone like that?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The two red at each other, aggressively inching forward. Seeing that, Se-Hoon instinctively stepped back.


    With her eyes glowing a frosty blue, Luize red down at Lea, who red right back with her murky eyes which were underlined with dark circles. Like that, the res continued for a while before one of them spoke in a simmering voice.


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Locked in a tense standoff, neither side was willing to back down. Cautiously observing both of them, Se-Hoon made a serious expression.


    <i>Do these two just not get along... actually, maybe they¡¯ll have some sort of chemistry, considering they both always resort to swearing?</i>


    While the current situation was tense, if they were given the right opportunity, they might get along surprisingly well. Then, as he was assessing theirpatibility, both girls spoke to him simultaneously.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Se-Hoon.¡±


    Luize and Lea were now both ring at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Decide which one you¡¯ll go with.¡±


    ¡°I trust you¡¯ll make the wise choice.¡±


    Having expected that the choice would be passed on to him and that he would have to deal with the aftermath himself, Se-Hoon deliberated for a brief moment before taking out his phone.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°Uhm...¡±


    Upon seeing that he was just calmly tapping on his phone instead of answering, Luize frowned in frustration.


    ¡°What are you doing when we¡¯ve asked you to decide?¡±


    ¡°Takeout.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± asked Lea in confusion, taken aback by the unexpected response.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to eat at the workshop.¡±


    Leaving those words, Se-Hoon walked past the two and headed to the store where he ced an order.


    ***


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Gazing at the hastily cleared desk¡ªnowden with pizza, chicken, and pasta¡ªLuize and Lea, sitting opposite each other, wore peculiar expressions.


    <i>How did it end up like this...</i>


    <i>Something¡¯s off about this...</i>


    Wasn¡¯t it usually choose one or the other, and if unable to decide, dodge the question itself entirely? Feeling somewhat yed by Se-Hoon, both of their expressions soured up.


    ¡°Why are you guys not eating?¡±


    Having returned from washing his hands, Se-Hoon sat at the head of the table and looked at them curiously. At his nonchnt demeanor, Luize and Lea nced at each other.


    <i>You go first.</i>


    <i>Okay.</i>


    To avoid talking over each other, they tacitly decided on an order, deciding that Luize would speak up first.


    ¡°Okay, I can understand why we came here, but why did you choose what we¡¯ll eat on your own?¡±


    ¡°You said you wanted to eat, and she said toe here, so naturally, I should be the one who gets to choose the menu. Isn¡¯t that fair?¡± Se-Hoon answered.


    ¡°...¡±


    Silenced by his strangely persuasive argument, Luize closed her mouth.


    Lea then chimed in.


    ¡°Still, normally, you should choose one person...¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d be the only bad guy here. It was you two who started swearing and fighting at first sight, so why should I take the me?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lea quietly shut her mouth, silenced by his response like Luize. Watching the two who had gone silent, Se-Hoon clicked his tongue.


    ¡°<i>Tsk, tsk</i>. You both really have tempers.... Anyway, let¡¯s eat up; it seems we¡¯re all hungry.¡±


    Then, like he had nothing more to say, Se-Hoon picked up a slice of pizza and began eating, causing both Luize¡¯s and Lea¡¯s expressions to simultaneously twist in annoyance.


    <i>Ugh, if I could just kill this son of a...</i>


    <i>He¡¯s so annoying, even when he makes the right point.</i>


    Noticing each other¡¯s expressions, Luize and Lea awkwardly looked away, trying to hide their mutual irritation.


    Eventually, amidst the awkward munching, Luize broke the ice.


    ¡°You¡¯re Lea udel, right? The honor student of Borsippa in your freshman year?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah. You knew?¡±


    ¡°I enrolled in the same year as you, though I¡¯m still a sophomore because I took a leave of absence... I¡¯m Luize Valente.¡±


    At Luize¡¯s introduction, Lea furrowed her brows for a moment before her eyes widened upon remembering something.


    ¡°Oh! Are you the one who destroyed that annoying jerk, Gerwin?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You know who Gerwin is?¡±


    ¡°Know him? That trash has been messing around since freshman year, relying on his family¡¯s name. You really did a good job wrecking him.¡±


    ¡°...Hmm.¡±


    Upon finding a shared topic of interest, the atmosphere seemed to rx slightly, and they started to exchange a few words more naturally.


    Pleased by the sight, Se-Hoon continued to silently eat with a slight smile on his face.


    <i>Having amon ground is really important.</i>


    Whether it was a shared frustration or a specific topic of interest, one thing inmon could quickly forge connections between youths.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you sometimes really want to smack him when he acts all high and mighty like that?¡±


    ¡°He does talk like a jerk. I feel the same often.¡±


    Finding another shared topic of interest, Luize and Lea eagerly aired their grievances.


    ¡°He never exins properly when he¡¯s up to something. Like right now, if we were going to eat together, he could at least let us choose the menu. He¡¯s so annoying...¡±


    ¡°Ah, and just yesterday, he started ordering me around about what enchantments to do. I was really frustrated...¡±


    Like a dam had broken, theirints flowed endlessly as they animatedly discussed their frustrations.


    Now no longer pleased, Se-Hoon cleared his throat to bring them back to the matter at hand.


    ¡°Ahem. So, what was it that you wanted to ask?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see that we¡¯re eating right now?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it rude to talk business at the dining table?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    With the pair now teamed up against him, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes, feeling slightly betrayed.


    <i>They don¡¯t even appreciate the help I gave... these ungrateful bastards...</i>


    Displeased, he seriously contemted how to handle these thankless partners, but at that moment, Luize and Lea exchanged looks before chuckling.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a joke, man.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get all worked up over a little teasing.¡±


    ¡°...Fine, just get to the point then.¡±


    Their yful banter had lightened the atmosphere further, showing that their earlier hostility had softened into a more friendly rivalry and paving the way for a more rxed conversation.


    Still chuckling, Lea retrieved an object from the back.


    ¡°It¡¯s this.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    The object featured four rings interlocking with each other. It looked simr to an ancient astronomical instrument called the Celestial Sphere, but it was charred ck and slightly dented in ces.


    ¡°This is the thing that exploded?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It blew up right after I engraved a new enchantment into it. I think there¡¯s something wrong with the object itself.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I need to know exactly what this is first.¡±


    ¡°Ah, wait a moment.¡±


    Walking back to where she got it, Lea rummaged through various items before returning with a blueprint.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    The blueprint showed a device simr to the one she had handed over. However, since many parts of it were smudged or written unclearly, it seemed iplete.


    <i>The creator is Dane udel... is that Lea¡¯s father?</i>


    But despite its ipleteness, the blueprint that seemed to carry its own story caught Se-Hoon¡¯s attention. He read through the details closely.


    <i>A control device that artificially creates a resonance phenomenon through simple enchantments. The concept itself is quite go... wait.</i>


    A sinking feeling crossed his mind, stirring a vague memory. Trying harder to remember, a story soon resurfaced in Se-Hoon¡¯s mind.


    <i>¡°You wouldn¡¯t get it. At the end, the dolls suddenly began to resonate with each other, amplifying their power.... If Ryu Eun-Ha hadn¡¯t arrived in time to destroy the device, we would all have been annihted.¡±</i>


    Remembering Kwang-Soo grumbling after participating in a raid against the Puppeteer, Se-Hoon looked again at the blueprint.


    ¡°...Damn.¡±


    And realized that it was the blueprint for the Puppeteer¡¯s secret weapon.

 Chapter 107

    <h4>Chapter 107</h4>


    Now in his dormitory after that messy dinner, Se-Hoon sat in front of his desk, looking at the two blueprints he had borrowed from Lea.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    One was the unfinished blueprint of a device left by Lea¡¯s father, Dane udel, and the other was the blueprint of the new enchantment Lea had created. If the two could be perfectly merged together, the item Lea intended to submit for the student schrshippetition would beplete.


    <i>It¡¯s too dangerous...</i>


    In the past, the Heroes Association publicly dered a subjugation mission for the Puppeteer in response to the damage caused by the Puppeteer increasing day by day. They destroyed numerous hideouts and puppets, and then, when they finally located her main body, the Heroes Association mobilized all of their forces and formed a small strike team.


    <i>The strike team wasprised of eight S-rank heroes and twenty-one A-rank heroes, all of them acknowledged as nearly S-rank.</i>


    There wasn¡¯t a single Perfect One that participated because the association president at the time deemed their help unnecessary. Indeed, such a force should have been overwhelming against even the Ten Evils, but the result was far from domination.


    <i>It ended with two S-ranks killed in action, two S-ranks retiring, nine nearly S-ranks killed in action, and eight nearly S-ranks retiring....</i>


    Effectively, four S-ranks and seventeen nearly S-rank heroes were left incapacitated¡ªa dismal oue.


    After the matter, Kwang-Soo, who had been one of the few to return intact, attributed the failure to three reasons.


    The first was the president¡¯s misjudgment in not seeking help from any of the Perfect Ones.


    The second was an inurate judgment of the Puppeeteer¡¯s numbers. They had destroyed so many of the Puppeteer¡¯s hideouts and puppets, but five Single Number automatons¡ªeach with strengthparable to that of an S-rank hero¡ªstill remained.


    Finally, the third was the device the Puppeteer used at the end¡ªthe result ofbining the two blueprints in front of him.


    <i>The first and second were the President¡¯s mistakes, but... the third was what truly put the final nail in the coffin.</i>


    From the precedent of the danger this device could potentially bring, it would be for the best if he stayed away from bringing it to life, but... that also wasn¡¯t a decision he could easily make.


    <i>Simply saying no might lead to disagreements with Lea, or worst case, her expulsion... but it¡¯s not like I can reveal that I¡¯m a regressor to persuade her.</i>


    Plus, disposing of such a powerful device without trying it out once didn¡¯t suit his temperament at all.


    <i>So now it¡¯s a question of how to control it...</i>


    However, no matter how hard he thought, he struggled toe up with an idea, so he examined the blueprints again.


    <i>The user has to handle everything from enchantment specifications to resonance phenomena, and then they have to mediate the effect on top of that.</i>


    Merely using the device was a daunting challenge, let alone calcting the variables that could ur with the targets.


    <i>Unlike us, the Puppeteer can simply pass off all of the calctions to her puppets, so in a way, this is a perfect device for her.</i>


    It truly seemed like the device had been designed specifically for the Puppeteer.


    For a while, Se-Hoon repeatedly modified and redrew the blueprints in his mind, but eventually, he boldly scrapped everything.


    <i>Let¡¯s think about thister.</i>


    Even before he regressed, he had only heard stories about this device through stories, and since the blueprints he now had were also iplete, it was quite a struggle toe up with even a single suitable solution.


    Thus, he set aside the blueprints, deciding to deal with other matters first, and took out the materials needed to create Luize¡¯s new equipment, hispetition submission.


    <strong>[<u>Divine Tree Petal</u>]</strong>


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


    <strong>[A lotus petal that once enveloped the core of the Divine Tree.</strong>


    <strong>It protects the core and promotes its evolution, fusing the characteristics of the infused types of mana.</strong>


    <strong>*Fuses the properties of the infused mana]</strong>


    Being quite different from other byproducts of the Divine Tree he used previously, its structure gave it a unique effect since it essentially assisted the evolution of the core of the Divine Tree. With that purpose, the lotus petal necessarily had the effect of merging various types of infused mana into one.


    <i>That¡¯s why this is good to use with tricky materials.</i>


    <i>Thud-</i>


    The second material he took out was a dull, lusterless ore that was distorting its surroundings like a mirage, the Hero-tier material, Inkstone Ore. He still had a bit left over from when he forged the Inkstone Bracelet.


    Then, he took out some Projection Alloy, which had been used for Luize¡¯s previous piece of equipment, before closing his eyes to retrieve the final material.


    <i>Calctive with gains and losses, a cunning nature that seeks to uncover others¡¯ secrets while hiding his own, and a ruthless temperament that does not hesitate even when murdering his own kin....</i>


    He had only met Inoue Ren, Erika¡¯s brother, that one time at the Noblesse, but that one time had been enough for him to glimpse enough of Ren¡¯s past to understand what kind of person he was.


    And as if to prove that he did have a deep understanding, something sticky flowed from Se-Hoon¡¯s heart to his right hand, soon forming a stone the size of a finger.


    With its pitch-ck color and neatly rectangr shape, its appearance, free from any irregrities that came from processing, sucked Se-Hoon into examining the information message.


    <strong>[<u>Fatestone - Graphite Stone</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Below Average]</strong>


    <strong>[An untaintable ore that doesn¡¯t blend well with other ores, but can be used as a channel for mana.</strong>


    <strong>*Can be used as a mana conduit if its properties are preserved]</strong>


    <i>This is excellent.</i>


    The Fatestone had turned out just as he had expected it would, perhaps even better in some respects.


    Now that he had checked over all of the materials he had taken out, he began forging Luize¡¯s equipment.


    <i>First, the Inkstone Ore.</i>


    In the past, he would have put the Inkstone Ore in a furnace and gradually heated it while hammering with a chisel, but now that he had his Forgefire Hammer, which was wrapped in mes, there was no need for such effort.


    <i>Thump- Thump-</i>


    Normally, no change would ur if the ore was just hammered without any preheating, but with the Forgefire Hammer, each touch made the Inkstone Ore start to tten and spread out.


    <i>Indeed, a master cksmith also needs the appropriate tools.</i>


    The mes that were enveloping the Forgefire Hammer were the zing mes of Eun-Ha¡¯s Soul Furnace, which was specialized for melting ores. Thanks to the equipment skill Forgere reproducing her fierce mes, the time needed to forge the Inkstone Ore was dramatically reduced.


    <i>A single mistake now will mean losing the materialpletely though.</i>


    Even a slight bit of extra contact with the mes could cause the properties of the Inkstone Ore to be burned away entirely. Thus, Se-Hoon carefully hammered the ore into thin tes.


    ¡°Hmm, the shape should be good enough for now....¡±


    Going over the blueprint in his mind again, he started hammering again, starting from the outer edges this time.


    <i>Thump-</i>


    <strong>¡°Shape Memory.¡±</strong>


    <i>Thump-</i>


    <strong>¡°Form Projection.¡±</strong>


    Each hammer strike allowed the Incantation Inscriptions to permeate inward, and soon, changes began to appear in the Inkstone Ore.


    <i>Sssss-</i>


    Characters began dancing on the surface of the Inkstone Ore, their appearance indicating that the inscription spells had not been properly absorbed into the ore.


    Seeing that, Se-Hoon immediately infused the Inkstone Ore with his mana, reactivating the Incantation Inscriptions and sinking their effects into the ore again.


    <i>Perfect, </i>he thought with a smile.


    What then followed was a sequence of simple tasks.


    He hammered the ore with the Forgefire Hammer and engraved it using Incantation Inscriptions. Then, after inspecting the mana circuit-like engravings on the surface, he cut a thin wire-like strand off the Graphite Stone, Ren¡¯s Fatestone, with the White Light Dagger.


    Taking the cut strand, he ced it within various engraved spots on the Inkstone Ore before tapping it lightly with the Forgefire Hammer.


    <i>Fizz-</i>


    Melting slightly, the strand of the Graphite Stone adhered cleanly to the surface of the Inkstone Ore, as if he was soldering.


    Like that, he repeated the process, struggling with setting everything up.


    Two hourster, when he finally finished, he covered the Inkstone Ore with Divine Tree Petals and refined his synesthetic mindscape and mana for the final touches.


    <strong>¡°Property Combination.¡±</strong>


    Thest spell with Incantation Inscription permeated through the petals, causing them to glow faintly as they wrapped around the Inkstone Ore.


    Not letting the effects of the inscriptions end, he continued to infuse mana, watching the petals gradually shrink.


    <i>Crack-</i>


    Soon, the petals crumbled like a broken egg and revealed thepleted equipment.


    <strong>[Equipment ¡®Hati¡¯ has beenpleted!</strong>


    <strong>An artistic piece of equipment forged by a dauntless cksmith for his cherished one! Its delicate structure, refined to the limits by leveraging the full capabilities of the materials, will make everyone shiver with awe.</strong>


    <strong>The tier evaluation for ¡®Hati¡¯ is ¡®Hero¡¯.]</strong>


    <i>Cherished one, my ass...</i> he thought, clicking his tongue at the content of the achievement message.


    Like Vargr, Hati also had the form of a choker, but with an intricately marked X instead of a silver buckle. It looked quite a bit cleaner.


    ¡°There should be no issue covering her scars... I should probably check its functionality,¡± he mumbled, opening up the information message.


    <strong>[<u>Hati</u>]</strong>


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


    <strong>[Special equipment made specifically for the subject ¡®Luize Valente¡¯.</strong>


    <strong>It can store spells inside and absorb any wasted mana which can then be used to recast spells or be returned to the user.</strong>


    <strong>*Assists in activating stored spells</strong>


    <strong>*Absorbs and stores wasted mana</strong>


    <strong>*Stored mana can be used for the spellcasting processes or returned to the user¡¯s body</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Memorize¡¯]</strong>


    <i>It turned out just as I thought.</i>


    If the user failed to stabilize the spell and their mana became erratic and ran amok, Hati would absorb excess mana and forcibly stabilize it. It was designed to serve as a safety device <i>and</i> a way for the user to refine their spells by continuously resupplying them with mana, allowing them to cast spells over and over.


    <i>Not only does it forcibly stabilize mana until the spell is correctly cast, but it also returns the excess mana to the user.</i>


    It was the perfect safety device for those who were always on edge when controlling their magic.


    Satisfied that Hati had turned out as he intended, he put it down.


    <i>Next up is its hidden feature.</i>


    Looking down at Hati, he infused mana into his thumb and middle finger, putting them together.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    A wave of mana pulsed from his fingertips, and soon, patterns emerged all over Hati.


    <i>Swish!</i>


    The previouslypressed armor tes unfolded, transforming Hati into some sort of mask. Upon seeing therge X marked on it, he snapped his fingers again.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    And Hati quickly reverted to the form of a choker.


    Smiling in contentment, he thought, <i>The hidden feature works well too.</i>


    With this feature, external intervention in emergencies was possible. He could intervene and stop Luize from inadvertently casting incantation spells whenever she faced some kind of problem.


    <i>And I can even shut her up whenever she¡¯s yapping too much.</i>


    Reveling in the well-applied feature, a sudden thought crossed his mind.


    <i>Since this is equipment that the Puppeteer would covet... does it double as a trap that¡¯s bound to be sprung at least once?</i>


    A trap not visible even in the information message, known only to the creator.


    Pondering the possibilities, the corners of his mouth twisted naturally into a smirk.


    <i>This is... pretty nice.</i>


    ***


    ¡°That will be all for today¡¯s ss. Thank you all for your hard workte into the night.¡±


    Concluding the lesson, the elderly professor slowly walked out of the ssroom and down the hallway.


    ¡°Ah, take care, professor!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡±


    The professor was greeted by every student who passed with polite bows. The atmosphere was more voluntary than coercive, indicating that the professor was a well-regarded professor who had significant influence within the building.


    ¡°Even the freshmen are already being polite to you... it¡¯s pretty impressive that you pull it off every year.¡±


    ¡°Right? Isn¡¯t it tiring to receive greetings from every student you meet?¡±


    Hearing his colleagues¡¯ments as they walked together, the elderly professor, Charles Reynolds, smiled gently.


    ¡°What¡¯s tiring about it? I¡¯m just grateful that they even recognize me.¡±


    ¡°You saying that is quite impressive itself. To me, the students¡ªespecially the foolish ones¡ªreally irritate me...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I mean. To think even Babel has been declining in quality these days...¡±


    While his fellow professors chatted idly, Charles just listened with a smile.


    But then, he suddenly stopped walking.


    ¡°Ah. I need to run back to my office for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Did you forget something?¡±


    ¡°I left some documents I need to take home. I¡¯ll drop by the office briefly, so you two can start dinner without me first.¡±


    ¡°Ah, alright.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait for you there, so take your time.¡±


    Seeing off his fellow professors who headed to the reserved restaurant first, Charles turned around to head back to his office in thergestb of the Department of Elements.


    Walking over to his desk, Charles picked up some documents and naturally infused them with his mana.


    <i>Sssss-</i>


    As the blue mana flowed over the surface of the paper, its contents were altered line by line, revealing secretly taken photos of the students around Babel with records of their daily routines and brief reports next to them.


    <i>The usage frequency of the mana purification device by the subject has increased after showing its effect on the improvement of grades due to its amplification function. Consideration for recruitment.</i>


    <i>The subject had failed twice in their course because of the mana disability resulting from the offset function of the mana purification device. Inquiring in the ck market.</i>


    <i>The hospitalization of the subject has been extended due to the offset function of the mana purification device. Depression and self-harm behaviors observed.</i>


    .


    .


    .


    Every report was about the effects that the mana purification device¡ªwhich Se-Hoon had called the mana corrosion device¡ªbrought about. Flipping through through the documents, Charles¡¯s hand abruptly stopped upon seeing one of the photos.


    ¡°...¡±


    It was a photo of Se-Hoon carrying a stic bag of food, with Luize and Lea following reluctantly behind him.


    A momentter, his gaze moved to the few lines next to the photo.


    <i>The assimtion function of the mana purification device haspletely vanished. Babel had raised its alert level, making it difficult to approach the subject rashly.</i>


    <i>The subject is showing increasing levels of activity, suggesting that they have recovered from their slump. Full halt to the mana purification device distribution n.</i>


    <i>The subject has vast potential but is receiving too much external interest. Do not approach rashly.</i>


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>...¡±


    Upon reading the contents of the document, Charles inadvertently clicked his tongue.


    To think such talented individuals were right before his eyes yet he had to just stand by and watch them. He desperately wanted to kidnap all three of them, especially Luize Valente, but he calmed his mind.


    <i>I need to keep my head cool...</i>


    He knew that if he rashly tried anything now, he would lose the opportunity forever, but if he waited patiently, the perfect chance mighte someday. As if it were a mantra, he kept muttering the same thought as he read thest line of the report.


    <i>Confirmed participation of all three in the Ivory Tower¡¯s student schrship selectionpetition. Act ordingly depending on the situation.</i>


    <i>I thought she had no interest in it... but it seems like that wasn¡¯t the case.</i>


    Luize, who had been promised the student schrship of the Ivory Tower upon her return to the Department of Elements, stubbornly refused and went to the Department of Martial Magic instead. The fact that such a talent had been snatched away by those who knew not a speck about magic filled Charles with bitter resentment to the brim.


    <i>Since those two will also be participating in thepetition... then it might be alright if I stir up a little trouble.</i>


    Scheming a new n in his head, Charles read through the rest of the documents, retrieving the mana he had infused into them once he was done.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Blue powder scattered into the air.


    Double-checking that the documents had returned to their ordinary state, Charles packed them in his bag and stepped out of theb.


    ¡°Ah. Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°Thank you as well.¡±


    Exchanging a greeting with a teaching assistant¡ªwho was none the wiser¡ªwith a gentle smile, he headed to a restaurant where his fellow professors were waiting.

 Chapter 108

    <h4>Chapter 108</h4>


    In the bustling heart of Ur¡¯smercial district stood a super-sized building so unique in scale and presence even among the towering skyscrapers¡ªthe Ivory Tower. And today, a procession of students was making their way toward it.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>... <i>whew</i>...¡±


    ¡°If I just do well in the presentation...¡±


    ¡°Please, I just need to be able to cast my spell without a hitch...¡±


    Each student approaching the Ivory Tower gazed up at it with stomachs filled with butterflies, their expressions fraught with nerves. There was one student who was filled with so much anxiety that they dashed into an alleyway to vomit and another who froze in ce, unable to take another step forward.


    However, unlike everyone else, there was one student among them who wore an amused expression as he watched everyone else: Lee Se-Hoon.


    <i>I didn¡¯t expect there to be this many participants.</i>


    He had expected that only somewhat famous students would participate, but that expectation was soon shattered when he saw what seemed to be most of the magic-involved student body around him. There were even fourth-years, who were usually seldomly seen due to being busy with their hero duties, present inrge numbers.


    The massive amount of people drawn honestly made Se-Hoon feel slightly awed.


    <i>The Ivory Tower is really recognized for its significance, huh?</i>


    To him, it had always merely been arge schrship foundation, but now he knew that the Ivory Tower wielded far more influence than he thought in the magic industry.


    <i>Then, those Dawn guys must have infiltrated deeper than I thought.</i>


    With such vast influence, it was likely that Dawn would have made sure they had at least one or two members among the leaders, or at the very least, among the directors. And since that was the case, Se-Hoon raised his alertness a level higher.


    Soon, he reached the building entrance where guards in suits were loudly directing the participants.


    ¡°Students participating in the student schrship selectionpetition should enter through the right-side entrance!¡±


    Following the guard¡¯s directions, a line formed at the right-side entrance, with students passing through one by one. A momentter, it was soon Se-Hoon¡¯s turn.


    ¡°Please do not resist the brief mana scan that will be run when you enter.¡±


    Taking note of the guard¡¯s instruction, Se-Hoon stepped inside, prompting a thinyer of mana to brush over him, scanning his entire body.


    <i>Are they only checking for items infused with mana?</i>


    If the Ivory Tower were a more sensitive ce, they would likely have asked him to reveal everything in his void pocket on top. However, perhaps due to their confidence in their own facilities, the Ivory Tower only performed basic checks before ushering him into the lobby.


    ¡°Please follow the guidelines and walk straight ahead!¡±


    Listening to the guards¡¯ next instructions, he was just about to proceed forward when cries and camera shes erupted from beyond the guidelines.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon!¡±


    ¡°Look over here, please!¡±


    <i>Click! Click!</i>


    Having been awaiting the famous participants, the many journalists quickly fired off questions upon spotting him.


    ¡°What motivated you to participate in the student schrship selectionpetition?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a rumor you¡¯re transferring from the Department of cksmithing to the Department of Martial Arts! Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Some cksmiths who previously imed that your abilities were all a lie have suddenly announced that they¡¯re closing down their shops! Do you know anything about this?¡±


    Rather than thepetition itself, they were trying to dig up something about him. They were so fervent that he was taken aback, inadvertently showing a surprised expression.


    <i>Looks like I¡¯ve be somewhat famous, seeing as how the journalists are all over me.... </i>He knew that he definitely wasn¡¯t their only target, but the intense reaction was unusually ttering.


    Confronting the piercing gaze of the reporters, he thought briefly about what to say and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°The mass production of sword aura equipment,¡± he dered abruptly.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s impossible?¡±


    Then, without any further words, he walked away and left behind the journalists who were nkly staring after him in confusion. Secondster, the journalists finally understood and their eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean by that?!¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that the mass production of sword aura equipment is, in fact, possible?¡±


    ¡°Just one more word, Lee Se-Hoon...!¡±


    ¡°Please do not cross the guidelines!¡±


    Hearing the cacophony of the cries of journalists and the urgent voices of the guards mingled in a tumultuous mix behind him, Se-Hoon smirked.


    <i>Now this is chaos.</i>


    He knew the inte would soon be abuzz with ims that he was researching or had already developed mass-produced sword aura equipment, among other wild spections.


    It was a very satisfactoryying of the groundwork for the n with the Myers.


    ¡°You¡¯re a fearless one,¡± someone suddenly said in a sighden voice from behind.


    Turning around, Se-Hoon paused with a puzzled look at the sight of a tall young man with azure hair, confused by his tone which was filled with pity rather than mockery.


    ¡°What do you mean by <i>fearless</i>?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not aware? The technology to achieve the mass production of sword aura equipment is under close surveince, even by the Demon Force. Regardless of whether what you¡¯ve said today is a lie, the moment the wrong crowd suspects you¡¯re working on it, you could be killed."


    There was a reason why even those who often tried to capture the cksmithing industry¡¯s attention never recklessly talked about the mass production of sword aura equipment, and that was precisely it.


    Yet Se-Hoon had spoken so openly about it. He might be safe right now because they were inside Babel, but who knew what would happen once he stepped outside?


    ¡°It¡¯s in your best interests to just say you had been bluffing earlier. Otherwise... you really might end up in serious trouble.¡±


    Hearing the serious warning of Howard Grant, the young man, Se-Hoon considered his words momentarily before thinking of something.


    ¡°Wait, who are you to act so familiar with me?¡±


    A dead silence followed Se-Hoon¡¯s question, and Howard looked at him incredulously.


    ¡°You¡ªyou don¡¯t know me? We¡¯re both honor students... how can you not know...¡±


    ¡°Honor student? Oh, are you from Ur?¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s genuinely confused expression was like a bolt from out of the blue for Howard,pletely wiping away his original n¡ªtaking this opportunity to somehow get close to Se-Hoon¡ªfrom his mind and leaving him standing frozen, utterly dumbfounded.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Luize as she walked out from a corridor further down, frowning upon spotting Se-Hoon.


    ¡°How can the participant show up earlier than the assistant?¡±


    ¡°I just somehow ended upte. Where¡¯s Lea?¡±


    ¡°She went up first. We¡¯ll see her up there since she¡¯s on the same floor as us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Then let¡¯s head up right away.¡±


    They had several things to check before thepetition, so they moved swiftly, leaving behind the dumbfounded Howard.


    ¡°Hey, Luize,¡± Se-Hoon said, ncing behind at Howard, as they walked toward the elevator.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Do you know who that guy is?¡±


    ¡°That guy?¡±


    Curious, Luize peered over Se-Hoon¡¯s shoulder to look at Howard¡¯s face before quickly making a puzzled expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure... isn¡¯t he just another participant?¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Hmm...¡± muttered Se-Hoon unconvinced, his tone suggesting something was off as he eyed Howard.


    ¡°He¡¯s a pretty strange person...¡±


    Having been staring after the two the entire time, Howard took a deep breath when they disappeared out of sight.


    <i>It¡¯s okay... this is within expectations. Maybe he¡¯s just trying to provoke me by acting like he doesn¡¯t know who I am.</i>


    Shaking his head, Howard calmed himself and proceeded inside with renewed determination to show his best at thepetition.


    ¡°Hey, he¡¯s following us.¡±


    ¡°Should we inform the guards?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    But upon seeing Luize and Se-Hoon whispering to each other, Howard¡¯s brows furrowed.


    ***


    <i>Ding!</i>


    ¡ªYou have arrived at the twelfth floor.


    Exiting the elevator on test site three¡¯s floor, Se-Hoon nced down the stairs to the side.


    <i>That guy earlier... what was his deal?</i>


    Initially, he thought Howard was just being nosy, but after their brief exchange, he realized that wasn¡¯t the case. From the way Howard scrutinized him to his expressions and actions, every move was carefully calcted.


    <i>Would a normal student be able to go to such lengths...?</i>


    While Luize could also hide her true feelings and y dumb, hiding expressions and actions to that extent was no small feat. Deciding to keep Howard in mind, Se-Hoon internally made a note that he should be more cautious if they met again and walked into the test site.


    Upon entering, five rows of desks, one for each student, could be easily seen. Many students were still trying to find assigned desks to unpack their items for submission.


    Scanning the room, Se-Hoon noticedplex magic arrays, scrolls, gem-like consumable items scattered about, and even thick books and ominously glowing axes. Some participants had even broughtrge boxes and bookcases, creating a truly diverse scene.


    After a precursory scan of the other contestants, Se-Hoon began examining the walls and ceiling.


    <i>It looks like they¡¯ve expanded the room with spatial magic.</i>


    Besides the fact that thepetition site was far more spacious than it appeared from the outside, it was unusual that such an open space would immediately follow the elevator corridor. It seemed likely that the Ivory Tower had moved the rooms that were originally on this floor to another level or possibly deployed an entire void space with spatial magic.


    <i>Hmm... howrge can they make this room?</i>


    Meanwhile, as Se-Hoon methodically surveyed test site three, Luize scanned the students within, trying to find Lea.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    But having been unable to spot her, Luize made a confused expression.


    ¡°Where did Lea go?¡±


    ¡°Why, is she not here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She definitely went up before us though...¡±


    Hearing the fluster in Luize¡¯s voice, Se-Hoon tore his gaze away from the ceiling and walls to scan the students again. Stopping abruptly, his eyes narrowed at a sight in front of him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a moment; stay here.¡±


    Leaving Luize behind, he approached an unupied desk and peered underneath, finding Lea inspecting an item wrapped in cloth.


    ¡°What are you doing down there?¡±


    ¡°<i>Agh</i>...!¡±


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Startled by Se-Hoon, Lea bumped her head on the desk.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    Seeing Lea holding her head and squirming, Se-Hoon began massaging his forehead, feeling a headacheing on. Then, with utter disappointment, he asked, ¡°Are you trying to be funny or something?¡±


    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not it... I was actually...¡±


    Lea waspletely flustered, to the point that she was struggling to continue.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably worried it might explode again,¡± said a voice, which Se-Hoon had heard moments ago, from behind them.


    ¡°She was quite the nuisance with that sphere in her freshman year.¡±


    As he had expected, the owner of the voice, Howard, walked up to them. Se-Hoon turned to face him.


    ¡°A nuisance?¡±


    ¡°ording to her exnation back then, that sphere was supposed to enchant only designated objects by the user to connect them together... but the device suddenly went berserk and started connecting <i>everything </i>on its own.¡±


    As a result, the items the other students had prepared for their submissions were randomly connected and tangled with others. And then, every amplified force created by resonance phenomena between items exploded in an instant.


    ¡°Thankfully, thepetition site¡¯s safety devices ensured no one ended up dead, but there were still quite a few injured. Also, I¡¯m not sure if that was the cause, but some of the students who had been affected by the incident showed poor academic performance afterward and ended up dropping out.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    During Howard¡¯s exnation, Lea''s expression had gradually darkened more and more. Even if it had been almost two years, she found the memory of the first time she caused harm to others hard topletely forget.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all in the past now. And the fact that you¡¯ve brought the device today... means you¡¯re confident it won¡¯t happen again, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. A lot of people are interested in what you¡¯ve created.¡±


    Done with what he had to say, Howard gave them a slight smile and returned to his desk. Lea, however, remained still under the desk, clutching the cloth-wrapped item without saying a word.


    Seeing her like that, Se-Hoon sighed deeply and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see it working properly yesterday?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°And you also checked it tirelessly for days just in case.¡±


    ¡°I did it about 103 times.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re still worried?¡±


    Unable to respond, Lea closed her mouth. But then, she managed to barely eke out, ¡°This device... just makes me anxious.¡±


    She knew logically that the enchantment she created this time was different from the one before, but her emotions were not easily assuaged.


    <i>Was this the cause of her slump all along? </i>Se-Hoon thought, exasperated.


    He had thought that her continual testing of the device, despite being fairly certain there would be no issues, was due to the fear of possibly having to drop out. Now, however, it seemed it was because the past was still haunting her.


    The reason for her slump aside, he still had to do something about her cowardly state, so he opted for the simplest approach.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Lifting up therge desk like a sheet of paper with one hand, he quickly scooped up Lea with the other.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Slinging Lea over his shoulder, he set the desk back down and gently sat her down on top. Then, he wrapped severalyers of ck Weaver around her waist and anchored the ends to her desk.


    ¡°<strong>Forced Fixation</strong>.¡±


    <i>Woong!</i>


    With that Incantation Inscription, he turned the threads of ck Weaver into ropes tougher than steel.


    ¡°...Wait, wait a moment.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Lea was bound to the desk. And since she was significantly taller now, her head popped up noticeably in the crowd, attracting stares from all around them.


    ¡°Uh, Se-Hoon, I don¡¯t think you should be doing this right now. We¡¯re not even in our ssroom...¡±


    Even Lea, who was no stranger to unusual behaviors and unabashed actions, couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed by the situation.


    But despite noticing her beet-red face, Se-Hoon just looked her directly in the eyes and said, ¡°You can do it, sunbae. Keep your head up.¡±


    Giving her that sincere cheer, he returned to his seat.


    ¡°Ah... no, wait, Se-Hoon! It was my mistake. I feel energized now... so... hey, hey, you basta¡ª¡±


    Completely ignoring the sounds of protesting from behind him, Se-Hoon took out Hati.


    ¡°We should start preparing too. You can do it, right?¡±


    ¡°Well... I <i>did</i> practice a bit.¡±


    Taking Hati from him, Luize was about to put on it when she nced toward Lea.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lea¡¯s pleading look for help made Luize¡¯s eyes tremble momentarily, but forcibly turned her head like she hadn¡¯t seen anything.


    ¡°You do know how much of a bastard you are, right?¡±


    Her question,den with various implications, made Se-Hoon smirk.


    ¡°If I did that without knowing, I would be a devil.¡±


    ¡°...True.¡±


    Thinking that Lea should just endure the tough times now since it ultimately would be a good experience, Luize silently cheered her on in her heart.


    ¡°The preliminary round of the student schrship selectionpetition will now begin! All students, please remain in your ces!¡±


    The announcer¡¯s booming voice finally announced the start.

 Chapter 109

    <h4>Chapter 109</h4>


    ¡°Before we begin the preliminary round, let me introduce the three professors who will be serving as the judges for test site three.¡±


    At the call, three professors walked onto the stage at the front. Then a blue screen naturally appeared above them, showing a zoom-in of their faces.


    ¡°Professor Charles Reynolds from the Department of Elements, Professor Reba udel from the Department of Enchantments, and Professor Lan Fei from the Department of Martial Magic.¡±


    The first was a warm old man with a gentle smile; the second was a graceful woman standing expressionlessly; and the third was a young man looking all worn out by his work.


    The identities of the three judges on the stage drew Se-Hoon¡¯s interest.


    <i>I expected Charles would be one... but I didn¡¯t see Rebaing. </i>Had shee to ensure Lea¡¯s elimination? Or was she simply here to assess Lea directly? He was unable to determine her true motives despite scrutinizing her further.


    The announcer continued with the briefing.


    ¡°From now on, these judges will be walking around test site three, evaluating the forms or the Formic Armament you''ve forged that uses them.¡±


    The longer the announcer spoke, the tenser the gazes on the professors became. Every student in the room knew it would be those three who would judge the result of the umtion of the effort and time they had invested into thispetition¡ªit was those three professors who had absolute power in the room.


    ¡°Participants, please prepare your demonstrations as soon as the judges arrive at your spot. The rest should wait quietly at your desks for your turn.¡±


    With the briefing concluded, the professors stepped down from the stage and were followed by the screen hovering above, which automatically adjusted its focus.


    ¡°A brief introduction of yourself, please,¡± Charles asked, approaching the first participant¡¯s desk with a smile.


    ¡°Uh, my name is Danny Ridley, a second-year student of the Department of Operation Commands. My submission is, uh, a device that enables real-time transformation of mana circuits, allowing a skeleton to use various skills.¡±


    Finishing his nervous exnation about the blue crystal on his desk, he quickly inserted it into a skeleton waiting nearby. Clicking into ce, the crystal emitted a blue light that slightly changed the color of the skeleton¡¯s bones to blue.


    At the sight, Reba asked calmly, ¡°Is this an enhancement spell?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And besides this, there¡¯s also¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let me ask one thing,¡± interrupted Lan Fei with a weary voice. He was gazing at the skeleton with a tired expression.


    ¡°Have you ounted for activation errors caused by external mana disturbances?¡±


    ¡°O-of course, as long as it¡¯s not directly infused....¡±


    <i>p.</i>


    Before he could finish, Lan Fei pped lightly, releasing a faint wave of mana that calmly swept over the skeleton.


    <i>Crackle-</i>


    Affected by the mana, the crystal sparked and quickly lost its light, leaving Danny Ridley wide-eyed.


    ¡°What, what happened...¡±


    ¡°What happened is that I recreated the mana disturbance that follows the activation of the intermediate-level spell, Lava Shell. From what I can tell, there seem to be about seventy-two other types of mana disturbances that could deactivate your device. Are you sure you¡¯ve ounted for them?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Unable to respond to the sharp question, Danny Ridley remained silent.


    At that sight, Lan Fei turned to the other two and asked, ¡°What do the two of you think?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°Hmmm...¡±


    The sight of the two professors pondering gave Danny Ridley a moment of hope.


    <i>If they can see the potential in the device despite its weak points then...!</i>


    Fervently praying to Charles and Reba, professors acknowledged for their amiable personalities, he hoped that they would overturn Lan Fei¡¯s harsh critiques.


    ¡°It would be better for you to start over from scratch.¡±


    ¡°This device has only the disadvantages of the transformation form without any of its benefits.¡±


    Unfortunately, Danny Ridley¡¯s moment of hope was ruthlessly shattered by their evaluations thatcked any mercy.


    ¡°It seems that both of you agree with me. You can pack up and head home now.¡±


    ¡°...Understood.¡±


    Leaving behind Danny Ridley, whose face paled as he sadly began to gather his things, the professors nonchntly moved to the next desk, starting the process again.


    ¡°Please introduce yourself...¡±


    For a while, the relentless critiques by the three professors continued. And thanks to the blue screen, Se-Hoon could watch every single one.


    <i>So, if the submission is below standard in bothpleteness and potential, it¡¯s a fail. But if they see some potential in it, they put it on hold. And if it manages to be above for both aspects, it¡¯s a pass.... Is that how it works? </i>Se-Hoon wondered, stroking his chin.


    Roughly calcting the numbers, about thirty percent had failed, fifty percent had been put on hold, and twenty percent had passed. But the basic assessment aside, there was another interesting aspect to their assessment process.


    ¡°There¡¯s surprisingly a lot of third and fourth-years who either failed or were put on hold,¡± Luize murmured as she watched the screen.


    Unlike the top-ranking students of each grade who usually didn¡¯t differ much, the general student body of higher grades had better skills on average.


    So the fact that each grade had a simr rate of students that were either put on hold or failed across was quite interesting.


    ¡°Maybe it matters in actualbat, but here, there¡¯s not much distinction by grade.¡±


    ¡°Really? It looks like the third and fourth-year students came with better submissions though...¡±


    ¡°The submission¡¯s final quality honestly doesn¡¯t matter much to them¡ªits potential is what does.¡±


    Even if a student hade with a well-made submission, if it wasn¡¯t significantly different from past years¡¯ submissions, then there was no real reason for the Ivory Tower to fund them.


    ¡°Potential, huh...? Does that mean you could fail, too?¡±


    Even if the equipment Se-Hoon forged was impressive, the fact that he could still fail if the professors dismissed it ascking potential filled Luize with the urge to tease him. But in response to her yful tone, Se-Hoon just smirked.


    ¡°Do you really think that might happen?¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re sooooo annoying,¡± she grumbled, turning her head away.


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon turned his gaze back to the screen to continue scrutinizing the scoring process.


    <i>It seems they are quite generous when deciding what could be considered as having potential.... Does that mean Dawn¡¯s influence isn¡¯t as strong as I thought? Or maybe they¡¯re just being cautious...</i>


    The fact that Dawn, worshippers of a specific type of magic, allowed such lenient assessments, was very strange. He raised his guard once again, pondering how they would interfere with thispetition. In the meantime, the three professors reached his desk.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lee Se-Hoon, a first-year of the Department of cksmithing, and this is Luize Valente, a second-year of the Department of Martial Magic. She will assist with the demonstration for my submission.¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s introduction, the professors watched Luize nod lightly to them, before turning their attention to the seemingly empty desk.


    ¡°Where is your submission?¡±


    Lan Fei had scanned across the desk and Se-Hoon¡¯s body, but he hadn¡¯t found anything that seemed to be the submission.


    Without batting an eye, Se-Hoon responded, ¡°My assistant, Luize, has it currently equipped.¡±


    Hearing her cue, Luize immediately activated the device by infusing it with her mana.


    <i>p!</i>


    A ck iron te rose from the choker around her neck and covered her lower face, forming a mask with an X-shaped pattern. It was a surprising development for the professors.


    ¡°The device I¡¯ve created is a form modification unit that suppresses any wasted or excess mana while the user is casting spells.¡±


    ¡°A form control unit?¡±


    It was easy to make something that amplified or reduced the strength of spell forms, but creating something that could modify them in more ways was not simple. Even if the structure of a spell form was fixed, it could still unfold in irregr ways depending on the situation. So how, then, would it define what the correct structure was and modify it?


    Observing the obvious skepticism in Lan Fei¡¯s voice and on his face, Se-Hoon was promoted to offer a simple exnation.


    ¡°I n to demonstrate the device shortly, but before that, you guys can take a look at its information message.¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Bringing up Hati¡¯s information message, Luize turned it around so that the professors could read it. Then, upon reading it, the three professors¡¯s eyes grewrger.


    ¡°Hero tier...¡±


    ¡°To think you forged such equipment from Inkstone Ore...¡±


    The information message had genuinely impressed both Charles and Reba. If an information message exined the Formic Armament¡¯s effect or showed that it existed as an equipment skill, then it effectively served as proof of the equipment¡¯spleteness and potential.


    ¡°No wonder it was so difficult to see inside the mask; it was forged from Inkstone Ore. Was it to prevent any external interference?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a part of the intention.¡±


    <i>p!</i>


    Deciding to test that, Lan Fei pped lightly and reproduced a wave of mana, just like with the first student.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    What was different though, was that Hati did not react at all. Amazed at theck of reaction, Lan Fei admired it before murmuring, ¡°Impressive...¡±


    Since it was the first time Lan Fei had praised anyone, despite dozens of students having passed the professors¡¯ evaluations, the students still within test site three were all slightly stunned by the praise that echoed throughout the room.


    <i>Lan Fei knows how to praise, huh?</i>


    <i>I still remember how he once told me to think about whether my assignment should go into the shredder or the trash.</i>


    Wondering if they had misheard, the students from the Department of Martial Magic were particrly gobsmacked.


    Satisfied by the murmurs across the test site, Se-Hoon smiled and said, ¡°Then, let''s move on to the demonstration.¡±


    Following Se-Hoon¡¯s prompt, Luize immediately used the incantation she prepared beforehand.


    <strong>¡°Spin Ball.¡±</strong>


    <i>Whoom!</i>


    A sphere the size of a head formed in midair.


    From a distance, it would appear as a simple solid sphere, but on closer inspection, one would notice it was spinning at a very high speed.


    ¡°As you all probably know, maintaining rotational motion without dispersing its form is a very challenging task. The slightest of distractions can easily have arge effect on its rotation, and a minor misalignment in mana can easily disrupt it.¡±


    Having captivated the full attention of the professors, Se-Hoon ced his hand on Hati and abruptly infused his mana.


    <i>Whoom!</i>


    With the infusion of Se-Hoon¡¯s mana, the mana of two different people began colliding inside Hati, causing it to emit light. It was a very risky thing to do since it could result in a mana surge and backflow if not controlled properly.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    However, none of the risks urred and the two wildly shing types of mana naturally assimted inside Hati. And since the rotating sphere maintained its perfect form without any disruption the entire time, it proved that Luize had not interfered with the calming of the surging mana at all.


    <i>Whoom!</i>


    In fact, the sphere was now rotating at a faster speed despite her inaction, which left Lan Fei spellbound.


    <i>To think the device could handle the mana surge while also elerating the rotation of the sphere further by figuring out the exact limit of the cast spell...</i>


    How exactly had Se-Hoon designed the spell form to produce such a flexible piece of equipment? Aside from that, what amazed Lan Fei¡ªeven more in fact¡ªwas the demeanor of the two.


    <i>They didn¡¯t even blink an eye when the mana surge urred.</i>


    The absolute conviction evident in their expressions, giving the feeling that they didn¡¯t have a single doubt that the equipment they forged would perfectly control the situation, told the whole story. And having witnessed that firsthand, Lan Fei was able to give his impression.


    ¡°This is absolutely marvelous.¡±


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Lan Fei¡¯.]</strong>


    <i>Hmm. I didn¡¯t expect that. </i>The truly unexpected establishment of a bond caught Se-Hoon¡¯s interest.


    Lan Fei then turned to the other professors and asked, ¡°Although I do think that everyone shares my thoughts, how did you guys find this device?¡±


    ¡°I feel the same. You can just speak for us.¡±


    ¡°Same here.¡±


    With the unanimous agreement, Lan Fei nodded at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°You passed. And we¡¯ll skip the verification process for your device, so just work on any improvements on your own.¡±


    Normally, the professors would conduct a verification process based on the scoring results to probe for vulnerabilities and instability in the submissions that passed once the preliminary rounds concluded. However, they skipped that steppletely for Se-Hoon, advancing him directly to the mainpetition.


    It meant that they couldn¡¯t even think of or discover a single vulnerability in Se-Hoon¡¯s submission beyond the universal truth that ¡°it would break if one hits it.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Well done.¡±


    Following Lan Fei and Charles who moved on to the next desk, the screen shifted, prompting Reba to nce back and re at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Were you the one who fixed Lea to the top of her desk?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She tried to hide under the desk, so I simply ced her on top.¡±


    ¡°That girl is always such a handful...¡± Troubled by Lea¡¯s behavior, Reba sighed and thenposed herself.


    ¡°If I see even the slightest sloppiness in her submission, she¡¯ll be disqualified. That device is just as dangerous as that,¡± she warned Se-Hoon.


    Quickly figuring out that she was speaking purely as a fellow enchanter, without personal sentiments, Se-Hoon nodded calmly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay... good job today.¡±


    Leaving those final words, Reba moved on to the next desk, concluding Se-Hoon¡¯s preliminary examination.


    <i>p!</i>


    Reverting Hati back to its choker form, Luize looked toward the professors moving away, particrly at Charles, with a peculiar expression.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t even say hi to me....¡±


    ¡°Hm, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Even though Luize was supposedly his cherished student¡ªhis closely inspected test subject in reality¡ªCharles had shown little reaction when he passed by.


    <i>I thought he¡¯d at least pull off some tricks...</i>


    Like the device that stimted eroded mana, Dawn could have messed with Luize at any time if they had wanted to. Se-Hoon had known that so he had prepared a device capable of countering any external interventions.


    <i>Perhaps Charles doesn¡¯t wield that much power then... or maybe he¡¯s just being quite cautious of me.</i>


    With Ludwig and various other high-ranking heroes showing interest in Se-Hoon, even groups that were as radical as Dawn hesitated to directly interfere with him.


    Then, just as Se-Hoon decided on how he should proceed¡ª


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    The test site went pitch ck.

 Chapter 110

    <h4>Chapter 110</h4>


    Unfazed by the absolute darkness, Se-Hoon reflexively used Incantation Magic.


    <strong>¡°Glowing Sphere.¡±</strong>


    <i>sh!</i>


    ¡°...!¡±


    Seeing the sphere of light that immediately illuminated the sudden darkness, Luize quickly grasped the situation and quickly followed up with her own Incantation Magic.


    <strong>¡°Light Chandelier.¡±</strong>


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Encasing the sphere of light created by Se-Hoon, the light chandelier magnified its brightness several times and illuminated the entire test area. The spectacle made the other students murmur among themselves.


    ¡°What, what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Is this staged?¡±


    A sudden ckout was followed immediately by that disy of magic¡ªit was a sequence that was so perfect that it seemed nned. However, Lan Fei knew otherwise.


    <i>Never thought they would react faster than me, </i>Lan Fei thought, halting his spellcasting in surprise.


    Although the nature of the Incantation Magic came with quick activation, they still needed exceptionally quick decision-making skills to react that fast. It was almost like he was beside a hero who had participated in countless battles.


    Deeply amazed, Lan Fei soon turned to look at the other professors.


    ¡°Have you heard anything in advance?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Same here.¡±


    Unable to find out the answer from Charles and Reba, Lan Fei looked around.


    <i>It seems the mana supply in the Ivory Tower has been cut off without any prior notice...</i>


    Out of all ces, the Ivory Tower, where the use of mana was several times greater than in other buildings, should have been thest ce that such a thing would happen; the tower had literally been designed to ensure a smooth supply of mana even moments before a ckout.


    <i>Was it an attack by external forces? No, such a thing couldn¡¯t happen at Babel.... And even if it was, things wouldn¡¯t have ended like this.</i>


    Narrowing his eyes, Lan Fei¡¯s mind raced as he tried to deduce whether it was just a simple ident or someone¡¯s stratagem.


    ¡ªI will make an announcement for the entire Ivory Tower.


    mming the brakes of Lan Fei¡¯s racing mind, a man¡¯s desperate voice resounded from the speakers above.


    ¡ªCurrently, an unknown anomaly has urred with the mana supply facility, cutting off the supply of mana to the entire tower. Please stand by as emergency generators on each floor will be activated soon.


    Thanks to the announcement from the speakers, the students finally grasped the situation¡ªbut it only made them more perplexed.


    ¡°So it was all an ident? Then did she manage to create that chandelier so quickly?¡±


    ¡°Those two are no joke...¡±


    Unlike the inexperienced students who just looked on in wonder, those with even a bit of experience realized just how absurdly fast the reactions from Se-Hoon and Luize were.


    At that moment, right before the test site was about to get noisy with the murmurs of the students, Charles¡¯s loud shout that was amplified by magic resounded.


    ¡°Everyone, please pay attention! It is very dangerous to wander around facilities with an unstable mana supply, so please wait here until everything normalizes.¡±


    Finished briefly instructing the students, Charles checked the chandelier of light before looking at Reba and Lan Fei.


    ¡°We should light up the surroundings as well; the darkness might agitate the students¡¯ thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The three professors moved around the test site, creating light with magic or enchantments in any location that needed it. And thanks to the visibility in the room improving, the students also began to calm down and settle down at their desks.


    When themotion inside had settled somewhat, Luize quietly whispered, ¡°Is this that?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    The least likely ident to ur in a building equipped with a vast amount of magic facilities had urred the exact day they were there. While some might have dismissed it as a simple coincidence, the two knew there were enemies currently present in this room, so to them, it was anything but coincidental.


    <i>I thought they were going to pull off something in the darkness.</i>


    Yet there hadn¡¯t been any signs of magicing from Charles, nor were there any disruption devices likest time. How and from where, then, would they attack them?


    Staying on high alert, Se-Hoon scanned the entire test site to try to figure out what tricks they woulde up with this time.


    <i>Vroom-</i>


    Suddenly, the lights came back on.


    ¡°Ah. The lights are back.¡±


    ¡°Looks like the emergency generator finally kicked in.¡±


    Seeing that the test site had returned to normal without any major issues, the students dismissed the situation casually, and Reba, who had been tense, sighed in relief.


    ¡°Fortunately, it seems there was no serious issue.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. But to think such an event to ur at the Ivory Tower... the news will be all over thister,¡± Charles muttered, troubled.


    Looking around, Lan Fei suggested, ¡°Given that something might happen again, it might be best to cancel our illumination magic and quickly finish the remaining evaluations.¡±


    ¡°Good idea.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    Like before, the three professors quickly went around the test site, dispelling the lights they had created instead.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    One by one, the lights vanished like snuffed-out candles, but then, right as Lan Fei began to turn his head¡ª


    <i>Flicker-</i>


    The lights he had just dispelled returned one by one like they had never gone out.


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Wondering if he had made a mistake, Lan Fei looked around, only to see the lights of the other two professors also returning as if they had never been extinguished.


    The inexplicable phenomenon made them all pause, forming a strange tension.


    <i>Bzzz-</i>


    A chime then sounded from the speaker.


    ¡ªThe issue with the mana supply facility has been resolved, and we will now begin to restore mana sequentially.


    Oblivious to the strange tension, the students believed that everything would return to normal now that the malfunctioning mana supply facility had been repaired. In contrast, it finally dawned on Se-Hoon what was about to happen.


    ¡°...Run!¡±


    Feeling the wave of mana surging from below, Se-Hoon grabbed Luize¡¯s hand and ran toward Lea.


    <i>Thwoom-</i>


    A tremendous wave of mana was cascaded toward them from the mana supply facility.


    Ordinarily, the twelfth floor¡¯s emergency generator should have shut off and transferred control, but a <i>coincidental </i>glitch had instead kept the generator running, superimposing with the supply of mana from the facility.


    <i>Woooooong!</i>


    Overloaded by the overwhelming output of more than double the usual mana supply, the entire twelfth floor went into overload mode in an instant, prompting the Ivory Tower¡¯s automatic control system to seek out yet-to-be-activated safety equipment to counteract the situation.


    <i>Ssssssh-</i>


    But when those were activated on top of the participants¡¯ submissions, which were all also supercharged by the overflow of mana...


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    All the forms and Formic Armaments began to run amok.


    ¡°R-run!!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a mana surge!!¡±


    Gaping at the submissions beginning to go berserk from the overload of mana, the students in the test site screamed and quickly fled to the emergency exits.


    Normally, that would have been the right decision for such a situation where a chain of explosions could ur at any moment, but what they were experiencing was something far from normal.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Having entered overload mode, Ivory Tower¡¯s protective measures were activated, isting the test site with st walls and enveloping it with a mana barrier¡ªthey werepletely sealed in.


    ¡°What! Why are theseing down now!¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they let us out first?¡±


    Crashing into the ones frozen by the sealed exits in abject horror, the slower students btedly discovered that the exits were sealed off and froze as well. Then, like something had snapped, the test site descended into utter chaos.


    The endlessly rising mana.


    The noisily vibrating submissions behind them, ready to explode at any moment.


    The shut exits.


    <i>Boom! Pow-Bang!</i>


    Rattled by the sounds of small explosions from behind them, the students¡¯ fear of death was stroked, forcing them into a panicked state. Naturally, their thoughts immediately went to the rashest course of action as they looked toward the st wall blocking their way.


    ¡°Break... break it! Just break through the st wall, and we¡¯re out!¡±


    If a wall was in the way, then the solution was simple¡ªdestroy it. Arriving at the same conclusion, some students prepared to cast offensive magic, utterly shocking Lan Fei, whose eyes widened in rm.


    ¡°Stop! If you use magic now, it could...!¡±


    If they tried to use magic now, when the air inside the test hall was in a state of supersaturation with mana levels more than two hundred percent above normal, then they would utterly fail and create more danger, especially since the students had lost their rationality.


    But before Lan Fei¡¯s desperate cries could be heard, some students had already unleashed their magic, inadvertently creating new bombs everywhere.


    ¡°What, what¡¯s happening? Why is my magic... <i>agh</i>...!¡±


    ¡°Someone, help...!¡±


    The students who attempted to use magic were immediately inflicted with a mana surge, startling those around them and causing stampedes in every direction. The scene of test site three was now utter pandemonium.


    Lan Fei grimaced.


    ¡°Damn it... in such an environment...¡±


    If pandemonium had broken out in an environment with insufficient mana levels instead then he would have been able to supplement the deficiency somehow with his own mana, but unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case. In an oversaturated state like now, it was impossible to delicately control his mana to do anything, let alone quell the mana surges of those suffering from it.


    If the surges were mishandled, those students could potentially suffer from mana impairmentter on. So since magic was out of y, Lan Fei immediately looked towards Reba, whom he deemed to have a higher chance of solving the situation.


    ¡°Professor Reba! With an enchantment... Professor Reba?¡±


    ¡°What in the world...¡±


    Failing to react to his call, Reba just stared nkly behind her, prompting Lan Fei to follow her gaze.


    There, in the middle of the test side, he saw three calm figures who hadn¡¯t run away like everyone else.


    ¡°They¡¯re mad...¡±


    What possible reason could there be for them to remain at the epicenter of such a perilous situation? The bizarre sight left Lan Fei utterly troubled.


    ¡°<i>Tsk, tsk</i>.¡±


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon just clicked his tongue, calmly observing the chaos unfold.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give them credit for running away, but to recklessly use magic... these kids have no fear.¡±


    Although he understood their fear of the imminent explosions to some extent, he honestly hadn¡¯t expected them to turn themselves into ticking bombs.


    Seeing that Se-Hoon could casuallyment about the students, Lea, who was still anchored to the desk, took a look around the test site.


    ¡°Um... is it okay for us to stay here?¡±


    Like everyone else, even Lea felt a chill at the terrifying sight of the submissions around them trembling, a sign of an imminent explosion.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Besides, it¡¯s thanks to us being here that the room hasn¡¯t exploded yet.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to us?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Se-Hoonposedly said, pointing to the device sealed by Luize¡¯s spell.


    ¡°What would have happened if we had just left this behind and run away?¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re right.¡±


    Lowering her gaze toward her own submission wrapped in cloth, the Sphere, Lea swallowed dryly.


    Right now, all that was happening was that the other submissions were simply running amok on their own, but if the Sphere¡ªwith the ability to forcibly resonate with all the devices in the room, amplify their power several dozen times¡ªwere to be included...


    ¡°If we had just left it, probably more than half of the people in this room would have died.¡±


    In truth, most would likely be barely clinging to their lives. Envisioning the scale of that disaster made even Se-Hoon grimace.


    <i>I thought they would just pull off some simple tricks... but it was blowing up the entire room instead.</i>


    Regardless of whether they really intended to cause an explosion or just wanted to see their reaction, either way, it wasn¡¯t the act of a sane person.


    <i>Well, they were never sane from the start.</i>


    Anyway, they had achieved their goal of testing the limits of their adversary, Dawn. Now, what remained was to resolve the situation without significant coteral damage.


    ¡°I have a way to solve this, but... there¡¯s one problem,¡± said Se-Hoon.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    At Luize¡¯s question, Se-Hoon turned to look seriously at the two of them.


    ¡°Both of you need to sessfully execute a specific technique each, one that you haven¡¯t managed to pull off even until yesterday, right here, in one go.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Normally, in such crucial moments, one could even fail well-practiced tasks due to nerves¡ªespecially when lives are at stake. So to execute a technique that they had never sessfully performed before, right here and now? Even just hearing that was daunting.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t that always been the case?¡±


    ¡°You always tell us to do that.¡±


    Yet... both of them didn¡¯t even blink.


    How many times had they been suddenly briefed just moments before a task and then told to just go for it? And having observed Se-Hoon for quite some time, the two held one conviction deep within their hearts.


    <i>He¡¯s asking us to do it because it must be doable.</i>


    Though the tasks he often gave them seemed like impossible feats, he had never, ever, truly given them something impossible. He was basically an unscrupulous boss who exploited his workers to the brink, all the while carefully ensuring it was within legal limits to avoid any legal issues if someone tried to report him forbor exploitation.


    With that reluctant belief in their hearts, the two calmly epted his challenge and waited for further instructions.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do it,¡± Se-Hoon said with a content smile, fully satisfied by their trust.


    ***


    Around a chaotic exit, Charles was busy treating the injured and calming those distressed by themotion.


    ¡°Everyone, calm down! Just because the submissions are running amok doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they¡¯ll explode! Using magic recklessly to escape is even more dangerous in this situation!¡±


    The students gradually regained theirposure thanks to his words, or perhaps because they saw the already-copsed ones. Continuing his encouragement, Charles nced toward the three people in the center.


    <i>Who would have thought he¡¯d identify the fuse so quickly... his decision-making skills are truly top-notch.</i>


    Originally, Charles¡¯s n was to meddle with Lea¡¯s submission, the Sphere, when the lights went out and recreate the incident from two years ago. He wanted to see how those three would react when the submissions exploded one by one, with cries of fear and anger echoing from every direction.


    <i>I never would have thought that he¡¯d light up the room immediately and also seal the Sphere right as the mana surge began...</i>


    It was almost as if Se-Hoon knew of his n all along. However, all Charles felt was awe; he wasn¡¯t suspicious at all of Se-Hoon¡¯s quick decision-making.


    <i>His aptitude for magic is a bitcking, but... he would definitely serve as a good assistant.</i>


    Though the Barmuth idiots mored about how dangerous Se-Hoon was, it was against Charles¡¯s nature to just let such talent go unutilized. And so, Charles pondered deeply about what to do.


    <i>Woooong-</i>


    At that moment, a strange ripple passed through the entire room.


    It felt like someone was grabbing the back of everyone¡¯s neck, forcing all eyes to focus on the girl standing in the center of the test site.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    Wearing a ck steel mask with an X pattern across it, Luize stood there with her eyes closed, dominating the room with her presence. The palpable intimidation emanating from her prompted the students to instinctively draw upon their mana.


    ¡°From now on,¡± Luize began, opening her glowing blue eyes and ring at everyone. ¡°Anyone who messes with my mana is going to die.¡±


    Her warning spread like a growl from a fierce dog. Given the circumstances, the authoritativemand could have sparked resistance, but no one dared oppose her. The emotion¡ªthe determination¡ªcontained within her warning was unmistakably clear: she was determined to resolve the situation.


    <i>Okay.</i>


    Luize, observing the scene, clenched her fist and mentally reviewed what she needed to do next.


    <i>I need to control all of the unnecessary mana in this test site.</i>


    She needed to use an application of Speech Proliferation which she had practiced several times with Se-Hoon in the training room. The area was muchrger than the training room and the mana level was in a state of supersaturation, but... it wasn¡¯t something entirely impossible to pull off.


    <i>Most importantly though...</i>


    Her old mentor who was now her nemesis was currently watching her from far away amidst the students. Recalling the benign facade that concealed his true nature and deceived her, something deep within her stirred.


    <i>Grind-</i>


    Though she hysterically wanted to tear out the throat of her detestable nemesis right then and there, she meticulously controlled her anger.


    The best support weapon for an incantation sorcerer was their emotions, and right now, her utter hatred for her nemesis was perfect for amplifying her power.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    With each exhale, the mana around her followed her breath, and soon, an immense amount of mana gathered around her. The mana congregated around her, obeying her will.


    Having seeded with the preparations for her incantation, she recalled the concept of Speech Proliferation that she had learned from Se-Hoon.


    <i>I just have to imagine how people flock together after hearing a rumor...</i>


    Although the analogy that Se-Hoon used was quite fitting and helpful for grasping the overall concept of Speech Proliferation, it didn¡¯t quite align with her synesthetic mindscape.


    Therefore, Luize adjusted it.


    <i>I will be the one calling them.</i>


    Instead of her waiting passively, she envisioned forcibly bringing everything under her control. She was a leadermanding a troop¡ªthat vivid synesthetic mindscape was imbued into the incantation in her mouth.


    <strong>¡°Wolf¡¯s Howl.¡±</strong>


    <i>Whoosh-!</i>


    Her incantation swept through the entire test site instantaneously. The surging mana abruptly halted, and then, as if they had been waiting for someone, they began to gather in front of Luize. The pack of wolves was converging at the call of their leader.


    ¡°The surrounding mana has...¡± Astounded by how quickly she had brought the mana level to normal from the supersaturated state, Lan Fei was unable to finish.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    ¡°Here I go!¡±


    <i>Swooosh!</i>


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s signal, the cloth was torn away, revealing a dazzling golden ring¡ªLea¡¯s newly refined Sphere.

 Chapter 111

    <h4>Chapter 111</h4>


    <i>Screech!</i>


    Awakened, the fiveyers of the golden ring began to move independently, creating a spherical frame on top of Lea¡¯s desk. At a nce, it seemed like the blueprint of Dane udel had been slightly adjusted by the presence of an extra ring, but the difference that ¡°extra¡± ring made was far from slight.


    ¡°Begin observation.¡±


    <i>Whirr!</i>


    Activated by Lea¡¯smand, the rings of the Sphere began rotating and sending out pulses of golden waves. It was currently identifying objects that could be endowed with temporary enchantments, and it soon found every submission on the test site.


    Marveling at the golden light softly blossoming from all of the submissions around them¡ªthe product of each submission absorbing the golden mana¡ªLea couldn¡¯t help but be entranced.


    ¡°It actually worked...¡±


    Although it wouldn¡¯t be odd for Formic Armament, being a type of equipment, to have temporary enchantments, pure magic arrays like those that made up the Sphere were a bit different. Unlike physical equipment, the properties of magic arrays could easily be altered by any enchantment, since it was also an existence made purely of mana.


    <i>How did he evene up with increasing the number of rings and adjusting the axes to enhance the versatility of thebined magic control array... Is this really something that someone could possiblye up with in just a few days?</i>


    To simplify it, it was as if Se-Hoon had created a way to identify the right person five different times from out of hundreds of random pictures. Such a feat required far more than just talent; an unfathomably vast amount of experience with enchantment forms was essential, which Se-Hoon shouldn¡¯t have had¡ªhe had only just started learning a few days ago.


    <i>What exactly is this guy? </i>Lea could barely believe that the absurd sight she was seeing was real.


    ¡°What are you doing? We should move on to the next,¡± Se-Hoon said, startling Lea and snapping her back to reality.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    ¡°I understand that it¡¯s reassuring to have me nearby, but don¡¯t get toofortable already. Stay alert, okay?¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong per se, but his words were irritating. Tasting the bitterness, like biting into a bitter ginseng, Lea came to her senses and moved on to the next phase.


    ¡°Astral synchronization.¡±


    <i>Click-</i>


    The five rings began rotating and shifting their axes. Then, momentster, the golden mana that had seeped into the submissions dug its way deeper inside.


    <i>Click!</i>


    Clicking into ce one by one, each ring found the appropriate axis for controlling the submissions and locked into ce. When every single one was in position, the rotation of the rings elerated, gathering more and more golden mana within the Sphere.


    Then, the second a golden mana orb formed at the center of the Sphere¡ª


    <i>Whoom!</i>


    A resonance phenomenon swept throughout the test site.


    Like they had been tamed, the submissions, each uniquely created by the participants, oozed a sense of unity like they had all been made by one single person. It was such a bizarre sight that the pandemonium created by the students crowding the exit was haltedpletely¡ªeveryone was in utter disbelief.


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°How on earth did they make something like that?¡±


    It was a device so inconceivable that the first thought of everyone wasn¡¯t ¡°that looked difficult to make,¡± but ¡°how was such a thing even made.¡± It was such an otherworldly sight that the minds of everyone had beenpletely overwhelmed.


    Like everyone else, Reba was overwhelmed and her eyes trembled, but for a different reason.


    <i>They actually managed to create Dane¡¯s device...</i>


    It was astonishing that they had been able to materialize Dane udel¡¯s iplete blueprints¡ªa mash of abstract concepts Dane had just jotted down¡ªinto that wless device. Truthfully, Reba felt not only admiration and shock but also... fear.


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>...¡±


    Quickly pulling out her enchantment pallet, Lea epted the fact that everything up until now has been just part of the preparation for the real deal. She braced herself for the real challenge that was about to begin and dipped her brush into the palette.


    ¡°What should I do first?¡±


    At her question, Se-Hoon quickly scanned the test site¡¯s mana level before replying, ¡°First, form a mana-sharingwork. Then apply enchantment eleration and stabilization to increase the mana consumption rate.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Following Se-Hoon¡¯s instructions, Lea began to draw the enchantment forms above the Sphere¡¯s golden orb.


    <i>Screech!</i>


    A wave of golden mana shot out from the Sphere with every stroke she made, forming matching golden strokes on the surface of each submission.


    Just like Se-Hoon had nned from the start, the temporary enchantments they applied initially to resonate all of the submissions were being overwritten to address the current situation.


    And thanks to their efforts, many submissions that had been giving off a golden glow were stabilizing. They could now consume mana more efficiently, helping to manage the overwhelming influx of mana bit by bit.


    ¡°Next, apply enchantments for mana neutralization and dispersal only on submissions one, four, sixteen, and fifty-nine. Also, make them counteract each other¡¯s mana.¡±


    <i>Click!</i>


    Spinning one of the rings, Lea changed the resonance frequency to target the specific submissions Se-Hoon had mentioned and began drawing the enchantment forms. Like that, Lea repeated the process for several more submissions that Se-Hoon mentioned.


    Feeling overwhelmed by the size andplexity of the task¡ªwhich felt likepleting a puzzle to obtain a single piece of arger puzzle¡ªLea contorted her face.


    <i>My head¡¯s going to burst...</i>


    Just like dominoes, the build-up was a long gradual process, but even the slightest of mistakes could topple all of the hard work in one go¡ªsuch was the nature of a resonance phenomenon. It gued Lea with the pressure to continually inscribe the right enchantments and the fear of the disaster that could ur if she made a single mistake, but she never allowed her brush to stop.


    <i>I can still pull through.</i>


    This time, even if it was hard and tormenting, she could actually do something; she was no longer her younger self who could only just watch helplessly.


    This time, she would use the legacy of her father, which she had once identally used to injure many others, to save instead.


    <i>I will seed...!</i>


    This time, she was absolutely determined to prove the value of the Sphere to everyone.


    ¡°...Well done.¡±


    Feeling Lea¡¯s resolve wash over him, Charles, who was genuinely impressed, unhesitantly pressed a hidden switch in his sleeve.


    <i>Thwoong-</i>


    Like a drop of water that disturbed the perfect rity of a water surface with ripples, a trickle of irregr mana dripped onto the perfectly controlled resonance between submissions.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Noticing the anomaly faster than anyone else, Se-Hoon swiftly manipted the Sphere.


    <i>Boom!!!</i>


    A submission ced on the outskirts exploded.


    ¡°A-an explosion!!¡±


    ¡°Run!!¡±


    The dominos toppled. With that single explosion, that one mistake, the hard-earned calm exploded into chaos again, amplified further by some of the students who meddled with their mana again.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>... these idiots...¡±


    Breaking free from Luize¡¯s control due to the students¡¯ interference and the recent explosion, the ambient mana fluctuated again, and soon, the submissions began to overload one by one.


    <i>Whoom!</i>


    Unlike before, the resonance phenomenon greatly amplified the surges of mana, warping Se-Hoon¡¯s facial expression. Compared to the current tsunami-level surges, the previous mana surges seemed like child¡¯s y.


    <i>That bastard is targeting Lea amidst this chaos.</i>


    Charles had activated a mana corrosion device that was secretly hidden among the submissions to try to corrode Lea¡¯s mana with its resonance frequency.


    <i>I managed to redirect it, but... things are getting dangerous now.</i>


    Charles¡¯s meddling had escted a manageable situation beyond the point where it could end with a peaceful resolution. A resonance-induced mana surge could not be quelled unless all of the submissions in the room were controlled and calmed simultaneously.


    <i>I guess there¡¯s no choice then.</i>


    They would have to break the exit¡¯s st wall and escape while epting some coteral damage in the process. Grasping his chest, Se-Hoon was about to enact his new n, but he paused upon hearing Lea¡¯s desperate voice.


    ¡°Not yet...!¡±


    Bypassing the rings, Lea¡¯s hands directly clutched the golden orb at the center of the Sphere.


    <i>Whoom!</i>


    Directly connected to all of the submissions, all of the processing that the Sphere had been handling directly seeped into Lea¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Returning to her senses, she regained her vision, which had gone stark white for a moment, and licked her damp upper lip which left a metallic taste tingling on her tongue.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    Startled, Se-Hoon pulled the Sphere away from Lea and quickly began examining her with a shocked expression. It had only been a brief connection, but her brain had overloaded, shutting it down and causing her nose to bleed.


    Touching the Sphere while it was producing a resonance phenomenon was already dangerous enough, yet she had done it amid the current mana surge. If things had gone even the slightest bit wrong, her brain would have turned to mush and left her severely impaired.


    ¡°<i>Huff, huff</i>...¡±


    Unable to catch her breath, Lea looked at the Sphere.


    ¡°I can still... do this...¡± she barely managed to say, her voice trembling.


    ¡°You seriously think you can do it in this state? Stop talking nonsense.¡±


    Convinced that going any further was too risky for Lea, Se-Hoon looked towards Luize.


    ¡°Luize, gather as much mana as possible and attack over there.¡±


    <i>Thump.</i>


    Feeling a hand grasp onto his shoulder tightly, Se-Hoon turned back and looked at Lea.


    ¡°If I could... see it for just a bit longer... I can do it. Really...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Gazing into her green eyes which shone clearly with certainty¡ªa stark contrast to her ghastly face¡ªSe-Hoon hesitated.


    ¡°Just help her.¡±


    Despite her obvious struggle to control the ambient mana, Luize spoke to him calmly.


    ¡°If she¡¯s going that far, there must be something to it. You don¡¯t doubt Lea, do you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that, but...¡±


    He knew best how one could grow substantially through facing hardships, but there was a limit to how challenging the hardship could be. Moreover, if they failed right now, the situation would spiral out of control and even he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything then.


    <i>So it¡¯s a wiser choice to retreat right now.</i>


    It might be disappointing for Lea, but he was convinced it was the right decision. And so, he was about to inform them about his decision, but Luize spoke first.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Luize¡¯s voice echoed in Se-Hoon¡¯s ears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how far ahead you are seeing, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I haven¡¯t spent my time foolishly enough that I would just drag you down.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So, let¡¯s try to go as far as we can.¡±


    Luize¡¯s steady gaze locked with his.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you this time.¡±


    Caught off guard by her unexpected passionate deration, Se-Hoon was left momentarily speechless. He then smirked.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    He had always known it, but geniuses really did grow at an astonishing pace.


    With a newfound dependable ally, his tension eased slightly and he could take a moment to breathe. ¡°Can you obscure the area around us?¡±


    Requesting her to cast Incantation Magic while controlling the unstable mana of the test site was no easy task, but Luize coolly responded with an incantation.


    <strong>¡°Night Veil.¡±</strong>


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    A portion of the gathered mana enveloped the two. Se-Hoon, reassured by their concealed position, looked at Lea.


    ¡°Based on what you¡¯ve said, it seems you¡¯ve managed to recognize some kind of pattern, but if that¡¯s all, the sess rate is fifty-fifty. And that¡¯s especially true now, in the middle of such a destructive mana surge; there will be evenrger fluctuations to the calctions due to instability.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So... what you need now is experience that could allow you to calcte even those fluctuations.¡±


    Letting his words sink in, Se-Hoon summoned the White Light Dagger and deeply cut his palm across the surface.


    But despite the deep cut, not a single drop of blood flowed. Clenching his fist, Se-Hoon whispered quietly, ¡°Blood is the fuel and lubricant that drives the human body, and since the emergence of mana, it can also be used as an individual power source. To me, it also serves as an instrument for recording things.¡±


    His words, solemn and serious, and the red aura flickering and leaking from Se-Hoon¡¯s grip increased the weight of everything he said. It was like he was revealing a secret and reciting a spell.


    ¡°I can extract the memories from the soul contained in a person¡¯s body, a pure material unbound by the physical body, and encapste them in blood.¡±


    Using Soul Honing, he gathered the blood in his palm and hammered away at it with a hammer he visualized in his synesthetic mindscape.


    <i>ng!</i>


    When the final swing of the hammer fell, he felt a faint sensation in his grasp. He spread his hand open and saw a finger-sized red crystal had formed.


    ¡°Is that...¡±


    ¡°If you understood what I just said, you should be able to ept it to some extent. So, did you understand what I was saying?¡±


    At his question, Lea peered into the crystal made of blood. Soon, it dawned on her and she responded, ¡°So, this crystal is basically you.¡±


    epting what this crystal meant was that, for a brief moment, she would be Se-Hoon and naturally receive his memories.


    Se-Hoon grinned.


    ¡°You passed.¡±


    Hesitating no longer, he pushed the crystal into her mouth in one swift motion.


    <i>Sizzle-</i>


    The crystal dissolved instantly in her mouth, and along with a metallic taste, a vast amount of information flooded her mind.


    Thanks to the experience she gained, the imbnce between her brilliant talent and overwhelminglycking experience was finally corrected, resulting in a newfound understanding of the pattern of mana she noticed. And on top of the structural pattern, she found various other variables too.


    ¡°I found it!!!¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    She clutched the core of the Sphere without hesitation, sending a massive amount of calctions rushing into her mind. But this time, they were processed following a defined method, and soon an enchantment formed in her mind.


    Grabbing her brush, she began densely inscribing a new form over the golden orb, assisted by the rings of the Sphere which rotated to not hinder her brush movements.


    ¡°Restart!¡±


    The golden orb shuddered.


    <i>Bang-</i>


    And everything was swept away by a golden wave¡ªthe ck veil surrounding them, the mana Lea had been gathering, the rampant mana throughout the test site, and the magic barrier blocking the exit.


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    With the magic barrier gone, the st wall rose to reveal the corridor again.


    ¡°The door¡¯s open!¡±


    ¡°Is everyone okay?!¡±


    The Ivory Tower staff members rushed in from outside.


    Besides the relief that filled them to see everything resolved, the students werepletely confused by how it had happened.


    ¡°How exactly did they do that...?¡±


    ¡°Was it the Ivory Tower who took care of the situation...?¡±


    However, the timing seemed too perfectly aligned for it to have been done by the Ivory Tower. Thus, everyone¡¯s gazes turned to the trio, who seemed to have resolved the crisis with questioning expressions.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way...¡± Lan Fei¡¯s jaws dropped.


    ¡°Did you guys take control of the Ivory Tower¡¯s system and reboot it by using that device to resonate with it?¡±


    Hearing Lan Fei¡¯s theory, the surrounding people¡¯s expressions gradually hardened as they each managed to process those words. The fact that the management system of the Ivory Tower¡ªsomething developed by some of the most renowned heroes in the field of magic¡ªhad been overtaken by some students was so inconceivable, even considering that it was malfunctioning.


    ¡°Uh... yes? Ah, besides that, I got a bit excited and tweaked one more thing...¡±


    ¡°One more thing?¡±


    What else could they have done apart from such an unbelievable feat? Deeply curious, Lan Fei looked at Lea, who was grinning sheepishly in an apprehensive manner.


    ¡°Professor Charles...!¡±


    At that moment, an Ivory Tower staff member hurriedly ran toward them with a clearly troubled expression. Seeing that the staff member was actually the person who worked under him in Dawn, Charles felt a strange sense of anxiety.


    <i>No way.... It couldn¡¯t be.</i>


    No matter how talented the three of them were, there was no way they could have achieved the very thing that he was worried about.


    Trying to maintainposure, Charles asked, ¡°What''s the matter? Calm down for a bit and speak.¡±


    ¡°That, that¡¯s...¡±


    Looking around nervously, the staff member swallowed dryly and whispered, ¡°The system of the Ivory Tower is currently destroying every piece of equipment and every device with a specific pattern of mana.¡±


    ¡°A specific pattern?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s...¡±


    The staff member hesitated before continuing, ¡°It¡¯s the pattern contained in every single one of the manufactured goods we recently acquired.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Charles¡¯s mouth dropped open.


    The manufactured goods mentioned were the various devices that Dawn had been slowly bringing into Babel under the guise of ordinary equipment. They had all been acquired to lure in new talents and materials to their side.


    ¡°I was actually annoyed by the strange magic form that triggered the emergency generators to go berserk, so I blew up everything rted to it. Hehe!¡± said Lea with a grin.


    Like dominos, all of the effort and long years Dawn had spent umting that equipment toppled in an instant.

 Chapter 112

    <h4>Chapter 112</h4>


    Now that the incident at the Ivory Tower had been resolved, the one who had prevented a massive explosion and devastated tons of the Ivory Tower¡¯s equipment with her device¡ªthe Sphere¡ªwas being subdued.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m perfectly fine...¡±


    <i>p!</i>


    ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re fine?! You pulled that crazy act! Just stop talking ande with me!¡±


    ¡°Ouch! This hurts even more!! Se-Hoon, save...¡±


    Smacking Lea on the back, Reba grabbed Lea¡¯s ear and quickly dragged her to the infirmary.


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon and Luize headed to the main building of Ur for investigation. The Ivory Tower was a separately managed foundation, but because it was a facility heavily used by the students of Babel, the academy immediately began investigating; many of their students could have been potentially injured.


    ¡°Just for rification, I¡¯m not interrogating you two out of suspicion,¡± Lan Fei said, taking a seat in front of the two.


    Lan Fei, who had been tasked with escorting them to the main building, had now been tasked with handling the investigation as well.


    ¡°The point of this ¡®investigation¡¯ is to hear about any doubts or issues you guys might have found while handling the situation. We intend to look into them further for our own investigation. Understood?¡±


    Wanting to avoid any misunderstandings, Lan Fei had spoken with a softened expression.


    Having noticed, Se-Hoon nced around and thought, <i>It certainly doesn¡¯t seem like he has any hidden intent.</i>


    If they were actually under suspicion, there would have been at least some basic interrogation equipment prepared. However, the room only had basic protective devices and was even a reception room for guests.


    Convinced that Lan Fei¡¯s words were genuine, Se-Hoon nodded on behalf of both.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s start from the beginning. Right when the mana surge started, you rushed to Lea udel, but why...¡±


    Starting from the beginning, Lan Fei asked about some of the actions that took ce in the Ivory Tower, and the two exined exactly what had happened.


    They had intervened because they had known prior that Lea¡¯s submission, the Sphere, was dangerous. And then Luize and Lea had just acted on Se-Hoon¡¯s instructions, believing that he knew how to resolve the issue.


    The exnation made them seem reckless since they were <i>students</i> who took such actions, but since they had resolved the situation effectively, there was nothing to criticize.


    <i>Indeed, if the three... especially Lee Se-Hoon, hadn¡¯t acted immediately, the oue would have been far worse.</i>


    As Lan Fei typed their statements into hisptop, he suddenly thought of something and looked up at them curiously.


    ¡°But how were you so sure you could handle the situation? It¡¯s embarrassing to say, but even though I¡¯m a professor of the Department of Martial Magic myself, I thought the situation seemed far too out of hand.¡±


    Initially, Se-Hoon had tried to create a device that could control the overflowing mana level out of the submissions that were overloaded due to the mana surge. And until the abrupt explosion, it had been proceeding perfectly without any mistakes.


    <i>Even if he¡¯s someone from the Department of cksmithing, it¡¯s difficult to have such a deep understanding of the Formic Armaments... especially since he¡¯s so young.</i>


    On top of that, since the submissions on the test site were more in line with the types of items handled by the Department of Martial Magic than those handled by the Department of cksmithing, it was hard to believe that Se-Hoon hade up with an exact way to handle the situation at that time.


    Faced with such a question, Se-Hoon pondered for a moment before calmly responding, ¡°It just somehow came to my mind after a single look.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... all?¡±


    ¡°Well... yes?¡±


    To be precise, his knowledge was thanks to a rude remark by the st Dog about his inability to forge Formic Armaments before the regression. That remark had hurt his pride and drove him to furiously research them extensively. However, it wasn¡¯t like he could tell Lan Fei that.


    Thus, Se-Hoon opted for a very simple answer.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m just a versatile genius.¡±


    As an honor student of Borsippa and a promising figure in the hero industry, he could make that statement confidently.


    ¡°I really want to smack him right now...¡± Luize muttered, sincerely annoyed, from the side.


    ¡°...I see. Understood.¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Lan Fei decided to ept Se-Hoon¡¯s story at face value.


    If it had been any other student, he might have dismissed it as nonsense, but Se-Hoon had enough achievements and feats to back up his ims.


    <i>I heard some rumors that even the chairman is taking note of him.</i>


    Se-Hoon was an incredible genius¡ªwith this thought, Lan Fei moved on to hisst question.


    ¡°Then what about the explosion that happened in the middle of manipting the Sphere?¡±


    ¡°That explosion only happened because I had to block a strange ripple of mana. It must have been the same kind of mana that malfunctioned the emergency engine that Lea mentioned, which caused the mana surge.¡±


    ¡°That does make sense, seeing as how the explosion urred immediately after that.¡±


    Though Lan Fei hadn¡¯t seen it clearly, considering that Se-Hoon was right in the middle of it all, he believed that Se-Hoon had caught a glimpse of the truth. After a few more detailed questions, Lan Fei finished typing down all of the answers and stood up.


    ¡°I think this is sufficient for now. Since you saved the lives of many students, there will be a modest reward for you once the report is filed. I¡¯ll contact you about that once everything is settled.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°You guys may leave now.¡±


    Done with the interrogation, Se-Hoon and Luize were escorted to the lobby of the main building. But just as they were about to leave, Lan Fei remembered one final thing before he went back as well.


    ¡°Ah, I almost forgot. Thank you. It was thanks to you guys that I was able toe out safely too.¡±


    As a professor at Babel, he waspletely capable of protecting himself, but that didn¡¯t mean he hadn¡¯t received any help from them.


    Luize curiously watched Lan Fei¡¯s retreating figure with curiosity.


    ¡°He seems like a decent person.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Thinking that Lan Fei might have been famous before the regression, judging by how he didn¡¯t seem too ipetent, Se-Hoon decided to find out more about who he really was.


    ¡°So, what are we going to do now?¡± Se-Hoon asked, turning to Luize.


    ¡°That¡¯s my line. Are we really going to end it here this time? From the look on Charles¡¯s face, it seems we¡¯ve hit him where it hurts.¡±


    When the staff member from the Ivory Tower came looking for him, Charles had left abruptly. It wouldn¡¯t have seemed too odd to others, but to the two who knew who he really was, it was a different story. They had dealt a severe blow to Dawn that was hard enough to disrupt Charles¡¯sposure momentarily. If they took the chance to push him a bit further, they could definitely send Charles packing.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better to end it here this time.¡±


    But Se-Hoon shook his head firmly.


    ¡°It was fine until now since Dawn has given us a bit of leeway, but pushing further wouldn¡¯t be a reaction expected of a normal student.¡±


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>... it¡¯s a shame we have to let them loose when there¡¯s such a nice opportunity.¡±


    Seeing Luize¡¯s visible frustration from how they couldn¡¯t take advantage of Dawn¡¯s vulnerability, Se-Hoon chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Babel isn¡¯t foolish enough to let this incident slide just like that.¡±


    Whether Babel knew if the main body of Dawn was actually Watchers or not, if someone threatening Babel showed their tail, Babel would make sure to grab onto it and stamp it, and anything connected to it, out.


    After this incident, the influence of Dawn within both the Ivory Tower and Babel would likely be severely reduced.


    ¡°Then, I guess I should head back and rest. I overexerted myself earlier, and now my body feels really stiff,¡± Luize said with a grimace as she rotated her neck and arms.


    Considering she had taken control over all of the ambient mana in that vast test site alone, it was impressive that she came out of it only a bit tired.


    ¡°You did a great job. I owe you one today,¡± said Se-Hoon.


    It wasn¡¯t an emptypliment; without Luize¡¯s help, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to resolve the situation so smoothly.


    Hearing his sincere gratitude, Luize¡¯s eyes flickered slightly before she averted her gaze.


    ¡°You should treat me well then. Don¡¯t just call me when you need something.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ahem</i>.¡±


    Thanks to Luize¡¯s prickly response, Se-Hoon awkwardly realized that he had recently only called her to help him forge equipment or prepare forpetitions. He was essentially exploiting her.


    <i>I feel kind of guilty now.</i>


    Thinking he should make some time to treat her properly, Se-Hoon mused over how he should make it up to her.


    ¡°Though...¡± Luize nced at him. ¡°Today wasn¡¯t too bad.¡±


    ¡°...Really? I thought you¡¯d find it annoying.¡±


    ¡°It <i>was</i> annoying. Thoughts like ¡®Why do I have to do this?¡¯ and ¡®I¡¯m suffering again because of some bastard¡¯ did cross my mind.¡±


    Had it been the old her, she would have reluctantly participated and just epted that she would be irritated by the unwanted involvement.


    <i>¡°Thank you so much.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°We were able to survive because of you.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Thank you.¡±</i>


    However, when those she saved expressed their sincere gratitude to her, the annoyance she felt inside somehow softened.


    It made her ponder why she had changed to be like this. And she didn¡¯t need to ponder the answer for long.


    ¡°Surprisingly though, I feel good.¡±


    Luize smiled faintly and looked at the root cause of why she had changed.


    ¡°Being the one to help other people out, just like how a certain someone does.¡±


    <strong>[You have sessfully guided the subject ¡®Luize Valente¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[A Fatestone has been formed for the subject ¡®Luize Valente¡¯.]</strong>


    As Se-Hoon stared nkly at the notification that popped up before him, Luize¡¯s face turned a deep shade of red.


    ¡°I¡¯m going then! And if you call me just for work next time, you¡¯re dead meat!¡±


    <i>Thump!</i>


    pping him hard on the shoulder, Luize sprinted away into the distance. As Se-Hoon watched her retreating figure, a smirk crept onto his face.


    ¡°This is something you¡¯d only see if you¡¯ve lived for a long... no, only if you lived twice.¡±


    The thought of someone like the st Dog talking about how helping people was not so bad was quite unusual. If the st Dog had in his memories had seen it, she would have screamed and tried to obliterate all witnesses.


    ¡°<i>Pfft</i>.¡±


    Chuckling at the ridiculous thought, Se-Hoon walked away with lighter steps than usual.


    ***


    In a dimb, Charles sat silently next to a window where starlight entered, gazing into the dark interior without any particr thought or purpose, simply letting time pass. Soon, dawn broke, heralding the arrival of Dawn from the distant horizon.


    <i>Whoom-</i>


    The light of Dawn streamed through the window, bathing theb with a glow.


    Then, on the empty desk of the assistants, the glow slowly coalesced and eventually revealed five figures of light, each resembling a human. However, while they all looked like mannequins overall, they each had a distinct feature.


    Or more urately, theck of a feature. A left arm, a right arm, a set of eyes, a torso, and a pair of legs¡ªeach figure was missing one of those parts; they seemed to have been so cleanly carved out, as if they had just disappeared from existence. It was a serene yet eerie scene.


    <i>¡°Charles,¡± </i>called out the light figure missing its left arm in his mind.


    <i>¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to be cautious in the Emperor of Ascension¡¯s garden? Do you realize how much damage your greed has caused?¡± </i>angrily interrogated Left Arm.


    Yet despite its anger, Charles remained calm.


    ¡°It was a necessary act.¡±


    <i>¡°Necessary? That¡¯s absurd.¡±</i>


    Making a sarcasticugh, Left Arm then poured its anger and hostility into its voice.


    <i>¡°Because of your necessity, half of the supplyworks at Babel that we have built over several years are now gone! And the remaining half is even under suspicion!!!¡±</i>


    Under Left Arm¡¯s interrogation, Charles remained silent. Then, out of the blue, he finally he finally replied, as if he had been waiting for the right moment.


    ¡°I have identified new candidates for Regions.¡±


    <i>¡°...!¡±</i>


    The revtion caused a stir among the silent figures of light, and soon Left Arm spoke up again.


    <i>¡°Who are they?¡±</i>


    ¡°Luize Valente and Lee Se-Hoon. They have shown potential to be the Voice and the Heart respectively.¡±


    <i>¡°Hmm. Voice and Heart.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°You¡¯re telling me that candidates we couldn¡¯t find anywhere else just happened to appear together at Babel? That sounds a bit too much for a joke,¡±</i> Right Arm¡ªthe figure missing its right arm¡ªsaid in disbelief.


    Charles nodded. ¡°You will understand if you see for yourself.¡±


    Closing his eyes, a green mana emerged from deep within Charles.


    <i>Crack-</i>


    He felt roots spread throughout his body, connecting him to somewhere. Then, after a moment, the figures of light burst into exmations.


    <i>¡°No way, what he¡¯s saying is true. They both seem to have sufficient talents.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°The purification! What about the Heart¡¯s purification?¡±</i> excitedly shouted Vessel¡ªthe light figure without a torso.


    Charles responded in a respectful manner, ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance to verify the Heart yet.¡±


    <i>¡°The Voice is... the child we heard about who has gone through purification and even assimtion, no? Luize Valente, right?¡±</i>


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Upon hearing Charles¡¯s confirmation, the figure without legs, Step, eximed in admiration.


    <i>¡°Then that child is as good as confirmed. I now see why you went to such lengths.¡±</i>


    Although the figures had each embraced a part of the One and had approached ever so close to the truth of magic, they were still mere extremities of a body. Compared to the Voice and Heart, the transmitter of will and the symbol of life respectively, they felt almost embarrassed to call themselves Regions.


    Thus, merely finding candidates for the Voice and Heart was a far greater gain thatpletely outweighed the loss of some supply chains.


    <i>¡°The Heart.¡±</i>


    The figure with empty eyes, Eyes, looked at Charles.


    <i>¡°Although the already confirmed Voice is important, the Heart should be even more so.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°But isn¡¯t this Lee Se-Hoon guy a bit dangerous? He¡¯s affiliated not only with the Emperor of Ascension but also multiple S-rank heroes.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°I heard that Puppeteer and Tuner have also shown interest in him. With those madmen involved, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if they suddenly decided to fight us.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°We should purify him! Hurry and purify him!¡±</i>


    Bothered by the cacophony of voices that tangled in his mind, Charles slightly furrowed his brows. He slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I need to mention.¡±


    <i>¡°What is it?¡±</i>


    ¡°Puppeteer has proposed a joint force with us.¡±


    <i>¡°Puppeteer?¡±</i>


    Seeing the puzzlement of the figures of light, Charles amped up his green mana again and recalled the encounter that had taken ce that evening. He had been on his way back after the situation at the Ivory Tower when Howard Grant¡ªa young man with dark blue hair, who was the third-year honor student of Borsippa¡ªsuddenly sought him out.


    <i>¡°You¡¯re lucky. My original n was to force you to help after killing you... but then I happened to remember old times and felt a bit better. So, I¡¯ll make a special offer for you.¡±</i>


    Howard Grant, or rather, Puppeteer made a sinister smile and offered them a dangerous choice.


    <i>¡°How about we raid the garden together?¡±</i>

 Chapter 113

    <h4>Chapter 113</h4>


    ¡¸Yesterday morning, a perilous incident during the student schrship selectionpetition at the Ivory Tower urred when the building¡¯s mana supply system went out of control. The cause of the incident was traced back to the malfunction of several facilities¡¯ equipment, and shockingly, it was discovered that the Demon Force was behind it all.¡¹


    ¡¸The executives and researchers of TL Technology were found to have colluded with the Demon Force and are currently all detained. Even the regr employees are undergoing intense investigations.¡¹


    ¡¸This is why corruption in the supply chain must be strongly punished. Who would have thought that there were employees of Babel and the Ivory Tower who were holding hands with the Demon Force? Suchcency...¡¹


    Passing by the hospital lobby, Se-Hoon heard the TV ying the news stirred by the incident from yesterday.


    He turned his gaze to his phone.


    <i>So this guy ended up being detained...</i>


    Looking it up, he saw the picture of a man, restrained by bindings on his arms and legs, being transferred. The man, who was being arrested on charges of supply chain corruption and collusion with the Demon Force, was the Ivory Tower staff member who had rushed to Charles after the incident.


    <i>So Charles was isted from this incident from the start... maybe he¡¯s higher up than I thought.</i>


    He had thought Charles was just another member of Dawn since Charles had directly handed over the mana corrosion device to Luize, but it seemed he had underestimated Charles¡¯s rank.


    <i>Maybe he¡¯s one of the Regions... no, if I recall correctly, the st Dog said that anyone would be able to tell right away if one was a part of Regions.</i>


    Since that was the case, it seemed that Charles was just a high-ranking officer, one that was right below the Regions. However, if he was so high-ranking, then why had he personally handed the mana corrosion device to Luize?


    <i>Perhaps he was confident he wouldn¡¯t be discovered, so he simply did it himself. It would have been easier for him to slip the device to her since he was her mentor after all. But could that really be all...?</i>


    Unsure, Se-Hoon mulled over several possibilities and then suddenly remembered something he had heard from the st Dog before the regression.


    <i>¡°I was only able to escape from Regions because they lost interest in me after iming that I had failed; otherwise, I would have been exploited to death.¡±</i>


    Remembering the st Dog¡¯s voice, which had been dripping with distaste, he could finallye up with one usible reason.


    <i>Charles must have highly valued Luize at first, to the extent that he personally went to check on her. </i>


    As a fellow craftsman, Se-Hoon understood Charles¡¯s actions, but it made him fall into deep thought.


    <i>Then he must be overly obsessed with her now that he¡¯s seen her recent aplishments.</i>


    And since Dawn had suffered great losses in the Ivory Tower, it was a likely possibility that Charles was currently getting ready to cut ties with Babel and aim for onest big score. It meant they were in a dangerous spot, but that spot could also open up the opportunity they had been seeking to strike a significant blow against Dawn.


    With his thoughts reaching that point, Se-Hoon¡¯s train of thought naturally went toward how to prepare for the impending sh with Charles. But it was derailed when he heard some familiar voices from a hospital room ahead.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m really okay now!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the doctor say that there¡¯s something wrong with your body? How could you possibly be ¡®really okay¡¯? Stop talking and lie down already.¡±


    ¡°A person¡¯s heart rate always increases when they¡¯re excited. So what¡¯s this about being hospitalized for three weeks?! There¡¯s clearly something wrong here!¡±


    ¡°Your heart rate increased by 1.5 times <i>overnight</i>, yet you think that¡¯s normal? Lea, just lie down quietly when I tell you to.¡±


    ¡°No! As if I don¡¯t know Grandma¡¯s intentions... <i>mmph</i>!¡±


    <i>tter!</i>


    Listening to the noisy sounds echoing through the crack of the slightly opened door, Se-Hoon approached.


    <i>Knock, knock.</i>


    ¡°It¡¯s Lee Se-Hoon. May Ie in?¡±


    The noisy room fell silent. A momentter, Reba opened the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Following Reba, he entered deeper into the room and soon saw Lea lying on arge bed.


    ¡°<i>Mmph</i>!¡±


    Her brown hair spread out in all directions, devoid of her usual hairpins and sps, and she had been covered all the way up to just below her nose by a white quilt that was engraved with Reba¡¯s enchantments. From a distance, her figure in the white quilt looked like a kimbap roll with some burdock sticking out; it unwittingly caused Se-Hoon to smirk.


    ¡°Um, why is she like this...¡±


    ¡°She kept causing a fuss about wanting to be discharged, so I¡¯ve temporarily tied her down. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Reba shook her head, fed up with Lea. She then looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Do you need something to drink?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate anything.¡±


    ¡°Then please sit somewherefortable and wait for a second,¡± Reba said, heading off to the kitchte in the room.


    Se-Hoon sat down on one of the chairs next to the bed.


    ¡°I thought you were fine, yet it seems you¡¯re hurt pretty badly?¡±


    ¡°<i>Mmph! Mmph!</i>¡± Lea cried out, sounding like Se-Hoon¡¯s question had wronged her.


    Ignoring her, Se-Hoon examined the device next to the bed.


    <i>A heart rate of 120... it did increase quite a bit.</i>


    Normally, one¡¯s heart rate would only increase when there was insufficient blood volume supply, but that wasn¡¯t the case for Lea. In her case, both her heart rate and the volume of blood supplied by each heartbeat had increased.


    In other words, her metabolism was working 1.5 times faster than usual.


    <i>I tried to mitigate it, but... these side effects are still unavoidable, huh?</i>


    While he was assessing Lea¡¯s condition, Reba returned with some snacks and tea.


    ¡°Be careful, it¡¯s hot.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Picking up the cup of tea, Se-Hoon carefully sipped it while Reba silently drank hers across from him.


    ¡°<i>Mmph! Mmph!</i>¡±


    Unlike the two calmly drinking tea, Lea continued to struggle. Eventually, Reba sighed and snapped her fingers.


    <i>Clink-</i>


    The enchantments drawn on the quilt dissipated into the air, and the tightly binding quilt instantly loosened.


    Finally free from Reba¡¯s restraints, Lea turned to Se-Hoon and cried out in a intive voice.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you help me? I was giving you the eyes!¡±


    ¡°What can I do against a professor? I just stayed still.¡±


    ¡°When have you ever been so obedient to others?! And you should be on my side!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been obedient. And besides...¡± Se-Hoon nced at Lea. ¡°When I checked earlier, it seemed like the enchantments were already half undone. Wouldn¡¯t it have gotten moreplicated if I messed with it?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    An awkward silence filled the room, and Lea, who had just been feeling wronged, was now the most awkward one in the room.


    ¡°Uh, no. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying...¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it was.¡±


    Reba, having set down her teacup, looked at Lea.


    ¡°So you were pretending to be tied up, nning to escapeter.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s more like... just in case I urgently needed to use the bathroom....¡± Knowing she had made an absurd excuse, Lea averted her eyes.


    Meanwhile, Reba¡¯s mind raced with thoughts.


    <i>Even though I had hastily inscribed those enchantments, they weren¡¯t something that she could easily break.</i>


    Moreover, since she was the person bound by those very enchantments, it would have been even more difficult. Impressed by Lea¡¯s significant growth in just a few months, Reba sighed deeply.


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s just say that we never talked about dropping you out.¡±


    ¡°...What? You¡¯re not going to talk about being hospitalized?¡± Lea asked in surprise.


    ¡°You want to be discharged so badly because you think I might keep you confined in this room and dere you forfeit in the selectionpetition, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I might be a bit rigid, but I¡¯m not that heartless. What do you even take me for?¡±


    ¡°Bossy... never mind.¡±


    Under Reba¡¯s sharp gaze, Lea quickly backtracked and shut her mouth.


    Annoyed, Reba furrowed her brow and continued. ¡°The original n to have you drop out was to prevent your talents from being exposed to the world. But now that your name has be globally known with this incident, what¡¯s the point of hiding you?¡±


    Given how prominent the Ivory Tower was, news of how Lea resolved the incident had spread worldwide, bringing about an immense amount of attention. The response from the enchantment industry was particrly intense, mainly because her Sphere was too powerful.


    ¡°Not only have you seized control of the Ivory Tower¡¯s facilities, but you also overloaded and destroyed all of the equipment that had traces of a specific form.... In fact, it¡¯s now more dangerous for you to return home.¡±


    A device capable of doing such a thing and a user who could handle it were both tantalizing targets for those blinded by greed. With such danger, Reba epted that she could no longer protect Lea on her own, so she looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon,¡± Reba called out with aposed expression.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Reyna, my daughter and Lea¡¯s mother, is the Puppeteer of the Ten Evils.¡±


    ¡°Grandma, wait!¡±


    Despite Lea¡¯s cries of shock at Reba¡¯s sudden bombshell, Reba continued without blinking, ¡°One day, after she suddenly killed my son-inw, Dane, she disappeared, only to reappear as a demon. It¡¯s already been confirmed, as the enchantment forms that only Reyna had been researching were found in the initial puppets created by Puppeteer.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And Lea¡¯s goal is to kill Puppeteer.¡±


    Havingid her family¡¯s secrets bare, Reba looked at Se-Hoon with serious eyes.


    ¡°If you continue to be as close to Lea as you have been, you will inevitably be involved with Puppeteer, whether you want to or not. Do you fully understand what that means?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    The Ten Evils were monsters that could easily kill even S-rank heroes, and if they became one of the Harbingers of Destruction, they had the potential to kill even a Perfect One. To be targeted by such beings meant living as if a knife were perpetually pointed at one¡¯s throat.


    ¡°And yet, can you continue to be with Lea as you have now?¡±


    Reba had actually brought up this conversation for Se-Hoon¡¯s sake. No matter what, it would be unfair if he unintentionally ended up as a target of the Ten Evils due to getting involved in their family matters.


    <i>And if he¡¯s nning on staying with Lea with half-hearted resolve, it¡¯s dangerous for her too.</i>


    Now that Lea¡¯s talents had been revealed to the world, all viins, humans included, would be targeting her. Thus given the unknown challenges ahead, anyone who wanted to stay by her side needed to be fully prepared¡ªSe-Hoon as well.


    ¡°Yes...?¡± Se-Hoon answered utterly nonchntly.


    Though he sounded a bit confused, his response was strangely calm and didn¡¯t seem like a lie.


    ¡°Are you not scared?¡±


    ¡°Well, if I said I wasn¡¯t scared, I would be lying...¡±


    Se-Hoon made an awkward smile and looked at Reba.


    ¡°But it seems like Puppeteer already marked me during the ck Lotus Seas disaster.¡±


    Upon hearing his words, Reba realized something.


    <i>So his situation was no different from Lea¡¯s.</i>


    After all, wasn¡¯t this promising young man in front of her receiving even more attention than Lea?


    ¡°Besides, in the end, we can¡¯t continuously run away from them, and we shouldn¡¯t either. Just because they are known as the Ten Evils doesn¡¯t mean they are invincible.¡±


    The Ten Evils were certainly dangerous, but they weren¡¯t so powerful that they could do whatever they wanted in this world. If S-rank heroes united their strengths and attacked while exploiting their weaknesses, they could be defeated. And on top of that, Perfect Ones could catch them off-guard.


    Being a witness to all of these events before the regression, Se-Hoon was confident that it would be the case now as well.


    ¡°If they mess with us carelessly, they¡¯ll be the ones that bite the dust.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing the true side of Se-Hoon¡ªsomeone who was aware of whom he must fight and clearly understood the weaknesses to exploit¡ªfor the first time, Reba silently nodded her agreement. His unwavering resolve shone brightly through his words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust those words,¡± she said before finishing her tea in one gulp.


    Reba then stood up and looked at the two of them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll step out for a bit; you two can have a chat.¡±


    Leaving behind those words, Reba left and silence enveloped the hospital room.


    While Lea sat awkwardly on her bed fidgeting with her hair, Se-Hoon quietly sipped his tea and nibbled on some snacks. Like that, the silence continued until Lea, having gathered her resolve, broke the silence.


    ¡°I had a dream yesterday, but I can¡¯t remember what it was about.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one thing that¡¯s certain though: I was really angry, and it felt like I wanted to kill someone¡ªjust like how I feel in real life.¡±


    Struggling to recall the blurry dream, Lea looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Were that your feelings?¡±


    Since the purpose of the Blood Essence, created using Soul Honing, was to pass on his own experiences to Lea, the emotions Lea felt in her dream were very likely to be his own emotions that were naturally embedded within those experiences.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Upon hearing his response, Lea seemed to make up her mind.


    ¡°Then, since it¡¯se to this, I¡¯ll make an official request.¡±


    ¡°A request?¡±


    ¡°That monster... the one who killed my father. Help me kill Puppeteer myself,¡± she said with resolve, indicating that she no longer considered Puppeteer as her mother.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll also help you deal with whoever your unknown enemy is.¡±


    Up until now, they had cooperated by lending each other their skills as a cksmith and an enchanter. But now, they wouldbine their strengths to achieve their respective goals. And he had already reaffirmed her talents during the incident.


    <i>I lose nothing from this.</i>


    More importantly, though, Se-Hoon absolutely needed Lea¡¯s help to have an easier time killing Puppeteer than before the regression.


    Only she could activate the poison he had hidden in the Sphere.


    ¡°Okay. But there¡¯s one condition.¡±


    ¡°...What is it?¡±


    Noticing Lea looking at him tensely, Se-Hoon made a slight smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t whine about how it¡¯s too tiring or hard.¡±


    Lea¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and then she chuckled.


    ¡°You should make sure <i>you</i> don¡¯t freeze up when you meet Puppeteer yourself. The Ten Evils are on a higher level than you think.¡±


    Though Se-Hoon had faced and fought even worse demons than the Ten Evils, he chose not to mention that. Boasting about such things seemed petty, especially to someone who had regressed in age.


    <i>It¡¯s a pity, though. The overall mood seemed good. </i>Despite the mood being so good, no Fatestone had been created.


    At that moment, he noticed Lea ncing around cautiously.


    ¡°...I have something I want to ask. Can you use the Sphere too?¡± Lea finally asked.


    ¡°Huh? Why do you ask all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Well, I only managed to modify it after receiving your experiences, so... I was wondering if you could use it too.¡±


    Though she had been the one to propose the request, Lea questioned if she really could be of help.


    ¡°Probably not?¡± Se-Hoon answered after a moment. He had easily seen through her cautious probing.


    ¡°...Really?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that good with calctions. I know how to solve them, but I¡¯m not quick with mental math, at least not as fast as you.¡±


    Though he could understand the overall structure and find patterns, handlingplex calctions on the fly, which the Sphere required, was quite a hard task for him.


    ¡°Hmm. Uh...¡±


    Lea¡¯s mouth twitched a few times at his response before she muttered softly, ¡°I guess I win.¡±


    <strong>[Subject ¡®Lea udel¡¯ feels superior to you.]</strong>


    <strong>[A Fatestone has been formed for the subject ¡®Lea udel¡¯.]</strong>


    ¡°...¡±


    Slightly dazed by the notification messages before him, he turned his head toward Lea.


    ¡°<i>Heh heh</i>...¡±


    And saw Lea grinning, seemingly pleased about something.


    All he could think about as he watched though, was one simple thing.


    ¡°You¡¯re remarkable indeed, sunbae.¡±


    ¡°Is-is that so? <i>Hahaha</i>!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t so bad that she was being yful despite her age.


    ***


    Finished with his conversation with Lea, Se-Hoon was about to leave the room when he received a request from Reba.


    ¡°She must absolutely rest for three weeks, so don¡¯t give her work during that time.¡±


    ¡°What? But I¡¯m fine...¡± Lea protested.


    ¡°If you¡¯d rather drop out than be discharged, go ahead and say more.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t contact me during my vacation!¡±


    Just like that, Lea agreed to stay in the hospital quietly for three weeks; it was partly as a trade-off for not being pushed to drop out, partly to avoid aggravating potential injuries, and partly to wait until the public¡¯s attention diminished a bit.


    <i>Well. By that time, things should have settled downpletely.</i>


    Plus, the increase in Lea¡¯s heart rate was probably a reaction to his experiences embedded in the Blood Essence melting into her physical form, so it would return to normal after some time.


    To Se-Hoon it was a relief that she had no serious issues. He was about to leave the hospital feeling utterly refreshed when he heard a loud sound.


    <i>Vroom-</i>


    And then a ck limousine pulled up in front of him.


    As he gazed at the familiar vehicle, the car window rolled down to reveal a young man with slick ck hair and rimless sses. He gave off an elite vibe.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    It was Inoue Ren, Erika¡¯s brother.

 Chapter 114

    <h4>Chapter 114</h4>


    ¡°Can we talk for a moment?¡± Ren asked through the rolled-down window. He talked with familiar ease despite it being their first meeting since the Noblesse.


    Se-Hoon silently gazed at Ren for a brief moment before asking, ¡°Did you prepare thepensation?¡±


    Unwilling to talk about anything else, Se-Hoon asked about the restitution for the curse Ren secretly left on his hand during their first encounter. At the time, Se-Hoon had recognized it immediately and thus suffered no harm, even managing to use it to glean insights into Ren¡¯s past, but he still thought Ren should pay for it as he had done something wrong after all.


    ¡°Of course. That¡¯s actually why I came today,¡± said Ren with a smile, seemingly unperturbed.


    Se-Hoon nodded after a moment of thought.


    ¡°Okay, then.¡±


    <i>Clunk-</i>


    The limousine door opened automatically. Then, as soon as Se-Hoon climbed in and sat across from Ren, the door closed and the car moved forward.


    <i>Vroom-</i>


    Feeling the limousine gliding quietly without any vibration, Se-Hoon enjoyed the smooth ride until Ren spoke up first.


    ¡°Did youe here today to visit udel?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about Lea, then yes.... Is this rted to thepensation?¡±


    ¡°No, just a personal curiosity of mine.¡±


    ncing through the car window at the hospital ward, Ren continued calmly, ¡°For the brief moment when we were both honor students, I had my eyes on her. It was a matter of course since Professor Reba and her parents¡ªwhen they were alive¡ªwere all well-known in the enchanting industry.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I had even tried to invite her to the Noblesse, but it didn¡¯t work out. She said it was a waste of time.¡±


    Recalling the past, Ren moved his gaze away from the hospital and faced Se-Hoon with a smile.


    ¡°Well, she lost the position of honor student afterward, so I just forgot about her. A shame really, I truly thought she was just another person who would fade away unknowingly.¡±


    While Lea had talent, she didn¡¯t have enough power to showcase it. That was why Ren hadn¡¯t overly invested in her.


    ¡°But who would have thought she would turn out like this... it was something I genuinely never expected.¡±


    Grasping that Ren was searching for the reason behind Lea¡¯s significant growth by meeting him in person, Se-Hoon nonchntly replied, ¡°I knew from the start that she would make it big. It seems you justck discernment.¡±


    Of course, he had known thanks to his pre-regression knowledge that Lea would be a sessful enchanter, but apart from that, Lea immediately noticing the value of the Inkstone Bracelet that he was wearing on their first meeting had given him an inkling about her true potential.


    ¡°Lack discernment... yeah, maybe I was toocent.¡±


    Despite the blunt jab, Ren was nodding in agreement.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve decided to learn something from this incident.¡±


    Peering over his sses, Ren stared directly at Se-Hoon and erased the smile from his lips. Then he resolutely said, ¡°To never let go of a promising talent from now on.¡±


    The regret of losing Lea turned into the resolve not to repeat the same mistake¡ªRen¡¯s sincerity, which was apparent for the first time, made Se-Hoon observe Ren quietly for a moment before soon cracking a slight smile.


    ¡°You seem to be in more of a rush than before. I still remember how you were so confident that bing the head of the family would allow you to have me on your side.¡±


    ¡°That was when Erika had a firm grasp on you. But now, it¡¯s be too risky to just sit on my hands and keep believing that.¡±


    If Se-Hoon had been a tiny puppy at the Noblesse, one that could be taken at any moment, then now, he was now a ferocious hound. He was a beast that had torn out the neck of the giant Barmuth family¡ªa threat¡ªand was now unhesitantly forging Hero-tier equipment, openly disying his talent.


    He had grown so much that even the garden of the Emperor of Ascension was now too small to contain him.


    ¡°So, I decided to evaluate your skills as a cksmith.¡±


    When assessing a cksmith in the hero industry, there were three simple criteria to consider: the highest tier of equipment they could forge, how frequently that highest tier of equipment, and how specialized they could make their equipment to maximize a hero¡¯s abilities.


    ¡°Not ounting for the rarity of materials, being able to forge Hero-tier equipment at this point gives you a rating of A. And since you¡¯ve forged five Hero-tier pieces in less than half a year, that gives you another A+. Finally, because you¡¯ve forged a sword that Jake Myers can use, another A+.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°In conclusion, your overall skills as a cksmith are A+ grade. With a bit more fame and power, you could even aim to be among the top one hundred cksmiths.¡±


    Despite being a freshman, Se-Hoon had already far surpassed the novice level and was nearing the level of master cksmith. If he continued to grow at this rate, he might even be able to forge Legendary equipment in the future¡ªa tremendous prospect.


    ¡°With such ability, wouldn¡¯t it be overly arrogant to think that such a tremendous talent like yourself will stay by our side indefinitely?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Listening to Ren¡¯s high praise, Se-Hoon made a slightly odd expression.


    <i>His evaluation is more generous than expected. Or, is it just that the standards of this era are generous?</i>


    By the standards of his pre-regression active duty days, his current level was barely A. His physical abilities werecking, he relied too much on the special features of the materials, and the effects of his equipment were only auxiliary to the user¡¯s abilities. It was honestly even hard to say whether his equipment allowed a user to leverage their powers fully.


    <i>...I guess standards do vary by era.</i>


    Just as Park Jin-Hwan, who would have been evaluated as an A grade in the past, yet was now a B+ grade due to struggling with using diverse materials and being slow, the current standards allowed Se-Hoon to be highly regarded.


    Having refreshed his understanding of how heroes perceive him and the overall state of the cksmith industry, Se-Hoon looked at Ren.


    ¡°So, what you¡¯re trying to say is that I can be snatched at any time, and thus you want to tie me to the Inoues right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d think of it as me having high expectations of you,¡± Ren responded, with that gentle smile still on his face.


    The response made Se-Hoon scoff and give Ren a cynical look.


    ¡°But if you want to recruit me, shouldn¡¯t you be settling overdue ounts first?¡±


    Se-Hoon had btedly realized that he had gotten caught up in unnecessary talk. In the first ce, he had only gotten in the car out of curiosity about what Ren would give him aspensation.


    Unfazed by Se-Hoon¡¯s prickly reply, Ren nodded and said, ¡°That is also true. Here, take this.¡±


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Ren pulled out an envelope from his void pocket and handed it to him. Surprised by the unexpected item, Se-Hoon took it with curiosity.


    <i>I thought he would just give me something moderately useful...</i>


    Deciding that the contents would end up like what he did to Erika¡¯s previous invitations if Ren had brought somethingpletely useless, he opened the envelope and read the first line of the document.


    <i>Recent activities and activity range of the A-rank demon, Immortal.</i>


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes twitched at the content. Then, his gaze, which had been directed downward, slowly crawled its way toward Ren. His deep-set eyes leaked a murderous intent, and his expressionless face emitted a terrifyingly oppressive aura.


    A chill went down Ren¡¯s spine.


    <i>¡°At yourmand.¡±</i>


    Suddenly, the whisper of Ren¡¯s <i>shikigami </i>reached his ears. Regaining hisposure, Ren¡¯s eyes widened when he realized he had reflexively tried to attack Se-Hoon.


    <i>He really does just... always exceeds my expectations, </i>Ren thought as a smile grew on his face.


    It had been a long time since he had reacted so strongly to a potential threat.


    Suppressing the sudden surge of hostility, Ren immediatelymanded, ¡°<i>Turn back.¡±</i>


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    The faint cloud of mana around Ren cleared, and Se-Hoon, who had been calmly observing the whole thing, slowly said, ¡°Background checks and now a threat. Your attitude toward me is always quite rude.¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry about that. The threat part was unexpected on my end too. I¡¯ll be more careful to prevent this from happening next time.¡±


    With an awkward expression, Ren looked at the documents in Se-Hoon¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Also, there aren¡¯t actually many heroes who haven¡¯t investigated you yet. I didn¡¯t do it with any bad intentions, so please take it as a gesture of goodwill.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes and turned his attention back to the document.


    <i>Immortal...</i>


    Immortal was the one who had killed his parents in the past.


    The unexpected appearance of the name only momentarily irritated him; he had already avenged his parents once, so he no longer lost his reason just by hearing that name.


    <i>Now that I think about it though, I¡¯ve never heard about what he was up to this early.</i>


    It wouldn¡¯t be until about seven years from that he would properly start tracking Immortal. His memories about Immortal then were as clear as day, but there was no telling what butterfly effects might have urred due to his regression.


    <i>I guess it won¡¯t hurt to know what he¡¯s up to now.</i>


    His mind made, he flipped through the document and read the information on Immortal.


    <strong><u>Immortal</u></strong>


    <strong>*Real identity is yet unknown. Their outer appearance resembles that of a man in his mid tote twenties. See attached photos.</strong>


    <strong>*When undergoing demonization, their entire body transforms into a special metal, allowing it to utilize some abilities of consumed metals.</strong>


    <strong>*Their strength varies from lower to upper A-rank depending on how well they use the metal¡¯s abilities. Caution: Take note of the type of metal they consume duringbat.</strong>


    <strong>*Works for Bellows, one of the groups operating in the pleasure district, and only embarks on missions when they¡¯re running low on living expenses. Specializes in assassination and kidnapping.</strong>


    <strong>*Recently seen in the ck Arms of the Philippines, suspected to be searching for something in an auction house.</strong>


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    After casually scanning the information in the document, Se-Hoon looked at the photo attached to the right.


    In the photo, there was a man with muddy scarlet hair and fierce eyes. It had been about twenty years since Se-Hoonst saw them, but he was still able to figure out who this man was.


    <i>The ck Arms, huh...</i>


    The ck Arms was a ck market where hard-to-handle materials or equipment were traded, located on an artificial ind that was hidden somewhere on the outskirts of the Philippines. It was a ce that Se-Hoon had visited a few times before the regression.


    <i>I¡¯ve never heard anything about him visiting that ce before the regression. Is he looking for something special?</i>


    What on earth could make that frivolous man go all the way there?


    Ensnared by the contents of the documents, trivial as they may be, he became somewhat irritated and frowned slightly.


    Seeing this, Ren added, ¡°If you want, I can hire a guide for you. And perhaps lend a hand in killing him too...¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Se-Hoon put the document back in the envelope and handed it back to Ren.


    ¡°This should be enough for now. It seems like thepensation is settled.¡±


    His words were clear-cut, indicating that there was no need for more. He was drawing a line.


    Ren looked at him intently.


    ¡°It will be pretty tough to go there alone.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I¡¯ll consult with Erika if I find it tough.¡±


    Ending the conversation short there, Se-Hoon pointed outside the window.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re done with the conversation, please stop the car.¡±


    ¡°...Alright. If that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    When Ren pressed the call button on the seat, the limousine smoothly pulled over to the curb and the door automatically opened.


    Stepping out, Se-Hoon grabbed the door before it could fully close.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    With a firm grasp on the door of the limousine, Se-Hoon slightly poked his head back inside.


    ¡°Those were some nice tries, but you really should only try those <i>after </i>getting to know the other better. Also, yourpensation was pretty underwhelmingpared to how you made it sound grand. I was quite a bit disappointed.¡±


    To Se-Hoon, all of the extra words Ren had said made him very unlikable. But thanks to his somewhat useful information about Immortal, he was brought back to just being unlikable.


    In other words, hispensation hadn¡¯t changed anything.


    ¡°You should worry more about yourself than Erika.¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Leaving those words, he mmed the limousine door forcefully and stepped onto the sidewalk while dusting off his hands. However, instead of driving away, the limousine paused shortly before rolling up beside him.


    The window then rolled down and Ren made that gentle smile again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    <i>Vroom.</i>


    This time, the limousine sped off and disappeared ahead.


    <i>I should have hurt his pride a bit, but he seems quite unshaken. Perhaps he¡¯s as cunning as the Frost Dog, </i>Se-Hoon thought while stoking his chin as he watched it disappear.


    Having reconfirmed just how troublesome Erika¡¯s rival could be, he began walking toward the dormitory while organizing his thoughts.


    <i>I should definitely visit the ck Arms this time.</i>


    Although he didn¡¯t care all that much about killing Immortal, he was a bit concerned about the item that Immortal was supposedly looking for. The organization Immortal belonged to, Bellows, wouldter be absorbed into Offering¡ªanother subgroup of Watchers¡ªwhere most cksmiths would be affiliated in the future.


    <i>There¡¯s no harm in getting ahead of things now, especially when considering they might already be taking orders from that side. I might even find some good materials for myself there.</i>


    Like all the other cksmiths, he had received direct and indirect recruitment offers from Offering before the regression, and he was incredibly tempted by all the rare materials they possessed.


    Back then, he had just managed to smuggle a few out after causing a ruckus by smashing certain things with his hammer. This time though, he would likely be able to acquire those materials much more cleanly just by ying his cards right.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need an expert¡¯s help.¡±


    He was about to pull out his phone to make a call when he heard a cry.


    ¡°Caw!¡±


    A harsh cry of a crow came from up ahead.


    Lifting his head, he saw Erika standing starkly at the entrance to his dormitory.


    ¡°...¡±


    Both her unmoving face and the crow ruffling its feathers exuded an ominous air.


    With a bitter expression on his face, he approached closer to her. Seeing him approach, Erika lightly touched her void pocket and handed over a pouch.


    ¡°Purifying Earthstone. Top-grade rare item, just as you requested.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s bitter expression vanished and his eyes lit up at the material he had asked Erika to obtain so that he could acquire his third elemental mana attribute.


    ¡°Wow, thanks. This is actually perfect timing¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you going to forge my equipment now?¡± Erika interrupted with a piercing gaze.


    ¡°Ah. I could, but something urgent hase up, so just give me a¡ª¡±


    ¡°A sword for Jake Myers.¡±


    Interrupting him again, she stared at him with eyes deeper than usual.


    ¡°A spear for Yeom Sung-Ha.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Two chokers specialized for Luize Valente.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And none for me.¡±


    Anger, injustice, and sadness suffused her voice as she stared into his eyes.


    ¡°Do you hate me?¡±


    Whether it was the numerous times he had torn up her invitations or the time he refused her party proposal at the ck Lotus Seas to go with Jake, was he subtly expressing his hatred for her all this time?


    If that wasn¡¯t the reason, then nothing else made sense to her. She <i>had</i> to ask him right now.


    Feeling her intense emotions wash over him, Se-Hoon wore an awkward expression.


    <i>Have I neglected her to this extent...?</i>


    While he had only done so because of all of the sudden events, upon reflection, it did seem like he had ignored her a bit too much.


    <i>But it¡¯s not like I can dy my visit to the ck Arms... otherwise, Immortal might get what he wants and then disappear... </i>


    Conflicted, he pondered over what he should do when he suddenly thought of a solution.


    ¡°How good are you at stealth, disguises, assassination, and destroying evidence?¡±


    It was a weird question to ask a student, but Erika answered calmly despite that and the strange timing.


    ¡°I¡¯m good at them all.¡±


    ¡°How good?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m given enough time to prepare, I can be considered A-rank, except for assassination.¡±


    Not just one but four skills at or near a professional level. The answer made it easy to make a decision. Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°Then you¡¯reing with me.¡±


    In the end, the more help, the better.

 Chapter 115

    <h4>Chapter 115</h4>


    ¡°I¡¯ll get ready then.¡±


    Clearly pleased by Se-Hoon¡¯s invitation to apany him, Erika turned to leave. To Se-Hoon, her joyful departing figure was a curious sight to watch.


    <i>I told her she coulde, but she should know that it¡¯s because I ultimately n to make use of her... yet she¡¯s still so pleased about that?</i>


    Upon seeing her, he thought she was sulking because he hadn¡¯t forged her equipment yet, but it turned out that it was because she was feeling excluded. It seemed that was more important than the equipment itself.


    <i>Well... she also managed to get the Purifying Earthstone for me, so I should forge something for her the moment I get a chance.</i>


    Raising Erika¡¯s equipment to top priority, he took out his phone.


    <i>This is where the path diverges.</i>


    To get to the ck Arms, Se-Hoon needed exactly two things.


    The first was an S-rank or stronger bodyguard to protect him from any unforeseen circumstances. The second was an expert familiar with the ck Arms who could bring him there and guide him around.


    But even finding someone who met just one of the criteria would be challenging enough, so finding someone who met both would be almost impossible. Yet, Se-Hoon immediately thought of <i>two</i> such individuals.


    <i>If I choose the one I¡¯m more familiar with, it would be Ma Kwang-Soo.</i>


    Kwang-Soon easily met both criteria. For the first, he was an S-rank hero with years of experience, so he was definitely proficient in both protecting and killing. Then for the second, he had very likely infiltrated ces like ck markets, perhaps even the ck Arms, plenty of times with the Executioners¡ªthe group he had founded to track down and hunt demons¡ªand should be able to provide him with information.


    <i>The problem with going with that guy is that it¡¯ll get troublesome if we get caught even once though...</i>


    Because Kwang-Soo and his Executioners ruthlessly disposed of those who coborated with the demons, they were treated as ticking time bombs in the underworld. Thus, if their identity were exposed during this trip, it would end with Immortal going back into hiding and even the dissolution of the ck Arms.


    <i>Eliminating him, then there¡¯s only one person who¡¯s ideal for this job...</i>


    Arriving at a decision, Se-Hoon immediately made a call.


    ¡ªWhat can I do for you?


    Hearing Eun-Ha¡¯s brusque voice over the phone, Se-Hoon got straight to the point.


    With a serious tone, he replied, ¡°I¡¯d like to consult something with you; could you spare me some time?¡±


    ¡ªIt seems it¡¯s something we can¡¯t discuss over the phone.


    ¡°Yes, I would prefer to meet and discuss it quietly in person.¡±


    ¡ªHm...


    Eun-Ha hesitated for a brief moment.


    ¡ªIt¡¯s almost lunchtime; how about we talk at my house? We should be able to have a quiet conversation there.


    ¡°Ah, that sounds good. In that case, I¡¯ll head right over once you send me the address.¡±


    ¡ªUnderstood. I¡¯ll see you in front of my house soon then.


    Hanging up, Se-Hoon looked down at his phone and smirked.


    <i>Her being an expert in ck markets really doesn¡¯t suit her, not back then and not now.</i>


    Publicly, Eun-Ha¡¯s image was that of aw-abiding, exemry hero¡ªwhich the life that she lived was indeed close to. But... there was one thing that made her stray from that life: equipment.


    <i>She really does be unrestrained when ites to equipment she favors; just the fact that she threatened to annihte the Barmuth family because of me says it all.</i>


    Of course, she always made sure never to cross certain lines¡ªlike conspiring with the Demon Force or murdering innocent people¡ªbut legally gray activities were fair game. And she never hesitated to do so when necessary.


    One such example was exploring ck markets like the ck Arms to find things to eat.


    <i>If I remember correctly, it was the ck market in Mexico where I first met her for the first time...</i>


    Before the regression, he had been startled when Eun-Ha suddenly appeared before him in the ck market, where he was secretly selling equipment, and proposed a deal.


    Rather than calmly respond at that moment though, he had reflexively swung his hammer, an action that just led to being beaten up and hospitalized. The deal he struck with her in this hospital was just another old memory, but it was as vivid as their first meeting.


    <i>Since she said it was an old hobby, she must be visiting them even this early. Plus, The ck Arms has few ties with the Demon Force and circtes a lot of equipment, so she might even be a VIP there.</i>


    If he could secure Eun-Ha¡¯s cooperation this time, his safety while navigating the ck Arms and gathering information about Immortal was guaranteed.


    The thought made him more and more determined to have her join.


    <i>Vrrr-</i>


    He received a message.


    Seeing that it was Eun-Ha¡¯s home address, he became slightly curious.


    <i>Hmm. I wonder how she¡¯s managing in Babel.</i>


    Her rented homes had always been on the outskirts, giving them all a barren feel both internally and externally. Unlike then, though, she was now living on Babel grounds so it might be different.


    Calling a taxi, he headed straight for the address in the message. Gazing out the window, he took a look around the area.


    <i>So it wasn¡¯t the residential district but the business district.</i>


    The business district, where the headquarters of various corporations and guilds associated with Babel were located, was close to the central square and also near the main building of Borsippa.


    <i>There are genuinely no small buildings in Babel, but this is huge in a different sense.</i>


    Although having the headquarters of globally recognized corporations and guilds gather here was impressive on its own, the fact that the owners of the gargantuan buildings changed slightly every year was even more so.


    Then again, it was natural since they would just be evicted if they weren¡¯t able to pay the exorbitant rent set by Babel or couldn¡¯t meet the promised performance levels in the contract.


    <i>And it¡¯s not like these corporations can just outright move their headquarters away from locations since Babel is a major transit station for the Void Space Terminal. They truly are caught between a rock and a hard ce.</i>


    To stay in Babel, everyone¡ªthe students, staff members, guilds, and corporations¡ªhad to abide by Ludwig¡¯s rules and standards. That was the true reason why everyone naturally referred to Babel as the Emperor of Ascension¡¯s private garden.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    <i>Thump-</i>


    Arriving at the address, Se-Hoon looked up at the building in front of him, a five-story building tucked away in a corner of the business district. Its clean facade was quite deceptive, making it look like an empty building that hadn¡¯t been around long.


    ¡°Hmm. This looks like...¡±


    At that moment, as he was squinting at the building, he heard someone arrive.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Eun-Ha, arriving a bitter than him, slightly bowed her head.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte. There was a bit of work left, so it took me a while to finish up.¡±


    ¡°I just got here too. Anyway... is this really your house, Dean?¡±


    The building didn¡¯t look like anyone could live there. Yet Eun-Ha nodded calmly.


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Although he hadn¡¯t seen the interior yet, Se-Hoon already had a rough sense of what it might be like.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head inside then,¡± Eun-Ha said, ncing at Se-Hoon and pointing ahead.


    She then approached the entrance of the building which was to the right and ced her hand on a panel next to the door. With a beep, the door unlocked and slid open on both sides.


    Following Eun-Ha into the building, Se-Hoon surveyed the spacious interior.


    The first floor was covered by various boxes of equipment that were piled up like mountains. Thebeled manufacturers of the equipment ranged from well-knownpanies to smaller workshops, giving the ce more of a warehouse feel than a home.


    <i>It seems whether she¡¯s living in Babel or not, she uses her home as a warehouse, </i>Se-Hoon thought with a wry smile, having expected it.


    Before the regression though, she at least had a separate, massive warehouse built next to her home.


    Making a brief scan of the boxes, he noticed something and asked, ¡°Are these all pieces of Normal equipment?¡±


    ¡°Yes. From the first to the fourth floor, I use each floor for storing different tiered equipment, and I live on the fifth floor.¡±


    ¡°Whole floors...¡±


    ¡°You can use these stairs to go up.¡±


    Calmly finishing the short exnation, Eun-Ha led him up the stairs in front of the entrance. And since the building had no exterior walls blocking their sight from the stairs, he was able to clearly see the interior of each floor as they ascended.


    The first and second floors, storage zones for equipment of low tiers, were filled with boxes stacked by type, while the third floor was filled withrge metal disy cabs that contained pieces of Rare equipment neatly lined up.


    Then, on the fourth floor, were quite a number of various pieces of Hero-tier equipment individually ced in disy cabs.


    ¡°You have quite a lot of Hero equipment.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I currently have eighty-nine pieces in total.¡±


    Although that amount of Hero equipment might be astonishing to an ordinary student, Se-Hoon was unimpressed.


    <i>She doesn¡¯t have that much... perhaps because she¡¯s working as the dean right now?</i>


    Before the regression, Eun-Ha possessed over a hundred pieces of Hero equipment; the difference seemed to be because she was going out on subjugation missions less actively than back then.


    Done with a quick scan of the fourth floor, Se-Hoon turned his gaze back to Eun-Ha and followed her up to the final, fifth floor.


    ¡°This is where I live.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Like the previous four floors, the interior waspletely open without any walls.


    It looked like she had tried to designate different spaces for specific purposes though¡ªseeing as how a bed, desk, dining table, and bathtub were sporadically ced¡ªbut since the floor wasn¡¯t even properly covered, it didn¡¯t mean much.[1]


    <i>...This is even worse than how she was before the regression.</i>


    She had never been one to care about interior design, but this ce looked almost like an abandoned building with just living essentials ced inside.


    The starkness of the furnishing went beyond simplicity to a point where it felt like something was missing. Feeling that emptiness, Se-Hoon looked around with a dubious expression.


    His reaction made Eun-Ha try to exin awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t like it when the interior gets tooplex, so I kept it simple. Please understand if it seems a bit odd.¡±


    ¡°Well... tastes vary.¡±


    At any rate, the floor had everything it needed. Dismissing any further thoughts about it, he quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°Shall we have lunch before we start talking?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The two moved to a dining table in a corner, and Eun-Ha took out two pieces of equipment from her void pocket.


    The sword and bow, both mass-produced Advanced-tier pieces of equipment with no particr distinguishing features, were akin to a triangle kimbap and instant ramen in their ordinariness.


    ¡°Hmm. Dean.¡±


    ¡°...Please, go ahead.¡±


    Noticing Eun-Ha¡¯s eyes filled with anticipation, Se-Hoon spoke the words she was waiting to hear.


    ¡°I¡¯ve recently learned this decent skill, so if it¡¯s alright with you, I¡¯d like to experiment with your taste in equipment...¡±


    ¡°Feel free to do so,¡± Eun-Ha quickly said, handing over her lunch as if she had been waiting.


    Her eagerness made Se-Hoon slightly smile as he used Incantation Inscription on the sword and bow.


    ¡°<strong>Enhance Aura, uracy Correction</strong>...¡±


    The incantations cling tightly to the surface of the weapons.


    Compared to Incantation: Attribute, the inscriptions adhered more easily and allowed him to choose specific features that would appear, making it possible to manipte the effects and have them interfere with each other.


    <i>These might get erased from collisions duringbat... but it should allow the user to push the offensive aggressively at the start.</i>


    When he started, he had nned to just briefly enhance the sword and bow, but a momentter, he found them densely packed with incantations. Deciding to just push them to their limit withoutpromising their cores, he added more incantations before handing back the finished weapons.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Eun-Ha received them graciously with both hands like she was receiving a delicate treasure. She gazed down at the sword and bow, inadvertently swallowing her saliva.


    ¡°Well then... bon app¨¦tit.¡±


    <i>Crunch. Crunch!</i>


    Starting with the sword, she ate it delicately to savor it.


    ¡°...!¡±


    With every bite, her eyes widened further and further in astonishment and the tips of her hair fluttered, tinged with a slight crimson.


    Then, in the blink of an eye, she had devoured the whole sword. Relishing the vor still remaining in her mouth, she said, in a slightly excited voice, ¡°The taste is quite stimting. It¡¯s like having a variety of toppings all mixed together.¡±


    It tasted like ramen mixed with hot peppers, eggs, green onions, and bean sprouts¡ªa much deeper vor than normal.


    Quite pleased with the taste, she began to chew on the bow, prompting Se-Hoon to smile unwittingly.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°This is really delicious. If I could eat this for lunch every day, I¡¯d be more focused on my work... <i>ahem.</i> Never mind. Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    She quickly stopped herself, worried that he might interpret her words as a request to make her meals every day. But contrary to her worry, Se-Hoon took it as an opportunity.


    ¡°I could do that for you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Eun-Ha froze mid-bite into the bow, then slowly moved her gaze to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°For real...?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something I can¡¯t do. You saw how quickly I finished them.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t making some every day be quite bothersome for you? If it¡¯s because of what I just said, you don¡¯t have to worry¡ª¡±


    ¡°I just have one favor to ask in return.¡±


    Cutting off Eun-Ha, Se-Hoon looked at Eun-Ha with a serious expression.


    ¡°To take me to the ck Arms¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Not allowing him to finish, Eun-Ha cut him off sharply, her face so cold that her previous vibrant expression seemed like a lie.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you heard about that ce, but it¡¯s not somewhere a mere student should go. Especially when ites to someone like you, who¡¯s under the spotlight as a promising talent.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°I absolutely will not allow it this time.¡±


    Her cold attitude was simr to the one he was familiar with before the regression, catching Se-Hoon off guard.


    <i>There¡¯s no way she would reject me like this if she was that satisfied with her lunch... ah, wait. Is it because I¡¯m just a student?</i>


    Pre-regression, they had met when he was already an active-duty hero, so any request he made for her ultimately fell under his responsibility. Right now though, he was just a first-year student who had just started to grow.


    There was no sane educator who would ever agree to take a student to a dangerous ce like the ck market on a whim, no matter how tempting the offer.


    <i>Tsk, if she had found the weapons to taste like ambrosia, she would have lost her senses and taken me there.... It must be myck of skill.</i>


    Using his equipment as a bargaining chip was off the table, so Se-Hoon began pondering how to persuade her. He very quickly thought of another approach.


    ¡°Let¡¯s drop this subject¡ª¡±


    ¡°When I was in middle school.¡±


    He interrupted Eun-Ha, looking down toward the ground as he began his story.


    ¡°I wasing homete from school when I found a man copsed and covered in blood in front of the gate to my house.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Completely shocked, I was about to call an ambnce when the man stopped me. He said he was fine and just asked for something to drink, promising to repay meter.¡±


    The moment he started, the memory¡ªblurred yet indelible¡ªflooded his mind.


    ¡°So I took out my tumbler from my bag and gave it to him... just as a hero from the Heroes Association showed up. Turns out, the blood-covered man was the A-rank demon known as Immortal.¡±


    ¡°...!¡¯


    Having connected the dots, Eun-Ha¡¯s eyes widened, and Se-Hoon looked up to meet her gaze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember what happened immediately after, as I got knocked out by a brick fragment that hit me in my head, but when I finally came to... everything was already over.¡±


    The hero who tried to subjugate Immortal ended up as a corpse with every limb torn apart and all the nearby buildings were destroyed¡ªincluding his home. Se-Hoon¡¯s parents, who had been waiting for him with dinner ready, were crushed under the debris.


    ¡°I was the only one who survived that day... you can guess why, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Because of the water. The god damned water I had given to that guy.¡±


    Standing amidst the grim scene of the copsed buildings and the bodies crushed underneath, the man¡ªImmortal¡ªnonchntly told Se-Hoon, <i>¡°I''ll spare your life. I did promise you, after all.¡±</i>


    A mere tumbler of water had led to a promise of repayment that spared his life.


    Remembering the scene from the beginning to the end for the first time in a while, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but smirk.


    <i>What a ridiculous guy.</i>


    It was just because a snot-nosed middle schooler had given him a sip of water that made Immortal decide to keep him alive during the entirety of the battle. It was such an utterly nonsensical thing to do, which had driven Se-Hoon mad in the past.


    The fact that his parents had been killed so senselessly by such a man, and the fact that his life had been saved by that very same man, made him furious.


    ¡°I might have digressed a bit.... Anyway, what I¡¯m trying to say now is that this guy has appeared at the ck Arms.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not asking for you to kill him for me. No matter what, I feel like I <i>have </i>to be the one to capture and kill him.¡±


    Even if he didn¡¯t desperately want to kill Immortal now, back before the regression, he truly had. If the Immortal had been subjugated by someone else and he had been the past version of himself, then perhaps, he would have just killed himself from anger.


    ¡°So please, just help me find out what he¡¯s doing there... and if he¡¯s still alive. If I can just confirm that, I¡¯lle back quietly and be obedient from now on.¡±


    To him, the story of his parents getting murdered was a story from decades ago, but to Eun-Ha, it would seem like just a few years in the past. And after hearing such a story, who could remain unmoved?


    <i>This might not work on her...</i>


    At this point, he could only hope that the weapons had enriched Eun-Ha¡¯s emotions as he waited anxiously for an answer.


    ¡°...<i>Whew.</i>.¡±


    Eun-Ha closed her eyes tightly and then opened them.


    ¡°In the ck Arms, you shall only listen to my instructions. Do not reveal your identity no matter what happens. And we will return immediately after confirming the target,¡± she said slowly, enunciating the instructions.


    ¡°Dean...!¡±


    ¡°And onest thing.¡±


    Noticing Se-Hoon¡¯s relief, Eun-Ha looked at him strictly. What she said now would have no room for negotiation.


    ¡°Whenever I work overtime, you will be packing dinner for me. That is all.¡±


    1. It¡¯s not amon thing in American houses, but older Korean houses tend to have ?? (linoleum floorings) that covers the house floor ?

 Chapter 116

    <h4>Chapter 116</h4>


    ck markets, secretive ces where items that could not be traded publicly or were legally prohibited were exchanged, had existed side-by-side with humanity for millennia.


    They so tenaciously appeared everywhere throughout history that one might even wonder about the reason why. But there was no real need to dive too deeply into it.


    <i>It¡¯s simply because they are necessary.</i>


    Whether it was to dispose of illegally obtained goods, obtain prohibited technologies for research, or gain a higher profit, there were people who needed a ce unrestrained by thew. Thus, all of these people would naturally gather among themselves to satisfy their desires, forming these ck markets.


    Regardless of how hard thew tried to regte and crack down on ck markets, they would always reappear somewhere.


    ¡°Wee.¡±


    And the ck market in the Philippines, the ck Arms, was no exception.


    <i>Click!</i>


    Checking their tickets, the guard punched a hole through them and allowed them to pass and board the opulent luxurious cruise ship which seemed to be able to amodate ten thousand passengers easily.


    Climbing the stairs to board the ship, Se-Hoon slowly surveyed the passengers through his sunsses.


    <i>This should be about... two-thirds, maybe.</i>


    At first nce, the passengers appeared to be just wealthy individuals, but on closer look, one would notice that their movements made them different from ordinary people. Their essories, like earrings and rings, were notably not just ordinary adornments.


    Intrigued, Se-Hoon observed the ominous crowd that would apany them on board, but a stern voice from behind soon refocused his attention.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted.¡±


    With her red hair tied up and swept to the right, the source of the voice sported a pair of ck sunsses covering her eyes, a ck suit, and a ck pair of gloves¡ªthe perfect look and vibes of a seasoned bodyguard.


    ¡°I was just taking a quick look.¡±


    ¡°Even so, you shouldn¡¯t stray from thedy¡¯s side.¡±


    Rolling his eyes at the bodyguard¡¯s remark, Se-Hoon casually shifted his gaze toward the long-haired girl in a luxurious ck dress. Although a small veil attached to her wide-brimmed hat obstructed her eyes and face, her skin was so palepared to her dark clothes and hair that she naturally drew attention.


    ¡°Why are you making a fuss when thedy hasn¡¯t said anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling you to behave, considering where we are right now.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, yes. Okay.¡±


    Giving that casual reply, Se-Hoonzily positioned himself by thedy¡¯s side. Like that, the three of them walked past the passengers and moved further inside.


    Left behind, those silently observing the trio began quietly exchanging words among themselves.


    ¡°Looks like a young master hase to y.¡±


    ¡°The bodyguards seempetent, though?¡±


    ¡°Still, they¡¯re probably just mercenaries introduced by some middleman. That kid got the concept all wrong and can¡¯t even act properly.¡±


    Thanks to the long time they spent in the ck market, they could easily distinguish whether someone was from the same circle or was a newbie who hade upon hearing rumors. So upon determining that Se-Hoon was thetter, they decided to find out his exact identityter and quickly dispersed their attention.


    Meanwhile, the bodyguards and thedy continued moving inward, pretending to be oblivious to the attention they had momentarily gathered.


    Soon, the three entered their assigned VIP cabin.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>.¡±


    And Eun-Ha, the bodyguard, instantly removed her sunsses and sighed.


    ¡°Acting sure isn¡¯t easy.¡±


    Acting like a skilled bodyguard, particrly an A-rank one who seemed like they had a considerable amount of strength, meant that there were numerous details she had to consider.


    Noticing Eun-Ha¡¯s awkwardness with acting in her voice, Se-Hoon chuckled.


    ¡°You did pretty well back there, though. They should have beenpletely fooled by your act.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Erika asked after removing her veil.


    Nodding, Se-Hoon said, ¡°You were good too. You looked just like a bodyguard pretending to be an escorted young miss.¡±


    Before visiting the ck Arms, the first thing Eun-Ha wanted to prepare was the persona that Se-Hoon would assume.


    <i>¡°The ck Arms doesn¡¯t ask for one¡¯s identity if their credit is guaranteed, but it¡¯s necessary to act to some extent to avoid suspicions from the other patrons.¡±</i>


    Since the ck market¡¯s primary patrons all had something shady about them, each patron was just as interested in finding out other patrons¡¯ identities as they were in hiding their own.


    Therefore Se-Hoon discussed with Eun-Ha and finally managed to settle on a usible persona.


    <i>A naive young master disguised as a bodyguard, apanied by two real bodyguards who are humoring his clumsy acting.</i>


    It was the ideal persona for him; he could take the lead and also trick others into underestimating him as a naive young fool. That was the reason why Se-Hoon was acting independently despite posing as a bodyguard and why Eun-Ha and Erika were acting as real bodyguards who were hurriedly following him.


    ¡°It seems we¡¯re off to a smooth start.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it seems there won¡¯t be any issues with our current approach.¡±


    Agreeing with a nod, Eun-Ha then turned to look at Erika, who was standing close to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°You were amazing back there too, Erika.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°However, walking too close to Se-Hoon might not be good, as people could make the mistake that you have a personal rtionship with him.¡±


    Noting Eun-Ha¡¯s calm critique, Erika made a thoughtful face.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it also strange for a bodyguard to be <i>too </i>far away from the young master though?¡±


    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is just that you should maintain a proper distance.¡±


    Spotting the strange tension flowing between the two, Se-Hoon made a mildly displeased expression.


    <i>I should have told her from the start that Erika was apanying us.</i>


    The original concept they settled on was a lord and a bodyguard, but it waster changed when he remembered to inform Eun-Ha that Erika was going to join. With one more person, the concept and theplexity of the acting increased, which seemed much to her displeasure.


    <i>They both agreed to apany me without anyints though, so they must trust each other somewhat...</i>


    Surely, Erika wouldn¡¯t have agreed if she had absolutely no interest in whether he lived or died.


    Taking action to dispel the awkwardness, Se-Hoon quickly interjected, ¡°What¡¯s our next move? I¡¯d like to find out more about Immortal if possible...¡±


    Breaking the tension, Eun-Ha shifted her gaze and replied, ¡°Since he should be attending as a guest, it wouldn¡¯t be wise to ask around directly. For now, our best course of action is to look into auctioned items and guess where he might appear.¡±


    ¡°Ah, then can you perhaps get me a catalog of the items?¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    After expressing her agreement, Eun-Ha browsed the room service menu ced on the desk and picked up the telephone.


    ¡°I would like to order the limited-quantity evening dessert set. Yes, for three people, one with coffee and two with tea will be fine. For the desserts, I will have each...¡±


    True to her name as the Gourmet, Eun-Ha listed each dessert she wanted from the menu like an expert and then put down the phone when she finished.


    ¡°The catalogs should arrive soon. I¡¯ll receive it, so in the meantime, Se-Hoon, please get your disguise properly adjusted by Erika.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Understood. This way.¡±


    Leading Se-Hoon to a room, Erika sat him down in front of arge mirror at a dressing table.


    ¡°Take off your sunsses.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    With his sunsses now off, he looked into the mirror to see a face that he was unfamiliar with. The features of his face had softened overall and had be more refined, especially around his eyes and jawline. A hint of purple had even been added to his eyes, giving him a subtle nuance that finished his transformation into apletely different person.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get started with the adjustment now.¡±


    Beginning the adjustments, Erika¡¯s hands slowly moved along his jawline. It felt like a thin y mask had materialized over his face, subtly reshaping his features. The process was quite interesting to watch.


    <i>So she¡¯s assimting the artificial skin with the body and then processing its shape while making it seem as natural as possible... I might be able to apply this to a curse.</i>


    Erika¡¯s confidence when she said she wouldn¡¯t get caught even by A-rank heroes wasn¡¯t without reason.


    Taking the opportunity, Se-Hoon carefully examined her spell through the mirror for other potential uses.


    ¡°Dean Ryu Eun-Ha.¡±


    Suddenly speaking up, Erika looked at Se-Hoon through the mirror and asked, ¡°Are you guys close?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Well... you could say we¡¯re close. Why?¡±


    ¡°You just seem very familiar with her.¡±


    Sweeping down Se-Hoon¡¯s lower jaw with her hand, Erika continued with a hint of suspicion in her voice, ¡°She seems like she wants to get closer to you whereas you act like you¡¯re already close to her. It¡¯s a bit strange.¡±


    The time they had spent together was the same, yet there seemed to be a difference in the emotions they felt for each other.


    <i>She¡¯s... sharper than I thought.</i>


    Although he hadn¡¯t really been trying to hide his emotions in front of Erika this was the first time someone besides Aria had managed to read him so urately.


    Surprised by her unexpected talent, Se-Hoon gazed back at Erika through the mirror.


    ¡°Did you notice anybody else that I treat simrly?¡±


    ¡°Luize Valente, Yeom Sung-Ha, and Aria Myers, though you treat her somewhat differently.¡±


    Erika removed her hand from his face.


    ¡°Are they the type of people that you like?¡±


    Surprised once again, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her straightforward question that was filled with genuine curiosity about his preferences.


    ¡°Did you really just ask that?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to know.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Well...¡±


    Taking a moment, Se-Hoon pondered over what type of person he preferred. In the end, he decided to give a somewhat vague answer.


    ¡°I suppose I like people who are transparent.¡±


    ¡°Transparent?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easier for me toe up with a proper response when I know exactly what kind of person I¡¯m dealing with. I always feel distant from a person whenever they try to hide something.¡±


    To be more precise, he was referring to those with whom he had formed a bond, but there was no need to borate that far as such a rtionship would naturally form between him and Erika if he continued to spend time with her.


    <i>There¡¯s no point in aiming for a specific rtionship from the start; those hardly ever work out.</i>


    Falling silent at his response, Erika pondered something before seeminglying to a decision.


    In a slow manner, Erika began, ¡°Then, you shoulde to my hous¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    But before Erika could finish her words, Eun-Ha entered the room.


    ¡°The catalog has arrived; you should take a look at it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    ¡°And.¡±


    Eun-Ha turned her head toward Erika, her gaze more detached than usual.


    ¡°Erika, I would like for you to adjust my disguise as well.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Instead of responding immediately, Erika silently stared at her for a moment.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the room to you guys then.¡±


    Letting Eun-Ha take over his spot, Se-Hoon walked out to the living room of the suite, where the catalogs wereid out on the table.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see...¡±


    He sat on the sofa and immediately picked up a catalog to inspect the items listed for auction.


    <i>They¡¯re mostly Hero tier.</i>


    There were a few Rare-tier items as well, but those were either casual items made by famous craftsmen or items made with expensive materials but not poor craftsmanship. Given the scale of the ck Arms, the items for auction were generally of high quality.


    <i>No Legendary-tier materials, huh?</i>


    It was extremely difficult to acquire Legendary materials. They were extremely rare drops from A-rank monsters, but acquiring them from S-rank monsters was rarer still due to the overall limited number of S-rank monsters.


    Slightly disappointed, Se-Hoon finished looking over the catalog. Unable to find anything particrly striking, Se-Hoon made an odd expression.


    <i>Nothing¡¯s really standing out.</i>


    Was Immortal here just for a casual visit, or was he interested in an item that hadn¡¯t been listed in the catalog yet? Wondering if he missed anything, Se-Hoon fell into deep thought and began examining the catalog again. A short whileter, the door to the room opened and Eun-Ha, having finished her adjustments with Erika, stepped into the living room.


    ¡°Did you find any suspicious listings?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. From what I saw, there isn¡¯t anything that stands out. They all seem quite ordinary...¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Upon hearing that Se-Hoon hadn¡¯t found anything, Eun-Ha mused over something for a moment before suggesting, ¡°Then it might be worthwhile to check out the private auctions held among the guests.¡±


    There were three different ways items were being traded at the ck Arms.


    The first was through the open market that was overseen by the hosts; the second was through an auction open only to those with verified credentials; and the third was through private auctions held by the guests who simply rented a space.


    ¡°Those tend to start as soon as we arrive at the ind, so we should start by finding out what items are being sold off right away.¡±


    ¡°Right. But where do we start looking for them?¡±


    Putting her sunsses back on, Eun-Ha replied, ¡°Downstairs.¡±


    ***


    There were two casinos on the cruise ship heading to the ck Arms: the regr casino used by ordinary travelers, and the VIP casino hidden further within.


    <i>Beep-</i>


    Confirming the VIP card Se-Hoon ced against the panel inside the elevator, the floor indicator changed to disy the word ¡®VIP¡¯ and started moving silently. The elevator moved down and then intricately sideways, navigating through the spatial magic deployed within the ship¡¯s hull.


    Passing the time, Se-Hoon observed the faint vibrations.


    <i>Ding!</i>


    With a clear ring and a sudden stop, the doors opened and revealed a casino decoratedvishly in red and gold.


    The opulent scene vividly gave off the impression that money was being spent like water. And indeed it was; the stakes at each table were astronomical, with the lowest chip value being a whopping one million won.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>. I¡¯m not getting any luck today.¡±


    ¡°<i>Argh</i>. Take it all, take everything.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes sparkled at the glimpse he got of the financial scale of the ck Arms. Every bet ranged from hundreds of millions to tens of billions of won per game.


    ¡°Captain, let¡¯s hurry inside!¡±


    ¡°Calm down. We have plenty of time...¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get moving already. Thedy wants to look around too.¡±


    Continuing his feigned act as a naive young master, he strode into the depths of the casino, with Eun-Ha and Erika sighing and dutifully following behind.


    <i>It seems we¡¯ve made the right first impression...</i>


    Confirming that the wary nces at them had significantly diminished, Se-Hoon calmly surveyed the surroundings. While everyone was casually gambling and chatting with each other, it was clear¡ªfrom the conversations, gazes, and gestures at each¡ªthat the atmosphere was different at several tables.


    ¡°I used to be able to do this all day long. But my body isn¡¯t what it used to be.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? There¡¯s a nice ce I know on the ind; I could introduce you if you want. It¡¯s not a bad ce to take a day off.¡±


    As they spoke, they subtly signaled each other with several taps on the table and chip movements disguised as bets, giving introductions and starting their bargaining and transactions.


    <i>I¡¯m getting the gist of it.</i>


    Thanks to Eun-Ha briefing him about these signals, it was easier for him to distinguish them. The task now was to identify any big yers among them with his keen observation.


    However, just as he was about to survey the casino further, his ears picked up on something.


    ¡°Ah, ah.¡±


    A familiar, smug voice reached Se-Hoon¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Where did all the gamblers go? Isn¡¯t this just matching pictures? Why is it taking so long?¡±


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    Reacting to the taunt, a middle-aged man grimaced and fidgeted with his cardsid out on the floor, making it clear that he was hesitating whether to bet more. Seeing that, the young man across from him, with jet-ck hair and brown skin, smirked.


    ¡°You think the patterns will be erased if you do that? Your fingerprints would probably wear off first.¡±


    <i>Click- click-</i>


    The young man twirled two red chips impressively in his hand, and soon, the sound made the middle-aged man tremble and shout, ¡°Just shut up, will you!¡±


    Being a VIP allowed in the VIP casino of ck Arms, the middle-aged man was no ordinary person. His rising anger unleashed waves of ominous mana and murderous intent toward the young man still twirling chips across the table.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    <i>Wham-</i>


    The young man had flung one of the chips, shattering it without a trace.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Feeling threatened, the middle-aged man flinched, and the young man snickered.


    ¡°Whoa, calm down. It¡¯s just a game.¡±


    With a gentle smile, the young man propped up his chin and skillfully flipped two cards between his fingers, revealing the Ace of Clubs and the Queen of Clubs. And among the five cards revealed on the table, the King, Jack, and Ten of Clubs made up three of them.


    ¡°A Royal Flush...¡±


    Facing a Royal Flush¡ªa consecutive sequence of Ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of any matching suite¡ªthe highest hand possible, the middle-aged man dropped his cards in despair.


    In contrast, the young man¡¯s eyes, glistening with a silver hue, twinkled with a satisfied glow.


    ¡°Albeit an already won game.¡±


    The young man was clearly having a good time mocking the defeated man, showing the same viinous aura that Se-Hoon had gotten very familiar with before he regressed.


    Convinced by the sight, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes widened in recognition.


    <i>...The Frost Dog?</i>


    The young man was Amir Singh, thest of the Three Dogs.

 Chapter 117

    <h4>Chapter 117</h4>


    <i>Ooom, ooom-</i>


    Club music sted from giant speakers and rays of light flickered throughout the hall. The air was still warm with the heat created by the hundreds of people frolicking about, yet... there were no people.


    sses still contained alcohol, cigarettes were still slowly burning in ashtrays, and wallets and cell phones were strewn about. The presence of people was so heavy that it hardly seemed like they had just all gone somewhere; it was like they had all just suddenly evaporated.


    The extraordinary scene made Se-Hoon furrow his brow.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>...¡±


    Having just returned from checking the items in the basement, Se-Hoon was greeted by a scene where something had obviously gone wrong. He grasped his hammer tightly in his hand and walked out slowly.


    <i>Click.</i>


    Almost instantly, the speakers went silent and the flickering lights fully turned on and brightly illuminated the hall. Compared to just moments ago, the club was so quiet that he could even hear his own breathing.


    Tensing up, Se-Hoon heightened his alertness and prepared for the unusual situation.


    ¡°This is... really.¡±


    A voice filled with disappointment came from a table nearby, grasping his attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m d to see you or if I¡¯m sick of seeing you.... It¡¯s hard to put it into words.¡±


    Discovering the owner of an annoying face sitting in the middle of a long sofa with his legs crossed, Se-Hoon wondered whether it was just one of their subordinates in disguise or the man himself. He didn¡¯t have to wonder for long¡ªthe cold mana from their silver eyes gave it away.


    <i>Luck is really not on my side today, huh?</i>


    Disappointed that just leaving was not an option, he looked at the jerk, Amir Singh, sitting on the sofa.


    ¡°Why is it you again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be saying that.¡±


    With a snort of disdain, Amir looked Se-Hoon up and down with a suspicious gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯ve personally gone out for business exactly four times this year, and you¡¯ve been there every single time.... There¡¯s no other exnation besides youing to look for me specifically, right?¡±


    ¡°Why would I look for a psycho murderer like you? Do I look like I have a death wish?¡±


    ¡°... But it seems that way, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Amir said, looking at Se-Hoon dubiously.


    Letting out a sigh, Se-Hoon judged that Amir didn¡¯t seem like he would let him go easily, so he reached into the void pocket at his waist.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    But the moment he reached for it, dozens of des suddenly surrounded his neck. Pausing his movements, Se-Hoon observed the owners of the des¡ªAmir¡¯s subordinates whose faces were covered with ck masks¡ªbefore looking through a gap at Amir.


    ¡°Hey. Tell them to back off.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, guys. Stand down.¡±


    Heeding Amir¡¯smand, the subordinates encircling Se-Hoon disappeared just as quietly as they had appeared. With them now gone, Se-Hoon resumed his actions, pulling out the item he had picked up in the basement out of his void pocket.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    The item was a ck box stered with talismans. It had an ominous look, with ck mist, which caused a tearing pain on the skin just by touching it, leaking out through its cracks.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was just told to fetch it from here by my master.¡±


    Fascinated by the information, the corners of Amir¡¯s mouth lifted slightly.


    ¡°A new toy of the Blood Master... that was some useful information you¡¯ve given me there.¡±


    ¡°Just stop messing with me and let me go. I¡¯m terribly exhausted right now.¡±


    ¡°Let you go? That¡¯s a disappointing request to make of me; someone might think I¡¯m trying to kill you or something.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that not so?¡±


    Smirking at how Amir was continuing to maintain his facade of nonchnt behavior, Se-Hoon abruptly swung the hammer he held in his hand through the air.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Shattered fragments of ice rained down from the air.


    If Se-Hoon had charged in recklessly, his entire body would have been butchered by the hidden ice des, buying him a direct ticket to theherworld.


    ¡°You sure do have a keen sense.¡±


    ¡°Keen my ass. There¡¯s a reason why people call you the Frost Dog,¡± snapped Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Most people call me the Silver Shadow, not some bizarre nickname like the Frost Dog,¡± Amir said with disbelief.


    ¡°I guarantee it will stick to you soon enough. You may not know about it, but there are a ton of people cursing you behind your back.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to talk about people cursing us, you¡¯re even more...¡±


    ¡°Ah, forget it. I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Giving up on Amir, Se-Hoon waved his hand dismissively and started walking away. And unlike what he thought, Amir didn¡¯t seem inclined to hold him back any longer.


    Before he could sigh in relief though, Se-Hoon heard Amir¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Ah, you did give me some good information, so let me give you one piece of advice in return.¡±


    Amir stood up while straightening out his cor.


    ¡°You should already know that the ces I go to for business are all like powder kegs... and as you can see, things didn¡¯t go as smoothly asst time.¡±


    Facing Se-Hoon, Amir shed a sly smile.


    ¡°I hope you make it back safely.¡±


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Leaving him with those words, Amir¡¯s body transformed into ice and shattered into pieces along with the subtle presence of his subordinates.


    ¡°Breach!¡±


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Not a secondter, shouts and explosions rang out from above. He was caught off guard by the noisy footsteps descending the stairs, which were so perfectly timed that it seemed like Amir had been waiting for them.


    Resigned, Se-Hoon unknowingly covered his eyes and muttered, ¡°Bastard.¡±


    That was the day Se-Hoon became wanted by thew.


    ***


    <i>Again, huh?</i>


    The memory of his past shed through his head in the blink of an eye. Its content was unpleasant, but it reminded Se-Hoon of just how dangerous the smug fellow in the distance was.


    <i>I should be careful whenever I meet that guy.</i>


    Amir¡¯s family, the Singhs, had been information brokers in the underworld for a long time and were among thergest information organizations in the world. It was to the point that they, although it was by coercion, were even cooperating with one of the Ten Evils, the Dream Demon.


    So the mere fact that the Frost Dog had boarded the ship himself suggested that something significant was at stake in the ck Arms.


    <i>Wait, was he still under training to be the next boss around this time?</i>


    Realizing that the current year was long before his first meeting with the Frost Dog, it was possible that Amir hadn¡¯t taken up the role of the boss yet. If that was the case, then the danger level changed.


    Musing over it, Se-Hoon soon made up his mind and whispered to the two with him, ¡°I¡¯ll try that silver-eyed guy, so follow my lead.¡±


    Discretely acknowledging his words, Eun-Ha and Erika nodded silently.


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>. This game isn¡¯t fun... hmm?¡±


    Noticing the approaching Se-Hoon, Amir stopped grumbling and scanned Se-Hoon while propping up his chin with one hand.


    <i>Is he some young master in disguise?</i>


    Having memorized every bit of the information about the passengers when it was ryed to him in real-time, he was able to recall the identity of anyone who approached him quickly.


    <i>I didn¡¯t think he hade here for a private auction instead of a public one.</i>


    Knowing that it was that young master¡¯s first visit, Amir naturally assumed it was to have fun in the public auctions, but it seemed he was wrong.


    So since that was the case, Amir guessed that he was a young master on an errand for his parents and began musing over who they could be.


    ¡°I heard you were bored? How about a game with me then?¡± Se-Hoon said, sitting in the seat across from Amir.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Observing the arrogantly smiling Se-Hoon, whose eyes were hidden behind his sunsses, Amir pondered briefly. Se-Hoon¡¯s inscrutable demeanor was interesting enough to make him sit up straight.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re a bodyguard.... Is it alright to gamble during work?¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, that... it¡¯s fine. Mydy enjoys watching me y,¡± Se-Hoon said smugly, tantly pleased with his hastilye up with excuse.


    <i>Looks like he¡¯s watched too many spy movies, </i>Amir thought with a bitter smile.


    He felt like his opponent was too foolish to be worth interacting with, yet he still smiled brightly.


    ¡°That sounds fine, then. Shall we y a game?¡±


    The more foolish the opponent seemed, the more carefully one should observe them. Recalling that old family adage, Amir turned to look at the dealer, who was quietly waiting.


    ¡°Can we have a shuffle¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah, wait. Let¡¯s do something more interesting than cards.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Puzzled, Amir turned back to look at Se-Hoon, who pointed to a dart machine ced in the distance.


    ¡°How about we y that? I heard from my captain that your skills are quite extraordinary.¡±


    Detecting the hint of aggressiveness behind the curiosity and excitement in Se-Hoon¡¯s suggestion, Amir nodded.


    ¡°Sure, that shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡±


    Standing up from the table, Amir headed towards the dart machine. Following behind, Se-Hoon took the opportunity to assess Amir¡¯s posture.


    <i>Hmm. I think I¡¯m getting there. </i>But it wasn¡¯t enough to be sure.


    Se-Hoon, having assumed the guise of a na?ve young master once again, took off his zer and picked up a dart.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t used this machine before; could you set it up for me?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll go with what I usually y.¡±


    Amir tapped on the panels in the air, and after a moment, the letters on the top of the dart machine changed.


    <i>[HELL MODE]</i>


    <i>nk!</i>


    The floor between them and the dartboard then opened, allowing ck tentacle-like things to surge up and densely block the path to the dartboard.


    ¡°You just have to hit the dartboard while avoiding these tentacles. Simple, right?¡±


    Gawking at the sight of the tentacles moving ceaselessly from side to side, blocking a clear path to the dartboard, Se-Hoon¡¯s mouth fell open. Regaining hisposure a secondter, he bit his lip hard.


    ¡°It looks doable.¡±


    Taking aim, Se-Hoon focused on the dartboard ahead and threw the dart with all of his might the moment a gap appeared.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    However, the dart didn¡¯t even make it halfway. Se-Hoon scowled, startled by the dart that had pierced the area right in front of his feet after being knocked back by a tentacle.


    ¡°What the...¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s my turn then.¡±


    Moving to stand beside Se-Hoon, Amir picked up a dart and threw it effortlessly with no hesitation at all.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    The dart hit the center of the dartboard squarely, cleanly shooting past all of the tentacles. The miraculous feat widened Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes in shock.


    ¡°Your turn now,¡± Amir said, stepping to the side with a smile.


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    Like that, the two alternated who threw, repeating the same situation over and over.


    Without fail, Se-Hoon¡¯s darts bounced off a tentacle, nearly hitting himself, before even reaching the dartboard, while Amir¡¯s darts consistently hit the center.


    ¡°Ho. That guy is pretty...¡±


    ¡°He <i>is</i> pretty tough, just like what I thought when I saw him earlier...¡±


    With such pr results, it naturally drew spectators who started betting on the match, just as one would expect in a casino.


    ¡°Either the newbie will hit it at least once or the old hand will miss the center; which side will you bet on?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? Obviously, on the old hand.¡±


    ¡°No way, people like them usually fail at least once. I¡¯m betting on the newbie!¡±


    ¡°You do know that it¡¯s not just about the old hand failing; the newbie has to hit to win.¡±


    ¡°Huh??? There¡¯s no way I¡¯m betting on the newbie then.¡±


    Just the idea that Se-Hoon could hit the dartboard gave everyone a goodugh, and over twenty dartster, it was just as they had expected.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    Having seen Se-Hoon¡¯s embarrassing disy¡ªand the sight of him staring intensely at the tentacles with a red face¡ªAmir grimaced.


    <i>I thought it was just an act but... he really is a newbie after all.</i>


    He had a terrible stance, ack of discernment, and a demeanor that was easily rattled by the mockery of those around them¡ªbut even then, it was still possible that someone skilled in deception like Amir himself could manage to pull off such an act. As such, Amir¡¯s certainty that Se-Hoon was a newbie came from just one thing.


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    A clear winter sky despite a raging outward fury; Amir¡¯s gleaming silver eyes, his Winter Sky Eyes, clearly reflected Se-Hoon¡¯s inner state. Externally, Se-Hoon was about to throw the darts aside at any moment, but his inner state was crystal clear without any hidden thoughts.


    <i>I envy that he is able to live so thoughtlessly.</i>


    Since the young master was so thoughtless, Amir expected his bodyguards to be anxious and on high alert. But when he nced back to check, he couldn¡¯t help but raise one of his eyebrows in surprise.


    <i>Hmm...</i>


    Things... were a bit different from what he had expected.


    Turning his head back, Amir resumed watching Se-Hoon desperately searching for an opening in the forest of tentacles.


    <i>Life really isn¡¯t easy, </i>Amir thought, chuckling softly.


    Seeing as how even <i>he </i>was surprised by such unexpected results, he wondered how those unable to read minds managed to go about their lives. It brought back memories of his childhood, ones which were now faint and hazy, and he reminisced peacefully until a dart rebounded off the tentacle and fiercely shot toward him.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The sound of metal echoed throughout the casino.


    Mindlessly dispelling the ice de he instinctively conjured in his right hand, Amir turned to face the redhead bodyguard in front of him, who had intercepted the dart before he could.


    ¡°I apologize. My subordinate seemed to have made a mistake...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Still a bit shocked, Amir¡¯s gaze shifted between the broken dart on the floor and Se-Hoon, who was standing far off.


    ¡°Wait, it wasn¡¯t intentional... I mean...¡±


    With an anxiety-ridden pale face, Se-Hoon frantically scanned his surroundings. But unfortunately for him, the gathered onlookers were all jeering or clicking their tongues at him.


    ¡°Since he couldn¡¯t manage to score even once, I guess he tried to kill his opponent instead.¡±


    ¡°He looks like he thought this had a bit more potential, huh? Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Hey, old hand! You know you won¡¯t be able to show your face around here if you just let this slide, right?¡±


    ¡°What are you guys talking about...? It wasn¡¯t on purpose!!!¡±


    Despite Se-Hoon¡¯s desperate plea, the crowd continued to egg him on, turning the shade of Se-Hoon¡¯s face a ghastly white. Staying silent, Amir checked through his Winter Sky Eyes whether Se-Hoon¡¯s inner state contained any deceit.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end it here. It¡¯s too tiring to even entertain you anymore,¡± said Amir with a sigh, having verified Se-Hoon¡¯s inner state.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re ending it just like that?¡±


    ¡°What about our bets?¡±


    Listening to the crowd¡¯s mor, Amir picked up the remaining darts and casually threw them all at once.


    <i>Tat, tat tat!</i>


    The three dartsnded in the center with perfect uracy. Amir shrugged his shoulders at the silenced crowd.


    ¡°Will this be enough?¡±


    ¡°Perfect! Those who bet that he couldn¡¯tnd them all in the center,e here!¡±


    ¡°But throwing them all at once is cheating!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like a miser and pay up!¡±


    Not missing a beat, the casino became bustling again. And Amir, who had been disdainfully watching, approached Se-Hoon.


    Arriving up close, Amir quietly examined Se-Hoon¡¯s pale face before saying in a somewhat subdued voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know what grand rumors brought you here, but don¡¯t waste your time in ces like this. It¡¯s not as interesting as you think.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Also, don¡¯t get cocky and try to test your skills against someone who obviously isn¡¯t ordinary.¡±


    <i>Tap, tap.</i>


    Giving Se-Hoon two gentle taps on his shoulders, Amir turned toward Eun-Ha and Erika, who were nearby.


    ¡°Act like the bodyguards you are paid to be.¡±


    Leaving Se-Hoon with those words, Amir turned and headed out of the casino. The recentmotion had drawn too much attention to him, making it difficult to survey the casino any further. Though, it wasn¡¯t like he was in the mood for it.


    <i>What am I even doing right now...</i>


    His job was to calmly extract as much information from such fools as possible, a tedious task that wouldst over the days toe. Yet, he had inadvertently remembered old memories that made him unable to keep his cool.


    <i>¡°It wasn¡¯t me! Something went wrong...!¡± </i>The voice of his past self crying out in frustration, ignored by the ones who knew the truth rang out in his head. Despite knowing the truth, they had closed one eye, choosing to take advantage of the opportunity to turn on each other instead.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>.¡±


    Perhaps it was because he had seen a sky too clear.


    Affected by the regrets of his naive past, Amir irritably shook off the memory as he walked to his room.


    ***


    Back in his own room, away from the ridicule of the crowd, Se-Hoon took off his sunsses and grinned triumphantly.


    ¡°That guy has an unusual item with him. Let¡¯s try to get a hold of that.¡±


    ¡°So it really was an act...¡± said Eun-Ha in disbelief.


    Gazing at Se-Hoon, who had changed his attitude in an instant, she thought about earlier. Se-Hoon didn¡¯t seem like he was putting up an act at all, making her seriously contemte whether he had a split personality.


    ¡°Ah. Erika¡¯s magic had more utility than I originally thought. If you felt that way, everyone back there must have been fooled.¡±


    ¡°How did you utilize it?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a secret.¡±


    Staying secretive, Se-Hoon grinned at Erika and touched his face.


    <strong>[*Mana Circuit ¡®Artificial Camouge¡¯: Allows one to manipte the equipped disguise]</strong>


    To disguise him, Erika had used magic to craft a fake face out of artificial leather and mana. And since it could be seen as a kind of equipment, Se-Hoon could manipte it. With Soul Honing, he formed temporary pathways to achieve a one hundred percent assimtion rate, allowing him to transform himself into a different person.


    It was so perfect that it enabled him to deceive even Amir¡¯s Winter Sky Eyes, which allowed him to peek into others¡¯s hearts and create an opening.


    <i>It was honestly more effective than I thought it would be.... I can probably use this in the future as well.</i>


    Once again, a totally new technique was added to his arsenal.


    Pleased by the unexpected gain, Se-Hoon relished in the feeling. At that moment, Eun-Ha asked with curiosity, ¡°How can you be so sure he¡¯s hiding something? I didn¡¯t see any such movements.¡±


    ¡°Did you notice how he reflexively moved to protect his chest when that dart was deflected toward him? He must have something hidden near his chest.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t that just have been him protecting his vital spot?¡± asked Erika.


    Shaking his head, Se-Hoon replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been observing his movements since we first met, and he¡¯s not someone who would move like that without any reason. As the situation was more tense than usual, he was definitely prioritizing whatever he was hiding over blocking like he would usually.¡±


    To be more precise, Se-Hoon was referring to the first time they met <i>before</i> the regression; he was very familiar with the movements of the Frost Dog.


    <i>If I had taken a bit more time, my disguise might have worn off or I would seem a bit suspicious. But everything worked out just right.</i>


    Now that he¡¯d figured out that Amir was hiding something, all that was left was to figure out what the item was, if it was connected to Immortal, and how to steal it and escape.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The absolute confidence that Se-Hoon gave off made both Eun-Ha and Erika wear strange expressions.


    The fact that one could understand someone so thoroughly in such a short amount of time seemed absurd at first, but they soon decided to just ept it.


    <i>Lee Se-Hoon has always been like that.</i>


    <i>This is not that different from usual.</i>


    Unlike the first time, which might have been utterly unbelievable, such incredulous feats were no longer new to them. Thinking Se-Hoon had likely just learned some incredible skills from the Broken Sword, Ma Kwang-Soo, Eun-Ha moved on to another topic.


    ¡°I understand that you suspect that person is connected to Immortal, but nning an ambush on the ship won¡¯t be easy. And since this ship belongs to the ck Arms, that¡¯s especially true. There might even be those that are as strong as me.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a n thought out?¡± followed up Erika.


    ¡°I saw some useful materials on the way down to the casino,¡± said Se-Hoon as his mouth widened into a grin.


    He then tapped his void pocket and slipped a golden ring, the Ascension Ring, onto his right ring finger.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try making abyrinth.¡±

 Chapter 118

    <h4>Chapter 118</h4>


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    A fierce wind raged, summoning dark clouds that dimmed even the night sky. Large waves rocked the ship relentlessly, rattling the ship non-stop like one was experiencing an earthquake.


    Noticing this foreboding weather, the passengers who had been enjoying their journey tensed up. Then, an emergency broadcast began to y.


    ¡ªDue to a sudden mana storm, the ship is experiencing significant turbulence. For your safety, please enter your rooms and secure yourself.


    Though a sudden mana storm wasn¡¯t amon urrence out at sea, it happened sometimes, just like sudden downpours while walking on a road. And knowing that, the passengers rxed their tension and began to grumble to dispel their nerves.


    ¡°Ah, damn. Why today of all days?¡±


    ¡°Come on, I came here to have fun...¡±


    Though they wanted to ignore the emergency broadcast and continue enjoying themselves, they knew doing so could lead to them being suspected of being a demon. Therefore, the passengers obediently followed the staff¡¯s guidance and returned to their rooms.


    Then, when the passengers had all returned to their rooms, a colorless and odorless gas silently began to flow out of the venttion ducts.


    ¡°Maybe I yed around too much...¡±


    ¡°I should probably just go to sleep if I can¡¯t even go outside...¡±


    Feeling the onught of drowsiness, the passengers naturally went to sleep in their beds after inhaling the gas. Shortly thereafter, the roaring wind and the raging waves calmed just as suddenly as they had appeared.


    Serenity pervaded the ship, which was now dead silent, only to be broken by the opening of the doors that had closed due to safety measures and the staff members of the ck Arms who were scurrying around.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving soon; hurry up!¡±


    ¡°Check the items and prepare to unload them immediately!¡±


    There were about twenty minutes left until the ship, which had altered its course, would arrive at the ck Arms¡¯ secret artificial ind. Terrified of the punishment the owner of the ck Arms, Owner, might unleash if they weren¡¯t ready to unload the items upon arrival, the staff frantically hurried about.


    Thus, everyone, even those directing the entire ship in the central control room, became especially busy.


    ¡°Move all of the cargo from sector C-22 to sector B-12!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see that they¡¯re aligning the spaces there right now? Do it in order! In order!¡±


    ¡°A-10 and A-11 aren¡¯t attached yet? It¡¯s bing a mess because the path is blocked right now!¡±


    Along with directing the ship, those in the central control room managed the interior structure of the entire ship¡ªmanipting the puzzle-like sections through spatial magic¡ªand the security of the cargo stored in the storehouses.


    They had to be constantly prepared to act, so now, with the impending arrival at the ind, the pressure was especially intense.


    ¡°Hurry and unlock sector D-11.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m unlocking other ces, so tell them to wait a bit!¡±


    Sitting around a round table, the staff members busily tapped on panels. With each tap, a hologram of the ship in the center changed, splitting and rbining to disy the current status of the ship.


    Amidst this hectic atmosphere of constant changes in the central control room, one staff member noticed something odd.


    ¡°Huh? Why is the elevator...¡±


    The elevator in the passenger section had begun to descend. Normally, the elevators were off-limits during arrival preparations because they could get caught between the shifting sections.


    ¡°Boss, someone is in the elevator...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably that damn cargo team leader! Just throw him into any storehouse for now!¡±


    ¡°Ah, understood.¡±


    Immediately picking up on the team leader¡¯s irritation, the staff member averted his gaze. It was clear that poking about at such a time would only result in a harsh scolding for not handling things properly.


    Watching the elevator continue to descend, the staff member just shrugged.


    ¡°Well, no one but a team leader could move it anyway.¡±


    During the preparation for arrival, all elevators were firmly locked by spatial magic, only unlockable by the team leaders¡¯ cards.


    Letting go of his worries, the staff member decided to handle it as told and adjusted the route toward a storehouse by tapping on the panel.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    Ignoring the controls, the elevator began to descend even faster.


    ¡°Wait. Boss...¡±


    Btedly realizing that something was <i>very </i>wrong, the staff member hurriedly rushed to call his boss, but... it was already toote.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The descending elevator crashed through the ceiling of the central control room, prompting the emergency sirens to re everywhere and dye the room in a red glow.


    Shocked frozen by the situation that had escted in the blink of an eye, the staff all watched as fingers covered by ck gloves emerged from the cracks of the elevator doors.


    <i>Creak!</i>


    The doors of the elevator were ripped apart like paper, and a young man wearing sunsses and a girl with her face covered by a veil stepped out.


    ¡°Hmm... the system here is more modern than I thought.¡±


    Though it was still outdatedpared to the one at Shangri-La, where the Noblesse had taken ce, the fact that administrator approval was required every time a staff member manually moved a section made it beneficial for security.


    Figuring out how the control device worked at a nce, Se-Hoon turned to face Erika, who was standing beside him examining the interior of the control room.


    ¡°So, do you think you can do what I asked you for?¡±


    Erika nodded. ¡°If I can figure out the pattern of mana.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then¡ª¡±


    Just as Se-Hoon was about to look for the administrator, the space before them rippled.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Dozens of spikes, seemingly having been thrown by many hands, shot toward them from all directions. Simultaneously, a man appeared behind Se-Hoon, swinging two daggers viciously.


    The central control room¡¯s team leader, an A-rank spatial magic sorcerer, had seized the first opportunity after the elevator had fallen tounch a swift assault.


    <i>I¡¯ve got them...!</i>


    He had used spatial magic tounch hidden spikes from all sides, aiming for their vitals, before immediately following up with an attack of his own. Admiring his own perfect surprise attack that blocked all routes for escape, he gleamed triumphantly.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    But then, a red meteor shot out from inside the elevator.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Unable to react, the central control room¡¯s team leader could only watch as airpressed by a punch deflected all iing spikes and a fist d in a ck glove rapidly struck his sr plexus and abdomen.


    <i>Bang! Crunch!</i>


    The armor under his clothes shattered instantly, and so did his bones.


    Pushing the assault, Eun-Ha, disguised as the redhead bodyguard, quickly grabbed the staggering team leader by the neck. She then spun around and kicked another staff member who was charging at Erika, smashing his jaw.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The staff member¡¯s jaw shattered and his eyes went vacant. Finishing up, Eun-Ha forcefully threw the body of the team leader toward him.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    And both the team leader and the staff member were smashed against the wall.


    The expeditive, one-sided beatdown caused the onlookers¡¯ mouths to gape, since they knew that those two were rather capablebatants.


    ¡°Anyone else?¡±


    Eun-Ha¡¯s indifferent scan around the room caused the staff members¡¯ backs to be covered in a cold sweat.


    <i>Sh-she¡¯s definitely an S-grade.</i>


    <i>One mistake and we¡¯re all done for.</i>


    Regardless of what happened next, their lives were essentially in the hands of this monster before them. With no will to resist, the staff members didn¡¯t move a muscle.


    In the meantime, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes lit up upon scanning the room.


    <i>That¡¯s the guy.</i>


    Looking at the team leader, who was sitting against the wall unconscious, Se-Hoon examined the flow of mana inside him through his Eyes of irvoyance and replicated it in his palm.


    ¡°You just have to configure it like this.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... got it.¡±


    Examining the sample created by Se-Hoon, Erika ced her right hand on the control device¡¯s panel without hesitation.


    Silver mana surged from her hand, infiltrating the control device and beginning to root itself throughout the central control room.


    Though terrified, the staff members watched her intently and grew confused.


    <i>Huh? Is she just oveying a copy over it?</i>


    <i>Why is she doing that?</i>


    Rather than dispelling the existing magic array or seizing control of it, she just recreated an identical copy of it and ced it on top of the original. What was she trying to achieve with such a pointless action?


    However, despite it seeming pointless, Erika calmlypleted her spellcasting and removed her hand.


    ¡°It¡¯spleted.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Confirming that the two identical magic arrays were perfectly ovepping each other, Se-Hoon ced his gloved right hand on the device, recalling the information on spatial magic that he had read in a textbook.


    <i>The strength of spatial magic lies more in the density of mana than its volume.</i>


    When two spatial magic sorcererspeted over the same space, the one with the denser mana prevailed. This meant that even if a B-rank spatial magic sorcerer could wield more mana, an A-rank spatial magic sorcerer would always be able to take control of the space first with their more densely refined mana.


    <i>It¡¯s essentially like having ess rights.</i>


    It was just like how multiple user ounts could not override an administrator ount. Thus, with that information in mind, Se-Hoon came up with an idea.


    <i>When two magic arrays that control the same space areyered one on top of the other, which one¡¯smands will the space follow?</i>


    Would it obey themands of an A-rank spatial magic sorcerer user? Or... would it obey a Perfect One? Thinking about the practically predetermined answer, Se-Hoon activated the power of the Ascension Ring inside his ck glove and pushed it into the device.


    <i>Click-</i>


    Following its new master¡¯smands, the entire ship began to reassemble itself.


    ***


    ¡°...¡±


    Amir, who had been reading a book in his chair, suddenly furrowed his brow.


    He felt faint vibrations from below, something that definitely shouldn¡¯t be felt during arrival preparations, which meant that something was amiss.


    ¡°Do we have a problem?¡±


    The air shimmered and a subordinate cloaked in ck appeared to quietly respond, ¡°It seems there¡¯s an issue below the ship.¡±


    ¡°And the exact cause?¡±


    ¡°We weren¡¯t able to find out because all of the sections have been blocked off by spatial magic.¡±


    Amir¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing his subordinate¡¯s response. It could just be a minor issue, but it could also potentially disrupt the deal he was overseeing.


    Thus, Amir closed his book after a moment of thought and stood up.


    ¡°Summon the contracted guards. I¡¯ll contact the madam...¡±


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    Feeling the vibration of a different magnitude than before, Amir became confident that something significant had urred.


    ¡°MOVE!¡±


    His subordinate vanished in an instant, and Amir swiftly moved toward the table.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    He was reluctant to make contact, but he couldn¡¯t afford to mess up the job at hand. Biting his lip, he pulled out a luxurious incense burner from his void pocket when¡ª


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    The entire cabin shook as if it were sinking.


    ¡°What in the world...¡±


    Was someone attempting to dismantle the ship entirely?


    Confused by the iprehensible vibrations, he naturally looked toward the window beside the table.


    ¡°What...?¡±


    But instead of seeing the vast expanse of the sea through the window, all he saw now was a massive steel wall.


    <i>A wall? Where did thate from all of a sudden...</i>


    The iprehensible situation made Amir freeze in shock,pletely at a loss as to what was happening on the ship.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The subordinate he had ordered to summon the contracted guards urgently burst through the living room door.


    ¡°Sir! The entire structure of the ship has begun to transform!¡±


    ¡°The <i>structure </i>is transforming?¡±


    Amir looked out the window again, examining the steel wall encircling the exterior. It was at that moment that he btedly realized that parts of it resembled the ship¡¯s corridors and passageways.


    <i>Have they pulled down the section I¡¯m in?</i>


    While this would be impossible on a regr ship, it was entirely feasible on this special cruise ship, which was segmented by spatial magic.


    However, one would need to seize the central control room and take control of the control device to even orchestrate such an event. Who could be capable of such a feat of dominating the control device, something that even an S-rank spatial magic sorcerer would have difficulty with?


    Was there a traitor among the crew? Did the ck Arms harbor other intentions? Who was the target amidst this chaos?


    <i>This isn¡¯t the time to be pondering.</i>


    Realizing that there was no time to waste, he reached for the incense burner on the table.


    <i>ng-!</i>


    However, at that moment, a part of the wall outside the window split open and a young man surrounded by silver mana burst through the window.


    Amir instinctively dove behind the table, whereas his subordinates and bodyguards charged at the intruder. It was the perfect response, assuming that everyone else was now a potential intruder.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Unfortunately, that was only if they were strong enough to block the subsequent red meteor.


    <i>Booom!</i>


    The charging subordinates and bodyguards were all immediately flung outside the door, and Eun-Handed on the floor. She calmly turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold them off for as long as possible.¡±


    After saying that, she ran out of the room and the entire cabin shook again, blocking off the door with a wall.


    <i>They¡¯ve moved the cabin again.</i>


    Keenly aware that the individual in the room was at least an A-rank hero, Amir epted that it would be difficult to seek help. Thus, he slowly turned to look at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Of course, there can¡¯t be people who are that foolish in this world... I was quite naive,¡± said Amir with a bitter smile, realizing that Se-Hoon was the reckless young master he had encountered at the casino. Even though he used his Winter Sky Eyes, he should have been more suspicious.


    Se-Hoon casually shrugged his shoulders in response. ¡°Well, first times are always like this. But don¡¯t feel too down about it. I¡¯m just a bit <i>too </i>special.¡±


    Amir¡¯s eyes slightly twitched at Se-Hoon¡¯s nonchnt reply, but he quickly regained hisposure.


    ¡°I see. It would have been more fun if we had talked openly like this when we first met... it¡¯s quite unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°<i>You</i> might have found it fun. I would have found it boring.¡±


    ¡°You never know. Our goals might align more than you think.¡±


    As they conversed leisurely, Amir quickly scanned Se-Hoon¡¯s equipment.


    <i>Two mass-produced Advanced-tier daggers and a longsword at his waist. Looks like there¡¯s armor under his suit, but it¡¯s nothing special. The silver mana probably enhances his physical abilities. </i>


    Having scrutinized Se-Hoon for any additional potential threats, Amir looked on warily.


    <i>What is he doing here with that unimpressive equipment?</i>


    They had been so abrupt with their hijacking, so why was Se-Hoon wasting time conversing with him? Was he waiting for something, or was he simply exhausted from orchestrating the entire n?


    Under normal circumstances, Amir would have relied on his Winter Sky Eyes to decide his next move, but since he had learned that it wouldn¡¯t work on Se-Hoon, he had to rely solely on his instincts.


    <i>For now... I¡¯ll wait.</i>


    The passing of time was likely more pressing for his opponent than for himself. Confident in his assumption, Amir decided to remain calm and wait until all the preparations wereplete.


    Then, momentster, when he was about to make his move to take down the enemy in front of him, Se-Hoon spoke.


    ¡°Are you finished getting ready?¡±


    Se-Hoon raised his twin daggers.


    ¡°Here I go then.¡±


    Crimson-colored mana engulfed one dagger and dark-colored mana engulfed the other¡ªScarlet me Wheel and Moon Shadow respectively.


    Se-Hoon then swung both des simultaneously.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Dark Crimson Stone¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    He unleashed the power of a level two Fatestone, which he had extracted from Sung-Ha.


    <i>Pang-!</i>


    The two types of elemental mana resonated with each other, creating a powerful special wave. Its immense pressure seemed to prate deep into Amir¡¯s body, stopping him from charging forward.


    <i>ng!</i>


    ¡°What?!¡±


    The attack swept away all the spikes he had generated around him and made him shudder, causing Amir¡¯s eyes to widen in astonishment. His secret technique, the Transparent Ice de, had been fully anticipated and dispelled.


    ¡°Blow number one!¡±


    <i>Smack!!</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s foot pierced through the fragments of the shattered Transparent Ice des, kicking Amir¡¯s chest with full force.

 Chapter 119

    <h4>Chapter 119</h4>


    Just like how certain objects or people were somewhatpatible, or notpatible, with one another, the Three Dogs also had their preferences.


    ¡°Don¡¯t put me with that st Dog. She¡¯s so damn annoying.¡±


    The Mad Dog hated the st Dog because of her skill, Mana Assimtion; she could control the residual mes of his Inferno Ring with it.


    ¡°If you pair me up with that shady dude on the next mission, I¡¯ll literally blow your head off. Got it?¡±


    The st Dog hated the Frost Dog because of his skill, Winter Sky Eyes; he could see through her inner state with it and exploit her weaknesses with his hidden weapons.


    ¡°You want me to go with that person? I would rather be beaten to death... on second thought, never mind. Please put down the hammer.¡±


    The Frost Dog hated the Mad Dog because of his skill, Complete Source Resonance, to the point that he even said that he would rather die. Just like the reasons for the hatred of the other two, the Frost Dog¡¯s was because the Mad Dog¡¯s skill affected his own.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s two types of mana resonated, releasing a powerful special wave.


    This special wave¡¯s power¡ªdisrupting magic arrays¡ªgrew stronger the more intricate the opponent¡¯s technique was. As it was a technique that weakened the foundation of the opponent¡¯s technique until it copsed entirely instead of methodically demolishing it from the top, even the most intricate techniques would be rendered meaningless if the foundation was delicate.


    Thus, against ice des created from extremely intricate ice, Complete Source Resonance¡ªa better version of the special wave¡ªwas especially powerful, rendering them no different than ordinary ice shards.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...?!¡±


    Again, the newly formed ice des were easily shattered, and Se-Hoon quickly swung his dagger after prating through the fragments.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Blocking with the handle of a thick ice dagger, Amir protected his shoulder. He then aimed for Se-Hoon¡¯s throat with the de. He had been disconcerted that his main technique was dispelled but now was not the time to find out. So, Amir quickly assessed what the problem was and responded immediately by creating a thick ice dagger.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    But, that solution wasn¡¯t sufficient alone.


    Switching his dagger to the backhand grip, Se-Hoon lightly parried the ice dagger shooting toward his throat while forcefully stomping on Amir¡¯s left foot.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Amir managed to step back and dodge, albeit barely, but it slightly skewed his stance, allowing Se-Hoon to immediately exploit it. His twin daggers came crashing toward Amir.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...!¡±


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The textbook way of fighting with a dagger was to parry the other¡¯s attacks, exploit their openings, and umte damage before slicing through the opponent¡¯s vital spot¡ªnot forcing attacks.


    Like a perfect student, Amir wlessly utilized the textbook dagger technique, whereas Se-Hoon¡¯s was a slightly different technique.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Like what shouldn¡¯t be done, whenever the ice dagger and the ck dagger infused with Moon Shadow collided, the des that should have been parrying locked in ce together.


    But it wasn¡¯t by choice¡ªAmir had tried to parry, but Se-Hoon¡¯s dagger had followed and pressed his dagger down, making Amir grit his teeth due to the inescapable pressure.


    <i>He¡¯s using the suction force of darkness mana... all while matching my movements by perfectly understanding how I¡¯m distributing my strength...!</i>


    If Se-Hoon knew the exact areas where Amir was putting his force in, it would definitely be easy for him to deflect or overpower Amir¡¯s attacks. However, it was a given that executing such a meticulous technique against an opponent and technique he was seeing for the first time was no simple task, yet Se-Hoon was managing it effortlessly.


    ¡°Stay focused, man. What are you doing?¡±


    <i>Wham!</i>


    Taking advantage of Amir¡¯spse in concentration, Se-Hoon jabbed him with his elbow and then threw a fist, before fiercely thrusting his daggers toward various vital spots.


    And while Amir had somehow managed to parry off his onught of attacks, he was beginning to feel disoriented in the ongoing battle.


    <i>What is... he aiming for...?</i>


    Whether he was fighting a stronger or a weaker opponent, Amir always managed to discern their intentions with his Winter Sky Eyes.


    He was able to determine whether the attacks aimed at his neck were merely feints or if a secretly powerful move was disguised as a puny strike. Before now, Amir had always been ying a card game where he could see his opponent¡¯s hand.


    <i>Scrape!</i>


    But with Se-Hoon, he could see nothing.


    The dagger he thought was aimed at his neck merely brushed past his hair lightly, and he thought was an insignificant strike had suddenly switched into a backhand swing at his wrist.


    It was apletely different sensation from when he had faced the monster of the pleasure district. And it was unpleasantly disturbing.


    <i>There¡¯s no need to panic. This isn¡¯t that strange of a situation. </i>Amir forcibly snapped himself back to focus.


    It was only a single advantage of his that had vanished; the battle was still far from over. Compared to what he felt from the monster of the pleasure district, which was a primal fear of the unknown, the disconcerting feeling from his current opponent was simply because of his unfamiliarity with Se-Hoon¡¯s battle tactics.


    <i>If I can just be ustomed to hisbat patterns...!</i>


    If he could understand his opponent¡¯s techniques and weaknesses, then he could just respond ordingly and be victorious. Believing in that thought, he settled the disconcerting feeling and faced the reality of being on the back foot again.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The ice daggers that were blocking Se-Hoon¡¯s charge were easily brushed aside, exposing his chest to Se-Hoon¡¯s two viciously swinging daggers.


    <i>Skkkkkk</i>


    Watching the sparks created by the daggers scraping against the armor underneath Amir¡¯s clothing, Amir¡¯s eyes gleamed. It was a strike that could have been fatal, but Amir felt thrilled instead.


    <i>His physical abilities are lower than I thought.</i>


    Even with a buff spell applied, if Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t slice through his armor, then it meant that apart from his skills, Se-Hoon¡¯s pure strength was woefully inadequate. Finally grasping a weakness of his opponent, Amir forcibly regained hisposure and created a sheet of ice beneath him.


    ¡°Whoops.¡±


    Originally, Amir had nned on using the sheet of ice to destabilize Se-Hoon¡¯s stance even slightly, and that would have failed, seeing as how Se-Hoon had sensed it and quickly stabilized himself by channeling mana into his toes.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    So Amir had changed his n¡ªhe would use it to regain <i>his own</i> bnce. Narrowly managing to twist his body, thanks to his flexibility, to dodge Se-Hoon¡¯s attack, Amir charged him immediately.


    <i>Crack-</i>


    Another thinner de formed over the ice dagger, crashing powerfully against Se-Hoon¡¯s dagger.


    <i>Cackle-</i>


    The thin de shattered, but it was designed to break upon impact. And since it had, he could finally sessfully parry Se-Hoon¡¯s persistent ck dagger.


    Seeing the flow of the situation changing in the direction he intended, Amir pressed on more vigorously.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    His ongoing assault allowed Se-Hoon more opportunities to strike back, but Amir relied on his armor to deflect most of them. And now that he had confirmed that Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t able tond any effective hits, Amir began swinging his dagger even more fiercely.


    He had finally begun to gain the upper hand.


    <i>Just a little more...!</i>


    If he could find one proper opening, he could reverse the one-sided battle and end it all in one go. And so to find that opening, Amir relied on his own eyes for once, instead of his Winter Sky Eyes, to perfectly capture Se-Hoon¡¯s movements.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Once more, the daggers collided in the air forcefully and bounced off. He then spread his arms wide.


    Realizing that Se-Hoon had been creating the special mana waves by colliding his daggers with each other, Amir swiftly created something new.


    <strong><i>Frost Alchemy: Snow Drill</i></strong>


    At the expense of theirpleteness, he created white ice awls as fast as possible.


    The appearance of the countless ice awls targeting the vital parts of his body surprised him, but it made Se-Hoon smirk once he recovered.


    <i>So you can still adapt yourbat style, huh?</i>


    Since he had been disappointed that he could overwhelmingly push back Amir, the fact that he could use Frost Alchemy to produce a new weapon to counter his opponent wasn¡¯t bad at all. Se-Hoon switched his daggers to a reverse grip.


    <strong><i>Mortal Combat Techniques: Ice Breaker</i></strong>


    Responding in kind, he swung his daggers with speed iparable to before.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Easily crushing what was supposed to be Amir¡¯s decisive move, Se-Hoon thrust the tips of both daggers toward Amir¡¯s vital spots.


    Completely caught off guard by Se-Hoon¡¯s sudden increase in physical capabilities, which far exceeded the previously identified level, Amir hastily swung his ice dagger to block.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    However, the thick ice dagger he had created with all his might snapped before his eyes.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    There was a tiny fracture in the dagger that he hadn¡¯t noticed, likely meticulously formed during their previous exchanges. And the fact that Se-Hoon had been aiming for a chance to utilize that with a perfectly executed strike, filled Amir with utter shock.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s twin daggers dug into his body.


    <i>Crunch! Crack!</i>


    Se-Hoon then mercilessly stabbed Amir¡¯s shoulders, arms, wrists, sides, waist, and thighs¡ªall areas not covered by armor.


    Feeling burning pain throughout his body, Amir¡¯s strength drained away and he copsed backward, unable to regain his posture.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    Painfully crashing into the floor, he reflexively tried to get back up, but it only caused more blood to flow from his wounds. He couldn¡¯t muster any strength in his body, and even his mana didn¡¯t respond to his will.


    <i>What did he do...?</i>


    Feeling abnormally exhausted, which shouldn¡¯t have been the case considering that he wasn¡¯t attacked to such an extent, Amir furrowed his brow.


    At that moment, Se-Hoon calmly said, ¡°I know it¡¯s exciting to exploit weaknesses, but you really should carefully check if it''s real or not. How naive of you.¡±


    While it was umon, there were people who pretended to be weak long before a fight began. It was especiallymon among those who were physically weak but possessed strong skills and quick wits, so it was important for one to always be cautious if they felt something was even the slightest bit off.


    ¡°...I thought we¡¯d finish this quickly given the urgent situation, but to think you¡¯d actually use that to your advantage. An unimpressive-looking tactic that¡¯s quite useful indeed. I¡¯ll keep it in mind for next time.¡±


    The response mixed with sarcasm and sincerity, made Se-Hoon chuckle.


    ¡°I suppose you would.¡±


    It was a tactic the Frost Dog often used himself before the regression after all, so of course he would keep it in mind.


    Approaching the immobilized Amir, Se-Hoon looked down at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t try to move around too much. I¡¯ve cut a few of your muscles and mana circuits, so they can get twisted easily. You might even end up with mana impairment if you¡¯re unlucky.¡±


    ¡°...I really don¡¯t understand who you are.¡±


    Neither his Winter Sky Eyes nor his Frost Alchemy worked on Se-Hoon, and Se-Hoon could even toy with him in closebat,pletely suppressing him by just precisely striking several points in his body without any special skills whatsoever.


    With that kind of skill in so many areas, his identity was truly elusive.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s nothing you need to know... let¡¯s see.¡±


    Se-Hoon lightly shed at his chest with a dagger.


    <i>Ripppp-</i>


    Having cut Amir¡¯s dress shirt open, a thin piece of armor was revealed. It looked quite valuable and seemed to have been designed to be unremovable by anyone else.


    However, Se-Hoon needed to get past it. Inspecting its form, Se-Hoon brought the tip of his dagger wrapped in Scarlet me Wheel to one spot and then struck its side with another dagger wrapped in Moon Shadow.


    <strong><i>Complete Source Resonance: Through Sound</i></strong>


    <i>Wooong- Craack!</i>


    The resonance created by the two daggers spread deep into the armor, and secondster, the area covering Amir¡¯s chest cracked open.


    ¡°What...¡±


    Ignoring Amir, who was startled by his strange technique, Se-Hoon forcibly widened the gap and peered down at Amir¡¯s chest, which made him narrow his eyes.


    On Amir¡¯s left chest was avender-rose pattern that would have looked like an ordinary tattoo had it not been for the strange magical power emanating from it.


    ¡°A Mark of Dreams, huh...¡±


    The tattoo was a mark created by dream mana, which was capable of traversing the boundaries between reality and dreams¡ªa branding technique used by the Dream Demon.


    Having seen such a mark before the regression, Se-Hoon began to examine it quietly.


    ¡°Who... no, what exactly are you?¡± asked Amir,pletely taken aback.


    Anyone who knew about the Mark of Dreams was involved with the Dream Demon to some extent, like ves who were directly affected by it. Thus, Se-Hoon¡¯s identity became even more enigmatic, making Amir look at him with aplex expression.


    But Se-Hoon just responded indifferently to his gaze.


    ¡°What <i>could </i>you even do if you knew who I was?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re practically a corpse right now so stop yapping and just stay quiet.¡±


    Annoyed at Amir¡¯s incessant questions, Se-Hoon shut him up with a sharp retort and then used his Eyes of irvoyance to take a closer look at the Mark of Dreams.


    <i>Oveying the item over the heart, huh? It sure is a secure method, but it is downright malicious.</i>


    If someone tried to forcibly remove the item, both the item stored within the mark and Amir¡¯s heart would dissolve into dreams. It was an extreme method that ensured the item wouldn¡¯t fall into other people¡¯s hands at the cost of the carrier¡¯s life.


    And the fact that <i>Amir</i> had it acutely reminded Se-Hoon that he had returned to the past.


    <i>Well, Amir did say that his treatment wasn¡¯t very good before his abilities were recognized.</i>


    The Dream Demon had only kept him alive because it needed someone to be the head of the Singhs, but that never stopped the continuous threat of being disposed of if found to be utterly useless.


    Thus, in his youth, the Frost Dog had striven fiercely to survive, bing an executive in the pleasure district and gaining the protection of the Dream Demon, though theyter turned into the very shackles that bound him down.


    <i>The Dream Demon engraved marks all over his body because it liked him too much.</i>


    It was fortunate that Amir had been able to remove them with Se-Hoon¡¯s help back then; otherwise, he might have been exploited by the Dream Demon until his death.


    <i>In that sense, it might be better if he stays somewhat ipetent this time.</i>


    Being too noticeable, whether in light or the dark, was not always a good thing. Thus, while hoping that this battle might be a valuable ¡°defeat¡± for Amir, Se-Hoon ced his hand on Amir¡¯s left chest.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, stay quiet from now on.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean...¡±


    But instead of answering his question, Se-Hoon took out the Phantasmal Spyde from the Dream Storage.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    A violet dagger emerged from the purple mes that appeared on Se-Hoon¡¯s chest. Gazing at it, Amir was amazed by its beautiful form, when suddenly, he realized the power contained within.


    <i>Dream mana?</i>


    Was Se-Hoon truly associated with the Dream Demon? Pondering his identity, Amir¡¯s confusion only grew.


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon had infused his mana into the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx embedded in his right index finger.


    <strong><i>Eye of the Boundary</i></strong>


    <i>Ssssh-</i>


    ck mana surged from his finger, covering his eyes. Now able to see boundaries, Se-Hoon carefully stabbed the Phantasmal Spybalde above the ck boundary that separated Amir¡¯s heart and the Mark of Dreams.


    ¡°<i>Ugh...!¡±</i>


    The violet de dug deep into Amir¡¯s chest, creating a dizzying sight. But contrary to expectations, the violet de dissolved like mes, burrowing in without pain. He once again furrowed his brow, perplexed by the strange sensation.


    At that moment, Se-Hoon carefully began excising the Mark of Dreams using the Phantasmal Spyde.


    <i>Sssshhh</i>


    Every time a part of the mark was severed, the outer edges of the rose pattern dissipated, releasing dream mana contained within outward.


    <i>Okay. Now, carefully from here...</i>


    Any mistake now could push the remaining dream mana in his body into the boundaries of a dream, potentially leading to instant death if it brought the heart along with it. Therefore, Se-Hoon opted to carefully absorb the dream mana into the Phantasmal Skyde as he cut through the interior of the mark.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    The Phantasmal Spyde, now fueled by the absorbed dream mana, turned even more intensely purple. Eventually, the Mark of Dreams that had clung to the heart waspletely excised, and the hitherto blurry item that was embedded in the mark became clearer and revealed itself.


    <i>Is this it?</i>


    It was a square box, faintly ovepping with the heart.


    Having confirmed that the item was indeed there, Se-Hoon swiftly pierced Amir¡¯s heart with the Phantasmal Spyde and pulled the item out.


    <i>Spring-</i>


    Like a hazy dream, the blurry box emerged from the purple mes.


    Seeing its dream-like state, seemingly about to disperse at any moment, Se-Hoon quickly swung the Phantasmal Spyde.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    With a re, the Phantasmal Spyde¡¯s dream me burned away the remaining dream mana surrounding the box, clearing up the view of the item as the boundary between reality and the dream around it copsed.


    <i>Is this the item that they tried to send to the ck Arms?</i>


    The box was lusterless and colored a in ck. But what stood out was that its surface was densely covered with various enchantments and talismans, all designed to quell and block mes.


    <i>An item rted to mes... with this many seals, it may actually be the item that Immortal is trying to get hands-on.</i>


    What was Immortal, or rather, what was Offering¡ªthe group behind him¡ªafter to purchase such an item from the Dream Demon?


    Little did Se-Hoon know, he was slowly beginning to realize the massive plot between Watchers and the Ten Evils.


    <i>Click-</i>


    But before he could fully connect the dots, a small metallic sound rang out from behind him.


    <i>Ssssh</i>


    The dream mana that had filled the room had seeped into the incense burner ced on the table, summoning purple smoke that slowly began to rise from it.


    Immediately recognizing that the smoke was simr to the mana in the Mark of Dreams that he had just removed, Se-Hoon urgently prepared to throw the Phantasmal Spyde.


    ¡°Ah~¡±


    However, it was far toote. Beyond the purple smoke, a voice, dreamy and smooth, echoed.


    The voice seemed to prate deep into his ears, giving a uniquely eerie and intensely unpleasant feeling. It made Se-Hoon grimace.


    <i>That¡¯s the...</i>


    Wanting to confirm if it was indeed the opponent he thought, he looked back at Amir and scrutinized his expression. Relief, anger, contempt, and fear¡ªaplex mix of emotions pervaded his face.


    Seeing that, Se-Hoon turned back, now fully certain of who the opponent was: the master of the pleasure district and the demon who toys with the whole world, traversing through everyone¡¯s dreams.


    ¡°Has something happened?¡±


    The voice of the Dream Demon, one of the Ten Evils, sensually resounded through the air.

 Chapter 120

    <h4>Chapter 120</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    The moment Se-Hoon heard the voice of the Dream Demon, numerous thoughts shed through his mind, especially about the incense burner. Judging by its shape and the fact that only a voice wasing through the smoke, the incense burner was likely some sort ofmunication device, perhaps even a door that could allow the Dream Demon to arrive here.


    If that was the case, then every scenario Se-Hoon had set up so far could be overturned in one moment. Yet, Se-Hoon remained calm.


    <i>The situation is still manageable.</i>


    Since it was likely only voicemunication, it could be a beyond rare chance to have a peaceful conversation with the Dream Demon, the controller of the pleasure district and ruler of the underworld.


    Thus, Se-Hoon decided to take a slight risk and quickly moved.


    <i>Squeeze-</i>


    ¡°Mmm?!¡±


    Grabbing Amir¡¯s neck, Se-Hoon activated his Blood Art to prevent Amir from making any unnecessary noise by taking control of his blood. At the same time, he was altering the shape of the nose and mouth of the artificial mask after quickly analyzing Amir¡¯s facial features.


    <i>There¡¯s no need to recreate the entire face. </i>


    What mattered the most was imitating Amir¡¯s vibe and voice. Thus, Se-Hoon began delicately adjusting the structure of his vocal cords using Soul Honing.


    ¡°Hmm? Did we run into a problem...?¡±


    Having not heard a response, the indifferent voice came from the smoke again. Then, when the purple smoke seemed like it was about to grow a bit more, Se-Hoon finally spoke up.


    ¡°My sincerest apologies for beingte.¡± With near-perfect uracy, Amir¡¯s voice naturally flowed out of Se-Hoon¡¯s throat.


    Having finally gotten a reply, the purple smoke calmed down and the voice of the Dream Demon flowed out from it once more, ¡°I thought something had gone wrong because you gave no response. Why did you call?¡±


    Breathing a barely audible sigh of relief, Se-Hoon politely answered, ¡°I was attacked in my room by a few unidentified individuals targeting the item in the mark.¡±


    ¡°...I assumed they would attack the ind, but those folks turned out to be more impatient than I expected. Did you kill all the intruders?¡±


    Noticing the curiosity in the Dream Demon¡¯s voice, Se-Hoon¡¯s mind raced toe up with a suitable oue. A momentter, he responded, ¡°I didn¡¯t manage to kill them, as they all escaped using spatial magic.¡±


    ¡°Spatial magic... did they use spatial magic for anything other than to escape?¡±


    ¡°They took over the central control room and hijacked the ship. It seems that an S-rank or higher spatial magic sorcerer was involved.¡±


    Since Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t nning on killing everyone on board, any lies would inevitably be discovered. Therefore, he decided to report the facts candidly.


    A brief silence fell, and then the Dream Demon let out a soft chuckle.


    ¡°<i>Haha.</i> I see. I did hear that Caden has changed from before.... It seem like that was true.¡±


    Rather than a reply to Amir, the Dream Demon¡¯s response was more of a mutter to himself. It had probably just vocalized its thought out loud, believing that it didn¡¯t matter since Amir would have no clue who Caden was. But Se-Hoon was not Amir.


    <i>Caden... Could the Dream Demon be talking about Caden Miller?</i>


    Caden Miller was the first disciple of the Sacred Craftsman Li Kenxie[1] and a master cksmith who had forged several pieces of Legendary equipment before Se-Hoon regressed. Se-Hoon knew him well; not only was Caden Miller a celebrity in the same field, but he was also the culprit of a significantly troublesome event.


    <i>It was reported that he disappeared along with the inheritance of the Sage of Fire.</i>


    Whether it was the demons who had disposed of him after stealing the inheritance or if he had just stolen it out of personal greed, no one was able to find out where Caden Miller and the inheritance of the Sage of Fire were until the end of the world.


    And now, many years before that event, the Dream Demon mentioned the name Caden. If the name wasn¡¯t a mere namesake, it indicated just one thing.


    <i>He became one of the Ten Evils.... No, actually, it¡¯s more likely he sided with Offering given his nature.</i>


    The disciple of a Perfect One had sided with the Demon Force... but while that was a surprising fact, it wasn¡¯t shocking. After all, the sessor of the Pilgrim was proudly holding a position among the Ten Evils.


    <i>So being talented doesn¡¯t equate to being able to raise good disciples, huh?</i>


    He had long suspected such a corrtion since before his regression, and now it had be a set truth.


    ¡°Is that all you have to report?¡± the Dream Demon calmly asked, relieving him of trying to find a response.


    But just as Se-Hoon was about to confirm, he suddenly felt a gaze from behind and turned his head.


    ¡°...¡±


    Puzzled by what he was seeing¡ªAmir¡¯s inscrutable intense gaze that told him that he wanted to say something¡ªSe-Hoon hesitated before responding.


    ¡°Actually... the item in the mark was stolen by someone who could manipte dream mana. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°...!¡± Amir looked at Se-Hoon with a slightly surprised gaze.


    How would the Dream Demon react to the news of the mission¡¯s failure? The silence lengthed, enveloping the space beyond the purple smoke. Tensing, Se-Hoon gripped the Phantasmal Spyde tightly, bracing himself.


    ¡°Seeing that you¡¯re still alive despite the item being taken... must mean that the mark was somehow dispelled.¡±


    Contrary to expectations, the Dream Demon responded not with reprimand but with interest.


    ¡°Yes. The activation of the incense burner was actually due to the dream mana flowing out of the mark. I apologize for not informing you earlier.¡±


    Figuring that this was probably what Amir wanted to tell, Se-Hoon watched as the Dream Demon chuckled.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. The deal with the ck Arms was just bait anyway. In a way, this mission is actually considered a sess, as we were attacked.¡±


    <i>A bait?</i>


    As Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes at the Dream Demon¡¯s response, the purple smoke slowly began to expand.


    ¡°More importantly though, I¡¯m curious about the person who dispelled the mark. It would be nice if there were some traces left of them...¡±


    <i>Damn...</i>


    Realizing that the Dream Demon was trying to cross over and enter the ship, Se-Hoon frowned and readied the Phantasmal Spyde.


    But at that moment, a booming voice erupted from outside, ¡°Is there anyone alive!!¡±


    ¡°This is Alvaro Diaz from the Hero Association! Rescue ships have arrived, so please remain calm and wait!¡±


    Likewise hearing the man¡¯s shout that pierced through the walls of the cabin, the purple smoke began to recede, returning to its initial state.


    ¡°It seems they called the Hero Association for rescue and ran away. Such needless actions until the end...¡±


    The Dream Demon¡¯s mutter was full of regret.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk more once you return.¡±


    <i>Ssssh</i>


    Ending the conversation, the purple smoke gathered above the incense burner dissolved into the surroundings and disappeared. However, Se-Hoon made sure to confirm that the connection had been cut offpletely before letting out a sigh of relief.


    <i>That was a close call...</i>


    If the Hero Association had arrived slightlyter, the Dream Demon would have tried to cross over, meaning he would have to unavoidably sever the connection with the Phantasmal Spyde. If that happened, the Dream Demon would likely realize that information had leaked.


    <i>Perhaps this is the best-case scenario... </i>Even Se-Hoon himself hadn¡¯t known things would resolve like this.


    With the Dream Demon now gone, he released Amir¡¯s neck.


    ¡°What were you even thinking back there?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s admonishment, Amir looked up silently before slowly responding, ¡°During the fight, you tried to subdue me rather than kill me. Initially, I thought it was just to safely extract the item... but seeing you impersonate me to extract information made me really wonder.¡±


    ¡°Wonder what?¡±


    ¡°Whether you kill me or not, eventually, Madam...no, the Dream Demon will find out that information has leaked. So why would you bother to do such a meaningless thing...¡±


    Laying out his thought process, every word Amir muttered calmly was spoken with certainty. Then, he finally reached the conclusion he came to.


    ¡°Were you nning to recruit me from the beginning?¡±


    It was an urate analysis of the situation, and in some ways, an eager attempt to seize what could be an unpredictable opportunity.


    Amir¡¯s inexperienced yet passionate demeanor was something Se-Hoon had never seen in the Frost Dog before the regression, so he just gazed down at Amir silently. Eventually, Se-Hoon asked, ¡°I get it. So, you¡¯re smart. Well, what are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know who you are, so working under you might be difficult. However, helping each other out whenever our interests align shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    What Amir offered wasn¡¯t aplete alliance; he was offering his willingness to join forces as needed. It felt like a cautious move, but given that Amir was still under the Dream Demon''s control, it was a significant gamble on his part.


    ¡°You must really hate the Dream Demon.¡±


    ¡°Who would like such a monster, unless they were one themselves?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I like that answer.¡±


    The Amir before him differed from the Frost Dog he knew before the regression. But, his hatred of the Dream Demon, the enver of Amir¡¯s entire family, remained unchanged. In some ways, the current Amir might even be burning more fiercely than in his days of being the Frost Dog, when he had been halfpromising with his past.


    <i>It might be difficult to meet him often... but leaving some distance like this isn¡¯t too bad.</i>


    Having made his decision, Se-Hoon flicked the wound that he had made by prodding Amir with a dagger earlier.


    ¡°<i>Gah</i>...?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a baby. Stop fussing and get up.¡±


    Frowning at Se-Hoon¡¯s indifferent manner when he lightly kicked him, Amir decided to try getting back up again.


    ¡°My body...¡±


    His body, which had refused to move even with great effort just moments ago, could now move so easily like everything before had been a dream.


    Noticing Amir¡¯s surprise, Se-Hoon nonchntly advised him. ¡°You should get a better understanding of your own body. It¡¯ll be especially useful for your ice-creation skills.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Also... actually, this is a bit hard to exin in words so just make an ice dagger and hand it over to me for a second.¡±


    Despite being skeptical, Amirplied and created an ice dagger using Frost Alchemy which he handed over.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Taking it, Se-Hoon inspected the ice dagger from various angles and then infused his index and middle fingers with fire mana and darkness mana respectively, lightly activating a Complete Source Resonance.


    <i>Crack-</i>


    After examining the formation of the cracks, he tossed the dagger back to Amir.


    ¡°See those cracks? If you focus on strengthening those areas, the quality of your ice daggers will be much better than before. I¡¯ll be testing it the next time we meet, so don¡¯t ck off and keep practicing.¡±


    He had recalled that thepletion of items Amir made with Frost Alchemy had skyrocketed due to his quarrels with the Mad Dog, so Se-Hoon decided to help out.


    Looking back and forth between the dagger and Se-Hoon, Amir made a peculiar look.


    ¡°What really are you?¡±


    It had been half-sarcastic before, but now, it was out of genuine curiosity.


    Like before, Se-Hoon was about to dismiss the question, but he paused.


    <i>I suppose we should have some kind of way to recognize each other the next time we meet.</i>


    While musing over what could be appropriate, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyesnded on the ice dagger in Amir¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Cindere.¡±


    ¡°...Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, <i>excuse me</i>? I¡¯m Cindere.¡±


    Chuckling, Se-Hoon lightly tapped the wall blocking the window.


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    Stepping inside the passageway that opened up, Se-Hoon looked back at Amir before it closed off again.


    ¡°Next time, just try to catch my drift and don¡¯t freeze up.¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Left alone in thepletely messed-up cabin, Amir gazed at the closed wall by the window before looking down at the ice dagger in his hand.


    Could Se-Hoon really have nicknamed himself Cindere because the ice dagger resembled the ss heel in the story?


    ¡°He must be over fifty...¡±


    Se-Hoon truly had a terrible sense of humor.


    ***


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Riding in a sleek boat zooming across the sea, Se-Hoon squinted his eyes to look at the now-invisible ferry boat.


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Amir Singh¡¯.]</strong>


    Reading the notification message that popped up in front of his eyes, he sighed in relief and grumbled a bit.


    <i>I thought it would be formed right then and there... but he only allowed it to establish itself after confirming I had escaped.</i>


    Though he had appeared naive, the Frost Dog had maintained his keenness, assessing the situation coldly until the very end.


    <i>It¡¯s a pity I couldn¡¯t get his Fatestone.... I guess I¡¯ll wait for another opportunity.</i>


    He had enough materials on hand that he didn¡¯t particrly need another Fatestone anyway. Turning around, he found two people resting.


    ¡°Who¡¯s steering the boat?¡± Se-Hoon asked, gazing at Erika who was supposed to be steering the boat.


    ¡°I¡¯ve set it so that it goes to a nearby dock,¡± answered Erika.


    ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know this boat had an autopilot feature...¡±


    <i>Caw-</i>


    Reflexively following the sound, Se-Hoon¡¯s gazended on the helm before he spun his head back to look at Erika again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯ll handle it well,¡± Erika replied confidently.


    Was he the weird one for doubting a crow could drive a boat? Trying to ignore the thought, Se-Hoon turned to Eun-Ha.


    ¡°Are you hurt anywhere, Dean?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    She had purposefully refrained from using Soul Furnace openly to avoid revealing her identity, and fortunately, there were no S-rank opponents on the boat that could cause any major trouble.


    <i>Well, S-ranks aren¡¯tmon. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re some neighborhood thugs or something.</i>


    Actually, it was strange that Babel had several of these powerful individuals.


    Having confirmed the final thing, Se-Hoon let out a sigh of relief, proud of how cleanly they had executed his n.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    But Eun-Ha interrupted his inner celebration by looking at him with a stern eye.


    ¡°Although things went well this time, if you find yourself in a simr situation alone, you must do what you¡¯ve done this time.¡±


    Se-Hoon was a meticulous strategist who would fully n out things such as hijacking control of the ship and calling the Hero Association as backup, but the problem was that he had be like that by eagerly seeking out dangerous situations.


    As the one who knew best that a moment¡¯s mistake could lead to death in realbat, Eun-Ha worried that Se-Hoon, overly encouraged by the sess of this single n, might start roaming even more recklessly without hesitation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not thatcking in judgment.¡±


    ¡°But still...¡±


    ¡°And I only execute such ns when I have reliable allies that I can trust with my life, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Only someone like the Mad Dog would rush in without considering the consequences. It was Se-Hoon¡¯s modus operandi to create the right situations based on the resources he had at his disposal.


    Staring him in the eyes silently, Eun-Ha eventually slowly nodded.


    ¡°Understood. If you have such trustworthy people by your side... there should be no problem.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Oh, if something simres up next time...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can help based on the situation.¡±


    It was a bit disappointing that Eun-Ha didn¡¯t promise that she woulde to help every time, but Se-Hoon was still d to hear that she would consider it.


    <i>This is how you gradually build trust.</i>


    Once mutual trust was established, she would likely agree more readily to riskier tasks.


    ¡°What about the item you took this time?¡± asked Erika curiously, finding a moment to speak.


    ¡°Ah, right. I almost forgot about that.¡± He had been solely focused on how to further develop the rtionship between him and Eun-Ha.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    Due to taking out the box he had stored in the Dream Storage, purple mes burst from his chest, startling the two onlookers.


    ¡°What is...¡±


    ¡°Ah, this is just a skill. Nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Relieved, Eun-Ha sat down after having abruptly stood up. Meanwhile, Erika, who had been sitting right beside him, continued staring intently at the mes on his chest.


    ¡°Is that dream mana?¡± asked Erika, staring directly into Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve managed to handle it somehow.¡±


    He had debated not answering, but since he wasn¡¯t the only one who could use dream mana, which was infamous for being difficult to handle, there was no need to hide it from them.


    At his response, Erika moved her gaze to his chest and silently watched where the mes had emerged.


    <strong>[The bond with ¡®Inoue Erika¡¯ has grown to Lv.2.]</strong>


    <strong>[Since the bond has grown to Lv.2, a Rtionship has been established. Your Rtionship with ¡®Inoue Erika¡¯ is currently ¡®Evaluation¡¯.]</strong>


    ¡°...?¡±


    Unexpected notification messages popped up before his eyes.


    1. Previously Lee Ken-Sei ?

 Chapter 121

    <h4>Chapter 121</h4>


    <strong>[Rtionship: Evaluation]</strong>


    <strong>[Though logical, changing one¡¯s treatment based on the perceived value of that person is ruthlessly cold.</strong>


    <strong>But while being constantly evaluated is like walking on thin ice, if one can endure it, they can establish a rtionship where they will receive treatment that matches their worth.</strong>


    <strong>*A Fatestone is created whenever the subject¡¯s evaluation of you has improved.</strong>


    <strong>*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases as long as your evaluation is maintained.</strong>


    <strong>*Currently created Fatestone: 0]</strong>


    <i>Evaluation, huh... </i>Se-Hoon made a dissatisfied expression.


    It wasn¡¯t like such a Rtionship didn¡¯t make sense since it had only been established after he showed somepetence, but...


    <i>It¡¯s hard to turn this type of Rtionship around once it goes the wrong direction.</i>


    When a Rtionship based on evaluations went wrong, it would end up bing like quicksand, a slow murky sink to the bottom¡ªa mire of feeling as though one couldn¡¯t do anything right, just like someone with a poor evaluation.


    However, the most concerning thing was that Se-Hoon didn¡¯t know what standard Erika was using to evaluate him.


    <i>Does she favor me because I¡¯m versatile or because she has a big n in her mind.... It¡¯s hard to tell.</i>


    Thinking about what strategies to take over as the head of the family which involved him that Erika could beying out, Se-Hoon became lost in thought.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± asked Erika puzzledly, having seen him go deep into thought.


    ¡°...No, something just came to mind.¡±


    For now, there was no rush; he could just carefully observe Erika¡¯s reactions and act ordingly.


    Pushing his thoughts of the new Rtionship aside, Se-Hoon turned his attention to the ck box he had taken from Amir.


    <i>For additional safety measures... hmm it doesn¡¯t seem like it needs any.</i>


    Having checked that the ck box had its own safety measures, Se-Hoon unhesitantly unlocked it.


    <i>p-!</i>


    The talismans attached to the surface of the box naturally flew one by one, rotating around the box to create a semi-transparent membrane. It was a very robust spell form, its purpose seeming to be a secondyer of containment to prevent the mes from leaking when the box was opened.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Himura n¡¯s magic,¡± said Erika indifferently, having immediately recognized the origin of the spells on the talismans floating in the air.


    The mention of that name grabbed Se-Hoon¡¯s interest.


    ¡°From the Three Great ns?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The spells are slightly smeared, but those are definitely from them.¡±


    Ruminating over Erika¡¯s words, Se-Hoon examined the magic in front of him. If the spells had been a part of some kind of mechanism nted inside the box itself, the box might have been made long ago and just coincidentally fell into the hands of the Dream Demon. However, that wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    <i>Based on the smearing of the spells on the talismans, this box is definitely custom-made.</i>


    Whether it was being sold off to the pleasure district or the underworld, it was a certainty that the box would go through some backdoor dealing route.


    <i>Caden and the Three Great ns... this is quite the gain today.</i>


    Feeling like things might get busier very soon, Se-Hoon smirked and refocused his attention on the box.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll open it now.¡±


    <i>Creeeak-</i>


    As the lid of the box slowly creaked open, white mes flowed out like dry ice, undting gently.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    And whenever the mes made contact with the talismans rotating around the box, they dispersed like mist. The sight and unique form of the mes made Se-Hoon''s eyes widen in shock.


    <i>These mes are...</i>


    Having never expected such a me to leak out of the box, Se-Hoon quickly fully opened the lid, revealing the item inside the box.


    Sitting within the box was a fist-sized orb, tinted milky white. It had a lustrous surface that resembled a pearl at first nce, but upon closer inspection, the glow was not from the reflection of light but from the faint me enveloping the surface¡ªthe source of the white mes seeping out of the box.


    With his face softly illuminated by the mes that resembled tears streaming from the orb, Se-Hoon grimly muttered the name of the me.


    ¡°Tear me...¡±


    But that was only a nickname¡ªa reference to the me¡¯s tear-like properties¡ªamong cksmiths. Its widely known name was different.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon...¡± called out Eun-Ha in shock. She had also recognized the item in the box.


    With a slight nod, Se-Hoon unfolded the information message to confirm.


    <strong>[<u>Southern me Pupil</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Legendary] [Quality: Below Average]</strong>


    <strong>[The pupil of the Vermillion Bird that reigns over mes.</strong>


    <strong>An enormous amount oftent fire mana lies within, harboring a power for resisting mental interference and controlling mes.</strong>


    <strong>It also contains Karmic Fire, which torments the target by burning their sense of guilt.</strong>


    <strong>*Significantly increases resistance to fire</strong>


    <strong>*Significantly increases resistance to mental interference</strong>


    <strong>*Increases control over mes</strong>


    <strong>*Depletes durability permanently to deploy Karmic Fire]</strong>


    And saw a drop from the S-rank demon beast, the Vermillion Bird¡ªa Legendary-tier material.


    However, despite getting his hands on a Legendary material, the first after his regression, all Se-Hoon felt was worry.


    <i>What in the world are these guys up to?</i>


    ***


    ¡°Damn! Stupid! Worthless! Scoundrels...!¡±


    <i>Smack! Smack! Smack!</i>


    The sound of flesh being beaten up echoed relentlessly along the shore. With utter indifference, the waves swept over the sand stained with red blood, cleansing it only for fresh blood to be scattered anew.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i> ...!¡±


    ¡°<i>Guh</i>...!¡±


    The hours of continuous beating had grotesquely disfigured the men kneeling on the beach, yet each one, without exception, just bit down hard on their torn lips and maintained their posture.


    <i>Smack!</i>


    Struck in the head by the iron rod, a man fell unconscious onto the sandy beach.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Then the rod swung once again, ensuring that he would never rise again.


    ¡°Get rid of him.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Owner, a burly man who owned the ck Arms, lifted the iron rod as his employees rushed over to remove the body. Looking down at his rod, he adjusted his grip and then gazed at the trembling staff members.


    ¡°That makes ten.¡±


    <i>Smack!</i>


    Watching Owner resume the relentless beating of his staff, a man with crimson hair and a curious look on his face asked, ¡°What¡¯s he doing now?¡±


    ¡°He said he¡¯s restructuring. Apparently, he¡¯ll keep beating them until twenty have died,¡± answered a woman with green hair with a snicker.


    Turning his gaze to the woman sipping her cocktail, the man, the A-rank demon Immortal, clicked his tongue.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>. Such ignorance...¡±


    ¡°What else can he do? An entire cargo ship has been raided. Honestly, it¡¯s impressive that he¡¯s even leaving some of them alive.¡±


    In the business world, especially in the highly sensitive ck market world, credibility was paramount. Thus their failure to prevent the hijacking of the ferry ship and even letting the cargo get stolen would put the brakes on the ck Arms¡¯s rapidly expanding influence.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the boss? Haven¡¯t seen him around since wended here.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in that meeting.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. He did say he was representing us this time.¡±


    Recalling the schedule thanks to Immortal¡¯s words, the woman shivered as she rolled an ice cube from her cocktail around in her mouth.


    ¡°<i>Eek</i>... a meeting with the Ten Evils. If I were in his shoes, I would be too scared to even open my mouth.¡±


    Seeing Dryas, the woman, making a fuss, Immortal looked at her disdainfully. Before she joined the ck Arms, she had killed five people herself, yet here she was making suchments.


    <i>Hmm, actually, perhaps it doesn¡¯t apply here.</i>


    In fact, how many could confidently speak in front of those monsters? To the rest of the world, both he and Dryas were feared as A-rank demons, but in front of the Ten Evils, they were no different from some pebbles on the road. Their reality was they could be kicked aside and removed from sight if they became even a minor eyesore to the Ten Evils.


    <i>I need to grow even stronger.</i>


    While Immortal frowned over his stagnation over the years, Dryas casually crunched on her now empty cocktail ss.


    <i>Crunch, crunch.</i>


    Chewing on the ss like ice, she asked, ¡°So what exactly are they nning this time? It seems they¡¯re even going to use that depressing dude. And there¡¯s even the heart of the Vermillion Bird that we received¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shush.¡±


    The Immortal cut her off, not allowing her to speak further.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it until the boss gives us a clear exnation.¡±


    ¡°<i>Tsk...</i> you¡¯re boring,¡± she grumbled, still chewing on the ss.


    Shaking his head, Immortal went back to watching Owner¡¯s restructuring process with a disapproving expression.


    ***


    Within a small vi behind the bar where the two were seated, purple smoke was filling its living room, engulfing the interior.


    <i>Ssssh</i>


    The smoke blurred the outlines of the living room, looking as if purple paint had been haphazardly smeared over a finished painting. It was so dense that anyone inside would likely be unable to see anything, but in actuality, that was far from the case.


    Going into the smoke, the living room changed. It was now covered by a rich red wallpaper with a dazzling chandelier hanging above a luxurious rectangr table in the middle. And around that table were ten chairs spaced far enough apart that even outstretched hands couldn¡¯t reach over and touch another.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    The living room had be sorge that it was easily six timesrger than the typical living room vi.


    <i>Is this the legendary Dream Castle? </i>thought a middle-aged man, the boss of Bellows¡ªthe organization Immortal and Dryas belonged to¡ªfrom one of the chairs. He looked around.


    The Dream Castle was erected on the boundary between dreams and reality, a ce the Dream Demon had painstakingly built over many years. Those invited could enter from anywhere, making it the meeting ce for the Ten Evils. And thanks to its unique properties, even Perfect Ones had a hard time locating it.


    The fact that he had been invited to such a ce, was truly a marvel to the boss.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    At that moment, someone appeared in one of the empty chairs.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte. I was caught up listening to a story.¡±


    The new arrival was a woman with deep purple hair who wore a dress that exposed her shoulders. She had yellow pupils that shone in her dark eyes like the moon and curled ck horns¡ªlike those of a goat¡ªadorning her temples. Observing the woman, whose skin was tinged with a lighter shade of purple than her hair, the boss¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    <i>I can see her clearly, yet she somehow feels blurry.</i>


    If a person¡¯s dreams were molded into a beautiful woman, it would probably look exactly like her.


    He continued to observe the woman, the Dream Demon, and his eyes instinctivelynded on her horns.


    <i>They say no part of a demon¡¯s body exists without a purpose.... If that¡¯s true, then what role might those horns y?</i>


    Given her name, could those horns contain an amount of dream mana iparable even to Dream Ivory? He became more and more curious.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Then, without warning, half of his vision suddenly disappeared.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Startled, he touched his face and realized his right eye socket was empty and began panicking.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re having a hard time focusing, so I¡¯ll hold onto this until the meeting is over,¡± the Dream Demon abruptly said, lightly grasping a white mass, the boss¡¯s right eye, in her hand.


    <i>Flutter.</i>


    She then opened up her grasp and purple butterflies fluttered away.


    A chill ran down the boss¡¯s spine.


    <i>Right... stepping into this ce is like being inside the belly of the Dream Demon.</i>


    Unless one was a monster like the other Ten Evils or a Perfect One, the Dream Demon was easily capable of instantly dissolving anyone in this castle.


    The reminder jolted his memory, and he recalled his ce¡ªa mere representative¡ªso the boss subdued his burgeoning curiosity and nodded.


    ¡°My apologies, Madam.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Well, let¡¯s get started right away since we¡¯ve already been dyed because of me.¡±


    <i>p-</i>


    Summoned by the Dream Demon¡¯s light p, the previously blurry figures within some chairs became distinctly visible.


    Slowly but surely, a grotesque ball-jointed doll with all orifices except the sewn-shut mouth, a giant over two meters tall¡ªdressed in a ck hat, robe, and beak mask thatpletely covered their skin together¡ªand a gentle-looking elderly man appeared.


    With just a glimpse at the three new arrivals, the boss could instantly recognize who they were.


    ¡°Puppeteer, Tuner, and the representative of Dawn.¡±


    The representative of Dawn was likely a mid-ranking officer like himself.


    Seeing that no one else had arrived, the Dream Demon wore a disappointed face.


    ¡°I reached out to them, but the others expressed no interest in joining our meeting. How unfortunate.¡±


    Tuner, wearing the gue doctor mask, just shrugged.


    ¡°Figures. Demons being notoriously uncooperative is nothing new anyway,¡± grumbled Tuner in a light tone, a mismatch with hisrge stature.


    He then surveyed the attendees before leaning back in his chair and addressing everyone.


    ¡°Well, since we¡¯ve gathered the minimum required, I, as the initiator of this meeting, shall proceed. Lately, Babel, or more precisely, the Emperor of Ascension, has been making some bold moves. Though Puppeteer did stir things up first, him taking out a third of Exuviation¡¯s research facilities in retaliation seems a bit too much.¡±


    The moment he mentioned Exuviation, a subgroup of Watchers, Charles and the boss, representatives of Dawn and Offering respectively, both turned their attention to him.


    ¡°It seems he didn¡¯t like that someone was messing with the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s body parts. And okay, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m annoyed, but honestly, it¡¯s daunting to confront him directly. It¡¯d be a waste, too.¡±


    The Ten Evils were immensely powerful, but they were still significantly outmatched by the Perfect Ones. Hence, Tuner had intended to let the incident slide, but then, he found out some interesting things.


    ¡°But as it turns out, there are quite a few people with grievances... or, should I say, issues with the Emperor of Ascension.¡±


    Shrugging his shoulders, Tuner looked around at those seated. While the goals of those gathered today were different, their paths to achieving them aligned.


    And since that was the case, Tuner saw a spark of possibility in a n that would otherwise have been impossible, leading to the current meeting.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m asking you guys to put in some effort... you know, I¡¯m not good with words, so I¡¯ll keep the n simple.¡±


    Gazing at those gathered¡ªthree of the Ten Evils and two subgroups of Watchers¡ªTuner spread his arms wide and made a crazed grin. With the joint force that not even Perfect Ones could easily handle, it would be a <i>wild </i>festival.


    ¡°Let¡¯s burn down his damn garden. Let¡¯s see it ze gloriously.¡±

 Chapter 122

    <h4>Chapter 122</h4>


    Within a certain ssroom in the main building of the Department of Spells, a voice echoed.


    ¡°If other skills simply project Synesthetic Mindscapes into reality, barriers fix them into ce. Understanding this difference is crucial for constructing more advanced barriers...¡±


    Half-listening to Professor Robert¡¯s endless monotonous theoretical lecture for Barrier Composition, Se-Hoon mulled over the events of the previous day.


    <i>Southern me Pupil...</i>


    The Vermillion Bird, a one-of-a-kind phoenix, only had three pairs of eyes. As such, only six Southern me Pupils existed in the world, making each and every single one a tremendously valuable material. And precisely because it was so valuable¡ªwith its extreme rarity, amazing effects, and Legendary tier¡ªhe became more and more irritated.


    <i>They actually used such a thing as bait...</i>


    To most, such a thing would be unheard of, sphemous even. However, to Se-Hoon, someone who had once used Legendary materials like disposables during the war against the Demon Forces, it wasn¡¯t surprising at all.


    <i>Well... they can just kill a strong demon and get another Legendary material.</i>


    It would be a lie to say he hadn¡¯t been reluctant to use them in such a way, but at the time, he could afford the luxury of sparing such resources with the situation the way it was. Regardless though, the potential gains back then had always made it a worthwhile method.


    But that was then; now was apletely different story.


    <i>The carrier, Amir, was barely B-rank. Even the so-called bodyguards were mostly B-ranks, with just three A-ranks.</i>


    Even though they were transporting a Legendary material, the security wasughably inadequate. It was utterly aggravating that the Dream Demon appeared to be indifferent to losing such priceless material.


    <i>She wasn¡¯t trying to trap the opponent... so then she must have been simply aiming to identify them, even if it meant losing the material.</i>


    The question had now changed: who could the Dream Demon possibly think her opponent was to so indifferently scatter such valuable bait? Keeping the question in mind, Se-Hoon recalled the keywords in the Dream Demon¡¯s response during their conversation.


    <i>Skilled in spatial magic, is either mad or powerful enough to attack the Ten Evils, and is connected to Caden who may be connected to Offering.</i>


    With these descriptions, two names came to mind easily.


    <i>Ludwig and... Kim In-Cheol?</i>


    One was an authority on spatial magic who didn¡¯t even fear the Ten Evils, while the other was a cksmith who had been involved with Watchers before he regressed.


    However, since thetter name was merely based on unverified information he had gained from the Phantasmal Spyde, it left one person. Ludwig was undoubtedly one of the prime suspects.


    <i>So, the Dream Demon already suspects that Ludwig will attack her at some point...</i>


    Before the regression, Ludwig had focused solely on managing Babel, indifferent to worldly affairs like most Perfect Ones. Thus the Ten Evils had avoided provoking him, naturally resulting in minimal conflicts between the two parties.


    Yet now, the Dream Demon was wary of Ludwig, effectively meaning that the previous tacit agreement had been broken somehow.


    <i>It¡¯s probably due to what I have done.</i>


    Since Ludwig was openly supporting Se-Hoon, who destroyed Exuviation¡¯s hiddenb in Mount Silver Moon and ruined the Puppeteer¡¯s n by defeating her puppets during the ck Lotus Seas incident, outsiders likely saw it as Ludwig also being openly antagonistic toward the Ten Evils. And now, Se-Hoon had stolen the Dream Demon¡¯s item using Ludwig¡¯s powers through the Ascension Ring.


    <i>Thisplicates things.</i>


    It was true that the Ten Evils weren¡¯t as strong as the Perfect Ones, but that didn¡¯t mean they would lose. And considering that their opponent was Ludwig, they could just strike Babel for revenge instead of the man himself.


    Arriving at that thought, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    <i>It¡¯s a bit risky but with proper preparation...</i>


    The strike on Babel could turn out to be an opportunity to deal a significant blow to the Ten Evils.


    Thinking about how to prepare, Se-Hoon began methodically prioritizing various urgent tasks that he needed to do first.


    <i>There¡¯s checking if Kim In-Cheol is involved in this matter, absorbing the Purifying Earthstone to acquire my third elemental attribute, and finding a way to use the Southern me Pupil...</i>


    As he was busy scheduling his tasks, the bell rang to signal the end of the ss and Professor Robert concluded the lecture.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for today¡¯s lesson, make sure toplete your assignments. Also, if you¡¯re interested in barrier tools, you can attend the Hextech Expo that will be held in Borsippa¡¯s exhibition hall next weekend. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Watching Robert leave the ssroom after those brief remarks, Se-Hoon mused over Robert¡¯s words, his interest piqued.


    <i>A Hextech Expo... that¡¯s the perfect opportunity to sneak something in from outside.</i>


    Though it was unlikely that Babel would be careless enough to let that happen, given the recent attention he gained from the Ten Evils, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be cautious.


    <i>Tug-</i>


    Feeling a slight tug on his left sleeve, Se-Hoon dismissed his thoughts about the Expo. Turning his head, he saw Erika giving him a nk stare, seemingly using him of forgetting something.


    ¡°...¡±


    <i>Oh, right.</i>


    He hadpletely forgotten he had promised to forge something for her and had almost postponed it again.


    ¡°<i>Ahem</i>. Do you have another ss after this? If not, let¡¯s go forge your equipment¡ª¡±


    ¡°No sses. Let¡¯s go,¡± said Erika, abruptly standing up as if she had been waiting, her eagerness evident.


    At her actions, Se-Hoon smiled wryly and rose from his seat as well.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go buy the materials first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    With a n made, they headed toward the exit of the ssroom and Erika¡¯s subordinates, who quickly approached them.


    ¡°Mydy. Your next ss... does not exist, of course! We¡¯ll go on ahead then!¡±


    Bemused due to the subordinates who started off energetically before suddenly going pale and scurrying away, Se-Hoon looked at Erika.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Erika, with a tilt of her head.


    Gazing at her casual expression like nothing had happened, Se-Hoon snickered.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s hurry.¡±


    It seemed she had been piling up more stress than she let on.


    Thinking it was best to relieve her of all that quickly, Se-Hoon directly headed to the Borsippa shopping district with Erika.


    ¡°Where are we headed to?¡±


    ¡°I have a ce that someone rmended in mind. I want to try visiting there.¡±


    Recalling the store Reba had mentioned as a return favor during his visit to Lea in the hospital, Se-Hoon headed unhesitantly into an alley. They continued walking deeper and deeper into the back alleys, past some odd and somewhat suspicious-looking shops, until they finally arrived at their destination.


    Located at the end of a blind alley was Alifes Wholesale Store, with a storefront that had various oddities and ends piled up like a mountain. It looked quite disorganized from the outside but somehow exuded a mysterious atmosphere.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Walking in, Se-Hoon scanned the interior.


    From unrefined ores and dented equipment to misceneous powders and ornaments haphazardly ced on the shelves, the ce looked more like a junkyard than a store.


    <i>This is one hell of a concept... </i>thought Se-Hoon, looking around with a bewildered expression.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>, seems like we have some celebrities here.¡±


    Locating the source of the voice, they found an old man reading a newspaper at the counter ncing over. He was a ck man with wave-patterned tattoos on his face and neck. Though he appeared old and frail, his eyes and demeanor exuded a depth of experience that gave the impression he was not to be underestimated.


    ¡°As you can see, we only have random knick-knacks here. If you¡¯re looking for something special, it might be better to take a right at the entrance of the ally toward Terysnom¡¯s Wholesale,¡± calmly said the old man before returning to his newspaper.


    ¡°We came on Professor Reba¡¯s rmendation,¡± responded Se-Hoon.


    ¡°...I never thought she would actually rmend a student.¡±


    With a chuckle, the old man folded his newspaper and stood up.


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Navigating them past the clutter to the back of the store, the old man pulled on a decorative cord hanging on the wall.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    And the wall parted naturally like a curtain opening, revealing a dim interior. Without skipping a beat, the old man hopped inside, followed by Se-Hoon and Erika.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Crossing into another space, a new scenery unfolded before them.


    <i>This is quite nice.</i>


    Unlike the messy main shop, it was neatly organized here. Each section was stocked with various materials, many of which were seemingly rare at first nce.


    ¡°Take a look around. If we don¡¯t have what you are looking for, you cane to the counter and make an order.¡±


    Done with the brief exnation, the old man stepped outside.


    ¡°So this is a Mercator branch,¡± said Erika, watching the old man go with interest.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mercator was a VIP-exclusive wholesale guild that only sold goods to those with fame, power, and skill. And since it operated on a membership basis, requiring a rmendation from existing esteemed customers, it was quite exclusive. Luckily though, they were able to ess it easily thanks to Reba, one of those esteemed customers.


    <i>I remember only being able toe here after meeting my master.</i>


    Feeling the rapid pace of his growth anew, he looked at Erika.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say the list out loud, so try to grab whatever you can.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    For a while, the two walked around the store, picking out the needed materials. When they finished, they arrived at the counter with a total of four boxes.


    ¡°The payment will be by...¡±


    ¡°Please use this.¡±


    Before Se-Hoon could even say a word, Erika had handed over a ck card with gold ting.


    Recognizing the design of the card, the old man smirked and said, ¡°A limitless card... you¡¯ve got yourself a good friend, pal.¡±


    The old man lightly tapped on his calctor, swiped the card, and handed it back.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s your first visit, you get a ten percent discount. Come again next time.¡±


    Seeing that Erika had finished paying, Se-Hoon put the boxes containing the materials into his void pocket and casually asked, ¡°How much was it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t get a notification, so it must be a small amount.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    By any reasonable estimates, the materials they had just bought would be worth hundreds of millions at least, yet she called it a <i>small </i>amount. He could also easily afford it with the amount in his ount, yet he couldn¡¯t help but be left speechless by her mindset.


    <i>Well, her family does have a knack for burning through money at the Noblesse...</i>


    It was at this moment that Se-Hoon began to seriously consider getting closer to Erika.


    Meanwhile, oblivious to his shock, Erika asked him, ¡°Where are we going to forge the equipment?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, anywhere is fine as long as there aren¡¯t any prying eyes around...¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go to my dorm room.¡±


    Without any hesitation, she had naturally invited him to her room. And while anyone else would be taken aback, Se-Hoon just as naturally considered it.


    ¡°Sounds good. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Though he didn¡¯t know what intentions she had, he believed that going could serve as an important step in understanding what kind of person Erika truly was.


    ***


    A silent tripter, the two were now entering the dormitory of Ur side by side.


    ¡°Uh...what?¡±


    ¡°Wait a second...¡±


    And the sight of the two walking side by side through the dormitory of <i>Ur</i> prompted a wave of murmurs from the other students, with a few startled ones even rushing over.


    ¡°Miss! Excuse¡ªme, just passing through.¡±


    However, they all strangely just quickly moved past them instead, acting like they had never called out to her in the first ce.


    Se-Hoon looked at Erika.


    ¡°Yes?¡± responded Erika innocently.


    Realizing that her curious expression waspletely natural, Se-Hoon stroked his chin.


    ¡°Show me the expression you showed them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same expression as right now.¡±


    ¡°It seemed more fierce before.¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    Erika, who had clearly scared off everyone who approached with her deadly stare earlier, was dismissively denying it. It prompted a soft chuckle out of Se-Hoon as they walked to her dorm room on the top floor.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    Surveying her room upon entering, Se-Hoon noticed that the interior of her room was neatly organized. It wasn¡¯t as pristine as Jake¡¯s room, but it wasn¡¯t far behind.


    <i>There¡¯s quite a lot.</i>


    Throughout the corridor from the entrance to the living space, there were numerous hidden barriersid out discreetly. The room honestly felt more like a fortress than a dorm room.


    At that moment, Erika spoke up to exin.


    ¡°I¡¯m often targeted by those outside. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve set all these up.¡±


    ¡°Well, that makes sense, given your family¡¯s name.¡±


    The more power one held, the more enemies and rivals they had¡ªdealing with it was typical for prestigious families. So in a way, Erika was just being prudent, whereas Jake, with his no precautions, was being careless.


    ¡°Want something to drink?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good. Let¡¯s get started right away.¡±


    The two sat opposite each other on the living room sofas, and Erika asked Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Is there anything else you might need?¡±


    ¡°Just your crow. It¡¯s probably better to work while having it in my sight.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Nodding, Erika nced to the side, and a door there began to open slowly.


    ¡°<i>Caw.</i>¡±


    Letting out a cry, a crow flew in from the opened door andnded on the table.


    <i>Hmm. If she can naturally control it with just a nce, the entire spell form must be in her grasp.</i>


    Was this situation set up to thoroughly examine his capabilities? Thinking about what Erika¡¯s true intentions might be, Se-Hoon began to take out the materials.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get started then.¡±


    The materials they had bought from the Mercator were of two main types.


    The first was shadow materials; he had bought Shadow Matter, a ck ore that seemed to be made of condensed shadows. And the other type was flying monster byproducts.


    ¡°The bones of the Humming Shadow and Thunder Falcon, and the feathers of the Storm Vulture¡ªthese are the main materials we¡¯ll be using.¡±


    The bones dyed ck and yellow and the feather which bore a dull silver sheen all contained a considerable amount of mana.


    ¡°We¡¯ll construct the basic framework with these andplete it by using Shadow Matter to cover it. You¡¯ll see how it¡¯s done during the process.¡±


    Finished with his brief exnation, Se-Hoon formed a White Light Dagger to begin carving the bones and inscribing spells on their surface.


    For a while, the work continued unhesitatingly while Erika watched silently.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the blueprint?¡± asked Erika suddenly, breaking her silence.


    ¡°It¡¯s all in my head.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to cross-verify?¡±


    ¡°If I weren¡¯t able to forge ording to the blueprint in my head, I wouldn¡¯t have taken your request in the first ce.¡±


    While he responded to Erika, his hands continued to move and soon, the materials were quickly processed and arranged to one side. At this point, now that he was finished with the preparations, he seamlessly began assembling the framework.


    <i>Click!</i>


    One by one, the bones interlocked seamlessly, and he infused spells with Incantation Inscriptions each time.


    <strong>¡°Shape Transformation, Attribute Compatibility, Mana Conductivity ...¡±</strong>


    Checking that the mana within the bones had been purified by the various incantations, Se-Hoon lightly attached the Storm Vulture¡¯s feathers to the framework¡¯s wings.


    <i>Swish!</i>


    As each feather adhered to the framework, they aligned themselves neatly, surprising Erika.


    <i>He managed to activate the materials...</i>


    There were generally two methods that cksmiths used when using byproducts as materials: process the strength within the material itself and transform it or fully reproduce the power exhibited by the monster when it was alive.


    Between the two, reproducing the power was the more mana-efficient method but was rarely used in practice.


    <i>Such a thing requires the creation of a mana circuit asplex as the monster¡¯s biological responses.</i>


    On top of the fact that the method was troublesome design-wise and risky, its efficiency would be decreased if anything was even slightly misaligned. Honestly, it made things more challenging for both the cksmith and the user. However, Erika seemed to be intrigued by it regardless.


    <i>So he has a talent for bioweapons as well.</i>


    Unaffected by the intently observing Erika, Se-Hoon finished attaching the remaining feathers. And once he was done with that, he finally picked up the Shadow Matter and drew upon his darkness mana, Moon Shadow.


    <i>Drip-</i>


    Following Moon Shadow, the Shadow Matter spread like a shadow and sleekly adhered to various parts of the framework¡ªthe final touch to the ck crow exoskeleton.


    Moving on, Se-Hoon called the crow, who had been closely observing the entire process.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    ¡°Caw.¡±


    Positioning the crow that hopped toward him, Se-Hoon promptly mounted the exoskeleton onto its back.


    <i>Clink!</i>


    The moment the exoskeleton was attached, it reacted to the crow¡¯s physique and naturally fitted itself to the crow¡¯s wings and thorax, fully finishing the frame. Then, when the crow¡¯s mana seeped into the exoskeleton, it began merging with the crow¡¯s body, fully finishing the equipment.


    <strong>[Equipment ¡®Spirit Bone Armor¡¯ has beenpleted!</strong>


    <strong>A masterpiece forged by a master cksmith who poured his creativity into this piece of equipment without reservation! Its intricate design makes it challenging to use, but once mastered, it will reveal its limitless potential.</strong>


    <strong>The tier evaluation for ¡®Spirit Bone Amor¡¯ is ¡®Hero¡¯.]</strong>


    Checking the achievement message that popped up noisily, he indifferently thought, <i>This is worth the cost of the materials.</i>


    The Shadow Matter itself was already of Hero tier, and although the other materials were of Rare tier, given that they were byproducts of an A-rank monster, equipment of this level was to be expected unless he was somehow extremely careless during the forging process.


    Thinking something that the other students would probably be furious about, Se-Hoon opened up the information message.


    <strong>[<u>Spirit Bone Armor</u>]</strong>


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


    <strong>[A special exoskeleton made to fit crows.</strong>


    <strong>When mana is circting in it, it enhances the crow¡¯s flying ability and can divert shocks received into the feathers.</strong>


    <strong>If mana is supplied through a special route, the exoskeleton can be transformed into a preset form.</strong>


    <strong>*When mana is circting, flying ability is enhanced</strong>


    <strong>*When mana is circting, shocks received by the wearer can be diverted into the feathers</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Spirit Cover¡¯]</strong>


    <i>This seems good enough.</i>


    Having finished checking all the features, Se-Hoon turned to look at Erika.


    ¡°It¡¯splete. Take a look.¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    Summoning the crow with a gesture, Erika looked over the equipment visually before reading the information message.


    A while passed.


    <strong>[¡®Inoue Erika¡¯ has increased your evaluation.]</strong>


    <strong>[A Fatestone has been formed for the subject ¡®Inoue Erika¡¯.]</strong>


    Scanning the notification message that appeared in front of him, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    <i>Indeed. The personality aspect wasn¡¯t that important to her, I guess.</i>


    If Erika¡¯s assessment criteria considered theplex aspects of a human being, merely forging the Spirit Bone Armor would not have been sufficient. However, the moment she confirmed the equipment¡¯s performance, she raised her assessment of him and created a level two Fatestone.


    In other words, her evaluation criteria for him were based purely on his abilities as a cksmith.


    <i>It¡¯s not a bad thing to focus solely on one¡¯s skills, but... this seems even more deste than Eun-Ha back then.</i>


    Could a person really keep their personal and professional lives separate to this extent? Wondering the answer, Se-Hoon looked toward Erika with a subtle expression.


    ¡°Can I try it on?¡± asked Erika with a look of curiosity.


    ¡°Ah, you may, but do you know how to use it?¡±


    ¡°I think I have a rough idea. I¡¯ll show you,¡± responded Erika with a nod.


    Standing up, Erika ced her crow on her hand and headed towards the balcony. Se-Hoon followed behind.


    <i>If the achievement message said it¡¯splicated and tricky, then there¡¯s no doubt that it is... I''m curious to see how far she can go.</i>


    The Spirit Bone Armor was created with nopromises for convenience, and its power solely depended on the user¡¯s skill. In other words, the performance of the equipment waspletely decided by Erika¡¯s proficiency.


    Se-Hoon watched with anticipation.


    <strong>¡°Wind Guide.¡±</strong>


    At Erika¡¯s whisper, silver mana infused into the crow¡¯s body and the Spirit Bone Armor began to reshape itself.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    The exoskeleton of the wings spread out with silver mana naturally gathering over it, creating massive silver wings. They now had a more natural look than before, when all they had was Se-Hoon¡¯s infused enchantments.


    Erika casually shook her hand and sent the crow flying outside.


    <i>Whirl-</i>


    A wind so fierce that it could be seen started to swirl behind the crow the moment it began to p its wings. The crow flying around the air, enveloped in the strong whirlwind, was quite impressive.


    <i>She¡¯s quite good at it.</i>


    She was using a technique devised by utilizing the features of the Storm Vulture¡¯s feather to create a gust of wind. And the resulting gust was strong enough to be used for both offense and defense. The overallpleteness was honestly remarkable for her first attempt.


    <i>Judging from how well she¡¯s using it right now, once she gets used to it... wait, what?</i>


    As Se-Hoon was silently praising her, the crow suddenly made a U-turn and began to circle. Following it, the gust also started circling, its rotational speed elerating.


    <i>Could this be...?</i>


    Was she about to take it a step further? But wouldn¡¯t it be nearly impossible for her to use such a technique during her first attempt?


    Completely taken aback, countless questions raced through Se-Hoon¡¯s mind.


    <strong>¡°Furious Wind.¡±</strong>


    At Erika¡¯s murmur, the Spirit Bone Armor transformed again. The massive wings stretched out, but this time, the feathers fanned harshly in all directions.


    Gliding on the rotating wind, the crow spun faster and faster. Soon, a silver storm began to take shape.


    <i>Roooar!</i>


    ¡°What, what is that?!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s doing that? Is it a demon?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either!¡±


    The howling storm seemed ready to tear anything in its path into shreds. Its terrifying wind whipped at the balcony, eliciting horrified voices from below.


    Standing in the center of it all, Erika just silently watched. And then, she dered its end by pointing toward a small mountain near the dormitory.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The tempest created by the crow ripped through the mountain, tearing apart rows of trees as if a giant beast had swiped at the mountain in a fit of frenzy.


    ¡°...¡±


    As Se-Hoon stared nkly at the scene that surpassed all his expectations, Erika slowly turned her head toward him.


    ¡°This is nice.¡±


    She nodded in approval with a satisfied expression.

 Chapter 123

    <h4>Chapter 123</h4>


    ring destruction¡ªthere was no better description to describe the result of Erika¡¯s showcase of her capabilities.


    It made two of Babel¡¯s staff members, who were responsible for investigating the situation, rushed over in the blink of an eye.


    Erika¡¯s actions hadn¡¯t resulted in any casualties, but she had still unleashed a powerful skill in the residential area, destroying a mountain and park near the dormitory that also doubled as training grounds for students. As such, she would normally be guaranteed to receive some demerit points. Yet, that wasn¡¯t what happened.


    <i>¡°Hmm</i>. With such a tricky piece of equipment involved, it¡¯s no surprise an ident like this urred.¡±


    Because there were always exceptions, no matter what it was.


    ¡°Pardon? Strictly speaking, such powerful skills should only be unleashed in designated training areas...¡±


    ¡°Did you not just hear her? It was only because a simple enhancement spell caused the crow to go berserk, resulting in this ident.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes...¡±


    ¡°Also, despite the chaos, these students managed to quickly bring the situation under control to prevent any casualties. Ignoring that effort would be unfair to Miss... <i>ahem</i> to these students.¡±


    Faced with the obviously biased defense by the Department of Spells professor, the other staff member, who hade from the headquarters of Babel, tantly showed their disapproval.


    ¡°I see. Then, for the punishment...¡±


    ¡°I assume you guys must be pretty busy nowadays due to the expo that ising up. Thus, our department will deal with it by making sure to provide proper education to prevent this from happening again,¡± immediately replied the Department of Spells professor.


    Considering the professor¡¯s words, the headquarters staff member eventually nodded.


    ¡°Alright then. We¡¯ll report that the matter has been handled by using internal education.¡±


    ¡°<i>Haha.</i> Thank you.¡±


    With the report finished, the headquarters staff member scratched his head and promptly left. And once he was out of sight, the professor turned to Erika.


    ¡°I¡¯ll also be going now. Please be careful for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Bidding them a polite farewell, the professor departed, leaving behind Erika and the fascinated Se-Hoon.


    <i>Having authority sure is something.</i>


    If it had been a student without any backing, they would have received demerit points before the professor even arrived. Inparison, Erika had simply gotten away with it scott-free.


    Noticing Se-Hoon¡¯s fascinated look toward her, Erika tilted her head.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a little surprising that you got off without any demerits.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I¡¯m an honor student.¡±


    It was an unexpected answer.


    ¡°Not because of your family¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°The only thing my family¡¯s influence did was allow me to skip the minor investigations. The result just now would have been the same if it were any other honor student.¡±


    <i>So, being an honor student means getting that kind of leniency. </i>Erika¡¯s calm answer piqued Se-Hoon¡¯s interest quite a bit.


    He knew that Babel shamelessly favored talent and achievements, but he didn''t expect the disparity in treatment to be this significant.


    <i>In other words, as long as the results are good, they don¡¯t mind if the process is a bit rough.</i>


    Satisfied by the useful tip he learned, Se-Hoon smiled.


    ¡°Thanks. I feel like this coulde in handyter.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± responded Erika with a little nod before looking at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°So, how are we going to settle the ount?¡±


    ¡°ount? Oh, right.¡±


    Figuring out what she meant, Se-Hoon recalled the things he had previously received from Erika.


    <i>I was paid in advance with the Yin-Yang Pill, and she even acquired the Purifying Earthstone for me and assisted in the ck Arms as well.</i>


    However, when considering the value of the Spirit Bone Armor¡ªwhich helped enhance one¡¯s abilities and guide their direction for the future¡ªshe ended up with a small profit, which made it a bit tricky to ask her for something specific in return.


    Pondering for a moment, Se-Hoon decided on a solution.


    ¡°Instead of settling it with money, just get me something else.¡±


    ¡°Something else?¡±


    ¡°Materials, potions, or even helping me out when somethinges upter. Whatever¡¯s convenient for you.¡±


    Telling someone to get them ¡°something¡± usually meant ¡°I don¡¯t know what I want, but you should figure it out,¡± but this time, he genuinely didn¡¯t care.


    <i>She¡¯ll probably bring something useful for herself,</i> he thought.


    It was just like how Eun-Ha had ¡°gifted¡± him mountains of professional books before the regression to guide him toward forging the kind of equipment she wanted. He was fine with that though; Se-Hoon intended to use this small reward to figure out exactly what Erika was trying to get out of him.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>... alright. I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be off then.¡±


    ¡°Okay. See you next time.¡±


    ***


    Having parted ways with Erika, Se-Hoon descended to the dormitory main floor while reviewing the list of tasks at hand.


    <i>I should be finished with all pending requests now... so next should be Kim In-Cheol.</i>


    Walking aimlessly, he began to organize his thoughts about the uing task.


    <i>Before the regression, Kim In-Cheol was suspected of being a part of Offering, a sub-group of Watchers. He also has possession of the Fire Heaven Greatsword, a Five Elemental Equipment, which likely made him a target of the me Sword cksmith Hunter. He did die suspiciously early too...</i>


    Reviewing the list of information he had, Se-Hoon came to a conclusion: In-Cheol was a cksmith with a suspicious past.


    <i>Getting people like him to talk is the most challenging part, </i>thought Se-Hoon with a frown.


    Moreover, he was currently a student¡ªa position that made it even harder to get information from him.


    <i>Ugh. I should just meet him face-to-face and see what happens.</i>


    There were many things he had to do over at In-Cheol¡¯s ce anyway, so he decided to take things one step at a time.


    With his n of action decided, Se-Hoon took out his phone and sent a message to In-Cheol: Can I visit your workshop today?


    Confirming that the message had actually been sent, Se-Hoon waited calmly. Before long, his phone vibrated, indicating an iing call.


    ¡°Yes, Professor.¡±


    ¡ªWhen do you n oning over?


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any other sses today, so I cane whenever it¡¯s convenient for you, Professor.¡±


    ¡ªPerfect. I¡¯ve just finished my schedule for the day and am about to head back. Tell me where you are; I¡¯ll head over to pick you up.


    Promptly sharing his location with In-Cheol, Se-Hoon moved towards the road. Shortly after, a menacing red motorcycle approached.


    ¡°Get on.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Feeling the wind as the red motorcycle raced along the road, Se-Hoon looked at In-Cheol¡¯s back and abruptly called out, ¡°Professor.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°If we had a Legendary-tier material among the byproducts of the Vermilion Bird, can we possibly repair the Core of the Shattered me¡ª¡±


    <i>Screech!</i>


    Before Se-Hoon could finish his question, In-Cheol mmed the brake of his motorcycle out of nowhere and turned around.


    ¡°Did you receive it from the Chairman?¡±


    His expression was beyond mere surprise; he almost looked desperate.


    Seeing that, it was hard for Se-Hoon, who was still taken aback by the intense reaction, to answer, but he managed to quickly say, ¡°N-no. After studying the Southern me Feather for a bitst time, I just thought it might be able to fix the Core...¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    Finally managing to calm down his emotions, In-Cheol became slightly embarrassed.


    ¡°Sorry for startling you. I got a bit excited thinking you might have actually acquired Legendary material of the Vermillion Bird.¡±


    ¡°No problem. It¡¯s my fault for not exining properly.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>. Let¡¯s keep going then.¡±


    As In-Cheol started up the motorcycle again, Se-Hoon, having collected himself, narrowed his eyes.


    <i>So, he did manage to find some way to repair it.</i>


    From In-Cheol¡¯s reactions, Se-Hoon was able to deduce that using the byproducts of the Vermilion Bird would likely increase the chances of repairing the Core of the Shattered me.


    <i>But then, why would he seek out another method if that¡¯s the case?</i>


    Lack of confidence in the repair method, difficulty obtaining the required materials, or perhaps keeping a promise with Ludwig¡ªvarious possibilities crossed his mind. And after considering all of them, he came to a simple conclusion.


    <i>I have no clue at all.</i>


    With the minuscule amount of information he had, he couldn¡¯te to any definitive conclusion. Thus, instead of dwelling on such useless thoughts, he decided to focus on the thing he was sure about.


    <i>Kim In-Cheol is obsessed with the byproducts of the Vermilion Bird.</i>


    Even just that made it usible that the deal at the ck Arms was supposed to lure in Ludwig and, by extension, In-Cheol.


    By the time Se-Hoon had finished sorting out his thoughts and reached that point, the motorcycle had arrived at In-Cheol¡¯s workshop.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head in.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ***


    Entering the workshop adjacent to In-Cheol¡¯s home, Se-Hoon immediately inspected the five furnaces attached to the wall.


    ¡°By the way, what happened to the pieces of the Divine Tree that I gave you before?¡±


    ¡°Ah, just a moment.¡±


    Grabbing a pair of tongs hanging nearby, In-Cheol walked over and opened the second furnace.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    A st of hot air rushed out and warmed up the room as soon as he lifted the lid. Not wasting any time, In-Cheol inserted the tongs into the furnace and pulled out a ck rod about thirty centimeters long.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>, this looks about right...¡±


    Examining the rod closely, In-Cheol lightly tapped a panel on the wall, causing a container filled with blue liquid to appear on the floor before him.


    <i>Is that cont made from magic stone liquid?</i>


    Giving In-Cheol his full attention, Se-Hoon watched In-Cheol immediately submerge the rod into the container.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    mes erupted on the surface of the cont, likely a result of the mana inside the liquid reacting to the rod. Yet, despite that it was <i>burning</i> due to the intense heat, the cont wasn¡¯t boiling at all.


    <i>Bubble, bubble!</i>


    It wasn¡¯t untilter when the mes died down that the cont began to boil. Upon observing that behavior, In-Cheol carefully removed the rod from the container.


    <i>Sizz-</i>


    Hidden by faint clouds of steam, a burnt-ck rod came out. It looked shinier and much sturdier than when it had just been taken out of the furnace, and there was no trace of the Divine Tree left.


    ¡°This should do. Take a look,¡± said In-Cheol, cing the back rod on the workbench.


    Se-Hoon approached to check the information window.


    <strong>[<u>Selective Firewood</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Poor]</strong>


    <strong>[A wooden rod that consumes and burns mana.</strong>


    <strong>It uses the mana infused within it as fuel to ignite or strengthen mes, protecting the target from heat until all of the mana is used up.</strong>


    <strong>*Can use absorbed mana as fuel</strong>


    <strong>*The target being sapped of mana is protected by the me.</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Selective Fire¡¯]</strong>


    <i>As expected, he made it so that it burns up mana first.</i>


    Imitating the real process, In-Cheol created a simr effect to how heat was blocked by the steam created when wet hands touched molten metal.[1]


    <i>As long as a sufficient amount of mana is supplied, it can withstand any me, no matter how hot it is¡ªand that includes the heat of the Shattered me.</i>


    Furthermore, the absorbed mana could be used to strengthen the me, helping to maintain the temperature of the Shattered me to some extent. He saw some ws in it, but it was a decent approach, so Se-Hoon was still satisfied with it.


    Interrupting Se-Hoon¡¯s examination, In-Cheol cautiously asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It looks good. It¡¯s a shame that the wearer is exposed to the heat until it¡¯s worn and doesn¡¯t have any means to control the heat, but it should serve as a solid prototype.¡±


    Hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s response, In-Cheol unconsciously disyed a satisfied expression. He was d that Se-Hoon, with just a brief inspection, understood all of its ws.


    ¡°My idea was to first ensure the wearer¡¯s protection, and then gradually addponents to control the heat.¡±


    ¡°In that case, we should forge a scabbard next. How about using Inkstone Ore for it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve considered that too. However, Inkstone Ore is not ideal for maintenance, so I¡¯m still pondering how to manage that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve recently learned a skill that might help with that...¡±


    Discussing for a long time, In-Cheol epted and fine-tuned the details of several of Se-Hoon¡¯s suggestions with some contemting after each one.


    <i>He for sure knows about the original form of the Shattered me, the Fire Heaven Greatsword, </i>realized Se-Hoon, in the midst of their discussion.


    If In-Cheol hadn¡¯t known about it, he would have focused solely on repairing the Core and reducing the escaping heat. However, he also paid attention to several other functions, including the key feature of being able to designate what the me burns.


    <i>Is there something specific he wants to burn?</i>


    What could he be aiming for? Musing over In-Cheol¡¯s still mysterious intentions, Se-Hoon¡¯s attention was brought back by In-Cheol¡¯s serene voice.


    ¡°...Thank you.¡± Then he continued, standing up to face Se-Hoon, ¡°Thanks to you, I feel like I¡¯ve finally made progress after years of being stuck in the same hole.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t really need to thank me; all I provided were the materials. It¡¯s your hard work that made this possible, Professor.¡±


    ¡°No, without those materials, I wouldn¡¯t have even been able to attempt this method.¡±


    Shaking his hand firmly, In-Cheol grasped Se-Hoon¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Thank you, truly.¡±


    It was a sincere expression of gratitude and even a new Fatestone had been created. But...


    <i>Hmm. The bond level didn¡¯t rise? </i>It made him make a curious expression.


    Given In-Cheol¡¯s reaction, he should have felt like Se-Hoon had given him quite a bit of help, yet the oue seemed mediocre.


    <i>Perhaps he¡¯s still keeping quite a distance inwardly.</i>


    Again, due to theck of information about In-Cheol, it was impossible to make a clear judgment. The recurring uncertainty was beginning to frustrate Se-Hoon.


    <i>Should I justy it all out?</i>


    He could mix in a bit of falsehood to coax out whether In-Cheol was from Watchers and the fact that the Shattered me was the Fire Heaven Greatsword without raising too much suspicion. But still, he didn¡¯t. Se-Hoon hadn¡¯t didn¡¯t want to take the risk of damaging their Rtionship and, more importantly, his favorable impression of In-Cheol as a person.


    <i>If he were a shady character, I would¡¯ve introduced him to my hammer right away.</i>


    He struggled over whether there was a cleaner and more discreet method. Then, in the midst of his struggle, a single regret came to his mind.


    <i>If only I could see through his memories with the Phantasmal Spyde like how I looked through my memories...</i>


    Since he was able to ess memories from the past until his body forcibly shook him out of them, it should be possible to look through In-Cheol¡¯s memories too, as long as he could figure out a way to somehow tap into them. At this point, Se-Hoon¡¯s racing thoughts stopped.


    <i>Wait. Wait. Wait. Why not just...</i>


    Using the Phantasmal Spyde to peer into his own memories required extracting memories bound within his Fatestone and embedding them into his consciousness. If that was possible, shouldn¡¯t it work with someone else¡¯s Fatestone too?


    <i>Squeeze.</i>


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Puzzled at the sudden pressure on his hand, In-Cheol looked down.


    And saw Se-Hoon¡¯s hand tightly gripping his own.


    <i>What is he up to?</i>


    In-Cheol tried to pull his hand away, but Se-Hoon didn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°Why are you doing this all of a sudden?¡± asked In-Cheol, bewildered.


    Se-Hoon, still holding his hand, raised his head.


    ¡°Thank you, Professor.¡±


    With a very bright smile, Se-Hoon looked at In-Cheol.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much! I¡¯ll be off now!¡±


    After a vigorous handshake, Se-Hoon rushed out of the workshop without properly saying goodbye. It took In-Cheol aback.


    Then, he chuckled softly.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m notpletely out of touch yet...¡±


    Feeling a sense of aplishment from having imparted some wisdom to a young man, In-Cheol made an awkward smile.


    <i>Just a quick look!</i>


    Meanwhile, as In-Cheol stood there, smiling, Se-Hoon was sprinting toward his dormitory with all his might, eager to glimpse into In-Cheol¡¯s past.


    1. If you¡¯re interested, I believe the author is referring to the <u>Leidenfrost effect</u>. ?

 Chapter 124

    <h4>Chapter 124</h4>


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>...¡±


    After wiping off his sweat and changing into a new set of clothes, Se-Hoon entered the living room and looked at his right hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see...¡±


    As he drew up his mana, he pondered over how his impression of In-Cheol had changed since they first met. The initial boredom and emptiness had been burned away by a fierce me, ignited by newly discovered possibilities. In-Cheol¡¯s burning passion was full of life but dim due to its entanglement with his past. But despite that, this me was so fierce that it would even consume itself as fuel if it meant shaking off the past.


    That¡ªwas the newly created image of In-Cheol that Se-Hoon clearly formed in his mind.


    A faint hum sounded as Se-Hoon¡¯s right hand glowed slightly, and soon, a piece of ore was created over his palm.


    The ore was like a block of wood, with its ripple pattern in a vermilion hue. Though it seemed to differ from In-Cheol¡¯s previous Fatestone only in color, the sensation it gave from within waspletely different.


    <i>It feels stickier.</i>


    The previously created Fatestone had beenpletely dry, while this one felt damp, with a subtle warmth that made it quite unsettling. After confirming the sensation, Se-Hoon checked the information message.


    <strong>[<u>Fatestone - Adhesive Ember Iron</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A metal with a me clinging to it.</strong>


    <strong>It has a wood-like texture and maintains its properties until it burns outpletely.</strong>


    <strong>*Depletes durability to maintain the me]</strong>


    ¡°It¡¯s changed quite a bit...¡±


    It wasn¡¯t only the sensation that had changed. Unlike the previous Fatestone which could store mes, this one maintained mes. Considering In-Cheol¡¯s talent with mes, it was evident that his mindset had shifted significantly in a more extreme directionpared to before.


    <i>If things go wrong, this could be fairly dangerous.</i>


    Concerned, Se-Hoon gazed at the Adhesive Ember Iron for quite some time before pushing aside his concerns. He then immediately took out the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx from his dream storage.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    The fingerbone engraved with spells naturally merged into his right index finger, bringing about an alien power he could feel from within. Realizing that the more he used the Phnx, the more clearly he felt its power, Se-Hoon figured out that it was the authority of the Eternal Nocturne.


    <i>Maybe it¡¯s because this hasn¡¯t been processed yet. Unlike the Ascension Ring, it seems to have a slightly invasive nature.</i>


    Noting that prolonged use might cause problems, he wiggled his right index finger a few times before casting the Eyes of Boundary.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    The familiar power enveloped his eyes and his vision was filled with countless crack-like lines that appeared on the Adhesive Ember Iron. He scrutinized the lines for a while until he found one that looked like it contained a memory. Wasting no time, he drew out the Phantasmal Spyde and brought it to the Adhesive Ember Iron.


    <strong><i>Mirage Fire</i></strong>


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    The purple de turned into mes, transforming the Adhesive Ember Iron into a mass of dreams and burning away the unnecessary parts in the process.


    Quickly noticing that the speed at which the Adhesive Ember Iron burned was faster than before, possibly due to its properties, Se-Hoon promptly took extra care to ensure that the memory strand wasn¡¯t damaged.


    Finally, at the moment when only the scarlet-hued memory of In-Cheol remained, he acted.


    <i>Shank!</i>


    Calming his consciousness, he plunged the burning de into his heart. Instantly, he felt like he was diving into sticky water, the unpleasant sensation rapidly affecting his entire body. Then, something seemed to invade his mind, digging at it as if to shred him from the inside.


    <i>Ugh...</i>


    Compared to the natural transition he¡¯d experienced with his own memories before, the current sensation was unbearable. It was to the point that Se-Hoon began to seriously ponder over whether to forcefully wake himself, but then, an unfamiliar voice echoed in his ear.


    ¡°Hey. Wake up.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the sensation disappeared and his vision cleared, revealing an unfamiliar gray ceiling. He rose from the bed and saw a man standing at the door with his arms crossed.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the sleep-in today?¡±


    The cheerful man had a tall, slender figure. He wore ck light armor and sported a ponytail tied with a pink hair tie. At his waist hung a red sheath, which looked quite high-tier even at a nce.


    While Se-Hoon scrutinized the unfamiliar face, the owner of the body he was in, In-Cheol, asked, ¡°What¡¯s with the crap on your head?¡±


    His voice was younger and sharper than his current self.


    The man at the door straightened his body and proudly shook his ponytail.


    ¡°My daughter did it. How is it? Not bad, right?¡±


    ¡°Disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. What would a guy who¡¯s neither got kids nor married know?¡± said the man with a chuckle as he shook his head.


    Getting out of bed, In-Cheol frowned and asked, ¡°What about the meeting?¡±


    ¡°How should I know? But judging by the serious faces going in, I think they n to decide on something today.¡±


    As he listened, In-Cheol finished changing into his work clothes and headed out, brushing past the man at the door. Although his attitude seemed rather cold considering that the man still had more to say, the man didn¡¯t mind and just followed, chattering away.


    ¡°Have you heard already? Another Perfect One has appeared.¡±


    ¡°Huh, who?¡±


    ¡°You know that guy who recently became an S-rank, the Fist Saint. He suddenly entered a Tower of Heroes again and came out as a Perfect One.¡±


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯ll be a fuss again. What¡¯s his title?¡±


    ¡°<i>Uh</i>, I think it was... Trailzer?¡±


    Like that, the conversation continued, with In-Cheol responding indifferently to the man chattering excitedly. But despite seeming strained, their conversation flowed surprisingly well.


    <i>The emergence of the Trailzer... that should have been about twenty years ago.</i>


    Having been listening closely the entire time in the background, Se-Hoon interest was piqued by that important information.


    If it was twenty years ago, it was also the period when peace began to take hold in the world, albeit imperfectly, as the six Perfect Ones still had to suppress the Demon Force.


    With the timeline now urately identified, Se-Hoon looked around with In-Cheols¡¯ vision to observe the surroundings.


    <i>The facility is quiterge.</i>


    The simple protection devices and the caliber of people in passing seemed impressive, especially considering it was twenty years ago¡ªa scene truly reminiscent of a renowned global research organization.


    As Se-Hoon continued to observe the surroundings, the two men passed through an automatic door and entered a conference room.


    ¡°It¡¯s still too ipetent to proceed further with the ritual. We need to improvise the vessel further...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you countless times that it¡¯s that very ipleteness thatpletes the ritual! Now is the perfect time!¡±


    ¡°And what if it fails and the vessel breaks? Are you going to take responsibility? If you¡¯re going to talk like that, you should find another candidate for a vessel of that caliber first!¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>.¡±


    The atmosphere of the meeting room was like a marketce, with dozens of people shouting simultaneously,pletely oblivious to the new arrivals. The rambunctious scene made the man next to In-Cheol simply click his tongue in disapproval, unlike In-Cheol who openly expressed his annoyance.


    The atmosphere grew more and more tense until a woman¡¯s voice broke through the noise.


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    Sitting at the head of the table in the meeting room, the woman, whose brown hair was neatly tied back, easilymanded the room¡¯s attention with her voice.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a meeting where the person who shouts the loudest gets to win. We¡¯ve all expressed our opinions sufficiently enough, so let¡¯s move on to the decision. Those in favor of proceeding with the ritual, raise your hands.¡±


    The meeting room fell silent at hermand, and the hands went up around the room.


    ¡°Fourteen to fourteen. Excluding myself and the tardy researcher number twelve over there, it¡¯s a perfect split.¡±


    At her words, the attendees finally noticed the two people standing by the entrance.


    ¡°Sorry for beingte, Director.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You sure did overexert yourself yesterday.¡±


    Seeing the smile the Director gave, In-Cheol flinched and averted his gaze slightly.


    ¡°<i>Ooh...</i>.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Enjoying the situation, the man beside In-Cheol yfully nudged him with his elbow, ignoring In-Cheol¡¯s face flushed with irritation. The sight of the man and In-Cheol, who was trying to swat him away, made the others chuckle quietly. The atmosphere had suddenly be amiable.


    The entire scene made Se-Hoom gleam with interest.


    <i>Is the Director Kim In-Cheol¡¯s lover?</i>


    It was surprising to see such a past from someone who seemed indifferent to such matters. Fascinated, Se-Hoon watched as the Director spoke up.


    ¡°Given that the decision hase to a tie, let¡¯s leave the final decision to researcher number twelve. I will also follow his decision.¡±


    Acknowledging that the Director¡¯s trust seemed to stem from professional confidence and not just personal affection, the other researchers epted her decision withoutint.


    With all the attention focused on him, In-Cheol surveyed the room and then slowly said, ¡°I think we should proceed with the ritual now. While the vessel¡¯spleteness is important, further dying the ritual might cause degradation during the bonding process.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s begin preparations for the ritual immediately.¡±


    The Director nodded in satisfaction, and those who had been shouting earlier acquiesced smoothly.


    At this point, Se-Hoon realized that the seamless flow of events indicated a shared goal among the participants, despite their differing methods.


    <i>While their paths may differ, they share the same goal.</i>


    These people were all willing to see themselves as mereponents to achieve that goal and that made him sure of where he might be.


    ¡°Oh, right. My daughter wants you to visit again sometime. She really liked the toy you made for herst time,¡± the man next to In-Cheol told him.


    Contemting it for a moment, In-Cheol responded, ¡°If I have time.¡±


    ¡°You always say ¡®If I have time.¡¯ My daughter told me she¡¯d make snacks for you if you visited. Do you know how rare that is?¡±


    The man relentlessly persisted despite In-Cheol¡¯s prickly attitude, but before he could convince In-Cheol, someone called him.


    ¡°Captain of the Guard,¡± the Director called over.


    ¡°Yes, madam!¡±


    Responding promptly to the Director¡¯s call, the man next to In-Cheol stood at attention.


    ¡°After discussing with the researchers, it seems best to use high-purity materials for the preparation of the ritual. Can you procure them?¡±


    ¡°High-purity materials? In that case, the orphanage...¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The Director shook her head.


    ¡°Your daughter seems like the most suitable candidate.¡±


    Silence fell over the meeting room as all eyes turned to the man.


    ¡°...¡±


    In-Cheol also slowly turned his head to look at the man, who had just been trying to invite him over to see his daughter moments ago.


    ¡°It would be our honor!¡± the man shouted.


    The Captain of the Guard was disying a smile brighter than ever before.


    ***


    <strong>[Activating Awakening Dream.]</strong>


    <i>Whoosh-!</i>


    Jolted out of the memory by the sensation of having his head severed and plunged into cold water, Se-Hoon opened his eyes and shuddered at the alien feeling coursing through his body.


    <i>This feeling...</i>


    <i>Crack.</i>


    His bones, muscles, and even his internal organs were twisting into apletely different shape, and it made him scream in agony. With his barely working mind, he managed to deduce that his body was trying to recreate the body of a being entirely different from himself¡ªIn-Cheol¡ªhe was horrified.


    The illusion was blending with reality due to the confusion of memories. This state was something had already sort of anticipated, but truly being unable to discern himself from someone entirely different was on another level.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The two conflicting types of elemental mana inside his body shed against each other as they began to perceive each other as enemies in the confused body that housed both of them; they were rampaging wildly.


    <i>Hiss!</i>


    Red steam rose from his entire body, and blood streamed from his nose and mouth. As his vision turned crimson, Se-Hoon frantically tried toe up with a solution.


    <i>Apart from the body being twisted... the mixing of the synesthetic mindscapes is causing the most damage.</i>


    Since he had just experienced In-Cheol¡¯s past, In-Cheol¡¯s synesthetic mindscape had naturally ingrained itself into his body. This caused his own elemental mana to perceive his own body as an enemy.


    Identifying the cause, Se-Hoon swiftly utilized Soul Honing to expel the remnants of In-Cheol¡¯s synesthetic mindscape from his body.


    <i>ng-!</i>


    Like hammering off the residue from a heated metal piece, the synesthetic mindscape clinging to his fell away from his body. Instantly, the rampaging types of elemental mana calmed, and he quickly assessed his physical condition again.


    <i>This is aplete mess...</i>


    Though he had managed to resolve what was causing this whole issue early, preventing major injuries, the areas around his mana circuits were already severely damaged. If left unattended, that damage could lead to mana impairmentter on.


    Pondering the next of his unending problems, he remembered something.


    <i>Right, with injuries like this...</i>


    Ignoring the pain that made even the slightest finger movement excruciating, he gritted his teeth and essed his void pocket.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    A yellowish-brown ore emerged from the pocket, exuding a faint earthy smell and clear energy. His hope was the purifying energy from Purifying Earthstone, an ore containing earth mana.


    <i>Splitting it into pieces might be difficult...</i>


    cing his left hand on the Purifying Earthstone, he took a deep breath and clenched his fist tightly.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Iron Desire¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The Purifying Earthstone waspressed in half and then melted in an instant. He quickly swallowed the liquefied ore.


    <i>Hum-</i>


    Along with a faint hum from the energy being generated within his body, earth mana entered his system from the Purifying Earthstone.


    Feeling that both of the two materials had entered his body, he directed them toward his damaged insides.


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    The earth mana that seeped into his torn and split body was followed by the intense energy from Iron Desire that heated and reinforced his tissues, forcibly stabilizing them.


    With the earth mana acting like cement, deeply prating and reinforcing his body, his disordered physique quickly corrected itself. Noticing when it finished, he channeled his remaining earth mana into a third path.


    <i>Zoom!</i>


    The third path didn¡¯t ovep with the existing two elemental manas, and due to his blood raging from the infused energy, the typically sluggish earth mana circted smoothly within his body, solidifying its position within the new circuit.


    The entire process was so seamless like he had prepared it all beforehand.


    Finally, Se-Hoon visualized a hammer in his mind.


    <i>ng-!</i>


    mming down his hammer with all his might, the refinement process wasplete.


    <i>¡°Huff! Cough, cough!¡±</i>


    Acrid smoke billowed from his mouth as he exhaled. Knowing that it was waste produced during his body¡¯s healing process, he forcefully expelled the rest with a few more coughs and checked his surroundings.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>... this is a mess.¡±


    His clothes <i>and </i>the entire area around the sofa he had been sitting on were soaked in blood. It seemed like the blood had burst out of his body during the rampage.


    To an onlooker, he looked like he had barely survived a near-fatal incident.


    <i>Well, anyone else would probably already be dead, so it¡¯s not an incorrect assumption.</i>


    He took off his ruined T-shirt and examined his body.


    His physique had be more defined, and, more importantly, its density had increased. He squeezed his muscles and nodded in approval.


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    The earth mana that had permeated his entire body during the reinforcement process had imparted its unique durability to his muscles as well.


    Recalling the rampage caused by the Phantasmal Spyde, he thought, <i>Once the earth mana settles in properly, I should be able to withstand future attempts.</i>


    But until then, it would be wise to avoid viewing other people¡¯s memories to prevent any unforeseen consequences.


    At that moment, notification messages appeared before his eyes.


    <strong>[The effect of ¡®Soul Honing¡¯ has boosted all stats.]</strong>


    <strong>[Elemental Mana ¡®Purified Earth (F)¡¯ has been developed.]</strong>


    He quickly reviewed his updated stats.


    <strong>[Lee Se-Hoon]</strong>


    <strong>[Strength - C (190) Endurance - C (198)</strong>


    <strong>Mana - B (201) Agility - C (175)</strong>


    <strong>[<u>Purified Earth</u>] ¡ºD¡»</strong>


    <strong>[Earth mana attributed to clean, purified soil.</strong>


    <strong>It has the properties of correcting the flow within the body and can also alleviate injuries.</strong>


    <strong>It also has the ability to purify mana and demonic aura.]</strong>


    <i>It seems that strength and durability have increased quite a bit.</i>


    His mana had also risen slightly, finally reaching B-rank. Considering his initial stats, this was impressive growth.


    <i>The earth mana I gained is Purified Earth... which is not that bad, I guess.</i>


    Having confirmed that the third type of elemental mana had sessfully settled, he finally took a deep breath and carefully recalled the memories of In-Cheol that he had seen through the Phantasmal Spyde.


    <i>A cutting-edge researchb from twenty years ago. The vessel and the ritual. And a deranged Captain of the Guard willing to offer his daughter as material.</i>


    Listing all of the abnormal things one by one, he became absolutely certain.


    <i>Kim In-Cheol was a member of Offering.</i>

 Chapter 125

    <h4>Chapter 125</h4>


    Offering, a subgroup of Watchers, did just as the name suggested. They were a group of individual cksmiths who believed they could forge the perfect equipment by offering something valuable during their Offering Ritual. The mostmonly sacrificed material was humans, specifically the souls within them.


    <i>¡°Whenever somewhat decent equipmentes out, they package it as a soul-infused item. And then they would mor about wanting to make it even more stable. They were truly a group of madmen.¡±</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s master imed they were a crazy bunch who believed that the more souls they infused into the equipment, the higher itspletion level was¡ªand they were right.


    With both mana and synesthetic mindscapes dwelling within the human body, the two formed a mysterious energy that greatly enhanced thepletion of equipment. And having confirmed this, Offering, convinced of their ideology, continued their research. They used anything alive as material, be it humans, monsters, or demons. In the end, those madmen would even sacrifice themselves for their own equipment.


    <i>¡°Would you like to join us?¡±</i>


    The proposal he had once heard from one of Offering¡¯s minions was unpleasant, making him unconsciously furrow his brow.


    <i>It annoys me just thinking about it again.</i>


    Before the regression, he had called the allied forces to help stop a certain Offering Ritual as soon as he heard that it was happening. However, when they arrived, what was left was an emptyboratory and apleted piece of Mythic equipment.


    <i>¡°Splendid.¡±</i>


    As well as the Destroyer of Moralities who grasped that very Mythic equipment,pletely satisfied.


    <i>Thinking about it now, it¡¯s a miracle I was even able to survive back then...</i>


    Just dealing with the Destroyer of Moralities was difficult without the help of a Perfect One, and once a piece of Mythic equipment was added on, it became a true catastrophe. It was only thanks to the cover fire from the Visionary that at least thirty percent of them were able to survive; otherwise, they would have been annihted on the spot.


    <i>And now, I also know that Kim In-Cheol was a member of Offering...</i>


    Since that was the case, then In-Cheol might have also used human souls as materials to forge something.


    <strong>[Activating Awakening Dream]</strong>


    <i>Wooosh-! </i>


    The sensation of cold water forcibly pouring onto his mind stopped Se-Hoon from delving even deeper into his thoughts about In-Cheol.


    <i>Ugh, this skill always activates at the weirdest times.</i>


    While inwardly grumbling about being forcefully snapped out of his thought, Se-Hoon looked around.


    ¡°<i>Hmph</i>...!¡±


    ¡°Still sloppy.¡±


    <i>ng!</i>


    Seeing Jake swing his Luminescent Sword with all his might and Kwang-Soo skillfully deflecting it with a training sword wrapped loosely in mana, Se-Hoon remembered that he was in Physiology Controls ss.


    <i>I should stay more alert outside, </i>Se-Hoon thought, massaging his temples.


    While he wouldn¡¯t get lost in random thoughts like this during a fight, it was always good to remain vignt since anything could happen at any time. He tightened his slightly loosened focus.


    <i>Thwack!</i>


    A sharp impact echoed across the training ground.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Without a single chance to break his fall, Jake hit the ground with his face. And despite appearing to be unconscious, Jake was still clutching his Luminescent Sword tightly in both hands.


    <i>Poor bastard...</i>


    Se-Hoon chuckled at Jake¡¯s admirable perseverance.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Kwang-Soo said, looking down at Jake while tapping his shoulder with the training sword.


    It wasn¡¯t high praise from Kwang-Soo, but it still indicated that Jake¡¯s skill had grown a considerable amount.


    <i>The fact that Kwang-Soo knocked Jake down outright means that he was difficult to subdue.</i>


    Se-Hoon had been wondering if Jake could fix his awkwardness with swordsmanship, and the duel that unfolded just now had shown that Jake had quickly adapted.


    Turning around, Kwang-Soo pointed at Se-Hoon, who had been observing with interest, and then pointed at Jake with his training sword.


    ¡°Drag him out of here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Getting up, Se-Hoon climbed onto the training ground, grabbed Jake by the ankles, and dragged him off to the side. Then he grabbed his Five-me Sword and Forgefire Hammer, one in each hand, and stood opposite Kwang-Soo.


    ¡°Here Ie.¡±


    ¡°Bring it on.¡±


    Watching Se-Hoon take his stance, Kwang-Soo lowered the training sword from his shoulder. Then, the moment their gazes met and the tension reached its peak¡ª


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Se-Hoon kicked off the ground and charged swiftly at Kwang-Soo, aiming the Five-med Sword directly at Kwang-Soo¡¯s heart. While his movements were as efficient and precise as ever, it didn¡¯t mean they were impossible to block.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Kwang-Soo easily deflected the Five-med Sword with his training sword and quickly advanced through the opening. Seeing that, Se-Hoon calmly pulled back instead of panicking and swung the Forgefire Hammer with all his might.


    <i>Wooong~</i>


    A resonance sounded, one that was deeper than when their swords had shed.


    Having been pushed back, Kwang-Soo looked at his training sword interestedly, realizing it was due to being unable to fully absorb the shock.


    <i>Seems like he aimed at the sword¡¯s center of bnce. Hisbat techniques may look brutish, but they certainly are calcted.</i>


    Even a slight deviation from the striking point could have left Se-Hoon open to counterattacks, but Se-Hoon had pinpointed the exact spot without any error.


    <i>ng! ng! Thud!</i>


    For a few shes, Se-Hoon repeatedly thrust his sword rapidly at Kwang-Soo while using his hammer to block Kwang-Soo¡¯s sword. To Kwang-Soo, Se-Hoon seemed like he had quite a bit of experience fighting like this, as his bnce throughout the battle wasmendable.


    It was to the point that Kwang-Soo was having a difficult time, as he was limiting his abilities to that of a C-rank hero.


    <i>I¡¯ll need to step it up a notch.</i>


    Since Se-Hoon had grown a considerable amount, Kwang-Soo adjusted his grip on his sword and shed it with Se-Hoon¡¯s Five-med Sword.


    <i>Krkrkr-!</i>


    Unlike before, Kwang-Soo¡¯s sword slid along the Five-me Sword¡¯s edge in the blink of an eye. Se-Hoon tried to flick his wrist to block quickly, but Kwang-Soo moved his sword in anticipation.


    <i>Krkr!</i>


    Kwang-Soo precisely pressed down on Se-Hoon¡¯s sword where he concentrated his force¡ªthe same technique Se-Hoon had used to subdue Amir was now being used against him.


    While still trying to react to the sudden change in Kwang-Soo¡¯s technique, Se-Hoon watched as Kwang-Soo¡¯s sword prated deeply inside his guard.


    The sword was aimed at his wrist or chest, a decisive stroke that could pierce either easily. Despite that though, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes glistened.


    <i>Now...!</i>


    Taking the chance, Se-Hoon released the stored mana in the Five-med Sword.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    ¡°Hm?!¡±


    The unexpected explosion from the de sent Kwang-Soo¡¯s sword flying to the side. Not missing his chance, Se-Hoon¡¯s hammer struck at the sword¡¯s center axis.


    <i>Shit...</i>


    If the hit connected, the training sword would either be severely damaged orpletely broken. Trying his best, Kwang-Soo quickly adjusted his stance and twisted the sword, but he still couldn¡¯tpletely block the iing hammer.


    <i>Thud!!!</i>


    The training sword, hit by Se-Hoon¡¯s hammer, flew far away. Seizing the opportunity, Se-Hoon surged forward, releasing more mana from his feet.


    <i>Boom-!</i>


    The aftereffects from such rapid eleration would have left him injured before, but thanks to Purified Earth which he had managed to developst night, his mana circuits were able to perfectly absorb all of the recoil.


    With the techniques and enhanced physical abilities that he had been hiding until now, Se-Hoon managed to open a perfect gap which he thrust the Five-med Sword toward Kwang-Soo¡¯s heart through.


    <i>Wuzz-</i>


    However, a crude sword suddenly formed in midair right by Se-Hoon¡¯s neck.


    ¡°...Isn¡¯t this a bit unfair?¡±


    Stopping just in time, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes. Kwang-Soo grinned at the sight.


    ¡°I could use Sword Control even back in my B-rank days. You¡¯re not the only one who can hide your strength.¡±


    Sword Control was one of Kwang-Soo¡¯s techniques that allowed him to manipte his swords freely. It was more of an applied technique, so even B-rank heroes could use it if a few conditions were met.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you could create a sword out of nothing in midair and aim it at someone¡¯s neck with Sword Control in just one second when you were a B-rank?¡±


    But executing it as Kwang-Soo just did was clearly different not as easy. It was simr to the difference between slicing something on a cutting board and slicing something while it was suspended in midair.


    <i>It may have been possible during your A-rank days but B-rank? Who do you take me for?</i>


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s pointed question, Kwang-Soo paused for a moment.


    ¡°Well, it used to be a dagger back then. The speed was the same, though.¡±


    ¡°If the dagger wasn¡¯t invisible the whole time, I would have been conscious of it during the fight.¡±


    ¡°Then I would have been conscious of your awareness. Do you know how fierce I was when I was B-rank? I was forcibly drafted during an emergency...¡±


    Seeing that Kwang-Soo had started recounting the stories of his past, Se-Hoon could only just sigh inwardly; he had heard these stories countless times before when Kwang-Soo was drunk.


    ¡°Okay, ok. Yes, I lost.¡±


    What else could he say when Kwang-Soo was bringing up stories to insist that he had won?


    Hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s clearly begrudging reply, Kwang-Soo cleared his throat and changed the subject, ¡°<i>Ahem</i>. Well, your techniques weren¡¯t bad. If you had properly learned the Celestial Infinity de and could use Sword Control like I can, you might have been able to respond to that attack.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s difficult to manifest sword aura like me, but you should be able to easily handle a small dagger...¡±


    Noticing how Kwang-Soo had quickly sized the opportunity to exin the benefits and greatness of the Celestial Infinity de, Se-Hoon realized why he had fought so unfairly in the duel.


    <i>So, he just wanted me to learn the Celestial Infinity de.</i>


    Since Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t eager to be his disciple, Kwang-Soo decided to try highlighting its advantages to make him interested.


    <i>Well, it surely isn¡¯t a bad technique...</i>


    The Celestial Infinity de was a rather straightforward sword technique that grew stronger with repeated practice. Considering Kwang-Soo¡¯s remarkable feats with it before the regression, it was indeed a good technique¡ªhis attitude was the problem.


    ¡°If you focus on mastering the Celestial Infinity de starting today, you¡¯ll see results in a few years...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not learning it.¡±


    ¡°...<i>Tsk</i>.¡±


    If Kwang-Soo had offered to teach him casually, Se-Hoon might have learned it for his sake. However, Kwang-Soo insisted that he drop everything else and focus solely on the Celestial Infinity de. And while it made sense, given that it wasn¡¯t an ordinary technique, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t feel it was worth dropping everything.


    <i>Besides... I think I can figure it out by just observing.</i>


    Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes as he studied the sword aura floating in the air.


    Kwang-Soo chuckled at the sight. ¡°Are you also trying to learn this from observation? You probably should give up on that. Your mana might get tangled.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not <i>that</i> inexperienced.¡±


    ¡°I said that because someone actually got carried away trying it before. You shouldn¡¯t assume what you see is everything.¡±


    Acknowledging that Kwang-Soo was giving him serious advice, Se-Hoon looked again at the sword aura.


    <i>That¡¯s true, though. What you see isn¡¯t everything.</i>


    As most secret techniques deeply reflect the user¡¯s synesthetic mindscape, one had to understand both their form <i>and </i>the synesthetic mindscapes that were deeply rooted within each to handle the techniques properly. Failing to grasp either could result in the technique going on a rampage.


    <i>Ma Kwang-Soo¡¯s synesthetic mindscape, huh...</i>


    It was hard for Se-Hoon before he regressed to understand Kwang-Soo¡¯s synthetic mindscape as he hadn¡¯t developed his unique skill, cksmith of Bonds, yet. However, because Kwang-Soo was his regr customer, he had been able to observe a lot through the various interactions they had.


    Moreover, this time, he had already formed a bond with him thanks to regressing with his unique skill.


    <i>If I can extract and closely examine our bond, it might be possible for me to acquire his Celestial Infinity de.</i>


    With that thought in mind, Se-Hoon scrutinized the sword aura more carefully, making Kwang-Soo flinch at the sight.


    <i>No way... no, that can¡¯t be.</i>


    It made sense for Se-Hoon to grasp the basics as Kwang-Soo had meticulously demonstrated it during their sparring, but performing Sword Control with sword aura was not something that could be copied just by watching.


    Despite his certainty though, the thought kept nagging at him, prompting him to just watch with a curious expression.


    <i>Vrrr!</i>


    Kwang-Soo¡¯s phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. He took out his phone and, upon seeing the caller, frowned slightly.


    ¡°I need to take this call.¡±


    After saying that, Kwang-Soo retracted his sword aura and stepped out of the training ground.


    <i>Judging from his expression, that call would probably be rted to the Doppelganger...</i>thought Se-Hoon while watching Kwang-Soo¡¯s retreating figure and stroking his chin.


    Perhaps they had found a clue as to where its hideout might be. Se-Hoon stared at the closed door with a curious expression.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    A groan came from below the training ground.


    Looking over, Se-Hoon saw Jake get up and say, ¡°Ah... so I got knocked down again.¡±


    He rubbed his sore jaw with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel too down about it. Him knocking you down means you fought well enough that it made him think that he had no choice but to knock you down,¡± said Se-Hoon as he grinned at Jake.


    ¡°Really? I guess that¡¯s one way to look at it.... But getting knocked down every time still feels a bit frustrating.¡±


    Even if he wasplimented, ending every sparring session unconscious surely left a bitter taste.


    Seeing Jake¡¯s clear disappointment, Se-Hoon thought for a moment before asking, ¡°Are you still practicing the Blood Art I taught you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been working on it whenever I have time.¡±


    ¡°Then try this: whenever you¡¯re about to get hit, imagine hardening all the blood in your body at that moment. Then, you might be able to withstand Ma Kwang-Soo¡¯s hits at least once.¡±


    ¡°Harden the blood...¡±


    Jake pondered over Se-Hoon¡¯s advice.


    Just then, the door opened, and Kwang-Soo poked his head in.


    ¡°I have to go on a business trip.¡±


    ¡°A business trip?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be back, so until you hear from me, just self-study... no, wait.¡±


    Remembering something, Kwang-Soo looked at Jake.


    ¡°What was that thing that Luke mentioned?¡±


    ¡°He said he¡¯d be inviting active-duty heroes for special lessons...¡± answered Jake.


    ¡°Perfect. Your assignment is to defeat those rookies. I¡¯ll notify them about Se-Hoon, so take him along with you.¡±


    ¡°What? How are we supposed to...¡±


    ¡°If you fail toplete the task, your grades will drop and you¡¯ll get a beating from me. I¡¯m off then.¡±


    With those words, Kwang-Soo left, leaving Se-Hoon and Jake standing there, bewildered.


    ¡°Who are these... active-duty heroes?¡± Se-Hoon asked.


    ¡°Because of the ck Lotus Seas incident, Babel has been emphasizing the importance of realbat experience. So, our Dean has decided to invite active-duty heroes for special lessons.¡±


    Se-Hoon nodded, now understanding the situation a bit better.


    ¡°And... how many areing?¡±


    ¡°Considering that it¡¯s for all departments in Aqar Quf, probably over a hundred.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hm</i>...¡±


    Se-Hoon began pondering. While inviting active-duty heroes to give the students exposure to realbat seemed reasonable on the surface, the timing was too suspicious to overlook.


    <i>Right when the Hextech Expo is happening in Ur, people are flooding into Aqar Quf...</i>


    It might have just been a coincidence, but knowing that the Ten Evils were wary of Ludwig made it hard to just ignore.


    <i>And if Borsippa also gets involved as well...</i>


    It seemed unlikely, but one could never be sure.


    <i>Vrrr!</i>


    Interrupting his contemtion over what was about to happen, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Taking it out, Se-Hoon saw the name ¡°Aria Myers¡± on the screen.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± asked Jake.


    ¡°Your sister.¡±


    ¡°...Could you answer it quickly?¡±


    Feeling slightly uneasy due to Jake¡¯s request, Se-Hoon answered the call.


    ¡ªIs this a good time to talk?


    Hearing Aria¡¯s soft voice over the phone, Se-Hoon nced at Jake and replied, ¡°Yes. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡ªI was wondering how the prototype for the mass-produced sword aura equipment we discussed ising along.


    ¡°Oh, about that...¡±


    Se-Hoon mentally scanned through the blueprint he had drafted.


    ¡°The design isplete, so I can start working on it right away.¡±


    ¡ªThat¡¯s great. How about we showcase it at the uing exhibition?


    ¡°...Exhibition?¡±


    The unexpected word made Se-Hoon curious.


    ¡ªOh, you didn¡¯t hear? Borsippa is currently preparing an exhibition and is inviting the top graduates from the departments.


    ¡°The graduates...¡±


    ¡ªThere will be arge audience due to the Hextech Expo, so showcasing your prototype at the exhibition seemed like it would be a good opportunity. What do you think?


    Taking a moment to think, Se-Hoon asked, ¡°When is the exhibition held?¡±


    ¡ªI heard it will be prepared this week and held next weekend.


    Over a hundred active-duty heroes were invited to Aqar Quf, a Hextech Expo was being held in Ur, and now an exhibition was being held in Borsippa; these major events prepared by the three colleges, each with an influx of outsiders, were all coincidentally on the same date.


    But the timing was far too precise for Se-Hoon to shrug it off as just a coincidence.


    He narrowed his eyes, <i>These guys...</i>


    Having confirmed that something must be brewing at Babel, he thought for a moment before finally answering, ¡°That would be good.¡±


    If someone was actually preparing something, he decided that he would dive right into it and stir things up.


    With determination in his eyes, Se-Hoon began to check the materials he had prepared.

 Chapter 126

    <h4>Chapter 126</h4>


    With Kwang-Soo¡¯s departure and the uneventful end of the Physiology Control ss, Se-Hoon headed straight to the Dean¡¯s office in the main building of Borsippa.


    <i>Knock knock.</i>


    ¡°Dean, it¡¯s Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Having gained approval, Se-Hoon opened the door and entered, prompting Eun-Ha, who was doing paperwork at her desk, to immediately stand up.


    ¡°...¡±


    There was no change in her expression, but her gaze was filled with expectation. Seeing that, Se-Hoon smiled slightly and took out his void pocket.


    ¡°I brought you lunch.¡±


    ¡°Please, have a seat here.¡±


    Eun-Ha quickly guided him to the sofa, and Se-Hoon sat down opposite her while cing the void pocket on the table.


    <i>Click-!</i>


    He pressed a button and thepressed space expanded, revealing arge double-edged ax and two daggers neatly arranged on the table.


    Each had a bnced design, and their surfaces were densely engraved with spells via Incantation Inscriptions that were so skillfully done that it all looked like a single spell form.


    ¡°And for the final touches...¡±


    Se-Hoon infused earth and fire mana into the ax and daggers, respectively, activating the spells engraved on the surface and revealing their true nature.


    <i>Voom!</i>


    The inscriptions on the surface flowed like waves, significantly enhancing thepleteness of the weapons.


    To Eun-Ha, the appearance of the weapons was both beautiful and very appetizing, causing her to stare.


    <i>Growl-</i>


    A loud sound came from her stomach. Embarrassed by the obvious reaction, she nced at Se-Hoon before lowering her gaze again.


    ¡°It <i>is</i> lunchtime, after all.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. They¡¯re all ready now, so go ahead and enjoy yourself.¡±


    What kind of cksmith wouldn¡¯t feel satisfied at the sight of Eun-Ha craving equipment they made?


    Eun-Ha straightened her posture and nodded.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡±


    <i>Crunch-! Chomp!</i>


    She bit into the ax and daggers, chewing each of them thoroughly. Her twitching eyes, quivering lips, and burning hair all indicated her satisfaction.


    <i>Her emotions have definitely be richer than before the regression.</i>


    In the past, her strongest reaction to eating something delicious would just be her hair zing, so this was the first time he saw her entire face show such a response. Was it because Se-Hoon now had an understanding of the taste of equipment? Or was it because of some change that had happened between when they first met and now?


    While Se-Hoon was lost in thought, Eun-Ha had quickly finished eating.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal. They taste even better than before.¡±


    ¡°I''m d to hear that. I was worried you might not like it.¡±


    Since he would have to change his forging method the moment Eun-Ha showed even a hint of getting tired of it, he couldn¡¯t let his guard down.


    ¡°...¡±


    His answer prompted Eun-Ha to look at him with a slightly strange expression. Then, a momentter, she made up her mind about something and said with a serious expression, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry so much. Your equipment will always be deli... um... outstanding.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°What I mean is, it would be good for you to have a bit more confidence.¡±


    Se-Hoon was slightly taken aback by her sudden encouragement, but he soon understood the reasoning behind it.


    <i>Did she find my responsecking in confidence even though I was just being polite?</i>


    Before he would have answered, ¡°It tastes good? Then pay me more.¡± However, now that their rtionship was different, he had to speak more carefully.


    Thinking it was an unnecessary worry, he was just going to gloss over it, but then Se-Hoon suddenly remembered the purpose of his visit here.


    <i>Wait. If that¡¯s the case...</i>


    Perhaps it has be easier to persuade her now. Thus, afterposing his expression, he slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Well... I actually have a favor to ask you regarding that matter.¡±


    ¡°Please, go ahead. I will help you with anything I can.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a rumor that Borsippa will be hosting an exhibition for honor student graduates. Have you heard about it?¡±


    ¡°Ah, about that...¡±


    Eun-Ha stood up and walked to her desk. From it, she took out a piece of paper and handed it to him.


    ¡°Are you talking about this?¡±


    <i>Exhibition ¡°The Future¡±</i>


    The poster had a grand title and a brief description, along with a list of some of the notable graduates. Se-Hoon scanned their names.


    <i>I don¡¯t recognize any of these names.</i>


    Looking up from the list, he asked Eun-Ha, ¡°Is this exhibition only for graduates?¡±


    ¡°I was informed that in some departments, the third-years and fourth-years are preparing an exhibit together or have prepared separate works individually.¡±


    Hearing that current undergraduates could also participate, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Then, may I participate in the exhibition as well?¡±


    Eun-Ha looked at him with a slightly surprised expression.


    ¡°May I ask what your motives are?¡±


    Although she had said she would help with anything, if his reason to participate was weak, she would reject him and prevent him from submitting something for the exhibition. And knowing that, Se-Hoon set the mood and said passionately, ¡°Although my name is bing known here and there as the honor student of Borsippa, there are still many who doubt my abilities, making me lose confidence over time.¡±


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d handled them all... never mind. Please, continue.¡±


    ¡°So, I want to showcase my work at this exhibition. I want to give everyone a chance to properly evaluate me. I want them to show them all.¡±


    He filled his words with as much determination and positivity as possible, portraying the image of a passionate student. And it worked.


    Eun-Ha looked at Se-Hoon with slight surprise.


    <i>I didn¡¯t know he could put on such an emotional expression...</i>


    Could it be that his anger toward those who underestimated him has been quietly brewing up this whole time? After a moment of contemtion, Eun-Ha nodded.


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be much trouble if you want to participate. The exhibition is more like a casual event, and since you¡¯re a first-year honor student, it will likely be seen as a promotional participation.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°However, to avoid anyintster, your work must match with the theme. Will you be able to prepare something suitable by next week?¡±


    Looking at the theme titled ¡°The Future,¡± Se-Hoon shed a confident smile.


    ¡°You won¡¯t need to worry about that.¡±


    Of all the participants in this exhibition, none would be able to present a piece that depicted the future as clearly as his.


    Eun-Ha nodded, seeing the certainty in Se-Hoon''s expression.


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll propose your participation at the next meeting, so please have it ready by next Thursday.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll contact you as soon as it¡¯s ready,¡± Se-Hoon said with a bow before exiting the office.


    Eun-Ha¡¯s expression slowly hardened as she watched him leave.


    ¡°So there are still people like that around...¡±


    Perhaps the group of cksmiths that didn¡¯t approve of Se-Hoon¡¯s fame were resurfacing after he hinted that he had a groundbreaking finding on the mass production of sword aura at the recent Ivory Tower student schrship selectionpetition.


    Eun-Ha became determined to sort out a list of those who were likely discontent with Se-Hoon and prepare a new review video for the cause. But before she could act, a vibration from her pocket interrupted her.


    <i>Vrrr-</i>


    She took out her phone and checked the caller: Yuriel Oppenheimer.


    ¡°...¡±


    Her eyes twitched slightly upon seeing that it was the Seraphim Guild¡¯s leader and her sponsor¡ªa far from a wee name¡ªbefore she answered the call.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡ªNot even greeting me now, huh? Until when are you going to...


    ¡°I¡¯m hanging up. Send your message via text.¡±


    <i>Beep-</i>


    Without missing a beat, Eun-Ha hung up the call and declined the subsequent ones as well. After a while, a message finally arrived, as if in resignation.


    Yuriel Oppenheimer: We managed to acquire the research materials we discussed earlier. We¡¯ll be conducting the experiment next weekend, so visit headquarters.


    ¡°...¡±


    Eun-Ha¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly at the content of the message; she was dissatisfied that she had to go back to that detestable ce once again. However, she knew that she couldn¡¯t ignore her contract, which she was bound to by oath.


    <i>Well, the contract is soon going to expire anyway...</i>


    With that thought, she sent her reply: Understood.


    ***


    <i>The exhibition is taken care of... now, the expo.</i>


    Babel¡¯s grand Hextech Expo was a ce forpanies from all over the world to gather and showcase their new technologies and products. It was thergest event out of the events held by the three colleges and also the one Se-Hoon was most wary of.


    <i>It¡¯s the perfect opportunity for Dawn to sneak in.</i>


    Although the only confirmed enemies from the recent raid on the ck Arms¡¯s ship were the Dream Demon of the Ten Evils and Offering, Se-Hoon still remained vignt for other threats.


    Despite their differences, the Ten Evils and Watchers were all part of the same faction, the Demon Force. Any of them were capable of exploiting the chaos caused by the others to their advantage, with or without coordination.


    <i>Dawn, especially.... They might seize this chance to kidnap Luize.</i>


    Though it was still uncertain if any incident would ur at the expo, reacting after something had already happened would be meaningless. Thus Se-Hoon began to meticulously strategize a n for the expo.


    <i>Vrr-</i>


    Feeling his vibrating phone in his pocket, Se-Hoon took it out to see an unfamiliar number on the screen.


    <i>Who could this be?</i>


    Wondering who would know his number, he answered the call and heard a familiar voice.


    ¡ªLee Se-Hoon. This is Professor Lan Fei from the Department of Hextech. Do you have a moment?


    Hearing the tired-sounding voice, Se-Hoon quickly replied, ¡°Yes, please, go on.¡±


    ¡ªI called to inform you that thepensation we discussed earlier has been finalized. I''d prefer to discuss it in person. When would it be convenient for you?


    Realizing he was talking about thepensation for solving the incident at the Ivory Tower, Se-Hoon thought for a moment and answered, ¡°I could go to where you are right now, Professor.¡±


    ¡ªThen let''s meet in my office. It''s on the twenty-second floor of the main building of the Department of Hextech.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Se-Hoon looked down at his phone.


    <i>Department of Hextech, huh...</i>


    Feeling like he had found a way to participate in the expo, he immediately took the light rail to the Department of Hextech in Ur.


    ***


    <i>The building is neat and ordinary.</i>


    Walking inside the main building of the Department of Hextech, Se-Hoon scanned his surroundings which looked more like a corporate office than an educational facility. At that moment, he spotted a familiar face.


    ¡°...¡±


    It was Luize, who was leaning against the wall and looking at her phone. She seemed slightly irritated and her expression was twisted in difort.


    <i>Why is she here? Oh, maybe she was summoned here with me just like before?</i>


    Thinking they would probably head up together, he approached her.


    Oblivious to the fact that it was him, Luize, upon sensing someone, looked up irritably.


    ¡°Get lost. What the fu¡ªoh, it''s you?¡±


    Stopping herself from swearing reflexively, Luize paused mid-sentence.


    But the target of her irritation, Se-Hoon, just watched her for a moment and then sadly nodded while wiping the corner of his eye with his finger.


    ¡°Okay... I''ll get lost.¡±


    ¡°What? No, I mean...¡±


    Leaving the flustered Luize behind, Se-Hoon ¡°dejectedly¡± headed toward the elevator. A momentter, he heard hurried footsteps behind him.


    ¡°Hey, are you messing with me?¡± asked Luize.


    ¡°I''m not messing around. I''m hurt.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to actually hurt you?¡± asked Luize with narrowed eyes and a re.


    Seeing that, Se-Hoon chuckled and replied, ¡°Isn''t it a bit harsh to start swearing at someone out of the blue?¡±


    ¡°No, it''s just... these weird guys kept talking to me recently, so I was a bit on edge. You should know that I didn¡¯t mean it...¡± Luize embarrassedly exined.


    ¡°Weird guys were talking to you?¡±


    Se-Hoon found it curious that anyone would approach Luize. But then, after reflecting on it a bit more, he realized something.


    <i>Ah, she¡¯s not the st Dog yet.</i>


    She used to be infamous for destroying dozens of buildings in her rampage against the mages from Dawn. Now, however, she was just a rtively quiet student.


    ¡°So, who were they?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know. They just kept saying that they were impressed by my Incantation Magic and wanted to coborate with me. They wouldn¡¯t leave me alone.... Actually, now that I think about it, I¡¯m just going to beat up the next person who approaches me with this matter,¡± Luize irritably said, clearly annoyed.


    Se-Hoon rubbed his chin thoughtfully.


    <i>Incantation Magic </i>is <i>an intriguing field for many.</i>


    Since it was fundamentally different from conventional magic, there were numerous research opportunities in the field. In fact, when the st Dog had officially joined the allied forces before the regression, significant advancements had been made in the field of Incantation Magic.


    <i>If I consider that, it might be worth exploring a bit further.</i>


    Se-Hoon racked his brain over which minor sses he should rmend for Luize, and soon the elevator stopped at the twenty-second floor.


    Exiting the elevator, the two walked down the corridor and soon found a namete that read ¡°Lan Fei.¡±


    <i>Knock knock.</i>


    ¡°Professor, it¡¯s Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Se-Hoon and Luize opened the door and entered.


    The door led to Lan Fei¡¯s researchb, a curious mix of organized chaos with towers of neatly stacked documents and a massive fortress built out of energy drink cans.


    Looking around the room, Se-Hoon thought, <i>This is the definition of an organized mess. </i>


    Surrounded by all the clutter, the two stood awkwardly, gazing at theb that was impressive in various ways. Just then, they heard Lan Fei''s voice from behind a tower of documents.


    ¡°Sit on the sofa over there. I''ll soon wrap up what I''m doing and join you guys.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The two of them sat side by side on the rtively clean guest sofa, listening to the endless sound of a pen scratching on paper from the desk.


    After a while, Lan Fei skillfully maneuvered through the towers of documents and sat down opposite them.


    ¡°I apologize for inviting you guys to this mess. I was just looking for some old documents to find the necessary data, and then...¡±


    Lan Fei gave a sheepish smile, acknowledging that the room was indeed, excessively messy.


    Se-Hoon shook his head and said, ¡°It''s yourb, Professor. There¡¯s no problem at all.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for understanding. Now, let''s talk about thepensation.¡±


    Lan Fei picked up a file from the table and handed it to them.


    ¡°This is the list of items the Ivory Tower has decided you may choose from aspensation. Look through it and choose what you need.¡±


    Upon receiving the file from Lan Fei, the two immediately read through it together.


    <i>We promise a reward equivalent to three billion won for each student who helped quell and resolve the recent mana rampage. If they express that they do not need marypensation, items of equivalent value from the Ivory Tower''s collection will be provided...</i>


    The following list contained various items, including rare Hero-tier materials and a plethora of high-tier equipment, some of which couldn''t even be bought with the three billion won offered.


    <i>So the items they¡¯re offering are purely based on their value, ignoring rarity or name-value.</i>


    It was clear that the Ivory Tower was willing to take a hit to avoid any potential bacsh from Babel, or more precisely, Ludwig.


    <i>These are all pretty good...</i>


    As Se-Hoon was carefully going through each item on the list, Luize, who was looking at it beside him, spoke after a moment of hesitation.


    ¡°Hey, help me choose mine.¡±


    ¡°What, why?¡±


    ¡°There''s nothing that really catches my eye, and you''re better at spotting these things than I am.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then...¡±


    As Se-Hoon was going over the list again at Luize''s request, he recalled a thought he had whileing here.


    <i>Come to think of it, since Professor Lan Fei is from the Department of Hextech, he might have some ties to the expo.</i>


    Thinking it was worth a shot, he asked Lan Fei, who was looking at documents across from him.


    ¡°Professor, are you in charge of anything at the Hextech Expo next week?¡±


    ¡°The Hextech Expo?¡± asked Lan Fei, taken aback by the unexpected question. He then responded saying, ¡°I''m in charge of overseeing all of the different items, as the corporate representatives only know how to manage their own stuff.¡±


    When multiple hextech devices operated in one location, their mana wavelengths could affect each other. Therefore, there was a need for someone to oversee the entire venue at such expos, and Lan Fei had taken on that role.


    <i>It seems he''s quite capable. And if he''s managing the facilities...</i>


    Musing over his options, Se-Hoon came up with an appropriate approach.


    ¡°Could you perhaps arrange for me to join as an on-site staff member at the expo?¡±


    ¡°On-site staff? Why?¡±


    ¡°There are going to be products from world-renownedpanies presented at that expo. If possible, I''d like to see them up close,¡± answered Se-Hoon with a smile.


    The information shown to the general public and what one encountered while working internally differed greatly. Whilepanies took security measures to prevent any leaks of inside information, there were always those who were inevitably exposed.


    <i>If their security isx, all of their secret technology could be exposed.</i>


    If he managed to secure a ticket to the inner workings of the expo, the rest would be easy.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    Lan Fei looked at Se-Hoon silently for a moment before asking, ¡°Are you an industrial spy by any chance?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Have you been hired by apany that couldn''t participate in the expo?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then you simply want to sneak a peek at the supposedly amazing technology of these bigpanies, right?¡±


    ¡°That''s correct.¡±


    After mulling over it for a while, Lan Fei finally nodded.


    ¡°Alright, it should be fine then. We were currently shorthanded anyway, so I''ll ept your request.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°But.¡±


    Lan Fei leaned forward slightly, tapping thepensation list on the table with his finger. ¡°I''ll take half of thepensation offered by the Ivory Tower as the price for the entry pass. Is that eptable?¡±


    The amount presented was neither too much nor too little, just right in securing his share.


    Se-Hoon couldn''t help but smile at Lan Fei''s approach.


    <i>He''s definitely a capable person.</i>


    Lan Fei was bold enough, not overly greedy, and flexible enough to understand the situation quickly. He likely had a wealth of knowledge and confidence in his ability to handle such matters.


    ¡°That sounds more than fair,¡± Se-Hoon agreed.


    ¡°Good. I''ll contact you when we need extra hands,¡± Lan Fei said.


    ¡°Sweet. We¡¯ll also work hard,¡± Se-Hoon replied.


    They shook hands with satisfied expressions.


    ¡°...We?¡±


    Meanwhile, Luize was dismayed, realizing she had inadvertently lost half of herpensation and would be working during the expo.

 Chapter 127

    <h4>Chapter 127</h4>


    ¡°I''ll give you thepensation you selected when we meet next time for the expo. Do take care on your way back,¡± ended Lan Fei.


    Done with their conversation with Lan Fei, Se-Hoon looked at Luize as they left the main building of the Department of Hextech.


    ¡°Okay, now...¡±


    ¡°Come with me for a second.¡±


    Stopping him from saying anything, Luize grabbed Se-Hoon¡¯s wrist and pulled him into a nearby, secluded alley. She then looked at him with her arms crossed.


    ¡°What''s all this being a staff member at the expo about? And don''t you even think about giving me some half-baked excuse!¡±


    With how well Luize knew Se-Hoon, his reasoning for participating in the expo was definitely not just to steal some technology from bigpanies. She could sense there was something more, so she narrowed her eyes and stared down Se-Hoon, who had fallen into deep thought.


    <i>Where should I start...?</i>


    It was a bit awkward to exin the Ten Evils or Watchers to others, but since Luize was already entangled with Dawn, Se-Hoon deemed that it should be okay to be more open with her.


    Thus he made up his mind and began to exin step by step, starting with the incident with the ck Arms.


    And after Luize had listened to it all, she was utterly bbergasted.


    ¡°They''re really nning to attack here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any concrete evidence yet, but the timing is just too perfect to be a coincidence."


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    As Luize thought deeply about Se-Hoon¡¯s story, she suddenly thought up one crucial fact so she asked, ¡°But wouldn''t it be fine as long as the Chairman is around?¡±


    The reason Babel was safe from external attacks was not just because of the advanced technology and the presence of high-ranking heroes¡ªit was the existence of the Chairman of Babel: the Emperor of Ascension Ludwig.


    So could someone reallyunch a surprise attack on Babel, with Ludwig present, without any forewarning? That doubt was the main driver behind her question.


    Yet, Se-Hoon easily responded, ¡°That¡¯s true if he <i>were</i> here. But what if he''s not?¡±


    ¡°That''s...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that the Chairman and the other Perfect Ones are strong, but they''re not omnipotent. They may be hard to kill, but it¡¯s still possible to hinder and dy them in a fight.¡±


    It had never been a matter of finding a way of getting around the Perfect Ones; it just depended on whether one dared to take the risk.


    <i>We can''t rely too much on the Perfect Ones.</i>


    Humanity believed that the war was in their hands due to the Perfect Ones, they had felt protected. However, over time, the Demon Force thoroughly analyzed each and every ability of the Perfect Ones and, led by the Six Harbingers of Destruction, killed them off one by one.


    The end result had been mutual destruction, but considering the Demon Force¡¯s goal was the extinction of humanity, it was essentially a defeat.


    ¡°That does... seem true. There wouldn¡¯t be any injured students inside Babel if the Chairman were omnipotent after all,¡± said Luize, touching the choker covering the scar on her neck.


    Thinking about the severity of the situation, she asked, ¡°So, are we handling this on our own? If what you saides true, the situation sounds way too big for just the two of us to take care of.¡±


    It would be an attack on Babel by those who far exceeded the status of ordinary criminals, a potential attack by the Ten Evils <i>and </i>Watchers. Imagining Babel engulfed in mes, Luize frowned.


    ¡°The likelihood of such a major event happening is low. If that were their n, they wouldn''t have snuck in quietly like this,¡± denied Se-Hoon, shaking his head.


    Given the nature of the Ten Evils and Watchers, the uing event would likely just serve as a warning. Without the Six Harbingers of Destruction, it was unlikely they''d wage a full-scale war against the Perfect Ones.


    As one of thest defenders of humanity in the war against the demons before the regression, Se-Hoon was absolutely certain. However, he couldn''t exin such things in detail, so he illustrated the situation indirectly.


    ¡°And as I mentioned earlier, this is all just a suspicion for now. We can address it more thoroughly once we verify things at the expo.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>... Okay.¡±


    Luize nodded calmly at his exnation. If it had been anyone else, she might have thought they were being too optimistic, but she trusted Se-Hoon. After all, he had always managed to achieve the best possible oues during the numerous incidents and idents.


    <i>But how does this guy even know about all of this...?</i>


    Even if the Ten Evils were somewhat known, Watchers were apletely secretive group, still unrevealed to the public. So how could Se-Hoon, who was born into an ordinary family like hers, know so much about them?


    She mulled over the questions that flooded her mind, but it was only for a moment.


    <i>It doesn¡¯t really matter anyway.</i>


    If Se-Hoon kept his promises to her and didn¡¯t betray her, then it didn¡¯t matter what secrets he harbored.


    ¡°So, what are we going to do until we get invited to the expo?¡± Luize asked, having cast away all of her questions about Se-Hoon.


    Regardless, it seemed wise to prepare in advance, given that something would likely happen at the expo.


    Se-Hoon pondered for a moment before responding, ¡°Have you ever controlled anything with Incantation Magic?¡±


    ¡°Control? No, I haven''t tried control spells yet.¡±


    Havinge from the Department of Elements, Luize had naturally only practiced elemental magic up to now.


    Nodding, Se-Hoon took out his White Light Dagger.


    ¡°Perfect. Watch closely.¡±


    He picked up an empty drink can from the alley and tossed it into the air above him.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The can soared upward and then began to fall. As it descended, he ced the White Light Dagger on his palm.


    <strong>¡°Auto Intercept.¡±</strong>


    The incantation seeped deeply inside the dagger.


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    Without warning, the dagger shot up and pierced through the falling drink can, embedding itself in the wall.


    The sight of the dagger moving on its own without Se-Hoon providing any additional incantations stunned Luize.


    ¡°Autonomous magic...?¡±


    In principle, the more control the caster had over the spell, the more exponentially difficult it became to cast it.


    For instance, if one designed a mana barrier to block attacks, it would simply block all iing attacks, but if one specified it to block fire, it would be more ambiguous. Any approachingplex offensive spell thatbined both fire and wind would confuse the barrier, potentially making it not recognize the attack as containing fire and thus letting it pass.


    <i>That¡¯s why the spell forms for autonomous magic are said to be incrediblyplex...</i>


    The forms for autonomous magic had to beid out in detail to prevent such errors, in terms of precision and the quantity of conditions. Naturally, that would make any form extremelyplex, thus making autonomous magic forms as secretive as secret arts.


    However, Se-Hoon had easily executed it with a single incantation.


    <i>Well, if it¡¯s just for automating interception... </i>Thinking that if it was merely for attacking anything that approached, Luize believed the spell form shouldn¡¯t be thatplicated.


    However, Se-Hoon read Luize and her thoughts, so he calmly said. ¡°Try punching me.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°Just do it.¡±


    Luize nced at the White Light Dagger embedded in the wall, then steeled herself and punched Se-Hoon in the stomach with all her might.


    <i>Smack!</i>


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Luize pulled her hand back in shock, feeling as if she had punched a rock. At the same time, her gaze moved to the ce where the dagger was stuck in the wall.


    ¡°It didn''t move?¡±


    If the dagger was automated to intercept iing objects, it should have reacted to her attack. However, the dagger remained stuck in the same spot on the wall.


    Seeing Luize¡¯s confusion, Se-Hoon calmly exined, ¡°As I mentioned before, Incantation Magic is fundamentally different from conventional magic. The difficulty level of magic you know doesn''t apply here.¡±


    ¡°So... you¡¯re saying that Incantation Magic is specialized for autonomous magic?¡±


    ¡°More like it makes it easier to cast.¡±


    Se-Hoon pulled the dagger from the wall and looked at Luize.


    ¡°Let''s use this dagger as an example. Why did it pierce the drink instantly but not respond to your punch?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    Various reasons, like the distance to the object, the material of the object, or projectile type, came to mind, but she dismissed them all.


    <i>If there were such conditions, he wouldn¡¯t have asked in the first ce.</i>


    Conditions that were difficult with conventional magic but easily set with Incantation Magic¡ªpondering it from that route, she looked at her still-tingling fist.


    ¡°Because it wasn¡¯t considered a threat?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Well more precisely, I made it assumed that it didn¡¯t matter if your punchnded or not.¡±


    ¡°But how could such a condition be set with just that short incantation...?¡±


    Even if Incantation Magic operated differently than conventional magic, was that really possible?


    Seeing her still apparent confusion, Se-Hoon continued his exnation, ¡°Don''t overthink it. Only think about the incantation and the synesthetic mindscape used as your proxy.¡±


    ¡°...Ah!¡±


    With that exnation, Luize finally understood the secret behind the Incantation Inscription that Se-Hoon had shown earlier.


    <i>So my standards for the effect to trigger are engraved into the synesthetic mindscape.</i>


    Just as one instinctively associated fire with heat, simr instinctive thoughts were embedded in Incantation Magic. As a result, when something that appeared hot approached the caster, the automated magic spell constructed from the incantation would naturally react.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not without its drawbacks. Regr magic relies strictly on its form, ensuring no errors. But Incantation Magic can vary greatly depending on the user.¡±


    If the caster had a thorough understanding of the nature of the iing attack, they would be able to react quickly. However, if they were unfamiliar with it, their response would be slower.


    In other words, while the effectiveness of conventional autonomous magic depended on the detailedness of its form, the effectiveness of autonomous magic cast with Incantation Magic depended greatly on the caster¡¯s breadth ofbat experience.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>. So, if I set it to attack the enemy, it might go and target someone I normally dislike?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    Given her deep-seated animosity due to past events, Luize''s autonomous magic could manifest unpredictably. For her to properly utilize autonomous magic, she would need a high degree of self-awareness.


    ¡°I guess I need to be careful with it then.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. That''s why you should practice establishing clear criteria to avoid any mishaps when using it. Also, the morebat experience you gain, the quicker your responses will be, so try to engage in lots of sparring.¡±


    ¡°Sparring, huh... that''s convenient. The professors mentioned they were bringing in a bunch of alumni for theing practice sessions.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. The Department of Martial Magic is under Aqar Quf.¡±


    Aqar Quf had prepared special sses that invited active-duty heroes in order for its students to gain practicalbat experience. But it also presented an opportunity for the Ten Evils or Watchers to infiltrate Babel, so Se-Hoon decided that those invited needed to be thoroughly checked.


    <i>How should I probe them, though...?</i>


    There had to be a simpler way than just attending the sses. As Se-Hoon mused over it, an idea suddenly came to mind.


    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Se-Hoon took out his phone and made a call. A few ringster, the person on the other end picked up.


    ¡ªKasar here.


    Hearing Kasar, the Department of Swordsmanship lead professor and the next dean of Aqar Quf, pick up, Se-Hoon quickly got to the purpose of his call.


    ¡°Are you aware of the special ss being held in Aqar Quf in the following weeks?¡±


    ¡ªOf course. That old man, Luke, is trying to make something of hisst years by calling in all of the alumni. Why are you bringing up this matter?


    ¡°Professor Ma Kwang-Soo mentioned that I could participate, so I was just curious about how it would be conducted.¡±


    ¡ªReally? Did that drunkard really say that...


    Kasar trailed off, seemingly contemting something. A momentter, his voice could be heard through the phone again.


    ¡ªWe haven¡¯t decided on the details yet. If it proceeds as nned, each department will be handling its students separately.


    ¡°Then¡ª¡±


    ¡ªHow do you want it changed?


    Kasar¡¯s abrupt question that cut him off surprised Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Pardon? What do you mean...?¡±


    ¡ªIt¡¯s not like you called just to ask about the event format. You must have something in mind, right? I''m going on a trip next week, so I''ll handle it this week.


    His tone suggested he already had an inkling of, if not a full understanding, of Se-Hoon''s intentions. Rxing a bit, Se-Hoon exined his idea for the event format.


    ¡ª<i>Hmm</i>... not bad. That certainly would be more efficient.


    ¡°Can we proceed with that, then?¡±


    ¡ªOf course. That old man Luke is just a figurehead now anyway.


    With this year being hisst, Luke had essentially lost his authority. Kasar''s confident reply made Se-Hoon smile.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡ªNo worries. But what are you nning on doing?


    To Kasar¡¯s curious question, Se-Hoon, with absolute confidence, replied, ¡°I''m going to do some advertising.¡±


    ***


    In the conference room of the main building of Borsippa, the lead professors of each department had gathered, and the staff member in charge took the microphone and announced the next item on the agenda.


    ¡°The next item is the participation of honor student Lee Se-Hoon for the uing exhibition.¡±


    A heavy silence fell in the conference room following the announcement.


    In a situation where no one could easily open their mouth, the lead professors naturally turned their gazes toward two individuals.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    One was Eun-Ha, who was sitting expressionlessly at the head of the table, and the other was Michael Barmuth, who was sitting at the left diagonal seat without any change in expression.


    The lead professors, acknowledging that there was a difference of opinion between the Dean and the Vice Dean regarding this year¡¯s honor student, didn''t know which side to lean toward.


    <i>There were talks before about when Ryu Eun-Ha might step down... but now, because of that Lee Se-Hoon guy, she might stay in that position for at least another four years.</i>


    <i>The Barmuths aren''t what they used to be after the recent incident.... It''s time to reconsider our stance.</i>


    Even though Michael was once considered the most promising candidate for the dean position, they had very recently seen his position greatly shaken. Thus, the professors became extremely cautious with their reactions.


    <i>These ungrateful bastards...</i>


    However, while Michael didn¡¯t like the fact that the professors were being so cautious after gaining everything they could from him, there was nothing he could do. Reminding himself that he had to wait for the right moment, he slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there should be any problems with that. He¡¯s already forged several pieces of Hero equipment, and if he''s requesting this directly, it should mean that he''s confident enough to take responsibility for it.¡±


    Michael¡¯s gaze, which had been carefully observing the professors, paused on In-Cheol and then settled on Eun-Ha.


    ¡°Regardless of what the oue may be, that is.¡±


    Despite his pointed remark, Eun-Ha didn¡¯t even look at him.


    ¡°What do the others think?¡±


    At her question, the professors nced at each other and answered one by one.


    ¡°I think... it should be fine.¡±


    ¡°He''s distinguished himself among the honor students, so giving him an opportunity only seems fair.¡±


    The professors, who were all sensitive to the power dynamics within the administration, quickly expressed their agreement. Those who were indifferent to such matters also agreed without much objection, since they were all curious about what kind of work Se-Hoon would submit.


    ¡°Then, onto the next item on the agenda...¡±


    <i>Creek-</i>


    The conference room door quietly opened, and a staff member quickly walked in and approached Eun-Ha.


    ¡°Dean, we have a message from Dean Luke.¡±


    Luke Baker, the Dean of Aqar Quf, was once an S-rank hero. He had retired due to old age and injuries, living as an educator at Babel ever since.


    Yet Eun-Ha felt puzzled by his sudden contact.


    <i>What¡¯s the matter all of a sudden?</i>


    She hadn''t had much interaction with him, either personally or professionally, so she looked at the staff member with a sense of curiosity.


    ¡°I''ll step out for a moment.¡±


    Pausing the meeting, Eun-Ha stepped outside and took the phone the staff member was holding.


    ¡°This is Dean Ryu speaking.¡±


    ¡ªDean Ryu, what on earth are you doing!?


    Assaulted by Luke¡¯s irate shout booming from the speakers, Eun-Ha moved the phone away and calmly responded, ¡°Can you be a bit more specific on what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    ¡ªIt''s about that first-year honor student you''ve been pushingtely! That student is causing a ruckus in Aqar Quf right now!


    ¡°...Are you referring to Lee Se-Hoon?¡±


    ¡ªYes!


    His exmation only made Eun-Ha more puzzled.


    While she knew Se-Hoon had a rough side, she was certain that he wasn¡¯t someone who would cause a ruckus without reason. Thus, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he was causing over at Aqar Quf.


    At that moment, another staff member came running up to her, handing her his phone.


    ¡°Dean, you need to see this...¡±


    The phone was disying footage of a training ground. On it, a young man wielding two short spears was fiercely battling a middle-aged man armed with a long spear. The fight was clearly intense just by the looks of it.


    ¡¸Grr...!¡¹


    Eventually, the middle-aged man was relentlessly pushed back by the fierce mes bursting from the young man¡¯s spears, and soon a dark red sh exploded on the screen.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The middle-aged man¡¯s spear''s de floated in the air before falling to the ground. While the middle-aged man looked at it in dismay, the young man facing him slowly began to speak.


    ¡¸You have decent skills, but it''s unfortunate. If... if...¡¹


    The young man bit his lip, stumbling over his words as something seemed to surge within him. When the people around the training ground focused their gaze on him, a shout came from below.


    ¡¸Get on with it!¡¹


    The young man, frowning at the shout, sighed deeply and clearly said his obviously prepared lines.


    ¡¸If it weren''t for the weapons Lee Se-Hoon made for me... I might have lost.¡¹


    The video captured the look of dismay on the face of the young man¡ªSung-Ha¡ªbefore the camera panned to the other side, revealing Se-Hoon grinning widely.


    Still trying to grasp the baffling situation, Eun-Ha¡¯s attention was suddenly caught by the video''s title: Hero Brawl Challenge #12.


    ¡°...Hero Brawl Challenge?¡±


    It seemed Se-Hoon was leading the other students in duels against active-duty heroes and defeating them.


    Unable to guess the purpose behind it, or more like not wanting to believe the purpose behind it, Eun-Ha watched the video conclude with an expression that was growing increasingly perplexed.


    ¡¸You speak well!¡¹


    The video focused on the energetically eximing Se-Hoon, who seemed to be having the time of his life.

 Chapter 128

    <h4>Chapter 128</h4>


    It had been twenty-three years since Kang Do-Yoon started working as a hero. And he was on the verge of being promoted to A-rank, so he felt a certain pride in his abilities.


    How many monsters had he subjugated, and how many demons had he in over the years?


    Though his specsgged slightly behind others, he had confidence in his skills. So when he heard about the four individuals who were disrupting the special event, he snorted in disbelief.


    <i>They must have just been lucky.</i>


    No matter how exceptional their skills were said to be, students were still students. The heroes who fell to them must just be weaker than him, and above all, they had probably been caught off guard.


    With that conviction in mind, Kang Do-Yoon resolved to teach those four a harsh lesson in realbat.


    ¡°<i>Huff</i>...!¡±


    But right now, Kang Do-Yoon was swinging his ax in rm to respond to a blue sword shing before his eyes.


    <i>ng!</i>


    He felt a jarring sensation in his hands when he parried the sword. Despite sessfully diverting it, he still wasn¡¯t able to entirely absorb the shock, leaving him with an astonished expression.


    <i>What on earth is that sword made of to deliver such an impact...?</i>


    Initially, he thought it was just a fancy sword upon seeing its thin de that was designed to maximize cutting power. He intended to crush that arrogant nose of theirs by striking down the sword with all his might, but the reality was different.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    The weight he felt from the thin de was unbelievable. It was as if he were facing a giant many times his size who was wielding a massive greatsword.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Yet the opponent before him was but a young blond man, barely over 170 centimeters tall, still bearing traces of boyhood.


    As Kang Do-Yoon was continuously driven back by the light swings of the sword from the young man, he naturally recalled the words he had arrogantly said at the beginning of the duel.


    <i>¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what weapon you will be using. Just know I won''t be responsible if it breaks.¡±</i>


    He had been nning to shatter the sword and crush their arrogant spirit in an instant, but instead, he now had toe up with a n to avoid losing this sparring session.


    Desperate to not lose, Kang Do-Yoon gritted his teeth and swung his ax with all his might once more. But...


    <strong>Myers Style Sword Breaking Technique: Azure Compression Light Hammer</strong>


    Jake¡¯s sword, bursting with blue light, fiercely responded and struck the ax.


    <i>Boom!!!</i>


    Instead of the sound of shing metal, a tremendous roar echoed. However, despite the ripping pain in his palms, Kang Do-Yoon had managed to avoid losing a grip on his weapon.


    <i>Now that he¡¯s used a big skill...!</i>


    This could be a great opportunity for him. Sharpening hisbat instincts once again, he swung his ax.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Yet all that swung down was the bare handle, the ax de having disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Even if it was just a practice weapon provided to him by Babel, it was a top-quality, Rare-tier weapon, which should have been plenty sturdy. Moreover, he hadn¡¯t used it without any special enhancements; he just maximally enhanced it with mana during the fight.


    So to see that it had broken so easily was utterly unbelievable; it made Kang Do-Yoon freeze in shock.


    His opponent Jake, however, calmly aimed his blue sword, which was free of any nicks, at his neck.


    ¡°...As expected of a direct descendant of the Myers family. Your swordsmanship is truly remarkable.¡±


    Kang Do-Yoon had previously been determined to win, but having lost, there was no choice besides praising the opponent¡¯s skills to soften the blow.


    With that in mind, Kang Do-Yoon steeled himself to continue his praise, yet was denied by his opponent.


    ¡°N-no.¡±


    Lowering his sword, Jake forced out his next words.


    ¡°The reason I could win is... well... uh...¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>?¡±


    Jake¡¯s lips moved as if he found it hard to speak. Confused by the sight, Kang Do-Yoon suddenly remembered the story of the previous heroes who had lost in the duels before him.


    <i>¡°Try to prepare yourself if you happen to lose.¡±</i>


    He distinctly remembered the humiliated expressions on their faces. Back then, Kang Do-Yoon hadn''t paid much attention to their advice since he was certain that he wouldn¡¯t lose, but now that it was his turn, he began to dread what mighte out of Jake¡¯s mouth.


    <i>What is he going to say...?</i>


    Was he going to openly denounce him for how pathetic his skills were? Kang Do-Yoon watched and waited with a tense expression.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Jake closed his eyes tightly and shouted vigorously, ¡°It¡¯s because of the weapon my friend Lee Se-Hoon forged for me!¡±


    The unexpected content of Jake¡¯s shout resounded throughout the entire sparring hall, leaving not only Kang Do-Yoon but also the watching students in a daze. The duel, which had been pretty intense up to that point, turned into a scene from a home shopping broadcast.


    <i>...I see. So that¡¯s what this was all about.</i>


    In the end, the duel had ultimately been to promote that weapon and the cksmith who had forged it. That fact made Kang Do-Yoon¡¯s mouth twitch and he had to hold back his anger and embarrassment forcefully.


    ¡°<i>Ahem. </i>That is a <i>fine </i>sword. You¡¯re very fortunate.¡±


    ¡°...Thank you.¡±


    Jake, who was inwardly thankful that Kang Do-Yoon had been ¡°supportive,¡± rushed down the stage to the pleased-looking Se-Hoon, who had been waiting below.


    ¡°Well done. Excellent job.¡±


    Unable to determine whether Se-Hon was referring to the duel or the ridiculous promotion, Jake swallowed the words that crept up his throat and asked, ¡°I''m done for today, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You can sit back and watch for now. Next up is...¡±


    Turning his head, Se-Hoon gazed at the two deliberately avoiding his gaze.


    One was Sung-Ha, who was looking elsewhere with his arms crossed, and the other was Luize, who was crouching down and staring at her phone.


    Seeing them obviously trying to avoid his gaze, Se-Hoon chuckled and called out the next participant.


    ¡°Luize, it''s your turn.¡±


    ¡°...You bastard.¡±


    While continually muttering curses under her breath, she stepped onto the stage. At the same time, a hero holding a halberd stepped up from the opposite side, signaling the start of the duel.


    As they closely watched the proceeding duel, Jake, whose face finally cooled down from embarrassment, asked, ¡°So why are we even doing this?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by why? We¡¯re just doing it because we can.¡±


    Originally, the sparring sessions for the special event were supposed to only be between the students and the active-duty heroes who were rted to their department, allowing the students to have casual duels and gain rted advice. However, Kasar had significantly modified the n after his call with Se-Hoon.


    <i>¡°Weren¡¯t they invited to simte realbat? Then there¡¯s no guarantee a real opponent will use the same weapon every time. So since we¡¯ve invited a bunch of them here, we should vary the fights a bit.¡±</i>


    Thus any hero who wanted to duel without departmental restrictions could apply or be requested to participate, and if epted, they could freely fight on the sparring grounds.


    It should have ended up as a very unique and interesting event, but the problem was the Hero Brawling Challenge initiated by Se-Hoon.


    <i>¡°Please treat it like realbat.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°If you don¡¯t want to regret it, fight with all your strength.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°...Tsk.¡±</i>


    Unlike the other students who took a somewhat rxed approach to their duels, Jake, Sung-Ha, and Luize wanted the sparring to be as fierce as realbat.


    And though initially hesitant, the heroes who received their requestplied seriously due to the prior approval given by Kasar.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    ¡°Ugh?!¡±


    <i>Thud!</i>


    ¡°Wait...!¡±


    <i>sh!</i>


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    How the duels actually ended, however, waspletely different from what they had expected.


    Whenever one of the three was involved, the invited hero¡¯s weapon would be destroyed without fail. They were using practice weapons provided by Babel and not their usual gear, but regardless, it was still a shocking result. That was how every fight ended, with the heroes being unable to put up much of a fight before their weapons were destroyed.


    <i>Is there an issue with the weapons provided by Babel?</i>


    <i>Are theirbat styles specialized in neutralizing the opponent¡¯s weapons?</i>


    <i>Maybe those heroes made a mistake while going easy on them?</i>


    Both hero and student alike were curious about how the weapons were all broken so easily and about how long this would continue. Curiosity about thetter, extended to the three involved as well.


    ¡°It''s all because of Se-Hoon... <i>aagh</i>!¡±


    Luize, who had just shattered her opponent¡¯s halberd and ended the fight, ran away and descended the stage.


    Running toward Se-Hoon, she shouted with her face flushed red, ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore! I won¡¯t do it!¡±


    At first, sheplied with Se-Hoon''s instructions to repay him for teaching her a new application of Incantation Magic, but she just couldn¡¯t bear it anymore.


    Even though it was true that she was able to easily win against active-duty heroes with plenty ofbat experience thanks to Se-Hoon¡¯s equipment, it was too embarrassing to express it out loud in front of everyone.


    ¡°You said you¡¯d do it anytime,¡± remarked Se-Hoon nonchntly.


    ¡°How could I have known that you''d make me do it so many times?! Anyway, I can''t do this anymore, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°Be quiet,¡± cut off Sung-Ha with his arms crossed. ¡°If you don''t want to do it, just leave.¡±


    Unlike Luize, he had originally vehemently refused Se-Hoon¡¯s request, saying he would never do it, yet now he was defending him, wanting to continue.


    Sung-Ha stance had changed so drastically that it was a wonder, but the reason was very simple.


    <i>¡°I''ll deduct your debt each time you do it.¡±</i>


    When Se-Hoon mentioned he would forgive some of Sung-Ha¡¯s umted debt from his equipment to get him to cooperate, Sung-Ha immediately took a proactive stance.


    <i>Who would have thought that the burden of debt would outweigh his pride...</i>


    At this rate, depending on the amount of debt Sung-Ha piled up, Sung-Ha might even be willing to do even more absurd things. Amused by the thought, Se-Hoon began scheming over how to further abuse such a loophole. Unfortunately, he was brought back to reality by Luize¡¯s voice.


    ¡°I wasn''t talking to you,¡± said Luize with frostcing her voice.


    It was as if her burning anger earlier had been a lie; her current tone and gaze were both subzero.


    But Sung-Ha met her eyes head-on, mirroring her demeanor.


    ¡°I don''t care about whatever you have to say. I¡¯m just telling you to get lost if you don''t want to do it.¡±


    ¡°And who do you think you are?¡±


    ¡°Who do you think <i>you are</i>?¡±


    The atmosphere between Sung-Ha and Luize was heavy, making it clear that they were unable to see eye to eye and that their hostility was brewing every second.


    Having met only once before, their rtionship worsened even further, almost to the point of others thinking they were born to hate each other.


    <i>At this point, they''re like oil and water.</i>


    The thought of having to somehow put them on the same team as he did before the regression made Se-Hoon''s head start to ache.


    ¡°Hey, is there <i>really </i>no reason behind all of this?¡± Jake, who had been deep in thought this entire time, then continued to say, ¡°I mean, since it''s you, Se-Hoon, there must be a proper reason for all this...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At Jake¡¯s words, both Sung-Ha and Luize, who had been growling at each other, slowly turned their gazes toward Se-Hoon. They hadn''t questioned it much before, but after several days, they had also be genuinely curious about why they were being put through this.


    <i>Well... I guess it wouldn''t hurt to tell them.</i>


    Se-Hoon took the three of them to a corner and quietly said, ¡°So, there are three reasons why I''m putting you all through this.¡±


    ¡°Three reasons?¡± Luize said with surprise, prompting a nod from Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Yes. The first reason is to gather more information to forge your new equipment in the future.¡±


    Their faces brightened slightly after hearing that. Who couldin when what they were doing turned out to be a way for their cksmith to gather information for their future equipment?


    But their happiness didn¡¯tst long.


    ¡°The second reason is that I want to flex to everyone that I have enough influence to make you do this embarrassing stuff for days.¡±


    The atmosphere grew cold again.


    To think Se-Hoon was making them say embarrassing things just to unt his influence. On one hand, it seemed a bit childish, but, on the other hand, it was quite a convincing reason. Even though heroes often cooperate for strategic reasons, they often couldn¡¯t tolerate their dignity being challenged, so if Se-Hoon made them do such trivial actions, the sight would adhere to both them and anyone watching.


    <i>This bastard...</i>


    <i>If it weren''t for the debt...</i>


    <i>Whew... whew...</i>


    The fact that it was a convincing reason didn¡¯t stop the three from being angry though. They exchanged nces, silently debating whether or not to beat Se-Hoon up on the spot. Before they could act on it though, Se-Hoon brought up the third reason with a serious expression.


    ¡°Now, for thest reason. It¡¯s to lure out the person targeting me.¡±


    The three made a curious expression. There were countless people who might want to target Se-Hoon, so what did he mean by luring them out?


    Seeing that they didn¡¯t understand, Se-Hoon added a brief exnation.


    ¡°When someone boasts about being strong, it¡¯s human nature to want to test that. I¡¯m exploiting that fact.¡±


    That was especially true when it came to those crazy about experiments; to them, the temptation would be unbearable. And now that it had been several days of continuous victories, they would soone looking for him.


    ¡°Ah, there you are.¡±


    A cheerful voice was heard from behind them right at that moment.


    ¡°Got a moment?¡±


    The person asking looked quite young. He had anyard with a badge, indicating he was one of the invited active-duty heroes, around his neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m Victor, an A-rank hero invited to this event. I¡¯ve heard about your impressive feats... may I request a spar with you all?¡±


    Hearing Victor¡¯s proposal, the three naturally turned to look at Se-Hoon. With their eyes, they asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    Turning to Victor, Se-Hoon nodded readily and said, ¡°We¡¯d be honored.¡±


    ¡°Great, love the enthusiasm. So, who¡¯s going first? Just so you know, I don¡¯t mind if you alle at me together.¡±


    The absolute confidence in his words made the three narrow their eyes slightly. Even if he was an A-rank, his confidence seemed excessive.


    It was to the point thatpared to when they fought without much thought before, this time, they felt a strong urge to put the arrogant neer in his ce.


    Wanting to be the one chosen to do so, the three of them looked back at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll face you on,¡± said Se-Hoon stepping forward boldly, letting down the three.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you from the Department of cksmithing?¡±


    ¡°I also have permission to attend this special event too. And besides...¡±


    He nced back at the three, who had be slightly flustered, and smirked.


    ¡°This time, I don¡¯t think the three of them need to step in.¡±


    The implication was clear: he alone was more than enough to handle someone like Victor.


    Grasping the implication as well, Victor¡¯s eyes twitched, but he soon smiled and replied, ¡°Alright, I guess it can¡¯t be helped then.¡±


    If his opponent felt that way, he just had to show them otherwise. Walking over, Victor stepped onto the sparring ground, drew a one-handed practice sword, and flicked the tip.


    ¡°Come at me.¡±


    ¡°Alright then...¡±


    Taking out his Five-med Sword and the Forgefire Hammer, Se-Hoon walked forward leisurely, showing no indication of taking a stance.


    <i>What the...</i>


    Victor narrowed his eyes. There was nothing particrly remarkable about Se-Hoon¡¯s physical abilities or anything else that stood out. Yet, despite that, Se-Hoon continued approaching without hesitation.


    <i>How arrogant.</i>


    Originally, Victor had nned to take it easy as instructed, but he couldn''t just let that provocation slide. He extended his one-handed sword straight out toward Se-Hoon who was walking toward him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll die if you keep walking forward.¡±


    If Se-Hoon wanted to keep moving forward just like that, then he could just walk straight to his death. However, Se-Hoon just ignored Victor¡¯s yful threat and continued forward without a word.


    Then, when he was just two steps away from Victor, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes shed, and he kicked off the ground.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Startling everyone, Victor¡¯s sword tip plunged straight into Se-Hoon¡¯s training uniform.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    At the unexpected turn of events, Victor instinctively pulled his sword back. But Se-Hoon immediately swung his hammer as if he had been waiting for that moment.


    <i>ng-!</i>


    Sparks flew from the practice sword¡¯s surface. The intense mes of the hammer, capable of melting minerals, burned away the sword''s surface, revealing a slightly different-colored sword beneath.


    ¡°Damn!¡±


    Victor, shocked by the reveal, quickly twisted his wrist and knocked the hammer away.


    <i>Kr-krr!</i>


    He then pushed Se-Hoon back and immediately regained his stance.


    His sword, which had appeared normal just moments ago, was now stained with different colors. And having seen Victor clearly during that fleeting moment, Se-Hoon was now certain.


    <i>This is our guy.</i>


    He was certain that the person in front of him had received his weapon from Offering.

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129


    For all external affairs, Offering operated two different squads. The first squad wasposed of special units tailored to match the equipment they forged, whereas the second squad was made up of external heroes or demons they supported behind the scenes.


    And since thetter group had no direct connection to Offering, they were frequently assigned tasks because it was easier to cut ties with them. It would be far too easy to cover up a failed mission as the doing of a hostile demon or defected hero after all.


    This guy must be a part of the supported group, thought Se-Hoon.


    Currently, Victor was ncing back and forth between the one-handed sword and Se-Hoon with slight tension. He likely didn¡¯t fully understand the nature of his task, as he had likely only received it moments ago. If that was the case, the gap he showed in his stance just now made sense.


    Seeing how theyer over the real surface of the de restored itself immediately, it must be some sort of seal that will unlock under certain conditions. The real purpose of the sword is likely for ceremonial usage rather thanbat.


    It was likely that Victor was supposed to y a supporting role when Offering made their move next week. Taking that information, Se-Hoon mulled over the different strategies Offering had utilized before.


    Then, like nothing had happened, Se-Hoon nonchntly said, ¡°What a pity. It was supposed to be a decisive move on my end.¡±


    ¡°Haha. It was terrifying, though,¡± replied Victor, breaking out into a cold sweat.


    If Se-Hoon had shown any signs of attacking while rushing forward, Victor would have responded immediately. However, since Se-Hoon had walked forward and intentionally allowed himself to be ¡°stabbed¡± by Victor¡¯s sword, Victor had been caughtpletely off-guard and hurriedly pulled back his sword, forcing him to allow Se-Hoon¡¯s next set of attacks tond in vain.


    The timing of his moves was too perfect to be a coincidence.¡­ What a scary guy.


    He had already heard that Se-Hoon was a promising young cksmith, and now, judging by the recent exchange, it seemed he also had exceptionalbat skills.


    Now I understand why my client advised me to keep an eye on him at all times.


    With that much talent, he sort of understood why his client was so greedy for the student known as Lee Se-Hoon.


    Victor nced at his one-handed sword.


    This won¡¯t break mid-battle, but it might raise suspicions if it¡¯s too tough.


    Revising his strategy to block as much as possible while keeping impacts to his weapon at a minimum, Victor calmed down.


    ¡°Shall we try again?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Agreeing to Victor¡¯s suggestion, Se-Hoon sprang up and swung his Five-med Sword, aiming for a surprise attack.


    It¡¯s a bit too slow.


    While the timing of Se-Hoon¡¯s attack was good, unfortunately, the speed of it wascking. Victor easily parried it by swinging his sword and slightly twisting the de, deflecting the Five-med Sword to the side.


    ng!


    With absolute ease, Se-Hoon¡¯s attack was cleanly deflected. However, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t bat an eye and followed up with a hammer swing.


    His movements made Victor''s eyes sh.


    I knew you''d do that¡­!


    Having predicted that Se-Hoon would persistently target his weapon, Victor infused his fist with mana and swung it at Se-Hoon¡¯s hammer with all his might.


    Thud!


    Upon contact with Victor¡¯s fist, Se-Hoon¡¯s hammer bounced back, leaving his chest wide open.


    And seeing that, Victor kicked off the ground and rapidly thrust his one-handed sword forward.


    Whoosh!


    In a magnificent disy, the de stopped right in front of Se-Hoon¡¯s neck.


    ¡°¡­I lost.¡±


    Lowering his weapons, Se-Hoon gazed at the tip of the de lingering right in front of his neck with a bitter smile.


    ¡°So you weren¡¯t that easy of an opponent after all.¡±


    ¡°I didn''t be an A-rank just for show. Nice try, though.¡±


    Feeling as if he had made up for his earlier mistake, Victor happily sheathed his sword and looked at the other three.


    ¡°Shall we continue?¡±


    ¡°Well, unlike me, they''ve had a lot of duels today¡­ so, what do you guys think? Want to give it a go?¡±


    The three exchanged nces and then shook their heads.


    ¡°I think I''m a bit too tired.¡±


    ¡°Me too; I''m done for today.¡±


    ¡°Not really interested.¡±


    Unlike when they were all eager to step up just moments ago, they were all now backing out together. It made Victor lift his shoulders higher, thinking they had been intimidated and were trying to avoid him.


    ¡°Alright then, I''ll make sure to prepare properly for the next time I challenge you.¡±


    ¡°Sure, you can challenge me anytime,¡± said Victor with a grin before leaving the training ground satisfied.


    Meanwhile, the other students, who had watched the entire battle unfold, sighed.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ so the winning streak is broken here.¡±


    ¡°Wait, but the ones fighting weren¡¯t those three, so shouldn''t we exclude Se-Hoon''s loss?¡±


    ¡°Shut your trap and pay up.¡±


    Sighing in disappointment, those who had bet on the winning streaksting longer began taking out their wallets while others busily typed on their phones to spread the news.


    By evening, everyone in the academy would likely be gossiping enthusiastically about Se-Hoon''s defeat and the anticlimactic end to their winning streak.


    This should be enough.


    After scanning the crowd¡¯s reactions, Se-Hoon stepped down from the training ground and called out to the others.


    ¡°Let''s go.¡±


    Without another word, the three left with Se-Hoon.


    A whileter, upon confirming that there was no one around, Jake quietly asked, ¡°Why did you tell us not to fight him earlier?¡±


    Contrary to his earlier action of asking if they wanted to fight Victor back in the training area, he had actually signaled the three with a nce not to step up.


    To Jake, it didn¡¯t make sense. If Victor had been extremely strong then it would have, but truthfully, Victor wasn¡¯t that formidable.


    His movements were pretty clunky even though he¡¯s supposed to be an A-rank¡­


    In fact, Victor¡¯s movements had been fine at first, but when Se-Hoon struck Victor¡¯s sword with his hammer, Victor¡¯s fighting style became far too defensive, to the point where it opened up numerous gaps in his defense instead.


    Still, given his rank, it wouldn''t be an easy fight, but Victor was certainly someone they could win against. So why had Se-Hoon told them not to fight?


    ¡°I already roughly figured out everything during my battle. There¡¯s no point in destroying him any further,¡± exined Se-Hoon.


    In the end, the only reason Se-Hoon had gone up to fight in the first ce was to find clues to what Offering was setting up for next week¡ªand he had discovered that they were disguising their own weapons as training weapons. The next step now was to just pull them out by the root.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Now that I know how they¡¯re smuggling in their weapons, I can narrow down their men by seeing if they show simr reactions. After that, it¡¯s a matter of finding out who within Babel provided them with those weapons.


    If the training weapons had simply been switched during all of the preparation processes, it would be hard to pinpoint who had done so. But, if they had been switched out after Babel had finished preparing the weapons, it became a lot more feasible to locate and uproot the ones coborating with Offering from within Babel.


    Having decided on his next course of action, Se-Hoon began theorizing who those individuals within Aqar Quf could be. Before he could make much progress though, his attention was then brought back by Luize, who had been listening from behind.


    Hesitating, Luize cautiously asked, ¡°So¡­ do we not have to say those embarrassing lines anymore?¡±


    The look she gave him was borderline pleading.


    The sight made Se-Hoon chuckle, and after a moment, he nodded. ¡°Yeah, that can also stop.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    ¡°Yes. Are my words that untrustworthy to you?¡±


    Considering that everything Se-Hoon had been instructing them to do was all part of his tactic to lure out the other side, there was no need to continue any longer now that the bait had been taken.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    Seeing Luize¡¯s sigh of genuine relief at finally being freed, a light bulb went off in Se-Hoon¡¯s head, and he btedly added, ¡°But let''s keep up the whole advertisement thing.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, shouting doesn¡¯t really work if it¡¯s not a live stream, so how about sashes? We can write something like ¡®Owner of Lee Se-Hoon¡¯s Equipment¡¯ on it.¡±


    All Luize could do was stare nkly at him. Then, her eyes abruptly glinted blue, and she lunged at him.


    ¡°Go to hell!!!!¡±


    Grabbing his cor, she pounced on him like a predator would with prey. Her wild demeanor startled Jake, making him take a few steps back.


    ¡°What the¡­¡±


    Still taken aback, he decided he needed to intervene, but then he noticed Se-Hoon, who, despite the fact that he was being choked and shaken, had a sly grin on his face.


    Ah, he''s just teasing her.


    With mixed feelings, Jake watched the two who had a good, albeit strange, rtionship. Then, he unexpectedly heard, Sung-Ha, who had been standing quietly, suddenly mutter, ¡°Wearing sashes and deducting the debt every month doesn¡¯t sound like a bad idea¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hearing that mutter, Jake became certain of one thing: There wasn''t a single normal person here except for himself.


    ***


    It was a Saturday morning. Having received a call from Lan Fei, Se-Hoon arrived at the exhibition hall of Borsippa and simply gazed at the building in front of him.


    This ce is insanely huge¡­


    The building was so enormous that it couldn''t be fully seen at a nce; in fact, it couldn¡¯t be fully seen even from a distance.


    When he approached closer, he saw a massive electronic board disying the exhibition¡¯s schedule.


    So the Hextech Expo and the exhibition are being held together¡­


    Given the size of the building, he suspected it wouldn¡¯t be too cramped, but regardless, both events being held at the same location meant that more caution was necessary.


    The scale of what they might be nning might be evenrger than I thought¡­


    While carefully surveying the surroundings, he spotted Luize, who had arrived earlier and was waiting for him near the entrance.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he greeted.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Compared to normal, Luize just squinted her eyes and curtly replied, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Giving him just that short response, she turned around and entered first, her bodynguage clearly indicating she was upset.


    Did I tease her too much?


    Perhaps showing her the shoulder sash he had jokingly made yesterday pushed her patience to its limit. Still, she probably wasn''t that angry since she had waited for him at the entrance. If he prodded her insensitively again though, she would definitely explode.


    Thus, Se-Hoon decided on the spot that he would behave today before following her inside. When he entered, he noticed Luize standing still, waiting for him.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Meeting his gaze, Luize immediately started striding ahead again. Her behavior was identical to Sung-Ha¡¯s back then, making Se-Hoon snicker as he quickly caught up to walk by her side.


    ¡°I see you''ve arrived.¡±


    Spotting them from the entrance of Borsippa¡¯s exhibition hall, Lan Fei approached them.


    ¡°Both of you, put these on,¡± said Lan Fei, handing themnyards with entry passes and staff jackets.


    Once Se-Hoon and Luize put them on, Lan Fei pointed inside. ¡°I''ll exin everything while showing you around. Follow me.¡±


    Together, the three entered the building, revealing its vast interior. The lights on the ceiling illuminated the space brightly, revealing various control devices that regted the environment within the hall.


    And on the hall floor were the booths of variouspanies, each neatly arranged at regr intervals, all of them a familiar name.


    ¡°What are you doing there? Move it!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Everywhere one looked,pany employees were busily installing and inspecting various devices, most of which appeared to provide supporting features for the exhibits.


    Knowing it would take some time before they arrived at the main exhibits, Se-Hoon took the time to observe his surroundings.


    It seems they really did put more focus on security.


    ¡°Is that¡­¡± said Luize suddenly with a gasp, pointing to a spot with an astonished expression.


    nk, nk-


    Following her finger, a white steel automaton could be seen walking through the hall. Standing about two meters tall, it had smooth, curved armor and moved very naturally.


    ¡°Ah, that is the new automaton from the Marite Factory.¡±


    ¡°It seems quite different from the previous models.¡±


    Compared to earlier automatons which resembled steel puppets, the new model before them had such smooth movements that it almost seemed human-like.


    ¡°They optimized its movements by integrating an artificial spirit into its internal engine. They call it the G-series, and its specs are pretty impressive.¡±


    Unlike Luize, whose eyes sparkled at Lan Fei''s exnation, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes and examined the new automaton more closely.


    Marite Factory, huh¡­


    Currently, they were famous for developing golems, but Se-Hoon was more familiar with them as a prostheticspany. They had honed their skills by creating their gship humanoid golems, the automatons, and then shifted to creating prosthetics that even high-ranking heroes could use.


    Those prosthetics were of considerable help during the war.


    Thanks to the Marite Factory providing prosthetics to heroes who had retired or weakened due to injuries, they could return to the battlefield once again, alleviating the manpower shortages on the battlefield.


    They were attacked and destroyed by Tuner in the end, though.


    Despite their unfortunate end, they nheless made a significant contribution to the Human Alliance. Hence, Se-Hoon was quite familiar with them, yet the automaton before him felt somewhat alien.


    G-series¡­ I don''t think I''ve heard of it before.


    Perhaps that line had faced significant issues duringmercialization after being unveiled at the expo¡ªbut that was just a guess; he hadn¡¯t served as a hero in the current period before the regression after all.


    They use artificial spirits, too¡­


    Like the life forms they were based on¡ªspirits¡ªartificial spirits were made of elemental mana, something akin to half-monsters. And since researchers had been studying them from the emergence of mana, the eventual creation of artificial spirits was inevitable.


    I heard they were specifically created to assist autonomous magic.


    Since artificial spirits were created bybining spells with synesthetic mindscapes, they would be able to help set the parameters for any autonomous magic; for example, their initial application of moving golems autonomously. However, the results weren¡¯t favorable. It turned out that artificial spirits¡ªlifeformsposed of mana¡ªwould easily degrade under certain conditions.


    They can be quite useful in some scenarios if someone is willing to take the risk though, thought Se-Hoon, turning his attention away from the new automaton to nce at Luize.


    By this point, Lan Fei had resumed walking, giving an additional exnation as they moved.


    ¡°These days, autonomous magic is the trend in the hextech industry, so there will be many devices implementing it. In other words, the chances of idents urring during this time¡¯s expo are higher than usual.¡±


    Sighing, Lan Fei pointed to the small devices on the floor near some booths.


    ¡°Thus to prevent autonomous spells from rampaging, we¡¯ve included magic-blocking devices and spell-disruption devices. However, applying them indiscriminately throughout the entire hall could cause issues, so we''ve divided the hall into sections¡­¡±


    Like that, Lan Fei tirelessly continued exnations, only stopping when Se-Hoon pointed to a booth and asked a question. At one noticeable booth, Se-Hoon pointed and asked, ¡°What does this device do?¡±


    ¡°That should be a fire control device. It automatically regtes the movement of mes to maintain a desired temperature.¡±


    ¡°And that one?¡±


    ¡°That''s probably a mana distribution device. It distributes the amount of mana ording to the inscribed spells, minimizing any loss of mana in between.¡±


    Eventually, the three of them finished touring the entire spacious hall. The tour included various backstage areas which were essible only to staff, to allow Se-Hoon and Luize to familiarize themselves with theyout.


    And now that it was done, Lan Fei took the two of them outside the hall and said, ¡°That should be enough for today. I''ll call you again when all the devices are ready.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    Trailing off, Lan Fei took out two small boxes from the void pocket at his waist and handed them over.


    ¡°These contain thepensation I mentionedst time. Take good care of it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Grabbing a back each, both of them immediately ced them in their void pockets.


    With everything done, Lan Fei nced at a message on his phone.


    ¡°They¡¯re looking for me inside, so I''ll get going now. Take care on your way back.¡±


    Bidding them farewell, Lan Fei went back inside the building, leaving behind the watching Se-Hoon and Luize.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a bit of time left¡­ how about having lunch together?¡± asked Se-Hoon, turning to Luize.


    ¡°¡­If you¡¯re paying,¡± curtly responded Luize with a nce.


    ¡°Sure, sure. I''ll buy as much as you want¡ª¡±


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    A cautious voice suddenly came from the side, cutting off Se-Hoon¡¯s words. The unexpected interruption prompted the two of them to turn their heads to see a man who looked to be in his forties.


    Is he an office worker?


    The man had neatly parted ck hair and was dressed in a tidy suit with an ID badge hanging around his neck. It was clear that he was rted to the expo.


    He somehow¡­ seems familiar?


    On top of his gentle, stubborn-looking eyes feeling familiar, his facial features were also strangely recognizable. The feeling was so strong that Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes at the main, attempting to dig up the reason in his memories.


    Before he could figure it out though, the man spoke up.


    ¡°You¡¯re Lee Se-Hoon, right?¡±


    His voice carried both tension and anticipation.


    Just when Se-Hoon was about to answer though, Luize stepped in front of him and red sharply at the man.


    ¡°And who are you?¡±


    Her blue eyes gleamed with suspicion, and the intense pressure from her unique skill made the man flinch and be flustered.


    ¡°No, no! I''m not some suspicious person. I''m someone who¡¯s participating in this exhibition¡­ Ah, right! Just a moment!¡±


    The nervous man quickly reached into his inner pocket to hand over his business card.


    Upon seeing that he had a card, Luize nced back at Se-Hoon, who nodded and stepped forward to take the card.


    [MT Industry, Director Lee Wen]


    Lee Wen?


    Like the man¡¯s appearance, his name was also strikingly familiar. Then, right as a memory was beginning to surface in Se-Hoon''s mind, the man spoke up again.


    ¡°Um, it might be a bit informal to introduce myself like this, but¡­¡±


    The man, who had been hesitant due to Se-Hoon''s reaction, bit his lip and cleared up the mystery.


    ¡°Li Kenxie, the Perfect One, is my father.¡±

 Chapter 130

    <h4>Chapter 130</h4>


    Now that introductions had been made, the three went out to lunch at a high-end Chinese restaurant located along one of the bustling streets of Borsippa.


    Then, while they waited for their ordered dish to arrive, the middle-aged Li Wen made a serious expression and said with utter confidence, ¡°My father, the Sacred Craftsman, is a piece of trash.¡±


    ¡°<i>Pfft! Cough, cough!</i>¡±


    Li Wen¡¯s bombshell statement caught Luize so off guard that she spat out her tea.


    Unlike her though, Se-Hoon maintained hisposure and asked, as he handed her a tissue, ¡°You mean <i>the </i>Sacred Craftsman?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Although, he is actually far from being the greatest cksmith of mankind that so many people think he is.¡±


    Li Wen had so casually added information that would shock anyone who had heard of the Sacred Craftsman.


    With everything he had heard so far, Se-Hoon began thinking that Li Wen was perhaps the same as the man he knew in the past. So he wanted to confirm it. He calmly asked, ¡°In what way is he a... piece of trash?¡±


    ¡°The biggest problem with him is... well, firstly, that he has no understanding of the value of the equipment he forges.¡±


    Pausing to take a sip of tea, Li Wen then looked at Se-Hoon, his face once again serious.


    ¡°Do you know what''s happening in China right now?¡±


    ¡°Isn''t it being run by seven S-rank heroes who are acting as a council?¡± answered Se-Hoon.


    ¡°That''s correct.¡±


    When the Towers of Heroes and the Abyss of Demons first appeared, the world was thrown into chaos by the emergence of heroes and monsters. The presence of superhumans who couldpletely disregard the existing social structure with their powers and mysterious monsters that contaminated thend paralyzed nearly every nation. So, as a result, many nations copsed due to being unable to recover from the confusion. And one of those nations was China.


    ¡°The seven of them have immense fame and power thanks to their remarkable achievements in the war against the Demon Force. But what truly cemented their power was their Sacred Equipment.¡±


    Sacred Equipment, the moniker given to equipment forged by the Sacred Craftsman personally, were all Legendary-tier and famous for bringing out the wielder¡¯s abilities to their maximum. Sacred Equipment was so impressive that a hero who had barely managed to be rated as an A-rank was evaluated as an S-rank three months after training with a piece of Scared Equipment.


    Thus Sacred Equipment became a staple and a target of yearning among all heroes, which naturally led to extremely high prestige.


    ¡°Sacred Equipment is more than just ordinary equipment; each piece is a symbol that they have the support of the Sacred Craftsman, a Perfect One. And because of this, no one in China has dared to oppose the seven heroes in charge.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But since they have gained control of the country, thousands of heroes have gone missing, along with countless citizens that can''t even be ounted for. It¡¯s an open secret that those bastards aremitting atrocities that are no less than those done during the war by the Demon Force.¡±


    The utter contempt on Li Wen¡¯s face was tantly visible. He only continued after soothing his throat with some tea.


    ¡°Yet my father couldn¡¯t care less! Instead of taking back his equipment from those bastards, he¡¯s ¡®too busy¡¯ and has holed up in his workshop to forge with the materials those bastards bring him.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And then! A few years ago... <i>sigh</i>. No, there''s no need to discuss that.¡±


    Swallowing down his boiling emotions, Li Wen forcefully regained hisposure before looking at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Anyway, in conclusion, I don''t think my father deserves the high evaluation he currently receives.¡±


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that even the Perfect Ones aren¡¯t perfect.¡±


    Li Wen nodded.


    ¡°That''s right. It''s a very obvious statement, but most people don''t think too deeply about it.¡±


    The title of Perfect One doesn¡¯t guarantee that they were perfect¡ªto Se-Hoon, this fact couldn¡¯t be more familiar to him, who had seen all of them die before his regression. Se-Hoon was unlike others, who had never experienced such an unfamiliar concept before.


    <i>There¡¯s no way any of them is truly perfect.</i>


    They were overwhelmingly powerful, but not invincible beings; they were unshakable, but some of their perspectives were somehow skewed.


    Recalling the true nature of the ones known as Perfect Ones, Se-Hoon asked, ¡°So, what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Can you surpass my father, the Sacred Craftsman?¡±


    ¡°<i>Pfft! Cough! Hack...!</i>¡±


    Like before, Luize waspletely taken aback. She spit out her tea and began coughing violently, even making a choking sound as if she were dying. And despite how it sounded, it was a totally normal response, one that wasn¡¯t an overreaction at all.


    After all, it was a question that would make one ask what he was even talking about even if Se-Hoon was a currently active S-rank hero. Yet, not only was Se-Hoon not an S-rank hero but he was a <i>first-year </i>student who had merely enrolled a short while ago. Anyone who heard Li Wen would think he was a delusional maniac.


    <i>This is exactly how he was before the regression too. </i>


    Thinking that Li Wen was likely still being treated as a delusional maniac who spouted crazy ideas like they were nothing, Se-Hoon turned to Luize to pat her on the back.


    When he saw that she had calmed down, he asked, ¡°Are you scouting me right now?¡±


    ¡°You could say that, but I don''t mind if we just start off as a simple sponsorship. The only thing I ask of you is your continual determination to surpass the Sacred Craftsman.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>. So, what do I get in return?¡±


    Instead of belittling Li Wen and saying nothing he said made sense, Se-Hoon chose to ask what he would receive out of it. It was a response that made Li Wen''s eyes light up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll risk my life to obtain anything you need to achieve that goal.¡±


    Facing Li Wen¡¯s determination to even sacrifice his own life, Se-Hoon thought seriously about it for a moment.


    ¡°I need some time to think about it.¡±


    ¡°Of course. If you do end up making a decision, please feel free to contact me with the number on the business card I gave you earlier.¡±


    Having said his piece, Li Wen stood up to leave.


    ¡°Aren''t you going to eat?¡± confusedly asked Se-Hoon.


    ¡°<i>Haha</i>. I¡¯m not dull enough to intrude on a date.¡±


    ¡°<i>Pfft</i>!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing Luize spit out her tea for the third time, both Li Wen and Se-Hoon wore peculiar expressions.


    Meanwhile, the focus of their attention had turned bright red. She shouted, ¡°This is because you keep saying weird things!!¡±


    ¡°...<i>Ahem.</i> Well then, I''ll be on my way.¡±


    Bowing his head, Li Wen turned around to leave but was stopped by Se-Hoon, who had suddenly remembered something he wanted to ask.


    ¡°Wait. If we do sign a contractter, will I be working with MT Industries?¡±


    When he met Li Wen before the regression, Li Wen had been running the LW Company, named after himself. Currently, though, he was working for MT Industries, which Se-Hoon knew nothing about.


    Pondering over how to answer, Li Wen thought for a moment and then shook his head.


    ¡°Not at all. I n to be independent from MT Industries soon. You will be contracting with thepany I will be running by then.¡±


    ¡°By any chance, is the current CEO of MT Industries...¡±


    ¡°Caden Miller, one of my father¡¯s disciples.¡±


    Hearing the name the Dream Demon mentioned, Se-Hoon''s eyes widened as the gears in his head began turning.


    ¡°Can you tell me about the device you guys will be exhibiting at this expo?¡±


    Curious as to why Se-Hoon asked, Li Wen answered, ¡°It¡¯s a device that controls surrounding mes. They say it mimics the abilities of the Fire Heaven Greatsword, the only piece of the Five Element Equipment to disappear.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± said Se-Hoon with a nod, hiding all expression from his face.


    With thatst bit of information, Se-Hoon was able to confirm that he had acquired most of the puzzle.


    ¡°Then I will contact you once I make my decision.¡±


    Bowing once again, Li Wen turned and exited the restaurant.


    A momentter, once she confirmed the door was closed, Luize turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Are you really going to work with that guy?¡±


    ¡°We''ll have to see about that.¡±


    Although Li Wen was an easy way to contact the Sacred Craftsman, just as he had done before he regressed, there were some issues.


    <i>Even if the Sacred Craftsman doesn''t really mind Li Wen, Li Wen truly despises him. If I join hands with Li Wen, my rtionship with the Sacred Craftsman will inevitably be off to a bad start.</i>


    From the conversation just now, Se-Hoon had also noticed that aside from the grand reason Li Wen mentioned, Li Wen had a more personal reason behind his despise.


    <i>¡°Why does he think I am unfit to be a parent?! In fact, how could someone who took a child that hadn¡¯t even weaned from their parents say such a thing in the first ce?!¡±</i>


    Remembering Li Wen¡¯s confession when they made a contract before the regression, Se-Hoon thought about how the Sacred Craftsman had suddenly appeared and taken Li Wen¡¯s daughter while saying he would raise her himself. And in the end, Li Wen hadn¡¯t been able to meet his daughter even once.


    <i>Considering the timing... she should be about five years old by now.</i>


    To have his daughter taken away overnight without warning, by his very father who he had deemed inhuman, it was no wonder Li Wen was infuriated. So, if Se-Hoon didn¡¯t want to start his rtionship with the Sacred Craftsman on the wrong foot, he needed to start with Li Wen.


    <i>That guy, Caden Miller, is also a concern...</i>


    His device mimicking the effects of the Fire Heaven Greatsword, the drops from the Vermillion Bird, and the special ritual device that Offering created¡ªfitting the pieces together one by one, Se-Hoon fell into deep thought.


    <i>Knock, knock.</i>


    Opening the door, servants began to set food on the table. And upon seeing the arrangement, which looked quite expensive, Se-Hoon momentarily put away his thoughts.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    ¡°Yea. After all that coughing, my throat has be...¡±


    There had been some embarrassing incidents, but from how Luize¡¯s expression was able to finally rx, the food seemed to have lifted her spirits.


    Gazing at Luize, who had picked up her tea to soothe her throat, Se-Hoon tenderly said, ¡°Enjoy your meal, <i>Darling</i>.¡±


    ¡°<i>Cough</i>...?!¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s unexpected words, Luize, who was just about to sip her tea, suddenly stopped her hands, as if she had mmed the brakes. And upon seeing that he failed to make her spit out her tea for the fourth time, Se-Hoon expressed his disappointment.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>.¡±


    Narrowing her eyes at Se-Hoon¡¯s tongue click, Luize took arge sip of tea and turned her head, having made a decision.


    ¡°<i>Pfft</i>!¡±


    ¡°<i>Argh</i>!¡±


    With all of her might, she spat the tea right in Se-Hoon¡¯s face.


    ***


    Now that Se-Hoon had a rough idea of what to do for each college event, his daily routine became almost monotonous.


    Every day he sparred with the invited active-duty heroes at Aqar Quf to identify who Offering¡¯s spies were and then visited Lan Fei to learn about the exhibits and devices at the Hextech Expo, even personally inspecting each of them.


    After all that, evening fell and he would borrow a private forging room within the Department of cksmithing to work on the mass-produced sword aura equipment submission for the Borsippa¡¯s exhibition.


    And like every night so far, he was currently in a forging room.


    <i>Shhhnk-</i>


    With each pass over the whetstone, the de honed into a sharper edge.


    A few passester, after confirming that it had been sharpened enough, Se-Hoon doused it with water to clean it and then infused it with mana.


    <i>Woong~</i>


    As mana seeped into the sword, it underwent two rounds of processing before flowing into the enchantments inscribed on the surface. When more and more mana finished being processed and became optimized for the sword, a faint hum began to resound.


    And with it came a pale sword aura and a faint vibration, the source of the hum.


    Examining the sword aura of the mass-produced sword aura equipment, which was based on White Light, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes.


    <i>Hmm... the performance seems decent enough.</i>


    Thepleteness of the sword aura wasn¡¯t too bad, as the initial problem of mana consumption had also been significantly improved thanks to Lea¡¯s enchantments. At this level, even D-rank heroes could squeeze out enough mana to perform a few sword aura techniques with it.


    <i>The durability isn¡¯t that bad, and it doesn¡¯t seem too difficult to mass-produce.</i>


    In the current era where the mass production of sword aura equipment was considered a fantasy, merely showcasing the sword in his hand would undoubtedly astonish everyone.


    However, Se-Hoon felt a sense of dissatisfaction.


    <i>It just doesn¡¯t meet my standards.</i>


    As a regressor, creating mass-producible sword aura equipment was a straightforward task for him, who had knowledge of many improved models that had undergone countless trials and errors.


    So, in order for the equipment to actually meet his standards, it needed to show some advancement in various areas on top of being a replica of an actual sword aura.


    <i>Since I¡¯ll be personally debuting the first-ever mass-produced sword aura equipment in this timeline, there shouldn¡¯t be any issue with trying to draw out more performance from it, right?</i>


    If someone had already created mass-producible sword aura equipment, then there would be no benefit to making an extraordinary effort. Additionally, if he had made an extraordinary effort, bringing out a model that had features that seemed to be only possible decadester, while everyone else was at a simr level, it would inevitably raise questions about his true identity.


    <i>There should be no issues right now.</i>


    In a time when no one had yet to seed at mass-producing sword aura equipment, he knew that his creation would set the standard, making it so that there was no real reason to worry about how well he made it.


    Upon reaching that conclusion, Se-Hoon tore up the old blueprint in his mind and started from scratch.


    <i>First of all, it¡¯s too in.</i>


    While versatility was an important factor for mass-produced equipment, there was no need for its performance to be so nd. Following that train of thought, he took out the enchantment blueprint he had received from Lea, grabbed a pencil, and then began tweaking the enchantment form.


    ¡°If I modify thepression form a bit... and mimic the state where the synesthetic mindscape is being applied during the manifestation...¡±


    He had only seriously begun learning enchantments after his regression, but he already had a good grasp of the basics thanks to his past experiences, which allowed him to instinctively adjust Lea¡¯s enchantments while redesigning the sword¡¯s blueprint in his mind.


    <i>The de can be honed using a special whetstone, and although it¡¯ll be expensive, coating it with magic stone liquid should enhance its output.</i>


    Compared to the initial blueprint that focused on affordable mass production, the new design required a dedicated production line. The potential cost of it was unknown, but he decided topletely disregard it.


    <i>It¡¯s not my money, anyway.</i>


    Expecting that the expenses would bepletely covered by Myers, he fullymitted himself to the design, focusing solely on achieving the optimal result without worrying about money or materials. It was the first time he felt so unburdened since he regressed.


    Soon, the framework of the blueprint waspleted, allowing him to move on to the next step of contemting what kind of sword aura to replicate.


    <i>What type of sword aura would fit best?</i>


    While White Light wasn¡¯t bad, the new blueprint called for something more fitting. He began scrolling through various forms and properties of the sword auras he knew in his mind, and soon, one came to mind.


    <i>Origin.</i>


    The sword aura of the sword left by the previous head of the Myers family, a sword aura that was mixed with Aria¡¯s sword aura¡ªrecalling the sword and the waves of its sword aura, along with its characteristics that he had personally seen before he regressed, the new sword aura he wanted to imbue began to take shape in his mind.


    <i>A sword aura that forcibly imbues any sword with its own essence.</i>


    As if insisting that sword aura should only exist in its form with absolutely no room for deviation, it would proudly color everything in its own hue.


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ¡°<i>This</i> is it.¡±


    Now, the only thing left was to create it and then verify the result.


    Wasting no time, Se-Hoon stood up and retrieved some steel. He then heated it in the furnace and began hammering it.


    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>


    Hit by hit, the steel gradually took on the shape of a sword. Falling into a lull, he looked down at the forming sword and a familiar yet loathsome sound echoed in his ears for the first time in a long while.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    The sound of waves slowly rolling in from afar was deafening.


    Forging to his synesthetic mindscape narrating the world¡¯s end, he felt a strange sense of calm and continued forging in silence.


    Time passed and soon, a straight, long sword appeared on top of the anvil. With the swordpleted, Se-Hoon moved on to inscribing Lea¡¯s enchantment which he modified. And upon finishing it, he infused it with mana, producing a deep hum.


    <i>Vwoom-</i>


    The infused mana surged through the sword¡¯s core as if sucked in, racing along its length. In the blink of an eye, the processed mana whirled into the enchantment, summoning golden cogs that spun vigorously on the de''s surface, radiating a golden light.


    Then, like a volcanic eruption, the fully processed mana burst out of the de.


    <i>WOOOONG!</i>


    A golden sword aura soared from the de, slicing through the sound of the waves in his ears.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    Though it wasn¡¯t perfect yet, its dazzling golden hue unmistakably marked it as a sword of the Myers family.


    Gazing at the prototype, his lips began to curl up in satisfaction from making something impable.


    <strong>[¡®Golden Origin¡¯ has been added to ¡®Celestial Infinity de (S)¡¯.]</strong>


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Reading the unexpected notification message that appeared out of nowhere, Se-Hoon immediately opened up the Celestial Infinity de¡¯s information message.


    <strong>[Celestial Infinity de] ¡ºS¡»</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 mana consumed</strong>


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


    <strong>*Currently recreated swords: White Light, Golden Origin]</strong>


    ¡°...There¡¯s no way.¡±


    The timing was too perfect to be a coincidence. Deeply feeling that something significant had just happened, Se-Hoon dissipated the mass-producible sword aura and activated Golden Origin.


    <i>Vwoom!</i>


    Like with the mass-producible sword aura, a hum apanied the processing of mana within his body. Then, when the processed mana surged explosively into the created sword, an overwhelming force that felt like it would shatter the sword erupted.


    <i>WOOOONG!!!!</i>


    A brilliant golden sword aura¡ªone far superior to the mass-producible sword aura and perfectly embodied Origin¡¯s sword aura¡ªwas manifested in Se-Hoon¡¯s hands.

 Chapter 131

    <h4>Chapter 131</h4>


    ¡°<i>Cough!</i>¡±


    The breath stuck in his throat suddenly burst out in one go, allowing him to breathe once again.


    The remains of the red-stained ceiling came into view. The room was filled with choking ck smoke, showing only glimpses of the shattered ceilings and walls. The incessantly shing warning lights assaulted his eyes, blurring his surroundings. On top of that, the wailing rms made him unable to think.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    An explosion resounded nearby, violently strengthening the mes burning the entireb. The heat awakened the excruciating paining from his burned body and torn entrails.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    Forcing himself up amidst the heat from the mes and the pain constricting his breathing, the devastation that had been unclear finally came into focus.


    Dozens of researchers had been vaporized without a trace, leaving only the spots where they had stood. And at the center of everything, the culprit behind the entire incident dominantly exuded its presence.


    <i>Vwoooom-!</i>


    The sword spewed mes in all directions, forming a seemingly endless sea of mes. If left alone, it would continue erupting until it eventually broke apart, but there was no way he would just let that happen.


    ¡°<i>Huff... huff...</i>¡±


    Gritting his teeth, he put on the gauntlet he had prepared in advance and walked over to the sword, grabbing its hilt.


    <i>Sizzle!!</i>


    Upon contact, the terrifying heat began melting the gauntlet despite it having been prepared specifically for the sword.


    Just imagining what would have happened if his bare hand touched the sword made cold sweat trickle down his back, but he knew there was no time to be intimidated by such trivial matters when he didn''t know when the main force would arrive.


    With that thought in mind, he forced his heavy body to move, when suddenly, he heard a voice that seemed to be cut off between sybles.


    ¡°He¡ªre.¡±


    Even though he knew he shouldn''t look, his head slowly turned towards the source of the sound.


    His eyes fixed on a ckened charcoal figure buried under the debris. The figure¡¯s form was unfamiliar yet so familiar, putting him in a trance.


    <strong>¡°Traitor.¡±</strong>


    The voice of his loved one echoed in his ears like a curse.


    ***


    ¡°<i>Huff... huff...</i>¡±


    In-Cheol woke up in his bed with a jolt and immediately sat up.


    Upon scanning his surroundings, he noticed that he was still in his unchanging bedroom as always, making him realize that the scene he had just seen was all a dream. Feelings of both relief and uneasiness shed within him.


    <i>I have a bad feeling about this...</i>


    Was the nightmare because of the recent progress in the research on Shattered me, or was it a premonition of something about to happen? Regardless of which it was, it made him feel extremely unpleasant.


    Annoyed by the sensation, In-Cheol furrowed his brow, pushing the thought aside before checking the time.


    ¡°Damn... I¡¯mte.¡±


    It seemed he had missed his rm due to the nightmare, as it was already thirty minutes past his usual wake-up time.


    Frowning at the uncharacteristic mistake, he headed straight to the bathroom to wash his nightmare-induced sweat-drenched body and change clothes.


    After he was done, he made his way to the garage and mounted arge red motorcycle.


    <i>Vroom-</i>


    The engine roared to life with a deep purr.


    The sensation of his entire body shaking as he sped down the road helped shake off the lingering drowsiness, clearing up his mind enough to remind himself of today¡¯s schedule.


    <i>Everything else is the same as usual... I just need to check the exhibition pieces.</i>


    The Department of cksmithing had submitted a total of four works for the honor student exhibition at Borsippa. Three of them were prepared by graduates from long ago, so there was no need to worry about them. The problem was with the remaining one, the submission of Se-Hoon.


    <i>I¡¯m worried it might be too well-made.</i>


    While it was better to do something well than poorly, there was a limit to everything. In Se-Hoon¡¯s case, if a first-year student produced something <i>too</i> exceptional, it would inevitably cause various troubles.


    And among all of the different possible troubles, In-Cheol was most concerned about whether Offering would reach out to Se-Hoon.


    <i>He¡¯s already attracted their attention by forging Jake Myers¡¯s sword....</i>


    Se-Hoon had easily forged a weapon that renowned cksmiths had failed to make and even forged a piece tailored to supporting Incantation Magic, a form of magic that had never existed before. Aside from those, he continuously produced Hero-tier equipment, demonstrating his exceptional skill in cksmithing.


    There was no way Offering, who were searching for an outstanding cksmith capable of forging the Vessel, weren¡¯t paying close attention to Se-Hoon¡¯s whereabouts and actions.


    <i>Submitting something ordinary at this chance wouldn¡¯t be a bad move.</i>


    Though it might sound harsh to Se-Hoon,pletely botching his submission for the exhibit this time wouldn¡¯t be so bad. That way, Offering might change their mind.


    <i>...No, what am I thinking?</i>


    Realizing that wishing for his student to botch his submission was too much, In-Cheol rode the rest of the way to the main building while feeling guilty about his selfish thoughts.


    ¡°It¡¯s sword aura¡ªactual sword aura! Actual mass-producible sword aura!¡±


    ¡°This is a revolutionary! The singrity has arrived!¡±


    Walking into the conference room, In-Chol was exposed to the excited shouts of his fellow professors. Unable to contain their excitement, they acted like primitive men discovering fire for the first time.


    It was why they btedly noticed In-Cheol¡¯s arrival and thus btedly greeted him. Normally, In-Cheol would have told them to calm down, but just like his peers, the item in front of him also stirred his excitement.


    ¡°Mass-producible sword aura...¡±


    He walked toward the golden sword aura, wlessly formed on a sleek longsword.


    He couldn¡¯t see the internal structure, but even he, as a cksmith, was able to immediately recognize it was genuine, pure sword aura, something he only knew about in theory. Itpletelycked the feeling that arose when normally observing a sword¡¯s mana circuit that had been dyed with the colors of a hero¡¯s sword aura.


    <i>I was right. He submitted something truly outrageous.</i>


    cksmiths had failed to mass produce sword auras until now because manifesting them through synesthetic mindscapes seemed impossible. Yet, Se-Hoon has proven that it was possible, proving that aside from sword auras, various other techniques could also be mass-produced and sold.


    Se-Hoon¡¯s submission for the exhibition was truly the ¡°future,¡± a perfect match to the theme of the exhibition. It made In-Cheol feel both amazement and slight unease.


    <i>Can we really reveal something like this...?</i>


    Even if he was already familiar with Se-Hoon''s exceptional skills, the invention before him had far surpassed mere skill. If Offering were to see this, Se-Hoon wouldn''t just be considered a potential candidate to forge the Vessel, he would be likely be deemed the perfect choice. There was no way they wouldn¡¯t start taking more aggressive actions.


    <i>Given their way of doing things, they should start by trying to persuade him, but... with such talent, they might directly resort to kidnapping.</i>


    Being familiar with how Offering went about their business, In-Cheol couldn¡¯t just sit back and do nothing. However, if he stepped in carelessly, he could risk exposing himself to Offering.


    It was a difficult decision that was tearing him apart.


    ¡°Doesn''t this sword aura look familiar?¡± one of the professors suddenly remarked, frowning at the sword aura.


    At their word, the other professors uneasily looked at each other.


    ¡°Yeah. Golden sword aura is pretty rare, in fact.¡±


    ¡°If we consider the most famous person with this sword aura... wait a moment.¡±


    The name of a prestigious family easily came to mind. At first, they all tried to dismiss it as just a coincidence, but then they recalled that Se-Hoon was close to the first-year honor student Jake Myers.


    ¡°Could it be...?¡±


    ¡°Is this really the Myers...?¡±


    The professors exchanged worried gazes.


    They were shocked by the mere possibility that it was a recreation of the sword aura of the Meyers family, who were globally renowned for their swordsmanship.


    ¡°Is this... suitable for the exhibition?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure...¡±


    In this world, sword aura was, in a sense, a kind of secret technique. So if the Myers family¡¯s sword aura had been analyzed to the point of being mass produciable by an outsider, the consequences it would bring were simply unpredictable. Of course, if the Myers family had permitted it, there were no issues aside from how impressive it was, but if they hadn¡¯t.... no one dared to wonder what might happen to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Feeling a strange tension fill the room, In-Cheol resolutely made his decision.


    <i>I have to tell him right away.</i>


    This was no longer just a potential kidnapping situation¡ªSe-Hoon was for sure in for some nasty business.


    ¡°I''ll be back shortly.¡±


    ***


    While In-Cheol hurried to the Dean¡¯s office, the exhibition hall in Borsippa was buzzing with final preparations for the expo.


    ¡°The output here is a bitcking. Increase it by about thirty-three percent and adjust the dy to a fifth of a second.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Seeing that his assistant quickly began making the adjustments, Lan Fei¡¯s gaze shifted elsewhere.


    ¡°The coupling there is sloppy. Tighten it up from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°And make sure the sealing on that form for that booth is properly done.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Despite several days of adjustments, fixing one issue would lead to ws in two other ces. Being the one to deal with this never-ending cycle, Lan Fei frowned.


    <i>Why is everyone so sloppy?</i>


    While ignorance could be overlooked, it was frustrating beyond measure to see <i>staff members</i> of the expo fail to apply what they said they understood after a proper exnation. Yet, Lan Fei opted to provide detailed feedback to each one of them rather than getting angry, acknowledging that it was due to the limit known as talent.


    As he was in the midst of giving a whirlwind of instructions, he noticed two certain staff members.


    ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°That seems about right...¡±


    Perfectly following orders, Se-Hoon and Luize were adjusting the form on the outer defense device. For a moment, Lan Fei watched the two work and was able to see the emergency defense barrier wlessly surround the area. Looking back at the two, Lan Fei saw them exchange satisfied smiles.


    ¡°Nice.¡±


    ¡°Let''s move to the next one.¡±


    Like they had been doing it for years, the two skillfully adjusted the forms. Their quick and precise skills thoroughly impressed Lan Fei.


    <i>I only taught them one thing, yet they''re doing so much more.</i>


    Though one might argue that hextech, like magic, just ran on mana and spell forms in the end, theplexities that arose from various environmental factors made them much harder to master. As a result, those who underestimated theplexities often failed miserably when creating a hextech device, yet the two were able to perfectly absorb and apply everything that they had been taught.


    <i>Their talent is truly on a different level. It¡¯s exceptional.</i>


    Luize showed potential with her proficiency in the unique field of magic, Incantation Magic, while Se-Hoon disyed versatile talent across various fields. Thinking that their talents were among the best at Babel, a school known for its geniuses, Lan Fei had a thought as he watched them.


    <i>Can I just leave them here like this?</i>


    While most would think that Babel, otherwise known as the Emperor of Ascension¡¯s garden, was an excellent educational space, Lan Fei thought otherwise. To him, it seemed like education here was treated as an extension of the various experiments sponsored by numerous corporations and research institutes.


    And while such an experimental attitude wasn''t inherently bad, he personally thought that the consequences of any missteps would likely be fatal.


    <i>...It¡¯s a bit too early to worry about that, though.</i>


    Jumping the gun without any solid evidence would lead to missed opportunities. So for now, gathering evidence while working as a professor of the Department of Hextech seemed like the best course of action.


    Reminding himself of his mission, Lan Fei shifted his focus again.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    In that split moment, Se-Hoon and Luize had disappeared. Curious about where they had gone, Lan Fei briefly looked around before deciding to just dismiss them from his mind.


    <i>They must have gone to check out the exhibits.</i>


    He wasn¡¯t too worried since being able to explore had been part of their arrangement from the start. Plus, the security at this expo was tight due to the recent incident at the Ivory Tower, making it difficult for the two to do anything particrly out of the ordinary.


    <i>Well, there''s also no reason for them to cause trouble.</i>


    Since they had alreadypleted their assigned tasks, Lan Fei let them be and shifted his focus back to his work.


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon was stretching lightly in the back passage of the expo hall.


    ¡°Now that we''ve finished all of our tasks, shall we get moving?¡±


    ¡°Is there anything we can actually do though?¡±


    Having carefully examined the expo over time, they were able to find out that the facilities within the hall boasted imprable protective measures that could easily withstand even the simultaneous explosions of every exhibit inside.


    Thus the question changed. What could Offering even do within such a fortified facility, and how could they possibly intervene?


    At Luize¡¯s question, Se-Hoon smiled slightly and answered, ¡°It will be tough to overhaul everything. That¡¯s why, at times like this, we¡¯ll go with the flow.¡±


    ¡°The flow?¡±


    ¡°Yep. We¡¯ll skillfully just avoid or use the various devices nted within the hall, just like administrators.¡±


    It would be difficult topletely alter all the devices to their liking, but it was possible to manipte them within permitted boundaries with just a little bit of effort. Even with Incantation Magic, which was actually quite ipatible with the spell forms in the protection devices, it would be a piece of cake if they just learned how they worked on the inside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start from here. <strong>Form Integration,</strong> <strong>Environmental Assimtion</strong>...¡±


    Like that, Se-Hoon imbued Incantation Inscriptions mainly on the devices ced on the outskirts of the hall, which were mostly non-essential. And thanks to that fact, it was unlikely that they would get caught during an inspection. But it was precisely that fact that made Luize doubt what they could even achieve by doing such a thing.


    ¡°Is this really right?¡± Luize perplexedly asked, unable to understand how what they were doing could be useful.


    With a confident grin, Se-Hoon replied, ¡°Don''t worry. I¡¯m sure this will work.¡±


    In fact, he was using the very method the st Dog had often used herself to take over or blow up entire buildings, so there was no reason to doubt its effectiveness.


    Despite still being confused, Luize nodded, finding Se-Hoon¡¯s confidence strangely reassuring.


    ¡°Are we done with all the preparations then?¡±


    ¡°For now, yes.¡±


    The only remaining task was to assess how well he understood the opponent''s moves and how effectively he could exploit their hidden cards.


    <i>This time, I¡¯ll give them a proper hit so they won¡¯t dare challenge us again...</i>


    Having decided to use Babel as his base, Se-Hoon was determined not to let the uing opportunity slip out of his grasp. His eyes gleamed with resolve, thinking about the uing weekend.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give them a proper blow.¡±


    ***


    In a small park behind Ascus, Lea, wearing a cardigan over her hospital gown, frowned as she walked along the trail.


    ¡°Modifying the form... well, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s not allowed to modify it, but still...¡±


    When she had been informed by Se-Hoon that he had properly created a mass-producible sword aura equipment, she spent the night pondering over how her enchantments had been slightly modified.


    Initially, she had been disappointed that he had changed her enchantments after promising to use them as they were. However, upon seeing the new enchantments, her disappointment changed to astonishment at the unexpectedly high level of itspletion.


    <i>That main enchantment wasn¡¯t something that could just be tweaked easily and changed in a snap...</i>


    Given that the main enchantment wasposed of various forms that were intricately connected, even a slight twist could distort its effects. However, Se-Hoon had managed to tweak it overnight, refining it to produce a more sophisticated sword aura.


    <i>The basic framework seems about the same, but... who would¡¯ve thought it could be applied like so... hmm...</i>


    The thought of being outdone by Se-Hoon, especially in enchantments, was enough to make her shudder. What if he surpassed her skills before she was even satisfied with her progress? The mere thought was horrifying.


    <i>I can''t let that happen. I need to be discharged quickly so I can start studying or something...</i>


    Honestly, hadn¡¯t she been resting obediently for long enough already? Determined to be discharged, Lea began walking back briskly when she noticed something.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    On the bench by the small pond in the park, someone was sitting in her usual spot. The figure had long hair that was neatly tied with an old pink hair tie. Their back view suggested it was a man, but there was also something oddly fitting yet mismatched about them.


    Intrigued, Lea stared at them, trying to figure out the peculiar feeling.


    ¡°Hm?"


    Having sensed her gaze, the man turned his head.


    His face was deeply lined with fatigue, giving him a shadowy appearance, but the small smile on his face gave off a sorrowful vibe. He seemed like a middle-aged man with a lingering sense of loneliness.


    They exchanged an awkward gaze. Then, the man seemed to realize something and opened his eyes wide.


    ¡°Oh. You¡¯re the kid who always sits here. Sorry for taking your spot.¡±


    He sprang up from the bench, and his right sleeve fluttered, showing that his right arm had likely beenpletely severed.


    <i>Ah, he must be the hero they were talking about, the one who lost his right arm in battle...</i>


    Remembering the nurses¡¯ chatter, Lea quickly waved her hand at the man trying to give her the seat.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not like I purchased the spot anyway...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was about to leave to meet my daughter anyway.¡±


    Giving her a gentle smile and a small nod, the man turned around and slowly walked out of the park.


    Watching his despondently retreating figure, Lea made a curious expression and thought, <i>He¡¯s meeting his daughter, huh....</i>


    Since he cherished his daughter so deeply, why was he wearing such a sorrowful expression when he said he was going to meet her? Puzzled by the overall strangeness of the man, Lea just continued to watch.


    And she saw the man clutch at his empty sleeve as he walked away.


    <i>Just a little longer...</i>


    Soon, he would be meeting his daughter.


    Knowing this, the man¡ªwho was moremonly known to the world as the Fire cksmith Hunter¡ªcontinued walking toward the ward with a cold glint in his eyes.

 Chapter 132

    <h4>Chapter 132</h4>


    Saturday morning had rolled around once again. And like every weekend, the campus was bustling with students, faculty, and employees with their families. However, the bustle today was on a whole different level.


    Today, a tremendous crowd stretched from the Void Space Terminal all the way to Borsippa¡¯s exhibition hall. Many visitors had traveled from far and wide to see the Hextech Expo and the honor-student exhibition, jam-packing the entire ce.


    Yet the sheer number of people had been expected. The faculty had thoroughly prepared in advance to control the crowd, with the security both within and in front of the exhibition hall being especially tight.


    ¡°Please enter through this gate!¡±


    ¡°You will be denied entry if you have any prohibited items in your void pockets, so please cooperate!¡±


    To prevent anything from being sneaked in, the security guards had been armed with thetest equipment capable of inspecting the contents of any void pocket. Their devices only worked within Babel and were mainly for deterring those with malicious intent from even approaching one of the gates.


    The security was so tight that Se-Hoon, who had arrivedte, couldn''t help but be impressed.


    <i>I didn¡¯t know that those devices were already in use.</i>


    He vaguely remembered that the safety devices were publicly released at least ten yearster. He had known that Babel had been using them before that, but he didn¡¯t think that they had been in use as far as ten years back.


    <i>Other venues simply ban people from bringing their void pockets outright.... So this is the technological superiority that Babel boasts about.</i>


    Looking at the long line, Se-Hoon headed toward a separate gate prepared for staff members to avoid the crowd.


    ¡°Do you have an ess pass?¡±


    ¡°I have passes for both the expo and exhibition.¡±


    Examining the ess passes Se-Hoon received from Lan Fei and In-Cheol, the guard nodded and pointed to the gate to the side.


    ¡°Scan your passes and proceed inside.¡±


    <i>Beep. Beep.</i>


    Scanning both of his ess passes at the terminal, Se-Hoon passed through the security gate. At that moment, a strange sensation swept over him. When he looked to the side, the staff member checking belongings nodded at him.


    ¡°No issues.¡±


    Passing all of the checks, Se-Hoon nced at his chest once he moved inside.


    <i>Looks like they can¡¯t detect the dream storage.</i>


    Due to the nature of dream mana and the skill literally being tied to his body, the inspection was unable to detect it, allowing him to pass through without any issues.


    <i>If the Dream Demon is involved... they can easily pass through the inspection in the same way.</i>


    Contemting the methods the Dream Demon could use, he headed toward the main area and looked around the inner lobby.


    Unlike thest few times he was here, the exhibition hall felt like a different ce due to therge crowd.


    <i>The expo is in the west wing, and the exhibition is in the east wing.</i>


    Musing over where to go first, he noticed his surroundings had be noisier, which was likely due to the familiar voice that came from beside him.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Like always, Erika appeared out of nowhere. Today she was dressed in a blouse and a long skirt down to her ankles.


    ¡°Hello. Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Where are you heading first?¡±


    Her question made it obvious she was fully intent on following him, but Se-Hoon didn¡¯t have an answer for her.


    ¡°Still thinking.¡±


    ¡°Let''s go to the exhibition hall, then.¡±


    After some thought, Se-Hoon nodded at her suggestion.


    ¡°Sure, why not.¡±


    Thinking about it, the exhibition hall was likely to be chaoticter because of him, so it was better to check it out early. With the decision made for him, Se-Hoon headed to the east wing alongside Erika.


    ¡°Those two are...¡±


    ¡°So it was true that he¡¯s close to the Inoues.¡±


    ¡°Seems like the rumor about him siding with the Myers was just a rumor.¡±


    Since it was mostly heroes and those rted to them attending today¡¯s events, just walking with Erika invited all sorts of strangements.


    Surrounded by countless gazes, Se-Hoon nced at Erika.


    <i>Judging by how satisfied she looks, she probably nned this too.</i>


    Rumors that Se-Hoon had already sided with the Myers because he had forged a sword for Jake seemed to have bothered her.


    It was quite the calcted move, but Se-Hoon just epted it and continued walking; he knew that any adverse reaction now could affect his bond level with Erika.


    Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of the exhibition.


    <i>The entrance is quite grand.</i>


    The original entrance had been entirely removed and expanded, showcasing the interior to those outside. And like the entrance, the interior of the hall containing the exhibition had been redone. Originally, the interior of the hall would have allowed a full view inside, but partition walls had been added to create an elegant white facade.


    ¡°They¡¯ve made it look like a maze,¡± remarked Se-Hoon.


    ¡°That way, they can direct attention to specific pieces,¡± answered Erika.


    Each exhibit had been strategically ced in spots where people¡¯s eyes would naturally be drawn, such as at the end of corridors or right around corners. To Se-Hoon, who rarely participated in such events, the arrangement was honestly quite intriguing.


    ¡°This ce feels like some sort ofrge barrier.¡±


    Observing the arrangement of the exhibits as a whole, Se-Hoon noticed that it had been designed to interfere with people¡¯s perceptions unconsciously. It was overly borate, yet Se-Hoon thought it was likely more effective than a poorly made barrier. After all, no detectable mana was involved so people would let their guard down and be more easily led.


    ¡°The concept itself is pretty simr. Famous museums also use this technique to hide security devices everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯d like to see how that works.¡±


    Did it create blind spots in one¡¯s field of view to hide things? Noticing Se-Hoon¡¯s genuine interest, Erika quietly suggested, ¡°Maybe we can go look at one together next time.¡±


    Hearing the natural suggestion, Se-Hoon nodded without much thought.


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    Just like how Erika was taking him around to observe various things right now, he assumed their trip through museums would be the same. And since everyone important would have been informed that it had been arranged by her, there was a smaller chance of arousing suspicion.


    ¡°...Really?¡±


    Surprised that Se-Hoon had epted her invitation so readily, Erika looked at him with wide eyes. The sight made Se-Hoon chuckle.


    ¡°Why would I lie about it? Just let me know in advance so I can make sure it doesn''t ovep with other ns.¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s head in now.¡±


    Entering the exhibition with Erika, Se-Hoon examined each of the various exhibits disyed throughout.


    The submissions had been ced inside transparent cases and were illuminated by spotlights, with simple descriptions written on information panels next to or below the item. And whenever someone approached, mana would automatically be infused into the item to demonstrate the effect.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The exhibits ranged from a helmet made of mes to extraordinary-looking shoes that clung to ceilings and walls. There was also a cloak that created a wind barrier to deflect projectiles and a device that immediately extracted curses from the body through an intravenous drip.


    Having seen a few, most of the exhibits made Se-Hoon frown.


    <i>Is it because of the theme? Most of these are just shy with no practicality.</i>


    Instead of focusing on practicality, the exhibits showcased submissions with features that were meant to be improved uponter. While it was a decent approach to some, the man from the future found every item to be odd.


    <i>None of these will be used in the future.</i>


    Just as grand predictions from the past often seemughable in hindsight, most of the devices here were unlikely to bemercially viable. Even the few that he thought were promising had wed approaches that would need to bepletely overhauled, leaving him more frustrated than impressed.


    ¡°...¡±


    Like him, Erika also seemed uninterested in the exhibits and moved on quickly each time. Naturally, two ended up speeding through the hall.


    Toward the end though, just as they were about to finish their tour in under ten minutes, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes paused on one exhibit.


    ¡°That should be...¡±


    The exhibit showcased two spheres densely inscribed with enchantments. Suspended in midair apart from each other, they began to glow blue upon the influx of mana as Se-Hoon and Erika approached.


    Seeing a blue form line moving around on each of the spheres as if it were swimming across the surface, Se-Hoon realized the effect of the device without needing to read the description.


    <i>This thing replicates a spell upon receiving a remote signal.</i>


    The enchantments flowing across the surface differed from the spell manifesting before the spheres, suggesting it received signals from elsewhere to construct a new spell.


    <i>This one seems to utilize resonance phenomenons... it¡¯s quite impressive.</i>


    The way it functioned closely resembled consumable items and devices that sorcerers used to construct spells remotely.


    Unlike everything they had seen so far, Se-Hoon actually observed the exhibit for a while before checking the owner¡¯s name. The maker was a third-year student who had a very familiar name: Howard Grant.


    Remember that Howard Grant was the third-year honor student of Borsippa from the Department of Enchantments who was also the opponent he faced during the student schrshippetition at the Ivory Tower, Se-Hoon paused. A secondter, he turned to Erika.


    ¡°Do you know who Howard Grant is?¡±


    Hearing his question, Erika nced over.


    ¡°He''s the second son of the Grant family. Up until his second year, he was just the top-ranking student in his department, but recently, his skills rapidly improved and he became the third-year honor student of Borsippa.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> What¡¯s his family like?¡±


    ¡°The Grant family is quite renowned in the field of enchantments. Their assets grow every quarter thanks to cooperating with the UD Group and the Barmuth family.¡±


    As Erika exined, Se-Hoon gazed at Howard¡¯s entry, the Spell Replication Device.


    <i>The effect of this device is perfect for the Ten Evils or Watchers to make use of.</i>


    Remembering his, or rather, Lea''s, peculiar behavior toward Howard and what Erika said about his sudden improvement in skills made Se-Hoon suspicious. It could just all be a coincidence, but Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t overlook Howard¡¯s close ties to the Barmuths.


    <i>Birds of a feather flock together huh...</i>


    Of course, there were exceptions¡ªhe himself had previously faced many misunderstandings simply because he was associated with <i>certain</i> people back then. But generally, the rule held. And when shady people were cooperating rather than exploiting each other, then nine times out of ten, they were simr in nature.


    ¡°I see<i>. </i>Let¡¯s move on now.¡±


    Having identified how the device worked, Se-Hoon no longer focused on it, knowing that he could just prepare ordingly.


    As he moved further through the exhibition with Erika silently following, he soon came upon arge space.


    Unlike the corridor-like previous section, this area was open and spacious. There were exhibits sparsely ced around the perimeter, but the center naturally contained the most eye-catching item of them all.


    ¡°What¡¯s that, and why is it still covered?¡±


    ¡°They say they¡¯ll unveil itter to prevent chaos.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the maker... Lee Se-Hoon?¡±


    A small crowd had gathered around the veiled exhibit, and as time passed, more and more people were joining. If the maker was an unknown figure, most likely would have left, however, thanks to all of his recent exploits, Se-Hoon was no unknown figure. The anticipation was high.


    ¡°What did you make?¡±


    Standing with Se-Hoon near the exit, Erika curiously tried to get information from Se-Hoon with a tilt of her head. But Se-Hoon just smirked slyly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±


    It would be no fun if she heard about it now. Her reaction would be more intense if she saw it directly.


    ¡°...¡±


    Staring at him, Erika seemed dissatisfied with his answer but she soon turned her attention to the exhibit, hyper-focusing on it.


    Eventually, the wide open space filled up with people who came after hearing the rumors, and the cover over the exhibit was finally lifted, revealing whaty beneath.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s just a sword.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look special at all...¡±


    Within the long disy case, a in iron sword rested nearly on a stand. The exhibit was devoid of any lighting or exnations, puzzling everyone who had been waiting in anticipation.


    <i>Tink!</i>


    The hall''s lights abruptly went out, plunging the exhibition into darkness. Then, just as everyone began to panic, thinking something had gone wrong, mana started to be supplied into Se-Hoon¡¯s sword.


    <i>Vwoom.</i>


    Mana was slowly infused into the sword, filling it to the brim. The overflow seeped into the enchantments on its surface, vigorously turning the golden gears that had appeared above the sword. Ramping up, the immense energy produced by the gears surged fiercely to the tip of the sword de.


    <i>Shimmer!</i>


    Golden sword aura sliced through the darkness, illuminating the area.


    The exhibition, which had been full of people bustling with excitement, was suddenly engulfed in silence. Everyone was stunned by the dazzling disy, wondering what they were witnessing.


    <i>A sword aura weapon?</i>


    <i>It does seem pretty well-made, but... why is it being showcased here?</i>


    To the casual observer, it was just an ordinary sword imbued with sword aura, meaning they had no idea why it was revealed with such a dramatic ir. However, unlike everyone who was struggling to find an answer, Erika knew.


    ¡°...Mass-producible sword aura equipment.¡±


    Erika''s murmur, despite being quiet, seemed to loudly resound through the surroundings, revealing to everyone the true value of Se-Hoon¡¯s exhibit.


    An unsolvable challenge in the weapons industry, a feat many had deemed impossible to achieve¡ªthe exhibit right in front of them shattered and answered those preconceived notions. Yet, rather than admiration and awe, everyone was stunned in disbelief, unable to believe the sight presented before their very eyes.


    <i>That¡¯s impossible.</i>


    <i>No matter how impressive he is, that¡¯s still...</i>


    Though casual observers, the crowd consisted solely of professionals from the hero industry, making the fact that Se-Hoon had solved an unsolvable problem even harder to believe. How could a first-year student, who just enrolled this year, havee up with the method to mass-produce sword aura equipment?


    The silence in the room lengthened ufortable. Then, as if anticipating such a reaction, a panel above the exhibit lit up.


    [The First Mass-Produced Sword Aura Equipment]


    The murmur of a single individual and the official announcement by the exhibition¡¯s host¡ªthe famous Babel¡ªcarried significantly different weights. As the fact that the in iron sword was the first sessfully mass-produced piece of sword aura equipment sunk in, the jaws of the spectators gradually dropped.


    Soon after, the silence was shattered by everyone exploding into shouts involuntarily. The realization of how much the seemingly ordinary iron sword in front of them would revolutionize the hero industry left them unable to contain their excitement.


    ¡°Find this Lee Se-Hoon!¡±


    ¡°Wait, wasn¡¯t he... huh?¡±


    Those who had previously noted Se-Hoon¡¯s location turned their heads immediately. However, he was nowhere to be seen. Before the lights had been turned off, he had been standing with them next to Erika, but now, only Erika remained.


    Had he anticipated the situation and left early? Gasping, those who grasped the situation quickly dashed toward the exit.


    <i>I must meet him!</i>


    <i>Just securing a deal with him can change my entire life!</i>


    Eager to get a headstart, everyone pulled out their phones to make a call, turning the exhibition into chaos.


    ¡°...¡±


    Meanwhile, standing amidst the confusion, Erika, who hadn¡¯t moved a single step, narrowed her eyes at Se-Hoon''s exhibit.


    <i>The sword aura of the Myers family.</i>


    Compared to everyone else who had yet to notice, she immediately recognized the golden sword aura to be the Myers¡¯s. She silently gazed at the exhibit, recalling the image of Se-Hoon slipping away the moment the lights went out. At that moment, someone approached her.


    ¡°Ah! Here you are.¡±


    Jake, who had arrivedte to the exhibition, hurried over to Erika.


    ¡°Did you see where Se-Hoon went? He was with you until just a moment ago... uh, Erika?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like... I mean... I''ll be going now!¡±


    Erika silently watched Jake hastily leave, almost as if he were running away.


    ¡°Excuse me...¡±


    ¡°Take a hint, won¡¯t you.¡±


    Like Jake, others who had approached her for the same reason withdrew quietly, eager to get away from a wild beast.


    ***


    In a location high above that gave a panoramic view of Babel, a voice resounded from beyond a white hole in the air.


    <i>¡°Maggots after maggots...¡± </i>said the voice with intense displeasure.


    ¡°If they reveal their true nature, maybe it¡¯ll turn out that they are one,¡± calmly replied Ludwig from the side.


    <i>¡°Doesn''t it bother you?¡±</i>


    At the question full of unusual irritation, Ludwig looked down below at Babel. Amongst the multitude of people moving within Babel, he easily picked out a few scanning their surroundings, looking for opportunities.


    His hero intuition, built upon numerous experiences,bined with the senses of a Perfect One, told him that those people hade today with intentions different from everyone else¡¯s. However, instead of taking action, Ludwig just smiled.


    ¡°Not at all. In fact, I find it enjoyable.¡±


    <i>¡°Enjoyable?¡±</i>


    ¡°What could be more enjoyable than seeing those who normally act as they please outside acting cautiously due to being thoroughly under control by my rules?¡±


    In this ce, even those harboring hostility toward Ludwig weren¡¯t able to defy his will. Gazing at his cherished garden, Ludwig felt a deep satisfaction down to his bones. In contrast, the voice shuddered.


    <i>¡°It''s a pity they don¡¯t know about your sinister hobbies.¡±</i>


    ¡°It¡¯s just a modest hobby. Don¡¯t criticize it too much.¡±


    With a wry smile, Ludwig looked down at Babel once more.


    <i>It has grown remarkably.</i>


    The ce where a lone white tower once stood in the middle of the sea had now grown into a massive city¡ªhis very own beautiful garden.


    After briefly reflecting on the past, Ludwig slowly turned his gaze.


    ¡°Well then, it¡¯s time to wee our guests.¡±


    <i>¡°This looks like bait; are you sure about this?¡±</i>


    ¡°I haven¡¯t cultivated a garden that a few pests could ruin. Besides...¡±


    Gazing down at Babel once more, Ludwig thought of a certain person, making him smile faintly. Recently, he had gotten a new flower that was so alluring that it attracted countless insects despite being full of poison.


    ¡°I believe they will be handled well enough.¡±


    While he wasn¡¯t certain yet, he believed in that individual.


    Turning his head from his garden, Ludwig stepped forward into the void.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    In an instant, the scenery around him had changed, revealing the vast ocean beyond Babel.


    And there, sitting in the middle of the open ocean was a mirage-like purple castle. On top of it were three shadows: Puppeteer, Tuner, and the Dream Demon.


    Seeing them, Ludwig slowly extended his hand toward them, signaling the start of his performance.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start small.¡±


    In response to his gesture, the North Pacific, an ocean reaching thousands of meters deep, parted.

 Chapter 133

    <h4>Chapter 133</h4>


    Shortly after Se-Hoon''s mass-producible sword aura equipment was unveiled, the Hextech Expo, which had just begun in earnest, became filled with the sounds of ringing and vibrations.


    ¡°Yes, Boss. Yes... yes?¡±


    ¡°The mass production of sword aura? How in the world is that...¡±


    The news of the appearance of technology which could potentially reshape the entirety of theing era at the exhibition on the other side of the building quickly spread among every majorpany participating in the expo. And together, without coordination, they all reached the same conclusion.


    ¡°You guys take care of this ce!¡±


    ¡°Let''s go find this Lee Se-Hoon... no, let¡¯s head to the Department of cksmithing!¡±


    Leaving only a few people behind to manage the booths, the highest officials from eachpany ran out of the hall. As a result, there were only low-level employees, students, and those who weren¡¯t significantly rted to thesepanies left within the expo.


    The sudden exit of everyone left the staff members, who had just begun to warm up upon seeing the crowd filter in,pletely dumbfounded.


    ¡°What the heck is going on...¡±


    ¡°They say Lee Se-Hoon has sessfully mass-produced sword aura equipment.¡±


    ¡°...Then it makes sense.¡±


    The original reason behind the expo and exhibition being held on the same date was to attract more people overall. Normally, the exhibition was rtively less visited than the expo; however, this year, the situation hadpletely reversed due to Se-Hoon''s exhibit.


    ¡°It really turned out this way, huh...¡±


    Luize, who was currently dressed as an expo staff member, observed the abandoned expo in disbelief.


    The sight brought back a recent memory of Se-Hoon confidently saying that everyone would surge to see his exhibition in a massive wave¡ªand that was exactly how it had turned out.


    <i>He really is amazing.</i>


    The mass production of sword aura equipment was one of the longest-standing aspirations of those in the weapon industry. Even Luize, who waspletely in the dark about the field, had heard about it several times.


    And the fact that someone she knew had achieved such an incredible feat filled her with awe and a strange pride.


    <i>Wait... why am I proud of him?</i>


    She tried her best to shake off the embarrassing feeling that had suddenly overwhelmed her. And it was during that moment that a familiar yet dreadful voice called out to her.


    ¡°Luize?¡±


    Easily recognizing the voice, Luize suppressed the disgust rising to her face and turned her head.


    ¡°Wow. I¡¯m surprised to see that you¡¯re working here...¡±


    The approaching curious old man was Charles, a member of Dawn and her old professor in the Department of Elements.


    Luize unconsciously clenched her fists. How could he so brazenly talk to someone he had tried to turn into a cripple?


    She desperately wanted to unleash an incantation and tear his throat apart, but she held back with all her might.


    <i>Not yet.</i>


    If Se-Hoon''s prediction came true, an opportunity woulde soon. Praying for that moment, Luize forced down her anger and rxed her clenched fists.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m not sure about my career path yet, so I asked Professor Lan Fei to let me explore the field of hextech.¡±


    ¡°I see. So you still won¡¯t consider the Department of Elements?¡± asked Charles, despite having been rejected once already.


    Now calm, Luize responded, ¡°I need someone who can guide me and teach me about Incantation Magic. I don''t think the Department of Elements is the right ce to find someone like that.¡±


    In other words, no one in the Department of Elements was talented enough to teach her. It was a loaded response, yet instead of being offended, Charles¡¯s eyes began to shine.


    ¡°What if there <i>were</i> such a person?¡±


    ¡°In the Department of Elements?¡±


    ¡°They could be there or somewhere else.¡±


    Unlike usual, his gaze and atmosphere were different; it was like his true nature was leaking through.


    Feeling the scar on her neck begin to itch, Luize had to once again force down the urge to unleash an attack spell. She barely managed to say, ¡°Then it would be great to learn various kinds of magic from them.¡±


    ¡°In that case¡ª¡±


    ¡°But I don''t think I need them.¡±


    Cutting off Charles, Luize made a small, genuine smile.


    ¡°I already have a friend who¡¯s also a great teacher of mine.¡±


    She had no intention of learning from anyone other than Se-Hoon.


    Not hearing the answer he wanted, Charles''s expression hardened for a moment, but it soon rxed into a smile as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°It seems you have met a good person. I will wish for your continual growth.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Professor.¡±


    ¡°See youter, then.¡± Giving her a nod, Charles slowly turned his body.


    <i>Boom-!</i>


    From out of nowhere, the sound of a terrifying explosion outside the expo resounded, its shockwaves shaking the interior. The impact was tremendous, able to shake even the massive exhibition hall. However, Babel had been prepared; the protective devices quickly activated in response to the unusual situation.


    <i>Vwoom!</i>


    In an instant, the devices in every booth were cut off from the mana supply to prevent any from going haywire, and even the spell disruption devices were activated.


    And just like that, the entire hall had stabilized. But the chaos had yet to end; hurried voices could be heard from themunication device in Luize''s ear.


    ¡°Multiple unknown explosions near the exhibition hall! Efforts to extinguish the fires are underway, but the mes are intensifying!¡±


    ¡°Attention all staff. Evacuate all visitors quickly to the underground emergency exits and stay alert for hidden terrorists¡ª¡±


    <i>Buzz!</i>


    Before Luize could hear Lan Fei''s full instructions through the earpiece, his voice was cut off. Her surroundings became eerily quiet; she had been isted.


    Just then, Charles came rushing back. He was frantic, unlike Luize who just stood silently in the current situation.


    ¡°What on earth is going on?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It seems something horrible is underway. Let''s evacuate together¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your left hand.¡±


    Cutting off Charles once again, Luize calmly gazed at Charles, who had been trying to get closer while hiding his left hand behind his back.


    ¡°I can see that you are casting a spell, you bastard.¡±


    ¡°...Oh well.¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Not bothering to make any excuses, Charles¡¯s left hand shot forward, unleashing the spell he had been preparing.


    <i>Rattle!</i>


    Gray chains extended from his palm.


    The spell was Mind Bind, a spell that allowed one to subdue the target''s consciousness. It was a spell that a professor from the Department of Elements shouldn¡¯t have known, yet Luize was able to keep her cool and respond.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Activating the choker around her neck¡ªHati¡ªit quickly transformed into a mask that covered her mouth. Without missing a beat, Luize immediately activated the spell stored in the equipment skill, Memorize.


    <strong>¡°Spell Break.¡±</strong>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The shockwaves created by the incantation shattered the gray chains thoroughly.


    <i>She neutralized my spell head-on? </i>questioned Charles, who was left wide-eyed by Luize perfectly dispelling his spell.


    Though he had sacrificed its output to prepare it in secret, it still shouldn¡¯t have been weak enough to be easily broken by a mere student. And even when considering Luize''s current skill level, which was at best borderline B-rank, it was still unexpected.


    Fascinated, Charles said, ¡°Impressive. I expected you to counterattack, yet to think youpletely nullified the spell...¡±


    ¡°If I had counterattacked, I would have been subdued instead.¡±


    From the chains, Mind Bind seemed more like a physical-type spell, but in actuality, it was a mental spell. If Luize had counterattacked with her usual elemental magic, it would have simply passed through and incapacitated her.


    <i>Tsk, he was right.</i>


    Initially, Luize had nned to use Memorize to store a spell that could immediately be used to subdue Charles, but Se-Hoon had advised otherwise.


    <i>¡°Those guys will even resort to using their own lives as a means, so unless it''s a situation where you can kill them instantly, it''s better to prepare a defensive spell instead.¡±</i>


    One had to be careful when facing fanatics who didn''t mind dying as long as theirrades could fulfill the mission.


    ¡°To think you grasped that fact in such a short time... remarkable.¡±


    It was heartfelt praise. Currently, Charles truly seemed like he was simply praising his talented student.


    ¡°Well, it may seem weird to ask this in the current situation... but would you consider joining us?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Think about it. In this vast world of magic, what can you even learn from those foolish enough to arrogantly stick to their meager understandings, confined to one field?¡±


    For the first time, he was revealing his true nature to Luize.


    ¡°All current sorcerers are corrupt to their guts. Instead of seeking to learn more about magic and expand their power, they are just full of thoughts about wanting¡ªno... conforming, to the constricting frames of S-rank or A-rank or whatever rank that they have set for themselves.¡±


    From the bottom of his heart, Charles was criticizing modern-day sorcerers for only seeking magic that would allow them to crown themselves as high-ranking heroes instead of seeking it for the sake of learning, for the sake of magic.


    ¡°What meaning is there in such restricted thinking? We must break out of this disgusting frame to be free! We must show those fools the true beauty of magic!¡±


    His monologue, which had been persuasive at the start, had turned into sludge of anger and contempt.


    ¡°And you¡¯re different?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet. But <i>He</i> is different.¡±


    Having regained his calm, Charles looked directly at Luize.


    ¡°When He returns to us on the Day of Dawn, true magic will emerge in this world. And for that, we need <i>you </i>to convey His voice.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Come with me. Come and understand the true essence of magic. You¡¯ll be able to reach a higher level¡ª¡±


    ¡°Voice, huh?¡±


    For the third time, Luize cut him off. Then, with a coldugh, she looked at Charles.


    ¡°So, making my neck a mess was to shove that great person''s voice into it, I suppose?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Speechless, Charles just stared at Luize with wide eyes. Then, after what seemed like a long time, he sighed.


    ¡°It would have been better if you didn''t know...¡±


    ¡°Even if I hadn¡¯t known, I still wouldn''t have wanted to learn magic from insane cultists like you.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t try to make any more meaningless invitations.¡±


    Making a bitter expression, Charles mustered up his mana and met Luize¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°It seems you were just stalling, hoping for help to arrive while you talked to me... but it¡¯s unfortunate. It never should have taken this long for rescue toe.¡±


    Now that he mentioned it, despite the explosions and the open use of offensive magic in the middle of the expo, no one had arrived. And the reason behind that was leisurely given by Charles.


    ¡°Professor Lan Fei''s spell disruption devices have activated throughout the entire exhibition hall. I¡¯ve also manipted the protective and spatial devices to turn the interior into a maze.¡±


    With the help of every operative of Dawn that had infiltrated Babel, Charles had managed to create such a setup. Even Lan Fei, despite hispetence and skill, wouldn¡¯t have expected some of his own assistants and exhibition hall managers to be coborators with Dawn.


    ¡°No one wille to help you. Just surrender quietly, and I promise you won''t be hurt.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want me to get hurt, huh...¡±


    Muttering Charles¡¯s words back to herself, Luize directed her cold, ring eyes toward Charles.


    ¡°You¡¯re spouting nonsense, you old bastard.¡±


    <i>Whoosh-!</i>


    Responding to her anger, her eyes red blue, and all of the mana within the hall began to resonate wildly.


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    The resource produced by the immense amount of mana caused even the space isting the surrounding area to creak. The mana carried an enormous amount of anger and murderous intent, forcing Charles''s body to instinctively recoil.


    Seeing his unsightly retreat, Luize unleashed all of the emotions that had been bubbling within her.


    ¡°Stop spouting nonsense and juste at me. I''ll turn your neck into a rag just like mine.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Overwhelmed by the killing intent constricting his entire body, Charles revised his assessment of Luize, which he had made just a few minutes earlier.


    <i>A power that amplifies with emotion... so this is the talent of the Voice.</i>


    At first, he merely thought of her as a strong candidate to be a Region, but her current appearance made him rethink that.


    <i>There''s no one but her.</i>


    The only person capable of fully conveying His will to this world was none other than the girl before him. With fervent conviction, Charles acted.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    The sound, which was seemingly devoid of any mana, reverberated through the air.


    Luize narrowed her eyes at the seemingly meaningless action.


    <i>Hummm-</i>


    Responding to the snap, numerous hextech devices within the expo started to awaken. It was at this moment that the sound recognition devices, which had been secretly installed within various booths, began partially deactivating the mana istion devices in the hall, bringing various exhibits back to life.


    Among them was one certain booth in the center; the mana that had been previously cut off from the expo surged into it mainly.


    As an immense amount of mana was continuously poured into the Celestial Fire Furnace, a hextech device made by MT Industries that was originally designed to control mes, the furnace''s exterior began to glow a bright crimson. The temperature of the room rose by several levels.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    A massive shockwave shot out from within the device.


    Thinking it was just caused by the excess mana supply, Luize observed it. It was then that she noticed the shockwaves continually being released rhythmically, making Luize squint her eyes.


    <i>...A heartbeat?</i>


    <i>Boom! Boom!</i>


    There was something inside the Celestial Fire Furnace generating that heat; the pulses became more rapid, like something wasing to life. Then, the seams of the furnace started to crack and crimson mes began to leak out in all directions.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    Those weren¡¯t wild mes that only sought to consume; they had a clear purpose as they spread outward. Stretching further and further out, the mes soon began to wrap around the other devices in the hall, dragging them all forcefully to the furnace and welding them together.


    <i>Sizzle! Crash!</i>


    Along with the mana-istion devices and the mana-distribution devices, several other hextech devices were forcibly welded to the furnace, forming a single entity that was now entirely enveloped in crimson mes. Had the crimson mes grown even brighter after the new integrations?


    ¡°...¡±


    Luize watched as the ceiling waspletely hidden by enormous wings. Following suit, a magnificent tail feather, colored by an exquisite blend of red and crimson hues, came into view.


    What followed was obvious. With a sleek beak and one empty eye, an enormous bird made of mes stretched out, unting its majestic presence.


    Seeing the creature before her, Luize¡¯s expression hardened and she muttered, ¡°The Vermillion Bird...¡±


    The S-rank demon beast¡ªthe Vermillion Bird¡ªwhich had been subjugated in the past, had now revived in Babel.


    <i>¡°Screech!¡±</i>


    Shrieking in rage, the Vermillion Bird seemed like it was about to burn everything around it.


    Intending to do something about the seemingly uncontroble beast, Luize began to prepare a spell.


    But she was unable to cast it.


    <i>Vwoom!</i>


    From all directions, a strange sound echoed. At the same time, a red magic array appeared beneath the Vermillion Bird, materializing dozens of ck stakes in midair.


    <i>Zoom!</i>


    Like it was a hunt, the stakes shot toward the Vermillion Bird from all directions. Some intersected and pierced the bird¡¯s neck before twisting and bounding the phoenix, just as a cor would.


    <i>¡°Screech!¡±</i>


    The Vermillion Bird let out a painful scream, but soon, itpletely calmed down.


    Seeing how it had so quickly turned docile, Luize was able to instantly understand the situation.


    <i>They prepared a control spell in advance.</i>


    They had revived the Vermillion Bird using the expo devices, and as expected, had prepared ordingly by secretly setting up a control spell outside.


    How long had they been preparing for such a thing? Luize had heard from Se-Hoon that something was likely to happen at the event, but that <i>something</i> turned out to be on a whole different scale.


    <i>Can we actually handle such a thing?</i>


    Despite her trust in Se-Hoon, experiencing the revival of the Vermillion Bird firsthand made it hard for her to stay calm.


    Noticing Luize nervously steadying herself to cast a spell at any moment, Charles calmly addressed her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it. We¡¯ll only burn away your memories. Your personality will be left unaffected.¡±


    Finished with what he had to say, Charles extended his hand, and the Vermillion Bird, which had apparently been waiting, began fiercely burning using the mana supplied to the booths.


    Facing the approaching mes of the Vermillion Bird, famous for being able to burn through even the human mind, Luize gritted her teeth and prepared to counter.


    However, at that moment, she locked eyes with the Vermillion Bird¡¯s single white pupil among its three pairs of eyes.


    ¡°...?¡±


    <i>Fwooosh!</i>


    Spinning its massive body like a top, its fiery feathers rained down on the expo like a meteor shower. The apocalyptic sight, a true catastrophe, brought a smile to Charles¡¯s face.


    <i>Everything is flowing smoothly.</i>


    Now all he had to do before making a clean retreat was subdue everyone inside, secure Luize and Se-Hoon, and then transfer control of the Vermillion Bird to Offering. Everything was going to n¡ªsupposedly.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Straying away from the rest, a single feather of the Vermillion Bird shot toward Charles¡¯s head.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Colliding with Charles, a small explosion went off, releasing a terrifying me that began to thoroughly burn Charles¡¯s body and mind.


    The unexpected development caused Charles to scream in misery, a stark contrast to Luize, who just nkly looked up at the Vermillion Bird.


    <i>¡°Screech!¡±</i>


    It was still shrieking ferociously and scattering its feathers while spitting fire, but the phoenix¡¯s one white pupil nced at Luize and winked cheekily. It was as if two personalities existed within one body.


    Connecting the dots, Luize¡¯s mouth gaped open.


    ¡°...That crazy bastard!¡±


    Then, she smiled.


    She was certain Se-Hoon had managed to partially seize control of the Vermillion Bird.

 Chapter 134

    <h4>Chapter 134</h4>


    Right before the reveal of the first piece of mass-produced sword aura equipment, Se-Hoon slipped out of the exhibition and headed for the staff passageway, zipping up his staff jacket and pressing down his baseball cap.


    <i>If those guys are targeting the exhibition hall, this is the best time to do it; everybody has gone over. </i>


    As a group of humans, it was natural for Watcher to want to minimize variables regardless of how confident they were; that was human nature. And because it was Watcher specifically, it was a guarantee that they had prepared meticulously in advance, despite often resorting to simple violent measures.


    So, Se-Hoon thought the best opportunity would be right when everyone had flocked to his exhibit¡ªand he was right.


    <i>Booom-!</i>


    A loud explosion erupted from outside. Hearing the start of the full-scale assault by the Demon Force and Watchers, Se-Hoon sprinted down the staff passageway, pretending to be a panicked staff member.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s happening?!¡±


    Arriving at the end of the passageway, Se-Hoon encountered a startled-looking staff member and immediately yed his part. Then, after swiftly assessing the situation, he slowly approached the employee.


    ¡°T-there¡¯s been an explosion outside....¡±


    <i>Whirr!</i>


    Before even finishing their sentence, the expression on the staff member¡¯s face vanished and he sent a spike shooting toward Se-Hoon¡¯s forehead with an eerie calmness. He hadunched a surprise attack that aimed to kill with the epitome of an assassin¡¯s precision.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    However, the spike had only managed to strike Se-Hoon¡¯s baseball cap.


    <i>Ssssk-</i>


    ¡°<i>Ugh!?</i>¡±


    Barely managing to see that his attack missed, the staff member fell to one knee, feeling a sharp paining from his thigh.


    <i>Thunk! Thunk!</i>


    Then, before he could even catch his breath, each of his shoulders was pierced by something sharp, voiding both his arms of strength. All he could do now was gaze at the white, glowing dagger aimed at his throat.


    ¡°What the...¡±


    ¡°<i>Shh.</i> Scream, and you die.¡±


    He could feel the cold de pressing deeper against his neck. The eerie energy flowing from the de made even the staff member, a member of Dawn, freeze.


    <i>Wha¡ªWhat is even going on...</i>


    His actions had been thoroughly concealed by illusion magic, so how was he discovered? As he tried to figure out how Se-Hoon had done such an iprehensible thing, he heard Se-Hoon¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Which group are you with? The Dream Demon? Or Dawn?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°The operation has been leaked. The higher-ups sent an order to treat everyone as enemies and if we are unable to identify them, eliminate them.¡±


    The sudden statement left the staff member bewildered.


    That order when the operation that had just begun? It was hard to believe, but the fact that Se-Hoon seemed to know everything made it more usible.


    <i>It¡¯s impossible that he knows everything from interrogating the others in the short time since the operation began...</i>


    Se-Hoon attacking him was also not unusual given the way cooperation between the Demon Force and Watchers worked. Theyunched an assault on Babel together, but they each had different goals.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>. If you have no satisfactory answer...¡±


    Feeling the dagger drawing blood from his neck, the staff member hurriedly answered, ¡°I¡¯m with Dawn.¡±


    ¡°Have you retrieved the target?¡±


    At his question, the staff member rxed; he was aware of their objective as well.


    ¡°Not yet. We n to retrieve it as safely as possible to avoid damage.¡±


    Perhaps they intended to negotiate with Luize first. Confirming that he had a bit of time, Se-Hoon removed the dagger.


    ¡°With the n leaked, dying any longer is dangerous. Report this immediately and tell them to elerate the schedule.¡±


    ¡°...After putting me in this state?¡±


    ¡°<i>Scoff. </i>You must have some means of healing. Stop pretending and move already.¡±


    Biting his lips due to Se-Hoon¡¯s curt words, the staff member used his prepared healing spell.


    <i>Whirr!</i>


    Seeing that his wounds healed instantly, the staff member stood up, grumbling.


    ¡°Wait, it wasn¡¯t even us who set aside a generous amount of time for it; it was those cksmith bastards...?!¡±


    He finally saw Se-Hoon¡¯s face. Instantly recognizing it, his expression crumbled and his eyes shot wide open.


    ¡°You...¡±


    <i>sh!</i>


    Before the staff member could say more, Se-Hoon sliced the White Light Dagger cleanly through his throat.


    <i>Were these guys targeting me too? </i>questioned Se-Hoon with narrowed eyes, gazing down at the body.


    If the staff member were someone from Watchers, his reaction upon seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s face should have been, ¡°You¡¯re a Watcher too?¡± The members of Watchers often worked independently so they barely knew each other¡¯s faces.


    Yet, the moment the guy before him saw his face, his expression changed into one that indicated something was wrong. It meant that Dawn or someone else had marked him as a target.


    <i>Hmm... actually, that might be useful.</i>


    Thanks to the guy at his feet, Se-Hoon was able to understand the situation to some extent. He turned around and started sprinting down a different passageway. Most of the staff and employees had rushed to the exhibition due to the earlier reveal, so he only encountered a few people in the passageway, and they were mostly Dawn members.


    ¡°Huh... what¡¯s happening...?¡±


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    ¡°<i>Guh</i>...!¡±


    Seeing their target suddenly appear in front of them, most tried to secure him while hiding their identities. But thatcency allowed Se-Hoon to get close enough to instantlynd a fatal blow. All it took was a pierce to their neck or heart.


    <i>So those disguised as regr employees dock practicalbat skills.</i>


    Having to hide their identities and act like regr employees had dulled their responses and movements. While reducing their numbers one by one with ambushes, Se-Hoon headed to the boiler room he had noted earlier with Luize.


    <i>They must have realized something has gone wrong by now if they¡¯re not fools.</i>


    If their goal was to take control of the exhibition hall, they should be firmly guarding key facilities by now. Thus, instead of heading straight toward one, Se-Hoon moved outside.


    With his current abilities, it would be tough to put up a fight, but he had already prepared in advance to avoid such a thing.


    <i>Boom-!</i>


    At that moment, a powerful vibration echoed from the exhibition hall.


    Sensing the ominous tremor and the wild flow of mana through the pipes, Se-Hoon took out a ck box from his dream storage.


    <i>Whirr-</i>


    Popping it open, Se-Hoon gazed at the milky-white sphere within. Feeling the faint resonance of the Southern me Pupil, which was a pupil of the Vermillion Bird, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes gleamed.


    <i>As expected, they used the Vermillion Bird¡¯s heart.</i>


    Back when he first saw the furnace created by MT Industries and the various devices used to control fire and mana, Se-Hoon instantly realized that the enemy was plotting something using the Vermillion Bird. It was easy to see after realizing that the enemy had ced all of the devices around the center of the expo.


    <i>Now the question is, what are they doing with the heart?</i>


    There were still plenty of variables he couldn¡¯t be sure of, but the steady heartbeat-like vibration and fire mana subtly permeating the atmosphere gave him a good guess.


    <i>Are they trying to resurrect the Vermillion Bird?</i>


    If that was the case, then he had now uncovered all of their moves. He went through the possibilities once again, and when he was certain, he wasted no time and activated the prepared materials to counter such a n.


    <i>Whirr!</i>


    cing his hand on the mana supply pipe, he slowly channeled his mana into it. Currently, the pipe was vibrating intensely due to having absorbed an enormous amount of mana.


    <i>The various devices in the expo probably rece the internal organs assisting the Vermillion Bird¡¯s heart. If so, then the mana within these pipes will definitely y the role of the blood keeping it alive.</i>


    To this amount, any mana he added was just a drop in the ocean, but that was only the case if the mana <i>wasn¡¯t</i> so intimately tied to the Vermillion Bird.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    Moving on to the next step, Se-Hoon took out the Southern me Pupil from the box. Using the Scarlet me Wheel, he controlled the white mes and gently directed them to flow into the pipe.


    And when those mes reached the Celestial Fire Furnace at the end of the pipe¡ª


    <i>Rumble-!</i>


    Surging back ferociously, an immense amount of mana swiftly consumed Se-Hoon¡¯s hand.


    <i>Woooooosh!</i>


    The tremendous amount of mana forced its way into his right hand and arm, rampaging throughout his body like a living creature.


    However, instead of shock, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    <i>It took the bait!</i>


    There was no way free mana would react this dynamically. In other words, the resurrected Vermillion Bird itself was controlling all that mana to seize back its eye, the Southern me Pupil.


    <i>Sizzle!</i>


    Steam rose as the moisture in his body evaporated.


    It had only regained a portion of its power, yet the heat from its mes was intense. But instead of disengaging, Se-Hoon gritted his teeth.


    <i>That damn chicken really thinks it can outy me...!</i>


    No matter how hot it got, it was nothingpared to the hottest mes he had handled with ease before he regressed.


    Determined to face the Vermillion Bird head-on, he steadied his mind and created a temporary mana circuit to trap it.


    <i>Crackle!</i>


    Soul Honing formed a new path inside his body in the blink of an eye.


    However, upon seeing the open path, the Vermillion Bird rushed in while thinking that his defense had crumbled. And taking advantage of that moment, Se-Hoon mmed the entrance shut.


    <i>ng! ng!</i>


    Using his mental hammer, he began reinforcing the newlyid-out temporary mana circuit.


    It was at this point that the Vermillion Bird btedly realized that it was trapped within Se-Hoon¡¯s body. It began to thrash violently.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    Having expected its fierce movement, Se-Hoon drew upon his earth mana, Purified Earth, to firmly reinforce the mana circuit and suppress the rampaging.


    Eventually, the shackled Vermillion Bird gradually lost its strength, no longer able to struggle like a wild horse. It had to ept that it would neither be able to seize the Southern me Pupil nor return to the heart through the pipes.


    And when it realized this with its imperfect intelligence, it changed methods.


    ¡°<i>Release...me</i>.¡±


    A faint voice echoed in Se-Hoon''s mind. No, it was more of a mumble.


    Aware that it was the voice of the Vermillion Bird, Se-Hoon immediately responded, ¡°<i>Take your hands away from my things first.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°That¡¯s... my eye... you... thief...¡±</i>


    With no shame at all, Se-Hoon replied calmly to its disbelief, <i>¡°That¡¯s only when you were alive. You¡¯ve been dead for a long time, so what does it matter?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Then... I¡¯ll just kill you...¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Try me. You¡¯re going to have to give up on getting your eye back then.¡±</i>


    Though less important than the heart, the Southern me Pupil was not something to be ignored either. After all, it had the power to pierce through the soul and burn it, fueled by the victim¡¯s guilt. It was imbued with plenty of the Vermillion Bird¡¯s power, making it an item much like the Ascension Ring and therefore highly coveted.


    <i>¡°Plus if you¡¯re going to resurrect, you¡¯d want toe back in as good a condition as possible, right?¡±</i>


    Since the Vermillion Bird should also have its desires as a living creature, Se-Hoon believed it would desperately want to resurrect in a moreplete state. And considering that the Vermillion Bird, despite being a demon beast, was rtively gentle and intelligent, that should be especially true. In the end, it always tried to resolve things smoothly rather than fight outright.


    <i>Well, assuming it¡¯s still that smart after resurrecting.</i>


    While waiting for its response, Se-Hoon contemted how intelligent the resurrected Vermillion Bird could possibly be. And after a short moment, it finally broke its silence.


    <i>¡°State your terms...¡±</i>


    With those three simple words, the Vermillion Bird indicated that it was willing to negotiate and fully recognize Se-Hoon''s intent.


    <i>¡°I¡¯ll return your eye, but only if I am the one controlling it.¡±</i>


    ¡°<i>A strange... proposal...¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Asking for your body is pointless because you wouldn¡¯t give it anyway. So, I¡¯ll just be taking your eye. Regardless, you¡¯ll still regain the power within it.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°...¡±</i>


    Like earlier, the Vermillion Bird pondered Se-Hoon¡¯s proposal.


    Granting him control over its eye wouldn¡¯t change much, and although it would take time, it could eventually regenerate its other eyes. So in the current situation, when it needed to be resurrected in as strong a state as possible, it was not a difficult decision for the Vermillion Bird.


    <i>¡°You have a deal...¡±</i>


    <i>Sizzle!</i>


    The moment it epted the proposal, a mark¡ªan eye that seemed to be flickering like mes¡ªappeared on the back of Se-Hoon''s left hand along with some smoke.


    Feeling the connection to the Vermillion Bird¡¯s power, Se-Hoon smiled.


    <i>¡°Take it.¡±</i>


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The shut temporary mana circuit was opened, and the Southern me Pupil transformed into a white me, swiftly traveling through the pipe to the expo.


    <i>Wooong!</i>


    A secondter, the mark on the back of his hand emitted a faint light.


    Focusing his consciousness on it, his vision instantly shifted to an overhead view of the expo.


    <i>It¡¯s aplete mess over here.</i>


    The hall waspletely separated by magical barriers and spatial magic, almost forming a grid. It seemed everything was under theplete control of Dawn¡ªexcept for one person.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    ¡°What¡¯s with that guy?!!¡±


    ¡°Why is he the only one able to use magic!!¡±


    Lan Fei, holding two guns that appeared to be hextech devices, was protecting the staff and visitors by fending off Dawn members. The sight of the remaining staff and visitors behind him surprised Se-Hoon a little.


    <i>Huh, so the professor lives up to his title after all.</i>


    Regardless of whether he had prepared for such a situation, he was managing to hold out alone against Dawn despite having no control over the overall situation. If he hadn''t been holding out like that, Dawn would have already rushed toward Luize andunched a full-on attack to capture her.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Meanwhile, the formation of the Vermillion Bird¡¯s body inched closer topletion and its previously mumbling voice became clearer.


    ¡°I¡¯m alive! Truly alive!!!¡±


    With its actual voice, the bird roared with joy, celebrating its resurrection. To be honest, Se-Hoon was a bit stunned by disbelief that an S-rank demon beast was so innocent.


    Unfortunately for the Vermillion Bird, a red magic array formed around its neck, and ck stakes were shot out of it, piercing through its neck. Its celebration had been cut short.


    ¡°<i>Kraaaagh!</i>¡±


    It had no physical body, being made up of mes, but the pain still twisted the Vermillion Bird¡¯s cry into that of a strangled chicken.


    And since their consciousnesses were connected, Se-Hoon could also feel a powerfulmanding through the stakes: <strong>Burn the minds of our enemies.</strong>


    Full of malice, themand set the targets of the Vermillion Bird to be all of the remaining civilians in the exhibition hall, including Luize. And although its resurrection was iplete, its power was still close to an S-rank; it¡¯d be a catastrophe.


    Using its high intelligence, the Vermillion Bird tried to resist themand, however, it was the furnace and various devices supporting its heart promptly activated in sequence.


    <i>Whirr!</i>


    ¡°<i>Grrrk</i>...!¡±


    There was no way Dawn would resurrect a powerful demon beast like the Vermillion Bird without any control devices prepared. Unable to resist, the Vermillion Bird¡¯s body, independent of its will, began drawing mes and looking for targets to carry out themand.


    <i>¡°Hee hee.¡±</i>


    But it only had one existing eye.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    An enormous me engulfed the entire expo.


    On one hand, it was going ording to n; the destruction was significant. But on the other hand, Dawn¡¯s members along with the devices they were using to control the expo had also been swept away.


    <i>There''s no need to control the whole body, </i>Se-Hoon thought.


    After all, the Vermillion Bird was also a living creature. If its eyesnded on the wrong target, it was natural that it would unintentionallymit friendly fire.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Seeing as how the Vermillion Bird had failed to eliminate the enemies in its first blow, it continued to attack, with Se-Hoon continuing to redirect its aim to sweep away all of the real enemies around the expo.


    Seeing as how his n was proceeding smoothly, he blinked lightly with the Vermillion Bird¡¯s eye to signal Luize.


    ¡°...That crazy bastard!¡± Luize shouted with a smile.


    Pleased with her reaction, Se-Hoon scanned Luize¡¯s surroundings one more time.


    <i>This first move was good.</i>


    The important thing now was how the enemy would respond. Waiting for that moment, Se-Hoon began pondering new ways to handle the Vermillion Bird. It was also during this morning that he began to hear a creepy voice.


    ¡°<i>Ha</i>.¡±


    Though he had previously been screaming, Charles had begun tough strangely.


    ¡°<i>Agh, ahaha!</i>¡±


    The alternating sound of screams andughter made Se-Hoon and Luize tense up.


    <i>Crackle-</i>


    Then, Charles''s body burned up like charcoal, crumbling to reveal a green light.


    Beneath all the skin and flesh was a skeleton¡ªnot an ordinary one, but one covered with enchantments and magic arrays. And within its ribcage was a ck cube giving off a green light.


    <i>A Box... so Puppeteer was involved.</i>


    A Box was a device made from human innards and mana circuits. In other words, Charles had long since been turned into Puppeteer¡¯s puppet.


    ¡°To think you¡¯d set a trap in advance. You guys genuinely amaze me.¡±


    Charles, realizing that the Vermillion Bird had purposefully attacked him, was full of pure admiration for Se-Hoon. Deep down he knew that even if Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t here, judging from the situation, Se-Hoon must have tweaked something here and there.


    The Vermillion Bird¡¯s attack had truly been an unexpected strike, inflicting him with significant mana and mental exhaustion, yet Charles felt joy rather than anger.


    <i>To have this much control over a demon beast like the Vermillion Bird... Lee Se-Hoon is indeed worthy of being a candidate for His Heart.</i>


    No. Like Luize, Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t just a candidate but <i>the </i>candidate. His life no longer mattered now that he had found out that fact. However, what he was about to unleash made him feel a bit regretful.


    ¡°If only I could have taken them all...¡±


    <i>Whirr!</i>


    Coming to life once again, a magic array beneath the Vermillion Bird¡¯s talons expanded. Then, ck stakes that wererger than the ones piercing through its neck, pierced its entire body.


    <i>¡°Screeech!¡±</i>


    Letting out a scream, the phoenix¡¯s body was dragged upward by the stakes, breaking through the ceiling and soaring high into the sky.


    Soon, when it reached so high that the exhibition hall and its surroundings were all in view, the burning mes from the initial explosion flew up and encircled its body like a huge barrier, forming a giant magic array.


    <i>That array is...</i>


    Gazing at the magic array¡¯s form, Se-Hoon finallyprehended what the enemy had been nning all along. Reviving the Vermillion Bird was all just a prelude; their real target was a single skill embedded in its body.


    <i>Bzzzzzzzz-!</i>


    High up in the air, the stakes piercing the Vermillion Bird¡¯s body began vibrating fiercely, and soon, red lights shot up from various parts of Borsippa, far from the exhibition hall.


    Connecting to the Vermillion Bird, the lights one by one formed the bars of a giant cage that covered the entire area.


    <strong><i>Vermillion Sky</i></strong>


    In an instant, the sky turned crimson.


    It had been set aze.

 Chapter 135

    <h4>Chapter 135</h4>


    In the early days, when the Towers of Heroes and the Abyss of Demons first appeared, barriers were mainly considered as highly defensive techniques. Back then, not only did they require a long casting time but a lot had to be prepped in advance for them to be effective. Hence, unless it was an assault on an enemy¡¯s headquarters, there was no particr need to prepare barrier counters.


    But then, when humanity was hunting down the Vermillion Bird during the Four Sacred Beast subjugation mission, thatmon knowledge was shattered into pieces.


    <i>¡°Screech!¡±</i>


    To kill the endlessly regenerating Vermillion Bird once and for all, the heroes had topletely pull out its heart. But the moment the heroes got close to seeding, the Vermillion Bird activated Vermillion Sky, a barrier-type skill, as a final act of desperation and enveloped the entire subjugation team.


    The activation time only took ten seconds. Yet merely the activation of the skill in those ten seconds had turned the B-rank heroes who were supporting from the backline into charred remains and made nearly all of the A-rank heroes suffer permanent memory loss and mental disorders. If the S-rank heroes hadn¡¯t pulled out the bird¡¯s heart and killed it, the losses wouldn¡¯t have ended there; the consequences could have been unimaginable.


    So from then on, a sense of vignce and fear toward barriers rooted itself in every hero.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    And now that very same barrier, which had managed to change the perception of barriers as a whole, had begun to cage Borsippa. Seeing the sky dyed crimson, people became horrified. The effects of the skill had begun to manifest throughout the entire area.


    <i>Crackle! Boom!</i>


    ¡°What, what¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°What the hell is happening...!¡±


    Without any signs, countless facilities and pieces of equipment in Borsippa began malfunctioning and twisting before exploding all at once. Luckily there were professors and the heroes on site that managed to quickly assess the situation.


    ¡°It¡¯s the mana! The mana in the atmosphere is being converted to fire mana!¡±


    ¡°Only bring out equipmentpatible with fire mana and shut off everything else!¡±


    Particle by particle, the pure mana in the atmosphere was being forcibly converted into fire mana.


    To some, such a thing might seem insignificant at first nce, but they would quickly notice that it was in fact devastating. Simply put, it was as if electricity was being reced by petroleum. They were both used as fuel, but their differing properties meant massive ipatibility problems.


    <i>Boom!!</i>


    With a small explosion here and there, the entire college was soon enveloped in mes that were spreading by the second thanks to the fire mana in the air fueling the mes. In an instant, the entire college became chaotic.


    ¡°Babel is being attacked...¡±


    ¡°This can¡¯t be...¡±


    Gasping at the smoke and mes rising throughout Borsippa, everyone stood frozen in shock¡ª<i>the </i>Babel was under attack. Yet the perpetrators behind it all were not pleased with the situation.


    <i>The scales of the explosions are too smallpared to what was nned.</i>


    <i>Did they install attribute conversion devices in every important facility? That¡¯s a whole new level of wasteful spending...</i>


    Had the Vermillion Sky been unfolded in a normal city, every single building would have burned to ashes and the city would have be pandemonium. Here in Babel, however, there were no signs that the chaos would escte beyond simple fires.


    After all, Babel was known for their technology. Within every facility capable of massive explosions, attribute conversion devices that responded to an influx of all types of mana had been ced throughout alongside the fire suppression systems installed everywhere. With all of them acting together, the chaos was easily suppressed.


    <i>Damn it.... What the hell is Dawn thinking?</i>


    <i>Why¡¯d they trigger the barrier so hastily...</i>


    ording to the original n, Dawn should have allowed the Vermillion Bird¡¯s power to grow to its maximum before activating the barrier. However, the n seemed to have been clumsily moved forward, leaving the other perpetrators confusedly gazing at the sky.


    <i>¡°Tsk...¡±</i>


    In fact, even Charles, who was the one who had activated the Vermillion Bird¡¯s skill, was looking up at the crimson sky with dissatisfaction.


    <i>It took me a bit of effort, but... I deviated from the original n a bit too much.</i>


    Compared to the original Vermillion Sky, the current one was far inferior. Moreover, activating the barrier meant control over the Vermillion Bird was being transferred to Offering, which was also going much faster than anticipated.


    <i>To think that madman, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter, will be in control...</i>


    Even if the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter was skilled, he was far too driven by revenge and could create unexpected variables at any time. Regardless though, it was time for him to wrap things up quickly and retreat.


    Making sure to continuously keep tabs on his body, Charles turned his attention to Luize.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯ve mastered Incantation Magic, as using it won¡¯t be much of an issue even if you end up losing all of your limbs....¡±


    <i>Vroom!</i>


    Having decided to make his move, green mana flowed from the ck cube, absorbing the surrounding mana and converting it into Charles¡¯s own.


    The sight made Luize frown, and she began to take stock of her own situation.


    <i>Hati works fine, but... using Incantation Magic will be quite the pain.</i>


    Aside from the fact that the ambient mana had beenpletely converted to fire mana, it was also tainted by the Vermillion Bird¡¯s synesthetic mindscape. And while it wasn¡¯tpletely unusable, the power and speed of her Incantation Magic would be significantly reduced.


    Having concluded that the battlefield conditions had turned unfavorable for her, Luize took her stance and nced at the impaled Vermillion Bird high up in the sky.


    <i>Is he okay?</i>


    Thinking about how Se-Hoon had somehow managed to merge with the Vermillion Bird, Luize worried that he had also been affected by therge stake piercing through its body.


    ¡°Should you really be distracted during ss?¡± nonchntly said Charles, breaking her out of her thoughts. Then, havingpleted his preparations, he extended his hand that was enveloped in green mana forward.


    <strong>¡°Lava Shell.¡±</strong>


    <i>Boom!!</i>


    A barrage of molten projectiles pelted toward her from a crimson magic array.


    Though a mid-level spell, in the hands of Charles, a professor of the Department of Elements, its power became relentless. Like a volcanic eruption, anything in its path wouldn¡¯t just be burned; they would bepletely melted away, leaving behind nothing, not even their bones.


    Staring down such a terrifying spell, Luize swiftly cast the incantation she had prepared.


    <strong>¡°Gale Cape.¡±</strong>


    Wrapping around her body like a cloak, a gust of wind whisked her into the air, allowing her to dodge the barrage of moltenva.


    The fact that Luize had opted for evasion over direct confrontation brought a frown to Charles¡¯s face.


    ¡°A sorcerer moving so frivolously. This is why I told you that you shouldn¡¯t learn such lowly studies like martial magic...¡±


    A true sorcerer would have foreseen the distant future and controlled theing events ordingly. Deciding to teach Luize, who seemed like she hadn¡¯t grasped even the basics, Charles slowly extended both hands.


    ¡°This will be a grueling lesson.¡±


    <i>Sizzle!</i>


    In an instant, part of theva covering the ground solidified, releasing arge amount of steam. He then lifted up his foot and lightly stomped on it, infusing it with mana.


    <i>Vwoom!</i>


    Observing the magic array on top of the solidifiedva absorbing the surrounding mana and emitting a bright light, Luize immediatelyunched her next incantation.


    <strong>¡°Gust Lance.¡±</strong>


    <i>Crash!!</i>


    Cutting through the air, a windnce urately pierced Charles¡¯s magic array before it could activate. However, Charles was undeterred. Without blinking an eye, he formed three more magic arrays around him.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    A relentless elemental bombardment ensued. Lightning struck from above, the de of a guillotine made from mes fell, and wind des silently targeted Luize¡¯s limbs. She felt like her every move had been anticipated.


    <i>He doesn¡¯t even pause to catch his breath?! How is he just firing spell after spell...!</i>


    One single moment of hesitation would result in her being swept away by Charles¡¯s magic, her limbs lost before she could even react. Feeling Charles¡¯s magic tightening its grip around her by the second, Luize gritted her teeth and focused on a desperate final move.


    <i>It¡¯s not enough yet... not yet...</i>


    She had to end this battle with one decisive blow; there was no guarantee another opportunity would ever arise. Thus, she needed time to hone her attack, but at this rate, she would be caught up in the onught of magic before she could even start preparing anything.


    <i>There must be something...</i>


    Getting help from others was not an option. Continuing to flee and dodge Charles¡¯s assault, she scanned the surrounding debris, a hodgepodge of the devices disyed at the Hextech Expo, for a chance. Unfortunately, most were non-functional due to the barrier¡¯s effects, but as she continued to desperately search, something caught her eye.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Her eyes glowed at the sight of a white golem lying on the ground.


    <i>¡°Don''t overthink it. Only think about the incantation and the synesthetic mindscape used as your proxy.¡±</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s advice, which almost seemed tailored for this moment, struck her mind sharply.


    Wasting no time, she rapidly unleashed the incantation she had been saving for a crucial moment.


    <strong>¡°Spell Break.¡±</strong>


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Just two words tore the iing magic from all directions apart. The unexpected result dropped Charles¡¯s mouth open.


    <i>What...?</i>


    It wasn¡¯t just one or two spells; she had shattered <i>every </i>spell within range. However, even if his meticulously managed flow of mana was disrupted, Charles remained calm. He had anticipated such a situation to some extent as well, so he moved on to his next n straight away.


    <i>Vwoom!</i>


    The numerous magic arrays etched onto his skeletal frame began to activate simultaneously. Using his skeleton as a medium, spells that would normally require much preparation could now be cast with a single gesture. It was a method that would shorten his already-dwindling lifespan, but Charles didn¡¯t care.


    <i>All for the sake of true magic...!</i>


    For his end goal, he was willing to sacrifice even his life.


    But just as he was about to unleash his full power to subdue Luize, something unexpected happened.


    ¡°<i>Shhhh</i>...¡±


    Breathing in deeply with all her might, Luize readied herself for her final, decisive move.


    This was her full strength.


    This would finish it.


    <strong>¡°GOLEM OPERATION.¡±</strong>


    <i>Boom!</i>


    A single shockwave spread throughout the area.


    Thinking it was a wide-range attack, Charles quickly halted his magic casting and retreated, only to realize Luize¡¯s incantation had no immediate effect.


    Furrowing his brow, he thought, <i>What is this...?</i>


    He hesitated, unable toprehend the spell Luize had just cast. At that moment, white objects shot toward the center of the expo.


    <i>Crash!!!</i>


    The heavy objects eachnded with a thud and emitted a thick smoke. When the smoke cleared, Charles couldn¡¯t help but stare in astonishment.


    ¡°Automatons...?¡±


    Those were the most recently released golems by the Marite Factory. However, they should have been rendered inactive by Vermillion Sky. Pondering the iprehensible situation, a single possibility suddenly dawned on Charles.


    ¡°Could it be...?¡±


    If his suspicion was correct, he couldn¡¯t leave those golems unchecked. He began gathering his mana¡ªalbeit toote.


    <strong>¡°Set-¡±</strong>


    Luize had already started casting Incantation Magic.


    <i>Vroom!</i>


    One by one, the automatons surrounded him and began to cast identical magic arrays that appeared in front of their mouths. Resonating with each other, they projected a pressure that overwhelmed Charles. But despite there being dozens of automatons, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that just a single person was watching him.


    Charles shifted his gaze to Luize, the disbelief evident in his eyes.


    <i>She¡¯s controlling this many golems... with just that one spell?</i>


    This was an abnormal power, impossible with ordinary magic.


    Finally threatened, Charles tried to act, but his body wouldn¡¯t respond. Luize¡¯s anger and killing intent, channeled through the automatons,pletely overwhelmed him. The intangible power of emotions had morphed into a tangible force that paralyzed his entire body.


    <i>What the...</i>


    She was just a mere student, and yet, a professor of Babel who was also the branch manager of Dawn stoodpletely frozen in front of her. It was absolutely absurd.


    <strong>¡°Assimtion.¡±</strong>


    Luize¡¯s incantation, repeated by each automaton, filled the crumbling hall around them.


    Obeying hermand, the mana forcibly converted by Vermillion Sky reverted to its original form and assimted with its new master.


    <i>Vwoom-</i>


    Devoid of mana, the elements showcasing their presence around Charles dissipated like bubbles, and the magic arrays on his skeleton lost their glow.


    <i>Ugh... Kugh...</i>


    His body was now rusted and unresponsive. As it was moved solely by mana, it had no means of resisting Luize¡¯s absolute domination over the mana.


    Feeling an unbearable sense of helplessness, Charles trembled as he looked at Luize approaching him.


    <i>Forceful assimtion of mana...</i>


    She hadn¡¯t just imposed restrictions on the ambient mana¡ªshe made herself the sole user of it. Such an ability, which could be considered the bane of all sorcerers, shattered the future Charles had foreseen.


    ¡°Go rot in hell.¡±


    With a gleam in her blue eyes, Luize channeled her anger and hatred as she uttered the final incantation Charles would ever hear.


    <strong>¡°Revenge Bite.¡±</strong>


    <i>Crunch, crunch, crunch!!</i>


    Invisible fangs ruthlessly tore into Charles¡¯s skeleton, grotesquely twisting and breaking the specially crafted form.


    Feeling the pain, a bizarre sound that was neither a scream nor a metallic noise echoed throughout the hall. Normally, puppets were stripped of all their nerves so that their performance wouldn¡¯t be inhibited by pain, but the skeleton that Charles was in was different. His puppet was hastily made, so when the desire for revenge imbued in Luize¡¯s Incantation Magic prated deep into his soul, it delivered an excruciating pain.


    The sensation felt like his entire body was being gnawed on starting from the fingertips; it was so intense it felt like it was being seared into his non-existent brain.


    For the first time, Charles forgot about Him.


    <i>That damned Puppeteer...!</i>


    Until now, he had only been so willing to throw away even his life due to the absence of the anticipated pain. However, he was now unable to achieve his goal and felt unforeseen agony. His emotions were so intense that Charles somehow managed to move his skeleton and thrash wildly. A momentter, Luize¡¯s magic ceased.


    Left inplete ruin, besides the ribcage which contained a now cracked ck cube that was leaking green mana, the skeleton was now truly unable to do anything.


    On the brink of death, Charles breathed heavily, <i>¡°Wheeze... wheeze...¡±</i>


    Likewise, Luize also had to catch her breath, having expended a significant amount of energy casting sessive incantations. Thanks to her training in the Department of Martial Magic though, she was able to steady her breath soon.


    And once she had somewhat recovered, she slightly infused a bit of mana into Charles and asked, ¡°Anyst words?¡±


    <i>¡°Heh... heh heh...¡±</i>


    With his skeleton left in ruins, hisughter came out as a buzzing sound.


    ¡°Your magic... was befitting of the Voice... remarkable... truly remarkable...¡±


    Even in the face of his impending death, Charles clung to Him, ignoring his fear. He was basically mumbling like a madman, one who was content he had found the cornerstone for resurrecting his master.


    Luize looked down at him with cold eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who the bastard you all are crazy about is, but listen well.¡±


    <i>Squish.</i>


    cing her foot on the ck cube, she leaned forward, staring straight at Charles.


    Her face, blocking out the lights above, was still clear; her piercing blue eyes shone brightly.


    Bearing her emotions in her gaze, she locked eyes with Charles and dered, ¡°I am going to kill every single one of you.¡±


    No, rather than a mere deration, her tone conveyed a promation of what was toe.


    It was at this moment that Charles recalled how he had said that true magicians could foresee the distant future. He began to wonder. What kind of future had Luize, with such potential within her, seen?


    ¡°Ah... ahh...¡±


    As the ominous possibility of the future surfaced in his mind, he was filled with unprecedented worry and fear for the first¡ªand only¡ªtime ever.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Luize stomped down hard on the ck cube.


    Unlike ordinary puppets, Charles couldn¡¯t transfer his consciousness and thus died on the spot. His end filled Luize with a mix of relief and disappointment.


    <i>Did I kill him too easily?</i>


    It might have been better to make him suffer more, but she was able to quickly dismiss that regret. Spending time on such a person for the sake of venting was aplete waste.


    <i>Plus, there are still many more left.</i>


    Repeating her vow to kill everyone rted to Dawn, the ones who ruined her life, she scanned her surroundings with renewed determination.


    <i>The exhibition hall seems to be free from the barrier because of my magic, but the situation hasn¡¯t changed outside.</i>


    ncing at the crimson sky through the broken ceiling, she deduced that the core maintaining the barrier was likely outside the exhibition hall.


    <i>It looks like I¡¯ll have to destroy that cage...</i>


    She needed to head toward the source of the barrier, but leaving the exhibition hall unattended concerned her.


    Unsure of what to do, she called out to the Vermillion Bird impaled high up in the air, ¡°Hey! How long are you going to stay like that?!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Whoa?!¡±


    Startled by the voice behind her, she stepped back and saw Se-Hoon with a puzzled look on his face.


    ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡±


    ¡°Because you came out of nowhere! Wait, weren¡¯t you and the Vermillion Bird...?¡±


    Seeing her nce between him and the phoenix, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°Until a moment ago, yes. But I dissolved the connection after seeing that it¡¯s pointless now.¡±


    In its current state, the Vermillion Bird was basically just a running engine that continuously consumed power, making controlling it meaningless.


    Luize nced once again at the Vermillion Bird.


    ¡°Then how about destroying that thing entirely?¡±


    ¡°That would be difficult. Its durability is still close to an S-rank. Also, it¡¯s now receiving mana from elsewhere, so unless we cut off the mana supplies across all of Borsippa, that won¡¯t be feasible.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    Various facilities in Borsippa had been rendered inoperative, but the essential facilities, such as the mana supply facility, were still functioning thanks to Babel¡¯s protection devices. With the situation as it was, shutting everything down just to subjugate the Vermillion Bird would likely just cause even more chaos.


    Feeling like they were caught between a rock and a hard ce, Luize frowned.


    ¡°Then what do we do now?¡±


    ¡°We wait.¡±


    ¡°Wait?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already called someone to handle it.¡±


    Completely at ease, Se-Hoon gazed at the light pirs surrounding the Vermillion Bird and saw one of them suddenly shatter.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Surprised, Luize directed her gaze toward the broken pir.


    ¡°That¡¯s my boy.¡±


    The mad dog had begun its hunt.

 Chapter 136

    <h4>Chapter 136</h4>


    On the outskirts of Borsippa, a mass of students, professors, and teaching assistants were bustling about in a frenzy. They were trying to deal with the red pir, which had abruptly soared into the sky from the center of the main building of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, and its effects.


    ¡°Put all hazardous materials into your void pockets, even if they break in the process! It''ll still be safer that way!¡±


    ¡°Make sure to expel the fire mana that umtes in your body! You¡¯ll burn to death otherwise!¡±


    Unlike the other buildings, where the attribute conversion devices were able to convert the ambient fire mana and prevent any explosions, the effect of Vermillion Sky was far stronger in the main building of the Department of Pharmaceuticals due to the presence of the fire pir.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Here, the fire mana would create mes in midair, like will-o¡¯-wisps, every time it umted to a certain level. Those mes would then rapidly grow by consuming the newly converted fire mana. Thankfully, the built-in fire suppression system prevented the mes from bing arge ze, but it still wasn¡¯t enough topletely deal with the situation.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>... that should be enough. Everyone, get out!¡±


    ¡°Evacuate!¡±


    Having finished hurriedly dealing with all the items that could potentially explode when exposed to mes, the students and staff members quickly evacuated under the guidance of professors and teaching assistants.


    Amidst all the chaos, Victor was at the center of it all. He also helped with the evacuation.


    ¡°This way!¡±


    To everyone around him, he was an exemry hero who was selflessly aiding the rescue of civilians and students despite unluckily getting caught in this whole mess when he had juste to Borsippa for a visit, and on a weekend at that. However, unbeknownst to professors and teaching assistants who favorably looked at him, Victor¡¯s true intentions were entirely different.


    <i>Damn it... what the hell is going on?</i>


    When Victor was invited to Babel as a teacher for a special event of Aqar Quf, he received a simple order from Offering: insert a provided device, disguised as training equipment, into one of the red pirs created by a unique barrier. Aside from having to make it into Babel, which he already had the perfect excuse for, the mission was easy.


    Moreover, every notable S-rank hero of Babel, including the Emperor of Ascension, was supposedly said to be out on the day the n was to be executed.


    <i>Hmmm, Babel¡¯s reputation for its strict security is mainly just because of the influence of the Emperor of Ascension....</i>


    Although not without risks, the absence of Babel¡¯s top-ranking heroes and the simplicity of the task made the mission much cleanerpared to a regr assassination mission. On top of that, the reward was immense, making him hesitate no longer.


    However, the scene he envisioned when reading the n and what actually unfolded when the n was initiated were entirely different.


    <i>They said everyone would flee immediately when the barrier was activated, but in what world is this fleeing...?</i>


    The Vermillion Sky had unfolded in a much weaker and unstable state than nned, and as a result, the staff members who should have fled ended up staying behind to deal with the barrier, preventing him from covertly approaching the pir.


    So, while contemting how messed up the n was from the start, he maintained appearances and continued to assist with the evacuation.


    <i>Should I just not risk it?</i>


    Offering <i>had </i>mentioned that if the situation didn¡¯t permit it, it would be fine to just stay near the area. The reward would decrease, but it was better than ruining his life with just a single misstep.


    <i>But the reward bes twenty times smaller...</i>


    As tried to figure out whether it was worth the risk, he heard footsteps behind him. Noticing that the footsteps were fast approaching, like someone was gaining on him, Victor startledly turned around to gaze at the owner.


    Running straight toward him was a young man with a determined expression and a short spear in each hand.


    <i>Yeom Sung-Ha?</i>


    Famous both within Aqar Quf and outside of Babel as a sessor to the me Sect, Victor couldn¡¯t understand why such a person had suddenly appeared. They had only seen each other once during his spar with Se-Hoon, so Sung-Ha couldn¡¯t be here looking for him.


    <i>Why is this guy here?</i>


    Had a professor asked him toe help with the evacuation? He wasn¡¯t sure of the exact reason, but Victor decided not to dwell on it. It wasn''t his concern after all, and more importantly, Sung-Ha''s appearance helped solidify his decision.


    <i>Yeah. Let¡¯s not go overboard.</i>


    If he kept a low profile like now, his identity wouldn¡¯t be discovered and he¡¯d still receive a small reward.


    In the meantime, as Victor finished making his decision, Sung-Ha had silently gotten close.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Without hesitation, Sung-Ha sent the tip of his red spear straight toward Victor¡¯s heart.


    ¡°?!¡±


    Shocked by the unexpected ambush that appeared from his blind spot, Victor instantly roused his mana and instinctively drew his short sword from his waist to block the thrust.


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    <i>¡°Gah!¡±</i>


    It was a heavy hit that traveled up the de.


    Victor was sent flying backward by the thrust¡¯s momentum, only managing to prevent his heart from being pierced. He was dizzy and unable to regain his bearings, yet he had no time to be. Sung-Ha immediately followed up with another attack.


    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>


    Locked in battle, stters of sparks scattered every time Victor¡¯s sword shed with Sung-Ha¡¯s dual spears. The dance of steel was intense, with equal blows exchanged. But soon, wounds manifested on Victor¡¯s body.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Seeing that his attacksnded on Victor¡¯s forearm and thigh, Sung-Ha, who was unscathed, closed the distance even more aggressively. On the other side, Victor was still dizzy from the initial exchange and could barely manage to defend against Sung-Ha¡¯s relentless assault.


    Meanwhile, the professors and teaching assistants of the Department of Pharmaceuticals who had been watching the two fight while frozen in shock, came back to their senses.


    ¡°What on earth are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Cease fire immediately!¡±


    To them, Sung-Ha, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started assaulting an exemry hero who had just been helping evacuate people, was the viin.


    ¡°Help! This student is suddenly attacking me...!¡± Victor urgently shouted, thinking he could the situation to his advantage.


    And he was right. rmed by his desperate and aggrieved cry, the professors and teaching assistants began to cast their magic.


    <i>Whirr!</i>


    Magic rained down from all sides.


    Even if their magic couldn''t subdue Sung-Ha, Victor would seize the moment Sung-Ha lightened his assault to exin himself to turn the situation around.


    <i>I just need one opening...!</i>


    Victor desperately clung to the hope that Sung-Ha would naturally react like anyone else would to the onught of magic if ced in such a situation. Unfortunately for him, however¡ª


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Sung-Ha swung his spear unwaveringly toward his neck.


    <i>Boom!!!</i>


    Leaving the onught of magic to his erupting residual mes, Sung-Ha pressed his attack on Victor even harder.


    <i>¡°If anything happens or if you see these guys lurking around suspiciously, kill them immediately. I¡¯ll strike a bit off your debt for each one you manage to kill.¡±</i>


    Having seen Victor¡¯s name on the list that Se-Hoon handed over, Sung-Ha unhesitatingly rushed Victor when he saw him lurking suspiciously in front of the building where the red pir had risen.


    <i>That¡¯s enough.</i>


    It could all just be a coincidence, a misunderstanding, or even a mistake on Se-Hoon''s part; after all, Se-Hoon had no concrete evidence that Victor was truly working with the Demon Force. But it didn¡¯t matter. Sung-Ha simplified his thoughts on the matter.


    <i>We¡¯ll know once he¡¯s dead.</i>


    Any further contemtion would only hinder the fight.


    This rigid and inflexible thinking, which was devoid of any room for maneuvering, provided him with the intense focus necessary toplete the objective of the current battle.


    <i>ng!</i>


    His opponent, who continued to overthink even in the midst of battle, was theplete opposite. His thoughts riddled his defense with gaps, allowing Sung-Ha to shatter his guard to pieces.


    <i>sh!</i>


    The red spear shed Victor¡¯s sides and shoulders, leaving Victor with burns that made his body stiffen in pain. Victor¡¯s ¡°opportunity¡± had be Sung-Ha¡¯s, and without missing it, Sung-Ha thrust his ck spear toward Victor¡¯s neck.


    Distraught, Victor moved to block the iing strike.


    <i>If I just block this one...</i>


    If he could avoid being killed by this attack, the professors and teaching assistants behind him would surely hurriedly act to subdue Sung-Ha. Praying that would be true, Victor braced himself for mana backflow and deftly swung his short sword to deflect the attack.


    <strong><i>Stealth Shadow</i></strong>


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Ignoring Victor¡¯s maneuver, the Nocturne Piercer changed its form into a shadow, piercing through Victor¡¯s sword.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    The spearhead of the Nocturne Piercer punctured his neck. Time seemed to slow down around Victor upon the realization that he had been fatally struck. In slow motion, his eyes widened.


    It was at this moment that he recalled the rapid demonification stimnt he had hidden in his left mr, something given to him by Offering that morning.


    <i>¡°If you ingest this ampoule, it will heal even the most fatal of wounds instantly and strengthen your body. However, you will lose your current life as a human. Choose wisely when to use it.¡±</i>


    He would no longer be able to live as a human if he ingested this ampoule, huh? As numerous possibilities shed through his mind, he realized that, although his neck had been pierced, the spear had fortunately missed his spine. With some emergency care from those around him, he was sure he could fully recover.


    <i>I still have a chance...!</i>


    Clinging to thest bit of hope that his life wasn¡¯t over yet, Victor mustered up some strength in his jaws to bite down on his mr.


    ¡°You think too much.¡±


    Before he could do anything though, Sung-Ha¡¯s spear literally cut off those thoughts.


    <i>Swish!</i>


    In one swift motion, the de of the Nocturne Piercer cleanly severed Victor¡¯s neck.


    The professors and teaching assistants were struck with horror, having witnessed a murder firsthand.


    ¡°What the...¡±


    ¡°Did he just...!¡±


    They had thought it was weird that Sung-Ha would attack a hero, yet they had never imagined that he would actually kill him. They all stood in shock, only able to yell at Sung-Ha to drop his spears.


    Their words fell on deaf ears. Ignoring their warnings, Sung-Ha kicked the short sword Victor had been holding upward.


    <i>sh!</i>


    And cleaved it in two with his ming spear.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Reacting immediately and leaving no doubt as to the cause, the red pir shattered and vanished like it had been cut off from its power supply. The sight forced those who had been trying to subdue Sung-Ha to stop in their tracks.


    ¡°What... the...¡±


    ¡°Could it be...?¡±


    Their heads were still spinning in confusion due to all of the sudden events, but there was one single thing that became very clear¡ªVictor was indeed rted to the chaos and thus, to their dismay, was coborating with the Demon Force.


    Having never spared a nce at the crowd, Sung-Ha just walked past the frozen professors and teaching assistant toward the location of another pir.


    ¡°Wait a minute! If you know more about this, perhaps you should!¡± desperately called out a professor.


    Finally reacting, Sung-Ha responded briefly, ¡°No need.¡±


    Dragging others along would only raise suspicion. Alone, it was also easier to handle things, since he could covertly slip through openings and make surprise attacks, just as he had done earlier.


    <i>The rewards are mine alone.</i>


    With a burning determination to kill as many of them as possible to clear his debt, Sung-Ha''s eyes gleamed as he ran toward his next target.


    ***


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    One by one, the red pirs crumbled, naturally waning the influence of Vermillion Sky. Having been watching alongside Se-Hoon, Luize asked, amazed, ¡°How on earth is he killing them so quickly?¡±


    Most of the suspicious heroes on Se-Hoon¡¯s list were either A-rank or skilled B-rank heroes. As such, it didn¡¯t make sense that they were being dealt with so easily.


    ¡°Well, there''s the difference in their equipment, but what¡¯s most important is that the opponents don¡¯t know that their identities have already been exposed. Using that as an element of surprise makes it easier to subdue them.¡±


    ¡°Still...¡±


    ¡°Also, Sung-Ha shows no hesitation in his actions.¡±


    ¡°Hesitation...?¡±


    Unable to understand the relevance, Luize once again looked toward Se-Hoon. He exined further, ¡°When fighting traitors like them, it¡¯s absolutely crucial to have the right mindset.¡±


    If the evidence had been collected and their betrayal became a fact, then even low-ranking heroes would easily make a decision and eliminate the traitor. However, that changed if all they had were ambiguous suspicions. A fear of making a misjudgment, and the potential problems that might ensue would make them hesitate, changing their goal to subduing instead of eliminating.


    <i>Sung-Ha is different.</i>


    If Sung-Ha believed his judgment was reasonable, he would disregard everything else and just push forward. Of course, it would be an utter disaster if he turned out to be wrong, but when he wasn¡¯t, like now, he would efficiently eliminate the threats before they could even retaliate.


    ¡°And despite his temperament, his skills are pretty solid. He might even be able to advance to A-rank soon.¡±


    Se-Hoon had watched him fight during the special event from up close, allowing him to find out that Sung-Ha seemed to be adapting to the new short spears and mastering the Inferno Ring at a pretty fast pace.


    He was probably one of the strongest students Se-Hoon knew, second to only Aria.


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s praise for Sung-Ha, Luize¡¯s expression soured slightly before she quickly wiped it off her face.


    <i>Don¡¯t be so childish.</i>


    She felt like a little child again, one who became jealous upon hearing someone else being praised.


    Pressing down her jealousy, she tried her best to act like nothing had happened and asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s the n now?¡±


    ¡°We need to find out what those guys are nning to do with the Vermillion Bird.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t they going for the barrier?¡±


    Se-Hoon shook his head at her question.


    ¡°This is probably just a preparation phase. The real thing should being soon.¡±


    Remembering the way Offering did things, Vermillion Sky was likely just set up for a ritual. Their real n probably involved the devices that those traitors had.


    <i>Since Sung-Ha is doing so well, they might decide to push ahead with their n in its iplete state with how things have escted.</i>


    With the enemy¡¯s exact n unknown, it was impossible to stop them perfectly from the start. The key was creating openings and exploiting them to the best of his ability.


    Deciding to move to the next phase, Se-Hoon asked Luize, ¡°The automatons?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve deployed them as you instructed.¡±


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s begin then.¡±


    Luize nodded at Se-Hoon¡¯s words and cast her prepared incantation.


    <strong>¡°Assimtion.¡±</strong>


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Like during her fight, the moment the incantation spread throughout the building, the scattered automatons began resonating with each other and started to take control of the surrounding mana. Previously, they had forcibly assimted the Vermillion Bird¡¯s mana, but now, they were trying to mimic the enemy¡¯s mana.


    <i>Whirr-</i>


    Thanks to Luize, he managed to make it through the binds of the Vermillion Bird. Connecting to it, Se-Hoon sent his thoughts through the mark on his left hand.


    <i>¡°Hey, Fire Chicken.¡±</i>


    The Vermillion Bird didn¡¯t respond.


    It still seemed to be subdued, but Se-Hoon was able to feel that the restraint on the phoenix had be weaker.


    <i>¡°Stop ignoring me. Let¡¯s help each other out again.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Aren¡¯t you just going to use me again?¡±</i>


    Finally hearing the Vermillion Bird¡¯s prickly voice echo in his mind, Se-Hoon answered calmly, ¡°<i>When did I ever use you?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Didn¡¯t you control my vision to make me kill your enemies?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Well, weren¡¯t they the ones who were forcefullymanding you? What¡¯s wrong with killing them?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°That is true...¡±</i>


    It wasn¡¯t difficult to convince the Vermillion Bird that what Se-Hoon had done wasn¡¯t exactly a bad thing.


    ¡°<i>I¡¯m not going to ask you to trust me. But if you help me, I promise I¡¯ll release all of the restraints they put on you.¡±</i>


    Considering Se-Hoon¡¯s bold offer, the Vermillion Bird fell silent for a moment before it said, ¡°<i>But you¡¯ll probably try to get rid of me after freeing me, right?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Of course. But isn¡¯t it the same for you? I know you¡¯ve thought of killing me once you regain your vision.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°...¡±</i>


    <i>¡°In the end, friendships between humans and demon beasts cannot exist. Let¡¯s just deal with those guys together and then settle things between us.¡±</i>


    The Vermillion Bird fell deep into thought. Even though Offering had helped it revive after a long time, it was immediately chained and exploited by them. It hated Se-Hoon for controlling its sight, but it <i>loathed </i>the others.


    With nothing to lose, regardless of which side it chose, the phoenix made a decision.


    <i>¡°What can I do for you? I won¡¯t give you more control over my body.¡±</i>


    Sensing the firmness in its stance, Se-Hoon asked, <i>¡°Tell me the ce where your power is the most concentrated.¡±</i>


    That ce was definitely Offering¡¯s hideout. After a long moment of silence, the Vermillion Bird finally answered, <i>¡°Underground.¡±</i>


    <i>Underground?</i>


    Confused, Se-Hoon flipped through the possible locations in his mind. Then, his eyes widened upon realizing something and he slowly turned to look at the main building of the Department of cksmithing.


    <i>¡°My power is gathered in a hidden furnace underground.¡±</i>

 Chapter 137

    <h4>Chapter 137</h4>


    Within a dark and vast corridor stood a young man with his face hidden in a hood, Vier Barmuth, gazing straight ahead. The corridor was so spacious that it seemed able to amodate tworge freight trucks side by side.


    <i>Boom!!</i>


    A thunderous roar echoed from beyond the bend of the corridor, apanied by a sh of light and an intense heat. When the light passed, Vier could just barely make out the shadow of a warrior fighting a colossal being that was moving with dazzling agility.


    As the shadows¡¯ movements, reminiscent of a shadow y, continued, a heavy metallic sound rang out and one of the shadows¡¯ movements abruptly ceased to a halt.


    ¡°It''s over,¡± said someone tly from beyond the darkness.


    At that signal, Vier moved forward to examine the battlefield he had only witnessed in the shadows.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    He gazed at the remnants of a giant golem being consumed by mes. The scorched and melted golem hardened Vier''s expression.


    <i>The security golem¡¯s durability was said to be at least A+.</i>


    If that was true, then defeating the golem single-handedly implied that the man in front of him possessed the strength of an S-rank hero. Shocked by the reveal of the man¡¯s extraordinary strength, Vier examined the man standing next to the fallen golem.


    ¡°...¡±


    d in dark red light armor, he was holding a long red sword approximately 180 centimeters long at his side. His right shoulder, covered by a cloak, was bare, and his face looked gaunt as if he hadn''t slept for days. Yet just his gaze and presence were exuding an immense amount of pressure.


    Moreover, the man had been through multiple battles but still appeared unscathed and not even out of breath.


    <i>So this is why they sent him alone.</i>


    At first, Vier thought them sending a one-armed man alone was akin to saying they were throwing him away together with the man, but it seemed he was mistaken.


    With a new evaluation of the man, Vier focused on the man¡¯s next words.


    ¡°Let''s head further in.¡±


    Yet unlike the interest Vier had in the man, the man¡¯s voice was devoid of any interest at all. Being treated like a merebor worker made Vier feel a momentary surge of displeasure, but he quickly suppressed it.


    <i>Now is not the time to be picky.</i>


    Since he was the one who had brought Puppeteer and the Demon Force into this mess, he knew he had to fulfill the mission no matter what.


    Thus Vier pushed his pride down even further and nodded at the man¡ªthe infamous Fire Sword cksmith Hunter.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    With Vier leading the way, the two moved past the remains of the golem and went deeper into the corridor.


    Roughly three minutes of walkingter, Vier, who had been scanning the endless corridor this entire time, extended his hand forward. His eyes turned gray.


    <i>Voom-</i>


    A faint pulse emanated from his fingertips. It was the activation of Vier''s unique skill, Metal Resonance, which helped him resonate his mana with the core of ores.


    As his mana rippled forward, the space before them soon became distorted and the view of the corridor changed.


    Their path was now blocked by a massive door. Confirming that his mana was resonating with the door¡¯s metal, Vier immediately channeled his mana to control it.


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    Pulled open by Vier¡¯s will, the tightly closed door began to slowly open to the sides, revealing a new space before them. The space behind the door felt deste, almost empty, with just a single old furnace standing inside.


    The sight spellbound Vier.


    <i>Crackle-</i>


    From out of nowhere, a small me ignited within the furnace, fueled by a few pieces of firewood. The furnace, with its ancient and outdated design, looked like it belonged in a museum.


    However, Vier felt an inexplicable power emanating from the mes within.


    <i>What... is that...?</i>


    Though he had received instructions to lead the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter here, he hadn¡¯t been told exactly what would be at the destination.


    Enraptured, he stared intently at the furnace, wondering why such an object was there, when¡ª


    <i>Crackle-</i>


    The Fire Sword cksmith Hunter grabbed his shoulder and flung him backward.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Unable to resist, Vier tumbled to the ground.


    ¡°What the hell...¡± he asked, ring up in anger.


    But just as he was about to question the man, he caught a glimpse of the furnace again. All he could do was stare in stunned silence.


    <i>Crackle-</i>


    The furnace, which had been at least two hundred meters away when he first entered the space, was now right in front of him. Thinking that the furnace had moved itself, he nced back but saw that the entrance had receded as much as the furnace had advanced.


    Only now did he realize what had happened.


    <i>Was I that entranced by those mes?</i>


    He felt a chill run down his spine; he had almost thrown himself into the mes. Having grown up around cksmiths¡¯ workshops, he had seen many furnaces and special mes, but never anything like that.


    <i>What is the Emperor of Ascension even thinking....?</i>


    As Vier stared at the mes, a cold sweat ran down his back.


    ¡°This is the furnace of the Sacred Craftsman,¡± the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter said, finally breaking his silence. He had been calmly watching the entire time.


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°To be precise, this is the furnace he had used before bing a Perfect One. The mes inside contain a portion of his power.¡±


    Vier looked at the furnace again, astonished.


    So it was the furnace imbued with the Sacred Craftsman¡¯s power. Vier epted that he had been entranced by the mes. At the same time, he wondered how the Demon Force had known about it.


    <i>Is this man even from the Demon Force?</i>


    Feeling like the atmosphere was distinctly different than when working with other demons or criminal organizations, Vier''s eyes slowly shifted to the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter.


    <i>There¡¯s got to be so much that I don¡¯t know.</i>


    A feeling that he was being used surged within Vier. It irritated him but he knew he had to suppress it.


    <i>It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll probably be able to figure everything out once this is all over.</i>


    Telling himself that there was no need to rush to find out what he would eventually learn, he steadied his mind.


    Then, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter extended his sword and ordered, ¡°Put this into the furnace and make it resonate with the mes.¡±


    ¡°Is that all I have to do?¡±


    ¡°Once it starts resonating, the barrier will channel the mana from the mes on its own.¡±


    Recalling his given task, Vier nodded and epted the sword.


    <i>This is a top-quality weapon of at least Hero tier... and he¡¯s using something like this as a key to start a reaction?</i>


    What exactly were they trying to create with this furnace? As a cksmith himself, his curiosity spiked. Vier ced the sword inside.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Like they were excited, the mes in the furnace clung to the de and burned even brighter. Initially, it seemed like the mes were just creeping up the de, but upon closer inspection, Vier realized something.


    <i>The sword is... being consumed?</i>


    The power and skills contained in the sword were being oveid by the small mes, transforming it into something else. With no time to spare, Vier quickly cast Metal Resonance before the sword waspletely destroyed by the overwhelming presence of the mes.


    <i>Voom-!</i>


    The moment the sword started resonating with the mes, all his senses seemed to expand outward beyond his body.


    <i>This feeling...</i>


    As the furnace was now connected to the Vermillion Bird, a part of its consciousness was transferred over to Vier through the sword, putting a part of the fire mana spread throughout Borsippa under his control.


    <i>¡°Ha... Haha... Hahaha!¡±</i>


    Vier burst intoughter. He felt so omnipotent, so almighty from controlling the immense body of mana. Its tremendous power made his own body and mana feel like a lump of dust; his mind was instantly disoriented.


    His connection with the mana deepened, spreading his control further.


    <i>Hummm-</i>


    He then felt a faint presence from the outskirts of Borsippa, in the residential area. The presence was simr to his own but empty, like a shell.


    Puzzled, he focused his senses on that presence that seemed to be calling out to him.


    ¡°Ah, there you are.¡±


    A chilling voice came from behind him.


    <i>Pssht!</i>


    Along with a terrifying sound, he felt a strange sensation in his chest. It pulled his senses back to reality, allowing him to slowly look down at his chest.


    Seeing a red de piercing through his heart, he slowly turned his head to look at the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter.


    ¡°What... are you doing...?¡±


    ¡°The head of your family personally asked me,¡± began the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter indifferently before he just as indifferently finished with, ¡°to eliminate all evidence thoroughly.¡±


    Whether the mission seeded or failed, there would not be a single piece of evidence of the Barmuths¡¯ involvement.


    Vier''s expression shed between confusion, despair, and rage toward everyone who had led him to this moment.


    ¡°I will... kill... every...¡± Vier stammered, unable to speak properly. He felt his anger rising with his mana.


    Observing his pathetic state, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter¡¯s lips curved into a smile for the first time.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine material.¡±


    He then mercilessly withdrew his left hand.


    <i>St!</i>


    Vier, having immediately lost consciousness, swayed heavily before copsing into the furnace.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    Like with the sword, the mes inside the furnace excitedly clung to Vier¡¯s corpse and soon began to resonate wildly with it.


    <i>Hummm!</i>


    The Vermillion Bird, which had connected with Vier earlier, started to gather mana to revive its true form.


    <i>¡°Screeeee!¡±</i>


    Massive amounts of mana poured down madly from the ceiling, walls, and floor into the furnace. The room was instantly bathed in a red glow as the mes in the furnace grew fiercer.


    At the sight, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter ced his bloody hand on his chest.


    <i>Voom-</i>


    A purple mist of dream mana began to spread as he carefully retrieved an object contained within his body.


    Holding the red crystal orb carefully with his left hand, he gazed into its flickering interior. His eyes were full of longing.


    <i>We will be able to meet again soon.</i>


    Soon, he could also kill the despicable traitor who had separated them.


    With cold eyes, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter tossed the crystal orb into the furnace.


    <i>Vooom!</i>


    In an instant, the room waspletely filled by the red mes spewing out of the furnace.


    ***


    ¡°The underground of the main building of the Department of cksmithing?¡±


    Lan Fei, who had just managed to get the exhibition hall under control, raised his brow at Se-Hoon¡¯s statement.


    The staff members hadn¡¯t even fully grasped the situation, yet Se-Hoon had already discovered the enemy''s hideout. But that wasn¡¯t what truly surprised Lan Fei.


    ¡°Yes. I confirmed it with the Vermillion Bird.¡±


    He almost couldn¡¯t believe that Se-Hoon had managed to negotiate with the resurrected Vermillion Bird.


    In fact, Lan Fei almost dismissed it as a rude joke when he stopped upon seeing the mark on Se-Hoon¡¯s hand¡ªthe sign of his contract with the Vermillion Bird¡ªwhich confirmed that all of it was true.


    Regardless, Lan Fei was still a bit in disbelief, but he soon came to a decision with a nod.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll dispatch a group of staff members immediately to inspect the underground.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°As for you guys...¡±


    ncing between the mark on Se-Hoon''s hand and the Vermillion Bird trapped in midair, Lan Fei grimly said, ¡°I would like for you two to stay here and keep an eye on the Vermillion Bird, just as you have been doing. Can you do that?¡±


    Thinking that perhaps he felt guilty about assigning work to students who should have already been evacuated, Se-Hoon smirked slightly and nodded. It turned out that Lan Fei was both detached and responsible.


    ¡°We¡¯re also staff members here, so we need to earn our keep. Don¡¯t worry about us.¡±


    ¡°...Thank you. I promise you guys will be rewarded once this crisis is resolved.¡±


    Handing themmunication radios, Lan Fei hurriedly ran outside, leaving behind Se-Hoon who narrowed his eyes.


    <i>The main building of the Department of cksmithing... but I thought there weren¡¯t any special facilities underground.</i>


    The reveal of a secret furnace he had never heard of being there naturally brought Se-Hoon¡¯s thoughts to the memories he had relived through the Phantasmal Spyde.


    <i>No wait. Was it on the blueprint of the hidden facilities inside Babel that was among the documents the Frost Dog showed me?</i>


    The attached photos and blueprints had been heavily censored, meaning there was little information, but he was able to recall that there was something shaped like a furnace among the drawings.


    <i>Matching Kim In-Cheol as a Watcher was spot on, so those memories definitely weren''t just a mere illusion, yet...</i>


    What was the purpose of the hidden furnace underground and how did Offering know about its existence? Troubled, his thoughts deepened, but he was pulled out of them by the Vermillion Bird¡¯s voice.


    <i>¡°Ugh...¡± </i>


    The situation had changed. The stakes embedded in Vermillion Bird¡¯s body started to emit a ck light and the fire mana scattered around their surroundings was instantly sucked into the ground.


    <i>Whooosh!</i>


    Startled, Se-Hoon immediately looked up at Vermillion Bird.


    <i>¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°They¡¯re starting to extract all my power from underground...¡±</i>


    Until now, the Vermillion Bird had been sustaining itself off a source of power and its own strength, but now, the direction had reversed. The source was pulling in the Vermillion Bird¡¯s power so strongly that its consciousness was starting to copse.


    Feeling as if its body was being torn apart, the Vermillion Bird urgently shouted, <i>¡°Quickly, break the binds now! If this continues...!¡±</i>


    Realizing something had begun beneath the main building of the Department of cksmithing, Se-Hoon urgently shouted, ¡°Luize!¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    In sync, the two of them quickly began channeling their mana, surprising the Vermillion Bird.


    <i>¡°They¡¯re actually keeping their promise.¡±</i>


    It had been doubting them because they were humans, but perhaps they weren¡¯t as bad as it had thought. It awaited its liberation, which seemed to be slowly inching closer.


    <strong>¡°Spirit Bind.¡±</strong>


    <i>Shing!</i>


    But contrary to its expectations, the Vermillion Bird felt its body be tightly bound by dozens of chains shooting out from various points in the exhibition hall.


    <i>¡°What the... aargh!¡±</i>


    Along with itself, the power that was being drawn underground was bound tight, kept within the Vermillion Bird by the chains wrapping around its entire body. But that didn¡¯t mean the pain ended.


    Feeling the excruciating pain, the Vermillion Bird screamed, ¡°<i>I told you to break the binds! What are you doing?!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°If we release you now, you''ll just be dragged underground. Try enduring the pain for now.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Endure it? My soul feels like it''s being torn apart!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°I know; just hold on a bit longer.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°You filthy... piece of...¡±</i>


    Ignoring the Vermillion Bird¡¯s curses echoing in his ears, Se-Hoon continued to assist Luize in strengthening the chains which would strengthen their side of the tug-of-war with the unknown force underground.


    But the other side was too strong. However, just as the chains were about to reach their limit and snap, the force dragging the Vermillion Bird downward suddenly halted.


    ¡°...Is it over?¡± asked Luize exhaustedly while still maintaining the incantation.


    Se-Hoon looked down.


    ¡°Wait a moment...¡±


    <i>Voom-</i>


    A faint ripple of mana emerged from the radio Lan Fei had left behind, followed by his voice.


    <i>¡ªWe''ve discovered arge ming egg in the underground space of the Department of cksmithing. Judging by its mana pattern, it seems to be the Vermillion Bird¡¯s spare body. You are to evacuate immediately if there¡¯s any trouble up there.</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s expression hardened.


    <i>So it was a trap.</i>


    The moment they destroyed the binds and the Vermillion Bird, the enemy underground would have had the newly revived body attack everyone who had arrived to help. It was a trap designed to hold them in ce.


    They had managed to handle it, but one lingering question nagged at Se-Hoon¡¯s mind.


    <i>Where did the absorbed fire mana go?</i>


    Stumped by Offering¡¯s true goal, his mind raced. Then, he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly shouted into the radio, ¡°Has anyone seen Professor Kim In-Cheol?¡±


    There was a pause before a response came back.


    <i>¡ªHe was helping with the evacuation near the exhibition hall earlier, but then he went somewhere, saying he had something to investigate. Did something happen to him...?</i>


    At Lan Fei¡¯s response, Se-Hoon immediately shouted to Luize, ¡°I¡¯m leaving things here with you! If anything dangerous happens, just run away!¡±


    ¡°Huh? What... Hey! Where are you going!¡±


    Ignoring her call, Se-Hoon rushed out of the exhibition hall.


    <i>So, that¡¯s it. They were trying to locate the Fire Heaven Greatsword all along.</i>


    The fact that the by-products of the Vermillion Bird could repair the Fire Heaven Greatsword ultimately meant that they were somehow rted to each other. And that meant it wouldn¡¯t be strange to use the Vermillion Bird¡¯s power to find the Fire Heaven Greatsword hidden in In-Cheol¡¯s workshop.


    <i>I won¡¯t make it by running.</i>


    Chagrined that he had realized far too btedly, he changed directions to the parking lot to secure a ride. There, he found In-Cheol¡¯srge red motorcycle.


    <i>That¡¯ll do...</i>


    With a quick examination of the bike, he realized it wasn¡¯t starting due to the Vermillion Sky¡¯s effect. However, he was undeterred; he climbed onto it and activated Erika¡¯s Bond Imprint.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Harmonite¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    Silver threads extended from his hand and into the bike, twisting and reinforcing the broken circuits inside to repair them. Checking that he had sessfully improvised a fix to the mana circuits, he started the engine.


    <i>Roar!</i>


    With a gleam in his eyes, Se-Hoon turned the bike in the direction of the workshop.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Disregarding anything in its way, the red motorcycle smashed through the parked cars and sped away like a wild horse.

 Chapter 138

    <h4>Chapter 138</h4>


    Sitting at a dining table ced next to a small kitchen, a man watched as a girl around seven years old in a cute pink apron was struggling to knead bread dough on a cutting board.


    She was kneading it correctly, but her small hands made her progress slow. It was an ufortable sight for the man.


    So he asked, ¡°Do you need some help?¡±


    Surely it would be faster if someone with bigger hands like himself helped her. However, the girl shook her head.


    ¡°No, you''re not good with your hands, Number Twelve.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Her response baffled the man. He couldn¡¯t believe that such a young girl was saying such a thing to him, a person who was confirmed to be the chief researcher next year. But he didn¡¯tin about it, as it would be ridiculous to get worked up over the words of a child. Besides, the child was just making it apparent that she wanted to do the task herself.


    A peculiar silence settled over the dining table before the man broke it by changing the subject. He was unable to endure it.


    ¡°Where is your dad?¡±


    ¡°He went to work. He told me he¡¯s going to be busy because of the uing Offering Ritual next week.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The man briefly stiffened at the words ¡°Offering Ritual¡± which naturally came out of the girl¡¯s mouth.


    The Offering Ritual required one to dedicate their soul to thepletion of perfect equipment. As countless trials were conducted over the years, he kept feeling more and more unsettled by the process.


    <i>Am I getting tired of it...?</i>


    Trying to excuse himself, he told himself he was just tense because the ritual was such an important project. It was during this time when the girl finally spoke first.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one leading the ritual this time?¡±


    ¡°Yes... along with the other researchers.¡±


    ¡°How will it proceed?¡±


    The girl never looked up and just kept kneading the dough. She seemed mature for her age, perhaps because she had lived alone with her father for the past few years.


    The man hesitated briefly, barely able to bring himself to answer.


    ¡°First we stabilize the body. After that, we will synchronize it with the vessel and transfer the soul inside. This time, it will be done through mes.¡±


    ¡°mes...¡±


    ¡°The mes will naturally envelop the body and melt the soul inside. There won¡¯t be any pain.¡±


    Hearing the words he added, which were obviously meant to sound reassuring, the girl¡¯s hands paused. But momentster, she resumed kneading once again.


    ¡°My dad told me not to worry about it because he will make sure that this Offering Ritual will be the greatest of all time.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Dad so happy. He wasn¡¯t even that happy when I made him snacks for the first time...¡±


    The girl¡¯s muttering carried a heavy sense of resentment and bitterness.


    He wasn¡¯t able to understand why, but the man couldn¡¯t look at her face and promptly lowered his gaze. In fact, the Captain of the Guard¡¯s daughter had always made him ufortable. She looked like any other child one might see around the facility, yet her mature demeanor caused him to be filled with an inexplicable unease.


    <i>That damn guy...</i>


    If the Captain of the Guards had invited him, shouldn¡¯t he at least stay and greet him? The man cursed the Captain of the Guards inwardly.


    ¡°But I¡¯m d. He was so discouraged when Mom¡¯s ritual failed.... Dad will surely be happy if I do well this time.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And everyone is telling me how great the Offering Ritual is. They say it¡¯ll bring ultimate happiness that is iparable to anything one can find in this universe.... Even the boy who used to bully me was envious enough to whine about it.¡±


    The Offering Ritual provided a chance to escape their imperfect bodies and create perfect perfect equipment. It would bring them an unimaginable sense of fulfillment and a heightened ecstasy that would fill their souls, allowing them to transcend the limitations of the flesh. At least, that was what Offering had taught the kids here, and it wasn¡¯t exactly wrong, as it was all based on research results.


    <i>It¡¯s notpletely wrong, but...</i>


    Plus, those chosen as materials for the Offering Ritual all voluntarily dedicated their souls, as coercive means like torture or threats would only result in a lower quality or a distorted performance. Therefore, regardless of what the public¡¯s opinion on the ritual was, there was no real problem with their actions. After all, it was they who decided to offer themselves rather than endure the harsh reality.


    Anxiously trying to convince himself they were in the right, the man¡¯s thoughts began to spiral.


    ¡°Number Twelve.¡±


    The girl''s heavy voice reached him.


    ¡°It <i>is</i> a good thing, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I want to hear it from you. You''re the smartest person I know... and I believe you won¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Please... I just want to hear you say it.¡±


    Hearing her earnest plea, the man clenched his fists and bit his lips.


    He was being torn apart internally, but he still managed to open his mouth to answer.


    ¡°If you believe it is, then it will be.¡±


    Though the Offering Ritual was the path to paradise for most, if one didn¡¯t believe in the existence of that paradise, then where would it lead them...? Even he, who was known for being smart, was unable to answer such a thing. Thus, he could only give the best answer he had.


    Still unable to look up, the man nced toward the young girl and saw the small hands kneading the dough finallye to a full stop at the edge of his vision. Then, he saw drops begin to fall on them.


    Only now was the man able to raise his gaze.


    ¡°I''m scared...¡± the girl whimpered.


    He would never be able to forget the face that he saw.


    ***


    ¡°...!¡±


    Realizing he had finally awoken, In-Cheol noticed that he was drenched in a cold sweat.


    Taking stock of his surroundings, he saw that his workshop was filled with a purple mist, so he held his breath and rushed to activate the venttion system.


    <i>Whirr!</i>


    Kicking into action, the venttion system expelled all of the hallucinogens and stimnts mixed in the air, along with the dream mana that enhanced them.


    Finally able to breathe, he surveyed the interior of his now clear workshop and soon spotted a familiar figure across from him.


    ¡°...¡±


    Leaning against the wall, looking at him, was a man. And though the face of the man was gaunter than he remembered, the characteristic smile made by the corner of his lips helped him recognize who he was.


    A moment of silence fell as In-Cheol quietly observed the unforgettable figure. It was at this moment that the man, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter, decided to speak.


    ¡°Long time, no see.¡±


    ¡°...Yes, it''s been a while. Captain of the Guards.¡± In-Cheol couldn¡¯t help but wear an awkward expression as he addressed his old friend with the title from his memories.


    At the form of address, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter chuckled and said, ¡°I gave up being the Captain of the Guards a long time ago. Now... just call me the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter.¡±


    ¡°The Fire Sword cksmith Hunter... so it <i>was</i> you.¡±


    ¡°That''s right. After stirring things up a bit while looking for the traitor, that nickname somehow stuck to me.¡±


    An enigmatic criminal who only attacked and severed the hands of cksmiths who mastered forging fire-attributed swords. Yet, even though such an infamous person was before him, In-Cheol regarded the familiar adversary of his calmly.


    ¡°Were you the one orchestrating the recent incidents to target me?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. Well, yes and no... it''splicated. I don''t know the full details myself. All of those decisions are made by the people above me,¡± replied the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter with a shrug.


    With a grin, he continued, ¡°You''re looking quite aged though, even though mana is supposed to prevent aging.... You look like you''ve taken the full brunt of twenty years.¡±


    His yful words made him seem like he was meeting an old friend, yet the emotions beneath them were vtile, ready to explode at any moment.


    Knowing that better than anyone, In-Cheol kept his senses sharp and ready for whenever the man decided to attack.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that''s something you should be saying.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you got me there.¡±


    The Fire Sword cksmith Hunter let out a bitterugh and sighed.


    ¡°Even though I trained hard, there seems to be no answer to mental stress. I haven¡¯t been able to sleep for even two hours a day, and whenever I do, I always end up having nightmares.... It¡¯s truly exhausting.¡±


    The Fire Sword cksmith Hunter then slowly lifted his head to meet In-Cheol¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°So, Number Twelve... or should I call you Kim In-Cheol now?¡±


    ¡°...Call me whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Anyway, In-Cheol, I noticed you sleeping quite peacefully earlier...¡± Trailing off, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter''s eyes began to gleam. Staring straight at In-Cheol, he asked, ¡°What did you dream about?¡±


    Did he refrain from killing him while he was asleep just to hear this answer? Raising his guard due to his abnormal mindset, In-Cheol honestly answered, ¡°Memories of theboratory.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I thought you''dpletely forgotten about it, after bing one of the world''s top one hundred cksmiths and a professor at Babel... but it seems like that wasn¡¯t the case.¡±


    To the response filled with both sarcasm and relief, In-Cheol gloomily stated, ¡°The past isn¡¯t something that will just disappear.¡±


    Even though he had left theb, even though he had wandered the world, and even though he had settled in Babel to start a new life, the past he lived as Researcher Number Twelve refused to vanish.


    Unable to escape his path, a piece of it now stood before him.


    ¡°That''s a good answer. I was worried you might have forgotten.¡±


    <i>Swish.</i>


    With a satisfied look, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter stopped leaning against the wall and looked at In-Cheol.


    ¡°I''d like to chat a bit more, but... we''re a bit tight on time. Let''s save the detailed conversations for next time.¡±


    ¡°...next time?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He smiled at In-Cheol''s question.


    ¡°For you¡¯ll being with me today.¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The moment thest syble left his mouth, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter kicked off the ground with his left hand extended forward. He closed the distance to In-Cheol in an instant.


    He had already been a skilled A-rank hero in the past, so, twenty yearster, his abilities had be S-rank. Compared to In-Cheol, who had lived his entire life as a cksmith, the situation was overwhelmingly one-sided.


    <i>Click-</i>


    Which was why he had prepared everything for this moment.


    <i>ng!</i>


    A thick barrier sprang up around In-Cheol, blocking the left hand, and spots on the walls opened, revealing weapons that beganunching mounted bombs wildly.


    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>


    Explosions swept through the workshop in the blink of an eye.


    These weren''t just ordinary bombs; they all contained special substances that interfered with the flow of mana and were evenced with poison, lethal even to high-ranked heroes.


    <i>But this won''t be enough to kill him.</i>


    Certain that there was a reason Offering had sent the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter alone, In-Cheol moved while the traps bought him some time and opened the lid of the furnace he had positioned himself in front of.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    An enormous amount of heat burst forth.


    At its center was the fiercely heated Shattered me, which In-Cheol grabbed with his bare hands and pulled out.


    <i>Sizzle!</i>


    Even his body, highly resistant to mes, began to burn instantly due to the sheer heat. Gritting his teeth, he attached the ck hilt he had prepared, the Selective Firewood, to the Shattered me.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The Selective Firewood ignited upon touching the Shattered me, but it didn''t burn up due to the mana contained within it. Seeing that it worked, In-Cheol infused even more mana into his left hand holding the Selective Firewood, pushing the Shattered me deeper into it tobine them.


    Then, the instant the two objects were merged, the mes trying to consume his left hand disappeared.


    The Selective Firewood¡¯s effect protected him from the mes, blocking the heat of the Shattered me.


    <i>¡°Huff... Huff...¡±</i>


    Now able to control the Shattered me, albeit imperfectly, In-Cheol was ready to face the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Due to the heat of the Shattered me, the barrier protecting him from the explosions finally gave up and melted away.


    With the obstruction gone, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter emerged from the thick smoke. His body had been pierced by dozens of pieces of equipment, each one at the Hero tier and filled with powerful curses that were continuously gnawing at him.


    If he were an ordinary hero, he would have already been dead.


    ¡°<i>Haha...</i> you''ve prepared well.¡±


    Even in such a state, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter was able tough as if he were enjoying it. The sight of his grotesque figure made In-Cheol tighten the grip of both of his hands around the Shattered me.


    ¡°It''s time to end this,¡± coolly dered In-Cheol.


    ¡°Ah, yes. It must end.¡±


    Nodding slowly, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter grasped his empty right arm.


    ¡°I''ve already seen all your desperate attempts.¡±


    <i>Drip.</i>


    Starting as a trickle, crimson mes soon poured from his severed shoulder like blood and formed the shape of an arm. And once formed, a long sword emerged from it, one that resembled the Shattered me but held even greater power.


    The sight made In-Cheol¡¯s face pale with dismay.


    <i>That is... no, it can¡¯t be!</i>


    But regardless of what he believed, the battle had yet to end.


    Both men simultaneously swung their me swords at each other, without any sort of cue.


    And a colossal ze, burning brightly like a sun, engulfed both of them.


    In-Cheol wanted to see the result, but his vision was still blurred and showed no signs of returning. He also couldn''t hear anything, perhaps because his eardrums had burst.


    Whatever the reason was, the silence that surrounded him was so profound that he wondered if he had died. But soon, his senses began to return gradually.


    With his sense of touch back, he suddenly felt a sense of weightlessness and his swaying body, as well as the breeze that brushed past. His sight came back next, and his foggy vision slowly cleared, revealing the surroundingndscape.


    <i>A forest...</i>


    He found himself in a mountain behind the workshop.


    Realizing he had been thrown hundreds of meters, he inspected his body. It was a mess; his body had been broken in so many ces that finding an intact spot would be quicker. Blood was also trickling from his mouth, possibly due to the mana backflow from the recent collision.


    And worst of all were his hands, which were still holding the Shattered me. His left hand waspletely charred like a piece of coal, and his right hand was severely burned.


    <i>Is this the end...</i>


    Somehow though, despite his condition, he felt no pain in his body.


    He could tell death¡¯s shadow was approaching, yet instead of fear, he felt worry. In-Cheol fervently hoped that he managed to take down the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter with hisst strike.


    But a rxed voice unweingly echoed from the opposite side, ¡°This is a mess.¡±


    Walking up to In-Cheol leisurely, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter held his me sword and picked up the Shattered me with his other hand. mes sparked from the wounds all over his body, but he gradually healed them.


    Wound by wound, the area around each one melted. He pushed out each piece of equipment piercing him before healing the melted areas afterwards. Realizing the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter hadn¡¯t been capable of such a thing thest time he had met him, In-Cheol connected the dots.


    ¡°You''ve undergone a Specialization Ritual...¡±


    The Specialization Ritual enhanced one¡¯s body using Offering¡¯s own perfect equipment. It was a procedure reserved only forpleted products and those whose abilities were recognized.


    ¡°Yes. After restoring the core you failed to recover, I imnted it into my body.¡±


    The core of the Shattered me, which In-Cheol had left behind back then, had revived thanks to the power of the Vermillion Bird and the Sacred Fire Furnace. And it was now inside of the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter, giving him both the regenerative abilities of the Vermillion Bird and firepowerparable to the strength of the Shattered me.


    ¡°Finally, we are reunited...¡±


    Tenderly gazing at the Shattered me in his hand, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter''s expression was filled with joy. His daughter''s soul was used as the base toplete the vessel, so by merging it with the core imnted in his body, he couldplete the perfect equipment and reunite with his daughter again.


    He had long awaited such a moment.


    ¡°Don''t... do it...¡± In-Cheol¡¯s squeezed out, interrupting the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter¡¯s joy. He then barely managed to continue and say, ¡°if youbine them... your daughter''s soul will forever be trapped inside.... Do you really want that to¡ª¡±


    Unable to finish, In-Cheol was flung through dozens of trees and mmed against a massive rock by the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter¡¯s kick.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    Blood gushed from In-Cheol¡¯s mouth and his vision blurred.


    As he tried to catch his breath, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter approached and grabbed his hair, forcibly lifting his head.


    ¡°How dare you lecture me, you filthy traitor?! What? My daughter will be trapped inside?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°My daughter has dedicated her soul and body to the perfect equipment and went to paradise first. She has achieved what her mother couldn''t at such a young age.¡±


    zing with furry, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter abandoned his previously calm demeanor, revealing his repressed anger and disgust. He couldn¡¯t ept that In-Cheol had dared to insult his daughter.


    ¡°Do you, a hypocrite who betrayed yourrades and hid your past, think you have the right to speak so highly?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Answer me, Number Twelve, no, Kim In-Cheol.¡±


    Steeling his waning consciousness, In-Cheol fulfilled the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter''s demand.


    ¡°I... once believed it was eptable to use human souls as materials if they were willing to.... They all sincerely strove to create the perfect equipment... as did I.¡±


    Back then, In-Cheol would have also dly sacrificed himself if his turn came. He had joined Offering with such resolve from the beginning anyway.


    ¡°But... as time passed, the rituals, once performed only with volunteers, changed.... Instead of volunteers... we started selecting who the materials should be... and then persuaded them...¡±


    He had believed that the new way of acquiring the materials for Offering Rituals might work if done properly, but...


    ¡°Were they really <i>persuaded</i>? And if the inside of pieces of perfect equipment really is paradise... then what is it like in the failed ones?¡±


    If the materials were volunteering themselves, knowing that they could be trapped in hell for eternity, he wouldn''t stop them. But since the whole process was no longer transparent, he felt as though Offering was surelymitting unforgivable sins.


    ¡°Materials sourced from all over the world... children taken from orphanages and slums... do you really think Offering... never intervened at all?¡±


    Could it really just be a coincidence that the souls most suitable to use as materials all just happened to be orphans and the impoverished that could easily fall into their hands?


    Once he started to have those doubts, they continued to grow endlessly, cracking In-Cheol¡¯s belief in Offering little by little before it waspletely shattered by the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°Your daughter was <i>terrified </i>of the Offering Ritual... yet she hid her fear because she wanted you to be happy.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Did you really not know? If you truly thought of her as your daughter... you couldn''t have possibly not known¡ª<i>urgh.</i>¡±


    Stopping In-Cheol from finishing his sentence, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter pieced In-Cheol¡¯s thigh with his me sword.


    <i>Sizzle!</i>


    The de melted his bones and muscles, burning his nerves. The faint sense of pain remaining went wild, sparking his blurry vision back to rity and revealing the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter¡¯s face.


    ¡°Your sophistry is long-winded. It''s despicable how you twist things to suit yourself.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°My daughter was scared... so be it. If you insist on believing that, then I''ll show you myself.¡±


    Pulling out the me sword from In-Cheol¡¯s thigh, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter then pulled out one of the remaining weapons lodged in his own body, a short spear, and stabbed it into In-Cheol¡¯s shoulder.


    <i>Shank!</i>


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>!¡±


    The spear pierced through his body and embedded itself deeply into the rock behind him, pinning him in ce. Then, with a twisted smile, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter stepped back.


    ¡°Watch closely.¡±


    Gripping the Shattered me with his me-wreathed right hand, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter infused it with the power from its core.


    <i>Voom!</i>


    mes surged into the cracks covering the Shattered me, mending the de until it became a vermilion-colored sword. There was now a red crystal orb, with mes coiling around it, glowing ominously where the guard should be, connecting the handle and de seamlessly.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Just like that, the only missing Five Element Equipment, the Fire Heaven Greatsword, waspleted after decades.


    As its power radiated in all directions, a voice¡ªno, a scream resounded in the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter¡¯s ears.


    <i>¡°Aaaaah-¡±</i>


    He immediately recognized the voice as his daughter, an unforgettable memory that had sustained him to this day. Overwhelmed with joy, tears welled up in the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Yes... I won¡¯t lose you again... I won¡¯t send you away anywhere...¡±


    He could clearly feel the soul within the Fire Heaven Greatsword, and the sense of unity with it made him feel as though he was finally rewarded for the countless years he had endured.


    <i>¡°Aaaaaaagh¡ª!¡±</i>


    In-Cheol, on the other hand, was consumed by unending despair.


    From the zing sword, the screams of hundreds of thousands of souls used to create it and its core erupted. They burned like kindling, creating powerful mes.


    It was a horrific sound that made In-Cheol groan in despair.


    <i>So... this is how it ends.</i>


    Was he about to fail to achieve his goal of liberating the enchained souls? Defeated by an overwhelming sense of helplessness, In-Cheol stared at the sword despondently.


    <i>Vrooom-</i>


    Coming from out of nowhere, a massive red motorcycle cut through the forest and crashed into the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter.


    <i>Thud!!</i>


    Upon contact, silver wires shot out from the motorcycle and tightly bound the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter. Then, it sped forward into the distance while grinding him against the ground.


    And momentster, when it had gone a considerable distance¡ª


    <i>Kaboom!!!</i>


    In-Cheol stared in stunned silence. In the blink of an eye, his beloved bike, which he had modified over many years, suddenly crashed into the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter and dragged him away before catastrophically exploding.


    <i>Why is my motorcycle...</i>


    He couldn¡¯t fathom what had just happened.


    <i>¡°Phew.¡±</i>


    Meanwhile, the destroyer of his bike had finally managed to stand up after a forcefulnding.


    Se-Hoon grinned at In-Cheol.


    ¡°Your savior has arrived!¡±

 Chapter 139

    <h4>Chapter 139</h4>


    ¡°What are you...¡±


    In-Cheol couldn''t find the words; he could only stare at Se-Hoon. The joy of someoneing to save a person like him and fear for the future of an unrted person who he had dragged inbined and swirled within him. The resulting feeling was indescribable, but that wasn¡¯t what was important right now.


    He forced his lips to move and shouted, ¡°Run away now! He''s not someone who would die from an explosion like that!¡±


    ¡°Of course he wouldn¡¯t. I know that too,¡± coolly responded Se-Hoon.


    He then walked over to In-Cheol and grabbed the spear that had pierced In-Cheol''s shoulder before pulling it out in one swift motion.


    <i>Ssh!</i>


    With the plug gone, blood began gushing out from the gaping wound. But Se-Hoon had expected such a thing so he immediately administered first aid by using the Harmonite.


    <i>Swish!</i>


    Silver threads shot out of his hand and prated In-Cheol''s mangled body. They then began to align his broken bones, stitch the torn muscles, and reconnect his mana circuits.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    To In-Cheol, it felt like he was receiving surgery without any anesthesia; it felt like his entire body was being turned inside out, making him tremble from the excruciating pain. Yet Se-Hoon just continued the treatment without blinking an eye.


    A momentter, when he had mended In-Cheol enough to keep him from dying, he poured a potion he took out from his void pocket over him.


    <i>Sizzle!</i>


    ¡°...!¡±


    The potion worked wonders. Though In-Cheol was trembling uncontrobly, unable to even scream, his body was bubbling and mending at an incredible speed.


    It worked so well that Se-Hoon became interested.


    <i>Maybe it''s because I''ve seen his memories before.</i>


    Perhaps thanks to the memories he had glimpsed through the Phantasmal Spyde, where he got to experience In-Cheol''s physical and mental state firsthand, he could use Harmonite to heal In-Cheol better than expected.


    <i>Well, that¡¯s one thing down...</i>


    Done with In-Cheol''s emergency treatment, Se-Hoon promptly looked toward the direction the motorcycle had gone.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Over there, a pir of fire was soaring into the sky and burning the surrounding forest.


    It seemed the opponent hadn¡¯t liked what he had done on the way here, which was modifying the structure of the motorcycle with Harmonite to make it more usable for offensive measures.


    <i>Creak- Crack-</i>


    The sounding from beneath the wreckage was chilling. After all, it was the sound of the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter¡¯s body, tattered by the explosion, was rapidly regenerating.


    ¡°Professor.¡±


    ¡°What...¡±


    Noticing that In-Cheol looked even more exhausted than before he was treated, Se-Hoon made an awkward smile and got to the point, ¡°I''ll need your help.¡±


    ¡°...Even if I tell you to run, you won''t, right?¡±


    ¡°Right... and it''s already toote for that.¡±


    With the motorcycle destroyed, running away from someone stronger wasn¡¯t a choice in the first ce.


    Making a wry smile at Se-Hoon¡¯s reply, In-Cheol forced his weakened body to rise.


    <i>Drip-</i>


    Even that slight movement had caused blood to ooze out from his half-healed wounds. His body was currently so fragile that it would tear at the slightest touch.


    But it didn¡¯t deter In-Cheol. Enduring the tremendous pain and fear of death, In-Cheol steadied his breath.


    ¡°What do you need me to do?¡±


    Taking off the ming Scabbard with the Five-me Sword sheathed within it from his waist, Se-Hoon handed it to In-Cheol.


    ¡°I want you to heat this up as much as you can.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Though In-Cheol didn¡¯t understand why Se-Hoon would want to heat equipment that wasn¡¯t even Hero tier, he just nodded instead of asking further.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°I''ll leave it to you then.¡±


    Having handed off the preliminary work to In-Cheol, Se-Hoon began preparing for the imminent battle.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    From his void pocket, Se-Hoon took out the de of the crescent moon ive used by the assassin who previously attacked Sung-Ha and the level two Fatestone extracted from Lea.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ''Iron Desire'' has been activated.]</strong>


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The effect of Iron Desire caused the two materials to melt and permeate his body, energizing his blood. When the de of a weapon that was originally Hero tier wasbined with the Explosive Fusionite from Lea, which amplified the potential of materials to the limit, it created an enormous synergistic effect.


    <i>Voom!</i>


    The taste of the de surged explosively throughout his body. It energized his blood, making it course wildly through his veins, and turned his hair tips a vivid crimson.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    Unlike before, he no longer looked like he had used a mere enhancement skill; his appearance right now would make anyone think he had activated Soul Furnace. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just his hair; his eyes had also started to gleam with heat, indicating the manifestation of the second stage of Soul Furnace, Crimson Eye.


    <i>So this is what she meant by the second stage being different...</i>


    Compared to the previous stage which only boosted his physical strength, the second stage heightened all senses, allowing him to acutely perceive his surroundings.


    He immediately put his new senses to use and spread them out in all directions, allowing him to notice that the enemy had started to rise from beneath the wreckage of the motorcycle.


    Taking out his weapon, the Forgefire Hammer, Se-Hoon walked forward to meet his enemy.


    And the moment his eyes locked with the enemy, who was shrouded in mes¡ª


    <i>Booom!</i>


    The fire exploded, and the enemy instantly closed the distance, swinging the de of the Fire Heaven Greatsword swiftly toward his neck.


    The enemy¡¯s physique, seemingly strengthened after regenerating, was at the peak of A-rank, and his weapon was nearly Legendary tier. In contrast, Se-Hoon was barely an A-rank with his enhancement that was running on a time limit.


    Even he himself was sure that a direct confrontation, like the de swinging at him right now, would result in hisplete defeat, but then he had a certain feeling.


    <i>I can see it.</i>


    His sharply heightened senses told him that he could bridge the chasm.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The Forgefire Hammer shed with the Fire Heaven Greatsword.


    Normally, the hammer would have been shattered by the impact, but instead, the enemy''s de bounced off.


    To the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter, it was humiliating. Enraged by the unexpected oue, he roared.


    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>


    Despite wildly swinging the Fire Heaven Greatsword at Se-Hoon repeatedly, Se-Hoon was able to skillfully deflect it each time, along with the reckless punches and kicks that followed each one.


    It looked like Se-Hoon was sparring with a tantrum-throwing child.


    It was a sight that made In-Cheol, who was heating the Five-me Sword, expand his eyes in sheer disbelief.


    <i>What on earth is going on...?</i>


    He had noticed that Se-Hoon had enhanced his physical abilities earlier, but to see him so easily handle, perhaps even dominate, the one-on-one duel with the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter was unbelievable.


    It wasn¡¯t long before In-Cheol came to realize how Se-Hoon was dominating the seemingly impossible battle.


    <i>Has he lost his sanity?</i>


    The Fire Sword cksmith Hunter seemed to have lost all his finesse and was just roaring and attacking wildly. It seemed that forcibly grafting the power of the Vermillion Bird into his body had broken the delicate bnce the Specialization Ritual was maintaining. In the first ce, the Specialization Ritual was supposed to finely adjust one¡¯s body to a single piece of equipment over a <i>long </i>period, so the recent events seemed to have made him merge with the Fire Heaven Greatsword instead of adjusting to it.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Now driven by rage and power, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter was unable to use his decades-honed skills and just recklessly swung his sword. However, while they were clumsy, his attacks were still extremely deadly, forcing Se-Hoon to stay hyper-aware.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Changing his tactics, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter stomped on the ground, sending a surge of power through his body which he then channeled into the sword.


    Thankfully, Se-Hoon¡¯s heightened senses allowed him to clearly perceive the flow of power and counter it with an opposing flow.


    <strong><i>Mortal Combat Techniques: Mirror Strike</i></strong>


    <i>ng!</i>


    The perfectly mirrored counterflow neutralized the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter¡¯s force perfectly. Yet, before Se-Hoon could savor his sess, the enemy roared and began swinging his sword even more frantically.


    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>


    Like before, Se-Hoon managed to parry all the following attacks, but it wasn''t without strain. Each sh made Se-Hoon¡¯s hands feel like they were being torn apart, and dodging the punches and kicks left his body aching like he hadn¡¯t dodged them in the first ce.


    <i>Damn it, he¡¯s too strong...!</i>


    He had managed to ovee the disparity in power with Iron Desire, but it was only a stopgap. It would never end because of the regenerative power of the Vermilion Bird which the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter now possessed.


    If he didn¡¯t deal with it, then even if he targeted the gaps in the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter¡¯s defenses to break his wrists and joints, mes would just fiercely re up and regenerate them as if nothing had happened.


    <i>At this rate, even if I try to behead him, he''ll finish regenerating before I manage to cut all the way through.</i>


    Additionally, any clumsy attack would only result in his weapon being caught and smashed to pieces.


    For Se-Hoon, who needed to conclude the fight while the effects of Iron Desire were active, it was the worst possible matchup.


    <i>ng!</i>


    However, he remained calm. Very methodically, Se-Hoon calmly struck the Fire Heaven Greatsword with his hammer, continuously aiming for the slightly visible cracks in the crimson de.


    <i>Just a bit more...</i>


    He relentlessly hammered at the Fire Heaven Greatsword, focusing on the cracks in the de as if trying to forge it anew.


    Then, just as he felt the heat swirling around his eyes begin to dissipate¡ª


    <i>Crack-</i>


    Arge crack appeared on the de of the Fire Heaven Greatsword¡ªthe moment he had been waiting for had arrived.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Acting immediately, Se-Hoon stepped forward, crossed his arms, and drew power from his legs.


    Sparing him not a single moment, the Fire Heaven Greatsword descended with the intent to split Se-Hoon¡¯s skull.


    It took only a nce for Se-Hoon to realize that the Forgefire Hammer alone wouldn¡¯t be able to counter it this time, so he quickly forged a sharper, stronger weapon within his body.


    <strong><i>Celestial Infinity de: White Light</i></strong>


    A surge of white sword aura erupted from the foot he stepped forward with, coursing through his entire body and into one of his hands. With his arms crossed, Se-Hoon then swung the de infused with sword aura jetting out his hand and then the Forgefire Hammer with all his might.


    <i>ng!</i>


    urately piercing the crack, the de of White Light was then driven deeper by the impact of the Forgefire Hammer striking after it. Together, they were able to precisely reach the weak point of the Fire Heaven Greatsword¡ªthe weapon and source of the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter¡¯s power¡ªits core.


    ¡°Impressive.¡±


    The Fire Sword cksmith Hunter¡¯s eyes focused sharply on Se-Hoon.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    And the Fire Heaven Greatsword, which should have shattered, dispersed like mes.


    Now empty, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter thrust his hand forward¡ª<i>Thunk!¡ª</i>piercing Se-Hoon¡¯s chest with a crimson de that extended out of it.


    Se-Hoon¡¯s breath caught in his throat, his hands trembling, no longer able to hold his weapons.


    <i>Thud-</i>


    With no means to attack left, Se-Hoon grasped the de impaling his chest with his right hand in ast-ditch effort.


    <i>Sizzle!</i>


    Smoke rose the moment he touched the de.


    Watching his futile struggle, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter quietly said, ¡°Your technique and response were perfect. But your one and only mistake was assuming I wouldn¡¯t be able to easily break out of a berserk state.¡±


    <i>¡°Haa... haa...¡±</i>


    ¡°With people like me, who live and die for battle, getting hit or intensely fighting only brings more rity to our minds.¡±


    If Se-Hoon had chosen to flee instead of fight, he might have escaped by chance. It could have meant others would be targeted and killed, but dying in their ce also seemed meaningless.


    <i>I was told to capture him alive if possible... but, maybe it¡¯s better if I kill him.</i>


    Without his regenerative ability from the Vermillion Bird or the Fire Heaven Greatsword, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter acknowledged that he wouldn''t have won so easily.


    He nced back at In-Cheol. How would a master feel, watching their world-renowned prodigy die trying to save them?


    <i>I will never let you die easily.</i>


    For twenty long years, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter had suffered, growing his vengeance until it consumed him. Determined, he red at In-Cheol; however, what he saw was not fear but a look of curiosity on In-Cheol¡¯s face.


    Such a reaction waspletely unexpected, giving the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter a strange sense of unease.


    <strong>¡°Space Distortion.¡±</strong>


    Taking advantage of the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter¡¯s moment of distraction, Se-Hoon twisted space with the power of the Ascension Ring while gripping the Fire Heaven Greatsword with his right hand.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Sensing the spacial waves, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter instinctively kicked Se-Hoon away.


    <i>Crash!!!</i>


    Unable to resist, Se-Hoon was sent flying, smashing through every tree in his way. Then, instead of checking if he was dead, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter looked at the Fire Heaven Greatsword.


    ¡°What the...?¡±


    A massive crack had spread across the de. The power of the Ascension Ring hadpletely twisted and damaged the sword¡¯s core.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Now damaged, mes began to uncontrobly pour out of the cracks, causing the mes in his body to also begin to distort. The Fire cksmith Hunter straightaway began to try and control the fire, sensing the danger he was now in.


    <i>Voom!</i>


    However, the more he tried, the more violently the mes raged, scattering their power into the air. It was as if the souls trapped within were actively trying to escape.


    ¡°Why... why are you all trying to escape...!¡±


    Weren¡¯t they in the very paradise that they had wanted and dreamed of?


    With bloodshot eyes, all he could do was watch the traitors try to escape the sword. He gritted his teeth, again attempting to contain the chaos.


    <i>This won¡¯t do... this won¡¯t do...</i>


    Knowing that the Specialization Ritual he had undergone was partially iplete in the first ce, if his body twisted any further he would likely end up aplete mess.


    Such a thing was absolutely uneptable to him. Even if the ns failed or the Fire Heaven Greatsword ended up in the enemy''s hands, he refused to allow such a thing to happen. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to prove that his daughter''s soul had been used meaningfully.


    <i>I need to reinforce the broken vessel. For that...</i>


    He needed another soul with the right aptitude.


    He rapidly turned his head to look where Se-Hoon had been flung. If it was him, a promising candidate noted by even the heads of Offering, he would undoubtedly be more than sufficient to reinforce the vessel.


    And the moment he reached that conclusion, he started sprinting.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    mes spread indiscriminately from his unstable body, engulfing the surrounding trees and setting the entire forest aze. In desperation, he moved through the rapidly spreading mes until he finally found Se-Hoon.


    ¡°He almost died...¡±


    Standing still against a tree, Se-Hoon was covered in blood. His chest, which should have been pierced by the Fire Heaven Greatsword, was still intact, with faint purple mes flickering around him; only the torn shirt he wore showed he had been pierced.


    Figuring out that he had been tricked, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter¡¯s eyes grew wide.


    Seeing that reaction Se-Hoon sneered and said, ¡°Your technique and response weren''t bad... but your mistake was naively believing I¡¯d fall for your trick.¡±


    When the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter regained his sanity, Se-Hoon had actually noticed immediately. The Fire Sword cksmith Hunter had thought he had hidden it well, but he was unable to hide the subtle signs of consciousness in his movements when attacks were aimed at his vital spots from Se-Hoon¡¯s enhanced senses. It was quite clear whenpared to his starkck of reaction at the start of the battle.


    <i>Your decades of honed skills became a hindrance.</i>


    From then on, Se-Hoon baited the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter into targeting his heart and then used the Dream Storage to evade the attack at thest moment. When the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter rxed just a bit, he took the chance to use the Ascension Ring topletely shatter the core of the Fire Heaven Greatsword, the vessel containing his power.


    ¡°...I see. It seems I¡¯ve made a mistake.¡±


    Suppressing his rising anger, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter made a proposition, ¡°So, out of respect for your skills, how about weplete this perfect equipment together.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If webine my daughter''s soul with yours, this perfect equipment could potentially reach the Mythic tier!¡±


    He was desperate to persuade Se-Hoon. Surelypleting a Mythic-tier equipment, an achievement every cksmith dreamed of reaching at least once in their life, would convin¡ª


    ¡°Why the fuck would anyone want to do that?¡±


    ¡°Of course...¡±


    ¡°Hey, do you think your dead daughter and the other souls desperately trying to escape that thing actually want that?¡±


    Hearing Se-Hoon''s pointed question, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter looked at the wildly ring Fire Heaven Greatsword in a trance.


    There, in the zing mes, he was faintly able to see faces twisted in agony. His eyes then wavered and he gritted his teeth.


    ¡°No... that can¡¯t be! Inside the perfect equipment is paradise...!¡±


    <i>¡°A-¡±</i>


    A very familiar voice reached his ears and hepletely froze with a shudder.


    ¡°Prin-princess...?¡±


    Did she have something to say to him?


    But all he could hear were weak murmurs after the faint voice, the words were too garbled to understand. The Fire Sword cksmith strained even harder to listen.


    <i>¡°It hurts.¡±</i>


    For the first time, a daughter¡¯s weak cry was able to reach her father''s ears.


    <strong>¡°AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±</strong>


    A beast-like roar of anguish erupted from him.


    As his sanity crumbled, the repressed power of the Fire Heaven Greatsword surged wildly in all directions. It seemed ready to explode at any second, threatening to engulf the entire forest in mes.


    <i>At this rate... this entire area will be obliterated.</i>


    It would be a disaster that resulted in the loss of countless lives, including his and In-Cheol¡¯s since the nearby regions were residential areas. There was no chance of a proper evacuation.


    Se-Hoon reached out to In-Cheol.


    ¡°Hand me the sword now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    In-Cheol nkly stared at the Five-me Sword which he had been heating with all his might until now. He had tried his best, yet it was still nothingpared to the Fire Heaven Greatsword. What could Se-Hoon possibly do with such a feeble weapon?


    <i>What if I use my soul to repair or distort the Fire Heaven Greatsword instead...</i>


    Perhaps he could at least save Se-Hoon.


    Determined, In-Cheol moved to achieve that faint hope, but a kick to his chin knocked him down.


    ¡°I told you to give me the sword, not think such useless thoughts... <i>tsk</i>.¡±


    Annoyed, Se-Hoon took the Five-me Sword from the fallen In-Cheol and looked ahead.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Facing the mes that wanted to engulf the entire world, the mes of his Five-me Sword seemed puny. It seemed utterly impossible to win against such odds.


    With seemingly no hope, Se-Hoon recalled an old teaching from his master.


    <i>¡°Forget about a clean workshop, top-quality materials, and ample time. That¡¯s all nonsense.¡±</i>


    A workshop could be destroyed at any time, needed materials were always out of reach, and a cksmith¡¯s time was always limited. So what should a cksmith devote themselves to and hone?


    To demonstrate the answer he heard from his master countless times, Se-Hoon unhesitantly stabbed the Five-me Sword into his heart.


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    The heated de pierced his heart and protruded out his back. Experiencing the bizarre and thrilling sensation for the first time since he regressed, he summoned the skill hidden within his blood, ignited by the burning heat.


    <strong><i>Soul Honing: Demonic Blood Art</i></strong>


    <i>Crunch- Crack-</i>


    His blood consumed the Five-me Sword, and soon, the form of the weapon engraved within his soul was recreated. Using his spirit and body as a forge and container, the weapon in his mind unfolded in his hands.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    A sword began to be forged inside his heart. The de, charred like ckened coal and cracked all over, branched out and resembled a seven-branched sword that looked withered and unremarkable.


    Grasping the bizarre Demon Sword, he slowly pulled it out and extended it to release its mes.


    <i>Drip-</i>


    Starting off as a trickle, the fiery blood of Demon Sword became a raging stream and spread throughout the burning forest. Like an apex predator, the blood-red mes began to devour the mes of the Fire Heaven Greatsword.


    At the eerie sight, the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter stopped wailing with a shudder and looked at Se-Hoon.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Standing with the zing forest to his back, Se-Hoon grasped the eerie sword and stared at him. The hateful yet terrifying sight restored the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter¡¯s sanity.


    Burning the entirety of his remaining strength, he charged at Se-Hoon. His body crumbled before transforming into a massive ze along with the Fire Heaven Greatsword.


    Se-Hoon swung the Demon Sword in his hand.


    <strong><i>Soul Weapon: Starfire ze</i></strong>


    The blood-red mes devoured everything in sight.

 Chapter 140

    <h4>Chapter 140</h4>


    <i>Crackle-</i>


    The charred, ckened forest crumbled powerlessly into ashes, mingling with the acrid smoke that filled the air. Starfire ze had scorched thend and consumed even the mes of the Fire Heaven Greatsword, leaving everything in ruin.


    Se-Hoon exhaled slowly.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    It was the first time he had used Demonic Blood Art during this timeline. He hadn¡¯t fully developed Soul Honing yet, but he had managed to execute it forcefully. What was fortunate was that its power wasn''t too bad.


    <i>About seventy percent of what it was before the regression huh.... Master would throw a fit if she heard about this.</i>


    The most crucial aspect of the Demonic Blood Art was unleashing the stored power of the weaponpletely, anytime and anywhere. Yet he wasn¡¯t able to unleash thirty percent of that power; if it was before the regression, his master would have criticized him harshly for days.


    <i>I was in quite a tight spot back there...</i>


    The only reason Se-Hoon was able to defeat the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter who was armed with the Fire Heaven Greatsword was that the mes of Starfire ze, a weapon created by the Demonic Blood Art, were of a higher level than the mes of the Fire Heaven Greatsword.


    In terms of everything else, he was at a disadvantage. If both the Fire Heaven Greatsword and the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter had been in perfect condition, his neck would have been cut off long before he even got the chance to draw Starfire de.


    <i>I still have a long way to go.</i>


    Even if the weapon worked, it was meaningless if he couldn¡¯t swing it.


    Taking a moment, Se-Hoon reflected on his shorings. And it was during that moment when a giant crack spread across Starfire ze, extinguishing its me.


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> Looks like it reached its limit.¡±


    The Soul Weapon created by the Demonic Blood Art was merely a reproduction of the weapon imprinted on Se-Hoon''s soul. So when its power was exhausted, all that remained was the empty shell of the weapon.


    As he gazed at Starfire ze, which was now basically charcoal, he suddenly remembered something.


    <i>Come to think of it, wasn''t Puppeteer¡¯s Surtur used to make this thing? </i>


    Looking at the charred ck Fire Heaven Greatsword, which had been used to make Puppeteer¡¯s automaton whose fragments wereter used to create Starfire ze, Se-Hoon sighed.


    The Fire Heaven Greatsword was so burned that both the vessel and the core were unusable.


    <i>It¡¯s basically worthless now...</i>


    Shaking off his disappointment, Se-Hoon turned to check on In-Cheol¡¯s condition.


    In-Cheol, having been knocked out by a blow to his chin,y limp on the ground. Luckily, he didn¡¯t seem to have been burned by the mes, but the wounds he had sustained earlier still looked pretty serious.


    <i>He won¡¯t be able to hold a hammer anymore....</i>


    His left hand''s mana circuits had almost beenpletely destroyed, making it impossible to contain any mana, and his right hand showed signs of mana impairment. His life as a cksmith was practically over.


    Se-Hoon shook his head at In-Cheol¡¯s pitiful state.


    <i>I¡¯ll think about himter.</i>


    For now, getting out of their current situation was the priority.


    He kneeled down to try and support In-Cheol, but then he immediately stood back up upon noticing shadows emerging from the charred forest. Recognizing that they had the same faint presence as the ones he felt while helping Sung-Ha, Se-Hoon sighed.


    ¡°You idiots really didn¡¯t get the hint, did you...¡±


    There should have been a clean end to the fight, but they just had to ruin it. Suppressing his rising irritation, Se-Hoon assessed his situation.


    The Iron Desire¡¯s enhancements of his physical abilities were over, and Starfire ze¡¯s me had gone out. All he had left were his depleted mana and a body on the brink of copse.


    <i>Trying to use the Demonic Blood Art again would be a bit risky...</i>


    Given his current state, using the Demonic Blood Art without the help of a Bond Imprint had a high chance of failure, meaning it was dangerous. Yet, he was currently surrounded by shadows, so he had to make a decision.


    <i>Well, it¡¯s probably still better than being dragged away after going through all this.</i>


    Resolving himself to endure some more injuries, he began to move his blood to use the Demonic Blood Art once more.


    <i>Squelch-</i>


    But that caused blood to gush out of the wound on his chest.


    ¡°...?¡±


    The wound through his heart, which should have beenpletely healed by Soul Honing, had somehow reopened. It was so surprising that Se-Hoon looked down and forgot about the enemies around him.


    <i>What...?</i>


    He had double-checked that there was no difference in the process of activating Soul Honingpared to before the regression. Hence, there was only one exnation for the current situation.


    <i>Something changed.</i>


    There had to be something different about his body and soul. Unfortunately, the realization came toote and the bacsh from the Demonic Blood Art began manifesting.


    <i>Drip-</i>


    Tears of blood trickled down his eyes, tinting his vision red, and something sticky surged up his throat.


    ¡°<i>Blurgh...!</i>¡±


    Unable to control his body, he spewed out ck blood from his mouth. Clutching the wound on his chest, he staggered.


    ¡°Goddammit...¡±


    Before long, he lost consciousness and fell forward.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Seeing Se-Hoon copse to the ground, the shadows encircling him¡ªTuner¡¯s assassins¡ªexchanged nces. They had realized while watching his battle with the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter that Se-Hoon was an extremely meticulous being.


    ¡°We should sever his limbs before approaching him.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    To get rid of any variables, one of the assassins spun a wide, square de attached to a chain a few times and hurled it at Se-Hoon''s arm.


    <i>Slice-</i>


    But it was never able to reach its target. A golden sword aura had shot out from the burnt forest and bisected both the de and the assassin.


    The attack was so sudden that the assassin''s body fell to the ground before his mind even realized he was dead. But the remaining assassins had; they all turned to the assant, startled.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    A woman with golden hair was holding Starfire ze in her hand, examining it closely. The assassins froze, unsure of how she had gotten there so suddenly and quietly.


    ¡°She¡¯s dangerous...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already within her range.¡±


    They were a few dozen meters from her, yet she didn''t even nce at them, as if they were insignificant to her. The assassins could feel it; they would be instantly cut down if they made any move, so they stood absolutely still and just watched her.


    Meanwhile, the woman¡ªAria Myers¡ªcontinued to inspect Starfire ze with a look of fascination.


    ¡°How intriguing...¡±


    She hadn¡¯t seen the entire battle, but the scene around her alone made it clear that Se-Hoon had used the sword in her hand to defeat the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter. However, given that he hade out victorious, the quality of the sword was surprisingly poor and the materials that he seemed to have used were particrly odd.


    <i>Even if the power within has been drained, there should be some traces left... yet there¡¯s nothing.</i>


    If the value of the materials used to create Starfire ze was set at one, a typical cksmith would produce something worth one hundred. To her though, she thought Se-Hoon had created something worth ten or even a hundred times more than that.


    ¡°...¡±


    The sword defied any sense of logic she knew in the world.


    Captivated, Aria stared at the hollow shell of Starfire ze for a long while. Eventually, she turned her head.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    And the moment she did, the assassins all gritted their teeth and charged together. In unison, the ampoules hidden in their teeth shattered, causing their bodies to grotesquely swell and their eyes to lose all reason.


    This was theirst desperate struggle.


    Still gazing at them, Aria lightly swung Starfire ze horizontally.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    A golden light cleaved everything before her in half. Whether it was the charging assassins or the surrounding trees, everything in the path of her sword was split.


    She looked at Starfire ze in her hand once more.


    <i>Crackle-</i>


    Due to her sh, it shatteredpletely into ash and scattered. She had expected such an oue, knowing it was only a shell to begin with, but she continued to stare at her palm, entranced, even after the sword had vanished.


    <i>That sensation just now...</i>


    For a very brief moment, almost an instant, the hollow sword felt like a part of her. She knew the faint sensation would barely register an assimtion rate of one percent, but it stood out so sharply because she had never felt anything like it before.


    ¡°...¡±


    Gazing at her hand for a moment longer, she finally brushed the ashes from her hand and approached the fallen Se-Hoon, squatting down to look at him with her hands on her chin. His twisted face, bloodied from the reason behind his sudden copse, looked pitiful.


    After staring at him for a brief moment, she made an intrigued smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely worth keeping an eye on.¡±


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Aria Myers¡¯.]</strong>


    ***


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    A strange gust of wind howled over the North Pacific Ocean.


    Standing above it in midair, Ludwig surveyed his surroundings again at the sound of the fierce gale.


    <i>Roar!</i>


    Huge scars marred the ocean, creating an endless cascade of water that formed massive waterfalls. Gazing down at the surreal scenery, Ludwig made a troubled expression.


    ¡°Maybe I went a bit too far...¡±


    He had intended to gently hold them back, but when they went out of their way and attempted to kill him, he responded a bit too seriously.


    As Ludwig awkwardly looked at the changed scenery, a mocking voice echoed from the white hole beside him, <i>¡°Here you are, talking so calmly after twisting the Earth''s axis of rotation. I wonder if others will be the same way.¡±</i>


    ¡°I restored it immediately, so it should be fine.¡±


    <i>¡°Fine, you say. Well, maybe soon¡ª¡±</i>


    <i>Vrrr-</i>


    A vibration from Ludwig¡¯s pocket cut off the voice before it could finish. Pulling out his phone, Ludwig read the iing message.


    <i>Karl Anderson: Fix it quickly.</i>


    Seeing that Karl Andersen, his fellow Perfect One and the founder of the Pilgrimage Church, sent the message himself, Ludwig chuckled wryly.


    ¡°Seems like I <i>did </i>go a bit overboard.¡±


    If Karl, who protected the entire world with his barrier, the Pilgrimage Path, was urging him, the impact must have been substantial. Ludwig looked up again at the ravaged ocean and lightly waved his hand.


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    The deep scars through the ocean and the distortions in space vanished without a trace, restoring the North Pacific Ocean to its original state. However, the remnants of his power still caused the ocean to rage wildly.


    So, Ludwig stretched out his hands and gently pressed them down.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    In an instant, the water calmed down, and he soon saw a tranquil blue ocean spread out before him like nothing had ever happened to it. Still, some aftereffects of the battle remained, which might result in tsunamis at some coasts, but Ludwig was sure the Heroes Association could handle those.


    ¡°Now, as for the rest...¡±


    Having restored order to the, Ludwig turned his body and his surroundings naturally shifted back to a few hundred feet above Babel.


    Now back, Ludwig surveyed his garden and zeroed in on Borsippa being the center of all themotion. He then spread his mana throughout all of Babel in an instant to assess the situation.


    <i>The damage is... less than expected.</i>


    If the Vermillion Bird¡¯s barrier, Vermillion Sky, had been fully deployed, several areas in Babel would have been reduced to ashes. He deduced that thanks to the barrier not being properly deployed initially and Sung-Ha, who had continuously weakened the effect by toppling the red pirs, many of the areas had only experienced small fires.


    <i>And they also captured the Vermillion Bird alive...</i>


    ncing at Luize, who was pacing nervously, Ludwig then confirmed that the Vermillion Bird was securely bound.


    He then looked at the other side of Babel.


    There, he saw Se-Hoon being carried to the hospital ward in Aria¡¯s arms. Concerned about the severity of his injuries, Ludwig checked and found that, despite being covered in blood, Se-Hoon was rtively unharmed.


    <i>Hmm... there¡¯s something peculiar about his injuries.</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s wounds didn¡¯t seem to be typical battle injuries. His interest piqued, Ludwig observed the wounds more closely. It was at that moment that Aria, who was running along the road, nced briefly in his direction.


    ¡°<i>...Oh</i>.¡±


    She quickly averted her gaze, but Ludwig knew that she had noticed his presence.


    <i>¡°With that level of talent, she might climb a Tower of Heroes before that Iron Lump.¡±</i>


    The voice within the white hole surprisingly praised Aria''s talents,paring her to Eun-Ha.


    Ludwig nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed, if things continue this way. But Dean Ryu has been changing a lot recently too, so we don¡¯t know yet.¡±


    <i>¡°Perhaps. But more importantly, someone over there is ying tricks.¡±</i>


    Ludwig turned his gaze toward the Askus, where the two they had been watching just now were heading. The hospital was chaotic, with medical personnel rushing out to the site after hearing about the incident at Borsippa.


    Yet one room remained calm andposed.


    ¡°So then... oh, dear. They''ve already returned,¡± muttered Howard, who had been conversing with someone while seated in a chair.


    He looked at Lea, who seemed to be tightly bound to the bed, unable to move.


    ¡°You should think about it carefully,¡± he advised before standing up and opening the window of the room. He then climbed onto the windowsill, looked up at the sky where Ludwig was standing, and raised his middle finger.


    Then, with all his might, he threw himself out of the window.


    ¡°What, this can¡¯t be... Puppeteer, sir...¡±


    <i>Thud-</i>


    His short, dying gasp was followed by the end of his life. For the third-year honor student of Borsippa, it was a rather pitiful end.


    <i>¡°He should have considered the consequences before borrowing someone¡¯s powers.... I guess a fool remains a fool, no matter how talented,¡±</i> disdainfullymented the voice from the white hole.


    Despite his extraordinary talent and noble lineage, Howard had overestimated his worth, thinking he could trade equally with the Ten Evils. In reality, though, he was just an insignificant being, easily discardable after delivering a few messages.


    ¡°He never even had a chance to bloom...¡± Ludwig murmured with a regretful expression as he looked at Howard''s lifeless body with a sense of mncholy.


    Tearing his gaze away, he surveyed the entirety of Babel to bring closure to the incident.


    <i>¡°How will you handle this?¡±</i> inquired the voice, seemingly with a hint of anticipation.


    Answering the voice¡¯s expectation, Ludwig coolly said, ¡°By leaving nothing behind.¡±


    <i>¡°Excellent. Let''s get on with it quickly, then.¡±</i>


    Heeding the voice''s urging, Ludwig slowly extended his hand toward Babel, forming a massive, transparent cuberge enough to envelop the entire artificial ind.


    Then, after scanning the structure of the cube he had created, he slowly clenched his fist.


    <strong>¡°Spatial Istion.¡±</strong>


    The cube waspressed in the blink of an eye to the size of a fist. It then swept across the ind, moving back and forth as if trying to sieve out something.


    When the sweep finished momentster, Ludwig brought the nowpact cube to his hand and peered inside.


    <i>Crack-</i>


    Inside the cube, an indistinguishable mass of many different things twisted together filled it like sludge.


    Peering at it, Ludwig waved his hand lightly.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    And just like that, the intruders who had dirtied his garden vanished instantly without a trace, resolving the wholemotion cleanly.

 Chapter 141

    <h4>Chapter 141</h4>


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    Se-Hoon felt an aching pain in his sr plexus. It was as if his blood vessels were being stabbed by spikes mixed into his bloodstream, forcing him to wince involuntarily.


    <i>She said it would only hurt a little... I shouldn¡¯t have trusted her.</i>


    He had already lost consciousness several times so far and was unable to clearly recall what he had done just a few minutes ago.


    Wincing again, Se-Hoon swallowed the vomit that was about toe out and rubbed his sr plexus.


    ¡°You''re such a wimp,¡± said someonenguidly from the side.


    The office was dark, due to all the lights being off, so all he could faintly see were things like the table and the cab which were illuminated by the moonlight glimmering through the window. As such, he could only make out the outline of the owner of the voice, his master.


    ¡°To think you¡¯re fainting from just activating the Demonic Blood Art and not even pulling out the Soul Weapon.<i> Tsk tsk</i>...¡± said his master while wiggling her toes. She was fully leaned back in her chair with her feet propped up on the desk.


    <i>No wonder she has no one around her, </i>grumbled Se-Hoon inwardly, squinting his eyes to see his master who was busy clicking her tongue instead of worrying about her hurting disciple.


    What was the point of having good skills if she could never get recognition for them due to her personality, which left her forever despised by others?


    Continuing to grumble inwardly, he suddenly felt his master¡¯s gaze on him from within the darkness.


    ¡°You seem to have a lot ofints.¡±


    ¡°...No, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°You <i>do </i>remember you can quit anytime, right? I always tell you that you just have to leave behind everything I taught you.¡±


    Se-Hoon looked at her in disbelief.


    ¡°Your words sure are soft, despite essentially telling me to leave all my organs behind.¡±


    While it might end with a hand or an arm for others, since Se-Hoon had modified his whole body with Soul Honing, he would have to leave everything except his bare skin in order for him to leave behind what he had learned from his master.


    And his master definitely knew that, meaning she was telling him to endure all the pain and continue to be her disciple or die.


    His master chuckled softly in the dark upon seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s dissatisfaction with how unfair she was being.


    ¡°Like I said. You can leave if you¡¯re dissatisfied with my teachings, but...¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I''ll have to leave all my organs behind before going.¡±


    There was no point in continuing the conversation, so Se-Hoon responded half-heartedly and checked his sr plexus again. It had healed morepared to earlier, but the scar was still clearly visible.


    Touching it, a slightlyplicated feeling arose, <i>So a sword pierced through here.</i>


    The sword hadn¡¯t just slightly prated his heart; it had gonepletely through it and pierced out the other side. Back then, he had felt the chilling sensation that one would only feel right before dying.


    He ruminated over that vivid feeling again, and suddenly, a question came to mind. He looked at his master.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± She gazed at him from within the darkness.


    Recognizing that she had no ns of changing her demeanor, Se-Hoon just straight up asked, ¡°Using my blood as the medium to draw out my soul''s memories in order to reproduce a weapon doesn¡¯t seem like a bad method in and of itself. But isn''t using the soul a bit inefficient?¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Well... aren¡¯t souls just kind of inefficient in general?¡±


    With the emergence of magic and the development of necromancy, the miracle of resurrection became a reality, which naturally meant the existence of souls was also acknowledged. But as for what exactly a soul was¡ªits definition had yet to be clearly established.


    Some said that it was thebination of mana and synesthetic mindscape, whereas others said that it was a third kind of existencepletely unrted to mana. Regardless of what it was, with such an unclear definition, the training methods that involved utilizing souls were all over the ce.


    An existence proven to exist yet remained unclear¡ªthat was the definition of the soul in the current era.


    ¡°Well, you''re not wrong. If the technique I¡¯m teaching you right now had been tailored to use mana rather than the soul, it might have be more convenient and powerful than now.¡±


    ¡°Then¡ª¡±


    ¡°But it would have also been easily tainted,¡± she answered, cutting him off.


    She continued her exnation.


    ¡°You see, you are going to encounter many different things in your life. You¡¯ll learn techniques from others, and you could receive mana from someone else. You might even undergo organ transntation due to an unexpected ident.¡±


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    A small me at the tip of his master¡¯s finger lit a cigarette that Se-Hoon didn''t even know she had been holding.


    ¡°When your body is influenced by external factors like that, their residue remains in your body. So then the question bes...¡±


    Her gaze pierced through the darkness, staring at Se-Hoon intensely.


    ¡°...can you truly say your body is purely your own?¡±


    Contemting her question briefly, Se-Hoon then replied, ¡°No.¡±


    He believed that if other people''s techniques, mana, and organs entered one¡¯s own body, it was hard to say that the body was still entirely one¡¯s own, even if everything had been transnted willingly.


    After answering, Se-Hoon could see the glow of his master¡¯s cigarette slowly move up and down.


    ¡°That''s right. As you now know, the human body is easily tainted by others. It''s not something one can avoid, even if they try. At some point in your life, you might even be forced into it.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    ¡°Of course, tainting one¡¯s body is not a problem in and of itself. In some cases, it might even be encouraged to do so. But my Demonic Blood Art isn''t like that.¡±


    The glow of his master¡¯s cigarette brightened momentarily in the dark room before it darkened and she exhaled a cloud of gray smoke.


    ¡°If you don''t properly adhere to the required materials and blueprints, you can''t predict what you''ll create. You might end up making a Soul Weapon that will make your body explode like a balloon. Therefore, instead of an easily taintable body, you use the soul.¡±


    Se-Hoon now understood to some extent, but he still had another question.


    ¡°Then, is using the soul safe?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm? </i>Of course not.¡±


    His master chuckled.


    ¡°It''s just easier to maintain purepared to the body. As long as you don''t lose yourself, you can preserve its purity in any situation.¡±


    At his master¡¯s answer, Se-Hoon began pondering how he should go about preserving the purity of his soul. But before he could get very far¡ª


    ¡°So, remember this.¡± She red at Se-Hoon from the darkness and said, ¡°Never, ever should you let anyone inside you.¡±


    Like usual, her gaze wasnguid, cold, and distant.


    Her advice,bined with her earlier exnations, finally allowed Se-Hoon to understand the meaning of her gaze.


    <i>How cold...</i>


    Even though she had taught him her secret techniques, they still remainedplete and utter strangers.


    ***


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon opened his eyes and slowly looked around.


    The first things he noted were the ceiling of the hospital room and the feeling of the bed, both of which he had experienced a few times before. The fact that he was in Askus gave him a sense of relief.


    <i>I didn''t die.</i>


    Someone must have arrived in time to handle the assassins.


    With his survival confirmed, he moved on to check his body''s condition.


    <i>Hmm... it¡¯s a mess.</i>


    While his muscles and bones only had a few tears and cracks, the state of everything else¡ªhis heart, internal organs, blood vessels, and mana circuits¡ªwas beyond imagination. His body looked like a torn rag that had been forcibly stitched together.


    He clicked his tongue at the sensation of the stitches all over his body.


    <i>This must be hundreds of stitches...</i>


    He didn''t want to admit it, but his injuries seemed to be beyond repair. It was his first time experiencing such deep wounds since he regressed. In fact, he disapproved.


    <i>I expected some bacsh from forcing the Demonic Blood Art, but this is too much. </i>It was like getting hit by a dump truck when he had anticipated a bicycle to turn the corner.


    Frowning at the unexpected seriousness of the bacsh, he thought, <i>So there </i>was <i>a reason Master warned me so many times...</i>


    The exact cause of his injury was still unclear, but since there wasn¡¯t an issue with the activation process, it surely had something to do with his soul.


    Troubled, he sighed deeply in his mind.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    The sound of rustling caught his attention. Gazing to the side, he saw Luize dozing off in a chair.


    <i>...Look who¡¯s here.</i>


    She should have been exhausted from all those consecutive uses of Incantation Magic, yet she was here, taking care of him. Hermendable presence made him smile. Se-Hoon opened his mouth.


    ¡°Hey... <i>ahem! Hmm</i>...¡±


    As he tried to clear his throat upon hearing his unexpectedly hoarse voice, Luize answered in a drowsy voice, ¡°What...¡±


    ¡°Uh... <i>ahem!</i> Wow. Hey, bring me some water, will you? My throat''s strangely dry.¡±


    ¡°Why should I¡ª¡±


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Luize, who had been answering while still half asleep, suddenly jumped up from her seat and looked at Se-Hoon, blinking rapidly in surprise.


    <i>What''s wrong with her?</i>


    She was acting like she saw someone who had been unconscious for a long time wake up.


    However, it was thanks to that reaction that Se-Hoon finally noticed some odd things¡ªhis throat was unusually dry and Luize looked toofortable for someone who had just been in an intense battle.


    <i>Could it be...</i>


    ¡°Nurse!!!!!¡±


    Just as he noticed something was wrong, Luize frantically pressed the call bell, summoning the medical staff.


    Not even a moment had passed when the medical staff rushed in as if it were code blue.[1] Then, upon confirming that Se-Hoon had regained consciousness, they urgently took him for a thorough examination.


    It was only after all the examinations werepleted that he was able to confirm his suspicions. Professor An Jung-Wan¡¯s words left him shocked.


    ¡°...I was unconscious for a week?¡±


    Not just one or two days, but an entire week.


    Seeing the disbelief on Se-Hoon¡¯s face, Jung-Wan nodded.


    ¡°Yes. To be honest, it''s a miracle you regained consciousness after only a week, given how severe your condition was.¡±


    With the number of tattered organs, blood vessels, and mana circuits Se-Hoon had, anyone else would have died. Se-Hoon had only survived because blood and oxygen were somehow being supplied normally throughout his body even though his heart was badly damaged.


    ¡°I assume it''s due to the effects of your... unique skill. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes... I believe so.¡±


    The memory of his soul was imprinted on his blood through Soul Honing, meaning that even with damaged organs, his blood could instinctively move on its own to keep his body functioning.


    It wasn¡¯t too surprising to Se-Hoon, who had experienced it once before the regression, but it made him question something he thought was a fact.


    <i>I thought there was an issue with my soul, which should mean that my blood shouldn¡¯t be able to move instinctively like this... what exactly happened, then?</i>


    Could it be that the problem with his soul only affected his usage of the Demonic Blood Art?


    As he tried to specte the reason, Jung-Wan continued his exnation, ¡°We''ve done all the treatments we can. Now you just need to take medication and undergo rehabilitation until you''re fully recovered. Given your fast recovery rate, it should take around three¡ª¡±


    Sensing something off, Se-Hoon quickly interrupted him.


    ¡°Three weeks, right?¡±


    ¡°Three months. Don''t be ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The thought of three months of hospitalization made Se-Hoon''s mind reel, but then he quickly regained hisposure.


    <i>Well, there''s no actual need to wait that long.</i>


    Since he had made significant contributions this time, he would probably receive a good elixir as a reward. With it, he could overhaul his entire body as he had done before.


    It wasn''t a difficult task for him, so he just nodded along.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Just to be clear, don''t you dare think about recklessly taking any elixirs this time. You could really die, you know.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t do anything dangerous.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Jung-Wan wasn¡¯t very convinced by his words, but without any evidence, all he could do was sigh.


    ¡°Many people are worried about you, so please be careful.¡±


    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°I''ll be going, then. Visitors will be restricted for a few days, so get plenty of rest.¡±


    When Jung-Wan stood up to leave, Se-Hoon suddenly remembered something he wanted to ask.


    ¡°How is Professor Kim In-Cheol?¡±


    He remembered he had provided emergency treatment, but In-Cheol¡¯s condition was still severe.


    Jung-Wan hesitated before replying, ¡°His life is not in any danger, but both of his hands have almost beenpletely disabled. While he can manage daily life chores, he won''t be able to forge anymore so he stepped down from his position as lead professor.¡±


    ¡°...I see. Thank you for letting me know.¡±


    Se-Hoon leaned back in his bed after watching Jung-Wan leave.


    <i>So, it dide to that.</i>


    Having lost everything as a cksmith, and with the Fire Heaven Greatsword he was desperately trying to restorepletely destroyed, what would In-Cheol''s life be like from now on?


    <i>Knock knock.</i>


    ¡°It''s me. Can Ie in?¡±


    Recognizing it was In-Cheol outside, Se-Hoon stared at the door in surprise for a moment.


    Regaining hisposure, he responded, ¡°You maye in.¡±


    <i>Creak-</i>


    Pushing the door open, In-Cheol, wearing gloves on both hands, entered the room carrying a fruit basket.


    ¡°You must be disoriented after just waking up. I''m sorry to bother you.¡±


    ¡°No, it''s fine. Please, have a seat.¡±


    Walking over to Se-Hoon¡¯s bed, In-Cheol lifted the fruit basket in his left hand to ce it on the table.


    ¡°<i>Ah</i>...¡±


    <i>Thud-</i>


    But the basket fell helplessly to the floor, scattering the fruit everywhere. Seeing that, In-Cheol widened his eyes for a moment before making a bitter smile.


    ¡°Sorry about that. My hands aren''t what they used to be.¡±


    He bent down to pick up the fallen fruits. Though he struggled to properly grasp them with his hands, he silently continued until he picked them all up and ced the basket on the table.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>... so, how''s your body holding up?¡±


    ¡°It''s... not fine, but I should recover soon. There were no fatal injuries, thankfully.¡±


    In-Cheol smiled at his answer.


    ¡°That''s a relief...¡±


    In-Cheol had been worried his past would end up haunting his disciple, but fortunately, it seemed that wouldn¡¯t be the case. It gave him genuine relief.


    With his biggest worry out of the way, In-Cheol hesitated for a moment before finally deciding on something.


    ¡°The reason I came to see you today is... I have something to tell you,¡± In-Cheol said with a serious expression.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I used to be part of the group that attacked you during this incident and will likely target you in the future. They go by the name of¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Before In-Cheol could start his story, Se-Hoon cut him off firmly.


    ¡°If it''s about the people behind this incident, you don¡¯t need to tell me.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But this concerns your safety as well...¡±


    ¡°I mayck experience, but I''m not <i>that </i>oblivious. I know that an organization bold enough to attack Babel wouldn''t leave loose ends regarding its members.¡±


    In the memories that Se-Hoon had seen, In-Cheol was a highly regarded researcher of Offering. He was likely bound by numerous restrictions, having participated in various projects.


    <i>From how he''s trying to exin things to me, it seems he has a way around those restrictions... but if he tells me everything he knows about Offering now, he''ll definitely die.</i>


    Had he known nothing about Offering, Se-Hoon might have just listened quietly out of respect for In-Cheol''s intentions. However, since he had regressed, Se-Hoon actually knew them better than In-Cheol in some respects. Thus, he decisively cut off the futile conversation before it could start.


    ¡°From this incident, I''ve gathered a rough idea of what kind of enemies they are and how they might approach. So there''s no need for you to risk your life to inform me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    In-Cheol bit his lip at Se-Hoon''s refusal, seemingly dissatisfied despite surviving the ordeal. The action made Se-Hoon sigh inwardly.


    <i>They¡¯re all the same...</i>


    It was clear what choices In-Cheol would make if he were sent back like this. Deciding to deal with it, Se-Hoon organized his thoughts.


    He abruptly said, ¡°I heard you stepped down from your position as lead professor.¡±


    ¡°...I did. It''s a position far beyond my capabilities now. I''ve also found a trustworthy recement, so there''s no need to worry¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then what do you n to do now?¡±


    Startled by Se-Hoon¡¯s question, In-Cheol hesitated and then muttered, ¡°From now on...¡±


    Those three words were devoid of life, a testament to having never considered it before.


    Seeing In-Cheol struggle toe up with a response, acting like he had missed the right timing to end something important, Se-Hoon serenely asked, ¡°Did youe here, prepared to die?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    In-Cheol neither confirmed nor denied it. If he had been like a dried-up tree when they first met, his current appearance was like the ashes of that tree after it had burned away, just specks that would disappear into the sky.


    Sighing again, Se-Hoon stared directly at In-Cheol.


    ¡°Then just die.¡±


    1. code blue = universal hospital code for a medical emergency ?

 Chapter 142

    <h4>Chapter 142</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    <i>¡°Then just die.¡±</i>


    Surprised by Se-Hoon¡¯s words, In-Cheol met his eyes. Some would likely call those words malicious, but to In-Cheol, it seemed like a genuinely innocent suggestion entirely void of malice.


    ¡°Some people believe that living is more painful than anything else. And if all they want is to be freed from that, who am I to stop them without reason.¡±


    ¡°...Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, at least that''s what I think.¡±


    Because of Se-Hoon¡¯s words, In-Cheol''s thoughts hesitantly took another step forward. Was it really okay to end it all just like that?


    ¡°But if you think that means atonement, you should discard those thoughts right now,¡± Se-Hoon added, looking at In-Cheol sharply.


    ¡°...¡±


    He forgot to breathe. It was as if Se-Hoon had seen right through him; his words stabbed deeply where it hurt. Staring at Se-Hoon, In-Cheol couldn¡¯t help but think that despite being younger and severely injured from the recent battle, Se-Hoon still exuded an indescribable sense of intimidation.


    He wanted to look away, but his body refused to move, fixing him in ce.


    Se-Hoon continued, ¡°You mentioned earlier that you were affiliated with the group that caused this incident.¡±


    In-Cheol had been an outstanding researcher recognized by Offering, so naturally, his hands were absolutely stained with a lot of blood. And even if he imed the blood belonged only to willing volunteers back then, they both knew it was impossible that there wasn¡¯t a single non-willing one among them.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably thinking about dying to atone for your sins. Well, that''s not the worst idea, considering the victims are probably disgusted that you''re still alive.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But... would they really want you to take your own life?¡±


    Though the offender would think they atoned by ending their own life, most victims would just see it as them escaping reality. Of course, opinions varied from person to person, but at least that''s what Se-Hoon would have thought.


    <i>I know that feeling all too well. </i>


    Back then, Se-Hoon had prayed every night before he went to sleep that Immortal was still alive and living a prosperous life. That way, Immortal would feel utterly wretched when he finally avenged his family.


    ¡°If you truly want to atone for your sins, you should go to the victims and have them take your life. That way, your death might hold some meaning.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At those words, In-Cheol lowered his head weakly. He grabbed his knees with trembling hands.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°No one who could take my life for me...¡±


    Prioritized secrecy, everyone chosen as material for Offering¡¯s rituals was basically alone; their families, lovers, and friends were all dealt with beforehand. And because they lost everything, they sought the supposed ¡°paradise¡± within the sacred equipment and sacrificed their own souls. That... was the way Offering had ¡°persuaded¡± people the whole time.


    ¡°The only ones remaining... who want me dead... are those who want to keep their secrets from being revealed to the world. But what¡¯s the point... what¡¯s the point of dying in their hands...?¡±


    ¡°How about fighting against them?¡±


    ¡°That... I think that would just be an excuse.¡±


    In-Cheol couldn¡¯t ept doing such a thing. There were those who lived on and tried to atone by fighting their past, but In-Cheol <i>wanted </i>to die<i>. </i>The only reason he persisted until now was to achieve one single thing: freeing the souls suffering within the Shattered me, the Fire Heaven Greatsword.


    <i>There¡¯s nothing I can even do now...</i>


    The Fire Heaven Greatsword, repaired by the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter, had been destroyed beyond repair. He didn''t know whether the souls trapped inside had been freed, but it didn¡¯t matter¡ªthere was no way left to intervene anymore.


    That fact left In-Cheol powerless, forced to let go of everything. But then, Se-Hoon¡¯s next words made him look up again.


    ¡°Then you should live,¡± calmly said Se-Hoon, watching him.


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°Professor, I might not know what exactly the people who died in your hands want, but I think they would at least want you to suffer until the end.¡±


    Atonement wasn¡¯t something that could be achieved simply by killing oneself. One had to experience some of the pain that their victims had endured.


    ¡°So live. Continue to lead a horrible life, one so dreadful that you yearn to end it all every single day.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be the only way you can atone for your sins, Professor...?¡±


    As Se-Hoon¡¯s words, mixed with a hint of uncertainty, settled, a heavy silence filled the hospital room.


    For a while, In-Cheol looked down at his hands without saying anything.


    ¡°I¡¯ve known about this for a while... but you''re very cold-hearted,¡± said In-Cheol quietly, having finally lifted his head with a bitter expression.


    ¡°Are you disappointed?¡±


    In-Cheol shook his head.


    ¡°I''m actually relieved. With your personality... there''s no chance you''ll be swayed by them.¡±


    ¡°You can rest assured; such a thing will never happen.¡±


    The moment Watchers joined hands with the Demon Force and began viewing humanity as mere materials, they had crossed a point of no return. Whether it was in the past or now, Se-Hoon would neverpromise. He would exterminate them all.


    Giving Se-Hoon a small smile and a short nod, In-Cheol stood up from his seat.


    ¡°That''s a relief. Also, I¡¯m sorry for disturbing you at such ate time. Take care of yourself and be careful from now on.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Professor, you...¡± Se-Hoon hesitated. He thought telling In-Cheol to take care would sound a bit off after that conversation.


    So, after a moment of thought, he chose a more fitting reply.


    ¡°I hope you achieve what you wish for.¡±


    ¡°...Thank you.¡±


    After seeing out In-Cheol from his bed, Se-Hoon let out a sigh.


    <i>What will happen to him now...</i>


    He had said a lot, but he still couldn''t predict what In-Cheol would do from now on. He would either live a life of atonement as advised or would end his life in a secluded ce as originally nned. There was no deciding which option was the right one.


    Eventually, Se-Hoon shook his head.


    <i>As long as he has no regrets about the path he ends up choosing, that¡¯s enough.</i>


    For In-Cheol, just that would be a blessing.


    With that thought, hey back on the bed and fell asleep.


    ***


    The full moon shone brightly.


    Within the chairman¡¯s office, a worn and old-fashionedmp faintly glowed. Workingte into the night, Ludwig remained engrossed in the documents on his desk.


    ¡°So, have you made your decision?¡± he asked, keeping his eyes on the documents.


    At his question, In-Cheol, standing in front of his desk, nodded with a resolute expression.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Tell me where you want to be ced. With your skills, I can rmend you to any good research institute.¡±


    ¡°I wish to go to the most agonizing ce.¡±


    The unexpected answer made Ludwig''s hand, which was turning the document, pause. Sighing, he finally looked at In-Cheol and leaned back slightly in his chair with a serious expression.


    ¡°Do you really have to do that?¡±


    ¡°I believe it''s the only path I can choose.¡±


    Sensing In-Cheol¡¯s unwavering determination from his response, Ludwig nodded after a moment.


    ¡°I see. Very well. If that''s your choice...¡±


    Flicking his hand through the air, the surroundings of the two men changedpletely. They were now in a vast space that had nothing but an old furnace in the middle.


    While looking around, In-Cheol asked, ¡°Where are we...?¡±


    Exining, Ludwig said, ¡°We are in a facility for researching the power of the Sacred Craftsman. That furnace was used by the Sacred Craftsman before he became a Perfect One.¡±


    The exnation made In-Cheol gaze at the furnace in the middle.


    <i>Crackle-</i>


    Observing the faint me flickered inside it, In-Chool was momentarily overwhelmed by the immense presence contained within it.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Then the me began to growrger, filling the space above the furnace and taking the shape of a giant bird. The fiery beast gazed down at the two men.


    ¡°The Vermillion Bird...¡±


    When Ludwig returned, it had seemingly disappeared from the world, only to now emerge from the Sacred Craftsman¡¯s old furnace.


    ¡°We''ve had the furnace here for a while, but the remaining embers were too small to conduct proper research. As such, we decided to use the Vermillion Bird¡¯s power of resurrection to gradually nurture the embers.¡±


    ¡°Is it alright to entrust such a task to a demon beast?¡±


    In the end, demon beasts were beings born from the Abyss of Demons, creatures that instinctively regarded humanity as their enemy. Was it really alright to entrust the Sacred Craftsman¡¯s embers to such a monster?


    Yet despite his concerns, Ludwig remained nonchnt. ¡°There should be no problems. I''ve already taken measures with its vital organs, including its heart.¡±


    With just a gesture, Ludwig could tear out all the organs thatposed the entity known as the Vermillion Bird, banishing them to the void and reducing the phoenix back to a mere me.


    Relieved, In-Cheol moved his attention back to the furnace and asked, ¡°So what exactly do you want me to do here?¡±


    ¡°Do you know why the Vermillion Bird possesses higher intelligencepared to other demon beasts?¡±


    Having always assumed it was simply a difference in their capabilities, In-Cheol shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°The Vermillion Bird gains its strength by burning its victims. In other words...¡±


    Turning to In-Cheol, Ludwig met In-Cheol¡¯s eyes. ¡°...it was only able to gain such a high intelligence thanks to the consciousness of those it burned.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    By absorbing the consciousness of all the living beings it had incinerated¡ªa collection of humans, other monsters, and demons¡ªthe Vermillion Bird had managed to evolve repeatedly.


    ¡°You n to use me as a log,¡± In-Cheol muttered, having grasped what Ludwig intended for him.


    ¡°That''s right. More precisely, you will be bound to the Vermillion Bird by contract and will be repeatedly burned and resurrected by its power. That process will transfer everything you have to the Vermillion Bird.¡±


    An endless cycle of resurrection and incineration.


    Having briefly experienced the agony of one''s consciousness being burned in the battle with the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter, In-Cheol''s eyes sank deeply.


    ¡°Instead of exining it to you verbally, it would be faster to experience it directly,¡± Ludwig stated, ncing at the Vermillion Bird.


    Obeying, a single feather gently flew over and pierced In-Cheol''s body.


    ¡°<i>Screech!</i>¡±


    The mes of the Vermillion Bird traveled through his veins, burning through to his head. The excruciating sensation made In-Cheol lose his bnce and copse to the ground, gasping.


    ¡°<i>Guh... gah...</i>¡±


    The feather wreaked havoc on his nervous system, vividly replicating the agony of being engulfed in mes.


    ¡°You¡¯ll experience that pain every second, without respite. And you¡¯ll live forever with it, unable to die.¡±


    By this point, Ludwig¡¯s voice was full of apathy. He turned to look down at the kneeling In-Cheol.


    ¡°Knowing that, do you still wish to proceed?¡± he indifferently asked,


    ¡°...¡±


    Finally managing to catch his breath, In-Cheol looked at the furnace in front of him. He then slowly managed to stand up, and asked, with a firm but trembling voice, ¡°Can you promise that this research will be used for humanity... for preventing any innocent sacrifices from happening?¡±


    Taking in In-Cheol¡¯s determined expression, Ludwig nodded slowly. ¡°I swear it in the name of the Emperor of Ascension.¡±


    ¡°...Thank you.¡±


    With his final worry calmed, In-Cheol walked slowly toward the furnace. As he approached, his body trembled violently, remembering the pain.


    But despite the terror that the mes stimted in him, he resolutely moved forward, biting his lip until it bled.


    When he made it to the furnace, he determinedly reached toward the faint me burning inside.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    As if waiting, the Sacred Craftsman¡¯s me engulfed In-Cheol, burning his entire body. The searing pain immobilized him.


    Having been watching, the Vermillion Bird silently enveloped his body with its massive wings.


    <i>Vwoom-!</i>


    A sigil symbolizing the contract with the Vermillion Bird was etched onto his chest, intertwining the phoenix¡¯s consciousness-burning mes with the Sacred Craftsman¡¯s mes. Burning hungrily, the mes deeply embedded themselves into his mind.


    In an instant, everything¡ªmemories spanning several decades, thoughts derived from those memories, and even the synesthetic mindscapes formed by thosebined memories¡ªwas consumed and melted away by the mes.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Yet they didn''t vanish. While his mind and body were being melted, they were also simultaneously being regenerated by the Vermillion Bird¡¯s mes. And just as fast as it disappeared, his disintegrating consciousness was restored and memories vividly resurfaced in his mind.


    <i>¡°Traitor.¡±</i>


    He recalled the final moments of his first and only love.


    <i>¡°I''m scared...¡±</i>


    In the end, he couldn''t save the young child. The countless experiments he participated in, the moments of his sins, endlessly yed through his mind.


    <i>So this... is what it means to atone for one''s sins...</i>


    He slowly shifted his body and sat on the furnace. But just as he was about to surrender himself to the endless agony¡ª


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    A ckened sword fell into his hands out of a space opened in the void. He froze, immediately recognizing that it was the Fire Heaven Greatsword, and momentarily forgot his pain as he watched the Vermillion Bird¡¯s mes seep into the sword.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    The mes faintly flickered through the cracks spread across the sword, and soon a soft murmur could be heard from within.


    <i>¡°Atst...¡±</i>


    A wisp of smoke escaped the sword, and the mes throughout the Fire Heaven Greatsword dimmed slightly. Entranced, he stared nkly at the scene until the Vermillion Bird¡¯s voice brought him back.


    <i>¡°One demonstration should be enough. You should handle the consequences of your actions yourself.¡±</i>


    ¡°...¡±


    Enthralled by the Vermillion Bird¡¯s words, In-Cheol ced his hand on the Fire Heaven Greatsword and imbued the mes that enveloped his body inside it.


    Then, when he burned away the knot that was most tightly bound within, ¡°<i>Thank you.¡±</i>


    The familiar voice of a child rose like a wisp of smoke and disappeared.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Hearing that voice, the haze in In-Cheol''s consciousness, which had been endlessly regenerating, cleared. Though the pain he felt, which had started to dull, also resurfaced with its initial intensity, In-Cheol was unfazed. He began to release the souls trapped within the Fire Heaven Greatsword one by one.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Realizing he had received the opportunity he had so intensely longed for by not running away from his sins through death, he naturally thought of one young man.


    <i>Thank you... truly...</i>


    An endless stream of tears finally fell as he expressed his heartfelt gratitude.


    <strong>[The bond with ''Kim In-Cheol'' has grown to Lv. 2.]</strong>


    <strong>[Since the bond has grown to Lv.2, a Rtionship has been established. Your Rtionship with ''Kim In-Cheol'' is currently ''Rebirth''.]</strong>


    <strong>[Rtionship: Rebirth]</strong>


    <strong>[The guilt due to one''s sins is a powerful emotion that can change a person''s life entirely while remaining like an indelible shadow. Influencing how one epts this emotion determines the course of their life, making such a Rtionship deeply rooted.</strong>


    <strong>*A Fatestone is created whenever the subject feels like they have undergone a rebirth.</strong>


    <strong>*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases whenever the subject is atoning.</strong>


    <strong>*Currently created Fatestones: 0]</strong>


    ¡°...¡±


    The mes continued to burn.


    Eventually, Ludwig, who had been silently watching, tore his gaze away and vanished from his spot.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    The mes silently consumed In-Cheol, endlessly burning him away, together with his sense of guilt.

 Chapter 143

    <h4>Chapter 143</h4>


    Se-Hoon woke up early in the morning to an excruciating pain that felt like he was being shed across his whole body. Wincing, he read the notification message before him.


    ¡°Rebirth, huh...¡±


    From its content, he was able to guess the decision In-Cheol had made. He dismissed the message.


    <i>If he chose it himself, then that''s that</i>.


    Full atonement wouldn''t be easy, but as long as he was alive, he could repent as many times as needed to wash away his sins. Now, there was nothing more Se-Hoon could do for him.


    Organizing his thoughts about In-Cheol, Se-Hoon looked around.


    <i>Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a week since I lost consciousness. </i>


    It could be seen as a short or a long period, depending on how one looked at it. But regardless, it would have been quite the chaotic week considering the scale of the recent incident.


    Wondering how everything had been settled, he picked up his phone, which he hadn''t touched since yesterday''s examination.


    <i>Vrrr!</i>


    His phone buzzed madly upon turning on, notifying him of all the messages he had received. Most of them had arrivedst night, many asking about his condition; it seemed news of him regaining consciousness had spread.


    Scrolling through them all, one message stood out to Se-Hoon.


    Yeom Sung-Ha: When are you nning to settle the ounts?


    Se-Hoon made a dissatisfied expression at the dry content of the message. It showed all Sung-Ha cared about was settling the pile of bills he had umted.


    ¡°This guy... <i>sigh</i>, forget it.¡±


    He hadn''t expected anything from Sung-Ha in the first ce, so he wasn''t particrly disappointed.


    Shaking his head, he replied to everyone¡ªminus Sung-Ha¡ªthat he was fine, and then checked the news of the past week on the inte.


    ¡°A Futile Security System. Is Babel''s Security Okay as Is?¡±


    ¡°Chairman Ludwig: ¡®This was an unusual incident involving multiple evil forces. It''s time for humanity, not just Babel, to pay attention.¡¯¡±


    ¡°UD Group CEO Wurgen: ¡®The Emperor of Ascension must learn how to align himself with others as not doing so will eventually be of greater harm to humanity.¡¯¡±


    Despite a week having passed since the incident, the situation hadn''t been resolved; in fact, it had be more chaotic since people were tossing the me among themselves. Naturally, the main target was Babel, which had failed to prevent the incident.


    ¡°What a mess...¡±


    He scrolled some more news articles.


    <i>They handled it well though... given the circumstances.</i>


    The incident had involved Tuner, Puppeteer, and the Dream Demon¡ªthree of the Ten Evils. And within Babel itself, Dawn and Offering coborated. The former three were strong adversaries that any hero would struggle to deal with unless they were Perfect Ones, and thetter two had utilized infiltrators nted long ago, making it challenging for anyone to respond.


    If such an incident had happened in any other city or educational institution, the casualty count would have easily been in the thousands. The fact casualties had been limited to a few dozen was purely due to Babel''s effort.


    <i>It looks like Wurgen is stirring things up.</i>


    Wurgen Kruger, the CEO of the UD Group and a Perfect One like Ludwig, was seizing the opportunity to bring down Babel. As a subtlepetitor for influence on the hero industry, it was the perfect chance for him.


    <i>Still, with how well we handled the incident, it shouldn¡¯t have been easy to push Babel this hard...</i>


    If one were to look back on the incident from an unbiased perspective, it was clear it wasn¡¯t an incident that could have been prevented in advance and that Babel had done its best to manage despite that. What justification could there be for the media offensive against Babel?


    Curious about the answer, Se-Hoon looked through the most-viewed news articles and quickly found it.


    <i>The damage from this incident was only reduced thanks to the weakening of the Demon Force¡¯s barrier. It was revealed that this was done by a single person, a third-year student, in fact...</i>


    <i>The ones who subdued the Vermillion Bird in the exhibition hall were two students! Where was Babel¡¯s staff amidst this mess...?</i>


    It was easy to tell that the press was focusing the spotlight on the staff¡¯s faults throughout this incident.


    <i>Can this be... my fault? </i>he thought with a grimace.


    The students present at the scene quickly grasped the situation and responded swiftly, sessfully minimizing the damage¡ªat first nce, it was just a remarkable story about a few students. However, when considering Babel¡¯s status as an educational institution, the narrative changed quite a bit.


    Students, who should have been the most important ones to protect after normal civilians, had handled the whole incident by themselves, while the staff, the ones who should be protecting everyone as active-duty heroes and educators, did nothing.


    It didn¡¯t matter if Sung-Ha had strengthparable to an A-rank hero or if Luize had her unique Incantation Magic; others would only see how ipetent Babel was in this incident.


    <i>I never expected this...</i>


    To think his secret preparations to lure in enemies and prevent information from leaking had ended up being the angle people exploited. All he could do was make a bitter smile.


    As he read through more articles and the public¡¯s reactions, he heard a light knock on the door.


    ¡°May Ie in?¡±


    After a moment, Jung-Wan entered the room.


    ¡°Did you have a good sleep?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, sir.¡±


    It was a bit painful when he woke up, but it wasn¡¯t intolerable.


    Jung-Wan nodded in relief upon seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s nonchnce.


    ¡°I''ll just do a quick check-up, so rx.¡±


    Holding a small handheld diagnostic device, he approached Se-Hoon and ced it on his body. Soon, the device''s readings appeared on the screen in his hand.


    [Recovery Rate: 580%]


    ¡°...?¡±


    It was a puzzling result.


    Recovery rate was calcted based on data from others with simr physical abilities. In other words, Se-Hoon¡¯s recovery rate of 580% meant he was healing more than five times faster than others with simr physical capabilities.


    ¡°Did you... take any elixirs yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, I¡¯ve been sleeping all this time.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Picking up his device, reviewed the information on it and then curiously examined Se-Hoon.


    <i>There¡¯s no sign of elixir use... is his natural recovery rate that high?</i>


    Even the delicate parts of his body like his internal organs, blood vessels, and mana circuits, were healing at such an extreme rate. And while such a recovery rate itself was surprising enough, the neatness of the recovery was even more remarkable.


    <i>With such fast recovery, misalignment is likely to happen during the healing process, and yet...</i>


    Though recovering faster was a good thing, when the speed exceeded the body¡¯s control capabilities, it would lead to manyplications that could even worsen into mana impairment if not carefully managed. However, Se-Hoon''s body showed no such signs.


    <i>If he can handle that recovery rate, he might fully recover in two months... maybe even earlier.</i>


    Thinking that Se-Hoon¡¯s significantly improved physical condition since hisst hospitalization was admirable, Jung-Wan considered various different factors and then gave his diagnosis.


    ¡°Your condition is much better than expected, so you are to do light walks or rehabilitation exercises. From today onwards, start by moving carefully and then make it regrly.¡±


    At the surprisingly positive diagnosis, Se-Hoon cautiously asked, ¡°Then, how long will I need to be hospitalized?¡±


    ¡°If things continue like this, you won¡¯t need to stay the full three months. However, if there are any signs of deterioration, I will be extending your stay so try not to push yourself.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    ¡°Also...¡±


    Pausing his inputting of the examination result into his device, Jung-Wan looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°...what do you want to do with the visitors? If you want to rest quietly, I can keep refusing them for a while longer.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>... I think it¡¯ll be okay to let them in. Everyone seems quite worried.¡±


    Checking his own condition, Se-Hoon thought he was well enough to see visitors. He had wanted to find out what had happened while he was unconscious anyway.


    <i>There must be information that wasn¡¯t covered by the news.</i>


    Jung-Wan nodded at Se-Hoon¡¯s response.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll set it to require approval for now so that you can just meet them when you feel up for it. You can use the device on the table to manage the visits.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Done with the brief exnation, Jung-Wan left the room. When the door closed, Se-Hoon got out of bed and picked up the device on the table.


    ¡°Visitor requests, huh...? I guess there are quite a few people waiting to meet me.¡±


    He could tell that Jung-Wan had intentionally switched his visitor system to an approval-based one. It was likely that allowing them all at once would cause some problems.


    <i>I wonder how many people are waiting down there.</i>


    Curious, Se-Hoon quickly booted up the device to ept visitor requests.


    And then, after a short while¡ª


    <i>Ding, ding, ding!!!</i>


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    Hundreds of notifications poured in immediately.


    ***


    As one of the top three medical institutions in the world, the lobby of Askus was usually bustling with people, but the current atmosphere was distinctly different.


    A few hundred people¡ªmade up of students, government officials, employees, media personnel, and stakeholders rted to the hero industry¡ªwere scattered throughout, all casting wary nces at one another.


    The students were diverse,ing from different grades and departments, and the visitors from outside Babel were all exceptional.


    Yet, strangely enough, they were all fixated on their phones. The scene of hundreds doing the same thing was quite bizarre.


    ¡°Are we going to get nothing again today...?¡±


    ¡°If only they would give us a clear answer...¡±


    They were all anxiously staring at their phones.


    Then, shattering the tense atmosphere, a student suddenly shouted in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s up...!¡±


    Everyone scattered in the lobby immediately rushed toward the information desk.


    ¡°I''m Manager Ko, dispatched from the Heroes Association. I''m here to request a visit with Lee Se-Hoon...¡±


    ¡°I''m from UD Industries. I would like to request a visit with Lee Se-Hoon, and please make sure to mention ourpany''s name...¡±


    ¡°Please note that I brought a small gift too...!¡±


    Everyone was eager to leave their names, affiliations, and even the gifts they brought, creating a scene reminiscent of an auction.


    And there was a straightforward reason they were all acting so bizarrely.


    <i>We must secure the method to mass-produce sword aura at all costs!</i>


    <i>If we fall behind now, we''llg behind for years...</i>


    Even though mass-producing sword aura equipment, a task once deemed impossible, still had its uncertainties, it was a groundbreaking invention that could shape the future of the hero industry. Hence, everyone moved quickly to secure anything rted, naturally focusing attention on its developer, Se-Hoon.


    <i>I heard that the Demon Force was targeting the mass-produced sword aura technology and Lee Se-Hoon in the recent incident.</i>


    <i>It seems Inoue Erika and Jake Myers thwarted an attempt to steal the technology during the incident...</i>


    <i>Anyone who still treats him as just a student must have some problem with their head.</i>


    Just one hospital visit would likely determine who would stay ahead and who wouldn¡¯t in the race to maintain a leading position in the hero industry. Therefore everyone was eager to get in first, meaning all eyes were on the most likely candidate.


    ¡°...¡±


    Sitting on a sofa with an ufortable expression, the blonde Jake nced at the bag of bread in his hand.


    <i>Maybe I should''vee some other time... </i>


    Jake hade to visit upon receiving a message saying it was okay, only to find the lobby''s atmosphere far more intense than he had expected.


    Awkwardly scanning the room under the watchful eyes of others, he noticed a girl sitting a little distance away.


    ¡°...¡±


    He watched Erika sitting perfectly still, staring straight ahead for a moment. Even from where he was, he could feel an indescribable sense of pressure emanating from her. It kept people from even ncing in her direction, let alone getting near her.


    <i>Maybe I should just go back home.</i>


    Then, just as Jake nned to leave, feeling slightly nauseous, his phone buzzed briefly.


    <i>Buzz-</i>


    Instantly, all eyes in the lobby turned to him.


    Startled by the overwhelming attention, Jake looked at the message on his phone.


    Lee Se-Hoon: Is it a mess down there?


    Peeking his head up to nce around him, Jake replied: It''s aplete mess.


    There was no other way to describe the current situation.


    Hitting the send button, Jake let out a sigh. It was at this moment that he felt a strange gaze from beside him that made him turn his head.


    ¡°...¡±


    Erika was staring at him intently with her doll-like face and deep, sunken eyes. He involuntarily swallowed dryly and then quickly sent an additional message: It looks like you¡¯re going to be busy today, so I''lle another time.


    Since Se-Hoon seemed to be in good health, Jake decided it would be fine to visit himter, when Se-Hoon had more time.


    With the message sent, Jake swiftly made his exit, leaving behind the warzone-like lobby he couldn¡¯t adapt to.


    <i>That''s better, </i>Erika thought, her lips curling into a slight smile as she watched him leave.


    If he had stayed, he would likely have been called in first to discuss the mass-produced sword aura equipment with Se-Hoon. Now, without Jake, Erika believed she was the most likely candidate.


    Feeling confident that she would be summoned soon, she quietly waited, clutching the gift she had brought for the visit.


    ¡°Is Dean Ryu Eun-Ha here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Please step inside.¡±


    Unfortunately for Erika, Eun-Ha, who had been sitting in the corner, entered the ward first.


    ¡°Mr. Lee will not be epting any more visitors today, so please leave if you have made a request.¡±


    ¡°Damn it...¡±


    ¡°As expected, Dean Ryu gets...¡±


    Annoyed by the staff member''s announcement, the waiting visitors clicked their tongues and left, quickly turning the lobby quiet.


    Left all alone, Erika looked down at her gift package.


    ¡°...¡±


    She fiddled with the wrapping paper, looking utterly crestfallen.

 Chapter 144

    <h4>Chapter 144</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    In his hospital room filled with heavy silence, Se-Hoon awkwardly looked at Eun-Ha. She had just been staring at him from her seat beside his bed for a while now.


    <i>What¡¯s with this atmosphere...?</i>


    He understood that she was worried since he had been unconscious for a week, but her current reaction seemed far more intense than simple concern. Her eyes were full of guilt as if she had been the one to knock him out.


    The awkwardness continued. Then, when he twitched slightly due to an itch and saw her flinch and nce at him nervously, he finally decided to break the silence.


    ¡°Um, Dean,¡± Se-Hoon cautiously began.


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    Her voice was calm but somewhat more subdued than usual. Se-Hoon forced a smile.


    ¡°Professor An said my condition is recovering quite well, so there''s no need to worry too much. He said at this rate, I''ll be able to leave the hospital within a month.¡±


    ¡°A month...¡±


    Her expression grew even darker upon hearing the estimated hospitalization period.


    Noticing, Se-Hoon quickly added, ¡°And my hands are fine too. I won¡¯t have any problems forging, so you don''t need to worry about that.¡±


    While An Jung-Wan hadn¡¯t said that explicitly, Se-Hoon had used his experience repeatedly walking the line between life and death to make an educated guess.


    <i>That should ease her worries.</i>


    After all, for Eun-Ha, his forging ability would be the most concerning issue.


    But contrary to his expectations, her expression showed no signs of easing.


    ¡°Still, this incident is partly my responsibility. If I had just stayed at Babel...¡±


    Just as Eun-Ha said, many criticized Babel for not having a single S-rank staff member on duty during the incident. The presence of a high-ranking hero significantly mitigated damages in most cases, so in other educational institutions, one often stayed on duty like a watchman.


    However, Babel had its own circumstances.


    ¡°You left because the Chairman was here. Honestly, this incident should be considered an exception.¡±


    After all, it wasn¡¯t just anyone; Ludwig, the Emperor of Ascension, himself had been present. As such, it was reasonable she felt secure leaving the premises. And on top of that, the enemy had simply timed their attack well, taking advantage of the chairman¡¯s absence. So it wasn¡¯t fair to me those who had left.


    ¡°Even so...¡±


    Despite his attempt to console her, Eun-Ha remained visibly gloomy. Thus, Se-Hoon decided to change the subject entirely instead.


    ¡°By the way, did you bring any get-well-soon gifts with you? I was kind of looking forward to them...¡±


    Knowing Eun-Ha¡¯s personality, she would have brought a few things. He hoped some casual conversation about the gifts would naturally shift her mood.


    ¡°Oh. I did bring some,¡± Eun-Ha remarked, grabbing her void pocket from her waist instead of a gift basket.


    ¡°A set of Jason Fruit Supplements to speed up recovery, talismans to dispel lingering curses in your body, a set of ointments for you to apply during rehabilitation...¡±


    <i>Shwoosh, shwoosh, shwoosh.</i>


    Gifts started pouring out of her void pocket, filling one side of the hospital room. Seeing the unending stream of gifts, Se-Hoon blinked rapidly.


    <i>What in the world...?</i>


    Taken aback, he remembered how Eun-Ha had only brought him a few health products whenever he was hospitalized before he regressed¡ªa stark cry from the overwhelming amount before him.


    Meanwhile, Eun-Ha exined each item she had prepared over the past week one by one, not noticing Se-Hoon¡¯s shock.


    ¡°This device blocks long-range sniping. It operates based on the user''s senses, so it can be tricky to use, but I''m sure you will be able to handle it.¡±


    ¡°Um...¡±


    ¡°And this is a Shadow Grit Armor Set that performs and has effects simr to the armor I lent youst time. As you can see, it''s barely noticeable when worn, so you should be able to wear it under your uniform.¡±


    She held up the small, disc-shaped sniping-block device and the ck cube that dpressed into the Shadow Grit Armor Set to show him.


    They were both highly convenient to use pieces of Hero-tier equipment with excellent performance. Together, they were enough to ensure survival unless he had the extreme misfortune of encountering one of the Ten Evils.


    <i>She must have been really shocked... </i>Se-Hoon thought, watching Eun-Ha busily exining without pause.


    At first, he thought she was being a bit excessive, but then on second thought, he realized it was only natural. To Eun-Ha, he was the only person who had ever understood and met her needs; and he had almost died in her brief absence.


    It must have been a heart-stopping moment for her.


    ¡°Dean.¡±


    ¡°And this is... yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for making you worry.¡±


    Hearing the sincerity in his words, Eun-Ha looked at him intently before straightening her posture.


    ¡°As both the Dean of Borsippa and a fellow hero, I truly respect and am grateful for the efforts you and your colleagues put in.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But personally, I ask that... you also take care of your own body.¡±


    At her equally sincere response, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±


    He had only been so severely injured due to how shrouded this incident was. However, now that he was aware of the enemy¡¯s ways, he would avoid such mistakes in the future.


    Eun-Ha met his gaze for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll believe you,¡± she said, nodding in return.


    Thanks to the heartfelt exchange, the gloomy atmosphere lightened slightly, prompting Se-Hoon to sigh in relief inwardly.


    <i>If I get hurt again, she might just lock me up.</i>


    Ending the matter with that frivolous thought, he changed the subject again before she could resume her gift barrage.


    ¡°Come to think of it, how are things outside? I checked the news on my phone, but there wasn''t anything clear...¡±


    Eun-Ha paused briefly.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re currently conducting thorough investigations on all staff members andpanies involved in this incident. Other departments are also starting aprehensive sweep.¡±


    The main reason the enemies could pull off an incident of such scale was due to the moles they had nted long ago. Upon the reveal that many were staff members who had worked for over ten years, the entire hero industry became more vignt.


    ¡°The fact that the Ten Evils acted together is also causing global unrest.¡±


    Unlike the manageable demon-rted crimes that had been on the rise recently, the Ten Evils¡ªpractically living disasters¡ªjoining forces tounch an attack on humanity was an entirely different level of threat.


    A single misstep against such a force could lead to thousands or tens of thousands of casualties. Thus, the world worked to devise appropriate countermeasures.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>... what direction is it heading?¡±


    ¡°It''s not clear yet, but there''s talk led by the Heroes Association about strengthening cooperation among institutions and also talk about the extermination of the Ten Evils.¡±


    Until now, there had been a cold war between humanity and the Ten Evils, with both sides avoiding taking significant moves against each other. However, now that the Ten Evils attacked a Perfect One first, humanity could no longer remain idle.


    <i>Extermination of the Ten Evils...</i>


    Such a thing had previously only been seriously discussed <i>after </i>the emergence of the Six Harbingers of Destruction. Yet, it was being mentioned right now, decades earlier.


    Given the potential of the Ten Evils bing Harbingers of Destruction, dealing with them as early as possible was definitely beneficial¡ªand he wanted to be a part of it.


    After a moment, he asked another question, ¡°Are there any changes in Babel?¡±


    Given Ludwig''s character, Se-Hoon was sure he wouldn''t remain quiet after being hit like this.


    Yet Eun-Ha made an uncertain expression.


    ¡°I''m not sure. It seems like he''s preparing something, but...¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    While contemting what Ludwig would likely do, Se-Hoon suddenly felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.


    <i>Vrrr!</i>


    Taking out his phone, he checked the screen to see a message from Jake: The Chairman is making a major announcement right now!


    ¡°...A major announcement?¡±


    Sensing something unusual, Se-Hoon quickly grabbed the remote control on the table and turned on the TV. Then, without needing to change the channel, the screen changed and the words ¡°Urgent News¡± appeared at the top of the screen. It was followed by a live broadcast showing Ludwig speaking to the camera from a podium appearing under it.


    ¡¸I feel a deep sense of responsibility for this incident, both as the person in charge of Babel and as a hero.¡¹


    He was speaking in the central square of Babel, with the Tower of Pristine as his backdrop. Seeing how serious he looked, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    <i>What¡¯s he up to?</i>


    Was he going to dere war against the Ten Evils? Pondering whether it was likely, Se-Hoon focused again on Ludwig¡¯s words.


    ¡¸Through this incident, I realized Babel''s closed academic system has prevented it from keeping up with the times. Therefore, I intend to reorganize our system to adapt to the changing circumstances.¡¹


    What exactly did he mean by a new system? Everyone waited for Ludwig''s next words with bated breath.


    ¡¸Starting today, Babel will be coborating with the UD Group and the Pilgrimage Church to revamp our curriculum and security policies, focusing all of our efforts on nurturing the heroes of the future.¡¹


    Every location watching Ludwig fell silent, Se-Hoon¡¯s hospital room included.


    A coboration between Babel, the UD Group, and the Pilgrimage Church¡ªon the surface, it seemed like the three were merely joining forces with one another, but the real issuey with the leaders of each group.


    <i>The Eternal Nocturne and the Pilgrim...</i>


    They were both Perfect Ones like Ludwig himself. To the whole world, Ludwig had announced that three individuals, who previously operated independently <i>just like</i> the Ten Evils, were dering an alliance.


    <i>This... is the real deal.</i>


    Externally, Babel¡¯s reputation and influence would grow naturally, while internally, an intense power struggle would begin between the people under the Eternal Nocturne, the Pilgrim, and Babel. Additionally, it was guaranteed that the alliance of the three Perfect Ones would provoke a fierce reaction from the Ten Evils.


    It was an absolutely unprecedented event.


    Feeling unsettled, Se-Hoon gazed at Ludwig through the screen.


    ¡¸May Babel and humanity be blessed as we ovee this new challenge.¡¹


    Ludwig ended the announcement with his familiar, gentle smile.


    ***


    Within the opulently decorated halls of the Dream Castle, which stood on the boundary of dreams, a mocking voice echoed loudly in the spacious conference room.


    ¡°You boasted about burning down the entire garden, but came back having only killed a few dozen people? That''s quite the achievement,¡± sneered Beast King, his hulking white lion frame draped in a gold ne and a Hawaiian shirt. He revealed his canines with a mocking grin.


    ¡°Do you even have the right to say that?¡± Puppeteer indifferently asked, ncing up to stare at Beast King, who was sitting across from her.


    ¡°Does one need qualifications to mock fools?¡±


    ¡°You do.¡± Smirking, Puppeteer then looked at Beast King and added, ¡°Especially you since you almost get your ass whooped by an S-rank.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Beast King¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly at Puppeteer''s remark. After a brief pause, he responded in a low voice, ¡°That one was on the verge of bing a Perfect One.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so it''s okay to lose then? In that case, why are you so eager to mock us for losing this time?¡±


    Beast King¡¯s golden eyes narrowed further at Puppeteer''s continuous taunts, his white mane beginning to bristle with murderous intent.


    ¡°There you go again, trying to waste your energy on such useless banter,¡± said Tuner disdainfully, interrupting the two. He had been watching from beside Beast King in his beak-like mask.


    ¡°What are you going to achieve by taking it out on a puppet? Grow up, will you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At his words, Beast King, who had been ready to pounce at Puppeteer, begrudgingly calmed down. He could indeed crush the puppet''s head with a mere punch, as Tuner said, but what was the point of venting his anger like that?


    Taking in a deep breath to calm his anger, Beast King then red at Puppeteer.


    ¡°One day, I¡¯ll chew on your corpse after I murder you.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I''m also nning to turn you into a puppet to use for a long time, so don''t worry.¡±


    With that final barbed exchange, the two looked away. It was at this moment that the Dream Demon, who was sitting beside the head seat, softly said, ¡°They have arrived.¡±


    Two figures promptly appeared in the previously empty seats.


    One was a man whose face was obscured by a swirling ck vortex, devoid of any features, and the other was a long-haired man with small straight lines etched into his forehead and cheeks.


    Seeing the neers, Tuner waved cheerfully.


    ¡°Long time, no see. Doppelganger. Heaven Eye.¡±


    ¡°Was it you who leaked information to the Broken Sword?¡± asked the man with the swirling ck face, Doppelganger, turning his head slightly.


    At the blunt question, Tuner hesitated briefly before joining his thumb and index finger together and awkwardly answering, ¡°A little?¡±


    <i>Swish-</i>


    A chilling slicing sound filled the room, and both of Tuner¡¯s arms fell to the floor. In the blink of an eye, Doppelganger had severed Tuner''s arms.


    He then indifferently asserted, ¡°Next time, it will be your head. Stop meddling with our business.¡±


    With nothing more to say, Doppelganger turned his head away, leaving Tuner sighing.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we help each other out as fellow Ten Evils...?¡±


    ¡°Shall I reattach them for you?¡± asked the Dream Demon softly.


    ¡°No, thank you; I''ll do it myself.¡±


    <i>Crack-</i>


    Two thin, elongated hands then emerged from Tuner¡¯s back, retrieving the severed arms and reattaching them as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°All set,¡± he then said, stretching contentedly.


    At that moment, the long-haired man, Heaven Eye, spoke up. ¡°Exactly what were you thinking when you guys started all this?¡±


    ¡°Well, I thought I¡¯d give the Emperor of Ascension a little visit since he seemed to be getting a bit cockytely¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste time with your useless talk.¡±


    A scar running down Heaven Eye¡¯s cheek slowly widened, and his crimson pupils twitched, ring at Tuner.


    ¡°Because of you, the Emperor of Ascension, the Eternal Nocturne, and the Pilgrim have joined forces under a single cooperative system. How do you n to take responsibility if a full-scale war starts because of this?¡±


    When the seven Perfect Ones revealed themselves to the world, the Demon Force realized they were no longer at an advantage and decided to unite their strength for future survival. And with preparations for that still unfinished, provoking the Perfect Ones and causing them to unite was a fatal mistake, regardless of what their motive might have been.


    ¡°Responsibility, huh...?¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Tuner continued, ¡°If things go ording to n, there will be no need for us to step in. Once the Fragments nted in the Demon Realms fully manifest, our victory is certain.¡±


    The Fragments of Origin were the cores of the Six Great Demon Realms, created in the primordial ages of the Abyss of Demons. And once those fragments had manifested and were handed over to those qualified, even the monstrous Perfect Ones could be defeated single-handedly as they would have the overwhelming advantage of being the antithesis to the Perfect One¡¯s mere power.


    But disadvantaged as they currently were, there had been no need to provoke the Perfect Ones further.


    ¡°But things have strayed far from what we had nned,¡± Tuner imed.


    All of that had been based on the assumption that things would go ording to n.


    ¡°Heaven Eye, you saw it too. That mass-produced sword aura created by that Lee Se-Hoon guy.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If humanity is able to fully develop that technology, equipment that can manifest people¡¯s own synesthetic mindscape will also be developed soon. And it¡¯s <i>very</i> likely the Emperor of Ascension will lead Lee Se-Hoon in that direction.¡±


    Producing sword auras en masse was just the beginning. Once the synesthetic mindscape could be reproduced and applied in earnest, humanity''s weapon system wouldpletely transcend the existing one.


    ¡°So what do you think all of this will lead to?¡±


    This time, it was Puppeteer, who had been sitting apathetically, that answered the question.


    ¡°They will start mass-producing the powers of Perfect Ones.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    During their assault on Babel, they discovered the furnace of the Sacred Craftsman. In fact, part of the reason Tuner had nned the attack on Babel was to verify the existence of the furnace he had only heard rumors about.


    ¡°Time is not on our side anymore. It¡¯s now about who is able to reach the end first,¡± the Tuner concluded.


    ¡°...So, what do you propose we do?¡± asked Heaven Eye.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go wild.¡±


    Turning toward the dark, shrouded seat at the head of the conference room, Tuner, dered his n with trembling anticipation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill those we don¡¯t like, research the Fragments of Origin to elerate their growth, and just go wild!!!¡±


    Since things deviated from the initial n, they had no choice but to lead the flow into greater chaos in the direction they desired.


    The other Ten Evils all turned their heads to look at the head of the table.


    There, within the darkness, something wriggled once. Then¡ª


    <strong>¡°You may proceed as so.¡±</strong>


    With just those five words, the world began to move in a new direction.

 Chapter 145

    <h4>Chapter 145</h4>


    The world was thrown into chaos by the shocking news of the three Perfect Ones¡¯ cooperation. Previously, those three had interacted so little that they appeared hostile. This cooperation was the first time they showed a willingness to do such a thing.


    And although it was supposed to be about the reorganization of Babel¡¯s system, few people took it at face value.


    ¡°Are they really going to hunt down the Ten Evils?¡±


    ¡°If those three are working together, it¡¯s definitely possible. After all, the Emperor of Ascension could handle three of them by himself.¡±


    Thanks to the announcement, the popce¡¯s growing anxiety over the existence of the Ten Evils began to cease, their fear naturally transforming into anticipation for their eradication. Thus with hopes of joining the effort, Babel, now jointly managed by three Perfect Ones, saw unprecedented poprity.


    ¡°I heard Babel¡¯s headquarters ispletely paralyzed because of top-ranking students from other academies moring to transfer to Babel.¡±


    ¡°Really, to that extent?¡±


    Jake nodded while skillfully peeling an apple.


    ¡°Most of them didn¡¯t join Babel because of the Chairman. So now, tons of applications are pouring in for all grades¡ªto the extent that some call it the second entrance ceremony of the year.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably aplete mess there...¡±


    Though Babel was the world''s most prestigious educational institution, many avoided enrolling due to vested interests. However, with two of Perfect Ones¡ªespecially Wurgen from the UD Group, who constantly shed with Ludwig¡ªjoining in, those avoiding Babel immediately submitted their applications.


    <i>I still can¡¯t figure out why Wurgen changed his mind so suddenly...</i>


    Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but be curious about what kind of reward Wurgen, who had been so eager to destroy Babel through the media just a few days ago, was promised to receive for cooperating so willingly.


    ¡°Here,¡± Jake said, offering him a fork.


    ¡°Ah, thanks...¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon turn his head to look at the intricately carved apple slice in the shape of a rabbit, Jake avoided his gaze.


    ¡°Well... my sister likes it like this.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Feeling a brother¡¯s sorrow from him, Se-Hoon bit into the apple slice and asked, ¡°Where is your sister, by the way?¡±


    ¡°She had to take care of another job and left right away. She asked me to give you her regards.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hm</i>...¡±


    Had Aria not appeared at that moment to save him from the assassins and bring him to the hospital, his condition would have been much worse. He did feel grateful to her, but he also felt a mix ofplex emotions.


    <i>A bond has been formed with her...</i>


    What had she seen and thought while he was unconscious? Unable to even guess, he decided to put it out of his mind for now.


    <i>I¡¯ll just have to ask her the next time we meet.</i>


    He decided that thinking about it now would only give him a headache.


    As he organized his thoughts, Jake cautiously asked, ¡°Hey, Se-Hoon... when are you going to call Erika?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm?</i>¡±


    Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Se-Hoon confusedly looked at Jake.


    ¡°Did something happen to her?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, but she <i>has</i> been feeling a bit downtely... and since I came here before her, it might make things worse.¡±


    Seeing Jake¡¯s awkward expression, Se-Hoon quickly figured out why.


    <i>Oh, perhaps it¡¯s because of her family.</i>


    Now that the tense atmosphere had somewhat eased, the Myers family started spreading news about their line of mass-produced sword aura equipment. As a result, rumors about how the Inoue family lost the recruitmentpetition were also spread, and if it was known that Jake had visited Se-Hoon first as well, it was a guarantee it would stir up more talk.


    <i>These spections and exaggerations are always such a nuisance.</i>


    Annoyed, Se-Hoon shoved more apple slices into his mouth. Then, when he finished chewing, he replied, ¡°I¡¯ll call her next.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll... oh, wait.¡±


    Suddenly remembering something, Jake paused while getting up to leave.


    ¡°By the way, have you seen Yeom Sung-Ha sunbae?¡±


    ¡°Yeom Sung-Ha? He hadn¡¯t even applied to visit me yet.¡± And from the look of things, Sung-Ha didn¡¯t seem to have any n to do so.


    Though initially confused by Se-Hoon¡¯s response, Jake soon came to a realization.


    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know he was hospitalized?¡±


    At those words, Se-Hoon, who had been chewing an apple slice, froze and slowly turned his head.


    ¡°...Hospitalized?


    "Yeah. He got injured badly after fighting the spies...¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Huh, what?¡±


    Wasting no time, Se-Hoon got up from his bed and, leading Jake, headed straight to the area where Sung-Ha was likely admitted.


    Yeom Sung-Ha¡ªfinding his name on the te next to a door, Se-Hoon involuntarily swallowed hard before entering the room. Walking in, the first thing he saw was a muscr body covered in scars and stitches, evidence of the fierce battle its owner had recently fought.


    ¡°Whoa...!¡±


    Within the room, Sung-Ha was doing handstand push-ups with sweat pouring off his body and pooling on the floor. Se-Hoon stared nkly at the vigorous sight before letting out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>...¡±


    Given how much Sung-Ha despised hospitals, Se-Hoon feared Sung-Ha had suffered permanent damage like Luize after hearing that someone like him was hospitalized. Thankfully, however, his injuries didn¡¯t seem to be that severe.


    <i>I nearly had a heart attack back there.</i>


    Meanwhile, Sung-Ha¡¯s relentless push-ups came to a halt.


    ¡°<i>Hm?</i>¡±


    Having finally noticed Se-Hoon and Jake by the door, Sung-Ha pushed off the floor and stood upright. When he then turned toward them, the deep scars across his ribs and abdomen became visible.


    <i>...Those look pretty deep.</i>


    If they appeared that bad on the surface, they must have affected his internal organs when he first got injured. However, upon examining Sung-Ha¡¯s overall condition, it appeared that the wounds, albeit severe, had healed well over the past week.


    Feeling somewhat reassured, Se-Hoon asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°As you can see,¡± answered Sung-Ha inly after looking at him for a moment.


    ¡°...¡±


    <i>Does ¡°as you can see¡± mean... he¡¯s not okay, or that his wounds have healed but he still isn¡¯t in perfect condition? </i>mused Jake, wondering what Sung-Ha¡¯s ambiguous response meant.


    Unlike Jake, who was beginning to wonder if Sung-Ha was being sarcastic, Se-Hoon nodded as if he had expected such a response.


    ¡°Yeah, it looks like you¡¯re fine. What happened? Weren¡¯t you supposed to be unbeatable?¡±


    ¡°My stamina waned, making the ws in my spear techniques more and more apparent. I also lost the element of surprise once the enemies realized they were being attacked.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to just fight moderately and then retreat.... How many did you take down?¡±


    ¡°Fourteen.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ho</i>...¡±


    To think Sung-Ha had taken down fourteen active-duty heroes by himself. He did have the advantage of surprise attacks and superior equipment, but achieving that in such a short time was impressive.


    ¡°That deserves a bonus.¡±


    ¡°...Do as you like.¡±


    Though Sung-Ha replied nonchntly, the slight twitch of his lips betrayed his satisfaction.


    Catching it, Se-Hoon chuckled and asked, ¡°So, how long did they say you have to be hospitalized?¡±


    ¡°Eight weeks. But I n to leave in two.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    With a triumphant smile, Sung-Ha answered, ¡°I¡¯ll tell them I¡¯m recuperating at my family¡¯s home. After a week of rest, I can return and skip the remaining recovery time.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Instead of obediently receiving proper treatment, both Sung-Ha and Se-Hoon only thought about getting out as soon as possible.


    Watching the two, who seemed to be in perfect sync when it came to such schemes, Jake thought, <i>Should I report this to the professor...?</i>


    Suddenly, Sung-Ha stopped moving and furrowed his brow. He then nced down at the veins around his scars, which began to bulge and pulse.


    ¡°It seems like I overdid it.¡±


    <i>Splurt!</i>


    The previously healed wounds split open, causing blood to spray everywhere.


    ¡°...Nurse!!!¡±


    Panicking, Jake called for the medical staff who rushed in quickly from outside.


    ¡°Yeom Sung-Ha, we told you not to exercise!¡±


    As they started the emergency treatment, the medical staff scolded Sung-Ha. Luckily, the wounds had reopened slightly, and the bleeding soon stopped. However, because his heart rate was elevated from exercising, the blood had sprayed across the room.


    ¡°What the...¡±


    While Jake bewilderedly gazed at the now blood-soaked room, Se-Hoon, who had also been drenched in blood, observed Sung-Ha¡¯s body.


    <i>...That¡¯s strange. Those wounds shouldn¡¯t have burst open like that.</i>


    Unlike others, who thought Sung-Ha had simply overexerted himself, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t think Sung-Ha¡¯s condition was that fragile. Sensing something unusual, Se-Hoon discreetly licked the blood off his hand when no one was looking.


    <i>¡°Hmm</i>...¡±


    Using Soul Honing, he organized and analyzed the information about Sung-Ha¡¯s body that was contained in his blood. Momentster, the physical structure of Sung-Ha¡¯s body was mapped out like a blueprint.


    ¡°...Mana interference?¡±


    It seemed two different types of mana were chaotically mixing within Sung-Ha¡¯s body.


    ***


    Back in his own hospital room, Se-Hoon washed off the blood and changed his clothes before sitting on his bed, lost in thought.


    <i>Mana interference...</i>


    Mana interference was a condition where multiple types of mana interfered with one another within a single body, usually happening when one''s control over their mana had weakened due to injury. It typically wasn¡¯t a severe issue, since the symptoms often resolved once the injury healed and control was regained.


    <i>It¡¯s not a general case...</i>


    Recalling how Sung-Ha¡¯s wounds had suddenly burst, Se-Hoon examined his own body carefully.


    <i>Hmm. This might work...</i>


    Focusing, Se-Hoon channeled fire mana into his left hand and darkness mana into his right hand.


    <i>Vwoom-</i>


    The two different types of mana, aware of their host¡¯s condition, flowed out cautiously. Observing the quantity of the two, Se-Hoon then mixed the two in the air.


    The resulting mana was a dark red color, simr to the mana he had seen inside Sung-Ha. Se-Hoon immediately activated Bond Imprint.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Dark Crimson Stone¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    <i>Bang-!</i>


    Upon activating Bond Imprint with Sung-Ha¡¯s Fatestone, thebined mana resonated with it and exploded. However, Se-Hoon had anticipated such a thing so he wasn¡¯t injured.


    Analyzing the entire process that unfolded, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Just as I thought.¡±


    He had found out that Sung-Ha¡¯s unique skill, Complete Source Resonance, was the issue. Though not fully awakened, the essence of the skill had naturally integrated throughout his body, causing the mixed mana inside him to react and explode just like it had moments ago.


    <i>Its half-awakened state is causing all this.... This could be dangerous.</i>


    Although it just reopened Sung-Ha¡¯s wounds this time, it could damage his organs or mana circuits if not handled in the future. Essentially, it was a ticking time bomb.


    <i>I need to treat this right away or provide a safety mechanism.</i>


    But treating him was difficult given his current state, and it could also negatively affect Sung-Ha¡¯s growth.


    <i>So, a safety mechanism it is, then...</i>


    As he mulled over the mechanisms he could use, Se-Hoon felt a faint sensation from the golden Ascension Ring on his right ring finger.


    <i>Buzz-</i>


    Trembling, the ring then distorted the space around him.


    ¡°Are you avable right now?¡±


    Hearing Ludwig¡¯s voice, Se-Hoon startledly looked around and noticed it came from beyond the distortion. He then replied, ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    His surroundings immediately began to warp and change.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    The scene of his familiar hospital room peeled away like the skin of a fruit, revealing a pure white space.


    <i>This should be...</i>


    He was mid-spatial movement, a process he hadn¡¯t witnessed before. Feeling something lurking in the white space, Se-Hoon tried to turn his head, but his surroundings shifted before he could.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    He was now in the old and stately chairman¡¯s office.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    Previously, he had only felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu due to the unfamiliar process, but now, after witnessing it from start to finish, he felt nauseous.


    <i>I guess it¡¯s not a good thing to have a half-baked spatial ability...</i>


    Seeing Se-Hoon frowning due to the queasiness, Ludwig looked at him from his seat behind the desk, his eyebrows raised in surprise.


    ¡°Did you... perhaps, see something on the way here?¡± he asked, genuinely surprised.


    Se-Hoon nodded, still bewildered by what he saw.


    ¡°I saw something like a white space.¡±


    ¡°...Wow. So you can already perceive the Whitespace,¡± muttered Ludwig in amazement.


    At those words, Se-Hoon suppressed his nausea and looked toward Ludwig with curiosity.


    <i>What is this ¡°Whitespace¡± that¡¯s so surprising to him?</i>


    Was it not something anyone with the ring could see? Pondering what to say, Ludwig spoke after a moment, ¡°We¡¯ll discuss this another time. It¡¯s still a bit early for you to grasp this concept.¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    ¡°So, how¡¯s your condition? Professor An informed me you¡¯re doing well.¡±


    Stopping himself from saying he was fine, Se-Hoon hesitated and decided to be truthful.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but... it feels a bitcking...¡±


    ¡°Lacking?¡±


    ¡°At times like this, I would like to take in a lot of nutrients and mana to improve my body and heal my injuries faster, but the professor seems to be overly worried...¡±


    Among the many gifts Se-Hoon received from Eun-Ha, there were no elixirs, and Jake¡¯s gifts had also been thoroughly checked even after he was informed that anything rted to elixirs was banned.


    Now, his only hope to acquire some elixirs was the highest authority in Babel who was standing before him.


    Ludwig gazed at him for a moment before smiling.


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. While Professor An is very skilled, he tends to be a bit overprotective.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes lit up with hope, feeling the favorable atmosphere.


    ¡°However, if the attending physician had made such a judgment, there must be a reason. We should respect the expert¡¯s decision.¡±


    But Ludwig calmly extinguished that hope, thoroughly at that.


    And while he wasn¡¯t wrong, it wasn¡¯t the answer Se-Hoon wanted. He narrowed his eyes, looking at the highest authority of Babel who was acting powerless.


    <i>What kind of Chairman acts like this...</i>


    Grumbling internally, Se-Hoon only looked at Ludwig again when he spoke after a moment of silence.


    ¡°<i>Hm,</i> do you know why Professor An banned elixirs?¡±


    ¡°...He said there¡¯s a chance my mana could go out of control while taking them.¡±


    Though Se-Hoon knew it was unlikely for such a thing to happen to him, others wouldn¡¯t see it that way.


    Ludwig chuckled and said, ¡°In that case, if there¡¯s a safe method that won¡¯t cause that, it should be fine.¡±


    Before Se-Hoon could even ask if such a method existed, Ludwig lightly waved his hand in the air.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Space split in half, and mes flowed out to form a small familiar shape with wide wings and ornate tail feathers. Se-Hoon blinked repeatedly at the appearance of the small familiar.


    ¡°The Vermillion Bird...?¡±


    He had heard Ludwig had dealt with it, which naturally made him wonder if Ludwig had used its materials somewhere.


    <i>¡°To put me in this form...¡±</i>


    ¡°Quiet.¡±


    With just one word, the Vermillion Bird fell silent.


    Then, Ludwig started his exnation. ¡°This is a clone of the Vermillion Bird you captured. The main body is confined elsewhere, but within Babel, I can draw on its power through this clone.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Se-Hoon looked on with interest.


    ¡°While researching it over the past week, we¡¯ve discovered something interesting by chance: the Vermillion Bird can absorb the power of the things it burns.¡±


    ¡°Their power...?¡±


    Ludwig nodded at Se-Hoon¡¯s question.


    ¡°Regardless of its attributes or whether it''s mana. Simply put, it converts their form into mes.¡±


    ¡°Just the forms...¡±


    Even from just that brief description, the ability sounded immensely useful. After a moment, Se-Hoon connected the dots and his eyes lit up.


    ¡°Are you saying I should feed the elixir to the Vermillion Bird... and then absorb the transformed power from its mes?¡±


    Absorbing its mes wouldn¡¯t be an easy task, but if he made a contract with the Vermillion Bird, it likely wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.


    ¡°That way, you¡¯re not consuming the elixir directly and are just receiving the power through your contract with the Vermillion Bird, so Professor An¡¯s prescription isn¡¯t an issue. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Despite Ludwig¡¯s nonchnce and clueless act, he had already thought up the perfect solution.


    In this way, Ludwig was both providing Se-Hoon with his reward and exining its possible usage that would help him the most right now.


    Gazing at the Ludwig with a big smile, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°You truly are <i>the</i> Chairman.¡±


    He once again witnessed the dignity of the highest authority.

 Chapter 146

    <h4>Chapter 146</h4>


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    <i>¡°Grunt...¡±</i>


    Heading Ludwig''smand, the Vermillion Bird trembled and reluctantly flew toward Se-Hoon. It perched on his outstretched left hand and gently wrapped its wings around it.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    Igniting, it began to burn the back of Se-Hoon''s hand, etching a me-like pattern.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Reachingpletion, the Vermillion Bird burned away and the red me-pattern shimmered before gradually fading away. And although he could no longer see it, he could feel the connection and instinctively knew he could summon the Vermillion Bird anytime.


    Seeing Se-Hoon savoring the new sensation, Ludwig decided he could finish his exnation.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re the one who captured it, feel free to use it whenever you need it. Also, do remember that once you¡¯re outside Babel, the connection with its main body weakens and you''ll have to use your own mana.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Now, all that''s left are the elixirs. Have you decided on what kind of elixirs you need?¡±


    After a moment of consideration, Se-Hoon responded, ¡°An Eternal Pill, a zing Flower, and a Shadow Root; these three should suffice.¡±


    Realizing each one was a highly potent yet dangerous elixir that could be fatal if consumed directly, Ludwig''s face lit up with interest.


    ¡°Are you nning to process them first?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think I cane up with something thanks to the Vermillion Bird''s abilities.¡±


    Having acquired such a valuable worker, it would be a waste not to utilize it fully.


    Believing in Se-Hoon¡¯s words, Ludwig nodded and made a gesture in the air.


    <i>Click-</i>


    Like every time before, a golden keyhole appeared in midair and unlocked to reveal a pristine white space. Three boxes then fell out in a row, and Ludwig pointed toward them.


    ¡°Check them out.¡±


    Moving forward, Se-Hoon opened the first box.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The first box contained a dark purple orb the size of a fist that had something resembling white sand slowly swirling inside it. It had a peculiar allure that seemed capable of captivating anyone who looked at it.


    Se-Hoon immediately checked its information message.


    <strong>[<u>Eternal Pill</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[An elixir made from the core of a Time Devourer. </strong>


    <strong>It enhances the nervous system to amplify one¡¯s sensory abilities and increase cognitive capabilities. However, caution is required during consumption as it may cause abnormalities in the cerebrum if its essence permeates the brain.</strong>


    <strong>*Increases all sensory and cognitive abilities]</strong>


    <i>Hmm. This seems quite well made.</i>


    The Eternal Pill was crafted from the byproduct of an A+ rank monster, the Time Devourer. And though its special effects were amazing, its side effects were severe enough to make it seldom used.


    <i>Let''s check on the other two first.</i>


    Having confirmed the quality of the Eternal Pill, Se-Hoon opened the remaining two boxes and examined their contents. One contained a flower made of mes with burning leaves, and the other held a shadowy root clumped together like a ball.


    He then checked their information messages as well.


    <strong>[<u>zing Flower</u>]</strong>


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


    <strong>[A flower made of an endlessly zing me. </strong>


    <strong>When ites into contact with fire mana, it will take root and absorb the mana and heat.</strong>


    <strong>*Absorbs fire mana and heat to amplify its power</strong>


    <strong>*The properties of the leaves change ording to nutrients]</strong>


    <strong>[<u>Shadow Root</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A hidden root of the Shadow Tree. </strong>


    <strong>When ites into contact with darkness mana, it will take root and nt a seed inside. The root is then converted to pure darkness mana.</strong>


    <strong>*Forms a seed upon contact with darkness mana</strong>


    <strong>*The root is converted to pure darkness mana upon nting a seed]</strong>


    The zing Flower, if consumed, would drain one''s fire mana and grow inside the body, leading to a fiery death. Simrly, the Shadow Root was known for targeting one¡¯s vital spots with its seeds, which could fatally invade their heart if unlucky.


    All three were dangerous, but they had rich mana content to match, making them beneficial if handled correctly.


    ¡°These are all dangerous things, so do be careful when handling them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± said Se-Hoon. He closed the boxes and ced them in his void pocket.


    When Ludwig saw Se-Hoon had stored them safely, he moved on.


    ¡°Now that that¡¯s settled, we should get to the main topic.¡±


    He leaned back in his chair and looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I made a major announcement yesterday. Did you see it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I watched it with Dean Ryu.¡±


    ¡°I only initiated it because I thought Babel needed some change... but after settling everything, I became curious about what others might think.¡±


    Making a slight smile, Ludwig gently asked, ¡°What do you think about this new cooperation system?¡±


    ¡°...I think it will serve as a basis for good opportunities to rise. It will diversify the research being done at Babel, meaning there will be more opportunities for the students.¡±


    ¡°I see. Anything else?¡±


    Was he looking for a specific answer, or did he want something expressed? Unsure of Ludwig''s exact intention, Se-Hoon pondered for a moment before replying honestly, ¡°Looking at it from another way... meeting other Perfect Ones will also be beneficial for me.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think so?¡±


    ¡°Because...¡±


    Pausing, Se-Hoon yed with the Ascension Ring on his right hand. Then, after a moment, he said, ¡°I can observe and study their powers as well.¡±


    Studying the powers of Perfect Ones¡ªa statement few could make lightly. However, he had said it boldly as he knew Ludwig, despite being one, wouldn''t be offended by such a remark.


    <i>After all, he didn''t mind giving me something with his own power.</i>


    If Ludwig didn''t mind his own powers being studied, he probably didn¡¯t care if the powers of others were either. In fact, he might even actively encourage it.


    At his words, Ludwig thought about it for a moment before expressing his agreement.


    ¡°That could indeed be a good opportunity. I''ll take that into ount.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°That should be enough about this topic... oh, right. When you''re feeling better, someone from the Heroes Association will visit you.¡±


    ¡°The Heroes Association?¡±


    Ludwig nodded to confirm.


    ¡°They''re from the Special Operations Division, here to investigate the recent incident.¡±


    Upon hearing Ludwig¡¯s words, Se-Hoon''s expression tightened slightly.


    <i>Is it those hounds again...</i>


    The Special Operations Division of the Heroes Association was a corebat unit filled with rigid individuals. And before he regressed, Se-Hoon had bitter experiences with them, having been chased by them for months.


    Suppressing the irritation that surged upon remembering them, Se-Hoon sought to confirm something with Ludwig.


    ¡°Are they suspecting me?¡±


    Given the situation, Se-Hoon''s significant contributions might have raised suspicions among the more paranoid even though he was one of the students who thwarted the enemy¡¯s attack.


    ¡°They im it''s to secure witness testimonies for the investigation... but knowing them, that could also be the case.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes. He had known he would encounter them eventually, but the thought of dealing with their scrutiny annoyed him. However, with the meeting imminent, he began contemting how to handle them.


    ¡°Well, don''t worry about it too much. Even if they find something suspicious... if I don''t allow them to investigate further, they won''t say a word,¡± Ludwig indifferently added.


    Even if the investigators discovered something, they couldn''t report it without Ludwig''s permission. That was one of the extraordinary privileges held only by Perfect Ones. Though even S-rank heroes dreaded the Special Operations Division, before someone as powerful as Ludwig, even they had to defer.


    <i>Looks like I''ve chosen the right one to leech off of.</i>


    Having found out he could get away with significant actions without fearing conflict with the Heroes Association, Se-Hoon bowed his head, now more at ease.


    ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. It''s my duty as the Chairman to protect my students,¡± replied Ludwig with a smile.


    ncing at his watch, Ludwig then said, ¡°It seems I''ve kept the patient too long. Do you have anything else to discuss?¡±


    Se-Hoon shook his head. ¡°No, nothing else.¡±


    ¡°I see. Since there are still many rewards left to give you for this incident, feel free to ask if you need anything.¡±


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Waving his hand once again, Ludwig sent Se-Hoon¡¯s body out of the office, his senses extending toward the hospital.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    Upon observing that Se-Hoon sat down on the bed feeling nauseous, Ludwig withdrew his gaze and muttered with a curious expression, ¡°Did he glimpse the Whitespace again...?¡±


    In the past, when Ludwig first ascended to the top of a Tower of Heroes, he learned that in what he thought was apletely filled space, there existed an empty space, the Whitespace. Being a location one that could not be observed with the naked eye or even with mana, since he was the only one who was able to perceive and control it, he became the one who surpassed all other spatial magic sorcerers.


    However, now he was no longer the only one.


    <i>The ring might have helped him a bit, but it''s still impressive...</i>


    Though a person with poor eyesight could wear sses to see clearly, it didn¡¯t mean they would suddenly be able to understand a foreignnguage they''d never seen before. Yet Se-Hoon started to perceive the Whitespace after just using the power in the Ascension Ring a few times.


    <i>Will he be able tomand it in the future?</i>


    Perceiving and using it were two entirely different concepts, but since Se-Hoon managed to catch even a glimpse of it, it meant that there was a chance he could use it as well.


    A voice resounded from within the white void, breaking Ludwig out of his thoughts.


    <i>¡°What will you do about him?¡±</i>


    ¡°...For now, I''ll just keep an eye on him. He might just excel in observation.¡±


    <i>¡°And what if he can do more?¡±</i>


    Just the thought of Se-Hoon being able to analyze every single power just by looking made Ludwigugh softly.


    ¡°Then I''ll have to introduce him to some of my friends.¡±


    ***


    Back in the hospital room, Se-Hoon took out all the materials from his void pocket when evening fell and summoned the Vermillion Bird.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    A me arose on the back of his hand where the pattern was, and shortly after, the small Vermillion Bird he had seen earlier appeared.


    But before he could give his greetings, the Vermillion Bird spoke first.


    <i>¡°Consider this a warning.¡±</i>


    The Vermillion Bird red sharply at Se-Hoon.


    <i>¡°The only reason I made a contract with you was because of that monstrous old man. If you¡¯re thinking of treating me like a servant, you''d better change that thought soon.¡±</i>


    ¡°...¡±


    <i>¡°You¡¯re not ¡®using¡¯ my power, I''m ''lending'' it to you. If can¡¯t even recognize the difference, I will burn you down so intensely that there won¡¯t even be a handful of ashes left behind.¡±</i>


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    As if demonstrating, the Vermillion Bird''s body red up intensely.


    Even if it was just a clone, the pressure froming through the connection with its main body was formidable. And despite its smaller size, it seemed even stronger than before.


    Having chosen not to interrupt, Se-Hoon just watched its intimidation attempt. Then, out of the blue, he grabbed its neck.


    <i>¡°Ugh! What are you...!¡±</i>


    Caught off guard, the Vermillion Bird just watched Se-Hoon touch its ming body.


    ¡°I can feel the heat, but there''s no aggression in it. Looks like any hostile actions against the contractor are forbidden, am I right?¡±


    <i>¡°Gah...¡±</i>


    ¡°Isn''t itmon sense that the Chairman wouldn''t have suggested a contract without such safety measures? Are you an idiot?¡±


    The Vermillion Bird flinched.


    It had thought a little intimidation would put the youngling on guard, but unfortunately for it, Se-Hoon had already managed to fully grasp the nature of their contract.


    ¡°Don''t worry too much about it, though. Just like you said, I n to only borrow your power and will maintain basic courtesy.¡±


    The Vermillion Bird looked up at Se-Hoon skeptically, remembering how someone had made a promise, only to end up squeezing its soul and subduing it.


    <i>...Sigh. What can I even do if I find this doubtful?</i>


    Bound by the contract and restrictions, the Vermillion Bird realized it had to cooperate with Se-Hoon.


    Resigning, it asked, ¡°<i>So, what do you n to do?¡±</i>


    ¡°First, I need to nt a flower.¡±


    <i>¡°You n to cultivate that?¡± </i>asked the Vermillion Bird, ncing at the zing Flower in the box.


    Then, with an arrogant tone, it arrogantly added, ¡°<i>The petals will surely transform to be suitable for consumption with my mes. So, where do you n to nt it? You do know that the quality of the soil is crucial for its effect, right?¡±</i>


    ¡°I''m actually deciding between two spots.¡±


    As Se-Hoon answered, he was scanning the Vermillion Bird''s body. Seeing him searching, the bird grew stiff, the realization dawning on it.


    <i>¡°...Why are you observing my body when talking about where to nt the flower?¡±</i>


    Though the Vermillion Bird in the room was just a clone, it still felt like its main body through the connection.


    Se-Hoon didn''t answer; he just kept examining the Vermillion Bird¡¯s body until their eyes met. Then, he politely offered two choices.


    ¡°Your head or your butt. Where would you like it nted?¡±

 Chapter 147

    <h4>Chapter 147</h4>


    With the amicable negotiations with the Vermillion Bird concluded, Se-Hoon immediately began nting the zing Flower.


    <i>¡°St¡ªstop it... I swear, there¡¯s something on my head...!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°You monster! Do you even have a human heart in you... arrgh!¡±</i>


    And though the Vermillion Bird did whine a bit during the process, the work waspletely rtively smooth since they were bound by a contract.


    <i>Sizzle-</i>


    Having chosen the head, Se-Hoon neatly nted the zing Flower in its crown. Using the Vermillion Bird¡¯s mana and mes, the zing Flower¡¯s leaves grew and grew, bingrger and more vibrant in color than they were initially.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>... it turned out better than I thought.¡±


    He had expected it to take a while, but at the rate he was seeing, it would grow to a usable size in about ten minutes. The amount of help the Vermillion Bird¡¯s abilities provided him pleased him quite a bit.


    In stark contrast to Se-Hoon though, the Vermillion Bird was sobbing and covering its face with its wings.


    <i>¡°Sniff... I, as one of the Four Sacred Beasts...¡±</i>


    Apart from the pain of having a flower imnted in its head, the frustration from being unable to resist a mere human who was much weaker than itself hurt the Vermillion Bird the most. It had experienced nothing but a series of humiliations since its resurrection, and yet none were as disgraceful as this moment.


    And unfortunately for it, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t care. Ignoring the Vermillion Bird writhing in self-loathing, Se-Hoon moved on to the next task.


    <i>Now the Eternal Pill.</i>


    Taking out the violet-tinged orb, the Eternal Pill, he wrapped it in his earth mana, Purified Earth, and then gently enclosed it with both hands.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Noticing the faint purple light seeped through Se-Hoon¡¯s fingers, the Vermillion Bird stopped writhing and moved its wings aside to look at Se-Hoon.


    <i>What is that monster up to this time...</i>


    The Vermillion Bird tensed even more, ncing up at the zing Flower imnted in its crown.


    At that moment, Se-Hoon, who had been staring at his hands for a while, called out, ¡°Hey. Come over here if you¡¯re done sobbing.¡±


    <i>¡°...I wasn¡¯t sobbing.¡±</i>


    Suppressing its rising emotions, the Vermillion Bird approached Se-Hoon. A secondter, Se-Hoon nced over to confirm that the Vermillion Bird had gotten close before unfolding his hands like a bowl.


    <i>Slosh-</i>


    Seeing a violet liquid, enveloped in earth mana, simmering, the Vermillion Bird observed it with its single eye.


    <i>It¡¯s been processed to be more easily absorbed.</i>


    It had be less stable, but the mana efficiency was much higher in that state. As a consequence, direct consumption also became extremely dangerous, but it was perfect for the mes of the Vermillion Bird to process it.


    <i>Regardless of his personality, his skills are solid.</i>


    Just as the Vermillion Bird was thinking it was no wonder the Emperor of Ascension had an eye on him¡ª


    ¡°Alright. Here it goes.¡±


    Se-Hoon mercilessly thrust his fingers into the Vermillion Bird¡¯s beak.


    <i>¡°What the... gahhh!¡±</i>


    The liquid Eternal Pill flowed into the Vermillion Bird¡¯s mouth, its violet energy permeating its ming body and causing a transformation.


    <i>¡°You... bastard...¡±</i>


    Its consciousness and fiercely burning mes slowed. It was as if it alone had been put in a slow-motion world.


    Picking up on the change and the Vermillion Bird¡¯s struggle to adapt to the elerated thought process, Se-Hoon quickly said, ¡°Don''t resist and just channel it into the zing Flower. You can at least do that, right?¡±


    <i>¡°You... damn...¡±</i>


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I get it. Just do it quickly.¡±


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The Vermillion Bird''s body glowed red, consuming the violet energy invading its body and sending it to the zing Flower in its crown. When the energy entered, it interweaved like veins among the crimson petals, allowing Se-Hoon to confirm its sessful infusion.


    <i>This guy is more useful than expected, </i>thought Se-Hoon in admiration.


    Currently, the Vermillion Bird¡¯s body condition was being elerated several times over by the effects of the Eternal Pill. And while the heightened senses allowed for detailed work, maintaining focus for a prolonged period wouldn¡¯t be easy at all. Yet despite that, the Vermillion Bird was perfectly transferring the energy to the zing Flower.


    <i>Living up to your S-rank magical beast title, I see.</i>


    He observed for a while, and eventually, the Vermillion Bird, having sessfully transferred all the energy, returned to its original state.


    <i>¡°You... you dare...!!¡±</i>


    While it endured the elerated state, Se-Hoon dared to watch it with amusement. Unable to bear it any longer, the Vermillion Bird gathered its mes to strike Se-Hoon, but its intentions were thwarted instantaneously.


    <i>Bzzzt</i>


    It instinctively flinched, feeling the spatial power emanating from the transparent cube that appeared around its body.


    <i>¡°Ugh...¡±</i>


    Torn, the Vermillion Bird trembled and contemted for a while in that state before finally suppressing its hostility and extinguishing the mes it had summoned.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Simultaneously, the cube vanished as if nothing had happened.


    Having seen the entire process, Se-Hoon thought, <i>The moment it harbors any hostility, Ludwig''s power suppresses it, huh?</i>


    It was a simple structure that suppressed the Vermillion Bird with force, yet it was arguably a safer method than psychological constraints, as those could be cleverly avoided.


    With his safety confirmed, Se-Hoon moved closer and patted its trembling body, which was still seething with suppressed anger.


    ¡°My bad. I''ll be less forceful next time.¡±


    Instead of replying, the Vermillion Bird turned its head sharply, deciding to just ignore him as it couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    <i>For an S-rank demon beast, it sure is narrow-minded...</i>


    Clicking his tongue internally, Se-Hoon checked the state of the zing Flower and picked up thest remaining elixir, the Shadow Root.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    From this point on, the oue solely depended on how well he was able to manage it. Taking a deep breath, Se-Hoon summoned his darkness mana, Moon Shadow, into the hand holding the Shadow Root.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The moment the Shadow Root felt his darkness mana, its coiled roots unfurled and wrapped around his hand. Simultaneously, a chilling sensation began to spread from his left hand. It was as if thousands of needles were piercing him at once, and he could feel something thick begin to burrow through his arm and into his body.


    <i>It''s so eager to invade my body...!</i>


    The core of the Shadow Root, the seed of the Shadow Tree, was trying to get to his heart through his veins. But rather than blocking it immediately, Se-Hoon observed the roots enveloping his hand.


    A few momentster, the roots melted and seeped into his body, bing darkness mana to nourish the Shadow Tree''s seed that was approaching his heart.


    <i>Just a little longer...</i>


    The longer he endured the process, the more darkness mana he would be able to absorbter on. So he held on, focusing all his senses on the seed that was rapidly approaching his heart.


    Then, the moment when the seed reached his heart, he noticed that the darkness magic making up the Shadow Root had been perfectly absorbed into the seed.


    <i>Now...!</i>


    He immediately used Soul Honing to expel the seed from his bloodstream before it could root itself in his heart.


    <i>Thump-!</i>


    Seeding, the seed was pushed away from his heart by a sudden rush of blood. Se-Hoon then quickly grabbed the Vermillion Bird and bit off a petal of the zing Flower blooming from the crown of its head.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    As soon as he swallowed the petal, the zing Flower''s me spread throughout his body. Feeling the immense amount of fire mana and energy from the Eternal Pill, he steeled himself and began to control it.


    <i>Damn, even after refining it once, it''s still this potent.</i>


    The energy of the Eternal Pill had barely seeped into his body, yet his sensations were amplifying rapidly, increasing his cognitive abilities. However, instead of fearing that a single mistake could turn him into a cripple, he just sharpened his senses even further to better control the zing Flower''s me that was infused with the energy of the Eternal Pill.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Had they been in their pure form, they wouldn''t have been easy to control, but since they had been converted once into mes through the Vermillion Bird, it wasn''t too difficult.


    Drawing in the mes using his fire mana, Scarlet me Wheel, he then surrounded the Shadow Tree''s seed, which was attempting to burrow into his heart again, with them.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The zing Flower¡¯s mes imbued with the energy of the Eternal Pill began to heat the seed, triggering the darkness mana of the Shadow Root to surge out to desperately protect the seed. But he had already prepared an appropriate countermeasure for it.


    <i>Slosh!</i>


    Having separated his body into parts using Soul Honing, he channeled the stream of darkness mana into the mana circuit where Moon Shadow resided and sealed them offpletely.


    Then, when the Shadow Tree''s seed, infused with the energy of the Eternal Pill, lost control over the darkness mana, Se-Hoon acted.


    ¡°<i>Hmph</i>...!¡±


    Se-Hoon stabbed the White Light Dagger near his heart.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    And pulled the Shadow Tree''s seed out of his body with a light twist.


    He proceeded to look at the Vermillion Bird, which was staring at him with wide eyes in shock. ¡°I¡¯m going to absorb it now, so assist me as needed.¡±


    Giving it just those words, he began to utilize the mana he had absorbed into his body, surprising the Vermillion Bird again.


    <i>Is this guy... crazy?</i>


    Se-Hoon was currently absorbing mes that could cause permanent neurological damage if improperly absorbed. At the same time, he was also ingesting a seed that could kill him instantly by infiltrating a vital point. Both required the utmost caution if ingested, yet he was attempting to simultaneously consume them to maximize the efficiency of the entire process.


    And while the positive effects would be tremendous, the slightest mistake could lead to disaster¡ªjust as one would expect.


    <i>I should keep my distance from him. </i>


    With such adaptability and confidence, who knew what Se-Hoon might do to its body next? Resolving to hide its power as much as possible, the Vermillion Bird maintained a safe distance while transferring his mes to Se-Hoon.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Thanks to the regenerative power of the Vermillion Bird''s mes, the wound on his chest and his internally damaged flesh began healing.


    <i>Hmm... I should be able to handle a bit more. </i>


    Confident that his body wouldn¡¯t be utterly destroyed even if he pushed himself a bit, he boldly used Soul Honing to move the two types of mana within his body.


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    The fire mana spread like wildfire in all directions, while the darkness mana seeped everywhere like shadows. The proximity of respective mana circuits caused them to suppress each other, but his earth mana then prated between them to form boundaries like fences.


    <i>Woong-!</i>


    Now, instead of spreading wildly as a mix, the fire and darkness mana began settling into their designated mana circuits.


    Upon confirming that the newly absorbed types of mana had perfectly integrated, Se-Hoon drew in the Vermillion Bird''s mes, which had been hovering outside, into his body.


    <i>¡°Wha¡ªWhat...¡±</i>


    Although the Vermillion Bird seemed startled for some reason, Se-Hoon had no time to pay attention and just continued applying its mes like ointment to his internal wounds. As a result, his body, which had been slowly healing, began to regenerate rapidly, like spreading mes.


    Se-Hoon''s eyes sparkled with delight. <i>I should use this guy for a long time.</i>


    Noting down the Vermillion Bird''s utility, despite its efforts to hide its abilities, he aligned the healing of his body with the blueprint in his mind. Then, as soon as his form was aligned to a certain extent, he struck.


    <i>ng-!</i>


    mming down with a hammer drawn out in his synesthetic mindscape, he fixed his body in ce.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>... <i>cough</i>!¡±


    His body convulsed briefly, and ck smoke poured from his mouth. After coughing out all the impurities from the burning waste, he moved his body lightly.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>... this should be good enough.¡±


    Stiff muscles that felt like they would tear with even a slight movement now stretched flexibly like rubber. Moreover, he felt a vitality iparable to before he was injured.


    And just as he started feeling satisfied by the oue, he was bombarded with notification messages.


    <strong>[The effect of ¡®Soul Honing¡¯ significantly boosts all stats.]</strong>


    <strong>[The elemental mana ¡®Scarlet me Wheel (D+)¡¯ has been enhanced to ¡®Scorching Wheel (B)¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[The elemental mana ¡®Moon Shadow (D)¡¯ has been enhanced to ¡®Moonlit Shadow (C+)¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[Skill ¡®Master of mes (C)¡¯ has been absorbed by ''Ruler of mes (A)''.]</strong>


    <i>The two types of elemental mana are one thing... but Ruler of mes?</i>


    Just from the name of the skill, it seemed quite useful, so he immediately checked his updated information.


    <strong>[Lee Se-Hoon]</strong>


    <strong>[Strength - B (218) Endurance - B (224)</strong>


    <strong>Mana - B (231) Agility - B (215)]</strong>


    <strong>[Scorching Wheel] ¡ºB¡»</strong>


    <strong>[Crimson fire mana that radiates through repeated cycles.</strong>


    <strong>It specializes in absorbing mana as fuel and can reflect the effects of burned materials.]</strong>


    <strong>[Moonlit Shadow] ¡ºC+¡»</strong>


    <strong>[Darkness mana that is as clear as a shadow under the moonlight.</strong>


    <strong>It specializes in dominating and eroding objects and is capable of imparting their properties to rooted targets.]</strong>


    <strong>[Ruler of mes] ¡ºA¡»</strong>


    <strong>[As ruler, control over burning mes has been granted. </strong>


    <strong>The entire body gains strong resistance to mes and can exert great control over them with minimal input of mana.</strong>


    <strong>It is easy to control entities with weaker fire mana, but with those on a simr level, it may result in a struggle over controlling the mes.</strong>


    <strong>*Gain strong resistance and control over mes</strong>


    <strong>*Easily control entities with weaker attributes to fire mana]</strong>


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    Se-Hoon was awed by his own stats. His body, once frail at the time of admission, had now reached an average B-grade. Moreover, the enhanced types of elemental mana had been refined to be more useful for forging.


    <i>With these stats, it should be okay to brag about being an honor student of my college.</i>


    Considering that the stats of the top-ranking students in Aqar Quf averaged at least B-grade, his current stats ced him quite high within Babel.


    But while it was a significant milestone that he reached before the end of the first semester, he felt both joy and disheartened.


    <i>It¡¯s going to be difficult to experience such rapid growth from this point onwards...</i>


    Hero-tier elixirs typically only worked effectively up to those with B-grade stats. If he wanted to dramatically enhance his physical abilities again, he would need to consume Legendary-tier elixirs or higher.


    <i>I bet Ludwig has several of those... but I''ll consider themter on.</i>


    Since Legendary-tier elixirs weren¡¯tmon items, extreme caution was to be exercised.


    Having concluded his review of his updated information, he dismissed the information messages and looked down.


    ¡°So, what are you doing?¡±


    The Vermillion Bird was currently peeking out of his chest. He had noticed earlier, but he ignored it. So now, when he had calmed, the strange situation became puzzling.


    Responding, the Vermillion Bird yelled out in frustration, ¡°<i>It''s because you suddenly drew me in and fixed me in ce here!¡±</i>


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    It seemed that while he was using its mes, he had ended up drawing in the Vermillion Bird''s clone due to the insufficient quantity.


    Chucking, Se-Hoon pulled the Vermillion Bird out by the head.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Upon separating, mes red up and instantly regenerated the Vermillion Bird''s body. Then, with a nce down at its own body, the Vermillion Bird once again looked at Se-Hoon in disbelief.


    <i>I know we¡¯re connected by a contract, but to think I was dragged in without even being given the chance to resist...</i>


    Even though its current body was a clone, it was stillposed of the mes of its main body. As such, it should have priority over the control of the mes, regardless of Se-Hoon¡¯s abilities. However, while assisting the monster-like person before it, even the control over the mes constituting its body had been taken over.


    Such a thing implied that, albeit briefly, Se-Hoon''s control over mes had surpassed the Vermillion Bird''s main body.


    <i>What¡¯s the extent of what this monster is truly capable of?</i>


    Having inherited In-Cheol¡¯s knowledge, the Vermillion Bird was familiar with cksmithing and thus understood how preposterous such an ability was. It watched Se-Hoon with wary eyes.


    ¡°But this is a bit different from what I expected,¡± Se-Hoon suddenly murmured in a slightly disappointed voice.


    <i>¡°...What do you mean?¡±</i>


    ¡°Since you are known for your regenerative abilities, I thought the healing speed would be faster than this. This is honestly quite disappointing.¡±


    If it had been quicker, he could have boosted his physical abilities even more. Se-Hoon gazed at the Vermillion Bird, who stared nkly back at him, with disappointment.


    Until now, the Vermillion Bird had endured being thoroughly used, smoldering its rage. Yet now, at Se-Hoon¡¯s evaluation, its whole body puffed up and it exploded, shouting, ¡°<i>In this iplete resurrection state, having this much power should already be incredible enough, yet YOU DARE TO INSULT ME...!!!¡±</i>


    <i>Bzzz!</i>


    However, before it could finish venting its anger, the transparent cube reappeared and enveloped its body, rapidlypressing.


    <i>Boom-!</i>


    Subsequently, it was reverse-summoned by Ludwig and vanished in a sh, leaving behind the confused Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Is it because of Ruler of mes... it seems way more sensitive to my insults than before.¡±


    Given its temperament, who knew what might happen whenever he exploited it in the future? Realizing the danger, Se-Hoon decided to humor it appropriately while making use of its abilities, at least until he was stronger than the Vermillion Bird.


    <i>Anyway, with my body taken care of... the remaining issue is Yeom Sung-Ha,</i> Se-Hoon thought, rising from his bed.


    He pondered what he could forge to prevent mana interference and Sung-Ha¡¯s manas from resonating with each other.


    <i>Armor would probably be a waste of materials.... Should I just make a ne?</i>


    While a ne would save materials, it would probably be so thick that it would look more like a cor for a prisoner or a pervert.


    <i>No, he¡¯d probably refuse to use it if I made it like that.</i>


    Tossing those ideas away, Se-Hoon thought about a cleaner solution. Looking for inspiration, his gazended on an object on his bed, the seed of the Shadow Tree. Having absorbed the energy of the Eternal Pill, it had calmed down and would no longer infiltrate a person¡¯s vital points if nted in someone¡¯s body. It would just slowly absorb any darkness mana.


    <i>...Wait a minute.</i>


    The memory of a skill he had encountered before shed through his mind like a bolt of lightning.


    Remembering the curse that Inoue Ren, Erika¡¯s brother and the heir to the Inoue family, had him when they first met, its structure became a blueprint in his mind and was revised into various forms.


    <strong>[Skill ¡®ck Weaver (D)¡¯ has been absorbed by ''Shadow Thread (B+)''.]</strong>


    Just like that, one of the Inoue family''s secret skills became Se-Hoon¡¯s.

 Chapter 148

    <h4>Chapter 148</h4>


    Lee Se-Hoon: Wanna hang out tomorrow?


    The moment Erika saw that text from Se-Hoon, she immediately called her subordinate and had him buy get-well gifts.


    ¡°Get all of this ready by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Do you really mean... all of this?¡±


    There was a dense list of gifts on a piece of paper. The items ranged from themonly gifted Jason Fruit Supplement set to rare materials for casting spells, giving the impression that she was bringing everything just in case.


    Scanning the list again, Seitz, a young man with dyed blonde hair, hesitated before cautiously saying, ¡°Miss, this might be overwhelming for the person receiving¡ª¡±


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll need a punching bag too, to punch out his boredom in the hospital.¡±


    ¡°I''ll get everything on this list right away.¡±


    Recalling how badly he was beaten by Se-Hoon, Seitz ran off without looking back.


    The next day, Erika arrived at the hospital with the mountain of gifts stuffed into her void pocket.


    <i>I have to improve our rtionship today.</i>


    From her observations, Se-Hoon seemed to be closest to Eun-Ha, followed by Sung-Ha and Luize. As for the rest, she judged that they were all more or less on the same level, so she hadn''t paid much attention. Recently, however, Jake had started to gain ground.


    <i>They''re both men and take Professor Ma Kwang-Soo¡¯s ss together. Jake Meyers¡¯ easy-going personality must also be a factor.</i>


    And although Jake wasn¡¯t a significant threat yet, he would likely be one soon. She deemed that the two would interact far more frequently while working on the Myers¡¯ line of mass-produced sword aura equipment together.


    So, with determination to solidify her position before they grew any closer, she arrived in front of Se-Hoon¡¯s hospital room with a sparkle in her eye.


    ¡°Oh, you''re here. Take a look at this.¡±


    Opening the door, her body instantly stiffened at the sight of the ck stake in Se-Hoon''s hand.


    ¡°...¡±


    The stake, which was about the thickness of two fingers and was twenty centimeters long, emitted a faint ck mist that bore a strong resemnce to magic Erika was very familiar with.


    ¡°ck Mist...¡±


    Seeing that one of the secret spells of the Inoue family and her brother¡¯s unique curse was in Se-Hoon¡¯s hand, she quickly approached and asked while looking straight at him, ¡°How did you make this?¡±


    Had he learned ck Mist from someone in her family without her knowing?


    Seeing how bewildered she was, Se-Hoon soothed her doubts.


    ¡°I wanted to forge equipment with a simr functionality but found it tricky. So I just thought about how I wanted it to work and came up with this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Oh, I did reference the curse your brother used on me before. It turned out to be quite fitting for my purpose.¡±


    His nonchnt response prompted Erika to shift her gaze back to the ck stake in his hand.


    <i>A spell that uses a seed as a medium. The structure is more akin to a weapon than a curse.</i>


    Unlike ck Mist¡¯s original usage which was to connect the caster to the target, allowing spells to reach the target more easily, the stake-like object that Se-Hoon created was different.


    His creation focused more on connecting the target to the seed that was used as a medium and allowing the caster to alter the connection itself.


    <i>That stake allows the caster to control the amount of darkness mana the seed absorbs, allowing the caster to even cripple the target by having the seed absorb all of their mana.... That doesn¡¯t seem to be its purpose, though...?</i>


    He had taken the essential elements from ck Mist and then altered them appropriately to use the seed as the medium. It was a perfectly crafted spell that had the cksmith''s perspective mixed in, making it quite innovative.


    <i>I knew he had some talent for magic, but...</i>


    The sight before her far exceeded her expectations in many ways. She continued to observe in silence, contemting theplex structure of the spell.


    <strong>[''Inoue Erika'' has increased your evaluation.]</strong>


    <strong>[A Fatestone has been formed for the subject ¡®Inoue Erika¡¯.]</strong>


    Reading the notification messages that appeared before him, Se-Hoon thought, <i>Hmm, looks like the spell was well-crafted.</i>


    He then nced at Erika, who seemed like she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the stake, and made a small smile.


    ¡°Do you see any areas for improvement?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>... You¡¯re not nning to kill anyone with this, right?¡±


    ¡°No, its purpose is to lure darkness mana to prevent it from mixing with other types of elemental mana.¡±


    ¡°In that case...¡±


    Trailing off, Erika pondered for a bit before confidently showing her right palm.


    <i>Ssss-</i>


    And silver threads unraveled from it, intertwining in the air to form a special pattern.


    ¡°This is a spell that should be able to better control the absorption rate and can exclude other types of elemental mana. If you can apply this properly, you can make it even more efficient.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> Hold on for a moment.¡±


    After taking a quick look, Se-Hoon activated his newly acquired skill, Shadow Thread.


    <i>Wooong-</i>


    Manipting the thin, ck-mist-like threads unwinding out of his hand, he moved them to connect with the threads of the spell Erika had cast as an example.


    <i>Ssss-</i>


    Upon seeing that the ck threads adhered to the magic array, tracing it perfectly, Se-Hoon connected the threads to the stake.


    <i>Woooong-!</i>


    Seamlessly merging into the stake, the magic pattern of the spell Erika cast soon appeared on its surface. Se-Hoon showed it to Erika again.


    ¡°Does this seem okay?¡±


    ¡°...It seems good enough.¡±


    Though she wanted to offer more advice, there was no need to alter anything unless he wanted to add a few more functionalities to the stake. All there was for Erika to do now was just silently admire the remarkable craftsmanship.


    In the meantime, Se-Hoon got up from the bed.


    ¡°Alright, I''m going out for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°A nearby room. I¡¯ll be back soon, so if you''re hungry, you can have some snacks while you wait.¡± Following those words, Se-Hoon hurried out of the room before Erika could ask anything else.


    With him gone, Erika turned around and sniffed the air in the hospital room.


    <i>It smells like burned waste and elixirs. And judging by his movements earlier, he doesn¡¯t seem injured anymore.</i>


    Had he obtained an elixir from somewhere and recovered in such a short time? Curious about how Se-Hoon recovered from injuries that would require months of convalescence, she quickly got lost in her thoughts.


    <i>His understanding of the human body should be considered A or higher. I also need to update his aptitude for magic from A to A+. </i>


    Revising her evaluation of Se-Hoon in her mind, she sat on the bed and murmured, ¡°Perhaps... it might be possible...¡±


    ***


    <strong>[''Inoue Erika'' has increased your evaluation.]</strong>


    <strong>[As a Fatestone has already formed for the subject, its maturity level has increased instead.]</strong>


    Mere minutes after Se-Hoon stepped out of the room, notification messages popped up. Then, after scanning the contents, he grinned. Erika¡¯s evaluation of him had risen so rapidly within a single day.


    <i>At this rate, she might be the first one to reach a level three bond.</i>


    He had anticipated some improvements in their Rtionship, but he hadn¡¯t expected such it to be this rapid.


    Dismissing the notification, he reviewed the information on Shadow Thread, which he acquired the previous day.


    <strong>[Shadow Thread] ¡ºB+¡»</strong>


    <strong>[A spell formed bypressing the mist of curse into thread-like structures.</strong>


    <strong>It specializes in eroding and mimicking the properties of the target, with the ability to connect the user with the target as well as the target with other targets.</strong>


    <strong>If the spell is notpletely removed, it can lie dormant within the body and be reactivated when certain conditions are met.</strong>


    <strong>*The properties of Shadow Thread change depending on the eroded target</strong>


    <strong>*Can connect different targets, but if control over the spell is seized, the spell will automatically dissipate</strong>


    <strong>*Can be reactivated by supplying mana if notpletely removed from the target]</strong>


    Shadow Thread incorporated the connectivity function of ck Mist into the ck Weaver. And although it lost some subtlety and durability, its versatility was greatly enhanced. Overall, it was more applicable in various situations.


    Even Erika, who had known about the ck Mist spell for quite some time, acknowledged its remarkablepletion. However...


    <i>While I do think it¡¯s well-made... I think it¡¯s </i>too <i>well-made.</i>


    It was true he had asionally examined the curse embedded in his hand during the Noblesse, but it was at a superficial level. It was unlikely he had grasped it well enough to extract its properties so skillfully.


    So then, what could exin his talent in magic? Wondering about it, Se-Hoon recalled a specific moment.


    <i>Ah. Could it be because I had a glimpse at his memory back then?</i>


    On the day of the Noblesse, Se-Hoon used Ren¡¯s attempt to view his memories to steal a glimpse of Ren¡¯s. Perhaps his understanding of the structure of the spell came from that incident.


    <i>Still, could it be that I¡¯ve developed enough talent in magic to be able to replicate it with just that single instance...?</i>


    If he really had, then it was a talent that he didn¡¯t possess before the regression. However, unlike before, when he had no clue why he had developed such a talent, the recent incident had given him a possible hint.


    <i>It must be the soul.</i>


    He couldn¡¯t pinpoint the exact cause, but it seemed like his soul had transformed somehow after he regressed, resulting in these newfound talents. There was no concrete evidence for it, but to Se-Hoon, it was the most usible exnation given the circumstances.


    <i>Gaining these new talents is great, but... having restrictions on the Blood Art is still problematic.</i>


    Se-Hoon had only been able to survive at the end of the war against the Demon Force due to his Blood Art and the Soul Weapons he forged with it, aside from being protected by others.


    Yet now, with the current restrictions, the stability of the powerful Blood Art had significantly decreased.


    <i>Restoring my soul to its pre-regression state might resolve it... but then I¡¯d lose these new talents.</i>


    Since he had already tasted the effectiveness of his new talents, he couldn''t simply discard them. Thus, only one option remained.


    <i>I¡¯ll have to redesign Soul Honing.</i>


    Seeing as how Soul Honing was the fundamental skill that essentially defined him as a cksmith, Se-Hoon had to think very carefully about how to modify it.


    <i>What a damnplicated skill.... </i>Se-Hoon sighed deeply.


    Like its ability to split a person¡¯s body into several parts and hone the dubious power known as the soul, its structure wasplex on top of being absurdly cryptic. And since using the skill and fundamentally redesigning it were entirely different realms,ing up with an improvement direction was far from easy.


    <i>I¡¯ll just think about it whenever I can. If I can¡¯te up with anything... I¡¯ll have to find the creator.</i>


    If there was anyone in this world who was confident in being able to revise Soul Honing, it would be one person: his master, the Blood Master.


    Having arrived at Sung-Ha¡¯s room though, he decided to look into thatter.


    <i>Knock, knock-</i>


    ¡°Hey, Yeom Sung-Ha. I¡¯ming in.¡±


    Since there was no response, he just opened the door and entered to find Sung-Ha standing idly in the room.


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing his expression full of discontent, Se-Hoon asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Just standing,¡± Sung-Ha said, ncing at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s persistent questioning, Sung-Ha made a slightly annoyed face and bluntly answered, ¡°They said if I work out in the room one more time, they¡¯ll tie me up and put me in intensive care. So I¡¯m just standing around right now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He was forbidden to exercise and told to rest in bed, so he was just standing still. However, he wasn¡¯t simply standing; he was upside down doing a handstand on his thumbs.


    <i>In this regard, he¡¯s just like the Mad Dog.</i>


    Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but smirk at how Sung-Ha had remained unchanged.


    ¡°...Are you fully recovered?¡± Sung-Ha asked with surprise, having had time to observe Se-Hoon¡¯s body.


    Yesterday, he looked like a shattered window walking around, but today, he was a freshly forged iron ingot.


    ¡°Well, yeah. It wasn¡¯t that big of an injury anyway.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sung-Ha just silently stared at Se-Hoon, who had spoken so nonchntly. It was the look of someone who had something to say but was holding back, something Se-Hoon had seen many times before.


    Chuckling, Se-Hoon asked, ¡°Want me to teach you how I did it?¡±


    Since Se-Hoon offered first, Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes twitched.


    ¡°What¡¯s... the cost?¡± Sung-Ha slowly asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have something I need immediately, so consider it a loan.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Just as he thought he could settle his debt, it was about to pile up again. However, Sung-Ha wanted to leave the hospital as soon as possible so that he could revisit the insights he gained from the recent battle, so he ignored his feelings about it.


    <i>This is just another deal, so there¡¯s no need to refuse.</i>


    With that decision made, Sung-Ha looked at Se-Hoon and promptly asked, ¡°So, how did you do it?¡±


    ¡°I used this for my healing. The working principle is...¡±


    Taking out the stake, Se-Hoon showed him the spell and briefly exined his own state and then the cause of Sung-Ha¡¯s recurring injuries and the solution.


    At the exnation, Sung-Ha looked down at his body with slight surprise.


    ¡°Mytent unique skill caused a mana surge... now it makes sense.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know when you will be able to fully acquire the skill, so for now, try to suppress your darkness mana with this. Once your injuries are fully healed, you¡¯ll naturally return to normal.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Go ahead, then.¡± Sung-Ha approached Se-Hoon without hesitation, urging him to hurry up.


    The suddenpliance made Se-Hoon wonder, <i>Why is this guy so cooperative?</i>


    Although Erika had confirmed the functionality of the spell beforehand, from Sung-Ha''s perspective, it was still just something created by a first-year student in the Department of cksmithing. Even if Se-Hoon was the honor student and had disyed various talents, he still should have felt some unease.


    <i>If it were the Mad Dog, he would have checked multiple times and only epted after forcing some kind of pledge...</i>


    Bewildered by the stark difference from his pre-regression self, Se-Hoon decided to just ask.


    ¡°You¡¯re not scared?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not exactly an expert in magic. Don¡¯t you feel uneasy or anything?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Sung-Ha said with a scoff.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If you sell a faulty product knowingly, that¡¯s fraud.¡± Then, while looking at Se-Hoon with a hint of difort, Sung-Ha continued, ¡°I believe that while you might overcharge from time to time, you definitely wouldn¡¯tmit fraud. That¡¯s all.¡±


    As if that exined everything, Sung-Ha turned his gaze away.


    Taken aback, Se-Hoon nkly stared at him in disbelief before his jaw dropped in shock.


    <i>This guy... trusts me???</i>


    While it wasn¡¯t a statement filled withplete trust, it was still something Se-Hoon had only heard when he had reached bond level four with the Mad Dog.


    So to hear such a thing at bond level two was extremely surprising. It was just like his Rtionship with Eun-Ha.


    <i>Is it because our Rtionship has changed? But how could it be... him, of all people?</i>


    Genuinely wondering if Sung-Ha had hurt his head or something, Se-Hoon scrutinized him closely, causing Sung-Ha to frown.


    ¡°How long are you going to keep staring at me like that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right..¡±


    Deciding to think about itter, Se-Hoon aimed the stake at Sung-Ha¡¯s sr plexus. The closer it was to a vital spot, the more efficiently the Shadow Tree¡¯s seed could absorb darkness mana.


    ¡°It will hurt a lot at first since you¡¯re being stabbed by a stake. So try not to be too surprised.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sung-Ha looked at Se-Hoon as if he were crazy, but then nodded.


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then...¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Se-Hoon quickly stabbed the stake into Sung-Ha¡¯s sr plexus.


    ¡°<i>Ugh... cough!</i>¡±


    Having been stabbed, Sung-Ha staggered and kneeled, coughing violently as the spell embedded itself.


    To an onlooker, it might have looked like something had gone wrong, but the connection with his Shadow Thread allowed Se-Hoon to clearly feel Sung-Ha¡¯s physical state.


    <i>They¡¯re separating well.</i>


    Sung-Ha¡¯s darkness mana was being forcibly separated from the indiscriminate mix of elemental mana, and he was starting to stabilize. Now, Sung-Ha would no longer suddenly burst into wounds or cough up blood.


    <i>Standing like this makes it look like I stabbed him with a knife or something.</i>


    Amused by the thought, Se-Hoon continued to stand in the grim scene while waiting for the spell to fully separate Sung-Ha¡¯s darkness mana.


    <i>Knock- knock-</i>


    ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯m Investigator Ha Seon-Woo from the Special Operation Division of the Heroes Association...¡±


    Without waiting for a response, the young investigator in a ck suit, Ha Seon-Woo, opened the door and froze, taking in the scene unfolding in the hospital room.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not what it looks like...¡± Realizing arge misunderstanding was about to ur, Se-Hoon tried to exin to the investigator.


    But before he could finish, Sung-Ha coughed up dark, murky blood that sttered all over Se-Hoon¡¯s face.


    Completing the scene, Se-Hoon¡¯s bloodied face and the ck stake protruding from Sung-Ha¡¯s created an undeniable scene of violence.


    Knowing it was hopeless, Se-Hoon froze momentarily and then sighed.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m arresting you!¡±


    The investigator pulled out his handcuffs and lunged at Se-Hoon.

 Chapter 149

    <h4>Chapter 149</h4>


    ¡°I am arresting you for murder!¡±


    ¡°That bastard insulted my equipment first, calling it trash...!¡±


    ¡°Your excuses won¡¯t work here! You shall be sent directly to the Abyss!¡±


    Having been caught in the act, Se-Hoon lost everything in a swift trial and was sentenced to imprisonment in the Abyss, a prison for only the most heinous criminals...


    ¡°To summarize...¡±


    Of course, such a story didn¡¯t happen.


    ¡°...to treat Yeom Sung-Ha¡¯s injury, you cast a <i>helpful </i>spell that somehow led to extreme pain and blood vomiting, which I happened to witness.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    The full story and the medical staff confirming that Sung-Ha was fine made Ha Seon-Woo unknowingly smirk.


    ¡°The timing was quite impable.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying...¡±


    Walking over to Se-Hoon, who wasughing self-deprecatingly, Ha Seon-Woo removed the loosely fastened handcuffs on him.


    ¡°I apologize if you found this whole process unpleasant. It¡¯s just standard procedure during an investigation...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You were just doing your job.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡±


    Bowing politely, Seon-Woo reintroduced himself, his posture perfectly straight, ¡°Let me introduce myself again. I am Investigator Ha Seon-Woo from the Heroes Association¡¯s Special Operations Division.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon observed the investigator standing before him. With his long, dark blue ponytail and eyes, Seon-Woo gave off a soft impression. In his clean ck suit, he resembled a model more than an investigator and appeared particrly kind. However, Se-Hoon knew better than anyone that his looks were a trap.


    <i>To think I¡¯d see this guy here...</i>


    He vividly remembered being relentlessly pursued while fleeing due to false usations by an S-rank hero. In the future, that S-rank hero would be the man before him¡ªthe future Special Operations Division Team Leader Ha Seon-Woo.


    <i>I remember this guy having zero flexibility... did he really just overlook all this?</i>


    Of course, the current Ha Seon-Woo was likely very different from his team leader days. But Se-Hoon stayed on guard still. Seon-Woo had never been an ordinary character, and oddballs like him tended to be fundamentally twisted from the inside.


    Recalling memories of Ha Seon-Woo, like his impressive background, Se-Hoon got lost in his thoughts. And upon seeing that he wasn¡¯t showing any response, Seon-Woo curiously called out to him.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon?¡±


    Btedly gathering himself, Se-Hoon tried his best to sound natural as he said, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. It seems there are still some aftereffects from my injuries...¡±


    ¡°My apologies. Now that I think about it, I heard your injuries were pretty severe...¡±


    Surprised, Seon-Woo urgently examined Se-Hoon¡¯s condition in case something might have gone wrong during the investigation.


    His expression subtly changed. ording to the information he received, Se-Hoon¡¯s condition should be severe enough to require months of recovery, yet he appeared perfectly fine.


    <i>His physical abilities are stronger than reported.</i>


    It was said he had only regained consciousness a few days ago, and yet he had changed this much. Unable to figure it out, Seon-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    <i>Could the Emperor of Ascension be hiding something?</i>


    Sensing something suspicious, he looked at Se-Hoon again. But just as a ripple of mana was about to form in his deep blue eyes, he heard Se-Hoon calmly call out to him.


    ¡°Investigator.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have any other business with me, may I go now? I have an appointment for treatment soon...¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s troubled look, Seon-Woo thought about it and then nodded.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m here today for Yeom Sung-Ha, after all.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Standing up, Se-Hoon bowed slightly and left the hospital room, his back followed by Seon-Woo¡¯s eyes.


    <i>Did he notice me activating my skill...?</i>


    Right as he was about to secretly examine Se-Hoon¡¯s stats, Se-Hoon interrupted him and skillfully slipped away. But after a mere moment of consideration, Seon-Woo shook his head.


    <i>That can''t be possible.</i>


    Even with the amount of talent Se-Hoon had, it was impossible to detect the activation of his unique skill, Enhanced Vision. After all, even his colleagues in the Special Operations Division who knew about it fell prey to him every time.


    <i>Yes. No matter how talented he is, he''s still a freshman.</i>


    Dismissing the unnecessary thoughts, Seon-Woo focused on Se-Hoon¡¯s condition.


    <i>If he¡¯s recovered that much, it might be possible to meet him again soon. </i>


    With ns made to meet Se-Hoon after finishing Sung-Ha¡¯s investigation, Seon-Woo patiently waited in the hospital room for Sung-Ha¡¯s return.


    But when two hours passed without a sign of the room¡¯s owner, Seon-Woo frowned.


    <i>When is heing back?</i>


    Sung-Ha had mentioned it would be a simple check-up, so why was he sote? Not wanting to wait any longer, Seon-Woo stood up and was about to head to the desk when the door opened and nurses walked in.


    ¡°<i>Phew.</i> He¡¯s finally discharged... huh?¡±


    Surprised to see the investigator in the room, the nurses puzzledly asked, ¡°Why are you here...?¡±


    Just their reactions allowed Seon-Woo to realize something was wrong. He quickly asked, ¡°Where is the patient?¡±


    ¡°Pardon? If you''re talking about Yeom Sung-Ha, hepleted his discharge procedures and went home to recuperate a while ago...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Seon-Woo¡¯s face turned nk.


    Even though he was too preupied to submit a proper request to the hospital, asking them to cooperate with his investigation, shouldn¡¯t they have realized something was up when an investigator hade?


    Feeling a headache brewing, Seon-Woo rubbed his temples and asked the nurses, ¡°Did he say anything about me?¡±


    ¡°If it''s about you, Investigator... ah.¡±


    Recalling something, the nurse hesitated and cautiously said, ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s part of the investigation, so please.¡±


    Having been tantly ignored already, he knew there was no point in getting angrier.


    Hesitating again, the nurse squeaked out, ¡°During his check-up, he mentioned that something was troubling him and asked to be discharged quickly...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ***


    Yeom Sung-Ha: Come up with what you want before I return.


    Reading the message on his phone, Se-Hoon chuckled.


    <i>This guy. He must have run off to avoid the investigation.</i>


    Normally, when one was caught by a Special Operations Division investigator, they would be held up for days. And in Sung-Ha¡¯s case, that would mean being stuck in the hospital for even longer. So, he must have fled before any request for cooperation could be made.


    <i>But he picked the wrong opponent this time. </i>


    While other investigators might have shifted their focus to someone else or postponed the investigation, the Seon-Woo he knew would likely chase Sung-Ha all the way to his home.


    Se-Hoon was certain of that since that relentless pursuer had even followed him into the Forest of Void, one of the Six Great Demon Realms, in a bid to capture him.


    <i>He''s probably even more tenacious now, given his young age.</i>


    Greatly amused by Sung-Ha¡¯s predicament, he headed back to his hospital room and spotted a familiar silver-haired figure inside.


    ¡°<i>Hmm?</i>¡±


    Standing by his bed with a ck stic bag in hand, Luize was looking down at it.


    ¡°...¡±


    He couldn''t see what she was looking at because her back was blocking the view, but it was clear that she wasn''t in a good mood.


    <i>Erika isn¡¯t here.</i>


    Had they met and fought while he was gone? He quietly approached, taking advantage of her having yet to notice him.


    ¡°What are you staring at so intently?¡±


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...!?¡±


    Startled, Luize flinched and stared at him in stunned silence like she had been caught stealing. Curious about why, he nced toward the bed.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    Aside from the pile of gift boxes next to it, there was a piece of paper neatly ced on the nket. The paper was covered by aplex and tangled pattern that looked like a doodle, but it made Se-Hoon narrow his eyes.


    <i>Is that a... spell pattern?</i>


    Though the pattern wasplex and hard to distinguish, it was undoubtedly a spell rted to the Inoue family¡¯s secret magic. Examining it more closely, his eyes thennded on the writing at the bottom of the paper.


    <i>¡°This will help once you are able to understand it. I have to leave because something came up.¡±</i>


    <i>Erika left this.</i>


    Recognizing her handwriting from their Barrier Compositions ss, he stroked his chin. He had wondered how she would react to his application of Ren¡¯s unique spell, yet he would never have expected her to leave him a homework assignment.


    <i>She wouldn''t have left something random... so it¡¯s likely something that¡¯s indirectly linked to our Rtionship.</i>


    If he could sessfully decipher the intricate pattern, it would probably help him understand Erika''s criteria for evaluating him.


    Having deduced the situation, he picked up the paper with the spell pattern and turned to the flustered Luize.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t snooping! It was just right there on the bed, and I was curious...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Really! Hey, do I look like someone who would mess with other people''s things?!¡±


    Se-Hoon just continued staring at her, meeting her indignant expression. Momentster, he finally let out a smallugh.


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I can tell who touched it just by looking. Did you think I wouldn¡¯t know how to do even that?¡± responded Se-Hoon confidently, lounging casually on the bed.


    ¡°...¡±


    Taking a moment to process, Luize¡¯s nk stare turned into one of embarrassment, realizing she had been teased, and her face turned bright red.


    ¡°You... you jerk...¡±


    Why was he always so eager to tease her? Suspecting they might have been enemies in a past life, Luize seriously considered smacking him a few times.


    Deciding to actually do it, she raised her fist, but Se-Hoon changed the subject naturally.


    ¡°What did you think of that spell pattern?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I mean, what was your impression of it? To me, it didn¡¯t really click.¡±


    He had recognized it as an Inoue family secret spell, but he couldn¡¯t grasp how it activated or the synesthetic mindscape contained within.


    <i>First impressions are crucial with these things.</i>


    So, instead of getting tangled up in it alone, it was faster to ask someone more talented. Putting down her fist, Luize grumbled for a bit before sharing her thoughts with some hesitation.


    ¡°It felt like an unfinished novel to me.¡±


    ¡°An unfinished novel?¡±


    ¡°Like, you know how a novel can sometimes seem to wrap up nicely, but then at the very end, it says, ¡®But little did they know, this was the happiest moment of their life¡¯?¡±


    Her exnation was peculiar, not what one would typically expect upon seeing a spell pattern. And it seemed she was also aware of that, as she waved both hands dismissively, her expression full of uncertainty.


    ¡°Actually, forget about that. It''s probably not helpful anyway...¡±


    ¡°No, it is.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Seeing her confusion, Se-Hoon calmly exined, ¡°Withplicated spell patterns like this, the initial impression is often the closest to the truth. The more you think about it, the further you get from the answer.¡±


    ¡°Howe?¡±


    Wouldn¡¯t you get closer to the answer the more you thought about it?


    ¡°Simply put, it''s like mixing paint.¡±


    Before mixing, one could easily distinguish the original colors; but the more they mixed, the harder it became to tell which colors had mixed. The same applied to the synesthetic mindscape that formed the basis of spell patterns.


    ¡°If you try to interpret the pattern without a clear direction, you start adjusting your thoughts to match your own synesthetic mindscape. It¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing, but the interpretation usually ends up different from the original.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>... so my initial impression is closest to the synesthetic mindscape of the person who drew this pattern?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Of course, if one didn¡¯t have the talent, their initial impression could be inurate. However, with Luize¡¯s exceptional talent in Incantation Magic and dealing with synesthetic mindscapes, hers was definitely reliable enough.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, that¡¯s a really unsettling pattern. It looks fine on the outside but gives off a creepy vibe.¡±


    ¡°It is a bit ambiguous.¡±


    The synesthetic mindscape he imaged in this spell pattern looked like it could lead to a mundane continuation or even a story of losing everything and falling into despair.


    Noting his views on theplex synesthetic mindscape from various angles, Se-Hoon decided to put it aside.


    <i>Let¡¯s stop here for now.</i>


    It was likely a trademark spell of the Inoue family, meaning trying to solve it all at once would likely lead to much confusion. As such, he felt it was better to just take it step by step.


    He turned to Luize, who was awkwardly standing to the side.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s in that stic bag?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, well...¡±


    ncing at the ck stic bag in her hand, Luize made an embarrassed expression and mumbled in a voice just barely loud enough to hear, ¡°I thought it¡¯d be rude toe empty-handed, so I bought some fruit...¡±


    She sneaked a look at the pile of gifts Erika had brought. Just by looking at the packaging, it was obvious they were expensive and high-qualitypared to her simple purchase.


    <i>Of all times, I just had toe after her...</i>


    Grumbling internally, she tried to subtly hide the bag of fruit behind her back.


    <i>Thwack!</i>


    Noticing, Se-Hoon snatched the stic bag from her hand.


    ¡°H-hey!¡±


    ¡°Just cherries, huh?¡±


    Avoiding her attempt to snatch it back, he pulled out a cherry from the bag. Popping it into his mouth, he tasted the familiar taste of Jason cherries, which he had eaten to the point of exhaustion while teaching Luize Incantation Magic.


    He smiled and sincerely remarked, ¡°It tastes good. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing him notpare her gift to Erika''s, Luize¡¯s worried expression softened and changed into a smile.


    <i>Right. He¡¯s always been like this.</i>


    Though he was usually a jerk who took every opportunity to tease and brag to her, she knew he always showed consideration during moments that mattered. Now much more at ease, she sat down on the chair.


    <i>If only he were like this all the time...</i>


    After watching Se-Hoon diligently eat some cherries, Luize extended her right hand.


    ¡°Give me some too. I haven¡¯t had them in a while.¡±


    She didn¡¯t particrly like them anymore because of her training, but she felt like eating them today, perhaps out of nostalgia.


    Turning his head toward Luize, Se-Hoon smirked.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°...You jerk©¤¡±


    The warm atmosphere didn¡¯tst long.

 Chapter 150

    <h4>Chapter 150</h4>


    As usual, Jung-Wan was doing his morning rounds. But in one room, he saw something that made him stop and just stare nkly.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    Within Se-Hoon¡¯s room, Jung-Wan saw Se-Hoon perfectly bncing with only his left index and middle finger touching the bed. Even just holding that pose would be difficult, yet he was simultaneously releasing fire mana from one foot and darkness mana from the other, all while rotating his body at a steady pace.


    <i>That... requires perfect bnce and precise mana control.</i>


    Though Se-Hoon had been severely injured multiple times, his abilities only soared upward, and at a terrifying speed at that.


    Observing, Jung-Wan finally nodded after a long moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re free to be discharged.¡±


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Pushing up, Se-Hoonnded on his legs and promptly bowed to Jung-Wan with a satisfied expression.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for thanks... Dean Ryu is waiting for you downstairs, so pack your things and go quickly.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and take this with you.¡±


    Taking the thin file Jung-Wan handed him, Se-Hoon opened it and flipped through the contents.


    <i><u>Analysis of the Rtionship between Divine Mana and Elixirs.</u></i>


    Within the file was an outline of a ss on the production of elixirs using divine mana and how the effects would change. It included a detailed list of methods and ingredients to be used during the ss as well.


    ¡°Is this the ss you mentioned needing help with as a temporary assistant?¡± asked Se-Hoon. His interest was piqued.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I originally needed you for a different ss, but since you¡¯ve been busytely, I postponed and ended up changing the ss to this.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    Se-Hoon continued to review the document.


    Divine mana, a type discovered by the pilgrim Karl Andersen, had spread worldwide along with his Pilgrimage Church. It was a unique type of mana that was very simr to yet different from ordinary mana. And before he regressed, Se-Hoon had encountered it in many forms.


    <i>This might be a good opportunity. Purified Earth has settled nicely in my body...</i>


    Considering Babel and the Pilgrimage Church were forming an alliance due to recent events, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to review divine mana beforehand. Thus, with his decision made, he ced the file into his void pocket and nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll review it thoroughly and get back to you soon.¡±


    ¡°The ss is next week, so take your time to think it over.¡±


    Finished with his business, Jung-Wan left the room. And once he packed his things, Se-Hoon followed suit and headed downstairs.


    Like Jung-Wan said, he found Eun-Ha, neatly dressed in a suit, waiting for him downstairs. Seeing her at the end of the corridor leading to the lobby, Se-Hoon walked straight up to her.


    ¡°Good morning, Dean.¡±


    ¡°...Good morning.¡±


    After nodding slightly in response, Eun-Ha resumed scrutinizing his body. Her gaze was intense, almost as if she was trying to see through his clothes.


    Noticing her concern, Se-Hoon smiled softly.


    ¡°There¡¯s really no need to worry; I¡¯m not in pain anymore. Professor An also said that there¡¯s no problem.¡±


    ¡°...Understood.¡±


    Eun-Ha nced toward the lobby, having somewhat eased her worries after personally examining him.


    ¡°There are quite a few people gathered there. Do you think you can handle it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Whether there are a lot of them or not, it¡¯s all the same to me.¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s confidence, Eun-Ha nodded after only a moment of hesitation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving, then.¡±


    Together, they stepped into the spacious lobby, exposing themselves to the cameras of the countless reporters within.


    <i>Click, click!</i>


    As the genius cksmith who seeded in mass-producing sword aura equipment and as a hero who mitigated the damage of the Demon Force¡¯s assault by responding swiftly, Se-Hoon was a walking news headline. Just his entrance into the lobby alone caused amotion.


    Bathing in the shes, he found himself smiling at the scene.


    <i>Wow, this brings back memories.</i>


    The memories of how he had held a press conference of simr intensity when his bounty was lifted to fiercely criticize the Heroes Association in public were vivid.


    With a renewed understanding of much of a hot topic he was, he turned to look at Eun-Ha.


    ¡°Only the pre-approved reporters may step forward.¡±


    At Eun-Ha''s instruction, every reporter quickly gathered, holding out their microphones. Seeing the sea of microphones, Se-Hoon confidently began.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking questions now.¡±


    ¡°There are rumors that the mass-produced sword aura you seeded in creating is the Myers family¡¯s. Could youment on that?¡±


    Having anticipated the question, Se-Hoon looked at the reporters and calmly gave them the answer he had prepared.


    ¡°Though they may look simr, they are entirely different. To be precise, I did refer to the Myers family''s sword aura during the creation process, but they are not the same.¡±


    Another reporter followed up with another question.


    ¡°There are rumors that you¡¯re exclusively coborating with the Myers family. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still under discussion, so it¡¯s hard to give a definite answer. However, we are aware that the most important aspect of mass-produced sword aura equipment is quality, so we will proceed cautiously.¡±


    When he finished, a third question shot out from the crowd of reporters.


    ¡°Is it true that you have an arranged marriage with Aria Myers?¡±


    ¡°That''s nonsense.¡±


    Picking out the more substantial questions, Se-Hoon selectively answered the barrage of questions one by one. His skillfulness provoked the reporters¡¯ curiosity.


    <i>It¡¯s his first time so he should be quite nervous, but he''s actually quite adept.</i>


    <i>He seems to know what he¡¯s doing, considering how he promoted the mass production of sword aura equipment before.</i>


    Contrary to many reporters¡¯ thoughts on how he would bepletely oblivious to the ways of the media, Se-Hoon was a shrewd young man who even knew how to use it to his advantage. It impressed most of the reporters.


    After a few questions, a reporter who had been waiting for an opportunity spoke up and said, ¡°There are ims that Babel is using this terrorist incident to promote you as a promising figure. What are your thoughts on this?¡±


    In a sh, the lobby fell dead silent. Everyone in the room turned to the speaker in surprise.


    Who would even think about talking about such a thing within Babel itself? But undaunted, the reporter prepared to press further with another question when they were struck by overwhelming pressure that burst forth from Eun-Ha.


    Feeling the intense pressure, the reporter''s face turned pale. Then, Eun-Ha, with the tips of her hair starting to burn a crimson red, slowly began, ¡°You...¡±


    ¡°Dean.¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s call, Eun-Ha stopped and turned to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Far from being flustered, he looked as though he had been waiting for this. And understanding that, Eun-Ha withdrew her mana.


    Se-Hoon turned to the reporter who had asked the question once he saw that they had calmed down.


    ¡°Which newspaper are you from?¡±


    ¡°...The Sev-Seven Stars Report.¡±


    Se-Hoon nodded, looking as though he understood the entire situation from just that.


    <i>It¡¯s understandable China is probably dissatisfied with the recent announcement.</i>


    With Babel¡¯s recent alliance with the UD Group and the Pilgrimage Church, three top figures forming a cooperative rtionship naturally brought their backing forces to the forefront. It was undoubtedly an annoyance for China, which only had the Scared Craftsman Li Kenxie at its helm.


    <i>And he¡¯s also a cksmith.</i>


    Realizing China was somewhat aware of him and ready to shut him down in advance, Se-Hoon pondered how to answer. A momentter, he began.


    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re getting at. Frankly, asking such a question to a freshman who just enrolled this year is a bit distasteful... but I¡¯ll answer it anyway.¡±


    The tense reporters all perked up their ears. In truth, they had all been curious about the rumor and were just hesitant to ask due to the setting.


    Savoring the moment, Se-Hoon let the silence marinate. Then, he slowly said, ¡°I am a genius.¡±


    ¡°...Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Not just any genius, but an extraordinary one who is on par with Li Kenxie.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Caught off guard by his bizarre response, the reporters all stared nkly at him, frozen.


    ¡°So, I understand why such baseless rumors are circting. Geniuses are often beyondmon understanding, hence the gossip.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But let me be clear. Those who spread such unfounded rumors will clearly regret itter because...¡±


    His confidence was blinding. Scanning the reporters and cameras, Se-Hoon smiled.


    ¡°The things I will forge in the future will be even more astonishing than the mass production of sword aura equipment. If you are making a fuss over just this, then you won¡¯t be able to handle what wille next.¡±


    The reporters were all utterly dumbfounded by his deration filled with certainty, leading to a silence that satisfied Se-Hoon.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me,e see me with your hammers. I¡¯ll take on anyone who has seeded in mass-producing sword aura equipment. We have to match the minimum level, after all.¡±


    His challenge to all cksmiths around the world once again left the reporters speechless.


    The reporters¡¯ silence lengthened. Listening to the silence, Se-Hoon nonchntly continued, ¡°That should be enough to cover that question... any others?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°No? Then, I think we¡¯re done here.¡±


    Fixing his attire, Se-Hoon walked out of the lobby.


    Meanwhile, the nkly staring reporters finally snapped out of their daze and hurried to follow him.


    ¡°Wait, please!¡±


    ¡°We still have more questions...!¡±


    Smelling the scent of an exclusive scoop, the reporters persistently chased him looking like they would follow him even if he got into a car.


    Seeing their fervor, Se-Hoon nced at Eun-Ha.


    ¡°Dean, let''s leave together.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Quickly understanding what he meant, Eun-Ha moved beside him and lightly lifted him in her arms, her hair tips ignited in a crimson hue.


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    With a powerful leap, the two vanished in an instant.


    ***


    Landing on the rooftop of Borsippa¡¯s main building, Eun-Ha set down Se-Hoon.


    ¡°You did well back there.¡±


    ¡°No, the hard work was all yours, Dean.¡±


    Tidying his disheveled hair, Se-Hoon stretched and looked over the cityscape beyond the rooftop railing.


    <i>It¡¯s almost been fully restored.</i>


    The surrounding area looked so clean that it was hard to believe there had been arge-scale assault by the Demon Force not long ago. Remembering the incident, Se-Hoon felt a burst of pride upon realizing how effectively he had countered the attack.


    <i>At least Babel will be clean for a while.</i>


    While a few infiltrators likely remained thanks to the tenacious survival abilities of Watchers, it was impossible for them to cause another incident like the recent one. Their forces had diminished drastically, so they would likely restrain themselves out of fear of exposing their true identities.


    <i>I need to keep the Demon Force from working together with Watchers.</i>


    Though Watchers were already in a cooperative rtionship with the Demon Force, it was merely a rtionship based on mutual interest. If Watchers faced any serious problems during joint missions, they would withdraw without hesitation, meaning it was a crucial weakness he could exploit.


    <i>If they ally with Watchers like before the regression, the Harbingers of Destruction could emerge even faster.</i>


    The future had already started gradually diverging from what he knew, and although it wouldn¡¯t happen overnight, it would definitely be something he was unfamiliar with. However, while controlling all the possible variables to steer things in his desired direction would be near impossible, he was certain that eliminating troublesome elements in advance was feasible.


    <i>Things are going to get even busier.</i>


    He made a wry smile at the thought of his unending tasks.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon,¡± Eun-Ha called out.


    Approaching, she cautiously asked, ¡°Wouldn''t it be better to retract the interview you just did?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°In my experience, speaking so candidly often leads to troublesome events...¡±


    Understanding she was worried, Se-Hoon gave her a sly smile.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. In fact, that¡¯s exactly what I was aiming for.¡±


    If he had feigned humility and concealed his abilities, he might have raised even more suspicions. After all, sessfully mass-producing sword aura, a feat considered a monumental challenge by many artisans, couldn¡¯t be downyed as mere luck.


    <i>They probably would have suspected me of hiding something instead.</i>


    If their enemies sensed he was hiding something, they would be encouraged to prepare even more thoroughly to ount for all possible scenarios. Thus, Se-Hoon chose to openly present himself as a confident student, arrogant even.


    <i>But like this, even if they remain cautious, they''ll see me as more of a pushover.</i>


    And that minor oversight could be a vulnerability to exploit during future incidents.


    At this point, he suddenly remembered something and asked Eun-Ha, ¡°By the way, was I awkward at all during the interview? I tried to sound like someone else throughout the whole thing.¡±


    He had tried his best to speak with a tone reminiscent of the Three Dogs¡¯, but if his act was seen through, it would be for nothing. Yet despite what he thought...


    ¡°Was that supposed to be an act?¡± asked Eun-Ha, recoiling in disbelief.


    ¡°What do you mean...?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were just being yourself.¡±


    Seeing Eun-Ha blinking rapidly in surprise, Se-Hoon felt both relieved and strangely unsettled.


    <i>Do I reallye off as that abrasive?</i>


    He knew he did speak sharply at times, but he didn¡¯t think he was as insufferable as the Three Dogs.


    <i>Vrrr-</i>


    Eun-Ha¡¯s phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket, changing the mood. Taking it out, she checked the message and looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Looks like they¡¯ve arrived in the meeting room.¡±


    ¡°Oh, let¡¯s go down then.¡±


    Shaking off his stray thoughts, Se-Hoon entered the main building with Eun-Ha. They had much to discuss with the newly appointed lead professor of the Department of cksmithing, which included the direction of Meisters, the alliance of non-contracted cksmiths that was previously run by In-Cheol.


    <i>I also need to secure more funding.</i>


    Wondering how he was going to persuade them, Se-Hoon entered the meeting room with Eun-Ha.


    ¡°You¡¯rete.¡±


    Standing in the room was an elderly woman wearing loose work clothes with chopsticks stuck in her hair like a hairpin.


    Helena, the owner of the hardware store and a former professor of the Department of cksmithing, had been appointed.

 Chapter 151

    <h4>Chapter 151</h4>


    Helena Hunt, once one of the world¡¯s top hundred cksmiths alongside In-Cheol, had been a professor of the Department of cksmithing who taught Specialized Grinding. Back then, she had even been designated as the next lead professor of the department, despite her prickly personality which didn¡¯t endear her to many, for her outstanding skills.


    But a few years ago, she abruptly resigned from the academy and opened a hardware store in Aqar Quf that sold misceneous items. And consequently, she was removed from the top hundred cksmiths.


    <i>The textbook example of a retired master.</i>


    Finished skimming through her profile, Se-Hoon looked up at Helena, who was sitting across from him.


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing Helena leaning back in her hair with her arms crossed and eyes closed, showing no interest whatsoever in the current meeting, Se-Hoon had to contemte how to start the conversation. In the end, he decided to ask directly.


    ¡°Are you actually going to take on the role of lead professor?¡±


    Even though In-Cheol had asked her to, she might have her own thoughts about it.


    Still showing no interest, Helena replied, ¡°I already told him I would, so I will.¡±


    Noticing she was more cooperative than expected, albeit a bit curt, Se-Hoon followed up with another question.


    ¡°How do you n on handling Meisters?¡±


    ¡°I heard there''s not much to do. I''ll manage it as well.¡±


    She was even willing to help manage Meisters, a task technicallypletely unrted to the lead professor role.


    <i>I thought her strict personality would make negotiations difficult... but she''s more cooperative than I thought.</i>


    What had In-Cheol told her that persuaded her to be so proactive? Intrigued, Se-Hoon pondered over it, but he came to a conclusion after only a second.


    <i>She must want something from me.</i>


    Just as In-Cheol had sought advice on repairing the Fire Heaven Greatsword, she must also want from him. Deciding not to beat around the bush, Se-Hoon directly asked, ¡°So, how can I assist you?¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re just as he said,¡± remarked Helena, finally slowly opening her eyes. Observing Se-Hoon, she then turned her gaze to Eun-Ha, who was quietly sitting beside him.


    ¡°I''d like to speak alone with him. Could you step out for a moment?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Instead of answering, Eun-Ha nced at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°It''s alright,¡± said Se-Hoon.


    Nodding at Se-Hoon''s response, Eun-Ha left the meeting room.


    Looking at the closed door, Helena muttered with a peculiar expression, ¡°She didn''t seem like that type of person before...¡±


    ¡°She''s probably quite shaken after the recent events.¡±


    ¡°No, that''s not what I meant... never mind; it doesn''t matter either way.¡±


    Shaking her head, Helena turned back to Se-Hoon and got to the main topic.


    ¡°As I said earlier, I''ll handle the duties of the lead professor as well as the work you did with In-Cheol or nned to do.¡±


    ¡°By nned, you mean...¡±


    ¡°The joint research and such. I''ll try to receive the necessary funds from the Chairman, so use that as you see fit. I don''t care much about that.¡±


    Offering to handle the tedious tasks and even handing over the money? Thinking it was too good to be true, Se-Hoon became suspicious.


    <i>What is she going to ask for in return?</i>


    Though he tried to guess, Helena soon answered before he could with a gleam in her eyes.


    ¡°However, in exchange, I want you to destroy the Barmuths for me.¡±


    He had somewhat expected it, but her request was far more extreme than what Se-Hoon had imagined.


    Wanting confirmation, Se-Hoon looked directly at the elderly woman before him.


    ¡°And you think I can do that?¡±


    ¡°Certainly better than a washed-up cksmith stuck in a hardware store can. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    At the self-deprecating response, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°That <i>is</i> true.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I don''t expect you to do it overnight. From how you dismantled their position in the mass-produced equipment industry before, I understand you must have your own methods and ns.¡±


    When Helena first heard about Se-Hoon from In-Cheol, she couldn''t fully believe it. How could one person, in just a few days,e up with so many different blueprints that were all impressive on their own? But upon seeing the mass-produced sword aura at the expo, her doubts were immediately cleared.


    <i>This guy is the real deal.</i>


    She finally understood that Se-Hoon was not an overconfident fool but a true genius with an overwhelming talent that was rarely seen throughout generations. He was why she had left her hardware store and epted the position of lead professor even though she wasn''t fully prepared to avenge herself against the Barmuths.


    ¡°Promise me you won''te up with anypromises and will destroy them no matter what. That''s the only condition I have for this deal.¡±


    She was absolutely certain that if the person in front of her wanted to bring down the Barmuths, he would seed, no matter how long it took.


    ¡°...¡±


    Facing Helena''s resolve, Se-Hoon nodded after a moment of contemtion.


    ¡°Understood. Let''s formalize it with a pledge instead of just making a verbal promise. Do you have something that we can write a contract on?¡±


    ¡°I anticipated this and brought one along with me.¡±


    ¡°Let''s proceed right away, then.¡±


    While watching Helena prepare the pledge, Se-Hoon asked in a more casual tone, ¡°Can I ask one more thing?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What exactly happened between you and the Barmuths?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Helena paused and looked up. Her eyes briefly flickered with agitation and her expression hardened, showing how sensitive his question was.


    Nheless, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t retract his question and never broke eye contact.


    <i>I need to know.</i>


    An understanding of his client''s situation often helped him effectively handle unforeseen issues.


    Having finally calmed her emotions, Helena closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, with her nowposed face, she looked at Se-Hoon and spoke with as much indifference as possible.


    ¡°They killed my son.¡±


    ***


    With Eun-Ha as the witness, the pledge document was safely carried out. Its essence could be summarized in one line: As long as Lee Se-Hoon fought the Barmuths withoutpromise, Helena Hunt would use all her power to support him.


    There were also numerous other uses for safeguards in case of unteral breach or failure to uphold the agreement, but they weren''t of much concern.


    ¡°See you next time.¡±


    Uponpleting the pledge, Helena left immediately, leaving behind Se-Hoon in the meeting room.


    <i>She certainly handles things cleanly, </i>he thought, ncing at the pledge document.


    From just that brief meeting, it was evident she was more adept in administrative matters than In-Cheol. And it was probably thatpetence that made Michael perceive her as a threat, leading him to eliminate her from the department first.


    <i>She mentioned that her son was killed...</i>


    Se-Hoon wanted to ask about the circumstances of her son¡¯s death but then decided to save those questions for another time. It would be better to discuss such details when they were closer, and, more importantly, he had other matters to take care of first.


    <i>I need to assess the Barmuths¡¯ current situation.</i>


    Turning to Eun-Ha, he asked, ¡°Dean, what has Vice Dean Michael been up totely?¡±


    ¡°He should be on leave right now at his family''s home. He hasn''t engaged in any official activities since his eldest son''s funeral.¡±


    ¡°Funeral...¡±


    Se-Hoon had been nning to teach him a lesson someday, yet Vier had somehow died during the recent incident. ording to the investigation, he supposedly died while fighting off demons who tried to infiltrate the Department of cksmithing when the investigators found traces of what was assumed to be his battle. And though his body wasn¡¯t found there, he was treated as a war hero.


    <i>Even when I think about it now, something doesn¡¯t seem right.</i>


    He had seen through the Phantasmal Spyde that the Barmuths had been in contact with Watchers for a long time. On top of that, the incident that injured Luize was suspected to be rted to Dawn. Furthermore, there were quite a few suspicious elements to the recent assault on Babel.


    <i>The Offering devices disguised as training weapons and the hidden facility in the basement of the Department of cksmithing are both too fishy to overlook.</i>


    Although the investigation had been wrapped up with the firing of a few of the staff members, he was convinced it was undoubtedly a cover-up and that the Barmuths were behind both.


    And whenever suspicions piled up like this, he always assumed they were all guilty of something and acted ordingly to maximize efficiency.


    <i>Well, even without these suspicions, they¡¯re still worthy of being taken down.</i>


    While he believed that their act of pursuing profit was understandable, undermining humanity''s strength and indirectly cooperating with the Demon Force had crossed the line. He would definitely eradicate those cockroach-like creatures from the existence of this.


    <i>Vrrr-</i>


    Taking out his phone at the vibration from his pocket, he read the iing message.


    Ma Kwang-Soo: Let¡¯s meet up if you have time.


    <i>This guy only sends a message now, when he needs something.... What about when I was hospitalized?</i>


    Annoyed, Se-Hoon sent a short reply before standing up.


    ¡°I need to go somewhere for a bit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll apany you,¡± Eun-Ha quickly offered.


    But Se-Hoon shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Most of the reporters were dealt with earlier.¡±


    Given her vigorous efforts to keep him safe, no one would dare to pursue him.


    ¡°Alright... but if anything happens, please use the emergency contact device I gave you,¡± Eun-Ha reluctantly said.


    Pulling out a small keychain-like device from his inner pocket, Se-Hoon asked, ¡°This one?¡±


    It was an expensive device used for the security of high-value individuals. If the first one was destroyed, the second device would immediately be alerted.


    ¡°Yes. Please keep it with you wherever you go.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Don¡¯t worry too much about me.¡±


    Giving her a reassuring smile, he left the meeting room while examining the emergency contact device.


    <i>Now </i>this <i>is overprotective.</i>


    He knew that behavior wouldn¡¯tst long, but seeing her worry made him feel a bit different. Putting the device back in his pocket, he headed straight to Kwang-Soo¡¯s lecture room.


    ***


    <i>Creakkk.</i>


    Opening the door, Se-Hoon scanned the lecture room, which looked the same as usual, and spotted Kwang-Soo¡¯s back.


    ¡°I¡¯m here, professor.¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    When Kwang-Soo stood up and turned around, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyebrows shot up in shock.


    <i>What happened to him...?</i>


    The right arm sling and visible bandages around his neck and body indicated severe injuries.


    ¡°I heard you were badly hurt, but you seem fine. Did Ludwig give you something for recovery?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh... yes, something like that.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    Seeing Kwang-Soo scrutinizing his body with a dissatisfied expression, Se-Hoon was prompted to curiously ask about his situation.


    ¡°Anyway, what happened to you, Professor?¡±


    At the question, Kwang-Soo realized he wasn¡¯t in good condition himself. ¡°It''s nothing much. I just had a run-in with Doppelganger after a long time.¡±


    Remember Doppelganger was one of the Ten Evils and a long-time nemesis of Kwang-Soo, Se-Hoon became curious.


    <i>I didn''t know because I only ever saw him after he recovered... has he been beaten up this badly every time?</i>


    Seeing a new side of Kwang-Soo, Se-Hoon gazed at his injuries as he asked, ¡°Are you not going to visit the hospital? With your physical abilities, you should be able to recover quickly.¡±


    ¡°Why waste time on that?¡± Kwang-Soo replied, wiggling his limp right arm.


    Then, as if giving a lecture, he added, ¡°If the enemy¡¯s attack is powerful enough to inflict serious wounds, the scars will bear deep traces of the technique they¡¯ve used. In a way, these wounds are also a form of research material.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>. That''s quite an interesting way of looking at them.¡±


    Although Se-Hoon often analyzed an enemy¡¯s general movements, habits, and the form of their equipment, he had never tried reading their technique itself.


    <i>That probably requires a bit of talent.</i>


    And in his current state, talent was what he had.


    Examining Kwang-Soo¡¯s injuries to try it out for himself, Se-Hoon suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°How¡¯s your sword?¡±


    Though it was his first time seeing Kwang-Soo injured, he had seen the state of his sword after his battles with Doppelganger countless times. And while Kwang-Soo could have tended to it himself, Kwang-Soo was also aware that it wouldn¡¯t be as good as a skilled cksmith¡¯s work.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Well, since I''m in the Department of cksmithing if it needs some repairs¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. It''s not something to be handled by a rookie like you,¡± he abruptly said, cutting off Se-Hoon sharply.


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes narrowed. Ifpared to his previous life, he could ept being called a rookie, but in the grand scheme of things now, he believed that he wasn¡¯t at that level anymore.


    <i>Is he worried I might steal his swordsmanship?</i>


    The long-time equipment of heroes became like extensions of themselves, having their mana circuits dyed by their mana, techniques, and skills. And the mana circuits of Kwang-Soo¡¯s sword, Celestial Night, in particr, had been dyed quite a bit.


    Hence, a talented individual could potentially learn his swordsmanship just by examining his sword.


    <i>Nah, no way. He wouldn''t be that petty.</i>


    Although Kwang-Soo was an alcoholic gambling addict who often gave unsolicited advice to much younger heroes, Se-Hoon was certain he wouldn¡¯t belittle a promising young talent out of fear.


    ¡°Well, fine.¡±


    ¡°...Are you sulking?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. If the professor calls me a rookie, what more can I say?¡±


    Making a smile, Se-Hoon then changed the topic. ¡°So, what did you call me here today for? I just got out of the hospital, and I''m really tired.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ahem.</i> Right, I see.¡±


    Although Kwang-Soo had prevented his swordsmanship from identally being stolen, he had a feeling he might have lost out on a bigger opportunity.


    Shaking it off, he went straight to the point, ¡°Do you remember when you asked me to protect the non-contracted cksmiths for you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember.¡±


    ¡°One of the people who helped me with that asked if you could meet with one of her family members.¡±


    Se-Hoon raised an eyebrow. If it was the person who had helped, it must have been the Visionary Ha Baek-Yeon.


    <i>Is she interested in me for some reason?</i>


    Baek-Yeon had always been selective, but she wasn¡¯t stingy about teaching someone if they met her criteria.


    <i>And if it''s someone in her family...</i>


    Having figured out who was waiting, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°Sure. Considering I owe her, that¡¯s the least I can do.¡±


    ¡°Then follow me; I''ll introduce you to the person,¡± Kwang-Soo said before directly heading toward the training hall.


    When they arrived, Kwang-Soo opened the door with his left hand, revealing the person waiting inside: a young man with dark blue hair in a neat ck suit¡ªHa Seon-Woo, whom Se-Hoon had met in the hospital the previous day.


    ¡°Good to see you again, Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Investigator.¡±


    Although Se-Hoon had felt that something was off when Seon-Woo tried to use his Enhanced Vision, he hadn''t realized Seon-Woo had another agenda beyond his suspicion.


    Seon-Woo smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t need to refer to me as Investigator today. I¡¯m here as the grandnephew of Baek-Yeon, the Visionary.¡±


    Seon-Woo was the eldest grandson on Baek-Yeon¡¯s younger brother¡¯s side. And since Baek-Yeon had no children of her own, she treated Seon-Woo like her own grandson, teaching him archery.


    <i>Though I remember that it didn¡¯t end well for him...</i>


    Pressing down the memory of how Seon-Woo had died before the regression, Se-Hoon looked at him and asked, ¡°Can you tell me why you called me here today?¡±


    ¡°My great-aunt told me that she sees great potential in you. I''vee to assess that talent more thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>... How do you n on assessing it?¡±


    It was quite different from what Seon-Woo expected. Despite being told that he was acknowledged by <i>the</i> Visionary, Se-Hoon showed no hint of surprise.


    With his curiosity about Se-Hoon¡¯s true capability growing, Seon-Woo replied, ¡°There¡¯s a training method that we call ¡®kite flying¡¯ in our family. It¡¯s a basic exercise, so it shouldn''t be too difficult.¡±


    At this, Se-Hoon realized Baek-Yeon herself was testing him. And while he was unsure if he could meet her stringent criteria, he had nothing to lose regardless.


    <i>Even if I fail, nothing changes. If I seed though, I¡¯ll earn the favor of another Perfect One.</i>


    Content, Se-Hoon was about to tell Seon-Woo that he wouldply, but a peculiar sense of regret stopped him.


    <i>Why?</i>


    Was there some additional benefit he could gain from this? Trying to figure it out, his gaze fell upon Seon-Woo.


    <i>...Wait a minute.</i>


    Considering he had to track and attack various organizations from now on, including the Barmuths, having connections within the globally influential Heroes Association wouldn¡¯t be bad.


    However, just any insider wouldn¡¯t be enough; his connection needed to possess two key traits: inflexibility to the point of being upromising and a strong backing that made them immune to external pressure.


    If those were the criteria, then who would be a better fit than the kin of the Visionary? To Se-Hoon, such connections were no longer shackles; they were now high-quality restraints made of excellent material.


    <i>The perfect material was right in front of me.</i>


    With a newfound appreciation for Seon-Woo, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes sparkled as he asked, ¡°It would be an honor... but don¡¯t you think that might be a bit boring?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°I believe I perform best under pressure. So, I¡¯d like to make a suggestion...¡±


    Trailing off, Se-Hoon smiled widely.


    ¡°How about we make things a bit dicey with a little wager?¡±

 Chapter 152

    <h4>Chapter 152</h4>


    ¡°Are you actually suggesting... we make a bet?¡±


    Seon-Woo was unable to believe his ears so he had to ask for confirmation.


    ¡°Yes. We should each stake something we want from the other,¡± Se-Hoon confirmed, nodding.


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s something you want from me?¡±


    Although his facial expression didn''t show it, Se-Hoon could see the considerable wariness filing Seon-Woo''s eyes.


    ¡°No, I haven''t thought of something yet. As I said before, this will just be a small wager, meaning we can determine the stakes as the situation unfolds.¡±


    ¡°So... if I think what you ask for isn''t trivial, I can refuse at any time?¡±


    ¡°That''s correct.¡±


    Se-Hoon was well aware that no one would ept a bet with heavy conditions right off the bat in such a situation. And that was especially true for someone from the Special Operations Division, who always had to be cautious with every word they said.


    In fact, it would be foolish to try and forcibly trap him with a bet.


    <i>The goal for now is to pique his interest. </i>


    Having often done such a thing, Se-Hoon patiently waited for an answer. And as he expected, after contemting it, Seon-Woo asked, ¡°How do you n to proceed with the bet?¡±


    ¡°Well, I''ll first watch the kite-flying training you mentioned and will decide after that.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Please wait a moment, then,¡± Seon-Woo said, heading up to the training ground.


    Seeing Se-Hoon watching Seon-Woo¡¯s back, Kwang-Soo apprehensively asked, ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°You heard it all. It''s just a small bet.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say such nonsense.¡±


    At Kwang-Soo¡¯s re, Se-Hoon nced at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s really as it sounds. Well, to be honest, it¡¯s also to get closer to him.¡±


    ¡°With that guy?¡± Kwang-Soo asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.


    Se-Hoon calmly nodded.


    ¡°He''s an investigator from the Special Operations Division. Being close to him could be beneficial in many ways for me in the future.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> But since that guy''s mindset is so rigid, getting close might be a headache...¡±


    ¡°The difficulty will just depend on how I want to use him anyway.¡±


    Before the regression, Se-Hoon had avoided Seon-Woo like the gue as he hadn¡¯t had a proper backer, but now, with Ludwig as his supporter, things were different.


    Taken aback by Se-Hoon¡¯s confident words, Kwang-Soo only recovered a secondter. He shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Do what you want then, I guess. Just don¡¯t underestimate him too much.¡±


    ncing toward Seon-Woo, who was examining his bow on the training ground, Kwang-Soo warned, ¡°He¡¯ll definitely reach S-rank within five years.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just he had a good chance, but that he definitely would.


    However, Se-Hoon already knew that.


    ¡°I¡¯m already aware of that.¡±


    How could he not know, having been tormented for months by the very man himself after he became an S-rank?


    <i>If it''s now, it should be possible to get close to him.</i>


    Compared to his tormentor, Seon-Woo was still just a novice. At this level, there were still several gaps that even his current self could exploit.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready. Both of you, pleasee up.¡±


    While Kwang-Soo had been thinking Se-Hoon¡¯s unwavering confidence was odd, Seon-Woo had finally finished preparing.


    Heading over, Se-Hoon naturally noticed the fist-sized green cubes scattered at intervals around the edges of the training ground. Initially, he didn¡¯t understand their purpose, but it didn¡¯t take long for him to figure it out.


    <i>Ah ha, so that¡¯s what kite-flying means.</i>


    Having roughly grasped the training method, Se-Hoon smirked.


    When they arrived in front of Seon-Woo, he wasted no time. Holding a bow in one hand, he began, ¡°Before I start exining, let me give you a brief demonstration.¡±


    <i>Snap! Whirr-</i>


    When he lightly snapped, the green cubes ced at the edge of the training ground promptly flickered and opened, releasing green winds that scattered in all directions. Soon, they all came together and merged into a massive wind barrier that surrounded the training ground.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The howling winds around them formed a mystical sight; it felt like they were standing at the center of a whirlpool. Turning back to Seon-Woo, Se-Hoon watched as he picked up an arrow from the quiver on the ground and nocked it on his bowstring.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    Observing their surroundings, Seon-Woo drew the bow and aimed the arrow at the wind barrier surrounding them.


    <i>Twang!</i>


    Releasing the string, the arrow shot straight toward the wind barrier.


    Normally, one would expect the arrow to either pierce through or be deflected. However, the arrow suddenly turned.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Circling the training ground, the arrow maneuvered freely, riding the current of the wind barrier. It resembled a kite flying in the wind.


    ¡°Kite-flying is a training method to hone your ability to observe the movements of the winds and control arrows by linking them with your mana,¡± Seon-Woo exined.


    Demonstrating further, Seon-Woo subtly flicked his fingers and the arrow changed direction sharply.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Like a fish swimming in water, the arrow navigated the wind barrier erratically.


    ¡°Normally, we practice with regr arrows, but since you don¡¯t have any prior experience in archery, I''ve prepared special arrows for you. These arrows will move as you desire once you connect them with your mana.¡±


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Heading Seon-Woo''s call, the arrow escaped the wind barrier andnded back in the quiver.


    Ruminating over the quick demonstration, which seemed more like a performance than training, Se-Hoon asked, ¡°So, the scoring criteria is how well one can observe the movement of the winds, am I right?¡±


    ¡°That''s correct.¡±


    Hearing Seon-Woo¡¯s confirmation, Se-Hoon surveyed the wind barrier surrounding them along with the dozens of cubes maintaining the chaotic and irregr winds.


    <i>There are a lot of areas where the movement of the wind is unpredictable. I can¡¯t handle it with mere technique then.</i>


    Understanding what Seon-Woo and Baek-Yeon wanted to see from him, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°May I practice a bit first?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You can use this bow.¡±


    Receiving the bow from Seon-Woo, Se-Hoon instinctively examined it first.


    <i>It¡¯s a decent bow. It''s been specialized to work in tandem with those special arrows.</i>


    When the special arrows were shot from the bow, they would connect and respond more sensitively to the wielder¡¯s mana.


    <i>Let¡¯s see. The stance should be...</i>


    Done examining the bow, Se-Hoon adjusted his grip and nocked an arrow. Adjusting his body slightly, he drew the bowstring, aiming at the barrier.


    <i>Twang!</i>


    Let loose, the arrow flew smoothly into the wind barrier, turning to move along with the current.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Feeling a sudden weight at his fingertips, Se-Hoon quickly figured out it was the mana connected to the arrow. Testing it, he lightly moved his fingers while observing the wind barrier¡¯s flow.


    <i>Hmm... like this?</i>


    Instead of controlling it like a part of his body, it felt more like a game, since he needed to tap to adjust its direction moment by moment. Getting used to the sensation, he continued adjusting ordingly.


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    However, he made a mistake and the arrow abruptly veered off and wasunched out of the barrier.


    ¡°Oh, wow.¡±


    Since he had only focused on the arrow¡¯s movements, he had failed to respond to a sudden shift in the winds¡¯ flow and was thus bounced out.


    Looking embarrassed, Se-Hoon picked up the arrow that had rolled in front of him. ¡°Wow, archery is pretty tough, as expected. If it¡¯s this hard even with special arrows, I can¡¯t imagine how hard it would be with regr ones.¡±


    While he talked, Seon-Woo, who had watched the entire process, just stared at him in a daze.


    <i>What did I just see?</i>


    When people first heard about kite-flying, they usually pondered over how they should control the arrows. However, before that, the first challenge most encountered was finding the entrance to the wind barrier. After all, with it constantly swirling, the entrance irregrly appeared, yet they had to find it to insert the arrow and ride the current.


    Befitting its difficulty, it typically took talented students about six months to grasp, and that was only if they had some prior training in archery.


    <i>He seeded on the first try?</i>


    ording to his prior research, Se-Hoon had never shown any proficiency with a bow inside Babel. Yet, not only had he found the entrance immediately, but he had also managed to control the arrow within the wind barrier for a while.


    To Seon-Woo, such a thing was utterly unbelievable, so he drew his own conclusions.


    <i>Has he been practicing in secret?</i>


    Although he was known for his skills with a sword and hammer, perhaps Se-Hoon¡¯s true specialty was archery.


    <i>Yes, that would exin why my great-aunt suddenly took an interest in his talent and why he suggested the bet.</i>


    In the meantime, as Seon-Woo drew his own conclusions, Se-Hoon had shot a few more arrows. And although each following arrow managed to stay within the current for a bit longer than thest, none of them were able to do a fullp around the training ground before being bounced out.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    Reviewing what he had learned, Se-Hoon looked at Seon-Woo a few minutester.


    ¡°Well, shall we move on to the bet?¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Since the training is called ¡®kite-flying,¡¯ how about a kite fight?¡±


    He went on to propose that they would shoot arrows in opposite directions, and the first one whose arrow was bounced out would lose. They could either dodge and endure or strike the opponent''s arrow to force it out.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a single-round game, I¡¯m sure to lose, so let¡¯s make it five rounds. If I win even once, I win the bet. What do you think of it?¡±


    On paper, the conditions seemed to overwhelmingly favor Se-Hoon. However... Seon-Woo¡¯s eyes twitched at the proposal. He had expected Se-Hoon to propose a game that was based on staying in the wind barrier, but he hadn¡¯t expected Se-Hoon to have the audacity to talk about win conditions himself.


    ¡°Do you think you have a real chance to win at least once out of five rounds?¡± asked Seon-Woo incredulously.


    ¡°Well... it shouldn¡¯t be impossible, should it?¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s seemingly innocent response, Seon-Woo just quietly observed him before nodding.


    ¡°Fine. But let¡¯s add one more condition.¡±


    Seon-Woo calmly drew an arrow from his quiver.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use my hands instead of a bow to make it fair.¡±


    Meeting provocation with provocation, Seon-Woo¡¯s calm yetpetitive stance made Se-Hoon¡¯s expression harden.


    ¡°Do as you please. We will handle the aftermath independently anyway.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Their gazes shed in midair.


    Taking their positions, Se-Hoon looked at Kwang-Soo, who was awkwardly standing by


    ¡°Professor, can you count us down?¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. I¡¯ll count from three, then. Three...¡±


    As Kwang-Soo slowly counted down, Se-Hoon and Seon-Woo took their stances and aimed at the wind barrier.


    ¡°Two...¡±


    Surrounded by the ever-swirling winds, Seon-Woo momentarily reflected on his initial n for how he was going to handle the duel.


    <i>I was nning to go easy on him... but it seems I need to teach him a proper lesson.</i>


    Confidence in one¡¯s abilities was fine, but when it turned into arrogance, it could choke oneself. As an active-duty hero, Seon-Woo decided to give his junior a hard-learned lesson and began infusing his arrow with mana.


    <i>Whirr-</i>


    Seeing the swirling wind lightly enveloped his arrow, Seon-Woo drew his arm back and focused on the wind barrier.


    ¡°One...¡±


    With only the final signal left, the two reached the peak of their concentration.


    ¡°Start!¡±


    <i>Twang!</i>


    The two arrows shot into the wind barrier. Then, without hesitation, both arrows raced towards each other.


    Seon-Woo¡¯s eyes narrowed at the sight.


    <i>He¡¯s trying to knock me out immediately.</i>


    This was no longer just overconfidence; it was suspicious. Wondering if Se-Hoon had some hidden strategy, Seon-Woo immediately activated his skill.


    <strong><i>Swallow¡¯s Zephyr</i></strong>


    <i>Boom-!</i>


    A burst of wind erupted from his arrow. The faint yet distinct wind permeated various parts of the barrier, causing it to shake violently in all directions.


    Swallow¡¯s Zephyr was a skill that altered the surrounding atmosphere with a small amount of wind. Thus, when injected into the wind barrier, the wind barrier surged with much greater intensity, causing the movement of its winds to be highly erratic.


    As a result, Se-Hoon''s arrow, which had been moving rtively straight, began to wobble precariously; it looked like it would be bounced out at any second.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    The previously predicted flow of the wind hadpletely changed, and the new gust was no joke.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    While Se-Hoon¡¯s arrow was trying to hold on amidst the sudden surge, Seon-Woo¡¯s arrow, encased in a fierce wind, shot closer at high speed. Simultaneously, the wind surge arrived, destabilizing Se-Hoon¡¯s arrow even more. The way it looked, it felt like his arrow would bounce out without even facing Seon-Woo¡¯s.


    Confident in his victory, Seon-Woo added a final eleration to put Se-Hoon out of his misery.


    <i>Here ites...!</i>


    Having been observing the situation intently, Se-Hoon flicked his fingers, causing his arrow to twist like a pretzel.


    <i>Whirr!</i>


    Seeing the barely stable arrow suddenly twist, Seon-Woo¡¯s eyebrows shot up in shock.


    <i>Is that...</i>


    At first nce, it looked like a desperate attempt to hold on, but his instinct told him it wasn¡¯t something to be taken lightly. Listening to it, Seon-Woo, forgetting he was facing a much younger student, activated his unique skill, Enhanced Vision.


    <i>Woong-!</i>


    Blue ripples spread through his dark blue eyes, expanding his vision to epass the entire training ground. Now, he could clearly see the changes urring in Se-Hoon¡¯s body and his arrow.


    <i>I see. He¡¯s trying to twist the flow of the winds like I did...!</i>


    Anticipating his move, it seemed Se-Hoon had prepared a counter. And Seon-Woo couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by how the earlier arrogance was probably a tactic to provoke such a situation.


    For a second, he even considered just letting it slide, but it was just for a second.


    <i>The tougher the challenges he faces, the stronger he bes.</i>


    In the end, there were still four rounds left. Deciding to show Se-Hoon a new level, he applied a slight variation to his arrow.


    <strong><i>Swallow¡¯s Piercing Zephyr</i></strong>


    <i>Sprang!</i>


    Seon-Woo¡¯s arrow elerated forward like a swallow piercing through the wind. He had decided to crush Se-Hoon¡¯s counter head-on with overwhelming speed and power.


    With the new burst of speed, the two arrows collided before Se-Hoon could even react... supposedly.


    <i>Got him!!!</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes gleamed and he released his hold on the twisted arrow.


    <strong><i>Mortal Combat Techniques: Swallow Hunt</i></strong>


    <i>ng!</i>


    A metallic sound echoed throughout the training ground, and an arrow was helplessly bounced out.


    <i>Thunk-</i>


    Seon-Woo stared at the broken arrow on the floor, his eyes wide in disbelief.


    <i>What... how...?</i>


    The moment Seon-Woo¡¯s arrow hade closer, Se-Hoon¡¯s arrow, twisted to its limit, unfurled and struck Seon-Woo¡¯s to send it out. The intuitiveness of the bizarre, battle-impractical maneuver not typical of an ordinary arrow was shocking to Seon-Woo.


    <i>He was aiming for the moment of contact from the start...</i>


    He was certain Se-Hoon had aimed to reduce the variables and had already prepared to counter ordingly since the beginning. Finding his ability to read the winds¡¯ flow and anticipate his opponent¡¯s response beyond impressive, Seon-Woo turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°It seems... we didn¡¯t need five rounds after all,¡±mented Se-Hoon with a smirk upon meeting his eyes.


    ¡°...¡±


    <i>Grit-</i>

 Chapter 153

    <h4>Chapter 153</h4>


    ¡°It seems like I won the bet... so, what should we do now?¡± questioned Se-Hoon smugly.


    Before he answered, Seon-Woo took a deep breath to calm down.


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss thatter. For now, could you shoot a few more arrows into the wind barrier? The bet ended much earlier than expected... so I still need more samples.¡±


    Though Seon-Woo acknowledged Se-Hoon¡¯s impressive ability to strategize and respond in real-time, he knew it wasn¡¯t enough to assess his talent fully. Therefore, he spoke politely, despite his wounded pride.


    Because of that, Se-Hoon nodded in agreement and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Refocusing, Se-Hoon notched another arrow, aimed at the wind barrier with a much more practiced stance than before, and released it, all in one swift motion.


    <i>Twang!</i>


    Again, the arrow smoothly burrowed into the barrier and began moving with the wind.


    <i>How is this... possible?</i>


    Seon-Woo was in disbelief. After each arrow shot, Se-Hoon¡¯s archery skills seemed to improve, as if a year of training had passed. Initially, Seon-Woo assumed Se-Hoon had practiced in secret or was simply exceptionally talented. However, after observing Se-Hoon with his unique skill, he discarded his assumption.


    <i>Rather than learning anew, he seems more like he¡¯s... recalling.</i>


    Like a seasoned archer picking up a bow after decades, the more Se-Hoon shot, the sharper his skills became. The scene was so uncanny that Seon-Woo was left both amazed and puzzled.


    <i>Is it merely because of his unique skill¡¯s effect... or is something else at y?</i>


    He thought back to how Se-Hoon had shown sudden and exceptional growth since entering Babel, bing the promising talent with an extraordinary array of skills he now was.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>.¡±


    Staring at the flying arrow, Se-Hoon reached into the quiver again.


    ¡°Should be just like this...¡±


    <i>Twang!</i>


    Unable to react, Seon-Woo watched Se-Hoon shoot a second arrow at the wind barrier, making it fly alongside the first. A few secondster, both stabilized despite their shaky appearances while Se-Hoon was adjusting to controlling two.


    <i>It feels like... each one should take around thirty percent more. around thirty percent, I¡¯d say.</i>


    In a sh, Se-Hoon finished calcting the stamina and mental stress required to control each additional arrow, ounting for the increase in demand needed.


    ¡°Here they go.¡±


    <i>Twang! Twang! Twang! </i>


    He shot another three arrows, one after another, toward the wind barrier. Like the second, the arrows all wavered when a new one joined before quickly stabilizing and surging forward again. And following the same behavior, five more arrows shot toward the barrier, making a total of ten.


    <i>Whirr!</i>


    Together, the arrows moved in unison against the stream of wind like a school of salmon swimming upstream. bbergasted, Seon-Woo fell into a daze as his eyes followed the arrows.


    <i>At this level, isn¡¯t he basically a master...?</i>


    To think Se-Hoon could perfectly read the wind currents around the ten arrows and control each one individually. Even in Seon-Woo¡¯s family¡¯s archery dojo, only the masters, including himself, could perform such an intricate technique.


    ¡°Next... actually, never mind. I think that¡¯s my limit for now.¡±


    Despite maintaining the flight of the ten arrows, Se-Hoon could speak so casually, stunning Seon-Woo again. Just like how when something was too surreal, people tended to ept it as it was, Seon-Woo, who was at a loss for words, was about to do the same.


    <i>Ring!</i>


    Snapping out of it, Seon-Woo hastily pulled out his ringing phone and looked at the screen: <i>Great Aunt</i>.


    At that caller ID, Seon-Woo tensed and straightened up before picking up.


    ¡°Yes, Seon-Woo here.¡±


    ¡ªCan you tell the kid in front of you... actually, just put me on speakerphone.


    Heeding Baek-Yeon¡¯s request, Seon-Woo quickly adjusted the speaker settings to ensure her voice could be heard by everyone around.


    ¡ª<i>Ah, ah. </i>Can you hear me?


    Baek-Yeon¡¯s voice resounded from the phone.


    Unsurprised, having expected the situation to some extent, Se-Hoon replied, ¡°Yes, I can hear you well.¡±


    ¡ªGood. I¡¯ve had a good look at your archery. You seem to have quite the talent.


    ¡°Thank you for thepliment,¡± Se-Hoon responded politely.


    ¡ªDid you learn that archery which beat my grand-nephew from Kwang-Soo?


    Hearing his name, Kwang-Soo snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t mention me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Meanwhile, Seon-Woo blushed with embarrassment. Having his defeat pointed out by someone he admired was humiliating.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t learn archery from anywhere; he just taught me how to fight well,¡± answered Se-Hoon.


    ¡ªReally? For someone who hasn¡¯t formally trained in archery, you even had your own hidden skills...


    ¡°Stop the chatter and just get on with your assessment!¡± Kwang-Soo grumbled when she paused.


    A chuckle resounded from the phone.


    ¡ªAlright, alright. If I were to give a simple assessment... you were neither good nor bad.


    ¡°...Huh?¡± Seon-Woo couldn¡¯t help but question his great-aunt¡¯s words.


    With archery skillsparable to a master¡¯s and the ability to predict and counter his every move, how could her assessment of Se-Hoon be merely so-so?


    ¡ª<i>Tsk, tsk.</i> Did you not see it? He was just using tricks to get by.


    ¡°Tricks...?¡±


    Turning, Seon-Woo observed the arrows flying in the wind barrier again and finally figured out the trick.


    <i>The lead arrow determines the overall flow... and the rest just follow with minimal adjustments?</i>


    By creating a semnce of regrity in the erratic wind barrier, Se-Hoon was able to control the arrows with maximum efficiency. It wasn¡¯t his archery itself that was exceptional, but rather his efficient execution of a specific technique.


    Realizing it, Seon-Woo couldn¡¯t help butugh at himself.


    ¡°This is... unbelievable...¡±


    He was unsure whether to me his ownck of discernment or praise Se-Hoon for his ability to fool even him.


    ¡ªRegardless, the fact that he can use such tricks means he has the basics down. He can read the flow of the wind pretty well... and his shooting form isn¡¯t bad either.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not... <i>great</i>,¡± Se-Hoon added.


    ¡ªExactly. But you are already aware of that, aren¡¯t you?


    Observing Se-Hoon from all the way in the Himyan mountains, Baek-Yeon finished her evaluation.


    ¡ªThat all the techniques you disyed are empty.


    Hearing it spoken out loud, Se-Hoon¡¯s expression subtly shifted.


    <i>It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been told that.</i>


    Se-Hoon had heard it ad nauseam from the Three Dogs and other high-ranking heroes, forcing him to painfully realize hisck of talent inbat.


    ¡°It does feel a bit like that,¡± he said, maintaining his calm.


    ¡ªWell, don¡¯t be too disheartened.


    He could hear Baek-Yeon¡¯s attempt at a consoling tone.


    ¡ªBeing able to pull this much off in such a state is a talent in itself. For example... oh dear, let¡¯s just forget I mentioned that. Anyway, my assessment stands as is. The result of this assessment is... you pass.


    ¡°What do you mean by, I pass?¡± asked Se-Hoon, unable to understand where she was going with this.


    ¡ªIt means you have the qualifications to be my disciple.


    The air in the training hall stilled, and Seon-Woo widened his eyes in disbelief.


    ¡°A di¡ªdisciple, you say!?¡±


    Many had received guidance from Baek-Yeon, but none ever imed to be her disciple. While she was known for her willingness to offer advicepared to the other Perfect Ones, she was just as known for rarely taking anyone as a formal disciple.


    ¡ªYour archery skills may becking, but I like the perception you have. It¡¯s closer to those of the Trailzer¡¯s, but it all depends on how you are taught, after all.


    At Baek-Yeon¡¯s exnation, Se-Hoon thought, <i>She likes my perception?</i>


    Was it his ability to read the wind or his insight into Seon-Woo¡¯s behaviors? With no clue as to which it was, Se-Hoon could only wonder.


    ¡ªSo, what do you think? This does sound weird since I¡¯m the one saying it, but this is not an opportunity thates around often.


    Bing the disciple of a Perfect One was a rare opportunity. Even if he were dismissed partway through, the lessons that he would have learned would be invaluable.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    For an opportunity like this, Se-Hoon had to ponder over it seriously. But he was interrupted.


    ¡°No!!¡± shouted Kwang-Soo, who had been listening, urgently.


    Protesting vehemently, Kwang-Soo yelled, ¡°Who said you could take him as a disciple? Absolutely not!¡±


    ¡ªWhy are you making such a fuss? It¡¯s as if you¡¯re his master or something.


    The bemusement could be heard in Baek-Yeon¡¯s tone.


    ¡°He learned the Celestial Infinity de from me, so I practically am! Anyway, it¡¯s absolutely not okay! You hear me, Lee Se-Hoon?¡±


    Turning to Kwang-Soon, Se-Hoon just stared and asked in return, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I may be taking your ss, but we don¡¯t have any other particr interactions other than that, do we?¡±


    ¡°You little brat...¡±


    Kwang-Soo¡¯s face turned red with anger. He had gone out of his way to assist him, even to the point of following him around, and this was how he was repaid?


    But before he could say anything further, Se-Hoon continued, ¡°And you called me a rookie earlier. If I¡¯m that level, it shouldn¡¯t matter if I leave and be someone else¡¯s disciple, right?¡±


    His blunt response left Kwang-Soo speechless.


    He had assumed it was because Se-Hoon was eager to join a Perfect One¡¯s side, but it turned out Se-Hoon was upset about his earlierment.


    <i>What a petty guy...</i>


    As Kwang-Soo floundered, unsure how to salvage the situation, Baek-Yeon¡¯sughter echoed through the phone.


    ¡ªYour expression right now is just so priceless. You should walk around with that face more often.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Kwang-Soo retorted, his eyes twitching with irritation. Seeing that, Baek-Yeon chuckled again.


    ¡ªWell, you can think it over as you don¡¯t have to decide right away. I understand you might have your own ns.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡ªSure, until then... right. Sunwoo, you can assist him, the senior disciple.


    ¡°Understo... Wait, what? Senior disciple?¡± asked Seon-Woo in bewilderment.


    A senior disciple was a fellow student of one''s master. In other words, it meant that he had to treat Se-Hoon with the respect due to a senior.


    ¡ªIf that guy bes my discipleter on, he¡¯ll be on the same level as your master, your father. So, he¡¯s technically your senior.


    ¡°But, but still...¡±


    ¡ªBut what?


    ¡°No matter what...¡±


    ¡ªNo matter what, what?


    ¡°...¡±


    At her repeated questioning, Seon-Woo sighed.


    ¡°Understood... ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡ªGood. Now, I have something to discuss with that Kwang-Soo guy, so you two can go and settle that bet from earlier.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am...¡±


    <i>Click.</i>


    The call ended, and an odd silence filled the training hall.


    After dejectedly staring at his phone for a while, Seon-Woo slowly looked up at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Please take care of me from now on, junior disciple,¡± greeted Se-Hoon, grinning widely with delightment.


    Seeing that grin, Seon-Woo''s eyes twitched, and he inaudibly mumbled for a while.


    ¡°I''ll be in your care... senior.¡±


    ***


    Once the energetic Se-Hoon and the utterly defeated Seon-Woo left the training hall, Kwang-Soo¡¯s phone vibrated.


    ¡°<i>Tsk.</i>¡±


    Annoyed, he let the call from Baek-Yeon, who had been waiting for the moment Se-Hoon and Seon-Woo left, ring before answering.


    ¡ªYou were going to answer anyway, so why the dy?


    ¡°Shut up! More importantly, what were you thinking?¡±


    She had previously told him that she would be casually observing the fight, but then suddenly mentioned taking someone on as her disciple. And while the fact that it was Se-Hoon annoyed Kwang-Soo even further, there was a bigger reason behind his reaction.


    ¡°No matter how you look at it, he¡¯s not at the required level to be your disciple. Why did you change your mind suddenly?¡± Of this, Kwang-Soo was confident.


    Kwang-Soo and Baek-Yeon had known each other for decades. And since most of that time had been spent on battlefields, they were well aware of each other¡¯s tendencies, skills, and standards.


    ¡ªWell, to be honest, he is a bitcking.


    ¡°Then why did you take him?¡±


    ¡ªI told you. I like the way he perceives things.


    Moving her gaze to Se-Hoon, who was walking out with Seon-Woo, Baek-Yeon quietly observed him before continuing.


    ¡ªThat kid has a rather twisted perspective. It¡¯s like he has a bit of the future mixed in his gaze.... It¡¯s all just quite unusual.


    ¡°The future? Are you saying that he has some kind of foresight or precognition?¡±


    ¡ªIt¡¯s a little different. It¡¯s more like he¡¯s already seen it rather than seeing it in real time.... The point is, his eyes aren¡¯tmon at all.


    Depending on the perspective one viewed objects, the same vision technique could have vastly different effects. So from that standpoint, she deemed Se-Hoon¡¯s perspective had enough potential to be refined and honed.


    ¡ªEven if I take him as a disciple, it¡¯ll only be for a while. With such an unusual perspective, it won¡¯t take long to see what he¡¯s capable of.


    ¡°What about Ludwig?¡±


    ¡ªThat guy always goes around telling everyone to teach his students. Can¡¯t you tell by how I¡¯m leisurely handling this right now?


    ¡°Damn it... If only he¡¯d help me out a bit too...¡±


    For a moment, Kwang-Soo silently cursed Ludwig, wondering if he was being discriminated against for not being a Perfect One


    ¡ªPlus, it wouldn¡¯t be that bad of a thing for you if he learned from me.


    Still irritated, Kwang-Soo asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡ªThat kid. He¡¯s pretty simr to Doppelganger.


    Kwang-Soo¡¯s expression instantly hardened at her words, and he turned his head in her direction instead of looking at his phone.


    His frigid eyes conveyed that he wouldn¡¯t tolerate any nonsense.


    However, when Baek-Yeon met his gaze, she smiled.


    ¡ªIf he receives my teaching well, he should help you find what you¡¯re looking for.

 Chapter 154

    <h4>Chapter 154</h4>


    Within a rented inner room of a tea house located on the outskirts of Aqar Quf¡¯s bustling downtown, Seon-Woo looked at the person sitting opposite him.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    Lost in thought, Se-Hoon was sipping his tea silently. Truthfully, Seon-Woo wanted to start a conversation, but the serene atmosphere of the room made it difficult, so he reviewed the events earlier instead.


    <i>How did ite to this...?</i>


    He had only visited Se-Hoon to fulfill his great-aunt''s request and to carry out his investigation for the Special Operations Division, yet somehow ended up serving Se-Hoon as his junior disciple. No matter how hard he thought about it, he didn¡¯t know how to deal with such an embarrassing situation.


    Struggling internally, time passed quietly. Then, when Se-Hoon drank half of his tea, he finally said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. I¡¯m not even a formal disciple yet, and I¡¯m pretty sure she just said it on a whim.¡±


    ¡°You really think so?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Oh, it might be good to act appropriately in public, though, since she might be watching us.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Seon-Woo¡¯s expression hardened slightly. Wasn''t Se-Hoon basically telling him to respect him as his junior disciple in public and to only rx when they were alone?


    <i>Well, this is better than nothing...</i>


    If Se-Hoon had told him to be respectful even in private, Seon-Woo thought he would have likely suffered in the future.


    ¡°Well, I think that¡¯s enough about this.... Let¡¯s get to the main point now.¡±


    ¡°The main point?¡±


    ¡°You came here to investigate me, right? We might as well finish everything while we¡¯re here.¡±


    Surprised, Seon-Woo just looked at him for a moment before regaining hisposure.


    ¡°Understood. Then I¡¯ll get everything prepared.¡±


    Transitioning to work mode, Seon-Woo straightened his posture and took out a recording device from his void pocket, which he ced on the table.


    ¡°Please start from the day of the incident, in chronological order,¡± Seon-Woo requested, looking straight at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Well then...¡±


    Heeding his request, Se-Hoon exined everything that happened on the day of the Demon Force¡¯s assault in detail. Only once the exnation was roughly finished did Seon-Woo break his silence and start asking questions about certain points that he found to be unclear.


    ¡°You said you noticed something strange beforehand about the sparring equipment that the spies used. How did you find out?¡±


    ording to the cksmith the Heroes Association asked, the equipment was so perfectly disguised that the naked eye couldn¡¯t possibly distinguish it. Even if Se-Hoon was an honor student, he was still a first-year. How could he figure it out so easily?


    ¡°They just looked a bit odd, so I hit them a few times during the sparring sessions, and they indeed felt distinctly different. That¡¯s how I knew.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t...¡±


    Seon-Woo was about to say that Se-Hoon¡¯s exnation didn''t make any sense at all, but then he remembered that Se-Hoon was the genius creator of mass-produced sword aura equipment, a task considered nearly impossible in the current cksmithing industry. Considering that, his exnation became usible.


    ¡°Alright... let¡¯s move on, then. Why didn¡¯t you report this immediately to Babel?¡±


    ¡°Well, since the equipment was disguised as sparring weapons, I figured it meant they got them in through a traitor inside Babel. Thus, I thought it might be dangerous to report it rashly and decided to just keep an eye on things.¡±


    ¡°Hm... I see.¡±


    Given that even a professor had been arrested as a traitor, Seon-Woo thought that such a decision was not bad after all.


    ¡°Did you find any suspicious circumstances at the Hextech Expo that made you make preparations in advance?¡±


    ¡°No. I responded as things urred.¡±


    Two students subduing the A-rank Professor Charles, reiming the facility, and even capturing the resurrected S-rank Vermillion Bird had been the result of on-the-spot decisions? Normally, such an unbelievable thing would arouse more suspicion, but Seon-Woo found himself oddly convinced.


    <i>With the skills he just showed, it¡¯s not...pletely impossible, right?</i>


    He recalled Se-Hoon¡¯s ability to rapidly adapt to new environments, his ability to perfectly anticipate his opponent¡¯s actions, and his wless disy during the kite-flying training. And given that even his great-aunt Ha Baek-Yeon, the Visionary, wanted to take him as a disciple, all of it seemed entirely possible.


    <i>So it alles down to one¡¯s talent and skill in the end...</i>


    The conclusion he got out of this investigation felt strange, like it shouldn¡¯t make sense but somehow did, leaving an indescribable odd feeling along with a sense of relief.


    At this point, Seon-Woo began wondering if he should just end the investigation here. Torn, Seon-Woo mulled over it for what felt like a long time before making a decision and sighing internally.


    ¡°Then, for thest question, I heard you defeated the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter, who hade to hunt down Professor Kim In-Cheol. Can you tell me how you did it?¡±


    ¡°I was able to create an opening using a piece of equipment imbued with the power of the Chairman to subdue him.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Seon-Woo went nk.


    But soon, upon realizing that the equipment imbued with the power of the Emperor of Ascension would surely be able to ovee the power disparity between Se-Hoon and the Fire Sword cksmith Hunter, he recovered hisposure and nodded.


    ¡°Thank you for your cooperation.¡±


    The investigation was so mundane that he felt foolish for being tense, for thinking it might be a grand conspiracy involving the secrets of Perfect Ones.


    Feeling a mix of relief and emptiness, Seon-Woo was about to sip his tea when Se-Hoon brought up the next topic.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on to our bet now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Do you have something in mind?¡±


    What would this genius demand from him? Curious, Seon-Woo, who had rxed his vignce a bit since the investigation concluded, looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I would like you to answer as Hero Ha Seon-Woo and not Investigator Ha Seon-Woo, in our following conversation.¡±


    ¡°...Pardon?¡± Seon-Woo inadvertently questioned, surprised by the unexpected request.


    <i>Not as an investigator, but as a hero?</i>


    What was he trying to get out of this?


    ¡°Can you do that for me?¡± Se-Hoon asked again.


    After internally debating whether it would be harmful to him in any way, Seon-Woo agreed saying, ¡°Yes, I think that would be doable.¡±


    Although he wasn¡¯t sure of the details, he deemed it wasn¡¯t something he couldn''t do.


    Upon hearing Seon-Woo¡¯s answer, Se-Hoon moistened his throat with tea before beginning.


    ¡°I think various changes will ur both inside and outside Babel due to this incident. Things like identifying those who conspired with the Demon Force or subjugating the Ten Evils.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>. Yeah, that seems likely.¡±


    It was a widely discussed topic, so Seon-Woo agreed readily.


    ¡°So, who do you think is the first among the Ten Evils that needs to be subjugated?¡± Se-Hoon asked, his eyes shining.


    ¡°...¡±


    At that question, Seon-Woo stared at Se-Hoon in silence.


    Usually, those affiliated with the Hero Association would never answer such questions, as even a casual word could lead to information leaks or ruined ns. And that was especially the case for those in the Special Operations Division, who handled most of the ns and investigations of the Hero Association. They <i>had </i>to be even more cautious. Yet Se-Hoon still asked Seon-Woo head-on.


    <i>...I see. This was what he meant by asking me to speak as a hero, not an investigator.</i>


    Se-Hoon wanted Seon-Woo to answer based solely on his insight, without being bound by the association. In a way, he was ying a word game while also assuring him that he wouldpletely respect Seon-Woo as a hero, not as an investigator from the Heroes Association.


    <i>I thought he would be more emotional and arrogant.... Perhaps I was wrong.</i>


    Tensing, Seon-Woo organized his thoughts before he answered.


    ¡°If I were to pick candidates, three thate to mind. Tuner, who expands his power through illegal modifications; Puppeteer, who attacks heroes and turns them into automatons; and the Dream Demon, the owner of the Pleasure District.¡±


    On top of being individually strong, those three could also significantly bolster the Demon Force¡¯s collective power. Aside from being the prime targets for attacking the Emperor of Ascension directly, their inherent danger levels were the highest.


    ¡°And if I had to choose among the three, I would say the Dream Demon, as one of the main reasons the Ten Evils haven¡¯t been caught so far is because of that monster.¡±


    Luke how humanity traveled freely around the world through the gates created by the Emperor of Ascension, the Demon Force traversed the world through the Dream Demon¡¯s Pleasure District. Thus, severing that stronghold was the first step to subjugating the Ten Evils.


    ¡°But... it won¡¯t be an easy task.¡±


    Although the Pleasure District had deeply entrenched itself in the shadows, making it easy to enter with some investigation, the reason no one had subdued the Dream Demon so far was that the Pleasure District was created from dream mana.


    ¡°It is said that the Dream Demon possesses powerparable to Perfect Ones when inside the Pleasure District. And while it hasn¡¯t been confirmed, every single person who has entered so far has never returned.¡±


    ¡°What if Perfect Ones helped find out?¡±


    ¡°They tried, but I remember them just blocking the entrance or sealing off the area, even at the cost of some casualties.¡±


    Se-Hoon fell into deep thought.


    <i>As expected... the situation is simr to before.</i>


    Before the regression, those three had also been the first mentioned to be eliminated. And they had been, in the order of Puppeteer, the Dream Demon, and Tuner.


    Puppeteer had been first since she, unlike Tuner, rarely used the Pleasure District. She ultimately failed to evade pursuit and met her demise.


    <i>The Dream Demon only died back then thanks to the help of the Frost Dog.</i>


    The Dream Demon¡¯s elimination was only possible with the assistance of the Frost Dog, who was practically the Dream Demon¡¯s sessor at that point. The process had been far from smooth, but the important thing was that they could still make the same attempt now.


    <i>Going with the same n as before right now would be a disaster though...</i>


    To create a situation simr to before, some groundwork, like what the Frost Dog had done before, was absolutely necessary. Meaning, subduing those connected to the Pleasure District was first.


    <i>At least the overall situation isn¡¯t too different from what I knew, so that¡¯s a relief.</i>


    Diving deeper might reveal differences, but Se-Hoon believed that those could be dealt with as they came. Having organized his thoughts, he focused on Seon-Woo, who was still waiting for his request.


    ¡°Then, it seems more realistic to deal with the spies in Babel before the Ten Evils.¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the case for now.¡±


    It was a must to uproot those who had colluded with the Demon Force to prevent further chaos¡ªthat was what Seon-Woo likely thought.


    Having checked Seon-Woo¡¯s answer, Se-Hoon finally got to the matter.


    ¡°What I¡¯m about to say is purely hypothetical.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But what if a family, who develops most of the equipment used by heroes and is ruthless enough to use their own blood as tools, colludes with the Demon Force?¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s question, Seon-Woo¡¯s eyes widened before quickly returning to normal like nothing had happened. With a meaningful gaze, he then answered, ¡°If that¡¯s true... it would be extremely dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Could I get the investigators¡¯ help if we were to confront such people?¡±


    ¡°As long as you have concrete evidence, yes,¡± Seon-Woo immediately responded. Then, with the same meaningful gaze, he added, ¡°As much help as you will need.¡±


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Ha Seon-Woo¡¯.]</strong>


    Seeing the notification message pop up, Se-Hoon smiled with satisfaction and extended his hand.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll be seeing each other often.¡±


    Staring at Se-Hoon¡¯s hand, Seon-Woo contemted whether working with Se-Hoon would be truly right before quickly making up his mind.


    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± he said, grasping Se-Hoon¡¯s hand.


    ***


    <i>Pitter- Patter-</i>


    In a massive mansion located on the outskirts of Munich, Germany, a gaunt man with neatly slicked-back blond hair, frowned upon hearing the pelting rain as he walked down the hallway.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>...¡±


    Although the interior atmosphere of the mansion was kept in an optimal environment through magic, just seeing the pouring rain gave him the unpleasant feeling of getting soaked. Diforted, the gaunt man, Michael, adjusted his clothes unnecessarily and collected his scattered thoughts, soon arriving before a door, thergest and most ornate door within the mansion.


    ¡°...¡±


    Daunted despite being in his middle ages, Michael collected his breath before the imposing and heavy door and carefully knocked.


    ¡°My lord, it¡¯s Michael.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Receiving permission, Michael cautiously opened the door and stepped into the room. The interior, lined with red carpet and adorned with luxurious furniture and decorations, exuded a sense of grandeur and weight.


    Sparing not a nce, Michael immediately directed his gaze toward the owner of the room.


    ¡°...¡±


    But all he could see was the back of a chair. Despite his entrance, the owner of the room didn¡¯t even turn around, causing Michael to feel a chilling unease deep in his chest.


    In a respectful tone, he asked, ¡°What have you called me for?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t <i>you </i>tell me.¡±


    Feeling a tightening sensation around his neck, Michael began to sweat. Why had he been summoned? There were countless possibilities, but if the family head didn¡¯t even bother to show his face... Michael quickly grasped the reason and parted his heavy lips.


    ¡°I believe it¡¯s to discuss... my punishment regarding the recent incident.¡±


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no need for me to say the same thing.¡±


    Calmly acknowledging Michael¡¯s correct guess, the head of the family, Max Barmuth, continued, ¡°I have no intention of ming you for the attack. The main perpetrators were the Demon Force and Watchers, after all. This failure is either due to their ipetence or the Emperor of Ascension being exceptionally formidable.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°However, what I cannot understand... is why you got rid of Vier in such a manner.¡±


    The subtle anger in Max¡¯s otherwise dry voice made Michael quickly kneel, his pupils trembling.


    ¡°My apologies! Please forgive me this once...!¡±


    After a heavy moment of silence, Max¡¯s voice, a bit calmer now, flowed out, ¡°Do you realize the amount of time, money, and resources we invested in Vier?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes! I am fully aware.¡±


    ¡°And yet, you failed to utilize him effectively. You seempletely unfit to be the family head sessor.¡±


    He tightened his fists, unable to protest. He knew how, due to the recent incident, the influence of the Demon Force, Watchers, and their associates within Babel had diminished, leading to a decrease in their own influence. Moreover, having failed all of his recently assigned tasks, protesting would only result in being locked up in the basement.


    <i>Lee Se-Hoon... that base-born bastard...</i>


    Thinking about the irritating face of the primary culprit behind their troubles, Michael ground his teeth.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to make me repeat myself,¡± Max calmly murmured, startling Michael.


    Rushing to respond, he said, ¡°Y-Yes! I am indeed unfit for the position!¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s right.¡±


    Turning his chair around, Max, who had a hint of disdain in his voice so far, finally revealed himself.


    ¡°From today, you are the next head of the family, Felix.¡±


    At Max¡¯s deration, Michael turned around in shock.


    Felix, with his blond hair half-white, wore a wrinkled, unbuttoned shirt that reeked of alcohol. The sight of him, not just frivolous but downright debauched, made Michael¡¯s face contort in disgust, while Felix twisted his lips into a smirk.


    ¡°Thank you for giving me this honorable chance. It seems my brother was quite useless, wasn¡¯t he, Father?¡±


    ¡°No need for uselessments.¡±


    Cutting off Felix¡¯s words sharply, Max looked at his two sons.


    ¡°Watchers will just watch the situation for a while. Therefore, all rted projects are to be put on hold, and you should prepare for other projects.¡±


    ¡°Other projects...?¡±


    ¡°The Dream Demon is pushing for the Expansion more actively. Focus on opening up trade routes in that area. Considering the uing situation, it should be beneficial for us.¡±


    Max¡¯s words made Michael¡¯s freeze.


    Expansion was the long-term project that the Dream Demon had been pushing for years. If it was being pushed into motion, it meant that the entire Pleasure District was going to be busy soon.


    ¡°There will be many otherpeting parties, so act proactively to not fall behind. And¡ª¡±


    Max paused. Then, in a cold tone, he finished his words.


    ¡°Find a way to deal with Lee Se-Hoon.¡±

 Chapter 155

    <h4>Chapter 155</h4>


    Three weeks had passed since the Demon Force¡¯s assault on Babel. The once tumultuous atmosphere hadpletely settled, and the students were now more focused on their studies than ever before.


    As for Babel''s new coboration with the UD Group and the Pilgrimage Church, that was still under discussion, but it was clear that it would increase the influence Babel had over the entire world.


    <i>There¡¯ll probably be a lot of rewards.</i>


    <i>If I manage to be an honor student, or at least rank high enough to be selected for the UD Group¡¯s schrship...</i>


    Seeing as how Babel was soon to be managed by three Perfect Ones, the students¡¯ ambitions, when they previously only aimed for graduation amidst dreams of a dazzling future, soared. Likewise, the Department of cksmithing in Borsippa was expected to exit its slump and also soar into a golden era.


    ¡°Again.¡± A cold voice filled the lecture hall.


    ¡°Y-yes!¡±


    While the student hurried back to their seat, carrying a piece of ore with mixed colors, Helena surveyed the room with cold eyes from the front.


    ¡°I''m pretty sure I¡¯ve said it countless times that simply mixing them won''t work. The goal of this ss is to understand the arrangement of mana inside each piece of ore andbine them into the most efficient alloy.¡±


    Picking up one of the five differently colored ores on the table, Helena immediately brought it close to another. The two ores, now in proximity, began glowing with the faint glow of mana and fused together.


    Repeating the process three times, Helena ced down a green ore, the product of the fusion of five different ores, and looked around the room at the first-year students.


    ¡°Depending on how you go about mixing them, the properties and characteristics of the final product will vary greatly. This is the fundamental skill for any cksmithing technique, so pay close attention.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡±


    For a bit, Helena just watched the studentsbine the oresid out in front of them with a frown.


    <i>I heard the standards of the department had dropped, but I didn''t expect it to be this bad. </i>


    Compared to her days as a professor, the overall skill level of the Department''s student body had fallen by about thirty percent. And while they were still among the top-ranking departments in Babel, it was insufficient considering the academy''s prestige.


    <i>Have all the talented ones gone to Vulcan...? Maybe a few will switch over after my assignment as the lead professor.</i>


    With some adjustments to the curriculum and an increase in budget, Helena believed they could return to their former glory, even if it took time. Determined, she mentally reviewed her ns for the future of the Department of cksmithing when she noticed the students were ncing at one spot.


    There, a piece of ore was changing color in real time under the direction of someone''s hands. That individual, who was adjusting the alreadybined ore instead of adjusting each of the five minerals one by one, was effortlessly disying a technique challenging even for veteran cksmiths.


    <i>So, he''s no longer putting in any effort to hide his talent.</i>


    Helena couldn''t help but be dumbfounded by Se-Hoon¡¯s skill.


    From what other professors had said, Se-Hoon had only shown as much skill as needed in each ss. But after the recent incident, his approach seemed to have changed. Unlike before, he actively boasted an unparalleled level of skill during ss, even whenpared across the entire department.


    Mesmerized, the other students couldn¡¯t focus until the bell rang from the speakers to signal the end of the ss.


    Before they left, Helena addressed the students, ¡°For the next assignment, we will be utilizing the orebination technique we''ve learned today, so study it thoroughly on your own. See you all in the next ss.¡±


    Once Helena left, the students gathering their belongings exchanged nces.


    <i>Darn it, my dad told me to get close to him... but how am I supposed to approach him?</i>


    <i>I need to start a conversation, but how...</i>


    All the students hesitated. Se-Hoon¡¯s intimidating demeanor had always made him unapproachable, and recently, an even more menacing aura surrounded him.


    <i>Creakkk-</i>


    Suddenly, a girl confidently entered the lecture hall and walked straight to Se-Hoon.


    With no hesitance, she greeted him, ¡°Hi.¡±


    At the voice, Se-Hoon, who was packing up, looked up. He was surprised to see Erika in the ssroom.


    ¡°What''s up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see you.¡±


    Her straightforward manner, which he had be ustomed to, made him smile slightly.


    ¡°Did we have something to talk about?¡±


    ¡°No, I just have some questions for you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk about them while we walk then.¡±


    Casually chatting, they left the lecture hall. And though they had been trying to follow, the students all stopped short.


    ¡°...¡±


    Erika''s piercing violet gaze had kept them at bay.


    It was only when they exited the building that Se-Hoon let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Thanks. I was worried they might follow us.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Erika replied. Then, while observing the tired look on his face, Erika asked with a tilt of her head, ¡°Is it always like this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much anywhere I gotely.¡±


    Previously, uncertainty about his abilities, his confrontational attitude toward the Barmuths, and the fact that he was targeted by prestigious families like the Inoues and the Myers kept people at a distance.


    However, since the news of Se-Hoon¡¯s sessful mass-produced sword aura equipment had spread throughout the world, his status within Babel had undergone aplete turnaround and everyone started approaching him, ignoring the risks involved.


    <i>They probably all hope to get something from me. Do they think it can single-handedly elevate their own standing?</i>


    For them, it was the biggest gamble of their lives, but for Se-Hoon, who had to deal with all of them, it was starting to get tedious.


    <i>Tsk, it was fine when they just admired me from a distance, but now they¡¯re all buzzing around me like flies.</i>


    Having experienced it himself, he finally understood why heroes who had managers¡ªwhom he used to mock thinking they were just pretentious¡ªhad hired them in the first ce.


    How convenient would it be to just say, ¡°Talk to my manager,¡± whenever things got bothersome?


    <i>Should I actually get one...?</i>


    Convincing himself, he mulled over hiring a diligent manager to handle trivial matters when Erika handed him a void pocket.


    ¡°Here,¡± she said. She then added, ¡°The information you asked me for.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    He had requested any, no matter how trivial, details about the Barmuth family, and she had prepared it in just a few days.


    ¡°How much is in here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>. Three...¡±


    ¡°Three boxes?¡±


    Considering it was handed over in a void pocket, he assumed it would be about that much.


    But Erika calmly corrected him, ¡°Around three hundred boxes.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He had no idea howrge each box was, but if there were three hundred boxes, she must have printed out every bit of information, no matter how trivial. Honestly, the amount was a bit different from what he expected, but it was exactly what he had asked for, so he just nodded.


    ¡°Thanks. I''ll make good use of it.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    For a while, the two just quietly walked alongside one another. Then, Erika broke the silence.


    ¡°How''s the spell form interpretation going?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that?¡±


    Recalling the homework she had left him during her hospital visit, Se-Hoon made a confused expression.


    ¡°Um... I still can¡¯t really grasp what it does.¡±


    He had even consulted books rted to spells and studied the spell form daily, yet he still couldn''t understand their effects. Moreover, each interpretation yielded different results, making it impossible to determine the correct path.


    ¡°You''re interpreting it correctly, then.¡±


    ¡°I am?¡±


    ¡°If you were on the wrong track, you''d get the same result each time. The fact that it changes means you¡¯re unraveling the synesthetic mindscape of the spell form correctly.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>...¡±


    Se-Hoon contemted the fact that getting different answers each time was actually the right approach was indeed a puzzling notion. But he quickly put those thoughts away.


    ¡°There''s no time limit for this homework, right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Then I''ll take my time with it.¡±


    For now, dealing with the Barmuths took priority.


    Not upset at all, Erika gave him a small nod.


    ¡°Just don''t forget about it.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry about that... anyway how far are you nning to follow me?¡±


    Noticing Erika continuing to follow him all the way up to the station, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but ask her. Prompted, Erika nced around their surroundings.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To the Department of Enchantments.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll follow you until there.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Her attitude seemed more proactive than before, which Se-Hoon found odd.


    <i>Does she want... to get closer?</i>


    Ever since the reveal of the mass-produced sword aura equipment, Erika''s demeanor has significantly changed. She was now showing him goodwill and also signaling to others that she had her eyes on him.


    Deciding to respond in kind, Se-Hoon asked, ¡°Is your family running any projects right now?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    She whipped her head around to look at him as soon as he asked, her expression looking like she had been waiting for this moment.


    Slightly taken aback, he replied a beatter, ¡°...I was just thinking that if there''s something worth trying, then maybe we could coborate on it together. You¡¯ve helped me so much, after all.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Erika just silently stared at him. Then, a bitter, she finally parted her lips and slowly said, ¡°I''ll show you once it''s organized.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Since the exam period is sooning, just do it whenever you have time...¡±


    ¡°It won''t take long.¡±


    Leaving behind those words, Erika quickly descended the stairs to the station. Shortly after, a crow swiftly took off into the sky.


    <i>Caw-!</i>


    Seeing the crow pping quickly, flying as if threatened, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly.


    ¡°Looks like she was waiting for me to say it...¡±


    Given that she was worried about falling behind the Myers, it was a natural reaction. He reflected on Erika¡¯s determined look, which she showed before she left.


    <i>What is she going to show me?</i>


    He had an additional two main objectives in bringing up this topic with Erika. The first was dispelling the rumor that he had joined the Myers family. The second was identifying the faction inside the Inoue family that was linked to Watchers.


    <i>The information I saw through the Phantasmal Spyde mentioned regr exchanges between the Inoue family and Watchers.</i>


    And while it wasn¡¯t specified who exactly the Inoue family were exchanging with either, he had a good idea.


    <i>It¡¯s probably Session.</i>


    Session was a subgroup of Watchers who researched technology that could modify bodies to pass down talent and power to the next generation. Their end goal was to create potential Harbingers of Destruction by modifying powerful demons to inherit their abilities.


    Back then, when they had been revealed, it had caused quite a stir around the world. It was discovered that several heroes¡ªall of whom had made significant contributions to humanity¡¯s alliance¡ªhad traded with them to enhance their children''s talents and power.


    <i>It still makes my blood boil.</i>


    Humanity¡¯s alliance had been split. The internal conflict between those who argued that they needed to use their technology to strengthen their forces and those who insisted on the immediate execution of those who had illegally used such technology had gone on even as they fought the Demon Force. It was so absurd that it ranked among the top five most absurd actsmitted by the alliance.


    <i>And just when things seemed to settle, the st Dog and Frost Dog decided to sh against each other, making matters worse... sigh.</i>


    Just recalling the events made his head throb, which in turn, reinforced his resolve to keep a tight rein on those involved.


    <i>Frost Dog... I¡¯ll have to visit him soon.</i>


    To tackle the Dream Demon and the Pleasure District, utilizing Frost Dog Amir was the most effective route. However, unlike before the regression, he was still just a low-ranking officer who hadn¡¯t won enough of the Dream Demon¡¯s trust yet. Regardless, it would be for the best to meet and discuss things with him to use him properly.


    <i>Dealing with the Barmuths and the Dream Demon... I have a rough n, but it won''t be easy.</i>


    Going over his n, Se-Hoon eventually arrived at the Ancient Enchantments lecture hall.


    ¡°Please, let us observe!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need credits, so just let us watch!¡±


    Seeing the desperate students gathered at the door, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly.


    <i>As expected... she has be quite popr too.</i>


    The attention was somewhat less because Se-Hoon imed to have directed the design and production of the mass-produced sword aura equipment, but the fact remained that Lea¡¯s enchantment was used. Consequently, students began flocking to join Ancient Enchantments, a previously less popr subject.


    <i>Sigh...</i>


    Normally, such attention would be weed, but neither Professor Reba nor Lea seemed to appreciate it.


    Shaking his head, Se-Hoon adjusted his expression before approaching the chaotic lecture hall entrance.


    <i>Tap, tap.</i>


    ¡°Who just...?!¡±


    At the touch on his shoulder, the student spun around and their breath immediately caught in their throat.


    Seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s cold eyes, which gave the impression he had dealt with dozens of people, the student from the Department of Enchantments turned pale. Even though Se-Hoon was simply standing there, they thought they could smell the reek of blood in the air.


    ¡°Um... uh...¡±


    Having never experienced realbat, the menacing aura turned the student¡¯s face blue. And upon sensing it as well, the other students turned and had simr reactions.


    Then, when all eyes were on him, Se-Hoon did his best Mad Dog impression and threatened, ¡°Get lost, all of you. Or I''ll drive a spear through your gut.¡±


    Feeling the hostility and murderous intent in his warning, the students scattered in fear. A secondter, when the hallway was quiet, he rxed his fierce expression.


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>...¡±


    Shaking his head, he walked to the firmly closed door and knocked lightly.


    ¡°It''s me. Open up.¡±


    A second passed before Lea cautiously opened the door and peeked out.


    ¡°Are they all gone?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness.... Come on in.¡±


    With a sigh of relief, Lea let Se-Hoon into the lecture hall. Stepping in, he instantly saw dozens of guns aimed at the entrance. Upon closer inspection, however, they were all non-lethal weapons, just capable of subduing the students who had been outside.


    ¡°Looks like you''ve had enough.¡±


    ¡°More than enough.¡±


    Lea, whose dark circles were even deeper than when she pulled all-nighters, slumped into a chair.


    ¡°Wherever I go, people ask for enchantment lessons, ask to coborate, or offer contracts, and somehow, they all found out about the workshop and left business cards piled up...¡±


    Seeing her clutch her head amidst her muttering, Se-Hoon realized she had been through more than he had. Before he could say something though, Lea looked up.


    ¡°Hey, wanna make something with me?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A self-defense item that shocks people who repeat certain words.¡±


    Her somewhat broken appearance made Se-Hoon smile wryly.


    ¡°Just hang in there. I¡¯lle up with a solution soon.¡±


    ¡°A solution?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, like setting up apany, hiring a single employee, and sending everyone there.¡±


    Originally, it had been a half-hearted consideration, but it now seemed like a genuine n, especially after seeing Lea¡¯s state.


    <i>If I can bring in capable people I knew from before into thepany too, it might actually turn out well.</i>


    With the influence and power he now had in this timeline, it seemed feasible.


    ¡°Ah. That might be a bit...¡±


    But Lea waved her hand dismissively, a bit flustered.


    ¡°What? Are you saying that you don¡¯t want to start apany with me?¡±


    ¡°No, it''s not that... I just think it might be a bit early. We should think it through a bit more calmly,¡± she said awkwardly, avoiding his gaze.


    Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes.


    <i>Something¡¯s off.</i>


    The Lea he knew would have jokingly called him boss and asked for generous research funds. But now, she was outright rejecting his idea. What had caused the sudden change?


    Determined to find out, he focused on her and asked, ¡°Are you nning to ditch me and make a deal with someone else now that you¡¯re famous?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°I put so much effort into teaching you too... yet you¡¯re turning your back on me...¡± His muttering was full of bitterness.


    Completely flustered now, Lea jumped up from her seat.


    ¡°No, it''s not like that! I just meant we should think about it more seriously! Do you really think I''d do something like that?¡±


    ¡°I didn''t before... but now, maybe a little.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I would!!¡±


    Her shout was full of frustration, seemingly genuinely hurt by his words.


    Noticing, Se-Hoon pressed further.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Just give me a little time to think...¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>... alright. Well, let''s just go with that for now.¡±


    Rxing, Se-Hoon gestured to the side.


    ¡°I''m thirsty. Make me some coffee.¡±


    ¡°...You rude bastard.¡±


    Though she grumbled in discontent, she still got up and started brewing coffee using an enchanted coffee machine. Watching her, Se-Hoon reflected on what might have caused her to change.


    <i>Was she like this before the recent assault on Babel?</i>


    Thinking back, she had only sent text messages but never visited him in the hospital. It was at that moment that he remembered what Lea had gone through.


    <i>She said the Chairman had returned just in time to save her from being kidnapped by the Puppeteer, right?</i>


    What really happened back then? What had caused her attitude to change so much? While he pondered, Lea ced a cup of coffee in front of him.


    ¡°Here you go, Boss.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thanks.¡±


    Watching Lea sit down and sip her own coffee, Se-Hoon abruptly recalled a pattern he''d often noticed before the regression.


    ¡°The Puppeteer threatened to kill Professor Reba or me if you didn''te to her, so you''re debating whether to go or not, right?¡±


    <i>¡°Phuh!!!¡±</i>


    Lea spat out her coffee in shock.


    <i>¡°Ugh! Cough! Cough!¡±</i>


    Choking, she struggled to breathe. And when the coffee finally hit her throat, it triggered another round of coughing.


    <i>I guess Puppeteer chose the wrong person to suggest this to, </i>thought Se-Hoon, watching Lea with an incredulous expression.


    Her reaction had essentially confirmed his suspicion.


    Sighing, he just waited for her to regain herposure.


    After a while, she looked up urgently, her hair disheveled.


    ¡°How... how did you know that...?¡±


    Even her grandmother didn''t know, yet Se-Hoon had hit the nail on the head. She was astonished.


    ¡°I just guessed.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lea instantly bit her lips at his confident answer.

 Chapter 156

    <h4>Chapter 156</h4>


    High-ranking heroes had an inherently stubborn personality. As they honed their skills and increased their power, their resolve also fortified, making them less susceptible to external influence. So since persuading them with mere words was almost impossible, the Demon Force preferred other methods¡ªlike hostages.


    ¡°It''s one of theirmon tactics. They always threaten that if you just sacrifice yourself, they won¡¯t harm your loved ones.¡±


    At their core, high-ranking heroes were still ultimately humans. If their family, lovers, or friends were threatened, they were bound to waver to some extent. And such threats, while predictable, were hard to counter. Se-Hoon had seen them work multiple times throughout his past life.


    ¡°Well, that is true...¡±


    ¡°Moreover, if someone who used to cling to you starts keeping their distance right after meeting one of the Ten Evils, it¡¯s pretty suspicious, right?¡±


    Usually, when someone was threatened by the Demon Force, they would just suddenly disappear one day rather than tantly create distance from those around them.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t to the extent of clinging...¡±


    ¡°Anyway, the important thing is that I found out about your silly worries.¡±


    Turning to the flustered Lea, Se-Hoon, who could not understand, had to ask, ¡° But more importantly, why were you swayed when you said you¡¯d do your best from now on?¡±


    It might be understandable if they hadn''tmitted to working together, but hadn¡¯t they already boarded the same boat? Se-Hoon just could notprehend how she was shaken by suchmon threats.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lea took a sip of her nearly finished coffee.


    ¡°Because your talent is too precious,¡± she muttered quietly.


    ¡°...Did you think differently before?¡±


    ¡°That was before I saw the final mass-produced sword aura equipment. When I saw it... I started wondering if I should really act like normal around you.¡±


    Upon witnessing the mass-produced sword aura that Se-Hoon had created by slightly modifying her enchantments, Lea had to reassess his talent.


    <i>I¡¯m still not sure if I can ever defeat the Puppeteer alone, but... it¡¯s a different story with this guy.</i>


    She could tell that the depth of his potential and the heights he could reach were fundamentally different. Hence, when Puppeteer used Se-Hoon''s life to threaten her, she came to a rational conclusion to sacrifice herself.


    ¡°Rather than someone like me, who¡¯s not even sure if I can defeat Puppeteer by myself, wouldn¡¯t it be more beneficial for someone with greater talent to survive...?¡±


    <i>¡°Hmm...¡±</i>


    Se-Hoon frowned at Lea¡¯s honest answer.


    <i>I thought she would insist on defeating Puppeteer herself... but it turns out she''s more flexible than I thought.</i>


    Though she likely still preferred to defeat the Puppeteer herself, if the circumstances didn¡¯t allow it, it seemed she would ept someone else doing so. It felt like she just wanted to stop Puppeteer now, rather than getting revenge, which Se-Hoon could somewhat understand.


    <i>After all, she is her mother.</i>


    At that thought, he grew curious about something.


    Why did Lea¡¯s mother, Reyna udel, suddenly go mad and kill her husband to be Puppeteer? He wasn¡¯t sure about the details, but based on what he had heard, there seemed to be no prior indications of her outrage.


    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t nning to just give myself in. I saw this as an opportunity to infiltrate their base, intending to go inside and test out various things,¡± Lea said, scratching her head.


    ¡°Infiltrate?¡±


    ¡°She told me toe work in the workshop she set up in the Pleasure District if I epted the terms.¡±


    ¡°The Pleasure District...¡±


    Unlike before, when the other Ten Evils weren¡¯t on good terms with the Dream Demon, they seemed to have decided to cooperate to some extent this round.


    <i>...Wait a minute.</i>


    Chewing over Lea¡¯s story, a few points popped into Se-Hoon¡¯s head one by one: the Ten Evils'' strong individualism, the inherent discord between Puppeteer and the Dream Demon, and Lea¡¯s invitation to the Pleasure District.


    <i>If we use this situation to create some confusion.... </i>Perhaps they could create an opportunity to storm the Pleasure District.


    Using all the knowledge he had, he started immediately starting outlining a new n.


    ¡°Was there a deadline for her proposal?¡±


    ¡°I told her I would decide before the end of summer vacation.¡±


    ¡°So about three months, then.¡±


    A month until the first semester¡¯s evaluation exam, and then a two-month summer vacation. The long period was likely meant to force Lea to continuously ponder, whittling away at her synesthetic mindscape and will.


    <i>Everything seems to suggest Puppeteer doesn¡¯t see her as mere material...</i>


    Of course, one couldn''t trust a madman like Puppeteer entirely, but the immediate situation didn¡¯t seem too bad.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s try to make use of this opportunity just like you said.¡±


    ¡°By infiltrating them?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But we can¡¯t just recklessly charge into the mouth of a lion. That would be akin to surrendering right away.¡±


    The immediate goal he had in mind was to create a gap in the Ten Evil¡¯s defenses through Puppeteer. However, to utilize that gap properly, thorough preparation was needed.


    <i>I need to investigate those associated with the Pleasure District and establish a foundation for our n through the insider, Amir, then.</i>


    And of course, securing enough time to carry out such arge n was the most crucial part.


    ¡°First, try to act as you normally would. If Puppeteer approaches, dy her as much as possible by saying you need more time.¡±


    ¡°What if she loses patience and tries to forcefully kidnap me?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen, not as long as you''re within Babel anyway.¡±


    A first mistake could be passed off as an ident, but the second would reveal one¡¯s weakness. Ludwig would know that too, so unless something extraordinary happened, he wouldn''t easily allow the Ten Evils to infiltrate again.


    Lea nced at him.


    ¡°...How about you? Will you be okay?¡±


    The more impatient Puppeteer grew, the more danger the hostages she named would be in.


    But at her question, Se-Hoon just smiled confidently and said, ¡°She won¡¯t be a problem for me.¡±


    Perhaps he couldn¡¯t before, but as he was now, he was certain he could handle Puppeteer to some extent, even if targeted directly.


    For a while, Lea just stared at him before eventually nodding.


    ¡°Alright. I''ll do as you say.¡±


    Between Se-Hoon, who was on her side, and Puppeteer, who was her sworn enemy, it was obvious who she should listen to. Moreover, Se-Hoon''s confidence inspired a strange sense of trust that things would indeed go well.


    <i>I guess if he''s that confident...</i>


    Thanks to him, she felt the heavy burden of worry that had been weighing her down since thest attack lift, making her sigh with relief.


    ¡°Haa. I should have done this sooner... I was a fool, huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It''s natural to have a narrow perspective when under threat, so just try to be more cautious next time.¡±


    ¡°Got it... but how do you know all this, junior?¡±


    Despite being younger and admitted to Babelter, Se-Hoon acted like a seasoned hero with years of experience on the field. It was to the point Lea wondered if he had been part of a secret special unit before enrolling.


    Taking a sip of his coffee first, Se-Hoon responded. ¡°It''s just talent.¡±


    In truth, his knowledge was due to his life pre-regression, but it was easier to just say that.


    She silently stared at him. Then, she eventually softly muttered, ¡°What a jerk...¡±


    She was honestly in awe at how he could phrase things so irritatingly.


    Smirking at her annoyance, Se-Hoon ced his empty coffee cup down before casually asking, ¡°So? What¡¯s your say on thepany?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, right...¡±


    Since she was to act normally, there was no need to keep a distance from Se-Hoon anymore. In that case...


    ¡°<i>Hehe.</i> Would you like more coffee, boss?¡±


    She smiled brightly at her future boss.


    ***


    Back in the dorms, evening had fallen by the time he finished his schedule for the day. With some free time now, Se-Hoon took out the documents rted to the Barmuths that he had received from Erika.


    <i>These are pretty well organized.</i>


    The documents meticulously detailed the Barmuths¡¯ clients, purchased materials, subcontractors, and employees, allpiled by the Inoue family. And although only a small portion, or possibly none, of that information would end up being necessary, he didn¡¯t mind.


    <i>I¡¯d be lucky if this is the only failure.</i>


    Unlike all of his works so far, which were sessful because he was just recreating or adapting things he already knew, creating something new from unfamiliar materials was bound to involve some trial and error. Simrly, finding worthwhile information on the Barmuths would likely involve some failures and time.


    ¡°Still... this seems a bit too much.¡±


    He had pulled out all of the boxes from Erika¡¯s void pocket to get a rough idea about the quantity, and they ended up filling his entire dorm room. On top of that, each box contained numerous thick files, each the size of a finger joint.


    <i>Although the Frost Dog would have read through it all...</i>


    Wanting to find a faster and easier method, Se-Hoon was pondering while staring at the boxes when an idea suddenly struck him.


    ¡°Oh. Maybe...¡±


    He couldn¡¯t be sure, but it was worth a try. Channeling his mana into the back of his hand, Se-Hoon called for his servant.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    mes red from the back of his hand and expanded in the air before soon dispersing to reveal the Vermillion Bird.


    ¡°Who do you think is a servant!!!¡±


    The moment it had appeared, the Vermillion Bird¡¯s entire body red up in indignation.


    Unfortunately for it, Se-Hoon waved his hand dismissively.


    ¡°Let''s skip the pointless bickering and get straight to the point. It¡¯s easier for both of us that way, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    His nonchnt dismissal was infuriating, but having learned, Vermillion Bird knew arguing wouldn¡¯t lead to any apologies and would only cause more frustration. So, the Vermillion Bird sighed instead and gave in.


    ¡°So what do you need me to do this time? Should I burn all the trash around here?¡±


    ¡°It''s something like that, but slightly different.¡±


    Grabbing a file from one of the boxes nearby, Se-Hoon showed it to the Vermillion Bird.


    ¡°Can you absorb the information on these documents by burning them with your mes?¡±


    The Vermillion Bird had the unique ability to absorb the power of what it burned. But depending on how ¡°power¡± was defined, the task of going through all the documents could be significantly shortened.


    The Vermillion Bird stared intently at the document.


    ¡°It should be possible since I¡¯ve once increased my knowledge by burning down libraries in the past.¡±


    ¡°And can you transfer that knowledge to me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. However... <i>uggh</i>... it...¡±


    Mid-response, the Vermillion Bird, who had been eager, suddenly twitched.


    ¡°<i>Haaa...</i> I can do it for you, but it''s dangerous. It involves synchronizing your brain with the mes, so even if my mes have no ill intent, you could end up a vegetable.¡±


    ¡°I see... also, were you trying to hide that side effect just now?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The Vermillion Bird turned its head. Seeing that, Se-Hoon swiftly grabbed and restrained its body.


    ¡°<i>Screech</i>... You brat!¡±


    Like a roasted chicken, Se-Hoon tied up the Vermillion Bird¡¯s wings and legs and then threw it onto a box.


    ¡°If you burn those documents, I¡¯ll personally extinguish every single inch of your mes.¡±


    ¡°You... unfair... <i>argh</i>...!¡±


    Unable to correct its twisted posture, the Vermillion Bird could only squirm.


    Ignoring it, Se-Hoon began contemting.


    <i>Transmitting the knowledge through the mes is possible, but my brain might not be able to handle it, huh...</i>


    What could be a suitable alternative? A brief considerationter, an alternate solution came to Se-Hoon''s mind.


    ¡°Hold on a second.¡±


    cing his hand on his chest, he activated the Dream Storage and pulled out the Phantasmal Spyde.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    Seeing a dagger wrapped in purple mes emerge from Se-Hoon¡¯s chest, the Vermillion Bird¡¯s single eye erged.


    ¡°Those mes just now...¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re Dream mes. Anyway, do you think you canpress and transfer knowledge into this?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>... I''ll need to examine the me first.¡±


    epting, Se-Hoon separated a small portion of the Dream mes from the dagger and ced it into the Vermillion Bird''s beak.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Swallowing it, the me spread and dissipated within the Vermillion Bird''s body. A whileter, the Vermillion Bird bobbed its head.


    ¡°This is a nice me. I think I can work with it.¡±


    Though Se-Hoon was curious about why the Vermillion Bird¡¯s voice trembled slightly, he moved on.


    ¡°Good. Then burn all these boxes and condense the information into this dagger. You can do at least that, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. However...<i> ahem</i>.¡±


    Still tied up, the Vermillion Bird nced around nervously and carefully asked, ¡°I might consume a bit of that Dream me in the process.... Is that eptable?¡±


    Now understanding, Se-Hoon made an exasperated expression but eventually agreed.


    ¡°As long as it''s just a bit.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll get started then.¡±


    With newfound motivation, the Vermillion Bird scattered its mes throughout the dorm room, burning the boxes and absorbing their contents.


    <i>Sss-</i>


    One by one, the letters on the documents floated above the Vermillion Bird¡¯s body, confirming that the information was being absorbed correctly.


    In the meantime, Se-Hoon extracted his own Fatestone.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Observing that the stone was still the same cloudy stone mixed with impurities as before, Se-Hoon was about to feel disappointed at how useless it seemed when he paused.


    <i>Hmm,e to think about it, these impurities only appeared after I regressed.</i>


    Remembering his theory on the changes to his soul post-regression, he wondered if the impurities were rted to it somehow. But he quickly shook his head.


    <i>I¡¯ll think about thister.</i>


    He needed to deal with the information that Erika gave him first. Gripping his Fatestone, he waited for Vermillion Bird to finish the task.


    A few minutester, the Vermillion Bird, now twice its original size, approached him.


    ¡°Alright, it''s done. Hold out the dagger.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Se-Hoon extended the Phantasmal Spyde, and the Vermillion Bird enveloped it with its wings, infusing it with mes.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Dancing together, the Dream me and the Vermillion Bird¡¯s mes merged as they spread around the dagger. It was only after a prolonged interaction that the Vermillion Bird, now back to its original size, separated its wings from the dagger.


    ¡°It¡¯splete.¡±


    Satisfied, Se-Hoon examined the Phantasmal Spyde, now filled with countless characters within the mes.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    He couldn¡¯t discern their exact form, but they likely made up the condensed information the Vermillion Bird had processed.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    Taking a deep breath, he inserted his Fatestone into the Phantasmal Spyde¡¯s mes.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    The Dream me burned away the impurities of the Fatestone, leaving behind only pure memories. Waiting, Se-Hoon watched until those memories mixed with the information the Vermillion Bird had transferred. And when they had, Se-Hoon reversed his grip on the dagger and stabbed it into his heart in one smooth motion.


    <i>Shank-!</i>

 Chapter 157

    <h4>Chapter 157</h4>


    All Se-Hoon could see was pitch-ck darkness.


    At first, he wondered if his eyes were closed, but when he looked down he could see his body clearly. In that case, he was in a distinctly different situation than before when he used the Phantasmal Spyde to glimpse memories.


    Trying to figure something out, he looked around, clenching and unclenching his fists as he did so.


    <i>Is this the boundary before entering a memory?</i>


    Immediately after that thought, a massive vibration shook the darkness. It seemed that realizing he was standing on the boundary of the subconscious, something his conscious mind was unaware of, had caused it.


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    Feeling the churning and trembling, he raised his guard. Then, the darkness split, and the ceiling and walls surged up.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The walls, each showing a different scene, emerged from all directions and interlocked like puzzle pieces. Following suit, Se-Hoon''s body also started to rise.


    He was unable to resist, and could only watch as he was put into a ckened, cracked, and worn-down workshop that looked like several bombs had gone off inside. But... the workshop was familiar.


    Scanning the shop, Se-Hoon swept his hand over a table nearby.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while...¡±


    He had been ced in the workshop he had used until he officially joined the human alliance all those years ago. He had thought he would never see the workshop again, so his emotions uncontrobly surged.


    <i>Is it because I¡¯m in the subconscious? My emotions are rushing in.</i>


    Whenever one recalled a memory, various emotions were chipped away until it could be consciously recognized. However, Se-Hoon could feel every raw emotion that came to mind with the memory.


    In simpler terms, he was experiencing the emotions unfiltered.


    Experiencing the emotions surging through his entire body, he made a wry smile before trying to ignore them to examine the workshop in detail.


    <i>Judging by the condition, this was moments before it copsed. But why was I suddenly ced here?</i>


    Unable toprehend the situation, he just stood there when a part of the scenery around him changed.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The furnace in the workshop red up with purple mes, heating a metal ingot inside. Seeing that, he froze, a single thought crossing his mind.


    <i>No way...</i>


    He quickly approached the furnace, half-doubting what he would actually find inside.


    <i>Woong~</i>


    From a distance, they seemed like just purple mes, but up close, ck letters could be seen swirling chaotically within the fire. Without much thought, he grabbed the tongs next to the furnace to take out the heated ingot and ced it on the anvil.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The ingot was engulfed in purple mes. Seeing the unique intermingling letters again, he couldn''t help but chuckle.


    ¡°Right, of course. I can¡¯t just have this easily.¡±


    Just like how reading a book wouldn¡¯t guarantee one would remember and understand all the information in it, the informationpressed by the Vermillion Bird into the Phantasmal Spyde needed one to properly process the information to understand it.


    And to do that, Se-Hoon believed he needed to process the ingot. In fact, it seemed his subconscious had prepared the environment specifically for him to easily process it.


    <i>I¡¯m truly a cksmith to the core.</i>


    Even though he had awakened several other talents after regressing, fundamentally, he was still a cksmith.


    With what he had to do now clear, he rolled up his sleeves and grabbed at the air.


    <i>Squeeze-</i>


    Grasping the red hammer¡ªthe one given by his master, the one he felt most familiar with¡ªthat appeared out of thin air, he stared down at the ingot of information ced on the anvil.


    <i>Hmm, I don¡¯t think the processing should be much different.</i>


    Reminding himself that the goal was to rearrange and evenly distribute the information infused inside the ingot, he swung the hammer vigorously while keeping the principles of forging in mind.


    <i>ng! ng!</i>


    With each hit, the words that had been swirling chaotically were aligned and the ingotpressed. A few more swingster, he examined the ingot and ced it back into the furnace to heat it again.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Attracted to thepressed ingot, the letters floating in the me adhered to the surface, causing it to swell up once more. Then, when it had reached its original size, he took the ingot out again, ced it on the anvil, and swung the hammer once more.


    <i>ng! ng!</i>


    Like that, he repeated the process tirelessly. Initially, it felt a bit awkward to forge information instead of metal, but he quickly got the hang of it and adjusted the arrangement ordingly.


    <i>Woong-!</i>


    Eventually, the letters swirling chaotically in the furnace turned a pure purple hue, disappearing into the mes. Taking that as an indication ofpletion, he looked down. The ingot, repeatedly forged into the shape of a dagger, was now sopressed that the spaces between the letters were gone.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>...¡±


    Within the subconscious, there was no physical exertion or fatigue, but there was mental fatigue. Unfortunately, it wasn''t time to ck around, so Se-Hoon pped his cheeks lightly to keep his mind sharp and picked up the de of the dagger.


    ¡°Okay, the next step should be...¡±


    By now, he was familiar with the process, so he promptly plunged the de into his heart.


    <i>Swish.</i>


    Like ink dissolving in water, the de sank in without resistance, and his heart pumped the information that was injected with the dagger throughout his body.


    And the moment it started to be absorbed into his body¡ª


    ¡°YOU CRAZY BASTARD!!!¡±


    With a booming shout, Se-Hoon''s body flew across the forge.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    mmed against a wall by a table, Se-Hoon fell to the floor. Bewildered by the sudden turn of events, he endured the excruciating pain and narrowed his eyes.


    <i>Clutch!</i>


    Reaching over, he grabbed a longsword from the ground with his left hand, infusing it with mana.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Throwing at a frightening speed, Se-Hoon gripped the hammer in his right hand tightly and charged at the intruder¡ªall involuntary actions.


    Though startled, he quickly grasped the situation.


    <i>Am I in a memory now?</i>


    He remembered he had used his own Fatestone, which had his memories, to absorb the informationpressed by the Vermillion Bird.


    <i>Who had attacked me?</i>


    Struggling to recall if something like this had happened before, he suddenly saw something in front of him, within the area obscured by dust.


    ¡°Well, I''ll be damned.¡±


    A pair of fierce blue eyes red at him.


    <strong>¡°Reflection.¡±</strong>


    <i>ng!!!</i>


    With an ear-splitting sound, the longsword he had thrown earlier shattered into pieces, scattering everywhere, and the hammer he had swung abruptly stopped as if paused.


    Freezing in that state, the dust that had thickly covered the surroundings could settle, and soon, Se-Hoon could see the assant.


    ¡°Fuck, if you just swung the hammer a bit more, I would''ve wrecked it along with your right hand too.¡±


    With her silver hair cascading to her shoulders, ominously glowing blue eyes, and a ck leather jacket and rider suit covering her entire body, Luize disdainfully red at him.


    Truthfully, Se-Hoon was surprised to see her.


    <i>I remember she rarely visited my workshop.</i>


    Since he had only started working with the st Dog after joining the human alliance, she had rarely visited his workshop.


    The memories continued to unfold.


    ¡°Why the hell are you acting up as soon as you arrive?¡±


    Hearing his voice filled with anger, the st Dog leaned back on one leg and crossed her arms.


    ¡°That''s what I should be asking.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°If you want to die so badly, then you should just ask me to kill you. Why are you pathetically trying tomit suicide all alone?¡±


    What nonsense was this? Completely bewildered, Se-Hoon just stared at her when a memory shed through his mind like a bolt of lightning.


    <i>Ah. This should be that time.</i>


    Finally remembering, he realized the memory was from pretty early on, before the war with the Demon Forces even officially began. It was a period when they knew little about each other and were still quite awkward.


    ¡°Suicide? When did I attempt something like that?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you literally try to stab your heart with a dagger just now?¡±


    At this time, the st Dog had no idea about Soul Honing or the Demonic Blood Art.


    ¡°Oh, no wonder you were confused... I was just practicing a technique¡ª¡±


    ¡°A technique where you stab your heart with a dagger?¡±


    Interjecting, the st Dog looked at him with suspicion.


    Seeing that, Se-Hoon responded sarcastically, ¡°If there''s someone who can cast spells by yelling instead of chanting, then why wouldn''t there be?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The st Dog¡¯s eyes immediately turned cold and the surrounding mana began to swirl.


    <i>Swish!</i>


    He swung his hammer, narrowly deflecting a de of wind. If he hadn¡¯t instinctively swung, his nose would have been cut off.


    <i>ng!</i>


    But then, his hammer was locked in ce by a transparent barrier, having been anticipated, and the st Dog took the opening to kick his shin hard with her ck boot.


    <i>Thwack!</i>


    It seemed she had enhanced the strength of her kick with mana, as just the sound hunt. Yet his past self didn''t even flinch or groan.


    The st Dog strode forward with a fierce expression.


    ¡°If you dare to say something like that again, I''ll rip your mouth open.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a mere warning; it was filled with genuine murderous intent.


    <i>Wow... It''s been a while since I''ve seen this side of her.</i>


    Although the st Dog never lost her terrible personality, by the time their bond reached level five, there was a kind of grudging affection between them, despite all theints she threw at him.


    But right now, all he could feel were irritation and hostility since they were practically strangers at this point.


    <i>Hm, what did I say back then...</i>


    They were still awkward around each other, so surely he replied with some level of politeness, right?


    ¡°Try me. If you can.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The tension heightened again, and the st Dog¡¯s blue eyes grew frosty¡ªshe was showing her emotions tantly.


    Refusing to lose, Se-Hoon stared back. It was only after a long staring contest that she softened her gaze with a sigh.


    ¡°Well, whatever. Just hand over the stuff you prepared.¡±


    Upon seeing her motion her hand irritably, his past self, ring in dissatisfaction, threw her a metal case from the corner of the workshop.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Catching it with ease, the st Dog unlocked it and peeked inside.


    ¡°How do I use it?¡±


    ¡°Just put it in the power core. Your incantation magic should handle the rest.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> Fine. If it¡¯s defective, I''ll rip you apart, so be prepared.¡±


    Her words were spoken lightly, like a joke, but her intent to kill was evident.


    Fascinated by the side of Luize he hadn¡¯t seen in so long, Se-Hoon watched with full focus.


    His past self curtly responded, ¡°If it¡¯s not defective, don''t ever think abouting here again. Who would want to deal with someone like you?¡±


    ¡°...<i>Tsk.</i>¡±


    Discontent, the st Dog took the case and turned to walk out of the workshop.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    Just as the memory was about to fade, purple mes red from his chest.


    <i>Isn¡¯t this...</i>


    Realizing it was the same phenomenon that urred when he saw his memory of the Frost Dog, Se-Hoon urgently called out to Luize without analyzing the situation.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    At his call, the st Dog paused and turned around.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Her slightly annoyed expression made Se-Hoon hesitant. He had called out reflexively, but nothing specific came to mind.


    <i>Is there anything useful I can ask...?</i>


    His mind raced. He remembered how, back then, the st Dog had mainly focused on locating and destroying facilities rted to Dawn. To do that, she would have tracked their movements, meaning she would have closely monitored both their public and hidden activities.


    Feeling his blood flowing vigorously, an idea shed in Se-Hoon''s mind when his thoughts reached that point.


    ¡°Do you know anything about the group that has been consistently buying Twilight Ingots?¡±


    ording to the information Erika gathered, the Barmuths had been purchasing Twilight Ingots through various channels for a long time, and recently, the quantity had increased. Buying the ingots wasn¡¯t very suspicious, but the timing of the increase was.


    <i>If it''s their first noticeable move after the faction shift, there has to be a reason behind it.</i>


    Regardless of whether it was something overt or covert, it was still a clue.


    The st Dog narrowed her eyes at him.


    ¡°Have you also heard something about it?¡±


    ¡°If I had, would I even be asking you?¡±


    Somewhat convinced, the st Dog gathered her thoughts.


    ¡°Nothing recently, but up until about ten years ago, it was prettymon for people to purchase Twilight Ingots. It was like a trend... but now that I think about it, it does seem strange.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s strange?¡±


    ¡°It was trendy for a while, but nothing ever stood out about the equipment made from it. Plus, those Twilight Ingots seem to have disappeared recently.¡±


    Se-Hoon focused. The Twilight Ingot¡¯s quiet rise and fall in poprity made him curious.


    ¡°Oh, right. There was that one thing.¡± Recalling something, the st Dog looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°You know the me Sect, right? The one that was wiped out by the Mad Dog?¡±


    ¡°Yes... but why are you bringing them up?¡±


    It was an unexpected mention.


    ¡°They were also mass purchasing those ingots. Before they were wiped out.¡±


    ***


    <strong>[Activating Awakening Dream]</strong>


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Snapping back to reality, Se-Hoon quickly scanned his surroundings.


    ¡°You... What did you do...?¡± asked the Vermillion Bird in confusion. It sensed something, but it was unable to grasp what Se-Hoon had done when he was knocked out.


    But instead of exining everything to the Vermillion Bird, Se-Hoon sunk into his thoughts, recalling the st Dog''sst words.


    <i>The me Sect was also buying Twilight Ingots...</i>


    As the current head of the me Sect was known to do anything to expand his influence, it was definitely a possible scenario.


    <i>Do I have to probe them too...? But how...?</i>


    <i>Vrrr-</i>


    His phone interrupted his thoughts. Taking it out, he nced at the screen and saw Sung-Ha¡¯s name.


    <i>...What timing.</i>


    It was as if his thoughts had been transmitted to Sung-Ha. Se-Hoon picked up with a wry smile on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡ªDo you have time tomorrow?


    ¡°Why?¡±


    A brief awkward silence ensued.


    ¡ªMy master wants to see you.

 Chapter 158

    <h4>Chapter 158</h4>


    Normally, gazes shot in all directions within the year-round bustling Void Space Terminal, but today, they all converged on a single spot.


    ¡°That person... is Lee Se-Hoon?¡±


    ¡°He really does look like him.¡±


    ¡°Wow, what a nasty expression he¡¯s wearing...¡±


    ncing at him from afar as they passed by, visitors of the terminal all murmured something. There were even some, seeing this as an opportunity, who tried to approach. But they were quickly stopped by a piece of paper ced beside him.


    <i>¡°Anyone that talks to me now will never be able to do business with me.¡±</i>


    Though it was hastily written, its content couldn¡¯t be ignored. Deterred, the ones who wanted to do business exchanged nces with one another.


    <i>If he really means it...</i>


    <i>The Guild Master might even straight-up fire us.</i>


    At this moment, they all collectively realized something¡ªSe-Hoon was the one giving opportunities, not them. They then promptly retreated, worried that they had possibly offended him.


    Meanwhile, the focal point of all the gazes was lost in thought alone,pletely ignoring his surroundings.


    <i>Yeom Jin-Hyun, huh...?</i>


    Jin-Hyun, the founding father of the me Sect and the master of Sung-Ha, was always someone Se-Hoon had thought he would meet someday. But he hadn¡¯t expected that day to be today.


    <i>In hindsight, it¡¯s strange that he didn¡¯t contact me until now.</i>


    He had taught Sung-Ha many things, knowing he would be the Mad Dog. To him, it was a natural decision; however, to others, it must have looked different.


    <i>It must be strange, seeing him get so close to a random guy, using darkness mana he¡¯s never used before, and even modifying his spear technique to dual-wielding.</i>


    Moreover, Sung-Ha challenged the sect master, and he also ended up in intensive care because he fought off the active-duty heroes colluding with the Demon Force¡ªall because of Se-Hoon¡¯s influence. An ordinary person would have been terrified for Sung-Ha.


    Thinking like that, Jin-Hyon only contacting him now could be seen as somewhat neglectful.


    <i>I heard he was quite rough during his active-duty years... I wonder how he is now.</i>


    Feeling half-expectant and half-worried, Se-Hoon continued waiting. A whileter, he suddenly felt a gaze and looked up to see a tall young man and a hunched, small old man walking side by side.


    Squinting, he tried to take a closer look at his awaited guests, when he abruptly felt a series of nonstop vibrations from his pocket.


    <i>Vrrr- Vrrr- Vrrr- Vrrr- Vrrr-</i>


    ncing down, he saw messages from Sung-Ha.


    Sung-Ha: Behave politely in front of my master.


    Sung-Ha: If you frown or speak rudely, you¡¯re dead.


    Sung-Ha: If you talk nonsense about me, you¡¯re dead.


    Sung-Ha: In any case, if you upset my master, you¡¯re dead.


    .


    .


    .


    Seeing the endless messages, Se-Hoon looked up at the tall young man, Sung-Ha. While hiding his phone slightly behind his back so that the old man next to him wouldn¡¯t see, Sung-Ha¡¯s fingers were typing away on his phone.


    The sight made Se-Hoon involuntarily chuckle.


    <i>He¡¯s being quite fussy.</i>


    The nagging was a bit annoying, but in some sense, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing. After all, the mere fact that he was being preemptively nagged meant that Sung-Ha wanted him to make a good impression on his master.


    <i>Tsk, tsk, tsk. If he didn¡¯t care at all, he would¡¯ve just watched from the side and hit me whenever he didn¡¯t like my reactions.</i>


    Feeling a bit appreciative, Se-Hoon just nodded slightly toward Sung-Ha instead of replying.


    ¡°...¡±


    And upon seeing that, Sung-Ha returned the nod and put his phone away. Shortly after, the two people approached.


    Speaking first, the old man, Jin-Hyun, apologized in a deep voice, ¡°Sorry for beingte. I set out early, but my slow pace seems to have made it take a bit longer.¡±


    Straightening his posture, Se-Hoon bowed. ¡°No problem. Nice to meet you, sir. I¡¯m Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    <i>¡°Hmm.¡±</i>


    Going by his expression, it seemed Sung-Ha was satisfied.


    Nodding, Jin-Hyun returned the greeting, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Yeom Jin-Hyun.¡±


    With the straightforward introduction done, Se-Hoon took a closer look at Jin-Hyun for the first time. His hair waspletely white, his face was etched with numerous wrinkles, and though his baggy uniform obscured his body, his gait revealed much about his condition.


    <i>He looks like a typical fallen hero.</i>


    His body, ravaged by time and battle, appeared to be broken all over the ce, and the mana within him also appeared to have dissipated beyond recovery.


    <i>He¡¯s probably B-rank... no, practically C-rank or lower now. </i>


    Seeing his current condition, it was hard to believe that he had once been an S-rank hero.


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes deepened with sympathy; such a tragic state was something he had seen a few times before. He had heard about Jin-Hyun''s deteriorated condition, but seeing it firsthand was more startling than he had imagined.


    <i>At this rate, he might even...</i>


    <i>¡°Ahem!¡±</i>


    Just before he was about to fall into deep thought about the visible signs of Jin-Hyun''s decline, a loud cough awoke him.


    Feeling Sung-Ha¡¯s re, Se-Hoon btedly realized his thoughts had been about to wander off again.


    ¡°Ah. Uhm, shall we continue our conversation at the restaurant? I¡¯ve reserved a nice ce,¡± Se-Hoon said in a hurry.


    ¡°I will follow your lead.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s head to a taxi stand first.¡±


    Following behind Se-Hoon, Jin-Hyun suddenly stumbled, nearly falling forward. Noticing, Se-Hoon moved to catch him, but Sung-Ha had already moved to support him.


    ¡°Master, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes... I¡¯m fine. It seems I¡¯ve walked a bit too much.¡±


    ¡°It might be better if you used a wheelchair...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not that bad yet.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    The back-and-forth between Jin-Hyun''s stubborn refusal and Sung-Ha¡¯s concern continued.


    <i>So that guy can make that kind of face too.</i>


    Taken aback, Se-Hoon observed how Sung-Ha, who was usually scowling or mocking him, was now showing an expression full of genuine worry. It revealed a lot about just how significant the person Yeom Jin-Hyun was to him.


    Se-Hoon approached Jin-Hyun.


    ¡°Sir, let me help you.¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s really no need...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    Activating Shadow Thread, Se-Hoon connected a thread to Jin-Hyun''s body and quickly set up a simple barrier inside.


    <i>Swish</i>


    Now reinforced, the creaking in Jin-Hyun¡¯s body eased and his movements soon stabilized. Surprised, Jin-Hyun widened his eyes.


    ¡°Is this...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve adjusted your body to make it a little easier for you to move. Is this alright?¡±


    Staring at Se-Hoon, Jin-Hyun nodded after a brief moment.


    ¡°Yes, this should be fine. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Then, let me continue guiding you.¡±


    As Se-Hoon turned around to start walking again, he caught a glimpse of Sung-Ha¡¯s expression.


    <i>¡°Hmm.¡±</i>


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing the subtle satisfied smile on his face, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes. Then, he moved forward.


    Matching Jin-Hyun¡¯s ce, Sung-Ha was following a step behind when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Taking a quick cautious nce at his master, he checked his phone.


    Se-Hoon: Stop smiling so annoyingly.


    ¡°...¡±


    He struggled to suppress his twitching expression.


    ***


    The meal at the Korean restaurant began without any significant conversations, contrary to what Se-Hoon had expected.


    ¡°It''s a relief that there were no aftereffects. Still, try to be more careful of injuries in the future.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I n to be more cautious from now on.¡±


    During their meal, all Jin-Hyun talked about were light topics like the Demon Force¡¯s assault on Babel and the injuries Se-Hoon received. From that and his table manners, he was the definition of polite.


    <i>It¡¯s hard to believe someone like Sung-Ha coulde from a person like him...</i>


    Though he wasn¡¯t Sung-Ha¡¯s biological parent, Sung-Ha still should have learned a lot from watching him. Yet somehow, Sung-Ha had turned out to be aplete psychopath. The contrast between the two was honestly a marvel.


    ¡°That was a good meal. I haven''t had such a proper meal in a long time.¡±


    Having finished eating, the dishes were soon cleared, and simple desserts and tea were served.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you were satisfied.¡±


    ¡°Who would be dissatisfied with such care?¡±


    Smiling faintly, Jin-Hyun sipped his tea.


    Then, straightening up, he made eye contact with Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Shall we get to the main topic now? Is that alright with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The soundproofing here is thorough, so please feel free.¡±


    Nodding, Yeom Jin-Hyun slowly began, ¡°The reason I asked to meet suddenly today is because I wanted to ask you something.¡±


    A question about Sung-Ha, perhaps? Se-Hoon patiently waited, and soon, Jin-Hyun quietly asked, ¡°What are you nning to do?¡±


    ¡°...Are you asking what I am nning to do with Yeom Sung-Ha?¡±


    ¡°No, it has nothing to do with Sung-Ha. I¡¯m rather curious about what <i>you</i> want to aplish.¡±


    The unexpected question surprised Se-Hoon.


    <i>I thought this was going to be about Sung-Ha.</i>


    Given how his disciple was in the intensive care unit, he assumed the conversation would revolve around that. But he had guessed wrong, so he hesitated.


    Jin-Hyun continued, ¡°I heard that you want to explore the Six Great Demon Realms. Helping Sung-Ha is part of that deal, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m curious about is what you want to achieve with the materials obtained from the exploration and the equipment subsequently made from them.¡±


    He was asking about the step after visiting the Six Great Demon Realms, a topic Se-Hoon had never discussed with others.


    Se-Hoon took some time to think. After that, he answered, ¡°I n topletely erase the Demon Force and the Abyss of Demons from this world.¡±


    Whether it was the Ten Evils or the Harbingers of Destructions, they were all just a stepping stone until Se-Hoon could ultimately eliminate the cancerous Abyss of Demons from the.


    ¡°Erasing the Demon Force and the Abyss of Demons... and what role would Sung-Ha y in achieving that goal?¡±


    ¡°If everything goes ording to n, he will be a trustworthy ally. He¡¯d be someone even more capable than the Perfect Ones.¡±


    Listening from the side, Sung-Ha questioned if he heard correctly.


    <i>More than the Perfect Ones...?</i>


    Was he really being evaluated that highly? It was so unexpected that Sung-Ha¡¯s expression became unfathomablyplex.


    A silence ensured. A few secondster, Jin-Hyun finally nodded. ¡°I see. Then there¡¯s no problem.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®no problem¡¯?¡± asked Se-Hoon.


    Taking another sip of his tea, Jin-Hyun calmly said, ¡°As the heights that Sung-Ha will reach greatly depends on what your goals are, if your goals were mediocre, I would have ordered him to sever ties with you.¡±


    His voice was as firm and full of conviction. It was as if the previous pleasant atmosphere had been a lie.


    <i>He was testing how far I nned to nurture Sung-Ha.</i>


    If it turned out Se-Hoon just nned to use him as an A or S rank ally, Jin-Hyun would have instructed Sung-Ha to cut ties without hesitation. But upon hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s goal of erasing the Demon Force and the Abyss of Demons¡ªtasks even Perfect Ones couldn¡¯t easily achieve¡ªhe deemed Se-Hoon was someone worthy he could entrust his disciple to.


    <i>He might be more of a peculiar person than I thought.</i>


    Rather than worrying about his disciple¡¯s hospitalization, Jin-Hyun only cared about how much he could grow.


    cing his empty teacup down, Jin-Hyun asked, ¡°So, what do you n to do now?¡±


    ¡°Well, actually...¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to worry too much. I was just asking in case there¡¯s anything I can help with.¡±


    He sounded pleased. Currently, Jin-Hyun seemed like he would help with anything he could provide.


    Taking the offer, Se-Hoon contemted for a bit before asking, ¡°Do you know anything about Twilight Ingots?¡±


    If the words of the st Dog in the memory he experienced through the Phantasmal Spyde were true, then Jin-Hyun, who had once been the sect master of the me Sect, would likely know something.


    Deep in thought, a few minutes passed before Jin-Hyun slowly began.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the Twilight Ingot itself... but there is one thing I remember that was rted to it.¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡±


    ¡°During my active-duty days, there was a tool called the Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device that was used for training one¡¯s synesthetic mindscape. I heard it was made with Twilight Ingots.¡±


    ¡°A Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device...¡±


    It was a device Se-Hoon had never heard of even before the regression.


    ¡°You probably haven¡¯t heard of it. It was revealed only to high-ranking heroes like me, and it stopped being manufactured after some defects were found. It was a kind of transitional product,¡± Jin-Hyun added, noticing Se-Hoon¡¯s curiosity.


    ¡°Do you know who made it?¡±


    Thinking, Jin-Hyun eventually replied, ¡°I believe it was Max Baramuth.¡±


    ***


    In the conference room on the top floor of the new me Sect Headquarters, the sect master, Lee Won-Ryong, was sitting in the head seat with the eight mentors seated on his left.


    And facing them on the other side, was a single person. That man, Felix Barmuth, had streaks of white in his disheveled blonde hair, making him look drunk.


    And just like he was drunk, his words came out as mumbles and were full of regret.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a shame. If I had arrived just a little earlier, we could have signed a contract with you for a big order instead of the Seraphim Guild.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯d break the contract with them and work with us? I could offer you a discount...¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    Ending Felix¡¯s monologue, Won-Ryong looked at him with cold eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t call you here for such pointless chatter. Show us the item.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really stiff, aren¡¯t you...¡±


    But despite his grumbles in displeasure, Felix still gestured lightly to his side, prompting one of his bodyguards to step forward with a gray metal case. Taking it, Felix ced it on the conference table and unlocked it to reveal its contents to Won-Ryong and the mentors.


    Within the case was a mesmerizing orb that was emitting an ethereal glow of orange and purple light. Enchanted, the breath of every mentor hitched.


    ¡°Oh... oh, wow...¡±


    ¡°This is...¡±


    The appearance of the orb remained unchanged, but each mentor saw different scenes swirling faintly within, each a vision of themselves at a higher level of mastery of the Inferno Ring. The orb was showing them a possible future.


    Enamored, the mentors became more absorbed, certain that they would break through their current walls if they were just able to obtain the orb for themselves.


    The metal case snapped shut.


    ¡°This is just a quick peek. The rest will cost you, dear customers.¡±


    The sly remark made the mentors¡¯ eyes narrow, but they soon realized their position and looked toward the sect master.


    ¡°...¡±


    Sitting at the head of the table, Won-Ryong stared silently at the closed case for a long moment.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    His voice remained calm, but there was a faint heat to it.


    Smirking inwardly, Felix leisurely said, ¡°I don¡¯t need any money. Just help us deal with one person.¡±


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon. I want him dead.¡±


    The conference room fell silent. Then, realizing the gravity of the request, the mentors protested urgently.


    ¡°That''s absurd...!¡±


    ¡°Do you even understand how dangerous it is to try something on him right now?¡±


    On top of being under the protection of the Emperor of Ascension, Se-Hoon had gained worldwide attention for being the creator of mass-produced sword aura equipment. And yet Felix was asking them to assassinate such a prominent figure?


    The chances of sess aside, the me Sect would have to face the risk ofplete disbandment. Even with their ambition to reach the next stage of the Inferno Ring, they weren''t foolish enough to walk into peril.


    Finally, Lee Won-Ryong spoke.


    ¡°You don¡¯t expect us to handle everything by ourselves, do you?¡±


    Unlike the mentors who stiffened, Felix broke into a wide grin.


    ¡°Of course not. I only need you guys to do two things.¡±


    ¡°Tell us.¡±


    ¡°First, use that friend Yeom Sung-Ha to lure Lee Se-Hoon out of Babel. And second...¡± Felix looked at Lee Won-Ryong and the mentors. ¡°Turn a blind eye to whatever will happen to them. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The simple yet terrifying request made the mentors¡¯ faces harden further, and they naturally turned to Won-Ryong.


    With all eyes focused on him, Won-Ryong closed his eyes briefly before quietly murmuring something.


    ¡°Yeom Jin-Hyun. We can use that old man.¡±

 Chapter 159

    <h4>Chapter 159</h4>


    With their meal finished, Se-Hoon intended to move to another ce and continue their conversation there. However, they couldn''t.


    ¡°My apologies. You treated me so well, yet our conversation had to end so early...¡±


    Jin-Hyun''s condition had worsened, possibly due to the long journey.


    ¡°No, no. There¡¯s no need to apologize. We have plenty of more opportunities ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°Thank¡ª<i>cough, cough!</i>¡±


    Sung-Ha immediately moved, but he stopped upon seeing a raised hand.


    ¡°<i>Phew...</i> I n on staying in Babel for a few days. We can maybe meet again once I feel better.¡±


    ¡°Alright... see you next time, then.¡±


    With nothing else to say, Se-Hoon nodded before turning around to leave. And once he did, Jin-Hyun looked down at himself.


    <i>Woong~</i>


    Even though Se-Hoon had left, the spell reinforcing his body was still active.


    <i>I thought it was just cksmithing... but he has a talent for magic too.</i>


    When he first heard the rumors circting about Se-Hoon, he naturally thought they were all severely exaggerated, but after meeting him, he wondered if they were actually understated.


    Then, after putting away his thoughts, Jin-Hyun looked at Sung-Ha, who was pacing anxiously nearby.


    ¡°Sung-Ha.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    ¡°What do you think of that friend, Lee Se-Hoon?¡±


    Hesitating briefly, Sung-Ha cautiously replied, ¡°He''s quite entric, but... I think he can be trusted when ites to business transactions.¡±


    Jin-Hyun blinked rapidly in surprise. It was unbelievable that Sung-Ha, who trusted no one but himself, said such a thing.


    <i>Looks like that fellow is truly an exceptional person in many ways. </i>He began thinking he needed to meet Se-Hoon again during his stay in Babel.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    His heart suddenly pounded loudly once. The ensuing pain was unbearable; it felt like someone squeezed his heart.


    ¡°<i>Gah</i>...¡±


    ¡°Ma¡ªMaster!¡±


    Shocked, Sung-Ha quickly supported the copsing Jin-Hyun before hastily rummaging through his void pocket for a small silver case. Opening it, he immediately took out a purple pill and ced it in his master¡¯s mouth.


    <i>¡°Huff... huff...¡±</i>


    Thankfully, Jin-Hyun''s condition stabilized almost immediately. Sung-Ha looked at him with concern. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°...Yes. I¡¯m fine now, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    Having noticed the worried look in Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes, Jin-Hyun made sure to reassure him. But he couldn¡¯t hide his weary voice.


    ¡°I thought I should walk a bit since it¡¯s been a while... but it seems it put too much stress on my body.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ll pull out the wheelchair right away.¡±


    Not wanting his master to change his mind, Sung-Ha hurridly took out a wheelchair from his void pocket and carefully helped the staggering Jin-Hyun into it. Then he took off his jacket and draped it over him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be heading off, then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go...¡±


    Feeling Sung-Ha gently pushing the wheelchair, Jin-Hyun leaned into it weakly. And when his eyes, which had closed in exhaustion, managed to open...


    <i>Woong~</i>


    A purple aura could be seen, giving him a dazed look.


    ***


    After parting ways with Sung-Ha and Jin-Hyun, Se-Hoon walked down the street, lost in thought.


    <i>A Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device...</i>


    He could believe that Max Barmuth, the head of the Barmuth family, made it in his youth, but not its imed ability to help train one¡¯s synesthetic mindscape.


    <i>The synesthetic mindscape isn¡¯t something that can be trained overnight like that.</i>


    Attempts to train the synesthetic mindscape had been made numerous times and would likely continue in the future. It was natural since thepleteness and power of a skill depended on the user¡¯s synesthetic mindscape.


    Yet, there had never been a sess because relying on external forces to train the synesthetic mindscape often tainted it.


    <i>With potential side effects like personality disorders, its benefits are far outweighed. Which means...</i>


    The Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device was a trap.


    <i>If they also approached other high-ranking heroes besides Yeom Jin-Hyun, those devices are likely everywhere by now.</i>


    Assuming that was true, what should he do? Pondering, an idea soon came to Se-Hoon¡¯s mind.


    <i>What if I just inform them...?</i>


    There was no need for him to stir things up himself. Acting immediately, he called Helena.


    ¡°Professor, do we have any Twilight Ingots in our department¡¯s supply?¡±


    ¡ªIf it¡¯s a material avable on the general market, we should possess some. I can arrange it right away if you need it.


    ¡°Please do so, thanks.¡±


    Hanging up, Se-Hoon headed straight to the Department of cksmithing and entered a forging room after picking up the prepared Twilight Ingots.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see...¡±


    Taking off his jacket, he inspected a Twilight Ingot. It had a faint crimson hue, and its texture was quite soft, easily bendable with a little pressure.


    ¡°The quality is...¡±


    Stroking his chin, he opened the Twilight Ingot¡¯s information message.


    <strong>[<u>Twilight Ingot</u>]</strong>


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


    <strong>[An ingot created bybining fire mana and water mana.</strong>


    <strong>When infused with mana, it can project mirages in the surrounding area. However, the ingot will be slowly consumed during the mirage projection.</strong>


    <strong>*Infusing mana will project a mirage]</strong>


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Finding no real issues with the material, the next step was to guess how the Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device was made based on the ingot¡¯s effects.


    Drawing up White Light, Se-Hoon picked up an ingot and cut it.


    <i>Slice-</i>


    Like butter, a small piece smoothly fell off. And after picking it up, he proceeded to infuse it with mana.


    <i>Woong~</i>


    The fragment faintly glowed crimson and began to vaporize from the outside in.


    <i>Sizz-</i>


    Within the resulting above his palm, he could see an image of the tongs he ced next to the anvil. The sight fascinated him.


    <i>So instead of just creating random mirages, it spreads to find a suitable object to project.</i>


    Based on the size of the mirage and the fragment, he assumed using the entire ingot would have projected items asrge as the anvil or even the furnace.


    <i>The Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device must designate the projected item as the synesthetic mindscape inside the user, then. </i>


    What other materials would the device need to urately reflect one¡¯s synesthetic mindscape? Thinking, he lightly tapped the Twilight Ingot.


    <i>Tap, tap, tap.</i>


    With each tap, faint ripples spread across the surface of the Twilight Ingot, forming its mana arrangement vividly in his mind. With it, his mindpiled hundreds and thousands of blueprints using all kinds of materials, each with different effects.


    ¡°...This is it.¡±


    Picking out the most ideal blueprint, he moved his hand to his chest.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Summoning Dream mes, he channeled their power into the Twilight Ingot, causing it to vibrate faintly. It then blurred, looking like it would transform into a mirage at any moment.


    At that reaction, he decided to bring out his long-unused alchemical forging technique.


    <i>Woong~</i>


    Resonating with Se-Hoon¡¯s mana, the Twilight Ingot regained its distinct shape without being consumed by the Dream me. Seeding, his eyes sparkled with determination.


    <i>Now is the most important part.</i>


    He had to perfectlybine the Twilight Ingot¡¯s mirage ability with the power of the Dream me. Any imbnce would ruin it, so he sharpened his focus.


    <i>Swish, swish, swish-</i>


    Under his direction, the crimson and purple hues intertwined and writhed, their boundaries slowly dissolving over time.


    And when the Dream me was absorbed into the Twilight Ingot, a burst of air exploded.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The Twilight Ingot had now lost its original crimson hue, glowing faintly with a purple light instead.


    Se-Hoon immediately checked its information message.


    <strong>[<u>Ethereal Ingot</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Rare] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[An ingot created by the exquisitebination of fire mana, water mana, and dream mana.</strong>


    <strong>When infused with mana, it can project the dreams of nearby living beings as mirages. However, the ingot will be permanently consumed during the mirage creation process.</strong>


    <strong>*Infusing mana will project a dream as a mirage]</strong>


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Inspecting the Ethereal Ingot, Se-Hoon broke off a fragment and infused it with mana, causing a purple mirage to appear in his palm. Within it, a familiar scene appeared.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Seeing the ck waves slowly rolling in from the distance, Se-Hoon frowned.


    ¡°What a wretched dream...¡±


    He desperately wanted to erase it immediately but held back and focused on his synesthetic mindscape.


    <i>Woong~</i>


    The mirage flickered, shifting to a scene of his younger self crying amidst the ruins of a building¡ªthe moment his parents were killed by Immortal. If it could show this much, the body likely wouldn¡¯t react when its owner¡¯s synesthetic mindscape was being observed.


    <i>The projection device probably goes a step further, but it doesn¡¯t matter.</i>


    He wasn''t trying to recreate the Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device; all he was trying to do was identify those using it. And to do that, he needed to materialize another material.


    <i>His sternness in pursuing his own sense of justice means he neverpromises with those he deems evil. He is obsessed withpleting his mission, staying indifferent to his own injuries along the way.</i>


    Recalling the characteristics of Seon-Woo from before and after he regressed, he formed a Fatestone in his right hand.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Apanied by a cool sensation, a translucent stone, about the size of an eye, with a crystalline luster had formed.


    <i>I never thought I¡¯d be able to obtain his Fatestone.</i>


    He checked the information message.


    <strong>[<u>Fatestone - Heaven¡¯s Eye</u>]</strong>


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


    <strong>[A stone imbued with a special power.</strong>


    <strong>When infused with mana, it allows one to observe objects reflected on its surface in more detail.</strong>


    <strong>*Can observe theposition of materials used together in greater detail]</strong>


    <i>This should work.</i>


    Seeing that Heaven¡¯s Eye¡¯s ability mirrored Seon-Woo''s unique skill, Enhanced Vision, Se-Hoon quickly inspected the surface before slicing it in half with White Light.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Setting one half aside, he stretched briefly before focusing again. He concentrated White Light at his fingertips.


    ¡°Even sharper...¡±


    Compressing it even further, Se-Hoon only moved on when he was satisfied with its sharpness.


    <i>Slice-</i>


    Delicately shaving the surface of Heaven''s Eye, each smooth cut revealed a transparent surface. Like that, he continued, aiming to make both sidespletely transparent. Then, after polishing it up, he brought Heaven¡¯s Eye to eye level.


    ¡°Hmm. Okay, I can see through it clearly.¡±


    Even without imbuing it with mana, he was able to urately view distant objects. Fashioning it into a lens, he then picked up the Ethereal Ingot.


    <i>Divide it into segments so that I only use the necessary parts...</i>


    <i>Woong~</i>


    Resonating with his mana again, the Ethereal Ingot elongated into thin hazy strands that were shaped into a frame fitting the lens and a delicate chain to connect them.


    With the individual parts all done, he assembled it, stretched his body, and picked up the remaining half of Heaven''s Eye.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Heaven¡¯s Eye¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    A peculiar sensation flowed from his right hand,pletely different from his normal senses. Savoring the new sensation, he connected Shadow Thread to the lens and frame.


    <i>It should only project the synesthetic mindscape of the person seen through it, so I should probably adjust it after with a spell. But since magic doesn¡¯t go well with Shadow Thread... curses, then...?</i>


    Putting his thoughts to the side for now, he began connecting the strands of Shadow Thread one by one,bining the lens and frame. When he finished, he would connect the chain.


    But despite how it sounded, it was a precarious process where even a slight mistake could cause the Ethereal Ingot to consume Heaven¡¯s Eye. However, with Bond Imprint, he could use Heaven¡¯s Eye¡¯s observational power to adjust the delicate bnce precisely.


    ¡°...¡±


    Focusing on the task at hand, he entered a state of deep concentration, oblivious to the passage of time. A familiar sound slowly filled his ears.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Like always, it was a dreadful sound, something he wouldn¡¯t even want to hear in his dreams. But, it allowed him to focus entirely on his work. With the sound apanying him, he moved his hands swiftly, seamlessly connecting all the parts with Shadow Thread.


    Then finally, he carefully severed thest strand of Shadow Thread. And for the first time in ages, an achievement message appeared in front of him.


    <strong>[Equipment ¡®Ethereal Monocle¡¯ has beenpleted.</strong>


    <strong>As can be seen from the newly created material andbination method, adventurers aren¡¯t the only ones exploring the unknown.</strong>


    <strong>The quality of the materials used is slightlyckingpared to the technique applied, but regardless, the cksmith''s skill has given birth to apletely new type of equipment.</strong>


    <strong>The tier evaluation for ¡®Ethereal Monocle¡¯ is ¡®Hero.¡¯]</strong>


    <strong>[Skill ¡®Ethereal Vision (A)¡¯ has been acquired.]</strong>

 Chapter 160

    <h4>Chapter 160</h4>


    <strong>[<u>Ethereal Monocle</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Excellent]</strong>


    <strong>[A monocle created bybining a special lens with a frame made from unique ores. </strong>


    <strong>It allows the user to either project or push the consciousness of the target into the boundary of dreams. However, each activation permanently consumes someponents made of dream mana.</strong>


    <strong>*Dream manaponents are permanently consumed with each skill use</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Dream Projection¡¯</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Dream Bloom¡¯]</strong>


    ¡°Hm, it¡¯s well-made indeed.¡±


    The fact that not one but two unique skills were created indicated it was of a high quality.


    Satisfied, Se-Hoon checked his newly acquired skill.


    <strong>[Ethereal Vision] ¡ºA¡»</strong>


    <strong>[A vision technique for observing dream mana.</strong>


    <strong>It allows one to freely traverse the boundary of dreams by adjusting their vision. However, prolonged activation can result in the loss of one¡¯s eyes.</strong>


    <strong>*The denser the dream mana one observes, the greater the strain]</strong>


    <i>...Freely traverse the boundary of dreams?</i>


    It was extremely surprising. Typically, it was extremely difficult for a living being to cross the boundary of dreams since just a slightpse in concentration could cause the body to disintegrate into dreams¡ªapletely irreversible state.


    Therefore those who researched dream mana considered the ability to freely traverse the boundary as the highest level of mastery in dream mana. And now, Se-Hoon had acquired such ¡°mastery¡± out of the blue.


    <i>Is it because I constantly use and observe dream mana...? No, this ability is too good for that.</i>


    Even if his soul had changed somehow due to the regression, such a talent emerging didn¡¯t make sense. Lost, he thought about it deeply before eventually shaking his head.


    <i>Let''s focus on the task at hand first.</i>


    Deciding to directly verify how Ethereal Vision worked, he promptly triggered the skill.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    He could feel something surging up from his chest to gently cover his eyes. It felt like something was being nibbled away bit by bit, making him feel ticklish.


    <i>I see. If I let my guard down, my eyes will gradually disappear because of this. </i>


    Making a mental note to only use the technique when he was mentally sharp, he looked at the Ethereal Monocle with his changed vision.


    The once-faint purple mist around the Ethereal Monocle was now clearly visible, exposing the previously hidden dream mana. Naturally focusing on it, he increased the intensity.


    Immediately, the surroundings darkened slightly and the purple mist around the Ethereal Monocle became more vivid. He carefully extended his hand, inserting his fingers into the mist.


    <i>Whoom-</i>


    And his fingers promptly vanished, entering the boundary of dreams.


    <i>So this is how it works.</i>


    Deactivating Ethereal Vision in one eye, he verified that parts of his fingers had really disappeared into thin air. And upon confirming that they had, he made a thoughtful expression.


    <i>It¡¯s convenient but dangerous...</i>


    Ethereal Vision was purely an auxiliary technique. It didn¡¯t directly enhance one¡¯s abilities, and entering the boundary of dreams carelessly could result in one¡¯s limbs disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    Furthermore, there was the issue where mixing one¡¯s real-world view with the dream view, whether intentionally or unintentionally, could destabilize the technique, causing it to break easily.


    Luckily, however, the skillpletely blocked one¡¯s view of their surroundings, allowing them to focus solely on the boundary of dreams. That came with the bonus of preventing the user from making any novice mistakes.


    ¡°Ah, damn.¡±


    Btedly remembering his fingers, he quickly withdrew them before they dissipated and deactivated Ethereal Vision.


    ¡°This¡¯ll be quite useful...¡± he murmured.


    Se-Hoon then picked up the Ethereal Monocle.


    <i>Now to test this.... Hmm, who to use it on?</i>


    Since the monocle revealed one¡¯s inner self, using it on just anyone would arouse suspicion. And for now, its existence had to remain a secret.


    So in that case, who was the best candidate? Making his choice, he called someone who showed up shortly after.


    <i>Creak-</i>


    Luize entered, somewhat disheveled, wearing a hooded jumper over her sweatsuit.


    ¡°Oh, you''re here¡ª¡±


    ¡°Dude. Do you know what time it is?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Only now did Se-Hoon check the time on his phone.


    ¡°4:00 am...¡±


    Though initially surprised that it had already been twelve hours since his lunch appointment with the two Yeoms, he soon felt somewhat aplished.


    <i>I managed to work this long without feeling tired. I¡¯ve finally hit my stride.</i>


    If it were his past self of just a few months ago, both his mana and stamina would have already waned.


    Sighing at the content rather than guilt on Se-Hoon¡¯s face, Luize just sighed deeply.


    ¡°So? What did you call me here for? If it''s not anything important, you¡¯re dead meat.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I just need to try out a piece of newly made equipment. Could you help for a moment?¡±


    ¡°You mean you want me to be a test subject?¡±


    Though Luize''s displeasure visibly grew, Se-Hoon still nodded casually.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°You little...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be a secret for now, so I can¡¯t ask just anyone to try it out.¡±


    Luize paused. Then, after sighing again, she frowned.


    ¡°Fine, just hurry up. I have a morning sster.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡±


    Having gained her consent, Se-Hoon immediately put the Ethereal Monocle over his left eye. Through it, he could now see far clearer than before.


    And on top of his vision, the monocle¡¯s effect also enhanced his other abilities, allowing him to notice things. That, whenbined with his insight, meant he could even detect subtle emotions that were not yet apparent on one¡¯s face.


    <i>Hm. She¡¯s currently trying to hold back herugh...?</i>


    Though Luize seemed expressionless initially, he could now see that her lips and eyes were subtly trembling.


    Oddly annoyed, Se-Hoon squinted before quickly refocusing on the experiment.


    <i>First, Ethereal Vision.</i>


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Dream mana filled both his eyes, turning them purple. Then, once his vision stabilized, he used the equipment skill Dream Projection.


    Stirred, dream mana began swirling around the lens of the monocle,pressed into the center, and finally, dispersed like mist.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...!¡±


    Feeling a peculiar force surging toward her, Luize flinched and reflexively tried to summon her mana before catching herself.


    <i>Let¡¯s just let him do his thing...</i>


    While anyone else would have immediately cast a defensive spell, Luize was absolutely certain Se-Hoon wouldn¡¯t harm her. And thanks to that, Dream Projection could begin to form an image in the Ethereal Monocle.


    <i>Is that a... light?</i>


    The first thing Se-Hoon saw was a sphere of mana floating in the air. Feeling like it was familiar, he watched as the rest of the scene appeared¡ªa hazy hospital room with a dirty-looking young man and a girl in a hospital gown standing on either side of the mana sphere.


    <i>Could this be...?</i>


    Se-Hoon''s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected scene.


    <i>¡°</i>Ah! AAaah!!¡±


    Screaming, Luize gathered her mana.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    With the sensation of a thread snapping, Se-Hoon watched the scene disappear from the monocle before looking at Luize.


    ¡°You... what is that weird monocle? You¡¯re not spying on my thoughts or anything, are you?¡±


    Did Dream Projection show the same scene to the target? Having quickly grasped the situation, Luize red at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Well, you see...¡±


    Although the current Luize was already different from the st Dog, Se-Hoon thought the synesthetic mindscape they manifested would still be simr. However, it turned out that learning incantation magic from him in the hospital was quite an event for the current Luize.


    Honestly, Se-Hoon felt like he had peeked into her personal diary, so he hesitated in guilt.


    ¡°Well... thanks for thinking so much about me, but...¡±


    ¡°Go die!!!¡±


    ***


    Eventually, Se-Hoon somehow managed to calm Luize down and send her on her way. Sighing, he straightened his disheveled clothes and hair¡ªthe results of themotion¡ªlost in thought.


    <i>The effect is pretty clear.... Hmm, how should I use this?</i>


    Ideally, he¡¯d hand the Ethereal Monocle to someone trustworthy and take a break, but unfortunately, he had no such person around. So, with only one route left, he sighed and took out his phone.


    ¡°Yes, Ha Seon-Woo speaking.¡±


    Despite it being 4:00 am, the voice on the other end was clear. So, Se-Hoon quickly got to the point.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got something useful. Can we meet?¡±


    ¡°...Okay. I¡¯ll be there right away.¡±


    Without asking for further exnation, the call ended. Feeling quite satisfied by Seon-Woo¡¯s promptness, Se-Hoon stood up.


    Then, while gently rubbing his cheek and chin, he murmured, ¡°A squint should be good enough...¡±


    ***


    The Pavard Guild of France, despite its medium size, was known for its skill and business acumen.


    And right now, its leader, the veteran quasi-S-rank hero Maurice Pavard, was cautiously walking through a secret storage under hisvish mansion, a ce the founder also used to reside.


    <i>¡°Whew...¡±</i>


    Was he this nervous when he fought his first-ever battle? Struggling to calm his racing heart, he quickened his pace. Reaching his destination, he ced his palm on an unmarked wall.


    <i>Click!</i>


    At the sound, the wall opened to reveal treasures, equipment, and valuable elixirs. But Maurice ignored them all and just headed straight for a ne adorned with purple jewels.


    ¡°...¡±


    Standing before the luxurious ne embedded with purple gemstones, he took a deep breath and put on a glove that glimmered with a violet hue from his void pocket.


    Focusing his mind, he reached for the ne.


    <i>Whoom!</i>


    Along with the ebb of a purple mist, a bead dropped into his hand. Gingerly holding the bead mixed with shades of violet and crimson¡ªthe Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device he obtained from the Barmuth family¡ªMaurice directed his gaze inside.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Deep within the bead was a more powerful and overwhelming image of himself moving vigorously¡ªthe S-rank status he wasn¡¯t able to reach over the years. Just a glimpse filled him to the brim with a sense of fulfillment.


    <i>Yes... this is the feeling...</i>


    Grasping the sensation of enlightenment he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time, he quickly stowed the Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device and ran out of the vault.


    <i>I need to embody this feeling as much as possible...!</i>


    He had stopped training for a while now, as it never showed much progress; however, after obtaining the Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device, he immersed himself in it daily, reducing even his sleep time.


    Just the fulfillment from steadily making progress toward a goal revived a hero who had been stymied by a seemingly insurmountable wall.


    <i>Just eliminating those three individuals has helped me gain such power.... Maybe I should target Lee Se-Hoon as well.</i>


    With rewards like this upon sess, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to seriously consider it. Indulging in such thoughts, he left the vault and returned to his study.


    ¡°Subdue him.¡±


    Appearing out of nowhere, six men in ck suits rushed at him as if they had been waiting.


    ¡°What the...¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The study shook violently.


    When the dust settled, Maurice¡¯s figure was revealed again. But he was now fully subdued, with his limbs, back, and neck pressed down with restraining devices. In a state where any movement could be lethal, he looked at his attackers in shock.


    ¡°Sp, Special Operations Division?¡±


    ¡°Activate mana freeze.¡±


    With no dy, a strange power flowed from the devices pressing him down, freezing his manapletely in ce¡ªhe could no longer resist.


    It had all happened in the blink of an eye, and all Maurice could do was look at the Special Operations agents above him in astonishment.


    <i>How? Did they find out about what happenedst time? But I definitely erased the evidence...</i>


    While countless thoughts swirled in his mind, a young, ck-haired man slowly approached with lightly squinted eyes. He wore a monocle with a purple frame and a chain over his left eye that fit oddly well with his calm demeanor.


    <i>¡°Hmm...¡±</i>


    The young man, now right in front of him, fiddled with his monocle while squinting at him quietly. After a moment, a chilling sensation enveloped Maurice¡¯s entire body and the image of himself bing an S-rank hero floated into his mind. Even in this situation, the sight was so enchanting that Maurice wore a dazed expression.


    ¡°Oh dear. This guy¡¯s seriously delusional.¡±


    Looking exasperated, the young man shook his head and stepped back.


    ¡°How is he?¡±


    ¡°He''s imagining himself as a demon. At this point, he¡¯s basically a ticking time bomb.¡±


    Maurice¡¯s jaw dropped, utterly shocked by the young man''s calm words.


    ¡°Wh¡ªwhat nonsense is this?! Why would I imagine myself as a demon?!¡±


    ¡°Well, shouldn¡¯t it be not that surprising? Since you''ve killed three innocent heroes already, you''re no different from a demon.¡±


    The nonchnt reveal of his secrets sent a chill down Maurice¡¯s spine. Where had information leaked? If everything he had done so far were to be revealed, what would happen to him?


    <i>I was so close to reaching S-rank too...</i>


    Overwhelmed with frustration, resentment, and confusion¡ªrather than guilt¡ªhe stared at the young man. At that moment, Ha Seon-Woo, standing next to the young man, dered, ¡°Maurice Pavard. You are under arrest for collusion with the Demon Force...¡±


    ¡°Evidence! Show me the evidence!!¡±


    Trembling in anger, Maurice screamed in a fit of rage, ring at the Special Operations agents with bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°How dare you treat someone who has contributed to humanity for decades like this without any proof!!¡±


    He struggled desperately without a care for if his body was torn apart. The disgraceful disy made the agents frown.


    ¡°Then let''s find it, shall we?¡±


    Still calm, the young man with the monocle looked toward the study.


    ¡°The evidence seems like it might be in there. Let''s check it out.¡±


    At his words, the Special Operations agents exchanged nces and nodded. Grabbing Maurice, they all entered the secret vault together.


    <i>No matter what, they¡¯ll never be able to find out, </i>Maurice scoffed inwardly, wearing a resentful expression.


    He remembered the Barmuths¡¯ assurance that even an S-rank hero couldn''t recognize the device, and indeed, when he had his wife wear it at thest charity party, no one had noticed.


    <i>I¡¯ll get through since there¡¯s insufficient evidence.... Then I¡¯ll discuss the next steps with the Barmuths.</i>


    If they didn''t want to be caught for collusion, he was sure they would help him. Scheming, Maurice soon arrived at the underground vault with the agents.


    ¡°Ah, there it is.¡±


    Without any searching, the young man with the monocle immediately pointed directly at the purple ne.


    ¡°...¡±


    Maurice stared in stunned silence, unable to maintain hisposure. He watched as the young man strode over and reached out.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    In one swift motion, the Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device was removed from the ne. Holding it in one hand, the squinting young man, who was actually Se-Hoon in disguise, turned to face the still-dumbfounded Maurice.


    ¡°All set now?¡±


    He shed a maddeningly confident smile, infuriating Maurice even further.

 Chapter 161

    <h4>Chapter 161</h4>


    With Maurice Pavard subdued and the crucial evidence¡ªthe Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device¡ªsecured, the investigation unit could begin a search of the mansion.


    They had long suspected Maurice''s involvement in numerous crimes, so this was their chance to find the appropriate evidence to punish all involved parties.


    ¡°Let''s proceed cautiously; we don''t know what traps he might have set.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    In a world blossoming with magic, there were countless ways to conceal evidence; simrly, there were many ways to destroy it if attempts to uncover it were made. Hence, the investigation unit normally proceeded carefully, using detection devices to meticulously search each area.


    However, the young man who came along with Seon-Woo had a different approach.


    ¡°Let''s try breaking through that wall.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    After just a brief survey of the room, the young man pointed to a nk wall and gave that suggestion. Finding his decision doubtful, the agents exchanged nces before turning to Seon-Woo, who apanied the young man.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Seon-Woo ordered.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Though puzzled, the agents took out a sledgehammer and smashed the wall that the young man, who was Se-Hoon in disguise, indicated.


    With a loud crash, the wall copsed and revealed a hidden safe.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s really something here...¡±


    Walking past the amazed agents, Se-Hoon examined the safe''s exterior.


    ¡°It seems to only contain valuables, but we should check it anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Done briefing the agents, Se-Hoon moved to another room and thoroughly inspected it as well. The room''s structure, the arrangement of decorations, and theyout of the mana pipes all contributed to creating such a hidden space inside the mansion room.


    <i>Is it there?</i>


    Rapidly grasping theyout, he approached an unassuming bookshelf.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see... like this, and...¡±


    Apanied by a series of clicks, he pulled several books slightly apart. And a few repetitionster, a flicker of light shed from the bookshelf before beginning to move.


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    Seeing the various documents and valuable items within the revealed hidden chamber, Se-Hoon quickly pointed them out to Seon-Woo.


    ¡°We should take these too.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Like that, Se-Hoon continued to uncover hidden evidence throughout the mansion, followed by the overwhelmed agents who switched to focusing on collecting the evidence he found.


    With nothing left to do, a few investigators stood afar and observed.


    ¡°I would never want to invite him over to my house,¡± remarked a ck-suited middle-aged man, Investigator Dwight, as he observed the dramatically more efficient investigation.


    And his female colleague, who was standing next to him, agreed.


    Listening to their conversation, another investigator, squatting and sipping a can of coffee while staring at Se-Hoon''s back, then asked, "So, who exactly is that guy?¡±


    ¡°Not sure. Seon-Woo just won¡¯t tell me his name...¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell you either, Nisha?¡±


    The female investigator, Nisha, shook her head with a disappointed look.


    ¡°I kept asking him, but he wouldn''t tell me. He just said he knew him through family.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    At the mention of ¡°family,¡± Investigator Ricky, who was also by their side, sipped on his coffee, wondering, <i>Did the Ha family have such a talented individual?</i>


    It wouldn''t have been surprising if it had been someone skilled in archery. However, one had to wonder upon seeing the talents the squinty-eyed young man disyed¡ªthey were on another level.


    He had remarkable skills in identifying targets using the illegal Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device and in disarmingplex magical security systems.


    Moreover, he seemed knowledgeable in various fields¡ªsuch as magic, sorcery, and enchantments¡ªfrom how effortlessly he had uncovered hidden items the criminals had gone to great lengths to conceal.


    <i>Without him, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to catch this many... or any, for that matter.</i>


    Including Maurice, they had arrested twenty-four A-ss criminals in the past three days alone. And when counting their aplices involved in other crimes, the number exceeded a hundred¡ªa monumental sess, rare even over several years.


    <i>He looks like he¡¯s capable inbat too... what¡¯s his true identity?</i>


    At that moment, just as Ricky wondered if there was a usible background for the young man, arge, burly ck man, Investigator Ben, returned from another search.


    ¡°I think he might be a new disciple of the Visionary,¡± he mentioned, having heard their conversation.


    The three investigators exchanged looks, deep in thought. The more they considered it, the more usible it seemed, given his talents.


    ¡°Now that you mention it, Seon-Woo seemed to be very respectful to him.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s the Visionary¡¯s disciple, that exins his keen insight.¡±


    ¡°Sounds about right.¡±


    No other background seemed fitting for Se-Hoon¡¯s disy of talent.


    Convinced, the investigators began viewing Se-Hoon in a new light. That young man, who was likely he was in his mid-tote twenties, was practically guaranteed S-rank status in the future due to being the Visionary¡¯s disciple.


    ¡°Think he¡¯ll join the Special Operations Division someday?¡±


    ¡°He doesn''t seem the type.¡±


    ¡°You never know; he might consider it.¡±


    ¡°I doubt it.¡±


    The four investigators chatted away, and soon, the search concluded.


    ¡°It¡¯s all finished here. Let¡¯s head back,¡± Seon-Woo briefed upon approaching them.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start with the gate...¡±


    With practiced motions, the investigators skillfully set up a portable gate device they took out of their void pockets and activated it by inserting magic stones.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Passing through the gate, they instantly arrived at the European branch''s exclusive terminal for investigators. Now back home, the investigators sighed in relief, deactivating their ck suits and reverting to their regr attire.


    ¡°Gordon and Dwight said they''d book a bar. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I''ll think about it after handling some urgent matters first.¡±


    ¡°Geez, why don¡¯t you just do it tomorrow...¡±


    Exhausted by Seon-Woo''s persistent sense of duty, the mentioned Dwight made a tired face and moved his gaze behind him. There, the young man with squinty eyes was carefully surveying his surroundings.


    Sensing a chance, Dwight asked, ¡°What about him? Today¡¯s was probably ourst mission, so perhaps we could have a drink¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but that''s not possible.¡± Seon-Woo decisively cut off Dwight¡¯s words.


    ¡°As I mentioned, he¡¯s the one making time in his busy schedule for us. With the investigations done, he has to leave as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Alright.... We''ll go to the bar first, then.¡±


    Reluctant, Dwight and the other investigators left after waving and nodding to Seon-Woo.


    Having seen it all from behind Seon-Woo, Se-Hoon smiled subtly.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a bit overly protective?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me it¡¯s best to avoid unnecessary contact.¡±


    ¡°True, I did say that.¡±


    Se-Hoon casually touched his own cheek.


    <i>Honestly, I thought there¡¯d be one person who would recognize me.</i>


    Again, the disguise spell Erika cast on him when he visited ck Arms worked exceptionally well. Seizing the opportunity to practice the spell, he had procured the necessary materials. And his attempt turned out to be surprisingly sessful.


    <i>Perhaps it was the dream mana I mixed into the spell.... It might be quite usefulter on if I just refine it a bit.</i>


    Wondering how he would go about it, Se-Hoon fiddled with his fake leather face. It was during this time that Seon-Woo, after ensuring no one else was around, asked, ¡°Hey... Are you satisfied with this?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We definitely damaged the enemy to some extent, but... it doesn¡¯t seem like it will be significant.¡±


    From the Heroes Association''s perspective, arresting numerous traitors involved with the Demon Force was a significant sess. However, Se-Hoon¡¯s situation was different.


    Since all the traitors had been gagged with oaths, they were prohibited from leaking any information about the seller, and no rted evidence was found during their investigation either.


    <i>It¡¯s nothing surprising, but... it''s frustrating to find no clues at all.</i>


    What was worse was that this operation would naturally make the Barmuth family even more cautious. As such, Seon-Woo thought he needed to deal with it and began pondering.


    But before he could get far, Se-Hoon nonchntly answered, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I never expected to crush them with this move in the first ce. Things are going exactly as I hoped.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t nned to deal a significant blow with the operation? What did he mean?


    Seeing Seon-Woo¡¯s confusion, Se-Hoon exined. ¡°As you know, the traitors we caught this time were already expendable parts of their n. Which means that it¡¯s good if they don¡¯t get caught, but it''s not a big problem if they do.¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    ¡°But just because it¡¯s not a problem doesn''t mean it''s not a loss.¡±


    If they were truly expendable, the Barmuths would likely have used them more aggressively. But since they didn¡¯t, they had likely invested in these traitors for a long time, meaning they would have some regrets.


    ¡°I think, once this sweep bes public... they might use the remaining expendable pieces more recklessly.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean they¡¯ll aim to eliminate you?¡±


    Se-Hoon nodded at Seon-Woo¡¯s question.


    ¡°Possibly. Or it could be something else. Regardless, the key moment is when they¡¯re going to use those expendables. But, it¡¯s not like they¡¯ll just throw them away, right?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, that makes sense.¡±


    Although termed expendables, those arrested were all mid-level guild leaders or veteran heroes recognized in their respective countries. If there was an opportunity to utilize suchbat power, the Barmuth family would likely n meticulously.


    ¡°So I suspect some significant figures from their family that will oversee them will show up... and I intend to target them.¡±


    If sessful, they could gather valuable information about both the Barmuths and their deep connections with the Pleasure District in one fell swoop.


    ¡°...¡±


    The full exnation surprised Seon-Woo slightly.


    <i>Just like I¡¯ve observed, he shows no fear even when facing potentially dangerous situations.</i>


    It seemed like dealing with such scenarios was second nature to him. He was so calm that Seon-Woo couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether it was another form of talent.


    ¡°Ah, we''ve arrived.¡±


    The two had finally reached the gate back to Babel.


    ¡°Well, I''ll be going then.¡±


    ¡°Take care.¡±


    Shaking off his previous thoughts, Seon-Woo bowed. And at the sight of him, Se-Hoon suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, thanks for the help.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At his words, Seon-Woo made an awkward expression before eventually sighing.


    ¡°Make sure to destroy it when you¡¯re done...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. See you next time! Take a break today!¡±


    With that cheerful farewell, Se-Hoon disappeared through the gate.


    ¡°What should I handle first...¡±


    Of course, Seon-Woo didn¡¯t head toward home but the office.


    ***


    After parting ways with Seon-Woo and arriving at the European Void Space Terminal in Babel, Se-Hoon didn''t head straight back. Instead, he made several stops, altering his face, attire, physique, and posture each time to mix up his tracks. And it was only when he reached his dorm room that he shed his final disguise as a staff member and rxed.


    ¡°<i>Phew...</i> My body¡¯s so stiff.¡±


    Transforming the outer appearance of his entire body en route left his face and body feeling creaky, so he had to stretch to readjust. Then, when he finally feltfortable, he went to the bathroom mirror to inspect his eyes.


    ¡°Hmm... maybe I overused it a bit.¡±


    His eyes, faintly tinged with purple, still bore traces of Ethereal Vision even though he had deactivated it. The faint white part of his sclera was even showing signs of encroachment.


    <i>If I used it for another two hours, it might have gotten really dangerous.</i>


    Aside from mainly being because of ack of trustworthy people, he had personally taken the lead in the operation because he wanted to experiment with Ethereal Vision actively. And the results of that extensive experiment over thest three days told him that it was slightly more stressful on the eyes than Eyes of irvoyance.


    <i>But only for other people; I''m different. I¡¯m confident in managing the state of my eyes.</i>


    The side effect of Ethereal Vision was the loss of one¡¯s eyes in the event that the user confused reality with a dream. It was so dangerous because such an event could happen unexpectedly.


    However, it was different for Se-Hoon. Thanks to his perfect understanding of his body and the self-harming experience gained from training with Soul Honing, he didn¡¯t have to worry about it.


    <i>Still, I should be careful not to use it for too long. I don¡¯t want to risk losing my eyes.</i>


    Finished with his in-depth analysis of the Ethereal Vision, he brought his hands to his eyes. Then, visualizing a hammer in his mind, he struck his eyeballs forcefully with it.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    He shut his eyes due to the pain coursing through them. A momentter, the pain finally subsided, and he opened his eyes to see them now free of the purple hue but bloodshot with burst capiries.


    <i>Hmm. I should be able to use it for another four hours.</i>


    Satisfied, he went back to the living room and pulled out an orb from his void pocket. The orb, a mix of crimson and purple, gave off an ethereal glow.


    <strong>[<u>Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Excellent]</strong>


    <strong>[A meditation tool made with special types of ore.</strong>


    <strong>It enhances the user''s synesthetic mindscape and projects it as a dream. However, each use permanently reduces the device¡¯s durability.</strong>


    <strong>*Projects enhanced synesthetic mindscape to the user</strong>


    <strong>*The more advanced the synesthetic mindscape, the greater the durability consumption]</strong>


    <i>To think that stubborn guy would smuggle out such an important piece of evidence for me... the world sure is full of surprises.</i>


    Even if they had acquired dozens, the Seon-Woo he knew before he regressed would never have handed one over.


    Reminded of his new reality, Se-Hoon smiled wryly and inspected the device again.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    There was no issue with its appearance or information message, be he had already identified a trap hidden within it.


    <i>It should be around here...</i>


    Having examined multiple projection devices during the operation, he was able to find a gap in the device in his hands¡ªa faint hole almost invisible to the eye. He then carefully inserted his index finger imbued with dream mana.


    <i>Sss...</i>


    Reacting to the dream mana, a thin, purple thread emerged from the hole. When it did, the device¡¯s appearance rapidly changed to give off a deep, chaotic mixture of crimson and purple.


    <strong>[<u>Mirror of Demons</u>]</strong>


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


    <strong>[A meditation tool made with special types of ore.</strong>


    <strong>It projects a vision of oneself, enhanced with demonic aura. However, each use permanently reduces its durability and induces a faint desire for demonic aura.</strong>


    <strong>*Projects an enhanced version of oneself</strong>


    <strong>*Durability and consumption increases based on the strength of the user in the vision</strong>


    <strong>*Prolonged use induces a craving for demonic aura]</strong>


    ¡°They actually used demonic aura in the device and used dream mana to hide it...¡±


    To the users, the Mirror of Demons was showing them their unrealized potential, but in actuality, it was projecting their demonic transformation. In truth, it was a clever use of dream mana to alter the transformation into the ¡°dream¡± they wanted to see.


    <i>Suchplex maniption of dream mana... they must have gotten help from the Dream Demon.</i>


    While it was pretty clear it was a n to corrupt heroes who had stagnated in their growth, there had to be more to it. Se-Hoon stroked his chin, considering the implications.


    <i>There are plenty of potential targets... but the important thing is what they n to do with them after corrupting them.</i>


    The Dream Demon wouldn¡¯t go through all this trouble just to corrupt a hero, especially one not even at S-rank. He needed a clue, so he flipped through his memories.


    <i>Vrrr-</i>


    He checked his phone.


    Sung-Ha: If you¡¯ve got nothing to do, spar with me. My master wants to see you.


    ¡°Sparring, huh...¡±


    Se-Hoon sent a reply asking where he should go.


    Sung-Ha: Physiology Controls ssroom.


    <i>¡°Hm?¡±</i>


    He had expected the private training room or another sparring area, yet the Physiology Controls ssroom?


    <i>Is Yeom Jin-Hyun close to Ma Kwang-Soo?</i>


    Considering both were active-duty heroes during the same time period and from the same country, it wasn¡¯t impossible.


    Regardless, he would soon find out.


    ***


    <i>Creak-</i>


    The first thing Se-Hoon saw after opening the door was the two Yeoms seated opposite Kwang-Soo. Heading over, he was about to greet them when he suddenly felt an unusual sensation.


    Something was pulling him, trying to drag him somewhere. He then instinctively activated Ethereal Vision, heeding his body¡¯s warning which was based on his pre-regression experience.


    <i>...So he¡¯s also one of them.</i>


    Turning his eyes to Jin-Hyun, he discovered dream mana deeply rooted in his body.

 Chapter 162

    <h4>Chapter 162</h4>


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hearing Kwang-Soo''s call, Se-Hoon came to his senses and approached naturally. He gave no sign that he found the dream mana inside Jin-Hyun¡¯s body.


    Up close, he noticed Jin-Hyun looking more tired than before, which exined why Sung-Ha was looking at him with concern.


    Se-Hoon greeted him, ¡°Hello, sir.¡±


    ¡°It''s been a while. I heard you''ve been quite busy recently. Did you manage to finish everything?¡± asked Yeom Jin-Hyun.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m almost done.¡±


    ¡°That''s good to hear. I was worried that I might be causing you too much trouble,¡± Jin-Hyun remarked with a relieved expression.


    Sensing Jin-Hyun was done, Se-Hoon curiously asked, ¡°By the way, are you acquainted with Professor Ma Kwang-Soo?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Ah, yes. We''ve known each other for a long time. We served in the same unit when we enlisted in the army in the early days.¡±


    ¡°You could say we''rerades,¡± Kwang-Soo added.


    Their responses intrigued Se-Hoon. So they had been conscripted by the state and fought monsters side-by-side during the chaotic early days when the Towers of Heroes and the Abyss of Demons first emerged.


    <i>Wait. If they¡¯ve known each other for that long, why doesn¡¯t there seem to be much interaction?</i>


    If they had known each other for so long, wouldn''t Kwang-Soo have lent a hand with matters rted to the me Sect? Luckily, he didn¡¯t have to wonder for long.


    Perhaps noticing Se-Hoon''s curiosity, Kwang-Soo continued on to say, ¡°Of course, that doesn''t mean we''re close enough to meddle in each other''s family affairs.¡±


    ¡°That''s also true.¡±


    Though it was cold, Jin-Hyun epted the statement without any reaction. That allowed Se-Hoon to understand that they were <i>just</i> oldrades.


    epting it, Se-Hoon moved on.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about the sudden sparring match between me and Yeom Sung-Ha?¡±


    ¡°I heard you learned my friend¡¯s very own Celestial Infinity de. And I was curious about how well you can handle it, so I requested this duel.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see...¡±


    It made sense for Jin-Hyun to be curious after hearing that someone had learned his oldrade''s secret sword technique. So, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°Alright, it shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem.¡±


    ¡°Then let''s head inside.¡±


    Together, the four of them entered the training hall. It was the perfect chance, so Se-Hoon walked a few steps behind Jin-Hyun to check his body again.


    <i>I didn¡¯t notice at first nce, but... this is really no joke.</i>


    Except for Jin-Hyun¡¯s brain, there wasn¡¯t a single ce not eroded by the dream mana. And around the heart especially, there was a lot of dream mana. The most important part, however, was its behavior.


    <i>It¡¯s actually circting alongside the bloodstream.</i>


    Because of that, it was also affecting his internal organs and sustaining his life. It had integrated so naturally that the oversaturation of dream mana didn¡¯t show externally, which also exined why nobody had noticed.


    <i>I probably wouldn''t have noticed either if it weren''t for Ethereal Vision.</i>


    Thankfully, the culprit behind Jin-Hyun''s long-time, heavily eroded state wasn¡¯t very hard to figure out.


    <i>It''s probably that bastard, Lee Won-Ryong.</i>


    No matter how weakened Jin-Hyun was from injuries, he was still the founding father of the me Sect and the creator of the Inferno Ring. Considering Won-Ryong''s personality, he wouldn''t have left Jin-Hyun alone without a leash as a precaution.


    <i>Now... it''s hard to believe that the timing of his visit is just a coincidence.</i>


    Of course, Jin-Hyun had likely juste to see Sung-Ha''s condition, but what was more important was that his state proved that the me Sect and the Barmuths were conspiring. Meaning, it was obvious they would somehow use the dream mana eroding Jin-Hyun''s body as a part of their scheme.


    <i>Tsk... For now, I¡¯ll stay calm and see what they¡¯re going to do next.</i>


    Just then, they arrived at the training hall, so Se-Hoon deactivated Ethereal Vision, picked up a training sword, and stepped onto the tform. A few secondster, Sung-Ha joined him after grabbing a pair of training spears.


    ¡°How do you want to spar?¡± Sung-Ha asked.


    ¡°Oh. I get to choose?¡±


    ¡°The purpose is to show your skills to my master, so it''s only natural for me to match you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon made a strange face at Sung-Ha''s matter-of-fact response. Normally, he would just charge in and thrust his spears without discussion.


    <i>It''s kind of annoying that he only acts normally in front of Yeom Jin-Hyun.</i>


    He thought it would be nice if he always acted like this.


    Se-Hoon readjusted his grip on the sword. ¡°Then let''s fight a bit slower... about this fast.¡±


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    He swung his sword at a speed that was neither too fast nor too slow. It was a speed that the weakened Jin-Hyun could observe.


    Sung-Ha nodded. ¡°Seems good enough.¡±


    ¡°Good. Let''s match our mana usage as we see fit.¡±


    Readying themselves, the two exchanged nces before simultaneously pushing off the ground with their feet and swinging their weapons.


    <i>ng!</i>


    While Sung-Ha kept a firm distance andunched a calm barrage of attacks, Se-Hoon rushed in and defended himself. Like that, they exchanged a seemingly unending amount of blows, impressing Jin-Hyun, who was watching from below.


    ¡°Wow... there¡¯s not a single wasted movement. Has he already refined his skills to this level?¡±


    ¡°I didn''t teach him that. He refined it on his own. You see, he¡¯s overly obsessed with efficiency.¡±


    Jin-Hyun could hear the exasperation in Kwang-Soo¡¯s voice. Intrigued, he focused again on the sh.


    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>


    Currently, the two were locked in a close-up battle. Se-Hoon had just deflected Sung-Ha¡¯s thrust with minimal force and was countering with a thrust of his own. At that moment, Sung-Ha¡¯s other spear swung in, but Se-Hoon naturally changed the trajectory of his sword to deflect it.


    If Sung-Ha¡¯s style used one spear for defense and one for offense, Se-Hoon''s style allowed for free transition between offense and defense anytime, anywhere.


    It was a style that couldn''t be executed properly without sufficient experience, but he was performing it perfectly with optimal efficiency.


    <i>Was he able to stabilize my body in an instant by devising the most optimal method because he continuously analyzes his own body in the same way?</i>


    As Jin-Hyun kept watching, the sparring, which had been dragging, finally saw some changes.


    <strong><i>Celestial Infinity de: Golden Origin</i></strong>


    <i>Swish!</i>


    Recognizing the familiar aura given off by the golden sword formed in Se-Hoon''s previously empty right hand, Sung-Ha flinched. After quickly recovering, he narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Aria Myers?¡±


    ¡°Eh, I just copied it roughly from memory.¡±


    ¡°You''ve acquired something truly unpleasant.¡±


    Seeing Sung-Ha''s palpable difort, Se-Hoon chuckled and lightly spun the golden sword, which now resembled a slender rapier.


    ¡°It''s weaker than the original, so take this chance to strike me.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, when else can you feel like you''re beating Aria Myers?¡±


    Stunned silent, Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes twisted with anger when he understood the taunt. Livid, he enveloped the tips of his twin spears with fire mana and took his stance.


    ¡°I''ll take it as a request to step it up a notch since you''ve revealed your sword technique.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The two shed at a faster speed than before, sttering red mes and golden sword aura everywhere. The scene of Se-Hoon matching Sung-Ha''s dual spear technique with his own dual sword technique was an incredible sight, regardless of whether his opponent was going full force.


    ¡°What... what a monster...¡±


    Se-Hoon had acquired the Celestial Infinity de only a few months ago, yet he was wielding it as if it were his own creation. From just that alone, Jin-Hyun could tell Se-Hoonpletely understood sword aura.


    Throughout this sparring match, his abilities as both a swordsman and a cksmith were fully utilized without any waste.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The two continued to exchange relentless blows without yielding an inch.


    Watching them, Jin-Hyun felt both pride and a touch of sorrow; he remembered his own glorious days that were now long gone and unreachable.


    ¡°You should teach him well.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    At Jin-Hyun¡¯s suddenment, Kwang-Soo puzzledly nced over to see Jin-Hyun''s eyes still focused on the spar.


    ¡°Being able topletely pass down your technique is also a kind of blessing.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Feeling the weight of his oldrade¡¯s words, Kwang-Soo muttered, ¡°It''s not like I don¡¯t want to teach him...¡±


    Returning his gaze to the spar, Kwang-Soo watched their bout continue for over ten minutes.


    In the end, Sung-Ha''s superior stamina eventually secured victory.


    ¡°<i>Huff... huff....</i> This is so tiring...¡±


    Compared to Se-Hoon, who was drenched in sweat and struggling to catch his breath, Sung-Ha was calm. Internally, however, he was shocked.


    <i>How has he grown this much already?</i>


    Before, even if Se-Hoon matched his physical abilities, Sung-Ha could easily overwhelm him head-on. However, now, such a thing was no longer possible. In a full-power fight with his own weapons, he still had the advantage¡ªassuming Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t hiding anything.


    Had he been toocent? Thinking about his ownck of growth inparison, Sung-Ha was about to frown when Jin-Hyun spoke from below.


    ¡°Excellent.¡±


    He praised them with satisfaction.


    ¡°Even though you perfectly performed the basics of the Inferno Ring back then, it seemed a bitcking... but after witnessing your modified technique in actualbat, I¡¯m beginning to understand. With a bit more refinement, I think your technique could be a new version of the Inferno Ring.¡±


    Sung-Ha bowed his head in gratitude.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°And...¡±


    Turning to Se-Hoon, Jin-Hyun hesitated before asking curiously, ¡°Have you not learned Sword Control yet?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I''ve seen it before, but...¡±


    Before Se-Hoon could exin how he hadn''t had time to practice due to his busy schedule, Kwang-Soo interrupted with a wave of his hand.


    ¡°Don''t do anything stupid. It should be near impossible for you to use Sword Control properly without learning it thoroughly.¡±


    Though Kwang-Soo''s words were blunt, they were true. Regardless, Se-Hoon was still irritated by it.


    ncing between the two, Jin-Hyun suggested, ¡°Why not try making your own version without overthinking it? Just make it in a way that feels natural to you.¡±


    ¡°Natural?¡±


    ¡°Think of it like forging a piece of equipment that moves automatically to protect its owner. Try it with that kind of mindset.¡±


    Se-Hoon considered Jin-Hyun''s proposal.


    <i>As if forging a piece of equipment...</i>


    While his advice seemed a bit odd, Jin-Hyun''s long acquaintance with Kwang-Soo suggested his trustworthiness.


    ¡°Hey! What nonsense are you spouting?!¡±


    Turning to each other, Kwang-Soo protested Jin-Hyun''s unexpected advice. Yet it wasn¡¯t long before they both instinctively turned back to the training hall, sensing something from there.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Before their eyes, White Light was forming in the air, starting off as a skeletal structure before gathering white particles from all directions to fill in its gaps. Like fitting real weaponponents, the pieces fit together with precision,pleting it in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°What...¡± Kwang-Soo''s jaw dropped.


    He couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. A thin, razor-sharp sword floated in midair, not touching Se-Hoon''s hands.


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    Examining thepleted White Light floating with the help of Sword Control, Se-Hoon looked up lightly into the air.


    <i>Swish!</i>


    And the White Light sword shot up into the sky as if it had been waiting. Engrossed, Se-Hoon moved the sword freely around with his will.


    <i>This turned out to be more efficient than I thought.</i>


    Thanks to structuring it properly from the start, the mana required to keep the sword aura floating was minimal. And while the mental strain was significant, considering the numerous advantages Sword Control could provide, it wasn''t a bad trade-off.


    <i>Hmm... making a free-moving sword like this move autonomously might not be a bad idea.</i>


    Meanwhile, Kwang-Soo, who had been watching in a daze, finally snapped back to reality.


    <i>Could what Ha Baek-Yeon said really be true?</i>


    Seeing Se-Hoon effortlessly mimic the skills of others, just like Doppelganger, Kwang-Soo became both tense and excited. With such talent and ability, he might indeed be able to find that detestable demon.


    What had only been a possibility was now a certainty.


    <strong>[The bond with ''Ma Kwang-Soo'' has grown to Lv. 2.]</strong>


    <strong>[Since the bond has grown to Lv.2, a Rtionship has been established. Your Rtionship with ''Ma Kwang-Soo'' is currently ''Exploitation¡¯.]</strong>


    An information message appeared before Se-Hoon''s eyes.


    <strong>[Rtionship: Exploitation]</strong>


    <strong>[Many rtionships with people are made based on necessity, and there are quite a few who simply use others as tools. </strong>


    <strong>The form of this Rtionship varies greatly depending on the methods chosen by the respective parties, but as long as the conditions are all met, it can be an unbreakable Rtionship.</strong>


    <strong>*A Fatestone is created whenever the subject exploits you.</strong>


    <strong>*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases whenever the subject has gained useful benefits from you.</strong>


    <strong>*Currently created Fatestones: 1]</strong>


    <i>Hmm...</i>


    Seeing the message before him, Se-Hoon stopped the sword and nced at Kwang-Soo.


    The look in Kwang-Soo''s eyes was filled with a mixture of yearning and certainty; his previous ambiguous one had solidified.


    <i>I could use this Rtionship... but it¡¯s quite troublesome.</i>


    He began pondering how he wanted to interact with Kwang-Soo in the future.


    Jin-Hyun suddenly clutched his chest with a contorted face.


    <i>¡°Ugh!¡±</i>


    Startled out of their thoughts, both Se-Hoon and Kwang-Soo looked at him, while Sung-Ha quickly rushed down from the training tform.


    "Master! Are you alright?"


    ¡°<i>Grr</i>... medicine... get the medicine...¡±


    Seeing the pill bottle Sung-Ha pulled out, Se-Hoon''s eyes twitched.


    <i>Is that...</i>


    Feeling the same sensation he felt when he first saw Jin-Hyun today, he activated Ethereal Vision and saw that the state of Jin-Hyun¡¯s body had changedpletely.


    Unlike before, the previously dormant dream mana was now moving violently, squeezing his heart and organs. Switching his gaze to the pill that Sung-Ha had taken out, he could see a simr but slightly different type of dream mana that had eroded into Jin-Hyun¡¯s body.


    And when the pill entered his body, that distinct deep-purple mana spread through his entire body and formed a peculiar shape.


    <i>A magic array?</i>


    What could the magic array be for? Se-Hoon continued to watch warily, and it was long before the dream mana in Jin-Hyun''s body began to move again, this time with some of it naturally seeping into the previously unaffected brain.


    ¡°Phew... I¡¯m alright now. Thank you.¡±


    With faint purple glints in his eyes, Jin-Hyun reassured Sung-Ha before turning to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°You exercised Sword Control pretty well. How do you feel?¡±


    Without Ethereal Vision, it actually did seem like Jin-Hyun¡¯s condition had be better. However, Se-Hoon was not without it.


    Contemting for a moment, Se-Hoon decided to respond like he had never noticed a thing.


    ¡°I think it''s usable enough. Thank you for the guidance.¡±


    ¡°No need for thanks. Ah... I just remembered; I wanted to talk to you about something today.¡±


    Seemingly ¡°recalling¡± something, Jin-Hyun looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Would you be interested in visiting my home this weekend?¡±


    ¡°...You mean the main residence of the me Sect?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly; it''s the old main residence in the mountain where I live now. I¡¯d like to repay you for your help.¡±


    At this invitation to <i>leave </i>Babel and visit his ce, Se-Hoon wondered how much of his own will was in it.


    <i>And judging by the shape of that magic array...</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s mind raced, calcting what the opponent could be aiming for. And when he finished¡ª


    ¡°It would be an honor.¡±


    The result was that it was something he could handle easily.

 Chapter 163

    <h4>Chapter 163</h4>


    Within the main building of the Department of Spells, a ss was urring in a practice room. Pairs of students were facing each other, with a barrier formed around each pair.


    <i>Woong~</i>


    The barriers were all domed-shaped, and the floor of each one was drawn with a maze-like, intricate path. The task for each pair was to maintain the barrier together, with one standing in front of the path entrance and the other standing at the exit.


    <i>¡°Hmm...¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Ugh...¡±</i>


    Nearly every student was staring intently at their barrier¡¯s path, all of their barriers trembling faintly as they worked to make their paths increasingly moreplex.


    And passing by one such pair, who were diligently working on their barrier, was Professor Robert.


    <i>Thump! Crackle!</i>


    With a light stomp of his foot, red lightning-like magic struck the floor, impacting their path and instantly altering its form.


    <i>¡°Ah, ah...!¡±</i>


    ¡°Hey! Hold on tight!¡±


    Unable to resist, their previouslyplex path copsed in an instant, causing the dome of their barrier to begin to dissipate.


    Observing the two struggling to hold the half-copsed barrier together, Robert calmly gave them some feedback, saying, ¡°You two should have reinforced the supporting axis before expanding the internal structure. Also, try to adjust the path to respond to external attacks next time.¡±


    Done with this pair, Robert continued to walk around the practice room and evaluated the barriers of each pair.


    <i>The freshman this year seem to have at least the basics down. At this level, the midterm exam should be...</i>


    Still somewhat lost in thought, he arrived before another pair of students and lightly sent another red lightning bolt.


    <i>Crackle-</i>


    This time, however, the red lightning waspletely absorbed into the barrier and dispersed harmlessly. Surprised, Robert exited his thoughts and looked up.


    <i>Ah, it¡¯s these two.</i>


    Se-Hoon and Erika were reinforcing their barrier as if nothing had happened. Now intrigued, Robert observed theplexity of their barrier¡¯s internal structure¡ªthe path¡ªand was slightly impressed.


    <i>It wouldn¡¯t have been easy to match her pace... impressive.</i>


    The barrier the students were tasked with creating had a bnced structure, needing two individuals to hold the entrance and exit as focal points. That meant that if one of the two had even a slight superiority in knowledge or skill, it would be clearly indicated by the barrier.


    <i>He might actually be quite talented in this field.</i>


    Finding no major ws in their barrier, Robert put away his thoughts and moved on without further feedback.


    Left behind, the two continued to reinforce their barrier. When it was finallyplete, Se-Hoon sighed and took his eyes off the barrier.


    ¡°<i>Phew.</i> That was tough...¡±


    It was his first attempt at reinforcing a barrier. It was confusing due to its unfamiliarity, but he still managed to shape it as desired.


    ¡°So, how is it?¡±


    Prompted by Se-Hoon¡¯s question, Erika examined the barrier¡¯s structure. After a moment, she answered, ¡°There are quite a few techniques that are used in reinforcing buildings.¡±


    ¡°Ah, really?¡±


    Se-Hoon smiled wryly; he had likely inadvertently applied the techniques of the security systems he¡¯d seen while working with the Special Operations Division.


    ¡°Even considering that, it¡¯s not too bad,¡± Erika added, seeing his wry smile.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>. I see.¡±


    Even though it was his first properly constructed barrier, it was free of any major ws.


    With nothing left to do, they just watched their finished barrier. And since that was the case, Se-Hoon took the chance to ask, ¡°Are you able to take control of this in reverse?¡±


    ncing at him, Erika turned back to face the barrier and indifferently asked, ¡°How would you like me to do it?¡±


    ¡°It would be better if it¡¯s a subtle method.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Starting, Erika reached out her hand, and her mana began to spread slowly throughout the entire barrier. Although Se-Hoon could see the mana moving, because it felt like nothing was happening, he focused harder on the movement of the mana.


    ¡°Done.¡±


    <i>Crack!</i>


    With a light twist of Erika¡¯s extended hand, the entire maze began to shake. Simultaneously, the interior twisted andpletely changed.


    The overtaking had happened in just an instant, leaving Se-Hoon stunned.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    He was sure he hadn¡¯t missed any movements of mana, yet the barrier had still been taken over.


    Erika pointed to an area inside the barrier. ¡°See those pirs?¡±


    Following her finger, Se-Hoon saw a few silvery, glowing columns and squinted to get a closer look.


    ¡°I just connected them before reversing the flow of mana, allowing me to seize control of the barrier in one go,¡± exined Erika.


    ¡°Reversed, huh...¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon staring at the barrier while pondering her exnation, Erika became curious. So she asked, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, nothing much. I just might be in a situation soon where I''ll need to use something like this.¡±


    ¡°Are you going somewhere far away, likest time?¡±


    Realizing Erika was referring to their trip to ck Arms, Se-Hoon shook his head.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that big of a trip.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Musing over his answer, Erika pointed to another part of the barrier after a few seconds.


    ¡°Do you see the pir there?¡±


    Upon seeing that Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes followed her finger to a pir at the center of the barrier, she flicked her finger downward.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Unable to resist, the central pir copsed and created a hole. A secondter, silver mana swiftly infiltrated through it to form a new pir.


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    Reversing again, the barrier shook.


    Having watched the whole process, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes gleamed.


    ¡°You recreated the central pir in a reversed state and forcibly synchronized the entire barrier to it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a bit of a rough method, but even if you aren¡¯t able topletely take control of the barrier with this, you¡¯ll still be able to partially interfere with it. Depending on the situation, it can be useful.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> I see.¡±


    Unlike the former method which was tricky because it required subtlety to avoid detection, this method could be attempted anytime as long as one had a rough understanding of the barrieryout.


    Thinking both would be useful, Se-Hoon engrained them into his memory. And just as he finished, the bell announced the end of the ss.


    ¡°That¡¯s all for today. Make sure you remember that the midterm exam isn¡¯t far off and prepare thoroughly for it.¡±


    Done addressing them, Robert left the room first. Soon, he was followed by the students heading to their next ss.


    Se-Hoon turned to Erika.


    ¡°Thanks for the quick lesson today. If your methods work out well, I¡¯ll treat you to something next time.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    Thanking her again, he parted ways with Erika and checked the date on his phone when he stepped outside.


    <i>Thursday... two days left.</i>


    The n to visit the old main residence of the me Sect was scheduled for Saturday morning. And since it was in a mountainous area, he had to first travel via the Void Space Terminal. After that, he would take a car¡ªwhich he suspected would be when there was the highest possibility of an ambush.


    <i>I wonder how far they¡¯re going to go this time.</i>


    Given his growing amount of impact, there was a chance that they would send an S-rank hero to deal with him. If so, he would need to n ordingly. Deep in thought, he was soon interrupted by his phone.


    Ma Kwang-Soo: If you have no sses right now, drop by my lecture hall.


    <i>Hmm? What¡¯s this old man up to?</i>


    With no clue, Se-Hoon sent a reply and headed straight to the Physiology Controls lecture room.


    ***


    <i>Creak-</i>


    Upon opening the door to the Physiology Controls lecture room, Se-Hoon immediately saw Kwang-Soo sitting in a chair, looking unusually serious.


    Even more curious now, Se-Hoon approached him.


    ¡°I¡¯m here, sir.¡±


    ¡°Sit down.¡±


    Finding Kwang-Soo''s serious demeanor a bit odd, Se-Hoon brought over a chair and sat down.


    When he had, Kwang-Soo earnestly told him, ¡°Don¡¯t go out for the meeting this weekend.¡±


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s this about all of a sudden?¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon''s genuine confusion, Kwang-Soo frowned.


    ¡°What do you mean all of a sudden?! Have you forgotten the current situation you are in?¡±


    ¡°Uh... you mean all the attention I¡¯m getting?¡±


    ¡°Yes! You¡¯re a big target right now, and the Demon Force is especially eager to get you. If you leave Babel this weekend, what do you think will happen?¡±


    ¡°Hmm... it could be a bit troublesome.¡±


    ¡°<i>Troublesome</i>? You¡¯ll either end up dead, kidnapped and tortured, or turned into a material or a ve.¡±


    Kwang-Soo¡¯s tone was like he was trying to scare a naive child.


    Unfortunately for him, rather than fear, Se-Hoon became interested. It was due to it being the first time he saw Kwang-Soo worry so much about him.


    <i>Looks like the establishment of a Rtionship is having an effect.</i>


    Wondering how valuable he was to Kwang-Soo now, Se-Hoon decided to test it. He slyly asked, ¡°If you¡¯re <i>that </i>worried, why don¡¯t youe with me?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Seeing Kwang-Soo¡¯s frown, Se-Hoon pressed forward, acting nonchntly.


    ¡°As long as youe with me, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be safe. Besides, you¡¯re an old friend of Yeom Jin-Hyun, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°You...¡±


    Though clearly annoyed, Kwang-Soo didn¡¯t outright refuse and fell into thought instead. After a long pause, a sigh rang out.


    ¡°Do as you like.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean... you¡¯reing along with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Do I have to repeat myself?¡± confirmed Kwang-Soo irritably.


    <i>Huh. He¡¯s morepliant than I thought...</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes lit up at the thought that he could make use of Kwang-Soo¡¯s unexpectedly cooperative attitude in many future situations.


    ¡°But promise me one thing,¡± Kwang-Soo abruptly added.


    ¡°A promise?¡±


    ¡°You are to work with me on something this summer break.¡±


    It was a rather vague request, but Se-Hoon agreed without much hesitation.


    ¡°Sure, why not.¡±


    It might turn out a bit troublesome, but it meant Kwang-Soo would protect him until then. On top of that, it was a chance for Se-Hoon to ensure Kwang-Soo''s help in the future.


    Satisfied, Se-Hoon moved on, ¡°Is there anything else you need from me?¡±


    ¡°...No, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°See you this weekend, then.¡±


    Bowing, Se-Hoon left.


    ¡°Nothing goes as nned with that kid...!¡±


    Feeling as if he was somehow being used, Kwang-Soo scratched his head in frustration. Eventually, he let out a deep sigh of resignation and began preparations for the weekend trip.


    ***


    In front of the Void Space Terminal, Jin-Hyun, Sung-Ha, and Se-Hoon had arrived first. Kwang-Soo had appearedte, looking as if he had been dragged there reluctantly.


    ¡°Professor, why the long face?¡± snorted Se-Hoon.


    Grumpy, Kwang-Soo curtly told Se-Hoon, ¡°Shut up.¡±


    At that moment, Se-Hoon noticed the object strapped to Kwang-Soo''s back¡ªa long box wrapped in cloth. It made no sound as he walked, but he was still able to recognize it.


    <i>That should be Celestial Night.</i>


    Having seen Kwang-Soo carry his legendary sword like that several times before the regression, Se-Hoon was certain.


    <i>I didn''t think he¡¯d bring it...</i>


    Had Kwang-Soo judged the threat level to be high, or did he just want to ensure Se-Hoon¡¯s protection? Either way, it was a good thing that Kwang-Soo had brought Celestial Night along.


    ¡°Well, since everyone is here, let''s get moving.¡±


    It was Jin-Hyun¡¯s voice. He, whose health had deteriorated further in the past few days, was being pushed in a wheelchair by Sung-Ha.


    The four of them headed to Gangwon-Do in South Korea via the Void Space Terminal.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Upon exiting the terminal, a cold wind blew. Heroes with a certain level of physical ability wouldn''t react to such a temperature difference, but Jin-Hyun was different.


    ¡°I''ve arranged a car for us,¡± Jin-Hyun quickly said.


    Walking out of the terminal, they found arge sedan. Before getting in, Sung-Ha helped Jin-Hyun into the car. Naturally, Se-Hoon took the seat on Jin-Hyun¡¯s left, while Kwang-Soo sat in the passenger seat.


    <i>Vroom~</i>


    The car started toward the mountains normally, prompting Se-Hoon to look around the interior.


    <i>Given the possibility of the driver making a sudden move, Kwang-Soo should be in the front seat, but...</i>


    Now, he and Sung-Ha were ced with the ticking time bomb, Jin-Hyun, between them. Normally, it would be a situation to avoid, but Se-Hoon didn''t mind.


    <i>¡°Whew...¡±</i>


    Turning toward Jin-Hyun, Se-Hoon noticed he appeared drowsy from the pills he had taken moments ago. Currently, Jin-Hyun was ncing around slowly. Eventually, he focused on Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Thank you foring today...¡±


    All of a sudden? Se-Hoon looked at him and shook his head.


    ¡°We haven''t even arrived yet.¡±


    ¡°Right. Huh, I wonder why I¡¯m feeling this way...¡±


    Soundingpletely dazed, Jin-Hyun seemed as if he were about to nod off.


    ¡°I''m going to take a quick nap.... Please wake me up when we arrive...¡±


    Closing his eyes, Jin-Hyun fell asleep with his head slightly bowed. Seeing him like that, Sung-Ha checked his condition and ced a pillow behind his neck.


    At that moment, his limp hands fell and came into contact with Sung-Ha.


    <i>Buzz-!</i>


    His eyes glowed purple and thepressed dream mana in his heart exploded.


    <i>p!</i>


    Countless purple butterflies burst out in all directions, filling the inside of the car and breaking through the emergency protective barriers. Sitting in the passenger seat, Kwang-Soo¡¯s eyes widened a beatte.


    <i>Damn...!</i>


    He hadn¡¯t expected there to be a problem inside Jin-Hyun. Hesitating, he was wondering whether he should draw his sword and kill his old friend when another abnormality urred.


    <i>Vroom!</i>


    The driver, whose eyes rolled back, floored the elerator toward arge truck barreling toward them in the oppositene.


    Kwang-Soo was torn over which to deal with first. Then, just as he was about to decide, Se-Hoon, surrounded by purple butterflies in the back seat, decided for him.


    ¡°I''ll handle the one next to me.¡±


    Gazing at the back seat engulfed in a purple haze, Kwang-Soo hesitated. But a brief momentter, he turned his attention outside.


    He focused on the oing truck, rushing at them with cold determination.


    <strong><i>Celestial Infinity de: Wave Cleaver</i></strong>


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    Before it could collide with the car, therge truck was sliced into thousands of pieces, scattering in all directions.


    <i>Bam!</i>


    Knocking out the driver with a kick to the jaw, Kwang-Soo used Sword Control to bring the car to a screeching halt.


    <i>Screech!</i>


    When the car fully stopped, Kwang-Soo got out and surveyed the surroundings.


    Demons from all sides surrounded them, all seemingly having been waiting for this moment. At a nce, there were over a hundred of them.


    Taking in the sight, Kwang-Soo unwrapped the cloth around the box on his back and ced it on the ground.


    ¡°Come forth, Celestial Night.¡±


    <i>Swish-</i>


    A starry night sky enveloped the road.

 Chapter 164

    <h4>Chapter 164</h4>


    <i>Swish-</i>


    Purple, dreamlike mist spread in all directions, enveloping their surroundings in a blink of an eye.


    Caught in the mist, Se-Hoon surveyed his surroundings slowly.


    <i>I don¡¯t think I was teleported, since I can still feel my body in the car.</i>


    Looking again, the surroundings closely resembled reality, but there were definite differences. In that case, they were likely in a dream.


    Upon reaching that thought, Se-Hoon immediately activated Ethereal Vision.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    Dream mana surged in his eyes, and the scenery around him instantly shifted. Now able to adjust his focus back to reality, he gradually began to make out the backseat of the car. It was still shrouded in mist, and the unconscious forms of Jin-Hyun and Sung-Ha could be seen.


    <i>Looks like just our consciousness was targeted sincepletely teleporting human bodies is difficult.</i>


    Everything was going ording to his expectations, so Se-Hoon adjusted Ethereal Vision, choosing to delve deeper into the dream rather than wake up immediately.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    His consciousness plunged back into the dream as swiftly as it had escaped, and soon the purple mist dissipated to reveal a new scene.


    He found himself standing in a dark forest with no clouds in sight. Everything waspletely natural, including the way he stood and the way he was looking around.


    <i>A forest, huh...? Are they trying to deceive me into thinking this is real?</i>


    If the ones trapped in the dream realized where they were, the influence and control the perpetrator could exercise were more likely to diminish, so it was an understandable tactic.


    Understanding the situation, Se-Hoon started walking calmly.


    <i>Those two should be somewhere around here...</i>


    Then, just as he was about to search using Ethereal Vision, he sensed someone''s presence from up ahead.


    Soon, a person emerged.


    ¡°You...¡±


    Carrying Jin-Hyun on his back, Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes immediately widened with surprise upon seeing Se-Hoon. But it wasn¡¯t long before they quickly turned cold. Tensing, the muscles in his left arm tightened, ready to strike at any moment.


    Noticing, Se-Hoon calmly assured him.


    ¡°I''m not a fake, so don''t worry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got any proof?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to believe me, how can you trust that it¡¯s Yeom Jin-Hyun on your back? In situations like this, you need to eitherpletely distrust others or pretend to trust them and stay vignt.¡±


    At the lecture, Sung-Ha quietly stared at Se-Hoon before rxing the tension in his left arm.


    ¡°You must be real, given your annoying way of speaking.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do you know where this ce is?¡± Ignoring the question, Sung-Ha quickly shifted the topic.


    Aware of his intentions, Se-Hoon nced at Sung-Ha before scanning the forest.


    ¡°I''m not exactly sure. Seeing that it¡¯s nighttime, it could be a far-off ce.¡±


    He had decided to y along with the enemy''s setup, so didn¡¯t he have to pretend he knew nothing?


    However, Sung-Ha was unaware of all that. His expression hardened.


    ¡°They transported us so far...¡±


    He looked at Jin-Hyun on his back, worrying if something had happened to him during the transfer.


    <i>Even a normal person would suspect that their close ones betrayed them, yet he¡¯s still so devoted to his master.</i>


    If he had shown just a tenth of this attitude to others before the regression, he wouldn''t have earned the strange nickname ¡°Mad Dog.¡± It waspletely baffling to Se-Hoon.


    <i>Rustle-</i>


    The two men''s faces hardened instantly.


    A strange noise had suddenly reached their ears. Its source was both distant and near, impossible to pinpoint.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    They moved their bodies instantly¡ªthere were no allies here.


    <i>Shank!</i>


    Immediately after, two spears pierced the ground where they had stood. At the appearance of enemies, d in ck from head to toe, from beyond the trees, Se-Hoon looked toward Sung-Ha.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    Wasting no time, the two dashed in the opposite direction of their enemies. More had begun to appear from all sides, eachunching fierce spear attacks.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Each attack was clearly aimed at their legs rather than their vital points, making it obvious they were intending to subdue them.


    Sung-Ha''s eyes narrowed at the onught. While could easily fend off the attacks himself, he also had to protect the unconscious Jin-Hyun on his back, which made it a tough task.


    And as time passed, the attacks only grew fiercer instead of diminishing. Struggling against the tightening assault, Sung-Ha decided to turn and counter.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    However, before he did, Se-Hoon deflected a spear aimed at Jin-Hyun with a shield and shouted, ¡°I''ll cover your rear, so just keep running!¡±


    Trusting Se-Hoon, Sung-Ha pushed through the attacks and ran forward with Se-Hoon behind him, skillfully deflecting the attacks with his shield and hammer.


    <i>It doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯re trying to catch us.... Are they trying to immerse us in the dream?</i>


    The standard method to maximize the strength of attacks in such dream spaces was to confuse the target¡¯s perception with what was real. Yet, this pursuit seemed more about preventing them from realizing it was a dream.


    <i>Assuming that, their next move should be...</i>


    The relentless chase continued, and eventually, they broke into an open clearing. It was a bad ce to hide or escape.


    Instantly realizing the danger, Sung-Ha tried to dive back into the forest.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Unfortunately, a giant spear fell from the sky and blocked his path.


    <i>Thud, thud, thud!</i>


    Dozens of spears followed, raining down like arrows to force them deep into the clearing. When the spears stopped, they were surrounded by the dark forest, which hundreds or more enemies began to emerge from.


    At the sight of all the enemies, Sung-Ha gripped his short spears with a grim expression, and Se-Hoon readied his shield and hammer. The tension was palpable; it looked grim.


    A mocking voice echoed through the forest: ¡°You guys should give up already.¡±


    Following the voice, four figures then emerged from the shadows, parting the bushes. Unlike the other enemies d in ck from head to toe, the figures didn¡¯t hide their faces. They were all middle-aged, well into their fifties.


    ¡°Haven''t you done enough already?¡± sneered the man at the forefront.


    Recognizing him, Sung-Ha''s expression twisted with rage. All of them had been mentors who had worked for the me Sect since Jin-Hyun first established it.


    ¡°You scum...¡±


    ¡°Woah, woah. Such harsh words. But I can understand, seeing as how you''re still clinging to that old, worn-out corpse,¡± a mentor said dismissively, ncing at the unconscious Jin-Hyun.


    Looking back at Sung-Ha, he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you also find him pathetic? He sacrificed everything for humanity and the me Sect, yet he received nothing in return.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°It''s truly unfortunate but also inevitable at the same time. I mean, what can a powerless person aplish in this world¡ª¡±


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Before the mentor could finish, Sung-Ha had lunged forward, having handed the unconscious Jin-Hyun over to Se-Hoon. With the earth cracking beneath his feet, his twin spears erupted into a fiery, crimson ze, creating the feared ck me Wheels, a sight known only through rumors.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Twisting his lips into a smirk, Mentor Kwon Jang-Woon, swung his spear to meet the attack.


    <i>ng!</i>


    A shockwave shot out, uprooting trees and causing explosions all around. Standing amidst his mes, Sung-Ha''s eyes narrowed.


    <i>Is this...?</i>


    While it was true that Sung-Ha¡¯s initial strike was due to his uncontroble anger, it was also a strategic move. By reducing the number of the four mentors, he hoped to increase their chances of breaking through their encirclement.


    However, his attack was effortlessly blocked.


    ¡°What a sloppy form.¡±


    In fact, he was about to bepletely overwhelmed and pushed back.


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    Deflecting the spear aiming for his throat, Kwon Jang-Woon thrust his spear, wrapped in mes, toward Sung-Ha''s heart. The terrifying force behind it left Sung-Ha with no other choice but to cross his spears and have them resonate.


    <i>Bang!!</i>


    A shockwave exploded between them, flinging Sung-Ha back to the center of the clearing.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>...¡±


    ¡°Hah. I didn¡¯t expect you to block it so easily...¡±


    Kwon Jang-Woon knew for a fact that his strike just now would have skewered the other mentors without resistance. He truly admired Sung-Ha, who was staggering and unable toprehend the result.


    ¡°You bastard... what have you done?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°How did you suddenly improve so much after falling all the way to B-rank?¡±


    Even if a hero miraculously avoided any injuries throughout their entire career, it was impossible to escape aging. And Kwon Jang-Woon¡¯s was no exception. Though not officially reassessed, it was assumed he had fallen to B-rank. Yet, the strength he was disying right now was akin to his former A-rank, even nearing S-rank, self.


    Kwon Jang-Woon couldn¡¯t help butugh at the suspicion in Sung-Ha¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°<i>Haha</i>, isn¡¯t it obvious? It¡¯s because of enlightenment, of course.¡±


    ¡°...Enlightenment?¡±


    ¡°The advancement of rank, breaking the wall, progression in the inferno ring¡ªall of that which had stagnated for me for decades has finally moved forward.¡±


    Trembling in ecstasy, Kwon Jang-Woon looked down at his body. That attack allowed him to understand his current state had far surpassed the limit he had seen with the Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device. While such a sensation was fleeting in reality, here it felt undeniably part of him.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been bound by old customs, I could have reached S-rank long ago.... I wasted so much time...¡± His muttering was filled with a mix of regret, resentment, and anger.


    Sung-Ha¡¯s face hardened, sensing that something was off about him.


    <i>Did he be a demon?</i>


    Though his senses didn¡¯t detect any demonic aura in him, the strange, unrecognizable aura surrounding him suggested otherwise. Noticing it surrounded the rest of the mentors as well, Sung-Ha took a deep breath and gripped his spears tighter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold off these four somehow. Meanwhile, you escape with Master,¡± he quietly said to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°We have a better chance fighting together, though.¡±


    ¡°Then Master will die.¡±


    If they fought together, the unconscious Jin-Hyun would be leftpletely defenseless, and even the aftermath of their battle could be fatal to him.


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t care if the old man lived or died?¡±


    Given Sung-Ha¡¯s personality, there was definitely some truth to that statement. So why was he prioritizing Jin-Hyun over himself?


    Sung-Ha fell silent. A momentter, he calmly said, ¡°If the situation waspletely unavoidable... I would have done so.¡±


    ¡°And what about now?¡±


    ¡°If I just kill them all, both Master and I will survive through this.¡±


    With a glimmer in his eyes, Sung-Ha gripped his spears tightly and drew upon his full power.


    He then added, ¡°Since that case, there¡¯s no reason not to fight.¡±


    He was saying that he would kill all four mentors, who were likely all semi-S-ranks. His arrogance bordered on insanity, but he was fully convinced he¡¯d achieve it.


    <i>What nonsense.</i>


    Although Sung-Ha acted like he didn¡¯t care about those around him, he was actually nning to fight under the premise that he''d save everyone unless he was put in a life-or-death situation.


    <i>Well, at least he''s not surrendering immediately, so I guess it¡¯s decent enough.</i>


    Perhaps Sung-Ha¡¯s ¡°inevitable situation¡± meant surrender or something simr.


    Turning away from Sung-Ha, Se-Hoon looked around.


    <i>It''s obvious they¡¯re hiding somewhere around here... but they¡¯re not showing themselves.</i>


    Wondering if a bit more provocation would draw them out, Se-Hoon acted.


    ¡°If that''s what you want to do, don¡¯t worry. I have a hidden card up my sleeve,¡± he whispered to Sung-Ha.


    ¡°...What is it?¡±


    ¡°It''s something I got from the Chairman. With that, we can all teleport to safety far away from here.¡±


    Not missing the slight ebb in the air the moment he exined his ¡®hidden¡¯ move to Sung-Ha, Se-Hoon proceeded to reveal a gold ring on his right ring finger.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to use it now, so make sure you can run immediately after we get teleported.¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡±


    Having exined everything to Sung-Ha, Se-Hoon infused his mana into the Ring of Ascension, giving it a bright golden shine.


    <i>p.</i>


    And a purple butterfly immediately appeared on his right ring finger.


    ¡°What...¡±


    Right before their eyes, the ring disappeared from his finger and the butterfly fluttered into the air.


    Tracking it, they watched it naturallynd on the finger of a man, who appeared out of nowhere.


    ¡°I did suspect you had something up your sleeve, but I never imagined it would be this.¡±


    The man had pale purple skin, short ck hair, sharp horns protruding from his temples, and yellow pupils glowed eerily against his ck sclera. Se-Hoon¡¯s expression hardened at the man who was clearly a demon.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I''m Makif, in charge of Zone 17 of the Pleasure District. From now on, call me Chief Makif.¡±


    Done confidently introducing himself, Makif lightly grasped the butterfly on his finger.


    <i>Swoosh~</i>


    At the sight of the butterfly transforming back into the Ring of Ascension, Se-Hoon froze in shock.


    ¡°If I''d known you had something like this, I would''ve dealt with it in advance. You almost gave me a heart attack back there.¡±


    Gazing at Se-Hoon, Makif flicked the ring with his finger and slipped it into his pocket.


    Sung-Ha¡¯s face darkened at the sight. Not only had their only escape route vanished, but another enemy, seemingly as strong as the mentors, had appeared.


    <i>Is there any chance of escape left...?</i>


    Perhaps if he abandoned his master and cooperated with Se-Hoon, a glimmer of hope might remain. Torn, Sung-Ha clenched his fists.


    At that moment, Makif looked at the mentors across from him.


    ¡°I know it''s fun to y around with your prey, but let''s wrap this up. If we take too long, people mighte searching for them.¡±


    Though no one would actuallye in pursuit, disying too much leisure could arouse suspicion.


    Understanding, Kwon Jang-Woon clicked his tongue inwardly.


    ¡°Yes... we should.¡±


    ying around no longer, the mentors each drew their spears, while Makif gathered his dream mana, ready to eliminate any unexpected variables Se-Hoon might bring out.


    Facing the seemingly hopeless situation, Sung-Ha gripped his spears tight enough to turn his hands white. Then, he came to a decision.


    Looking at Se-Hoon, he barely squeezed out the words, ¡°Se-Hoon. Take Master and¡ª¡±


    ¡°<i>Ha.</i> What a shame.¡±


    Cutting Sung-Ha off, Se-Hoon helped Jin-Hyun to his feet and nonchntly muttered, ¡°If only we had a single S-rank hero assist us... then we wouldn''t be in such a helpless situation.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Completely confused, Sung-Ha turned to Se-Hoon, while Makif¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched.


    <i>How many aces does he have up his sleeve...?</i>


    Makif had a feeling that if he didn¡¯t stop them now, they would figure out they were in a dream. He tensed up.


    ¡°Don''t you think so too?¡± Se-Hoon asked Sung-Ha, turning to him.


    Bewildered, Sung-Ha reflexively replied, ¡°Uh... yeah.¡±


    If they had even a single proper S-rank hero or if Sung-Ha¡¯s master were in good shape, things wouldn¡¯t have turned this way.


    Satisfied with Sung-Ha¡¯s response, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°Heard that? Your disciple agreed so...!¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Surprising everyone, Se-Hoon drew the Phantasmal Spyde from his chest and swung it at Jin-Hyun in one swift motion.


    Reacting the moment he saw the mysterious-looking dagger, Makif quickly summoned his dream mana to use Dream Distortion. It was a skill that could transform an object into something entirely different¡ªwith a mere illusion. But it was enough to deceive his opponent for now.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    Like the Ring of Ascension earlier, the Phantasmal Spyde began to morph into a butterfly. Before Makif could steal it, however, Se-Hoon grabbed the transforming butterfly.


    ¡°I thought so.¡±


    Se-Hoon, with his eyes glowing purple, smirked.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    A burst of purple mes from his hand reverted the butterfly into the Phantasmal Spyde, causing Makif''s eyes to widen in shock. With the de back, Se-Hoon then plunged it into Jin-Hyun''s chest.


    <i>Woong~</i>


    The mes from the Phantasmal Spyde spread and enveloped Jin-Hyun¡¯s entire body. In the blink of an eye, the purple mes consumed him entirely, leaving everyone in the clearing utterly bbergasted, nkly staring.


    A momentter, the mes went out and everyone¡¯s attention was directed to Jin-Hyun''s charred corpse.


    From it, a faint murmur could be heard, ¡°I guess it can''t be helped...¡±


    <i>Boom-</i>


    The shell of Jin-Hyun''s body shattered, and a colossal figure emerged, crashing toward the enemies. The first to face the figure was Makif, who was still standing dumbfounded.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Makif''s eyes were filled with terror seeing the massive figure appear before him, moving faster than he could react.


    His body tried to reflexively dodge, but it was toote.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Without any special techniques, the giant¡¯s hands tore Makif''s limbs like paper, and its knife-like fingers pierced through his abdomen and vital points mercilessly.


    <i>¡°AAAAAAGH!¡±</i>


    Instead of a cry of shock, a scream of pain echoed as the incapacitated Makif copsed to the ground.


    With his body drenched in blood, the towering figure slowly turned to face the four mentors.


    ¡°You... you are...¡±


    ¡°This can''t be. It¡¯s... im-impossible...¡±


    A multitude of scars covered the giant¡¯s face, and its murderous aura reeked of blood. The mentors stared in horror at the hero who was once infamous for massacring countless demons in his active-duty days.


    ¡°...Long time, no see.¡±


    The S-rank hero, the me Demon, had been revived.

 Chapter 165

    <h4>Chapter 165</h4>


    When it came tobat in a dream, people often said that one¡¯s imagination was the determining factor; but that wasn¡¯t true. Regardless of how much power one¡¯s imagination bestowed on someone or something, it was still ultimately an illusion. Without the experience to firmly support it, it could easily be shaken or swallowed by another illusion.


    So since someone by his side had that experience, there was zero reason for Se-Hoon to fight the enemies withplicated ns. Instead, he just assisted Jin-Hyun in recalling his past experiences andpleting a dream transformation.


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    And the result of that was the Jin-Hyun¡¯s current state.


    ¡°...¡±


    The four mentors broke out into a cold sweat and froze, seeing Jin-Hyun¡¯s familiar past self towering before them. They had allpletely forgotten that they were in a dream. After all, even after decades had passed, every single feature of his was still vivid to them, from his gaze and stance to the waves of mana emanating from him.


    Their memories of how they sincerely believed in and followed him in their youth resurfaced, though he could see the contempt and envy currently in their eyes.


    Right now, all the mentors could do was look at him with wavering eyes.


    ¡°My hand feels... empty.¡±


    Looking down at his blood-soaked hands, Jin-Hyun clenched and unclenched them. After a few times, he looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Can you recreate a weapon for me?¡±


    ¡°Since we¡¯re still in a dream, you can create one yourself. You just need to imagine its rough shape.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Taking Se-Hoon¡¯s advice, Jin-Hyun visualized his weapon and lightly swung his hand toward the air.


    <i>Thwack-</i>


    He naturally caught the red spear that appeared like someone had thrown it at him. Jin-Hyun curiously observed it. It was indeed Sun Shooter, the spear he once used like a part of his body.


    ¡°This looks the same as I remembered.¡±


    Satisfied, he lightly spun the spear. And when its tip drew a circle, a wave of mana was shot toward the edge of the clearing. Timed perfectly, the moment that wave reached the forest, the tip of Sun Shooter scraped the ground and sparked a me.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Their surroundings were dyed red by the deafening explosion and resulting massive wall of fire. Jin-Hyun, who had casually instantly incinerated the monsters surrounding them, examined his work.


    ¡°Okay, they¡¯re all cleaned up.¡±


    Nobody was left besides the four mentors, who had survived by a hair¡¯s breadth, and Makif, whoy on the ground with his limbs severed.


    In an instant, the situation which had been in their favor had reversed, leaving Kwon Jang-Woon bewildered staring at the burning forest.


    <i>So this... is an S-rank...</i>


    It was a level of strength he couldn¡¯t even glimpse through the Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device. Clutching their spears, the throats of the mentors all grew dry upon seeing the overwhelming power that they couldn¡¯t even dream of surpassing.


    At that moment, Jin-Hyun called out to all of them.


    ¡°Kwon Jang-Woon.¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°Lee Baek-In.¡±


    Mentor Lee Baek-In, who stood next to Kwon Jang-woon, stiffened.


    ¡°Kim An-Jin.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°An Sung-Cheol.¡±


    They were all oncerades of Jin-Hyun, people who had fought together and were taught the Inferno Ring by him. Though they were currently in a pathetic state, for a moment, they felt like they had returned to the past as they silently watched their old teacher.


    Unfortunately, everything had already fallen apart. It was toote; they couldn¡¯t amend the situation with just a few words. And Jin-Hyun knew that as well.


    ¡°You guys said you reached enlightenment.¡±


    Gazing at the tip of his spear, Jin-Hyun, who had kept Sun Shooter lowered toward the ground, raised it until he met the mentor¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Show me.¡±


    At his briefmand, the mentors furrowed their brows and clutched their spears, drawing out their full strength.


    <i>Crack, snap!</i>


    Imagining their image of themselves, which was further corrupted by the Synesthetic Mindscape Projection Device, they turnedpletely into demons. Their muscles had grotesquely swollen, and mes sprouted all over their bodies.


    Quietly observing them, Jin-Hyun called out to his young disciple who was watching in a daze.


    ¡°Sung-Ha.¡±


    ¡°Y¡ªYes, sir!¡±


    Startled by Jin-Hyun¡¯s call, Sung-Ha had inadvertently answered in a dazed voice. He still couldn¡¯t fathom that his master in his prime had appeared before him; it was something he had only heard about in stories.


    Jin-Hyun brimming with power was too surreal.


    ¡°This may be the only time I get to show you... so watch closely.¡±


    Having realized this was an opportunity to show what he couldn''t before, Jin-Hyun summoned his past strength and lightly spun Sun Shooter.


    ¡°This is what you call the <i>true </i>Inferno Ring.¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    mes trailed behind the spinning spear tip, forming a giant ring of mes with multipleyers around Jin-Hyun.


    The ring of mes, created by condensing countless sparks, swirled and gathered at the tip of Sun Shooter before coiling up Jin-Hyun''s entire right arm. Sun Shooter, now heated by the mes and transformed into a burninget, disyed its fearsome power.


    Ready, Jin-Hyun faced the mentors who had summoned all their mana and had begun to charge. Their human reason had vanished entirely, leaving only murderous intent and survival instinct. Seeing their utterly deteriorated states, Jin-Hyun gripped the spear shaft so tightly that it seemed to be on the verge of shattering.


    <strong><i>Inferno Ring, Ultimate Move: Scorching Heaven</i></strong>


    He thrust the red spear, burning fiercely like the sun, straight ahead.


    <i>Woosh-</i>


    Neither the fully reinforced spears nor the bodies of the demonized mentors could withstand the force of Sun Shooter¡ªeverything turned into ash. Yet Sun Shooter continued its course, reaching far toward a distant mountain.


    <i>BOOOOM!</i>


    A gigantic pir of fire erupted, scorching even the sky; the bted roar and terrifying heatwave arrived a momentter.


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    Gazing at the pir of fire that burned the huge mountain like kindling, Sung-Ha¡¯s jaws dropped.


    The pure strength and skill contained in the attack were both overwhelmingly superior to even anything he could imagine possibly mustering.


    <i>This is... the me Demon, Yeom Jin-Hyun.</i>


    His master¡¯s prime, forgotten by all but certainly existent, was now an unforgettable sight for Sung-Ha.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    Turning to his master, Sung-Ha watched as dream mes began to sprout all over Jin-Hyun''s body. Sun Shooter had disappeared, and the me Demon was reverting to his original state. Startled, Sung-Ha hurried to his master''s side to support him.


    ¡°Master...!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m just returning to what I am...¡±


    Calming Sung-Ha, Jin-Hyun turned his head toward him.


    ¡°Did you etch it in your memory?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now don¡¯t forget it.¡±


    Tired, Jin-Hyun leaned on Sung-Ha, his body now fully returned to its original state.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    With Jin-Hyun¡¯s reversion, the mes burning the forest also began to subside, and the chaos gradually came to an end.


    <i>Have all the stupid mentors died? If so, I can now choose the best option of escaping alone.</i>


    Realizing everything had ended, Makif, who had been lying limp like a corpse, closed his eyes and assessed the situation.


    Jin-Hyun had reverted to his original form, but he wasn¡¯t sure what would happen if that guy, Se-Hoon, intervened again.


    Since that was the case, Makif began his quick getaway. However...


    ¡°Where do you think you''re going?¡±


    <i>Thud!</i>


    He was stopped by Se-Hoon¡¯s hand piercing through his back.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    ¡°<i>Ugh...</i>!¡±


    Twisting his hand, Se-Hoon clutched Makif¡¯s heart, and at that moment, the entire dream they were in began to shake.


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    The dark sky turned to daylight, and the forest and clearing transformed into a bustling city street. In the blink of an eye, the surroundingspletely changed. Stunned into silence, Makif even forgot the paining from his heart.


    <i>Did he reverse the spell by force and take control...? What kind of brutish method is this?</i>


    The act of reversing the spell itself was exceedingly crude, meaning stabilizing his control afterward should have been incredibly difficult. It was extremely aggressive and inefficient, yet his opponent had somehow seeded effortlessly.


    <i>Something... something has seriously gone wrong...</i>


    Realizing that the current situation and the investigation results about Se-Hoon were beyond his expectations, Makif tried to muster his dream mana to escape.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Again, however, he was stopped by Se-Hoon, who had swiftly dug his hand deeper into Makif¡¯s body and grasped his mana source.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Using dream transformation, Se-Hoon once again blocked Makif¡¯s spellcasting by making him writhe in pain and scream in agony. Unlike how Makif neatly transformed things into butterflies before in the car, the madman behind him was transforming everything he could into pure pain and stuffing it directly into him.


    <i>How... is he pulling... off something like this? Gah-</i>


    Just how ustomed to pain must he be to recreate it so easily? Realizing his opponent was no ordinary lunatic, Makif hastily tried to end his agony by speaking.


    ¡°Stop... no more...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I don¡¯t want to waste more energy on you either, so let¡¯s get straight to the point.¡±


    Looking down at Makif, Se-Hoon activated Ethereal Vision and began his questioning.


    ¡°What did the Pleasure Districtmission from the Barmuth family?¡±


    ¡°That...¡±


    Seeing Makif hesitate, Se-Hoon squeezed his heart again.


    ¡°<i>Urgh...</i>!¡±


    The pain from reversing his blood flow filled Makif¡¯s head instantly, dimming his consciousness and making his vision go white.


    <i>Crunch.</i>


    But when his heart was squeezed again, his consciousness instantly snapped back.


    Se-Hoon looked down at him and coldly dered, ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll reverse your blood flow for ten minutes.¡±


    In reality, he would die from that, but they were in a dream. Terrified by Se-Hoon¡¯s threat, Makif¡¯s eyes trembled and he bit his lip.


    Giving in, he hurriedly answered, ¡°Expansion! They¡¯remissioning the Expansion project!¡±


    ¡°Expansion project?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a project to expand the entire Pleasure District. They outsourced some of it to the Barmuths.¡±


    The exnation fascinated Se-Hoon.


    <i>An expansion at this time... how unexpected.</i>


    Even the Pleasure District, an illusory city built on the boundary of dreams and reality, couldn¡¯t expand without the proper materials. Se-Hoon remembered several attempts to expand the Pleasure District before the regression, but they had all been muchter.


    <i>The Mirror of Demons was for material acquisition, then.</i>


    The best material for the Dream Demon to expand with was living beings with demonic auras inside them. More specifically, it was their dreams. And since the Mirror of Demons increased demons, it wasn¡¯t hard to connect the dots.


    <i>But demons are known to be inefficientpared to their usefulness in battle, so they usually used monsters back then.... What''s going on?</i>


    Did they have an urgent reason to expand? Putting aside his questions for now, Se-Hoon continued the interrogation and asked, ¡°Is there any other project the Pleasure District is preparing besides the Expansion?¡±


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know... I was quickly selected as a district chief just for the expansion...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already aware of that, seeing as how you were assigned to a two-digit district. What I¡¯m asking is if you noticed anything unusual.¡±


    Looking down at the intimidated Makif, Se-Hoon changed his approach and became more gentle.


    ¡°As a district chief, you must have seen or heard <i>something</i>. What do you think is happening?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Think carefully. Depending on the situation, you and I could be on good terms for now.¡±


    Feeling hope, Makif bit his lip and thought deeply.


    Then, upon recalling something, he cautiously said, ¡°Come to think of it, the supply of hero prosthetics on the market suddenly increased one day.¡±


    ¡°Hero prosthetics?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They seemed to have been imported from outside and supplied to the upper districts, but I don¡¯t know where they¡¯re used¡ª¡±


    Makif¡¯s words suddenly cut off, and an ominous force began to stir within him. The swelling power, which was thicker and more alien than usual dream mana, belonged to the Dream Demon who bestowed it upon him when he became a district chief. It seemed she realized the situation.


    <i>¡°Tsk.¡±</i>


    Se-Hoon swiftly pulled his hand out.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Along with his hand, Se-Hoon had extracted the power of the Dream Demon from Makif, causing the swelling force to recoil in surprise. But Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t one to give a chance to act; he immediately summoned his Dream me and incinerated it cleanly.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Most would have reacted too slowly, giving the Dream Demon a chance to pull a trick. However, Se-Hoon had been watching from the start with Ethereal Vision, so he could respond immediately.


    <i>This one¡¯s... done for.</i>


    Makif¡¯s expression, which had been normal until a moment ago, turned nk. From how he looked like his soul had been drained, it seemed that he was deeply connected to the power of the Dream Demon.


    <i>Well, it can¡¯t be helped.</i>


    He had achieved his primary goal, so Se-Hoon promptly incinerated Makif¡¯s body with his Dream me.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Engulfed in violet mes, Makif turned to ash and vanished. With the caster of the dream spell gone, the dream began to shake.


    Se-Hoon could maintain it a bit longer if he wished, but there was no reason to.


    He immediately approached Jin-Hyun and Sung-Ha.


    ¡°We¡¯re going back to reality now, so stay calm, okay?¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Answering in ce of the exhausted Jin-Hyun, Sung-Ha watched the roads split and reveal an overt disy of violet energy.


    They all now knew they were in a dream, so the boundary copsed.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Their surroundings reverted to the backseat of the car.


    <i>¡°Phew...¡±</i>


    Se-Hoon, the first to recover, looked to his side.


    The dream mana flowing from Jin-Hyun¡¯s body hadpletely disappeared, and fortunately, he seemed to have no physical illness.


    <i>It should take a little longer for them to wake up.</i>


    Confirming that there were no problems with the two, Se-Hoon opened the backseat door and stepped outside.


    ¡°...Wow.¡±


    There weren¡¯t any traces of the original road. Except for the spot where the car was, there was no sign of asphalt, and the surroundings were thoroughly ravaged. The smell of blood wafted through the air.


    <i>Looks like he used Celestial Night.</i>


    He could see the distinct marks carved on the ground that indicated a downpour of sword aura. If he had used that, there had to be a few A-ranks, if not S-ranks, among the demons that ambushed them.


    Scanning the traces of the battle, his eyes naturally looked toward the front of the car.


    ¡°...¡±


    There, Kwang-Soo sat on the car bo with a long wooden box on hisp. And a beatter, he sensed Se-Hoon¡¯s presence and turned his head to look at him.


    But after just a nce, Kwang-Soo furrowed his brows and looked forward again.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m going to start charging you for security personality fees from now on.¡±


    His grumbling contained a hint of discontent.

 Chapter 166

    <h4>Chapter 166</h4>


    Se-Hoon and hispanions immediately returned to Babel. With everything that happened, it was dangerous to stay outside, and more importantly, Jin-Hyun''s condition had worsened.


    ¡°There''s nothing seriously wrong with his current condition, but his mana circuits have weakened considerably. He should rest and receive treatment for a few days.¡±


    Thankfully, there was no major issue with Jin-Hyun¡¯s body, but he was still hospitalized at Askus for treatment. And while he was recuperating, the Heroes Associationunched arge investigation.


    Their first target was the me Sect, the suspect behind the incident. Given the involvement of the Demon Force, a special task force was dispatched to conduct a thorough investigation.


    But the results were disappointing. The investigation concluded that the incident was all just a personal vendetta carried out by heroes who just happened to be affiliated with the me Sect; they and their associates had all been apprehended.


    Of course, no evidence of the me Sect working with the Pleasure District was found either. Instead, it was discovered that inside information had been leaked from within the perpetrators'' homes.


    In the end, the me Sect was cleared of suspicion amidst criticism that it was an ipetent group unable to manage its people. It stirred a lot of talk.


    ¡°Is it true that the mentors who have been with the organization for decades really colluded with the Demon Forces?¡±


    ¡°I was aware that the me Sect wasn''t what it used to be, but I didn''t think it was this bad...¡±


    It was a severe blow to the me Sect¡¯s public image, but that was all. It fell short of being a decisive strike.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Lying on the porch, Se-Hoon disinterestedly scrolled through the news articles from the past few days.


    <i>So, this is all they can achieve, then.</i>


    He had an inkling as to how the incident would end when the me Sect''s mentors openly revealed themselves, but it ended more anticlimactically than he had imagined.


    With the investigation nearing an end, Se-Hoon shifted his focus to other news. At that moment, Sung-Ha, who was practicing with a spear in the yard, suddenly asked, ¡°What happened to them?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>? Ah, you mean the mentors?¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Instead of confirming, Sung-Ha continued swinging his spear.


    His lofty demeanor irked Se-Hoon, but he still replied, ¡°They were all sent to a detention center. I heard they were all diagnosed as brain dead.¡±


    To fight Jin-Hyun, the four mentors transformed themselves into demons and were obligated in that state. While it had all happened in a dream, their experience was so mentally taxing that they couldn''t endure their deaths and ended up in a vegetative state.


    ¡°...¡±


    Staying silent, Sung-Ha continued swinging his spear. Even though the mentors who attacked them sided with Won-Ryong after Jin-Hyun retired, they were all original members of the me Sect. Regardless of how they thought, their rtionship wasn''t bad enough to justify such betrayal.


    <i>He must have a lot going on in his mind.</i>


    Though Sung-Ha normallycked empathy and consideration, his self-centered self had a soft spot when it came to Jin-Hyun. The incident had definitely given him a lot to think about.


    <i>Still, he should at least treat his guests properly.</i>


    Shaking his head at how Sung-Ha didn¡¯t care about his presence, focusing only on his spear practice, Se-Hoon observed his surroundings.


    Surrounded by vegetation, the traditional building felt more atmospheric than the private training room in Babel he had seen before.


    They were currently in the old residence of the me Sect; he had tagged along to visit when Jin-Hyun had been discharged. Here, the natural breeze pleasantly tickled his face, and the view of trees, forests, and mountains beyond the fence made a picturesque scene.


    <i>So this is how it was when the building was still standing.</i>


    He recalled the sight of Mad Dog sitting on the charred remains amidst the deste, burned scene, staring into the distance.


    Just then, Sung-Ha, who was swinging his spear, finally broke his silence.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    Caught off guard by the sudden thanks, Se-Hoon looked at him in confusion. A beatter, Sung-Ha, who hadn¡¯t stopped swinging his spear, nonchntly exined, ¡°Without you, I wouldn''t have been able to see my master in his past self.¡±


    Having only heard stories of his master¡¯s past from others until now, just a glimpse of his master¡¯s prime filled Sung-Ha with a myriad of emotions. He felt joy upon seeing how powerful his master was, awe upon realizing he was the me Sect''s ultimate strength, and serenity from finding a clear path for his own Inferno Ring.


    Most importantly, it felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted, which resolved many worries at once.


    ¡°I used to vaguely think my goal was to grow stronger and lead the me Sect, but now I have a clear goal.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what is it?¡±


    ¡°To reach the level Master reached in his past.¡±


    Reaching that level and leading the me Sect then would be the best way to honor his master¡¯s will and strength.


    Making a small smile, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°That''s a pretty good goal.¡±


    ¡°So, I want to thank you again. Thank you, truly.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes twitched. He would likely have just epted the unreserved gratitude from anyone else, but when it came from the insolent Sung-Ha, it felt suspicious and out of ce.


    Feeling a strange chill, Se-Hoon responded, ¡°Instead of just expressing your gratitude in words, why not show some sincerity.¡±


    ¡°Sincerity...¡±


    After a moment of contemtion, Sung-Ha seemed to havee up with a great idea.


    ¡°I''ll allow you to dy payment and receive my help.¡±


    ¡°...Dy payment?¡±


    ¡°In case there''s a moment when you can''t prepare your part of the deal in time.¡±


    Sung-Ha, who had been swinging his spear, finally stopped. He turned to look at Se-Hoon with a slight smirk.


    ¡°Then I''ll make an exception and give it to you in advance.¡±


    <strong>[The bond with ''Yeom Sung-Ha'' has grown to Lv. 3.]</strong>


    <strong>[Since the bond has grown to Lv.3, the existing Rtionship has deepened.]</strong>


    <strong>[Rtionship: Transaction]</strong>


    <strong>[A Rtionship built on transactions, where both parties exchange equal value, may be found by some to be a bit cold, but the story changes once trust is established.</strong>


    <strong>Trusting someone enough to ept dying payment without coteral means the Rtionship has be significantly stronger. If this trust deepens further, the Rtionship can evolve beyond mere transactions.</strong>


    <strong>*A Fatestone is created with each established transaction.</strong>


    <strong>*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases during an ongoing transaction.</strong>


    <strong>* The probability of the subject¡¯s synesthetic mindscape manifesting inside the Fatestone increases for the period a credit rtionship with you is maintained.</strong>


    <strong>*Currently created Fatestones: 0]</strong>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyebrows shot up in shock at the notification messages in front of him.


    <i>A level three rtionship? With Yeom Sung-Ha of all people?</i>


    He doubted everything in an instant. Was stopping the attack, perhaps even the whole regression, an illusion created by the Dream Demon¡¯s subordinate?


    <strong>[Activating Awakening Dream]</strong>


    <i>Whoosh-!</i>


    Se-Hoon felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. Realizing it was his skill detecting signs of mental contamination, he epted it was no dream.


    <i>Well... this is really unexpected.</i>


    All he had done was choose the most efficient method to get them out of the dream safely. He had no idea Sung-Ha would have been impacted this much.


    Still a bit in disbelief, he reviewed the details of the deepened Rtionship again. It was during this that he suddenly realized something and looked at Sung-Ha.


    ¡°Wait a minute. Were you nning to ignore me if I didn¡¯t prepare my part of the deal until now?¡±


    Genuinely puzzled, Sung-Ha looked at him and asked, ¡°Is there a reason you¡¯re asking such an obvious question?¡±


    ¡°What the.... Hey. I''ve been giving you advances all this time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you never asked for the payment. I was always ready to pay.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon knew Sung-Ha wasn¡¯t wrong, but Sung-Ha¡¯s tone and expression made something snap inside Se-Hoon. Abruptly standing up, Se-Hoon gestured toward Sung-Ha with his hand.


    ¡°Hand me a spear.¡±


    ¡°You want to spar with me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Feeling a surge of bloodlust for the first time in a while, Se-Hoon looked at Sung-Ha.


    ¡°I think someone needs a good beating right now.¡±


    To teach Sung-Ha manners, he had to do it either through Jin-Hyun or by directly beating them into him. Filled with determination, Se-Hoon took the spear from the curious yet nonchnt Sung-Ha.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but try not to overexert yourself.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Sounding genuinely innocent, Sung-Ha responded, ¡°Anyone challenging me with a spear must have something wrong with their head. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to tell you not to push yourself too¡ª¡±


    ¡°You''re so dead!!!¡±


    <i>Boom!!!</i>


    Se-Hoon lunged, and soon, the courtyard echoed with continuous, loud crashes.


    Meanwhile, Kwang-Soo, watching the two from a distance, was making a peculiar expression.


    ¡°I see they¡¯re getting along.¡±


    Leaving the two with a mutter that would irritate Se-Hoon if he heard it, Kwang-Soo headed to the back of the house. Walking around, he soon arrived at a small garden and casually began talking to Jin-Hyun, who was resting on a bench.


    ¡°Those two are busy brawling it out, so I just came here.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then I''ll call them after their spar is over.¡±


    Extremely calm, Jin-Hyun poured some tea.


    ¡°Would you like a cup?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Without a making second offer, Jin-Hyun quietly sipped his tea. Sitting beside him, Kwang-Soo silently gazed at the garden. The serene scene continued until Jin-Hyun almost finished his tea.


    ¡°You have less than a year left, don¡¯t you?¡± asked Kwang-Soo softly.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°There''s no way you could be fine after that much dream mana corroded your body.¡±


    It was just like Kwang-Soo said. Though Jin-Hyun had told Sung-Ha there were no issues, his health was far from good. His organs especially had drastically deteriorated.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of time. This was bound to happen.¡±


    He had already been in a state where hospitalization was rmended due to the possibility of copse at any moment. As such, bing a terminal patient with less than a year to live didn¡¯t faze him.


    But it did faze Kwang-Soo. He frowned.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    ¡°Please try to understand. I don¡¯t want to hold back a disciple who has finally envisioned his own path.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Kwang-Soo hesitated to say anything. Could he guarantee he wouldn¡¯t act the same way in Jin-Hyun''s situation?


    <i>¡°...Tsk.¡±</i>


    Everyone had their priorities, and for Jin-Hyun, his disciple''s future came before his own ticking life.


    ¡°When hees to meiningter, I''ll beat you up, so be prepared.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Smiling at the blunt response, Jin-Hyun nced down at his hand. Despite it being an almost empty teacup, his hand was faintly trembling. Comparing this frail state to the brief return of his prime, he tightly grasped the cup.


    Changing the topic, he questioned the disgruntled Kwang-Soo beside him.


    ¡°Have you given up on climbing a Tower of Heroes?¡±


    A brief silence fell before Kwang-Soo answered, ¡°I haven¡¯t given up yet. I just have more urgent matters to handle.¡±


    ¡°You mean Doppelganger.¡±


    At Kwang-Soo¡¯sck of denial, Jin-Hyun finished his tea.


    ¡°Even if I tell you to give up and focus on the summit, you won''t listen, right?¡±


    ¡°...Stop trying to make me repeat an exnation for something you already know I won¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not much time left for me, so I assumed it was okay.¡±


    ¡°This bastard...¡±


    Defeated by Jin-Hyun¡¯s yful words, Kwang-Soo sighed deeply.


    ¡°I need to deal with that matter to climb a Tower of Heroes.


    ¡°Is that what you think?¡±


    ¡°No, Baek-Yeon and Ludwig told me so.¡±


    ¡°If those two said so, it must have some basis.¡±


    As Perfect Ones, their advice was not to be ignored. If they both agreed on something, there was likely a significant reason behind it.


    Jin-Hyun observed his oldrade, who had grown even stronger; Kwang-Soo was a stark contrast to himself, who was gradually withering away. In time, Kwang-Soo would eventually sumb to time as well, but he had a chance to break through his limits and reach far beyond.


    ¡°...Don¡¯t you ever give up.¡±


    Hearing the raw emotions in those words, Kwang-Soo turned to look at him. But Jin-Hyun had already turned to face the mountain beyond the face, staring at the peak with many emotions crossing his face.


    ¡°Being forced to give up... is quite a miserable experience.¡±


    Revealing a part of himself he wouldn¡¯t show his disciple, Jin-Hyun spoke with a mix ofplicated emotions.


    Deeply understanding the weight in Jin-Hyun¡¯s words, Kwang-Soo turned his gaze back.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    cing his empty teacup down, Jin-Hyun touched his trembling hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief...¡±


    ***


    In a city shrouded in a faint purple mist, numerous luminescent lights eerily lit up on the bizarre, physics-defying tall buildings. Standing at the top, countless beings could be seen walking around with lethargic expressions on the streets below. This was District One, the origin and hub of the Pleasure District.


    Within a conference room with a towering skyscraper at its center, Felix spoke confidently to his audience.


    ¡°Through this incident, information about our bait has spread, significantly increasing our clientele. At this rate, we can easily meet twice the initial quota you requested.¡±


    The woman with deep purple hair sitting at the head of the table, the Dream Demon, stared at him. She wore a faint, gentle smile, but her eyescked amusement. But despite the unsettling gaze, Felix maintained hisposure.


    ¡°So?¡± In anguid voice, the Dream Demon continued, ¡°Does this mean the operation was a sess?¡±


    It was a normal question, but Felix knew it was closer to a reprimand. He tensed, maintaining the smile.


    ¡°We did suffer some initial damage due to inadequate response, but we managed to cope adequately...¡±


    ¡°28 A-rank heroes. Plus, 279 individuals who supported or traded with them. They also cleared out those who had infiltrated small to mid-sized <i>and</i>rge guilds across Europe."


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, the Mirror of Demons has been secured by the Heroes Association, putting us under surveince.... Do you truly think this will benefit our influx of material for the Expansion?¡±


    Even if a few of the heroes they were cooperating with were captured, it would likely still have been manageable if the Mirror of Dreams had not been discovered. Yet it had, and its exposure was highly detrimental to their expansion ns.


    If potential high-value clients became wary of being tainted by the demonic aura of the Mirror of Dreams, they might even be unable to acquire enough materials.


    Backed into a corner, Felix broke out into a sweat and forced a smile.


    ¡°On the contrary, it means those still on our side are pretty secure. Madame, you know how much of a pain those half-heartedly involved can be.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    ¡°Those so-called heroes, even when they fall into decline and are stuck in their own world, still pride themselves as humanity¡¯s protectors. To effectively use such people as material, it¡¯s more convenient to deal with those who have already been thoroughly broken and tainted.¡±


    Though the number of potential clients might decrease, the quality of the remaining ones would exceed expectations.


    The Dream Demon intently watched Felix, who continued to smile desperately.


    ¡°Of course, we willpensate you for the damages our mistakes cause in our future transactions.¡±


    At this, the Dream Demon smiled more gently.


    ¡°You seem to be a bit better than the guy before.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Bowing, Felix trembled slightly. Nothing pleased him more than being considered better than his arrogant brother.


    ¡°Still, I hope you¡¯ll be more cautious in the future. It¡¯s not a pleasant experience to lose one of your own kids, no matter how weak he was.¡±


    Losing Makif, who had died during the ambush on the car, was minor, but he was still someone personally selected by the Dream Demon for his talents.


    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±


    Still smiling, she replied, ¡°Good. I look forward to it.¡±


    ¡°I''ll be leaving now, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Finished with his report, Felix bowed his head before exiting the conference room.


    Once he had left, the Dream Demon rose from her chair and the surroundings blurred. Now standing in a luxurious hospital room, she moved to the bedside.


    <i>¡°Ah... ugh...¡±</i>


    Looking down at Makif lying on the bed, continuously groaning, the Dream Demon¡¯s yellow eyes glowed eerily. A secondter, a purple butterfly emerged from Makif''s forehead, fluttering up to the Dream Demon¡¯s fingertip.


    Uponnding, a purple mist arose before her eyes to reveal several hazy scenes. Makif¡¯s body crushed to the floor, his mana not obeying hismands, and the indifferent gaze of someone¡¯s hypnotic purple eyes.


    When thest one appeared, the Dream Demon felt her heart race. It didn¡¯t matter that she couldn¡¯t see who it was.


    <i>That... is definitely Ethereal Vision.</i>


    It finally made sense. Ethereal Vision made easily subduing Makif andpletely isted her power''s interference possible.


    <i>I never imagined Babel would have such a talented person.... Could it be the same person who subdued that Singh I sent as a courier?</i>


    Back then, she had just thought the person breaking the seal she had imnted in Amir¡¯s heart waspetent, but now she found herself wanting that talent.


    <i>Who could it be...</i>


    She guessed it was either Se-Hoon, who was at the scene, or someone secretly ced by one of the Perfect Ones. Either way, both possibilities were worth exploring. And after a bit of thought, she came to a decision.


    <i>I need to look inside Babel.</i>


    With the expansion project underway, acquiring such valuable material was crucial. Deciding it was time to act more aggressively, the Dream Demon immediately acted.


    ¡°About the Babel infiltration we discussed earlier, elerate the n,¡± she whispered to the air.


    <i>¡°Understood.¡±</i>


    Hearing the reply echo in her ear, the Dream Demon, satisfied, nced down again.


    ¡°...¡±


    Makif waspletely motionless, not even groaning anymore. By transforming part of his mind into a butterfly to view his memories, she hadpletely shattered his psyche.


    Gazing at his pitiful state, the Dream Demon fell into thought briefly.


    ¡°<i>Hm...¡±</i>


    Then, she smiled.


    ¡°I can take a glimpse at it twice more.¡±


    If she could find clues about the individual with Ethereal Vision, she didn¡¯t care what happened to Makif.


    Turning, the Dream Demon silently vanished from the hospital room.

 Chapter 167

    <h4>Chapter 167</h4>


    ¡°<i>Ugh...</i>¡±


    Se-Hoon winced as he stretched his body. He ached all over due to yesterday''s sparring session, which had essentially been him getting beaten up by Sung-Ha.


    <i>How could a third-year try so hard to win against a first-year...</i>


    Both now and in his past, Sung-Ha was a narrow-minded person who would often boast about going all out against even the young and elderly.


    Stretching, Se-Hoon worked to loosen his bruised body as he headed to the living room. When he arrived, he spotted Kwang-Soo and Jin-Hyun enjoying tea.


    Looking at Kwang-Soo first, Se-Hoon remarked, ¡°I see you¡¯re up early?¡±


    ¡°Well, the bed was quite ufortable.¡±


    Kwang-Soo¡¯s response immediately prompted a re from Se-Hoon. How could he tantly voice his dissatisfaction in front of their host?


    But Jin-Hyun, the host, just smiled gently.


    ¡°He can¡¯t sleep well in unfamiliar ces. More importantly, how are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a bit stiff, but I¡¯ll be fine soon.¡±


    Unless a part of his body was broken or severed, simple injuries like bruises could be healed quickly with Soul Honing.


    Examining Se-Hoon, Jin-Hyun noticed he really was moving around without any real trouble. It made him curious.


    ¡°Do you happen to have any recovery-type skills?¡±


    ¡°I do have something simr, but it¡¯s more geared toward support.¡±


    ¡°Support, huh...? You continue to surprise me.¡±


    From helping him achieve his prime in the dream to holding his own against Sung-Ha yesterday, Jin-Hyun just couldn''t see the limit to Se-Hoon¡¯s talents.


    <i>It should be fine to give it to him. </i>


    Having confirmed his decision once more, Jin-Hyun looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Can you sit down for a moment?¡± Jin-Hyun asked.


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    Sitting across from Jin-Hyun, Se-Hoon watched him bring over an elegant wooden box he had set to the side.


    ¡°What is this...?¡±


    ¡°This is the gift I mentioned before. Take a look.¡±


    Tensing slightly, Se-Hoon opened the lid to reveal arge ingot resting on a cushion. The color, a serene mix of sky blue and white, gave it a mystical appearance; it looked like a piece of the sky.


    ¡°...¡±


    Recognizing the familiar material, Se-Hoon was left speechless. He quickly checked the information message to confirm.


    <strong>[<u>Nimbus Steel</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Legendary] [Quality: Poor]</strong>


    <strong>[A special type of steel smelted from ore that contains the essence of the sky. </strong>


    <strong>It can preserve or enhance arge amount of mana and can also freely fly by consuming some mana.</strong>


    <strong>*Can enhance or preserve the properties of stored mana</strong>


    <strong>*Enables flight by consuming mana and will only move ording to the user¡¯smand]</strong>


    Besides the Southern me Pupil, it was the only Legendary material he had seen after regressing. Even simply reading its information message made his heart involuntarily race.


    <i>I can¡¯t believe I came across Nimbus Steel here...</i>


    As the description suggested, Nimbus Steel was notoriously difficult to produce. It required perfectly blending five different types of elemental mana and then injecting pure mana gathered from clouds to infuse it with the essence of the sky.


    <i>It¡¯s so rare because the purity of pure mana is all down to luck, too...</i>


    Since that was the case, some naturally thought they could just artificially create pure mana. However, even then, a single touch during the process would drastically lower its quality uponpletion. In short, it was a troublesome material dependent on luck, meaning it could take years to make if unlucky.


    ¡°Where did you get this?¡±


    ¡°I received it as a gift from the Sacred Craftsman. I once helped him before he became a Perfect One.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Indeed, if it were the Sacred Craftsman, he¡¯d have the time and money to create Nimbus Steel.


    With knowledge of the full story, Se-Hoon looked at Jin-Hyun.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay to give me something like this, then?¡±


    Truthfully, he wanted to ept it immediately, but he was aware that blindly epting gifts could lead to trouble down the line. And since the giver was Sung-Ha¡¯s master, that was especially true.


    ¡°It¡¯spletely fine. As you can see, the quality isn¡¯t that great, so it¡¯s not as valuable as you might think.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s still Legendary tier...¡±


    ¡°No matter how high the tier is, it¡¯s meaningless to me since I can¡¯t use it properly. So don¡¯t feel too burdened. Also...¡±


    Trailing off, Jin-Hyun looked Se-Hoon in the eye and became more serious. Properly facing Se-Hoon, Jin-Hyun finished his words and said, ¡°Think of it as payment for looking after Sung-Ha in the future.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a gift, but a trade. Seeing the ovep between master and disciple, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll ept it without burden.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Satisfied that Se-Hoon agreed to help Sung-Ha in the future, Jin-Hyun smiled and Se-Hoon stored the box with the Nimbus Steel in his void pocket.


    <i>I was nning to make some new equipment anyway. This should be perfect for the material.</i>


    Inspired, Se-Hoon immediately began mentally sketching various blueprints. Watching him, Jin-Hyun remembered something he had to say.


    ¡°By the way, it might be helpful to get some advice from this guy.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Confused, Se-Hoon looked back at Jin-Hyun, who then pointed at Kwang-Soo.


    ¡°Well, his favorite sword¡¯s main material is Nimbus Steel.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Reminded by Jin-Hyun, Se-Hoon finally recalled Kwang-Soo''s favorite sword, Celestial Night.


    <i>Now that I think about it, it is made of Nimbus Steel.</i>


    Having repaired Kwang-Soo¡¯s sword far too many times, he hadn''t thought about referencing it again.


    <i>He¡¯s not willing to show it anyway, though.</i>


    Thinking that, Se-Hoon turned to look at Kwang-Soo, who crossed his arms upon meeting his eyes.


    ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯m a bit toozy for that.¡±


    Instead of outright refusing, he was indicating it was a hassle. It was his indirect way of saying he might help if asked properly.


    However, Se-Hoon just simply nodded while saying, ¡°Then, I guess that¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°...It won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s just how life is.¡±


    Kwang-Soo¡¯s eye twitched. Se-Hoon¡¯s apparentck of interest in Celestial Night almost made it seem like he had lost interest in the Celestial Infinity de as well.


    <i>Does he think he doesn''t need it because he¡¯s already mastered Sword Control...?</i>


    With so many Celestial Infinity de techniques left for Se-Hoon to learn, how could he lose interest after just a few? Kwang-Soo groaned, unable to articte his frustration.


    Noticing, Jin-Hyun smiled wryly.


    <i>If he''s going to let go of his stubbornness, he should let it gopletely...</i>


    Jin-Hyun truly couldn¡¯t understand why Kwang-Soo was still trying to maintain his pride and acting so petty despite willingly acting like a bodyguard.


    Shaking his head, Jin-Hyun changed the topic and the three casually talked until a voice came from behind them.


    ¡°Good morning, master.¡±


    At Sung-Ha¡¯s voice, Jin-Hyun turned to look at his disciple.


    ¡°Yes, you too...?¡±


    Throughout his reply, Jin-Hyun¡¯s expression became more and more subtle. Then, Se-Hoon also turned to look at Sung-Ha.


    ¡°...¡±


    Compared to Se-Hoon he was fine, but his right eye was bruised and bite marks were visible on his cheek. At the sight of them, Se-Hoon had to hold back hisugh.


    ¡°...Don¡¯tugh.¡±


    Sung-Ha gritted his teeth.


    ***


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be off.¡±


    ¡°You maye again when you have the time,¡± Jin-Hyun invited.


    Bowing to Jin-Hyun, who hade to see him off at the door, Se-Hoon then looked at Sung-Ha, who was standing beside Jin-Hyun.


    ¡°When are youing back to Babel?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll return within a week,¡± Sung-Ha answered.


    Instead of returning with Se-Hoon and Kwang-Soo, Sung-Ha wanted to stay longer to recover from his injuries. In truth though, Sung-Ha insisted on staying to care for his still-unwell master, who had actually wanted to send him back.


    <i>If only he cared about the people around him a tenth as much as he does for his master.... No, there¡¯s no point in thinking about it further.</i>


    Resigning himself internally, Se-Hoon saw Sung-Ha abruptly extend his hand.


    ¡°Take this.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>?¡±


    Holding out his hand, Se-Hoon observed the ck seed, the Shadow Tree seed, Sung-Ha ced on it.


    ¡°...Huh? Did you extract it yourself?¡±


    Surprised by the unexpected gift, Se-Hoon looked at Sung-Ha''s sr plexus, where he had ced a spell to prevent injuries from mana interference. Originally, Se-Hoon had nned to remove it personally once Sung-Ha seemed better, but Sung-Ha had managed alone.


    ¡°When I drew on my elemental mana after having rested for a while, it suddenly exploded out.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> I guess you¡¯ve healed quite a bit.¡±


    Previously, Sung-Ha couldn¡¯t control his elemental mana properly, but now he had recovered enough to ignore the spell that Se-Hoon ced and draw on his mana.


    <i>This is full,</i> Se-Hoon thought, turning his gaze to the Shadow Tree Seed.


    Filled to the brim with Sung-Ha¡¯s darkness mana, the seed was now a valuable material. For such a thing, Se-Hoon would dly receive it, so he stored it away.


    ¡°Still, don¡¯t overexert yourself.¡±


    ¡°That was an unnecessary warning.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. I¡¯m off then.¡±


    Bidding farewell to Sung-Ha, Se-Hoon and Kwang-Soo took a pre-arranged car to the Void Space Terminal and returned to Babel.


    Now back in Babel, Se-Hoon stretched his still-stiff body.


    ¡°<i>Phew...</i>¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your n now?¡±


    ¡°I n to head to Ur. I promised to help Professor An Jung-Wan with his ss.¡±


    It was a priormitment, and after hearing what Makif had to say, it seemed worth the effort despite his fatigue.


    ¡°The medical department, huh.... It''s not a bad idea. You do seem to get into a lot of scrapes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not <i>that </i>injured.¡±


    ¡°Oh really now... Anyway, fine. If you ever don¡¯t know how to use the material you obtained today, you cane see me. I can give you some advice.¡±


    While Kwang-Soo still didn¡¯t outright offer to show how Celestial Night worked, his gesture of concern mildly surprised Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving then.¡±


    Without further ado, Kwang-Soo walked away as Se-Hoon watched him with interest.


    <i>Even though it seems like he still wants to use me, he¡¯s still looking after me and waiting. I guess it¡¯s because there are still many areas I need to improve.</i>


    Honestly, it felt a bit like he was being nurtured until he became useful like livestock, receiving food and health care until he was fully grown.


    <i>He¡¯s quite pragmatic in his own way.</i>


    Though he would likely be a hassleter, for now, it would be easy to get help from him¡ªand that was enough.


    Satisfied, Se-Hoon walked off.


    ***


    ¡ªThe next stop is the Panacea Comprehensive Medical Research Institute.


    Reaching his destination, Se-Hoon stepped off the light rail and looked up at the building.


    The gleaming white structure, which upied a space asrge as Askus, was a shared facility for the medical-rted departments of Ur. It was designed to encourage coboration between students from rted fields, much like vium in Aqar Quf.


    However, unlike vium, the atmosphere here was different.


    <i>¡°Phew...¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Ha...¡±</i>


    Everyone was walking around with dreary faces. Most of them were students doing their residency at Askus and attending advanced sses here during their off-duty hours.


    In short, it was a ce frequented by graduate students, giving Panacea a more somber and field-oriented vibe. It was a stark contrast to the bustling vium that was filled with undergraduates.


    <i>Maybe because it''s the medical department, but it feels like fewer people recognize me.</i>


    Or perhaps everyone was too exhausted to notice those passing by. Regardless, Se-Hoon feltfortable here.


    <i>Let''s see, it should be this way...</i>


    Following the map given to him by Jung-Wan, Se-Hoon soon arrived at a researchb.


    <i>Knock, knock-</i>


    ¡°Professor, it¡¯s Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°Ah,e in.¡±


    Having gained permission, Se-Hoon opened the door and entered the neatly organizedb. Scanning the tidy interior that reflected Jung-Wan''s meticulous nature, Se-Hoon hurriedly directed his attention to the professor.


    ¡°Wee to myb. How did the recent incident go?¡±


    ¡°Ah, the culprits have been apprehended, and the investigators are still looking into their connections with the Demon Force.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    Looking genuinely relieved, Jung-Wan nced at the clock on the wall.


    ¡°We still have some time left. Would you like to rest a bit? You must be tired with everything going on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Besides, I¡¯ll recover soon enough.¡±


    The uing ss that Se-Hoon was going to help Jung-Wan with involved analyzing the effects of elixirs made with divine mana. Normally, there was potential mana backflow to worry about when taking them, but for Se-Hoon, it was just a health tonic.


    ¡°You really are... something else.¡±


    Impressed by Se-Hoon¡¯s confidence, a rarity among students, Jung-Wan nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started a bit early then. Have a seat on the sofa.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Before sitting on the seat facing Se-Hoon, Jung-Wan retrieved several items from his void pocket.


    ¡°These are samples of the elixirs we¡¯ll use in today¡¯s ss. First, we need to see if you have any adverse reactions to them.¡±


    Despite Se-Hoon''s confidence, Jun-Wan still wanted to check for any reactions beforehand since problems could arise unpredictably with elixirs.


    Understanding, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s start with this one...¡±


    Taking the transparent case containing a sample with the lowest divine mana content from Jung-Wan, Se-Hoon promptly opened the lid and swallowed the small piece inside.


    Upon entering his mouth, the elixir melted rapidly. Surging through his body, the mana within quickly dissipated.


    ¡°Hmm, this is fine.¡±


    ¡°...Really?¡±


    Jung-wan was skeptical. Even though it was a weak elixir, it should still take time to be absorbed, yet Se-Hoon responded almost immediately.


    Seeing his skepticism, Se-Hoon extended his hand.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    The ck orb spinning rapidly on his palm, a creation made with darkness mana, would have been impossible to control if he were still absorbing the elixir.


    ¡°Is this enough?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s move to the next one.¡±


    Convinced, Jung-Wan handed over elixirs with progressively higher divine mana content, which Se-Hoon consumed as if they were water each time.


    <i>How is he...</i>


    Seeing Se-Hoon show no rejection and absorb the elixirs rmingly fast left Jung-Wan in disbelief. Even though they were all low-grade samples, they still contained mana that should be foreign to Se-Hoon¡¯s body system. And anything foreign should have taken some time to absorbpletely.


    <i>The ones infused with divine mana should have been especially tricky...</i>


    Marveling at Se-Hoon¡¯s ability, Jung-Wan came to a decision after some hesitation.


    ¡°Wait here a moment.¡±


    Returning to theb storage, he brought back a new case. Inside was a white pill with a faint golden hue, an unusual item that piqued Se-Hoon¡¯s interest.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°This is an elixir made entirely with divine mana, which I received from the Pilgrimage Church. I intended to use it for the ss but decided to leave it out just in case.¡±


    The potential risks of those without divine mana taking in arge quantity of it in a short period were unknown.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing... would you try it out?¡±


    If Se-Hoon could absorb this as well, his ability would exceed what Jung-Wan had expected of him.


    Pondering it briefly, Se-Hoon epted.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Since it was made entirely of divine mana, it likely wouldn¡¯t be efficiently absorbed into his system, but there wouldn¡¯t be any significant problems. Confident in that thought, Se-Hoon promptly swallowed the elixir.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Dissolving inside his body, something suddenly surged within him. The force moved fiercely like it had been waiting for this moment. Remaining calm, Se-Hoon skillfully used Soul Honing to contain the rampaging power within a temporary mana circuit.


    He immediately prepared to incinerate it with his fire mana, wondering if the elixir had a hidden poison. But the force just quietly settled within the mana circuit.


    <i>What the...</i>


    The once wild power now flowed smoothly, behaving familiarly as if it belonged there.


    <strong>[¡®Divine Mana (F)¡¯ has been acquired.]</strong>


    ¡°<i>...Huh</i>?¡±


    All he could do was nkly stare at the notification message.

 Chapter 168

    <h4>Chapter 168</h4>


    Se-Hoon was uneasy.


    Many people had said that sitting in a silent prayer room with not a single person in sight brought them peace, so why didn¡¯t it for him? Instead, he felt like he was sitting in a ce where he didn''t belong.


    On top of that, the room made him feel guilty even though he had done nothing wrong. It was thoroughly unpleasant in many ways.


    ¡°...¡±


    He couldn''t concentrate, his body kept flinching for no reason, and his eyes kept squinting over time.


    In the end, he was unable to take anymore. Feeling irritated by the annoyance slowly boiling inside him, he began to get up. And that was when a soft voice came from behind him.


    ¡°Please sit down.¡±


    He then heard the sound of fabric brushing, and soon an elderly man in a pure white priestly robe sat across from him.


    He had light brown skin and golden-hued eyes. He was a person who somehow, with his gentle face and unassuming build, exuded a heavy atmosphere.


    Reflexively frowning, Se-Hoon looked at the elderly man¡ªthe bishop of the Pilgrimage Church, Kamal Sharma.


    ¡°Do you know how long I''ve been sitting here, sir? <i>Hm</i>?¡± The irritation in Se-Hoon¡¯s voice was apparent.


    ¡°For four hours.¡±


    ¡°Then isn¡¯t it time for us to leave? How long are you going to make me sit here doing nothing?¡±


    Subjected to Se-Hoon¡¯s annoyance, Kamal Sharma remained calm. Never once losing his gentle look, he gave his answer with no hesitance.


    ¡°Until you feel the presence of God.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Even more frustrated by the matter-of-fact response, Se-Hoon angrily watched Kamal Sharma take a thermos from his pocket and ce it beside himself.


    ¡°It was you, Lee Se-Hoon, who said you wanted to awaken your divine mana. So, I''m just helping as requested.¡±


    ¡°But didn''t I also ask for a way to awaken it as quickly as possible because I don''t have time?¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is the fastest way.¡±


    The response forced Se-Hoon to swallow his urge to burst out.


    ¡°<i>Haaa</i>... fine. Then let¡¯s just end it here.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to give up after a month of effort?¡±


    ¡°Does effort matter now? It''s the result that counts. Don''t you know how much the human alliance would suffer if I continue wasting time here doing nothing?¡±


    In a month, Se-Hoon could have forged dozens of usable pieces of Hero-tier equipment and even a few Legendary ones with the right materials. Yet he was wasting that precious time holed up in this small room.


    When starting, he thought it would be a worthwhile investment, but it was starting to feel more and more like a loss.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> You <i>do</i> have a point.¡±


    ¡°So, let''s stop now...¡±


    ¡°But what do you think would happen if you do seed in awakening your divine mana by spending a little more time praying?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon frowned; it wasn¡¯t the first time Kamal Sharma had used this argument.


    Still as calm as ever, Kamal Sharma opened the thermos lid and slowly poured tea into it.


    ¡°If you awaken your divine mana and start forging Holy Artifacts, humanity would be able to defeat the unholy beings born in the Abyss of Demons more easily. Isn''t that right?¡±


    ¡°...If I manage to awaken it, yes.¡±


    ¡°While I don¡¯t know much about making strategies, I do know a good one is actively using something that directly counters the enemy.¡±


    Handing Se-Hoon the cup of tea, Kamal Sharma became serious.


    ¡°For humanity''s sake, please try to put in a little more effort. I will ensure that you awaken your divine mana.¡±


    Seeing his determined face which was far different from his usual leisurely one, Se-Hoon suppressed a sigh and downed the cup ced in front of him in one gulp.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Tasting the fragrance spreading softly through him, his sharpened nerves slightly dulled. A secondter, he ced the empty cup on the table and faced Kamal Sharma.


    ¡°Three months. Then I don¡¯t want any more of this.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry. God will surely give you a chance.¡±


    Feeling aradery due to their shared goal¡ªthe extermination of the Demon Force and the victory of humanity¡ªSe-Hoon prayed diligently with Kamal Sharma to feel the wretched presence of God again.


    But unfortunately...


    ¡°...It seems God is very dissatisfied with you, Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°You son of a¡ª¡±


    And just like that, Se-Hoon wasted three months holed up in a small room doing nothing.


    ***


    <i>Ah, there was a time like that...</i>


    Remembering the three grueling months he spent trying to acquire divine mana, Se-Hoon looked at his right hand again.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    On his palm was a faint white aura. Looking closer, a faint golden light shimmered within, giving it a mysterious and otherworldly feel that was distinctly different from ordinary mana.


    It was obviously a wless concertation of divine mana no matter how one looked at it.


    ¡°...¡±


    Watching the divine mana ooze out a familiar yet utterly strange sensation, he felt it moving naturally inside his body. Feeling a mix ofplicated emotions, Se-Hoon opened up the information message.


    <strong>[Divine Mana] ¡ºF¡»</strong>


    <strong>[Holy power derived from a god.</strong>


    <strong>Its specialty is healing and purifying demonic aura.]</strong>


    <i>If you were going to give me some, you should have done it earlier, you damn bastard...</i>


    He knew it had likely only gained the talent for divine mana after regressing, but he still couldn''t help but feel like he was done dirty. Annoyed, Se-Hoon silently cursed God in his mind.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Looking up, Se-Hoon could see a serious expression on Jung-Wan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Were you a believer of the Pilgrimage Church?¡±


    ¡°What? No, I don''t follow any religion.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Jung-Wan couldn''t help but be surprised by Se-Hoon''s response.


    To those who didn¡¯t know much about divine mana, it was something one had to be a part of the Pilgrimage Church to awaken. However, that wasn¡¯t the case. There were often people who awakened it just by having information about or indirectly experiencing divine mana.


    <i>Everyone who awakened it like that has risen to the rank of archbishop in the Pilgrimage Church...</i>


    Realizing Se-Hoon also had such potential, Jung-Wan fell deep into thought for a moment.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Listen carefully.¡±


    Jung-Wan then thoroughly exined how remarkable it was to have awakened divine mana and what kind of treatment he could receive from the Pilgrimage Church. He warned Se-Hoon to be cautious and to be careful of suffering losses in the future.


    Yet the more Se-Hoon listened, the more vague his expression became.


    <i>No matter how I think about it, this feels a bit different...</i>


    From what he had heard, divine mana was fundamentally different from ordinary mana. Unlike ordinary mana, which was the result of one¡¯s mana circuits processing pure mana distributed in the atmosphere, divine mana was supplied by an external entity, who peoplemonly referred to as God. Simply put, ordinary mana was like homemade food, while divine mana was like a delivered meal.


    And while it fit those qualities, Se-Hoon felt there was something different about the divine mana in his body.


    <i>I heard that when one awakens divine mana, they feel connected to God, but no matter how I look at it, I don''t feel that sort of connection right now.</i>


    Instead of establishing such a connection, his divine mana had calmly settled into his mana circuit, much like the types of elemental mana he had previously acquired. But what really concerned him was that nothing else had happened.


    <i>If it reflects the properties of elemental mana, its quantity should increase once it settles in, but there¡¯s no sign of that.... In fact, the quantity decreased since I just used it.</i>


    Observing the divine mana within his body, Se-Hoon was reminded of something by it. Wanting to test it, he looked at Jung-Wan, who was still busy with his exnation.


    ¡°Professor.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hm</i>? What''s the matter?¡±


    ¡°That elixir that was purely made of divine mana. Do you have any more?¡±


    ¡°I do have plenty prepared for ss...¡±


    ¡°Can I have one more? I need to check something.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> Alright. Wait a moment.¡±


    Standing up, Jung-Wan fetched the divine mana elixir from his storage and handed it to Se-Hoon, who downed it in one gulp.


    <i>Sss-</i>


    Confirming that the divine mana umted inside him, Se-Hoon recalled his pre-regression memories and cast Divine Magic.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Activating, the divine mana rising from his right hand converged into a single stream and rapidly formed a golden sword.


    He had cast Weapon Projection, which created weapons out of divine mana.


    It wasn¡¯t a good skill, as the weapon was less powerful than the sword aura and was notoriously difficult to create, but he had used it often since it could be used with consumables containing stored divine mana.


    <i>Let''s see...</i>


    As he tried to transform the projected sword into arge greatsword, the stored divine mana inside him began depleting rapidly. And it ran out just before the greatsword could bepleted.


    <i>Shatter!</i>


    <strong>[¡®Divine Mana (F)¡¯ has been extinguished.]</strong>


    Along with the greatsword that shattered to pieces, the divine power disappeared.


    <i>It¡¯s not a full awakening divine mana, huh...</i>


    But while he couldn¡¯t receive divine mana directly from God like others did, he could still store and use it freely if received in another form. It was a bit half-baked, but Se-Hoon didn¡¯t think it was too bad. In fact, he thought constantly being able to procure divine mana could be a hassle.


    Moreover, when he needed divine power, it was easy since he could just get an elixir. Besides being a bit cumbersome, it wasn¡¯t too bad, so Se-Hoon was satisfied.


    Meanwhile, Jung-Wan was rapidly blinking in disbelief at the events that had unfolded before his eyes.


    <i>Did he just use Divine Magic...</i>


    Could someone who awakened divine mana for the first time today, without learning from anyone, perform Divine Magic like that? Jung-Wan waspletely bbergasted.


    Just then, Se-Hoon, who had finished his experiment, looked at him.


    ¡°Professor.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, speak.¡±


    ¡°About everything that happened just now, could you keep it a secret?¡±


    ¡°A secret?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If word of this gets out, I might be too famous, and it¡¯ll be troublesome in many ways.¡±


    Since divine mana directly opposed demonic aura, both humanity and the Demon Force would react extremely sensitively if they found out that a capable cksmith had awakened it. And since he was even the creator of mass-produced sword aura equipment, it was easy to guess what would happen next.


    <i>The Apostate might also be a real problem.</i>


    The Apostate¡ªthe once-promising S-rank hero, Max Sinir¡ªhad massacred thousands of believers and fled to be one of the Ten Evils before he regressed.


    He was someone heroes would rarely encounter unless they were involved with the Pilgrimage Church.


    <i>He always tried to convert people and would just kill them outright if they refused.</i>


    Though he hadn¡¯t met him himself, since Max Sinir had perished along with the Pilgrim back then, there was nothing good about getting involved with such a madman.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>. You have a point. Alright, everything that had happened here didn¡¯t... no, wait.¡±


    Thinking of something, Jung-Wan got up, went to the storage, and brought out a document.


    ¡°This should do. Take a look.¡±


    It was a contract that specified that if someone tried to leak the secret, the curse of silence would activate. And if the information still got out, the curse of memory erasure would wipe all rted memories from the person.


    Reading through it, Se-Hoon raised an eyebrow at the stringent conditions.


    ¡°You¡¯re very thorough.¡±


    The silence curse was somewhat expected, but he was astonished to see the memory erasure curse due to its potential side effects. So the fact that Jung-Wan added it without hesitation intrigued Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Better to be thorough thanx. Is this enough for you?¡± Jung-Wan nonchntly responded.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s sufficient.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s finalize it.¡±


    Infusing his mana into his signature, Jung-Wanpleted the contract and handed it to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Keep it safe. Its effects will vanish if it¡¯s <i>too </i>damaged.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Taking the contract, Se-Hoon looked at Jung-Wan again.


    <i>I thought he was just a kind man... but he seems to have an inflexible side, too.</i>


    As he pondered what kind of event had given this man such an inflexible side, Jung-Wan eventually finished tidying up.


    ¡°So what about the ss? If your divine mana leaks while taking an elixir, the student might find out right away. Should we cancel?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure I can control it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Despite just awakening his divine mana, Se-Hoon was so confidently iming he could hide it. If it were anyone else, Jung-Wan would have criticized them for being overconfident, but with Se-Hoon, he couldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> Well, alright, if you say so...¡±


    With the discussion about the uing ss settled, Se-Hoon checked the time before looking at Jung-Wan again.


    ¡°Professor, I have one more question not rted to the ss.¡±


    Prompted by Jung-Wan¡¯s curious look, Se-Hoon got straight to the point.


    ¡°Do you know of any rehabilitation centers that specialize in prosthetics?¡±


    ording to Makif, the import of prosthetics for heroes had suddenly increased in the Pleasure District. Their exact use was still unclear, but considering the purpose of the expansion project, it was clear they were targeting heroes with prosthetics.


    ¡°Prosthetics... ah! Are you talking about Antonio Rehabilitation Hospital?¡±


    ¡°Antonio Rehabilitation Hospital?¡±


    Jung-Wan nodded at Se-Hoon¡¯s question.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite the old ce. And it was just recently that I heard they signed a partnership with apany, which seems to be why their usage of prosthetics has grown quite a bit. Thepany¡¯s name should be... hold on.¡±


    ¡°No worries, Professor. Thank you; I¡¯ll look up the rest myself.¡±


    Receiving permission from Jung-Wan, Se-Hoon took out his phone and searched for ¡°Antonio Rehabilitation Hospital.¡± When the results loaded, he checked the news section and quickly found rted information.


    ¡°The Marite Factory signs a partnership with Antonio Rehabilitation Hospital.¡±


    ¡°New prosthetics to be provided free of charge to retired heroes who dedicated their lives to humanity.¡±


    ¡°<i>...Hmm</i>.¡±


    His eyes gleamed.


    Just the article titles alone were fishy.

 Chapter 169

    <h4>Chapter 169</h4>


    The students who studied at Panacea were generally known for being imperturbable. As students of medical-rted departments, they were frequently exposed to disturbing reference materials and even more intense experiences during their practical training, so it was inevitable.


    That was why there was a popr saying in Babel: ¡°If an event shocks even students from Panacea, it¡¯s a real problem.¡±


    ¡°Okay, here I go.¡±


    <i>¡°Gasp...!¡±</i>


    ¡°W-what....¡±


    The faces of the students attending Jung-Wan''s lecture all paled.


    <i>Gulp-</i>


    Swallowing another blue elixir that had been prepared in front of the students, Se-Hoon felt it quickly dissolve and spread throughout his body.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Scanning Se-Hoon¡¯s body, the device next to him disyed the process in detail to the students. A few momentster, when the students saw that the blue elixir had been digested through it, Se-Hoon picked up another simr but white elixir.


    ¡°Second one going down. Watch closely.¡±


    <i>Gulp-</i>


    Again, Se-Hoon swallowed the elixir without hesitation. Like before, the students watched the device to see the mana dissolve and spread throughout his body, but this time, spreading in a slightly different form than before.


    Still stunned, all the students watched nkly from their seats. It was only when the absorption wasplete and Jung-Wan started exining that they switched focus.


    ¡°As you saw in the absorption process just now, unlike regr elixirs that spread through mana circuits, elixirs infused with divine mana spread through the body. This results in several changes...¡±


    For a while, Jung-Wan continued exining while disying various materials. Yet the students were unable to focus and kept ncing at Se-Hoon, who was standing perfectly fine beside Jung-Wan.


    <i>Why isn''t he on the ground right now?</i>


    <i>Shouldn''t he at least be vomiting a bucket of blood?</i>


    <i>Maybe he just looks fine and is actually paralyzed somewhere internally?</i>


    An elixir was an elixir no matter how low quality it was. And when one consumed such foreign refined mana, their body¡¯s mana would inevitably react to it; there would be some kind of physical rejection. That was why auxiliary devices, mana, and time for digestion and stabilization were necessary for safe consumption of elixirs, yet Se-Hoon hadpletely ignored every prerequisite.


    <i>Does he have a knack for absorbing elixir? Or maybe he just has excellent control over his body and can suppress the rejection...</i>


    <i>There are no symptoms of his body reacting after consuming the elixir. He must have perfect control of his entire body.</i>


    Curious, the students all observed Se-Hoon to try and figure out the nature of his body.


    <i>Bang, bang!</i>


    Smacking the ckboard, Jung-Wan gathered their attention.


    ¡°I understand that you all are very curious, but please focus on ss right now. The first-semester evaluation exams are less than a month away.¡±


    ¡°Exams...¡±


    ¡°<i>Ugh...</i>¡±


    Reminded of the uing exams, all the students groaned and properly focused on the lecture. The sight of them made Se-Hoon put on a bitter smile.


    <i>It feels like I''m disrupting rather than helping.</i>


    If he knew it would be like this, then perhaps he should have pretended to be in a bit of pain.


    Shaking his head, he checked the effects of the elixirs he had consumed throughout the ss.


    <i>Hmm. They¡¯re definitely low quality, but their effects aren''t that bad.</i>


    Checking the small amount of divine mana that spread throughout his body, he felt that if he scraped it all togetherter, it would be enough to cast Divine Magic once.


    He moved on to think about the Antonio Rehabilitation Hospital.


    <i>The Marite Factory, huh...</i>


    Currently known for producing golems, the Marite Factoryter transitioned to the field of prosthetics, supporting injured heroes and assisting the human alliance. Although they were eventually annihted by the Tuner, up until that point, Se-Hoon thought positively of them for aiding humanity to the end.


    <i>To think it would get involved with the Pleasure District...</i>


    Though, there was no definitive evidence yet, Se-Hoon, who had experienced various incidents throughout his life, was sure of it. He knew that even the most stubborn and upromising people often sumbed to temptation if it meant advancing their technology.


    <i>I need to check out the hospital, but how to get there...</i>


    The easiest way would be to conduct a raid with the Special Operations Division by using Seon-Woo like before, but there were many downsides to that approach. Security was likely to be tight, given that it could be a core part of an expansion project, and if it turned out to be a dead end, any other hidden traces he could exploit in the future would likely bepletely eradicated.


    <i>Should I just sneak in at night? It seems better to handle this quietly anyway.</i>


    While deep in thought, trying toe up with a feasible method, Se-Hoon suddenly felt a faint gaze on him from in front. Searching for where it wasing from, he lifted his head and saw someone staring at him.


    She excluded a calm yet mature atmosphere with her wavy brown hair that reached her shoulders and eyes with a faint golden hue. At the sight of her, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes.


    <i>Those eyes...</i>


    They were Eyes of Divinity, a trait that appeared when the divine mana within one¡¯s body reached a certain level. Technically, it was simply a sign of an overflow of mana, but it was not something to be taken lightly because those who manifested Eyes of the Divinity were all disciples of the Pope of the Pilgrimage Church, Karl Andersen.


    <i>Is she the youngest archbishop?</i>


    Unlike the other archbishops who were educated within the Church, she was an oddball who had enrolled in Babel as a student. Yet despite her status, Se-Hoon met her gaze calmly, having expected to meet her at some point.


    Surprised, the girl widened her eyes. A momentter, her eyes glowed. It seemed she had made some kind of decision.


    <i>¡°Can we talk for a moment after ss?¡±</i>


    At the voice resounding directly in his head, Se-Hoon just nodded slightly. Seeing that, the girl focused again on Jung-Wan and no longer paid attention to Se-Hoon who fell back into deep thought.


    <i>The Pilgrimage Church, hm...</i>


    Although he initially intended to avoid getting involved with them if possible, the encounter could help him solve his current issue quite easily. Confirming the details of the n that shed in his mind, Se-Hoon saved it and refocused on ss.


    ¡°I¡¯ll proceed with the next elixir...¡±


    <i>Gulp-</i>


    ¡°He''s taking two at the same time...!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely going to explode this time...!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The lecture hall burst into chaos due to his minor mishap.


    ***


    ¡°Well done today...¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work too, Professor.¡±


    At Jung-Wan¡¯s particrly exhausted appearance, Se-Hoon felt slightly apologetic. The lecture hall had turned upside down when he absentmindedly consumed two elixirs simultaneously andpletely shattered the students¡¯ concentration.


    ¡°Next time, I should just show them the pictures of the scan of your body. I didn''t expect them to be so interested in your body...¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry. It was a mistake on my part.¡±


    ¡°No, it''s fine. Anyway, are you sure there''s no problem with your body?¡±


    Trying to ease Jung-Wan¡¯s worry, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°Yes. I''m perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> Still, don''t try to do anything else today. Go home to rest and if you feel anything weird, contact me immediately.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°And...¡±


    It was obvious he had something to say, but after a moment of hesitation, Jung-Wan shook his head.


    ¡°Never mind. Let''s talk about it next time. Take care on your way back.¡±


    With those parting words, Jung-Wan headed to his researchb, watched by Se-Hoon.


    <i>What did he want to ask...? Well, he¡¯ll tell me eventually.</i>


    Since there was no need to press him for answers, Se-Hoon cleared his thoughts and headed for his destination.


    <i>The prayer room should be this way...</i>


    For the members of the Pilgrimage Church who studied at Babel, the prayer room inside Panacea had been specially built. In truth, it was just a recovery room since they went to recover divine mana, since unlike ordinary mana, it recovered faster when focused through prayer.


    <i>It really is quite a mysterious power...</i>


    It was true he considered divine mana significant because it directly countered demonic aura, but it just felt a bit unsettling as it was supposedly a power granted by God.


    <i>What kind of entity is ¡°God¡± really?</i>


    Wondering if any of the Pilgrims had ever truly seen that entity, he made his way deeper into the prayer room.


    Scanning the room,rge golden rings could be seen on the walls and many students sat in chairs, praying. With exams approaching, all their faces looked haggard, so Se-Hoon quietly moved to the side, not wanting to disturb them.


    <i>The left corridor...</i>


    Recalling the location the girl specified, he headed further inward and soon arrived at a door marked ¡°Reception Room.¡±


    <i>Knock, knock.</i>


    <i>¡°Come in.¡±</i>


    Gaining permission, Se-Hoon entered the room and was greeted by the gentle smile of the girl he had seen during the lecture.


    ¡°Wee, Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet Archbishop Jane.¡±


    At the mention of her name, Jane Rose, the youngest archbishop, blinked in surprise.


    ¡°You know my name?¡±


    ¡°You are a famous figure in Babel, so yes, I¡¯m aware of your name.¡±


    To be exact, he knew because of the Frost Dog¡¯s documents on Babel that he had seen through the Phantasmal Spyde.


    ¡°I thought you might not know since you¡¯re not very interested in these matters.... Anyway, please, have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Sitting down on the soft, Se-Hoon watched Jane bring over a teapot and cups, which she skillfully poured tea into.


    ¡°It''s a tea that rxes the body. It should help alleviate the fatigue from the lecture.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He didn¡¯t intend to drink it but still epted the cup and took a sip out of courtesy.


    <i>This tastes just like the one Kamal used to brew.</i>


    Thanks to the tea leaves being specially cultivated with divine mana, drinking tea made with them restored mental rity and relieved fatigue. That made them a popr item among wealthy heroes, who sometimes drank tea made from it instead of water.


    Pouring herself a cup as well, Jane quietly drank it, leading to a momentary serenity in the reception room. Soon, Jane set down her cup.


    ¡°I requested this sudden meeting because our church has a proposal for you.¡±


    ¡°Please, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever heard about a Holy Artifact?¡±


    This was a somewhat anticipated question, so Se-Hoon nodded naturally.


    ¡°I understand it is a special type of equipment that is forged using divine mana and usable only with divine mana.¡±


    Because only those with divine mana could create and use them, they were mostly made and used within the Pilgrimage Church.


    ¡°Correct. They are known as equipment made only for Pilgrimage Church members, and indeed, that is how they are used. But their initial purpose wasn¡¯t supposed to be this.¡±


    Jane refilled her empty cup before continuing in a bitter tone.


    ¡°Originally, this equipment was supposed to convert ordinary mana into divine mana so that heroes who weren¡¯t part of the Church could also use it. But both our Church cksmiths and the external ones we invited said it was impossible.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    ¡°Then, just as the Church was about to give up, you suddenly appeared.¡±


    A proper Holy Artifact, which was supposed to convert mana to divine mana, was regarded as one of the most challenging issues in the cksmithing industry, simr to mass-produced sword auras.


    And yet, a freshman student had sessfully solved the problem of mass-producible sword aura from out of nowhere. To the Pilgrimage Church, that freshman would be the final hope of the Divine Mana Conversion Device project.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯d like to request you, Lee Se-Hoon, for your help.¡±


    They figured that since Se-Hoon had sessfully created mass-produced sword aura equipment, he might also be able to tackle the Divine Mana Conversion Device.


    It was a rather simple n, but that didn¡¯t mean it was bad. The Church was simply trying to leave it to someone who appeared more capable, as it seemed impossible for them to do it. And although the Pilgrimage Church wouldn¡¯t have known, their choice was the best one.


    <i>Divine Mana Conversion Device... it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve heard about that.</i>


    Recalling his memories, Se-Hoon thought about the research project conducted during the war against the Demon Force. For that project, they had pooled all the technology experts from the human alliance to find a breakthrough.


    During it, there were incidents with extremists who believed it threatened the existence of God, traitors who sold the information to the Demon Force, and even a madman who went insane from the prolonged research and created a self-destruct button. Yet, despite all of those issues, they had ultimately seeded.


    The resulting efficiency of the device was lower than nned, but regardless, they had created a device that could convert ordinary mana into divine mana.


    <i>I should be able to make one right now if I prepare a few things... but it¡¯s not the right time.</i>


    It was too risky. Currently, just rumors about him awakening his divine mana would cause amotion. And if people found out that he had created a Divine Mana Conversion Device as well, it would undoubtedly provoke a violent reaction from the Ten Evils.


    The Perfect Ones would likely protect him, but he could still end up dying foolishly in the fallout.


    <i>Still, I should ept for now.... I¡¯ll just n around creating it ording to the situation. </i>


    At the moment though, the most important thing was the strategy against the Pleasure District, so he had to make sure it wouldn¡¯t interfere. Having decided on a n of action, Se-Hoon looked at Jane.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rather difficult request, so I can¡¯t make any promises. But... if given the opportunity, I¡¯d like to research it.¡±


    ¡°R¡ªreally?¡±


    ¡°Yes. However, I¡¯d like to keep this strictly confidential. It could be quite dangerous for me if word of this gets out.¡±


    Jane quickly nodded.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. This has only been discussed between the Pope and the Archbishops within the Church.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief, then. We can discuss the details gradually from now on.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Let¡¯s formalize the agreement today.... Is there anything you need help with right now?¡±


    Pleased with how easily the agreement was reached, Jane was all smiles. Seeing that, Se-Hoon then brought up what he had been waiting for.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Church often volunteers at hospitals and rehabilitation centers. Do you visit those often?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yes. The Church encourages us to volunteer regrly, so I do go to them frequently.¡±


    Just as Se-Hoon hoped, the Pilgrimage Church actively supported the battlefield <i>and </i>civilians.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I have a favor to ask...¡±


    ***


    The Antonio Rehabilitation Hospital was located on the Italian coast, giving it a clear view of the vast ocean. And the building was also as clean as the scenery was beautiful. Unfortunately, the internal atmosphere wasn¡¯t as pleasant.


    ¡°So you can¡¯t see well with just one eye? Maybe it¡¯d be better to take out the other one too, then.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault for not dodging me, you crippled bastard.¡±


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    The ambient mana around the one-eyed old man and the old man with crutches trembled. Even though they were old and retired, they were once high-ranking heroes who were evaluated as semi-S-rank. Thus, even their snarling could result in argemotion.


    ¡°Here we go again...¡±


    ¡°Who gave those bastards prosthetics?¡±


    Watching the two, the other patients just clicked their tongues in annoyance instead of fleeing. The tension between the two old men escted. But just as they were about to hit each other with a fist and a crutch, respectively, a thunderous voice shook the entire hospital.


    ¡°GENTLEMEN!!!¡±


    The two old men immediately froze and turned to look at the source of the voice.


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you to behave because we have volunteers visiting today? Do you really want to see me tear my throat out?!¡±


    Loudly scolded by a nurse over two meters tall, Alessia, the two old men grumbled reluctantly.


    ¡°He bumped into me first.¡±


    ¡°That bastard picked a fight with me.¡±


    They red at each other again.


    Seeing that, Alessia shouted, ¡°Both of you, return to your seats!!!¡±


    ¡°<i>Grr...</i>¡±


    ¡°<i>Tsk...</i>¡±


    The two old men finallyplied, grumbling as they returned to their ces.


    Sighing deeply, Alessia invited the volunteers in.


    ¡°You guys cane in now.¡±


    At her word, people dressed in priestly robes entered. From the group, Jane stepped forward and addressed the patients.


    ¡°Nice to meet you all. I¡¯m Jane Rose from the Pilgrimage Church.¡±


    The patients all stared indifferently from their seats. They just watched as a young man with ck hair and a gentle demeanor stepped forward next.


    ¡°I¡¯m James Lee. I look forward to working with you.¡±


    The namecked any real significance, but the patients didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    Stepping back, James Lee¡ªSe-Hoon¡ªwhispered to the woman with long silver hair beside him, who was bowing deeply.


    ¡°Do it well.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Stepping forward awkwardly, the woman, Luize, introduced herself softly.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m Luis Arisp. P-pleased to meet you.¡±


    Seeing the puzzled eyes of the patients, Luize nervously stepped back while grinding her teeth.


    <i>...I¡¯m so going to beat him up when this is over.</i>


    Clearly upset, Luize moved back deep into the group.

 Chapter 170

    <h4>Chapter 170</h4>


    Disguise as a volunteer from the Pilgrimage Church and infiltrate the Antonio Rehabilitation Hospital¡ªan overly simple n, but the most efficient. It was what Se-Hoon had decided to do after weighing all the factors.


    They wouldn''t arouse as much suspicion from the enemy since civilian volunteers from the Pilgrimage Church weremon, and it was simply just an excellent cover identity.


    <i>Disguises are like a daily routine for the members of the Pilgrimage Church.</i>


    Due to the nature of divine mana, the antithesis of demonic aura, demons assassinated members of the Pilgrimage Church more often than typical heroes. As a result, talented members either stayed hidden within the Church or used assumed identities to make it difficult to track them.


    <i>Still, the Pilgrimage Church¡¯s presence here likely already sent the Demon Force into hiding. </i>


    If he wanted to shorten the uing n, it woulde down to whether Se-Hoon could find those deeply hidden traces of the Demon Force within two days. Determined to make it so, he sharpened all his senses.


    ¡°Please take care of this as well,¡± a nurse requested Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Oh, got it.¡±


    In the empty lot behind the hospital, Se-Hoon was swinging his hammer tirelessly, repairing the various items brought by the nurses. From crutches, wheelchairs, and rehabilitation equipment to tables and household goods, he fixed them all.


    At first, he wondered why arge rehabilitation hospital had so many items broken items, but he soon learned the reason for it.


    <i>BOOM!</i>


    <i>¡°Ha</i>... Where did thate from?¡±


    ¡°ording to the patient directory... it should be from Mr. Jackson¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but if it''s melted, we''ll have to throw it away...¡±


    Exhausted, the nurses sighed at the loud noise from the building. Having listened in on their conversation, Se-Hoon reevaluated the rehabilitation hospital.


    <i>It must be a hassle since all of their patients are previous high-ranking heroes.</i>


    Because of that, even a small misstep during their rehabilitation could result in a plethora of broken items.


    ¡°Mr. James... can you also repair molten items?¡±


    Looking toward the nurse, who had been looking at her phone, Se-Hoon nodded calmly in response to her hesitant question.


    ¡°As long as it''s not unrecognizable, it¡¯s doable.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Then I''ll bring it right away!¡±


    Pleased by his answer, the nurse quickly went back inside the hospital, leaving behind Se-Hoon with the pile of junk stacked in front of him.


    ¡°They took measures to prevent the buildings and important items from breaking, but they didn¡¯t even put simple enchantments on everyday items, huh? Well, I guess this is also a part of the rehabilitation training.¡±


    By cing easily breakable items by the patients, the hospital was basically forcing them to practice consciously controlling their strength even during daily life. It was a subtle but effective method, and luckily, Se-Hoon could also use it to find traces of the involvement of the Pleasure District.


    <i>These items should be sufficient for gathering enough traces.</i>


    Since these items were more or less unconsciously broken, the remnants of skills and mana were still left on them. Thus, they were, in a way, unvarnished. They would serve as great minor signposts that would partially clue him in on the patients¡¯ conditions.


    ¡°Mr. James, I brought it!¡±


    The nurse came back a few momentster with a desk that looked like a massive w of fire had scratched it. Examining its condition, Se-Hoon confirmed that it was fixable.


    ¡°This looks doable...¡±


    <i>Boom!!</i>


    Once again, a loud noise resounded from the hospital, hardening both the nurse''s and Se-Hoon''s faces. A secondter, the nurse checked the message on her phone and looked at him awkwardly.


    ¡°Can you also repair desks and chairs that arepressed like balls...?¡±


    ¡°...Just bring them here.¡±


    Unless he needed to find more traces of the Pleasure District here, it was definitely not a ce he wanted to return to.


    ***


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>...¡±


    After repairing items all morning, Se-Hoon finally stood up around lunchtime to stretch lightly.


    <i>It feels like I''ve fixed over a hundred items, yet there''s still a lot left...</i>


    He wondered how many desks and chairs the hospital actually had. Feeling like the amount was a bit ridiculous, he entered the hospital to have lunch.


    Unlike the pathetic household items he had been fixing, the interior was clean and luxurious due to the hospital being well-funded since most of the patients were retired high-ranking heroes.


    <i>They probably get funding from the guilds these people belonged to.... It might be a tough job here, but the profitability isn''t bad.</i>


    After all, they were dealing with individuals that typical hospitals would avoid.


    For a while, Se-Hoon walked around to observe the rehabilitation hospital''s interior before eventually entering a break room.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here,¡± Jane warmly greeted, recognizing him immediately.


    Across from her, the disguised Luize stared nkly at her sandwich, chewing absentmindedly. Smiling at her half-dazed state, Se-Hoon approached the two.


    ¡°Where is everyone else?¡± Se-Hoon asked.


    ¡°They went for a walk after having lunch. You can speak freely for now.¡± Preparing in advance, Jane had already cleared out unrted individuals and set up anti-eavesdropping measures in the room.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Se-Hoon replied, impressed with her thorough work.


    ¡°It was no trouble at all. Oh, you can choose between a sandwich and a sd for your lunch.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    Picking up a packaged sandwich, Se-Hoon sat next to Luize.


    ¡°Huh? Oh...¡±


    Reflexively reacting, Luize, who had been absentmindedly chewing her sandwich, turned to look at him. She stared at his disguised face for a moment before her eyes lit up with recognition.


    ¡°You... you son of a©¤¡±


    ¡°<i>Shhh</i>. There are people around,¡± Se-Hoon reminded her.


    ¡°<i>Ugh...</i>¡±


    Noticing Jane, Luize, who had been about to curse, took a deep breath while trembling with frustration. She then red coldly at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°You told me it would be an easy job, where all I had to do was walk around in disguise...!¡± she muttered, her every word frigid cold.


    ¡°And it was, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean it was?! Do you know how much trouble I¡¯ve had with those cranky old folks today?!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you''re crushing your sandwich. Rx.¡±


    cating her, Se-Hoon turned to Jane to ask, ¡°Was it really that hard?¡±


    ¡°Well, people do get very sensitive during rehabilitation. They tend to react strongly even to minor issues,¡± Jane exined.


    ¡°They¡¯re not <i>just</i> sensitive; they¡¯re mad! One almost had a fit, saying they nearly died because the noise from me drinking water disturbed their concentration...¡±


    Gritting her teeth, venting about her encounters with the patients. Listening to it all, Se-Hoon raised an eyebrow in surprise.


    <i>Wow... she held all of that in.</i>


    If it had been the st Dog, she would have already blown up the hospital to pieces. So since there had been no suchmotion, Luize must have restrained herself.


    At the sight of her venting, which only urred in front of him, Se-Hoon offered genuine sympathy.


    ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve had a tough time because of me. Thanks for holding it in.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Stopping her venting at his words, Luize, who had been scowling, just opened and closed her mouth. Unable to continue speaking, she ended up just closing her eyes and sighing deeply.


    ¡°You always slip away like that when I¡¯m about to curse you out.... You sneaky bastard...¡± she muttered, looking aggrieved.


    But while she was still dissatisfied, she was slightly calmer as she resumed eating her sandwich.


    Seeing the relief on Se-Hoon¡¯s face, Jane, who had been watching, chuckled softly.


    ¡°I thought this when I first saw you two, but you two really get along well.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i> Sunbae, what are you saying...¡±


    ¡°You endured your anger for him, and he brought you here because he trusted you would do just that.¡±


    Looking at the two sitting side-by-side, Jane smiled gently.


    ¡°If this isn¡¯t getting along, then what is?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Turning red, Luize averted her gaze, while Se-Hoon showed his agreement.


    ¡°That is true.... I would never bring someone I don¡¯t trust here.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>, you¡¯re making me feel sick. Stop it, damn it...!¡± Luize growled. Embarrassed, she began chewing her sandwich roughly.


    Laughing at the scene, Jane changed the topic.


    ¡°By the way, did you find anything useful this morning?¡±


    At her question, Se-Hoon swallowed his bite of sandwich and nodded.


    ¡°Yes. A fist fighter with a problem in the left eye, a spearman with a spinal issue, and someone who can use gravity magic. These three patients seem to be worth focusing on.¡±


    ¡°That is awfully specific.¡±


    Noticing Jane¡¯s surprise, Se-Hoon calmlyunched into an exnation.


    ¡°Since items broken by magic can erode over time, I tried to repair the older ones first. That way, I can track recent changes in the patients.¡±


    ¡°You identified these individuals from those small traces...?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And I also took into ount who has been breaking items most frequently.¡±


    The items broke so often because the patients here often couldn''t treat their prosthetics like their natural bodies, resulting in excess strength. They couldn¡¯t easily adapt to the artificial limb¡¯s sense of dissonance, despite the device¡¯s fine muscle replication andplex mana circuits.


    ¡°The more often they fail to control their strength, the messier the traces should be... yet, the three people I mentioned were stabilizing over time.¡±


    Though they could just be adapting to their prosthetics, the frequency of failing to control their strength and breaking items had still been increasing. That meant only one thing.


    ¡°The performance of their prosthetics is being enhanced in real-time...?¡± Jane cautiously proposed.


    ¡°That¡¯s likely the case.¡±


    Ordinarily, the performance features of prosthetics were fixed to prevent any confusion during the adaptation period. So the fact that those features were dynamically changing, and specifically only for three individuals, certainly warranted suspicion.


    ¡°If that''s really the case... we can''t just let this slide,¡± Jane gravely said.


    She had initially just helped as a courtesy upon finalizing the contract, thinking there would be no issues. But now that suspicious circumstances had been discovered, it was a different matter.


    ¡°How do you n to proceed with the investigation?¡±


    ¡°First, we need to locate these three individuals. Then, Luize and I will secretly make contact with them at night.¡±


    Given that the targets could go into hiding at any moment, it was best to act swiftly once they were identified. Moving too hastily could backfire if they got caught, but Se-Hoon was confident.


    <i>As long as I¡¯m with Luize, we should be able to handle it.</i>


    Before the regression, the st Dog was infamous for blowing up numerous buildings as acts of terrorism with her covert techniques. Those covert skills would have declined somewhat, but with Se-Hoon''s support, they should be able to recreate those tactics.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>. Then I''ll try to divert the enemy''s attention and provide backup as needed. That¡¯s likely the best approach in our current situation,¡± Jane added.


    ¡°That will be more than enough.¡±


    Given that she would be under constant watch as an archbishop, it was safer for her to avoid suspicious movements.


    Quietly listening to Se-Hoon and Jane quickly finalizing their ns, Luize softly mumbled, ¡°I''m basically a ve...¡±


    Summoned only when needed, ordered around, and given mere token gratitude when the task was done¡ªno matter how much she owed him, this seemed a bit much.


    Yet Se-Hoon dismissed herints outright.


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I am making these ns because I believe you and I can handle them together.¡±


    ¡°...<i>Ahem</i>.¡±


    ¡°If I really thought of you as a ve, I wouldn¡¯t have you by my side as we discuss the n. So if you have any ideas, speak up. I trust your opinions more than anyone else¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Stop with the sweet talk... wait.¡±


    Not wanting to hear more, Luize was about to forget about it and move on as usual, but this time, she suddenly realized something and narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, every time you made me do something, you sweet-talked me with trust and belief...¡±


    Faced with Luize¡¯s sharp inquiry, Se-Hoon averted his gaze.


    ¡°That... would just be a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Shall we move on to the next topic?¡± Se-Hoon said. He turned to Jane, trying to pretend nothing had happened.


    Seeing him like that, Luize shoved thest bit of her sandwich into her mouth, clenched her fist, and swung it at Se-Hoon.


    ***


    In a small workshop where dozens of prosthetic limbs hung like butchered meat, a young man wearing goggles moved a magic welder tirelessly, soldering the inside of a right-arm prosthetic. Each time, sparks flew, and waves of mana spread throughout the workshop.


    For a while, the only sounds were those of metal until a sinister voice echoed from the man''s shadow.


    ¡°The Pilgrimage Church has appeared at the test site. Do you have any ideas why?¡±


    ¡°The Pilgrimage Church?¡±


    Stopping his welding, the young man lifted his goggles and looked down at his shadow with a frown.


    ¡°Why did they suddenly show up?¡±


    ¡°They seem to havee for volunteer work. They haven¡¯t made any moves yet, but we¡¯re on alert since the archbishop and some disguised individuals have arrived.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Pondering the reason why, the young man scratched his messy hair. A momentter, he seemed to havee up with something.


    ¡°By the way, those parts you gave me had no demonic aura or anything like that in them, right?¡±


    ¡°Correct. So even if the Pilgrimage Church investigates them, they won¡¯t find anything.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then let''s try to get them to infuse some divine mana into those parts.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Hearing the shadow¡¯s confusion, the young man nonchntly exined, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that our three test subjects are showing results? Divine mana directly affects the body, so it¡¯ll be good reference material.¡±


    ¡°But Madam has ordered us to stay vignt for a while...¡±


    ¡°You said there¡¯s no risk of being caught. And if we y it too safe, our new clients might start to distrust us. Sometimes in life, you have to be bold.¡±


    A brief silence ensued before the shadow spoke again in a detached voice.


    ¡°And you''ll be responsible for this?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    With that, the shadow went silent, and the young man turned his attention back to the right arm prosthetic.


    ¡°How long will I have to keep doing their chores...?¡± he muttered.


    If it were up to him, he would have rushed to Babel immediately, but there was no way for now.


    Frustrated, Allen Morgan, the chief researcher at Marite Factory, put his goggles back on and continued his work.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    His right arm glowed faintly, bathed in the light of Dawn.

 Chapter 171

    <h4>Chapter 171</h4>


    Finishing their somewhat rowdy lunch, the three took some time to explore the various facilities of the hospital together.


    To others, it appeared that Se-Hoon was being given a tour of the grounds since he had been stuck in the empty lot doing repairs all morning, but in reality, they were conducting reconnaissance for their sneak-in operation scheduled after lights-out tonight.


    ¡°This is the facility where patients train their mana control...¡±


    While simultaneously listening to Jane¡¯s exnation, Se-Hoon discreetly examined the hospital''s security systems.


    <i>As expected, the security is pretty tight here.</i>


    CCTV cameras were installed so densely that there were virtually no blind spots, and numerous hextech devices were set up throughout the building in case of emergencies. On top of that, the building''s durability was incredible, seemingly able to withstand even bombings.


    And there was a good reason why the rehabilitation hospital was so well-equipped.


    <i>The patients hospitalized here have many enemies in the outside world.</i>


    As previously all high-ranking heroes, the patients naturally all had grudges with demons. Because of that, assaults targeting heroes during their times of weakness like old age or injuries were not umon.


    <i>Even so, this ce is a bit more stringent than others... though it¡¯s still not entirely imprable.</i>


    Having found some blind spots, Se-Hoon was mentally mapping out how he and Luize should infiltrate when he suddenly heard a loud noise echo from the fifth rehabilitation exercise room.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Looking through the transparent ss door, Se-Hoon saw an elderly man holding a wooden spear.


    ¡°...¡±


    The old man stood as still as a statue. He didn¡¯t make a sound either, and the tip of his spear didn¡¯t waver in the slightest; he looked frozen in time.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Observing the old man¡¯s stance, Se-Hoon saw the man suddenly twist his body and thrust the wooden spear toward the ss door.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The shockwave from the spear''s tip forcing the ss door open startled Luize. Unlike her, however, Jane and Se-Hoon remainedpletely calm and just looked at the old man, who retracted his spear and red at them.


    ¡°It seems the Pilgrimage Church has changed a lot these days, having doctrines that dictate they spy on others,¡± the old man snickered.


    Unfazed by the old man¡¯s tant sarcasm, Jane gently responded, ¡°It seems there¡¯s a misunderstanding. We heard a noise during our break and were just checking what was happening.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then you guys can leave now. It¡¯s hard for me to exercise with someone watching.¡±


    Waving his hand dismissively, the old man turned around.


    At his rude actions, Jane made a bitter smile and Luize clenched her fist hidden in her sleeve while managing her expression.


    <i>Is this hospital just full of mad dogs?</i>


    First the other old men in the morning, and now this one; why were all the patients in this hospital like this? Trembling, Luize tried to push down the anger that had been building up since the morning.


    ¡°Sir.¡±


    Attracting everyone¡¯s attention, the silent observing Se-Hoon asked the old man a question.


    ¡°Do you have a prosthetic installed on your spines?¡±


    Stopping in his tracks, the old man turned back with a disapproving expression.


    ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that when you rotated your body earlier, it seemed like your spine was giving you pain. I apologize in advance if I have offended you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The old man, Karl Madden, began scrutinizing Se-Hoon.


    <i>Did my expression give it away? No, that can¡¯t be...</i>


    Having spent years on the battlefield, Karl was aware that even small changes in expression could be a weakness in actualbat and was thus adept at hiding his pain. He was so adept at it that nurses would plead with him to tell them when he was in pain during treatment.


    Yet the young man before him had seen through him instantly.


    ¡°...You seem to have good intuition.¡±


    Hearing the wariness thatced Karl¡¯s voice, Se-Hoon gave an embarrassedugh.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing special. I just have this C-rank skill called Pain Detection, so I¡¯m quite sensitive to these things.¡±


    ¡°Pain Detection... I think I¡¯ve heard of that before.¡±


    Though still cautious, Karl found some credence in Se-Hoon¡¯s exnation. It was a skill he¡¯d heard of, and it seemed usible that such a skill would enable someone to detect his pain.


    <i>In the past, I could have hidden my pain even from that kind of skill...</i>


    Smiling bitterly at the thought, Karl quickly adjusted his expression upon remembering the three strangers before him.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I do have a spinal prosthesis. Twelve years ago, a monster almost split me in two, which damaged my spine.¡±


    Using the spear as a cane for support, Karl looked at Se-Hoon with a prickly expression.


    ¡°Since then, I¡¯ve been unable to maintain my bnce without the help of the prosthetic and ended up here after retiring. Is this enough of an answer?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, it is. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Now, could you leave? You¡¯ve already taken three minutes of my training time.¡±


    At Karl¡¯s prickly words, Luize¡¯s eyes twitch with anger. But before she could explode, a cold and stern voice sounded from behind the three.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be possible.¡±


    Simultaneously turning, the three saw therge nurse, Alessia, behind them.


    ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯re now prohibited from exercising for three days.¡±


    ¡°Uh, Alessia. When did you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sir.¡±


    Cutting off Karl¡¯s words, Alessia made arge smile.


    ¡°Return to your room. Now.¡±


    At her instruction, Karl¡¯s face twisted, and he let out a deep sigh. He then switched out the wooden spear for a crutch from his void pocket and looked at the three people standing to the side when he walked out.


    ¡°This is why I shouldn''t have gotten involved with religious folks...¡±


    ¡°Sir!!!¡±


    ¡°Alright! I''m going, I''m going!¡±


    Grumbling in displeasure, Karl walked away. A few momentster, when he disappeared from sight, Alessia bowed her head to the three of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry! He¡¯s not usually like this, but he gets very sensitive whenever someone interrupts his training...¡±


    ¡°It''s our fault for disturbing him while he was in the middle of training. You don''t need to apologize,¡± assured Jane.


    ¡°No, I do. It¡¯s our job to make sure he won¡¯t exercise by himself, but since his rehabilitation showed progress recently, he''s been sneaking in more workouts...¡±


    Alessia proceeded to let out a deep sigh, a clear indication that she often had to deal with this.


    Seeing her struggle, Jane naturally changed the subject.


    ¡°You mentioned before lunch that the afternoon schedule might change. What happened with that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. I came to tell you guys about that...¡±


    Recalling her original purpose, Alessia looked at Jane with an embarrassed expression.


    ¡°Is it alright if you guys could treat five people with Divine Magic?¡±


    ¡°Treatment?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Some patients have weakened from overdoing their rehabilitation exercises recently. And since Divine Magic is more effective than ordinary healing magic for fatigue, I was wondering if you could help...¡±


    Throughout the whole conversation, Alessia kept ncing at Jane to try to gauge her reaction. Normally, such treatment services should have been arranged in advance, but the hospital director recently asked her to request them out of the blue.


    <i>How can he casually order me to ask them while he''s away on a trip... Patients and doctors are all the same, really.</i>


    Criticizing the irresponsible hospital director internally, Alessia waited for Jane toe to a decision.


    <i>If I outright refuse her here, it might raise suspicions.... In that case, it¡¯s better to exclude a few people from the treatment procedure, including the two of them.</i>


    If she only excluded Se-Hoon and Luize, it would look suspicious to the informants of the Demon Force hidden in the hospital. It would only be more natural if she told Alessia that only the highly skilled priests would help them with the treatment. Then, she could exclude a few people that way.


    Havinge to a decision, Jane was about to speak, but someone beat her to it.


    ¡°That sounds great, Archbishop!¡±


    Se-Hoon had spoken first.


    ¡°Helping those in need is the mission of the Church, after all. We are definitely willing to help!¡±


    ¡°...Are you sure about this?¡± asked Jane, her question carrying multiple implications.


    Se-Hoon nodded without hesitation.


    ¡°Of course. While I¡¯m still a bit tired from all of the repairs this morning, with Sister Luize¡¯s help, I should be able to manage to do the treatment.¡±


    Hearing her name, Luize flinched. But she quickly grasped the situation and promptly answered, ¡°I will assist well by his side, Archbishop.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Jane looked at the two of them for a moment before nodding.


    ¡°Alright. Then Brother James will participate, along with Sister Luize. Head Nurse, is this okay with you?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes! The treatment wouldn¡¯t be that demanding; they¡¯re just fatigued from overwork.¡±


    For Alessia, all that mattered was that the patients were receiving some kind of treatment. Therefore, she had noints and agreed brightly.


    ¡°Please let us know when you guys are done preparing for it,¡± Jane requested with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll let you know as soon as the time and location are decided.¡±


    Receiving their agreement, Alessia quickly headed off somewhere. As Jane watched her leave, she used Divine Magic to telepathicallymunicate with Se-Hoon.


    <i>¡°Do you have some kind of n behind all this?¡±</i>


    What was he thinking by agreeing to help with the treatment if he couldn¡¯t even umte divine mana himself? But rather than answering, Se-Hoon asked a question of his own.


    ¡°Archbishop, can I use the treatment method I mentioned before?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Seeing Jane¡¯s puzzled expression, Se-Hoon made a sly smile.


    ¡°Thetest treatment method developed by the Church, I mean.¡±


    ***


    At three o''clock in the afternoon, Karl, who had been cooped up in his room, was summoned by the nurses.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even injured that badly, so what¡¯s with this special treatment...¡± he grumbled, leaning on his crutch for support.


    Although he had pushed himself a bit upon seeing that he was making progress in his rehabilitation, he had managed it without getting injured. Yet, the hospital was still insisting he get treatment for the fatigue. For Karl, who had fought with a hole in his stomach during his active years, getting treatment for such a small thing was hard to believe.


    <i>Back in my day, this would have been unthinkable... tsk.</i>


    Continuing his grumbling, Karl headed to the auditorium on the second floor.


    When he was close to arriving, he could see Duke Foster, an elderly man with a cloudy eye, walking towards him from afar. The sight of him sent his eyebrows shooting up in shock. After all, just this morning, Duke Foster had been stumbling around like a man with a damaged left eye, yet now he was walking perfectly straight.


    <i>Huh, what¡¯s up with him? Did he take some kind of drug?</i>


    Utterly confused, he stood there watching Duke Foster, and it wasn¡¯t long before Duke Foster noticed him.


    ¡°<i>Hm?</i> Are you here for treatment too?¡±


    ¡°Did you get treatment as well?¡±


    Looking fresh-faced, Duke Foster confirmed.


    ¡°Yeah, I did. It felt awful at first, but now I feel pretty good. It seems Divine Magic really has improved quite a bit.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Once again, Karl was taken aback by Duke Foster. Known as one of the most irritable patients in the rehabilitation hospital, it was rare for him topliment anything, much less offer praise.


    <i>What on earth is this special treatment they¡¯re trying to get me into?</i>


    By this point, his annoyance had given way to curiosity.


    Seeing Karl look toward the auditorium, Duke Foster chuckled.


    ¡°Good luck. I''m not sure if you¡¯ll get treated as well as I did, though.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I need to get back to training.¡±


    Not wanting to say more, Duke Foster quickly passed by, leaving Karl to watch his cheerful figure disappear. When it had, Karl turned around and used his crutch to enter the auditorium with a slightly tense expression.


    ¡°What is all this...?¡±


    In the center of the auditorium was arge, glowing octagonal magic array. At each vertex, saints were kneeling in prayer and sending divine mana from their bodies into the magic array, making it glow a golden hue.


    Staring at the unfamiliar structure, Karl was approached by Alessia, who had been waiting inside.


    ¡°Sir, please put this on before entering the magic array.¡±


    Gazing at the thick ck bracelets resembling shackles she handed him, Karl frowned.


    ¡°Why should I wear a mana-control device during treatment?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because the effectiveness is reduced if you summon your own mana during the treatment. So, please wear these...¡±


    ¡°Forget it. If the treatment turns out to be bad, I just won¡¯t ept it.¡±


    ¡°Wait, sir!¡±


    Ignoring Alessia, Karl stepped directly into the glowing golden magic array.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Observing the golden aura gently enveloping his entire body, Karl soon began to feel an invigorating energy slowly fill up his body and loosen his previously stiff body.


    <i>As expected, Divine Magic is top-tier in this aspect.</i>


    Unlike ordinary healing magic, which felt like massaging a tense area with an elbow, Divine Magic felt like a warmpress that gently relieved tension. Both the process and effects of Divine Magic were superior in the restoration aspect, which was why injured soldiers often fought to be treated with it on the battlefields he had fought on in the past.


    <i>...Why do I keep reminiscing about the old days?</i>


    Smiling bitterly, Karl shook his head and just stood in the center of the magic array.


    Soon, Se-Hoon, Luize, and Jane walked over from somewhere in the auditorium¡¯s interior.


    ¡°Nice to see you again, sir.¡±


    Despite Se-Hoon¡¯s warm greeting, Karl squinted his eyes and gruffly responded, ¡°Don¡¯t waste time with small talk. Just get on with the treatment.¡±


    ¡°Haha, alright. But why don¡¯t you have a mana-control device on you?¡±


    ¡°As long as I don¡¯t summon my mana, it¡¯ll be fine. I found it unnecessary.¡±


    Se-Hoon made a wry smile at that response.


    ¡°How does everyone react the same way...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. If you say so, sir, it¡¯s fine. Sister Luize, please activate the Divine Magic.¡±


    Prompted by Se-Hoon, Luize stepped into the magic array and softly whispered, <strong>¡°Assimtion.¡±</strong>


    <i>Woong~</i>


    Stirred by Luize, the divine mana in the magic array prated deeper into Se-Hoon and Karl¡¯s bodies, causing Karl to flinch at the unfamiliar sensation and reflexively try to summon his mana.


    <i>Damn it...!</i>


    But he quickly remembered his own words and suppressed his mana, allowing the divine mana to embed itself deeply within him. It felt like he was awakening divine mana, an experience he had never had even during his active years.


    Savoring the unique sensation, Karl looked down at his body.


    ¡°It¡¯s all finished. Now, please take out your training weapon.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±


    Though puzzled, Karl put away his crutch, took out his wooden spear, and naturally assumed a stance. That was when he noticed Se-Hoon standing in front of him, holding a golden spear.


    ¡°In no circumstances should you bring forth your own mana!¡±


    Ending with those words, Se-Hoon suddenly lunged forward, thrusting the spear at Karl¡¯s heart.


    ¡°What...!¡±


    Caught off guard, Karl instinctively swung his wooden spear to block it.


    <i>ng!</i>


    He parried the golden spear just before it could close the distance. However, the spearhead twisted like a snake and swiftly aimed for his sr plexus. Shocked by the unexpected movement, he gripped his wooden spear even more tightly.


    <i>Not yet!</i>


    Assuming he could parry it once more, he was about to summon his mana before remembering Se-Hoon¡¯s instruction.


    <i>Oh, right, if I summon my own mana...</i>


    Because of that, his body froze and was unable to react in time.


    <i>Thwack!!!</i>


    The golden spear struck his sr plexus mercilessly.


    <i>¡°Guh!¡±</i>


    Feeling the pain spreading through his body, he gasped and stumbled backward. If he had rxed even a bit, he would have fallen to the ground.


    ¡°You bastard...!¡±


    Infuriated, not from the pain in his sr plexus but the humiliation of not being able to block the attack, Karl was about to unleash his magic in fury when Se-Hoon¡¯s voice cut through.


    ¡°Sir! Before you get all angry, try checking your body first! It should feel much better than before!¡±


    Hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s timely shout, filled with genuine concern, Karl paused and looked at his body.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    Not only had the muscles around his chest, where the spear had struck, loosened, but all his muscle aches and bruises seemed to have visibly improved. It was as if he had been directly treated with Divine Magic in the areas where Se-Hoon had struck with his spear.


    The unexpected effect left him staring at Se-Hoon in disbelief.


    ¡°How could this...¡±


    ¡°This is a special treatment method recently developed by the Church. It involves activating the body through sparring to facilitate healing.¡±


    ¡°Huh. I can¡¯t believe such a treatment exists...¡±


    If he had just heard about it, he would have dismissed it as nonsense. But having experienced it firsthand, he had no choice but to believe it.


    ¡°However, if you summon your own mana even once during the treatment, your body will develop resistance to divine mana, preventing you from trying the treatment again for several days. That¡¯s why we asked you to wear the mana-control device beforehand.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>, is that so...¡±


    Though Karl understood what Se-Hoon was saying, he was dissatisfied.


    <i>If they exined before the treatment, I might have worn it... hmm... actually, I would have probably stormed out, saying it was nonsense.</i>


    Having objectively reflected on what he might have done if he had been warned beforehand, he awkwardly cleared his throat.


    Seeing Karl calm down, Se-Hoon breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Should we continue with the treatment?¡±


    ¡°Fine. I just can¡¯t summon my own mana, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just try to not activate your mana,¡± Se-Hoon confirmed with a gentle smile.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    He then lunged at Karl even faster than before.


    ¡°Wait...!¡±


    Karl swiftly swung his wooden spear in retaliation, but the golden spear twisted again, piercing inward.


    <i>Thud, thud, thud!</i>


    ¡°<i>Ugh...</i>!¡±


    The spear struck fiercely at Karl¡¯s neck, sr plexus, and abdomen. Overwhelmed by the sudden barrage of attacks, his body stiffened, allowing the spear, twisting like a whip, to mercilessly batter his entire body.


    The onught of attacks was so fierce that it seemed Se-Hoon had been waiting for this moment. Completely taken aback, Karl looked at the young man pushing him to the limit.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing great! Just keep enduring it!¡± Se-Hoon shouted.


    He seriously suspected that Se-Hoon was using the treatment as an excuse to exact revenge on him.

 Chapter 172

    <h4>Chapter 172</h4>


    If one were to list out all the fundamental differences between divine mana and ordinary mana, they would talk for an eternity. Including their nature, origin, and training methods, there were too many.


    And among them all, Jane thought the biggest difference waspatibility.


    For example, with fire mana, those without affinity for it couldn''t produce it by themselves. Yet that didn¡¯t mean they couldn''t use it. As long as they received an external supply from either equipment, consumables, or other heroes, they could control it to some extent using their existing skills.


    <i>ng!</i>


    And that was where the differencey. Even if someone who hadn¡¯t awakened divine mana received it externally, they couldn¡¯t control or maintain it.


    The reason exined by the Pope of the Pilgrimage Church, Pilgrim Karl Andersen, went like this: ¡°Although these two types of mana may look simr at first nce, their origins are different. That is why those of us blessed with divine mana must devote ourselves to humanity.¡±


    The two types of mana were different in their origin. Jane had learned and experienced that, so she never questioned it. That was why she couldn¡¯t believe thetest treatment method that Se-Hoon proposed was possible when she heard about it.


    ¡°...¡±


    <i>Smack!</i>


    She stared nkly at Se-Hoon, who was enveloped in divine mana and was engaging in an intense battle with the patient.


    ¡°Good!¡±


    The golden spear in Se-Hoon''s hand, created with divine mana, was bent flexibly and shot forward fiercely. Its shape and strength, as well as its instant transformations, were all freely manipted.


    Jane struggled to believe that the seemingly wless Divine Magic weapon projection¡ªsomething rare even within the Church¡ªwas real.


    <i>How on earth...</i>


    She was awed by Se-Hoon¡¯s proficiency after just a few demonstrations and simple instructions. It truly seemed to be the result of relentless practice.


    <i>¡°Huff...!¡±</i>


    Quickly adjusting his stance, Karl thrust his wooden spear, aligning it with the irregr trajectory of the spear.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The thrice-curved de was perfectly parried, and Karl, riding the momentum,unched a counterattack. He swiftly closed the distance and thrust his spear toward Se-Hoon¡¯s throat.


    Despite his handicap of not using mana, Karl¡¯s sharp attack forced Se-Hoon to swing his spear quickly to parry.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Unfortunately, no matter how many openings in Se-Hoon¡¯s defense Karl could use his spear to prate, an old body without any aid from mana couldn¡¯t keep up. And since Se-Hoon had been buffed by Jane, he could easily block the attack.


    <i>ng!</i>


    However, Karl was waiting for that.


    <i>Here ites...!</i>


    He promptly twisted his body to unleash his secret move.


    <i>Screech-</i>


    With a twist of his left foot, he added more rotational force to his arms, driving it up through his body. Twisted to its limit, Karl pushed all the rotational force into the wooden sword and struck Se-Hoon¡¯s spear.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The golden spear shattered into pieces from the impact, and Karl rushed in through the gap. With all his might, he then thrust his wooden spear at the scoundrel, who had relentlessly beaten him under the guise of treatment.


    <i>ck!</i>


    But at that moment, Se-Hoon swung two daggers and twisted the spear''s trajectory. Caught off guard by the daggers created from the shattered golden fragments, Karl paused, and Se-Hoon took the chance to swing at his throat.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Feeling the threat to his life, Karl reflexively gathered his mana and fiercely swung his spear at Se-Hoon, sending it piercing through Se-Hoon¡¯s chest at an iparable speed.


    <i>Crash!!</i>


    Realizing what he had done, Karl¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Damn it...!¡±


    His gathering of mana during the treatment procedure was one problem, but more importantly, he had gone full force against the opponent. He hurriedly checked the spear tip to see if Se-Hoon was injured.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Luckily, the wooden spear was broken and blocked by a golden shield.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>... it seems like my life''s been saved by you, Archbishop.¡±


    Anticipating the attack, Jane had used her Divine Magic and projected a shield that cleanly blocked it.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve summoned your mana, the treatment is now over. How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Ah, um...¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s words, Karl checked his body. Not only was he full of vigor, but his previously off-centered bnce had centered somewhat. The most astonishing thing, however, was the significantly reduced difort from the spinal prosthesis attached to his back.


    ¡°It feels like my body has beenpletely overhauled.... How is this possible?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing special. I just used divine mana to elerate the natural healing in your body.¡±


    ¡°Natural healing?¡±


    Puzzled by the unexpected answer, Karl looked at Se-Hoon who proceeded to exin.


    ¡°Since healing with just Divine Magic is inefficient due to ourck of understanding of your bodies, especially in delicate areas like the spine, we enable your bodies to handle it on their own.¡±


    It was no easy task to heal something as delicate as a slight misalignment, especially for high-level heroes. So, Se-Hoon handed it off to the patient¡¯s own body cells, who knew their body best, to handle it.


    ¡°By sparring with me, your mind naturally recalled your movements before the injury. The divine mana that I injected into your body throughout the spar then manifests as Divine Magic, healing your body to match those sensations.¡±


    Instead of just healing the wound, his treatment method restored the body to its prime state. Overall, it resulted in a much better condition than simple healing with Divine Magic.


    ¡°Of course, this isn¡¯t a cure-all. The patient must clearly remember their past state and have the minimum requirement to handle the manifested divine magic.¡±


    ¡°By requirement... do you mean the prosthesis?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Since your spine was already damaged, your body will heal itself based on the prosthesis.¡±


    ¡°...Impressive.¡±


    It not only healed the body but also reduced the prosthesis¡¯ chronic difort. It was so effective that Karl rejoiced at the treatment''s results, which caught him up on months of rehabilitation in one session.


    ¡°Then can I receive this treatment reg¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry, the Church prohibits regr treatments. Repeated treatment might interfere with the patient¡¯s mana control.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> I see.¡±


    ¡°Yep. We¡¯ll contact you if the issues are resolved.¡±


    Disappointedly epting it, Karl nodded.


    ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t forget to contact me if they¡¯re resolved. I¡¯ll pay any amount to receive the treatment.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Also, since your body has changed drastically in such a short time, please rest for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Got it. And... <i>hmm...</i>¡±


    ncing at Jane and Luize behind Se-Hoon, Karl hesitated for a moment before sheepishly apologizing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about earlier. Thanks for all your hard work with the treatment.¡±


    With that, Karl gathered the pieces of the broken wooden spear, retrieved his crutch, and quickly exited the hall. Watching his retreating figure, Se-Hoon smiled slightly.


    <i>So he knows how to apologize, albeit only when he''s feeling better.</i>


    Maybe during his active days, despite his badnguage, his character wasn¡¯t so bad.


    Alessia approached the three of them.


    ¡°Thank you all for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Was he thest one?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That concludes today¡¯s treatment session, so you guys can go back and rest. You¡¯ve all done a great job.¡±


    When a few more things were wrapped up, Alessia and the nurses saw the three of them off.


    Sitting in their car that was heading to the nearby amodations they booked, Janemented, ¡°You can speak freely here; the driver¡¯s seat is partitioned off.¡±


    <i>¡°Haa...¡±</i>


    Luize let out a sigh, finally letting her carefully maintained expression crumble.


    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>, my head... why does handling divine mana hurt so much?¡±


    For the treatment, Luize''s role was to use her Incantation Magic to assimte the divine mana in the magic array with Se-Hoon and the patient. Normally, those who hadn''t awakened their divine mana shouldn¡¯t be able to maintain it within their bodies, but it was possible thanks to Luize''s Incantation Magic.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re trying to force something you don¡¯t fully understand to work. It''ll continue to be like that until you properly awaken divine mana.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess I should avoid using it if possible...¡±


    Luckily, the treatment only required her to cast the Incantation Magic once. If she had to refresh its effect continuously, her head might have exploded.


    Smiling at Luize, who was pressing her forehead and groaning, Jane, sitting opposite, moved her gaze to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon. May I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°How did youe up with this... treatment method?¡±


    Having seen for herself how the treatment suppressed the patient¡¯s own mana and forcibly assimted divine mana within their body to maximize natural healing, the entire procedure did indeed seem possible, but it was apletely unthinkable method.


    <i>How is his understanding of divine mana so unusually high?</i>


    Even if he was able to contain divine mana within his body, how could he use it so naturally? With such talent, Jane even wondered if he had already awakened divine mana.


    Seeing her suspicious gaze, Se-Hoon nonchntly answered, ¡°I just thought it would work.¡±


    ¡°You just thought...?¡±


    ¡°Yes. To exin a bit more, I simplybined the body''s natural restorative power with Luize''s incantation magic and the characteristics of divine mana. It really wasn¡¯t that difficult.¡±


    That was true; such an oue was easily possible because he fully understood the three forces.


    For some reason, Jane found herself believing him even though it still seemed unbelievable on paper.


    <i>So this is what it feels like when you see someone who¡¯s born fundamentally different, Pope.</i>


    Understanding, ideation, and execution¡ªeverything about Se-Hoon was fundamentally different from others. It was as if he was born to bring something new to the world.


    After everything, Jane now had a better understanding of what kind of person Se-Hoon was and what she had to do in the future.


    ¡°Could you exin the treatment method in detailter? I would like the Church to research it properly.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll organize it as best as I can.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. And... what about the results?¡±


    Se-Hoon thought about it for a moment.


    ¡°I have confirmed everything necessary. Putting the three suspicious people and the two others together made it clear forparison.¡±


    Jane''s expression grew tense. The fact that Se-Hoon had found clear differences meant that the involvement of the Pleasure District was confirmed.


    ¡°What was different about them?¡±


    ¡°Um...¡±


    Organizing the information, Se-Hoon eventually said, ¡°The performance of their imnted prosthetics was much better.¡±


    ¡°Can you exin in a bit more detail?¡±


    ¡°They seemed to have fewer side effects, and the body¡¯s adaptation to them is far superior. It seemed as though there were additional parts inside the prosthetics that reduced the foreign sensation and enhanced their deteriorated abilities.¡±


    ¡°So... does that mean there are going to be hidden side effects?¡±


    Hearing Jane¡¯s nervousness, Se-Hoon shook his head calmly.


    ¡°No, there shouldn¡¯t be any. To put it more simply, it felt like their prosthetics were a generation... no, two generations ahead in technology.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Jane furrowed her brow at Se-Hoon¡¯s exnation. She had assumed that the Pleasure District''s involvement meant the prosthetics were corrupted with demonic aura and would turn people into fiends or corrupt their minds. Yet the only difference was superior performance?


    Simr to Jane, Luize, who had been listening, also furrowed her brow.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the problem? There¡¯s nothing bad about their prosthetics being superior.¡±


    ¡°If you look at it that way, yes. The problem is what they n to do with those people after healing them.¡±


    At first, Se-Hoon thought they would just be sacrificed as materials for the Pleasure District¡¯s expansion. However, after examining the prosthetics during the treatment, he realized his initial assumption was wrong.


    <i>They¡¯re going to be used entirely differently.</i>


    Unlike the ones he previously detained with the Special Operations Division, who actually seemed like they were going to be used as materials for the Expansion by corrupting them into demons, these three seemed to be being rehabilitated to be reborn as heroes for a different purpose.


    Now, figuring out that purpose would determine the response and the strategy they needed to use against the Pleasure District.


    ¡°I need to check the additional part ced inside their prosthetics to really see what they¡¯re up to. So, tonight, we¡¯ll infiltrate their wards as nned.¡±


    ¡°Um... can we even sneak up on them? We just made them stronger, so isn¡¯t it going to be more difficult now?¡±


    Even if they were exhausted and asleep, it was uncertain if they could sneak into their rooms, let alone now that they were full of vigor.


    But Se-Hoon was absolutely confident.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he responded to Luize¡¯s concerned worry.


    He nced at the rehabilitation hospital through the window and smiled.


    ¡°Everything on that side has been taken care of.¡±


    ***


    At 1:00 am, long past lights-out time, the hospital was quiet; there was no one awake except for the deskmp and the night-duty staff. Therge, empty interior and the CCTV also showed nothing unusual. It was serene.


    With nothing urring, the security staff yawned leisurely in the guardroom.


    <i>Rustle-</i>


    Unbeknownst to security, part of the hospital¡¯s scenery subtly rippled, moving down the corridor and ascending the stairs.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The corridor the ripple entered was filled with invisible magicsers¡ªa state-of-the-art security system that would trigger an rm if anyone without a pass tried to pass through.


    <i>Rustle-</i>


    However, despite the ripple moving forward, thesers just wavered and passed through without triggering. That continued up to the third floor, where the patient rooms were located.


    Still undetected, the ripple moved past the nurses on duty at the third-floor desk and entered one of the patient rooms.


    ¡°We should be good now.¡±


    ¡°<i>Phew...</i>¡±


    Rxing a bit, Luize, who had been sticking close to Se-Hoon, exhaled the breath she had been holding behind her mask.


    ¡°<i>Ugh...</i> I feel sick...¡±


    The bizarre sensation of her entire body blending into the surroundings made her shudder upon recalling the feeling of her body unraveling thread by thread.


    ¡°Where did you even learn this?¡±


    They used dream mana to enter the boundary of dreams and then assimted with the surroundings using Incantation Magic. The method was highly effective, as they just experienced, but incredibly risky, since even a slight mistake could result in being absorbed by the scenery. If Se-Hoon hadn¡¯t assured her of its safety, she wouldn¡¯t have dared to try it.


    ¡°Well... I just thought it might work.¡±


    In truth, he was mimicking the technique the st Dog once used, but he couldn¡¯t exin that, so he made up a usible excuse.


    ¡°Oh, you just thought it might work...¡±


    Initially about to ept his answer, Luize suddenly widened her eyes in realization.


    ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you tell me to just trust you because it was a proven method???¡±


    ¡°Shh. If you talk too much, we¡¯ll get caught.¡±


    ¡°What, you son of a¡ª¡±


    <i>Snap!</i>


    With a light snap of his fingers, Se-Hoon triggered an X-patterned mask to silence her. It was the mute function he had secretly added when he first made her choker.


    Unable to speak, Luize red at him menacingly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss thister. For now, let¡¯s proceed.¡±


    Pushing the ring Luize gently forward, Se-Hoon entered the room.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Since they were still under the cover of dream mana, they easily bypassed the simple rm systems inside the room.


    Wasting no time, Se-Hoon approached the bed, where an elderly man, Karl, was lying on his side, sleeping soundly. His slow, deep breaths indicated a deep sleep, which Luize found fascinating.


    <i>He really stimted their nervous system and knocked them out...</i>


    To others, Karl appeared to be sleeping naturally, but in reality, it was a deep, almost drug-induced sleep.


    Luize tapped her mask, and seeing that she had calmed down, Se-Hoon snapped his fingers again.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    ¡°...Bastard.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who got excited in a ce like this.¡±


    ¡°Fine. What¡¯s the n now?¡±


    ¡°First, we need to disassemble it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re really going to... disassemble their prosthetics?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not that difficult, so help me out a bit.¡±


    Starting, Se-Hoon briskly pulled back the nket and lifted Karl''s shirt, revealing the spinal prosthesis embedded along the spine. A faint stream of mana could be seen circting through it, making it appear as if it were a natural part of his body.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see...¡±


    Taking out the Ethereal Monocle from his void pocket, Se-Hoon ced it over his left eye and carefully examined the prosthesis. Focusing on a specific spot near the shoulder des, he took out a surgical scalpel he had prepared in advance.


    ¡°Help me enchant this.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Luize, gathering her mana, chanted an incantation that turned the small de ck and made it faintly glow. Checking the enchantment, Se-Hoon carefully moved the scalpel to the pre-decided part of the prosthesis and started cutting.


    <i>Slice-</i>


    The prosthesis split open smoothly, feeling like he was cutting through flesh. In reality, it would have been difficult to cut through without a highly sharp de, but the enchantment had tricked theponents into parting easily.


    <i>Okay, right here...</i>


    Bringing his right hand to the incision, Se-Hoon connected it with Shadow Thread to another part of the prosthesis to ensure that the flow of mana remained uninterrupted to prevent Karl from waking up. He then started meticulously cutting and connecting various parts of the prosthesis until he finally exposed its inner section.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Inside, he found a hiddenponent: a peculiar green gemstone. Its familiar shape made Se-Hoon narrow his eyes.


    ¡°Hey... could this be...?¡±


    Watching from the side, Luize also frowned at the sight of it.


    Se-Hoon nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the device made by Dawn.¡±


    Dawn¡¯s mana corrosion device was a device that altered the structure of the target¡¯s mana circuits by corroding them. And the gemstone was one of the keyponents used in that device.


    ¡°...So those bastards are hiding here too.¡±


    Luize¡¯s eyes glinted coldly, while Se-Hoon just quietly observed the green gemstone.


    <i>But it¡¯s too calm if it¡¯s corroding his mana circuit.</i>


    There were no signs of rejection from the mana circuits, and the spinal prosthesis itself was naturally assimting into Karl¡¯s body rather than corroding it.


    Wondering how it was being used, Se-Hoon activated the Ethereal Monocle again when a thought struck him.


    <strong><i>Dream Projection</i></strong>


    A thread of mana extended from the monocle and touched the gemstone, gradually reflecting a scene in the lens.


    The scene revealed Karl wielding a long spear, moving with incredible speed and strengthpared to now. Unlike the corrupted heroes¡¯ synesthetic mindscapes he had seen before, this one was pristine. It made Se-Hoon¡¯s breath catch in his throat.


    <i>This...</i>


    Se-Hoon had used the Dream Projection not on the sleeping Karl but on <i>the gemstone</i> embedded in the spinal prosthesis. The fact that he could see a clear image of Karl¡¯s synesthetic mindscape indicated something significant.


    <i>The replication of synesthetic mindscapes.</i>


    High-ranking heroes¡ªthose with the potential to be S-ranks¡ªwere being healed to surpass their limits, and their perfected synesthetic mindscapes were being copied.


    Recalling an entity that had perfected its form by using such a method before the regression, Se-Hoon was unable to stop the murmur from escaping his mouth.


    ¡°The Harbinger of Oblivion...¡±

 Chapter 173

    <h4>Chapter 173</h4>


    <i>Splish-</i>


    Sticky red liquid soaked the soles of Se-Hoon¡¯s shoes.


    At first, the pungent smell that filled the air caused his face to scrunch up involuntarily, yet barely any time had passed and he already no longer registered it.


    ¡°It¡¯s so red.¡±


    The ceiling, the walls, and the floor were allpletely red. It was almost impossible to look at this ce and believe that it was once the world''srgest martial arts hall.


    Absorbed in the surroundings, he stared quietly at the surrealndscape that seemed intentionally colored. But he soon focused again on the sound of a voice.


    ¡°Stay focused.¡±


    The one who warned him was the gruff brute walking ahead, the Mad Dog.


    ¡°For someone of yourbat level, the moment you lose focus, there¡¯ll be nothing but your blood left behind.¡±


    ¡°I know that much.¡±


    ¡°If you really knew, you wouldn''t havee all the way here. Why can¡¯t you understand your ce when you¡¯re so weak?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The fact that the Mad Dog wasn¡¯t saying due to malice but rather due to genuinely not understanding why Se-Hoon was so weak and unaware of his own limits, was more infuriating than outright mockery.


    However, for today, Se-Hoon made no retort; he knew better than anyone that a cksmith like him, who should be hiding and hammering, being at the forefront was undoubtedly madness.


    ¡°Just bear with me for a while. We''ll check this ce out and be out soon.¡±


    ¡°There''s nothing to really bear, though. It''ll just be annoying to find someone else to handle the repairs for my equipment if you end up as a puddle of blood.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At that remark, Se-Hoon seriously considered smashing the Mad Dog¡¯s head with a hammer.


    They walked in silence, and soon, they emerged from the blood-soaked corridor into a spacious area.


    Thick pirs stood at regr intervals, and there was a central training ground with a giant Buddha statue several meters high overseeing it all. Seeing it, he once again recalled that where he was was once called the holynd of martial arts, the Hall of Enlightenment, and many other grand names. Now though, none of those names held any meaning.


    Just like in the corridor, everything¡ªthe ceiling, pirs, walls, and the Buddha statue¡ªwas drenched in blood. The only thing rtively clean was the central training ground.


    Done observing, Se-Hoon called out to the Mad Dog, who was on guard in the alien scenery.


    ¡°Seems like there¡¯s no problem here; let''s go in.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Crossing the ankle-deep blood, the Mad Dog led the way to the central training ground.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> is this not the ce?"


    The ce they were standing and the traces of what urred didn''t match. However, as they slowly walked around the training ground and examined the blood-soaked interior, all the scenes slowly clicked into ce.


    They had found traces of different skills, spreading from the center of the training ground, vividly engraved throughout the hall.


    ¡°...He¡¯spletely insane.¡±


    At first nce, it was hard to discern what skill could leave all those marks, but after staring at them long enough, Se-Hoon somewhat understood. A single entity had used thousands of <i>different</i> skills to massacre the heroes. Not one trace was the same as another, revealing the entity¡¯s ability which he had only heard through stories.


    ¡°So he doesn¡¯t only know how to mimic others'' skills... he can perfectly steal the opponent¡¯s synesthetic mindscape as well.¡±


    Years of arduous training, hard-earned enlightenment, and even carefully sculpted synesthetic mindscapes could be stolen if one fell to this enemy. Currently, they were insignificantpared to the other Harbinger of Destructions, but they would only be more threatening with time.


    However, just as Se-Hoon realized that they had to deal with this entity, the Harbinger of Oblivion, first and foremost¡ª


    <i>Squish!</i>


    A ck hand pierced his chest.


    ¡°What...?¡±


    Feeling the pain in his chest, Se-Hoon¡¯s expression contorted. At that moment, the owner of the hand looked at him.


    The figure was slightly under two meters tall, with limbs resembling a human¡¯s. But instead of flesh and blood, the body was formed by ink-like intangible energy, swirling and moving in certain areas. It looked like it had emerged from the depths of the abyss.


    Staring at the bizarre form of the enemy, Se-Hoon barely managed to force his mouth.


    ¡°You...¡±


    ¡°Your heart is quite tough. But¡ª¡±


    ncing at the heart pushed out of Se-Hoon¡¯s chest through his back, the entity became utterly disappointed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth taking.¡±


    <i>Squish!</i>


    The sound of crushing flesh resounded, and the arm puncturing Se-Hoon¡¯s chest was casually withdrawn. Ready to finish him off, the hand moved to crush Se-Hoon¡¯s head.


    <i>Wham!</i>


    But the Mad Dog''s spear smashed into Se-Hoon¡¯s ribs, sending him away while also deflecting the hand.


    <i>Bang!!</i>


    Crashing through a pir, Se-Hoon mmed into the wall before sliding down onto the floor. Unable to see clearly with half of his face drenched in blood, he could only witness the battle unfold on the training ground with his left eye.


    ¡°The Inferno Ring technique! Oh, this was worth the wait!¡±


    ¡°You seem worth killing too.¡±


    <i>Boom!!</i>


    Crimson mes erupted from Sung-Ha¡¯s spears continuously, shaking the hall and making it seem like it would copse at any moment.


    A fight,pletely disregarding Se-Hoon¡¯s presence, had started. Of course, given that the opponent was the Harbinger of Oblivion, the Mad Dog couldn''t afford to pay attention to Se-Hoon.


    <i>Still, he could have held back a bit whenunching me away... that damned dog...</i>


    While mutteringints inwardly, blood continued to flow from the hole in his chest, causing his consciousness to start to fade.


    <i>Badump-</i>


    ***


    <strong>[Activating Awakening Dream]</strong>


    <i>Whoosh-!</i>


    Feeling the cool sensation sweeping away the murkiness from his mind, Se-Hoon, still shaken by his memories, instinctively looked down at his chest.


    <i>Phew... it''s still there.</i>


    His heart, healthy yet fragile, was still vigorously pumping blood. Shaking his head again, he tried to clear away the unpleasant feeling.


    <i>Of all times, I had to remember that moment...</i>


    Though it wasn''t a particrly good memory, it triggered a flood of memories rted to the Harbinger of Oblivion.


    Se-Hoon looked at the gemstone inside Karl''s spinal prosthetic.


    <i>With this, the creation of the Harbinger of Oblivion is definitely their most likely n, but... why is the Pleasure District involved?</i>


    He remembered that the main forces behind the creation of the Harbinger of Oblivion were Watcher¡¯s subgroup Session and the Ten Evils¡¯ Doppelganger. There had never been any signs of the Pleasure District or the Dream Demon being involved, so what was going on now?


    <i>Either something happened that I didn''t know before... or it''s the butterfly effect.</i>


    Many things had already changed from the past he knew. And with the biggest one of them all, the unprecedented cooperation of the three Perfect Ones, it was quite possible that the Demon Force had felt anxious and elerated the creation of the Harbingers of Destruction.


    <i>I''ll think about thister... for now, I have to wrap up this situation first.</i>


    Having confirmed the reason the Pleasure District was rehabilitating retired heroes and the kind of items produced in the process, the next step on his list was to disrupt their supply of materials without arousing much suspicion.


    <i>What kind of method should I use...?</i>


    While ruminating over it, he suddenly heard the quiet murmurs of Luize, who had been quietly watching Karl sleep beside him.


    ¡°I wonder if I would have ended up like this too...¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm?</i>¡±


    Curious, Se-Hoon looked at Luize, who waved her hand with an awkward expression.


    ¡°No, it''s nothing. I was just thinking that if I hadn''t met you back then, I might have ended up like this.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> that¡¯s certainly possible.¡±


    The st Dog had suffered so much from the irreparable mana impairment that she epted Dawn¡¯s proposal and underwent numerous experiments under the guise of treatment.


    Though sheter regretted naively epting the proposal, having realized how foolish it was, at that time, she would have seen it as the only option she had left.


    ¡°During the day, they were just a bunch of irritating old dudes that I wanted to punch... but now it feels kind of strange.¡±


    She had realized that were being dragged around by the bait of hope, unable to move forward or backward. It was just like seeing her past self, causing her to feel both irritation and sympathy.


    With a lot on her mind, Luize stared at Karl for a moment before hesitantly turning to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Um... can I ask you a favor?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Is it possible for you to... help these people?¡±


    Hearing such a thing from her, Se-Hoon became interested.


    ¡°What do you mean exactly by ¡®helping¡¯ them?¡±


    ¡°Uh... if we remove the prosthetics, it will cause some immediate problems and suspicion, so... what if we modify the prosthetics slightly to improve their physical condition while also preventing them from being used by those scoundrels... or something... along the lines of that...¡±


    Toward the end, her voice trailed off and she averted her gaze, realizing how absurd her request sounded.


    <i>Even if it was for a food order, I¡¯d still be scolded for saying it like this...</i>


    Remembering thatplex devices like prosthetics were far too intricate to modify, Luize awkwardly smiled.


    ¡°Never mind, actually. This is an unreasonable request...¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Looking up at Se-Hoon in surprise, Luize saw that he was now looking at Karl''s spinal prosthetic.


    ¡°The method I¡¯ll use will be a bit different, but it doesn¡¯t seem impossible. The results shouldn¡¯t be too bad, so let¡¯s go with that.¡±


    ¡°W¡ªwait a second. Really? You¡¯re not going to push yourself, are you?¡±


    Luize couldn¡¯t understand Se-Hoon¡¯s nonchnce. How was he going to help their disabilities while also perfectly deceiving the enemy?


    ¡°Well, it won¡¯t be easy. The results might not be as intended.¡±


    ¡°Then just¡ª¡±


    ¡°But still, we have to try.¡±


    Se-Hoon cut off Luize''s worries and gave her a kind smile.


    ¡°My regr customer has made a rare request, so shouldn''t I put in some effort?¡±


    For a moment, Luize just stared at him nkly before bursting into softughter.


    <i>He really fears nothing.</i>


    Feeling her earlier gloominess fade away, Luize looked straight at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Aren''t you being a bit too cocky?¡±


    ¡°Well, if it fails, it¡¯s probably because of my assistant.¡±


    ¡°You''re such a jerk.¡±


    Smirking, Luize moved closer to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°So, what do we do?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re first going to, ah... there''s something I need to tell you first.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Don''t tell anyone what you saw today.¡±


    Wondering what amazing thing was he nning to show, that he was making such a big deal out of, Luize looked at him curiously.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    Stunned, she stared at the bright golden aura¡ªdivine mana¡ªemanating from Se-Hoon''s hand.


    ***


    <i>Swish-</i>


    It was 8:00 am, and the curtains were drawn to the sides. Karl, who had been sleeping on his side, naturally opened his eyes to the sunlight streaming in through the window.


    ¡°<i>Ugh...</i>¡±


    Waking up, he sat up and slowly turned his upper body from side to side.


    <i>Creak-</i>


    Flowing with his movements, the spinal prosthetic attached to his back naturally bent and stretched, allowing Karl to feel a surprising lightness in his body.


    <i>I feel much better than usual... is it because of yesterday''s treatment?</i>


    Astonished, he thought about how he had been told his body would be in poor condition for a few days yet felt more vigorous than ever. It was just like he had returned to his pre-injury state, so he couldn''t help but feel good. But it wasn¡¯t long before he caught himself and calmed down with a wry smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling happy just because I feel a bit better... I''ve really hit rock bottom.¡±


    Shaking his head, he thought about how he never would have expected his current state in the past and got out of bed.


    Like usual, his next step was to retrieve his crutches from his void pocket, but he noticed something different today.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    He instinctively looked down at his feet and saw that they were both pointed straight ahead. His right foot, which usually stuck out slightly, was not protruding forward, and he felt no difort or imbnce. It felt as if his feet were in the right position.


    Bewildered by the familiar yet strange sensation, he soon thought of something.


    <i>Wait... no, it can''t be...</i>


    Though the single possibility that could exin the current situation crossed his mind, he quickly dismissed it, having been betrayed and disappointed too many times after nurturing such hopes.


    <i>But...</i>


    Yet this time, the possibility lingered in his head, urging him not to dismiss it. Deciding to listen, he clenched his trembling hands and took a step forward.


    <i>Thud-</i>


    His right foot stepped forward, and the stable feeling of perfect bnce permeated his entire body.


    After his injury, he couldn¡¯t do such a thing. Yet now, it was unfolding so naturally.


    ¡°...It''s back,¡± Karl muttered to himself, his voice trembling.


    He had regained the power he thought he would never see again. His heart began to race wildly.


    ¡°It''s back!!!¡±


    <i>Bang!!</i>


    He burst through the hospital room door and ran outside.


    ¡°S¡ªsir?!¡±


    Ignoring the shocked looks of the nurses preparing for their morning duties, Karl rushed down the stairs and out to the backyard.


    Then, without hesitation, he took out not the training spear but the weapon he used during his active days from his void pocket.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    A long purple spear, about three meters long, revealed itself after a long time. Ever since he injured his spine and lost his bnce, he hadn''t been able to use it even in training. But it was different now.


    Feeling not just excitement but certainty, he began to gather his mana, ignoring the chaotic hospital behind him.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Mana surged up from his feet, splitting towards his arms and spine. Before, he always failed to control the mana in his spine due to the prosthetic, but this time he did it perfectly.


    Feeling the long-missed sensation, mana properly surged in his arms and seeped into the spear, twisting the entire weapon.


    <i>Thwoom-!</i>


    A violet sh tore through the air, streaking forward with immense power.


    <i>Boom-!</i>


    The wave unleashed from the tip of the spear shredded everything in its path, and a powerful shockwave spread out from the impact, reverberating through the air. If the spear had been thrust downward instead of upward, the forest behind the hospital would have beenpletely devastated; it might have even pierced through to the cliffs along the coast.


    ¡°<i>Huff... huff...</i>¡±


    Panting from the exertion of performing a proper technique after so long, Karl¡¯s eyes remained fixed on the empty sky. Despite it not being as powerful as it was at his peak, he had undeniably returned to his pre-injury condition.


    However, what thrilled him even more than that, was the feeling of certainty that he could be even stronger than he was now.


    <i>If I can maintain this state... I might actually reach S-rank this time!</i>


    Determined to preserve his current condition no matter what, he was about to finally contemte the reason for his improved condition when amotion erupted from the hospital.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Something loud and chaotic sounded from inside, and soon two figures emerged into the clearing.


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    ¡°You...¡±


    It was Duke, whose left prosthetic eye was now more vivid and naturally moving, and L, an elderly woman who was hovering in the air by finely controlling gravity with his right prosthetic arm.


    Recognizing each other, they all simultaneously realized the same thing.


    ¡°Did you guys also receive the treatment...?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I have.¡±


    Karl and Duke simultaneously nodded in response, and the three of them exchanged nces, each understanding the same truth. Theirmonalityy in their recent rehabilitation progress and the strange but highly effective special treatment they had received from the Pilgrimage Church volunteers.


    With the same thought in mind, the three stood in tense silence, eyeing each other warily.


    That was when Alessia hurriedly ran into the backyard.


    ¡°What on earth are you guys¡ª¡±


    ¡°Alessia! Where are the volunteers from the Pilgrimage Church right now?¡±


    ¡°Tell me first, not these guys!¡±


    ¡°Let''s head to the vige first! If we fly, we''ll be there in no time!¡±


    ¡°Wait... please... calm down!!!¡±


    As soon as Alesia appeared, the situation turned intoplete chaos.

 Chapter 174

    <h4>Chapter 174</h4>


    Jane stared nkly at the patient before her.


    She had been called to the Antonio Rehabilitation Hospital early this morning and had been examining the patients.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The patient was moving her prosthetic right arm. Looking at it, its movements seemed nearly identical to those of her left arm besides the slight differences from the fact that the user was right-handed. The prosthetic clearly reflected the high level of craftsmanship put into its development.


    However, what was even more astonishing than the prosthetic''s craftsmanship was the mana moving inside it.


    Every time L, the elderly woman with a gentle demeanor, moved her prosthetic, a small amount of mana followed her movements and flowed naturally inside it. An untrained eye wouldn¡¯t have seen anything that impressive, but a trained one would have realized that the impressive part was that the entire process was happening <i>unconsciously</i>.


    ¡°She truly perceives the prosthetic as part of her body...¡±


    Just like how one wouldn¡¯t consciously think about beating their heart to pump blood throughout the body, mana moved naturally without conscious effort. So, when something disrupted that natural flow of mana, like the foreign sensation of a prosthetic, one would lose the ability to control their mana unconsciously.


    <i>She was definitely in that state just yesterday...</i>


    Somehow, the foreign sensation from the prosthetic disappeared overnight, allowing mana to move through it as if it were her real arm. And on top of that, she could move faster and perfectly control theplex and powerful skills she used during her prime.


    It was a change that, even having seen it with her own eyes, was almost too incredible for Jane to believe it happened overnight.


    ¡°Thank you for showing me your arm. I¡¯ll report back to you once we finish our analysis.¡±


    ¡°Take your time. Oh, by the way...¡±


    Putting her shit back over her tank top, L hesitated before cautiously voicing her question to Jane.


    ¡°When can I receive the special treatment I had yesterday again? If possible, I¡¯d like to receive it regrly, making sure it doesn¡¯t cause any issues.... Please, I¡¯m willing to pay whatever it takes.¡±


    Jane gave L a wry smile; the patients before her had also requested the same exact thing. Normally, she would dly help a disabled hero, but there were too many factors that she needed to take into ount this time around.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know once we have a clear exnation for this phenomenon. Just because we had good results this time doesn¡¯t guarantee it will always be the case.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> Okay. Please let me know when you figure it out.¡±


    epting L¡¯s sincere request, Jane watched her leave before standing up to head to another room. Quickly arriving, she entered a small rest area where patients took a break from their rehabilitation exercises and found Se-Hoon lying limp with a wet towel over his eyes.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Hearing Jane¡¯s voice, Se-Hoon turned slightly. With the towel still over his eyes, he honestly answered, ¡°Still tired, but I should be fully recovered by evening.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I was really worried this morning...¡±


    Unlike what Se-Hoon and Luize said yesterday¡ªthat they would return soon¡ªthey only managed to return to their quarters at dawn. And Jane, having been waiting for them all night, couldn¡¯t help but be shocked by their conditions upon seeing them up close.


    ¡°Where is Luize?¡± Se-Hoon asked.


    ¡°Oh, she went to remove an IV. She¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Last night, Luize had looked exhausted to the point of copse. Her silver hair was messy like someone had been pulling it out, and her eyes were bloodshot with dark circles beneath them.


    Yet Se-Hoon¡¯s condition had been worse. Physically, he was in a simr state to Luize, but Se-Hoon had an additional peculiar symptom. His left eye, which was currently hidden under the towel, had turned into a misty haze.


    ¡°How is your eye?¡±


    ¡°Ah, just a moment...¡±


    Removing the towel, Se-Hoon gently pressed his left eye. Diagnosing his condition, he pressed down further than he normally would. Curious, Jane watched him intently.


    ¡°It feels much better now. There¡¯s no need to worry anymore.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Sighing in relief, Jane sat in a chair beside Se-Hoon.


    ¡°You must still be tired, but can you tell me what happenedst night? I need to understand the situation as well as I possibly can since I could hear from the Church at any time.¡±


    Just the fact that some retired disabled heroes had managed to regain their former strength thanks to some special treatment by the Pilgrimage Church made the situation significant enough that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if information leaked. And if she wanted to keep Se-Hoon¡¯s involvement a secret, she needed to clearly understand what happened and whether the Church could replicate the treatment method.


    ¡°Right. I¡¯ll start with what happened yesterday.¡±


    Beginning solemnly, Se-Hoon exined about the gemstone they found in the prosthetic and its ability to replicate synesthetic mindscapes.


    ¡°The ability to copy synesthetic mindscapes... that truly is dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s extremely dangerous. If such technology seeds, various monsters and demons will likely be enhanced, further putting humanity at risk.¡±


    As even Puppeteer could make use of them in bioweapons that used the abilities of deceased heroes, the potential for misuse of the technology was boundless¡ªso Se-Hoon had prepared countermeasures.


    ¡°Still, I think it¡¯s too premature to reveal this to the public. If we happen to only be grabbing the tail, the body could escape and hide.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true...¡±


    But while Jane agreed, she felt bitter. She couldn¡¯t imagine how unbearable it would be to lose one''s lifelong skills and synesthetic mindscape only to see them reappear in the hands of the enemy.


    ¡°But that doesn''t mean we should just sit back and watch.¡±


    Having anticipated her reaction, Se-Hoon started exining the countermeasure he and Luize had ced on the three patients during the night.


    ¡°The main challenge is interfering with their ns while also not arousing their suspicion. So, I came up with a way to enhance the treatment we usedst afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Enhance...?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯splicated, but simply put, I modified the prosthetic to rapidly increase the assimtion rate.¡±


    To do such a thing, Se-Hoon had reconnected hundreds of artificial nerves and mana circuits between the prosthetic and the body before having Luize use her Incantation Magic to harmonize them. Then, to finish up, he stimted the patients¡¯ synesthetic mindscape with the Ethereal Monocle to boost their natural healing power and raise the assimtion rate quickly.


    <i>Each was one heck of a job, though...</i>


    Since divine mana was used, harmonizing it caused Luize to suffer from a severe headache, and Se-Hoon¡¯s frequent use of the monocle and Ethereal Vision nearly cost him his left eye.


    If it weren¡¯t for the divine mana rapidly elerating the patients¡¯ natural healing, they wouldn¡¯t have finished treating all three before sunrise.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t use any special new treatment method; we just sped up the process. If they regrly receive the treatment we administered yesterday, they will probably see simr results.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case... the Church can also administer this treatment method?¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly. In fact, spreading this fact among heroes is key.¡±


    Sitting up with his eyes still closed, Se-Hoon exined the final part of his n.


    ¡°Once the news spreads, retired disabled heroes who were previously targeted by the Pleasure District will seek treatment from the Church, as divine mana has be a safer bet than risky alternatives.¡±


    If there was only one option, they¡¯d have to take it, but with a safer and more reliable option avable, there was no question which the heroes would choose. In one go, it would weaken the Pleasure District¡¯s leverage and restrict their movements unless they wanted frequent contact with the Pilgrimage Church.


    ¡°Once everyone is checked, we can follow the traces to the main person in charge and eliminate all rted threats. That¡¯s my full n.¡±


    Digesting the entire n, Jane let out a small sigh of admiration after a few minutes.


    ¡°You¡¯re truly amazing...¡±


    Although the n itself was simple, it was only possible with Se-Hoon''s newly developed treatment method. His potential and talent left Jane genuinely in awe.


    Continuing the conversation, Jane asked, ¡°So should we keep this matter a secret like before?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Keeping it a secret would be neat and tidy, but he knew that troublesome people would eventually sniff him out and bother him. Therefore, he suggested the most appropriatepromise.


    ¡°You can tell the Pilgrim.¡±


    ¡°The Pope?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think he¡¯ll handle it appropriately.¡±


    As the pope of the Pilgrimage Church, it was a guarantee that he knew how to appropriately distribute the enemy¡¯s vignce and interference. And Jane knew that too.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll report to him right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±


    Moving immediately, Jane bowed her head and left. Now alone, Se-Hoony back down and touched his closed eyes.


    <i>By now, the Pleasure District and those cksmiths must be in chaos.</i>


    Considering that the three people he suspected had all requested additional treatment as if on cue, it was likely that the Pleasure District had a hand in it. And while he still wasn¡¯t sure what their exact reason was, his intervention had ended up throwing a wrench in their entire scheme.


    <i>Well, this should be a huge gain from the perspective of the Marite Factory.</i>


    For the n, Se-Hoon revealed to the patients that the positive results of the treatment were due to the superior quality of the prosthetic. And if that spread, everyone seeking treatment from the Pilgrimage Church would want to switch their prosthetics to the ones made by the Marite Factory.


    <i>The problem is that the additional profits might end up in the hands of Dawn... I need to dig into that too.</i>


    It was a good opportunity to poke around for information since Luize was also eager to destroy Dawn.


    <i>Knock, knock.</i>


    ¡°Hey, are you awake?¡±


    Putting away his thoughts on what else he needed to be mindful of, Se-Hoon smiled upon hearing Luize sounding much more energetic than in the morning.


    ¡°I¡¯m awake.¡±


    ¡°How are your eyes?¡±


    ¡°They seem almost back to normal...¡±


    nning to check his condition more closely, Se-Hoon was about to open his eyes when Luize stopped him by covering his eyes with her hand.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself. Your version of ¡®okay¡¯ usually means you¡¯re not going to die soon.¡±


    ¡°Why do you see me like that...¡±


    ¡°So you aren¡¯t?¡±


    Lost for words, Se-Hoon quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°How are <i>you</i> feeling?¡±


    ¡°Trying to dodge the question, huh...?¡±


    Laughing lightly at his evasive response, Luize answered while keeping her hand over his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m fine now. The headache was temporary, and the rest was just exhaustion...¡±


    Truthfully, it was almost embarrassing remembering how much she had struggled with just that.


    Unaware of how Luize was feeling, Se-Hoon continued the conversation.


    ¡°Did you see the patients?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They were running around like children taking their first steps.¡±


    Despite being told to rest due to uncertainty, the three couldn¡¯t help but want to move, having regained their old powers. They were all secretly training and sparring in open spaces or by the beach, causing trouble for everyone else.


    ¡°It must be aplete mess out there.¡±


    ¡°It is. And it¡¯s a bit annoying since I¡¯m the one who asked for all this.¡±


    Hearing Luize¡¯s frustrated remark, Se-Hoon smirked.


    ¡°Do you regret helping them?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that,¡± answered Luize without hesitation.


    She looked down at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°They may be annoying and arrogant at times, but they¡¯re not bad people. They reminded me of my old self.¡±


    Normally, she wouldn¡¯t express such heartfelt thoughts, but today they came out easily. Part of it was because she was alone with Se-Hoon in the room, but... she also just really wanted to share her thoughts with him.


    ¡°So, I think we did a good thing. Like I said before, helping people isn¡¯t so bad.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So... um...¡±


    She made a strange face. Why did she feel the need to tell him that? Btedly questioning it, embarrassment and a slight regret rushed in.


    Unable to say more, Luize hurriedly tried to brush it off. ¡°Never mind; forget it. Just pretend you didn¡¯t hear that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Helping people you don¡¯t like isn¡¯t something everyone can do easily.¡±


    Interjecting, Se-Hoon took her hand, which was covering his eyes, in his and gently pulled it down.


    ¡°Thanks to you, everything turned out well.¡±


    Tilting his head up, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at Luize, who was staring down nkly at him.


    ¡°You did great. This is all thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    With a soft smile, he gave her a sincerepliment filled with gratitude and nothing else but goodwill. And being sensitive to emotions, Luize could clearly feel the joy, pride, and satisfaction within those words.


    ¡°...You¡¯re so annoying.¡±


    She turned her head, trying to hide her happiness.


    <strong>[The bond with ¡®Luize Valente¡¯ has grown to Lv. 3.]</strong>


    <strong>[Since the bond has grown to Lv.3, the existing Rtionship has deepened.]</strong>


    <strong>[Rtionship: Guidance]</strong>


    <strong>[Guiding others is a heavy responsibility as it deeply influences their future. </strong>


    <strong>This responsibility can weigh down and mislead the guide, but if those being led share the burden, it lightens. Finding and leading others down the right path is not easy, but if done sessfully together, reaching the end will bring about a new Rtionship.</strong>


    <strong>*A Fatestone is created every time you guide the subject correctly. </strong>


    <strong>*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases during situations where you guide the subject. </strong>


    <strong>*The probability of the subject¡¯s synesthetic mindscape manifesting inside the Fatestone increases when the subject makes the right decision based on the guidance given.</strong>


    <strong>*Currently created Fatestones: 0]</strong>


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    Se-Hoon hadn¡¯t expected the notification message at all. He had simply just praised her for a rare action on her part, not expecting it to result in an increase in their bond.


    As he stared at the notification message, Luize naturally met his gaze.


    ¡°...¡±


    At first, she felt embarrassed, but she managed to rapidly regain herposure. However, that was when she realized something else: she couldn¡¯t stop her face from gradually turning red.


    ¡°Let...¡±


    Luize struggled to get the words out.


    Having been distracted by the notification message, Se-Hoon focused on her again and asked for rification with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Let go...¡±


    ¡°Speak up; I can''t hear you.¡±


    <i>Why is she speaking so quietly?</i> Se-Hoon thought. His full curious attention was on her now.


    And that was when Luize reached her limit. Avoiding his gaze, Luize suddenly pulled back, her eyes zing blue.


    ¡°Let go of my hand, you jerk!¡±


    <i>Smack!</i>


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    Smacking Se-Hoon on the eyelid with her other hand, Luize escaped from the room.


    ***


    ¡°Let go of my hand, you jerk!¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...?</i>¡±


    Hearing the shout of embarrassment and shame from outside the makeshift prayer room, which was created in an empty room in the hospital, Jane turned her head curiously.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± a gentle voice asked.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing, Pope.¡±


    Refocusing her gaze forward, Jane faced a golden ring made of divine mana hanging in the air.


    Within it, a different prayer room, with a blond man standing with his back turned, could be seen. The man was Karl Andersen, the leader of the Pilgrimage Church.


    His soft voice resonated through the makeshift prayer room again, ¡°Please continue with your exnation.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Regarding the treatment method created by Lee Se-Hoon...¡±


    Jane proceeded to detail all the events that had transpired, and Karl listened attentively.


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> Archbishop Jane.¡±


    Upon hearing everything, Karl¡¯s voice became solemn; he sounded as if he were about to make a crucial decision.


    ¡°Yes, Pope.¡±


    ¡°How about we create a new position, like Honorary Archbishop, to mark this asion?¡±


    ¡°...Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°And let¡¯s build a chapel in Babel asrge as our current main sanctuary. Sounds good, right?¡±


    From the tone of Karl¡¯s voice toward the end, it was clear he found the idea amusing. And having noticed that, Jane instantly understood one thing.


    ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful idea.¡±


    The support Se-Hoon would receive from the Pilgrimage Church had just increased manifold.

 Chapter 175

    <h4>Chapter 175</h4>


    Se-Hoon and Luize were currently in the Italian branch of the Pilgrimage Church.


    They had just finished their two days of volunteer work at the Antonio Rehabilitation Hospital. However, because they had to discard their fake identities and receive the reward Jane mentioned, they didn¡¯t return straight to Babel.


    <i>The Pilgrim likely asked her to give us something.</i>


    Though the Pilgrim was someone Se-Hoon had never met personally, he felt like he knew the Pilgrim well because of others.


    <i>¡°He loves to give but hates to receive. An absolutely crazy fool.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°He is a verypassionate person.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°He¡¯s a good but tiring person.¡±</i>


    Kwang-Soo found him repulsive, Archbishop Kamal mourned him, and Eun-Ha just gave an objective opinion. Their opinions varied quite a bit, but there was an underlyingmonality: they all found the Pilgrim''s generosity overwhelmingly excessive.


    <i>¡°They say if you borrow a million from him, he¡¯d give you the million and then lend you another million interest-free.¡±</i>


    The Pilgrim, Karl Andersen, was more than just kind¡ªhe had apulsive need to repay kindness with even more kindness.


    <i>¡°If you be too close to him, he¡¯ll drive you crazy. But, there¡¯s no better person to make a deal with than him.¡±</i>


    To some, the Pilgrim¡¯s extravagant repayments woulde off as a burden, but Se-Hoon thought simply about it: if they felt ufortable about not giving that much in return, why should he feel guilty about it? In fact, he thought it would be rude to feel otherwise.


    <i>I wonder how much he¡¯s going to reward us. Well, now that we¡¯ve established a connection, we''ll certainly benefit a lot from him in the future...</i>


    ¡°Hey, how long do we have to wait?¡±


    Hearing Luize¡¯s quiet voice, Se-Hoon put away his guesses on what kind of reward they would receive. Before answering, he looked at Luize, who was seated next to him on the sofa in the reception room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They¡¯re probably still discussing the reward.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Seeing Luize looking around ufortably, Se-Hoon gave her a puzzled look.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just feel uneasy... as if there¡¯s something a bit unsettling.¡±


    ¡°Unsettling?¡±


    Curious, Se-Hoon looked around the reception room. The room in the Italian branch of the Pilgrimage Church was only equipped with basic security and protective equipment, so nothing really stood out.


    <i>If there''s anything, it must be the ambient divine mana here... ah!</i>


    Guessing the reason, Se-Hoon immediately began probing the frowning Luize.


    ¡°Is your crown itching?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hm...</i> it does feel a bit like that...¡±


    ¡°Does it feel like something is lightly wrapping around your body?¡±


    ¡°Yes, also kind of like that.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel like someone is blowing in your ear?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°And do you feel a peculiar warmth inside, like you just drank hot water?¡±


    With each additional question Se-Hoon asked, Luize¡¯s eyes narrowed further and further.


    ¡°Dude. Are you doing this to me?¡±


    It was too suspicious. He had somehow urately identified the four sensations she hadn¡¯t even noticed herself.


    But Se-Hoon didn¡¯t answer. He just stared at her in surprise.


    <i>Is she awakening her divine mana...?</i>


    Those were the four premonitory symptoms that appeared when someone was about to awaken divine mana. Usually, only one of the four symptoms manifested ording to the person¡¯s nature, but if more did, it indicated the talent of the person. And Luize was experiencing all four.


    <i>The st Dog didn¡¯t use divine mana though.... Is it because of me?</i>


    While the conditions for awakening divine mana weren¡¯t clearly defined, many spected that one¡¯s synesthetic mindscape had an influence. So given that Luize was paving apletely different pathpared to the st Dog, such an unexpected scenario was certainly usible.


    <i>Well, there¡¯s nothing particrly bad about awakening divine mana, but...</i>


    It wasn¡¯t like one would suddenly lose the ability to control their normal mana if they suddenly awakened divine mana. It was impossible to use both simultaneously, but with practice, she could likely alternate between the two. On paper, it was extremely advantageous for her in many ways, yet... Se-Hoon felt uneasy.


    <i>She¡¯s way too talented.</i>


    To his knowledge, only one person had ever experienced all four symptoms¡ªthe sessor of the Pilgrim who came to be known as the Apostate of the Ten Evils.


    If Luize ended up being the second.... Thinking about the potential danger, rms rang in Se-Hoon¡¯s head.


    <i>The Apostate could target her...</i>


    Thinking about numerous things, Se-Hoon finally came to a decision just as Luize got tired of waiting.


    ¡°Hey. Answer me now¡ª¡±


    ¡°Those are the premonitory signs when one awakens their divine mana,¡± Se-Hoon abruptly said.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    ¡°But just ignore them; even if you do manage to awaken divine mana, try to keep it hidden. It could cause a lot of trouble.¡±


    Not letting her speak, he continued on to exin the extent of Luize''s talent and how troublesome the Apostate was.


    Listening, Luize¡¯s initial skepticism eventually turned into seriousness.


    ¡°There do seem to be more disadvantages than advantages for now. You¡¯re hiding it for the same reason, right?¡± asked Luize.


    ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s better to keep it a secret until we be stronger.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> Okay. Honestly, I¡¯m not too keen on borrowing power from some strange god anyway.¡±


    Rather than disappointment, Luize seemed relieved. Se-Hoon thought it was quite interesting.


    <i>Is this why the st Dog couldn¡¯t use divine mana?</i>


    Seeing as how she was already half-distrustful of gods right now, how would the deeply cynical st Dog have felt? Her deep-seated distrust must have hindered her awakening of it.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you feel the same way... right?¡± asked Luize hesitantly.


    ¡°Well, to be honest, I do feel the same way. How can one trust something so easily?¡±


    ¡°Right? So how did you and I both awaken it...¡±


    Utterly confused, Luize tried to solve the paradox.


    <i>Knock, knock.</i>


    Putting away her confusion, Luize watched Jane walk in.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. The discussion took longer than expected.¡±


    Smiling, Se-Hoon replied, ¡°We haven¡¯t been waiting that long. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± Luize added, agreeing.


    Jane smiled. ¡°Thank you for saying so. Now, let me show you the items we¡¯ve prepared as a reward.¡±


    Taking the seat across from them, Jane took out a small void box adorned with golden designs on a white background.


    ¡°The following items are for teaching us your treatment method, sharing the Pleasure District¡¯s n, and exining how to thwart it. Please do not refuse them, and let us know if there is anything you¡¯d like to exchange them with.¡±


    Se-Hoon nodded at Jane¡¯s polite words.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Then first, let me show you the mary reward.¡±


    Opening the void box, Jane took out a pristine white credit card and ced it on the table.


    ¡°This is the card linked to a new ount we created. All the profits from your treatment method will be deposited here. Feel free to use it as you wish.¡±


    ¡°...All of it? You guys aren¡¯t taking any of it?¡±


    At the surprise in Se-Hoon¡¯s voice, Jane replied matter-of-factly, ¡°Yes, it <i>is</i> your treatment method, so you should receive all the profits.¡±


    Se-Hoon waspletely taken aback; he had always assumed some fees would have been deducted, yet they were giving him everything.


    ¡°Why would you guys do such a dum¡ª¡±


    Covering Luize¡¯s mouth with his hand, Se-Hoon silenced her sudden exmation before she could finish.


    Then, pretending Luize hadn¡¯t said anything, he said, ¡°Thank you. I will use it for the benefit of humanity, just like what the Pilgrimage Church is doing.¡±


    ¡°Haha, thank you. But while I do appreciate that, please use it for your personal matters as well. It is a reward after all,¡± Jane said with a gentle smile.


    Moving on, she took out another item from the void box and ced it on the table.


    ¡°Up next is the support we¡¯re nning to provide you. We were able to confirm that you are involved in various activities for humanity, so we decided to provide this as support.¡±


    Looking at what Jane ced on the table, Se-Hoon recognized that the golden ring-shaped item was an emblem used in the Pilgrimage Church to signify rank. However, it looked different from what Se-Hoon had seen before.


    ¡°Will showing this emblem allow me to receive support from the Church?¡± Se-Hoon curiously asked.


    ¡°Yes. Any branch will cooperate fully upon seeing this emblem, Lee Se-Hoon. Or rather, should I say, Honorary Archbishop.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, did you just say Honorary Archbishop?¡± Se-Hoon genuinely thought he had misheard.


    Understanding, Jane continued with a smile, ¡°Originally, we wanted to grant you the rank of Archbishop, but since you don¡¯t possess your own divine mana, the Pope has generously created the title of Honorary Archbishop for you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Oh, and please don¡¯t feel burdened by it. You may have the authority of an Archbishop, but you will be excluded from the duties of an Archbishop. Please use this emblem whenever needed.¡±


    In stark contrast to Jane¡¯s sincere happiness, Se-Hoon was trying his best to prevent his eyes from twitching. He had nned to just ept the reward casually with no other feelings, yet right now, he was overwhelmed by the excessiveness of their generosity.


    ¡°Can I really ept all this...?¡±


    Not hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s murmur, Jane moved on to the next reward.


    ¡°Thest reward is the piece of equipment you requested. You mentioned needing powerful equipment for fighting strong enemies in the future, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    In hisst life, Se-Hoon had used the Demonic Blood Art, an application technique of Soul Honing, to create powerful weapons for himself on the spot. Now, however, he had discovered the alteration of his soul, which restricted its use.


    Left with no choice for now, he had asked for a recement weapon.


    <i>I only asked for this as a reward...</i>


    Nervous, Se-Hoon watched Jane intently.


    She started by apologizing. ¡°Unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t find a piece of equipment that met all your conditions. As you may know, all the weapons we have in our Church require the wielder to have divine mana.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t too disappointed, having expected such an oue. After all, he was intentionally still hiding his ability to use divine mana.


    And luckily he had. If it were known that he could use divine mana, then not only would the rewards increase but the Pilgrim might even just kidnap him for humanity.


    <i>Moderation is key...</i>


    Though the final reward was slightly disappointing, Se-Hoon was still content because he had already received more than enough.


    At that moment, Jane pulled out another item from the box.


    ¡°An incense burner?¡±


    It was a round, white incense burner with a golden ring-shaped lid and a long white chain connecting the main body to the handle. At first, it didn''t look like a powerful item at all, but upon examining it Se-Hoon''s eyes glinted sharply.


    <i>This looks familiar...</i>


    Both the shape and the energy emanating from it seemed strangely familiar, so Se-Hoon dug through his memories. And he was left in disbelief.


    ¡°...The Pilgrim¡¯s Incense Burner?¡±


    ¡°You do recognize it. Well, unlike other Stigmatas, the Pilgrim''s Incense Burner is quite famous.¡±


    A Stigmata was a unique Holy Artifact created personally by Pilgrim Karl Andersen, tailored to the talents and abilities of each Archbishop.


    Receiving such a thing as an outsider was already astounding, but what shocked Se-Hoon the most was the history of the item itself.


    ¡°This incense burner was the first Stigmata created by the Pilgrim after his ascension.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Itcks some of the features of more recent Stigmata, but it¡¯s still an excellent item since it was used by the Pilgrim himself.¡±


    ¡°Did the Pilgrim... really say it was okay to give this to me?¡±


    Jane smiled at Se-Hoon¡¯s apparent disbelief.


    ¡°The Pilgrim handed it to me personally, instructing me to give it to you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And he even made some adjustments to make it easier for you to use. Would you like to take a look?¡±


    Still somewhat dazed, Se-Hoon reached over and examined the information message of the incense burner that Jane held out.


    <strong>[<u>Pilgrim¡¯s Incense Burner</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Legendary] [Quality: Poor]</strong>


    <strong>[An incense burner crafted by Karl Anderson, the Perfect One who witnessed the presence of a god. It contains the Pilgrim¡¯s power of grace and can be used by consuming one¡¯s divine mana. If the usercks divine mana, the incense burner can permanently consume its inherent power to replicate the effect.</strong>


    <strong>*Consumes divine mana to use the Pilgrim¡¯s power of grace</strong>


    <strong>*Permanently consumes its inherent power to replicate the effect if the usercks divine mana]</strong>


    ¡°...¡±


    Not only was it crafted by the Pilgrim himself, but it also contained his inherent powers, simr to the Ascension Ring and the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx.


    He could even use it if hecked divine mana, though it would have limited uses. However, since he could use divine mana, it became incredibly valuable.


    Gulping, Se-Hoon looked at Jane.


    ¡°Actually, you should know that I have the entire scripture of the Pilgrimage Church memorized! I¡¯m a devout believer! Haha!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At his ¡°unintentional¡± reveal of his hidden devotion to God, Luize red at him.

 Chapter 176

    <h4>Chapter 176</h4>


    Within the center of the enormous vium, a building reminiscent of the Colosseum where every department rted to weapons in Aqar Quf was gathered, students were lightly jogging and chatting on the track that ran alongside the natural park.


    ¡°Hey, have you heard anything about this semester¡¯s evaluation test?¡±


    ¡°They say that the department test is no big deal... and that the real challenge is the college-wide test. I also heard Professor Kasar is the one nning it all since he¡¯s taking over the position of Dean.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doomed...¡±


    ¡°Yep...¡±


    The two students sighed deeply.


    Unlike them, however, Jake, who happened to overhear their conversation while running past them, showed an intrigued face.


    <i>The college-wide test, huh...</i>


    At Babel, students were required to take two exams to evaluate their abilities at the end of each semester. The first was the department tests, which included exams for major and minor subjects; those were conducted on a small scale within each department, so it wasn¡¯t that intimidating.


    The second, however, was the college-wide test, which every student in the same college took simultaneously. This test was famous both inside and outside of Babel, as the scale of the exam was on a whole different level.


    Unlike the department tests, which were conducted in their main building or other rented buildings, the entirety of their college¡¯s grounds could be used as the test site for the college-wide test if needed. Because of that, the Dean, who was always the examiner, could design a test of enormous scale if they wished.


    <i>Can I do the test like my sister did...?</i>


    Forgetting he was running, Jake recalled a video he watched three years ago.


    It was a video of Aria¡¯s first-year college-wide test, a battle royale with the entirety of Aqar Quf as the stage. The other first-years started by building bases or carefully waiting for an opportunity, but his sister, Aria, just boldly walked through the streets.


    She was unstoppable, smashing through traps and ambushes head-on, and uncovered all the hidden students to finish the test in just two hours. To this day, Jake could still not forget what she said after the test without a single scratch on her.


    <i>¡°That was an interesting test.¡±</i>


    Jake chuckled bitterly.


    ¡°...There¡¯s no way.¡±


    He knew he wasn¡¯tcking in skill, but there was always a wall in front of him that he could never surpass. epting it, he was about to focus on running again when he heard a blunt voice from beside him.


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®there¡¯s no way¡¯?¡±


    Looking over, Jake was startled by Sung-Ha¡¯s unexpected appearance beside him.


    ¡°Y-Yeom Sung-Ha sunbae?!¡±


    Indifferent to Jake¡¯s surprise, Sung-Ha asked again. ¡°I asked, what do you mean by ¡®there¡¯s no way.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Well, um...¡±


    Flustered by his repeated question, Jake didn¡¯t answer. He couldn¡¯t even guess what intention Sung-Ha had by asking him such a question. Had he said something before that annoyed him? But that was unlikely; they only ever interacted when called together by theirmon friend, Se-Hoon.


    <i>He wouldn¡¯t normally start a conversation with me like this...</i>


    Their ambiguous rtionship left Jake hesitant.


    Realizing what was going through Jake¡¯s head, Sung-Ha added, ¡°I¡¯m not really asking with any special intention.¡±


    ¡°Oh... is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Nodding his head to confirm, Sung-Ha then indifferently added, ¡°You had the face of a loser, so I was wondering what pathetic thoughts might be going on in your mind.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Jake seriously wondered if he was trying to pick a fight. But then, upon recalling the conversations between Se-Hoon and Sung-Ha, he realized that was just how he was. Sung-Ha often spoke with no ill intent; it was just that he always phrased it in a way that could anger anyone.


    Finally understanding why Se-Hoon was always so frustrated with Sung-Ha, Jake shook it off before steeling himself and answering, ¡°I was just wondering if I could do well in this semester¡¯s evaluation test.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried about maintaining your honor student position?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m confident in that. It¡¯s just...¡±


    He hesitated to speak, but then he realized it wasn¡¯t some grand secret and Sung-Ha didn¡¯t seem like someone who would gossip.


    So since that was the case Jake was finally able to honestly answer, ¡°I was wondering if I could do as well as my sister did in the past.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hm. </i>You¡¯re talking about Aria Myers.¡±


    Contemting Jake¡¯s words, Sung-Ha eventually replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything you need to worry about.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Jake¡¯s eyes opened wide at Sung-Ha¡¯s words. From anyone else, they would have just beenforting words, buting from Sung-Ha, it was different. He, someone known for always speaking his mind regardless of the surrounding mood or people¡¯s feelings, had sparred the most with his sister, Aria. <i>His</i> words held weight.


    <i>He speaks harshly at times, but... I guess he¡¯s a good person to the core.</i>


    Reevaluating the peculiar characteristics of the person before him, Sung-Ha¡¯s indifferent voice made him look up again.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve already decided that you¡¯ve lost, there¡¯s no real reason to worry.¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    ¡°I mean, there¡¯s always a path for losers to follow. But it''s unsightly to lose twice, so do your best and strive hard from now on.¡±


    Finished saying what he had to say, Sung-Ha picked up speed and ran ahead. Stunned, Jake stared nkly at his back.


    <i>Did he just tell me not to worry about it because I basically already lost and could only do better next time...?</i>


    While it was true he had somewhat given up in his mind, he couldn''t believe Sung-Ha had expressed it in such a blunt manner. He had encouraged him to strive hard at the end, but those words werepletely meaningless because of his initial words.


    All those words did now was cause his insides to boil with anger.


    ¡°...Alright.¡±


    If he gave up after hearing such insulting words, he wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve anything in the future. Resolved, Jake''s eyes shone with determination as he kicked hard against the ground.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Sprinting with all his might, he swiftly passed the other students and even passed Sung-Ha.


    And Sung-Ha, now the one watching Jake''s vigorous back, slowed to a stop.


    <i>It seems my advice worked.</i>


    He wore a satisfied expression.


    ***


    Sung-Ha: I gave Jake Myers some useful advice since I noticed you''ve been keeping an eye on him. If he does wellter, consider it a favor.


    ¡°...¡±


    Putting down the document he was reading at his desk and reading documents, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes at the message that appeared on his phone.


    <i>This bastard... what kind of nonsense has he done this time?</i>


    Whenever Sung-Ha acted like he was doing someone a favor, it never ended well. For instance, when Se-Hoonined about how a certain criminal organization was stealing materials that he needed, the Mad Dog raided their base that very same night and beheaded the leader and all the executives.


    <i>That incident back then made their allied organizations put a bounty on us, iming we were behind it. Yet that bastard still shamelessly said I should be grateful for what he did for me.... Damn, just thinking about it makes me angry again.</i>


    Thankfully, such incidents didn''t happen often, but they urred often enough to irritate Se-Hoon periodically.


    <i>This shouldn''t be anything too major... hopefully, </i>Se-Hoon thought, rubbing his eyes.


    If it were, Jake would have texted him about it.


    Hoping nothing would happen, Se-Hoon sent a reply telling Sung-Ha not to cause any more trouble before turning his attention back to the documents.


    <i>The new treatment developed by the Pilgrim has been proven to be able to return most retired disabled heroes back to active duty. </i>


    <i>Some argue that there is insufficient clinical evidence, but because the Pilgrim, a Perfect One, was the one to develop it, the hero industry already considers it a fact. </i>


    <i>Support for the Pilgrimage Church is pouring in from retired disabled heroes, and guilds and corporations are sending representatives to negotiate with various branches. </i>


    <i>Given the frequency of administrative transfers or retirements due to injuries within the Heroes Association, we will also establish a cooperative system with the Pilgrimage Church to correct our negative perceptions and supplement our workforce...</i>


    Se-Hoon smirked as he read the report he received from Seon-Woo.


    <i>What amotion.</i>


    Just like in the past, the injuries that led to the retirements of high-ranking heroes were still significant losses to the hero industry. Every high-ranking hero had exceptional talent, making them irreceable, unlike lower-ranking heroes who could be trained with basic education and equipment.


    <i>Now that a solution has emerged, it''s no wonder everyone is going out of their way to acquire the treatment method.</i>


    Aside from guilds and corporations who had already begun covertlypeting to secure deals first, the Heroes Association was also trying to secure a deal with the Pilgrimage Church.


    <i>The Heroes Association does have a lot of injured heroes.</i>


    Being heroes of the Association, they often fought tough criminals and demons. And as a consequence, they were more frequently injured which meant the Association had a higher number of injury-rted retirements.


    Because of that, the Heroes Association¡¯s public perception often worsened and led to staffing shortages. All in all, it meant the Pilgrimage Church''s new treatment was an essential tool for the association.


    <i>The response was better than I expected. I guess I can afford to be optimistic about how this will go.</i>


    Satisfied with the results, Se-Hoon smiled. Normally, the Church¡¯s enormous profits would make him envious, but not this time. The Pilgrimage Church had promised to hand over all the profits from the treatment, allowing him to gain wealth and effectively halt the expansion ns of the Pleasure District in one go.


    <i>Moreover, if the Pilgrimage Church¡¯s status rises from this and they gain significant benefits... the Pilgrim will likely shower me with rewards again.</i>


    He still felt burdened by the previous rewards given as a gesture of gratitude, but it was far less than before. He had adapted quickly, finding it more eptable as time passed. Now, if he received the same extravagantpensation, he could ept it without burden.


    <i>Overall, everything went quite well.</i>


    Initially, he had been worried about how to stop the ns the Pleasure District was cooking, but meeting Jane had made everything much easier. It was thanks to her that he currently felt a sense of relief, although a questioning expression lingered on his face.


    <i>To think I didn¡¯t establish a bond with Jane...</i>


    They didn¡¯t have that many interactions, but considering the recent events, he thought a bond would have naturally developed. Yet there was no reaction from Jane at all, suggesting that her inner world was as twisted as Erika''s.


    <i>Well, I¡¯ll figure it out slowly. She¡¯ll likely be in danger soon anyway.</i>


    ording to Frost Dog¡¯s information, which he had seen through the Phantasmal Spyde, Jane had died in her fourth year while participating in an event hosted by Babel. And Jane was currently in her third year.


    For now, it was still too early to worry about it, but because the potential butterfly effect from Se-Hoon¡¯s regression was unpredictable, he still needed to exercise caution.


    <i>It¡¯ll be quite troublesome for me if something disrupts the alliance between Babel and the Pilgrimage Church.</i>


    Organizing his thoughts, Se-Hoon quickly memorized a summary of the report he had received from Seon-Woo and burned the report.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The report burned cleanly without leaving any ash.


    Confirming that the report was destroyed, Se-Hoon leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling.


    ¡°Now, what to do...¡±


    There were still many tasks on his checklist. He needed to find out what the Dream Demon was using the heroes'' copied synesthetic mindscape for, the true purpose of the expansion project, and whether they actually intended to create the Harbinger of Oblivion.


    Flooded with more and more information with every event, the list of tasks just kept growing longer and longer. And each and every task was extremelyplicated to solve.


    <i>Hmm... Maybe I should wait a bit.</i>


    In the end, he decided to address such matters only when he seized the right opportunity rather than tackling them head-on immediately. So, following that mentality, he put everything to the side and decided to focus on the pressing matter of the first-semester evaluation test, which was now less than two weeks away.


    <i>I must maintain my honor student position at all costs.</i>


    It wasn¡¯t just about his external status; with his decades of experience from before the regression, he couldn¡¯t afford to fall behind his much younger ssmates. If he did, the shame would likely drive him to stab his own heart with a dagger.


    <i>The Department of cksmithing test should be manageable, but I¡¯ll need to pay attention to the Physiology Controls test, Barrier Composition test, and Ancient Enchantment test.</i>


    Given Kwang-Soo¡¯s unpredictable nature, the Physiology Controls test could even be absurdly difficult. And aside from that, Barrier Composition and Ancient Enchantment were areas where Se-Hoon felt less confident. He didn¡¯t particrly struggle in those fields but wasn''t strong in them either.


    <i>Well... I¡¯ll just do my best within my limits.</i>


    His goal was just to maintain his current status, so he didn¡¯t need to push himself excessively.


    <i>Vrrr-</i>


    His phone vibrated. Reading the text message, the sender of the message was simplybeled ¡°Babel.¡±


    <i>This is...</i>


    It was a message from Babel addressing all students. Feeling a sense of foreboding, Se-Hoon picked up his phone and read the message.


    Babel:


    To prepare for the major restructuring of Babel next semester, the first-semester evaluation test will be conducted differently this time. All students are encouraged to refer to the following guidelines and demonstrate their abilities to the fullest.


    * Introduction of a special exam in which all students from all three colleges will participate, divided by academic year.


    * Selection of the honor student of each academic year from among the honor students of each college.


    * Special privileges, including personal teachings from the Perfect Ones, will be provided during the summer vacation for the newly selected year-wise honor students.


    The message wasn¡¯t particrly long, but upon reading it, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°An honor student for the entire year... and special privileges...¡±


    Given that the term ¡®Perfect One<i>s</i>¡¯ was mentioned, it likely included not only Ludwig but also the Pilgrim, the Eternal Nocturne, and possibly even other Perfect Ones. And to seize such a rare opportunity, he would need to surpass other honor students in his year¡ªJake and Erika.


    Staring at the message, Se-Hoon soon smiled.


    ¡°...This could get interesting.¡±


    He began to feel motivated for the uing evaluation test.

 Chapter 177

    <h4>Chapter 177</h4>


    Currently, within the Ancient Enchantments lecture room in the Department of Enchantments, Lea, who had recently been deeply engrossed in devising a new enchantment, was making a perplexed expression.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me to tell you if there¡¯s anythingcking in your enchantment?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Since you have much more experience with enchantments than me, I thought you might see something I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Having confirmed what he wanted, Lea silently lowered her gaze.


    <i>p, p!</i>


    On the table was a sparrow made of steel, engraved with enchantments all over its body, pping its wings. The extremely smoothly moving joints aside, the enchantments on it were also subtly generating updrafts of wind, allowing it to hover in the air.


    Whenbined with the movement enchantments, it became a wless demonstration ofbiningplex enchantment techniques. It was so perfect that Lea could only stare at it incredulously.


    ¡°Are you really asking me if anything iscking? When you managed to create something like that in less than half a year?¡±


    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t that hard to create, is it?¡±


    Left speechless by Se-Hoon, Lea quietly stared at him before slowly nodding.


    ¡°<i>Hm...</i> Alright, I¡¯ll tell you what you''recking.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let me hear it.¡±


    ¡°Common sense and humility. If someone else heard this conversation, they might as well just give up on learning enchantments because of you."


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    Wondering if she was serious, Se-Hoon inspected his enchantments with a puzzled expression. And that serious look of his allowed Lea to realize something in amazement.


    <i>He¡¯s not kidding.... He¡¯s so confident in cksmithing, yet strangely not with enchantments.</i>


    Even objectively, his enchantments were fine, but perhaps he thought it was only because he used shortcuts that made use of his experience in cksmithing rather than in enchantments. If it was because of that, then Lea could somewhat understand why he was like this, but a part of her couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether he was being overly harsh on himself.


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> Then, how is it in terms of an ancient enchantment?¡± Se-Hoon suddenly asked, taking his eyes off of his enchantments.


    ¡°Huh? Ancient enchantments?¡±


    ¡°Yes. After all, that''s what will be evaluated for the exam.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why you¡¯re here.¡±


    Finally understanding, Lea rubbed her chin.


    ¡°If it¡¯s that, I do have somements... but you don¡¯t need to match the examination criteria so specifically. The first-semester examination will only cover basic stuff, and at your level, you¡¯ll easily get full marks.¡±


    Having helped her grandmother, Professor Reba, prepare the first-year evaluation exam several times, Lea had a good idea of each semester¡¯s difficulty level. Given Se-Hoon¡¯s current skill level, he could potentially still get a perfect score even if he were half asleep.


    However, that still wasn¡¯t enough for Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Just getting full marks isn¡¯t enough. I need a perfect, outstanding score.¡±


    ¡°What kind of nonsense... oh.¡±


    Realizing something. Lea¡¯s strange look became one of certainty.


    ¡°Are you aiming to be selected as the freshman honor student?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I need at least that to save face.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯sck of hesitation when responding, Lea looked at him with a sense of resignation but also understanding.


    <i>Well... if he didn¡¯t act like this, who else even would?</i>


    Lea just casually epted it. She was very familiar with how he always acted as if he had lived several decades more than he actually had.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that the year-wide honor student is evaluated on all three¡ªthe departmental, college, and year-wide¡ªexams?¡±


    ¡°<i>Mhm.</i> And if you get full marks on any of them, they¡¯ll give you extra points based on your entire process and oue. So, I need to get the best evaluation possible.¡±


    Lea marveled at Se-Hoon''s mindset. He was entirely different from other students who would be happy with just a normal perfect score on their exams.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> Okay. Do you remember what the concept of ancient enchantments is?¡±


    ¡°Enhancing objects by copying the characteristics of existing objects with enchantments, right?¡±


    ¡°Correct. For example...¡±


    Lea pointed to a blue jeweled hairpin in her hair.


    ¡°I created this ¡®Mercury Mk.1¡¯ by making it mimic the properties of Mercury with enchantments. And with the info that this hairpin enhances water-attribute resistance, I have a question for you.¡±[1]


    Lea smiled at Se-Hoon before asking, ¡°Why does making the hairpin mimic Mercury¡¯s properties allow it to better enhance water-attribute resistance?¡±[2]


    Her question hadn¡¯t even been answered in lectures. However, Se-Hoon could answer without difficulty because he knew simr concepts.


    ¡°Because the concept of Mercury is alreadyplete in your synesthetic mindscape. That¡¯s why it has a stronger effect than ordinary enchantments.¡±


    For example, if one was trying to mimic the color red in enchantments, countless associated elements like mes, blood, apples, and roses could all to one¡¯s mind. The broad scope would dilute the mimicking effect, meaning one had to narrow it down to mes or even the sun to change things.


    <i>Like the concept of the sun¡ªbuilt from seeing, hearing, and feeling it since childhood¡ªit can easily transform into a powerful synthetic mindscape.</i>


    That was what allowed ancient enchantments to enhance rted elemental mana more easily; they didn¡¯t create entirely new images from scratch like ordinary enchantments, instead just repurposing existing objects in the enchanter¡¯s own way.


    ¡°Uh... That...¡±


    ¡°Am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°No. You''re right, but... ugh...¡±


    Se-Hoon had exined everything so clearly, leaving nothing left for her to say. Having been hoping for a rare moment to show off, Lea clicked her tongue in disappointment.


    ¡°Anyway, to continue the exnation, with ancient enchantments, what you mimic and what you match it to is crucial. It¡¯s like fitting puzzle pieces together.¡±


    If one mimicked the sun nurturing life on Earth, it corresponded to its supportive effects; if one mimicked the all-consuming sun, it corresponded to its destructive effects.


    With Lea¡¯s exnation, Se-Hoon finally understood.


    ¡°In other words, I need the entire enchantment process to align with what I¡¯m trying to mimic.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> It certainly is quite tricky.¡±


    Lea nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Although I¡¯m still learning, honestly, it¡¯s a hassle. You have to considerpatibility with materials and even incorporate symbols into the enchantment formter on.¡±


    Unlike regr enchantments, which could be made by simply stackingyers of enchantments on top of each other, ancient enchantments required each piece to be carefully matched to the object being mimicked, from start to finish.


    <i>But in a way, it¡¯s a proactive technique, so it¡¯s not bad.</i>


    If regr enchantments were like the flesh covering the bones, ancient enchantments served as the skeleton. It wasplicated, but once properlypleted, its support for the enchanted item would far surpass that of a regr enchantment.


    <i>Alright. I think I know what to do for the exam.</i>


    Gazing at the sparrow, a smile yed on Se-Hoon¡¯s lips.


    <i>Vrrr-</i>


    Erika: I''d like to talk for a moment.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Intrigued, Se-Hoon replied that he understood and stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving then.¡±


    ¡°Okay, good luck with your exam preparations.¡±


    Seeing Lea¡¯s leisurely demeanor as she saw him off with a wave, Se-Hoon scrutinized her.


    ¡°Why are you talking like it¡¯s someone else¡¯s problem? Now that you¡¯ve ovee your slump, you should aim to be an honor student again.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, well, that¡¯s true, but...¡±


    Hearing theck of confidence in Lea¡¯s words, Se-Hoon made a displeased expression.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t be an honor student, I¡¯m going to cancel the card I gave you.¡±


    ¡°What?! How could you be so petty to take back what you already gave me?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to let you keep it since the preparations for the mass production of sword aura equipment are done. Plus, I won¡¯t hire you in the future if you¡¯re not an honor student. Mypany won¡¯t hire someone who isn''t the best.¡±


    ¡°Y-You...¡±


    Lea trembled with frustration, unable to refute his valid points. Her appearance caused Se-Hoon to smirk and decided to offer a small incentive.


    ¡°If you do be an honor student, I¡¯ll give you a small gift.¡±


    ¡°A gift?¡±


    Seeing her interest immediately pique at the mention of a gift, Se-Hoon¡¯s smirk grew wider.


    ¡°Do you know what Nimbus Steel is?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the famous Legendary material...¡±


    Trailing off, Lea¡¯s calm expression stiffened and her eyes starting at Se-Hoon began to tremble.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to forge something with it soon. I¡¯ll give you a chance to enchant that, so study hard.¡±


    With that casual mention, Se-Hoon left the ssroom, leaving Lea staring nkly at the closed door.


    <i>Nimbus Steel... Legendary material... enchant...</i>


    The words spun in her mind like a broken record, slowly returning the life to her dazed eyes.


    ¡°...I guess I¡¯ll have to pull some all-nighters!¡±


    Excited, she ordered dozens of coffees and energy drinks on her phone and dashed to her workshop.


    ***


    On his way to the park where he was supposed to meet Erika, Se-Hoon was stopped by a red light at a crosswalk.


    <i>I used to just jump over these. But now, I feel more self-conscious.</i>


    While not illegal, there was an unspoken rule among heroes not to use their powers recklessly unless absolutely necessary. And heroes would sometimes ignore the rules. However, those who did were often frowned upon by other heroes.


    <i>Those who don¡¯t are usually out of control.</i>


    Even S-rank heroes, who could level mountains, overturnkes, and split seas, tried to live by the standards of those much weaker than them as much as possible. It wasn¡¯t because they remembered their pre-powerful lives; they simply just felt they should.


    So what would happen if those akin to natural disasters ignored the feeling and used their power indiscriminately for personal gain? The answer was obvious and had, in fact, happened once in the past.


    <i>Was it the European Coup Incident?</i>


    During the beginning of the Cold War against the Demon Force, three S-rank heroes formed a militia and assassinated the leaders of Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece.


    In just one hour, the leaders and all their guards were massacred. And having seen the whole process through a live broadcast, the citizens gave up resisting. With the other top heroes in those countries choosing to remain silent for their own lives and benefits, the citizens realized they couldn¡¯t possibly fight back.


    Then, when news of the coup spread worldwide, a tense atmosphere grew among high-ranking heroes worldwide. But just as the situation was about to explode like a powder keg, <i>they </i>acted.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The Perfect Ones had acted.


    Without a chance to even resist, the bodies of the three S-rank heroes giving speeches were crushed and arrows pierced their heads. They were then dragged into the darkness, returningter as the dead.


    The retaliation of the Perfect Ones, whom they thought would support the heroes'' rule, was decisive.


    Thanks to that single act of force, the world calmed down and became its current form.


    <i>People said it was the best resolution, but in a way, it still leaves a bitter taste.</i>


    Back then, did the Perfect Ones really act out of goodwill?


    <i>I¡¯ll have to look into it eventually.</i>


    To win against the Demon Force, using the Perfect Ones'' powers effectively was absolutely crucial. And to do that, it was necessary to understand their mindset to some extent.


    <i>And for that, I¡¯ll need a lot of data.</i>


    By bing the freshman honor student, Se-Hoon could aim to gain a deeper understanding of the Perfect Ones.


    Reaffirming his determination to win, Se-Hoon began walking across the crosswalk with the other pedestrians upon seeing the traffic light change.


    ¡°<i>Hm</i>. When did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Just now.¡±


    Like always, Erika suddenly appeared beside him. She was walking so naturally by his side like she had always been there.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered; do you have a hobby of showing up from behind?¡±


    ¡°No. I do not have such a strange hobby.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Though he was still puzzled as to why she always preferred appearing from behind and not in front, Se-Hoon decided to let it slide.


    ¡°Anyway... ah, do you find it awkward to talk while walking?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s fine. Shall I get straight to the point?¡±


    ¡°Sure. No need to drag it out.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Nodding, Erika faced forward again and continued walking.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be the year-wide honor student this time,¡± Erika dered.


    ¡°...It¡¯s not a ¡®want to be,¡¯ but a ¡®going to be¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will be.¡±


    ncing at Erika¡¯s confident profile, the corner of Se-Hoon¡¯s lips curved up before he looked ahead again.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°If I be the honor student, I¡¯ll transfer the private lessons with the Perfect Ones to you. In return, you have to do me a favor.¡±


    ¡°And you won¡¯t tell me what it is?¡±


    ¡°No. Not yet.¡±


    Amused, Se-Hoon asked in return, ¡°What if <i>I</i> be the honor student?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At his confident suggestion, Erika stopped walking, and Se-Hoon, who had taken a few more steps, turned to look back at her.


    Her violet eyes stared unwaveringly at him. She was expressionless like usual, but... there was a certain coldness in her gaze that caught Se-Hoon¡¯s attention.


    ¡°You think that¡¯s possible?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see a reason why it couldn¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    For a moment, Erika just stared at him.


    Then, she calmly said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll do you a favor. Anything.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to ce any conditions? That seems unfairly advantageous to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Turning slowly, Erika murmured, ¡°Because it won¡¯t happen anyway.¡± Her voice was full of conviction.


    <i>Caw!</i>


    At the cry of the crow, a ck shadow rose from the ground and covered her entire figure, leaving behind only a crow flying away in the distance.


    Erika had vanished without a trace.


    Watching the crow, Se-Hoon quietly repeated Erika¡¯s words, ¡°It won¡¯t happen anyway... huh?¡±


    Who was she talking to? Chuckling, Se-Hoon turned and continued walking.


    1. The original text said it enhanced attributes rted to water mana, but that directly contradicts the item description in chapter 20. ?


    2. Same story here, except the original text said it enhanced water-mana, which didn¡¯t even match the text two lines up. ?

 Chapter 178

    <h4>Chapter 178</h4>


    A wish was something that many agreed was akin to hope. However, there were just as many who said the opposite¡ªthat it was giving up hope.


    They believed that making a vague wish, instead of setting a goal and striving to achieve it, was akin to admitting that it was something one couldn¡¯t aplish themselves. In their eyes, the wishes people made were ultimately things they just couldn¡¯t achieve.


    ¡°Alright. The test will nowmence.¡±


    Just like the students¡¯ wish that the semester evaluation test wouldn¡¯t arrive.


    <i>Boom! Crash!</i>


    Throughout Babel, students, who looked tense as if about to head into battle, were apanied by loud and small explosions as they marched toward their respective academic buildings with determined expressions.


    Today they would showcase their growth over the past semester, with the lower-ranking students aiming to ascend upward and the top-ranking ones fighting to maintain their positions. Regardless of rank, they were all desperate to disy their abilities.


    Thus, a warlike atmosphere formed among the students, and the Department of cksmithing was no exception.


    ¡°Last year, the exams were conducted individually for each major ss, but this year, we will be administering a singleprehensive test integrating all three subjects. Please remember that we are aiming to evaluate your overall abilities as you take the exam.¡±


    Scanning the tense first-year students, In-Sung turned his head toward the examination hall, which had originally been a forging room before being remodeled.


    ¡°Now, I will exin the test. The first thing you need to do is select the materials you will use for cksmithing.¡±


    Following his gaze, the students turned their gazes to the massive disy rack at the innermost part of the exam hall. On it were smooth metal balls, tightly packed with no gaps. Each was about the size of a basketball and appeared identical in size at first nce.


    ¡°The metal balls on the disy rack might look the same on the surface and in the information message, but they each have a different mana array inside. It''s your job to distinguish these differences.¡±


    Tensing even more, the students stared at the metal balls on the disy rack while In-Sung continued his exnation.


    ¡°Once you have selected your desired metal ball, you need to dpress them to prepare them for refining. The method you choose to dpress it will likely determine the quality of your submission for this test.¡±


    Demonstrating, In-Sung ced a prepared metal ball on the table and infused it with his mana.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The students watched the metal ball disassemble into pieces that were reassembled into a neat, square ingot.


    ¡°Then, once you have dpressed it into an ingot, you can start forging. You may not use personal equipment in this exam, but you can use any skills. Are there any questions?¡±


    It was quiet. The students, who were all nervous, didn¡¯t reply. They were hyper-focused only on the disy rack.


    Smiling at the sight, In-Sung shouted to dere the beginning of the test.


    ¡°The time limit is twelve hours. The test will now begin!¡±


    Sprinting toward the disy rack, the students grabbed the metal balls they had their eyes on.


    <i>Buzz! ng!</i>


    Testing out various methods, they infused their balls with mana, tapped them with their hands, and even listened closely to the sounds. Each student examined the mana array of their metal ball in their own way, but over time, their expressions just became more and more confused.


    <i>Is there really a difference in their mana circuits?</i>


    <i>Did they prepare the wrong balls?</i>


    Despite examining them multiple times, the differences in the mana arrays between the metal balls were imperceptible. They could tell there were minor differences, but they were so subtle that it was difficult to identify what was different.


    Eventually, one student amidst the confused and flustered acted.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    A wave of mana emanated from Hans. The blond youth with slicked-back hair, who was ranked second in the Department of cksmithing, smiled confidently upon seeing his mana resonating with the metal ball.


    <i>Fools. It''s not about looking at the present; it¡¯s about the future.</i>


    The metal balls used for the test were made bypressing alloys, meaning the mana arrays were adjusted artificially before the test. That information, on top of what the examiner said, allowed Hans to deduce the intention of the test.


    It wasn''t about justparing the differences in mana arrays; they needed to understand how those subtle differences would affect the ball once they dpressed it.


    <i>The instructor spoke as if analyzing the mana arrays and dpressing the ball were separate tasks, but that''s a trap. To even dpress it properly, you must consider them together.</i>


    Without understanding that fact, one could never grasp the differences between the metal balls. Confident in his deduction, Hans confidently analyzed the mana array within the metal ball.


    ¡°<i>Hm</i>. This one looks good.¡±


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoo just nonchntly picked up a metal ball from the disy rack before heading to his workstation.


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s demeanor, both Hans, who had been full of confidence, and the other students, who were troubled, just watched him nkly. It wasn¡¯t that Se-Hoon had analyzed the ball faster than others or had done anything special.


    In fact, it was the opposite. All he did was walk up, nce at their surfaces, and choose a metal ball that he would use for this exam. Normally, others would haveughed, thinking he had given up, but it was <i>Lee Se-Hoon</i> who had done it.


    ¡°Let''s see...¡±


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Upon returning to his workstation, Se-Hoon immediately began to tap the ball with his fingers, dpressing it bit by bit. With each tap, he was infusing small amounts of mana to work as a lubricant to dpress it with minimal damage. The result was an ingot that was smoother and neater than the sample shown by In-Sung.


    ¡°<i>Mhm</i>.¡±


    Satisfied, Se-Hoon put down the ingot he was examining and prepared to start forging by first lighting the forge and rolling up his sleeves. It was at this point that he noticed the students huddled by the disy rack, all staring intently at him.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± He scowled fiercely.


    ¡°Ahem...¡±


    Intimidated by his menacing look, the students turned their attention back to the disy rack, contemting whether Se-Hoon had any limits to his skill. Then, as if rehearsed in advance, both Hans and the other students all quickly came to the same conclusion.


    <i>He''s in a league of his own. I''m the best here.</i>


    <i>We should just consider him non-existent.</i>


    <i>I¡¯m just going to ignore him.</i>


    Since surpassing Se-Hoon didn¡¯t seem remotely usible in this exam, there was no point in being conscious of him. Slightly relieved, the students calmly began examining the metal balls again.


    Guessing what had run through their minds, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes at the now harmonious atmosphere.


    <i>These guys...</i>


    He really wanted to bash all of their heads with a hammer, but doing so during the test would result in a penalty. So he decided to deal with themter and refocused his attention on the dpressed ingot.


    <i>An alloyposed of five different metals... they really do intend on making this a challenge.</i>


    The more metals used in an alloy, the more variables that would arise during forging. On top of that, they had to be especially cautious about the use of their skills. Skills, by their very nature, were fully developed techniques with specific requirements that had to be met. Achieving those when trying to work with such sensitive materials could immediately backfire.


    <i>If one can perfectly control their skills, it¡¯s fine... but how many of them are even able to do that?</i>


    When the instructor mentioned that skills could be used freely, it would have sounded advantageous to those with powerful skills, but improper and reckless use would be more detrimental than simply not using skills at all.


    It was a test that, despite its simple appearance, effectively evaluated the students¡¯ fundamental techniques and application skills.


    Even Se-Hoon was impressed by it. He felt a renewed admiration for Helena, the test¡¯s designer, for her skill in crafting such a thorough evaluation.


    <i>I knew that she was pretty skilled the moment I saw her in the hardware store.</i>


    Not only was Helena skilled as a cksmith, but she also had a talent for teaching others. Se-Hoon genuinely believed that her being the lead professor would greatly benefit the Department of cksmithing.


    Putting away his thoughts, Se-Hoon refocused on the test.


    <i>ng! ng!</i>


    Having finished heating the ingot, he began shaping it with his hammer. If he just normally forged it, he could still produce a decent item, but he needed to score as high as possible to maintain his honor student position. Thus, he decided to enhance his hammering technique.


    <i>Fwoosh! ng!</i>


    Infusing his hammer with fire mana, mes engulfed it. Then, taking the zing hammer, he struck the alloy with intense force. The internal heat inside the ingot reacted violently, wanting to explode, but Se-Hoon quickly switched the elemental mana he was infusing into his hammer and swung it again.


    <i>Woong! ng!</i>


    This time, his darkness mana enveloped the hammer in dark shadows and calmed the alloy¡¯s turmoil as if it had never happened.


    <i>This is perfect. </i>


    By enhancing the heat with Scorching Wheel to maximize the effect and then immediately calming it with Moonlit Shadow, he allowed the mana to deeply prate inside the alloy. Satisfied, he continued alternating between the two types of elemental mana, and soon, the changes began to manifest on the surface.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    A faint ck hue appeared on the de¡¯s edge and a reddish hue emerged in the center. Confirming that his elemental mana had settled in the way he desired, Se-Hoon began the final steps.


    <i>Hiss!</i>


    Plunging the de into cold water, he sharpened the cooled de on a whetstone to produce a long sword.


    And as always, an achievement message appeared before him.


    <strong>[Weapon ''Inferno Shadowde'' has beenpleted!</strong>


    <strong>An excellent sword crafted by a highly skilled cksmith who has perfectly utilized his abilities! The young cksmith, now able to create a masterful sword even with inferior materials, has reached a level that no one can deny.</strong>


    <strong>The tier evaluation of ''Inferno Shadowde'' is ''Rare''.]</strong>


    <i>Hm. This should be enough.</i>


    The alloy used for the material was top-quality Advanced material, and the sword, the Inferno Shadowde, came out as a piece of top-quality Rare equipment, perfectly elevating it by one tier.


    <i>If I could add a few enchantments here and there, it should reach Hero tier... but I guess it can''t be helped.</i>


    Upon examining it, the professors should recognize that this sword was close to Hero-tier and would score it generously. Finished with the Inferno Shadowde, he handed it to In-Sung.


    ¡°I¡¯m done. Can I leave now?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ah... um...¡±


    In-Sung, who had watched Se-Hoon''s full forging process in a daze, snapped out of it and checked the clock. Only an hour and a half had passed since the test began, with the other students just starting to select and dpress their metal balls; and less than half at that. Normally, he would tell a student to go back and spend more time checking the sword, but the sword ced in his hand was of such high quality that he couldn¡¯t argue.


    ¡°Um... sure. Good work today.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    Grinning, Se-Hoon left the exam hall.


    Watching him go, In-Sung ced the submitted Inferno Shadowde on a nearby golem cart once Se-Hoon had left.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Sealed the sword with protective magic, the golem headed through a passage to the upper grading room.


    ***


    ¡°Why are some students still stuck on examining the metal balls?¡±


    ¡°We should reinforce the curriculum on mana arrays.¡±


    Observing the exam hall through a special ss that appeared as a wall from the outside, the professors took notes andmented on the situation.


    They ignored the golem cart moving past them since it was heading toward an old woman in work clothes, Helena, who was in the far corner.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Deactivated the protective spell, Helena picked up Se-Hoon''s submitted work and inspected it closely.


    <i>There are no ws in the bnce of the sword or its mana array... even the edge is well-sharpened considering it was done with amunal whetstone.</i>


    What stood out the most was the perfect separation of the fire and darkness mana in the sword¡¯s core and de. Testing it out, she infused her own mana into the sword.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    She observed the mana circting the boundary between the two types of elemental mana, reinforcing them without causing any conflict.


    <i>It uses the wielder''s mana not only as fuel but also as a buffer to prevent the two types of elemental mana from shing.... It''s amusing that such a monstrous talent is attending Babel as a mere student.</i>


    Had Se-Hoon made even a slight mistake, the wielder¡¯s mana could have acted as a bridge between the two types of elemental mana instead of as a buffer, causing the de to explode. However, he had perfectly isted the two types of elemental mana during forging and avoided such issues.


    It was only ssified as top-quality Rare-tier equipment because its durability was just short of elevating it to a Hero tier.


    <i>This should suffice for the department exam.</i>


    With this level of craftsmanship, it was unlikely any student in the entirety of Borsippa could score higher. However, the college-wide and year-wide exams remained, making it hard toe to conclusions yet.


    <i>If possible, I would like him to be the year-wide honor student...</i>


    After all, that would also help with her vendetta against the Barmuths. Thinking it was a good idea, she pondered over how she might offer legitimate assistance.


    At that moment, a teaching assistant approached hurriedly.


    ¡°Professor, the Dean is here.¡±


    ¡°Dean Ryu?¡±


    Surprised, Helena looked toward the entrance, where a woman dressed in a suit with neatlybed red hair entered the room.


    ¡°Sorry for the sudden visit. I came to seek advice about the structuring of the college-wide exam.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. Shall we step outside to talk?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But before that...¡±


    Stopping Helena from leaving, Eun-Ha nced toward the back of the room where Helena had just been.


    ¡°I heard from the others that Lee Se-Hoon had already submitted his work... may I take a look at it?¡±


    Sensing that Eun-Ha¡¯s curiosity was pure, Helena handed her the Inferno Shadowde she had left behind.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Gazing at the sword, Eun-Ha tenderly caressed it, scrutinizing every tiny detail as if trying to memorize its form.


    <i>Gulp-</i>


    The sound of her dry swallow echoed loudly in the upper grading room.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    An awkward silence filled the room.


    Seeing the other professors ncing at Eun-Ha, Helena, feeling inexplicably uneasy, extended her hand.


    ¡°I think you''ve seen enough. Let''s go discuss the exam.¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    Nodding, Eun-Ha reluctantly extended the sword back to Helena who quickly grabbed the handle to take it.


    <i>Grip-</i>


    ¡°...?¡±


    However, the Inferno Shadowde did not budge. Moving her eyes up the de, Helena saw Eun-Ha¡¯s hand firmly gripping the de without moving, causing her to look up at her in disbelief.


    ¡°Dean Ryu, you''ll break the submitted work.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Reluctantly, Eun-Ha finally released her grip, allowing Helena to actually take the sword and set it aside.


    ¡°Now th¡ª¡±


    <i>Growl-</i>


    Before Helena could finish speaking, a loud rumble echoed from Eun-Ha¡¯s stomach. Seeing Eun-Ha¡¯s eyes still lingering on the sword, Helena quickly shoved her out of the room.


    And when she passed an assistant nearby, she gave them a warning-filled instruction.


    ¡°Hide that sword well. The Dean mighte back and take a bite out of it.¡±

 Chapter 179

    <h4>Chapter 179</h4>


    Having finished the exam early for the Department of cksmithing, Se-Hoon stretched lightly upon exiting the building.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s it for the exams here...¡±


    Normally, he would also need to take the exam for Origins of Equipment, taught by In-Cheol, but he was exempted for the semester. Thanks to In-Cheol, who had given him perfect marks upon deeming his skill in the subject matter far surpassed the ss itself before he retired, he was allowed to skip both the ss and the evaluation exam.


    <i>I still can¡¯t believe he actually applied for that... but what¡¯s even more amazing is that it was epted...</i>


    If In-Cheol alone had insisted that Se-Hoon should be exempt from the exam, it would have been dismissed as nonsense. However, the Dean or the Chairman had likely supported him and approved it themselves.


    <i>Since it¡¯s such a rare case, it might be good for the evaluation of the year-wide honor student... I just have to get through the other departments first.</i>


    Deciding that he could take another one, Se-Hoon took out his phone and checked Babel''s official website to see if there were any exams he could take immediately.


    <i>Ah, I can take the exam for Ancient Enchantments.</i>


    The schedule for the Barrier Composition exam was fixed, and he needed to consult Kwang-Soo for the Physiology Controls exam. The Ancient Enchantment exam, however, could be freely taken whenever as long as it was five days before the college-wide exam began.


    Checking that he had plenty of stamina and time, he decided to head straight to the main building of the Department of Enchantments instead of wandering elsewhere.


    ¡°<i>Haaaa...</i> I could have done better...¡±


    ¡°Aghhhh!¡±


    ¡°If I had just ten more minutes... no, just one more minute... ugh...!¡±


    While on his way to the Department of Enchantments, Se-Hoon saw students sighing heavily on benches, tearing their hair out and wailing, and even retching into trash cans because of the stress. With howrge Babel was, the reactions to failing exams also varied widely. And they were all calmly taken in by Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes.


    <i>...This is a good sight.</i>


    Unlike those who would scold them for making a fuss over mere exams, Se-Hoon appreciated them. To him, the current sight he was seeing was far better than the horrific scenes of battlefields and copsing frontlines that were burned into his memories.


    <i>Well, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t think the same way.</i>


    Regardless, the scene that was only possible during peaceful times made Se-Hoon smile more gently than usual.


    ¡°Hey, did he just smile at those who failed their exams...?¡±


    ¡°...Seems like it.¡±


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    Ignorant of the various reasons other students were ncing at him in amazement, Se-Hoon soon arrived at the main building of the Department of Enchantments.


    <i>The exam location... is not in the lecture room?</i>


    Contrary to his expectation, the exam location was the secondmunal workshop, not the Ancient Enchantments lecture room. Now curious, he followed the map to the test site.


    A few momentster, he arrived at arge door and a table next to it, with assistants seated.


    ¡°Please tell us the exam you''re taking and your name,¡± an assistant asked.


    ¡°Ancient Enchantments and my name is Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡±


    Typing something on theptop, the assistant handed Se-Hoon anyard with an entry pass from a void box beside them.


    ¡°Please wear this and sit on any empty seat inside. We will assist you shortly. Good luck~¡±


    Taking the entry pass, Se-Hoon put it on and walked in, feeling slightly uneasy.


    The interior was at least three timesrger than the examination room for the Department of cksmithing exam. He couldn¡¯t see a special device anywhere, just single-person workstations at regr intervals, where students who arrived earlier were taking the test. The professors and assistants, likely examiners, were all seated along the walls, monitoring the entire exam hall.


    <i>It feels oddly both rxed and tense at the same time.</i>


    Though various people were taking their exams, they were each going at their own pace, making it seem very free. However, the atmosphere was serious.


    Taking a seat at one of the empty workstations nearest to the entrance, Se-Hoon was immediately visited by an assistant.


    ¡°Here are the basic tools and the instructions. Please read them before starting.¡±


    Taking the basic tools, which included an enchantment palette, Se-Hoon checked them and then read the instructions.


    <i><u>Ancient Enchantment 1st Semester Evaluation Exam</u></i>


    <i>*Use the provided tools to freely enchant.</i>


    <i>*You may enchant items brought from outside.</i>


    <i>~Professor Reba~</i>


    <i>This is simple enough.</i>


    Just as Lea had exined, the first-semester exam wasn¡¯t thatplicated. It was a bit vague, making it more challenging, but Se-Hoon had already nned out what to enchant, so he started immediately.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Taking out the steel sparrow he used for enchantment practice from his void pocket, he ced it on the table and picked up the enchantment palette and brush the assistant had given him. Examining the sparrow closely, he started inscribing enchantment forms with the brush.


    <i>Swish, swish.</i>


    His brush flowed across the surface without rest, and naturally, the professors¡¯ gazes turned toward him.


    <i>Shouldn¡¯t he still be taking the exam in the Department of cksmithing? Did he already finish it?</i>


    <i>I heard his enchantment skills aren¡¯t bad...</i>


    Normally, the Department of Enchantments professors wouldn¡¯t pay much attention to students from other departments, but Se-Hoon was an exception. Apart from his status as the freshman honor student of Borsippa, rumors were circting that he was involved in the design of the enchantment form for mass-produced sword aura equipment.


    <i>If he could involve himself with enchantments of that level, he must be quite skilled.</i>


    <i>But he is taking the test for Ancient Enchantments... there¡¯s probably not much to look forward to.</i>


    In the enchantment field, ancient enchantments weren¡¯t highly regarded because they were more easily influenced by one¡¯s synthetic mindscape. On top of that, there were many limitations involved when mimicking specific objects.


    Requiring specific talents, ancient enchantments had many constraints and low safety. That was why only a few, like Reba, focused on it as their main study, which was also why few students took Ancient Enchantments.


    <i>Their gazes are rather unenthusiastic.</i>


    Noticing the indifferent stares, Se-Hoon nced around and smirked.


    <i>I can¡¯t just let that pass.</i>


    Deciding to shake up the exam hall a bit, Se-Hoon began inscribing the symbols of the creature he would mimic in the enchantment.


    <i>Of the four cardinal directions, the south. Of the five elements, fire. Andstly, wisdom and immortality...</i>


    With ancient enchantments, the mimicked creature''s characteristics or symbols didn¡¯t have to be factual. What mattered was how vividly and detailed the enchanter could visualize it in their synesthetic mindscape. Essentially, it was all about reinforcing the synesthetic mindscape they imbued through self-hypnosis.


    With a clear picture in mind, Se-Hoon¡¯s results began to appear gradually.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Red mes started to bloom and gather over thepleted parts of the enchantment, astonishing the professors.


    ¡°Th¡ªthat is...¡±


    ¡°What on earth is happening...¡±


    Usually, if energy leaked out like that during the enchantment process, it indicated a problem with the form. And that was especially the case with mes, which could spread and ruin the entire enchantment; the utmost caution was necessary with them.


    However, Se-Hoon¡¯s mes were different.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    The mes, calm and tame, burned stably only where the enchantment wasplete, looking like the feathers of a steel sparrow. Awed, the professors stared in astonishment.


    <i>This should be good enough for the base... next is the nature of the me.</i>


    Dipping the brush in magic stone powder again, Se-Hoon lightly surrounded it with his fire mana, Scorching Wheel.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Faint mes arose from the mixture. Adjusting the concentration of fire mana, he lightly brushed the mixture over the mes covering the steel sparrow¡¯s body.


    <i>Swish, swish.</i>


    With each stroke over the mes, the shape of the steel sparrow¡¯s body changed. The mes turned into gently fluttering feathers, making the sparrow resemble the creature Se-Hoon knew. Seeing the resemnce to the familiar creature, Se-Hoon smirked slightly.


    <i>And for the finishing touch...</i>


    Turning the sparrow, he examined the face that had remained untouched, unlike the rest of its body. But instead of inscribing aplex enchantment on it, all he did was make the me on his brush turn white before lightly dabbing it on the sparrow¡¯s eyes.


    And the moment he finished, the steel sparrow¡¯s face was immediately engulfed in mes. It sprang off the workbench and soared into the air, its wings beating powerfully despite minimal enchantments for its flight and joints. Yet, its movements were more natural than when he had shown Lea.


    Pleased, he looked up at the sparrow in satisfaction.


    <i>¡°How dare you!¡±</i>


    Contrary to his happiness, the steel sparrow, or rather, the me sparrow, red its white eyes and puffed up its fiery feathers in anger.


    <i>¡°Who is the arrogant fool that ced me in this ridiculous body©¤¡±</i>


    The enraged me sparrow halted abruptly upon spotting Se-Hoon below, as if time had stopped. Then, its eyes began to tremble before quickly stabilizing and transforming into a resolute gaze.


    <i>¡°If you n on escaping, you should be prepared for the consequences.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Grr... fine.¡±</i>


    The Vermillion Bird, which now inhabited the me sparrow, had been about to sever the connection with its steel body and flee. However, upon hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s threat, it groaned in frustration and returned to the workbench, resigning.


    Once itnded, Se-Hoon carefully examined hispleted project.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Normally, the Vermillion Bird still maintained a certain majesty even in its reduced head-sized form, but in the tiny, sparrow-like form, it appearedical.


    <i>It would have been a shame if I gave that Chicken something like its original form, but this is alright.</i>


    By mimicking the Vermillion Bird with his ancient enchantments, Se-Hoon transformed the steel sparrow into a sort of avatar and synchronized its consciousness with the Vermillion Bird, and only its consciousness. His enchantment, which perfectly replicated the Vermillion Bird¡¯s characteristics, had essentially called and established a link due to their simrity.


    <i>Enchantments aren¡¯t just for enhancement, after all.</i>


    Confirming no adjustments were needed, he looked at the limp Vermillion Bird.


    <i>¡°Stay put inside this body until the exam is over, got it?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Why must I endure being trapped inside this stifling hunk of metal...¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Hm? What? You feel cramped? I can create something several times more confining if you¡¯d like¡ª¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Never mind; I will remain still. Just please, don¡¯t create anything like that.¡±</i>


    Perhaps recalling its previous confinement by the seal, the Vermillion Bird showed an intense aversion to further confinement, prompting Se-Hoon to smile.


    <i>¡°Thanks for cooperating.¡±</i>


    Having amicably resolved things with the Vermillion Bird, Se-Hoon picked it up and stood.


    ¡°What is that...?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know... but it just seems terrifying...¡±


    Forgetting they were in the middle of their exams, the surrounding students stared at Se-Hoon nkly, while the professors and assistants, who had risen thinking there was some ident, stood awkwardly.


    Under all those gazes, Se-Hoon approached the assistant in charge of submissions.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to submit this for my exam.¡±


    ¡°Oh, huh? Ah... well...¡±


    At the sight of the tiny version of the Vermillion Bird in Se-Hoon¡¯s outstretched hand, the assistant became visibly flustered. Because it looked so alive, he wasn¡¯t sure if it was really okay to ept it.


    Luckily for him, someone spoke up to resolve his hesitation.


    ¡°Excellent work.¡±


    Reba, who hade to relieve the assistant, answered instead.


    ¡°There¡¯s no issue with your submission, so go ahead and put it there and leave.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Bowing slightly, Se-Hoon exited the exam hall. Once he had left, Reba observed the slumped Vermillion Bird on the desk.


    <i>There was talk about what happened to the Vermillion Bird... I guess the Chairman was keeping it.</i>


    Otherwise, no matter how exceptional Se-Hoon¡¯s ancient enchantment was, the Vermillion Bird¡¯s consciousness wouldn¡¯t have settled into this steel sparrow sopletely.


    <i>Well, even if its consciousness hadn¡¯t resided in this sparrow, I¡¯m sure it would have been a powerful enchanted item.</i>


    Examining the enchantment, Reba marveled at it, noting how it went beyond mimicking the Vermillion Bird to actually recreating its essence¡ªa result deserving far more than just full marks.


    <i>I¡¯d heard he had a talent for enchantments, but I didn¡¯t expect him to excel in ancient enchantments as well...</i>


    Previously, she had fully entrusted the teaching of the basics of enchantments to Lea, but upon seeing the sparrow before her, Reba began to think that it would be more beneficial for Se-Hoon to learn advanced enchantment techniques right away.


    Lost in thought, Reba reflected on Se-Hoon¡¯s talent while looking at the Vermillion Bird.


    <i>¡°...?!¡±</i>


    Suddenly, the Vermillion Bird, which had been slumped in resignation, looked around in rm.


    <i>¡°What... human! Quickly put me in the storage! Hurry!¡±</i>


    Seeing the Vermillion Bird urgently demanding to be stored, Reba turned her head toward where its gaze had been.


    ¡°Dean Ryu?¡±


    She spotted Eun-Ha, who had silently appeared at the exam hall entrance.


    ¡°...¡±


    With half her body hidden behind the door and one eye fixed on the panicked Vermillion Bird, Eun-Ha¡¯s expression was unreadable, but Reba still felt an inexplicable pressure.


    <i>Gulp-</i>


    <i>¡°Ah...! Quickly, hide me in the storage!¡±</i>


    The Vermillion Bird began making a fuss, desperate to dive into the storage on its own. At the same time, Eun-Ha continued to stare until she eventually retreated behind the door. The door then closed silently, returning the exam hall to its usual atmosphere. Having witnessed both sides, Reba was left utterly perplexed.


    <i>Was that really Dean Ryu I saw behind the door...?</i>


    Together, Reba and the Vermillion Bird continued to stare at the closed door for a while.


    <i>Growl-</i>


    <i>¡°Goodbye!¡±</i>


    <i>Crash!</i>


    At the sound of a faint stomach growl echoing through the door, the Vermillion Bird threw itself into the storage.


    ***


    Stepping outside the Department of Enchantments, Se-Hoon nced at his watch and was slightly surprised.


    ¡°I thought I finished rather quickly, but it''s been an hour already...¡±


    He knew that he was focused on the exam, but it seemed he had been more absorbed than he realized.


    It was still a bit early for lunch, so he pondered what he should do next instead.


    <i>I still have plenty of stamina and mana left... should I just go ahead and take another one?</i>


    While popr sses had strictly scheduled exam dates to avoid confusion, apart from Barrier Composition, the courses Se-Hoon took were all quite flexible since they were less mainstream. He honestly didn¡¯t need to finish them all in one day, but he decided to just ride the momentum and knock out another.


    <i>It¡¯s not like waiting an extra few days will make a difference anyway.</i>


    Having made up his mind, he messaged Kwang-Soo to schedule the exam for Physiology Controls, which didn¡¯t have a set date for the exam. After about a minute, he received a reply.


    Kwang-Soo: Come to the lecture room right now. You¡¯re going to take the exam with Jake.


    Upon reading the message, Se-Hoon became intrigued.


    <i>So, I''ll be taking it with Jake...</i>


    He wasn¡¯t sure if Jake was aiming to be the year-wide honor student, but it was always better to nip potential problems in the bud. Determined, he headed towards the main building of the Department of Martial Arts.


    The two of them would be waiting there.

 Chapter 180

    <h4>Chapter 180</h4>


    <i>Let''s see... if it''s Ma Kwang-Soo¡¯s test...</i>


    While en route to the exam, Se-Hoon pondered what the exam could be. But it wasn¡¯t long before his thoughts were interrupted upon feeling a gaze from the side, which was then followed by a familiar voice.


    ¡°Se-Hoon!¡±


    Turning toward the voice, Se-Hoon saw a blond young man, Jake, running toward him.


    ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in the lecture hall already?¡± Se-Hoon asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Huh? No, I was taking the department exam until just now.¡±


    Seeing the equally puzzled look on Jake¡¯s face, Se-Hoon finally understood.


    ¡°Ah, so this exam was pre-scheduled for today.¡±


    ¡°No? The professor just didn''t want to exin twice, so he told me toe straight after my exam.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon couldn''t believe it. While other professors tried to help students manage their condition during exam periods, Kwang-Soo called them over immediately because he didn''t want to exin twice.


    <i>...Well, it¡¯s not like I was expecting anything different from him anyway.</i>


    Shaking his head in eptance, Se-Hoon changed the subject.


    ¡°So, how did your exam go?¡±


    ¡°Well, I got a perfect score, but I''m not sure about how much higher they¡¯ll grade me. Still, I think I did well. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Me? Pretty much the same.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    At the sight of Jake nodding with a curious expression, Se-Hoon raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°What? Are you aiming to be the year-wide honor student too?¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, it''s not that...¡±


    ¡°Come on, just be honest. Even Erika told me she''s aiming for it and wanted to make a deal with me.¡±


    Surprised, Jake looked at Se-Hoon''s words before answering, ¡°To be honest... I don''t really care about being the year-wide honor student.¡±


    ¡°Then what is bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Well... if my sister were a first year, she would have immediately be the year-wide honor student... so I just think I should be it too.¡±


    To Jake, being the year-wide honor student was just a bonus. His true aim was to stand undeniably at the top by an overwhelming margin like his sister in the past.


    <i>Wow... I didn''t think he''d say something like that.</i>


    Honestly, he had thought Jake had no thoughts of his own since Jake had never spoken up against his sister. But it turned out that he had apetitive side as well.


    Wondering what brought this side out, a thought crossed Se-Hoon¡¯s mind.


    <i>Could it be because of what Sung-Ha mentioned.... Damn, instead of helping, he just stirred things up.</i>


    Because Jake was even more motivated, things were even more annoying. Irritated, Se-Hoon internally cursed Sung-Ha.


    ¡°Also, since we¡¯re on the topic, I have a favor to ask.¡±


    ¡°What favor?¡±


    Pausing his steps, Jake turned to look at Se-Hoon with a serious expression.


    ¡°Se-Hoon, I want you to aim to be the year-wide honor student too.¡±


    Se-Hoon looked at Jake with a strange expression.


    Unlike Erika, who was confident she''d win, Jake seemed to want to use Se-Hoon as a stepping stone to surpass Aria.


    <i>...Which means he doesn''t even consider me a threat.</i>


    Se-Hoon smirked at Jake¡¯s audacity, amused.


    ¡°Sure, I was nning on easily bing the year-wide honor student anyway, so no problem.¡±


    ¡°Thank you... wait, what?¡±


    ¡°I said, I can easily be the year-wide honor student. So, just do your best. If you do well enough, maybe I¡¯ll rank you higher than your sister.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Jake felt his eyes twitch at Se-Hoon''s confidence, but he forced a smile.


    ¡°Yeah... let''s both do our best, whatever the oue.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    For a brief moment, Jake seemed to take Se-Hoon seriously. And having noticed, Se-Hoon smiled in satisfaction.


    Continuing their walk, Jake looked toward the approaching lecture hall.


    ¡°You know what? This exam might decide the winner between us.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>? Yeah, you could say that.¡±


    ¡°Professor Ma will probably give us a tough exam... so we should both work hard.¡±


    Since the two were from different colleges, their only ovepping exams were the new year-wide one and the uing Physiology Controls ones. Therefore, scoring higher could tilt the scales of theirpetition, especially if their other scores were simr.


    ¡°Right... wait, a tough exam?¡±


    Noticing Se-Hoon¡¯s confusion, Jake looked back at him with a puzzled look.


    ¡°Huh? He¡¯s also an S-rank hero, so his exams will probably be difficult andplex, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Se-Hoon couldn''t help but chuckle bitterly.


    <i>Not necessarily.</i>


    As an S-rank hero and a past colleague of the Emperor of Ascension, it was understandable that one would expect Kwang-Soo to craft unique exams. But Se-Hoon knew better thanks to his past experiences.


    No matter how skilled someone was, they were still human. And this meant that...


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>... This is annoying.¡±


    ...one shouldn¡¯t expect anything special from someone with a bad personality.


    ¡°I can tell what score I should give them by just looking at them. Why do I need to give them a proper exam? All this talk about different approaches and whatnot.... He¡¯s acting all high and mighty just because he¡¯s the chairman of the academy...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Standing before Kwang-Soo, who was sitting in a chair with a sword, the two listened to him badmouth Ludwig.


    To Jake, Kwang-Soo¡¯sck of enthusiasm was disheartening, so he looked around to find evidence of otherwise¡ªbut nothing seemed different. Despite it being the first-semester evaluation exam, the only new element was the sword Kwang-Soo was holding. And even that, upon closer inspection, was just a mass-produced, Advanced-tier weapon.


    <i>Is he nning to conduct the exam with a duel... again?</i>


    It would be a discerning method, but it wasn¡¯t any different from their usual routine. Disappointed by Kwang-Soo¡¯sck of effort, Jake¡¯s spirits dampened. On the flip side, Se-Hoon, having anticipated it, was unperturbed.


    ¡°When are we going to take the test?¡±


    ¡°...Fine, fine. <i>Tsk</i>.¡±


    Clicking his tongue, Kwang-Soo got up and looked at the two students.


    ¡°For this exam, I will be attacking you guys twice. You guys must dodge, block, or counter the attacks. I¡¯ll grade you based on your performances.¡±


    The exam methodcked any semnce of sincerity. But, Se-Hoon and Jake still immediately began pondering how they would go about it. But Kwang-Soo wasn¡¯t done.


    He added another piece of information, ¡°And you can retake the exam as many times as you want.¡±


    ¡°As many times as we want?¡± asked Jake in confirmation, surprised.


    Kwang-Soo nodded.


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s during the exam period and before your college-wide exams, you can challenge me as many times as you want. Then, I¡¯ll pick the highest score from all your attempts.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    The fact that Kwang-Soo allowed them to retake the exam until they were satisfied with their score intrigued Jake.


    But in contrast, Se-Hoon frowned. <i>What is this old man up to...?</i>


    He had realized that allowing retakes meant the exam was challenging enough to warrant multiple attempts.


    <i>He doesn¡¯t care if we can see through his attack patternster on...</i>


    What exactly was he trying to evaluate? Wary, Se-Hoon scrutinized Kwang-Soo.


    ¡°So, who¡¯s going first?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡±


    With no hesitation, Jake stepped forward before Se-Hoon could even think. He thought that since he could retake it, there was no point in hesitating.


    ¡°Alright. Jake, draw your sword. Se-Hoon, step aside.¡±


    Following Kwang-Soo¡¯s instructions, Jake drew his Luminescent Sword and constructed its de, while Se-Hoon moved to the side. Once they were both ready, Kwang-Soo lowered the sword he held in his left hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start in three seconds. Prepare yourself.¡±


    Jake focused. He gripped his Luminescent Sword tightly, examining his opponent''s posture.


    It was strange. Despite Kwang-Soo¡¯s rxed stance, something felt off.


    <i>Something¡¯s weird...</i>


    The way Kwang-Soo looked at him, the way he held the sword with its handle pointing downward, and the way his right hand was empty instinctively triggered warnings.


    Jake tensed due to the inexplicable sense of danger.


    <i>Clink-</i>


    The sound of Kwang-Soo drawing his sword rang, and his de lightly touched Jake''s neck.


    ¡°Okay, your grade will be a B.¡±


    Kwang-Soo sheathed his sword,pletely nonchnt.


    Lagging, Jake, who had been staring nkly, finally processed what had happened.


    <i>Did I almost... die just now...?</i>


    If Kwang-Soo had been an enemy, or if he had misjudged his strength, Jake¡¯s head would have been severed before he realized it. The clear sensation of the de on his neck sent a shiver down his spine and cold sweat down his back.


    Wobbling, a realization struck him.


    <i>Why was his posture like that?</i>


    Kwang-Soo, who should have been pointing his sword downward, had ended up in a middle guard. Confused by the dissonance, he stood still and watched Kwang-Soo look over at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Your turn. Come over here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Stepping forward, Se-Hoon patted the dazed Jake on the shoulder, snapping him out of it.


    ¡°Ah, sorry. I¡¯ll move¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just watch from the side. You¡¯ll understand what happened.¡±


    Like always, Se-Hoon seemed to have grasped something no one had.


    Unmoving, Jake looked at him closely for a moment before nodding.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Jake stepped aside, and Se-Hoon pulled out a hammer from his void pocket.


    ¡°What happened to your sword?¡±


    ¡°I broke itst time and haven¡¯t made a new one. Besides...¡±


    Se-Hoon smiled as he adjusted his grip on the hammer.


    ¡°This seems more fitting for this duel.¡±


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have taught you that.¡±


    Annoyed, Kwang-Soo resumed his previous stance.


    ¡°The same three seconds.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The two faced each other, and Jake, watching from the side, started counting the seconds in his mind.


    <i>Three.</i>


    Their standoff showed no visible movement, but Jake felt a strange sense of discement between what he saw and felt.


    <i>Two.</i>


    Neither Se-Hoon nor Kwang-Soo had moved, yet it felt like they had. The disconnect between his visual perception and physical sensation was disorienting.


    <i>One.</i>


    The final second passed. And, an invisible force instantly rushed Se-Hoon.


    <i>Click!</i>


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    Once again, Jake was confused. The sound of a sword being drawn came a beatter than when he was taking the exam.


    ¡°Done.¡±


    Like Jake, Se-Hoon had a de at his neck. However, despite the seemingly same oues, there was a critical difference in their postures. If Jake¡¯s sword had stopped midway up, Se-Hoon¡¯s hammer stopped an inch above midway.


    <i>Does that mean... he was faster than me?</i>


    Jake waspletely lost. He was sure that while Se-Hoon¡¯s reaction speed was simr to his, his own physical abilities were superior.


    Trying to solve the puzzle, Jake recalled Kwang-Soo¡¯s initial exnation.


    <i>Wait, didn¡¯t he mention he was going to attack twice?</i>


    ¡°Did you figure it out?¡±


    Noticing that Jake had realized something, Se-Hoon casually asked to confirm while stretching. And though still somewhat uncertain, Jake had a response.


    ¡°Before that... did the professor use Sword Control?¡±


    ¡°Yep. To be precise, he used an application technique of Sword Control.¡±


    Kwang-Soo had said he would attack twice, but both times, Jake had only seen him swing his word once. And because he was unable to perceive the attack properly, he had assumed it was a double strike. However, Se-Hoon was unlike Jake. He was able to use his Eyes of irvoyance to see through Kwang-Soo¡¯s tricks.


    ¡°By using Sword Control, hepressed his synesthetic mindscape into a minuscule amount of mana and released it simultaneously with his attack.¡±


    Just like how high-ranking heroes could use only their synesthetic mindscape to cast a psychological shock on those weaker, Kwang-Soo had used his to paralyze Jake momentarily, allowing him to strike twice within that brief window.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was such a method...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s tricky to use in realbat, as it won¡¯t work on people of simr skill, and those with some training won¡¯t be paralyzed and will counter immediately.¡±


    ¡°Oh. So then my swing was...¡±


    ¡°It was likely a reflex honed by practice. That¡¯s probably what this exam is testing.¡±


    Se-Hoon guessed that the exam tested how perfectly one could perform techniques unconsciously. It made sense too, since it aligned with the teaching outline of the Physiology Controls ss that taught one to understand and control their body.


    <i>I thought it was a poorly designed exam, but it turned out to be well thought out.</i>


    If there was only one attempt at the exam, it would have been too harsh and unsuitable for the students with littlebat experience. However, allowing retakes bnced out the issues. Repeated attempts would also allow them to get used to such usages of synesthetic mindscape, making the exam also educational.


    <i>It would be great if he also gave generous scores, but that¡¯s unlikely.</i>


    epting that he would need to retake it, Se-Hoon pondered how he should improve for his next attempt.


    ¡°So how did you respond?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hm</i>? Oh, I also used Sword Control to block the attack. It¡¯s easy to counter an attack that only uses a synesthetic mindscape.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Sword Control... wait, what?¡±


    Though he had initially been nodding in understanding, Jake suddenly realized something odd about what Se-Hoon said.


    ¡°You can use Sword Control too...?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Have you not seen me use it before?¡±


    The moment the words left his mouth, Se-Hoon realized that he had shown his sword techniques but not his use of Sword Control to Jake, or even Seon-Woo.


    Jake widened his eyes at Se-Hoon¡¯s nonchnce.


    <i>So he can also use Sword Control.... Don¡¯t tell me he inherited the entire Celestial Infinity de too...</i>


    Jake knew Se-Hoon had learned various skills from Kwang-Soo, but he hadn¡¯t imagined he had also inherited the Celestial Infinity de.


    <i>Wait... it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s be the professor¡¯s disciple though.... Still, I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t learn Sword Control on his own either.</i>


    Jake was certain that Sword Control wasn¡¯t something one could learn just by watching. Reevaluating Se-Hoon, Jake fell into deep thought.


    ¡°Sorry to burst your bubble,¡± Kwang-Soo began, interrupting Jake¡¯s thoughts. He had been listening to their conversation. ¡°While you did use Sword Control pretty urately, you missed the point of the grading criteria.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°If I only wanted to see how you guys would react, I could have just sent out a bit of killing intent. Why bother using Sword Control?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Realizing he wasn¡¯t wrong, Se-Hoon frowned.


    <i>I thought he was just showing off his Sword Control...</i>


    If it wasn¡¯t that, then what was his real intention?


    Kwang-Soo continued, ¡°And by the way... you shouldn¡¯t be boasting to Jake.¡±


    ¡°...What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your exam score.¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s question, Kwang-Soo smirked and pointed at him.


    ¡°You got a C.¡±

 Chapter 181

    <h4>Chapter 181</h4>


    ¡°...You¡¯re giving me a C?¡±


    Se-Hoon frowned at Kwang-Soo''s words.


    He had blocked the synesthetic mindscape attack that came at him with his own Sword Control and moved with optimal efficiency until the de touched his neck.


    Yet he was given a mere C? For once, Se-Hoon waspletely lost.


    ¡°Why? You can''t ept it?¡±


    ¡°No, it''s not that, but...¡±


    ¡°Well, I understand. I did think you¡¯d struggle a bit.¡±


    Hearing Kwang-Soo talk like he had somewhat expected the result, Se-Hoon fell into thought.


    ¡°Then... if my guess is wrong, what exactly is the grading criteria?¡±


    If the goal wasn''t to observe how skilled they were in their movements, what was he looking for?


    But unfortunately for Se-Hoon, Kwang-Soo just grinned and yfully said, ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Shouldn''t you figure it out yourself? Have you ever seen an examiner give away the correct answers for their exams?¡±


    Se-Hoon squinted his eyes in annoyance. They were taking a practical exam not a normal exam, so shouldn''t he at least tell them the grading criteria? s, he was well aware that right now, Kwang-Soo held the most authority and could freely decide not to tell them anything.


    About to ept his fate, Se-Hoon suddenly heard Kwang-Soo murmuring something while ncing at him.


    ¡°If you''d just learned when I offered to teach you, you would have aced the exam already...¡±


    Doubting his ears, Se-Hoon stared at Kwang-Soo in disbelief.<i> </i>


    <i>Is this old man really holding a grudge over being rejected by a student...?</i>


    Apparently, a lot of resentment had built up.


    But despite knowing that, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but grind his teeth in frustration at Kwang-Soo¡¯s tion.


    ¡°Excuse me...¡±


    Jumping into the conversation, Jake, who had been watching until now, made a cautious request.


    ¡°I''d like to go again... if that''s okay?¡±


    To be honest, Jake was more concerned about Se-Hoon''s reaction than Kwang-Soo''s. He was quite motivated by their rivalry, but he still recognized that Se-Hoon was the only cksmith capable of forging his sword.


    So, wary of provoking his only cksmith unnecessarily, Jake made sure to act cautiously. But not knowing that, Kwang-Soo smiled at Jake¡¯s cautious attitude.


    ¡°Of course. With a bit more effort, you might get an A.¡±


    ¡°W-wait, Professor...¡±


    ¡°What are you doing? Go stand over there.¡±


    Seeing Kwang-Soo wave his hand dismissively at him, trying to shoo him away, Se-Hoon bit his lip before agreeing after a brief pause.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Telling himself that indulging in such childish quarrels would only bring him down to the same level, Se-Hoon stepped aside obediently. He would take the chance to find out the grading criteria.


    ¡°The same three seconds, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Counting down from three, Kwang-Soo pulled out his sword and touched Jake''s neck almost instantly after reaching zero.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Despite having experienced it once before, the speed and precision of the strike still sent chills down Jake''s spine. Like before, he broke out in a cold sweat.


    ¡°This time, your grade is a B+.¡±


    ¡°...B+?¡±


    Jake looked up in surprise at Kwang-Soo, who was withdrawing his sword. His sword had only barely managed to intercept Kwang-Soo''s near the middle, and he didn''t feel any different from before.


    Yet his score improved?


    Seeing Jake''s confusion, Kwang-Soo calmly exined, ¡°You must have subconsciously refined your actions after that first experience. Because, unlike that guy, you have the basics down.¡±


    ¡°The basics...¡±


    ¡°So, what now? Want to try again?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, um...¡±


    At Kwang-Soo''s question, Jake reflexively nced at Se-Hoon, who nodded.


    ¡°Go ahead. I need to see just a bit more to figure out the grading criteria anyway.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Relieved, Jake lowered his sword and looked at Kwang-Soo.


    ¡°One more attempt, please.¡±


    ¡°Good. Take this chance to get a perfect score and put that arrogant guy in his ce.¡±


    ¡°No, please don''t say things like that...¡±


    Taken aback by how Kwang-Soo seemed to enjoy teasing Se-Hoon, Jake kept fumbling with the conversation. Preparing, they both readied their swords.


    Time passed, and Jake¡¯s retakes soon numbered more than thirty. Even including the time to swing their swords, each test took just over three seconds, so it was quickly piling up.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Having observed all of the umted samples, Se-Hoon had found a few patterns in Kwang-Soo¡¯s movements.


    <i>He keeps aiming for the neck with his de.</i>


    And though Kwang-Soo was moving fast, he was still perfectly controlling the sword to leave no mark on the neck. Initially, Se-Hoon thought it was just a disy of his swordsmanship skills, but as the attempts began to exceed thirty, Se-Hoon mind also changed.


    <i>If it were just about showing off, he would have stopped long ago.</i>


    However, he did it each time. And instead of controlling his strength from the start, Kwang-Soo pulled back his strength only just before the de touched to avoid injury. Of course, with Kwang-Soo''s skill level, it likely didn¡¯t require much effort to pull off, but convenience and effort were different matters.


    <i>Moreover, he''s using mana embedded with a synesthetic mindscape with each swing...</i>


    Unlike himself, whopletely blocked the synesthetic mindscape attack using Sword Control, Jake was hit by them each time, causing him to tense up and respondte.


    From a grading perspective, it was a clear negative.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>. Not bad. I''ll give you an A.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you!¡±


    However, Jake''s score only improved with each test. It was iprehensible. Racking his brain to figure it out, Se-Hoon remembered something he had heard before he regressed.


    <i>¡°People''s true intentions alwayse out just before they die. Their thoughts and skills are also all included in it.¡±</i>


    Remembering what Kwang-Soo used to always mumble when he was heavily drunk, a thought struck Se-Hoon. Back then, he had always thought it was just drunken rambling, but perhaps that wasn¡¯t the case.


    <i>If that''s what he¡¯s looking for...</i>


    If the grading criteria were what he was thinking right now, then everything clicked into ce. Now it made sense that his score was only a C. Smiling to himself, Se-Hoon checked his body and the range of Fatestones he had.


    ¡°I''d like to take you on this time.¡±


    Hearing Se-Hoon''s words, both men turned to look at him, with Kwang-Soo narrowing his eyes.


    ¡°You want to challenge me again?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Is there a problem?¡±


    Se-Hoon''s confidence made Kwang-Soo feel slightly uneasy, but he quickly brushed it off.


    <i>There''s no way he figured it out so fast.</i>


    Certain that was the case, Kwang-Soo looked at Jake, who was catching his breath.


    ¡°You can take a rest over there.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    Obeying, Jake stepped aside and made way for Se-Hoon, who moved to stand before Kwang-Soo. He was once again holding his Forgefire Hammer.


    ¡°Are you confident that you¡¯ll win?¡±


    ¡°I should at least be better than before.¡±


    ¡°...Alright. Then, in three.¡±


    Both men rxed their stances and faced each other. Beginning the countdown, the three seconds passed and¡ª


    <i>Thud-</i>


    Kwang-Soo''s mana, imbued with his synesthetic mindscape, struck Se-Hoon''s forehead. Itcked physical force, so there was no pain, but Kwang-Soo¡¯s synesthetic mindscape flooded in like a tidal wave, engulfing and paralyzing Se-Hoon''s thoughts.


    Normally, he would quickly try and shake off the effects before counterattacking.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    But this time, he decided to use it.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Enchanted Aquamarine¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    Using his blood flow, specifically the memories filled within it, with Soul Honing, he activated Bond Imprint on his left arm while still mentally paralyzed.


    <i>Woong-!</i>


    Enchanted Aquamarine¡¯s ability was synchronization and specialization. It was a reflection of Luize''s unique skill, Mana Assimtion, which she had yet to awaken. And with it, Se-Hoon could ensnare and draw Kwang-Soo''s synesthetic mindscape into his left arm.


    <i>Squeeze!</i>


    The muscles in his left arm began to move erratically, and then even his mana started to act on its own. It was a strange sensation like his left arm had be someone else''s. But instead of trying to regain control, he fully surrendered his body to it.


    <i>Click-</i>


    At the same time, Kwang-Soo drew his sword, and in that fleeting moment, before he attacked, the memories imbued in Se-Hoon''s left arm reacted, forcibly moving his body.


    Assisting the familiar yet alien controller, Se-Hoon, eyes shining, unleashed a technique.


    <strong>Celestial Infinity de: Exalted Steel</strong>


    <i>ng!</i>


    A clear metallic sound echoed loudly.


    ¡°...¡±


    Silence fell. While Jake was staring dazedly, still trying to process everything that had happened in the blink of an eye, Kwang-Soo, who had thought his de had reached Se-Hoon¡¯s neck, stared ahead with wide, gaping eyes.


    ¡°This is...¡±


    There was ck sword aura forming a de from Se-Hoon¡¯s left hand. Seemingly both solid and flexible, it managed to block his de, which should have reached Se-Hoon¡¯s neck.


    <i>What the hell... what did he just do?</i>


    Se-Hoon had just effortlessly created and wielded a de made of sword aura directly from the hand¡ªsomething several times harder than just swinging a sword, especially with the Celestial Infinity de.


    And while that alone was astonishing, the real reason for Kwang-Soo''s utter shock was something else.


    <i>How did he create Exalted Steel?</i>


    Exalted Steel was a sword Kwang-Soo had broken during the time when he was known as the Sword Demon rather than the Broken Sword.


    In other words, it was impossible that Se-Hoon had seen it himself, and Kwang-Soo was sure that he had never shown it to him. So then how could he perfectly replicate not only Exalted Steel¡¯s appearance but also its effects?


    <i>It''s as if it¡¯s the real thing...!</i>


    bbergasted, Kwang-Soo looked at Se-Hoon to seek an answer.


    ¡°You...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s answer came before he could properly ask, leaving Kwang-Soo at a loss. That was when he noticed the smug smile on Se-Hoon¡¯s face, and his eyes twitched.


    <i>This... brat...</i>


    Realizing that Se-Hoon was holding a grudge against a grown man ying a little prank, Kwang-Soo cursed him inwardly.


    Keeping the smug smile on his face, Se-Hoon confidently spoke up. ¡°The grading criteria for this exam. It was about how well one could execute the technique imprinted on their synesthetic mindscape, not just the body, right?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    There were two types of techniques: those that were imprinted on the body and those that were imprinted on the synesthetic mindscape. And while some might think they were the same since they were both executed reflexively, there was a slight but definitive difference.


    ¡°Techniques imprinted on the body are like insurance, meaning they are the most efficient and safest response. But techniques imprinted on the synesthetic mindscape are different. They are the decisive moves that one usually performs during their counterattacks since they¡¯re decided based on the opponent''s synesthetic mindscape.¡±


    Just like how sometimes one could get an instinctive feeling like ¡°I think this will work,¡± without any concrete reason duringpetitions, heroes would have an attack they would think would work.


    In actuality, it was the result of their subconscious performing thousands of calctions about the opponent''s and their own movements, thought processes, and synesthetic mindscape during their battle. That was what a technique imprinted on the synesthetic mindscape was.


    ¡°You even used Sword Control to limit us from using our techniques because wecked practical experience. It helped us bring out the technique embedded in our synesthetic mindscapes by removing all other options. And the strike to the neck was meant to create a realistic situation.¡±


    Despiteining about the hassle, Kwang-Soo had paid attention to the details. It forced Se-Hoon to reassess Kwang-Soo a little.


    <i>Even though he grumbles a lot, he¡¯s good at it when he¡¯s actually doing it.</i>


    Perhaps Ludwig forcibly made him a professor because he knew that.


    ¡°If you understood the grading criteria, you could have just said so instead of exining everything...¡± grumbled Kwang-Soo, dissatisfied.


    Unfazed, Se-Hoon made a rxed smile and casually remarked, ¡°I just wanted to confirm if there was any mistake. So? What¡¯s my score for this attempt?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Kwang-Soo''s mouth twitched, but it wasn¡¯t long before he realized there was no other appropriate response. Giving in, he sighed deeply.


    ¡°A+.¡±


    From the original score of a C, Se-Hoon had jumped several ranks and even surpassed Jake.


    However, there was a frown on Se-Hoon¡¯s face.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a perfect score?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I''m that easygoing? If you want a perfect score from me, you need to do twice as well as you just did.¡±


    Hearing the genuineness in his response, Se-Hoon thought about his attempt before nodding.


    ¡°Well, alright. There¡¯s still plenty of time before the college-wide exam, so I¡¯ll probably manage it by then.¡±


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll leave it at that for today. Oh, and...¡±


    Stopping right before leaving the training ground, Se-Hoon turned back and shed a casual smile at Jake.


    ¡°Try to do your best. You can¡¯t lose to me, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Speechless, Jake watched Se-Hoon depart with a vacant expression.


    ¡°That disrespectful brat...¡±


    Clicking his tongue at Se-Hoon, Kwang-Soo turned his gaze to his sword¡¯s de, which now bore a nick from a recent sh.


    <i>The only way he can use Exalted Steel is... probably that.</i>


    It was just a guess, but Kwang-Soo had a feeling Se-Hoon had taken the synesthetic mindscape that he had sent out and reproduced a part of it in his left hand¡ªa technique that only one person in the world was capable of.


    <i>...I''m exhausted.</i>


    Feeling deep fatigue, perhaps due to the unexpected oue of the recent duel, Kwang-Soo looked at Jake.


    ¡°I''m way too tired, so let''s call it a day¡ª¡±


    ¡°Professor.¡±


    Interrupting him, Jake looked at Kwang-Soo with a serious expression.


    ¡°I would like to try again.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At the request for a retest, Kwang-Soo¡¯s eyes shut for a moment before he sighed.


    ¡°You''ve done enough for today. You¡¯ll have plenty of time for retests, so don''t overdo it today. Just go back and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Professor.¡±


    Interrupting Kwang-Soo once more, Jake used an even firmer voice to say, ¡°You said we could retake the test anytime before the college-wide exams. Please let me take it again.¡±


    At Jake''s repeated insistence, Kwang-Soo¡¯s expression fell.


    <i>This kid...</i>


    Wondering why youngsters these days had no respect for their elders, irritation surged within Kwang-Soo. However, before he could say anything, Jake added one more thing.


    ¡°If you refuse again, I''ll report you to Chairman Ludwig.¡±


    ¡°What...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell him everything, starting from how you skip sses regrly.¡±


    At Jake''s threat, Kwang-Soo¡¯s face went nk, and he tightly shut his eyes.


    <i>That brat... he must have known this was going to happen. </i>


    Jake usually wouldn''t push this hard, being aware of Kwang-Soo¡¯s temper, but it seemed Se-Hoon¡¯s provocation had fired him up to improve his grades.


    <i>To retaliate so harshly against an old man... </i>


    Cursing internally, Kwang-Soo opened his eyes wide.


    ¡°Fine. Let''s do it. Go ahead, try as much as you want!¡±


    If he had Jake for an hour or two longer, he would make sure to give Jake a hard time. Kwang-Soo¡¯s eyes gleamed as he grabbed his sword again.


    .


    .


    .


    ¡°I would like to retake the test...¡±


    ¡°...I''m sorry. I was wrong.¡±


    However, unlike Kwang-Soo¡¯s expectations, they sparred for the next twelve hours straight without leaving the training ground.

 Chapter 182

    <h4>Chapter 182</h4>


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Upon stepping outside the Department of Martial Arts¡¯ main building, Se-Hoon confirmed there was no one around before pulling his left hand out of his pants pocket.


    <i>Twitch, twitch-</i>


    His left hand was wriggling uncontrobly. Despite it being very clearly part of his own body, it moved like a separate entity.


    <i>If I wasn¡¯t suppressing it with Soul Honing, it would have strangled me by now.</i>


    The method he had used¡ªsynchronizing the Kwang-Soo''s synesthetic mindscape with his left hand, specializing it for his body, and then recreating the techniques contained within¡ªwas something he had seen or analyzed a few times before. But while its use wasn''t too difficult and proved highly effective, the side effects were significant.


    <i>I originally intended to just crudely mimic his techniques, but it ended up being so effective that my left hand has essentially be a clone of Kwang-Soo¡¯s left hand...</i>


    In hindsight, it made sense. For those who could handle mana, the synesthetic mindscape was essentially the source that enabled them to control that power. And since he had directly integrated someone else¡¯s synesthetic mindscape into his body, the different source settled in and took control.


    <i>It kinda feels like I have an AI based on Kwang-Soo¡¯s personality controlling it.</i>


    It was a situation that would horrify both the winner and the loser. Se-Hoon, however, found it fascinating.


    <i>With this kind of effect, it might actually be quite useful.</i>


    Before the regression, Se-Hoon had no notable talent except for his cksmithing skills. Inbat especially, he was subjected to harsh criticism.


    He could always somehow learn the basic movements and improve their efficiency to some extent. Yet, every time, he found himself blocked by the next step: blending his synesthetic mindscape into it.


    <i>I understood it in my head, but my body just didn¡¯t follow.</i>


    To be honest, he had epted it, thinking it was fine as long as he could forge equipment. However, now things were different. Having experienced numerous battles toward the end of hisst life, he realized how necessary it and mastering the basics ofbat were to lead the fight against the Demon Force.


    <i>If I can just systematize this, it¡¯ll be perfect.</i>


    If he couldn''t perform techniques embedded in his own synesthetic mindscape, then he just had to adapt and use others¡¯, like he did earlier. Moreover, since his soul seemed to have changed after regressing, giving him talent inbat, it would be much easier too.


    <i>It wouldn¡¯t be easy, but...</i>


    <i>Tap, tap!</i>


    Staring at his left hand, which seemingly wanted to tear at his throat, Se-Hoon watched it threateningly tter its thumb and four fingers together like a mouth. He frowned at it in distaste.


    <i>Vrrr-</i>


    Feeling a vibration from his left pants pocket, he instinctively pulled out his phone with his left hand.


    <i>Smack!</i>


    It ended in his phone being mmed to the ground.


    ¡°...¡±


    Surprised, Se-Hoon just nkly watched the phone vibrate pitifully on the floor, feeling his left hand remaining still and acting like it didn''t do anything. Eventually, he let out a dryugh.


    <i>What a nasty temper.</i>


    His left hand moved true to Kwang-Soo''s synesthetic mindscape.


    Moving to pick it up, Se-Hoon made sure to use his right hand this time.


    <i>[Erika Inoue]</i>


    ¡°<i>Hm?</i>¡±


    Why was she calling during the exam period? Wondering what it could be, Se-Hoon picked up.


    ¡°What''s up?¡±


    ¡ªDo you want to practice barrier spells with me?


    At the sudden proposal, Se-Hoon went silent to think about it for a moment.


    ¡°Alright. I''ll head over there.¡±


    He was finished assessing Jake anyway. From what he had seen during the recent exam, he was in a favorable situation. So since that was the case, he thought that checking on Erika wouldn''t hurt.


    <i>I have some free time.</i>


    Getting the location from Erika, Se-Hoon headed straight there¡ªto the training room of the Department of Spells, where Erika was practicing.


    ¡°It¡¯s this ce.¡±


    Meeting up with Erika outside, they walked into the octagonal training room with iron mannequins at each vertex. Every mannequin¡¯s hands were sped together, forming hand signs.


    <i>Like I thought, the training is exam-oriented.</i>


    In contrast to other sses, Barrier Composition had already announced the exam format.


    They would be tasked with creating barriers that could withstand various attacks prepared by the professor, which was exactly what the training room seemed to be designed for.


    ¡°I didn''t know there was such a training room. Did Professor Robert set it up for the exam?¡±


    ¡°I made it myself,¡± Erika denied, shaking her head.


    ¡°Impressive. Those mannequins too?¡±


    ¡°I brought those from home for training purposes.¡±


    At that remark, Se-Hoon nced around the training room at the iron mannequins ced throughout.


    <i>No wonder they look so unique...</i>


    Unlike the golems made by the Marite Factory and other workshops, the ones in the training room had a distinct atmosphere which was likely due to their detailed human faces.


    <i>They probably didn¡¯t make them look that good just for aesthetics... perhaps they have something to do with magic?</i>


    Intrigued, Se-Hoon began pondering the purpose of the mannequins¡¯ designs, stopping when he sensed a gaze behind him.


    ¡°...That.¡±


    Standing right in front of him now, Erika stared intently at his left hand. Her gaze was so intense that Se-Hoon began to feel uneasy.


    Then, with her eyes remaining fixed on it, she asked, ¡°Did you get your left hand transnted?¡±


    ¡°No, it''s still my hand.¡±


    ¡°Then why does it seem like someone else''s hand?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon was a bit taken aback. He had expected her to notice something was off, but not pinpointing it so urately.


    <i>I''m still suppressing it with Soul Honing, so there shouldn''t be any noticeable difference on the surface...</i>


    Was it just her intuition? Or was she sensitive to bodily changes? He had to reassess Erika¡¯s observation skills now.


    ¡°I mimicked something with it for a while, and it turned out like this. It''ll go back to normal over time.¡±


    Her gaze continued to bore into his left hand. Then, finally breaking eye contact with it, Erika looked up at him.


    ¡°Can I touch it?¡±


    Was she trying to examine the state of his left hand? Curious, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    If he let Erika examine his hand, he might be able to find out what aspects she was focusing on.


    <i>Given her interest, it might rte to her evaluation criteria for our Rtionship.</i>


    Anticipating such a thing, he watched. And Erika, having gained permission, promptly grabbed his left hand without hesitation.


    <i>Wriggle-</i>


    Upon being grabbed, his left hand twitched even more violently. Seeing that, Se-Hoon chuckled.


    ¡°It''s pretty nasty, so be careful.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Nodding, Erika began slowly examining his left hand, touching each part¡ªthe fingers, palm, and back of the hand¡ªcarefully. Her movements were deliberate and meticulous, like when appraising a precious gem. It piqued Se-Hoon¡¯s interest.


    <i>I thought she''d use magic to examine it... but her level of caution surpassed my initial expectations.</i>


    Was she focusing more on the physical changes?


    A whileter, Erika finally spoke, still keeping her gaze on his hand. ¡°Is it alright if I cast magic?¡±


    ¡°I don''t mind, but be careful; it might do something unexpected.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    As soon as she answered, a silver stream of mana flowed into Se-Hoon''s left hand, making it twitch more intensely than before.


    <i>Is she...</i>


    Erika wasn''t simply examining his left hand with magic; she seemed to be stimting something inside. Trying to confirm his suspicion, Se-Hoon analyzed the spell''s structure.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    The left hand, breaking free from Erika''s grip, suddenlyunched a powerful blow at her neck. It was a lethal strike, its edge enhanced by mana, squeezing out every bit of strength from his muscles. And it was fast, moving faster than Se-Hoon usually could.


    <i>Creak-</i>


    But despite that, it couldn¡¯t pierce Erika''s neck; it had been tightly bound and immobilized by silver threads.


    At first nce, the threads seemed to have appeared from nowhere, but upon closer inspection, there were threads spread invisibly throughout the entire training room.


    <i>So, this is how her barrier activates.</i>


    Briefly scanning the threads, her barrier, Se-Hoon turned his gaze back to Erika.


    ¡°Are you okay? It looked like it almost got you.¡±


    ¡°I''m fine.¡±


    Still calm, Erika looked down at Se-Hoon''s left hand which was bound by the silver threads. Gazing at it, she touched the spot on her neck where his hand''s edge had slightly grazed.


    <strong>[''Inoue Erika'' has increased your evaluation.]</strong>


    <strong>[As a Fatestone has already formed for the subject, its maturity level has increased instead.]</strong>


    <i>This is... surprising.</i>


    He was a bit confused. Se-Hoon had expected their bond level to rise instead since he had previously received favorable evaluations, yet there was no change.


    <i>It doesn¡¯t seem to be because the evaluation is low... perhaps certain conditions need to be satisfied.</i>


    Guessing he needed to demonstrate his talent in skills closely rted to Erika''s evaluation criteria and areas of expertise in order to increase her bond level, he began examining the spell form that Erika had previously assigned as homework. But he was forced to stop when Erika interrupted his thoughts.


    ¡°Are <i>you</i> alright?¡±


    Examining Se-Hoon''s left hand, Erika asked the same question he just had with a voice full of concern.


    ¡°<i>Hm?</i> What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Your left hand is quite severely injured.¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    At her words, Se-Hoon finally looked at his left hand which was still bound by the silver threads. He had assumed it was fine earlier after a quick nce, but it turned out to be in an atrocious condition.


    <i>Seems like I can''t even feel pain in this state.</i>


    Noting one more thing to worry about when using the technique, Se-Hoon refocused on Erika and nonchntly replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. This isn¡¯t a big deal.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Settling her concern, Se-Hoon looked down at his left hand. Previously, an injury of this severity would have required hospitalization. However, rather than worry, he felt a hint of anticipation.


    ¡°For situations like this, I''ve actually received something quite useful.¡±


    ***


    That evening, after finishing the barrier spell practice with Erika, Se-Hoon returned to his dorm room and sat on the sofa in the living room, once again staring at his left hand.


    ¡°Hmm, it <i>is</i> quite serious.¡±


    Kwang-Soo¡¯s synesthetic mindscape had finally disappeared, allowing his left hand to regain its normal sensation that was apanied by considerable pain. The excessive strain from the attack severely damaged his muscles and joints, and broke many of his bones.


    Under normal circumstances, he would definitely need a full hand cast. However... Se-Hoon infused mana into the Ascension Ring on his right ring finger.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    A ck dot appeared in the air. Expanding like unfolding paper, it soon dropped the Pilgrim''s Incense Burner, a white incense burner, onto the table.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>... this isn¡¯t easy...¡±


    He had decided to create a separate space using spatial power with the Ascension Ring instead of storing items in his void pocket. Otherwise, it would be cumbersome during battles or emergencies. However, as he hadn¡¯t done it many times, he still had to get used to it.


    <i>Well, I¡¯ll get the hang of it soon.</i>


    Withdrawing his mana from the Ascension Ring, he ced his hand on the incense burner and infused it with the divine mana stored in his body.


    <i>WOONG!</i>


    Glowing with divine mana, a white smoke soon began to seep out of the gaps of the incense burner, shining with a mix of white and gold light. Seeing the mysterious mist, he activated Divine Magic that he had learned long ago.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Arrows formed from the mist and shot into his left hand, glowing golden as they prated deeply.


    Through it, divine mana seeped in and began to fuse the shattered bones and reconnect the severed muscles. The recovery speed was remarkable, like watching time reverse to before the injury.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    He had cast the Divine Magic, Physical Restoration. Not only did it heal his injuries, but it also minimized the difort that usually followed recovery, making it a highly advanced healing spell.


    Before the regression, he just had a vague understanding of how it worked and was unable to activate it, but now, things were different with the Pilgrim¡¯s Incense Burner.


    <i>Infusing divine mana into the incense burner automaticallypletes the casting of any Divine Magic.... What an absurd effect.</i>


    There were countless Sacred Artifacts that assisted in casting Divine Magic, but the incense burner was still in a league of its own. Unlike others that simplified the process, like instant food, the incense burner took the ingredients and prepared a custom dish from start to finish.


    <i>It¡¯s probably thanks to the Pilgrim¡¯s power contained within and his synesthetic mindscape that was imprinted on it from past use.</i>


    Had the Pilgrim created a new Sacred Artifact and just imbued it with his power without using it once, it would merely enhance the user¡¯s strength. However, the incense burner was something the Pilgrim had personally utilized many times, imprinting his synesthetic mindscape. It would react to any divine mana, resulting in an artifact that could automatically cast any kind of Divine Magic.


    <i>If I didn¡¯t have my own divine mana, it would have consumed its embedded power with each cast, reducing it to a disposable item...</i>


    The Pilgrim likely intended for it to be used that way, but Se-Hoon had outwitted him.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s done.¡±


    Breaking out of his thoughts, Se-Hoon looked down and noticed that his left hand had fully healed. He flexed his hand, inspecting it.


    The injuries had all healed cleanly, leaving no residual difort. It had cost him half of his stored divine mana, but it was better than arguing with doctors about the time to recuperate.


    <i>Now I¡¯ve confirmed that I can cast high-level Divine Magic like Physical Restoration.</i>


    A smile unconsciously formed on his lips. Previously, he had been worried about how far he could utilize his divine mana, but now he was assured.


    <i>This Pilgrim guy is the best.</i>


    While the Ascension Ring and the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx, both imbued with the powers of Perfect Ones, were effective, they each had significant drawbacks. The Ascension Ring was difficult to use due to its pure spatial abilities, and the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx, being part of his body rather than crafted equipment, caused his body to erode with each use.


    Consequently, Se-Hoon couldn''t fully utilize their potential. But with the Pilgrim¡¯s Incense Burner, there were no such limitations.


    <i>Maybe I should test something other than healing spells...</i>


    Flipping through the different Divine Magics he remembered, he tried to search for something challenging. Suddenly, he paused on one.


    <i>Ah, there¡¯s divination.</i>


    Divination was a method of connecting with the divine to foresee the future. He had heard that its uracy was quite high but had never fully trusted it due to its dubious nature.


    After all, before the regression, the Pilgrim, the technique''s creator and authority, had died early in the war.


    <i>If he couldn¡¯t foresee his own death, the effectiveness of divination is questionable. And if he saw it but couldn¡¯t change it, it''s meaningless.</i>


    Despite thinking that was true even now, Se-Hoon decided to try it out anyway since his current goal was to test the limits of what the Pilgrim''s Incense Burner could cast in terms ofplex Divine Magic.


    <i>Let¡¯s see...</i>


    Recalling the instructions, he ced his hand on the Pilgrim¡¯s Incense Burner.


    <strong><i>Oracle Cards</i></strong>


    <i>WOONG!</i>


    Once again, the incense burner, infused with Se-Hoon''s divine mana, produced mist. However, this time it coalesced into a ring in the air. The ring, shining golden, resembled the holy symbol of the Pilgrimage Church, which intrigued Se-Hoon.


    <i>Looks convincing enough...</i>


    Having never experienced it before, he expectantly watched. Soon, a change urred at the ring''s twelve o''clock position.


    <i>Ssss-</i>


    White particles formed a card that then moved to the one o''clock position. It was followed by the creation of another card that also moved from the twelve o''clock position. Like that, the process continued until seven cards were within the empty ring.


    <i>Seven cards... not bad.</i>


    ording to Archbishop Kamal, the more cards that appeared, the more urate the divination was. Supposedly, the number of cards was determined by the caster¡¯s skill and the amount of divine mana, with the highest record among the Archbishops being nine cards.


    Considering Se-Hoon¡¯s limited divine mana, the Pilgrim¡¯s Incense Burner allowed the user to cast divine spells at an Archbishop level.


    <i>Alright, I¡¯ve got a rough estimate of its output now.</i>


    Satisfied with the performance of the Oracle Cards, Se-Hoon smiled and looked at the cards arranged inside the ring.


    <i>...I might as well check.</i>


    It just seemed wasteful to cancel it now. Pressing down his doubt, he curiously flipped over the first card on the far left.


    A picture with a white border caught his attention. It depicted a man looking at a clock, with the word ¡°Future¡± written in gold below it.


    <i>Hmm... this looks like a tarot card.</i>


    Invested now, he continued flipping the cards one by one, reading the images and words.


    <i>[Tower] [Trial] [Intruder] [Friend] [Disaster]</i>


    In the future, under the white tower, many trials would be faced, only to suddenly confront an intruder, alongside a friend, leading to disaster¡ªthe six cards formed a narrative, and something stirred within Se-Hoon as he looked at thest unflipped card.


    ¡°...Phew.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, he quickly flipped the final card and revealed the picture.


    He saw a picture of a man kneeling on deste ground, his head and arms hanging limp as if drained of strength, with a dagger plunged into his sr plexus.


    ¡°...¡±


    Silently staring at the image, Se-Hoon gaze slowly inched down to the the word below it.


    <i>[Death]</i>


    With these seven cards, what was this so-called god trying to tell him?


    ¡°These damn frauds...¡±


    The divination was telling him that he would die during one of the exams.

 Chapter 183

    <h4>Chapter 183</h4>


    The small artificial mountain next to the Department of Martial Magic¡¯s main building was a ce specially designed for education. It had numerous features for practical training, such as oxygen or mana adjustment and terrain alteration.


    And with such useful features, the Department of Martial Magic could easily train and test the students¡¯ practical abilities, leading to the department exam ending up being held there every semester¡ªincluding the current one.


    <i>Boom!! AHH-</i>


    Hearing the loud explosion followed by the faint sound of a student¡¯s scream from somewhere on the mountain, a silver-haired girl, Luize, sharpened her senses and propelled herself toward the peak of the mountain.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The higher she climbed, the stronger the winds roared. Attempting to block her ascent, the surrounding tree roots burst forth and the ground sank. However, instead of slowing, Luize increased her speed further and unleashed a prepared spell.


    <strong>¡°Gale Cape.¡±</strong>


    Heading her call, the wind that had been pushing against her transformed into a whirlwind that wrapped around her body. Boosted by it, she leaped into the air, effortlessly bypassing the treacherous terrain.


    <i>Thud-thud-thud!</i>


    As if waiting for her, dozens of arrows suddenly shot toward her from the ground. Previously, she would have destroyed them with magic, but she changed her approach for the exam.


    <strong>¡°Impact Stairs.¡±</strong>


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Each time Luize''s foot collided with an arrow, the impact spread out and created semi-transparent steps. Pushing off of them, she traversed through the air and eventually reached the mountain''s summit.


    <i>Found it...!</i>


    Noticing the red g at the summit, Luize leaped toward it. At that moment, the ground around the g shook, and five mechanical tentacles shot out.


    <i>nk!</i>


    The mechanical tentacles, encircling the g, spotted Luize in midair. Locking onto her, they began to glow with a red lens-like eye, gathering their mana. Before they could fire theirsers, however, Luize acted.


    <strong>¡°Set-¡±</strong>


    A red magic array, like a cor, appeared around the tentacles'' bodies.


    <strong>¡°Death Bite.¡±</strong>


    <i>CRUNCH-</i>


    Five sharp metallic sounds rang in unison, echoing at the peak of the artificial mountain. Then, when it became quiet again, the five tentacles fell to the ground.


    Checking for more obstacles, Luize lightlynded at the peak and pulled out the red g.


    ¡°The exam is over!¡±


    Having been watching at a distance, the professor immediately dered the end.


    ¡°Aagh! They''re all broken again!


    ¡°Stop yelling and fix them quickly!!¡±


    Distraught, technicians in overalls rushed over, picking up the neatly severed mechanical tentacles and starting the repairs.


    Seeing the pitiful sight, Luize made an awkward expression.


    <i>Maybe I should have gone a bit easier.</i>


    She had gone all out since it was the evaluation exam, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sorry for the technicians who were grimly fixing things.


    ¡°Ha ha! Excellent! You''ve improved immensely in just a few months!¡±


    Hearing the speaker, a middle-aged woman with a face full of scars¡ªTaylor, the professor of the Department of Martial Magicughing heartily, Luize turned. Because of her words, she was curious.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Look. The other teams took over ten minutes toplete the course. And yet you alone took only two minutes.¡±


    Examining the panel Taylor handed her, Luize''s lips curled up slightly.


    Like she had said, no other team had finished in less than ten minutes, let alone her overwhelming record of two minutes and thirty-nine seconds.


    ¡°Honestly, even I was surprised while watching. I thought those tentacles would be tricky to deal with...¡±


    The tentacles were hextech devices called Destroyer, which were often used to block monstersing from contaminated areas. On the field, they had impressive results, so Taylor had them custom-made for the test. Yet, Luize dismantled all of them without letting a singleser fire.


    <i>Well, the engineers probably didn¡¯t expect a student to use such magic.</i>


    Luize had cast such powerful magic with just two incantations. Normally, magic with so few incantations wouldn¡¯t have such a powerful effect, but her Incantation Magic was special enough to cut through the Destroyer''s body that was made out of a special alloy.


    <i>If she¡¯s this strong without full mastery of her array of spells, I wonder how powerful she¡¯ll beter...</i>


    At first, people thought Luize''s Incantation Magic was just an unusual form of magic, but as time passed, it became apparent how powerful she would be with it.


    Looking forward to the day, Taylor felt full of satisfaction, due to her contribution to Luize''s growth.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s my score?¡± Wanting confirmation, Luize looked at Taylor expectantly.


    ¡°Do you really need to ask? Of course, it¡¯s a perfect grade.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> That¡¯s good.¡±


    Though she tried to y it cool, Luize''s lips uncontrobly curved upward. Noticing, Taylor grinned.


    ¡°Does thinking about bragging to your boyfriend make you <i>that</i> happy?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean... oh.¡±


    Though initially not understanding, Luize instinctively thought of someone. And Taylor could immediately tell when by how Luize¡¯s eyes widened.


    Squirting her eyes, Luize denied it with a shout, ¡°Don¡¯t say such weird things! Why would Se-Hoon...¡±


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon? That¡¯s strange. I didn¡¯t specify anyone, though~¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Falling for Taylor¡¯s trap, Luize could only bite her lip and re at the slylyughing Taylor. Amused, Taylor watched Luize¡¯s blue eyes glow fiercely in response to her heightened emotions. Noticing Luize was about to blow, Taylor pointed downward with a chuckle.


    ¡°Okay, you should head down now. Someone¡¯s been waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°...Who?¡±


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Surprised by Taylor¡¯s answer, Luize quickly frowned and grumbled, ¡°He should be preparing for his own exams, not looking for me...¡±


    But while she seemed annoyed outwardly, her zing blue eyes had calmed down and were now shining softly like jewels. The sight of her wearing her heart on her sleeve, whether due to her skills or not, made Taylor smile gently.


    ¡°Go quickly.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Kids these days are asking their boyfriends toe visit their department exams¡ª¡±


    ¡°I''ll be going now.¡±


    Cutting off Taylor''s words, Luize bowed her head slightly and hurried down the artificial mountain.


    <i>He''s there.</i>


    With just one scan of the area, Luize spotted Se-Hoon sitting on a bench. He looked deep in thought with his arms crossed and eyes closed, and he had a slight frown that made his already stern expression look even harsher.


    <i>Whoa. His expression is unsettling enough as it is; he should rx a bit.</i>


    Sighing at Se-Hoon¡¯s appearance, Luize walked straight up to him.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    At the sound of Luize¡¯s voice, Se-Hoon opened his eyes.


    ¡°What else besides wanting to see you?¡±


    Luize paused. She hadn¡¯t expected such a straightforward answer. But she regained herposure quickly.


    ¡°I mean, why did youe to see me? I''m busy preparing for another test, so make it quick.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Urged on by Luize, Se-Hoon cautiously asked her a question after a bit of hesitation.


    ¡°Do you happen to believe in divination or foresight?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Luize furrowed her brow. It was such an out-of-the-blue topic, and, more importantly, it didn¡¯t suit the Se-Hoon she knew at all.


    ¡°Do <i>you </i>believe in that kind of stuff?¡± she asked back.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. At least most of the time...¡±


    Se-Hoon rubbed his eyes. Just recently, he would have considered it all nonsense, but now he found himself pondering whether he was a believer or not.


    He really wanted to write it off as nonsense, but he kept thinking about the image on the seventh andst card.


    <i>The surroundings, the posture, and even the dagger stuck in my heart... myst moment before I regressed.</i>


    Thest card showed a scene known only to him, both before and after the regression. So the fact that it appeared on the card suggested several possibilities.


    The most usible of them was that divination magic reflected his own subconscious, depicting his past death as an image of doom. However, if that were indeed the case, the troubling aspect then was that the Pilgrimage Church worshipped a god who was not an ordinary being.


    On the flip side, the most unpleasant possibility was that everything here and now was actually...


    <strong>[Activating Awakening Dream]</strong>


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    A familiar chilling sensation, akin to soaking his brain in cold water, swept over him and sharpened his slightly dazed mind.


    ¡°...<i>Phew.</i>¡±


    Se-Hoon let out a breath, realizing he had be more sensitive than usual because of the connection between his pre-regression self and death.


    ¡°Dude.¡±


    At some point, Luize had ended up right in front of him, leaning down to meet his eyes up close.


    ¡°Whatever it is, you came to discuss it with me, right? So stop stalling and just say it.¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°Or are you saying you don''t trust me?¡± Luize said with a re, clearly annoyed that he hadn¡¯t immediately shared his concerns.


    Faced with her usatory gaze, Se-Hoon made a wry smile.


    ¡°Yeah. If it turns out to be nonsense, we can simplyugh it off together.... Have a seat.¡±


    Feeling her presence by his side, Se-Hoon began to exin the divination magic he cast yesterday, deliberately avoiding any mention of his regression.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    When he finished, Luize fell into thought for quite some time, thinking about Se-Hoon''s story.


    ¡°What about asking the Pilgrimage Church or someone connected to them?¡± she eventually asked.


    ¡°I thought of that too, but I don''t feelfortable doing it.¡±


    If he asked for an interpretation of the divination magic, they would surely want to see it firsthand. But if that happened, he might reveal the secret of his regression or his ability to use divine mana during that process.


    Of course, if he were truly in a life-or-death situation, he wouldn''t be so cautious. Divination magic was known to not always be urate, so he just needed to be careful.


    ¡°Ignoring it makes one feel uneasy, but focusing on it makes it ambiguous... It really is like divination.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hm...</i>¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Both sat on the bench with their arms crossed, deep in thought. Then, Luize¡¯s eyes suddenly sparkled and she quickly turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Hey. You mentioned one of the cards was ¡®Friend,¡¯ right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t you start by checking that card? It said a disaster would ur when you''re with them.¡±


    ¡°...That''s a good idea.¡±


    While the authenticity of the divination magic was still unknown, for now, it seemed best to act based on its content. If it ended up being true, they would be prepared for the impending disaster. And even if it ended up being false, no real loss was made.


    ¡°Since the cards said you''ll be taking the same exam with them soon, you should start with those in the same year. If you still feel iffy, you can check the others too.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Thanks for the advice.¡±


    ¡°It''s fine. If you find anything strange, let me know right away. I''ll help.¡±


    Grinning at Luize, Se-Hoon stood up.


    ¡°Okay. You also let me know if you see anything suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Still grinning, Se-Hoon walked away, leaving Luize watching his back with a curious expression.


    <i>That guy... did his eyes turn purple earlier?</i>


    She wondered if she had seen something wrong or if he had learned a new skill. She felt slightly uneasy about his oddly dazed eyes but quickly shook off her worries.


    Although she might be worried if it were anyone else, Se-Hoon was not the type to neglect himself.


    <i>Suspicious ones, huh...? Maybe I should be looking around too.</i>


    It was a vague task, but doable with some specialized Incantation Magic. Still on the bench, Luize was pondering what to do when a thought struck her.


    <i>Wait, why did he ask me to look for anything suspicious around </i>me<i>?</i>


    Mulling over the meaning behind the seemingly meaningless request, Luize bit her lip softly when the realization dawned.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon, you just can¡¯t help it, huh...¡±


    Her whisper was unheard by anyone and her smile was barely hidden.


    ***


    After parting with Luize, Se-Hoon headed to vium. The people on his list were scattered all around, but here, he could check on both Jake and Sung-Ha at the same time.


    <i>It''s convenient they both have tests here today.</i>


    Deciding which to visit first, Se-Hoon took out his phone to check the details of their tests.


    <i>Jake¡¯s test is private, while Sung-Ha¡¯s is public.</i>


    Typically, first and second-year evaluation exams were private, restricting external ess, but from the third year onward, they became public to spectators. Babel considered it educational, treating third-year students as apprentice heroes who needed to interact with external organizations.


    <i>In that case, I should check on Sung-Ha first.</i>


    His destination decided, Se-Hoon made his way directly to the arena inside vium.


    <i>Roar!</i>


    He could hear cheers erupting, audible even from outside. Wondering if something had happened, Se-Hoon quickened his pace. But he soon stopped upon hearing a familiar voice from behind him.


    ¡°Oh, wow.¡±


    It was a cheerful yet polite voice which naturally made listeners feel at ease. Se-Hoon slowly turned his head.


    ¡°I''ve been wanting to meet you, and here we are by chance.... Oh, I apologize for thete introduction.¡±


    Standing before his very eyes was an exotic young man with jet-ck hair, brown skin, silver eyes, and an awkward smile. And the moment he appeared, Se-Hoon realized something <i>very </i>important.


    ¡°My name is Amir Singh.¡±


    If something happened, the Frost Dog would be responsible.

 Chapter 184

    <h4>Chapter 184</h4>


    <i>So that''s what they¡¯re nning to do...</i>


    Se-Hoon felt a mix of understanding and relief upon seeing Amir before him, introducing himself with a smile. He already knew that if someone were to hurt him on campus grounds, it could only be a truly formidable figure such as a Ten Evil. But the challenge was figuring out which.


    However, with Amir''s sudden appearance, the arrow now pointed at Amir¡¯s backer, the Dream Demon.


    <i>The Dream Demon was also indirectly involvedst time in the incident with Yeom Jin-Hyun.</i>


    Forming his own conclusions, Se-Hoon quickly controlled his emotions and focused. He was well aware that Amir could peer into others'' emotions with his unique skill, Winter Sky Eyes.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>. You must be Amir Singh,¡± Se-Hoon said with a calm thoughtful nod.


    At the nod, Amir raised an eye, seemingly gaining insight from Se-Hoon¡¯s action. He then swiftly responded, ¡°Oh, I''m sorry. You may know my name, but I¡¯m guessing you wouldn¡¯t really know what I do since we operate in different areas.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I don''t know who you are at all.¡±


    ¡°...I see. Well, to introduce myself briefly, I am an informant in the Middle East who provides various useful pieces of information to heroes.¡±


    In response to Amir¡¯s earnest exnation with a smile, Se-Hoon gave him a single nod.


    ¡°I see. Thank you for letting me know.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Amir''s eyes twitched slightly. He was just about to smoothly change the topic after introducing himself, but Se-Hoon abruptly cut it off.


    <i>No, rather than cutting it off... does he just have no interest in me at all?</i>


    Using his Winter Sky Eyes, Amir saw that Se-Hoon''s emotions resembled a clear blue sky without a cloud in sight. In other words, Se-Hoon had no hidden agenda, at least currently.


    ¡°Well, is there something you need from me? If not, I have some matters to attend to, so I''d like to leave...¡±


    Trailing off, Se-Hoon nced toward the training ground behind him.


    Faced with Se-Hoon¡¯s reasonable request, Amir pondered his options before answering after a moment, ¡°You can go ahead. I also need to return to the training ground soon.¡±


    ¡°By training ground... you mean over there?¡± Se-Hoon asked, pointing behind him.


    Agreeing, Amir replied, ¡°Yes. I''m here today to observe a student... oh, I shouldn¡¯t disclose this because it¡¯s work-rted. Anyway, I''m here for business.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Despite his simr brief responses, this time, the curiosity and caution Se-Hoon felt toward Amir were now evident. It was enough to satisfy Amir for now, so he smiled and prepared to leave.


    ¡°I''ll be leaving then. Let''s have a proper conversation next time if a chance urs.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Bidding him farewell, Amir leisurely headed toward the training ground, leaving behind Se-Hoon who was watching his back with a dubious expression.


    <i>What an act.... That person is probably Sung-Ha because that way, he can attract attention to himself.</i>


    It was amonly used method. By deliberately arousing curiosity, a connection could be established. However, if poorly executed, it would lead nowhere and waste all previous efforts. Although for Amir, who could see through others'' emotions, it was a simple tactic.


    Most people, who likely wouldn¡¯t know him, would naturally be inclined to get closer, but Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t ¡°most people.¡± Having regressed, Se-Hoon knew all of the Frost Dog¡¯s tricks since they had once been deeply associated.


    <i>Hmm... What to do now...</i>


    If he wanted to, Se-Hoon could find out what the Dream Demon was nning immediately, thanks to establishing a certain level of cooperation with Amir during their secret meeting on the passenger ship to the ck Market. They had even set a code phrase: Cindere.


    <i>I could force him to cooperate, but... that¡¯ll be somewhat tricky.</i>


    The Frost Dog he knew was known for being meticulous and selfish, preferring to solve his problems alone. It was the ssic lone wolf mentality, however, when it came to the Frost Dog, it was slightly different.


    Rather than disliking others, the Frost Dog simply saw them all as tools and never as equals, only cooperating with them out of necessity.


    <i>If the situation became dangerous for him, he always chose to backstab.</i>


    And it was never a typical betrayal; rather, he liked to manipte others to do the dirty work. He always maintained a neutral stance while stirring trouble among both sides.


    <i>Well, he told me himself on the boat that he justified killing the Dream Demon as a necessity, so he probably holds simr views now.</i>


    However, Se-Hoon knew he would suffer an immediate backstab if he carelessly revealed his identity from that previous encounter.


    His mind racing, Se-Hoon came up with a n.


    <i>Let''s start by giving him some encouragement.</i>


    He needed to assure Amir that he could not only face the Dream Demon but also kill it. It was an absolute necessity to firmly instill such a belief in Amir to have him even consider betting his life on Se-Hoon.


    <i>I still remember how I got him to call me ¡°big brother¡± by doing something simr... ah.</i>


    Realizing how he should approach Amir, Se-Hoon smirked.


    <i>I should get close to him like before... heh.</i>


    ***


    <i>ng!</i>


    The sound of metal echoed loudly on the training grounds, the result of two figures ceaselessly wielding their spears.


    One figure was a young man, slightly over 190 cm, skillfully twirling two short spears. The other was a middle-aged man, around 170 cm, easily swinging arger spear.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The two men sparred using only minimal mana and strength, creating a simple yet impressive duel. Without any shy sparks or gusts of wind, their continuous shes and sparks resembled a refined martial dance.


    <i>As expected...</i>


    Amir was watching the duel between Sung-Ha, the top student in the Department of Spear Arts, and the lead professor of the department, Dominic.


    <i>...Lee Won-Ryong is persistently monitoring him for a reason.</i>


    When Amir heard of Sung-Ha''s achievements, he thought they were embellished, but his thoughts changed upon seeing him firsthand. Sung-Ha perfectly exemplified the resolute determination often seen in those who grew to be high-ranking heroes.


    <i>To think such a person was once ced on the same level as Lee Won-Ryong¡¯s son... is absurd.</i>


    Unlike his A-rank father, who was recognized as a semi-S-rank hero, Won-Ryong¡¯s son had failed the A-rank promotion test three times. And such a person had been likened to <i>Sung-Ha</i>. Sung-Ha was someone who defeated his peers and instructors in the recent exam and was also currently holding his own against the lead professor.


    <i>Although it¡¯s just a spar, matching Dominic, who earned his A-rank through skill rather than power, means...</i>


    It meant that if Sung-Ha was equipped with full gear, then he was already at the level of an A-rank hero.


    It was utterly fascinating to Amir, who had now confirmed it in person.


    <i>He''s a third-year student, so it won¡¯t be long until he¡¯ll probably consider registering as a formal hero. Thetest is probably by this summer break...</i>


    Regardless of the time, Sung-Ha''s formal registration and recognition as an A-rank hero would definitively end the me Sect''s desperate struggle for session. At that point, Won-Ryong would have two choices: kill Sung-Ha or reach S-rank himself.


    <i>The me Sect must be desperate right now.</i>


    Just spreading the current exam results outside was guaranteed to shake the me Sect''s support base. They might have been able to endure with their influence previously, but the situation had now changed. That, on top of how Se-Hoon and many other high-ranking heroes now backed Sung-Ha, was far more than enough.


    <i>All these changes in just one semester, all being driven by one person.... It''s truly remarkable.</i>


    Although Amir couldn''t help but admire Se-Hoon, he also couldn¡¯t help but be filled with doubt.


    ording to his investigations, Se-Hoon''s talent was mediocre at best before entering Babel; it wasn¡¯t even close to qualifying for Babel or even lower-tier institutions. Yet he had dramatically transformed during the entrance exam and continued to grow rapidly.


    <i>No matter what unique skills he acquired, this level of improvement is inexplicable.</i>


    Could he have a secret rtionship with the Emperor of Ascension, as the Dream Demon suspected? Or was there another secret? Unable to reach a conclusion, Amir made a bitter expression.


    <i>If only Zayed were here, he might have figured it out quickly.</i>


    Shaking his head, Amir refocused on the training ground. But it wasn¡¯t long before his focus was disturbed.


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± asked Se-Hoon, sitting beside him naturally. ¡°Looks promising, doesn''t he?¡±


    Briefly ncing at Se-Hoon, Amir returned his gaze to the duel.


    ¡°Rumors tend to be exaggerated... however, they genuinely undervalue Yeom Sung-Ha. Today, I once again realized the importance of verifying information through personal observation.¡±


    ¡°Yup. I also don''t get a feel for what to make until I handle the materials myself. Especially...¡± Se-Hoon paused, continuing only when Amir entered his sight through the corners of his eyes. ¡°...when I don''t know what my customer wants.¡±


    Customer, huh? Amir smiled slightly at the obvious probe.


    <i>Right. So he isn¡¯tpletely naive.</i>


    Having observed his actions, Amir had a feeling that Se-Hoon was more than just a genius cksmith. He reclined slightly in his seat.


    ¡°When seeking out a renowned person like you, of course, there''s something the customer wants. There''s so much to ask for that it bes a matter of deciding what to request first,¡± Amir began leisurely.


    ¡°Is that so? That''s a shame, though. I detest wasting time, so I tend to drive such customers away.¡±


    ¡°I understand. However, if you wish to acquire various clients, you might need to be a bit more amodating. For example, consider presenting a preliminary proposal to the client or carefully considering what benefits to provide before making a decision.


    Turning his head to watch the duel''s nearing end, Se-Hoon slowly replied, ¡°Then go ahead; how will I benefit?¡±


    ¡°We will provide information on promising students who n to transfer to Babel in the second semester, as well as their respective backers. Also, their alliances and suspected objectives. Andstly...¡±


    Amir closed his eyes.


    ¡°The ¡®event¡¯ that is being is ndestinely prepared for the college-wide exams at Babel.¡±


    At the unexpected offer, Se-Hoon looked at Amir curiously.


    ¡°Thest one doesn''t seem particrly valuable.¡±


    ¡°Normally, it might not be. But this semester''s evaluation exams are quite special especially because of the newly established year-wide honor student, no?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Of course, an exceptional individual like you might not require it. In that case, just consider it a service.¡±


    Amir¡¯s way of talking was eloquent, almost as if he had prepared a script.


    Hiding behind a facade, Se-Hoon pondered the offer.


    <i>Is this ¡°event¡± his trump card? No, it''s too soon to conclude.</i>


    All he could conclude from Amir¡¯s earnest engagement was that his primary goal was establishing a connection with him. But that was enough to set the stage.


    Compsing himself, Se-Hoon moved on and asked, ¡°Fine. So, then what do you want in return?¡±


    ¡°I''ll think it through and let you know once I''ve made a decision. In the meantime, I''ll provide the mentionedpensation upfront.¡±


    ¡°You''re not trying to suggest that I must ept your condition because I received thepensation already, are you?¡±


    Amir smiled, hearing the cynicism in Se-Hoon''s tone.


    ¡°Of course not. If you don''t agree with the conditions, you have the option to refuse.


    So it was more of a gesture to build rapport than a formal transaction. Evaluating Amir''s generous terms, Se-Hoon ended up nodding.


    ¡°Alright, let''s do that then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Then let''s move to somewhere else...¡±


    <i>ng!</i>


    A sharp metallic sound from the training ground interrupted their conversation, drawing their attention.


    Panting, Professor Dominic held the tip of his spear at Sung-Ha''s neck. But despite Sung-Ha''s defeat in the end, everyone watching was thoroughly awed.


    ¡°<i>Huff... huff...</i>¡±


    ¡°You''ve be... truly formidable.¡±


    Sung-Ha, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, was equally exhausted as Dominic. It was a telltale sign that even the Department of Spear Arts lead professor couldn''t easily defeat Sung-Ha.


    ¡°Your skill is excellent. Keep striving forward.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I hoped to hold out until the fourth year, but that seems unlikely now.¡±


    Leaving Sung-Ha with those words, Dominic headed toward the assistants with a bitter smile. They were words that left the spectators in shock.


    <i>Did he just say that Yeom Sung-Ha could surpass him within this year?</i>


    <i>If that''s the case... even the me Sect¡¯s Sect Master will be...</i>


    Realizing the gravity of the information, the expressions of those in the hero industry changed rapidly, with some quickly pulling out their phones and rushing outside.


    Intrigued at the sight, Amir asked, ¡°It¡¯s truly amazing... How can he grow so quickly?¡±


    ¡°When a talented person finds the right direction, they tend to grow at an insane speed like that. Just look at me.¡±


    Unable to deny, despite Se-Hoon mentioning himself as an example of a genius without hesitation, Amir nodded.


    ¡°That''s true. But at this rate, I might have to trade with him rather than you.¡±


    ¡°Really? That''s great. I even asked him toe over after the spar.¡±


    ¡°...Excuse me?¡±


    It was so unexpected that Amir waspletely taken aback.


    Then, as if summoned, Sung-Ha caught his breath, scanned the surroundings, and quickly leaped into the stands to head straight for Se-Hoon and Amir.


    <i>What is this...</i>


    Sung-Ha was supposed to merely be a means of getting closer to Se-Hoon; Amir had no intention of ever meeting him directly. With things not going ording to n, Amir''s expression tensed.


    ¡°Don''t worry too much. He''s a bit unhinged, but he''ll talk fine as long as I''m here.¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡±


    ¡°Just follow my lead as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Just as they finished their brief conversation, Sung-Ha made it one step away from them. Staring directly at the two, Sung-Ha nced at Amir before directing his question toward Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Who''s this guy?¡±


    Actingpletely naturally, Se-Hoon responded to Sung-Ha¡¯s wary question saying, ¡°This is Amir Singh. We just decided to be sworn brothers who call each other ¡®Bro.¡¯ Say hello.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    ¡°His face doesn''t seem to reflect that, though,¡± Sung-Ha indifferently pointed out, noting Amir¡¯srge widened eyes.


    ¡°We just decided moments ago after some hesitation. Isn''t that right, Bro?¡±


    Signaling Amir to y along, Se-Hoon nced at Amir. He was still lost, but Amir managed to force out a response.


    ¡°That''s right... Bro...¡±


    Hearing Amir call him ¡°Bro,¡± a faint twitch in his eyes and cheeks instantly betrayed his struggle to maintain hisposure. Remembering the first time the Frost Dog called him ¡°Bro¡± before the regression, Se-Hoon smiled contentedly.


    <i>Yes. I just can¡¯t allow myself to use honorifics for you.</i>


    Regardless of age, Se-Hoon could tolerate using honorifics for others, but never for the Three Dogs.


    Se-Hoon savored the glorious moment, feeling that everything was finally falling into ce.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>.¡±


    ncing between the two, Sung-Ha perplexedly murmured his genuine thoughts.


    ¡°He must be pretty stupid to call someone like this ¡®Bro.¡¯¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Managing to hear Sung-Ha''s mutter, Amir was sure of one thing.


    <i>What a total bastard...</i>


    There was no way he could get along with someone like Sung-Ha.


    ***


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    Returning to the luxury hotel in Babel, Amir let out a long-held sigh and ran a hand through his hair. He had sessfully contacted Se-Hoon and set up future appointments. However, he was bothered by the subsequent encounter with Sung-Ha.


    <i>What a barbarian...</i>


    Every word from Sung-Ha grated his nerves, but what annoyed him even more was that his Winter Sky Eyes revealed no malice in Sung-Ha''s remarks.


    <i>¡°So... um... you''ve made a very foolish choice. Think it over again.¡±</i>


    Seriously thinking Amir''s intelligence was low, Sung-Ha had condescendingly tried to exin things more simply <i>for Amir¡¯s benefit</i>. Remembering it vividly, Amir''s eyes twitched with shame and anger.


    ¡°I just... need to endure this...¡±


    The fact that Se-Hoon had suddenly brought up the topic of sworn brotherhood also annoyed him, but he knew that achieving his goal required patience.


    <i>¡°Amir, chances may slip by many times, but there is always a moment when one willnd right in front of you. So always wait with patience.¡±</i>


    If he hastily gave up and walked away, the long-awaited opportunity could slip away in his absence. Amir clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming.


    No matter how formidable the Dream Demon was, the moment woulde when he could drive a dagger into its neck. As he envisioned that opportunity, a soft hum interrupted his thoughts.


    A jewel box on the desk was faintly vibrating.


    Standing up immediately, Amir calmed his mind and opened the box. Within it were various jewels neatly arranged. And out of them, one purple gem, roughly the size of two fingers, was faintly glowing.


    Taking a deep breath, Amir grasped the gem.


    <i>¡°How ready are you?¡±</i>


    The voice of the Dream Demon echoed in his mind. He was currentlymunicating with one of the Ten Evils in the middle of the Emperor of Ascension¡¯s garden, but Amir was not overly concerned. The method was nearly undetectable.


    ¡°Even the Emporer of Ascension wouldn''t imagine one would go to such lengths...¡± he quietly murmured to himself, thinking about his reality.


    Clutching the gem tighter, he gave his report to the Dream Demon.


    ¡°I managed to establish a connection with Lee Se-Hoon. We can proceed as we had nned during the college-wide exams.¡±


    Flowy out smoothly, Amir¡¯s words transformed into a purple mist that seeped into the gem. Soon, a reply echoed in his mind.


    <i>¡°Well done. As promised, you will receive a direct promotion to Zone Chief if this mission seeds. So do your best.¡±</i>


    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±


    The gem¡¯s light then faded, and Amir ced it back in the jewel box, closing it as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°The right opportunity willnd in front once...¡±


    Amir gazed out at Babel''s nighttime scenery.

 Chapter 185

    <h4>Chapter 185</h4>


    On day three of exam week, Se-Hoon stepped out of the dormitory rubbing his bleary eyes. He had woken up early in the morning to take the Barrier Compositions exam.


    <i>Maybe I stayed up toote...</i>


    As promised with Amir, he received information about the students transferring in for the second semester. He had then proceeded to stay upte reading it, barely getting any sleep.


    Yawning out of sleepiness, he pped his cheeks.


    <i>If it weren¡¯t for the exam, I could have absorbed it all at once through the Vermillion Bird... no, it would¡¯ve taken some time even then.</i>


    In truth, the volume of information wasn''t extensive; he had just beenparing the details one by one with what he knew before he regressed.


    <i>Because they were all well-known figures, many familiar names were present.</i>


    Some were his regrs, and some were traitors of humanity who sided with the Demon Force. And right now, although none of those incidents he remembered had urred, he knew that no action could ur without indication.


    Thinking that, he decided it was wise to stay cautious, especially of those who had betrayed humanity.


    <i>I¡¯ll think about themter.</i>


    Clearing his thoughts, Se-Hoon headed to the underground training hall of the Department of Spells. That was where the Barrier Composition exam would take ce.


    ***


    When he arrived at the underground hall, he first noticed how overwhelmingly spacious it waspared to other training halls in the department. After that, his gaze fell on the students standing at regr intervals withinrge grids.


    ¡°Sorry for beingte.¡±


    Finding Professor Robert, Se-Hoon bowed his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, we still have ten minutes until the exam. You can head to the empty spot in the center,¡± Professor Robert said, waving it off while continuing to survey the students.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Heading the directions, Se-Hoon made his way to the central spot and met eyes with Erika upon arriving. She was standing beside him.


    ¡°...¡±


    Normally, he would¡¯ve said something, but today he just looked at her briefly before acknowledging her with a nod and turning his gaze forward.


    <i>Wow, she¡¯s pretty serious.</i>


    Seeing Erika so focused, Se-Hoon also collected his thoughts and prepared.


    Ten minutes soon passed, and Robert began addressing the students.


    ¡°We will now begin the first-semester departmental exam. As previously informed, the exam content involves setting up a barrier within the designated area to block the prepared spells.¡±


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The grid surrounding the students lit up faintly.


    ¡°You have thirty minutes to set up your barrier. Then the spells we divided into fifteen stages will begin. The evaluation criteria for this exam will include the durability of the barrier as well as its stability and efficiency, so try to keep your guard up at all times.¡±


    With this criteria, even if two barriers were tost until the same stage, the score could vary depending on theirpleteness. Realizing this, the students'' eyes brightened and they watched Robert project arge holographic clock into the air.


    ¡°The exam... begins now!¡±


    At Robert¡¯s loud shout, the clock started ticking down and the students quickly began setting up their barriers.


    Their barriers had to be set up within their five-square-meter space, which due to their small size made it more difficult since the barrier had to be densely packed.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Because of the small space, mistakes in the spell form arrangement urred more easily, causingplications from the start. Even the slightest excess of mana could cause the tightly packed spell form to react and copse.


    To everyone, it was clear that thirty minutes would not be enough. However, there were exceptions: the two people standing in the center.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    ck threads extended from Se-Hoon¡¯s fingertips, densely connecting around him. Simultaneously, silver threads extended from under Erika''s feet, creating a symmetrical formation with Se-Hoon''s that quickly formed the barrier''s framework.


    Awed by their speed, both the students around and the assistants below forgot they were in an exam.


    ¡°Wait... why does it look like they¡¯re better than us?¡±


    ¡°Of course they are; aren¡¯t they both honor students?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but Lee Se-Hoon is from the Department of cksmithing.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    The assistants, who had been chatting without much thought, suddenly all remembered Se-Hoon¡¯s background and their stares at him went nk.


    Se-Hoon, once an ordinary cksmith who was a nobody, was now forming a barrier on par with Erika, the eldest daughter of the renowned Inoue family and a proimed genius.


    Realizing how surreal the situation was, the assistants awkwardlyughed.


    ¡°Well, being able to set up a barrier quickly doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it¡¯s the best.¡±


    ¡°Right, the durability of the boundary is more import¡ª¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re close.¡±


    The assistants shut their mouths and turned their gazes toward Robert, who had suddenly interrupted their conversation. Having been observing the entire hall, Robert nced at the two assistants.


    ¡°Both of them are at a simr level. Can''t you tell even after watching?¡±


    ¡°...My apologies.¡±


    Seeing the assistants bow their heads, Robert turned his attention back to the training hall and focused on Se-Hoon.


    <i>I knew he was exceptional from the beginning, but this...</i>


    He had been surprised when Se-Hoon passed the Labyrinth of Illusions test, reverse-engineered his own barrier to create a dispel technique, and when he swiftly solved weeks'' worth of umted assignments. However, he hadn''t doubted Se-Hoon¡¯s abilities then, believing anyone talented enough could achieve those feats.


    But now, seeing Se-Hoon''s barrier that seamlessly incorporated the Inoue family''s secret techniques, Robert could no longer believe that.


    <i>Unless the youngdy had taught him personally, he could only have copied all that from observation... but how is that even possible?</i>


    Secret techniques, even when detailed in books and taught by masters, were known to be hard to acquire. However, Se-Hoon had mastered those techniques just by witnessing them once. And he even customized them to suit his unique style.


    It was almost as if, rather than copying the Inoue family''s secret technique, he was using it to establish his own new secret technique.


    <i>So this is why the young master instructed me to monitor him. </i>Curious, Robert wondered how much his talent would influence Erika.


    Meanwhile, the two barriers reached their final stages.


    Erika''s silver threads began to fade and disappear, and Se-Hoon''s ck threads began dissipating into a mist that enveloped his surroundings. The integration process, connecting thepleted barrier to reality, was underway. Generally, the less visible the barrier, the higher its quality¡ªErika had a slight edge.


    <i>They¡¯re both amazing... wait, I shouldn''t just be watching.</i>


    <i>If I can¡¯t even withstand the first stage of spells, I won¡¯t just fail; I won¡¯t be able to even show my face...</i>


    The surrounding students, who had been staring nkly at the two barriers, hurriedly resumed their work. And thirty minutester, they all finished.


    Checking the time, they braced themselves for the spells that could strike at any moment.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Dozens of light bombs promptly appeared in the air, raining down on the students¡¯ barriers.


    <i>Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!</i>


    ¡°Aagh!¡±


    ¡°Grr...!¡±


    Upon colliding with the barriers, loud explosions and shockwaves erupted. The barriers were shaken to their cores. Watching their barriers, which the explosions threatened to uproot, the students shivered; they had underestimated the first stage.


    <i>What kind of difficulty is this...!</i>


    <i>If I even slightly lower my guard, it''s game over!</i>


    Realizing that Robert had meant what he said, the students poured their remaining mana into reinforcing their barriers for the next stages of spells.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Waves of mes surged up from the floor, enveloping their surroundings, and fierce winds whipped around, tearing the barriers like a blender. Shockwaves prated deeply into their barriers, terrain changes caused the ground to undte like waves, and curses confused them.


    <i>ng! Bang!</i>


    ¡°Aagh!¡±


    ¡°Number twelve, disqualified.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Number forty-nine, disqualified.¡±


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    When barriers broke, unable to withstand the onught, red octopus-like tentacles swiftly removed the students within them from the training hall.


    The number of students rapidly decreased with each stage. By the end of the fourteenth stage, the paw swipe of a giant shadow fox across the training hall, only two remained: Erika, standing still, and Se-Hoon, who was surveying the area while shrouded in a ck mist.


    Seeing them both unfazed, even rxed, Robert paused momentarily before stopping the assistants from activating the next spell.


    ¡°I originally nned to have you guys withstand the final fifteenth stage, the Thunder spell, for a perfect score. However, considering your current appearance, it seems unnecessary. Both of you will receive perfect scores.¡±


    The two nced at each other at Robert¡¯s deration.


    ¡°Then, how are the rankings determined?¡± Se-Hoon asked, speaking up first.


    ¡°At the moment, you two have the same ranking, but if we leave it like this, it could cause issues when determining the year-wide honor student. So, how about a contest of ¡®Opposing Barriers¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Opposing Barriers...?¡±


    ¡°We sh our barriers against each other.¡±


    Having been listening to the side, Erika calmly continued, ¡°It ends when one side breaks or loses control. Naturally, you can''t use any other spells besides your barrier.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hm...</i> So it¡¯s just a power struggle?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also some strategy since you¡¯ll break through if you can reverse-engineer and dispel your opponent¡¯s barrier.¡±


    Nodding in thought, Se-Hoon turned to Robert.


    ¡°I think I understand. So, we just have to collide our barriers?¡±


    ¡°Right. But first, you need to transfer the pivot point of your barrier, which is probably anchored to the ground, to your body. That likely won¡¯t be easy...?¡±


    <i>Humm!</i>


    Se-Hoon nonchntly moved forward and the ck mist, anchored to the ground, rose into the air and moved along with him. He now had the barrier centered around himself, rather than a fixed spot. The switch shouldn¡¯t have been easy, yet Se-Hoon had done it effortlessly.


    <i>To think someone like him never learned a thing about magic before entering the academy...</i>


    Checking his barrier by moving around, Se-Hoon looked at Robert who had fallen silent in disbelief.


    ¡°Is this enough?¡±


    ¡°...Looks about right. Now, you just need to sh it with Erika¡¯s barrier in that state,¡± Robert confirmed.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Having received Robert¡¯s approval, Se-Hoon turned to face Erika. There was nothing there beside her, but he could feel something transparent and sturdy wrapping around her. Feeling like he was standing before a thick fortress wall, Se-Hoon chuckled involuntarily.


    <i>So, it dide to this, directlypeting against each other.</i>


    With how they both still seemed unsatisfied, Se-Hoon had thought it would inevitably ur after the exam ended.


    <i>Maybe he wants to see my true capabilities?</i>


    It was a natural thought upon recalling Robert¡¯s connection to the Inoue family, but it wasn¡¯t long before Se-Hoon dismissed the thought. If Robert intended to rig it and dock his points, Se-Hoon wouldn¡¯t stand for it. However, he didn¡¯t mind a small push to observe the true limits of his skills. Moreover, Se-Hoon himself eagerly wanted to gauge Erika''s actual strength.


    <i>It¡¯s about time I saw how strong she really is.</i>


    Se-Hoon had always sensed that Erika, unlike Jake, was concealing her true power. It wasn¡¯t truebat, so it might be difficult to draw out her full strength, but he didn¡¯t mind even if all he saw was a small glimpse of it.


    Resolute, Se-Hoon stepped forward. Matching him, Erika did as well.


    Step by step, they closed the distance between them until it narrowed to just ten meters¡ªthe point where their barriers made contact.


    <i>Sss-</i>


    The ck mist surrounding Se-Hoon scattered instantly.


    ¡°...?!¡±


    Instead of some kind of collision, Se-Hoon¡¯s barrier crumbled like a sandcastle, surprising him. His mind racing, he quickly deduced the cause.


    <i>I see. She¡¯s trying to prove that she¡¯s the original owner of this barrier technique.</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s Shadow Thread was created based on the techniques Erika showed and Ren¡¯s ck Mist, making the barrier he made unintentionally simr to Erika¡¯s.


    He had modified it, but the original form was still evident. It meant that Erika, a genius who had already mastered the original, naturally knew the appropriate countermeasures.


    <i>It¡¯s futile to just hold out like this. My only chance of turning the tables is...</i>


    Watching his barrier crumble, Se-Hoon swiftly clenched his hands in the air and pulled downward.


    <i>Cre-eak!</i>


    Shadow Thread, which had dispersed into mist, twisted between Se-Hoon¡¯s fingers and revealed both itself and the barrier, which had taken on a more distinct shape upon the strengthening of the connection with reality.


    <i>Now...!</i>


    Erika quickly stepped forward, sending a wave of mana surging from below and through Se-Hoon¡¯s barrier.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Unlike how his mist had skillfully absorbed the impact from the collision moments ago, Erika''s dispel techniques were now eroding the entire structure of Se-Hoon''s barrier directly. Shaking, the barrier seemed on the verge of copsing, but Se-Hoon remained calm and moved his hands swiftly.


    <i>Swish!</i>


    Manipting Shadow Thread, parts ovepped rapidly to form a new shape. Continuing the dismantlement of Se-Hoon''s original barrier, Erika observed the changing barrier.


    <i>He¡¯s trying to reverse-engineer my dispel technique.</i>


    It seemed that Se-Hoon had decided that, since her dispel technique shared the same foundation as his barrier, he could devise his own counter against it.


    ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯ve got it wrong.¡±


    However, his seemingly ingenious n just didn¡¯t work for Erika.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Lifting her foot forward, two-thirds of Se-Hoon¡¯s barrier shattered instantly the moment her foot touched the ground.


    If it had been a stable barrier, it could have maintained its defense until thepletion of the counter-spell. But in its current state, it was like a sandcastle caught in a wave. Its survival was impressive, but it was reaching its limit.


    <i>Not bad, but... still insufficient.</i>


    Feeling slightly disappointed, Erika took another step to finish Se-Hoon off.


    ¡°Well...¡±


    However, that was when she discovered Se-Hoon grinning triumphantly.


    ¡°...it seems you¡¯ve got it wrong too.¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Crushing the counter-spell he had been ¡°preparing¡± between his palms, the threads created by Shadow Thread, that had been connected everywhere, snapped.


    <i>Ting-ting-ting!</i>


    His barrier, already on the verge of copse, groaned and began to fracture, with the internal spells shing and spreading cracks.


    At first nce, it would seem like he had given up, however, Erika¡¯s eyes widened upon discovering a pattern to the spreading cracks.


    <i>Is he...</i>


    Her eyes followed the fissures, tracing back the path she stepped on. The spells she thought she hadpletely crushed were reattaching themselves thanks to the leaking mana, forming ten new barriers.


    Her eyes widened upon envisioning ten shadowy fingers surrounding her.


    <strong><i>Shadow Grip</i></strong>


    Caught in his trap, Se-Hoon¡¯s newly formed barriers surrounded Erika.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    For the first time, Erika¡¯s barrier became visible under the tightening pressure, the silver threads forming it trembling. Se-Hoon''s barriers, despite their hasty creation, possessed a formidable crushing force.


    With the situation reversing, Erika quickly analyzed Se-Hoon¡¯s new barriers.


    <i>So he already finished reverse-engineering my dispel technique earlier.... The spells he showed earlier were just bait from the start, then.</i>


    Rather than preparing a counterattack, Se-Hoon was crafting a trigger for an alreadypleted countermeasure. She had thought she had the upper hand, yet she had been dancing in the palm of Se-Hoon¡¯s hand.


    <i>Clench-</i>


    Interlocking his fingers, Se-Hoon pressed his palms together, intensifying the pressure his barriers were putting on Erika¡¯s barrier.


    <i>Cr-crack!</i>


    <i>He¡¯s adding physical pressure to his barriers with his hands to actively reshape them and to siphon mana and steal control of my barrier using Shadow Thread¡¯s unique abilities...</i>


    The counter-attack was so sophisticated that it was difficult to believe it was a spontaneous decision. Moreover, it effectively nullified all her attempts to counter it.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Erika let out a small exmation.


    <i>Gurgle-</i>


    And ck bubbles began to boil up from the shadow on the floor.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    A massive shockwave then swept through the training hall, shattering Se-Hoon¡¯s barrierpletely. Its fragments drifted through the air, interspersed with mana resembling crow feathers.


    ¡°...¡±


    Stunned speechless, Se-Hoon gazed into the air before lowering his gaze to Erika.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Erika said.


    A soft, yet cold smile had appeared on her lips.


    <strong>[The bond with ''Erika Inoue'' has grown to Lv. 3.]</strong>


    <strong>[Since the bond has grown to Lv. 3, the existing Rtionship has deepened.]</strong>

 Chapter 186

    <h4>Chapter 186</h4>


    <strong>[Rtionship: Evaluation]</strong>


    <strong>[The evaluation of someone''s value can vary greatly depending on the criteria used. Using their past and present as criteria is intuitive and offers clear standards, unlike their future, which has yet to arrive and is thus unpredictable andcking in clear standards. </strong>


    <strong>Regardless, instead of merely epting these evaluations, it is essential to understand what the subject¡¯s criteria are in order to advance to a more intimate rtionship.</strong>


    <strong>*A Fatestone is created whenever the subject¡¯s evaluation of you has improved.</strong>


    <strong>*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases as long as your evaluation is maintained.</strong>


    <strong>*The probability of the subject¡¯s synesthetic mindscape manifesting inside the Fatestone increases when you fully understand the subject¡¯s evaluation criteria.</strong>


    <strong>*Currently created Fatestones: 1]</strong>


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon read through the notification message, narrowing his eyes. He had suspected from the beginning of their bond that his Rtionship with Erika wasn¡¯t ordinary.


    And now, upon reaching bond level three, their deepened unordinary Rtionship allowed Se-Hoon to realize that Erika was more twisted than he had initially thought.


    <i>She¡¯s moreissez-faire than I expected.</i>


    It seemed simr to his Exploitation rtionship with Kwang-Soo at first nce, but it was slightly different. While Kwang-Soo had clear ns to use Se-Hoon in some way to kill Doppelganger, Erika had no such n; her only concern was achieving her goal, regardless of the means.


    <i>So even if I chose a dangerous path, she would probably support me rather than dissuade me.</i>


    To Erika, the means he used didn¡¯t matter as long as she could achieve her goals.


    Thinking her personality really was like a bottomless swamp, Se-Hoon recalled the spell Erika used at the end.


    <i>Although I only saw it for a moment... it was definitely a sacrificial-type spell.</i>


    The spell she used enhanced one¡¯s power by sacrificing the soul and body of another living being. She rarely used it out of the asional use on animals, spirits, or monsters.


    It was a type of spell that made Se-Hoon feel deeply uneasy. He could never forget how, before the regression, he had witnessed the Inoue family mass sacrificing humans to seal Erika, who had been one of the Ten Evils, Gluttony.


    <i>I should watch her closely.</i>


    It was still too early to judge, but he decided to closely keep an eye on how it would end up ying out. Quickly organizing his thoughts, he looked up at Erika, who was staring at him silently.


    ¡°It was supposed to be a well-prepared counterattack, but you blocked it too easily. This is a bit frustrating,¡± Se-Hoon said with a bitter smile.


    Shaking her head, Erika corrected him, ¡°You don''t need to think that way. It was impressive even within the Department of Spells.¡±


    ¡°What, among first-year students?¡±


    ¡°No. The entire department.¡±


    Se-Hoon made an expression of disbelief. Erika was saying his barrier spell was noteworthy among the second, third, <i>and </i>fourth years, who were mostly active-duty heroes.


    <i>Was it really that good?</i>


    He knew his barrier was well-executed, but he doubted it merited such high praise. Puzzled, Se-Hoon mulled over it, and Erika, who noticed, just pointed with her finger instead of exining further.


    Following her finger, Se-Hoon looked toward the faculty and students who were outside the training hall.


    ¡°...¡±


    His fellow students were all in disbelief, unable toprehend what had happened, and the instructors, who understood somewhat, were shocked. And Professor Robert, who understood everything, intensely stared at Se-Hoon with a stern expression.


    Taking in their reactions, Se-Hoon turned back with an embarrassed look.


    ¡°I guess I did do well.¡±


    ¡°Yes. If your opponent just wasn¡¯t me, it would have worked.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    She was praising him, but she was also simultaneously boasting about her superiority.


    <i>We¡¯ll see when I reach the top of the ss.</i>


    Determined to repay her multiple times over, Se-Hoon began making ns.


    <i>p!</i>


    At the p, everyone¡¯s attention turned to Robert.


    ¡°This concludes the first-semester evaluation exam for Barrier Compositions. Study hard for your remaining exams, and feel free to ask any questions. You are now dismissed.¡±


    Thanks to his announcement, the students regained their senses and nced at each other before leaving the training hall without a word. Jealousy was something that only manifested between those of simr levels, and they acknowledged that Se-Hoon and Erika yed in a different league.


    <i>Let''s just focus on my remaining exams.</i>


    <i>It''s not like I''m going to be an honor student anyway.</i>


    Watching the students quickly leave, Se-Hoon turned to Erika.


    ¡°Then I''ll be going too. I still have some exams left.¡±


    ¡°Sure. See you after the exams.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Take care.¡±


    Turning, he headed out, leaving behind Erika, who watched his retreating figure without moving.


    And once he had left, Robert gestured to his assistants, who were about to clean up.


    ¡°I''ll clean this all upter. You guys can leave first.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay. Understood.¡±


    Knowing the rtionship between Robert and the Inoue family, the assistants quickly left.


    With everyone now gone, Robert approached Erika.


    ¡°Are you all right, miss?¡±


    At his voice, Erika turned to meet his gaze with her violet eyes. They shimmered with an eerie light, making Robert tense up at the sight.


    Noticing, Erika averted her gaze.


    ¡°Yes, I''m fine.¡±


    ¡°About the spell you used at the end¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop. There''s no need to say anything more.¡±


    At her firmmand, Robert bowed his head respectfully.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°You''ll still report what happened to my brother, won''t you?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    Since Robert served under the current family head, he naturally prioritized themands of Erika''s brother, Ren, who was the legitimate sessor. Though Erika knew that.


    ¡°Tell him I cast out of necessity,¡± she ordered, remaining calm.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Saying nothing else, Erika slowly walked out of the training hall, signaling the end of their conversation. And within the shadow that trailed behind her, a shadowy form resembling the corpse of a dead crow floated up to the edge before being quickly sucked back in, all traces erased.


    ***


    Most departmental tests concluded on the fifth day of exam week, and students had begun preparing for the college-wide exams the following day.


    Yet the Physiology Control lecture hall looked the same as it had on the first day.


    <i>Click.</i>


    Kwang-Soo drew a sword from the scabbard with his left hand, and Se-Hoon quickly prepared to counter with the Celestial Infinity de.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Seeing that Se-Hoon had used a ck sword aura, the perfected Exalted Steel, to block his de, Kwang-Soo sheathed his sword.


    ¡°Not satisfactory. A+.¡±


    Narrowing his eyes, Se-Hoon eventually let out a deep sigh from the depths of his soul.


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>... This is driving me crazy.¡±


    From the first day of exams to today, Se-Hoon attempted the test. With that many attempts, he should have gained a lot of practice with Synesthetic Synchronization, a technique that synchronized another¡¯s synesthetic mindscape with his body. However, the results were less than satisfactory.


    <i>Increasing stability reduces power, but increasing power reduces control. What am I supposed to do now?</i>


    His scores fluctuated from A to B each time he adjusted the technique, failing to get a perfect score each time. But despite that, he had made significant progress, as he could now perform the technique without Luize''s Fatestone.


    <i>I¡¯m improving, but the exam score is what matters.</i>


    No matter how excellent the improvement was, it was meaningless if it didn¡¯t get high scores, especially when hispetitors were already pulling far ahead.


    ¡°You said Jake got a perfect score yesterday, right?¡±


    ¡°Not yesterday. Today at 3:00 am.¡±


    Originally, Jake was also stuck at A+, butst night he had insisted on training until dawn, finally securing a perfect score by perfectly blocking Kwang-Soo¡¯s strike.


    <i>He said he blocked it by parrying his sword correctly, unlike me.</i>


    Although Kwang-Soo hadn¡¯t used his full strength, a first-year student blocking a serious strike from an S-rank hero like Kwang-Soo was still impressive. Under normal circumstances, Se-Hoon would congratte Jake, but it was different because Jake was his onlypetitor.


    <i>If he''s performing that well, he probably dominated his departmental exams too. Just like Erika.</i>


    With Jake and Erika following so closely behind him, Se-Hoon felt a mix of pride and frustration. Their disy of ability during the exam period was aggravating.


    <i>I''m confident when ites to the special college-wide exam that Amir mentioned, but still...</i>


    Now genuinely wondering if things were going to be okay, Se-Hoon heard Kwang-Soo let out a tired sigh.


    ¡°How about just ending it here? If you exhaust yourself and mess up the college-wide exam, what''s the point of getting a perfect score?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> You do have a point.¡±


    No matter how excellent his Physiology Controls exam score was, failing the college-wide exam would make it meaningless.


    <i>This college-wide exam is said to have a lot of variables.</i>


    <i>¡° I don''t believe in the notion of bonding through fighting, but many people actually do.¡±</i>


    Recalling Amir''s words, which were somewhat vague due to the restrictions on divulging information, Se-Hoon quickly managed to deduce the answer thanks to the transfer student data Amir had provided.


    <i>The most likely variable in the college-wide exams will be the participation of transfer students.</i>


    From the academy¡¯s standpoint, they had to aplish the necessary task of assessing their abilities before their scheduled transfer in the second semester. So for the academy, having them participate andpete with current students in the college-wide exams was likely the most practical, albeit a bit aggressive, approach.


    In fact, Amir''s presence alone validated such a scenario.


    <i>Everything suggests that he¡¯ll be a transfer student.</i>


    When he had subtly asked Amir about it, Amir didn¡¯t deny the possibility either. If he took that as confirmation, it confirmed another fact.


    <i>The Dream Demon... It looks like she feels quite confident this time.</i>


    Even for the Dream Demon, meddling with things inside Babel, which was under the Emperor of Ascension¡¯s solid surveyance, would require extensive preparation. But there were no signs of any at all¡ªexcept for Amir.


    It seemed she had drastically reduced its scale to catch Ludwig off guard, deciding to use Amir and Amir along. Expanding the n would only increase restrictions and the likelihood of detection, after all. However, while the n itself wasn''t bad, the problem was what Amir could possibly aplish alone.


    <i>Even if used as a sacrificial pawn, I doubt he could aplish much...</i>


    Maybe she prepared something special, or his guess was just wrong and the Dream Demon had given Amir some future insight. Unable to form a definitive conclusion, Se-Hoon decided to just closely monitor Amir during the college-wide exam.


    <i>I''m already busy with the exams, and now I have to worry about this as well. Things aren¡¯t helping me out at all.</i>


    Honestly, if he hadn¡¯t nned on bing the year-wide honor student, he wouldn¡¯t have cared much about all of this. Yet he was, so annoying as it was, he couldn''t give up. Resigning to his fate, Se-Hoon agreed with Kwang-Soo.


    ¡°You''re right, Professor. I will wrap up soon.¡±


    ¡°Ahem. Then, for today...¡±


    ¡°I''ll just do it until 9:00 pm.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At Se-Hoon''s ¡°generous¡± offer, Kwang-Soo nced at his watch. It was currently 10:32 am. Kwang-Soo closed his eyes tightly.


    ¡°Oh, and I won''t be eating lunch or dinner.¡±


    ¡°You damn bastards!¡±


    Kwang-Soo vowed never to allow retakes on his exams again.


    ***


    <i>BRRRRRRRING!!!</i>


    ¡°?!¡±


    Startled awake by the siren in the dormitory suddenly ring loudly, Se-Hoon jumped out of bed and quickly looked out the living room window.


    ¡°Is there an ambush... wait, what is that?¡±


    He had thought it might be a surprise attack from the Demon Force, but the sight outside left him dumbfounded.


    Where Babel''s cityscape should have been, walls at least one hundred meters high hid all visible areas in a massive maze. The enormous scale left Se-Hoon speechless.


    <i>...Is the Dream Demon messing with my brain?</i>


    Unable to ept the view before him, he seriously considered the possibility that he was attacked while he slept. But it wasn¡¯t long before he heard a familiar voice from the speakers.


    ¡ªThe first-year college-wide exam for Borsippa will begin now.


    Recognizing Eun-Ha''s indifferent voiceing from the speaker, Se-Hoon snapped out of his thoughts and listened intently.


    ¡ªWe have revamped this year''s college-wide exam for Borsippa to reflect the recent incidents and the ongoing tension with the Demon Force, making it more practical.


    Previously, Borsippa''s college-wide exams were quite rxedpared to other colleges, just asking students to create or forge items based on given tasks. But this year, the newly appointed Dean, Eun-Ha, hadpletely overhauled the exam to match the rapidly changing circumstances.


    ¡ªYou might consider yourselves technicians, craftsmen, or artists, but fundamentally, you are all ¡®heroes¡¯ who will one day need to join the effort against the Demon Force.


    Her voice was cold, sounding like a pre-battle speech. It made the students listening in the dormitory tense up.


    ¡ªHence, the theme of this exam is practicalbat. Use the strength, knowledge, and skills you have to break through the maze and reach the central core.


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    Following her words, heavy sounds came from the walls of the maze descending outside, unveiling a hidden giant structure.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Revealed at the center of the maze, arge circr machine shone brilliantly¡ªthe core maintaining the entire maze and the final goal of the exam.


    Everyone stared at it with awe.


    ¡ªGood luck.


    <i>Clunk!</i>


    The dormitory doors all opened simultaneously, signaling the start of the Borsippa college-wide exam.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 187

    <h4>Chapter 187</h4>


    ¡°This is absurd...¡±


    ¡°Are they finally out of their mind?!¡±


    Caught off-guard by the sudden start of the college-wide exam, the students grumbled as they urgently prepared. The idea of abyrinth exploration being the college-wide exam of Borsippa, a college specializing in technical skills, seemed absurd. They knew about the ongoing tensions with Demon Force, but the students just couldn''t fathom the logic behind it.


    <i>Isn¡¯t this all just to give Lee Se-Hoon an advantage?</i>


    <i>He''s supposed to be strong enough to spar with Jake Myers, so he''s probably going to get the best score among the first-year students in Borsippa...</i>


    <i>This is ridiculous.</i>


    In previous years, each college would just select their honor student when their exam ended. This year, however, an honor student had to be chosen from the entire grade. Because of that,petition between the colleges intensified, and ambitious deans could easily favor specific students with their college-wide exams.


    But despite knowing that, all the students could do was grumble to themselves. They quickly finished their preparations and stepped outside their dorms.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Thendscape before them abruptly changed, defying their expectations.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    They found themselves surrounded by walls towering over a hundred meters high. Realizing they were trapped in thebyrinth, the students became bewildered.


    Then, a small void pocket appeared in front of them from out of nowhere.


    ¡°...¡±


    Confused, the students picked up the void pocket and examined its contents:mon materials, crafting tools frequently used in their respective departments, and a small map. The odd assortment puzzled them.


    <i>Are we supposed to use these?</i>


    <i>This isn¡¯t what I expected...</i>


    They had expected to face off against golems or summoned creatures in thebyrinth. However, it seemed they were wrong.


    Mulling over the situation, the students soon heard Eun-Ha¡¯s voice echo once again throughout thebyrinth.


    ¡ªThe void pocket given to each of you contains materials and tools to assist with yourbyrinth exploration. The map highlights special areas within thebyrinth. Move carefully and make wise decisions based on the marks on the map.


    At her instructions, the scattered students quickly unfolded their maps. The map, which was mostly obscured except for its current location, marked several special areas with symbols and descriptions.


    <i>[Material Warehouse] [Production Facility] [Transportation Device]</i>


    Staring at the map, which showed them the facilities provided within thebyrinth, the students finally understood the situation. They were wrong; the college-wide exam didn''t explicitly favor Se-Hoon¡ªit was a themed test that involved thebyrinth!


    It was still equally preposterous, but some students were able to swiftly assess the situation.


    <i>If it¡¯s just a themed test, then even those with lesserbat skills should have a chance.</i>


    <i>They probably stocked the material warehouses and production facilities with items useful for exploration. I should head to one of them first!</i>


    Despite the unique setting and method, the students now understood that their respective skill sets would still be put to the test appropriately. No longer grumbling, they moved quickly toward the facilities marked on the map.


    And all of their actions were observed by Helena from the control room.


    ¡°Phew... At least they caught on quickly.¡±


    She had been worried that the students wouldn¡¯t grasp the test''s purpose, but fortunately, they understood almost immediately. It gave her a sense of relief, from avoiding a major disaster at the start of the exam.


    ¡°I''m d everything is going smoothly,¡± Eun-Ha calmly remarked beside her.


    Helena stared at Eun-Ha, knowing it was her who conceived this oundishly unconventional exam in the first ce.


    <i>I thought she was insane at first...</i>


    While the idea of putting the students of Borsippa, a technical college, into abyrinth was oundish itself, the structure of thebyrinth Eun-Ha envisioned was even more so.


    <i>¡°I want it to be abyrinth that students from all departments can tackle equally.¡±</i>


    Individual differences in navigating thebyrinth aside, she desired uniformity in the advantages each technical skill provided. In other words, thebyrinth had to bnce the technical expertise of the dozens of departments within Borsippa.


    It was a problem faced every year, but tackling it with thebyrinth magnified its challenge. However, to the reasonable concerns and objections from numerous guidance professors, including Helena, Eun-Ha simply responded with one sentence.


    <i>¡°The Chairman likes this novel idea, so I think we should proceed with it.¡±</i>


    If Eun-Ha had been the only one standing behind the idea of using abyrinth for the exam, they would have voted against it. However, when Babel''s chairman, Ludwig, supported the idea, opposition from the professors was no longer viable.


    Thus, the professors from each department brainstormed together for weeks, enduring numerous trials and errors, to create the currentbyrinth.


    ¡°...hic.¡± A professor standing to the side silently wiped away his tears.


    ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re really acting like a child.¡±


    Seeing a professor in his sixties wipe away tears upon seeing thepletedbyrinth, Helena shook her head and turned her attention back to therge monitor in the control room.


    <i>It was tough, but... the end result doesn¡¯t seem bad at all.</i>


    Despite varying themes, Borsippa''s previous college exams had all followed a certain temte. Each field of study adhered to standard structures and forms, categorizing thepleted items based on the same quality and grade of information.


    And while that wasn''t inherently bad, fixated structures often proved vulnerable on unpredictable battlefields.


    ¡°Wait, it''s still charging...!¡±


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    Initially, before the students could even use the weapons they had made, golems or summoned creatures would repeatedly send them back to the starting point. The unfamiliarity made them make mistakes they wouldn''t have otherwise.


    However, as time passed, they each began adapting, understanding what was efficient and how they should handle the challenges more adeptly. Some even discovered talents they hadn¡¯t known they possessed.


    ¡°What...? Who knew they had talent in this area...¡±


    ¡°They might as well switch to that field entirely...¡±


    Periodically discovering previously unnoticed talents of the students, the professors watched the exam take ce in admiration. Thankfully, the college-wide exam was proceeding smoothly, despite earlier worries. But just when they had that thought, a voice called out.


    ¡°Dean Ryu!¡±


    An assistant monitoring thebyrinth ran over to where Helena and Eun-Ha were standing.


    ¡°We have a problem! The control authority over thebyrinth...!¡±


    Seeing the assistant''s serious expression, Helena and Eun-Ha¡¯s faces hardened. Could it be another attack by the Demon Force? However, Helena quickly regained herposure and scoffed at the possibility. After all, Ludwig himself was the one controlling thebyrinth.


    <i>They¡¯ve chosen the wrong timing this time.</i>


    Even if the Ten Evils attacked, there was no way they could steal control of thebyrinth from Ludwig. Confident that was the case, Helena listened to the assistant¡¯s next words.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon has managed to copy the control authority!¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    The truth was beyond imagination.


    ***


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Upon entering thebyrinth, instead of rushing around like the other students, Se-Hoon took his time observing his surroundings.


    <i>At first nce, it looks like a single connected maze, but it¡¯s actually like a puzzle.</i>


    Under normal circumstances, it would have fallen in pieces, but high-level spatial magic was seamlessly connecting them. And there was only one person in the world who could use such advanced spatial magic on abyrinth of this size.


    <i>It has to be Ludwig, that old man.</i>


    Deducing who the creator of thebyrinth was, Se-Hoon was now also able to figure out how thebyrinth had appeared above the city overnight.


    <i>He superimposed a void dimension above the city.</i>


    Externally, everything looked like a single space, but thebyrinth was actually ovepping the original space. Except for Borsipa''s students and staff, other people likely saw only the cityscape, not thebyrinth.


    <i>This kind of technique is usually used for secret passages or vaults... but this is on apletely different scale.</i>


    Creating such a structure, not just for a building but for an entire city, was a true demonstration of the power of a Perfect One. Realizing the extent of Ludwig¡¯s power once again, Se-Hoon approached the wall and touched its surface.


    <i>Hmm. If it''s like this...</i>


    Unlike most students, who focused on using the internal facilities to create the necessary tools to navigate thebyrinth, Se-Hoon thought differently. If reaching thebyrinth¡¯s center was the goal, why not create something to control thebyrinth itself?


    <i>If there''s a core that controls everything, it means thisbyrinth is ultimately just one construct.</i>


    If the walls were just solid barriers, then he just had to navigate around them. And if not, there was no need to do such a thing in the first ce. Checking the map to locate nearby facilities, Se-Hoon headed straight for the areabeled ¡°Transportation Device.¡±


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Arriving, a massive gate prevented Se-Hoon from entering the ce marked ¡®Transportation Device.¡¯ He looked to the side. Beside the gate, there was a transparent box with visible contents. ording to the instructions written on it, Se-Hoon needed to create and submit a specific item inside the box to open the door.


    <i>I guess if you''re not confident in navigating through the maze, you can just solve the problem to get through.</i>


    In simple terms, it was an option to take a shortcut by solving a puzzle. It allowed Se-Hoon to gain a bit of insight into the nature of the exam. Suddenly, a semi-transparent panel appeared in the air with words written on it.


    [Direct the lights inside the box toward a single point.]


    Following the appearance of the panel, dozens of lights appeared inside the transparent box. Assessing the positions of the scattered lights, Se-Hoon took out an iron ingot from the void pocket.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see...¡±


    Instead of going to a production facility, he gathered his mana to perform alchemical forging, something he hadn¡¯t done in a while.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The mana array in the iron ingot resonated with his mana, making it fluid and malleable. Se-Hoon then carefully shaped the ingot with his hands.


    In no time, he had created an intricate frame with branches extending in all directions. With the forging done, he polished the surfaces to a mirror-like finish using White Light.


    ¡°This should do.¡±


    cing the finished creation inside the transparent box, Se-Hoon watched intently. Within the box, the scattered lights were reflected off the structure''s branches, converging towards the center. At some pointter, the light shed brightly and the door beside him slowly started to open.


    <i>Thud-</i>


    With a heavy sound, the gate revealed the scenery beyond. Surveying it, he soon crossed over to the other side.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Feeling a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, he found himself on the other side. Checking the map, he noted that his distance to the center had decreased by about tenfold.


    In that case, he ideally just needed to submit nine more items for the remaining puzzles. However, the requirements were sure to be more challenging, and the shortcut could likely end up not being much of an advantage in reducing distance, making it not an effortless task.


    ¡°Ah, I get it.¡±


    Thanks to it though, he hadpleted the rough sketch of the entirebyrinth while passing through it just now. Thinking of his next step, he quickly headed to a material warehouse marked on the map.


    There were dozens of stalls lined up inside. From among them, Se-Hoon chose one shadowy ore and one bright white ore: Rare materials known as Shadow Imprint Stone and Light Prison Crystal.


    They weren''t particrly extraordinary items, but...


    <i>Anything can be useful if used correctly.</i>


    Holding the Shadow Imprint Stone and Light Prison Crystal in his hands, he infused his darkness mana, Moonlit Shadow, into them.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The stones drank up the darkness mana, and he once again used alchemical forging to create an alloy with the two materials. The end result was a unique thin, dish-like object that served as both a dish and a mirror. The bottom of the inside surface was as smooth as a mirror, while the sides had ck lines forming a swirling pattern around the center.


    Satisfied with the result, he used Shadow Thread to carve a magic array inside before imbuing Incantation Inscription onto it.


    <strong>¡°Echo Spell, Form Fixation, Space Projection...¡±</strong>


    The effects of the incantations melded into the mirror¡¯s surface.


    With all preparationsplete, Se-Hoon headed back to the transportation device.


    <i>Vrrrrm-</i>


    Upon approaching, the gate opened naturally, suggesting he could move freely through the gate now that he had solved the puzzle. Pausing before its gates, he raised the dish above his head and stepped through.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The mirror within immediately shattered, scattering shards inside the dish. Wasting no time, Se-Hoon dumped the shards onto the ground and observed the pattern inscribed on the floor.


    The shards¡¯ spread-out pattern resembled a keyhole.


    Smiling, Se-Hoon infused his mana into it.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    The pattern glowed, and he felt a faint sense of spatial distortion just as the surroundings rapidly changed. The entire view of thebyrinth and the cityscape ovepping mystically appeared in front of him, indicating that he had sessfully copied the authority to control thebyrinth.


    <i>Just as I expected.</i>


    When he first used the transportation device, he noticed two odd sensations. Upon entering the gate, he experienced a sensation of a force pushing him back and a force enveloping him from above.


    From just those two fleeting sensations, he understood the exact mechanism of the transportation device.


    <i>It temporarily grants the students who submit the required items the authority to use spatial teleportation within that passage of thebyrinth.</i>


    Designed to prevent students who hadn''t submitted items from using the transportation devices, Se-Hoon realized that if he could copy the authority, he could use it freely to teleport anywhere in thebyrinth.


    Of course, copying such aplex authority wouldn¡¯t be easy. Even a partial replication required him to manuallypensate for any deficiencies. And a single error could result in misdirection or even ejection from thebyrinth.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to finish it.¡±


    However, being the one who understood Ludwig¡¯s spatial magic better than anyone else, Se-Hoon proceeded boldly. Activating the pattern on the floor, it glowed brighter and the scenery beyond the gate shifted rapidly, eventually revealing an entirely new location.


    Looking up, the massive core floated above the central region of thebyrinth could be seen right in front of him.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    When he crossed through the gate, a massive crack formed on the dish, and a sharp pain pierced through his head. The spell''s replication appeared imperfect, necessitating significant mentalputation on the spot due to spatial teleportation. It had nearly induced vertigo.


    <i>If the distance had been any greater, my head might have exploded or I might have be trapped between spaces.</i>


    Thinking he needed to be more careful next time, he discarded the dish and approached the core. But just as he was about to grab the g beneath it¡ª


    <i>Cling!</i>


    He instinctively deflected something with his hand. Turning around, he noticed ice shards scattered around him in all directions.


    <i>Are these... ice nails?</i>


    Unmistakably, someone had just thrown an ice nail at him. Turning in the direction it came from, he saw a familiar figure.


    ¡°It seems I¡¯m still a bitte.¡±


    Amir was standing there, looking troubled, with ice daggers in both hands.

 Chapter 188

    <h4>Chapter 188</h4>


    Amir''s task during the college-wide exam was simple: get through thebyrinth and finish first. After that, the Dream Demon would handle everything else, and it would be a matter of responding as needed.


    Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to surpass Se-Hoon, a genius recognized worldwide, but Amir was confident.


    <i>Crunch-</i>


    Using alchemy with ice mana and the enhanced vision provided by his unique skill, Amir utilized a secret technique known as Frost Alchemy. With it, he was able to instantly create the required items for the transportation devices, managing to reach the center of thebyrinth well ahead of others.


    The versatility of Frost Alchemy had exceeded the expectations of the professors who designed thebyrinth.


    ¡°Wow. You¡¯re incredibly fast.¡±


    Yet, despite his efforts, he still couldn¡¯t beat Se-Hoon.


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon, unlike himself who had just reached the center, was already standing right in front of the finish line¡ªthe g.


    Even now, despite his arrival, Se-Hoon was still just standing there leisurely.


    <i>The g is approximately 150 meters away. I can¡¯t close it with one leap, and if I throw my daggers at him, he¡¯ll likely block it just like before.</i>


    In the current situation, there was no way to pass Se-Hoon and reach the finish line first. And even if he somehow managed to pass him, Se-Hoon''s arrival before him had already ruined the entire n.


    <i>A revision to the n is inevitable. But the problem is...</i>


    If he used the method he was envisioning right now, there would be no next time for him. Realizing he would basically be a disposable pawn by using it, Amir tightly gripped the ice daggers.


    <i>No. It¡¯s not over yet.</i>


    ncing at the untouched g, Amir sharpened his senses.


    ¡°How did you get here so fast? I wouldn¡¯t normally say this myself, but I didn¡¯t think anyone could be faster than me.¡±


    For a moment, Se-Hoon just looked at him in silence. Then, he smiled and answered him.


    ¡°I copied thebyrinth''s control authority.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°While I wasn¡¯t able to replicate it perfectly, I was still able to use it to bypass the transportation device.¡±


    Hearing the exnation, Amir doubted his ears before bursting into augh.


    Thinking of tackling the fundamental logic of thebyrinth itself was incredible, and actually seeding was even more so.


    <i>This guy really is out of his mind, just like she mentioned.</i>


    epting that he had beencent, Amir¡¯s thoughts raced to find a chance. Smiling, he rxed his posture to appear as harmless as possible so as to not arouse Se-Hoon¡¯s suspicion.


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive. Normally, no one would dare try such a method,¡± Amirmended.


    ¡°I mean, this is just an exam, so why worry? If they deemed this method cheating, they would¡¯ve stopped me immediately.¡±


    Since it wasn¡¯t realbat, Se-Hoon feltfortable taking risks.


    ¡°Anyway, you also got here pretty quickly.... Did you craft all of the required items, using the same method you used to craft your ice daggers, to use the transportation devices?¡±


    Amir nodded, slightly surprised that Se-Hoon saw through his method instantly,


    ¡°Yes. I cut some corners.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem simple enough to call it that... but, I''ll take it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your understanding. Also...¡± Concealing his tension, Amir looked directly at Se-Hoon. ¡°...you seem to be waiting for something. May I ask what it is?¡±


    It was evident from how Se-Hoon was conversing with him while staring at his ice dagger that he had something else in mind. Hoping that it was Se-Hoon¡¯s hubris, perhaps originating from his overconfidence in winning, he decided to exploit this opening to reach the g before Se-Hoon could.


    <i>There¡¯s still an opportunity.</i>


    The oue now hinged on how he handled the following events. He sharpened his senses, ready to react to any situation. And soon, Se-Hoon opened his mouth.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m waiting for something... I just find all of this rather dull.


    ¡°Dull?¡±


    ¡°It ended too quickly, considering it was a college-wide exam. If I lose points in my evaluation, it would be frustrating.¡±


    By the time the students reached the core, their evaluation had already factored in the speed at which they navigated thebyrinth. The remainder would be based on other abilities.


    With his navigation speed being too fast, Se-Hoon entertained the idea that showing off a bit more wouldn¡¯t hurt if the opportunity arose.


    ¡°So, you want to show more of your abilities to the professors before ending the exam?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I might¡¯ve just epted it if the opponent I¡¯m fighting is unimpressive, but...¡±


    Se-Hoon slowly scanned Amir from the bottom up, smiling when their eyes met.


    ¡°You seem okay, so I think I can bear with it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Amir¡¯s eyelids twitched. There was no hint of deceit in Se-Hoon''s gaze, expressions, or gestures. There was no intent of provocation at all; it was just a genuine assessment.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be evaluated so highly by... someone like you,¡± Amir forced out, suppressing his emotions.


    Not missing the slight tremor in Amir¡¯s smile, Se-Hoon snickered.


    ¡°So, are you in?¡±


    ¡°There''s really no reason for me to refuse. It¡¯s an opportunity to showcase my abilities too, and... maybe even turn the tide in my favor.¡±


    ¡°You seem quite confident. Then let¡¯s get started.¡±


    Grasping the void pocket provided at the start of the exam, Se-Hoon looked at Amir.


    ¡°The rules of the duel are simple. We¡¯ll both forge a weapon within ten seconds from where we each stand and then throw it at each other.¡±


    ¡°Ten seconds...?¡±


    ¡°I assume you made those daggers with your unique skill. Am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, but...¡±


    Amir made a strange expression. Just like Se-Hoon assumed, Amir¡¯s unique skill, Frost Alchemy, was specialized for crafting specific items in a short amount of time.


    And Se-Hoon must have known that. Yet Se-Hoon had nonchntly proposed a duel that favored him. Amir couldn¡¯t understand why.


    <i>Why would he...? Wait, could it be...</i>


    When a certain possibility crossed his mind, Amir¡¯s eyes widened.


    That was also when Se-Hoon continued, confirming his thought, ¡°It¡¯s best to crush your opponent in their specialty so that they don¡¯tinter. I hate hearing people list out excuses, unable to ept their defeat.¡±


    By overwhelming the opponent directly under conditions favorable to them, Se-Hoon left no room for argument. His boldness was so overwhelming that it induced tension in Amir.


    ¡°...Understood. Let¡¯s proceed with that then.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll repeat the process five times, keeping ten seconds for each round. Simple, right?¡±


    ¡°...Is dodging allowed?¡± Amir asked after a moment of hesitation.


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t move forward. But... dodging even once might significantly hinder your chances of winning.¡±


    Taking a second to dodge would reduce the time to create their next weapon to nine seconds. It was a disadvantage that wouldpound exponentially, likely leading to a loss in subsequent rounds.


    <i>This is the window of opportunity I need.</i>


    Taking a deep breath, Amir dissipated the ice daggers he had been holding and confronted Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    Reaching into his void pocket, Se-Hoon pulled out an iron ingot and a small piece of metal. He then gently flicked the metal into the air with his finger.


    <i>ng-</i>


    The moment the metal fell to the floor, the duel began.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Amir immediately formed the frame of an ice nail in his grip, which solidified and sharpened instantly. Having crafted a throwable ice nail in a blink with Frost Alchemy, he immediately focused back on Se-Hoon.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Crimson mes erupted from Se-Hoon¡¯s right hand. Within just five seconds, he had melted the iron ingot and made it flow in sync with the mes. Inside the swirling mes of Scorching Wheel, a rapidly rotating crimson ring formed. With no hesitation, Se-Hoon reached in with his left hand and grabbed a part of it.


    <i>Nine... ten.</i>


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The two simultaneously flung theirpleted weapons at each other.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    On Se-Hoon¡¯s side, the remains of an ice nail had scattered everywhere.


    And on the other side, Amir stood in shock, looking at the ground in front of him. A finger-length dagger with red and ck patterns had shattered his ice nail effortlessly,nding in front of his feet.


    <i>How?</i>


    How did Se-Hoon manage to craft such a formidable dagger in such a short time? Lost, Amir looked up at Se-Hoon to find an answer.


    <i>Wait, that¡¯s...</i>


    Seeing the dark shadows swirling around Se-Hoon¡¯s left hand, Amir instantly understood how Se-Hoon was able to beat him so easily.


    Using his fire mana to melt the metal quickly, Se-Hoon then cooled it instantaneously with his darkness mana, altering its structure and form in the process.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The second set of crafted weapons collided with each other, forcing Amir to step back twice. This time, Se-Hoon''s daggers had increased in sharpness and speedpared to their previous ones. Amir couldn¡¯t help but be impressed.


    <i>He¡¯s improvising his daggers even under these conditions. Is he insane?</i>


    Se-Hoon''s forging method didn''t involve skipping steps; he justpressed them. Under normal circumstances, a small mistake might have minimal consequences, but right now, it could be catastrophic.


    But despite the fact that his dagger could explode if anything went wrong, Se-Hoon continued to modify his forging technique confidently.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The third dagger sent ice fragments scattering in front of Amir.


    The increased speed and power of Se-Hoon¡¯s dagger were now on another level. Flustered, Amir hurriedly constructed and threw the fourth ice nail, wasting two seconds in the process.


    <i>Swish!</i>


    The ice nail split in half and fell, with the iing dagger narrowly missing Amir¡¯s hair thanks to dodging to the side.


    The ice nail¡¯s quality had diminished, but it ironically allowed him to evade the attack. By now, both Amir and Se-Hoon knew how the final match would y out.


    Convinced of his victory, Se-Hoon confidently forged his final dagger. And Amir seized that moment.


    <i>Right now...!</i>


    His silvery eyes bore into Se-Hoon.


    He was using his unique skill, Winter Sky Eyes, which allowed him to glimpse into another¡¯s inner thoughts. Although he mainly used it to glimpse into others'' emotions, he took in the risk of aftereffects and looked into Se-Hoon¡¯s synesthetic mindscape.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Within the chaotic swirl of Se-Hoon¡¯s synesthetic mindscape, Amir pinpointed a certain flow of thoughts and immediately integrated it into his ice nail.


    <i>Crunch-!</i>


    The ice nail in his handpressed rapidly, frost coating its surface with unparalleled speed. Imbued with the optimal synesthetic mindscape to counter Se-Hoon''s, the nail shot forward with full power.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Destroying Se-Hoon''s dagger, it continued straight for his forehead.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Caught by surprise, the unexpected flow of events made Se-Hoon take a step back, and Amir immediately dashed forward, his hands touching the ground.


    <strong><i>Frost Alchemy: Chain Ice</i></strong>


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The scattered ice fragments from earlier collisions formed a vast icy path, propelling Amir forward like an arrow.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Dozens of ice daggers formed around him, shooting forward to buy more time for the distance between them to close to just ten meters.


    Having to avoid the ice nails, Se-Hoon had retreated three steps, giving Amir the time to reach and intercept him before he recovered.


    <i>Got him...!</i>


    Intending to subdue Se-Hoon in closebat and seize the g, Amir¡¯s eyes sparkled with determination as he charged.


    Apanying him were more ice daggers, which Amir had formed during his charge, that allunched at Se-Hoon.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Seeding, the daggers pinned Se-Hoon in ce, and Amir, having finally closed the distance, held two ice daggers in reverse against Se-Hoon¡¯s neck. It was a situation where anyone would admit that Amir had won, but there was no celebration. Instead, he just stared nkly to the side.


    ¡°The g...¡±


    The g that should have been nted in the ground was now in Se-Hoon¡¯s left hand as if it belonged there. Unable to believe his eyes, Amir''s gazended on the small metal piece thaty at Se-Hoon¡¯s feet¡ªthe piece that Se-Hoon had flicked to start the challenge.


    Amir had ignored it, sensing nothing from it, but now it was attached to the g, probably bringing it to Se-Hoon¡¯s hand.


    <i>What the...</i>


    Seeing that Amir was frozen, staring nkly, Se-Hoon gently pushed away the daggers at his neck with his finger.


    ¡°In a real battle, I¡¯d have to worry about all the ice, but here, all I needed to focus on was the g. That¡¯s why I set up insurance at the start.¡±


    When Se-Hoon flicked the metal piece at the start of their duel, he had secretly linked it with a thread of Shadow Thread, then immediately dissipated it to avoid detection. It was only just before stepping back to dodge thest ice nail that he reformed the thread and connected it to the g, bringing it to him.


    ¡°If you had thrown the des at the g, it might have been risky... but in that case, I¡¯d probably have just thrown something to break them. Either way, the result wouldn¡¯t have changed much.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Amir clenched his fist. Just like Se-Hoon had said, his defeat was inevitable the moment he failed to see through his first move. The opportunity he thought he had didn¡¯t exist in the first ce.


    Frustrated by the realization, Amir¡¯s eyes turned cold.


    <i>Fine. If it¡¯se to this...</i>


    While he still held some value to the Dream Demon, he had to minimize the damage to his family by using himself as a disposable pawn. But just as Amir had steeled himself and was prepared to act, Se-Hoon tapped his shoulder and whispered something into his ear.


    ¡°Oh, right. Bring the ss slipper to me, would you? Don¡¯t bother with doing pointless actions.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Saying nothing else, Se-Hoon turned and walked away, leaving behind Amir, whose resolve dissipated, turning into a nk stare at his retreating figure.


    <i>...Cindere?</i>


    Immediately recalling the ridiculously corny code phrase he had heard months ago, it dawned on him that Se-Hoon was the man at the ck Arms.


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    And that came with another realization: he had been ying a losing game from their first meeting.

 Chapter 189

    <h4>Chapter 189</h4>


    Havingpleted the exam, Se-Hoon was back in his living room.


    He was currently watching hisrge TV, which showed a broadcast of a battle in a destroyed city.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    A youthful blond¡¯s blue sword shed against the murky gray de of a muscr, stern middle-aged man. The sh distorted space momentarily, splitting the ground beneath them and sending shockwaves in all directions.


    It was a fierce battle as if one natural disaster was shing with another.


    ¡¸Oh! Jake Myers has once again sessfully countered Professor Kasar''s attack! It''s challenging to believe that I¡¯m watching the first-year college-wide exam!¡¹


    The cheerful voice of the youngest professor in the Department of Martial Arts, Lan Fang, resounded from the TV, providingmentary on the individuals who swung their swords at each other again.


    <i>Boom! Bang!!</i>


    Kasar''s heavy sword strike seemed to tear through space, flinging Jake backward after a fierce struggle.


    <i>sh!</i>


    But just before crashing into a building, Jake swung his Luminescent Sword, slicing through the wall tond inside. Now hidden within the building, he started his ascent by breaking through the ceiling.


    He was strategically trying to evade his opponent by using the building''s interior. However, it was a move that made Se-Hoon click his tongue.


    ¡°<i>Tsk, tsk.</i> You should always think about who your opponent is first beforeing up with strategies.¡±


    Proving him right, Kasar looked up at the ten-story building Jake entered and tightly gripped his sword, Ashen Smoke. Giving Jake no time to breathe, the sword turned hazy and transformed into smoke, which Kasar then powerfully swung toward the building.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Spreading out into hundreds of swords made of gray smoke, they all mmed into the building, copsing it.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    Not expecting the entire building to be demolished, Jake screamed and scrambled to escape.


    Catching sight of him, Kasar''s eyes gleamed and he kicked off the ground.


    <i>Boom!!!</i>


    Their swords shed in midair, flinging Jake back once again. And Kasar, not letting up, relentlessly hounded him.


    ¡¸Professor Kasar is pouring down a relentless series of attacks without a moment to breathe! And yet, Jake Myers is holding up remarkably well! He¡¯s truly impressive!¡¹


    With no context, Jake was simply being overwhelmed. However, once one understood the exam''s purpose, it becamemendable, just as Lan Fang''smentary suggested.


    <i>If I recall correctly, the exam was supposed to be about collecting points while avoiding Kasar''s detection by hiding throughout the city.</i>


    For their college-wide exam, Aqar Quf wanted to test a candidate''s response to an overwhelmingly powerful enemy on the battlefield. By those rules, if Kasar spotted Jake even once, Jake would immediately be taken out. Yet Jake had persevered for more than five minutes.


    <i>Kwang-Soo must¡¯ve had this in mind the whole time...</i>


    Like Kwang-Soo, Kasar was an S-rank hero; even if he didn''t go all out, someone at Jake''s level would clearly struggle to hold out. However, thanks to Kwang-Soo''s exam, Jake was able to learn enough to respond to the onught of attacks, allowing him to survive this long.


    Otherwise, Jake would likely have faced elimination without managing to leave a significant impact.


    <i>Isn''t this almost like cheating?</i>


    Grumbling to himself, Se-Hoon re-evaluated Jake''s skill level.


    <i>He¡¯s likely roughly on par with the past Aria.</i>


    Based on the feats he had managed to perform so far, Jake seemed more than capable.


    Standing up again, Jake could be seen covered in dust, but his eyes were sparkling, matching his Luminescent Sword which was shining bluer than ever. At the sight on the screen, Se-Hoon smirked.


    <i>What great publicity.</i>


    Moreover, Jake was barely holding his own against an S-rank opponent, while Se-Hoon had navigated through an exam designed by a Perfect One; it was obvious which would garner higher marks.


    Concluding that there was no need to worry, Se-Hoon switched the channel to watch Ur''s college-wide exam.


    <i>Boom!!</i>


    In stark contrast to the previous city battle exam, Ur''s exam took ce in a forest. For their exam, the students had to fight alongside automatons, each tasked with aiding their respective partner student.


    The objective was straightforward: eliminate the other students by destroying their automaton. To achieve victory, strategic thinking and effective usage of automatons were key.


    And excelling at that, one person stood out among them all.


    <i>Caw-!</i>


    A crow with silver wings was soaring through the forest, apanied by an automaton d in full silver armor, rampaging fiercely.


    ¡¸Wh-what are you doing?!¡¹


    ¡¸This isn''t fair at all!¡¹


    The pair quickly destroyed the automatons of anyone in their way, sending them all straight to the safe zone. It was a massacre.


    And of course, the ck-haired girl casually strolling through the forest, Erika, was the one orchestrating it all.


    ¡¸No other words can describe the situation better than ''massacre.¡¯ It seems the exam will soone to an end.¡¹


    Watching through the screen, Se-Hoon agreed with the Department of Spell¡¯s Professor Lan Fei¡¯smentary.


    <i>To think she already managed to perfectly copy the techniques from the Spirit Bone Armor. No wonder they don¡¯t stand a chance.</i>


    Recalling back to when he made the Spirit Bone Armor for Erika''s crow, Se-Hoon remembered how he had used Erika''s primary skill, Ghost Armor, as inspiration.


    With her proficiency in it back then, he had fully expected her to eventually adapt it intobat-oriented enhancement spells this round too. And looking at the automaton, she had indeed done so.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The other students, regr and transfer alike, had their automatons shattered in just a single hit, while Erika''s automaton remained unscathed, merely shuttering slightly from the impact.


    Watching her effortless rampage, Se-Hoon stroked his chin.


    <i>She''s doing well, but... it¡¯scking a dramatic ir.</i>


    Erika¡¯s techniques and skills were impressive, but... the exam was rather straightforward andcked spectacle.


    Comparing the three college-wide exams, his performance, where he had basically defied the rules, made Se-Hoon smile.


    <i>I guess I''m ahead for the college-wide exams.</i>


    Certain of his victory and earning of the year-wide honor student position, Se-Hoon smiled contentedly.


    <i>Ding-dong-</i>


    Hearing the doorbell, Se-Hoon got up from the sofa and headed to the front door to greet his anticipated guest.


    <i>Clink-</i>


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing Amir, who was standing there with aplex expression and a hint of disbelief on his face, Se-Hoon calmly invited him in, ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°Alright...¡±


    Bowing slightly, Amir stepped inside, and they both sat facing each other.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    For a while, they just stared at each other in silence, waiting for the other to speak first. Eventually, Amir, who had been scrutinizing Se-Hoon, finally sighed and broke the silence.


    ¡°May I ask you a question first?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Gaining Se-Hoon''s permission, Amir hesitated briefly before asking the most pressing question on his mind, ¡°Who exactly are you?¡±


    When Amir first discovered that the mysterious attacker he met on the ship was Se-Hoon, he naturally assumed Se-Hoon had just been concealing his identity. But upon further reflection, he realized it still didn¡¯t add up.


    <i>How could someone with no notable talent before entering Babel acquire such strength, skill, and talent in spatial magic in less than half a year?</i>


    He was sure that even the most talented genius couldn''t achieve that. Thus, Amir started contemting an alternative scenario: Se-Hoon''s public persona was merely a facade, and his true identity was Babel''s hidden card, someone previously linked to the Emperor of Ascension.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Roughly guessing what Amir was thinking, Se-Hoon pondered how to respond. In the case of skeptical Amir, simply saying, ¡°I¡¯m just that exceptional,¡± wouldn''t suffice.


    <i>To instill the belief that I can defeat the Dream Demon, it might be better to give the impression that I have strong backing.</i>


    Ruminating over the choice, he made a decision and immediately acted, channeling his mana into the Ascension Ring on his right ring finger.


    Seeing the space around them slightly distort, Amir stared in stunned silence. The immense presence emanating from the ring that he felt for just a moment,bined with Se-Hoon''s synesthetic mindscape, allowed Amir to quickly realize the ring''s origin.


    <i>The Emperor of Ascension...</i>


    Realizing it was an artifact imbued with the power of a Perfect One, something not easily obtained, Amir tensed up, understanding the ring''s significance.


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon withdrew his mana and looked straight at Amir.


    ¡°That''s roughly it. Want me to exin further?¡±


    ¡°...No, that would be sufficient.¡±


    epting Se-Hoon¡¯s status as the Emperor of Ascension¡¯s sessor, Amir gratefully bowed his head.


    ¡°Thank you for the mercy you''ve shown me until now.¡±


    With his identity, Se-Hoon could have easily dealt with him on the passenger ship or when they met during the exam. Knowing that, Amir started speaking respectfully, which the corners of Se-Hoon''s mouth to slightly twitch.


    <i>So this was the correct way to go at it.</i>


    Looking at Amir, whose suspicion had somewhat been alleviated and was now respectful, Se-Hoon found the sight quite satisfying. But if the Frost Dog had seen such a sight, he would likely have foamed at the mouth.


    Hiding his joy, Se-Hoon took over the conversation.


    ¡°Alright, now it''s my turn to ask questions.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I will answer to the best of my ability.¡±


    ¡°Were you sent as a disposable pawn from the start?¡±


    ¡°No. But if the situation hadn''t been favorable, I was nning to be one.¡±


    ¡°Next, was your goal establishing long-term contact with me?¡±


    ¡°That was part of it.¡±


    Combining Amir''s vague answers, Se-Hoon was able to form a rough understanding of the structure of the Dream Demon''s n.


    <i>She wanted to settle things during the exam period, if possible.</i>


    If the opportunity arose, she would use Amir as a disposable pawn; if not, she would keep him close to Se-Hoon for the next chance. Thinking about the calcted way the Dream Demon treated Amir as a tool, Se-Hoon stroked his chin.


    <i>Although his treatment is worse than anticipated, given the timing, I suppose it''s unavoidable.</i>


    Even the Frost Dog had only been able to earn recognition after various events, so the status of the current Amir, who had no notable achievements, made sense. Right now, he was essentially a low-ranking member of the Pleasure District.


    <i>But considering how I need to use him to take down the Dream Demon, he needs to have some authority...</i>


    Considering the risks, Se-Hoon extended his hand to Amir.


    ¡°Hand it to me.¡±


    ¡°...Pardon?¡±


    ¡°You must have something prepared, right? Give it to me.¡±


    Now understanding what Se-Hoon wanted, Amir retrieved an ornate jewel box from his void pocket after some hesitation.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Taking it, Se-Hoon opened the jewel box to inspect its contents. Inside were dozens of neatly arranged jewels, among which a purple jewel was subtly mixed in.


    <i>That''s it.</i>


    Noting the purple jewel, Se-Hoon closed the box and looked at Amir.


    ¡°What is this for?¡±


    It''s the gift the transfer students put together because they wanted to maintain a close rtionship with you.


    ¡°A group bribe, huh?¡±


    Of course, that was just a cover-up story. Its real purpose was likely a means to deliver the purple jewel, imbued with the Dream Demon''s power, to him.


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°...If you may extend your left hand.¡±


    Taking Se-Hoon his left hand, Amir took out a dagger and lightly pressed the jewel embedded in its hilt against it.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The jewel emitted a faint light, and a peculiar barrier enveloped Se-Hoon''s body, marking him as a target.


    <i>So, this is what she was nning to do during the exam.</i>


    Although Se-Hoon didn''t fully understand the mechanism, it was clear that if Amir had cleared thebyrinth first, the barrier would have been applied to him.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I prepared.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> Alright.¡±


    With this much confirmed, Se-Hoon had gained a rough idea of how things would unfold. He nced at the jewel box.


    ¡°Starting today, we are bound by a contract that requires us to regrly exchange information. Got it?¡±


    ¡°...Understood.¡±


    ¡°Good. You may leave now.¡±


    Standing, Amir bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    Se-Hoon had knowingly fallen into the Dream Demon''s trap, safeguarding his position. Se-Hoon had also forged a contract with him, guaranteeing his unassable position. Amir knew it was all meant to turn him into Se-Hoon¡¯s double agent, but it had saved his life and presented an opportunity.


    ¡°Save your thanks forter. It means nothing if things don''t go well.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I''ll see youter, then.¡±


    Seeing Amir out, Se-Hoon looked again at the jewel box.


    <i>She¡¯ll strike once she sees an opening.</i>


    And while he could create that needed opening right now, it would likelye off as too contrived. So Se-Hoon decided to sit back and wait.


    <i>An opportunity wille someday, for sure.</i>


    Even though he still didn''t fully trust divination magic, reaching this far gave him some confidence. Leaning back on the sofa, he turned his gaze to the white tower visible outside the window.


    <i>The main deciding factor will be what kind of bizarre test that old man has prepared...</i>


    ***


    Late at night, the lights were still on in the chairman''s office inside the Marduk mansion. Here, Ludwig was reviewing the first-semester exam reports.


    ¡°Many students showing rapid improvements this year.¡±


    Among the third-years, there were Sung-Ha and Lea; the second-years had Luize; and the first-years had Jake and Erika. Compared to the start of the semester, they all showed astonishing progress, with their momentum showing no signs of waning. They all had the promise of a bright future.


    Ludwig then read the report on Se-Hoon, the brightest rising star among them all, who had demonstrated the most significant growth.


    ¡°He replicated the control authority of thebyrinth... <i>Haha</i>.¡±


    Though it seemed like anyone could just use the replicated control authority if they managed to copy it in the first ce, reality was a different story. The control authority only allowed one to move through thebyrinth, not bypass the gates.


    In other words, Se-Hoon''s skip to the finish line was the result of managing to perform the thousands of calctions required for each gate instantaneously.


    <i>¡°This kid is quite peculiar, indeed. He''s clumsy at activating his abilities yet adept at the calction process needed upon activation.¡±</i>


    ¡°It''s probably because he understands the control authority intuitively. If given the right opportunity, he could be so much more proficient with spatial magic...¡±


    <i>¡°Easy for you to say. Some people never get that opportunity, no matter how hard they try.¡±</i>


    Ludwig smiled at the curt remark by the voice from the white hole.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t there a clear difference between impossible and improbable?¡±


    <i>¡°Of course. But let''s change the subject.¡±</i>


    The voice became unusually serious.


    <i>¡°Are you really going to go through with it?¡±</i>


    ¡°...¡±


    <i>¡°Revealing your research results to the world will have significant repercussions, especially considering how the Ten Evils might react.¡±</i>


    Ludwig remained silent, just staring at the white hole.


    ¡°You might think so. But I disagree,¡± he said after a moment.


    <i>¡°What?¡±</i>


    ¡°The world is already in turmoil. A small ripple won''t make any difference.¡±


    Ludwig smiled slightly.


    ¡°It might even speed things up a bit.¡±


    <i>¡°So, you''re determined to go through with it.¡±</i>


    ¡°If you really don¡¯t agree with this decision, I won¡¯t do it.¡±


    A brief silence fell. Then, it was broken by the voice from the white hole, much calmer this time.


    <i>¡°Do as you wish. But make sure you can handle the aftermath.¡±</i>


    <i>Click!</i>


    Leaving behind that warning, the white hole closed, turning into a golden keyhole that then melted away.


    ¡°...¡±


    Ludwig sat in silence. Then, after a few minutes, he rose and headed to the window behind his seat. He stared out at the mansion''s garden and the tall white tower reaching into the sky, a sight that remained unchanged from when he first built Babel.


    ¡°I can handle the aftermath with ease,¡± he quietly murmured to himself.


    Right now, it was imperative to nurture the momentum created by one student. Reaffirming his resolve, he reached out his hand.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    In the distance, the Tower of Heroes began to tremble faintly. Golden energy then slowly descended from the cloud-covered summit, spreading across the campus grounds.


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    Feeling the immense presence within the massive vibration that shook Babel, Ludwig twisted his right hand sharply.


    <i>Crash-</i>


    Apanying the sound of something shattering, the sky turned a golden hue. The scenery of Babel had be otherworldly like they had crossed into another realm.


    Gazing at the sight beyond the window, Ludwig withdrew his hand and smiled.


    ¡°Good luck on yourst exam, everyone.¡±

 Chapter 190

    <h4>Chapter 190</h4>


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    The familiar sound of waves tickled Se-Hoon¡¯s ears. Its soothing yet unsettling characteristics brought back unpleasant memories, slowly awakening him.


    ¡°...¡±


    The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was the dark sky covered by storm clouds. A deep darkness filled in the cracks, as if the universe was trying to reach in. He then sat up, finding a ck sea stretching beyond the horizon.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    The ck waves slowly approached, swallowing everything in their path. Finding himself in the unforgettablendscape once again, Se-Hoon sat still, nkly staring at the sea.


    Was he dreaming about his past life, or... had he just woken up from a long dream? Unable to distinguish the truth, he just continued to stare nkly at the sea, entranced.


    <strong>[Activating Awakening Dream]</strong>


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    Shocked by the cold water washing over his mind, the thoughts that had clung to him were dispelled. With his mind now clear, he finally tore his gaze away from the scenery in front of him and nced down at his own body.


    <i>Yup, just as I expected.</i>


    His body wasn''t the war-weary one from before the regression but rather the young body full of life from after. He stood up, convinced that he was in a dream or something simr.


    <i>There¡¯s no way I ended up in such a wretched ce without any reason. Is this the Dream Demon¡¯s doing?</i>


    If that were the case, then it wouldn''t be a surprise, given that he had willingly followed the Dream Demon''s n. But for that to be the case, there were too many perplexing aspects.


    <i>This ce is too crude to be the work of the Dream Demon.</i>


    If he was in a creation of hers, it would have taken him a considerable amount of time to realize he was in a dream. Moreover, the surroundings somehow resembled the familiar scene in his memories¡ªthat was the strangest thing.


    <i>No matter how powerful her dream magic is, she couldn¡¯t have known any of this.</i>


    The information rted to his regression was the most important thing to Se-Hoon, so he had stored those memories in his blood with Soul Honing, hiding them deep within his heart. It was virtually impossible for outsiders to peek in, and even if someone managed to, it would have triggered a pain in his heart.


    <i>And there¡¯s a peculiar sense of dissonance...</i>


    Though thendscape was familiar, something felt different.


    Examining his surroundings, Se-Hoon slowly turned around.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    And his mouth dropped open at the sight of the towering white tower that seemed to reach the sky.


    It was one of the Towers of Heroes, which had descended from the heavens, seemingly to stand against the Abyss of Demons, which had risen from the ground. Thanks to the Towers, countless heroes had been birthed over the decades, as well as many Perfect Ones.


    Seeing such a tower amidst the familiar scenery, Se-Hoon became utterly baffled.


    <i>Why... why is that thing here?</i>


    It didn¡¯t make sense. Near the end of his previous life, every Tower of Heroes had already copsed, and there wasn¡¯t one near where he had died.


    So why was there one where he had met his end? Looking up at the surreal scene, a thought crossed his mind.


    <i>Could it be...</i>


    There was only one ce where the unnatural sight of a Tower of Heroes could be created.


    <i>Inside a Tower of Heroes itself.</i>


    When one entered a Tower of Heroes, they faced trials based on the synesthetic mindscape rooted deep within that person''s heart. That would exin the scenery that came from his memories, which Soul Honing should have securely stored, as well as the dissonance between the dream-like and realistic experiences.


    Yet, despite somewhat figuring out the situation, Se-Hoon just became even more confused.


    <i>Why am I inside a Tower of Heroes?</i>


    ording to the rules of Babel, first-year students couldn¡¯t enter the Tower. And more importantly, Se-Hoon had never approached it in the first ce.


    <i>How did I even get here...</i>


    Did someone sneak him in while he was asleep? But then, ording to his memories, a Tower of Heroes would only give the trial if one entered of their own will. Completely lost now, his gaze fell to the golden ring on his right hand.


    The possibility of spatial magic being used to conduct this special exam, the construction of Babel around a Tower of Heroes, and the special facilities of Babel mentioned in the Frost Dog¡¯s records¡ªpiece by piece, information clicked in Se-Hoon¡¯s mind, forming the most likely story.


    Wanting to verify it, Se-Hoon infused the Ascension Ring with his mana and amplified its power.


    <strong><i>Spatial Distortion</i></strong>


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The space around him twisted, revealing a new location.


    The first thing he saw was himself sleeping in his bed. Naturally, the first thing he assumed was that his soul had departed his body.


    <i>Is this what they call astral projection? No, my body seemed real earlier.</i>


    He could feel the sensations from the things around him and his heart pumping blood throughout his body. But, at the same time, he could feel the same things from the body sleeping in the bed. The bizarreness of it all made Se-Hoon feel a headache.


    <i>Let¡¯s figure out the situation first.</i>


    Deciding to check outside, he moved to the living room and looked out the window.


    ¡°...¡±


    It was still dawn in Babel, before the sunrise. Yet, it was as bright as day since the entire sky was bathed Babel in a golden light. Seeking the cause of the surreal sky, he scanned Babel. After a sweep, he fixed his gaze on the Tower of Heroes at Babel''s center.


    <i>Just like I expected; that¡¯s the cause.</i>


    Looking up at the Tower, a golden aura could be seen flowing down, centered around the peak of the Tower thaty beyond the clouds. It had the be the cause of Babel''s colored sky and the creator of the strange space he was currently in. Convinced, Se-Hoon quietly observed the mystical sight.


    ¡°Leaving the exam site during an exam is a demerit.¡±


    Turning to look at the owner of the sudden nonchnt voice, Se-Hoon found Ludwig, who had appeared without a hint of spatial distortion.


    ¡°Is this the special exam you mentioned, Chairman?¡± he replied calmly, having somewhat expected his appearance.


    ¡°Indeed. Do you understand what kind of exam it is?¡±


    Gazing out the window, Ludwig smiled contentedly. Following his gaze, Se-Hoon turned his head back and contemted everything: the aura flowing down from the peak of the Tower, Babel¡¯sndscape, and the spatial distortions covering it.


    ¡°You connected Babel and the Tower of Heroes using your spatial magic, allowing us to experience the Tower¡¯s trials indirectly.¡±


    ¡°Correct. You are indeed outstanding.¡±


    Turning to Ludwig, Se-Hoon looked at the man who was smiling approvingly with tense eyes.


    <i>He actually tampered with a Tower of Heroes...</i>


    Throughout history, the Towers of Heroes were symbols of hope for humanity and untouchable, transcendent structures. Just entering and passing each of its trials granted one immense power, and reaching its summit allowed one to be a Perfect One.


    The Towers were something that, even up until he regressed, human technology couldn''t determine the materialsposing them, which naturally invoked reverence.


    Yet, Ludwig had connected a Tower with an external space. Even for Se-Hoon, who had experienced countless extraordinary events throughout both of his lives, it was an astounding feat.


    <i>If he can execute this on such a scale, he must have researched it for a long time.... But then, why didn''t he ever reveal it to humanity before?</i>


    He knew from the Frost Dog''s reports that Ludwig was doing research, but this was the first time he had ever heard anything about the Emperor of Ascension connecting a Tower with an external space.


    <i>Before I regressed, it was well-known that the Emperor of Ascension had been researching the Tower of Heroes for a long time and had some results. However, for some reason, he never revealed it even until he died. Yet, now, he¡¯s disclosing it for the special exam...</i>


    It seemed like a waste to reveal the results of such significant research merely for an exam, but in a way, it was actually the perfect way to test it. After all, while the Towers of Heroes granted immense power to those who passed its trials, those who failed could never leave.


    Because of that, many who entered never exited, essentially dying inside the Tower. And even now, with plenty of umted data, one in ten still failed to return each year.


    <i>If he managed to remove that risk and made it possible to attempt the trials repeatedly...</i>


    If that was the case, then Babel''s status would soar beyondparison. Reaching this thought, Se-Hoon realized something else.


    ¡°This is why the UD Group and the Pilgrimage Church are cooperating with you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ve always thought you were quite perceptive, and indeed you are,¡± Ludwig said with a soft smile, nodding approvingly.


    He then continued, saying, ¡°It¡¯s just one of the many factors, but an important one nheless. In the end, a Tower of Heroes is also a valuable facility for them.¡±


    ¡°Your arrangements are truly... outstanding...¡±


    Se-Hoon knew that Ludwig was preparing to counter the Demon Force in some way, but he had never even imagined that Ludwig was preparing such a monumental strategy.


    Aware of its revolutionary role, Se-Hoon stared outside, stupefied. A shiver then overcame him as he realized the possibility of the sight before him being an oue of his regression''s butterfly effect.


    ¡°We can discuss this in more detailter. For now, let¡¯s focus on the exam.¡±


    Ludwig turned to face Se-Hoon.


    ¡°To be honest, you standing here like this shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡±


    ¡°Well, if it weren¡¯t for the ring you gave me, I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to get out...¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean,¡± Ludwig cut in, shaking his head.


    ¡°This space, which¡¯s connected to the Tower of Heroes, has been adjusted to make the students only focus onpleting the trials. But with you, your synesthetic mindscape was so tough that the adjustment couldn¡¯t influence you at all.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°I hesitated to go deeper because the connection might sever entirely, and that¡¯s when you happened to use my power to somehow escape in such a state.¡±


    From Ludwig¡¯s exnation, Se-Hoon could roughly guess why things had turned out the way they had.


    <i>Was it because I hid my memories using Soul Honing?</i>


    ¡°It looks like I¡¯ve unintentionally broken the exam rules twice now.¡±


    ¡°Seems so. But isn¡¯t that what it takes to be the year-wide honor student?¡±


    ¡°Of course... wait, what?¡±


    Surprised, Se-Hoon spun to look at Ludwig, who was smiling awkwardly.


    ¡°Forget I said that. When you get back, try to focus onpleting the trials.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute...¡±


    <i>Snap!</i>


    With a snap of Ludwig¡¯s fingers, Se-Hoon¡¯s body in the living room vanished without a trace.


    ¡°<i>Hm.</i> Good, he returned properly this time.¡±


    Though he still couldn¡¯t see what was going on in Se-Hoon¡¯s space, he could tell that Se-Hoon had returned correctly.


    <i>He always has a knack for surprising me.</i>


    Smiling, Ludwig nced at the bedroom where Se-Hoony before turning his head and reappearing in the skies overlooking Babel.


    Looking down, he quietly observed the students he had noted earlier.


    ¡°Huff... huff...¡±


    Jake was walking barefoot on thousands of des that rose from the ground, ascending toward the sky.


    ¡°...¡±


    Simrly, Erika was also ascending into the sky, but she was using a ck staircase formed by thousands of crows.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Sung-Ha was running up golden stairs winding around the Tower¡¯s exterior, fending off waves of mes and darkness with his twin spears.


    ¡°Ugh... This feels awful.¡±


    Luize was cautiously climbing golden stairs, illuminating her pitch-ck surroundings with Incantation Magic.


    ¡°Gyaaak!¡±


    Lea was hurriedly ascending the tower, painting the fading golden stairs back into existence with her enchanted brush.


    ¡°Cough...¡±


    And Amir was staggering up them, his body covered in cuts inflicted by a figure formed from purple mist.


    ¡°This is a wonderful sight, indeed...¡±


    At the sight of everyone¡¯s relentless efforts to improve and move forward, Ludwig smiled contentedly. Turning his back, he left to strengthen the connection between the Tower of Heroes and the exam space once more.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    A faint purple light flickered from the jewel box in Se-Hoon¡¯s room.


    ***


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    He was once again by the ck sea. However, now that he understood the situation, Se-Hoon focused on the Tower of Heroes.


    <i>Knowing the oue takes away some of the excitement, but... I should still finish this exam well.</i>


    Just in case Ludwig might reconsider his year-wide honor student position if another student did better, Se-Hoon moved toward the tower.


    <i>Let¡¯s see. If I do it like I did before...</i>


    Recalling the blueprint of the Tower in his mind, golden stairs immediately began to form around the Tower¡¯s exterior, exactly as per the blueprint¡¯s structure.


    ¡°<i>Mhm</i>.¡±


    Satisfied with the sight, he started ascending the stairs. As he climbed higher and higher, the surrounding view began to clear.


    ¡°Not like there¡¯s not much to see anyway...¡±


    Other than thend where the Tower stood, everything was covered by a ck sea. The deste view, devoid of any sign of life, put a peculiar expression on his face.


    <i>It must have been like this just before I died, too.</i>


    Though it felt like he was looking at his regrets, it also reminded him not to repeat the same mistakes he made in the past.


    <i>I have to work harder than before.... Actually, now that I¡¯m thinking about it, I wonder if I can climb a Tower in the future.</i>


    ncing at the white outer wall to his right, he gazed up at the sky covered by clouds with an uncertain expression. The number of trials one needed to pass through varied for each person, and for Se-Hoon, there were ten, or rather ten floors, to be precise.


    Passing all ten floors meant reaching the top of the Tower and bing a Perfect One. However, Se-Hoon abandoned the challenge after passing the ninth floor.


    <i>It wasn¡¯t really the right time to take on thest floor...</i>


    Though humanity had defeated three of the Six Harbingers of Destruction, the human alliance had also suffered severe losses, putting humanity on the brink of destruction. Had he made the attempt and died in the process, humanity would have faced immediate extinction, not just mutual destruction.


    <i>Well, if I had known that the end would be mutual destruction, I might have just attempted it... but I would have definitely failed at that time.</i>


    Though he didn¡¯t know what trial awaited him on the tenth floor, he had a strong feeling that his past self wouldn¡¯t have seeded. Remembering the trials he had passed through in the past, he once again looked at his surroundings.


    <i>Judging by the look of it, the trials seem to have changed quite a bit... I should probably stay on Ludwig¡¯s good side.</i>


    Rather than challenging a Tower of Heroes by himself, it would be safer to rely on Ludwig¡¯s help to attempt it multiple times.


    Organizing his thoughts, he reached just below the clouds, about to take the final step forming at the end.


    <i>The first floor should be easy.</i>


    He didn¡¯t know how quickly the others had taken, but he hade up so far without any hindrance, so it shouldn¡¯t be too bad. Thinking so, he stepped onto thest step.


    At that moment, he felt an unpleasant sensation and a single question came to mind: <i>How many steps did I take?</i>


    ording to his blueprint, he should have taken 684 steps. However, when he included the step he was currently on, the total amounted to 685.


    It would be easy to just dismiss it as a mistake on Ludwig''s part, however, Se-Hoon was well aware that was impossible. Tensing, he quickly looked down at the step he was on again.


    <i>Flutter-</i>


    The step, which turned purple at some point, began releasing hundreds of butterflies.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, he was swept down the Tower, and as soon as he hit the ground, the butterflies scattered and disappeared.


    Standing, the world before him was blurred, sticky, and covered in purple. The entirend gave off unpleasant sensations, as it would devour him the moment he let down his guard.


    ¡°This ce should be...¡±


    Realizing that he was now in a space filled with dream mana, he immediately figured out who had brought him here and raised his guard to the max.


    <i>Flutter-</i>


    Gathering, the hundreds of butterflies formed from the purple mist began to form a figure.


    The figure had round, coiled ck horns sprouting from its temples, hidden by a head of dark purple hair. It had ck eyes with eerily glowing yellow pupils, and its light purple skin was draped in ace dress.


    ¡°Ahh-¡±


    Now fully revealed, a woman with a beautiful yet chilling presence stood there, smiling. Lifting the hem of her dress slightly with both hands, she curtsied gracefully.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Lee Se-Hoon,¡± she whispered joyfully.


    The Dream Demon, one of the Ten Evils, had appeared in front of him.

 Chapter 191

    <h4>Chapter 191</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon felt his mouth go dry.


    His heart raced at the sight of the monstrous being before him. She was the Queen of Nightmares, the Lord of Dreams, and the Master of the Pleasure District. However, these titles to describe the beautiful monster were all relics of the past, and only one title eventually remained: the Dream Demon.


    And as humanity was forced to know her infamy and power, that title became her true name.


    <i>She¡¯s still as creepily beautiful as ever...</i>


    Sharp yet hazy, her beautiful and alien form seemed to embody everyone''s ideal type from their dreams. And that form fit those ideals so well that it felt unsettling to look at her.


    Calming himself, Se-Hoon took a deep breath before speaking.


    ¡°How did you get inside Babel?¡±


    Perplexed by the direct question, the Dream Demon asked, ¡°This is a rather umon encounter, yet you jump straight to that? Shouldn''t we get to know each other first...?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t exactly have a hobby of indulging in nonsense.¡±


    Se-Hoon red at her with hostility.


    ¡°Either tell me what you¡¯re here for or fight me. Choose one.¡±


    His aggressive tone left no room for negotiation.


    Yet the Dream Demon just covered her mouth and chuckled softly. Se-Hoon¡¯s unperturbed demeanor and grasp over his emotions despite the situation had surprised her, but only for a moment.


    ¡°<i>Haha</i>. Alright then. Shall we sit down and talk for a second?¡±


    Following the Dream Demon¡¯s gaze, Se-Hoon watched the sticky purple ground rise and form a long table, about ten meters in length, and chairs. The furniture looked luxurious at a nce.


    Taking a seat facing Se-Hoon, the Dream Demon smiled gently at him.


    ¡°I haven''t yed any tricks here, so sitfortably.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Wary, Se-Hoon briefly scanned the table and chairs before sitting down without furtherment.


    <i>Hmm...</i>


    Although she had reassured him, his movements were far too unhesitant. It intrigued her.


    Feeling the Dream Demon¡¯s gaze, Se-Hoon calmly asked, ¡°So? Are you going to answer my question?¡±


    ¡°How impatient.¡±


    Making a bitter smile, the Dream Demon shifted her gaze sideways.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The yellow pupil in her right eye began faintly glowing, and the surrounding purple mist began forming holes big enough for an adult to pass through. Each hole then began to disy a scene, each resembling reality but strangely distorted and bizarre.


    Observing the scenes, Se-Hoon soon figured out what the holes were showing.


    ¡°Are those all... dreams?¡±


    ¡°Correct. To be precise, it''s the dreams of the people in Babel.¡±


    The Dream Demon''s right pupil glowed again, and duplicates of herself appeared from beyond the hole, smoothly taking the ces of those in the dreams.


    Turning back to Se-Hoon, who was still watching the dreams, the Dream Demon softly said, ¡°You can say also it¡¯s <i>my </i>dream. Does that answer your question?¡±


    The Dream Demon''s domain was the world of dreams. With her ability, she could freely manipte the power of dreams to freely traverse others'' dreams. And while her ability seemed insignificant at first nce, she could put hundreds of heroes, including former A-rank heroes, into aa at once.


    Noticing the subtle threat in the Dream Demon¡¯s exnation, Se-Hoon tensed.


    <i>She¡¯s a pretty good liar, alright.</i>


    From the pressure she was subtly exerting, it really did appear as if the Dream Demon hade to meet him in person, at least on the surface.


    <i>She wants me to believe she¡¯s here in her real body.</i>


    And if he had known nothing, he wouldn¡¯t have suspected anything. However, since he had verified everything through Amir, he was able to quickly grasp the situation.


    <i>When Ludwig sent me back, she probably followed the mark Amir ced on me.</i>


    Through the purple gem, it was not her own self that emerged but rather a manifestation of her power, akin to an avatar.


    <i>She¡¯s probably just here to probe rather than attempt something serious...</i>


    Still, considering how powerful she was, he couldn''t afford to let his guard down. With his thoughts sorted, Se-Hoon took another breath and focused on the Dream Demon.


    ¡°Why did youe here?¡±


    ¡°To meet you.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Do I need another reason?¡±


    Answering the Dream Demon¡¯s confusion, Se-Hoon calmly responded, ¡°I¡¯m aware of how famous I am right now, but I don''t think I''m valuable enough to warrant sneaking into such a dangerous ce.¡±


    If Ludwig had been absent as before, it would likely have been a different story, but the entire Babel was currently under heavy surveince because of the ongoing exams. The moment Ludwig detected even a shimmer of the Dream Demon''s presence, she would struggle to escape even if she had actuallye with her true body. So why take such a risk to see him?


    Intrigued by his response, the Dream Demon asked a question instead, ¡°Value... How valuable do you think you are?¡±


    ¡°Why do I have to tell you that?¡±


    ¡°Just... try to enjoy this conversation. You haven''t found a way out yet, have you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Having seen through Se-Hoon''s hidden attempts to escape, the Dream Demon continued in a gentle tone, ¡°Talking with me might give you time to prepare or allow you to find clues to escape. I think it''ll be for the best if we have a pleasant conversation for now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon frowned; the Dream Demon sounded like she was calmly hosting a tea party.


    However, not disagreeing, he carefully replied, ¡°I think I would be valued as at least S rank.¡±


    Though he sessfully solved the difficult task of mass-producing sword aura equipment, that alone didn''t equate him with the Perfect Ones. So he chose to answer one step below, an S-rank hero.


    The Dream Demon smiled.


    ¡°You seem quite confident in yourself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see a need for modesty.¡±


    ¡°Haha. You¡¯re right. Well, regarding your value... you''re underestimating yourself.¡±


    The Dream Demon''s right yellow pupil sparkled.


    ¡°If I had to pick the most valuable person in this world, I would choose you, Lee Se-Hoon, without hesitation.¡±


    A beautiful woman saying such a thing would likely make anyone''s heart race, but with knowledge of the fact that the being before him was one of the Ten Evils, it only disturbed him to the core.


    ¡°Do you happen to know why?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s silence, the Dream Demon smiled again.


    ¡°Because I think you''re quite simr to me.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°In fact, very much so.¡±


    Unable to understand her iprehensible remark, Se-Hoon was about to question her when he instinctively turned his head and ced his hand on his sr plexus.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Pulling out the Phantasmal Spyde from the Dream Storage, purple mes erupted from his chest and he immediately stabbed his right eye.


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    Feeling his dagger piercing something, a purple butterfly appeared on its tip. Figuring out immediately that the Dream Demon was trying to take his right eye, he moved swiftly.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    He first kicked the table up to block the Dream Demon''s view before stepping back and activating the Ascension Ring''s spatial magic to alert Ludwig about the situation. If he could create even a small gap using spatial distortion, just as he had done before, he was certain it would work.


    ¡°Shhh...¡±


    However, the Dream Demon''s quiet hushing then began echoing around him.


    <i>sh-</i>


    As if everything had been a dream, the mana in the Ascension Ring disappeared without a trace and even the ring itself started to melt away.


    Taken aback, Se-Hoon stared at the Dream Demon with wide eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re actually trying to call for help while we¡¯re in the middle of a conversation? I should teach you some manners.¡±


    Making a yful smile, the Dream Demon ced a finger on her lips. Recovering at that moment, Se-Hoon realized something was wrong.


    <i>It¡¯s as if...</i>


    Her power was far greater than he had expected. Guessing his thoughts, the Dream Demon removed her finger and stood up.


    ¡°Did you think I snuck into this ce with a weak clone that even the Emperor of Ascension wouldn''t notice? And that I was pretending to be my actual self?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a smart guess. I guess no one would dare infiltrate Babel otherwise.¡±


    Walking toward him, a purple mist began flowing from the Dream Demon''s body, and her yellow right eye began shining even more ominously, exuding immense power. It felt as though her true form had shown itself.


    And because of that, Se-Hoon could finally understand what was happening.


    ¡°I did y a little trick, though.¡±


    The purple gem inside the jewel box that Amir brought... was actually the actual eye of the Dream Demon.


    <i>Flutter!</i>


    Thousands of purple butterflies surged up from the ground, rushing toward Se-Hoon like a wave. Defending, he instantly generated White Light in his left hand and swung it along with the Phantasmal Spyde in his right hand.


    <i>sh!</i>


    However, there were too many butterflies. With each one that managed to brush past him, his body blurred as if it were being consumed.


    If that continued, dream particles would rece him bit by bit until he disintegrated into nothing.


    <i>If that''s the case...</i>


    Taking the best option he had, Se-Hoon unhesitantly lowered White Light instead of swinging it.


    <i>Flutter!</i>


    In a second, he waspletely engulfed by the swarm of butterflies, leaving no trace of him behind.


    Utterly indifferent, the Dream Demon just watched.


    <i>Fwoosh-</i>


    A purple me ignited amidst the butterflies. Starting from a single butterfly, the mes quickly spread to burn thousands, creating a massive purple ze that consumed the area. And from it, Se-Hoon walked out, his eyes shing purple.


    Stunned, the Dream Demon stared in shock at the sight of Se-Hoon, who had effortlessly nullified her dream substitution.


    ¡°...Ha.¡±


    And then she burst intoughter, ecstatic.


    ¡°AHAHAHA!¡±


    Herugh was one of pure delight, like when one hit the jackpot¡ªan expression of uncontainable pleasure and joy. In contrast, Se-Hoon''s eyes narrowed at the exuberant reaction, which shook even the surroundings.


    <i>That reaction must mean...</i>


    When Se-Hoon confirmed that it was all the Dream Demon¡¯s doing, he pondered her motives. What did he have that would make her target him and take such a risk to sneak back into Babel? He hadn¡¯t been able to figure it out, until now.


    ¡°Are you after my eyes?¡±


    To be more precise, she wanted Ethereal Vision.


    At his word, the Dream Demon finally regained her senses and calmed down.


    ¡°I guess you could say that. And judging by what you just did, it really was you who defeated Makif and broke my seal on the ship.¡±


    Her assumption about the source of his spatial abilities and that he was the one who broke the seal on Amir with his Ethereal Vision, had been confirmed.


    ¡°Honestly, I had my doubts until just now.... And even then, I can¡¯t believe it was really you.¡±


    She had never expected such a young boy to excel in so many fields or even just have the talent to acquire a technique as advanced as Ethereal Vision.


    Se-Hoon frowned.


    ¡°What on earth do you n to do with it?¡±


    ¡°There are many things I want to do. But first, I need to teach you... Ah, let me make a formal offer first, just in case.¡±


    Jubnt, she extended her right hand toward Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Would you consider bing my sessor?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t mishear. I will give you my skills, power, authority... and basically everything else that I have.¡±


    Her words tickled his ears, causing Se-Hoon¡¯s heart to oddly flutter.


    ¡°If you be the sessor of the Pleasure District, I¡¯ll give you anything you can imagine.¡±


    ¡°...Anything?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Do you have anything that you particrly want? Though it would be somewhat iplete, I can give a simple demonstration here.¡±


    Smiling enchantingly, the Dream Demon drew on her dream mana.


    ¡°...There is one thing that I really want right now,¡± Se-Hoon said after staring at her for a moment.


    ¡°Alright, name it, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your head.¡±


    Curling his lips, Se-Hoon stared straight at the Dream Demon.


    ¡°If you hand over your dead head, then maybe I''ll consider your offer.¡±


    At the bnt mockery, the Dream Demon smiled bitterly and shook her head.


    ¡°Seems like I need to teach you some manners first.¡±


    <i>Flutter!</i>


    Countless butterflies immediately surged from the Dream Demon, filling the space between them. Going beyond merely devouring Se-Hoon¡¯s body, the entire area quickly fell under the Dream Demon¡¯s control. However, despite the threatening scene, Se-Hoon remained calm.


    ¡°Why aren''t you summoning the Dream Castle?¡± he slowly asked.


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°If you''re close to your true form right now, you should be able to summon at least part of it. So why wouldn¡¯t you simply just ensnare me inside if your objective is to abduct me?¡±


    ¡°That''s because¡ª¡±


    ¡°And earlier, you said that I hadn¡¯t found a way out of here, right?¡±


    Not allowing the Dream Demon to speak, Se-Hoon smirked at her high and mighty act.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the truth... that you also haven¡¯t found a way out here?¡±


    When the Dream Demon exined that she had infiltrated through dreams, he recalled what Ludwig had said to him.


    <i>¡°This space, which¡¯s connected to the Tower of Heroes, has been adjusted to make the students only focus onpleting the trials. But with you, your synesthetic mindscape was so tough that the adjustment couldn¡¯t influence you at all.¡±</i>


    His synesthetic mindscape was so sturdy that even a Perfect One like Ludwig couldn¡¯t easily intervene. And while sneaking in by exploiting some kind of gap might be possible, escaping with simr ease seemed doubtful.


    From that point on, Se-Hoon scrutinized the dream-like space that the Dream Demon had created, pretending to find a way out, and quickly uncovered its secrets.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a dream where you¡¯repletely in control. You don¡¯t have the power to do so, and even if you had seeded, Ludwig would have immediately noticed and intervened.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So instead you just made it look like you had total control, wanting to confirm that I had Ethereal Vision while also deteriorating my synesthetic mindscape. Then, once you could escape, you would connect with your main body and transmit the gathered information.¡±


    As she listened, the avatar of the Dream Demon, which she created with her single eye, turned icy cold.


    ¡°So what?¡±


    The surrounding air became freezing cold, and the dream mana emanating from her avatar surged explosively.


    ¡°What can you do, even if you know? Do you n to kill me here? With just your puny amount of strength?¡±


    Her killing intent permeated the entire space, resonating and pressing down on Se-Hoon. Even if it was an avatar, it was still created from a part of her true body. Furthermore, the specially crafted dream-like space made her almost as strong as her main body.


    Like she said, the sheer power of the Dream Demon, who could control the boundary between dream and reality, was far beyond what Se-Hoon could handle alone.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going to do.¡±


    But that was if all he had was his strength.


    <i>Stab!</i>


    Piercing his finger that had previously worn the Ascension Ring with his Phantasmal Spyde, the golden ring reappeared. He then promptly infused his mana into it, activating its spatial ability.


    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re doing, you should stop right now.¡±


    <i>Whirr-</i>


    Stopping him from tearing space, the Dream Demon transformed the surroundings into the grand hall of the Dream Castle. In this state, the Dream Demon believed that even the Emperor of Ascension couldn¡¯t interfere with them.


    <i>I guess I have no choice but topletely subdue his mind.</i>


    Although she wanted to avoid doing any potential damage to Se-Hoon, staying trapped until the Emperor of Ascension intervened would ruin everything she had nned. However, before she could act, a small void space opened in the air.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    From it, a repulsive-looking finger bone inscribed with dense runes fell out. But upon recognizing it a split-secondter, the Dream Demon¡¯s eyebrows shot up in shock.


    <strong><i>Bond Imprint</i></strong>


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Iron Desire¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    The Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx was crushed in Se-Hoon¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 192

    <h4>Chapter 192</h4>


    Crushed in Se-Hoon¡¯s hand, the left index finger bone of Wurgen Kruger¡ªthe mightiest necromancer who transcended death¡ªvanished without a trace.


    Preparing himself for the imminent absurd event about to ur, Se-Hoon felt a massive pulse from his right hand.


    <i>Thump-</i>


    The vibration traveled up his arm to his heart and then was spread throughout his body by his bloodstream. Resonating with it, everything that made up his body¡ªblood, organs, bones, muscles, and anything else¡ªstarted moving in unison.


    <i>Thump, thump, thump-</i>


    <i>Ugh...</i>


    Feeling the pulse frequency quicken and the resonance with his body growing stronger, Se-Hoon felt a fierce pain surge through him; it felt like someone was trying to pull apart his body.


    Barely able to endure the pain, it felt like his surroundings hadpletely frozen, as if time had stopped.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Se-Hoon''s right arm exploded. Unable to endure, his tough skin, sturdy bones, and muscles, which he had relentlessly trained for the past half year, were all torn apart.


    And it didn¡¯t end there. The explosion consumed the rest of his body leaving not a single trace. Then, where he once stood, a ck circle appeared.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Appearing like something was casting a shadow in midair, a tiny slit appeared across the ck circle¡¯s center before slowly opening to reveal an eye. From it, ck tears, as viscous as ink, trickled down to create the shell of a body.


    It was identical to Se-Hoon¡¯s, which had just exploded and disappeared moments ago. Forming next, its skeleton quickly came together, looking like it was made from ck wires. It was only when it waspleted that the eyeball, embedded in the back of the right hand, stopped shedding tears.


    The eyeball then slowly rolled around, scanning the surroundings. When it stopped, a gloomy voice could be heard, ¡°What a mess...¡±


    Though his consciousness had escaped from the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx just seconds ago, Wurgen easily grasped the situation. A brat had consumed his power, hoping to deal with the Dream Demon who was radiating a deadly intent, yet ended up dying in the process.


    Annoyed, Wurgen red at the motionless Dream Demon before frowning.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s a fake.¡±


    With just a nce, he figured out that the figure in front of him was merely an avatar inted with dream mana to make it seem like the actual body. Calmly examining the hall of the Dream Castle next, he also saw through its nature after only an instant.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m taking a closer look at it, this entire pce seems fake too. It¡¯s not even half decent.... Was this brat taken down by something like this? <i>Tsk, tsk.</i>¡±


    Thinking about how pathetically weak the brat must have been, Wurgen looked at the body he was now upying.


    ¡°Not only did this brat break my finger, but he also tried to use me for cleanup. <i>Tsk, </i>what an arrogant fool.¡±


    If Se-Hoon were alive, Wurgen would have dealt with him himself, but both the body and mind had long disintegrated into dust, unable to withstand his power and ego.


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no reason to y along with this brat''s schemes,¡± Wurgen muttered, his eye losing interest as he looked up at his half-formed body.


    If the finger bone had remained, he might have tried to retrieve it, but it had vanished as he awakened, leaving him no reason to bother. With nothing else to do, he began to close his eye to go back to rest when the jaw of his ck skeletal frame slowly moved on its own.


    ¡°That... would... be... troublesome...¡±


    Surprised, Wurgen''s eye shot open, and he scrutinized the body he inhabited. Then, upon finding no presence other than his own, his eye narrowed.


    <i>Thump-</i>


    Hearing a faint heartbeat from the empty air, his eye focused immediately on the void, and he soon began to see beyond the boundary.


    <i>Thump, thump, thump-</i>


    There, a heart tinged with violet was endlessly circting blood, which formed thework of veins in the body.


    Astonished by the creepy scene, Wurgen uttered, ¡°In that brief moment, you hid your heart beyond the boundary using my power and connected it with dream mana?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... right...¡±


    The power of Boundaries, held within the necromancer''s bone, allowed one to see through the boundaries of life and death and traverse them freely, but such a skill was almost impossible to master. So, Se-Hoon employed a simple trick: dream mana.


    <i>If I substitute my heart with a dream heart, I can avoid death even if I can''t fully control the power of Boundaries.</i>


    To evade the repercussions of absorbing the power from the phnx, he ced his heart beyond the boundary, leaving his body in a state of ambiguity between life and death. However, if he released the boundary in this state, his heart wouldn''t be able to return to reality, which is why he used dream mana as a dual safety return mechanism.


    <i>It worked exactly as nned, but it sure was risky.</i>


    Not only had he never learned dream mana from anyone, but he also only had surface knowledge of the power of Boundaries that was gleamed through using and researching the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx. With high chances for mistakes on both sides, he could have instantly died.


    ¡°I thought you were just a little brat, but it seems like you¡¯re more of a madman,¡± Wurgen acknowledged. He was well aware that Se-Hoon¡¯s confidence despite risking his own life wasn¡¯t something easy toe by.


    Updating his impression of Se-Hoon to reckless, Wurgen nonchntly said, ¡°Well, all the better if you¡¯re still alive. Now I can have you pay for your arrogance.¡±


    <i>Woong-</i>


    ck waves spread from the eye on the right hand, applying pressure to Se-Hoon¡¯s heart beyond the boundary.


    Yet, despite the intense pain, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t flinch.


    ¡°I will... make it for you.¡±


    ¡°<i>...Hm?</i>¡±


    ¡°A new phnx... I mean.¡±


    Wurgen looked at Se-Hoon¡¯s heart in disbelief. Instead of begging for his life, he was making an offer? Yet, he had to admit that he had now be curious about the identity of the reckless brat who could talk so boldly to a Perfect One like him.


    ¡°You, who couldn''t even handle that fake avatar, im to be able to craft a finger bone for <i>me</i>?¡±


    ¡°What does... being good atbat... have to do with cksmithing? As long as I can... forge equipment well.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Normally, Wurgen wouldn''t have bothered listening and would have just killed him, but the situation was different this time. Se-Hoon, who he thought was dead, had devised a clever yet reckless n that allowed him to survive.


    Interested, he looked up at Se-Hoon¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Show me proof that you can make it. A man can''t make a trade without seeing the goods first.¡±


    Though demanding proof from someone who was only a heart seemed unreasonable, that was a problem for them. Yet, undeterred by Wurgen''s ruthless demand, Se-Hoon moved Wurgen¡¯s jaw to form a crude smile.


    ¡°Very... well...¡±


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Crossing the boundary, Se-Hoon''s heart beat strongly once it returned to its ce in Wurgen''s skeletal body. The blood that followed then filled the inside of the skeleton intricately and delicately as if the blood vessels had never been extracted.


    His interest growing, Wurgen watched on.


    <i>Crack-!</i>


    The revitalization started from the heart. The blood it created provided the necessary energy to regenerate and restore Se-Hoon¡¯s organs, bones, muscles, and skin.


    Watching everything appear one by one, like time was rewinding to before his body had exploded, Wurgen blinked in surprise.


    <i>Is this... resurrection...?</i>


    The current body in which the two coexisted was right at the boundary between life and death. Here, one could experience time slowing to a crawl and their fleeting lives shing by. One could even resurrect by crossing the line back to life. However, there was a catch: they had to understand how their body would work in real-time.


    <i>Crack-crack!</i>


    At first thought, one would likely think that merely memorizing the entire structure of their body would suffice, but that wasn¡¯t the case. On top of their body, one had to perfectly understand the inexplicable flow of their consciousness through it, which was moremonly referred to as the ¡°soul.¡±


    <i>Who exactly is this brat...?</i>


    Falling into thought, Wurgen silently observed Se-Hoon, who had already solved the inevitable conundrum every necromancer would face.


    <i>Swish!</i>


    Not longter, the right hand where his eyeball was had perfectly regenerated. Now, the body Wurgen was inhabiting was a perfect recreation of Se-Hoon¡¯s body in the exact posture that it had been just before the explosion. A part of it was integrated with Wurgen¡¯s ck skeleton, but otherwise, there was nothing out of the ordinary.


    ¡°Is this enough?¡±


    Completely calm, Se-Hoon looked down at the eye on the back of his hand.


    Staring back at him, the eye soon narrowed into a crescent shape.


    ¡°This is going to be interesting.¡±


    ***


    Back when Se-Hoon just grabbed the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx, the Dream Demon felt a chill go down her spine. In that split second, she had recognized the owner of the finger bone upon seeing its densely inscribed characters on each joint.


    <i>The Eternal Nocturne...!</i>


    Thirteen years ago, Wurgen was ambushed while teleporting, resulting in his body parts scattering worldwide. It was unclear how one had ended up with Se-Hoon, but there was no time to ask such trivial questions.


    <i>In my current state, even that single phnx is dangerous!</i>


    If her true body were here, she could have managed a single phnx. However, she was an avatar created by her eye. Moreover, if Se-Hoon knew how to properly use the power of Boundaries, just that alone would be a significant threat.


    Feeling the danger, she swung her hand toward the butterflies that filled the hall.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    Gathering together, the purple butterflies formed a hole that began endlessly pouring out bright yellow lightning bolts around Se-Hoon.


    <i>Rumble!!</i>


    Though the lightning strikes, derived from nightmares, were merely illusions in dreams, they became reality here. Raging furiously, the number of lightning bolts increased and shook the entire hall without respite.


    Their power and roars could turn even an S-rank hero into charcoal, so when it came to Se-Hoon, his body disintegrated without leaving even a speck of dust.


    ¡°So noisy.¡±


    Yet, despite having been disintegrated, Se-Hoon¡¯s voice could still be heard softly echoing.


    A secondter, a dark shadow shot into the purple hole that had been spewing lightning, and the hole shut and vanished. The resulting silence was just as deafening.


    Then, from the center of the lightning, Se-Hoon¡¯s body emerged from a shadow that had risen.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    A subtle ck pulse was emanating from his toes. ck letters were densely inscribed on his left index finger. And his eyes were darker and deeper than before, consuming light like an abyss.


    Despite not changing much, Se-Hoon¡¯s new appearance which seemed like apletely different person caused the Dream Demon to gasp in astonishment.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be... you are¡ª¡±


    ¡°Silence.¡±


    Her words were cut off by Se-Hoon, who was looking at her utterly indifferent.


    Then, Wurgen, who was momentarily borrowing Se-Hoon''s body, emotionlessly said, ¡°I don''t want to waste my time conversing with a half-assed piece of trash. Let''s end this quickly.¡±


    Hearing his dismissive tone, which made it clear that he didn''t care a single bit about her presence, the Dream Demon twisted her eyes in humiliation. However, she had no time to express her emotions; the ck wave emanating from Se-Hoon¡¯s feet was spreading deeper and deeper, causing the hastily created hall of the Dream Castle to blur.


    A boundary was being drawn across the dream mana, which was mixing the dream world and reality.


    <i>Before that happens...!</i>


    If the hall copsed, the Dream Demon''s ns would alsoe to an end. With her hand forced, she focused all of her power into her right eye.


    <i>Bzzt!</i>


    Her entire body became hazy and wavered like mist, but her right eye shone an even brighter yellow, defining the hall with more detail. Various door shapes began to form on the ceiling, walls, and floor, each slowly opening to reveal the scenery beyond.


    <i>Swirl-</i>


    Polluted spirits, dyed a dark, purplish-ck, rippled beyond them. Suppressed by human subconsciousness until now, the Dream Demon summoned them all at once to unleash her skill.


    <strong><i>Dream Magic: Tainted Deluge</i></strong>


    The Dream Demon¡¯s eye shone even more intensely, copsing the boundary Wurgen had set up. Like a tidal wave, the polluted spirits promptly poured out and quickly dyed the hall and consumed the surroundings.


    Believing that even the Eternal Nocturne couldn¡¯t overlook the flood of nightmares that could destroy human reason, drive them mad, and copse their egos, the Dream Demon¡¯s right eye gleamed sharply.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    However, Wurgen just swept his left index finger, inscribed with ck letters, lightly through the air. Without using any discernible mana, the casual swipe drew a line that halted everything around it. The line then slowly widened, revealing a giant eye that took in everything around it.


    <strong>¡°Seal.¡±</strong>


    Slowly closing, the eye engulfed everything the Dream Demon created¡ªfrom the once-elegant hall of the Dream Castle to the torrent of nightmares¡ªand it all vanished without a trace.


    All that remained was a sliver of indistinguishable pitch-ck darkness, where the Dream Demon stood dazedly in the midst.


    ¡°...What a pity.¡±


    With a bitter smile on her face, she dissolved it into the darkness the moment Wurgen ordered the eye to finally shut.

 Chapter 193

    <h4>Chapter 193</h4>


    Se-Hoon slowly opened his eyes to the familiar sight of his bedroom ceiling.


    ¡°...¡±


    Realizing he was in his room, Se-Hoon calmly assessed his physical condition instead of immediately getting up. Was everything truly over? Was he still in a dream?


    While carefully reviewing his memories and sensations to answer those questions, Se-Hoon soon heard an incredulous voice in his mind.


    <i>¡°You </i>do <i>realize how ridiculous you look, right?¡±</i>


    At the voice, Se-Hoon¡¯s attention snapped to his right hand, and he immediately noticed the inscriptions on his index finger and the eye on its back. Now he remembered that through Iron Desire, the power of the Eternal Nocturne had seeped throughout his body andbined with his consciousness.


    With the answer to his questions found, he recalled hisst memories and asked, ¡°Is everything settled?¡±


    <i>¡°It ended exactly as you saw. Do I need to exin further?¡± </i>Wurgen indifferently replied. To him, it was a minor incident.


    But it made Se-Hoon look down at his index finger with a peculiar expression.


    <i>Thest skill he used... was definitely Vision of the Abyss.</i>


    Vision of the Abyss was one of the necromancy spells imbued in the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx. Back when Se-Hoon had used it, he could only manage to trap the opponent beyond the boundary. But when Wurgen used it, it swallowed everything¡ªincluding the Dream Demon herself.


    <i>I expected some user-specific power difference, but not to this extent.</i>


    And such power hade from a single finger bone.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious there will be a difference between using the power and merely borrowing it. You have to understand that to extract anything from an artifact containing the power of us Perfect Ones in the future,¡± Wurgen said, seemingly reading Se-Hoon¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Extracting...¡±


    Se-Hoon made a thoughtful expression. He had always thought of the tools containing their powers as secret manuals containing theplete teachings of a master, but it seemed there was more to them than that.


    <i>I think I somewhat understand...</i>


    Delving deeper into this matter would undoubtedly be beneficial for future research and application of the Ascension Ring and the Pilgrim''s Incense Burner.


    ¡°Thank you for the advice.¡±


    <i>¡°It''s nothing.¡±</i>


    At the indifferent reply, Se-Hoon raised an eyebrow.


    <i>I never knew this ill-tempered man had this side to him...</i>


    Perhaps the consciousness left in the finger bone long ago differed from his current personality.


    Entertained by the thought, Se-Hoon watched as Wurgen''s eye narrowed into a crescent moon shape.


    <i>¡°Besides, Ludwig or Andersen will be the ones getting analyzed anyway.¡±</i>


    ¡°...¡±


    Unlike the still-intact Ascension Ring and Pilgrim''s Incense Burner, Iron Desire hadpletely consumed the Eternal Nocturne''s Phnx. And once the effect of the skill wore off, both the power and the consciousness from it would disappear, exining why Wurgen was indifferently divulging secrets about the powers of Perfect Ones.


    <i>So as long as it''s not him, it''s fine.</i>


    Re-evaluating Wurgen, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes. Meanwhile, the eye on his right hand was ncing around the room.


    <i>¡°Hmm... is it that? Hey, bring me closer to that jewel box, would you?¡±</i>


    Remembering that the jewel box Amir had given him contained the purple gem which was actually the Dream Demon''s Eye, he obeyed Wurgen''s instructions.


    Taking control, Wurgen directed Se-Hoon¡¯s right hand to hold its index finger above the box. From it, a ck shadow-like substance then seeped out and prated the box.


    <i>nk, nk!</i>


    Upon contact, the jewel box immediately started shaking violently, as if something inside was struggling to get out. However, the shadow created by Wurgen quickly stabilized the box and prevented it from opening.


    Then, when the box calmed down about five minutester, Wurgen withdrew the finger finger and instructed, <i>¡°Open it.¡±</i>


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Taking caution, Se-Hoon carefully opened the jewel box to reveal its contents. Amidst the neatly arranged jewels, the Dream Demon''s Eye sat quietly. Unlike before, it now had a closed-eye-like ck line across the center and emitted no dream mana.


    <i>¡°It was set to self-destruct if the n failed. But I prevented that by trapping it in the boundary between life and death.¡±</i>


    Thinking about Wurgen¡¯s exnation, Se-Hoon soon understood and asked, ¡°So, the Dream Demon won¡¯t be able to regenerate one of her eyes anymore?¡±


    <i>¡°I see you''re sharp. Yes, that''s correct.¡±</i>


    The Dream Demon''s extraordinary regenerative abilities and mastery over dream magic normally rendered any physical damage to her body almost insignificant. However, Wurgen had neither returned nor destroyed the eye.


    By sealing it between in the boundary, he rendered itpletely lost.


    <i>Wurgen''s power is quite well matched against the Dream Demon.</i>


    If the Dream Demon had known that Se-Hoon possessed one of the Eternal Nocturne''s body parts, she would never have sent a part of her body in such a manner. This time, Wurgen had not only prevented information leaks but also dealt a blow to the Dream Demon and gave Se-Hoon intriguing material.


    <i>It¡¯ll be troublesome if the seal breakster, but if handled well...</i>


    Guessing Se-Hoon¡¯s thoughts once again, Wurgen curiously watched Se-Hoon contemte how he could potentially use the Dream Demon''s Eye.


    <i>This brat surely isn¡¯t right in the head...</i>


    He had first broken the finger bone of a Perfect One and absorbed its power, and now he was intending to study and utilize the Dream Demon¡¯s eye. His audacity,bined with his way of thinking that was a bit unhingedpared to others, clearly distinguished him from those who couldn¡¯t be top-ranking heroes.


    <i>Given his skill and talent, I might already be closely monitoring him.</i>


    As the consciousness in the finger was from thirteen years ago, Wrugen had no knowledge of Se-Hoon. However, witnessing Se-Hoon''s potential assured him that his actual body in the present was already on the lookout.


    With his thoughts sorted out, Wurgen called out to Se-Hoon.


    <i>¡°It seems everything is settled, so I will be leaving now.¡±</i>


    ¡°Ah, it''s already time.¡±


    Looking at his right hand, Se-Hoon noticed that both the inscription on his index finger and the eye on the back had faded significantly. The effect of Iron Desire was nearing its end, and since Wurgen''s consciousness decided to leave, it began dissipating faster.


    Gazing at the process, Se-Hoon suddenly had a thought. ¡°Um... are you just going to disappear like this?¡±


    <i>¡°Most of my consciousness will, but some parts will flow back to the original body.¡±</i>


    While the Eternal Nocturne was still alive, the consciousness in Wurgen¡¯s finger bone, which had helped him defeat the Dream Demon, would cease to exist. The thought put a bitter expression on Se-Hoon¡¯s face.


    However, upon seeing his expression, Wurgen nonchntly remarked, ¡°My original body will receive the details of your contract to fix my finger, so don''t consider withdrawing.¡±


    ¡°...<i>Tsk</i>.¡±


    Although Se-Hoon didn''t want to get involved with such a troublesome skeleton, life didn¡¯t always go as nned. Still, he was frustrated, so he openly expressed his dissatisfaction.


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s audacity, Wurgen¡¯s eye stared at him incredulously.


    <i>¡°You¡¯ve be very confident since I''m disappearing... I advise against behaving this way in front of my main body. He might immediately kill you, regardless of whether there¡¯s a contract or not.¡±</i>


    ¡°I have that much sense myself, you know.¡±


    <i>¡°Arrogant brat...¡±</i>


    Squinting at him, Wurgen nced around the room before rxing.


    <i>¡°Well, you won¡¯t have an easy time either.¡±</i>


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    <i>¡°Good luck. Oh, and...¡±</i>


    Wurgen''s eye curled into a crescent moon.


    <i>¡°...I¡¯m leaving you a get-well-soon gift.¡±</i>


    Leaving beyond those cryptic words, Wurgen¡¯s consciousness and power disappeared, along with the inscription on his index finger and the eye on the back of his hand.


    But just as Se-Hoon realized Iron Desire¡¯s effect hadpletely ended, he heard a sound echo from within his body.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    Following the sound, his bones and muscles twitched like a tightly wound spring, and Se-Hoon''s darkness mana, Moonlit Shadow, began rampaging wildly.


    <i>Boom! Bang!</i>


    Startled, Se-Hoon searched his body for a cause and quickly identified it.


    <i>That damn bastard!</i>


    Since Wurgen¡¯s power had deeply infiltrated Se-Hoon¡¯s body through Iron Desire, it was natural for residuals to remain, especially considering it was the power of a Perfect One. However, Wurgen could havepletely removed his power without leaving anything behind because his consciousness was almost in a perfect state.


    <i>He said he would erase everything... but that was a trap from the start.</i>


    Instead ofpletely removing his power from Se-Hoon, he spread it throughout his body. And once Wurgen''s consciousness disappeared from his body, so did his control over it.


    Thankfully, it had been weakened from dealing with the Dream Demon, but it was still a Perfect One¡¯s power. Without any struggle, it quickly assimted Moonlit Shadow and started wreaking havoc inside Se-Hoon¡¯s body.


    <i>That bastard must have been nning to leave me in a vegetative state and thening to fix it himself.</i>


    Was it because it was possible to fail to fully transfer the memories to his original body? Figuring out Wurgen''s intention, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes.


    <i>Too bad you picked the wrong opponent, though.</i>


    He hadn¡¯t lived his life so foolishly that he would let the remnants of a Perfect One¡¯s power take over his body. Desperately suppressing the rampaging remnants inside him, Se-Hoon immediately activated Soul Honing.


    <i>Swish!</i>


    A new path began forming inside his body, connecting with the mana circuit that contained Moonlit Shadow. Secondster, the rampaging force discovered the newly created path and rushed out as if escaping.


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    Surging through the new path and moving to seize his heart, Moonlit Shadow was strengthened more and more as it absorbed all of Wurgen''s power while coursing through his body.


    <i>nk!</i>


    mming the path close, Se-Hoon trapped the now corrupted darkness mana in his lower abdomen. But having been strengthened, it immediately tried to break through. However, Se-Hoon¡¯s Scorching Wheel moved first.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The shock within his body caused him to jolt, and ck smoke billowed out his mouth. Yet, the explosion only caused the corrupted darkness mana to recoil slightly; it wasn''t enough to subdue it.


    So, Se-Hoon detonated Scorching Wheel again and again in his abdomen.


    <i>Bang! Bang!</i>


    Explosions continued to sound from his lower abdomen, causing his entire body to repeatedly jolt, sending blood trickling from his mouth.


    He had used Purified Earth to protect his organs, but it wasn''t enough topletely shield them from internal explosions. So with each explosion, his injuries increase, yet he paid them no mind.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Anticipating such a situation, he had already summoned apetent healer.


    Watching Se-Hoon in amazement, the summoned Vermillion Bird listened to the continuous explosions from his abdomen.


    <i>¡°You told me to stay quietly in that little piece of metal, but...¡±</i>


    The Vermillion Bird was speechless, unable to understand how a mere human could do something so reckless without flinching even once.


    <i>¡°You madman...¡±</i>


    Although it was already aware of Se-Hoon¡¯s abnormality, it felt even more reluctant to get involved with him now.


    Seeing the Vermillion Bird¡¯s look of disgust, Se-Hoon red at it with a frown.


    ¡°Just hurry up and heal me.¡±


    <i>¡°...Alright.¡±</i>


    Reluctantly, the Vermillion Bird attached itself to Se-Hoon''s abdomen and began, transferring its mes inside his body, quickly healing his rapidly deteriorating interior.


    <i>This should do it.</i>


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Confirming he no longer needed to worry about further injuries, Se-Hoon borrowed the Vermillion Bird¡¯s mes to cause even more powerful explosions.


    Although the corrupted darkness mana had been strengthened, there was no Wurgen to assist it further. And seemingly realizing that as well, the corrupted darkness mana began to lose momentum and slowly transform.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    Submitting to Se-Hoon, the corrupted darkness mana sunk down like a subordinate dropping to grovel. Seeing that, Se-Hoon opened a path to extract it separately.


    At this point, all of the explosions had sessfully refined the corrupted darkness mana, so he redirected the purified mana back into his body.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Despite a few hups, his guidance allowed the newly purified darkness mana to flow naturally in its originally designated mana circuit. Satisfied, Se-Hoon adjusted the structure of its mana circuit before summoning an imaginary hammer, which he then used to mentally strike his body.


    <i>ng!</i>


    A harsh metallic sound resonated in his ears, causing his body to jolt violently.


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    His tightly shut mouth opened, and ck smoke rapidly escaped.


    ¡°Whew... I¡¯m exhausted.¡±


    While other students were busy taking their exams, he was attacked by the Dream Demon and then almost put into a vegetative state by the Eternal Nocturne. It was no wonder why the death card had appeared in the divination magic.


    <i>One mistake and I would have lost everything.</i>


    Even though he was a regressor, his opponents were no less formidable. Reminded of the hard truth, he resolved to not let his guard down in the future.


    <strong>[The effect of ¡®Soul Honing¡¯ significantly boosts all stats.]</strong>


    <strong>[The elemental mana ¡®Moonlit Shadow(C+)¡¯ has been enhanced to ¡®Midnight Abyss (A)¡¯.]</strong>


    <strong>[Skill ¡®Edict of the Eternal Nocturne (B+)¡¯ has been acquired.]</strong>


    Reading through the somewhat expected series of notification messages that appeared before his eye, Se-Hoon checked his stats.


    <strong>[Lee Se-Hoon]</strong>


    <strong>[Strength - B (224) Stamina - B (230)</strong>


    <strong>Mana - A (278) Agility - B (220)]</strong>


    <strong>[Midnight Abyss]¡ºA¡»</strong>


    <strong>[Darkness mana that flows from the boundary of night.</strong>


    <strong>It specializes in handling the unique darkness mana that exists beyond the boundary and can even invert the target¡¯s boundary, sending them beyond it.]</strong>


    <strong>[Edict of the Eternal Nocturne]¡ºB+¡»</strong>


    <strong>[Thew established by the Perfect One, Wurgen Kruger.</strong>


    <strong>It enablespletemand over the boundary between life and death, as well as the ability to manage souls within the body.</strong>


    <strong>It also allows one to control or absorb the power of spirits; however, this may lead to contamination by vengeful spirits.</strong>


    <strong>*Enables maniption of the boundary between life and death</strong>


    <strong>*Enables one tomand spirits and absorb their power</strong>


    <strong>*Absorbing too much of the spirits'' power may lead to contamination by vengeful spirits]</strong>


    ¡°...Wow.¡±


    His mana stat had increased by more than forty points, reaching grade A in an instant. His darkness mana had simrly advanced to grade A, skipping four levels of enhancement. Additionally, he had acquired a B+ grade skill, marking significant growth.


    However, rather than the grade increases, he was most surprised by the effects of Midnight Abyss and the Edict of the Eternal Nocturne.


    <i>Controlling the boundary between life and death... did I gain Wurgen¡¯s unique skill?</i>


    It seemed he had naturally acquired the overpowered skill while taming the darkness mana mixed with Wurgen¡¯s power. Even if it would take him some time to master it, he would likely be able to use necromantic spells like the Vision of the Abyss without the help of the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx in the end.


    <i>This skill also seems to have many other potential uses.... It¡¯s quite the gift.</i>


    Anticipating how Wurgen would react if he knew about this, Se-Hoon smirked. And that was when two more notification messages popped up in front of him.


    <strong>[The host¡¯s bond has grown to Lv. 2.]</strong>


    <strong>[Skill ¡®Bond Recreate¡¯ has been added.]</strong>


    ¡°...Huh?¡±

 Chapter 194

    <h4>Chapter 194</h4>


    <i>Why did it rise this time?</i>


    It was the second time Se-Hoon saw this kind of notification message.


    He stared at it curiously, seeing as how it stated that his <i>own</i> bond level had risen. Normally, when bond levels rose, he had a general idea of why, as he actively created the conditions for it to happen. However, he had no clue with his own, both this time and thest.


    <i>If I could check the Rtionship, I might be able to guess... but there''s nothing like that.</i>


    In hindsight, it would be strange if he had a Rtionship with himself. Tired, he massaged his eyes.


    <i>I guess I¡¯ll just figure it out as time goes by.</i>


    A few things came to mind, but since nothing was certain for now, it was better to investigate calmly rather than jump to conclusions.


    Having decided on a n, he checked the newly added skill.


    <strong>[Bond Recreate]</strong>


    <strong>[Consuming a Fatestone allows the user to recreate the owner''s memories and powers.]</strong>


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    It was a short and simple description. Mulling over it, he roughly understood what kind of skill it was.


    <i>It¡¯s just an upgraded version of the Synesthetic Synchronization I''ve been practicing.</i>


    Unlike how Synesthetic Synchronization simply allowed him to mimic another¡¯s skills and memories, Bond Recreate allowed him to recreate their power in its original form by consuming their Fatestone. In other words, it was a skill that, for a short while, allowed him to cast the real thing instead of an imitation.


    The potential applications appeared limitless, but only at first nce. For instance, a situation like earlier, when Se-Hoon attempted to borrow Wurgen''s power, could happen.


    However, it was still worth experimenting with, so Se-Hoon quickly came up with a method.


    <i>For now, the mostpatible person I know is... yeah, I¡¯ll test it with Jake first.</i>


    Out of those he had established bonds with, Jake had the best personality and no peculiar traits. So even if there were side effects, he believed that he could easily deal with them.


    ¡ªAnnouncement!


    Just as he decided to find an opportunity to meet with Jake, a voice resonated from the dormitory speaker.


    ¡ªWe hereby conclude the first-semester evaluation exam. To all those who took the tests, thank you for your hard work. The closing ceremony will be held at 1:00 pm...


    At the announcement, Se-Hoon exhaled a breath of relief.


    ¡°It''s finally over...¡±


    There were various incidents along the way, but all in all, it ended rtively peacefullypared to what he had expected, despite the worrisome result of the divination magic.


    <i>Since I somehow avoided death this time... doesn¡¯t that mean it¡¯s possible to change the future that the divination magic foreshows?</i>


    If so, it was indeed a useful skill. But, he still couldn''t fully trust it. The result could have been a coincidence, and above all, he wasn''t sure if he had interpreted it correctly in the first ce.


    <i>Well, since it managed to get it right to some extent, I¡¯ll look into it properly next time.</i>


    Regardless of the answer, he concluded the use of divination magic could guide him through a future that his regression had altered. And since that was the case, he began contemting whether he should approach Jane and inquire about it the next time he had the opportunity.


    <i>Vrrr-</i>


    ncing at his phone next to his pillow, he saw that his report card from Babel had arrived.


    <strong><i><u>First Semester Evaluation Results for Lee Se-Hoon.</u></i></strong>


    <i><u>Departmental Exams</u></i>


    <i>*Ore Analysis - [Perfect Score] </i>


    <i>*Metallurgy - [Perfect Score]</i>


    <i>*Understanding Tools - [Perfect Score] </i>


    <i>*Origins of Equipment - [Perfect Score]</i>


    <i>*Ancient Enchantments - [Perfect Score] </i>


    <i>*Barrier Composition - [Perfect Score]</i>


    <i>*Physiology Controls - [A+]</i>


    <i><u>College-wide Exam</u></i>


    <i>*Labyrinth Exploration - [Perfect Score]</i>


    <i><u>Year-wide Exam</u></i>


    <i>*Special Exam - [Perfect Score]</i>


    <i>Based on the above results, you have been appointed as the ¡®Year-wide Honor Student¡¯ of the first-years.</i>


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Aside from one small part that bothered him, the report card was filled with perfect scores. Still, in the end, he seeded in being selected as the year-wide honor student.


    <i>If only I hadn''t heard the results right after each exam, it would have been a bit more touching.</i>


    Long having guessed the results, he looked at the report card with a wry smile. And not longter, his phone started vibrating with messages from the others.


    Sung-Ha: I won the honor student position.


    Luize: I got the second-year college honor student spot.


    Lea: I told you I could do it!


    After the trio proudly sent their report cards and boasted about bing honor students in their respective colleges, messages from Jake and Erika arrived.


    Jake: I thought I did well, but I still lost.... Anyway, congrattions on being the year-wide honor student!


    Erika: I lost.


    While full of regret, Jake congratted him nheless. Erika''s thoughts, however, were hard to guess from just two words alone.


    Aside from them, Eun-Ha and a few others also sent messages congratting or saying he did well. Reading them all, Se-Hoon softly smiled.


    ¡°Everyone''s making such a fuss...¡±


    The amount of praise was a bit overwhelming, but it didn''t feel too bad. Just as he was about to reply to each one, a message from Babel arrived.


    Babel: The closing ceremony will include a brief award ceremony at 1:00 pm. Please arrive at the central za, where the closing ceremony will take ce, thirty minutes in advance.


    ¡°An award ceremony?¡±


    Given that this was the inaugural year for the year-wide honor student position, Ludwig likely intended to broadcast it live, simr to the entrance ceremony.


    <i>To the whole world... huh?</i>


    A thought then crossed his mind, and his lips curled into a smile.


    <i>This should be interesting.</i>


    ***


    In the center of Frankfurt, Germany were numerous corporate buildings, reflecting the city''s status as a world-ss economic hub. And out of them all, thergest and most magnificent was undoubtedly the headquarters of the global giant, the UD Group.


    Unlike the other buildings, theirs remained brightly lit even after 1:00 am, making it resemble a gigantic lighthouse. To an outsider, it would look like thousands of employees were unable to leave work, stuck in an oppressive environment, but that wasn¡¯t exactly right.


    <i>ck, ck!</i>


    Within the building, skeletons were typing away with their bony fingers, and ghosts were passing through the ceiling, floor, and walls, to deliver documents here and there.


    ¡°Let us focus on the supplies for Babel first... I can tell that you''re falling asleep by observing the mes on your necks, you know?


    Duhans were conducting meetings with their heads ced on desks, and chimeras were using their twelve sets of legs to organize and ssify items. It was a bizarre sight, one that could never be found anywhere else in the world.


    It would be natural to assume that a crooked necromancer was exploiting the dead, and that actually wasn''t far from the truth.


    ¡°Your son¡¯s joining as a new recruit, right? This is a double celebration for your family.¡±


    They had all perished in demon ambushes while on business trips, but Wurgen had resurrected them as the undead, and now they were working nonstop into the dead of night.


    It was the UD Group''s After-Life Welfare n.


    At the UD Group, the living employees worked during the day, and at night, the undead took over. It was an ingenious management system that transcended even death, a system only possible because the head was the Eternal Nocturne Wurgen Kruger himself.


    And currently, the man in charge of such a paranormal system was walking slowly through an elegantly decorated corridor on the uppermost floor of their headquarters.


    ¡°...¡±


    His skin was as pale as a corpse, and he wore an expressionless face. He was actually quite handsome, but his rigid expression and the perfectly fitted ck suit made him exude an indescribable sense of intimidation.


    Soon, the intimidating man silently reached the door at the end of the corridor and knocked lightly.


    <i>Knock, knock.</i>


    ¡°Mr. President.¡±


    There was no response.


    After waiting quietly for a moment, the man opened the door and stepped inside.


    The office had a neatly organized gray-toned interior. It was under-furnished and empty for its size, but the air was densely filled with screens.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    The screens disyed various documents processed from the UD Group¡¯s branches and TV channels from around the world. There were over a hundred screens in an orderly manner, with a desk ced facing them all.


    On it, there was only one item: a skull. It was resting on a cushion, its empty eye sockets focused on the screens¡ªa totally normal skull.


    However, on closer inspection there were no shadows inside the eye sockets; instead, a ck substance filled them.


    <i>Woosh-</i>


    The ck mist spilled out from the skull, spreading across the desk and creating an eerie scene. For a moment, the man watched the scene.


    ¡°Mr. President.¡±


    There was no response from the skull. Familiar with what to do, the man stepped closer and adjusted a panel, changing one of the channels on the screen.


    ¡°I''m not asleep.¡±


    A deep voice suddenly emanated from the skull.


    ¡°My apologies, Mr. President.¡±


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>... Never mind.¡±


    The skull''s shroud shifted, and bluish eyes appeared in the eye sockets, ring at the man.


    ¡°So? Did you find out anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll project the findings of my investigation right now.¡±


    The man maneuvered the screens, repositioning them to create onerge spacious disy. Therge screen then disyed detailed photos of Se-Hoon, his activities, and connections, along with various other data.


    The skull¡¯s eyes scrutinized the information, and a momentter, the screens reverted to their original state.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Chewing over the information, Wurgen gazed at the man.


    ¡°Benjamin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. President.¡±


    ¡°Is that really all the information you have?¡±


    Bowing politely, Benjamin, the secretary general with corpse-like pale skin, confirmed, ¡°Yes, it includes all of thetest data we¡¯ve managed to secure.¡±


    Wurgen¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°I see...¡±


    Just a few hours ago, this amount of information would have been satisfactory, but now things were different.


    Recalling the memory that had surfaced a few hours ago, the gathered information was far too scant to fully exin the talent that Wurgen had glimpsed in Se-Hoon.


    <i>Breaking my finger bone and absorbing its power is something even vermin from the Demon Force can do, but... being able to handle souls is a different matter.</i>


    Not only was Se-Hoon able to perfectly define the concept of souls with his own theory, but he also clearly understood and could perceive it. With his skill with souls, he was essentially a high-end necromancer, a level only <i>three </i>of Wurgen¡¯s children had reached.


    <i>And he achieved all this in just half a year...</i>


    It was extremely suspicious, especially considering his multifaceted talents in various fields.


    <i>Did Ludwig meddle with something? But even if so, there are still too many suspicious points...</i>


    Lost in thought, Wurgen suddenly recalled a conversation he had with Ludwig after discussing the Tower of Heroes.


    <i>¡°Ah, there¡¯s this intriguing young man I would like you to meet, if you have time, of course.¡±</i>


    At the time, he thought Ludwig was just trying to get him to mentor one of his students, but now Wurgen thought differently.


    <i>He might have genuinely meant it.</i>


    Even Wurgen had to acknowledge that Se-Hoon had a peculiar talent that even Perfect Ones like themselves couldn¡¯t understand. As he mulled over the faint memories of Se-Hoon, he spoke.


    ¡°Benjamin,¡± he called out, musing over the faint memories of Se-Hoon.


    ¡°At your service, sir.¡±


    ¡°Let''s revisit our previousmitment to coborate with Babel and change to supporting them to the fullest extent possible.¡±


    Despite the employees¡¯ tirelessly diligent preparations for this project, Benjamin just nodded upon hearing Wurgen''s suggestion topletely redo it from the start.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    This was the UD Group. Even if the employees screamed and tore at their hair, Wurgen¡¯s orders always took precedence.


    ¡°Also, we need to send someone to Babel... Richard should be suitable. Once we establish the branch at Babel, send him there.¡±


    Wurgen had chosen his eighteenth son, Richard Kruger.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll handle the rest as ites... ah, I nearly forgot.¡±


    Just before Wurgen was going to dismiss him, he remembered one more thing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be visiting Babel tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You mean you¡¯ll be going there yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    At the indifferent reply, Benjamin¡¯s eyes widened slightly.


    <i>The president is moving personally...</i>


    Was there something special about that student, Lee Se-Hoon? However, although he was curious, Benjamin quickly suppressed it since his job was to follow orders.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to it immediately¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Wurgen suddenly stopped Benjamin''s words with his eyes fixed on one screen.


    It was disying a tform with a white tower in the background, where Ludwig stood and began his speech. Yet contrary to his expectations, Ludwig was calm andposed.


    <i>How is he so calm?</i>


    By now, Ludwig should have heard about the state Se-Hoon was in and would have reacted in some way. He narrowed his eyes.


    ¡¸Now, let''s introduce Babel¡¯s first year-wide honor students.¡¹


    Smiling widely, Ludwig beckoned the four students to ascend the tform one by one. The first student that came on stage was a woman with golden, wavy hair. Next was a cold-looking young man with ck hair and rimless sses. Third in line was a young man with brown hair and a haggard look.


    ¡°...!¡±


    And finally, the fourth was a young man with ck hair and fierce eyes.


    At the impossible sight of the person who shouldn¡¯t be standing there, Wurgen¡¯s eyes widened. He stared intently at the screen as the final student, Se-Hoon, received the microphone to deliver his speech.


    ¡¸Ahem.¡¹


    Lightly clearing his throat, Se-Hoon stared just as intently into the camera. He seemed to be looking through the camera at someone beyond.


    Then, twisting his lips into a smirk, he opened his mouth.


    ¡¸I won¡¯t be needing any get-well-soon gifts anytime soon. That¡¯s all.¡¹

 Chapter 195

    <h4>Chapter 195</h4>


    ¡°Babel is always undergoing a constant stream of changes. So don¡¯t stop moving forward, especially in the midst of these turbulent times. That is the only duty given you all have as students of Babel.¡±


    With the end of Ludwig¡¯s speech concluding the closing ceremony, the gathered students naturally dispersed.


    Starting today, they had two months of freedom. Of course, many would be participating in internships or professor-led projects even during the break. Still, the mere absence of lectures gave everyone a relieved feeling. And since today also marked the end of exams, every student had a bright expression on their face.


    ¡°Vacation...¡±


    Observing the jubnt dispersing students, Se-Hoon began to think over the agenda items he had postponed due to the exams.


    <i>Forging a piece of equipment with Nimbus Steel... starting the mass production of sword aura equipment... visiting the Visionary...</i>


    At first, he thought there wasn¡¯t much, but he kept recalling a seemingly endless amount of tasks. Among them, the most challenging and difficult ones were subduing the Dream Demon and dealing with the Pleasure District, both tasks that required a lot of preparation.


    <i>At least I somehow managed toe up with a rough picture of what¡¯s going on.</i>


    The Puppeteer waiting for Lea in the Pleasure District, the Marite Factory, the Dream Demon¡¯s expansion project, the Dream Demon¡¯s missing eye, and Amir¡ªwho was set to be appointed as a zone chief while acting as his double agent¡ªhis knowledge on those would serve as the groundwork for the ns.


    Now the only remaining task was how well he could utilize it to deliver the ¡°bomb¡± he had prepared inside the Pleasure District.


    And to do so, he had to steel himself to not lose any uing opportunities.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    His reflexes kicked in. Twisting his body, he jabbed his hand at the person who had approached him without making a sound.


    <i>Thwack!</i>


    But his hand was lightly caught by the woman with golden, wavy hair. She was grasping his hand with her pale white one, smiling.


    ¡°You don¡¯t hesitate anymore.¡±


    Aria, the woman with wavy golden hair, found it amusing that he had aimed directly for her head.


    ¡°I mean, you told me to do so before.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I didn¡¯t think you would listen to my words so well.... Then, are you also willing to listen to my other requests?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s a different matter.¡±


    ¡°<i>Psh</i>, you¡¯re no fun.¡±


    With a sly smile on her face, Aria released his hand.


    ¡°So, why are you here?¡± Se-Hoon asked, ncing at Aria. Like always, she appeared rxed.


    ¡°Now, that¡¯s quite a mean thing to ask. Do we always need a special reason to meet?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon nodding without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Aria softlyughed at his consistency.


    ¡°Haha<i>.</i> I guess that <i>is</i> the kind of rtionship we have. Well, it¡¯s nothing special; I just want to discuss the mass production project.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s about that¡ª¡±


    ¡°But before we discuss that further...¡± Aria looked straight at Se-Hoo with a twinkle in her eyes. ¡°What was the get-well-soon gift you mentioned during the closing ceremony? It seemed like some kind of code.¡±


    Se-Hoon recalled his message to Wurgen, who was probably watching the broadcast.


    ¡°It''s not some kind of code. There¡¯s no deeper meaning behind it.¡±


    In actuality, it meant: ¡°You were so confident but couldn¡¯t even manage to subdue a student. Whatever you¡¯re nning, start over from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Staring at Se-Hoon intently, Aria seemed to have realized something as her eyes began shining.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m looking at you from up close, you¡¯ve gained quite a unique power. It feels like the Chairman¡¯s... no, it¡¯s rted to another Perfect One, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Rather than a guess, her tone was one of near-certainity. It made Se-Hoon observe her curiously, seeing as how she was able to notice his change after just briefly observing him.


    <i>Could her intuition really be the sole reason she noticed my change?</i>


    Even he could distinguish that his mana had changed from before, but immediately recognizing that the power of a Perfect One was within his body was another story.


    <i>Maybe there¡¯s something only Perfect Ones can sense.</i>


    She hadn¡¯t be a Perfect One yet, but in his memories, Aria was the Holy Swordsman who had sessfully climbed a Tower of Heroes. With such talent, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she already had a simr perception or sense as them.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s end this conversation here. It¡¯s not that important.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯d appreciate that.¡±


    ¡°Back to the main point, do you remember how our family had an event nned around summer?¡±


    Se-Hoon nodded, saying, ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why we expedited the development of the prototype.¡±


    After the unveiling of the prototype for the mass-produced sword aura equipment at the expo, Se-Hoon sent them the blueprints for production facilities through Jake.


    A while had passed, so by now they should have reached a certain level ofpletion, and the full-scale production would likely soonmence. The final stages had finally been reached for his long-time project.


    ¡°The confirmation of the date is imminent, and my father has expressed his desire to extend an official invitation to you. Are you willing to ept his invitation?¡±


    It was an official invitation from the Myers family, renowned worldwide for their swordsmanship. It didn¡¯t take long for him toe to a decision.


    ¡°Well, alright. I have to visit once anyway for the promised reward.¡±


    In return for advancing the production schedule to match the event, the Myers family had agreed to give him one item from their warehouse. But to receive it, he had to visit their home, so attending the event on the side didn¡¯t seem like a disastrous idea.


    ¡°You''re being more agreeable than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Well, attending something like that shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. What is the event about, anyway?¡±


    ¡°It''s an engagement ceremony.¡±


    ¡°I see... wait, an engagement ceremony?¡±


    At the sight of Se-Hoon¡¯s surprise, Aria smiled broadly.


    ¡°Why? Is it that unexpected?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that...¡±


    Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t hide his surprise. He had never heard of Aria getting engaged before he regressed.


    <i>Did it get called off back then? Or is this a result of my butterfly effect...</i>


    Considering the immense value of the mass-produced sword aura equipment business given exclusively to the Myers family, it wasn¡¯t surprising that there were significant changes.


    Calming his fluster, Se-Hoon was soon able to ept it.


    ¡°Okay, got it. Let me know the schedule when it¡¯s set.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Oh, and about the reward I promisedst time, when do you think you are¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah, here you guys were.¡±


    Turning his gaze toward the voice that had cut Aria off, Se-Hoon saw two people naturally approaching. With jet-ck hair and rimless sses, the young man who owned the voice exuded a typical elite aura,plete with a cold and sticky unease aura despite his smile.


    It was Ren Inoue, Erika''s brother and the third-year year-wide honor student. Gazing at him, Se-Hoon asked, ¡°Do you need anything here?¡±


    ¡°The Chairman asked me to gather all of the year-wide honor students. Oh... were you discussing something important?¡±


    Ren smiled and conversed only with Se-Hoon,pletely ignoring Aria.


    ¡°<i>Hmph</i>...¡±


    In response, Aria¡¯s smile deepened, and a strange tension began to form around them. The Inoues and the Myers were famously at odds within Babel, which was undoubtedly because of the two individuals before Se-Hoon.


    But despite the tense atmosphere, which seemed ready to explode, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    <i>Are they going to fight? Are they finally fighting?</i>


    Whether they knew it or not, Se-Hoon was wary of both Aria and Ren. If they fought over him, it would be a wee development since he could observe their hidden strengths and, more importantly, intervene at the right moment to gain an advantage.


    <i>It¡¯s almost time to tell them to stop fighting over me.</i>


    Before the regression, the Three Dogs had once argued about who would get their equipment forged first, resulting in the destruction of the city they used as a base. Though it was an abandoned city, the Three Dogs learned to be morepliant afterward.


    <i>If I can make these two behave like them... </i>Se-Hoon thought, watching intently as the situation developed.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    But then, Manuel Ortega, the second-year honor student with brown hair and a weary expression, spoke up from behind Ren.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Chairman waiting? Whatever it is, let¡¯s wrap it up quickly.¡±


    His tired-sounding words immediately defused the tension between the two, causing Ren to sigh softly.


    ¡°Right. We should really get going. We will head off first, then.¡±


    Spinning on his heel, Ren briskly walked away, and Manuel followed after giving them a slight bow. At the way Manuel quickly deted the atmosphere, Se-Hoon clicked his tongue.


    <i>What a dull bastard...</i>


    If Ludwig was actually in a hurry, he would have used his spatial magic to summon them. Clearly, Manuel just didn¡¯t want to wait around.


    <i>I guess some people haven¡¯t changed from before. </i>


    Manuel was one of the new transfer students for the second semester, andter, he would be known as the S-rank hero Weapon Master.


    At the sight of the familiar figure, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes.


    <i>I need to keep an eye on him too.</i>


    Adding it to his list, Se-Hoon turned to Aria.


    ¡°Shall we get going too?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hm</i>, sure.¡±


    Following Ren, they soon all arrived below the podium, where Ludwig was currently conversing with the deans.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re all here. You may go now.¡±


    At Ludwig¡¯s words, the deans dispersed, and Eun-Ha, who passed by Se-Hoon, silently mouthed, <i>¡°Be cautious.¡±</i>


    Se-Hoon nodded slightly, understanding what she was trying to convey.


    With the deans gone, the four year-wide honor students stood before Ludwig.


    ¡°The reason I called you all here is to discuss the ¡®Special Lesson¡¯ benefit that I¡¯ve promised you guys¡ªan opportunity to receive personal teachings from Perfect Ones.¡±


    The air became tense. The opportunity to learn from a Perfect One wasn''t something to take lightly. If they could make the most out of it, they could grow beyond simply conquering a Tower of Heroes.


    As the four honor students¡¯ eyes were filled with hope, Ludwig continued calmly, ¡°Although I mentioned that you can choose whichever Perfect One you wish to receive lessons from, I must admit that I cannot guarantee it. As you might already know, high-ranking heroes often do as they please.¡±


    Ludwig smiled, looking like he was excluding himself from them. He then essentially removed three Perfect Ones from the list at once.


    ¡°The Seeker has been out of contact for a long time; the Sacred Craftsman refused, saying he had no reason to do so; and the Trailzer said to do as I please, but given his personality, he¡¯s unlikely to offer proper lessons.¡±


    With only seven of them in total, there were only four left.


    ¡°So, you can choose from the Visionary, the Eternal Nocturne, the Pilgrim, and myself. Once you select one, we¡¯ll arrange the schedule.¡±


    After some thought, Manuel chose first.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to be taught by you, Chairman.¡±


    Once Ludwig nodded, Ren chose second.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to be taught by the Visionary Ha Baek-Yeon.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> alright,¡± Ludwig replied, interested.


    Then Aria also made her decision: ¡°I want to be paired with the Pilgrim.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad choice. Now, thest one...¡±


    Ludwig turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Who would you like to learn from? It¡¯s okay to ovep with others.¡±


    Also interested, Aria and Ren turned to Se-Hoon. And under their gazes, Se-Hoon pondered deeply.


    Who would benefit him the most right now? Thinking like that, he quickly made his decision.


    ¡°I would like to learn from...¡±


    ***


    A robed figure entered an old, dpidated house adjacent to the desert in the Middle East, which was a mess of sand and dust.


    ¡°Whew...¡±


    Removing his hood, the robed figure, Amir, exhaled lightly and looked around the derelict house. He then moved further inside and sat down on the dust-covered floor, taking out a small vial from his pocket. Swallowing the special sleeping pill within, he gently closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The moment when his body slightly wavered, the surrounding scenerypletely changed. Scanning the neatly decorated reception room he was now in, Amir naturally realized he had entered a dream.


    <i>Creak.</i>


    The door to the reception room soon opened, and the master of the dream, the Dream Demon, walked in.


    ¡°You must be worn out after your long journey,¡± she said gently, taking a seat across from him.


    In response, Amir slightly bowed his head.


    ¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡±


    At Amir¡¯s extremely polite behavior, the Dream Demon smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re always so courteous. I remember how you responded the same way when we first met...¡±


    In contrast to her nostalgic words, Amir''s eyes turned cold. He could still vividly recall how she turned the elders of his family into idiots, brainwashed his family members, ughtered the servants, and transformed his father, the head of the family, into hundreds of butterflies.


    And... how he had been the one who innocently guided her to his family, smiling without knowing anything. The memories made Amir¡¯s emotions surge.


    <i>No, not yet... I need to hold on for now.</i>


    Knowing that the right opportunity hadn¡¯te yet, he forcefully calmed his emotions.


    ¡°It''s simply proper etiquette to show respect to those who deserve it.¡±


    ¡°Haha<i>.</i> I know it¡¯s all ttery, but it''s still music to my ears.¡±


    Smiling softly, the Dream Demon looked at Amir and got to the point.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough for pleasantries... I''d like to hear how the n has failed. Can you exin yourself?¡±


    Instead of a report on the execution of the n, she was asking him to recount his failures. It indicated that she was willing to execute him at any moment.


    <i>I was told she would be really angry... and it seems like he was right.</i>


    Knowing how much damage Se-Hoon had inflicted on her, Amir was able to remain calm and could exin what had happened during the exam.


    ¡°So the n proceeded as intended, but Lee Se-Hoon came out unharmed... and the Emperor of Ascension showed no response whatsoever...¡±


    It was as if nothing had ever happened. However, the Dream Demon knew for a fact that her avatar had assaulted Se-Hoon and failed.


    <i>Then does this mean that Lee Se-Hoon managed to handle it himself and didn¡¯t inform the Emperor of Ascension...?</i>


    It was as if Se-Hoon and the Emperor of Ascension had no rtionship whatsoever. In the past, she would have thought it was some form of deception, but now, her thoughts have changed.


    <i>If the Emperor of Ascension had sealed it, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this...</i>


    Touching her right eye, The Dream Demon, made a subtle expression. She was sure that Se-Hoon had another hidden ace up his sleeve. However, whether it was her sought-after Ethereal Vision or something entirely different, she could only wait for a response or look for another opportunity.


    Having sorted out her thoughts, the Dream Demon opened her mouth, ¡°<i>Sigh. </i>There¡¯s nothing we can do, then. But since you managed to establish a contract with Lee Se-Hoon, try to focus on getting closer to him from now on.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And as for appointing you as a Zone Chief... regardless of the reason, you failed to execute the n in the end, so let¡¯s consider it void.¡±


    Quietly epting it, Amir observed her before cautiously asking, ¡°Ma¡¯am, if it¡¯s not too much trouble, may I ask one question?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Amirposed himself.


    ¡°Was I being used as bait to lure out the person under the Emperor of... no, who is suspected to be under the Emperor of Ascension that uses dream mana?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The Dream Demon silently stared at him. Then, with no expression at all, she posed a question: ¡°What are you exactly trying to get out of this question?¡±


    ¡°At first, I thought my role was to get close to Lee Se-Hoon and present him to you personally. But if that was your sole objective, you wouldn¡¯t have shown me such mercy.¡±


    Though he was using the information that he received from Se-Hoon, that what the Dream Demon truly sought was the individual with Ethereal Vision, Amir intentionally phrased his words as if he had intuitively grasped it.


    ¡°And due to this incident, Lee Se-Hoon is likely to be wary of me. ording to your usual methods, you would have either outright excluded me from the n or eliminated me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Yet you hadn¡¯t. Therefore, I believe that you sent me without caring whether the enemy had already discovered or suspected me.¡±


    Perhaps her avatar was sent not to suppress Se-Hoon, but to identify him when he subdued Amir¡ªhe had been sent as a discardable piece from the very beginning.


    ¡°...¡±


    Having heard Amir out, the Dream Demon slowly asked, ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, what will you do?¡±


    Would he beg to not be discarded or for a chance to prove his worth? Amir chose neither.


    ¡°I need a reliable means of delivering urate information to you.¡±


    He chose to give inpletely.


    ¡°Right now, the best I can do is only leave traces behind if I get apprehended. That¡¯s why I need a precise way to urately deliver my findings to you, ma''am.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And if we¡¯re against the one I encountered on ck Arms¡¯ passenger ship, they¡¯re likely already keeping a close watch on me...¡±


    ¡°<i>Pfft.</i>¡±


    The Dream Demon¡¯s body shook slightly, and then she covered her mouth, bursting intoughter.


    ¡°HAHAHAHA!¡±


    Herughter was genuine and jovial. A long whileter, calmed down and wiped the tears from her eyes.


    ¡°Ah... I really am pathetic. If I knew you were this useful, I wouldn¡¯t have used you this way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all due to my foolishness.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s good that you allowed me to discover your capability, even btedly. I¡¯ll prepare a tool for delivering information as you suggested. And...¡±


    Pausing to contemte, the Dream Demon finished her thought after a moment.


    ¡°From today, you¡¯ll be assigned as my direct secretary. It¡¯s more fitting than assigning you as a Zone Chief.¡±


    Unlike how the Zone Chiefs were given autonomy in their respective zones, direct secretaries were used like tools under the Dream Demon¡¯s directmand. It was a clear demotion with an uncertain fate, but Amir epted it withoutint.


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> you really do show no hesitation at all. Is it because of your family?¡±


    At her words, Amir bit his lip and bowed deeply.


    ¡°Please show mercy to a lowlife like me.¡±


    Even if he disappeared, he begged her not to harm his remaining family. At his sincerity, the Dream Demon smiled and agreed.


    ¡°Alright. If you seed next time, I¡¯ll release your family along with the sessor of your family head. That way, they should be able to rebuild without much problem.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The supposed next family head, Amir¡¯s cousin Zayed, was also taken as a hostage by the Dream Demon. Remembering hisst appearance, Amir suppressed his rising emotions and bowed again.


    ¡°I will surely make it work.¡±


    ¡°Good. Anything else you need from me?¡±


    Noticing her now amiable attitude, Amir remembered Se-Hoon¡¯s request and cautiously asked, ¡°Can you fill me in about the synesthetic mindscape or the inner realm of the target?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. You do have <i>that</i> ability, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Recalling Amir¡¯s unique skill, Winter Sky Eyes, the Dream Demon thought for a moment before smiling gently.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably insane.¡±


    ¡°...Pardon?¡±


    ¡°The person you are trying to find knows, like me, that this ce is a dream.¡±


    Amir made a confused expression. By ¡°this ce,¡± did she mean the reception room or the outside world?


    Just what was she talking about?


    Seeing the clearly confused look on his face, the Dream Demon smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lifted the barrier on my synesthetic mindscape, so see it with your eyes. Then you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°...Understood.¡±


    Promptly activating his Winter Sky Eyes, Amir looked at the Dream Demon.


    She was made of a purple mist with holes throughout her body, with an especiallyrge one through her right eye. He waspletely taken aback by the unstable and ready-to-copse grotesque sight.


    <i>She has deteriorated this much...?</i>


    Had her condition worsened just by sealing one eye? Astonished, he continued staring.


    ¡°Others may not know.¡±


    He focused again on the Dream Demon who was smiling more softly than ever.


    ¡°But he and I do: what we believe to be reality is just a dream.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Though most would dismiss it as nonsense, Amir trembled and sweated at her words.


    The woman in front of him, the monster known as Dream Demon, genuinely believed those words.


    ¡°So, he must be insane, just like me.¡±


    She was certain that Se-Hoon could not distinguish between dream and reality, a necessary talent to use dream mana and a prerequisite for acquiring Ethereal Vision.


    ¡°Because he also wants to wake from this dreadful dream.¡±


    At those sincere words, Amir realized one thing: the one with Ethereal Vision was twisted all the way to their inner guts, just like the monster in front of him.

 Chapter 196

    <h4>Chapter 196</h4>


    <strong>[The bond with ¡®Amir Singh¡¯ has grown to Lv. 2.]</strong>


    <strong>[Since the bond has grown to Lv.2, a Rtionship has been established. Your Rtionship with ¡®Amir Singh¡¯ is currently ''Vignce''.]</strong>


    <strong>[Rtionship: Vignce]</strong>


    <strong>[Right and wrong are like two sides of the same coin, and those who understand this tend to maintain vignce in their rtionships with others. </strong>


    <strong>As a result, they will forever hold them at a distance. However, if the subject¡¯s vignce lifts, their rtionship can be closer than anyone else¡¯s.</strong>


    <strong>*A Fatestone is created whenever the subject¡¯s vignce lessens.</strong>


    <strong>*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases as the subject¡¯s vignce decreases.</strong>


    <strong>*Currently created Fatestones: 1]</strong>


    ¡°...¡±


    At the sudden appearance of the notification message, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes, reading its contents.


    He had somewhat anticipated that Amir¡¯s bond level would rise due to the recent events, but the Rtionship that formed was a bit unexpected.


    <i>It''s still Vignce, just like before, but... the description changed.</i>


    Previously, it implied that Amir doubted Se-Hoon¡¯s trustworthiness, but now it talked about right and wrong, almost implying that Amir saw him as dangerous.


    Pondering the cause, it didn¡¯t take long for Se-Hoon to guess the reason.


    <i>It must be because of Ethereal Vision.</i>


    Se-Hoon had revealed to Amir that the Dream Demon¡¯s true goal was Ethereal Vision and had instructed him to learn more about its features. She had sought it desperately, even sacrificing her own eye in the process, so there was no way it wasn¡¯t special to her.


    <i>From how the Rtionship with Amir has be a bit hostile... it must be a rather dangerous skill.</i>


    Lost in thought, Se-Hoon suddenly recalled something the Dream Demon¡¯s avatar had told him.


    <i>¡°Because I think you''re quite simr to me.¡±</i>


    In hindsight, it was quite a strange thing for her to say. And if he also considered her offer to be the sessor of the Pleasure District and the Rtionship, it formed a hunch about the true nature of Ethereal Vision.


    <i>It must be an indicator of those capable of bing beings simr to the Dream Demon.</i>


    If so, it now made sense why Amir would be so wary of him.


    It was just a guess based on limited information, but Se-Hoon had unknowingly furrowed his brow.


    <i>I should check my own condition soon.</i>


    Though he had already confirmed there were issues with his soul through Soul Honing, it seemed the situation was more severe than he thought. He sighed, thinking of his ever-increasing workload.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lea asked, having heard his sigh from her seat in front of him.


    ¡°...Nothing. Just keep doing what you were.¡±


    ¡°Nothing, my foot...¡±


    Grumbling, she refocused on adjusting the golden armiry sphere in front of her. Refocusing as well, Se-Hoon shelved his thoughts and started ncing around Lea¡¯s workshop.


    <i>What a mess.</i>


    On one side of the room, energy drink cans were piled like a pyramid, and another had books rted to enchantment stacked like a tower. It was a sight that allowed him to vaguely guess how she spent her exam period which made him chuckle wryly.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    Lea looked up at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Who did you decide to train under?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, the receiving lessons from one of the Perfect Ones thing?¡±


    Lea nodded, thoughtfully saying, ¡°In terms of your specialty, I guess you would go with the Sacred Craftsman, but... I heard he¡¯s not on favorable terms with Babel.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the Chairman said he refused himself.¡±


    ¡°So, who did you choose?¡±


    Realizing Lea¡¯s curiosity wouldn¡¯t allow her to focus on her work, Se-Hoon smiled faintly.


    ¡°Wurgen Kruger.¡±


    ¡°Wurgen... the Eternal Nocturne?¡±


    Lea blinked in surprise, having thought he was one of the least likely candidates, along with the Pilgrim.


    ¡°Are you familiar with necromancy?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°...Then why?¡±


    If he chose a Perfect One whose spells or skills he wasn¡¯t familiar with, there wouldn''t be much to gain from this opportunity.


    Yet Se-Hoon had done it, utterly baffling Lea.


    ¡°Because I can meet the others in my own time.¡±


    Ludwig had given them the option of four Perfect Ones: the Emperor of Ascension, the Visionary, the Eternal Nocturne, and the Pilgrim.


    Among them, the Visionary had already offered to take Se-Hoon as a disciple, and he had already established a rtionship with the Pilgrim, seeing as how he received a personal gift from the Pilgrim that was imbued with his powers.


    <i>And Ludwig still owes me a reward, so I can ask for it as a favor if needed.</i>


    Out of the four, three were avable for training at any time. Thus, Se-Hoon chose the Eternal Nocturne, Wurgen, by elimination.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> Still, wouldn¡¯t it be better to learn from someone who would be more helpful to you?¡±


    ¡°Skill-wise, yes. But the important thing is their unique power.¡±


    It might be wasteful for a cksmith to learn necromancy, but learning the power of Boundaries was a different story. Especially now, since Se-Hoon¡¯s body and darkness mana had absorbed some of the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s power; it would make direct training from him a lot more beneficial.


    <i>And I have another proposal for him.</i>


    ¡°Their unique power... huh. I think I kind of get it. So, when will your training start?¡±


    ¡°They said they¡¯d arrange the schedule within the week, so I guess I¡¯d have to wait until then.¡±


    ¡°Got it. But still, it¡¯s such a pity. It would¡¯ve been better if you could learn from the Sacred Craftsman since you¡¯re both cksmiths.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Instead of answering, Se-Hoon made a subtle expression, prompting a curious look from Lea.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with what I said?


    ¡°Uh, it''s just that...¡±


    Hesitating whether to say it or not, Se-Hoon eventually decided to.


    ¡°There''s no need for me to receive his lessons.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a better cksmith than him. In the long run, at least.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    nking out at that answer, Lea stared at Se-Hoon, processing what she had just heard. He was iming to be better than the Sacred Craftsman, a Perfect One whose name would go down in history as a legendary cksmith.


    Taking a long time to process it, Lea finally came to a conclusion.


    ¡°My dear Se-Hoon haspletely lost it...¡±


    Wondering if the stress during the exam period was too much, Lea looked at him with pity.


    Exasperated, Se-Hoon responded, ¡°I''m dead serious. Though he may be better than me now, I¡¯m going to surpass him one day.¡±


    ¡°Sure... I believe you. Let us both keep working hard...¡±


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>... Just focus on your work.¡±


    Seeing how Lea didn¡¯t believe a word he was saying, Se-Hoon dismissively waved his hand with a bitter smile.


    <i>I guess it does sound a bit unrealistic right now.</i>


    He was essentially a toddler iming they could beat a world champion. And when considering his confidence in his absurd words. Lea¡¯s reaction waspletely understandable.


    However, he had his own reasons, too. He had also once reached the pinnacle of cksmithing, a ce the Sacred Craftsman couldn¡¯t reach.


    <i>He wasn¡¯t able to ovee his limits.</i>


    He could point out the reasons why to the Sacred Craftsman even now, but it wasn''t the right time yet. He couldn¡¯t chance souring their rtionship or raising the Demon Force¡¯s suspicion.


    <i>Let''s wait for the right opportunity.</i>


    He had to meet the Sacred Craftsman at least once as a part of his grand n anyway, so he decided to be patient.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m done.¡±


    While he had been lost in thought, Lea had finished adjusting the armiry sphere.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The five rings began to rotate slowly, and a golden light soon began glowing from the center.


    Having sessfully configured the sphere ording to Se-Hoon¡¯s request, Lea rxed, looking slightly exhausted.


    ¡°Wow. This setup was insanelyplex. What is it even for?¡±


    ¡°Nimbus Steel.¡±


    ¡°Aha, right... wait, what?¡±


    bbergasted, Lea''s jaws dropped in surprise, and she watched Se-Hoon casually pull out a box from his void pocket.


    ¡°I said Nimbus Steel. I did tell you I¡¯d give you a chance to participate in its forging process if you became a college-wide honor student.¡±


    ¡°What? Wait, hold on.¡±


    ¡°Stop being so dramatic.... Just look.¡±


    Opening the box, Se-Hoon revealed to her the Nimbus Steel resting inside. The mysterious-looking ingot was a mix of sky-blue and white hues, looking like it had fallen right from the heavens.


    Lea¡¯s heart raced at the sight of Legendary material that she had only heard about.


    <i>So this is Nimbus Steel...</i>


    Even just by looking at it, she could tell it was in a different league from ordinary materials. Staring at it, her breathing grew heavy and her eyes grew bloodshot, thinking of all the possibilities of what she could make from it.


    Then, as if something snapped within her, her hand reached toward the Nimbus Steel.


    <i>p!</i>


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    However, Se-Hoon swiftly struck the back of Lea¡¯s hand before it got close.


    ¡°I told you to look, not touch.¡±


    ¡°I just... it felt so good just now...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll set everything upter, but first, listen to the exnation.¡±


    It was only once Lea nodded reluctantly that Se-Hoon took the Nimbus Steel out of the box.


    ¡°With summer vacation having started yesterday, you now only have two months left on the Puppeteer¡¯s proposal.¡±


    During the Babel raid, the Puppeteer had approached Lea with a proposal: side with her, or those close to Lea would die. Then, when Se-Hoon found out from Lea, he immediately began nning to use it as the foundation for his n to bring down the Pleasure District.


    ¡°During this time, we will infiltrate her workshop in the Pleasure District... and we need two things for that. First, a way to escape the Pleasure District. And second, a method to subdue the automatons in the workshop.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> Subdue the automatons, huh.¡±


    Lea made a troubled expression. While she was confident in most things, herbat ability was not one of them.


    ¡°How many automatons do you think there will be?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Well... I¡¯m not sure about the weak ones, but there should be one or two Single Numbers, at least.¡±


    Remembering that Single Numbers were automatons that had strengthparable to S-rank heroes, Lea¡¯s expression grew nervous upon hearing that they needed to subdue several.


    <i>Is that even possible?</i>


    Although she knew Se-Hoon was a better fighter than most students at Aqar Quf, he still wasn''t on par with an S-rank hero. Worried, she tried toe up with a way, but Se-Hoon¡¯s calm voice quickly interrupted her thoughts.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to worry about them. They¡¯re just automatons, after all.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean... wait, you don''t mean...?¡±


    Figuring out what he was nning, Lea looked at him with surprise, prompting a grin from Se-Hoon.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going to do.¡±


    Even if these Single Numbers were as powerful as S-rank heroes, they were still just automatons. Just interfere with their control, and it would be a piece of cake to subdue them regardless of their strength.


    <i>But interfering with their control shouldn¡¯t be easy...</i>


    Just as Lea was about to start considering what device would be the most optimal, Se-Hoon lightly tapped the armiry sphere in front of him.


    ¡°Why are you still worrying? All we need is this and the Nimbus Steel.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why the sphere... wait, no... but isn¡¯t that...¡±


    Muttering to herself, Lea bowed her head as her mind raced. Then, a momentter, she looked up at Se-Hoon in disbelief, having figured it out.


    ¡°You... you...¡±


    Her eyes questioned how he came up with such an idea.


    But instead of exining in detail, Se-Hoon gave a simple answer.


    ¡°Skill Issue.¡±


    ***


    Zone Seventeen of the Pleasure District was a part of the new expansion, with more buildings under construction thanplete, giving the area a deste atmosphere with only a few people passing by.


    But in this zone was a small shop located on the corner of a street, inside a building without a signboard. From within it, a sigh echoed.


    ¡°How long do you n to dy...¡±


    Although she was the one who had given Lea plenty of time to think ande to terms with it, she hadn''t heard from Lea at all. However, the most irksome thing was that, despite being warned to stay low, Lea had been selected as the third-year honor student of Borsippa.


    <i>I must have been too lenient with her.</i>


    She had thought her smart child would quickly grasp the situation, but it seemed she had overestimated her. Now aware that she wouldn¡¯t be able to aplish anything this way, the woman with tattoos covering her body, Puppeteer, looked around.


    Like meat in a butcher¡¯s shop, various puppets were hanging from hooks in the room. Scanning them, Puppeteer opened her mouth and slowly called out.


    ¡°Nine.¡±


    <i>Creak, creak.</i>


    At her call, one of the hanging puppets reached up, grabbed the hook around its neck, lifted itself off, andnded lightly on the floor. After a quick stretch of its body, the puppet approached Puppeteer.


    ¡°Yes, my master.¡±


    The puppet had the form of a man in his early thirties with a tattoo near his right eye. Gazing at her creation, automaton ¡°No.9,¡± Puppeteer lightly gave her orders, like she was sending someone on an errand.


    ¡°Keep an eye on Lee Se-Hoon, and when you get the chance, cut off his limbs and bring them to me.¡±


    Obeying, Nine nodded.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Once Nine disappeared, Puppeteer sighed to herself, thinking about how Se-Hoon would soon be limbless.


    ¡°What a shame that his quality is going to drop...¡±

 Chapter 197

    <h4>Chapter 197</h4>


    Located far from urban areas in the eastern outskirts of Babel, a giant artificial mountain stood alone without any buildings in its vicinity besides the massive observatory built near its peak.


    It was a ce that had been established to research Celestial Magic and to observe transformationations of the sky through mana. Boasting world-ss technological prowess befitting Babel, professors and students, as well as researchers from outside Babel, all frequently visited.


    And overlooking the entire observatory was the summit of the mountain, which a girl with braided hair, Lea, was currently struggling to climb toward.


    ¡°<i>Huff ... huff... </i>ugh...¡±


    As a student of Babel, she too could easily climb a mountain of this height. However, she was gasping for breath at the moment because the environment of the artificial mountain had been tailored to enhance astronomical observation efficiency, thus making the climb dozens of times more difficult.


    ¡°This is... so... exhausting... ugh...¡±


    The oxygen concentration was set so low that it felt like the atmosphere was sucking the oxygen out of her, and when she tried to use magic, the abnormal mana density crushed her entire body. It was a hellish environment that made Lea, who was experiencing it for the first time, dizzy.


    In contrast, Se-Hoon just casually followed behind her, looking at her pitiful sight.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there was no need to worry because youe here often?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t... know this ce... would be like this... ugh...¡±


    Barely managing to reply, Lea gasped for breath with her hands on her knees. At the sight, Se-Hoon nced toward the neatly managed hiking trail near the observatory.


    <i>Hm. I guess only the hiking trail isn¡¯t affected.</i>


    If she had always taken the hiking trail, then it was understandable why she was unustomed to the environment.


    Shaking his head, Se-Hoon approached her, worried that she might copse at any second.


    ¡°Need some help?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m... fine... ugh.... Go away...¡± Lea wheezed, weakly waving her hand to refuse.


    Her oddly blunt demeanor made him chuckle.


    ¡°What? Still sulking?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead... first...¡±


    ¡°Geez. All I said was skill issue...¡±


    ¡°You...! Ugh!<i> Cough!</i>¡±


    Failing tosh out at Se-Hoon, Lea ended up coughing hard. Still, her thoroughly upset demeanor made Se-Hoon smile wryly.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll climb up first, then.¡±


    <i>Pat- Pat-</i>


    Patting Lea lightly on the back, Se-Hoon walked past and reached the summit first, taking in the surrounding scenery upon arrival. Here, he could see the towering white Tower of Heroes extending into the clouds and the brightly lit sprawling city surrounding it. Then, once he got his fill of the view, he raised his eyes to the cloudless sky.


    <i>It¡¯s pretty clear.</i>


    The Milky Way densely packed the dark night sky, with even some of its smallest stars shining brightly, seeming close enough to touch. Normally, observing such celestial bodies near arge city like Babel would be challenging, but the unique environment of the artificial mountain allowed for the simultaneous viewing of the city and the night sky from the summit.


    <i>The constetions are clear... and the atmosphere is good.</i>


    He carefully observed the night sky, taking it all in. In the meantime, Lea had finally recovered from her fatigue and had walked up behind him.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to just go on ahead?¡±


    Smiling at her curt question, Se-Hoon innocently asked, ¡°What did I do?¡±


    ¡°You manipted my blood flow when you patted my back... never mind.¡±


    Lea sighed deeply, brushing her disheveled bangs back.


    ¡°So, is this ce good enough?¡±


    ¡°It seems pretty good to me.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll start preparing then.¡±


    Receiving confirmation, Lea began taking out the materials she had brought in her void pocket and quickly set up. Assembling a foldable table in no time, Lea ced a sphere on it and got ready to activate it.


    At the sight of her skillful preparations, despite just one practice round, Se-Hoon also started preparing and took out the material he had brought.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Under the night sky, the Nimbus Steel glowed softly. To most, it would have looked the same as usual; however, to Se-Hoon, who had examined it in advance, it was noticeably different.


    <i>It¡¯s slightly lighter than before. I guess the flying ability was activated.</i>


    Containing the essence of the sky, the power of the Nimbus Steel amplified the more its surrounding environment resembled the sky.


    Taking caution to avoid losing it identally, Se-Hoon gripped it tightly and waited for the preparations to bepleted.


    <strong>¡°Begin Observation.¡±</strong>


    When they were, the sphere was immediately activated, emitting golden waves.


    <i>Wooong-</i>


    The waves headed high into the sky, and soon afterward, dozens, then hundreds, of golden dots dotted the sphere. As the dots densely filled in the empty areas, the sphere began to resemble a golden orb. At first nce, the dots seemed randomly assembled, but upon closer inspection, familiar patterns could be found.


    ¡°Constetions...¡±


    The sphere perfectly reflected the night sky and its stars, creating miniature replicas of the celestial bodies visible from Earth. The sight of it, which resembled the armiry sphere used for celestial observations, drew in Lea.


    <i>I thought it was just a structural copy...</i>


    Even Lea, who had been researching the sphere for years, didn''t know about the feature. Yet.... Lea nced at Se-Hoon, wondering how he came up with the idea.


    <i>How does he know?</i>


    The blueprints didn''t record the sphere''s actual usage, and it likely only existed in the creator''s mind. So then, how? Mulling over it, Lea soon came to an answer.


    <i>Skill...</i>


    Even though the idea of Se-Hoon outperforming her in every field of study was frustrating, the scene before her eyes forced her to ept it. Making aplex expression, Lea fell into thought, only snapping out of it at Se-Hoon¡¯s voice.


    ¡°What are you doing? Hurry up, move on to the next step.¡±


    ¡°Ah, alright.¡±


    Confirming the perfect replication of the celestial forms, Lea infused the sphere with her mana.


    <strong>¡°Celestial Synchronization.¡±</strong>


    <i>Shhhrk-</i>


    At her murmur, the five rings within the sphere began rotating, and the golden lights mimicking the celestial bodies moved ordingly. A secondter, a golden sphere started to form in the center of the rings.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    Finding the moment, Se-Hoon swiftly inserted the Nimbus Steel into the empty center of the sphere.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    The golden sphere forming in the center was then absorbed into the Nimbus Steel, and the surface of the ingot, previously a mix of white and sky blue, began to darken. It was as if the day was turning into the night.


    Lea watched the scene in amazement.


    ¡°It actually worked...¡±


    By using the sphere to synchronize with the celestial forms and thenbining it with the Nimbus Steel, which contained the essence of the sky, Se-Hoon was able to infuse the ingot of Nimbus Steel with the pure darkness mana of the night sky.


    Marveling at the seemingly intended usage, Lea started deeply at the process. Meanwhile, Se-Hoon had finished inspecting the sphere.


    ¡°There shouldn''t be any problems for now, but try not to be toocent. If the synchronization rate gets too high, the Nimbus Steel might suddenly turn into gas and scatter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    ¡°At this pace... it should be done in about thirty minutes. Let''s sit and wait.¡±


    For the process, it was important to let the darkness mana infuse naturally into the ingot.


    Having prepared, Lea set down the folding chairs she had brought, and the two of them gazed at the sphere and the night view beyond side by side.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The mountaintop was serene, with only the asional sound of the wind. Turning his head to look at Lea, Se-Hoon pondered what to say at the sight of her still slightly sulking.


    ¡°I''ve been wanting to ask you something,¡± he said after a moment.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What were your parents like?¡±


    Not expecting to face such a question here, Lea looked at him in surprise. Then, upon realizing he meant no harm, she looked away.


    ¡°...Do you want to know about their personal lives? Or their research?¡±


    ¡°Thetter.¡±


    ¡°Well, in that case...¡±


    Sorting her thoughts, she began her story.


    ¡°My dad originally specialized in Celestial Magic, but I heard he transferred to the Department of Enchantments after attending one of my grandmother''s lectures.¡±


    ¡°Celestial Magic, huh...?¡±


    Celestial Magic was a realm of magic that used the stars of the universe as the pirs of synesthetic mindscapes. It was easy to start learning, but since it became increasingly difficult and less efficient the deeper one delved, it was less popr.


    ¡°Well, they say he transferred, but he never gave up on Celestial Magic. Rather, he chose to learn about enchantments to help him master Celestial Magic¡ª¡±


    ¡°Because Celestial Magic can¡¯t be handled with just your body, he needed suitable tools, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that''s it! Exactly.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s urate guess, which Lea had heard countless times as a child, hit Lea with a rush of nostalgia.


    ¡°My dad¡¯s body was more fragile than others¡¯. So, he delved into finding the right tools, particrly enchantments, which didn''t rely much on physical strength.¡±


    ¡°Why was he fragile?¡±


    Lea nodded at Se-Hoon''s question.


    ¡°My grandmother was contaminated by demonic aura when she was pregnant with my dad. Although she was purified quickly, he was born frail and had many chronic illnesses.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Listening to Lea talk about her father, Dane udel, Se-Hoon naturally looked at the sphere in front of them.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The sphere appeared exaggerated in design, yet it was ideally designed for its user, using the minimum amount of mana and leveraging ambient mana through the user''sputation.


    <i>I thought he relied on his intellect out of confidence, but it was more of apromise.</i>


    Still, considering the sphere''s performance, it was evident that Dane udel had an exceptional innate talent that allowed him to attempt substituting physical power with mental prowess.


    Not noticing Se-Hoon falling into thought, Lea, who had gotten invested in her storytelling, continued her story.


    ¡°Anyway, since he was so interested in Celestial Magic, he created a ton of rted tools. One day, he even converted the entire attic into an observatory...¡±


    For a while, Lea reminisced about watching the night sky with her father from the converted attic, sitting on hisp as he read astronomy books to her.


    She also talked about how he braided her hair every morning and gave her star-shaped hairpins as birthday presents, sharing various other happy and nostalgic stories about her father as well.


    <i>He must have been particrly important to her.</i>


    It was clear how significant her father was to Lea. Staying silent, Se-Hoon just continued to listen.


    ¡°And then, one day, while taking his supplements, my mom...¡±


    At the mention of her mom, Lea abruptly stopped, her eyes welling with tears. With the memories taking a darker turn, the atmosphere grew heavy.


    She forced herself to continue the story.


    ¡°My mom, Reyna udel... Puppeteer specialized in Biological Enchantments.¡±


    Though enchantments typically involved inanimate objects like equipment, they could also be applied to living beings. However, that branch of enchantment was far moreplex and challenging. And yet, Lea''s mother was an expert in it.


    ¡°Her main research was about Soul Fixation¡ªanchoring a soul to a single location to escape the body''s constraints. It was considered purely theoretical at the time, but...¡±


    After killing her husband, Dane udel, and disappearing, Reynapleted the Soul Fixation technique and reappeared as Puppeteer of the Ten Evils.


    Processing Lea¡¯s story, Se-Hoon thought of something that he had to ask.


    ¡°...You said Puppeteer killed your father.¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean... you witnessed it yourself?¡±


    At his question, Lea stared silently ahead, her cloudy green eyes reflecting the brightly lit city and the starry night sky. After a long silence, Lea opened her mouth.


    ¡°I woke up early that morning, feeling scared for some reason. So I went to my parents'' room, hoping to sleep with them.¡±


    In the dark hallway, the young Lea clutched her pillow as she walked to her parents'' tightly closed door.


    <i>Squish.</i>


    And upon feeling something cold and sticky under her foot, she looked down to see blood seeping out from under the door.


    ¡°A smart person would have run to the Heroes Association and reported it right away, but I was too naive at the time.... Worried something had happened to my parents, I rushed to open the door. That was when I saw.¡±


    The bedroom was a blood-soaked mess. Standing at the foot of the bed, her mother, Reyna, was covered in blood. Her mother had been staring down at her fatherying limp on the bed. Gazing at the nightmarish scene, Lea had frozen in the doorway.


    Then, sensing Lea¡¯s presence, Reyna snapped out of her daze and slowly turned her head to look at Lea. Watching Renya approaching step by step, Lea had copsed onto the bloodied floor, her legs giving way.


    Terrified, Lea trembled and covered her face with her hands upon seeing Reyna reaching out to her.


    ¡°It wasn''t enough...¡±


    However, after muttering those words, Reyna pulled back and passed by Lea without further action.


    ¡°My mom disappeared that night, and a few yearster, she reappeared as the infamous Puppeteer. That''s all there is to it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It''s a pretty brutal story, but now that I¡¯m thinking about it, it''s not that interesting of a story. Still, there''s one thing I don''t understand.¡±


    Frowning in thought, Lea revisited the past for an answer.


    ¡°She ignored mepletely back then.... Why is she trying to take me now?¡±


    ¡°That''s probably because...¡±


    In the end, Se-Hoon shut his mouth. He had a theory about it, but it was too harsh to say aloud.


    ¡°Anyway... that''s enough of these old stories. Have you heard enough to satisfy yourself?¡± Lea interjected, sensing his hesitation.


    ¡°...Yes, that should be enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. Let¡¯s talk about it again after we capture Puppeteer and interrogate her.¡±


    Softly smiling, Lea ended the conversation.


    At that moment, the sphere in front of them also began to change once more.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    The Nimbus Steel had turnedpletely ck, and small white dots were starting to appear on its surface. The celestial forms replicated by the sphere now seemed to be being reflected in the Nimbus Steel as well.


    ¡°Wow, look at that!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not done yet.¡±


    They quickly stood up and approached the sphere.


    As the celestial shapes on the Nimbus Steel became clearer, a faint vibration spread. Then, the instant it felt like a fragment of the night sky had been created within the sphere, the Nimbus Steel disappeared.


    Not missing that moment, Se-Hoon, dding his left hand with Midnight Abyss, swiftly pulled out the Nimbus Steel.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Compared to before, the Nimbus Steel was now much lighter and barely retained its metallic form.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    Mesmerized by its fragile yet beautiful form, Lea suddenly asked, ¡°So what are you going to forge with this?¡±


    From how the Nimbus Steel looked like it could copse at any moment, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it really could be reforged into a device capable of subduing Single Numbers.


    Examining the Nimbus Steel, Se-Hoon eventually replied, ¡°It''s difficult to say in its current state. We need to process it one more time.¡±


    ¡°Process it again?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It needs some kind of pir to stabilize it.¡±


    Confused, Lea felt the need to ask more.


    ¡°So, where do we get this pir?¡±


    ¡°Well, I need to get in touch with someone first...¡±


    Wondering how long it would take that person to contact him, Se-Hoon suddenly felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Immediately checking it, he saw a call from an unfamiliar number.


    But despite the unfamiliarity, Se-Hoon''s eyes gleamed. Picking up, he answered with a rxed tone.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡ªThis is Benjamin, the chief secretary of the UD Group.


    At the calm, emotionless voice from the other side, Se-Hoon''s lips curled into a smile.


    ¡ªThe President requests your presence.


    His long-awaited call had finally arrived.

 Chapter 198

    <h4>Chapter 198</h4>


    At a table in a secluded corner of Cafe Lc, its frequent visitor, Se-Hoon, was gazing at the person across the table, sipping his coffee while waiting for them to respond.


    ¡°...¡±


    That person, Luize, was in deep thought. Today, she wore a ck T-shirt with a tooth pattern and jeans instead of her academy uniform, as there were no sses during the vacation.


    A whileter, she finally responded, asking, ¡°So, you''re saying you''re going to meet Gerwin''s father?¡±


    ¡°That''s right.¡±


    Gerwin Kruger, who had conspired with Vier, had preyed on Luize''s innocence during the Ivory Tower¡¯s student schrshippetition. He, both before and after the regression, was the root of Luize¡¯s torment at Dawn¡¯s hands. Before the regression, she had even been ultimately forced to leave Babel.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Frowning, Luize seemed dissatisfied with the situation. However, the frown eventually disappeared and she let out a sigh.


    ¡°What are <i>your</i> thoughts about it?¡± she asked Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Are you wondering if it has anything to do with that incident?¡±


    At Luize¡¯s nod, Se-Hoon reassured her, not even taking the time to think.


    ¡°This has nothing to do with it. I''m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re sure?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t understand the basis for his confidence.


    Noticing, Se-Hoon started exining, ¡°Wurgen ispletelyissez-faire. He judges his children solely on the results they bring, not caring about the methods they use to achieve them.¡±


    Even if Gerwin used dirty tricks to be selected for the student schrship, as long as he wasn''t caught, Wurgen wouldn¡¯t care. In fact, Wurgen might even have rewarded him for it. However, that also meant that Gerwin would be discarded without mercy if he was caught and deemed irredeemable.


    ¡°Besides, he encouragespetition for management rights among his children, essentially promoting the use of such dirty tricks tantly.¡±


    If thepetitors saw that they would be rewarded instead of punished for using underhanded tactics, it was natural for them to be tempted.


    Luize¡¯s expression turned into one of disbelief.


    ¡°So he¡¯s aplete bastard.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s been notorious as a corrupt businessman since even before the age of the Towers of Heroes. His war achievements and status as a Perfect One just whitewashed him a bit.¡±


    Aside from that, Wurgen had also been quick to adapt to the new world. By purchasing corpses to form his own undead army and recruiting ostracized necromancers for their use of corpses, he established the foundation for necromancy. His contribution to the advancement of humanity couldn''t be denied.


    <i>He''s still a morally corrupt person, though.</i>


    Having heard Se-Hoon''s full exnation, Luize fell silent to organize her thoughts. When she finished, she gave her verdict.


    ¡°If it''s unrted to that incident, then it''s also unrted to me. His lousy parenting is likely the reason behind everything... but I canin about that after I be stronger.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you for understanding.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Stop saying such embarrassing things...¡±


    Exasperated, Luize sipped her coffee and suddenly thought of something she wanted to ask.


    ¡°Oh, do you have any ns for this summer break?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm?</i> Well, I do have some.¡±


    Although uprooting the Pleasure District and killing the Dream Demon was quite grandiose for a first-year student¡¯s summer vacation n, as a regressor, it was very reasonable.


    ¡°Are you going to be busy?¡±


    ¡°I will, but it''s not like I have no free time at all. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°If you have some spare time, I want you to go somewhere with me.¡±


    Taken aback by Luize¡¯s proposal, Se-Hoon''s lips soon curled into a smirk.


    ¡°Despite hanging out with me so much, you still¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say another word. It¡¯s this.¡±


    Shutting Se-Hoon up, Luize pushed her phone forward to show a brief overview of a tour for promising students at educational institutions, hosted by the Marite Factory¡ªwhich Se-Hoon suspected to be rted to Dawn.


    ¡°You were nning to investigate this ce anyway, right? Let''s go together, then.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Reading through the details of the tour of the Marite Factory, Se-Hoon found out that the content wasn''t bad; it included a workshop tour and training from affiliated artisans. However, if Dawn truly was involved, there would be some kind of reaction the moment they applied.


    <i>It might be a bit risky, but then I just need to make backup ns for it.</i>


    Thinking it was a good idea, he returned the phone to Luize.


    ¡°Alright, I''ll clear my schedule for that day.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I''ll be training hard until then, so make sure you get something useful out of it.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Checking the time, Se-Hoon finished his coffee in one gulp and stood up.


    ¡°I''ll be going now. I have another appointment soon.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are you going to the UD group with someone else?¡±


    ¡°Well since I need to be off-campus for this meeting, I asked someone to be my bodyguard. You never know what might happen.¡±


    With his fame, he had to travel with a reliable person whenever he wasn''t in disguise because the entirety of the Demon Force was likely watching him.


    ¡°Ah, that makes sense. Who are you going with, then?¡±


    At Luize¡¯s question, Se-Hoon smiled slightly.


    ¡°The person who prioritizes me above all.¡±


    ***


    Arriving at the Void Space Terminal in Frankfurt, Germany, Se-Hoon gazed out therge window at the dark night.


    <i>It was around 11:00 am when I crossed over, so it should be around 11:00 pm here.</i>


    With the time difference, the bright sky had immediately turned dark. But despite thete hour, the terminal was still bustling with people.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Pulling his attention, the red-haired woman in a ck suit who had followed him from Babel, Eun-Ha, informed him of their next ns.


    ¡°The UD Group representatives are here to pick us up, so we can head straight outside.¡±


    ¡°Really? They''re more courteous than I expected.¡±


    He had assumed Wurgen would simply tell him toe on his own, given that he hade to learn from Wurgen, but it appeared Wurgen was putting on appearances due to their surface-level cooperative rtionship.


    <i>Or maybe he was so moved by the fact that I said there was no need for a get-well-soon gift in the speech.</i>


    Amused by the thought, Se-Hoon chuckled to himself and then turned to look at Eun-Ha, who stood before him expressionless.


    ¡°Anyway, are you sure this is okay? It''s your summer vacation too, after all, but because of me...¡±


    ¡°It''s fine. I didn''t have any special ns...¡±


    <i>Vrrr-</i>


    Interrupting her, Eun-Ha took out her phone. When she saw the screen, she declined the call, blocked the number, and then put the phone away and acted as if nothing had ever happened.


    ¡°...so you don¡¯t have to worry about it. Just do what you need to do.¡±


    From the call, it was obvious that she had other ns yet had dropped everything because of his request. But Se-Hoon decided not to think about it further, because if she was ignoring it, then she had already calcted that it wouldn''t cause any problems.


    <i>She¡¯s not like that Mad Dog.</i>


    In stark contrast to how Sung-Ha always acted without regard for consequences, making it difficult to clean up after him, Eun-Ha could be trusted with anything.


    ¡°Understood. I''ll count on you then.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Let''s get going.¡±


    Setting off, they headed to the terminal''s exit. When they got closer, they began hearing murmurs from those nearby and headed outside upon noticing something unusual.


    And what they saw astounded Se-Hoon.


    ¡°What the...¡±


    Skeletons dressed in ck suits with blue mes flickering in their skulls lined up in two rows to form a path, which led to a luxury limousine. It was an absolutely incredulous sight.


    Meanwhile, as Se-Hoon stood speechless, a man with pale skin and a cold demeanor approached.


    ¡°Wee, Mr. Lee, Dean Ryu.¡±


    Bowing politely to both of them, the man straightened up and introduced himself.


    ¡°I''m Benjamin, the chief secretary of the UD Group, and I''ll be escorting you two today.¡±


    Recognizing the voice as the man he had spoken to on the phone yesterday, Se-Hoon was immediately intrigued.


    <i>So, he''s Wurgen''s right-hand man.</i>


    In his position, Benjamin only followed direct orders from Wurgen, handling both official and unofficial tasks for the UD Group. With his status, Se-Hoon just couldn¡¯t help but be interested in the man who had met a tragic end during a coup attempt before the regression.


    <i>I thought he''d look more bitter, but this is surprising.</i>


    Rather than resigned, Benjamin appeared to be devoid of any thoughts except his orders. Curiously observing him, Se-Hoon then moved his gaze to the limousine behind him.


    ¡°Where are we headed?¡±


    ¡°The president wishes to meet you briefly, so we''ll be heading to the headquarters first.¡±


    In the end, despite their attempt at politeness, they still set the schedule. However, Se-Hoon just looked past it.


    ¡°Understood. Dean, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Walking down the aisle together, guarded on both sides by the skeletons, they entered the car when the skeleton at the end neatly opened the car door for them. Its interior was luxurious, befitting of the vehicle of a globalpany president, and appeared quite sturdy.


    <i>It feels strangely cold; is it reinforced with necromancy?</i>


    Guessing the car had been reinforced with specially crafted bones, he examined the undead limousine in fascination. When the door closed, the car started moving smoothly.


    <i>Hum</i>


    Its top-tier soundproofing muted even the engine noise as the limousine glided down the quiet evening roads. Through the windows, he could see other cars with undead following as an escort and bone birds flying around in the sky above them.


    The thorough security prepared by the UD Group genuinely impressed him.


    <i>Hmm... It seems he was really touched.</i>


    While he looked forward to seeing Wurgen¡¯s reaction when they met, he was also a bit anxious.


    Continuing to gaze out the window, he only turned his gaze a whileter.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Like Benjamin, who was sitting as still as a corpse, Eun-Ha sat like a statue next to him. While they were both naturally taciturn, there was an additional sense of tension in the air.


    <i>Are they on guard against each other?</i>


    Benjamin was wary that Eun-Ha would make a sudden move, and likewise, Eun-Ha was wary that Benjamin wouldunch an unexpected attack. There was no trust between them at all, a seemingly indirect reflection of the rtionship between Babel and the UD Group.


    <i>Two forces allied out of necessity and necessity only.</i>


    And that rtionship applied both to his own safety while he was here, as well as the cooperation between Babel and the UD Group, which was clearly only because of the results of Ludwig¡¯s research on the Tower of Heroes.


    <i>Speaking of which, I should ask about that at some point.</i>


    Recalling how Ludwig had connected the Tower of Heroes to an external space during the special exam, something he had never even heard of before, he made aplicated expression. What was the purpose of Ludwig¡¯s research? What was he ultimately nning to do? He couldn''t even begin to imagine.


    <i>It might just be to help train heroes... but if so, why didn¡¯t he disclose it before the regression?</i>


    Unable to figure it out, he became lost in thought. In the meantime, the limousine finally pulled up in front of a massive building.


    ¡°We''ve arrived.¡±


    When the car fully stopped, a single undead guard, having been waiting for them, opened the door.


    Exiting, Se-Hoon stretched his neck to look up at the building in front of him. Its size and height dwarfed the surrounding buildings, and unlike what he expected, there were no additional guards¡ªit was a show of confidence.


    <i>It''s like he¡¯s saying, ¡°From here on out, it¡¯s my domain.¡±</i>


    Just like how Babel was safe as the Emperor of Ascension¡¯s private garden, the UD Group¡¯s headquarters was under Wurgen''s protection. Taking onest look at the building, which exuded an imposing aura like a living creature, he followed Benjamin inside.


    ¡°If there are any ces inside our headquarters that you''d like to visit, please let me know. I¡¯ll arrange a tour for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh... got it.¡±


    Walking through the building, Se-Hoon nced around at the undead busily working instead of humans. A few momentster, they boarded an elevator.


    <i>Ding-</i>


    Quickly reaching the top floor, the doors of the elevator carrying the three of them opened and revealed a luxurious hallway. At first nce, it was obvious one person upied the entire floor.


    Walking down the hallway, Se-Hoon stopped in front of a door at the end.


    ¡°...¡±


    He had finally arrived at the office of the president of the UD Group, the leader of one of the world''s leading megacorporations and the most capable necromancer among the seven Perfect Ones.


    Behind the door in front of him, the Eternal Nocturne Wurgen Kruger was waiting. He nced at Benjamin standing beside him.


    ¡°You can go right in.¡±


    Stepping aside, Benjamin gestured for Se-Hoon to open the door and enter. But upon seeing that, Eun-Ha, who had been walking alongside him, stepped forward.


    ¡°Then I will¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I''ll go in first.¡±


    Stopping Eun-Ha, Se-Hoon ced his hands on the firmly closed door.


    Then, as soon as he pushed open the door that felt almost weightless¡ª


    ¡°Is it you?¡±


    The darkness within suddenly surged out, engulfing the entire hallway in an instant. Standing within the darkness, lines began to form everywhere they could see.


    The lines slowly split open vertically, and hundreds of eyes soon stared down at them from the ceiling, walls, and floor. Under their heavy gaze, Se-Hoon looked at the skull inside the room.


    <strong>¡°Die.¡±</strong>


    The darkness swept his body across the boundary.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 199

    <h4>Chapter 199</h4>


    It was a straightforward deration of death¡ªan utterly arrogant statement. However,ing from a Perfect One, it carried a different weight.


    <i>Gush.</i>


    A shroud of darkness enveloped everything in an instant, leaving only Se-Hoon¡¯s body distinguishable. Finding himself in a void-likendscape where he couldn¡¯t feel anything, Se-Hoon soon deduced where he was.


    <i>I¡¯m on the other side of the boundary... the Netherworld.</i>


    People had long since been referring to the Netherworld by names such as the shadow of reality, the world of death, or the final destination of the dead. And when Wurgen officially discovered the Netherworld after bing a Perfect One, necromancy had surged in poprity. Before, it had heavily relied on intuition.


    During that time, each practitioner had a unique theory about where the soul headed and how to summon it.


    <i>Simply put, it''s like Babel''s Void Space Terminal.</i>


    It was Wurgen who had revealed that the Netherworld was essentially a midpoint that the souls of the dead had to pass through on their way to the afterlife. Necromancers worldwide had then taken that discovery and re-established their necromancy based on how they understood it, increasing its stability and power.


    Back then, it caused great confusion due to it greatly differing from the afterlife that humanity believed in, but it was nheless a crucial aspect of necromancy.


    <i>Gush-</i>


    Of course, since it was the <i>Netherworld</i>, it was naturally not a ce for the living.


    Observing the surrounding darkness, Se-Hoon noticed that it seemed to pulsate and had begun to seep into his body. The sight intrigued him.


    <i>So this is how one is eroded by the Netherworld to gradually be a dead soul.</i>


    Not only was the darkness around him staining him ck, but his strength was being drained away and his body had begun to disintegrate into pieces; at the current rate, he wouldn''tst five minutes. Yet Se-Hoon looked around unconcerned.


    <i>If he actually intended to kill me, I would have been dead long ago.... He must be expecting me to do something here.</i>


    Pondering what Wurgen wanted to see from him, Se-Hoon quickly came up with the answer. Then, without putting in much thought, he began to move.


    <strong><i>Edict of the Eternal Nocturne</i></strong>


    <i>Woong-</i>


    In an instant, the darkness that had been enveloping Se-Hoon was pushed back by an intangible wave spreading from within his body. Feeling the surroundings shaking violently in reaction, he noticed a line had appeared beneath his feet, clearly defining the ground, differentiating it from the surroundings.


    <i>Is this the boundary?</i>


    Stepping onto the line, he experienced a shift in all his senses. He was no longer being ambiguously mixed with the Netherworld, a clear boundary had been drawn between himself and it. Taking the halting of the erosion of his body as proof, he gained a rough understanding of the boundary''s power.


    <i>It''s just like a pair of vinyl gloves.</i>


    The power of Boundaries prevented one from being stained by the ck ink of the Netherworld and helped them safely push it out. With such an ability, it was a fundamental but essential power for dealing with the highly erosive forces of the Netherworld.


    <i>This must be what Wurgen wanted to see.</i>


    He suspected that Wurgen had thrown him into the Netherworld to test how well he could handle the power of Boundaries that had been absorbed from Wurgen¡¯s finger bone.


    <i>Does he think I won''t die from this? Or does he just think it doesn''t matter if I die since he can revive me anyway?</i>


    Regardless, Se-Hoon, having previously experienced simr insanity, was unfazed by the slightly insane testing method and calmly observed his surroundings.


    <i>If I keep holding out here, he''ll probably take me out eventually...</i>


    However, that would take a long time, and more importantly, Wurgen''s evaluation would be ambiguous. Therefore Se-Hoon quickly decided to score a few more points and drew upon his darkness mana, Midnight Abyss.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    As Midnight Abyss formed in his hands, the dormant darkness around him rushed in at once. It was because Midnight Abyss, which specialized in handling the power of the Netherworld, naturally gathered strength from its surroundings.


    <i>Let''s see...</i>


    Imbuing Midnight Abyss in both hands, he drew arge circle in the air and separated a portion of the Netherworld. It looked like he had outlined and detached a section of the air.


    Confirming the shape, he then slowly molded the portion with both hands, shaping it into a spear. During the process, as he infused Midnight Abyss into it, its color brightened slightly and evoked a distinct feeling.


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> It''s not bad, but... it feels a bit nd.¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The swinging sensation wasn¡¯t bad, but in terms ofposition, it was just an ordinary spear infused with a bit of darkness mana. Taking another look at the overall structure, he began to inscribe small spell patterns on the surface of the spear with his index finger.


    <i>I should also enhance its erosive ability. And while I¡¯m at it, if I can make it so that it reverses the boundary of the person ites in contact with, pushing them into the Netherworld... wait, is this how Vision of the Abyss works?</i>


    Falling into thought, he racked his brain for other ways to improve the spear as well.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    A sudden tremor echoed from somewhere, startling Se-Hoo. He nced around.


    <i>What now?</i>


    Was Wurgen up to something because he was enduring too well? Bracing himself for what wasing, he felt another massive vibration hit and immediately noticed a giant crack appearing in front of him.


    It was as if someone was trying to break the space apart. At the rming yet familiar sight, he btedly remembered something.


    <i>Eun-Ha?</i>


    He hadn¡¯te alone.


    <i>Crash!!!</i>


    With a terrifying roar, the space before him shattered and crimson mes rushed into the darkness. Then, from within those mes, a crimson meteor approached Se-Hoon, grabbing and pulling him out in an instant.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, he had been pulled out of the Netherworld and was now back in the hallway. Regaining his senses, he quickly took a look around.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The hallway, which was previously engulfed in Wurgen''s darkness, was now in ruins. Their guide, Benjamin, was also kneeling to the side with two-thirds of his chest blown away.


    <i>This is aplete mess...</i>


    Taking in the chaos that had unfolded, he turned to the crimson meteor, Eun-Ha, who was holding him.


    ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡± she asked.


    From her crimson hair, eyes, and even arms, he could tell that Eun-Ha had activated the third stage of Soul Furnace, Red Vigor. Se-Hoon smiled wryly.


    ¡°I''m not exactly hurt, but... what did you do here...¡±


    ¡°I''ll exin once we escape this ce.¡±


    ¡°No, wait...¡±


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Wasting no time to talk, Eun-Ha cut him off and drew more power, causing the crimson mes surrounding her to burn even more fiercely.


    <i>Is she really going to activate the fourth stage...?</i>


    Just as Se-Hoon was about to stop her from exerting her full power, a calm voice beat him to it.


    ¡°That''s enough.¡±


    At the voice, the surrounding scenery flipped and returned to the original hallway. The darkness that had enveloped everything, the mes that had been burning, and any sign of destruction all vanished. Even Benjamin''s chest wound had beenpletely healed.


    It truly looked like nothing had happened...


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    ...besides the mes of Soul Furnace ring up on Eun-Ha¡¯s body.


    Fascinated by the still-burning mes, Wurgen muttered, ¡°I had intended to snuff out the mes on your body too, but.... This is quite surprising. No wonder Ludwig has his eye on you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    With the curious Wurgen on one side, and Eun-Ha, who was still searching for a way out, on the other, Se-Hoon let out a sigh.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine, Dean. Really. He was just testing me.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. When he said he wanted me to die, it was probably a joke. It was a y on words, as he was sending me to the Netherworld.¡±


    While it was a solid exnation for the situation, Eun-Ha¡¯s reaction didn¡¯t improve.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that sending a first-year student to the Netherworld on a whim is for a simple test?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> well...¡±


    She had a point, but what could he do? They were facing a Perfect One, and a mad one at that. So he decided to just keep things simple.


    ¡°He <i>is</i> a Perfect One, after all.¡±


    It was well known that high-ranking heroes had a few screws loose, and Wurgen, who was among the pinnacle of such individuals, was no exception.


    ¡°...¡±


    For a moment, Eun-Ha just stared into Se-Hoon''s eyes before finally nodding and extinguishing the mes of Soul Furnace. Her zing hair settled down, and the explosive power surrounding her dissipated.


    She then set Se-Hoon down and bowed to Wurgen.


    ¡°I apologize for interrupting the test.¡±


    ¡°It''s fine. It was somewhat expected,¡± Wurgen responded indifferently.


    ¡°Thank you for understanding¡ª¡±


    ¡°But I don''t want another interruption. I will only let hime in.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Eun-Ha nced at Se-Hoon, who nodded slightly in response.


    ¡°...Understood¡±


    ¡°I''ll be right back.¡±


    Reassuring Eun-Ha, Se-Hoon entered the office alone and began looking around. Despite its size, it was mostly empty, with only a desk that had a gray cushion where a skull sat like a decoration on top of it.


    <i>Wow.... That thing is something else.</i>


    Seeing Wurgen''s skull for the first time, he couldn''t help but be impressed. The pitch-ck darkness filling the skull was something most wouldn''t understand, but having just been in the Netherworld, Se-Hoon recognized what it was immediately.


    <i>Who would have thought he was directly connected to the Netherworld...</i>


    Unlike other necromancers who could barely handle the power of the Netherworld, Wurgen''s soul was directly connected to it. And since that was the case, then it meant he existed on the boundary between the surface and the Netherworld¡ªa discovery about the secret to his power that left Se-Hoon in awe.


    <i>If I could forge something with that, it could draw infinite power from the Netherworld...</i>


    Perhaps because he had recently grasped the structure of the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx, he felt more curiosity than dread looking at the skull. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t able to examine it for long, as a voice soon interrupted his thoughts


    ¡°That''s enough.¡±


    From within the skull''s eye sockets, dark blue lights glowed, ring at him.


    ¡°Your stare is quite unpleasant. Look away at once.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Without arguing, Se-Hoon slightly lowered his gaze. He was aware there was no need to provoke the already ill-tempered Wurgen.


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> This must be it.¡±


    Wurgen''s eyes flicked to the side, and a ck spear appeared in midair. After carefully examining the spear Se-Hoon had been forging in the Netherworld before Eun-Ha pulled him out, Wurgen asked inly, ¡°How much of the power of Boundaries have you absorbed?¡±


    ¡°Everything contained in the finger bone.¡±


    ¡°And how did you dispel my trap?¡±


    ¡°I forced my way through it. Without your direct control, it''s just one rogue, tricky power.¡±


    At those words, Wurgen looked at Se-Hoon with disbelief.


    <i>Many have tried to control it and ended up crippled.... What a nonsensical guy.</i>


    Either he didn''t fullyprehend the situation, or he understood it but chose to downy his aplishments. Wurgen looked back at the spear, wondering how much this guy would need to be fazed.


    <i>I sent him there to see how much of the erosion he could withstand, and I ended up finding out he could handle not only the power of Boundaries but also the power of the Netherworld.</i>


    Neither of them were feats possible by just absorbing the power of Boundaries contained in the finger bone; one had to have a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of necromancy. However, what surprised Wurgen the most was the faint but present spell pattern of Vision of the Abyss which was inscribed on the spear.


    <i>This thing proves he even understands how to utilize the power of Boundaries further....</i>


    Having quickly assessed Se-Hoon''s skills, Wurgen spoke again. ¡°I''ve roughly figured out what to teach you... but there''s one more thing we need to discuss first. I hope you haven''t forgotten.¡±


    He stared straight at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about your new finger, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll create something much better for you,¡± Se-Hoon replied, nodding in response.


    ¡°How exactly are you nning to do so?¡±


    At the question, Se-Hoon pulled out the Nimbus Steel from his void pocket instead of responding.


    ¡°That should be...¡±


    Recognizing the Nimbus Steel which now looked like a piece of the night sky itself, Wurgen¡¯s glowing eyes erged.


    ¡°I n to use a portion of this for the basis of your finger bone. However, I¡¯ll need your assistance from time to time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re much more prepared than I expected.¡±


    If Se-Hoon had brought some mediocre Hero-tier material, Wurgen nned to demand the Dream Demon''s eye from him instead. But it seemed rash to make such a request now.


    He didn''t know what kind of blueprint Se-Hoon had prepared, but upon seeing his confident stance, he decided to go with Se-Hoon¡¯s n after a moment''s consideration.


    ¡°Fine. But you must forge it strictly under my supervision. Otherwise, you¡¯ll need to swear an oath.¡±


    ¡°You can watch all you want. I don¡¯t have any secrets to hide anyway.¡±


    Unlike many cksmiths who prohibited entry to their workshops to prevent the leakage of their techniques, Se-Hoon had never been particrly concerned about that even before the regression. His forging was based on Soul Honing which was impossible for others to replicate just by watching.


    ¡°...¡±


    Wurgen looked at Se-Hoon¡¯s unwavering confidence with dissatisfaction. Even his own children trembled before him, yet the young man before him stood so boldly.


    <i>What an oddly irritating guy.</i>


    With Se-Hoon¡¯s abilities, his confidence should have pleased him, but for some reason, it had been grating on him since he first met Se-Hoon in person.


    Shaking off the feeling, he added another condition.


    ¡°Also, if I¡¯m not satisfied with the result, you¡¯ll have to pay a price.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Though that won¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°I like your confidence. Anyway, while I initially nned to kill you and make you my servant... that seems like more trouble than it¡¯s worth.¡±


    While it would be greatly beneficial for him, going to war with Ludwig wouldpletely negate it. Hence, Wurgen chose a different path.


    ¡°So instead, if I¡¯m dissatisfied with the result, I¡¯ll take a part of your soul.¡±


    ¡°My soul...?¡±


    The idea of having his soul taken if he failed made Se-Hoon ufortable. Although it was amon trope in novels andics, his soul was already in a precarious state, so even the thought of Wurgen meddling with his soul was unsettling.


    <i>No way.... Could it be...?</i>


    But then he recalled a bizarre story he had heard long before he regressed.


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about it much. I will only be taking about one percent¡ªno, half a percent of your soul. It won¡¯t affect you at all.¡±


    Indeed, such a small amount wouldn¡¯t impact the body. And in a way, it was a favorable condition for Se-Hoon. However, Se-Hoon¡¯s expression grew even more uneasy because the amount Wurgen mentioned matched exactly with the story he remembered.


    ¡°What... do you exactly intend to do with that portion of the soul?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hm?</i> Ah, I didn¡¯t tell you?¡±


    Wurgen looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll merge it with a part of my soul,¡± he said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What that means is...¡±


    Wurgen¡¯s eyes then curled into crescents, as if mocking him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be my eighty-ninth child.¡±

 Chapter 200

    <h4>Chapter 200</h4>


    Wurgen was 114 years old this year. However, while his old age was a factor, the main reason he wasn¡¯t able to reproduce anymore was his transformation into a skeleton that was devoid of any flesh during the moment he became a Perfect One.


    Yet that problem had been solved with a technique he had researched previously: Soul Reproduction.


    ¡°Compared to the gic waste that is often produced from flesh, the soul is perfect for reproduction. And the efficiency is iparable.¡±


    Unlike typical reproduction, which had many steps, Soul Reproduction waspleted after taking a portion of two people¡¯s souls,bining them, and cing the result in a specially-made incubator. Then, in about a month, a fully grown fetus would emerge, which was about a ninth of the usual gestation period.


    ¡°Furthermore, since the baby is the result of a fusion of two souls, its gender is irrelevant. No matter what, it will have outstanding physical abilities and strongly inherit the talents of both souls. It¡¯s superior to ordinary reproduction in every way.¡±


    From the perspective of someone wanting to create a child, or rather a sessor, whose purpose was to inherit their parent¡¯s abilities, Soul Reproduction was the perfect choice.


    ¡°So, why not try it?¡±


    And that was the reason the insane skull in front of him was casually suggesting it.


    ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    ¡°...I don''t understand.¡±


    Wurgen looked at Se-Hoon, truly unable to understand the rejection.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever wished for the optimal assistant who could help with your work?¡±


    ¡°...I have.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no one capable enough around you, no?¡±


    ¡°That''s... also true.¡±


    ¡°Then wouldn''t it be better to create one yourself?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The entire time, Wurgen spoke matter-of-factly, as if he were guiding one to create an in-game character.


    But despite the clear reasoning, Se-Hoon hesitated to answer.


    ¡°...Can I be honest with you?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Your method just feels disgusting and creepy.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Contemting, Wurgen looked at Se-Hoon with interest rather than displeasure at the blunt response. After a moment, he epted Se-Hoon¡¯s opinion willingly.


    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t like the idea then there is nothing I can do. I won''t suggest it further.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°But remember, if you hand over a subpar finger bone, I''ll be forcibly taking your soul, so you better do a good job. Do you understand?¡±


    Indicating his seriousness, ck mana oozed out of his skull and put Se-Hoon under immense pressure. Yet Se-Hoon¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he nodded.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°...How dull. Go on, then.¡±


    ¡°I''ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    Bowing, Se-Hoon turned and left, leaving Wurgen alone in his office. And upon seeing Se-Hoon exit the building, Wurgen narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°He doesn''t seem like the type to be moralistic...¡±


    He hadn¡¯t thought Se-Hoon would unhesitantly refuse the opportunity to perform Soul Reproduction with a Perfect One. So now, Wurgen, who originally thought Se-Hoon was like him, had to revise his evaluation of Se-Hoon.


    <i>He''s a bit soft.</i>


    He had considered taking Se-Hoon as a disciple, but with that disposition, he believed Se-Hoon would likely falter at critical moments. And since that was the case, he decided to end the training lessons after just some basic instructions.


    With that decided, Wurgen recalled the Nimbus Steel Se-Hoon had shown him earlier.


    <i>That material wasn''t bad.</i>


    He wondered how Se-Hoon would infuse it with the power of Boundaries. There were many methods he could think of, but they all seemed impossible for Se-Hoon currently.


    <i>This is turning out to be more intriguing than I thought.</i>


    Falling into deep thought, Wurgen began pondering what kind of equipment Se-Hoon would forge and what training he should give him tomorrow. Soon, the blue lights in his eye sockets gradually dimmed, and the room fell silent as if he were asleep.


    The dozens of screens around him continued to glow endlessly.


    ***


    The next morning, Se-Hoon checked his body and memory more meticulously than usual upon waking up. In this unfamiliar ce, he couldn''t predict what kind of tricks Wurgen might y under the guise of training.


    <i>Well, he''d probably just throw me straight into the Netherworld instead of bothering to tamper with my memory.</i>


    A while passed and he finally confirmed there were no problems. With that done, he got up and looked around the bedroom. The luxurious room in a suite at the UD Group''s top-tier hotel had been arranged by Wurgen for his amodation. It had arge bed that could easily amodate four people and a panoramic view of the city from the window.


    <i>I¡¯m guessing this entire area is owned by them, not just this building.</i>


    It was more than likely that the entire city was under Wurgen''s economic and physical control. It was like Babel, though smaller in scale, making it still a safe ce.


    <i>Eun-Ha is right next door, too.</i>


    If the Ten Evilsunched an attack, with such security in ce, they would likely find that they had be the target instead. Chuckling at the thought, Se-Hoon took a light shower, changed clothes, and walked into the living room.


    Dressed impably in a suit, Eun-Ha was already sitting on the sofa.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she greeted.


    At the sight of her, Se-Hoon curiously remarked, ¡°I see you¡¯re up early.¡±


    ¡°I usually don¡¯t sleep much.¡±


    ¡°What time did you get up?¡±


    Eun-Ha nced at the clock.


    ¡°I woke up at eight.¡±


    Although he could believe that she only took thirty minutes to get into her suit, Se-Hoon quickly realized the truth.


    As a S-rank hero, Eun-Ha could maintain her condition with little sleep, often sleeping only thirty minutes a day in one- to two-minute intervals and staying awake for weeks if necessary.


    <i>She didn¡¯t sleep at all... I guess, if she trusted Wurgen, she might have slept a bit, but she''s on guard against him.</i>


    The realization displeased Se-Hoon. Even though Eun-Ha probably didn¡¯t mind because she didn¡¯t need much sleep in the first ce, it bothered him since they weren¡¯t at odds with Wurgen.


    So, after thinking about it for a moment, Se-Hoon brought it up.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you slept much.... Is it because you¡¯re here to guard me?¡±


    ¡°No...¡±


    Attempting to deny Se-Hoon¡¯s probing, Eun-Ha¡¯s hesitant response soon turned into a nod under his piercing gaze.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s also the guards arranged by Wurgen outside, so why not rx a bit?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m here for your protection, so neglecting my job is uneptable.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    At Eun-Ha''s firm response, Se-Hoon fell into thought and soon came up with an idea.


    ¡°Then how about we sleep in the same room?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    To Se-Hoon¡¯s confusion, Eun-Ha froze in astonishment, her usually expressionless face twitching slightly as if she had heard something that was supposed to remain unspoken.


    Then, after a few moments of hesitation, Eun-Ha, in a voice more tense than usual, cautiously asked, ¡°What do you mean by that...?¡±


    ¡°I mean, if we share the same room, you can respond immediately if anything happens. That way, you can get at least a bit of sleep.¡±


    In fact, before the regression, Eun-Ha had done just that and remained by Se-Hoon¡¯s side for almost twenty-four hours, so it wasn¡¯t a strange suggestion to him. Truthfully, having separate rooms felt more awkward.


    ¡°Well... that would be...¡±


    Noticing Eun-Ha¡¯s struggle to find a response, it finally dawned on Se-Hoon that he hadn¡¯t ounted for something. While his proposal was not unusual for him, given his memories, Eun-Ha had only known him for less than half a year. Of course sharing a room would naturally feel awkward.


    <i>Maybe I was too hasty.</i>


    Eun-Ha, though indifferent to public opinion, strictly respected personal boundaries. So Se-Hoon quickly apologized, thinking she might have been feeling ufortable.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t think it through enough¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, that does sound good.¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    Se-Hoon looked at her in surprise.


    Returning to her usual expressionless face, Eun-Ha responded, ¡°From a security standpoint, sharing a room seems better. As you said, I will be able to respond immediately, even if we¡¯re asleep.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but...¡±


    Se-Hoon felt a bit conflicted by her passive agreement. He had suggested it himself, but was it really ok?


    <i>Well... it¡¯s not like there should be a problem, right?</i>


    Nothing had happened before, so why would something happen now? Thinking that, he nodded after a brief hesitation.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s ask the front desk to add another bed to my room.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Letting Eun-Ha call the front desk, Se-Hoon felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and checked the iing message.


    Chief Secretary Benjamin: The President requests to see you as soon as you wake up. We¡¯ll be waiting downstairs, so pleasee down when you¡¯re ready.


    Done reading the message, Se-Hoon turned to Eun-Ha, who had just finished her call.


    ¡°They''re waiting downstairs, so let''s head down.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Together, they took the elevator down and got into the waiting limousine that was heading to the UD Group¡¯s headquarters which they had visited the day before.


    <i>This ce feels different during the day.</i>


    At night, the ce had a bright yet eerie vibe due to theck of people; it was a stark contrast to the entrance bustling with people now. Observing the people, Se-Hoon walked into the headquarters and the scene before him abruptly changed.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    He was now in the Netherworld, filled with a pitch-ck darkness attempting to engulf him. Unfazed, Se-Hoon used the Edict of the Eternal Nocturne to heighten his guard and push back the darkness.


    Standing on the line drawn at his feet, Se-Hoon stabilized his stance in the Netherworld and began looking around. Not longter, a familiar-looking eye appeared in the air.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite adept at defining a boundary. I guess there¡¯s no need to teach you that.¡±


    At Wurgen''s nonchnt voiceing from the eye, Se-Hoon looked up at him.


    ¡°Are we starting the lesson right away?¡±


    ¡°Can''t you tell by looking? Stop asking such stupid questions. It¡¯s annoying to answer them.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was obviously absurd to abruptly throw someone into the Netherworld and then tell them not to ask questions, but since Wurgen was the teacher and had the upper hand, Se-Hoon kept hisints to himself and just listened.


    ¡°After pondering for ten minutes yesterday, I decided to teach you the characteristics of the Netherworld.¡±


    ¡°The characteristics of the Netherworld...¡±


    ¡°They can be divided into three major aspects: soul storage, infinite-darkness, and reality-connection.¡±


    Wurgen¡¯s eye then nced to one side, where a semi-transparent gaseous form appeared.


    ¡°The souls of the dead naturally mix within the darkness of the Netherworld, meaning in a sense, we can consider this darkness itself to be a form of soul."


    Surprised by Wurgen¡¯s exnation, Se-Hoon took another look around him. He had thought for a while that the darkness mana here felt a little bit different from other elemental manas, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be because it contained mingled souls.


    <i>Ah, so that''s why I couldn''t see souls in the Netherworld... </i>


    This enigmatic aspect of the Netherworld he hadn¡¯t known intrigued Se-Hoon.


    While continuing to observe the surroundings with interest, Se-Hoon made sure to listen when Wurgen resumed his exnation.


    ¡°And the darkness of the Netherworld, which is mixed with souls, contains an almost limitless amount of darkness mana. That''s what allows necromancers to maintainrge armies of undead.¡±


    As necromancers advanced in rank, the number of undead they could control increased exponentially. At A-rank, a necromancer could handle up to thousands of undead at once. In return, the quality of control diminished with the increasing number of summons, but it was still an extraordinary abilitypared to typical summoners.


    <i>So they can draw power from the Netherworld''s infinite pool of darkness mana...</i>


    At the revtion, Se-Hoon began considering whether he could incorporate the infinite darkness mana into the new piece of equipment he was developing. He stared at the Netherworld¡¯s darkness, lost in thought.


    Meanwhile, Wurgen shifted his gaze.


    ¡°Moreover, since the Netherworld is a shadow of the real world, it¡¯s interconnected to it. That makes it possible to do things like this if one can properly control the boundary.¡±


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    The darkness around them rippled, and soon a massive skyscraper rose skyward, mirroring the building they were just in.


    At the life-sized replica of the UD Group¡¯s headquarters, recreated in the Netherworld, Se-Hoon¡¯s jaw dropped in astonishment.


    ¡°Did you create this just now using the power of Boundaries?¡±


    ¡°Yes. By tuning the boundary between the Netherworld and the surface world, I can make it so that they influence each other.¡±


    Se-Hoon processed Wurgen''s exnation.


    ¡°Then is it possible to maintain such a space permanently in the Netherworld?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Typically, necromancers create their own spaces in the Netherworld to store the undead. However, maintaining suchrge spaces requires auxiliary devices.¡±


    ¡°Auxiliary devices...¡±


    With the new information he had learned, Se-Hoon began to mentally revise the blueprints he had drawn up. Noticing, Wurgen waited for a bit before continuing. ¡°That''s enough exnation for now. It''s better to experience the rest firsthand.¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    A small circle formed in the air, opening up like a lid. Then, from it, something white spilled onto the boundary line Se-Hoon had drawn.


    ¡°...Bones?¡±


    ¡°These are assembly skeleton bones that aremonly sold on the market. Your task is to create an undead using these bones and then climb to the top of the building with them. That¡¯s today''s lesson.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon made aplex expression. While he forged simr things before, he had never created an undead.


    <i>And asking me to climb all the way to the top...</i>


    The UD Group¡¯s headquarters was about nine hundred meters tall. Wurgen, being who he was, likely hadn''t made the inside easy to navigate either.


    As Se-Hoon¡¯s thoughts churned at the challenging conditions, Wurgen added something, seemingly having anticipated Se-Hoon¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Well, considering you''ve never created an undead before, it would be challenging. And the building is quite high.¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed¡ª¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve prepared something for you.¡±


    <i>Woong!</i>


    In the distance, a huge line was drawn in the darkness, slowly opening to form a gate shape. Within it, there were an uncountable number of undead soldiers.


    At the sight, Se-Hoon stared in a daze before turning to Wurgen with an awkward expression.


    ¡°...You want me to learn from watching?¡±


    Unfortunately, Wurgen''s eye curled into a crescent shape.


    ¡°If you don''t want to die, you better start making one quickly.¡±


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    The undead army inside the gate began to rush towards Se-Hoon at a frantic pace.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 201

    <h4>Chapter 201</h4>


    The undead horde, numbering in the tens of thousands, charged toward him. And, feeling their murderous intent from the other side of the Netherworld, Se-Hoon¡¯s face went pale.


    <i>That crazy skeleton...!</i>


    The undead were roughly B-rank monsters, meaning he could handle a few himself. However, fighting numbers exceeding ten thousand head-on was futile. Furthermore, as members of <i>Wurgen''s </i>undead legion, they could revive instantly upon death.


    So, left with no other choice, Se-Hoon quickly started scanning the scattered skeleton bones on the ground.


    <i>I just have to do whatever I can for now...</i>


    Luckily, despite never properly learning necromancy, he already had a rough idea of how to create an undead thanks to previous observations. Quickly forming a rough sketch in his mind, he immediately began connecting the bones with Shadow Threads.


    <i>Click- ck-</i>


    The bones assembled instantly in the air, creating a new undead in the blink of an eye. It had six pairs of legs, three skulls aligned side by side like a Cerberus, and additional bones extending like spider legs from its spine.


    Naming it Beast Spider, since it looked like a fusion of a spider and a beast, Se-Hoon gathered the power of Boundaries and enveloped the Beast Spider with it.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    With the drawing of the boundary line on the surface of the Beast Spider, the strands of Shadow Thread, which had been holding the bones together, naturally disconnected, and the undead¡¯s form stabilized. The process had united the hundreds of individual bones into the Beast Spider.


    ¡°Ho...¡±


    Observing Se-Hoon¡¯s assembly of an undead of his own, Wurgen became intrigued. If Se-Hoon had injected a soul into the Beast Spider right after assembling it, the hundreds of bones would have moved independently or melted into the darkness of the Netherworld.


    However, he hadn¡¯t, meaning Se-Hoon somewhat understood how to create an undead in the Netherworld despite no instructions.


    <i>Just as I expected, he has an exceptional sense.</i>


    Admiring him inwardly, Wurgen watched as Se-Hoon used the power of Boundaries to carve out a part of the darkness of the Netherworld.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    From the surrounding darkness, a circr portion of the Netherworld''s darkness was separated. However, injecting it into the Beast Spider now would have no effect because while it was mixed with souls, it was closer to pure darkness mana currently. It was the stage where Se-Hoon was supposed to get stuck, as he hadn''t learned any necromancy before.


    However, he inherited the power of the most formidable necromancer.


    <strong><i>Edict of the Eternal Nocturne</i></strong>


    His right hand emitted an intangible wave that stimted something within the darkness, drawing out a translucent gas. The skill, Edict of the Eternal Nocturne, allowed him to control spirits with weak self-awareness, making it perfect to extract the souls merged in the Netherworld''s darkness.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Taking the extracted soul, he infused it into the Beast Spider, causing its six eye sockets to glow blue and its bones to begin moving. Having sessfully created an undead based only on what he had observed in the past, he swiftly jumped onto the Beast Spider and grasped its corbone to use as a handle.


    ¡°Forward!!!¡±


    <i>Screech!!!</i>


    Heading his order, the three heads let out a silent screech as the six pairs of limbs and eight spider legs moved, swiftly climbing the replica of the UD Group''s headquarters.


    Just moments ago, Se-Hoon hesitated over whether to enter the building at the entrance until thest second, deciding to ultimately climb it bytching on to its side in the end. Out there, he could see the outside terrain clearly,pared to the inside, where he feared Wurgen would alter the inner structure.


    ¡°So you chose to avoid going through the traps. But it won''t be straightforward out there either,¡± Wurgen said, narrowing his eye upon seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s choice.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Feeling a massive vibration from below, Se-Hoon, still atop the Beast Spider, looked down.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    The undead legion had already reached the building''s base and had begun climbing its surface in pursuit. But that was something he had anticipated to some extent already. The sight past the initial climbers, however, made Se-Hoon despair.


    <i>How many are there...?</i>


    From the gate to the building''s base, the line of undead stretched out like a wide path. The army, likely numbering in the millions, wasrge enough to sweep him away the moment he was caught or fell.


    <i>He probably won''t kill me, but it¡¯ll definitely be unbearably painful...</i>


    Given Wurgen''s twisted personality, he might even be pushed to the brink of a mental breakdown. Strengthening his determination, Se-Hoon kicked the Beast Spider''s ribs.


    ¡°Faster!¡±


    <i>Screeh!!</i>


    With a roar filled with slight resentment, the Beast Spider climbed up the building even faster. At that speed, the undead chasing from below couldn''t keep up. But just as Se-Hoon felt a bit relieved, he heard a faint sounde from below.


    <i>Whizz!</i>


    Reflexively, he yanked the handle to the side, and the Beast Spider dodged hastily.


    <i>Thuk-thuck-thuck!</i>


    Staring in stunned silence at the hundreds of bone arrows stuck in the area where he just was, Se-Hoon slowly moved his gaze toward the direction where the arrows came from.


    There, he saw thousands of skeletons with beast-like lower bodies pulling the strings on their bows and aiming at him.


    <i>That crazy old man ...!</i>


    Se-Hoon red at Wurgen''s eye, which was floating in the air.


    Noticing, Wurgen¡¯s eye just smiled back.


    ¡°Did I ever say that they would only chase you on foot?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He desperately wanted to curse Wurgen for how shameless he was acting, but he had no time.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    After the archers, skeleton mages still on the ground beganunching hundreds of spells toward him, and a giant chimera golem over ten meters tall started throwing balls of the undead upward.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Exploding above him, shards of the shattered undead fell on top of him like hail, with some of the survivors charging at him.


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    The assault from above and below grew suffocating. Attacks began to graze the Beast Spider as it struggled to dodge them.


    <i>I can''t go on like this.</i>


    His mind raced to think of a way to break through the predicament. Secondster, Se-Hoon quickly connected Shadow Threads to various parts of the Beast Spider''s body. He had decided to directly control the Beast Spider to break through.


    However, while it seemed like the best option on paper...


    <i>Crash!</i>


    The result was entirely different from what he expected.


    ¡°What...?¡±


    As soon as he connected to the Beast Spider with Shadow Thread, various parts of its body began falling apart. He tried to stabilize it, but bone arrows struck both him and the Beast Spider, resulting in them both falling from the building.


    ¡°Argh...!¡±


    Watching Se-Hoon plummet downward, Wurgen muttered to himself with an incredulous look, ¡°Being too talented can sometimes be problematic.¡±


    When Se-Hoon connected Shadow Threads to various parts of the Beast Spider, his mind mistakenly perceived the Beast Spider''s body as his own. That then led to a sh between the two bodies for control, resulting in the shattering of the boundary enveloping the Beast Spider.


    In simpler terms, Se-Hoon and the Beast Spider had momentarily be one, leading to mutual destruction.


    ¡°Damn it...¡±


    Having figured out his mistake as well, Se-Hoon bit his teeth in frustration.


    ¡°Don''t be too upset. Even if you had seeded in controlling the Beast Spider, you wouldn''t have avoided the further onught of attacks with your mediocre skills.¡±


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    ¡°And well, you should know what''s going to happen now.¡±


    A hint of expectation dyed Wurgen¡¯s voice; it sounded like he was looking forward to what was going to happen.


    ¡°Have a taste of death.¡±


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Se-Hoon''s body hit the ground, and before he could even think about absorbing the shock, the undead swarmed him from all directions, their savage hands tearing his body apart¡ªbut he didn¡¯t meet his death,


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Just before he was about to, the scene before his eyes changed. He now found himself in the bustling first-floor lobby of the UD Group¡¯s headquarters. Dazed, he just stood there, snapping out of it only when someone quickly approached him.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon. Are you alright?¡±


    Turning his head to see Eun-Ha looking at him with a worried yet expressionless gaze, Se-Hoon opened his mouth to reassure her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fin¡ª!¡±


    However, the moment he tried to speak, an excruciating pain erupted inside his body, spreading like wildfire. His barely stitched-together body seemed to be tearing apart once more.


    And upon seeing him stagger due to it, Eun-Ha quickly stepped forward to support him.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    Her touch brought another wave of intense pain. Se-Hoon gritted his teeth, his body trembling.


    ¡°Please wait here for a moment. I''ll get help immediately...¡±


    ¡°N... no.¡±


    Se-Hoon stopped Eun-Ha, trying to awkwardly smile through the cold sweat.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while... since my body¡¯s been like this... I was just a bit surprised... it¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    ¡°...Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    Gazing back into Eun-Ha¡¯s concerned eyes, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°Really. I¡¯m okay.... It¡¯s just like serious muscle pain.¡±


    In actuality, he felt like his body was being torn apart. For Se-Hoon, however, it was no different from severe muscle pain, simr to what he had experienced repeatedly when he first practiced Soul Honing.


    <i>If it weren¡¯t for that experience... I might have ended up crying and making a scene in front of everyone here.</i>


    As he slowly controlled his breathing and suppressed the pain, Wurgen¡¯s eye appeared in the air.


    ¡°This should be enough for today¡¯s training. It¡¯s about lunchtime, so go fill your stomach. We¡¯ll work on the forging session in the afternoon.¡±


    With only that to say, Wurgen¡¯s eye vanished.


    And Eun-Ha, who had been ring at where it appeared, turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°What would you like to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you made a reservation at an expensive ce, so let¡¯s go eat first.¡±


    Despite the pain in his stomach, he knew he needed to eat to recover quickly. Taking a deep breath, he extricated himself from Eun-Ha¡¯s support and stood upright, his face pale.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡±


    The two then left the headquarters, and Wurgen, watching from his office made a peculiar expression.


    ¡°Did he really just... how on earth is he walking around like that?¡±


    Se-Hoon hadn¡¯t experienced a mere hallucination in the Netherworld. He had truly been torn apart by the undead.


    Wurgen had perfectly restored his body just before he died, but the pain he felt would have remained deeply imprinted on his soul. For most people, that pain would have been enough to make them faint, yet Se-Hoon was moving as if nothing had happened.


    <i>It¡¯s hard to believe he¡¯s so ustomed to pain at that age... did he undergo some special training?</i>


    As Wurgen pondered, his gaze suddenly shifted.


    ¡°<i>Hmm?</i>¡±


    Sensing an unusual presence in an old building on the outskirts of the city, which he usually didn''t observe, he gathered his power to discern who it was. Then, upon finding out, a thought shed through his mind.


    His eyes curled into sinister crescent moons.


    ¡°...This should be interesting,¡± he wickedly muttered.


    ***


    After finishing his meal with Eun-Ha at a high-end restaurant, they were guided not to the UD Group¡¯s headquarters but to aboratory located on the outskirts of the city.


    ¡°Feel free to use this ce for your forging sessions from now on.¡±


    Arriving at the forging room inside theboratory, Se-Hoon carefully inspected the facilities. The interior was neatly set up with thetest magic furnace and various tools and materials. White decorations also adorned the room, transforming it into a researchb rather than a forge.


    <i>If Babel''s forging room feels like it was made by a cksmith, this ce feels like it was made by researchers.</i>


    Comparing the two, Babel¡¯s was slightly better in quality, but the difference wasn¡¯t significant. Reminded of the wealth of the UD Group once again, Se-Hoon stretched his stiff body and looked at Eun-Ha.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the things ready, so please have a seat over there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve just eaten too, so I could also help...¡±


    ¡°The meal didn¡¯t really suit your taste, did it, Dean?¡±


    Although they had eaten together at the restaurant, normal meals were neither tasty nor filling for Eun-Ha. Knowing that she only ate to match the atmosphere, Se-Hoon intended to prepare her a separate meal while he warmed up and estimated the amount of materials he needed for the piece of equipment he was about to forge.


    ¡°Still...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a simple warm-up for me, so don¡¯t worry. Come on, have a seat.¡±


    Ignoring Eun-Ha¡¯s consideration, Se-Hoon gently pushed her toward a chair in the forge and then activated the magic furnace, igniting the fire inside.


    ¡°First, the fire should be...¡±


    Gathering some materials from the forge''s storage, he picked up three types of ignition stones and covered them with both hands.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Spinning rapidly between his palms, his fire mana, Scorching Wheel, quickly heated the ignition stones to their cracking point.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Exploding in his palms, the rapidly spinning Scorching Wheel quickly absorbed the energy instead of the sparks bursting outwards. With the energy, the crimson me in his palms transformed into various colors before turning ck.


    Confirming the color stabilized, he ced the me he created inside the furnace.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Dyed by his me, the mes inside the furnace instantly turned ck.


    Noticing Eun-Ha watching in bewilderment, he exined the whole process. ¡°This me is called Ster Night Fire, and it has an adhesive quality that makes it stick to the surface of materials like glue. It helps prevent darkness mana from corroding equipment.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    ¡°And if used appropriately...¡±


    Trailing off, Se-Hoon began cing ck ores in the furnace, removing them one by one once they were sufficiently heated. He then wrapped his Forgefire Hammer with Midnight Abyss and struck the ores vigorously.


    <i>ng!</i>


    With each strike, the Ster Night Fire temporarily peeled off from the surface of the ore, causing the suppressed darkness mana within to burst out. And once a part was exposed, Midnight Abyss, embedded in the hammer, naturally clung to it.


    Without any repulsion, the two different types of darkness mana fused seamlessly inside the ore.


    ¡°...I can use it to infuse my own elemental mana deep inside the material. This method consumes less mana and quickly alters the properties of the ore, making the Ster Night Fire a pretty useful me.¡±


    <i>Smack- smack-</i>


    Eun-Ha unconsciously licked her lips, imagining the vor of the seasoning prating deep into the meat. Seeing her actions, Se-Hoon smiled slightly and continued his work.


    In no time, he hadpleted three swords. Their lengths differed¡ªsixty, seventy, and eighty centimeters¡ªbut they shared amon feature: the des were thin overall, with the tips almost resembling skewers.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Closely examining the ck des, Se-Hoon moved to honing the edges with a whetstone and attaching them to hilts. Finally, he engraved the de through Incantation Inscription to enhance their overall performance.


    <strong>[Weapon ''Ster Night Sword'' has been...]</strong>


    <i>Eh... no need to read this.</i>


    He dismissed the achievement messages before his eyes, knowing they would just be Rare-tier. He then served the swords to Eun-Ha.


    ¡°Thank you for waiting. Here are the three servings of Ster Night Swords that you ordered.


    He ced the threepleted swords on the table, and Eun-Ha stared at them for a moment before carefully picking up one and slowly opening her mouth.


    ¡°...Thank you for the meal.¡±


    <i>Crunch! Crunch!</i>


    In the blink of an eye, the ck de disappeared into her mouth. And when she consumed the rest of the sword, the tips of her hair red with a crimson glow and her eyes narrowed. Her expression was an ambiguous mix, showing neither satisfaction nor dissatisfaction with the taste.


    It made Se-Hoon feel a bit tense. He had expected a different reaction.


    <i>Does she not like it?</i>


    Even though he had a general idea of Eun-Ha¡¯s tastes, there was no guarantee he would be a hundred percent urate. As he worried he might have made a mistake, he suddenly heard a voice from the back of his hand.


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> Your forging skill isn¡¯t bad.¡±


    Se-Hoon jumped in surprise. He hadn¡¯t expected the appearance of Wurgen¡¯s eye on his left hand.


    <i>This old pervert!</i>


    <i>¡°Who are you calling a pervert? Do you want to die?¡±</i><strong> </strong>Wurgen said, his brusque voice now echoing in his mind.


    Given that he was demanding the soul of a young student to create a child, trained him by literally tearing his body apart, and was now reading his thoughts, who wouldn¡¯t call him a pervert? However, knowing that arguing wouldn''t be beneficial, Se-Hoon suppressed those thoughts to prevent Wurgen from reading them.


    <i>¡°My apologies. I was just startled...¡±</i>


    <i>¡°You don¡¯t seem sorry at all, but... never mind. I didn¡¯te here to have petty arguments with you.¡±</i>


    ncing at Se-Hoon, Wurgen¡¯s eye circled the forge.


    <i>¡°From now on, I¡¯ll aid you in your forging sessions by residing within your body. I need to monitor you to ensure you don¡¯t have any other thoughts.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Understood.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°You might find it ufortable... but that''s not my concern, so deal with it. Also, I¡¯vee up with a standard for the finger you¡¯re going to forge. If you meet the standard, I¡¯ll consider your assignmentplete.¡±</i>


    <i>A standard...</i>


    Considering Wurgen¡¯s skill level, Se-Hoon was worried the standard would be too difficult.


    <i>¡°This is my standard.¡±</i>


    <i>Whoosh.</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s vision suddenly shifted, now changing to the interior of a shabby building. ncing around, he found a man by a window, peering through a small telescope. The man¡¯s appearance and demeanor suggested he was a mercenary, but there was something off about him.


    <i>Is that a...</i>


    The man exuded the feeling of someone alive yet dead. Se-Hoon stared at the man for a while.


    <i>Is that an automaton?</i>


    <i>¡°You have keen eyes, indeed. That¡¯s correct. Moreover, that¡¯s one of Puppeteer¡¯s Single Numbers.¡±</i>


    A Single Number, a masterpiece of Puppeteer with strengthparable to that of an S-rank hero, had breached the city that was under Wurgen¡¯s surveince. Connecting the dots, Se-Hoon grasped the situation.


    <i>¡°It seems to be targeting me.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Yes. It was observing you from the outskirts of the city. If I hadn¡¯t expanded my detection range fivefold, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed it.¡±</i>


    Se-Hoon nced at the Single Number spying on him.


    <i>Hmm... From its appearance alone, I can¡¯t tell what it¡¯s capable of.</i>


    Because Wurgen had discovered it, it was not an immediate threat. But at that thought, a question popped into Se-Hoon¡¯s mind.


    <i>¡°Wait, why are you showing me this?¡±</i>


    Knowing Wurgen, he would have simply captured the Single Number upon discovery and then exined it afterward. The change in behavior made Se-Hooon feel uneasy.


    <i>¡°Though it doesn¡¯t really meet my standard, I¡¯ll use that automaton as the test,¡± </i>Wurgen said, his eye grinning.


    <i>¡°Using that automaton as the test means...¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Come on, you know what I mean by that.¡±</i>


    Wurgen, staring at the Single Number spying on Se-Hoon, calmly dered Se-Hoon¡¯s sentence.


    <i>¡°Capture that automaton using the finger you¡¯re going to forge. If you seed, I will acknowledge your assignment asplete.¡±</i>

 Chapter 202

    <h4>Chapter 202</h4>


    <i>Capturing one of Puppeteer¡¯s Single Numbers to prove the performance of the finger...</i>


    Faced with such an outrageous standard, Se-Hoon fell into deep thought.


    <i>It''s a ridiculous condition, but... it''s not that bad.</i>


    He had already decided to kill the Dream Demon during the summer vacation, so he needed to evaluate his skills before starting the n anyway. And considering Wurgen¡¯s training methods, Wurgen would leave himpletely alone until just before death, allowing him to fight to his limits naturally¡ªit would be the perfect opportunity.


    <i>If I fail, I''ll lose a part of my soul to him... but that''s better than dying while fighting a Single Numberter on.</i>


    And if he seeded in subduing the Single Number, it would be easier to use Wurgen for his own benefit in the future. Having weighed the pros and cons, Se-Hoon decided to gain more information.


    <i>¡°Am I allowed to use other equipment besides the finger?¡±</i>


    Finding Se-Hoon''s reaction much calmer than expected, Wurgen looked at him peculiarly.


    <i>¡°If I restricted you from using other equipment, it would be too much for you to handle. Use whatever you want, but the fingers must be the main focus.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°You mean I have to deliver the final blow with the finger.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Correct. And you cannot receive any help from Ryu Eun-Ha. It will be too easy if she intervenes.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°That¡¯s... true.¡±</i>


    Even among other S-rank heroes, there was a significant gap in skill with Eun-Ha. And since Eun-Ha had goodpatibility against automatons, that was especially the case. She would be able to subdue a Single Number rtively easily.


    <i>How should I face a Single Number alone...</i>


    For himself, however, an up-front battle was obviously the worst choice. Wurgen also likely preferred that he subdued it using the power of Boundaries from the finger.


    Musing over the best method, Se-Hoon only finished organizing his thoughts after a long while.


    <i>¡°Understood. Since it''s your body, it should be able to take down at least that to be satisfactory.¡±</i>


    ¡°...¡±


    Wurgen narrowed his eye, thinking Se-Hoon epted the condition too readily. He had nned to force Se-Hoon regardless of what he said, but it had gone so smoothly that it felt strange.


    <i>He¡¯s a hard one to figure out...</i>


    He felt a bit uneasy, but it was fine since he wouldn''t lose anything regardless of whether Se-Hoon seeded or failed.


    With the deal concluded, Wurgen restored the Se-Hoon¡¯s view.


    <i>¡°I can prepare the location for you, so let me know if you have a particr preference. And...¡± </i>Pausing, Wurgen flicked his gaze to the side before continuing, <i>¡°...did you put something in those swords?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Pardon?¡±</i>


    Confused by Wurgen''s sudden question, Se-Hoon turned to face where he was looking.


    <i>Crunch! Crunch!</i>


    There, Eun-Ha was munching on the sword Se-Hoon had forged for her. At some point, she had stacked a pile of mass-produced weapons on the desk next to her, devouring one with each bite of a Ster Night Sword.


    <i>What the...</i>


    Bewildered by the bizarre scene he had never seen before, a thought suddenly shed through his mind.


    <i>Is she... treating them like side dishes?</i>


    At that realization, it dawned on him why Eun-Ha¡¯s reaction earlier had been subtle.


    <i>It was too salty for her.</i>


    While the swords tasted good, they were too heavy to eat alone. So, she had taken out the mass-produced weapons she had prepared in advance to happily eat them with his equipment.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Meeting Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes, Eun-Ha, with her cheeks puffed out due to chewing weapons, froze and an awkward silence flowed between them.


    Swallowing the leftover fragments in her mouth, she broke the silence with a lightly embarrassed expression by saying, ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry. I just thought it would taste better this way...¡±


    ¡°No, no. You should eat them how you want to. It¡¯ll serve as useful information when I prepare the meals I¡¯ll be making you in the future.¡±


    Since he hadn''t fully grasped her taste preferences yet, it was beneficial to gather as much information as possible.


    Slightly relieved, Eun-Ha nodded with an awkward smile.


    ¡°Understood. Then, next time, I¡¯ll inform you first... By the way, what is that on your left hand?¡±


    Noticing Wurgen¡¯s eye on the back of Se-Hoon¡¯s hand, Eun-Ha¡¯s expression turned serious. Looking between the two, Se-Hoon realized he had made a mistake.


    And at that moment, Wurgen''s teasing voice echoed around them. ¡°I came to see how skilled he is in forging... but I happened to witness something even more valuable.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing Eun-Ha''s expression grow colder than usual, Se-Hoon quickly covered the eye with his right hand.


    ¡°He and I need to work on forging something, so why don¡¯t you finish your meal outside and thene back?¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    Though reluctant, Eun-Ha took her meal and headed to the lounge in the hallway right outside the forge.


    <i>Phew... I thought they were going to cause another ruckus.</i>


    Sighing in relief, Se-Hoon removed his left hand, revealing Wurgen¡¯s fascinated eye which was intently fixed on the door Eun-Ha had left through.


    ¡°It''s the first time I''ve seen her show such emotions... is it because of your weapons?¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the case.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> I guess there really is something about you.¡±


    After a while, Wurgen turned his attention back to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Hurry up and start forging my finger now.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Heeding Wurgen¡¯s request, Se-Hoon pulled out the Nimbus Steel from his void pocket.


    The ingot, which seemed like a carved-out portion of the night sky, fascinated Wurgen.


    ¡°I¡¯m amazed every time I see it. Extracting such pure darkness mana should have been no easy task.¡±


    ¡°I just happen to know someone who had the right tool for it.¡±


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Gathering Midnight Abyss in his left hand, Se-Hoon coated the Nimbus Steel thinly with it.<i> </i>By doing so, he could prevent the Nimbus Steel from copsing upon itself and scattering during the forging process.


    Moving to the next step, Se-Hoon focused, given the highly sensitive nature of the material, and began creating Shadow Threads with his right hand.


    <i>Sss-</i>


    One by one, the long Shadow Threads connected to the shining points on the Nimbus Steel¡¯s surface, which formed the constetions that Se-Hoon had projected onto its surface when he was with Lea. When all of the Shadow Threads were connected, he heightened his right hand¡¯s sensitivity even more and began to move slowly.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Like constetions moving in the sky throughout the night, the constetions on the Nimbus Steel began to shift positions in response to his touch. It created a mystical sight that deepened Wurgen''s interest.


    <i>Projecting celestial bodies onto it and then manipting them to enhance the equipment¡¯s properties... quite clever, indeed.</i>


    Normally, Nimbus Steel was a type of ore that only specialized in strengthening the mana infused in it, based on the mana¡¯s attributes and properties. Simply put, it was like turning a candle me into a raging wildfire, static electricity into an endless thunderstorm, or a droplet of water into a tsunami.


    The increase was so significant that merely using Nimbus Steel as a forging material would rtively easily lead to Legendary equipment. However, there was one drawback.


    <i>Now it¡¯s no longer possible for low-rank heroes to use.</i>


    The greater the power the piece of equipment contained, the greater the strength required to control it. Nimbus Steel-forged equipment, especially, was so powerful that even A-rank heroes often struggled to handle them.


    Therefore, Se-Hoon decided to slightly sacrifice the output, only enhancing the properties of the weapon, rather than forge something too difficult for him to control.


    <i>Oh? This approach still requires proper usage of the properties though, making it only slightly less challenging for low-rank heroes.... I guess he¡¯s confident in his ability.</i>


    Se-Hoon definitely wasn¡¯t strong enough to be considered an S-rank, but he didn¡¯t seem to be too far behind. Regardless, it was an arrogant choice, but it made Wurgen curious about the oue, so he watched the next step with anticipation.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Done arranging the constetions into a specific shape, the Nimbus Steel began to turn even darker and emit an eerie aura. The ingot was now filled with darkness mana, and seething with soul, making it the ideal material for forging equipment rted to necromancy.


    ¡°This should do for the setup... Mr. Wurgen, do you mind infusing some of your power into this?¡±


    At Se-Hoon''s request, Wurgen squinted.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would only use a portion of this material?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, I did. But¡ª¡±


    ¡°So why do you need me to infuse my power into the entire material? You''re nning to use the leftover materials yourself, aren''t you?¡±


    <i>Tsk.</i>


    Caught, Se-Hoon clicked his tongue internally to avoid being read by Wurgen. He then put a smile on his face and tried to exin.


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m not asking you to fully infuse it with your power; you only need to do it until I say it¡¯s enough. I apologize for not exining properly.¡±


    ¡°You must think I''m an idiot if you¡¯re giving such a poor excuse. You¡¯re going to have to pay for it. I¡¯m going to take more of your soul for a quadruplet if the finger turns out to be subpar.¡±


    Following that chilling warning, Wurgen¡¯s eye smoothly transitioned from Se-Hoon¡¯s left hand to the surface of the Nimbus Steel.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Now on the Nimbus Steel, Wurgen closed his eye and began infusing it with the power of Boundaries, which made the stars floating on its surface turn into numerous eyes,rge and small. Then, just as its internal structure began to warp due to the iing power, Se-Hoon gave Wurgen the signal.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±


    With no dy, Wurgen instantly retracted his power, closing the eyes on the Nimbus Steel¡¯s surface. All that was left were marks that made it look as if it were asleep.


    <i>Hmm. This seems well supported.</i>


    Previously, the Nimbus Steel gave a blurry, almost ethereal feel, but now it felt solidly consolidated from the inside. Wurgen¡¯s power had be the strong pir that prevented it from copsing.


    <i>If I made a single mistake during the process, the unique properties of the Nimbus Steel would havepletely disappeared....</i>


    Checking it over once more, Se-Hoon then used the Edict of the Eternal Nocturne to immediately invoke the boundary''s power.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Drawing a line along the surface of the Nimbus Steel with his index finger, one-third of the ingot was cleanly separated. He then split the fragment again into two pieces, each about the size of two fingers, and held one in each hand.


    ¡°I need to send this fragment to the Netherworld. Can you help me ensure it doesn¡¯t disintegrate?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Wurgen''s eye stared at Se-Hoon. He had nned to criticize Se-Hoon if there was any clumsiness, but the process was going way more smoothly than he had expected.


    ¡°Mr. Wurgen?¡±


    ¡°...Fine, just don¡¯t rush me.¡±


    Moving his eye over to the fragment in Se-Hoon''s left hand, Wurgen closed it, and it crossed the boundary and disappeared into the Netherworld.


    ¡°Whew...¡±


    Taking a moment to catch his breath, Se-Hoon activated Bond Imprint with his right hand.


    <strong>[Bond Imprint ¡®Compression Stone¡¯ has been activated.]</strong>


    <i>Woong-</i>


    He felt a strange sensation in his right hand. The fragment of the Nimbus Steel, which felt study before, now felt soft. It felt like he could crush it with barely any force, indicating Jake¡¯s Fatestone, the Compression Stone, had fully taken effect.


    Se-Hoon called out to Wurgen.


    ¡°Mr. Wurgen, can you still hear me?¡±


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°When I give the signal, could you project the fragment in the Netherworld to the coordinates of the fragment in my right hand?¡±


    ¡°...Project it? Not return it?¡±


    While returning the fragment to the surface world and projecting the fragment from the underground to the surface world seemed simr, they werepletely different.


    The former simply meant bringing it back entirely, whereas thetter meant creating a new state from its Netherworld counterpart. Essentially, thetter brought back a pseudo-instance of the fragment, leaving the original in the Netherworld.


    ¡°Yes. It must be projected. The coordinates must also not be wrong.¡±


    ¡°I see that you intend to ovep the two fragments... but do you know what will happen if you do that?¡±


    ¡°There will probably be arge collision, and one side will bepletely unusable.¡±


    Se-Hoon then looked down at the fragment in his right hand.


    ¡°Unless you reinforce it with the power of Boundaries, of course.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You understand what I¡¯m saying, right? It¡¯s your own power, after all.¡±


    A moment of silence passed, and soon, it was broken by Wurgen¡¯s maniacalughter echoing all around him.


    <strong>¡°Kahahaha! Ahahahahah!¡±</strong>


    Hisughter was so loud and hearty that it was hard to believe it came from the usually cold andposed Wurgen. And it continued for a long while. Then, Wurgen returned to his usual cold voice.


    ¡°I should have just retracted my power from you... and it seems not doing so was a bigger mistake than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Are you angry?¡±


    ¡°No... I¡¯m just contemting whether to kill you to clean up this mess.¡±


    A wave of killing intent was unleashed. Even just contemting whether to kill Se-Hoon had released an overwhelming murderous aura.


    However, it was brief. The killing intent vanished as soon as it arrived.


    ¡°But I guess it¡¯ll be more interesting to see how far you can go. I¡¯m all ready; just give me the signal.¡±


    ¡°...Understood.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Se-Hoon calmed himself and refocused, looking down at his right hand.


    And when all of his senses were sharpened to their fullest¡ª


    ¡°Now!¡±


    <i>Swish-</i>


    The projection of the fragment in the Netherworld and the one he had ovepped at the same coordinates.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Catching the moment it happened, Se-Hoon concentrated all of his strength and mana into his right hand and then squeezed the ovepping fragments with all of his might. It caused the two fragments, which should have repelled each other, to forciblypress into one.


    And it caused a terrifying bacsh within Se-Hoon¡¯s grip.


    <i>Crunch! Squish!</i>


    Blood spurted out from between his fingers, the result of the bones and muscles in his hand being crushed. Even with the Bond Imprint activated by Jake¡¯s Fatestone, it was this severe; without it, his right hand would have been torn apart long ago.


    <i>A little more...!</i>


    The two fragments had yet to perfectly mesh together. Covering his clenched right hand with his left, Se-Hoon summoned every ounce of strength he had, clenching his teeth so hard they felt like they might crack.


    Blood dripped from his nose and mouth from the exertion, and his vision began to blur. But despite his best efforts, the pieces still wouldn¡¯t mesh together, causing his eyes to twist in frustration.


    <i>Bam!</i>


    The door to the forging room burst open and Eun-Ha hurriedly rushed in.


    ¡°How can I be of assistance?¡± she asked urgently.


    Taking her offer, Se-Hoon¡¯s mind raced to calcte the best course of action.


    ¡°When I give the signal, release as much heat as you can with both hands. Don¡¯t worry about burning my hands.¡±


    Eun-Ha hesitated at his extreme request but only for a moment. She nodded with determination, her eyes shining.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Her hair and eyes promptly turned crimson, and the heat concentrated in her hands, creating an intense sound. Now that she was ready, Se-Hoon released his left hand and desperately shouted his request.


    ¡°Hold on!¡±


    Eun-Ha¡¯s hands swiftly wrapped around Se-Hoon¡¯s loosening right hand, releasing an intense burst of heat.


    Ignoring the paining from his hand, he summoned thest of his strength and squeezed the fragments with everything he had left.


    <i>ck-</i>


    Then, with the sound of something clicking together, everything disappeared.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The heat from Eun-Ha''s hands and the pressure from Se-Hoon''s grip disappeared without a trace.


    <i>This is...</i>


    Surprised by the sudden change in the form of the Nimbus Steel, Eun-Ha looked on with wide eyes, while Se-Hoon focused on the sensation in his right hand.


    It was as if the object in his hand was there yet not, alive yet dead¡ªan ambiguous sensation that made him subtly smile.


    He slowly opened his damaged right hand.


    <i>Whirr-</i>


    Ascending into the air, a ck fragment hovered above his hand. It was the size of a finger, bearing Se-Hoon¡¯s fingerprints in a messy state, and the power emanating from it was unusual.


    <i>I need to do the finishing touches...</i>


    However, given the state of his right hand, it would take some time. Tired, he rested for the final step.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve shown me something so impressive, I¡¯ll handle the final touches.¡±


    <i>Crrrack!</i>


    At the sudden voice, the ck fragmentpressed, its shape refining. Simultaneously, small inscriptions were etching themselves one by one on the surface.


    What emerged then, when everything stilled, was a ck finger bone densely engraved with spells, just as he had envisioned it. Se-Hoon looked on with astonished eyes.


    <strong>[Equipment ¡®Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx¡¯ has beenpleted!</strong>


    <strong>An extraordinary object created by a master cksmith borrowing the power of a Perfect One! This object bears the very fundamental nature of contradiction, being created at the boundary of life and death. Its mysteries will never be understood by anyone other than a Perfect One.</strong>


    <strong>The tier evaluation for ¡®Eternal Nocturne¡¯s nax¡¯ is ¡®Legendary¡¯.]</strong>


    For the first time after regressing, he had seeded in forging Legendary-tier equipment.

 Chapter 203

    <h4>Chapter 203</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    Tearing his gaze away from the achievement message in front of him, Se-Hoon closely examined the newly created Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx, floating above his palm.


    <strong>[<u>Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Legendary] [Quality: Excellent]</strong>


    <strong>[A piece of equipment made with Wurgen Kruger¡¯s left index finger bone in mind.</strong>


    <strong>Mimicking a bone of a necromancer who traverses the boundary between life and death, it serves as a powerful catalyst for necromantic magic and exercising control over the Netherworld.</strong>


    <strong>Imbued with the power of Boundaries, it allows the user to exercise the same power by infusing mana into the finger bone replica.</strong>


    <strong>*Allows the user to utilize the power of Boundaries by consuming mana</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the user to exercise control over the Netherworld]</strong>


    <i>Finally, a Legendary-tier piece...</i>


    Befitting of its name, the Legendary tier was reserved for weapons that deserved to be passed down in legends. As such, equipment of this tier was desired by countless heroes and served as the aspiration of many cksmiths.


    It was a tier Se-Hoon had added to several times before, but the current moment was still of some significance since it was the first time since he regressed.


    ¡°...¡±


    Yet, while standing before it, he didn¡¯t feel entirely happy.


    Firstly, it didn''t feel like he had crafted it entirely with his own power.


    ¡°Legendary-tier with Excellent quality. Not bad.¡±


    And secondly, someone else had applied the finishing touches.


    <i>He snatched the chance to do the finishing touches and yet is pretending to be generous.... What a petty and dirty guy.</i>


    He felt like thest strawberry he had been saving on a cake had been snatched away, the thief asking if he wasn¡¯t going to eat it. Annoyed, Se-Hoon¡¯s eye twitched, and he red at Wurgen¡¯s eye, which had reappeared in the air.


    ¡°You don''t look too pleased. Maybe you think I''m bragging too much aboutpleting an already finished item?¡± Wurgen taunted, smirking.


    ¡°...How could I dare think that? If it weren¡¯t for your help, I wouldn¡¯t have managed to get even halfway.¡±


    ¡°Heh. You¡¯re quite the cksmith yourself, seeing as how you can¡¯t hide your emotions right now.¡±


    Still smirking, Wurgen turned to look at the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx.


    ¡°Of course, it would have still turned out simr if you had done the finishing touches. After all, you seemed to have some understanding of Vision of the Abyss... and even the power of Boundaries.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°But then this finger bone would have been turned into <i>a weapon</i>,cking the representation of a Perfect One¡¯s body.¡±


    At Wurgen''s words, Se-Hoon quickly turned to reexamine the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx that was in his palm.


    <i>What difference is there between the two?</i>


    He immediately fell into thought, trying to find the subtle difference between a weapon containing the power of a Perfect One and the body of a Perfect One.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡±


    Se-Hoon looked up at Wurgen, who was looking at him with interest.


    ¡°Will you report this to the Heroes Association and get ranked up to S-rank?¡±


    If he reported and proved that he had created Legendary-tier equipment himself to the Hero Association, he would be immediately recognized as an S-rank hero and gain various benefits.


    Among them were privileges like summoning an S-rank hero in an emergency or priority over rare materials. To any ordinary cksmith, they were enticing privileges.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not nning to do that right now.¡±


    However, they were irrelevant to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Really? Isn¡¯t it better for you to do so, though? Technicians, especially cksmiths, get far more benefits than ordinary heroes when they get promoted to S-rank.¡±


    ¡°That''s true, but right now, the disadvantages of revealing my skill to the public outweigh the benefits.¡±


    If news of the genius cksmith who seeded in mass-producing sword aura equipment had forged Legendary equipment leaked, it would spread worldwide in no time¡ªincluding to the Demon Force.


    ¡°I¡¯m already under the surveince of the Dream Demon, Puppeteer, and Tuner. If I get any more attention now, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if I suddenly found myself as a corpse on the streets.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve already attracted the attention of those three. I see now. If it increases further from here, you might be a top priority for elimination.¡±


    ¡°Also...¡± Se-Hoon paused, debating whether to continue. But then, he recalled what Wurgen often said officially and made his decision. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Heroes Association is that trustworthy.¡±


    ¡°...Ho.¡±


    At that deration, Wurgen became even more interested.


    ¡°Are you trying to curry favor with me now?¡±


    Wurgen, who often advocated for weakening the Heroes Association''s authority, had assumed that Se-Hoon was just being agreeable, when he was, in fact, speaking genuinely.


    ¡°No, I actually do feel that way. The Heroes Association, as an enormous organization, has holes everywhere.¡±


    Their role of managing heroes and Danger Zones worldwide was necessary, but their size to do so came at a cost.


    <i>Watchers has already easily infiltrated.</i>


    While having a moderately cooperative rtionship with the Heroes Association wouldn''t hurt, revealing all of his cards to be close with them would. If Se-Hoon had to show his cards, it would only be to those he could fully trust, like Seon-Woo or those he knew well before the regression.


    <i>¡°Hmmm...¡±</i>


    Thinking about something, Wurgen then calmly asked him a question.


    ¡°Do you have a girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°...Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I have about eighteen daughters of marriageable age. Would you like to meet them one by one¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sir.¡±


    A cold voice echoed in the workshop, drawing Se-Hoon¡¯s and Wurgen''s attention. Its owner was the woman standing nearby, Eun-Ha.


    ¡°Please refrain from making such suggestions to a student who hasn¡¯t even graduated yet.¡±


    Her icy yet fiery gaze was chilling. Her fierce demeanor would have shocked anyone who knew how explosive she could be, including Se-Hoon.


    He tensed up slightly.


    <i>This is a bit dangerous.</i>


    Wurgen had been rtively mild due to his rtionship with Ludwig, but such open hostility could provoke an unpredictable reaction from him. So his mind began to race, trying to figure out how to prevent a potential fight.


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> Okay. I¡¯ll put it off for now.¡±


    But to his surprise, Wurgen backed down without much reaction.


    ¡°...Thank you for understanding,¡± Eun-Ha replied, looking at Wurgen with curiosity.


    <i>That¡¯s not like him at all...</i>


    He wondered if it was senility, considering his age.


    <i>¡°You''re thinking of something presumptuous again, aren''t you.¡±</i>


    Once again, Wurgen''s voice had echoed directly in his mind, just going through the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx this time.


    ¡°Our settlement isn¡¯t over yet, so I¡¯ll put it off for now. The conditions will remain unchanged regardless.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Wurgen was firm in his stance on not rewarding Se-Hoon until he subdued Puppeteer''s Single Number. Understanding, Se-Hoon looked at Wurgen again.


    <i>I even remade what was originally Hero tier into Legendary tier, but he¡¯s still insisting... the wealthy really are quite cocky.</i>


    He internallyined about Wurgen¡¯s personality, carefully avoiding revealing his thoughts to prevent them from being read.


    ¡°So, what will you make with the remaining materials?¡± Wurgen then asked, looking at the leftover Nimbus Steel.


    ¡°<i>Hm?</i> Why do you ask...?¡±


    In response, Wurgen began drawing more and more darkness mana from the Netherworld. And then, he calmly remarked, ¡°Forging equipment turned out to be more fun than I thought. So I¡¯ll help as much as you need if it¡¯s at this level.¡±


    Staring at the ample amount of darkness mana perfectly suited for forging new equipment, Se-Hoon made a blinding smile.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Wurgen was such a magnanimous person.


    ***


    Se-Hoon¡¯s daily routine in Germany was split into two parts.


    ¡°Faster!!¡±


    ¡°Screech!!¡±


    The undead pursued him in the morning, forcing him to scale the buildings. Then, following lunch, he made his way to the UD Group''s forgingb.


    ¡°No, not there! Over here!¡±


    ¡°What a rude way of speaking to me. Do you want to die?¡±


    ¡°Over here, please!¡±


    He workedte into the night with Wurgen¡¯s help, forging new equipment until exhaustion. After that, he would finally return to the dorm.


    ¡°Good night, Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    Unlike the first day, he now shared a room with Eun-Ha. However, not much had changed since they used separate beds.


    His day would then end, repeating once again when he woke up the next day refreshed.


    Like that, three days passed and he finally seeded inpleting the new piece of equipment, to some extent, with Wurgen¡¯s active help and had begun a new kind of training in the afternoon instead.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    He dodged Benjamin¡¯s attack, a punch that narrowly missed his earlobe and scattered a shockwave.


    Retaliating, Se-Hoon quickly used the boundary''s power to draw out the darkness of the Netherworld in his fists.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The darkness coating his right hand instantly transformed into a spear, which was then swung at Benjamin, who was pressing an attack in front of him.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    A dull sound echoed from the collision between the spear and Benjamin¡¯s body. Unlike how a de made from Celestial Infinity de wasposed of sword aura, the spear he just created consisted of pure force, making it sound like a blunt club despite the spear de.


    <i>Boom! Crash!</i>


    Continuously shing with Benjamin¡¯s fists, Se-Hoon¡¯s spear slowly split in half. However, instead of panicking, Se-Hoon just transformed the broken spear into two swords and began fighting again.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s quite a talented kid.¡±


    Watching on the side, Eun-Ha remained silent as the fierce battle unfolded on the training ground.


    Not minding, Wurgen¡¯s eye hovered in the air beside her and continued watching.


    ¡°To think he¡¯s skilled in not just cksmithing but alsobat.... Now I see why Ludwig is paying so much attention to him.¡±


    Though initially remaining silent, Eun-Ha finally opened her mouth to slowly ask, ¡°What do you think of Lee Se-Hoon, Sir?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Wurgen observed Se-Hoon. Despite having just finished morning training, he was moving without showing any fatigue at all. That was what Wurgen found more fascinating than anything else.


    <i>Anyone else would¡¯ve been exhausted all day.... How is he moving around like that?</i>


    Every day since Se-Hoon had arrived, he attended a morning training session. During it, his body was torn apart repeatedly, regardless of whether he achieved sess or not. It was harsh but a crucialponent of Wurgen''s lessons nheless.


    <i>To understand the Netherworld, he¡¯s been experiencing death firsthand since it¡¯s the most useful method...</i>


    By vividly experiencing death in extreme situations, one could enhance their affinity with the Netherworld and deepen their understanding of souls. It was the fastest way to achieve meaningful results, albeit a painful one.


    With Se-Hoon, that still held; however, Se-Hoon¡¯s rate of growth was twice as fast as Wurgen expected, with no side effects.


    <i>At first, I thought he was just talented, but... there''s something different about him.</i>


    Watching the fight before him, it felt more like Se-Hoon was recalling something forgotten long ago than learning something new to Wurgen. It was a weird sensation that he had to ponder over.


    ¡°It''s still hard to judge. There''s not enough data.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Eun-Ha¡¯s voice was dry and unreadable.


    So, with a slight smile, Wurgen returned the question.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What do you think of him?¡±


    From what he had seen, Wurgen knew Eun-Ha cared for Se-Hoon quite a bit. But what he didn¡¯t know, was the extent of it..


    After a moment of contemtion, Eun-Ha slowly gave her answer.


    ¡°I think he is irreceable.¡±


    ¡°Irreceable?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gazing unwaveringly at Se-Hoon, she added, ¡°No one can rece him. That''s what I think.¡±


    At the high praise, Wurgen looked at Eun-Ha with intrigue.


    <i>I thought the rumors were exaggerated, but they were actually underestimating him.</i>


    He now realized just how important Se-Hoon had be to Eun-Ha.


    Just then, Benjamin''s hand broke through Se-Hoon¡¯s two swords and stopped before Se-Hoon''s neck, prompting Se-Hoon to raise his hands.


    ¡°I lost.¡±


    ¡°Good work today.¡±


    With the training session over, the two descended, and Eun-Ha handed a prepared towel to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well today.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you.¡±


    Wiping his sweat with the towel, Se-Hoon nced at Benjamin, who was standing next to Wurgen.


    <i>He certainly feels different from ordinary undead.</i>


    Despite being dead, Benjamin exuded a sense of life, making it obvious that his creation and operation were different from those of typical undead.


    <i>Well, I got what I needed.</i>


    Now, the question was how effective his hidden card would be in actualbat. At that thought, Se-Hoon looked in front of him at Eun-Ha.


    <i>To test that, I need to send her somewhere first.</i>


    Knowing how cautious the Single Number hiding on the outskirts of the city was, he couldn''t send Eun-Ha off anywhere without careful consideration.


    <i>Striking first... would also require sending her away.</i>


    When he had called her for his safety, he hadn¡¯t expected it to end up bing a hurdle.


    ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡± Eun-Ha asked quietly, having seen his inadvertent troubled expression.


    ¡°Ah, no. It''s just that my body feels a bit stiff. Moving right after morning training might have been too much.¡±


    ¡°Then you should rest for today.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> that sounds good. I''ll take a shower first, so go ahead.¡±


    Sending Eun-Ha ahead, Se-Hoon took a quick shower and went down to the first floor of theb.


    ¡°Let''s head back together.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to keep acting like that?¡±


    Aside from Eun-Ha, who was exuding a colder air than usual with a frustrated expression, there was another woman opposite her.


    Approaching the two, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes at the somewhat familiar figure, and, having noticed his presence, the two women turned to look at him.


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> Mr. Celebrity is also here, I see.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute...¡±


    ¡°Step aside.¡±


    Walking past Eun-Ha, the woman with reddish-brown hair approached Se-Hoon and handed him a business card.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I''m Yuriel Oppenheimer, head of the Seraphim Guild.¡±


    The Seraphim Guild, which once operated a hero training institution called Eden, was now engaged in the weapon industry. They were the ones who raised Eun-Ha in the past and were also currently acting as her sponsor. They also had a cooperative rtionship with the me Sect, making them quite significant in the world.


    <i>Why is she here all of a sudden?</i>


    Though puzzled by her unexpected appearance, Se-Hoon took the business card.


    ¡°I''m Lee Se-Hoon, a first-year student of the Department of cksmithing.¡±


    ¡°You could have introduced yourself as the first-year honor student. How humble of you.¡±


    Smiling, Yuriel then naturally began exining.


    ¡°I apologize for dropping by unannounced. I contacted Eun-Ha several times regarding sponsorship duties, but she hasn''t replied or even read the messages for days, so I came directly.¡±


    At her exnation, Se-Hoon recalled the day Eun-Ha abruptly hung up the phone.


    <i>So it was from then.</i>


    He knew their rtionship wasn''t great, but he hadn¡¯t expected her topletely ignore her sponsor''s contact.


    Kindly smiling, Yuriel asked, ¡°Would it be okay to take her for a little while? It won''t take more than a few hours...¡±


    Intervening, Eun-Ha stepped in between them and red at Yuriel with unusually cold eyes.


    ¡°I said I would go after this was over. Leave now.¡±


    ¡°How many times must I tell you that it will be toote? Business isn''t child''s y. Do you think you can do whatever you want?¡±


    ¡°I''m asking you nicely for thest time. Leave now.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but not today.¡±


    Silently watching the two, who seemed ready to explode, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes gleamed upon thinking of something.


    ¡°Just go,¡± he said, breaking their standoff.


    Eun-Ha''s eyes widened.


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°Though I did ask for your protection, it shouldn''t be too dangerous with Mr.Wurgen here. And it will only take a few hours, right?¡±


    Also not expecting his response, Yuriel, who had been watching, nodded.


    ¡°Of course. I promise.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your concern, but you don''t need to abandon everything else for me. Go ahead and follow her.¡±


    For a few moments, Eun-Ha just looked at him silently. Then, she slowly nodded.


    ¡°Alright. I''ll be back soon, so don''t go anywhere alone.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry.¡±


    After warning Se-Hoon, Eun-Ha turned to Wurgen, who had been quietly observing the entire time.


    ¡°Please, put additional security around the hotel.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being overprotective... I''ll handle it, so don''t worry.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Having finished making her requests, Eun-Ha turned to Yuriel.


    ¡°Let''s go.¡±


    ¡°Stop ring at me like that... follow me.¡±


    Following Yuriel, Eun-Ha got into a luxury car waiting nearby first, and right before Yuriel got in as well, she turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Thanks for helping today. Let''s grab a meal together sometime.¡±


    Waving, Yuriel got in and the car drove off.


    Then, once the car disappeared, Se-Hoon and Wurgen looked at each other.


    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±


    <i>Yes, it¡¯s time.</i>


    Finally, the long-awaited opportunity had arrived.


    ***


    ¡°...¡±


    In a shabby building, Puppeteer¡¯s Single Number puppet Nine was currently observing his target through a small telescope.


    Se-Hoon had returned to the hotel from theb, and the most troublesome person had left in a car. Security around the hotel had also tightened, but it was within expectations.


    <i>Now.</i>


    Confirming all conditions were met, Nine connected his consciousness to the puppets he nted beforehand.


    <i>Explode.</i>


    <i>Boom!</i>


    A massive explosion urred in the basement and first floor of the hotel.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 204

    <h4>Chapter 204</h4>


    The entire hotel swayed violently, looking as if it would topple at any moment; the explosion underground had copsed the ground supporting the building.


    Then, just as people''s attention was beginning to converge on the hotel, a loud explosion erupted from somewhere else.


    <i>Boom! </i>


    Following closely behind, mes and deafening roars began bursting from all over the city.


    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>


    The explosions erupted indiscriminately¡ªtearing through high-rise buildings, small five-story structures, bridges over the river, cars on the roads, and even crowded sidewalks in bustling districts. It was the result of the puppets, who had blended seamlessly into the city over the past few days, simultaneously detonating the bombs imnted in their temporary bodies.


    ¡°It¡¯s a terrorist attack!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an air raid from the Demon Force! RUN!!!¡±


    ¡°Citizens! Please remain calm and evacuate in an orderly fashion!¡±


    With explosions urring everywhere, the streets of Frankfurt turned into a chaotic mess in an instant. However, the entrances of underground shelters quickly opened up throughout the city, giving a ce for the nearby heroes who quickly dispersed to evacuate the citizens.


    Meanwhile, the cause of the situation, Nine, was observing calmly.


    ¡°As expected, it wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    The hotel where Se-Hoon was staying, which had been swaying as if it might copse at any moment, had stabilized with a slight tilt. It was thanks to the undead assigned to guard Se-Hoon using their bodies to temporarily form a brace and secure the ground.


    <i>Judging by theck of chaos, the other areas must also be countering the explosions in a simr manner.</i>


    If his goal had been to attack the headquarters of the UD Group, it was a pathetic attempt that only heightened vignce without causing proper damage. However, since that wasn¡¯t Nine¡¯s goal, he was calm. He had already somewhat anticipated such an oue from the start of the nning.


    <i>Boom! Boom! </i>


    The heroes and undead raced against the clock, swiftly moving to identify and root out the puppets continuing to switch into the new bodies and then initiating more suicide bombings.


    At the scene, Nine stepped back from the window and drew a sword from his waist.


    <i>Ssing-</i>


    The sword had a sinister de with a green tint, thin and faintly wrapped in wind, each wisp as sharp as a knife¡ªthe Legendary weapon, Ewiniar.


    Pointing the tip of the sword forward, Nine drew his right hand back as if he were pulling a bowstring. He then extended his left hand forward, using it to aim through the window, and focused his mana on his right eye.


    <i>Humm!</i>


    As the tattoo around his right eye glowed red, his right pupil turned green before beginning to writhe like a separate creature. But that onlysted a moment, and once it calmed, Nine stared at the top floor of the hotel, where Se-Hoon¡¯s room was located.


    <i>Found you.</i>


    Se-Hoon was currently looking at the scene outside through a broken window. He seemed to have decided to wait for the security to arrive rather than move around hastily. And given his limited information at hand, it was a wise decision.


    <i>Loading.</i>


    However, he had failed to ount for snipers.


    Compressing the air around it, Ewiniar''s de formed a bullet with a green glow at its tip. Lining it up, Nine activated the A-rank Box embedded in his chest.


    <i>Bang! </i>


    Thepressed wind shot through the small portal in front of him, traversing dozens of kilometers in an instant, and appeared three hundred meters in the air, aligned with the top floor of the hotel. Maintaining its initial momentum, it struck Se-Hoon, standing by the window.


    <i>CRASH!</i>


    Exploding, the wind bulletpletely demolished the suite on the top floor of the hotel. Even if Se-Hoon managed to block the initial bullet, it was nearly impossible to fend off the release of the storm of hundreds of thousands of cutting winds from the single bullet.


    <i>That should do it.</i>


    It would be ideal if he could confirm Se-Hoon¡¯s death, but he knew that Wurgen would likely intervene if things escted further. So, Nine immediately began preparing to retreat by infusing mana into the Box for spatial teleportation. However, he heard a cold voice echoing through the ruins before he could escape.


    ¡°Where do you think you''re going?¡±


    ¡°?!¡±


    Shocked by the voice, Nine felt like he had run into a wall and his spatial teleportation subsequently failed. The ruins then darkened, and countless eyes emerged from the walls. Nine¡¯s face went pale with shock, realizing it was Wurgen¡¯s Eyes of the Underworld.


    <i>How...?</i>


    Not only had he adjusted his bullet''s firing trajectory, but he had also set up magic arrays to conceal his magic. Yet his location had still been detected so quickly.


    However, because of that, he coulde to an answer quickly.


    <i>Had he been observing me from the beginning?</i>


    The only possible exnation was that Wurgen had been aware of his presence all along¡ªan answer that left Nine in disbelief.


    Why would Wurgen bother to monitor an area so muchrger than usual just for Se-Hoon''s safety? ording to his understanding of Wurgen''s nature and values, it just didn¡¯t make any sense; it was like a train was leaving its rails to run on the sea.


    ¡°You seem confused.¡±


    Wurgen''s eyes curled into a crescent, mocking Nine''s reaction.


    ¡°That''s what happens when ignorant fools pretend to know more than they actually do.¡±


    The surrounding darkness surged, and Wurgen''s elite undead minions, the Einherjars, began to reveal themselves. Surrounded by Einherjars, eachparable to an S-rank hero, Nine immediately determined it was an unwinnable fight.


    <i>Pluck!</i>


    So he resolutely tore out his right eye and stabbed the Box in his chest with Ewiniar.


    <i>Boom! </i>


    The shockwave made the entire space tremble, and the scene before Nine¡¯s eyes changed instantly. Confirming that his consciousness had transferred to a spare body hidden in the city, he quickly scanned his surroundings.


    <i>There it is.</i>


    His eyeball and Ewiniar were lying on the ground nearby.


    Instead of fighting Wurgen, Nine used the Box as a consumable to forcibly transfer the crucial items out. He had sacrificed the A-rank Box, but it was worth it if he could escape.


    However, that was <i>if </i>he could escape.


    <i>A Perfect One won''t let me escape that easily.</i>


    If Wurgen had truly been aware of him from the start, he would have anticipated an escape tactic. And that meant simply running back to his hideout could endanger his master, Puppeteer.


    With that option cut off, he re-examined his best course of action.


    <i>Kill Lee Se-Hoon.</i>


    If Wurgen had known of his presence all along, it was guaranteed that the target, Se-Hoon, was unscathed. And since Se-Hoon was influential enough to even change the usually dismissive Wurgen, a Perfect One who posed the greatest threat to the Demon Force.... Nine quickly grabbed the items on the ground and headed outside.


    <i>Boom! </i>


    Smashing through the supermarket warehouse''s wall, Nine ran toward the distant hotel while activating the Demon Eye of Storms in his right eye socket.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Analyzing the minute movements of the wind, the Demon Eye of Storms pinpointed the exact locations of heroes, civilians, and undead throughout the city. Among them, there was a responseing from the severely damaged top floor of the hotel. Assuming that it was Se-Hoon, Nine increased his speed and swung his Ewiniar.


    <i>sh! </i>


    Unlike the previous sniping, where he was trying to remain hidden, he focused on speed and power. And Ewiniar, which sucked in the surrounding air, had created a massive storm de full of it that tore apart the hotel¡¯s outer wall like the w of a giant beast.


    <i>Rumble! </i>


    Half of the top floor waspletely destroyed, resulting in the stabilized hotel shaking once more due to the tremendous force. Yet, the faint sign of movement inside didn''t disappear; observing the signal closer, it felt like it wasing from something that was neither the dead nor the alive.


    <i>Is Wurgen protecting him with necromancy?</i>


    If so, killing Se-Hoon might be impossible, but Nine had no other choice. He quickly reached the hotel''s bottom and began climbing the ruined exterior.


    When he finally reached the shattered top floor, he found Se-Hoon there, aiming his left index finger forward with a smile on his face.


    ¡°You made it.¡±


    <i>Woosh! </i>


    A giant spear shot from the darkness behind Se-Hoon toward Nine, who despite being startled, quickly swung Ewiniar. He had anticipated some sort of counterattack, but not from Se-Hoon himself.


    ¡°?!¡±


    Mid-swing, Ewiniar, which should have been powerful enough to slice through the spear instantly, slowed down halfway with its wind clinging to the de.


    <i>This is...!</i>


    The underworld¡¯s darkness, which only a high-ranking necromancer could control, was holding the Ewiniar in ce and pushing Nine away.


    <i>Boom! </i>


    Unable to counter, Nine crashed down from the top floor of the hotel, smashing into the ground below with a heavy thud.


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    Lying in the middle of the road, Nine quickly swung Ewiniar at the spear that shot down after him and was trying to entangle him again.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Tapping into the Box embedded in his backup body, he executed a sh that obliterated the spear. He then nced up at the top floor with a distorted expression.


    <i>If only the transfer had been smoother...</i>


    While the specs of his backup weren''t significantly different from the original, the hasty initiated transfer process had thrown off the synchronization, making his power output unstable. Like this, he wouldn¡¯t be able to settle the matter before Wurgen''s arrival.


    Regardless, Nine was about to muster the rest of his strength when he heard a shout.


    ¡°Hey! Can you hear me?!¡±


    Looking up, Nine saw Se-Hoon crouched by the broken window.


    ¡°Looks like you''re not fully warmed up yet. Let me help you with that! Come at me again once you¡¯re ready, okay?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Nine looked up in bewilderment. His enemy was giving him time to warm up and telling him to fight with all of his strength? The situation was beyond strange.


    Still, it gave Nine a chance to reassess his n... or at least he thought.


    ¡°No? Here Ie, then!¡±


    Without waiting, Se-Hoon pointed his left index finger, engraved with dense inscriptions, toward the ground and activated the power of Boundaries.


    Projected onto the remaining outer wall of the hotel, the darkness of the underworld, boiling likeva, bubbled and began releasing giant spears that rained down like arrows.


    ¡°?!¡±


    At the sudden onught of spears, Nine sprang into action, cutting through the falling spears with Ewiniar. Now that he knew they were made of the underworld''s darkness, dealing with them wasn''t difficult. However, the problem of their sheer number still remained.


    <i>Krrr!</i>


    As time passed, the spears increased in number and speed, as well as began adjusting their size to counter Nine''s responses. The overwhelming barrage, feeling as if he were facing dozens of A-rank heroes at once, made Nine''s expression falter.


    <i>Just how much mana does he have to maintain such an attack...!</i>


    To unleash such an assault without breaking a sweat, Se-Hoon had to be at least S-rank. But refusing to believe it, Nine suspected that Wurgen was supporting him and observed Se-Hoon, who was looking at the spears he was shooting.


    <i>It¡¯s actuallying out endlessly.</i>


    The truth was that Se-Hoon was utilizing the near-infinite darkness mana in the underworld, channeling it into the surface with the power of Boundaries. Not only was the efficiency incredible, but the power was on a different levelpared to when he used the first Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnax.


    And it didn¡¯t take long for him to figure out why.


    <i>It''s about understanding the power.</i>


    Just having the ability to use the power of Boundaries didn''t equate to wielding it like a Perfect One. The weapon''s infusion of darkness mana merely served as fuel to activate it; true mastery necessitated a fundamentalprehension of its functionality.


    <i>The difference between fully using the power and borrowing it... so this is what he meant.</i>


    Recalling Wurgen''s advice during the special exam, Se-Hoon looked at the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx fused into his left index finger.


    The newly created bonecked any inherent abilities. At first, he thought it was due to a mistake on his part, but now he understood why.


    <i>The skills in the original Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx were iplete from the start.</i>


    Those skills had been broken down so that even those unfamiliar with the power of Boundaries could use them. That was why Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t able to draw out its full strength, while Wurgen was still able to overpower the Dream Demon avatar alone.


    <i>I may not be on par with him yet... but I should be able to imitate to some extent!</i>


    His eyes gleaming, Se-Hoon swiftly refined the darkness projected on the hotel''s exterior.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    In the darkness, Se-Hoon drew lines that formed an iprehensible, eerie pattern attached to the forming spearheads. A blink of an eyeter, Se-Hoon had managed to inscribeplex magic arrays onto all of the spears.


    And those spears, now charged with unprecedented power, began spiraling forcefully.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    As soon as they hit the ground, spikes erupted in all directions.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The attack sent Nine crashing into a nearby cafe.


    Not giving Nine a moment, Se-Hoon quickly altered the patterns on the spears again, changing their effects.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Another volley of spears shattered the cafe, scattering its fragments like shrapnel. Unable to deflect them all, Nine stumbled from the pieces invading his body.


    <i>This is dangerous...!</i>


    Earlier, only the sheer number of spears bothered him. But now, the attacks'' unpredictability also made them difficult to counter.


    It was shocking how much Se-Hoon had grown in such a short time. Quickly making a decision, Nine sprinted toward a nearby building, deciding to evade over deflect.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Using short-range spatial teleportation to evade detection, Nine bulldozed through obstacles in his escape. However, Se-Hoon had Eyes of irvoyance.


    <i>So he''s not giving up without a fight, </i>Se-Hoon thought, frowning.


    While Se-Hoon grew ustomed to wielding the power of Boundaries, Nine was also quickly synchronizing the organs of his backup body. Thanks to that, his movements gradually became faster, and Ewiniar''s power also increased.


    The frequency of Nine''s short-range spatial teleportation grew shorter and shorter until suddenly, he appeared right in front of Se-Hoon.


    He intentionally led Se-Hoon into believing he could only use short-range teleportation, so he took the opportunity to sh his neck with Ewiniar.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Astounded, Nine stared at the underworld''s darkness which had sprouted out of the ground to narrowly block the sh.


    <i>Did he predict this too?</i>


    Se-Hoon had countered his surprise attack so smoothly that it seemed like Se-Hoon had known he would teleport there all along.


    However, despite being dumbfounded, Nine didn''t stop moving.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Kicking off the air, Nine closed the distance again, drawing out all of his mana for an all-out assault. He thought that if he allowed the distance to widen, finding another opening would be difficult, and Wurgen might intervene.


    <i>I''ll get him this time!</i>


    Nine rushed forward, determined to decapitate Se-Hoon no matter what.


    Sensing his resolve, Se-Hoon drew forth the darkness of the underworld, creating a portal. He was preparing to summon an undead to buy time.


    At the sight, Wurgen, who had been watching from his office, clicked his tongue.


    <i>Tsk... I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good move.</i>


    The only undead Se-Hoon could summon right now was the Beast Spider he used in morning training. And although it wasn¡¯t weak, it wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up to a Single Number¡¯s assault.


    Deciding it was no longer worth watching, Wurgen turned to Benjamin to send him to wrap things up. However, Benjamin was suddenly engulfed in darkness.


    ¡°...?¡±


    Staring at where his secretary was swallowed by the darkness, Wurgen abruptly realized something and turned back to the battlefield.


    ¡°What...!¡±


    ¡°How am I...!¡±


    Shocking everyone, Se-Hoon had unexpectedly summoned Benjamin before him.


    ¡°Go, Benjamin!¡±


    Having sessfully taken control of Wurgen''s undead, Se-Hoon smugly gave his order.

 Chapter 205

    <h4>Chapter 205</h4>


    Benjamin, once known as Benjamin Luther, had been the renowned S-rank hero Blue Blood, who yed a significant role in the war against the Demon Force. It was during the European Coup Incident that he had lost everything when Wurgen killed him.


    However, despite his death and the public''s perception of him as a criminal who met a tragic end, Benjamin harbored no strong emotions. He had realized the futility of resistance early into Wurgen''s envement of him, leading him to perceive the memories of his past life as a separate entity from himself.


    <i>These memories are mine, but they don¡¯t define who I am.</i>


    The original Benjamin Luther had ceased to exist when he was resurrected, and only a reconstituted version of him remained. It wasn¡¯t a viewpoint that all undead shared, but Benjamin had thought otherwise.


    And thanks to that unwavering loyalty to Wurgen of his, he earned the title of Chief Secretary.


    ¡°Well done!¡±


    Yet, despite all of that, he was currently following the orders of someone younger, weaker, and, most importantly, not his master. It was an indescribably strange situation.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Benjamin swung his fist with terrifying speed, and Nine counterattacked with Ewinia.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Although their physical abilities wereparable, the Legendary weapon, Ewinia, made a significant difference. Each exchange split open Benjamin''s fists, sending dark blue blood sttering everywhere.


    However, it was Nine, not Benjamin, who grimaced at the sight.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    Freezing midair, the sprayed dark blue blood rushed back to Benjamin''s fists, transforming them into massive ws. And then Benjamin, who had been armed in the blink of an eye, shed with Ewinia once again.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The battle where Benjamin was being pushed back had suddenly be evenly matched. Now, with each sh, the already-ruined hotel shook from the shockwaves, getting closer and closer to copse.


    Noticing, Benjamin quickly surveyed his surroundings before calmly telling Nine, ¡°Let¡¯s take this fight outside.¡±


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    Dozens of dark blue bullets shot up from the ground, pelting Nine. The blood that Benjamin hadn''t yet recalled from the ground was now being fired off at will, but Nine swiftly blocked each with Ewinia. He was cautious; while they weren¡¯t extremely powerful, Nine knew that the bullets would burrow inside his body and hinder movement.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    But that left a brief opening for Benjamin to rush forward, and the two shed once more.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Kicking Nine in the abdomen, Benjamin sent him from the hotel''s top floor to the ground below. Although he had paid a price¡ªarge gash from his shoulder to his abdomen¡ªit didn¡¯t bother Benjamin much, being an undead.


    <i>Ten seconds until full recovery...</i>


    While the wound would heal quickly, he still needed to temporarily seal it so he could continue the battle, as Nine could return at any moment.


    <i>Hmm... is this it?</i>


    Narrowing his eyes, Se-Hoon lightly flicked his finger at Benjamin, who was about to jump down after Nine.


    <i>Gurgle!</i>


    Surging from the ground, the Netherworld¡¯s darkness enveloped Benjamin¡¯s body like a cloak, delving into his wound and healing it in an instant.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Amazed by the instantaneous recovery, Benjamin stared wide-eyed at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Ah. I guessed it worked.¡±


    ¡°...How did you manage to summon me?¡± Benjamin asked after a moment of hesitation.


    Benjamin was no ordinary undead; he was a part of Wurgen¡¯s elite undead legion, the Einherjar. No outsider, not even Wurgen¡¯s own children, should have been able to control him through necromancy.


    So how did Se-Hoon summon him and make him follow his orders?


    Staring at Benjamin, who was colored in disbelief, Se-Hoon calmly exined, ¡°I used a bit of a loophole.¡±


    Unlike ordinary undead, which were created by infusing a soul into a corpse or an artificially made body, Benjamin¡¯s creation process was different. That was obvious since even though it had lost some color, Benjamin¡¯s body at the time of his death had remained perfectly preserved for decades without any signs of decay.


    <i>Even an S-rank hero¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t be able to remain in such perfect condition after all these years.</i>


    The first exnation one would think of was that it was because he was an undead, but even Legendary weapons dulled with use, let alone an S-rank hero''s body. Therefore signs of repair should have been evident, but Benjamin¡¯s body seemed as fresh as if he had just died yesterday.


    Se-Hoon had long had a hypothesis about the reason, and during their spar, he had managed to confirm it.


    ¡°Since the darkness of the Netherworld created you and all of the Einherjar, I figured that if I tapped into that, I could control you as well.¡±


    Using the power of Boundaries, Wurgen preserved Benjamin¡¯s soul in the state it was in immediately after death and infused it with the darkness of the Netherworld. By doing that, Wurgen pushed it against the boundary between life and death, allowing him to perfectly regenerate Benjamin''s living body.


    <i>It¡¯s an insane method, to say the least.</i>


    Benjamin was a perfect undead, one able to endlessly regenerate without losing strength as long as his soul remained intact. However, it required perfect utilization of the power of Boundaries¡ªa feat only Wurgen could achieve.


    ¡°Tapped into it...¡±


    ¡°It sounds grand, but all I did was cause a bit of confusion to make you think Wurgen was the one summoning you.¡±


    After gathering a sufficient amount of the Netherworld''s darkness, Se-Hoon had roughly visualized Benjamin¡¯s body based on the information he had gathered from their previous spars. Then, using the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx as a medium, he attempted a summoning in Wurgen¡¯s name.


    It was simr to the method he had used to summon the Vermillion Bird into the iron sparrow through ancient enchantments.


    <i>After all, without the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible. And if Wurgen had decided to interfere, it wouldn¡¯t have gone so smoothly.</i>


    In essence, he was borrowing power with permission. Wurgen couldn¡¯t reallyin anyway, since it was another use of the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx. He would just have to swallow the bit of irritation from Se-Hoon finding some sort of loophole in his conditions.


    ¡°...¡±


    Benjamin was at a loss for words. It sounded simple when exined, but if it actually was, the UD Group¡¯s session war would have ended long ago.


    <i>If only he was the President¡¯s son...</i>


    Benjamin''s thoughts grew moreplex at the sight of Se-Hoon, who had perfectly mastered both the power of Boundaries and the maniption of souls.


    ¡°I think you should head down soon.¡±


    Se-Hoon nced toward the chaotic city.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    A st of wind erupted from a building nearby, reducing its outer walls to dust. The wind sh was so powerful that it instantly turned the entire building to dust.


    But that just made Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes gleam.


    ¡°He finally reveals himself.¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    A gust cleared away the dust, revealing Nine standing in the now empty lot.


    <i>nk! </i>


    The once human-like upper body was gone, reced by a gray, skeletal structure resembling ribs and a spine. His left arm had also been severed, leaving only an empty shoulder.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Aside from Nine, hundreds of daggers were revealed to be floating in the air. Looking closer, all of them were parts that had once made up Nine''s body.


    Recognizing thepletely different form from earlier, Se-Hoon finally figured out who he was up against.


    <i>No.9 Hraesvelgr. So it¡¯s him.</i>


    Hraesvelgr was a Single Number known for utilizing spatial and wind abilities, primarily for high-profile assassinations. When he used the Final Curtain, which unlocked all of his functions, he could control hundreds of des as if they were extensions of his own body¡ªthe exact sight they were seeing


    <i>So that green de, cube, and Demon Eye amplify his strength...</i>


    He observed Nine, now fully powered up and revealed as Hraesvelgr, and saw him slowly open his mouth. ¡°I was wondering why Wurgen wasn¡¯t intervening... it¡¯s because he never intended to step in from the start. Am I right?¡±


    No longer frantic, Hraesvelgr just calmly stared at Se-Hoon, who nodded in acknowledgment.


    ¡°That''s right.¡±


    ¡°What are you guys trying to get out of this?¡±


    ¡°This is just a test to see if I can take you down on my own.¡±


    Hraesvelgr''s eyes darkened. The fact that Wurgen wasn¡¯t trying to capture and interrogate him, merely using him as a tool to gauge a first-year student¡¯s abilities, was an arrogant move befitting someone of his caliber. However, what concerned Hraesvelgr more was something else.


    <i>Does Wurgen think that highly of Lee Se-Hoon''s abilities? </i>


    It was difficult to believe, but considering the necromancy Se-Hoon had just demonstrated, it wasn¡¯t all that surprising.


    <i>If this is just a test, then even if I inflict a fatal wound, Wurgen will just heal him.</i>


    Finding himself in an unexpected situation, Hraesvelgr pondered what he could do. And that was when Se-Hoon asked, ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill yourself out of frustration, are you? That would be troublesome for me.¡±


    ¡°...Of course not.¡±


    Thanks to Se-Hoon, Hraesvelgr quickly sorted his thoughts and adjusted his stance, his eyes shining with resolve.


    ¡°Because no matter what, I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Without warning, countless daggers materialized on the top floor and surged toward Se-Hoon. At the sight, Benjamin quickly jabbed his fingers into his sr plexus and tore open his chest.


    <i>Ssh!</i>


    Dark blue blood gushed out of his body, instantly enveloping him and transforming him into a monster d in ckish-blue armor. Then, with his blue eyes glowing, Benjamin swung his arm, causing his blood to follow and form a de that shed through the air.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The blood-conjured de sliced through the daggers like butter.


    Checking that he had blocked all of the iing daggers, Benjamin turned to look back. It was as if he was waiting for amand.


    And at the sight, Se-Hoon grinned and dered, ¡°Let¡¯s go get him.¡±


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Benjamin''s body shot toward Hraesvelgr on the ground, and the two began shing once more at full power.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    With his entire body encased in dark blue armor, Benjamin fought while transforming it at will. It was an ability from when he was alive as a mutant with a special heart that could produce mana-rich blood. He was someone who had taken advantage of it to amplify the power of his Blood Art.


    And then, after bing Wurgen¡¯s undead, his blood absorbed the power of the Netherworld, making him even stronger than when he was alive.


    However, even then, Hraesvelgr was no pushover.


    <i>ng!</i>


    His daggers whirled around like a storm, striking Benjamin from all directions. Their speed was impressive, but what made them difficult to counter were the short-range spatial shifts interspersed within the attacks, allowing more than one-fifth of the strikes to slip past Benjamin''s defenses. It was a tricky attack style, specialized for closebat, but the real threat was Ewinia in Hraesvelgr¡¯s right hand.


    <i>Boom! </i>


    Absorbing andpressing the shockwaves and gales created by the exchange of blows, Ewinia unleashed them as even more powerful shes. Just like how Se-Hoon could use the darkness of the Netherworld without limit, Hraesvelgr could draw limitless amounts of energy from the ambient air.


    And as time passed, Ewinia''s shes would only grow sharper.


    <i>I can¡¯t let this drag on, </i>Se-Hoon thought.


    For now, Benjamin''s armor was only slightly chipped, but if the Ewinia¡¯s power kept building, it would eventually cleave him in two. Making a quick decision, Se-Hoon ced both hands on the ground.


    <i>Gurgle-</i>


    The darkness of the Netherworld spread from his palms, engulfing the entire hotel in an instant and drawing a re from Hraesvelgr.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Trying to stop Se-Hoon, Hraesvelgr transported a few daggers to instantly close in on Se-Hoon. In response, Benjamin hastily tried to control the blood he''d spread across the top floor to block them.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    However, a single ck sword shot out from the darkness before Benjamin could.


    <i>sh!</i>


    The sword effortlessly sliced through the iing daggers, causing Hraesvelgr''s to stare in stunned silence. Those daggers had been tough enough to withstand an attack from an S-rank hero.


    And in that case, there was only one exnation.


    <i>Is that a Legendary weapon?</i>


    The thin longsword,pletely jet-ck from de to hilt, gleamed ominously. It appeared slightly iplete, but the power emanating from it was unmistakable.


    And that was when Hraesvelgr remembered Se-Hoon¡¯s background.


    <i>Did he forge that sword...?!</i>


    If Wurgen was confident enough to use Hraesvelgr as a test subject for Se-Hoon, it was guaranteed¡ªa truth that stunned Hraesvelgr even more.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting toofortable.¡±


    Seizing the opening, Benjamin pped his hands together.


    <i>p!</i>


    The blood surrounding Benjamin rapidly surged, enveloping Hraesvelgr and the floating daggers around him in an instant.


    <strong><i>Cobalt Blood Art: Dirge of the Lost Souls </i></strong>


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Connected to the web of blood, Benjamin''s ck heart pulsed. He was using a technique that disrupted the mana flow within the linked targets, rendering them unable to move. And thanks to a mere moment of distraction, Hraesvelgr was linked.


    <i>Damn it...! </i>


    Although it would also leave Benjamin unable to move, unlike Hraesvelgr, he had an ally¡ªSe-Hoon. Realizing he was now at a severe disadvantage, Hraesvelgr desperately tried to escape.


    <i>Boom! </i>


    Instinctively looking up at the sight of the massive looming shadow, Hraesvelgr saw the hotel, which had been barely standing, now entirely engulfed in darkness and crumbling down upon it.


    <i>Crash!!</i>


    The overwhelming weight buried him in an instant and the darkness enveloped him. At that moment, Hraesvelgr sensed a strange disturbance. Following it, the debris that had been crushing it, as well as the dark blue blood that had bound it, abruptly disappeared.


    ¡°What the...?¡±


    Confused, he scanned the pitch-ck void in confusion and noticed something else.


    ¡°The air... it¡¯s gone?¡±


    The air, which was the source of his power, waspletely absent. Now even more bewildered, Hraesvelgr¡¯s gaze fixed on the darkness before it, where Benjamin was slowly emerging.


    And it was only once he saw that Benjamin¡¯s wounds from the battle were fully healed that he finally realized where they were.


    Hraesvelgr¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡°This ce... is it...?¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is the Netherworld.¡±


    Calmly adjusting his clothing, Benjamin stared at Hraesvelgr and dered his sentence, ¡°There¡¯s no air here, and my power is at its peak. This ce is perfect for dealing with you, which is why he sent you here.¡±


    Since Hraesvelgr gained infinite power from the air, just sending him to a ce without any would render him powerless. Crushing him with the debris had just been a feint from the start so Se-Hoon could transport him to the Netherworld.


    ¡°He¡¯s a pretty impressive guy,¡± muttered Hraesvelgr with a bitter smile on his face.


    ¡°Yes, he''s not someone you could ever hope to surpass.¡±


    Agreeing in a dry tone, Benjamin finished straightening his clothes and then looked back as a line began to form behind him. Slowly, it opened to create a massive gate that revealed Wurgen''s undead army standing in formation.


    ¡°So, you should die here.¡±


    At Benjamin''s judgment, the army charged.


    ***


    ¡°<i>Huff... Huff...</i>¡±


    On top of the debris piled up like a massive mountain, Se-Hoon was gasping for breath, bracing his body with his hands on the ground. His energy had almost entirely been depleted.


    Having been continuously using the power of Boundaries from the start of the battle until now, he was reaching his limit.


    <i>It would be nice if Benjamin ended it soon...</i>


    Unlike Wurgen, who could perfectly send a single individual beyond the Netherworld, Se-Hoon had to relocate the entire space and everything in it into the Netherworld.


    Then, to keep Hraesvelgr trapped there, he had to maintain a strong grip on the boundary. And every time Hraesvelgr caused trouble inside, it consumed more and more of his mana.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    He felt a faint vibration from within the debris. It seemed Hraesvelgr was attempting to break the boundary to escape, just as Eun-Ha had once done.


    Realizing that there was no time to idle around, Se-Hoon considered his options. The first was trusting Benjamin and the undead army to finish off Hraesvelgr, and the second was using his final move.


    Contemting it briefly, his eyes soon became filled with determination.


    <i>I can¡¯t rely on other people¡¯s creations.</i>


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The moment he released the power of Boundaries, something shot up from within the debris, quickly grabbing Se-Hoon by the neck andunching itself into the air.


    Hraesvelgr was quite battered. His neck was nearly severed, his left eye socket waspletely caved in, and his lower body had beenpletely torn away, leaving no trace. But despite his body, Hraesvelgr''s left arm, created out ofpressed wind, moved menacingly, clutching a green de that emanated a deadly aura.


    At a nce, Hraesvelgr''s appearance showed his relentless fight against thousands of undead.


    Stunned by his fierce presence, Se-Hoon just stared as a loud mechanical noise starteding from within Hraesvelgr''s chest.


    <i>Buzz!</i>


    The cube within his shattered internal frame was spinning rapidly, drawing out what little power remained.


    <i>Spatial teleportation?</i>


    Was Hraesvelgr nning to take him hostage and escape? Realizing what was about to happen, Se-Hoon prepared to respond¡ª


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    Ewinia suddenly pierced Se-Hoon¡¯s heart.


    <i>Mission... aplished... </i>


    He was unable to teleport Se-Hoon alive, so he decided to kill Se-Hoon first and transfer his Demon Eye, Ewinia, and his heart back to his master. Using the remaining bits of his strength, Hraesvelgr set the coordinates for his hideout. And that¡¯s when he heard a voice.


    ¡°So that¡¯s where it is.¡±


    Se-Hoon, who had been hanging limp, smiled at him.


    ¡°Thanks for letting me know.¡±


    Shocked that Se-Hoon was somehow still alive, Hraesvelgr frantically attempted to crush Se-Hoon''s head with his temporarily formed left arm.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    But before he could, a pitch-ck sword pierced through Se-Hoon¡¯s chest into his, destroying his cube.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The unfinished Legendary weapon, which had sliced through his daggers earlier, also shattered his cube in an instant, causing the energy meant for teleportation to fluctuate wildly as if about to explode.


    <i>If I can just...</i>


    If he could deal one significant blow to Se-Hoon, anything would do. Amid his fading consciousness, Hraesvelgr tried to elerate his rampage. But Se-Hoon didn¡¯t give him the chance.


    <strong><i>Soul Honing: Demonic Blood Art</i></strong>


    <i>Crunch, crack-</i>


    The ck blood dripping from Se-Hoon¡¯s chest clung to the jet-ck sword, recreating the weapon based on the form imprinted in his soul.


    What then emerged was a cursed de that seemed to darken darkness itself, as if it were about to consume everything in its path. Consuming the unfinished weapon, the cursed de plunged deeper into the cube.


    <strong><i>Soul Weapon: Abyssal Blood</i></strong>


    A bottomless ck void opened, sucking everything in.

 Chapter 206

    <h4>Chapter 206</h4>


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The ck hole that devoured Hraesvelgr¡¯s upper body vanished without a trace, and Se-Hoon, who had been pulled skyward by the ck hole, began to plummet.


    <i>I don¡¯t have any more strength...</i>


    Already exhausted, his use of the Demonic Blood Art had drained thest of his energy.


    <i>I guess whatever happens, happens.</i>


    A wave of fatigue washed over his entire body. He had been musing over how he would minimize the impact ofnding, but in the end, he decided to let gopletely.


    In his current state, such a fall wouldn¡¯t kill him anyway. He closed his eyes, resigning himself to the roughnding approaching at a terrifying speed.


    <i>Swish!</i>


    But just before he crashed, dark blue blood surged up from the ground, cushioning his fall smoothly. The soft cushiony feeling of a sofa surprised him.


    Benjamin approached.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I seem to have no major injuries.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Despite Se-Hoon¡¯s reassurance, the subtle, concerned expression on Benjamin that was directed downward didn¡¯t disappear. Following his gaze, Se-Hoon also looked down.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    There was a pitch-ck sword jutting out of his abdomen.


    Realizing that his condition was far from fine, Se-Hoon smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°Hold on a moment.¡±


    <i>Snap!</i>


    With a light snap of his fingers, the sword shook and slid cleanly out through his back.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Now hovering before him, the sleek, ck sword began to crack and splinter, likely because the Demonic Blood Art had run its course.


    <i>Hmm... this turned out pretty fine, </i>Se-Hoon thought, scrutinizing it closely.


    He lightly flicked its cracked de with his fingers.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The brittle fragments fell away like a shattered mold, revealing the sword¡¯s pristine surface beneath. At that moment, an achievement message popped up before his eyes.


    <strong>[Weapon ''Abgrund'' has beenpleted!</strong>


    <strong>Forged by a master smith with the aid of a Perfect One, the mere existence of this unique weapon challenges the very gods themselves.</strong>


    <strong>The tier evaluation for ¡®Abgrund¡¯ is ¡®Legendary¡¯.]</strong>


    Dismissing the achievement message, Se-Hoon carefully inspected his new weapon, Abgrund. It was a rtively short, straight sword, about ny centimeters long. The de was thin and slender, with a hole between the hilt and guard, giving it an ornamental appearance at first nce.


    It lookedpletely different from when it was unfinished.


    <strong>[<u>Abgrund</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Legendary] [Quality: Average]</strong>


    <strong>[A sword forged from Nimbus Steel using a special forging technique.</strong>


    <strong>By consuming mana, it can harness the powers of night and the underworld, each amplified by the nature of the mana stored within.</strong>


    <strong>It allows free passage across the boundary and can interfere with objects or phenomena made of darkness mana.</strong>


    <strong>*Can absorb the darkness and convert it into mana</strong>


    <strong>*Allows free travel to and from the underworld using the power of Boundaries</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ¡®Abaddon¡¯]</strong>


    <i>Not bad.</i>


    Abgrund was the sword Se-Hoon had spent several days forging with Wurgen¡¯s help. He had longpleted its basic structure, but the subtle details were too difficult to finalize, leaving it iplete until he used the Demonic Blood Art to finish it.


    <i>I never thought I¡¯d end up using this method here...</i>


    He had used an old method he acquired before regressing toplete the weapon. It involved superimposing the data from a highly refined weapon onto the iplete one and cleaning up the remnants. Back then, he only used it when pressed for time, but this time, he used it to finish a particrly challenging weapon.


    <i>And with this, I¡¯ve confirmed there¡¯s no problem with the Demonic Blood Art itself.</i>


    Now, the only remaining issue was his body itself. He nced down at the wound on his chest.


    ¡°...¡±


    Appearing in midair, Wurgen¡¯s eye gazed intently at the floating Abgrund.


    Then, after a long, contemtive silence, he faced Se-Hoon and calmly asked, ¡°Is this the finished weapon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Wurgen narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°What an audacious weapon.¡±


    Hearing his mutter, which carried an unexpected hint of displeasure, Se-Hoon was puzzled until he suddenly recalled the one line in the achievement message.


    <i>Didn¡¯t it say its mere existence challenges the very gods themselves?</i>


    He had assumed it was just flowerynguage, but it seemed there really was something about the sword that unsettled Wurgen.


    ¡°Is there something about it that displeases you...?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s confusion, Wurgen thought back to the ck hole that devoured Hraesvelgr. It was a power that eroded whatever it touched and transferred it elsewhere, a power simr to the power of Boundaries. However, it was an entirely different force. And the fact that it was ¡°entirely different¡± was precisely what irked Wurgen.


    <i>To think he created a new kind of power that maniptes the boundary based on my power over the boundary...</i>


    If seen in a positive light, it was a bold experiment. But on the flip side, it was akin to a challenge, a suggestion that Se-Hoon could create something greater than Wurgen himself. It felt like an infringement on his domain.


    And normally that would have been enough to provoke Wurgen into dealing with the offender. Se-Hoon, though, was worth sparing for now.


    Gathering his thoughts, Wurgen finally focused on Se-Hoon again.


    ¡°Was this the best you could do?¡±


    At the slightly taunting question, Se-Hoon flinched briefly before answering, ¡°For now, yes.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you could create something even better next time.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be watching,¡± Wurgen dered.


    As of now, the sword was still so rudimentary that Wurgen could dismiss it as something other than a derivative of his power, but if Se-Hoon managed to advance the sword further, it could be something he couldn¡¯t overlook.


    <i>I guess I¡¯ll have to collect the copyright soon.</i>


    Satisfied with his ns for the distant future, Wurgen decided to postpone any decisive movements for now.


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon was feeling troubled.


    <i>That old man is probably up to something weird again...</i>


    He wanted to ask what Wurgen was thinking, but he knew that poking around would only lead to unnecessary trouble. So, he decided to change the subject entirely to the main purpose of the recent battle.


    ¡°So, did I pass the test?¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. There was that matter as well.¡±


    Reflecting on the recent fight, Wurgen began musing over whether Se-Hoon used the sessfully forged Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx effectively in battle and soon gave his verdict.


    ¡°Projecting the underworld to gain power from it was a good move. The transition process was quick, and the efficiency was decent.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i>¡±


    At Wurgen¡¯s praise, Se-Hoon began feeling proud. But it didn¡¯tst for long.


    As if displeased by Se-Hoon''s reaction, Wurgen¡¯s critique became harsher critique. ¡°However, your attack methods were overly simplistic. You seem to be obsessed with using a spear form, likely to maximize efficiency, but that¡¯s just a waste of mana. In short, it was a foolish approach.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Summoning Benjamin was also a reckless move. While it worked, if the summoning went wrong and another undead appeared, you would have lost greatly. This was a strategy only a gambling addict would trypletely idiotic.¡±


    The criticisms came at him relentlessly. However, he couldn¡¯t dismiss them entirely despite thinking it was too harsh for someone who hadn¡¯t even fully mastered necromancy.


    After all, Wurgen''s points were valid. He needed to use the limitless mana more efficiently and rely on solid strategies rather than chance.


    ¡°There were many more issues other than these as well, but the most critical one is...¡±


    Wurgen coldly focused on Se-Hoon¡¯s chest.


    ¡°You¡¯ve taken the boundary between life and death too lightly.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon nced down at his chest, where a supposed fatal attack had pierced his heart. He had nned to heal it immediately afterpleting Abgrund, but for some reason, it stabilized instead of healing fully.


    ¡°Standing on that boundary means constantly observing life <i>and </i>death, maintaining that sort of paradox. It isn¡¯t a technique for someone alive and well to be imitating.¡±


    An existence neither living nor dead, sustained by a paradox¡ªthat was the realm Wurgen had reached when he became a Perfect One, a kind of secret technique.


    <i>I was somewhat confident that I could pull it off... but I guess I failed.</i>


    To use the technique properly, he needed to have a deep understanding of necromancy and perfect control over his soul. However, given that Se-Hoon¡¯s soul had altered during the regression and he had yet to identify the cause, it seemed impossible for him to fully execute the technique as of now.


    ¡°So, is my wound not healing because something''s wrong with my body?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm,</i> a problem, you say...¡±


    Under Wurgen¡¯s scrutiny, Se-Hoon¡¯s expression grew tense. Using the Demonic Blood Art in the recent battle had served not only to demonstrate his abilities andplete Abgrund but also as a reason to consult Wurgen, who had significant insight into souls.


    <i>He¡¯s not as trustworthy as my master, but this guy might be able to figure out the cause.</i>


    He waited nervously for an answer.


    And eventually, Wurgen said, ¡°There¡¯s definitely something there.¡±


    ¡°...Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Your soul has be more muddied than before. That seems to be why your body¡¯s regeneration is slowing down.¡±


    ¡°Muddied...¡±


    His soul had be muddied. Seeing Se-Hoon pondering the meaning, Wurgen calmly borated. ¡°Impurities have tainted your soul. It¡¯s likely some wraiths from beyond the boundary havetched onto it. The impurities should settle over time, so it¡¯s best not to overexert yourself for now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Taking in Wurgen¡¯s diagnosis, Se-Hoon once again looked down at himself.


    <i>My soul has be muddied... impurities havetched on...</i>


    Wurgen''s words brought to mind a specific Fatestone. It had originally been a colorless, transparent stone, but after leveling up, it had changed and now had something else mixed within it¡ªhis own Fatestone, the Rtionship-null metal.


    Until now, he had been uncertain about what the change meant, but thanks to Wurgen, he gained a clearer idea.


    <i>During the regression process, my soul merged with something else.</i>


    What exactly had intertwined with his soul? Furrowing his brow at the unsettling thought, Se-Hoon only snapped back to reality when Wurgen continued his words.


    ¡°Anyway, to summarize the results.¡±


    Wurgen looked at Se-Hoon to give his final evaluation.


    ¡°It felt like a monkey was trying to imitate me.¡±


    Not even a person, but a monkey. Anger red within Se-Hoon, but only for a moment.


    If a normal person had told him that, it would have been an insult, but Wurgen was a demented skeleton with a twisted personality. Understanding his intent was more important than his words.


    <i>Ah! That¡¯s what he meant.</i>


    When realization dawned, Se-Hoon smiled and looked back at Wurgen.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°...Did you even hear what I said?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± replied Se-Hoon smoothly.


    ¡°You mean that even though I¡¯m inexperienced, I imitated the power of Boundaries well enough to remind you of yourself.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect such high praise from you.¡±


    To others, it was a rather novel interpretation, but to Benjamin, who was observing from the side, it was genuinely impressive.


    <i>Truly remarkable.... He understands the President¡¯s intentions so urately...</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s interpretation skills were so outstanding that Benjamin even considered recruiting him as a secretary. And bolstered by Benjamin¡¯s admiring gaze, Se-Hoon felt even more confident, making Wurgen click his tongue in annoyance.


    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>... What a strange fellow.¡±


    ¡°So, was I wrong in saying¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough. Just know that you barely passed.¡±


    Wurgen cut off Se-Hoon¡¯s words, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation. Bored, he surveyed the city around them that had been left in ruins from the terror attack and the ensuing battle. The city had been swiftly evacuated, but many casualties remained.


    However, Wurgen didn¡¯t seem particrly concerned.


    ¡°Let¡¯s clean this up now.¡±


    After all, he had been prepared from the beginning.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx emerged from Se-Hoon¡¯s fingertip and floated in the air. From within, darkness then began to flow out, coalescing into a single form. A figure, cloaked in a robe made of ck mist, had appeared in front of Se-Hoon. And their overwhelming presence made Se-Hoon instinctively realize their identity.


    <i>The Eternal Nocturne...</i>


    Although he had lost most of his power due to an ident, it hadn''t diminished. With the newly created bone as a medium, Wurgen summoned his authority and slowly lowered the finger that had been pointing toward the sky.


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    Darkness swiftly swept across the sky, as if time had elerated,pletely covering it before receding beyond the horizon. In the blink of an eye, the city, which had been shrouded in shadows, was restored to its original state.


    ¡°What the...?¡±


    Both those who had sought refuge and those who had perished in the attack returned to the streets as the destruction of everything, including the hotel, reversed.


    ¡°Huh? Why am I...?¡±


    ¡°I remember I wasst caught in an explosion...¡±


    Though they clearly remembered their deaths, they found themselves alive on the streets without a scratch. It was as if they had woken up from a horrible nightmare, but the memories were too vivid to dismiss.


    As confusion dominated the city, a voice suddenly echoed throughout it.


    ¡°The situation has been resolved.¡±


    Floating as a ck wraith in midair, Wurgen addressed the entire city calmly.


    ¡°Resume your duties.¡±


    With that, he vanished into thin air.


    <i>I figured he had something nned... but this is way too incredible.</i>


    Now back in the suite, Se-Hoon was observing the perfectly restored cityscape from the window.


    To an onlooker, it would seem like he had rewound time, but Se-Hoon had a vague idea of the truth.


    <i>He must have projected the entire city into the underworld beforehand, then inverted it back afterward.</i>


    At the realization that Wurgen could kill or revive an entire city at will, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by the sheer scale of the power Perfect Ones like him wielded.


    ¡°Take this.¡±


    A green dagger and its sheath suddenly dropped from the air.


    ¡°Is this...?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the sword left by the automaton. Consider it your spoils of war.¡±


    Wurgen handed over the Legendary sword nonchntly as if he had no interest in it. It was magnanimity typical of Perfect Ones, but Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°That thing had a Demon Eye as well, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It did.¡±


    ¡°Then you should give that to me as well...¡±


    After all, he had defeated the automaton by himself, and it wouldn¡¯t be fair for Wurgen to im the spoils just because he handled the cleanup. But despite Se-Hoon¡¯sint, Wurgen didn¡¯t bat an eye.


    ¡°Consider it the rental fee.¡±


    ¡°...Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You borrowed my Benjamin and my Phnx to win, didn¡¯t you? Therefore, I deserve a portion of the rewards.


    ¡°What kind of...¡±


    Feeling it waspletely unfair since Wurgen had only made him fight to test his own abilities, Se-Hoon was about to argue and red at him. However, that was when Wurgen¡¯s eye curled into a crescent-shaped smile.


    ¡°I also healed your wound for free, so you should be grateful.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At his words, Se-Hoon immediately nced down at his chest, now fully healed. He was deeply irritated by how Wurgen had healed him and then demandedpensation without consent, but he decided to let it go. Arguing further would only be pointless; with Wurgen¡¯s capricious nature, pushing him might even lead to losing the Legendary sword as well.


    <i>Once he finds a new body next time, I¡¯ll...</i>


    Watching Se-Hoon grumble inwardly, Wurgen looked at him with exasperation, reading his thoughts.


    <i>This guy really has no fear.</i>


    Despite the concessions Wurgen had made, Se-Hoon still dared to show his dissatisfaction. He considered teaching Se-Hoon a lesson, but since Se-Hoon hadpleted all of the required tasks, he decided to let it slide.


    ¡°If there¡¯s something you want, particrly, speak up.¡±


    ¡°...Something I want?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As long as it¡¯s reasonable, I¡¯ll grant it.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes gleamed with interest. Wurgen''s tone suggested he was willing to give Se-Hoon something small to be done with everything. It was the perfect opportunity, though not an intended one.


    Ensuring no one was eavesdropping, Se-Hoon slowly began.


    ¡°I n to kill the Dream Demon before summer break ends.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°How about you join me?¡±

 Chapter 207

    <h4>Chapter 207</h4>


    <i>So he¡¯s going for the Dream Demon...</i>


    Wurgen had been about to ask if Se-Hoon was serious, but he stopped; the sincerity in Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes and demeanor told him Se-Hoon was.


    The Dream Demon, one of the oldest members of the Ten Evils, was a troublesome being Wurgen had encountered several times himself, both before and after bing a Perfect One, but always failed to kill.


    <i>He really thinks he could kill her.</i>


    Though it sounded like Se-Hoon was just making a bold statement, there was an odd sense of certainty supporting his words. It was the same confidence he had when he imed he could recreate the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx, as if he were certain because he had already killed the Dream Demon once before.


    He considered it. ¡°Is this part of Ludwig''s n?¡±


    If it were Ludwig''s idea, not the boy in front of him, then it would make more sense. Yet Se-Hoon shook his head.


    ¡°No. The Chairman has nothing to do with this. I haven¡¯t even mentioned it to him.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to get his help? He does owe you from before.¡±


    Since the Dream Demon was also one of the Ten Evils who had ambushed Babel, it would be logical for Ludwig to take action if the opportunity arose.


    ¡°This is just my hunch, but... I think he wouldn''t be too keen on it,¡± Se-Hoon said after a brief pause.


    ¡°Ludwig wouldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Yes. How should I exin this...?¡±


    Se-Hoon struggled to articte his thoughts, trying to put together the observations and experiences from before his regression.


    And it was only after a bit of contemtion that he could do so.


    ¡°It¡¯s like when someone tells you to modify a blueprint that¡¯s already fully devised. It¡¯s just annoying, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ludwig, who had been secretly researching the Tower of Heroes, definitely had his own ns in mind. While he might help if Se-Hoon¡¯s n aligned with his own goals, he would likely hinder Se-Hoon''s efforts otherwise.


    <i>I can¡¯t be too sure yet. It¡¯s better to tread carefully.</i>


    In his previous life, the long war had imed the lives of many heroes,pelling him to recruit even the most unruly individuals, such as the Three Dogs. Now, however, there was a surplus of strong individuals avable. In that case, it was better to bring in those who were likely to be allies rather than risk disrupting the n by trying to convince someone who was ambiguous.


    ¡°You have a point. Ludwig would indeed do that,¡± Wurgen said, chuckling.


    ¡°So... what do you think, Mr. Wurgen?¡±


    Whether or not he could bring the Perfect One before him into his n would change the entire course of the uing events.


    ¡°Do you have the n fully prepared?¡±


    ¡°I have the rough outline, and I¡¯m working on its groundwork step by step.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. I¡¯ll decide after I hear everything.¡±


    For a while, Se-Hoon carefully exined how he nned to attack the Pleasure District while Wurgen listened without interruption.


    Then, once the exnation wasplete, Wurgen, who had fallen into deep thought, looked straight at Se-Hoon and asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to talk about something like fame, forget it. I¡¯ve got more than enough of that already.¡±


    Though his words were annoying, they were true. As the head of UD Group, one of the most powerful organizations in the world and one of the seven Perfect Ones, what would more fame mean to someone like him?


    However, Se-Hoon had already anticipated such a question and could answer ordingly. ¡°Isn¡¯t your fame still insufficient to take the management rights of Danger Zones from the Heroes Association?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Famees in different forms, after all.¡±


    If the UD Group were to pressure the Heroes Association for control over Danger Zones right now, other forces affiliated with the other Perfect Ones would inevitably intervene.


    Therefore, Wurgen needed justification that wouldpel the Heroes Association to voluntarily relinquish control¡ªa way of making thempromise.


    ¡°If you y a significant role in capturing one of the Ten Evils, the Dream Demon especially, the Heroes Association won''t be able to resist as they are now. And once you¡¯ve got your foot in the door... well, that¡¯s your area of expertise, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Wurgen was a master of infiltrating and consuming a group from within, so Se-Hoon didn¡¯t need to exin further.


    ¡°...You really don¡¯t trust the Heroes Association, do you?¡±


    ¡°Who would dare lie in front of you?¡±


    ¡°You say that, but you¡¯re lying right now.¡±


    It was clear from his words that Se-Hoon was hiding something, but if it was a personal secret, Wurgen didn¡¯t care.


    Carefully considering the n Se-Hoon hadid out for a while, Wurgen pointed at the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx floating in the air once his decision was made.


    ¡°Stay still.¡±


    <i>Thump!</i>


    The Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx jabbed Se-Hoon¡¯s sr plexus, and with a tingling sensation, something was inscribed within him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve inscribed a spell with the Phnx. Use it to call me when the n begins.¡±


    ¡°Can I use it if somethinges up before then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll lend you my help if you offer a Legendary material or a fragment of your soul.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was an outrageously expensive price, but considering its potential use in his next battle, it could actually be a bargain.


    <i>Still, I should avoid using it if I can.</i>


    Resolved, Se-Hoon swore to only use it when he could secure enough Legendary materials.


    Just then, Wurgen seemed to remember something and promptly asked, ¡°Is Ryu Eun-Ha participating too?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s...¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s expression grewplicated. Knowing what she was capable of from their long acquaintance before the regression, he was aware of exactly when and where to deploy her. Yet he hesitated because of the shift in their rtionship since regressing.


    <i>She might try to stop me.</i>


    While he had somehow managed to persuade her during the ck Arms incident, convincing her to join him in confronting one of the Ten Evils head-on would be much more challenging. He had to seriously debate over whether he should try to convince her or keep it a secret.


    Falling into deep thought over it, Se-Hoon looked up at Wurgen¡¯s abrupt remark, ¡°It seems she¡¯s here already.¡±


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The door to the suite shattered, and Eun-Ha stormed in.


    ¡°D¡ªDean?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Eun-Ha¡¯s hair and clothes were a mess, evidence of how quickly she had rushed over. Her appearance was so disheveled that Se-Hoon could only watch as she strode towards him.


    Then, when she stood in front of him, she seized Se-Hoon by both shoulders and immediately examined his body. It was only after confirming that he had no visible injuries that she turned to Wurgen and asked, ¡°Was he seriously injured?¡±


    ¡°No, not exactly¡ª¡± Se-Hoon tried to exin, but Eun-Ha cut him off.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon, please be quiet for a moment.¡±


    To Wurgen, the sight before him was amusing. ¡°Yes. If I hadn¡¯t been here, he might have been gravely injured. In the worst case, he could have died.¡±


    At Wurgen¡¯s words, Eun-Ha flinched, and the air in the room subtly trembled. It was a phenomenon that urred when the emotions of a high-ranking hero resonated with their mana. And although it wasmon among S-rank heroes, the one causing it made it shocking.


    <i>What the...?</i>


    Despite knowing her for a long time, Se-Hoon had never seen her disy such emotional turbulence. The realization sent him reeling.


    Meanwhile, Eun-Ha slowly turned her head back toward him.


    ¡°...¡±


    Her expression was as unreadable as usual, but her eyes were fierce; she looked ready to explode.


    Those eyes harbored an emotion Se-Hoon could instantly recognize.


    <i>Grind-</i>


    She was angry at her own powerlessness.


    <strong>[The bond with ''Ryu Eun-Ha'' has grown to Lv. 3.]</strong>


    <strong>[Since the bond has grown to Lv.3, the existing Rtionship has deepened.]</strong>


    <strong>[Rtionship: Empathy]</strong>


    <strong>[To someone who has been isted for a long time, having someone who understands them can, by itself, act as invaluable support¡ªa treasure they never want to lose.</strong>


    <strong>The deeper the understanding and empathy between them, the greater the fear of losing it. If their support disappears, their sense of loss can be so tremendous that it could profoundly transform them.</strong>


    <strong>It is only by oveing this attachment and continuing to understand and empathize with each other that this Rtionship can truly evolve.</strong>


    <strong>*A Fatestone is created whenever the subject feels like you empathize with them.</strong>


    <strong>*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases whenever the subject feels understood.</strong>


    <strong>*The probability of the subject¡¯s synesthetic mindscape manifesting inside the Fatestone increases when the subject¡¯s anxiety is alleviated.</strong>


    <strong>*Currently created Fatestones: 1]</strong>


    <i>Anxiety... loss...? </i>He thought, stunned by the sudden notification message.


    Was this really how Eun-Ha felt about him? The thought had never crossed his mind before, and he found himself struggling to process it.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon,¡± Eun-Ha called out in a low voice.


    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to terminate my sponsorship contract with the Seraphim Guild.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Her words came out of nowhere, so Se-Hoon looked at her in puzzlement.


    With her gaze boring into him, Eun-Ha continued, ¡°I¡¯ll wrap things up in three... no, two months. And in the meantime, I have one request.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Never overexert yourself.¡±


    Her grip on his shoulders tightened, and her eyes burned with intensity.


    ¡°No matter what happens, don¡¯t put yourself in danger. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Her gaze was so deadly serious that Se-Hoon just knew she would tie him up to prevent him from acting recklessly if she had to. And it was under that gaze that Se-Hoon realized something.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he muttered.


    He would have to exclude her from the operation to take down the Dream Demon.


    ***


    In a workshop where various prosthetics hung like meat in a butcher''s shop, Allen Morgan, the head researcher at Marite Factory, finally stood up after more than ten hours of continuous work.


    ¡°Urgh...¡±


    Even high-ranking heroes couldn¡¯tpletely avoid fatigue and stiffness. Stretching to relieve his difort, Allen looked at his right arm, which was in much better shape than the rest of his body.


    ¡°If only the rest could be as good as this...¡± He sighed wistfully, staring and caressing his right arm. It was like his arm was not a part of his body but a masterpiece of invention.


    While Allen admired his arm with fervent eyes, a faint vibration suddenly shook it from within. Noticing, his eyes widened slightly before quickly acting as if nothing had happened.


    He then walked over to one of the prosthetics hanging in the workshop and pulled it down.


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    Following the shaking, a section of the wall was split open to reveal a staircase leading underground. He descended the steps and entered a room filled with finished prosthetics, golem parts, and other essentialponents.


    Taking a seat in a chair, Allen then rolled his right sleeve up to the shoulder. It revealed that his right arm was much paler than his left and also thinner and slightly longer¡ªlike a transnt from someone else.


    Extending his right arm forward, he infused it with his mana.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    With mana flowing into his arm, a dawn-like glow began emanating from it, illuminating the room. Soon after, the prosthetics and golem parts scattered around began to move, assembling themselves in midair.


    <i>Click, click!</i>


    Four dolls formed, each missing one part¡ªa left arm, a pair of eyes, a torso, and legs¡ªwhich were instead reced by the same dawn-colored light.


    They were the Regions, the five executives of Dawn.


    Confirming their assembly, Right Arm spoke, ¡°So, who called the meeting this time?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Left Arm replied, drawing the attention of the other Regions before continuing.


    ¡°Luize Valente and Lee Se-Hoon have applied for field experience at Marite Factory.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes. ording to the schedule, you¡¯ll be the one to interact with them.¡±


    The Regions exchanged nces. Capturing these two¡ªwho possessed the qualities of the Voice and Heart¡ªwas Dawn¡¯s top priority. However, it wasn¡¯t an easy task, especially now that their strength had been diminished by recent events at Babel and the Ivory Tower, putting them under close monitoring by the Emperor of Ascension.


    ¡°It¡¯s a golden opportunity, but it¡¯s tricky,¡± one of them noted.


    ¡°Moreover, we¡¯re currently cooperating with the Dream Demon on her Expansion n. If things go wrong, we might end up in direct conflict with her,¡± another added.


    If they attempted to capture the two and lost the few remaining assets of their organization, they would be forced to hide in the shadows for a long time.


    As the Regions debated the possibilities, one of the dolls, which had been silent until now, finally spoke. ¡°Are you all idiots?¡± Vessel¡¯s voice was filled with incredulity.


    ¡°We can just assimte them and send them back. The Perfect Ones won¡¯t notice as long as they don¡¯t look too closely.¡±


    ¡°Do you think assimtion can be done quickly?¡±


    ¡°Why not use the items we¡¯re supplying to the Dream Demon? The ones for the Expansion?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    Right Arm hesitated and fell into deep thought.


    Seeing him like that, Left Arm asked, ¡°Is it possible?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit tricky, but... it might work. However, there¡¯s something I need to warn you about first.¡±


    Recalling something the Dream Demon had mentioned recently, Right Arm warned, ¡°For some reason, the Dream Demon seems intent on securing Lee Se-Hoon for herself. If we get to him first, she might be our enemy.¡±


    Opposing the Dream Demon, who controlled the Pleasure District, would be no small danger.


    But the Regions just exchanged nces beforeughing softly.


    ¡°Right. I guess there was no need to bring that up.¡±


    Regardless of how powerful the Dream Demon was, what mattered most to them was bringing about the One¡¯s return. If that brought them closer to their goal, they didn¡¯t care about who they had to oppose¡ªeven if it meant making enemies of the Ten Evils or the Perfect Ones.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s pick out the right candidates and get started.¡±


    Thus, the Regions began to secretly prepare their next terror attack in the underground warehouse.

 Chapter 208

    <h4>Chapter 208</h4>


    <i>Thud, thud, thud!</i>


    A deafening stampede sounded from behind him.


    Without looking back at the horde of undead that were furiously pursuing to tear him apart, Se-Hoon swiftly activated the Edict of the Eternal Nocturne.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    A portal opened in the air, from which a fully formed beast spider stepped out. Upon seeing it, Se-Hoon leaped onto its back without hesitation and lightly tapped its ribs with his foot.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°<i>¡ª¡ª!!!</i>¡±


    With a soundless roar, the beast spider began scaling the UD Group''s headquarters, which had once again been reflected in the underworld. And like before, the real onught of the undead army began in earnest now.


    <i>Whish!</i>


    A volley of arrows and magical bombardments assailed them from below. In the past, Se-Hoon would have immediately found himself busy dodging, but not this time.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Reaching out, Se-Hoon drew two lines along the building''s exterior wall, forming a straight path leading straight to the top. Then, confirming he seeded, Se-Hoon immediately directed the beast spider so its legs came into contact with the new path.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The spider elerated at an incredible speed.


    <i>Thud, thud, thud, thud!</i>


    The undead army''s attacks missed them entirely, and the spider''s speed only increased with every stride. From a distance, its eleration looked less like it was climbing a building and more like it was falling at breakneck speeds.


    The rooftop rapidly came into view, and the noise of the undead chasing them grew distant. A momentter, the beast spider shot up to the building''s peak and into the air.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Gracefully descending, itnded cleanly on the rooftop, and Se-Hoon dismounted.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    All he could see was the pitch-ck darkness of the underworld and the undead army approaching from afar, yet, in the fleeting moment, the scene was just as breathtaking as any magnificent view he¡¯d ever witnessed.


    <i>They¡¯re finally retreating.</i>


    The undead, who had been charging so fiercely toward him earlier, had begun drawing back the moment Se-Hoon reached the rooftop. They weren¡¯t showing any expressions, but their oddly deted postures made Se-Hoon grin as he watched them retreat from above.


    ¡°You finally used your brain.¡±


    Wurgen''s eye appeared behind him.


    ¡°I never expected you would alter the boundary and flip the entire space.¡±


    By drawing a boundary along the building''s wall, Se-Hoon had inverted the concept of up and down within that area. That allowed him and the beast spider to seemingly ¡°fall¡± up the building, giving them far greater eleration than usual.


    ¡°The underworld has no clear distinction of up and down, so I thought it might work.¡±


    Rather than painstakingly modifying the beast spider with limited resources, Se-Hoon found it more efficient to reshape the underworld itself.


    At his response, Wurgen silently observed him for a moment before calmly dering, ¡°You passed.¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The world around them instantly shifted from the underworld to the surface, transforming the pitch-ck darkness into a bustling cityscape filled with towering skyscrapers. And at the center of his view stood Benjamin, carefully holding a cushion on which Wurgen''s skull rested.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised. I thought you never left your office,¡± said Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I usually don''t because it¡¯s simply not worth it.¡±


    His exnation made Se-Hoon raise an eyebrow in mild surprise. If it hadn¡¯t been worth it until now, did that mean Wurgen had changed his mind?


    <i>An agreement to help eliminate the Dream Demon... I guess I managed to build quite a rtionship.</i>


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t one built on the type of trust where they could fully rely on each other. Their rtionship was merely a mutual alignment of interests, so Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t afford to let his guard down.


    ¡°You seem to have many questions in the back of your mind.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Every time I read your thoughts, I can sense a lump of curiosity piled up within you. Perhaps there are things even about the very nature of a Perfect One like myself.¡±


    Wurgen''s glowing blue eyes, which glowed like pupils in his pitch-ck eye sockets, were focused on Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Since you¡¯vepleted my training, I¡¯ll reward you with answers. Go ahead, ask your questions.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Was this Wurgen¡¯s way of rewarding him? Regardless, Se-Hoon began contemting, eventually deciding to ask what had been on his mind recently.


    ¡°How did you end up in that state?¡±


    Although Se-Hoon had a rough idea of the situation, hearing it directly from the person involved would be entirely different.


    Wurgen gave him a strange look.


    ¡°That¡¯s something one would typically ask upon first meeting me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t want to pry into something you keep hidden from the public.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> I suppose that makes sense.¡±


    epting the exnation, Wurgen began telling his story.


    ¡°There was a time when I traveled around the entire world, studying necromancy. To conduct my research, I often chose dangerous areas and used Ludwig¡¯s Void Space Terminals to get there.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Then, one day, while traveling through a gate as usual, I sensed something was wrong. It felt like an elevator had suddenlye to a halt, and I found myself in a vast, empty white space.¡±


    And in that void were three sinister figures waiting for Wurgen.


    ¡°Apostate, Beast King, and Tuner ambushed me there.¡±


    For most S-rank heroes, three of the Ten Evilsunching a sneak attack would have been a death sentence. However, for Wurgen, a Perfect One, it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Up until a certain point, things weren¡¯t too bad. Apostate was still new to the Ten Evils, and Beast King was as weak as ever, so I could handle them. The real problem was Tuner.¡±


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Tuner¡¯s body had exploded without warning, forming a ck hole at the center of the st. The white space they were in had then begun rapidlypressing around it, making Wurgen¡¯s figure appear to crumple like a drawing on paper. And caught in that bizarre phenomenon, Wurgen hadn¡¯t been able to escape, even with his power of Boundaries.


    In the end, only Wurgen''s skull managed to fly out of the gate as thepressed space reached its peak and unleashed a devastating shockwave.


    ¡°Tuner hadpressed space itself and then forcibly unraveled it. Simply put, he crumpled space like paper and then pulled it apart. And within that space, my body ended up like torn paper in that process.¡±


    Left behind, Wurgen''s body was shredded and scattered when the space expanded with immense outward force, leaving only his skull intact.


    Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes. The full ount was something he was hearing for the first time.


    <i>I didn¡¯t expect three of them to ambush him at once...</i>


    He also would have never thought that Tuner had been the one responsible. It was a story that he had to digest for a bit. A momentter, Se-Hoon asked, ¡°What did Ludwig have to say about it?¡±


    ¡°He apologized, saying it was his mistake. He even restructured the entire Void Space Terminal to prevent anything like it from happening again.¡±


    ¡°Anypensation...?¡±


    ¡°I received enough to be satisfied.¡±


    For Wurgen to be satisfied despite the severe injury, what could thepensation have been? With a curious look, Se-Hoon looked toward Wurgen.


    But Wurgen just calmly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to tell you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The answer only deepened his curiosity. He wondered what it could have been if it was something he didn¡¯t want to talk about right now. Unfortunately, he was well aware that pestering Wurgen wouldn¡¯t yield any answers.


    So, he brushed off any lingering questions about it and moved on to the next question that intrigued him.


    ¡°Why do you leave your scattered body parts unattended?¡±


    Previously, Se-Hoon had assumed Wurgen had put considerable effort into recovering his body. But after regressing and acquiring the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx, Se-Hoon realized something upon witnessing Wurgen¡¯s condition in person.


    <i>Wurgen has no intention of reiming his body in the first ce.</i>


    If someone found his body parts and returned them, Wurgen wouldpensate them fairly. But that was all; he wouldn¡¯t search for them himself.


    ¡°I want to uncover their entire n,¡± Wurgen answered without hesitation.


    ¡°Their entire n...?¡±


    ¡°If their goal was simply to kill me, they wouldn¡¯t have attacked me with just the three of them. They must have been after my body from the start.¡±


    In that case, Wurgen decided to deliberately leave his scattered parts unattended to find out what the Ten Evils intended to do with his body.


    ¡°Transnting my body parts into monsters is quite a novel idea... but that shouldn¡¯t be all they are after. It¡¯ll only be once I¡¯ve discovered what they truly want that I¡¯ll go reim my body.¡±


    ¡°...Wow.¡±


    To Se-Hoon, who also viewed his body as a tool, Wurgen¡¯s detachment was even more remarkable. Had Wurgen lost his attachment to his physical form upon bing a Perfect One? The thought fascinated Se-Hoon.


    ¡°This is yourst question. What else are you curious about?¡± Wurgen asked, meeting Se-Hoon¡¯s gaze.


    At that moment, many questions popped into Se-Hoon¡¯s mind, but out of them all, only one truly mattered.


    ¡°What exactly is a Perfect One?¡±


    He wanted a precise definition of the Perfect Ones¡ªthose who had conquered a mysterious Tower of Heroes and transcended all of humanity.


    But Wurgen fell silent, just staring at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°We¡¯re wraiths,¡± he finally answered.


    ¡°...A wraith?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Wurgen¡¯s gaze shifted to the distant cityscape, recalling the white tower thaty beyond it.


    ¡°A wraith that is neither dead nor alive.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Well then, see you next time.¡±


    With a polite farewell, Benjamin left in a limousine. Watching him go, Se-Hoon stretched and then nced at Eun-Ha, who stood beside him.


    ¡°Time really flies, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does.¡±


    Eun-Ha nodded, agreeing without changing her expression. It was just like normal, from her expression to her stance, but one thing was different¡ªthe distance she was standing from him.


    <i>She¡¯s standing way too close.</i>


    Normally, she would keep a respectable distance. However, now she was standing so close that even a fist could barely fit between them.


    She was so close that the curious gazes of the people around them had intensified, making Se-Hoon feel awkward.


    ¡°Is there something you want to say?¡± Eun-Ha asked nonchntly.


    ¡°Well... you¡¯re standing too close.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for your protection. Please bear with it while we¡¯re in public.¡±


    Se-Hoon sighed, realizing that arguing would be pointless. Her firm response made it clear she wouldn¡¯t take any objections.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Like that, the two of them entered the Void Space Terminal, naturally drawing even more attention from onlookers. It made Eun-Ha press even closer to him, which caused Se-Hoon to frown slightly.


    <i>I know our Rtionship has changed after regressing, but... I didn¡¯t expect it to be this different.</i>


    Eun-Ha, who could rip a demon¡¯s head off without flinching, now disyed an unsettling attachment and anxiousness when it came to him. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle bitterly. To think it all stemmed from nothing more than him preparing equipment that suited her tastes.


    <i>Well, raising the bond level isn¡¯t a bad thing, but... the direction of our Rtionship is a little concerning.</i>


    A Rtionship that was overly dependent or obsessive could turn sour very quickly. And since Eun-Ha was an S-rank hero, dealing with her would be especially difficult if she ever lost her mind and decided to lock him in her basement.


    <i>She shouldn¡¯t go berserk if I just do what she says, but that¡¯s just a temporary solution.</i>


    To fully prevent such a thing, he needed to figure out exactly how Eun-Ha viewed him. Only then could he address the issue at its root.


    As he pondered how to handle the situation, his phone vibrated in his pocket. When he checked the screen, he recognized the caller immediately: Luize Valent<i>.</i>


    <i>Hmm... I can basically guess what this call is going to be about.</i>


    Se-Hoon nced at Eun-Ha.


    ¡°I need to take this call...¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Eun-Ha took a single step away from him. Given her sharp senses, she would hear the conversation no matter the distance, but Se-Hoon just epted it and answered the phone.


    ¡ªHey, I¡¯ve got an urgent issue. Is this a good time?


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, so go ahead. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡ªI got a call from the Marite Factory. Both of us got epted for the on-site training.


    ¡°Well, that was expected.¡±


    If Dawn had already infiltrated the Marite Factory, there was no way they would be rejected. What mattered would be the conditions that followed.


    ¡ªBut because of security reasons, only a single designated person can apany us. They¡¯re also limiting what we can bring. Are you okay with these conditions?


    The conditions themselves weren¡¯t particrly unusual. The problemy in the fact that Dawn, an infamous group even among Watchers, was going to pull some kind of scheme.


    <i>Hmm. Given the circumstances, they may see this as theirst chance to strike.</i>


    Even if Se-Hoon walked into their trap fully armed, it would still be a risky situation. So now that he was only allowed limited equipment, it should¡¯ve made him even more uneasy.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with that.¡±


    However, he had just finished receiving Wurgen¡¯s teachings.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned some clever tricks recently.¡±


    With his own ns already prepared, he didn¡¯t see any major issues.


    Sensing Se-Hoon¡¯s confidence, Luize simrly became more confident as well.


    ¡ªGot it. We¡¯re going tomorrow, so if you need to prepare something, do it today.


    ¡°Will do. See you tomorrow.¡±


    Ending the call, Se-Hoon put his phone away and Eun-Ha approached to ask, ¡°Do you have ns for tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. The Marite Factory is holding an on-site tour, so I signed up for it. It starts tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°That event... Professor Lan Fei is the leader, right?¡±


    Eun-Ha¡¯s eyes were full of disapproval. With only one professor apanying them, and an A-rank hero at that, it wasn¡¯t surprising that someone as protective as her would be anxious.


    ¡°...Do you really have to attend it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really interested in this field of study. Who knows when I¡¯ll get another opportunity like this? I¡¯m anxious to check it out.¡±


    ¡°Given what happened recently, wouldn¡¯t it be better to stay at Babel for a while?¡±


    ¡°Dean...¡±


    Se-Hoon met her worried gaze.


    ¡°You may find mecking in some areas, but never have I once acted without a n. So you don¡¯t need to worry so much. Even during this training period¡ª¡±


    ¡°Things didn¡¯t go as nned.¡±


    Eun-Ha interrupted him. Her expression was still neutral, yet her tone carried a hint of self-me.


    ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t there.¡±


    Though she spoke calmly, there was an underlying tone of guilt.


    And sensing it, Se-Hoon gave her a wry smile.


    ¡°But everything turned out fine in the end, didn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve already ounted for such variables.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Of course, I might make a few mistakes here and there, but if I let fear of the unknown control me, I¡¯ll never be able to go anywhere freely. Maybe that¡¯s exactly what the Demon Force is aiming for.¡±


    While caution was necessary, he couldn¡¯t allow fear to halt his growth. That was one of Se-Hoon¡¯s core principles and the reason behind his meticulous preparations for various dangers.


    Having heard his reasoning, Eun-Ha¡¯s expression remainedplicated, but she eventually nodded.


    ¡°Understood. But please make sure to take the self-defense devices I gave you.¡±


    Recalling the mountain of protective gear she had given him during herst visit, he replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll pack them all.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Though Eun-Ha nodded in agreement, her eyes still reflected concern. For now, her emotions hadn¡¯t spiraled out of control yet, but if they intensified further, she would likely try to stop him no matter what.


    <i>Hmm. I need to cheer her up somehow so she won¡¯t argue about thister...</i>


    Mulling over how to lift her spirits, Se-Hoon suddenly remembered something she had mentioned before.


    ¡°Actually, Dean.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on something interesting since thest evaluation exam. It¡¯s an enchantment that can replicate the traits of a monster. I¡¯m curious how it will taste¡ª¡±


    <i>Growl!</i>


    Before he could finish speaking, a loud growl echoed in the air. Looking at Eun-Ha, who awkwardly averted her gaze, Se-Hoon grinned.


    ¡°Would you like to try it?¡±


    ¡°...That would be nice of you.¡±


    ***


    Upon returning to Babel, Se-Hoon apanied Eun-Ha to her house to forge the equipment with the enchantment.


    ¡°Just kill me already!¡±


    Meanwhile, at some other ce, an unfortunate phoenix, which was used as the material, could be heard wailing in despair.


    Apparently, the equipment tasted like spicy fried chicken.

 Chapter 209

    <h4>Chapter 209</h4>


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    Abgrund was currently flying in circles on Lea¡¯s workshop ceiling, and Lea¡¯s head spun around and around in sync with the ck sword as her eyes followed it. He had headed to her workshop after treating Eun-Ha to a hearty meal to show her Abrgrund.


    ¡°Oh... oh wow...¡±


    Even just feeling the waves of mana radiating from it, Lea could sense how extraordinary the sword was; its incredible craftsmanship captivated her. But she eventually noticed Se-Hoon¡¯s gaze on her, prompting her to awkwardly clear her throat.


    ¡°<i>Ahem!</i> So, is this the final version?¡±


    ¡°For now.¡±


    ¡°I guess any more tweaking would just make it messy...¡±


    The stronger the weapon, the easier it was for its enchantments to wear out¡ªone of the primary reasons high-tier weapons were notoriously difficult to enchant.


    And Lea understood that. She could understand why Se-Hoon had chosen toplete the sword without asking for her input, but that didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t a little frustrated.


    <i>If this was how it was going to be, he shouldn¡¯t have promised to let me enchant it...</i>


    She had studied relentlessly, pulling all-nighters, to seize the opportunity that would onlye if she became the honor student of her department. She had even prepared dozens of enchantment designs over the past few days, just in case Se-Hoon came to her with any outrageous requests.


    But now, all of that hard work felt pointless, making her pout in frustration.


    ¡°It''s already a mess,¡± muttered Se-Hoon.


    He called Abgrund down from the air and tapped the de lightly.


    ¡°I managed to fixate the power of Boundaries in ce, but the process of drawing it out is still too rough. While the sword is usable, its efficiency drops quickly, so it won¡¯tst long.¡±


    Lea¡¯s eyes lit up. His words indicated that there was still room for improvement.


    ¡°How does it look? Can you fix the issue?¡± Se-Hoon asked.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Far from being intimidated by the idea of enchanting a Legendary weapon, Lea¡¯s enthusiasm burned even brighter. Her confidence, which had grown significantly upon bing the honor student in her department, made Se-Hoon chuckle.


    ¡°Great. Do you already have some designs prepared?¡±


    ¡°Yup! I made plenty of them just for you, Boss.¡±


    Wasting no time, Lea quickly went over to her desk and brought back a thick file full of enchantment patterns. Receiving it, Se-Hoon flipped through them casually.


    <i>Hmm, these connect the concept of celestial bodies and the night sky well.</i>


    Luckily, many of the designs aligned with what he had in mind, so there were plenty of options to work with. He continued flipping through the pages, stopping on one particr design that caught his eye.


    ¡°These... are these my Inkstone Bracelets?¡±


    His eyes hadnded on a page with drawings of four bracelets.


    Looking over, Lea nodded in response. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Since you¡¯ve been using them for a long time and they have a resonating feature, I thought they would make a suitable control device.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... not bad.¡±


    The idea was to inscribe each bracelet with an enchantment rted to a specific celestial body and then connect them to Abgrund for control whenever needed. It was a solid activation method that used the Inkstone Bracelets, which had be less and less useful as Se-Hoon¡¯s physical abilities improved. Overall, it was a great idea.


    Deciding it was worth exploring further, Se-Hoon took off the Inkstone Bracelets from his wrists and ankles and handed them to Lea, along with Abgrund.


    ¡°Go and take a look. We still don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work in practice.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ooh.</i> Got it. I¡¯ll take good care of these.¡±


    Lea epted the bracelets with both hands, grinning as she grabbed some measurement tools and began examining them alongside Abgrund.


    ¡°Oh wow... these are in better shape than I thought.¡±


    Her eyes sparkled as she inscribed a light enchantment onto the Inkstone Bracelets and Abgrund, observing their reactions. She looked like a child with a new toy.


    Chuckling at the sight, Se-Hoon returned to reviewing the remaining designs. With the two of them quietly focusing on their tasks a peaceful silence fell before it was broken by Se-Hoon, who suddenly remembered he hadn¡¯t said something important.


    ¡°Oh, right. I fought a Single Number in Germany.¡±


    ¡°Really? d you didn¡¯t get hur¡ªwait, what did you just say?¡±


    Lea, who had just been absentmindedly responding while focused on her work, suddenly looked up in shock. Her behavior was a stark contrast to Se-Hoon¡¯s, who was still casually flipping through designs.


    ¡°I said, I fought a Single Number. It seemed like it was there to kill me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Unable to find even a hint of seriousness in his tone, Lea just stared at him. She felt foolish for even being so surprised and couldn¡¯t help but sigh in exasperation.


    ¡°Forget the designs. Exin everything in detail,¡± she demanded.


    ¡°So...¡±


    Se-Hoon briefly summarized the attack by Hraesvelgr, the Single Number. Then, when Lea heard the full story, she narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°It sounds like she was making good on a threat.¡±


    ¡°Probably. She warned you not to stand out, but then you got picked as the honor student, so...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lea¡¯s eyes darkened as she listened. Puppeteer had seriously attempted to kill or injure Se-Hoon as a warning for not heeding her earlier threat. It made her feel both anger toward Puppeteer and guilt for being the reason Se-Hoon had faced danger. And those emotions simmered inside her, bing an even stronger rage.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    Yet she quickly calmed herself, rubbing her face with both hands before sweeping her hair back and then asking calmly, ¡°Did you manage to find out anything?¡±


    Rather than regretting what had happened, she chose to focus on finding a solution. It made Se-Hoon smile; she finally learned to regain herposure.


    ¡°I discovered the location of Puppeteer¡¯s hidden base. It¡¯s where the Single Number tried to escape at the end, so I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s legitimate.¡±


    ¡°Her hidden base, huh...¡±


    Lea¡¯s expression grewplicated. Typically, a hidden base would be a critical location where one could uncover the enemy¡¯s secret, but with Puppeteer, it was different.


    <i>It¡¯s most likely... just another warehouse.</i>


    Puppeteer and her puppets could endlessly revive themselves in new bodies as long as their main bodies remained intact. Because of that, they often hid their main body in a base, which usually just stored materials for creating new bodies. That was why rarely any useful clues would be found when fighting one of her puppets.


    <i>And if it gets discovered, they abandon the base immediately.</i>


    To Puppeteer, both the Single Numbers and her normal puppets were mere tools. If she perceived a direct threat to her, she would unhesitantly cut them offpletely.


    So then, was there actually anything to be gained from the information? Troubled, Lea¡¯s thoughts becameplicated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    But then Se-Hoon smiled confidently and reassured her.


    ¡°If the base is still there, it¡¯s definitely not an ordinary one.¡±


    His tone wasn¡¯t spective; it contained near certainty.


    Lea looked at him curiously. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Because the Chairman already cleared out a bunch of them before.¡±


    After the attack by Puppeteer at the ck Lotus Seas, Ludwig took action himself to eliminate many of Puppeteer¡¯s bases. Knowing his personality, it was likely that he had destroyed every single base he could possibly find.


    <i>Plus, since that Single Number tried to flee to it, it¡¯s probably a ry station.</i>


    Puppeteer¡¯s ry stations weremand centers for controlling bases and puppets. While it wasn¡¯t the main headquarters, if they were lucky, they might be able to find clues there that led to it.


    ¡°<i>Hm...</i> What¡¯s your n, then? Are you going to gather a squad andunch a surprise attack?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m thinking about infiltrating first.¡±


    ¡°Infiltration, huh...? That sounds really tough.¡±


    Lea frowned at the thought of sneaking into a stronghold valued by the meticulous Puppeteer. The security would be no joke.


    Seeing Lea¡¯s apprehensive expression, Se-Hoon calmly reassured her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it. As long as we¡¯re well prepared, it¡¯ll be easier than you think.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy to say.... So? When are you nning to move?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s probably on high alert, so I¡¯ll wait a bit. Besides, I have somewhere to go tomorrow anyway.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯ve really got some nerves of steel, huh?¡± She looked at him in disbelief.


    Se-Hoon had barely escaped an assassination attempt by a Single Number just a few days ago, yet he was talking about leaving Babel again. Lea couldn¡¯t help but think that maybe the Demon Force would mistake Se-Hoon for having some hidden leverage, and that¡¯s why they hadn¡¯t taken him out yet.


    Smirking, Se-Hoon nonchntly replied, ¡°It¡¯s all about confidence. It¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    ¡°No big deal, my ass.... Anyway, why are you going out this time?¡±


    At her question, Se-Hoon snickered as he fiddled with the designs in his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to pull a switcheroo.¡±


    ***


    In the outskirts of Aarhus, Denmark¡ªa port city by the sea¡ªthe first-floor lobby of a massive factory was bustling with people. They were all promising students who gathered from across the world to participate in the field study. Each of them was a skilled and well-known talent in their respective fields, recognizing one another as peers and exchanging greetings.


    ¡°I hear the new automaton models are no joke.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re saying they¡¯ll be able to handle B-rank danger zones by themselves soon.¡±


    ¡°The prosthetics sector is also seeing some strong progress thanks to their coboration with the Pilgrimage Church...¡±


    Given the setting, most of the conversations were focused on topics rted to the Marite Factory. However, one topic not rted to the factory made their gazes keep turning in one direction as they chatted.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    On one of the lobby sofas, a ck-haired young man slouchedzily. And next to him, with one seat in between, was a silver-haired girl focused on her phone. They both had such fierce expressions and intimidating auras that no one dared to approach them.


    <i>So that¡¯s Lee Se-Hoon.... He seems moreid-back than I expected.</i>


    <i>It''s actually the person next to him who makes it harder to approach.</i>


    Meanwhile, the two in question remained entirely uninterested, ignoring everyone conversing around them. But at some point, the silver-haired girl, Luize, couldn¡¯t ignore the continual nces toward them anymore, so she raised her eyes from her phone and shot a sharp look at her surroundings.


    ¡°<i>Ahem.</i>¡±


    ¡°So, what were we talking about earlier?¡±


    Intimated, the others all quickly averted their gazes, fearing they might provoke her. And at the sight, Luize frowned briefly and then tapped Se-Hoon¡¯s leg with her foot.


    ¡°Hey, because of you, people keep staring at me.¡±


    ¡°What are you, a kid? Getting annoyed over people looking at you?¡±


    Ignoring him, Luize continued to tap his leg with her foot. To an outsider, it would seem like she was irritated, but in reality, her actions were more about masking her nervousness.


    <i>Is this how she hides her feelings?</i>


    If she showed any signs of anticipating an attack, their enemies would realize that their presence had been discovered. Se-Hoon found it impressive how quickly Luize had adapted, despite not being with him for long.


    Looking toward her, he asked, ¡°Well, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About the facilities here.¡±


    Quickly understanding what he meant, Luize subtly surveyed their surroundings.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡±


    ¡°Take a closer look. It might be usefulter on.¡±


    Although he could sense most things, Luize could possibly pick up on details he hadn¡¯t. Nodding, Luize went back to scanning the area, and that was when the guides who had gone inside earlier returned.


    ¡°Attention, everyone.¡±


    Lan Fei, who was in charge of the group from Babel, gathered the fifteen students and held up a badge.


    ¡°You must wear this ess badge at all times while inside. If you enter an unauthorized area, security will be on you immediately, so try not to cause any trouble.¡±


    Se-Hoon eyed the badge with interest.


    <i>An ess badge...</i>


    If these badges regte ess to two different areas, obtaining someone else''s badge might allow him to move around more freely. He pondered different possibilities as Lan Fei continued his exnation.


    ¡°The factory is divided into three sectors. Today, we¡¯ll be touring the prosthetic manufacturing facilities and witnessing a simple production process. Any questions?¡±


    The students remained silent, so Lan Fei began handing out the badges.


    ¡°Come up and get one each.¡±


    Each student received a badge, and upon receiving his, Se-Hoon examined the structure carefully as he put it on. A bitter, after he had gained a rough understanding of how it worked, Lan Fei suddenly called out to him.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Se-Hoon looked up in mild surprise.


    ¡°What made you join this field study?¡±


    Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Se-Hoon asked in return, ¡°Do I need a specific reason?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that, but...¡±


    Lan Fei struggled to say something before eventually shaking his head.


    ¡°Never mind, just forget I asked.¡±


    He brushed it off as if nothing had happened, but Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but find his behavior suspicious.


    <i>What¡¯s up with him?</i>


    Clearly, Lan Fei was hiding something, and he wasn¡¯t doing a great job of concealing it. But after a moment of thought, Se-Hoon decided to let it go for now.


    <i>I¡¯ll deal with himter.</i>


    His priority right now was Dawn. Lan Fei''s problem could wait.


    Fully setting those thoughts aside, Se-Hoon contemted how to proceed with his investigation of the facility.


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re Lee Se-Hoon?¡± A voice suddenly called out to him from the side.


    Turning toward the voice, Se-Hoon found a young man in a suit approaching.


    With dark green hair and a friendly expression, the man seemed awkward in his suit, looking more like a technician than a salesman.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. You look even more impressive in person. You¡¯re taller than I expected, too.¡±


    The young man looked at him in awe, as if he were meeting a celebrity. Confused, Se-Hoon nced sideways at Lan Fei for an exnation.


    ¡°This is Allen Morgan, the chief researcher at the Marite Factory. He¡¯ll be guiding us today.¡±


    At the introduction, Allen extended his gloved right hand with a bright smile. ¡°Pleasure to meet you.¡±


    Se-Hoon hesitated for a moment. Everything about Allen¡¯s appearance and demeanor seemed ordinary enough, so Se-Hoon shook his hand. But then the moment their hands touched, Se-Hoon felt something.


    <i>Throb-</i>


    A greenish wisp of mana surged into Se-Hoon¡¯s body. Examining it, Se-Hoon became certain.


    ¡°The pleasure¡¯s mine.¡±


    The man before him, Allen Morgan, was a Region.

 Chapter 210

    <h4>Chapter 210</h4>


    Watchers were incredibly difficult to identify because of their exceptional ability to stay hidden in the shadows.


    However, there was one way to recognize them more easily: learning the characteristics of their techniques. Each member specialized in a specific one, making identifying them surprisingly simple.


    And Dawn was no exception.


    <i>Squirm-</i>


    Locked within threeyers of mana circuits, a small, insect-like green wisp of mana squirmed violently, as if spasming. It was the mana from the mana corrosion device that Luize had once used without knowing its true nature.


    <i>Good thing I didn¡¯t throw it away.</i>


    Though Luize had wanted to smash the device to pieces at the time, Se-Hoon had saved it for a day like today. After all, members of groups like Dawn, known for their unique ideology and specific type of mana, were easy to identify if one possessed a sample of simr mana.


    <i>The problem is that mishandling the mana Dawn usually uses causes magic corrosion.</i>


    Keeping a sample of their mana was like nting a bomb in one¡¯s own body and then handing the detonator to the enemy. It was extremely reckless and something Se-Hoon would never have attempted in the past. Now though, with his enhanced physical abilities and the various countermeasures, it was manageable.


    <i>Stay still.</i>


    Calmly subduing the vtile green mana in his body without changing his expression, Se-Hoon released the hand he had been shaking with Allen.


    ¡°If you have any questions while touring, feel free to ask. I¡¯ll answer as best as I can,¡± offered Allen.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Well then.... Everyone, please gather over here!¡±


    Smiling at Se-Hoon, Allen turned and called the group to gather. Taking the chance, Luize quietly sidled up to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When their eyes met, Luize instantly realized Allen''s connection to Dawn without them needing to exchange a single word.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± asked Luize.


    ¡°He¡¯s got decent skills. I guess it makes sense that he¡¯s the chief researcher.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmmm...</i>¡±


    Se-Hoon was signaling that Allen was more than just an ordinary member, that he was a higher-up of Dawn. Perhaps Se-Hoon thought he could even be on par with, or even surpass, Charles.


    But after processing that information, Luize just nudged Se-Hoon in the ribs with her elbow.


    ¡°You''re the one who suggesteding here, so you take care of him. I¡¯ll just watch from the side.¡±


    Se-Hoon nodded, quickly figuring out that she was nning on just following his lead.


    ¡°Sure, sure. Do as you like, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a death wish or something?!¡±


    In the meantime, while they were bickering, Allen had led the group deeper into the workshop, stopping at a small checkpoint.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do a quick check of your belongings here before you enter. This is simply for security, so we appreciate your cooperation.¡±


    With no one resisting, the security guards thoroughly searched everyone¡¯s bodies with detection devices. Such a situation had been anticipated in advance, so no issues arose and both Luize and Se-Hoon passed without any problems.


    <i>As expected, they can¡¯t detect anything stored in the void pocket or the Netherworld.</i>


    Though hiding his countermeasures would make his response slower than usual, it was still better than going inpletely unarmed. Satisfied by his preparations, Se-Hoon nced at Luize beside him.


    ¡°Good thing you didn¡¯t throw that away after all.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, you mean this?¡±


    Realizing what he meant, Luize nced down at the choker around her neck, the broken Vargr, and chuckled softly.


    ¡°Everything has its use.¡±


    With the checkpoint sessfully passed, they finally entered the workshop, where the stretched-out production line for prosthetics could be seen behind transparent ss.


    The variety of prosthetics surpassed expectations, ranging from arms and legs all the way to smaller parts like finger joints.


    ¡°Whoa...¡±


    ¡°So this is how they¡¯re made...¡±


    Seeing the students students marveling at the sight, Allen, who was leading the group, smiled.


    ¡°In the past, all prosthetics were handmade, but thanks to advancements in mass production, we can manufacture them on arger scale. And it¡¯s all possible thanks to the Seeker''s standardization of mana circuits.


    ¡°...¡±


    At the mention of the name of ¡°Seeker,¡± one of the Perfect Ones, Se-Hoon was reminded of her past.


    <i>It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve heard that name.</i>


    The Seeker had climbed a Tower of Heroes a year after Ludwig¡¯s ascension. However, unlike Ludwig, who had made his sess public, the Seeker kept it a secret for several years, though her influence on the hero industry was substantial.


    In the early stages of the war against the Demon Force, when the concepts of magic and synesthetic mindscapes were still poorly defined, it was the Seeker who organized and systematized everything,ying the foundation that every future development was built on.


    <i>If only she were still around.... Who knows if she¡¯s even alive?</i>


    The Seeker had always been a mysterious figure, someone who Se-Hoon assumed was just hiding away somewhere to continue her research. But even near the end of humanity, when the demonic invasion escted and Earth faced annihtion at the hands of the Six Harbingers of Destruction, the Seeker never reappeared.


    <i>I¡¯m curious about her whereabouts, but there¡¯s no need to dig deeper.</i>


    If she were dead, that was the end of it. And if she were alive but hadn¡¯t shown herself even as humanity faced extinction? Well, what would be the point of searching for her now?


    Brushing aside the thoughts of the woman he¡¯d never met, Se-Hoon turned his attention back to Allen.


    ¡°This is the line where we producebat prosthetics. These are made with special alloys to enhance their mana conductivity...¡±


    On the surface, Allen seemed like a young researcher enthusiastic about his work. But when Se-Hoon viewed him with the assumption that he was a high-ranking member of Dawn, Se-Hoon began noticing a few things.


    <i>His right arm...</i>


    There was something strange about the way he was moving. It was like the attention of his entire body was drawn to his right arm like it was a newly discovered treasure trove. And that observation meant Se-Hoon could easily guess the man¡¯s position within Dawn.


    <i>He must be the Right Arm.</i>


    Though Se-Hoon had never met the Right Arm personally, he had heard about his abilities from another informant before the regression. With that and what he observed, he had gathered all the information he needed about Allen, so Se-Hoon fell into contemtion.


    <i>Now, what¡¯s the next y...</i>


    He had two primary objectives for this field study. The first was to locate Dawn¡¯s hidden members, and the second was to find the gemstones that had replicated the various high-ranking heroes¡¯ synesthetic mindscapes since he needed to prepare for the assault on the Pleasure District.


    <i>This guy likely manages the gemstones... but, if we eliminate him now, it couldplicate our efforts to recover them.</i>


    In that case, Se-Hoon had to consider whether there was a better approach. Lost in thought, he followed the group away from the production line and into a smaller workshop.


    ¡°This is where we craft more intricate prosthetics capable of finer movements. Despite the prosthetics¡¯ familiar framework, their details are different.¡±


    <i>Sizz-</i>


    Inside the room, technicians worked on the prosthetics using magic welding tools and other machinery, with schematics spread out beside them.


    Like before, the students watched in awe, making Allen smile.


    ¡°Since we¡¯vee this far, why not try your hand at it? Come, follow me.¡±


    They made their way deeper into the workshop, where various parts and tools were lined up on workbenches. There, Allen took a seat at one and then looked around at the students.


    ¡°First, I¡¯ll demonstrate a simple assembly procedure.¡±


    He began assembling the prosthetic arm, exining each part as he went along. Before long, a right arm prosthetic wasplete. Observing it, Allen ced his hand on the connection point and then infused it with his mana.


    Powered by his mana, a soft buzz filled the air and the prosthetic arm began to move. Its movements were diverse, crawling across the floor with its fingers and even standing upright at times.


    The sight lit up the eyes of the young students watching.


    ¡°A well-made prosthetic can smoothly interpret the user¡¯s intent with just a bit of mana,¡± Allen exined. ¡°Go ahead, give it a try.¡±


    One by one, the curious students eagerly approached and infused their mana into the prosthetic arm. None of them could hide their amazement at how the device responded to their will¡ªexcept Se-Hoon and Luize. They just stood quietly at the back, clearly disinterested.


    ¡°...¡±


    Noticing, Allen pped his hands lightly, regathering their attention. ¡°Alright, now that you¡¯ve all seen a demonstration, try assembling one yourself. I can¡¯t assist everyone at once, so let¡¯s work in groups of ten.¡±


    At his words, the eager students were about to step forward for the first chance, but then Allen turned his gaze toward Se-Hoon and Luize.


    ¡°How about you two try first?¡±


    All the eyes shifted to the back of the room.


    Under their gazes, Se-Hoon nodded after considering it for a moment.


    ¡°We¡¯d be grateful for the opportunity. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Striding forward like he had been waiting for the offer, Se-Hoon chose a sport at a workbench, Luize silently choosing the one next to him.


    ncing down at the prosthetic parts, Luize turned her head to Se-Hoon to ask, ¡°So how do we do this?¡±


    Thanks to the earlier demonstration, she didn¡¯t find the assembly process too difficult. However, she had no experience with adjusting internal mana circuits, which left her uncertain.


    ¡°Just do it like you always do,¡± Se-Hoon replied.


    ¡°What I always do?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. If you do it like that, you¡¯ll probably do just as well as I will.¡±


    At those words, Luize¡¯s eyes widened in understanding.


    ¡°Ah...I see what you mean,¡± she said with a grin.


    While they prepared, the other eight students took their ces at the empty benches.


    ¡°And... begin,¡± Allen announced, prompting the students to start assembling their prosthetics. Given that they were all young talents in the field, they quickly finished the assembly and moved on to adjusting the mana circuits.


    ¡°...Done!¡±


    Confident, one of the young students began channeling their mana into the connection point.


    <i>Smack!</i>


    Despite his confidence, the prosthetic arm began jerking wildly, swinging up and smacking the student square in the jaw.


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    Staggering from the unexpected hit, the student¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. Fortunately for them though, they weren¡¯t the only ones having trouble.


    <i>p!</i>


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    Though they all had no issues assembling the prosthetics, every time they infused some mana, the arms started moving unpredictably.


    At their confusion, Allen chuckled and exined, ¡°The rough movements are probably due to the mana circuits not being properly fine-tuned. Try paying more attention to the details.¡±


    However, despite Allen¡¯s advice, the students still struggled to get satisfactory results.


    <i>If ours turned out this badly, how amazing was the one he made earlier...?</i>


    <i>He¡¯s far more skilled than I thought...</i>


    But just as the students began to fully realize just how impressive Allen¡¯s prosthetic was, Se-Hoon finallypleted his. A faint hum filled the air when he powered up his prosthetic arm.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Unlike everyone else¡¯s, the arm moved almost as fluidly as Allen¡¯s had earlier, using two fingers to dexterously walk across the table, like a pair of legs. It looked quiteical, but the prosthetic¡¯s ability to bnce perfectly on two fingers indicated just how precisely Se-Hoon had fine-tuned the mana circuits.


    ¡°How is he...¡±


    In some ways, Se-Hoon¡¯s prosthetic seemed even more remarkable than Allen¡¯s.


    <strong>¡°Set-¡±</strong>


    A short incantation escaped Luize¡¯s lips when all eyes had been drawn to Se-Hoon. The incantation resonated with the prosthetic, causing it to click into ce and settle down neatly. Luize then ced her hand on the connection point.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The arm began to move naturally, but unlike Se-Hoon¡¯s which walked on two fingers, hers scurried around like a spider on all five. Its movements were rough at best, yet it still had a strange, lifelike quality that made it seem almost alive.


    ¡°That¡¯s just incredible...¡±


    ¡°Was that Incantation Magic just now?¡±


    While those familiar with Luize¡¯s abilities watched in amazement, Allen unconsciously clenched his right fist.


    <i>Impressive...</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s work was extremely detailed, seemingly aiming to achieve lifelike movement, while Luize¡¯s prosthetic seemed to breathe life into the creation itself. Their talent, which Allen had only heard about in stories and memories, made him feel an overwhelming urge to kidnap the two of them immediately, but he quickly calmed himself.


    <i>Calm down. It¡¯s not time yet.</i>


    Kidnapping them was only viable if everything wentpletely wrong. For now, he just had to stick to the original n. He approached the two of them.


    ¡°May I take a closer look?¡±


    Examining the prosthetics that Se-Hoon and Luize had created, Allen¡¯s expression briefly shifted to one of surprise before soon turning to a smile.


    ¡°Both of you did an excellent job. With such skills, you could even join ourpany right away.¡±


    Though such apliment came from none other than the chief researcher as an acknowledgment of their extraordinary talent, neither Se-Hoon nor Luize were particrly pleased.


    ¡°We¡¯re done here,¡± Luize said, briskly walking back to join the rest of the group.


    Instead of following, however, Se-Hoon just stared at the prosthetic with a dissatisfied expression, not even bothering to reply. And at those dismissive reactions, Allen¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    ¡°Is this thetest model?¡± Se-Hoon abruptly inquired.


    ¡°<i>Hm?</i> Ah, yes, it is,¡± Allen responded.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Inspecting the prosthetic again, Se-Hoon softly muttered to himself, ¡°I expected better...¡±


    His voice carried not only disappointment but also a strange sense of ennui.


    <i>That kind of reaction is...</i>


    The rity of that emotion in Se-Hoon¡¯s mutter reminded Allen of himself before he joined Dawn. It was so familiar that he nearly revealed his own emotions, but he managed topose himself.


    <i>No, it¡¯s too soon to know for sure.</i>


    However, Allen decided to keep a closer eye on Se-Hoon before continuing the workshop tour as though nothing had happened. Allen could tell that through the remainder of the tour, Se-Hoon was bing more and more disappointed as his gaze drifted indifferently around his surroundings. And then eventually, his expression becamepletely nk, as if he had given up, leaving Allen feeling as though he were the one at fault.


    <i>Now that I think about it, Charles mentioned he only attempted to recruit Luize...</i>


    While they knew Se-Hoon was apatible candidate, much less was known about his personality and tendencies. In fact, it was only thanks to today that Allen could even begin to understand what kind of person Se-Hoon was. Getting a good idea of how Se-Hoon thought, Allen recalled one of the ns he had prepared.


    ¡°Thank you all for today. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll be touring the automaton section, so please go home and take a good rest.¡±


    With those words, the first day¡¯s schedule concluded, and the students began leaving with their guides. Some had tried to approach Allen to speak with him, but Allen ignored them all, calling out instead to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Lee Se-Hoon! Do you have a moment?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Sure, I guess...¡± Se-Hoon responded with a somewhat annoyed expression.


    Checking his surroundings first, Allen began the conversation. ¡°How did you find today¡¯s tour?¡±


    ¡°It was... a good learning opportunity,¡± Se-Hoon replied curtly.


    ¡°Please be honest with me. That way, I can actually help you.¡±


    At those words, Se-Hoon studied Allen quietly for a moment.


    ¡°...To be honest, I was actually disappointed. I¡¯d heard that the prosthetics here were refined enough to match the skills of high-ranking heroes, but from what I¡¯ve seen, they¡¯re nowhere close.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    ¡°I came here hoping they would be a source of inspiration, but... I suppose finding something like that isn¡¯t so easy.¡±


    There it was¡ªthat feeling of boredom and frustration, the sense of being stuck, that often gued master craftsmen. Recognizing the familiar sentiment, Allen¡¯s eyes shed with interest.


    ¡°What if I told you such a thing really exists?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The prosthetic you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯m in charge of its development.¡±


    ¡°...Really?¡±


    Seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes light up, Allen smiled.


    ¡°Yes. If that¡¯s what you were looking for, I would have mentioned it sooner.... By the way, do you have any ns for this evening?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing in particr.¡±


    ¡°Then how about joining me for dinner? We can continue our conversation, and if time permits, I could show you around the workshop in more detail.¡±


    At the offer, Se-Hoon fell silent, pondering whether to consider it. And upon seeing him like that, Allen quietly added, ¡°If you¡¯re not too interested, we can forget about it...¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯ll go!¡± Se-Hoon answered quickly, seemingly afraid Allen would withdraw the invitation.


    It was a reaction that made Allen smile.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll see you this evening.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    They then exchanged contact information before turning away from each other, both subtly smiling to themselves.


    <i>I got him.</i>


    <i>He¡¯s totally tricked.</i>


    Their thoughts aligned perfectly for that one moment.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 211

    <h4>Chapter 211</h4>


    ¡°What were you thinking?¡±


    With her arms crossed, Luize stared at Se-Hoon. She was standing in front of the door to his hotel room in the downtown hotel they''d booked as amodations for those from Babel.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean. You started openly flirting with that guy halfway through.¡±


    ¡°That''s a bit of an exaggeration, don''t you think?¡±


    ¡°Anyway.¡±


    Ignoring his words, Luize stared him down with a stern expression.


    ¡°You know better than anyone what those guys are like... so why?¡±


    Facing her interrogation, Se-Hoon studied her gaze, which was sharp and relentless; she seemed like she wouldn''t let a single movement slip by unnoticed.


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    <i>Is she suspicious that something¡¯s gone wrong?</i>


    Given that he¡¯d mentioned Allen had used a mana corrosion device, her concern was understandable.


    And in that case, Se-Hoon decided it was best to give her a simple answer.


    ¡°If you keep staring at me like that, I¡¯ll be too embarrassed to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you want to die?!¡± Luize threatened, her eyes narrowing in disgust. However, her suspicion had eased a little.


    ¡°I don''t have any concrete ns yet. I just thought it would be better to observe them up close than to make a half-baked attempt from a distance.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous, though?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is. Look who we''re dealing with.¡±


    Watchers were so tricky to deal with because they blended <i>too </i>well into society, making it nearly impossible to distinguish them from ordinary people. Therefore, unless one exhibited the same recklessness as the Three Dogs, their schemes easily drew most in.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why I¡¯m getting one step closer to them. If we keep our distance, they¡¯ll gain plenty of time to prepare something.¡±


    By giving them the impression that he was open to recruitment, Se-Hoon hoped to draw them in and find a way to handle them before the reverse happened. And even if they were caught, he could just follow the Three Dogs'' method¡ªcutting off their heads and dealing with the aftermath. There was no need to oveplicate things.


    <i>The best case is if they never find out.</i>


    While Se-Hoon fell into thought, nning his next move, Luize, who had been silently thinking, finally spoke up. ¡°So what do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    If it was the fierce st Dog from before the regression asking, he might have asked her to watch from the shadows, but Luize wasn¡¯t quite at that level yet. With that option gone, he pondered what she could do, and soon, a decent idea came to mind.


    ¡°Tailing.¡±


    ¡°Tail him? <i>Hmm... </i>I¡¯m not really good at that...¡±


    ¡°Not Allen. Tail me.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Luize looked at him, puzzled by his seemingly foolish suggestion.


    Se-Hoon smirked. ¡°They''ve been targeting you from the beginning, right? Then, the more it seems like you¡¯ve developed special feelings for me, the higher my value bes.¡±


    If they thought recruiting Se-Hoon would make it easier to bring Luize in, it would most likely prompt a more proactive response from them during the meeting.


    ¡°...¡±


    Luize bit her lip, her earlobes turning slightly red.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying I should act like I... have a crush on you?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Preferably, like you¡¯re head over heels.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Luize¡¯s eyes twitched at his suggestion. Normally, she would have instantly dismissed it as nonsense, but somehow, his reasoning made sense this time.


    <i>If only I were stronger...</i>


    Grinding her teeth in frustration, Luize took a deep breath before looking at Se-Hoon again.


    ¡°Fine. I''ll give it a shot...¡±


    ¡°Great. But don¡¯t stress too much over it. Just a little act will do.¡±


    ¡°...Let me know when you¡¯re about to leave then,¡± Luize curtly responded before heading toward the door.


    Then, just before stepping out, she added quietly, ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    She mmed the door shut as she left, making Se-Hoon snicker.


    ¡°Looks like her pride took a hit.¡±


    Considering she had to take on such an embarrassing task because her skill level wasn¡¯t high enough, it was a natural reaction. And at that thought, Se-Hoon started stroking his chin.


    <i>With how much more familiar she¡¯s be with Incantation Magic... should I start forging her some proper equipment soon?</i>


    Though the masks he had made for her so far were technically pieces of equipment, they were more like auxiliary tools. Equipment designed specifically to amplify the power of Incantation Magic was an entirely different matter.


    Pondering what to forge, Se-Hoon mulled over his memories of the various pieces of equipment that the st Dog had used. And while he was doing that, there was a knock at the door.


    <i>Knock, knock</i>


    ¡°May Ie in for a moment?¡±


    Recognizing the voice as Lan Fei¡¯s, Se-Hoon paused briefly before inviting him in, ¡°Yes, pleasee in.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Entering the room confidently, Lan Fei nced around.


    ¡°It looks like someone was just here.¡±


    ¡°Luize stopped by for a moment. What brings you here, Professor?¡±


    Though Lan Fei acknowledged the question, he didn¡¯t answer immediately and just stared at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re meeting with Allen Morgan tonight. Is that true?¡± Lan Fei finally asked.


    ¡°Yes. He invited me to dinner and offered to show me his workshop.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At the mention of Allen¡¯s workshop, Lan Fei¡¯s gaze deepened. Then, seeminglying to some sort of decision, he spoke up. ¡°I¡¯d like to propose a deal.¡±


    Se-Hoon looked up at him curiously, sensing that his demeanor was different from usual.


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°I want you to find out if there¡¯s something special in Allen Morgan¡¯s workshop.¡±


    ¡°Something special...?¡±


    ¡°Anything that you find unusual by your standards.¡±


    Though Lan Fei had worded his request in that way because he trusted Se-Hoon''s judgment, it was still vague.


    However, Se-Hoon quickly realized what he meant regardless.


    <i>He knows something is in there but not what.</i>


    Considering Lan Fei¡¯s proposal, Se-Hoon met his gaze and made his decision.


    ¡°Understood. I owe you one anyway, Professor.¡±


    If Lan Fei hadn''t epted him as an on-site staff member during the expo, it would¡¯ve been a lot harder to deal with the attack on Babel. And since the future was still as unpredictable as it could be, it was wise to maintain a flexible rtionship with someone like Lan Fei.


    <i>While I''m at it, I might as well confirm which group he belongs to.</i>


    Although Se-Hoon already had a hunch, it was better to make sure.


    ¡°Thank you. I''ll make sure you''re properlypensated.¡±


    ¡°I''ll let you know once I return.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    Done with what he came to say, Lan Fei stood up and exited the room. Then, while Lan Fei was walking down the hallway, he began reflecting on their conversation.


    <i>...I still can''t tell.</i>


    Which side was Se-Hoon on? Lan Fei had a feeling that, once this was over, he would likely have a better idea. Keeping it in mind, Lan Fei continued walking calmly.


    ***


    Arriving at an upscale restaurant in the city¡¯s center, Se-Hoon was escorted to an opulent private room. Upon entering, he nced over at the person who had invited him.


    ¡°Wee, Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Seeing Allen greeting him with a smile, Se-Hoon returned the gesture with a polite nod and sat across from him.


    ¡°I''m a bit surprised you invited me to such an extravagant ce.¡±


    ¡°I have to put in the appropriate effort for an important guest, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Grinning, Allen gestured to the waiter, who promptly started serving the meal.


    They made small talk for a while, Se-Hoon quietly waiting for Allen to get to the point the entire time. Then, the moment finally came when Allen cut into his steak.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, there''s something I''d like to ask you.¡±


    He paused, knife still in hand.


    ¡°Are you currently working on any kind of research?¡±


    ¡°Uh...¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don''t mean to pry. It''s just that people in my field, especially those with technical expertise, are very interested in your work.¡±


    Putting down his fork and knife, Allen fixed his full attention on Se-Hoon.


    ¡°We''re all curious if you¡¯re currently tackling any problems that have long been considered unsolvable, like the mass production of sword aura equipment.¡±


    Though Allen''s tone seemed genuinely inquisitive, Se-Hoon could sense his true intent.


    <i>He''s really piling on the pressure. </i>It felt like Allen was trying to add to his burdens.


    This was his chance, so Se-Hoon decided to y along.


    ¡°Yes, as you mentioned, I¡¯m looking into projects that are generally considered challenging. But it¡¯s not as straightforward as it was before,¡± Se-Hoon muttered with a bitter smile.


    Allen''s eyes gleamed.


    ¡°You seem to be struggling a lot. You¡¯re also searching for something to ignite your passion again, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I understand that feeling well.¡±


    Pausing, Allen took a sip of wine before looking at Se-Hoon again.


    ¡°Back when I couldprehend knowledge effortlessly and bring my imagination to life without any problems, I felt an exhration that made me think I might be an omnipotent god.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I wished fervently that the feeling couldst forever, but... unfortunately, it didn¡¯t.¡±


    Allen set down his empty wine ss before continuing with a hint of bitterness in his voice. ¡°At some point, the knowledge started feeling iprehensible, my imagination became vague and uncertain, and my confidence in myself began to erode.¡±


    As if recalling his past¡ªthe frustration, the despair, and the relief when he saved himself from those nightmarish days¡ªAllen''s voice rose slightly. He didn¡¯t hold back and bared all of his emotions while staring intently at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°So, Lee Se-Hoon, how does it feel to be turning into an ordinary person?¡±


    ¡°How does it feel?¡±


    Se-Hoon gripped his knife and fork tightly in response to Allen¡¯s question.


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    As Se-Hoon¡¯s expression twisted with anger, the handles of both utensils bent under the pressure.


    ¡°It feels absolutely awful. Like right now.¡±


    At the sight of Se-Hoon¡¯s face, which revealed a mixture of emotions¡ªanger, inferiority, and desperation¡ªAllen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    <i>This is not bad at all.</i>


    Once Se-Hoon witnessed the miracle, all of those negative emotions would transform into faith in the One. The discovery of Se-Hoon¡¯s state made Allen smile.


    ¡°I apologize if I was too blunt.¡±


    ¡°I don''t need your apology.¡±


    Se-Hoon gave him a cold stare.


    ¡°The fact that you¡¯re mentioning this to me means you think you can solve it, right?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, to some extent.¡±


    ¡°Then show me. If you fail to convince me, we won¡¯t be seeing each other again.¡±


    Wasting no time, Se-Hoon abruptly stood up like he couldn''t wait any longer.


    <i>What an arrogant brat... </i>Allen thought, narrowing his eyes at Se-Hoon.


    He really wanted to snap at Se-Hoon, however, he knew that his heightened state of agitation could make the process easier. Pressing down his annoyance, Allen stood up as well.


    ¡°Very well. Since we¡¯re on the topic, let¡¯s head over right away.¡±


    Settling the bill, the two of them got into a taxi. When the car started moving, Allen discreetly nced behind them.


    He had discovered Luize watching from an alleyway, her eyes fixed on their taxi. She hadn¡¯t followed them yet, and she wasn¡¯t making any moves to do so either.


    <i>I could have dealt with both of them in one go.... What a shame.</i>


    But it was fine since he could just attend to herter.


    The taxi soon arrived at Allen¡¯s workshop on the outskirts of the city, and Allen led the way in.


    ¡°Please,e in.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Following Allen, Se-Hoon stepped into the workshop, keeping his expression neutral as he surveyed the surroundings.


    <i>This looks like a butcher¡¯s shop.</i>


    As he observed all the prosthetic limbs hanging from the ceiling, Allen turned back to nce at him.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone about what you see here.¡±


    <i>Click!</i>


    Pulling one of the prosthetic limbs hanging from the ceiling, Allen opened a hidden staircase leading underground.


    The sight of it made Se-Hoon''s eyes gleam with interest.


    <i>Bold move,</i> he thought.


    Despite not being certain of the opponent¡¯s intentions, Allen didn¡¯t hesitate to show his hand.


    <i>So, he''s decided to deal with me today, one way or another.</i>


    After all, Se-Hoon had willingly walked into his trap.


    Descending the stairs with Allen, the two entered the underground storage area. Allen then walked over to an elegant wooden box that was ced to one side and unlocked it. With a click, the lid opened to reveal a neatly arranged prosthetic arm.


    ¡°This is...¡±


    ¡°This is a prosthetic arm designed for high-ranking heroes. It''s a finished product, ready for delivery.¡±


    Picking it up, Allen brought the prosthetic arm before Se-Hoon. It looked different from the ones Se-Hoon had seen earlier that day, and he didn¡¯t take long to recognize that it was identical to the ones he had seen at Antonio Rehabilitation Hospital.


    <i>So, this guy was responsible for making them.</i>


    The prosthetic arms had seemed impressively well-made, and now that Se-Hoon knew it was a member of Dawn behind them, everything clicked into ce.


    ¡°It''s certainly well-made, but... I don¡¯t sense anything special about it,¡± Se-Hoon puzzledly said after gazing at the prosthetic for a moment, continuing the charade.


    ¡°That''s because the main part is on the inside.¡±


    After saying that, Allen manipted a few spots on the prosthetic and the outer casing opened up to reveal the internal circuits.


    A certain green gemstone inside the mechanism instantly caught Se-Hoon''s eye, and he feigned surprise.


    ¡°This is a Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Device that I created. It stores the user¡¯s synesthetic mindscape, eliminating any resistance the user might feel when using the prosthetic,¡± Allen calmly exined, pulling out the green gemstone to hold it up for Se-Hoon to see.


    ¡°You can also use it to transfer that synesthetic mindscape to another person."


    At those words, Se-Hoon stepped back, his eyes filled with suspicion. Noticing, Allen raised both hands, signaling that he had no ill intentions.


    ¡°I understand your doubts. But as you can see, this Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Device isn¡¯t something an ordinary person could create. Someone far beyond a genius¡ªsomeone truly extraordinary¡ªmade it.


    ¡°And this person also helped you ovee your slump?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They effortlessly shattered the wall I¡¯d been struggling with my whole life.¡±


    ¡°And what was the price?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Allen stared straight into Se-Hoon''s eyes, his expression unwavering.


    ¡°All that was required was to gain enlightenment and spread that knowledge. That is all He desires from us.¡±


    Spreading the truth and disseminating the right knowledge and magic¡ªthat was Dawn¡¯s mission, one they would do anything to aplish.


    Warily watching Allen, Se-Hoon finally bit his lip after a long moment.


    ¡°If something happens to me, the Chairman won¡¯t just stand by.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t need to worry about that,¡± Allen said with a smile, holding out the Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Device.


    ¡°Someone that ipetent will forget about you soon enough.¡±


    Suddenly, a brilliant crimson energy that was tinged with dark blue erupted from Allen¡¯s right arm and surged into the Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Device, forcefully transferring that power directly into Se-Hoon¡¯s body. The green mana that had been lying dormant within Se-Hoon then responded eagerly, and the two forces intertwined, rapidly spreading throughout the entire system.


    The ensuing rate of corrosion made the previous experience with the mana corrosion device feel like a joke. Strange whispers began to echo in Se-Hoon''s ears, swiftly overtaking his temporary mana circuits.


    Countless whispers were ceaselessly entering his ears, softly answering his worries. It made him fall into a daze.


    Seeing Se-Hoon¡¯s state, Allen gently ran his hand over his own right arm, smirking.


    ¡°It''s done.¡±


    Both the purification and assimtion processes wereplete. Now, it was only a matter of time before Se-Hoon was ready to have the Heart transnted into him.


    Satisfied with how much easier than expected it had been, Allen turned to Se-Hoon and asked, ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Something... something keeps whispering to me...¡± Se-Hoon mumbled.


    ¡°Those are the teachings He is willing to share with you. Keep listening to them and absorb them gradually.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, while you¡¯re exploring the workshop, I¡¯ll secretly give you another Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Device just like this one. When the moment is right and chaos ensues, you¡¯ll imnt it in Luize. The one who will guide you on the process will be Him.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    At the sight of Se-Hoon nodding obediently, Allen couldn¡¯t help but feel pleased.


    <i>Everything is falling into ce nicely.</i>


    Once he sessfully assimted Luize as well, Allen could profit handsomely from his dealings with the Dream Demon and then extract both of them. He couldn¡¯t hide his joy at the thought of the two new Regions he would soon create.


    <i>So, he nned to ambush us during this field study after all. </i>Se-Hoon thought to himself, keeping his expression nk as he pretended to be under Allen''s control.


    The Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Device¡¯s mana had indeed overtaken all of the temporary mana circuits in his body and spread throughout him. However, while such a rapid invasion would have resulted in severe personality disruptions, Se-Hoon¡¯s situation was a bit different.


    Having been trained by Wurgen, he had adeptly used the power of Boundaries to push the invaded mana circuits into a liminal space¡ªbeyond the boundary, it wouldn¡¯t disappear, but it couldn¡¯t fully control him.


    <i>Those mana circuits are in an ambiguous state, neither fully corroded nor fully intact.</i>


    While he wasn¡¯t entirely free from influence, he could just shove the invasive mana across the boundary and eliminate it there if things became too dangerous. That was why Se-Hoon had been able to contain the corrosive mana confidently and why he had followed Allen without fear.


    <i>But this feels even stranger than I expected...</i>


    Though he knew he was partially corroded by mana, hearing whispers of knowledge was something he had never experienced before. What was the source of the power that allowed such effects?


    ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s part of my power.¡±


    <i>Power...?</i>


    Se-Hoon''s eyes widened in shock at the unexpected reply that was whispered in his ear.


    Then, once again, the voice whispered, ¡°Hey, hey, keep your expression in check. You''ll give yourself away.¡±


    The voice seemed to be concerned for him.


    Pressing down his confusion, Se-Hoon quickly regained hisposure since he had experienced something simr during the semester evaluation exam.


    <i>¡°Who... are you?¡±</i>


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> How should I exin this to you so that it makes sense...? Ah! That¡¯ll work.¡±


    The voice chuckled softly before continuing in a yful tone, ¡°I¡¯m the Seeker.¡±


    The being whispering in Se-Hoon¡¯s ear was the one who hadn¡¯t appeared until the end of the world¡¯s destruction.


    ¡°I¡¯m already dead, though.¡±

 Chapter 212

    <h4>Chapter 212</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon immediately narrowed his eyes upon hearing what the voice whispered in his ear.


    The Seeker? What kind of nonsense was that? Unable to make sense of the situation, Se-Hoon instinctively checked his mental state.


    <i>I don¡¯t think it¡¯s schizophrenia... or anything like that.</i>


    His temporary mana circuits, which had been corroded, were cleanly separated from him by the power of Boundaries. There was no sign of a mental breakdown either, and even if there were, he would have noticed earlier. So then what was it?


    Unable to figure it out, Se-Hoon wrestled with how to interpret the situation. At that moment, the voice whispered to him again, ¡°Uh... do you not recognize me? Even though I haven''t been activetely, I''m still pretty famous.¡±


    <i>¡°...Yes, I do know who you are.¡±</i>


    Natalia Kanayeva, the Seeker, was a genius mage who had developed countless theories on magic,ying the groundwork for all modern magic. She hadn''t been very active during her hero days, but she had still made significant contributions during the war against the Demon Force, such as uncovering crucial information about the Abyss of Demons and demonic aura.


    <i>¡°But I''m not sure if you¡¯re really her.¡±</i>


    Although the Seeker''s whereabouts had been unknown for some time, it was still difficult to immediately believe that the voice belonged to the Seeker.


    ¡°Is that so? Well, I wouldn¡¯t believe it either if I were you. How should I exin this then... ah!¡±


    The voice seemed to have thought of something.


    ¡°Look at that guy up ahead. Do you see his right arm?¡±


    <i>¡°I see it.¡±</i>


    ¡°Hold on.¡±


    The voice went silent, and then, a few secondster, Allen''s right arm twitched slightly and his fingers began to move, allpletely unknown to Allen. Looking between Allen and his thumb that was pointing upward, it all seemed like a joke.


    <i>¡°What the...¡±</i>


    ¡°<i>Phew...</i> that was close. Now, you believe in what I¡¯m saying, right?¡±


    Most people wouldn''t know what to make of it, but Se-Hoon, who knew plenty about Dawn due to covert investigations in hisst life, could quickly grasp the situation.


    <i>¡°So, you''re who they were referring to as ¡®Him.¡¯¡±</i>


    Regions, themanding officers of Dawn, had gained immense power by transnting the body of the one they called Him. Before now, Se-Hoon had assumed that the body was either that of Dawn''s founder or something artificially created. it was the body of the missing Seeker.


    ¡°It seems that''s the case. Being called ¡®Him¡¯ feels a bit awkward, though.¡±


    <i>¡°Awkward? You''re talking as if it doesn''t concern you.¡±</i>


    ¡°Well... oops, let''s just focus on what''s in front of us for now.¡±


    At the Seeker¡¯s words, Se-Hoon naturally turned his gaze forward.


    ¡°...¡±


    Allen was staring at him with a strange look. So, without avoiding Allen''s gaze, Se-Hoon calmly asked, ¡°Is there something you''d like to say?¡±


    Allen continued to stare at Se-Hoon. Noticing that Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes were hazy, likely due to the whispers he had just heard, Allen ended up waving his hand dismissively.


    ¡°...No. It''s nothing.¡±


    For a brief moment, Allen had felt a strange sensation, almost as if he had received a revtion, but it seemed impossible since Se-Hoon wasn''t a Region. Convincing himself that it was just his imagination, Allen checked the time.


    ¡°That''s enough for today. You should head home. If anyone asks about what happened here, just be vague. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The two of them then exited the warehouse, and a taxi, which Allen had called earlier, arrived to take Se-Hoon home.


    It was only after putting some distance between himself and Allen''s workshop that Se-Hoon once again spoke in his mind. <i>¡°Are you still out there, somewhere?¡±</i>


    ¡°<i>Hmm?</i> What do you mean? I''m dead, you know,¡±<i> </i>whispered the Seeker casually.


    Se-Hoon had wondered if the whispers would only ur within that workshop, and now it was clear that the Seeker was residing within his body. Pondering how such a thing had happened, Se-Hoon quickly deduced the answer.


    <i>The power of Boundaries.</i>


    The power Dawn controlled was derived entirely from the Seeker, which meant the mana that corroded his body also originated from the Seeker. And because that mana was now intertwined with the boundary between life and death, reviving the mind of the dead Seeker wasn¡¯t totally impossible.


    <i>But still...</i>


    Could the mind of the Seeker really have been resurrected with just a portion of his mana circuit that was tainted by some corrosion? It seemed very unlikely that someone like him, who was merely mimicking Wurgen''s abilities, could have done this subconsciously.


    Lost, Se-Hoon eventually asked the Seeker to gain more information.


    <i>¡°You said you were already dead; then how did you revive within my body?¡±</i>


    ¡°Revive? I didn¡¯t revive.¡±


    The Seeker sounded as if it were obvious that she hadn¡¯t revived, leaving Se-Hoon more puzzled than ever.


    <i>¡°Then how are we having this conversation right now?¡±</i>


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> How should I exin this... ah! Do you know what my power is?¡±


    <i>¡°No, I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±</i>


    The Seeker had been inactive for so long that all Se-Hoon knew was that she could cast magic on massive scales.


    ¡°My power is Omniscience. While it may sound grand, it''s essentially like artificial intelligence.¡±


    <i>¡°Artificial intelligence...?¡±</i>


    ¡°You can think of it as an AI that knows all the knowledge in the world and provides answers to me. Something like that.¡±


    Se-Hoon was speechless. Even just that brief description revealed how overwhelming her power was.


    <i>¡°Oh. So, the whispers I heard... were also from this Omniscience?¡±</i>


    ¡°Exactly. The person you¡¯re talking to is part of it too.¡±


    The quiet, whisperer-like voice he was hearing right now wasn''t the Seeker herself, but her power? At the exnation, Se-Hoon finally figured out what he had actually revived with the power of Boundaries.


    <i>So it¡¯s the Seeker''s consciousness...</i>


    The power of Omniscience contained all of the knowledge in the world, including the Seeker¡¯s own knowledge and memories. However, that didn¡¯t mean that it was the Seeker herself. The missing piece that made it all possible was the Seeker¡¯s soul that Se-Hoon had drawn in through the power of Boundaries.


    <i>So the mana circuit corrupted by the Seeker¡¯s power absorbed the darkness of the Netherworld, bringing her consciousness back.... In that case, the voice I''m talking to right now is basically an undead.</i>


    The perfect fusion of two powers had resulted in a revived consciousness.


    Realizing the voice he was hearing right now was a product of such a thing coincidentally urring, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t control theplicated expression on his face.


    He had his lucky moments during forging days, but he had never expected his luck to end up reviving the dead Seeker.


    <i>I can''t fully trust her story yet, but... I can''tpletely ignore it, either.</i>


    For now, he needed to y along to deceive Allen. It wouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem anyway as long as he kept a close watch over the voice.


    <i>¡°So, what in the world were you doing when you died? And why do those guys have your body?¡±</i>


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    The Seeker fell silent, pondering Se-Hoon¡¯s question. A whileter, she decided to just give a simple answer.


    ¡°I don''t know.¡±


    <i>¡°...Didn''t you say you knew everything?¡±</i>


    ¡°It just feels like I know everything. If I really did, would I have ended up in pieces, scattered all over the ce?¡±


    <i>¡°...¡±</i>


    The Seeker¡¯s brazen response left Se-Hoon at a loss for words.


    ¡°Thest thing I remember is that I was preparing to infiltrate the Abyss of Demons. Judging by the situation, I probably died there. As for my body, those bastard Ten Evils must have taken it.¡±


    <i>The Abyss of Demons...</i>


    The Abyss of Demons was the source of the demonic aura that corrupted the world and the origin of all disasters. The thought that the Seeker might have died there made Se-Hoon furrow his brow, because considering the cooperation between Watchers and the Demon Force, it wasn''t an impossible scenario.


    <i>¡°So, you¡¯re just being used right now, then?¡±</i>


    ¡°Used? Well, even after I died, my power remains in my body, so those bastards picked it up and started using it. You could call it... recycling, maybe.¡±


    Though the Seeker had died a long time ago, her power still lingered. And now Dawn was using that power in an attempt to resurrect the Seeker, Him.


    <i>Watchers are trying to resurrect a Perfect One.... If I told the Three Dogs about this, they¡¯d ask if I¡¯d lost my mind.</i>


    Though it all still seemed a little sketchy, everything he knew did match up with what the Seeker had told him. Organizing his thoughts, Se-Hoon asked another question.


    <i>¡°Could that guy who had your right armmunicate with you like this?¡±</i>


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> Maybe asionally, but having a long conversation like this? No, that wouldn¡¯t be possible.¡±


    <i>¡°Why not?¡±</i>


    ¡°The only reason you can talk to me right now is because I simplified the answers for you. He would have to go through the entireputation process himself. And the information overload would make his brain melt.¡±


    <i>¡°...That sounds brutal.¡±</i>


    Reminded that a single misstep could spell disaster, Se-Hoon was once again awed by the overwhelming power of the Perfect Ones.


    <i>So I¡¯m the only one who canmunicate properly with the Seeker... and I have the ability to control those who have had the Seeker''s body parts transnted.</i>


    ording to what the covert operations revealed, Dawn''s only true goal was the Seeker''s resurrection. They were lunatics who were willing to suffer any losses as long as they could contribute to that resurrection.


    ¡°...¡±


    As Se-Hoon gazed out the car window at the nighttime cityscape flying by, his thoughts, which had been swirling up to this point, finally began to settle to form a single conclusion. But to confirm the feasibility of that conclusion, he had to ask the Seeker, who had been whispering useless things in his ear.


    And after hearing everything, the Seeker, with a hint of amusement in her voice, replied, <i>¡°</i>...You¡¯re not entirely sane, are you?¡±


    ***


    The next day, in a workshop at the Marite Factory, Allen was leading the student group to the automaton production line, exining as they walked.


    ¡°The most important thing for an automaton is how urately they can assess the situation to respond appropriately. To ensure that, the production process involves...¡±


    Though Allen was carefully exining the production line beyond the ss to all of the students, his attention was focused on the two people at the back of the group.


    ¡°Why do you look so spaced out?¡± Luize asked.


    ¡°Ah, I couldn¡¯t sleepst night because I was thinking about something,¡± replied Se-Hoon with a tired expression to Luize¡¯s annoyed question.


    On the surface, nothing seemed wrong, but Allen could sense there was something off through his right arm.


    <i>Was he listening to the whispers all night?</i>


    If he had, then it was only natural for Se-Hoon to react like that. He had received the knowledge of someone who knew everything after all. It worried Allen slightly, because Se-Hoon may have absorbed too much information, but he could find no serious problems with Se-Hoon for now, likely due to Se-Hoon¡¯s suitability to be a Region.


    <i>The only remaining issue now is Luize Valente...</i>


    Allen nced at Luize, who was walking beside Se-Hoon with a sullen expression. Originally, the n was to forcefully assimte them both today, but due to Se-Hoon''s easy recruitment, a new option had emerged.


    <i>Maybe it¡¯s better to take my time and bring her in gradually through Lee Se-Hoon rather than forcing her.</i>


    Though Se-Hoon had shown no rejection reaction, he had willingly epted the power, so Luize''s forced assimtion could potentially provoke strong resistance. Regardless, Luize would eventuallyprehend and ept the Seeker''s will; it was just a matter of preventing her body from sustaining injuries during the process.


    <i>It¡¯s not easy to find peoplepatible with the Voice.... Should I just let it go for now?</i>


    Risk it all and secure both at once? Or should he proceed cautiously, with the long term in mind? Allen couldn¡¯t decide for now.


    ¡°Assimte her.¡±


    But then, from out of the blue, a whisper resonated clearly in his ear. The voice made Allen, who had been moving to the next section, freeze in ce, causing those following to look at him curiously.


    ¡°Mr. Allen?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Is something wrong...?¡±


    As everyone stared at him in confusion, Allen slowly recovered. He turned his head and awkwardly smiled at them.


    ¡°Ah, sorry. I got distracted by a radio call from the security team.¡±


    He resumed walking as if nothing had happened, but his left hand, which was rubbing his right wrist, trembled uncontrobly.


    <i>A revtion... I¡¯ve received a revtion...</i>


    Unlike the random whispers that shared vast amounts of knowledge, he had just heard a revtion that directly answered the doubts he held in his heart. It was a phenomenon Allen had only experienced four times since bing a Region, and like every time, it filled him with overwhelming emotions.


    <i>Right... The One must also want to be resurrected as soon as possible.</i>


    He thought about all of the false mages who turned their backs on the truth, spreading ignorance like a gue even at this moment. With a newly renewed resolve to bring back the One as soon as possible, Allen cast aside his hesitation and stepped into the workshop deeper inside the factory.


    ¡°Now let us experience the process of automaton creation firsthand. We¡¯re going to pair up in groups of two, and a staff member will assist each group,¡± Allen instructed.


    The students quickly paired off, Se-Hoon and Luize naturally forming a team. But instead of a staff member, Allen approached the two of them.


    ¡°I heard that you two are honor students, so I''ll personally assist you. Will that be alright?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Frowning at the suggestion, Luize nced at Se-Hoon, who nodded without much reaction.


    ¡°That would be fine.¡±


    ¡°Then... me too.¡±


    ¡°Good. Let''s get started then.¡±


    Under Allen''s supervision, Se-Hoon and Luize began crafting their own automaton, skillfullypleting each task as Allen instructed. And for a while, everything proceeded smoothly. But then¡ª


    <i>BOOM!</i>


    A massive explosion suddenly shook the entire workshop. rms red, and red lights shed throughout the facility.


    Taking advantage of the sudden chaos, Allen patted his pants pocket with his right hand.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Preparing for the next event, he secretly transferred the Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Device to Se-Hoon. And once he had confirmed that all of the preparations for his n had been made, Allen shouted urgently to everyone else.


    ¡°An unidentified explosion has urred in Section Three! It¡¯s suspected to be a terrorist attack from the Demon Force! We¡¯ll evacuate through the workshop''s shelter. Follow me!¡±


    Under Allen¡¯s lead, the group swiftly moved, with Se-Hoon and Luize trailing at the rear. The sight of Se-Hoon urately grasping what he should be doing made Allen smile inwardly.


    Continuing with the n, Allen opened the door leading to the shelter.


    ¡°Once inside, the security team will guide you. Move quickly!¡±


    The students rushed in one by one, and soon, only Se-Hoon and Luize remained.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    <i>BOOM!</i>


    Before they could even attempt to evacuate, a massive sword shattered the ceiling, blocking the entrance to the shelter.


    Then, the shelter door mmed down, sealing the facility shut to secure it from further intrusion.


    <i>ng!</i>


    While the three stood there frozen by the situation, demons entered through the broken ceiling.


    ¡°Finally found them.¡±


    ¡°It''s those guys, right?¡±


    The demons all had bodies mutated by demonic aura. However, their prosthetic limbs, each as rough and crude as their altered bodies, set them apart from normal demons.


    ¡°Damn it...¡±


    Recognizing the unusual appearance of the demons, Luize swiftly gathered her mana, preparing to cast a spell. But she couldn¡¯t unleash it.


    <i>Thud-</i>


    Wrapping his arms around her from behind, Se-Hoon suddenly pressed the Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Device against the choker on her neck.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    A crimson light, mixed with dark blue hues, filled the room. Surprised, the demons, ready to attack at any moment, halted. Likewise, Allen also stood silently, watching the scene unfold.


    Then, when the light finally faded, Se-Hoon removed the device from Luize¡¯s neck.


    ¡°It''s done.¡±


    Luize, now limp in Se-Hoon''s arms, showed no resistance. It was a sight that made Allen¡¯s heart pound in his chest.


    <i>Just like that...</i>


    Perhaps he had been too concerned, thinking some problems would ur. In fact, Allen even felt foolish for worrying, and a deep sense of reverence for the One surged within him.


    <i>So, this is the reason the One gave me a revtion.</i>


    Whether it was the Ten Evils or the Perfect Ones, Allen believed they were just ignorant vermin before the One¡¯s knowledge and wisdom. The scene in front of him was proof.


    Overjoyed, Allen approached the two of them.


    ¡°Let me take a look.¡±


    Though he assumed there were no problems, it was better to check carefully given the circumstances. Filled with anticipation, Allen reached out his right hand to examine Luize.


    ¡°Abgrund.¡±


    <i>Thunk!</i>


    And a jet-ck sword tore through the air, piercing through Allen¡¯s body.

 Chapter 213

    <h4>Chapter 213</h4>


    Countless questions swirled in Allen¡¯s mind upon registering the sword.


    Where did this sworde from? What was the ominous power it was emitting? Didn¡¯t he manage to assimte Se-Hoon? Assuming he failed, how should he proceed from now on?


    Drifting in a sea of endless questions, Allen couldn¡¯t find an answer. All he could do was stare helplessly at the sword piercing his chest.


    <i>This is dangerous...</i>


    And think that it might be the end of him.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Allen was mmed into the opposite wall, brought along by Abgrund. The darknesspressed within the sword impaling him then exploded, engulfing his surroundingspletely.


    Storing days'' worth of absorbed pitch-ck darkness from the underworld, Abgrund had an overwhelming amount of darkness that even S-rank heroes wouldn¡¯t dare face. And now, that darkness had swallowed Allen whole.


    ¡°Ugh...?!¡±


    <i>Crunch!</i>


    There was no special technique to the darkness whatsoever, just brute force. And normally, Allen could have dealt with such darkness with his skills. However, when the amount of brute force reached tens or even hundreds of times more than normal, the story changed.


    The darkness was simply overwhelming; it consumed the space, even copsing the boundaries of reality itself. Of course, Allen¡¯s body was not spared.


    <i>There¡¯s no... way out...</i> Allen gritted his teeth, feeling his body being gnawed away at.


    With his strength and knowledge right now, there was no way to break free from this situation. Realizing there was no other way now, Allen grabbed Abgrund¡¯s de with his right arm, which was still intact for now.


    <strong><i>Akashic</i></strong>


    His palm radiated a crimson glow.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    He was mmed against the wall once again, resulting in a pain that tore through his entire body. Unable to resist, Allen vomited up the liquid that had surged up his throat.


    <i>¡°Ugh! Cough!¡±</i>


    Staring at the dark red blood stained the ground, Allen, who was finally able to breathe again, grimaced in pain and hurriedly scanned his surroundings.


    Se-Hoon was standing in front of him, holding Luize in his arms, and only two demons remained. Looking further past them, all he could see was a hemisphere of darkness that was swallowing everything inside it.


    Taking in the scene, Allen rapidly assessed the situation.


    <i>Has it already captured two demons?</i>


    Even though they were A-rank demons, they couldn¡¯t escape the embrace of the darkness in time. It was an absurd thing to ur, but at the same time, it made sense. After all, if not for his right arm, Allen wouldn¡¯t have made it out either and would have died just as pathetically.


    ¡°Spatial teleportation, huh?¡±


    Looking toward the direction of the voice, Allen faced Se-Hoon once more.


    ¡°I thought I could kill even an S-rank hero in one shot, but I guess things aren''t that easy,¡± remarked Se-Hoon casually, a disappointed expression on his face.


    It was an attitude that enraged Allen.


    ¡°You... when did you... <i>cough!</i> What are you trying to achieve...?!¡±


    ¡°What am I trying to achieve? Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±


    Se-Hoon was utterly nonchnt, just watching as Allen continued to cough up ck blood.


    ¡°It¡¯s all for the One.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Allen nked out, momentarily forgetting the gut-wrenching pain. Se-Hoon had attacked him for the One¡¯s sake? What kind of nonsense was that? He wanted to believe it was utter nonsense, but... Se-Hoon¡¯s expression remainedpletely serious, without a hint of deception.


    ¡°I talked to the Onest night. He said you guys don¡¯t understand his revtion, let alone hear it properly in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°What... what are you...?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why he ordered me to clean things up, to recover all the Regions being wasted and transnt them into this one to resurrect himself.¡±


    Showing who he meant, Se-Hoon lightly tapped Luize, whose expression was vacant. The indifferent touch to her cheek, done as if he were handling an object, confused Allen even more.


    He still wanted to believe that Se-Hoon was deceiving him, but a part of him had begun to wonder if everything Se-Hoon said could be true.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    At that moment, a faint crimson aura surrounded Se-Hoon¡¯s body.


    Upon seeing it, Allen immediately convinced himself that if Se-Hoon was acting against the One''s will, that power, which belonged to the One, couldn''tst.


    ¡°No... that can¡¯t be... If the One really ordered that, he would¡¯ve retrieved his powers from us first.¡±


    However, just as Se-Hoon¡¯s power indicated the One¡¯s will, the power Allen could still feel in his body also proved that he was following the One¡¯s will. And since that was the case, he held the conviction that his abandonment was impossible.


    Regaining hisposure, he red at Se-Hoon with bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°Seize him!!¡±


    At Allen¡¯smand, the two demons, who had been watching the situation unfold, swiftly charged forward. But Se-Hoon just watched quietly, without making a move.


    <strong>¡°Set-¡±</strong>


    From out of nowhere, a red magic array appeared before the demons.


    ¡°<strong>Shock Wave.¡±</strong>


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The demons were sent flying far away, and Luize, who had been limp until now, stood up normally.


    ¡°...¡±


    Standing there silently, Luize¡¯s eyes were glowing with a blue light. And upon seeing that, Se-Hoon removed Hati and took out Vargr from his Dream Storage, attaching it to her.


    <i>Clink-</i>


    Activated, a ck steel mask marked with an X pattern covered her lower face, and the mana radiating from Luize grew even stronger. Having not expected such a thing, Allen just stared in stunned silence.


    Ignoring Allen, Se-Hoon calmly gave Luize his orders, ¡°Go and take care of them.¡±


    ¡°...Understood.¡±


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Acknowledging themand, Luize wrapped herself in a whirlwind-like cloak and flew toward the direction the demons had been flung.


    Left speechless by it all, Allen¡¯s eyes trembled violently.


    <i>What is happening...?</i>


    This situation was beyond hisprehension. He desperately hoped for another revtion from the One to provide the same answer as before, but nothing ever came.


    <i>Am I... Am I really doing the right thing here...?</i>


    The suspicion that he might be going against the One''s will paralyzed him, making it impossible to choose any course of action.


    <i>¡°Cough!¡±</i>


    But that didn¡¯t mean the bacsh from forcibly drawing out the One¡¯s power from his right arm had stopped either. Blood spilled from his mouth and nose; hastily activating spatial magic had damaged his brain severely due to the strain of forcibly using something he had never used before in his life.


    <i>¡°Ah... agh...¡±</i>


    The questions that gued him twisted further, increasing his confusion. Feeling the headache that seemed like it would tear him apart, Allen staggered while gripping his head.


    <i>It worked perfectly.</i>


    Observing Allen¡¯s breakdown, a slight smirk formed at the corner of Se-Hoon¡¯s mouth.


    <i>¡°Wow... It really worked, huh?¡±</i>


    To the voice in his mind that was filled with curiosity and surprise, Se-Hoon responded as if it were an obvious oue. <i>¡°The more devout one is, the more likely they¡¯ll end up like this.¡±</i>


    Dawn''s strength came from their willingness to do anything for their mission, but ironically, so did their weakness.


    What would happen if their actions contradicted the mission? Even somethingpletely trivial could fully unravel their resolve.


    <i>¡°This... Luize girl is interesting too. She followed along perfectly, even though she hadn¡¯t been instructed in advance.¡±</i>


    Not wanting to risk raising any suspicion, Se-Hoon had kept quiet. Yet the moment he ced the Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Device against her neck, she grasped the situation and acted as if she were unconscious.


    <i>¡°We do have a great synergy.¡±</i>


    Whether it was the st Dog or Luize, they always worked seamlessly together when it mattered, despite their usual bickering. Pleased, Se-Hoon watched Luize¡¯s performance as she fought the demons in the distance for a moment before turning and making his move to wrap up the situation.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    Retrieving the Ascension Ring from the Dream Storage and putting it on, Se-Hoon gripped Ewinia, the Legendary weapon he had newly acquired from Hraesvelgr.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Ewinia¡¯s green de hummed, sucking in the air around it. Staring at Allen, Se-Hoon effortlessly controlled the flow of air. He was on edge, aware that even the slightest mistake could result in the wind''s sharp edge slicing his own body.


    <i>¡°Guh... aaaaargh...¡±</i>


    Allen was still staggering, looking as if he would copse at any moment. It would have been convenient if he remained in that state and offered up his life, but Se-Hoon, who had dealt with countless madmen before the regression, knew things never ended so easily.


    And just as he expected, Allen¡¯s staggering body suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Lies.¡±


    Allen raised his head and red at Se-Hoon.


    <i>Drip.</i>


    With blood streaming from his eyes and a demonic expression on his face, Allen, who hadpletely lost it, directed a murderous re at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°There''s no way the One will abandon me! You¡¯re the one distorting the One¡¯s will! You''re twisting the revtion to suit your desires and toy with me!¡±


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Completely berserk, Allen''s right arm exploded with crimson-colored mana, and veins across Allen''s entire body bulged. The surge of mana was elerating the corrosion of the mana circuits within Allen¡¯s body, transforming them into something entirely different.


    <i>¡°Uh-oh, he¡¯s connected.¡±</i>


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Two horns suddenly pierced through Allen¡¯s forehead, reaching toward the sky. His now mutated skull, which looked like it had formed antennas, connected him to the Akashic¡ªthe collection of knowledge granted by the power of Omniscience¡ªand began absorbing knowledge.


    With the additional knowledge, Allen gradually began to harness the Seeker''s power better; the crimson-colored mana radiating from his right arm shining even brighter was proof of that.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    With Allen¡¯s new control over the Seeker¡¯s power, magic arrays began to fill the space around him, starting from the ground and multiplying rapidly. An intricatework of magic formed as dozens, even hundreds, of spell arrays intertwined.


    Facing the oppressive atmosphere on an entirely different level from before, Se-Hoon tightened his grip on Ewinia and charged forward.


    <i>¡°That guy¡¯s unique skill is assimtion. If you charge in half-heartedly, he¡¯ll devour your attacks. If you¡¯re going to strike, make it count.¡±</i>


    Acknowledging that her words matched what Se-Hoon had learned about the characteristics of the Right Arm from the st Dog, Se-Hoon nodded in understanding.


    He closed in. Instead of bombarding Allen from a distance, Se-Hoon decided to strike decisively. But at the same moment, Allen¡¯s eyes shed with a ghastly gleam.


    <i>Ratatatatatata!</i>


    Beams of light shot out from the surrounding magic arrays all at once. Each was perfectlypressed with no wasted power, forcing Se-Hoon to swiftly swing Ewinia.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Intercepting light beams, the wind flew out in all directions while the whirlwind surrounding Se-Hoon dispersed the resulting shockwaves. He couldn¡¯t afford to make even the slightest mistake now. Se-Hoon continued charging forward, cutting through the of light.


    <i>Is this what Hraesvelgr felt like...?!</i>


    No matter how many rays of light he fended off, there seemed to be no end in sight. Realizing that there would be no opening if things continued like this, Se-Hoon quickly scanned his surroundings.


    <i>More precision...</i>


    Changing his strategy, he began wielding the surrounding wind des as if they were an extension of his own body, finely controlling them to adapt to every attack. However, to do such a thing, he had to strain himself to process all the calctions flooding into his brain and push himself to the limit.


    Thankfully, that was when he heard the Seeker whispering into his ear.


    ¡°I can help with this.¡±


    <i>Hum!</i>


    Crimson-colored mana immediately filled Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes and more urately interpreted information rushed into his mind. Then, when all of the information had been perfectly processed with the Seeker¡¯s backup, Se-Hoon moved.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Se-Hoon kicked off the ground, charging straight at the light beams.


    <strong><i>Mortal Combat Techniques: Gale Sweep</i></strong>


    <i>sh!</i>


    In one go, the swirling wind swept away the hundreds of beams of light, allowing Se-Hoon''s body to shoot through the gap and instantly close the distance to Allen. However, he still wasn¡¯t close enough to strike with his sword.


    So, Se-Hoon rapidly came up with his next move.


    <strong><i>Celestial Infinity de: Golden Origin</i></strong>


    Golden sword aura shot forward, like a sharp spear.


    Allen¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively thrust his right arm forward.


    Using the extensive knowledge he inherited from the Akashic, he analyzed the current situation and endeavored to forcefully absorb the sword aura. That was how he always used the power of his right arm, but things were different this time.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Unbeknownst to him, the golden sword aura had the ability to resist interference and shake off any attempt at assimtion. It easily pierced through Allen''s hastily erected barriers like they were paper and lodged itself into his right shoulder.


    <i>¡°Gaaaah!¡±</i>


    With a scream of agony, the magic arrays that had been firing beams of light behind him began to weaken. Noticing, Se-Hoon prepared to close the remaining distance to finish Allen off.


    <i>¡°Get back!¡±</i>


    But at the Seeker''s sudden shout, Se-Hoon instinctively retreated.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    As soon as he moved back, a dense cluster of magic arrays erupted from the ground below him. Those magic arrays then connected with the existing arrays, moving with terrifying intensity.


    At the unexpected sight, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment.


    <i>¡°What is this...?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Uh, oh... Seems like he¡¯s really pissed now.¡±</i>


    Until a moment ago, there had been a faint will to survive in Allen. But now, that waspletely gone.


    Facing the furiously churning magic before him, Se-Hoon had to consider his next move carefully.


    ¡°Lee... Se-Hoon...¡± Allen spat out, his bloodshot eyes filled with rage.


    The moment he connected to the Akashic, Allen knew his time was ticking. Yet he couldn¡¯t let go of his attachment to life because of his desire to witness the One¡¯s resurrection with his own eyes.


    But after Se-Hoon¡¯sst attack, even that faint hope vanished. And it was only once it had that Allen finally gave up on everything and decided on his final course of action.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill youuuuu!¡±


    The only thought swirling endlessly in Allen''s deteriorating mind was that he wanted to erase Se-Hoon¡ªthe person who mocked the One in front of him, humiliated him, and trampled on his only hopepletely from this world.


    ¡°Die!!!¡±


    Allen activated all of the magic arrays, drawing every drop of his mana.


    <strong><i>Akashic True Form: Universal Assimtion</i></strong>


    The intricate magic arrays all connected into one, forming a massive, crimson sphere that tore through the ceiling like a sun rising on the horizon. It was the ultimate elemental spell created by the Seeker in the past¡ªa sphere that could obliterate everything.


    Abgrund collided with the crimson sphere.


    <i>Crackle!</i>


    The two forces shed head-on. While the amount of darkness within Abgrund was still formidable, the crimson sphere slowly began to crush and disperse the darkness.


    <i>¡°Ha... Haha... Hahaha... Hahahaha!¡±</i>


    Watching the darkness being swallowed up, Allen felt an exhrating pleasure, utter euphoria.


    ¡°Yes.... This is true magic.... <i>This </i>is proof that I was chosen by the One!!!¡±


    Even on the brink of death, the thought that he wasn''t wrong filled him with ecstasy. Completely drunk on the feeling, Allen looked down at Se-Hoon with a mocking grin.


    <strong>¡°Abaddon.¡±</strong>


    The vast darkness leaking out from Abgrund immediatelypressed into a single point.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Like before, the crimson sphere tried to consume even thepressed darkness. All it had to do was descend and sweep everything away, however, for some reason, it stopped moving.


    <i>Creak...</i>


    Shocking Allen, the entire magic array behind him shook, and the crimson sphere trembled as if it were about to copse. The unsettling sight made him freeze.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Then, a ck hole appeared at the center of the sphere¡ªa terrifying vortex that devoured everything. The crimson sphere had finally continued its descent to the ground, but it was disintegrating and copsing into the ck hole.


    ¡°No.... This is impossible.... This can¡¯t be happening...¡±


    There was no way the One¡¯s true magic could crumble.


    Desperately trying to reject the reality before him, Allen poured even more of his mana into the magic array, but nothing changed.


    Abgrund¡¯s weapon skill, Abbadon¡ªa creation resulting frombining the power of Boundaries, the fundamental property of the underworld, with the Demonic Blood Art¡ªrivaled the Seeker¡¯s ultimate elemental spell.


    ¡°Ah... Agh...¡±


    Allen waspletely frozen, watching his entire world crumble before his eyes in disbelief. Then, suddenly, a sharp gust of wind brushed past him.


    ¡°...?¡±


    Startled by the ominous sensation, he raised his right arm in front of him to check, but all he could see was Se-Hoon grinning with twisted satisfaction in the distance. His face immediately went pale, having realized his right shoulder felt lighter than before.


    And, confirming his worst fear, Se-Hoon raised the Seeker¡¯s right arm toward the sky.


    <i>ck!</i>


    Allen staggered forward, reaching out with his left hand.


    ¡°No.... That... that arm belongs to me.... It has to be part of my body...¡±


    He couldn¡¯t let the One¡¯s gift that was bestowed upon him be stolen. But unfortunately for him, Se-Hoon just looked at Allen¡¯s desperate plea with a cold gaze.


    ¡°Too bad.¡±


    With a flick of his hand, Se-Hoon stored the right arm in his void pocket through the Ascension Ring.


    <i>¡°Ahhhhhh-!¡±</i>


    Allen let out a scream of despair and charged forward, but Se-Hoon casually swung Ewinia.


    <i>sh!</i>


    Separated from his body, Allen¡¯s head flew into the air while his headless body crumpled to the ground,pletely lifeless.


    Trying to catch his breath, Se-Hoon stared downward at the corpse on the ground.


    ¡°I''ll make good use of this.¡±


    He smiled in satisfaction, pleased with the gain of perfectly seasoned material.

 Chapter 214

    <h4>Chapter 214</h4>


    <i>¡°...Phew.¡±</i>


    Sensing that the terrifying amount of mana behind her, which was by far the most menacing thing she had ever encountered, Luize let out a breath of relief. For a moment, she had thought that today would be the end for her, but somehow, the situation had been resolved.


    <i>How can he call that thing a ¡°decent¡± weapon.... That guy is truly insane.</i>


    How high did one¡¯s standards have to be to consider a weapon capable of countering such a tremendous amount of mana as ¡°decent¡±? Seriously wondering, Luize quickly realized the answer.


    <i>He must beparing himself to the Perfect Ones.</i>


    Luize unconsciously let out a deep sigh. To think Se-Hoon was aligning his standards with those of the strongest beings in the world, people who were living in apletely different universe from everyone else.


    ¡°<i>Haaa</i>... This is getting way too difficult.¡±


    She was confident she could reach S-rank, but beyond that was a whole different matter. Frustrated, she scratched her head and kicked a stone on the ground.


    ¡°<i>Hahaha!</i> You little brat...! Do you truly think you''ll get away with this?!¡±


    Slowly lifting her head at the furious yell, Luize looked at the two demons she just fought. One had a massive prosthetic right arm, and the other had mechanical tentacles sprouting from his back. They were both A-rank and fairly strong, but they had a terrible matchup this time.


    <i>nk!</i>


    The demon with the prosthetic arm was lying on the ground, its own prosthetic impaling its abdomen. The other¡¯s mechanical tentacles had bound himself, piercing through each of their limbs. To a third party, it looked like they were deliberately harming themselves, but in reality, it was all due to Luize¡¯s Incantation Magic.


    <strong>¡°Strangle.¡±</strong>


    Controlled by Luize¡¯s incantation, the mechanical tentacles quivered and then tightened around the demon¡¯s neck.


    ¡°<i>Kugh</i>...!¡±


    Strangled by his own mechanical tentacles, the demon struggled desperately. But with his entire body tightly bound, there was nothing he could do.


    <i>Fighting these kinds of guys is so much easier.</i>


    Had the battle been a test of strength, she would have struggled to defeat them. But it wasn¡¯t, so she just hijacked control of their prosthetics with her incantations and ended the battle far more easily than she had expected.


    It was an experience that allowed Luize to once again realize how impactful one¡¯s magic style was in battle and what her own strengths were.


    <i>The ability to synchronize and interfere with others'' mana...</i>


    It wasn''t just the nature of Incantation Magic; it was a talent she was born with. With a new understanding of how formidable her ability was, Luize¡¯s eyes gleamed with determination.


    <i>If I polish this a bit more...</i>


    If she could, then even if she wasn''t able to reach the Perfect Ones, she could potentially get close.


    ¡°Is it over?¡±


    Breaking Luize out of her thoughts, Se-Hoon approached with a slightly worn expression.


    ¡°Yeah, I finished them both.¡±


    ¡°Really? You managed to kill them much faster than I thought.¡±


    At those words, Se-Hoon then nced at the dead demons and immediately understood how the battle had gone.


    ¡°Wow... You''ve gotten a lot stronger,¡± he said in admiration.


    ¡°Enough of your empty praises. More importantly, are you hurt anywhere? It looked like you were in a pretty intense fight back there.¡±


    Though her words were full of indifference, Luize subtly checked Se-Hoon for injuries. It made Se-Hoon smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m all good. Just feeling a little stiff.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> In that case...¡±


    Moving to stand directly in front of Se-Hoon, Luize locked eyes with him and then punched him in the stomach with all her strength.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Even without any mana, it was a solid hit that made Se-Hoon¡¯s body bend slightly, forcing their eyes to meet at the same level.


    ¡°You know why, right?¡±


    She was furious with Se-Hoon for going through with the n without consulting her at all. And Se-Hoon knew he was somewhat in the wrong too, so he just took the hit without protest. But...


    ¡°You could at least pretend it hurt...¡± Luize said with a frown.


    She pulled back her fist, dissatisfied with Se-Hoon''sck of reaction. And it was at that moment that Se-Hoon decided to say something.


    ¡°It did hurt.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit...¡±


    ¡°You hurt my heart.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At his unexpected words, Luize just stared at him silently before pulling back her fist and delivering another punch to his abdomen, this time with mana.


    <i>Smack!</i>


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    Despite blocking it, the blow shook him to his core. In pain, Se-Hoon grabbed his stomach under Luize¡¯s re.


    ¡°Do that one more time, and I¡¯ll actually kill you. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Why are you always so harsh to me...¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmph.</i> So? What happened?¡±


    Taking a moment to catch his breath after dispersing the pain, Se-Hoon answered, ¡°I¡¯ve got it all handled. I have a few things to tell you, but I¡¯ll exin once I¡¯m done cleaning up.¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡±


    Though she was obviously still dissatisfied, Luize nodded.


    ¡°She¡¯s not bad,¡± the Seeker whispered.


    <i>¡°Her skills aren¡¯tcking, that¡¯s for sure.¡±</i>


    With Luize¡¯s talent and ability, he believed even Perfect Ones wouldn¡¯t find hercking.


    But despite Se-Hoon¡¯s sincere response, the Seeker chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. You¡¯re dodging my words on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    <i>¡°...¡±</i>


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Even though you''re so mature, you have a cute side too.¡±


    Left speechless by the Seeker¡¯s sly teasing, Se-Hoon seriously began considering burning away the corrupted mana circuit in his body.


    ¡°Whoops. Looks like we¡¯re being watched again. You should stay on caution again from now on.¡±


    At the sudden whisper that was filled with wariness, Se-Hoon quickly regained hisposure. Immediately after, he felt the eyes on him that likely belonged to either the Dream Demon or Dawn. And since Se-Hoon knew it could even be both, he carefully considered his every move.


    With his thoughts sorted, he turned to Luize.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going. There might be stragglers around.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Turning, Luize was just about to start walking, but then Se-Hoon moved naturally to her side and supported her body.


    Startled, she nced at him. ¡°If you¡¯re going to do that next time, at least give me a heads-up,¡± she said, realizing it was just for a cover.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it next time.¡±


    ¡°You always say that...¡±


    Shaking her head, Luize looked at Se-Hoon with discontent.


    Then, from out of the blue, she called out to him, ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m on the right track?¡±


    Luize couldn¡¯t help but wonder if having Se-Hoon help her with her revenge was holding him back from what he needed to do.


    ¡°No one else would be able to do what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    Se-Hoon didn¡¯t even hesitate. If he had brought Sung-Ha along, things would have be even moreplicated. And Amir would have made things unnecessarily difficult with his constant suspicion.


    Luize felt silent, earing the sincerity in Se-Hoon¡¯s response. Then, after a moment, she smiled and wrapped her arm tighter around his neck.


    ¡°You liar.¡±


    ***


    At the sight of the police cordoning off a house at the top of a hill, curious neighbors whispered among themselves.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening over there?¡±


    ¡°They say the homeowner was one of the researchers killed in the recent terror attack.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Although most of the nearby neighbors weren¡¯t that close to the man, the news of his death filled them with pity.


    After a few minutes, when the whispers and gossip had spread throughout the crowd, a young man slowly walked out from amongst them. With light green hair and a sharp expression, he instantly caught the attention of the nearby police officer.


    ¡°What brings you here...?¡±


    ¡°I''m the homeowner''s brother.¡±


    ording to the records, Allen had no siblings. However, the young man exuded a presence that made the officer shudder, so without another word, he nodded.


    ¡°Follow me; I''ll escort you.¡±


    Forcibly maintaining his calm, the officer led the young man to the front of the house with no one questioning them. Then, once inside the workshop, the officer waited silently outside by the door while the young man walked in and pulled down a prosthetic arm hanging from the ceiling.


    <i>Click, click, click!</i>


    Descending the hidden staircase that appeared in the wall, the young man took a seat in the basement and surveyed the room slowly. Then, retrieving a right arm from his void pocket, he infused it with mana.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Fed by the mana, a crimson glow mixed with a dark blue illuminated the warehouse, creating a view reminiscent of a sunset captured in motion. Soon after, the parts in the storage room began to stir.


    <i>Click, click, click, click!</i>


    Four puppets¡ªwhose left arms, eyes, torsos, and legs respectively had been reced by the sunset-like glow¡ªbegan to move. Throughout the process, the young man just sat quietly, saying nothing as a heavy silence filled the room. Eventually, one of the puppets, the one with the reced eye, broke the silence.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The four puppets were already aware of the death of Allen, who had attempted to assimte Se-Hoon on his own, and the disappearance of the One''s right arm. Yet the young man in front of them had just used that very right arm to summon them. It made them all wonder who the young man could be.


    Seeing how curious the Regions were, the young man responded calmly.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lee Se-Hoon.¡±


    Another moment of silence fell as the four puppets trembled faintly¡ªnot out of fear, but from a shock so profound that it stirred their emotions to the point it showed even in their puppet forms.


    ¡°...How are you able to use that arm?¡±


    The Regions had believed that although Se-Hoon had killed Allen, he had failed to synchronize with the right arm. Yet here he was, skillfully using the One¡¯s right arm. The situation was beyond anything they couldprehend.


    ¡°Why do you guys always ask the obvious questions? Of course, it''s by the One¡¯s grace.¡±


    ¡°His grace?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The One has chosen me, allowing me to draw upon his power. What other exnation could there be?¡±


    ¡°...I still don''t understand.¡±


    If they hadn¡¯t failed to assimte Se-Hoon, why did he kill Allen? Vessel¡¯s confusion deepened, flustering them.


    ¡°Then this should help you understand.¡±


    <i>Woong!</i>


    The sunset-like rays radiated from the right arm once again, causing the Regions to flinch. But then, on closer inspection, the Regions realized Se-Hoon was sharing information via the Akashic link¡ªa method the Regions sometimes used to convey details more precisely than words.


    But they hesitated, considering the offerer. Eventually, though, Step stepped up.


    ¡°I''ll ept it.¡±


    Bracing themself, Step absorbed the information Se-Hoon shared and shuddered violently.


    ¡°The One¡¯s Advent...?¡± Step muttered, his voice filled with disbelief.


    The atmosphere among the remaining Regions instantly shifted due to those words, and they all rushed to ept the information Se-Hoon was sharing.


    ¡°This is...¡±


    ¡°Ahh...¡±


    ¡°Ohh!!¡±


    Utter shock rippled through Left Arm, Vision was filled with awe, and Vessel burst into joyous exmations.


    ¡°Allen had to be dealt with to cover up this situation. You all should im that everything started with the Pleasure District was his doing and because of that you guys dealt with him yourselves.¡±


    Although it was unlikely that the Dream Demon would fully believe them, if they showed enough sincerity, they might be given a pass this time, especially since there was the uing delivery of the Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Devices.


    Considering his words, the Regions deliberated among themselves before nodding in agreement.


    ¡°Indeed, that would be the best option for now.¡±


    ¡°But why are you so intent on maintaining this alliance with the Dream Demon?¡±


    Even if they received substantial rewards for helping with the Pleasure District¡¯s Expansion project, was it worth killing Right Arm to continue the rtionship?


    Expecting the question, Se-Hoon answered their doubts withposure. ¡°There are two main reasons. The first is that Lee Se-Hoon is preparing to kill the Dream Demon.¡±


    Killing the Dream Demon¡ªa bold statement that startled the Regions. But then, upon regaining theirposure, they realized something else was off.


    <i>Lee Se-Hoon?</i>


    Why was he suddenly referring to himself in the third person? Confused, the Regions focused on Se-Hoon.


    ¡°The second reason is that I need the Dream Demon''s power to be resurrected.¡±


    Resurrection¡ªat that single word, the Regions¡¯ focus instantly shifted from the right arm to Se-Hoon himself.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s entire body started giving off a natural crimson-blue glow, and his eyes became filled with knowledge beyond theirprehension. It was a sight that allowed the Regions to instinctively know who they were conversing with.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    The four knelt in unison, and Se-Hoon¡ªnow a vessel of the Seeker¡ªspoke calmly to his believers. ¡°For now, follow this child¡¯s n and deal with the Dream Demon. Afterward, prepare for my resurrection in Luize Valente''s body.¡±


    None of the four responded verbally. They were just so devoted that, if ordered, they would dly take their own lives without hesitation. For such devout believers, vocal confirmation was unnecessary.


    ¡°Furthermore, Lee Se-Hoon will inspect all future deliveries to the Pleasure District. Left Arm, you will manage external affairs, but Lee Se-Hoon will review everything before the final shipment.¡±


    Once again, there was no verbal response. Satisfied, the Seeker slowly withdrew her mana.


    ¡°I will be descending upon this world soon. Await for that day.¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The Regions remained motionless until the sunset-like glow fully vanished, seeing off the Seeker.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>... Now, get up.¡±


    Feeling a bit worn out, Se-Hoon sighed and prompted the Regions to rise one by one. Their bodies were trembling nonstop, unable to contain their joy from meeting their deity.


    Not bothering toment on it, Se-Hoon just conveyed the remaining instructions. ¡°Things are pretty chaotic right now, so I''ll contact you all once everything settles down. Send me your contact methods.¡±


    In their dazed states, the Regions shared their contact information through mana sharing, and Se-Hoon epted it all without missing a single detail.


    ¡°My mana is running low now, so I¡¯ll see you all next time.¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The glow that had illuminated the warehouse gradually faded, and the prosthetics the Regions controlled returned to their original positions. Now, the warehouse was as quiet as when Se-Hoon first entered.


    <i>¡°What do you think?¡±</i> Se-Hoon asked, returning the right arm to his void pocket.


    ¡°What do I think? I think you were perfect.¡±


    Using the Seeker¡¯s right arm and consciousness, he had managed to turn Dawn into his pawns to pick apart the Pleasure District. Thinking about how everything was falling into ce, Se-Hoon smiled in satisfaction. But it onlysted for a brief moment as his expression suddenly twisted in pain.


    <i>¡°Ugh...¡±</i>


    A sharp pain pierced through his head, feeling like a de was cutting it apart from the inside. He had briefly opened the boundary to let the Seeker¡¯s consciousness in, and now, the aftereffects were kicking in.


    Yet despite Se-Hoon¡¯s pain, the Seeker expressed mild admiration.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to get away with just a headache. You¡¯re indeed quite remarkable,¡± she whispered.


    Even if it were just for a brief moment, Se-Hoon had merged with the consciousness of a Perfect One. And considering the inherent dangers of the power of Omniscience, even being an S-rank hero wouldn¡¯t guarantee that sanity would stay intact.


    And yet, despite that, Se-Hoon had not only endured but also managed to get by with only a headache. It proved his mental strength and soul were abnormally resilient, far beyond his physical abilities.


    <i>¡°I guess I have a knack for this kind of thing.¡±</i>


    ¡°A knack? It feels like something else to me.¡±


    Ignoring the Seeker¡¯s intrigue, Se-Hoon didn¡¯t respond and scanned the surroundings instead.


    <i>The switch should be... there it is.</i>


    Approaching one of the warehouse¡¯s walls, Se-Hoon pressed a section with his hand.


    <i>Rumble</i>


    With a shake, the ground opened up to reveal a chest. Walking up to it, Se-Hoon used the Seeker¡¯s mana to unlock it. Inside it were dozens of tightly packed Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Devices, the faint flickering within indicating they had all already been filled.


    ¡°So, how do you n to use this?¡±


    <i>¡°Nothing grand.¡±</i>


    Rolling up his sleeve, Se-Hoon conjured a beam of White Light with his left hand and made a small cut on his forearm.


    <i>Drip.</i>


    As his blood trickled down, it soaked into the Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Devices.


    ¡°Ohh...¡±


    Understanding, the Seeker watched with interest. A few momentster, Se-Hoon healed the wound and closed the chest again.


    ¡°So, you¡¯reying the groundwork for your next n.¡±


    <i>¡°Something like that.¡±</i>


    ¡°This is going to be interesting to watch. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Noting the Seeker¡¯s excitement, Se-Hoon stood quietly without moving for a few seconds beforeing to a decision.


    <i>¡°Come to think of it, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to ask.¡±</i>


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    <i>¡°You¡¯ve been helping me without any reason all this time... why?¡±</i>


    The Seeker had been extremely cooperative, answering all of Se-Hoon¡¯s questions and assisting him without hesitation. While he acknowledged she made things easier, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but wonder why.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? I¡¯m like an AI. Even though it might seem like I have freedom of thought, I just follow orders when asked for help,¡± the Seeker whispered calmly.


    Although the voice was a reflection of her former self, its true nature was nothing more than the omniscient power she had held when she was alive.


    <i>¡°But if it¡¯s like that, why are you helping me more than Dawn.¡±</i>


    ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s probably because of my ideology.¡±


    <i>¡°Ideology?¡±</i>


    Speaking as if it were matter-of-fact, the Seeker whispered, ¡°I had a rather straightforward ideology: mess with the fools, observe the smart ones. I guess that mindset is still with me.¡±


    At the exnation, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but smirk.


    <i>¡°...You really are one nasty person.¡±</i>


    ¡°I think so too. So, has your curiosity been satisfied?¡±


    <i>¡°Yes. I think I understand now.¡±</i>


    Having figured out why the Seeker was helping him, Se-Hoon brought his hand to his still slightly throbbing head.


    <i>Thrust!</i>


    Then he inserted two fingers into it without hesitation.


    <i>Whoosh.</i>


    Engulfed in dream me, Se-Hoon used his hand to scoured through his mind, searching for something specific.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Then, upon finding his target, Se-Hoon pulled out a thin, thread-like strand of mana that was glowing with a familiar sunset hue. Then, at the sight of it wriggling like a living creature, Se-Hoon grabbed it tightly.


    <i>Pop!</i>


    During the brief moment Se-Hoon had lent the Seeker his body to deceive Dawn, the Seeker had hidden a strand of mana deep in his mind. If he hadn¡¯t realized and destroyed it in time, it could have slowly corroded his brain and potentially caused permanent mental damage.


    <i>¡°Anything you¡¯d like to say?¡±</i>


    Silence followed his question.


    Then, a faint chuckle echoed in his ears, tickling him.


    And whenughter subsided, the Seeker cheerfully made a remark.


    <i>¡°You¡¯re a smart one, aren¡¯t you?¡±</i>

 Chapter 215

    <h4>Chapter 215</h4>


    <i>Are the Perfect Ones really on humanity''s side?</i>


    Although answers varied, they were all still positive since plenty had personally witnessed the Perfect Ones fighting to save people in the war against the Demon Force.


    But the story changed when the question was framed differently.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    <i>Are the Perfect Ones always </i>right<i>?</i>


    Branching off the age-old debate about what truly defined good and evil, the Perfect Ones were a highly controversial topic. They had disyed their might before by publicly executing S-rank heroes who attempted coups and often interfered on a global scale without concealing their influence.


    Viewed positively, their actions could be seen as them establishing order in society; viewed negatively, however, they were simply being overly oppressive.


    With no clear answer, discussions, although not always open ones, about the Perfect Ones'' morality surfaced constantly.


    ¡°...Is she out of her mind?¡±


    However, there existed some individuals who could easilye to conclusions without questioning it at all.


    ¡°Pretending to help and then secretly nting a trap in their brain? What a jerk¡ª¡±


    ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s all resolved now.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like I can calm down?¡±


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Her blue eyes zing with anger, Luize unconsciously began making the mana within the hospital room surge in response. It was her unique skill, Mana Assimtion, which had manifested even more clearly than usual.


    ¡°I understand how you feel, but if you keep this up, Professor An is going toe chase you,¡± Se-Hoonforted, gently patting her shoulder.


    <i>¡°Whew.¡±</i>


    Letting out a deep breath, Luize calmed her anger and the turbulent mana in the room calmed. She then looked at him with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°How are you not bothered by this?¡±


    ¡°Why should I be?¡±


    ¡°You almost ended up being someone else. Yet, you don¡¯t seem that angry about it.¡±


    Considering it had happened just yesterday, Luize found it strange that Se-Hoon was so calm.


    Understanding her concern, Se-Hoon just shrugged. ¡°Well, I expected it to some extent.¡±


    ¡°...You expected it?¡±


    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re dealing with a Perfect One here.¡±


    A Perfect One was a monstrous being that could devour a person at the slightest misstep. And yet, not only was Se-Hoon using their power, he was giving up a part of his own body to do so instead of using equipment. It was practically a death wish.


    ¡°Then why...?¡±


    ¡°As dangerous as it is, its potential is unmatchable. It''d be such a waste to not use it if you can handle it, right?


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Luize frowned. She thought he was being overly optimistic, but she couldn''t argue because he was unharmed and had achieved significant results with it.


    <i>If he hadn¡¯t used that power... we wouldn¡¯t have been able to deceive Dawn.</i>


    While luck had yed a part, their sess wasrgely due to his bold use of a risky tool. And she understood that, but her heart found it difficult to ept. Conflicted, she struggled internally.


    Noticing her struggle, Se-Hoon chuckled. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about me, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Cutting off Se-Hoon with a sharp retort, Luize rxed her expression now that she had thought it over.


    ¡°Fine. I guess if it¡¯s you, you must¡¯ve thought it through... But are you sure you¡¯ll be okay moving forward?¡±


    ¡°Okay with what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve fallen out with the Seeker, haven¡¯t you? Wouldn¡¯t it be hard to work with her like before?¡±


    With Se-Hoon¡¯s ns to exploit the Seeker to his benefit exposed, the Seeker certainly wouldn¡¯t be cooperative like she was before. Yet to that, Se-Hoon made a wry smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯d normally think, but... she¡¯s a little different.¡±


    ¡°Different? How?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s faster if I just show you. Watch carefully.¡±


    Pulling out a thick encyclopedia from his void pocket, Se-Hoon used the power of Boundaries to separate a part of the Seeker¡¯s mana from his body. He then infused it into the encyclopedia, fixing it in ce with a boundary.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The encyclopedia''s cover began to swell grotesquely almost immediately as veins bulged out of its pages. It was only when it reached a certain size that it calmed down and quickly returned to its original form.


    For a moment, Luize just stared at the now calm encyclopedia with tense eyes.


    <i>Flutter!</i>


    Suddenly flinging open, the book started releasing letters into the air that swirled wildly as they pieced themselves together. A brief momentter, aplete sentence formed.


    <i>¡°Hey, I was just messing around a bit. Are you actually mad about this? Hm?¡±</i>


    ¡°...¡±


    Unbefitting of the dramatic appearance, the tone of the sentence was so childish that Luize just nkly stared at it. Recovering a beatter, Luize turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Is this the Seeker...?¡±


    ¡°Well, sort of.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Luize felt dizzy. She couldn''t understand how the Seeker could view invading another''s mind as a joke. It was so iprehensible that a torrent of words was about to rise bottom of her consciousness. But she swallowed them down, summarizing them simply.


    ¡°She¡¯s one crazy bastard.¡±


    Experiencing such a side of a Perfect One for the first time, Luize looked at the encyclopedia with disgust, prompting the floating text to rearrange.


    <i>¡°Bastard? That¡¯s a bit unfair.¡±</i>


    ¡°Unfair?¡±


    <i>¡°I just wanted to learn more about your ¡®boyfriend.¡¯ Oh, not in a romantic way, of course! It¡¯s purely academic, so there''s no need to be jealous¡ª¡±</i>


    <strong>¡°Bind.¡±</strong>


    Taking control of the floating letters, Luize¡¯s incantation coiled them to form a rope that bound the encyclopedia tightly. Then, after grabbing it, Luize mmed her fist down on it.


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    Luize struck the encyclopedia furiously, showing no concern for whether the Seeker felt pain or not. And while she was venting her anger, letters slipped out from between the pages.


    <i>¡°A¡ªAh¡ªOuch!¡±</i>


    One could almost hear the screams of pain from the words.


    <i>Just as I thought... </i>Se-Hoon thought.


    He quickly stopped Luize.


    ¡°Hey, hey. Calm down. No matter what you do, she won¡¯t die.¡±


    <i>¡°Huff... Huff...¡±</i>


    Catching her breath, Luize red at the encyclopedia. Her face was seething with anger; she seemed like she would have torn the book apart if it wasn¡¯t for Se-Hoon. Now somewhat calmer, she released her incantation, allowing the crumpled letters to slowly form another sentence.


    <i>¡°Why... Why does it hurt? I shouldn¡¯t be able to... What¡¯s going on...?¡±</i>


    Judging by the confused tone in the Seeker¡¯s words, even she didn¡¯t fully understand what had just happened.


    ¡°As you saw earlier, the Seeker doesn¡¯t really have any strong feelings against me. To her, she¡¯s doing what needs to be done.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that surprising. Just think about her name. Doesn¡¯t that already tell you what kind of person she is?¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s exnation, Luize finally connected the dots.


    ¡°Seeker...¡±


    Considering the Perfect Ones¡¯ titles were usually derived from their traits or abilities, there was nothing that described a Perfect One¡¯s nature better than them.


    ¡°She simply wanted to explore my body, so she tried to take over my brain and examined me bit by bit¡ªpure and simple.¡±


    <i>¡°You¡¯re quite sharp.¡±</i>


    The text in the air seemed to agree with Se-Hoon¡¯s words.


    But in contrast to those two, Luize felt a chill run down her spine. She had heard that high-ranked heroes were often overly inflexible, but even then, the Seeker, a Perfect One, was different. She didn¡¯t <i>just </i>have a twisted personality; it felt like she had be something else altogether.


    Unsettled, Luize cautiously gazed at the encyclopedia. Meanwhile, Se-Hoon continued his exnation.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why there shouldn¡¯t be any major problems using her power in the future.¡±


    <i>¡°You know, I could be even more helpful if you let me study your body.¡±</i>


    ¡°Enough with your nonsense.¡±


    Listening to the two¡¯s casual conversation, Luize let out a sigh.


    <i>Well, whatever...</i>


    In the end, the Seeker was already deceased, and she would soon take care of Dawn, the ones trying to bring her back to life.


    Reaffirming her resolve, Luize asked, ¡°So, there really won¡¯t be any problems using her powers, right?¡±


    ¡°Probably not. Still, leaving things like this is a bit risky, so I¡¯m going to do a bit of tweaking,¡± replied Se-Hoon with a sly smile.


    Roughly knowing what he meant, Luize¡¯s mouth dropped open.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going to do.¡±


    After saying that, Se-Hoon opened a table attached to the bed and infused the Ascension Ring with mana, opening his void pocket.


    <i>Thunk</i>


    The sight of what fell out¡ªa pristine white arm, seemingly freshly cut off¡ªmade Luize frown.


    ¡°This, and...¡±


    Following the arm, the Pilgrim¡¯s Incense Burner and Abgrund were brought out from the Dream Storage and the Netherworld respectively. In the blink of an eye, the table was covered with Legendary items, or those close to that rank.


    Overwhelmed by the lineup, Luize gazed down speechless.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to create a tool that will let me use the Seeker¡¯s power safely. You just need to use your Incantation Magic when I give the signal. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Ah... Okay.¡±


    <i>¡°Wow... You¡¯ve got quite a collection here.¡±</i>


    Even though Se-Hoon had just said he was going to turn the Seeker into a tool, the Seeker remainedpletely unfazed.


    <i>Let¡¯s see how long you can keep that attitude, </i>Se-Hoon thought, his smile widening.


    Beginning, Se-Hoon grabbed the Pilgrim¡¯s Incense Burner first and began drawing out the divine mana he had absorbed earlier to activate the power within.


    <strong><i>Divine Seal</i></strong>


    <i>Woong!</i>


    A golden-white mist began flowing from the burner and transformed into golden chains that tightly bound the Seeker¡¯s right arm.


    <i>Cling-</i>


    The moment the chains made contact, the right arm, which had been still until now, began emitting a reddish glow to resist. At the same time, a sentence formed above the encyclopedia.


    ¡°You n to seal me with divine mana borrowed from the Pilgrim''s Incense Burner. Not a bad attempt, but it¡¯s not enough.¡±


    Without a deep understanding of the Pilgrim¡¯s power, merely borrowing the Incense Burner¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t enough to interfere with another Perfect One¡¯s body. But Se-Hoon had anticipated that and quickly instructed Luize.


    ¡°Use Incantation Magic to put the Seeker¡¯s right arm to sleep.¡±


    Although Luize didn¡¯t understand why, she followed Se-Hoon¡¯s instructions regardless. Equipping Hati from her void pocket, she cast an incantation.


    <strong>¡°Sleep.¡±</strong>


    Though simple, the powerful word was able to influence the Seeker¡¯s right arm, seeing as how the reddish glow had begun to fade.


    <i>¡°What...?¡±</i>


    ¡°Good. Keep it up.¡±


    Noticing that the Seeker had been caught off guard, Luize cast her the incantation repeatedly until all of the resisting mana around the arm had vanished. And seizing the moment, Se-Hoon swiftly inscribed more Divine Seals deeply into the arm.


    <i>Sizzle!</i>


    In seconds, golden chain-like markings had been branded across the entire arm. By this point, the unique presence of a Perfect One that had been emanating from the arm had significantly weakened.


    Confirming its level, Se-Hoon bit his thumb and created long needles out of his blood.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see...¡±


    Using his Eyes of irvoyance, Se-Hoon traced the flow of mana and strategically inserted the blood needles at several points into the arm to disrupt the flow of mana. Normally, the Seeker¡¯s mana would have rushed over and consumed the needles, but thanks to the Divine Seals, they were able to stand firm.


    <i>I consider my soul pretty resilient, but to think I still have to weaken it this much to suppress a Perfect One¡¯s soulpletely...</i>


    At the disappointing realization, Se-Hoon frowned but continued inserting needles.


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>... That should do it for now,¡± he said upon finishing.


    ¡°What did you just do?¡±


    <i>¡°He suppressed my mana''s unique features to prevent corrosion in the equipment he''s going to forge.¡±</i>


    Though the question was directed to Se-Hoon, the Seeker had answered before he could.


    ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡±


    Slightly disgusted, Luize started at the arm, ¡°Do you really have to go this far to stop the corrosion? That¡¯s seriously disturbing...¡±


    At her words, the Seeker focused on her.


    <i>¡°While his ability to suppress the corrosion is impressive, what¡¯s even more intriguing is how you put my arm to sleep. Is that a special property of your Incantation Magic? But even considering that, the difference in power is way too high?¡±</i>


    Judging by the tone of her words, the Seeker was fascinated by Luize¡¯s Incantation Magic and was still trying to process what had just happened. Unlike her, however, Se-Hoon knew why.


    <i>A Perfect One¡¯s body, without its consciousness, is no different from a limp limb.</i>


    With her unique skill, Mana Assimtion, Luize had absolute dominance over such entities. In the first ce, that was why Se-Hoon had asked for her help during the forging process.


    <i>¡°There¡¯s not enough data.... I¡¯d love to study your body more. Could I just have a quick look¡ª¡±</i>


    ¡°Hey, hurry up and finish. I can¡¯t stand looking at that thing,¡± Luize suddenly said, ignoring the Seeker.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m on it.¡±


    Resuming his work, Se-Hoon absorbed the darkness of the Netherworld from Abgrund, strengthening the power of Boundaries, and surrounded the Seeker¡¯s right arm with it. Then, before the Seeker''s consciousness could awaken, he channeled his mana into the Ascension Ring and opened his void pocket once again.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    The Seeker¡¯s right arm disappeared into the void pocket, and, just before closing it, Se-Hoon extracted a thin thread from within.


    Focusing all his attention on the thin strand, the line defining the boundary surrounding the Seeker¡¯s right arm, Se-Hoon carefully examined the point where the boundary and the void pocket intersected.


    <i>I¡¯ll pull the line of boundary outside as I close the void pocket.</i>


    He was attempting to connect a closed space to the outside¡ªan inherently contradictory task. But he intuitively knew it was possible thanks to the white space he had glimpsed when Ludwig had summoned him in the past. By navigating through that Whitespace, he could circumvent such a contradiction.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    Pulling the line out as the void pocket slowly closed, Se-Hoon watched it tremble faintly. But despite his concerns, the line didn''t sever, so Se-Hoon quickly linked it to the encyclopedia.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    <i>¡°Ugh... I feel... dumber...¡±</i>


    The encyclopedia trembled and the letters scattered. Then, when everything becamepletely still, Luize, who had been quietly watching by the side, finally broke the silence.


    ¡°Is it... done?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t know until we test it. Let¡¯s see... what should I name her...¡±


    Musing over a name, Se-Hoon infused mana into the encyclopedia and called out what he had decided on: ¡°Akasha.¡±


    Trembling slightly, the encyclopedia formed a sentence in midair.


    <i>¡°Speak.¡±</i>


    ¡°How much dumber are you now?¡±


    Obediently answering, the Seeker¡ªnow Akasha¡ªformed a new sentence.


    <i>¡°I¡¯m so dumb that I don¡¯t even feel like looking into anything without your request...¡±</i>


    ¡°Perfect.¡±


    The Seeker¡¯s consciousness remained intact, but her instincts had been thoroughly suppressed. Satisfied with the wless oue, Se-Hoon smiled.


    <strong>[The tier of ¡®Ascension Ring¡¯ has increased to ¡®Legendary.¡¯]</strong>


    With the sudden appearance of the notification message, the Ascension Ring radiated a brilliant light.

 Chapter 216

    <h4>Chapter 216</h4>


    <strong>[<u>Ascension Ring</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Legendary] [Quality: Poor]</strong>


    <strong>A ring personally crafted by ''Ludwig Schubert,'' the first to sessfully conquer a Tower of Heroes.</strong>


    <strong>It contains the power of the Emperor of Ascension, specifically his spatial-type abilities. And by infusing it with mana, one can utilize that power.</strong>


    <strong>*Allows the use of spatial-type skills by consuming mana</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ''Spatial Maniption''</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of the skill ''Spatial Domination'']</strong>


    Reading the Ascension Ring¡¯s newly updated information message, Se-Hoon raised an eyebrow in surprise.


    <i>It¡¯s not because of Akasha?</i>


    Given the situation, he had assumed that the Seeker¡¯s right arm, which he had stored in his void pocket, had triggered the sudden change. However, it wasn¡¯t mentioned in the information message. Instead, it seemed the use of the Whitespace during the forging process¡ªwhich disyed his better understanding of spatial magic¡ªhad been the main influence.


    <i>Even the spells inscribed on it have changed.</i>


    Removing the ring from his right ring finger, Se-Hoon examined the inscription Ludwig had engraved along the inside.


    <i>Hmm, the original spells were merged into Spatial Maniption, and a new one, Spatial Domination, was added. Did Ludwig n this from the start?</i>


    Each time Se-Hoon¡¯s understanding of spatial magic deepened, new spells would suddenly be inscribed in the Ascension Ring. With such growth-type equipment, there were usually two main reasons one would forge a piece: to prevent injuries to the user or systematically pass down one¡¯s skills.


    <i>I wonder what Ludwig intends with this ring...</i>


    Lost in thought, Se-Hoon stared intently at the Ascension Ring, causing Luize, who had been watching from the side, to give him a puzzled look.


    ¡°Is something wrong with the ring?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s just that there are several new functions.¡±


    ¡°So, it''s working as it should?¡±


    ¡°For now, yes.¡±


    Having sessfully sealed the Seeker''s right arm and safely modified Akasha''s consciousness, it would be much easier to wield the Seeker¡¯s power of Omniscience than before.


    But still, the sight of the encyclopedia, which Se-Hoon was confidently tapping, made Luize frown.


    ¡°Ugh... I still don¡¯t like it.¡±


    Even though she was already familiar with the Seeker, whose power had corroded her body long ago, and especially Dawn, she still couldn¡¯t shake off the eerie feeling. Not only had that corrosive mana invaded her throat, but the Seeker had also tried to control Se-Hoon.


    <i>No matter how well he sealed it, it just doesn¡¯t feel safe. </i>


    Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just get rid of it altogether? Understanding what Luize was feeling through her reaction, which was a mix of cautiousness and disgust, Se-Hoon chucked.


    ¡°I have good news for you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Instead of answering, Se-Hoon took her left hand, opened her palm, and ced the Ascension Ring on it.


    ¡°This is yours from now on.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°Remember what I told you before? If you want to advance your Incantation Magic, you have to first understand the fundamentals of magic.¡±


    The better Luize understood magic, the stronger her synesthetic mindscape became. And that in turn strengthened the versatility of her Incantation Magic. Therefore, what Luize needed the most right now was a mentor to teach her various types of magic from multiple points of view. To Se-Hoon, the Seeker was the perfect candidate to provide that for her.


    ¡°Just ask Akasha about anything as you practice magic. I''ve made sure it¡¯s securely sealed, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Luize looked down at the ring resting on her palm with aplicated expression. She wanted to toss it straight into the trash, but she had to admit that Se-Hoon¡¯s reasoning made sense.


    <i>If this really gives me ess to all of the Seeker''s knowledge, it''ll probably be a better teacher than most professors at Babel...</i>


    Even Luize knew that it was an opportunity other mages would have jumped at,pletely ignoring the risks.


    Mulling it over, Luize eventually looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Don''t you also need it, though?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got one inside me.¡±


    Akasha had been forged from the Seeker''s right arm only, leaving the corroded mana circuits still within him. With those, he couldmunicate with the Seeker whenever necessary.


    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous, though...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve figured out how it works. Besides, I can¡¯t destroy them yet because of Dawn.¡±


    At least until they got rid of the Dream Demon, Se-Hoon needed to maintain the corroded mana circuits in his body.


    Falling silent at Se-Hoon¡¯s logical reasoning, Luize stared at Se-Hoon¡¯s face before nodding.


    ¡°Alright. I''ll give it a try.¡±


    Even though the whole situation made her uneasy, she figured that if she remained cautious, she could use Akasha safely. Resigning, she carefully slipped on the Ascension Ring. But something felt strange.


    She looked down at her hand.


    ¡°...¡±


    As if it were the most natural thing in the world, she had slid the ring onto her left ring finger. nking out, she quickly swapped it onto her right hand when she recovered a beatter.


    <i>Click!</i>


    Feeling the ring fitting snugly around her right ring finger, Luize instinctively nced at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°What? Is the ring too big? It should adjust automatically,¡± Se-Hoon asked upon noticing her nce.


    ¡°...No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    If Se-Hoon had teased her about putting the ring on her left ring finger, she would have snapped immediately. Sighing with relief, she examined the ring more closely.


    ¡°Is it really okay to give me this? You can¡¯t use spatial magic without this, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but... I¡¯ve got a solution for that.¡±


    Taking a nce out the window at the Tower of Heroes, Se-Hoon continued when he focused on Luize again. ¡°Anyway, if you need anything,e find me. Until then, keep practicing. Try to also get a feel for spatial magic while you¡¯re at it.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> Alright, I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡±


    Looking at her, she seemed to be doubtful whether she could learn it since spatial magic was a notoriously difficult field. But Se-Hoon had confidence in her abilities.


    After all, it had been her who, when the Emperor of Ascension had died and the Void Space Terminal had been paralyzed, had managed to reactivate it, albeit imperfectly. Regardless, she had been the one who enabled humanity to travel across the world again.


    ¡°You should be able to do it, so don¡¯t doubt yourself. That kind of mindset will only hinder your learning.¡±


    ¡°I never doubted myself!¡± Luize protested, shooting him a grumpy look.


    Snickering at her reaction, Se-Hoon stood up.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m heading out then. Let me know if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. It¡¯s about time I¡¯m freed from your nagging.¡±


    Waving her hand dismissively, Luize watched him leave the room with a wry smile.


    ¡°...¡±


    Once the door closed, Luize quietly looked down at the ring on her right ring finger again.


    <i>I remember him wearing it in the news.</i>


    Though the design wasn''t particrly unusual, some people might still recognize it as the same ring. Falling into thought, she reached out to touch the ring.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    <i>¡°Ahh!¡±</i>


    Just when she had been about to touch it, Se-Hoon suddenly popped his head back into the room, startling Luize.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I forgot to say earlier.¡±


    ¡°What is it?!¡±


    Though her tone was razor sharp, Se-Hoon, who had a mischievous grin on his face, wasn¡¯t fazed at all.


    ¡°If you want to wear it on your left ring finger, don¡¯t worry about me¡ª¡±


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Luize mmed the door in his face. Trembling with shame, she buried her face in the pillow.


    ¡°©¤©¤©¤!!!¡±


    A string of curses was screamed into the pillow as she iled around¡ªones no one else should hear.


    ***


    Walking out of the hospital¡¯s main entrance, Se-Hoon recalled the sight of Luize¡¯s face turning bright red with embarrassment and a satisfied smile spread across his face.


    ¡°She dares to act up when she can''t even handle it...¡±


    Even prior to regressing, the Three Dogs tended to be overly cocky if they received excessive attention. He had learned back then that it was important to put them in their ce when they started getting arrogant.


    <i>It''s entertaining, too.</i>


    However, he also acknowledged that if he had pushed her a bit too far, Luize could have thrown the ring at him. Still, he figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt to tease her one more time, at least.


    With a smirk, Se-Hoon began crafting a new n to tease Luize. And it was at that moment when he heard a familiar voiceing from the seemingly empty space in front of him.


    ¡°Have you finished your business?¡±


    But despite the unexpected voice, Se-Hoon wasn¡¯t too startled and calmly answered, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m done.¡±


    <i>Swish.</i>


    In an instant, the space in front of him peeled away like a shell to reveal a pure whitendscape beyond¡ªa scene of emptiness. Gazing at it, Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes.


    <i>Didn¡¯t Wurgen say he was attacked by three of the Ten Evils in a ce called the Whitespace?</i>


    Perhaps this was the very same space. Pondering the likelihood, he suddenly sensed something behind him. Previously, he had already sensed a vague presence beyond the whitendscape, but now that vague presence had be a distinct gaze watching him. Sensing the location, Se-Hoon instinctively turned his head.


    ¡°...Chairman?¡±


    Standing where he felt the gaze, Ludwig was watching him with his hands sped behind his back. But having expected to have met him in the Chairman¡¯s office, not here, Se-Hoon became confused.


    Noticing, Ludwig smiled slightly.


    ¡°Impressive.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Startled again, this time by the sudden praise, Se-Hoon looked at him curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s impressive that you¡¯re still here. If it were before, you would have already been transported to my office by now,¡± Ludwig began calmly.


    Before, Se-Hoon had merely been able to perceive the Whitespace, unable to understand what it was just months ago. But now, from how he was standing there, it was clear he had begun to grasp it.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious to know how much you¡¯ve understood. Can you exin to me what you think this Whitespace is?¡±


    Although Se-Hoon was a bit taken aback by Ludwig¡¯s sudden question, he quickly reflected on what he had learned while forging Akasha.


    ¡°My understanding is that it''s a space between spaces... basically like an invisible void.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And when these voids connect, I believe they form what we now call the Whitespace.¡±


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Simplified, the Whitespace was like an optical illusion where the contents changed depending on whether one viewed it from the front or the side, and the space itself also changed depending on the viewer¡¯s perspective.


    Quietly listening, Ludwig nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Your assumption is pretty close. The Whitespace is a collection of unseen voids. It''s the third type of space I discovered after bing a Perfect One.¡±


    When Wurgen became the Eternal Nocturne, he discovered the Netherworld, the final destination for the dead. Ludwig, on the other hand, had found a hidden space within space.


    It was amon thread between the two.


    <i>Did they discover worlds that didn¡¯t previously exist? No, it¡¯s more fundamental than that.</i>


    They both had likely undergone a change at a deeper level when they became Perfect Ones. Wondering what the change could be, Se-Hoon was about to fall into thought when Ludwig stopped him.


    ¡°Shall we get to the main point now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. That¡¯s fine.¡± Se-Hoon responded, cutting his musings short.


    ¡°The reason I called you here isn¡¯t just to check your progress. I actually want to confirm something.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Are you nning something during this summer break?¡±


    The question was more direct than Se-Hoon had expected. But instead of answering immediately, Se-Hoon locked eyes with Ludwig. Rather than an interrogation, it felt like Ludwig just wanted confirmation of what he already knew.


    And it was upon figuring that out that Se-Hoon realized right now was a pivotal moment. He had to decide now whether to involve Ludwig in his ns to uproot the Pleasure District and eliminate the Dream Demon.


    Just recently, when he first met Wurgen, he had decided against bringing Ludwig into the fold. But after their conversation just now, the possibility had opened up a bit.


    Unlike Ludwig, who only discovered the Whitespace after bing a Perfect One, Se-Hoon had already grasped it, albeit with some guidance. And that alone was enough to distinguish Se-Hoon from an ordinary person in Ludwig''s eyes.


    Knowing Ludwig¡¯s personality, he wouldn''t want to let someone with such potential wander into danger alone.


    <i>This is probably his way of asking if I need his help.</i>


    So then what kind of answer was the best to give? Contemting it for a while, Se-Hoon made his decision.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    While Ludwig¡¯s help would certainly be valuable, it wasn¡¯t the right time to involve him yet.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ludwig asked again, smiling warmly at Se-Hoon¡¯s firm response.


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s really nothing for you to worry about, Chairman.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s message was clear: I don¡¯t need your help.


    Finding Se-Hoon¡¯s confidence intriguing, Ludwig, who had already guessed such an oue, became curious about where Se-Hoon¡¯s self-assurance came from.


    ...<i>I almost got caught up in this again.</i>


    Ludwig had long resolved not to get involved in Se-Hoon¡¯s ns voluntarily, yet here he was, feeling a bit too curious about Se-Hoon¡¯s ns.


    He shook off the temptation. ¡°If that¡¯s your judgment, I¡¯ll respect it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I appreciate your concern, though.¡±


    Though Se-Hoon felt a slight pang of regret, he reassured himself that he didn¡¯t need Ludwig¡¯s help just yet since things were progressing steadily and he was making headway in the Pleasure District.


    ¡°But everyone has different standards.¡±


    Se-Hoon looked at Ludwig. His smile had suddenly taken on an ominous edge.


    ¡°And I think your sense of danger might be a little bit toocking.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    ¡°So, as the Chairman of Babel and your sponsor, I¡¯m going to give you a simple test.¡± Ludwig continued, cutting off Se-Hoon before he could finish.


    Realizing something was wrong, Se-Hoon hurriedly tried to speak up, but...


    ¡°Try to escape from here.¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    ...Ludwig disappeared without a trace first.


    ¡°Chairman?¡±


    No response came back, and only a white space stretched out before him. Dumbfounded, Se-Hoon stared nkly into the distance.


    <i>Has that old man be senile...?</i>


    How could he act so condescending, throwing around terms like sponsor, when it was supposed to be a mutually beneficial rtionship? Feeling a strong urge to nt a fist in Ludwig¡¯s face, he narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    Startling him, a voice, tinged with mild surprise, came from behind. But then, upon realizing the voice sounded familiar, Se-Hoon turned his head.


    ¡°Are you the rookie?¡±


    There, sprawled out on the floor, was Manuel Ortega, a second-year honor student and regr customer of Se-Hoon before he had regressed.

 Chapter 217

    <h4>Chapter 217</h4>


    ¡°Hey! I got myself a new scar!¡±


    Looking up at the shout, Se-Hoon watched as a man burst into the workshop, shedding his tattered armor like it was nothing. But after seeing the man¡¯s grotesque figure, Se-Hoon instinctively averted his gaze.


    ¡°What made you act this crazy again...?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. This battle scar... shows the fierce struggle I went through...¡±


    ¡°<i>Haaa, </i>there he goes again.¡±


    If he sustained an injury, he should have gone to the hospital. Yet for some reason, he always felt the need to unt his wounds as if he couldn''t tolerate going unnoticed.


    Exasperated, Se-Hoon considered chucking a hammer at Manuel but then figured it would just make more of a mess. However, that didn¡¯t mean Se-Hoon no longer wanted to throw something at him. Looking for something to throw, Se-Hoon paused when he suddenly stopped hearing the sound of a man undressing and felt his presence approaching.


    ¡°Look at this.¡±


    ¡°Screw off.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on. Seriously, you¡¯ve got to see this one. Even you¡¯ll be impressed.¡±


    <i>Sighhhh-</i>


    Well aware that Manuel would likely juste right up to his face to show him if Se-Hoon kept ignoring him, Se-Hoon reluctantly turned his head.


    ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re so disgusting...¡±


    Standing in front of his eyes was the lunatic, Manuel Ortega. Stripped to the waist with his face obscured by his tangled hair and scruffy beard, Manuel was grinning.


    Repulsed, Se-Hoon groaned as he lowered his gaze to see what Manuel was so proud of¡ªthe scar spread across his chest that was shaped like an X near his burned sternum. Looking closer, fresh skin was just beginning to grow around it, the surrounding veins bulging ominously.


    ¡°How... how the hell did you end up like that?¡±


    ¡°Heh, I knew you¡¯d notice right away.¡±


    Smirking, Manuel sat on the anvil beside him.


    ¡°I ran into Demon¡¯s Edge.¡±


    ¡°Demon¡¯s Edge? And you made it out alive?¡±


    ¡°I was with Kasar. I¡¯d be dead for sure if I were alone.¡±


    Despite just brushing by death, Manuel seemed remarkably calm. Then again, that was just how most S-rank heroes were¡ªalways a bit unhinged.


    ¡°So, the scar is from <i>that </i>sword?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Seeing it in person was way more terrifying than the stories make it out to be,¡± Manuel affirmed with a chuckle as he stroked his scar.


    There was an unsettling energy in the way he carried himself, which only made Se-Hoon feel more anxious.


    ¡°Is that so? Well, maybe I¡¯ll personally check it out in detail sometime. Now leave your equipment for repairs and get out of here¡ª¡±


    ¡°Forge me a weapon that can kill them.¡±


    Manuel¡¯s voice was low. His hair hung like a curtain over his face, but Se-Hoon could see that his eyes were gleaming with determination beneath.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be faster to go beg the Sacred Craftsman?¡±


    Dismissing Se-Hoon¡¯s words without a second thought, like they weren¡¯t even worth considering, Manuel replied, ¡°He only knows how to forge elegantly. Besides, he gives off this vibe that makes him seem like he¡¯s just waiting to use me, and that pisses me off.¡±


    Looking at Maneul, Se-Hoon was reminded of the time Manuel had gotten so obsessed with a demon that he spent half a year chasing it down. And just like then, Manuel seemed to have fixed his sights on Demon''s Edge.


    ¡°What about my master?¡±


    ¡°The Blood Master? I would appreciate it; however, can we rely on her to produce one for me?


    ¡°Yeah... probably not.¡±


    At Manuel¡¯s words, Se-Hoon realized that Manuel was far too strong to receive a weapon from his master. So then, unable to rmend anyone else, only one option was left.


    ¡°It¡¯s down to you, then.¡±


    ¡°...Looks like it.¡±


    The sight of Manuel right now, who was obviously dead set on getting such a weapon, gave Se-Hoon a slight headache.


    <i>Does he think ying Demon¡¯s Edge is as easy as killing a stray dog...?</i>


    He thought it waspletely absurd that Manuel was so casually asking for a weapon capable of doing something like killing Demon¡¯s Edge. Faced with such a request, Se-Hoon wanted to tell him to get lost, but unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°You remember our promise, right? You said if I brought you the Sacred Beast¡¯s horn, you¡¯d take on any job I asked.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, I remember.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡±


    Getting up, Manuel started putting his shirt back on and headed for the corner of the workshop. He thenid down on the dusty floor there and casually said, ¡°Wake me up if you need me.¡±


    And with that, he instantly passed out. Staring at Manuel, Se-Hoon judged that, given howfortably Manuel had settled in, he wouldn¡¯t move until Se-Hoon had finished forging at least the framework of his sword.


    <i>¡°Tsk...¡±</i>


    While he wasn¡¯t a fan of the situation, a promise was a promise. Besides, Manuel was one of his few regrs who at least acted like a normal human being. epting his fate, he decided to just attempt the request for now.


    <i>If it doesn¡¯t work out, then so be it.</i>


    While Manuel was overly reckless, he wasn¡¯tpletely brainless. Resolving to give it his best shot, Se-Hoon hammered away at his choice of material.


    <i>ng! ng!</i>


    Apanying the rhythmic sounds of a hammer nging, a loud snore resounded throughout the workshop, as ifpeting.


    ***


    ¡°...¡±


    Realizing that he was back in the Whitespace, Se-Hoon shook off the memories of Manuel that had shed by in an instant. He then turned to look at the young man lying before him once more.


    ¡°<i>Hmm?</i>¡±


    Still lying t on the ground, Manuel stared back at him. The sight of him, who despite his slightly hollowed eyes, still had a striking appearance stirred a strange feeling inside Se-Hoon.


    <i>This perfectly normal-looking guy is going to be that lunatic who strips naked and brags about his scars...?</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s gaze toward Manuel immediately filled with pity. The fate that awaited Manual was too tragic.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± Manuel said with a frown, noticing the pity in Se-Hoon¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Anyway, how long have you been here?¡±


    ¡°Since the first day of the break.¡±


    Se-Hoon was a bit taken aback. He was perfectly fine despite spending over a week in this empty space?


    <i>...Then again, it¡¯s probably not too weird for him.</i>


    Even before the regression, Manuel had been the kind of person who could sleep on the bare ground and eat monster meat raw when he was toozy to cook properly. He likely wouldn¡¯t go to such extremes right now, but that carefree attitude of his probably didn¡¯t change much.


    ¡°What lesson did you ask for that made him stick you in here?¡±


    ¡°I asked him to teach me how to cut through space, and then he put me in here and told me I could only leave when I managed to learn it myself.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon had hoped Ludwig would be a bit more rational, but it turned out he was as crazy as the rest of the Perfect Ones.


    <i>Since it¡¯s supposed to be a test, he probably won¡¯t let me out early.... I might even end up stuck here for the entire break.</i>


    Frustrated by the unexpected situation, Se-Hoon decided to look on the bright side. If he couldn¡¯t pass a simple test like this, then his n to kill the Dream Demon and take down the Pleasure District would be even more impossible. In fact, Ludwig was likely testing him with the same thought in mind.


    <i>At least I managed to find out a bit about this ce.</i>


    Even if he hadn¡¯t fully grasped the fundamentals of this space, as a cksmith, he should still be able to use whatever knowledge he had to his advantage. With that in mind, Se-Hoon sat on the floor in front of Manuel.


    ¡°Anything you¡¯ve tried so far to get out of here?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Though Manuel had been about to answer straightforwardly, he suddenly paused after realizing something and gave Se-Hoon a strange look.


    ¡°Why have you been talking informally this whole time?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been doing it too. So what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... well...¡±


    Though Manuel seemed like he wanted to argue, he quickly gave up and just sighed, waving his hand dismissively.


    ¡°Whatever. Do what you want. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to be seeing each other often anyway.¡±


    Just like before, he was quick to give up¡ªthat unchanged behavior made Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes gleam.


    <i>Yup, he definitely hasn¡¯t changed much.</i>


    He even seemed a little calmer than he¡¯d been as a Weapon Master, which in a way made him easier to deal with. And since that was the case, Se-Hoon knew now knew how to handle Manuel, and thus pressed on with the conversation.


    ¡°Then, can you tell me what you have tried so far? We shoulde up with a solution together if we want to get out of here quickly.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what we try. It¡¯s pointless. Just wait until he lets us out...¡±


    ¡°Do I need to keep asking until you answer?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Manuel¡¯s eye twitched at Se-Hoon¡¯s persistence. Then after another sigh, he finally gave in and answered. ¡°All I¡¯ve done so far is trying to attack different spots, hoping I might cut through space by chance.¡±


    ¡°Nothing besides that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I don¡¯t know much about spatial magic anyway.¡±


    Done with his half-hearted reply, Manuel rolled over and motioned for Se-Hoon to leave, uninterested in continuing the conversation further.


    ¡°Now shoo. You¡¯re making me tired.¡±


    His words indicated that he was annoyed, but Se-Hoon knew Manuel was just exhausted and couldn¡¯t be bothered anymore.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Having failed to gain any useful information, Se-Hoon surveyed his surroundings once more.


    <i>Why did he move me right next to Manuel''s location?</i>


    If the goal was to iste him, Ludwig could have easily put him somewhere far away with how immensely vast the Whitespace was. But he hadn¡¯t, meaning the deliberate location suggested there was some underlying reason.


    <i>Manuel said he could leave once he learned how to cut through the space.</i>


    Although cutting through space itself wasn¡¯t as straightforward as it sounded, Se-Hoon, who had dealt with various materials and heard countless stories, had a rough idea of what it meant.


    <i>I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work... but I might as well try.</i>


    Having made his decision, Se-Hoon distanced himself from Manuel and drew Ewinia from his void pocket.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    The green de hummed softly, and the wind began naturally wrapping around it.


    <i>It seems there¡¯s an atmosphere here, unlike in the Netherworld, </i>Se-Hoon thought, observing the de with interest.


    Examining the wind swirling around him next, Se-Hoon focused on recalling the method to cut through space.


    <i>First, I need to perceive it.</i>


    Just as vegetables didn¡¯t appear when chopping an empty cutting board, he had to first perceive and locate the space he was going to cut. He sharpened his senses, carefully examining the area around him and focusing on where he stood.


    <i>Swish, swish-</i>


    Analyzing the countless bits of informationing from around him, he began filtering out everything unrted to the Whitespace, like sifting through grains of sand.


    <i>First, I¡¯ll erase that guy behind me...</i>


    Manuel¡¯s presence promptly vanished, followed by the sound of the wind dying down. Continuing to filter out the distractions one by one, eventually, even his vision darkened and everything turned pitch-ck.


    <i>Shrrrk-</i>


    That was also the moment when white grid lines appeared suddenly in his vision, spreading across his surroundings like a.


    <i>Found it...!</i>


    Having located the strange lines, Se-Hoon immediately reactivated all the senses he had shut off at the same moment.


    <i>Whoosh!-</i>


    With the flood of information that returned, the grid lines started to be swept away and started to blur. However, before they couldpletely vanish, Se-Hoon quickly moved.


    <strong><i>Mortal Combat Technique: Space Severing sh</i></strong>


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    Following one of the grid lines, Se-Hoon matched his sh with Ewinia exactly to it. Currently, the space before him still seemed unchanged to the naked eye, but he had clearly felt the sensation of cutting through something. Holding onto that hope, he looked ahead.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    And momentster, a clean line appeared before him, splitting space apart on both sides.


    <i>It worked!</i>


    Having just tried it on a whim, he hadn¡¯t expected to actually seed on the first attempt. Proud, Se-Hoon silently cheered and quickly started examining the gap he had created.


    ¡°...?¡±


    Unfortunately, instead of seeing the real world beyond the gap, all he saw was more endless Whitespace.


    Confused, Se-Hoon frowned and reached his hand into the gap. His hand passed through without any resistance.


    Realizing something was wrong, he leaned forward and nced sideways at the gap.


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>...¡±


    From the side, he could easily see his right arm which had passed through.


    <i>Looks like I just barely grazed it.</i>


    While he had sessfully perceived the boundaries of the Whitespace, his technique had been sloppy, resulting in him only grazing the surface rather than cutting throughpletely. The issue wasn¡¯t with his method though; it was purely hisck of skill.


    Having identified the cause of his failure, Se-Hoon began to ponder.


    <i>It¡¯s difficult to refine the technique further right now.... Maybe I can mix in another power?</i>


    There were still other options to try: the Celestial Infinity de, Dream Mana, the power of Boundaries, or even asking the Seeker for advice. Deciding to attempt with the Celestial Infinity de, he got ready.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    But then something swung toward him from behind, forcing Se-Hoon to react instinctively.


    <i>ng!</i>


    Ewinia''s green de shed with a bright yellow sword. Feeling the slight tingling in his hand, Se-Hoon guessed the weapon had an electrical attribute. Besides that though, merely the fact that it remained intact despite colliding with a Legendary weapon indicated it was also quite high quality.


    <i>Has this guy lost his mind...?</i>


    But the weapon aside, the sudden ambush made Se-Hoon annoyedly re at Manuel, who was miming words with his lips. At first, Se-Hoon thought he was joking around, but he quickly realized something was off.


    <i>This guy wouldn¡¯t joke in such a situation.</i>


    And that fact was essentially confirmed by Manuel¡¯s frustrated and irritated expression.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Simultaneously sensing something wrong, both cautiously lowered their weapons. Se-Hoon checked his own condition first.


    <i>My hearing¡¯s okay. All my other senses are normal, too.</i>


    In that case, why couldn¡¯t he hear the guy standing right in front of him? Trying to find an answer, Se-Hoon fell into thought. Manuel, on the other hand, sheathed his sword at his waist and extended his right hand, palm up.


    He seemed to be asking for something. Figuring it out a secondter, Se-Hoon ced his right hand on top of Manuel¡¯s.


    <i>Scratch, scratch-</i>


    Carefully deciphering the letters Manuel had begun tracing letters into his palm, Se-Hoon''s expression became even more puzzled.


    <i>¡°How did you manage to cut through the table? I couldn''t even leave a scratch when I tried.¡±</i>


    ¡°Table...? What table...¡±


    Se-Hoon had no idea what Manuel was talking about. So, after thinking about it for a moment, he removed his hand and summoned his darkness mana, Midnight Abyss.


    <i>Swirl-</i>


    Churning on his palms, the darkness began forming a sentence above them.


    <i>¡°I¡¯ll make a panel with magic. Try to draw a diagram of your surroundings on it.¡±</i>


    Reading Se-Hoon¡¯s instruction, Manuel nodded in agreement, and Se-Hoon merged the letters of darkness together to form a wide panel. Offering it to Manuel, Manuel used his finger to draw on the panel, and soon a familiar blueprint emerged.


    <i>This is... the dormitory.</i>


    Theyout was identical to the dorm room where Se-Hoon had spent the first semester. Studying the diagram, Se-Hoon looked around once more.


    <i>Does that mean Manuel and I are in different ces?</i>


    He was in the Whitespace, and Manuel was in the dormitory. But that didn¡¯t make sense. After all, they could still see each other and even make physical contact.


    Trying to make sense of it, Se-Hoon remembered his earlier conversation with Ludwig.


    <i>¡°Your assumption is pretty close. The Whitespace is a collection of unseen voids.¡±</i>


    If the Whitespace was a collection of unseen voids, and these voids existed between spaces...


    Se-Hoon arrived at one possibility.


    <i>They ovep each other.</i>


    The Whitespace was superimposed on reality, and depending on how it was used it, they could either interact with the Whitespace or just simply ignore it.


    Then could one control it? Getting closer, Se-Hoon recalled how he hadpletely excluded Manuel¡¯s presence earlier.


    <i>Perhaps it¡¯s a matter of perception... or rather, a difference in perspective!</i>


    Whether he existed in the void or reality depended on how he shifted his perspective. So if he could freely control that, he could move between the two easily.


    Finally understanding, Se-Hoon immediately saw his vision begin to shift.


    <i>Shrrrk-</i>


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Once again, the white grid lines spread across the space and Se-Hoon reached for one of the lines.


    Unlike before, passing his hand though didn¡¯t feel like he was passing through empty air¡ªhe felt something solid. Grasping that invisible substance tightly, Se-Hoon pulled with all his might.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    The Whitespace then tore open, revealing the familiar scenery of the dormitory room.


    <strong>[Skill ¡®Veil of Whitespace (A)¡¯ has been acquired.]</strong>

 Chapter 218

    <h4>Chapter 218</h4>


    Upon slipping into the dormitory, he examined the contents of the information message that popped up in front of him.


    <strong>[Veil of Whitespace]¡ºA¡»</strong>


    <strong>[One of the skills of Ludwig Schubert, the first to sessfully conquer a Tower of Heroes.</strong>


    <strong>It allows the user to connect the voids forming the Whitespace around them, forming a singr empty space that can be controlled like a veil by consuming mana. </strong>


    <strong>By enveloping oneself in this mass of Whitespace, the user gains strong resistance to spatial magic and can even interfere with space itself. </strong>


    <strong>*Allows one to control the Whitespace</strong>


    <strong>*By enveloping oneself in the Whitespace, one can gain strong resistance to spatial magic,pletely negating spells below a certainplexity</strong>


    <strong>*Allows one to control the space enveloped by Whitespace.]</strong>


    ¡°...¡±


    Reviewing his newly acquired skill, the Veil of Whitespace, Se-Hoon became curious.


    <i>I thought it was just an advanced form of spatial magic... but something about this feels different.</i>


    He had expected that mastering Whitespace would naturally mean more control over space, but reality seemed far from his expectations. Rather than this newly acquired skill being an advanced spatial one, it felt like its fundamentals were opposite to those of spatial magic.


    Intrigued, he was quietly contemting the skill description when a loud voice boomed right beside him.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Sheesh, you don¡¯t have to shout. I can hear you just fine now.¡±


    ¡°Really? <i>Whew</i>...¡±


    Relieved, Manuel rubbed his throat with a tired expression, and Se-Hoon moved his gaze to the clock in the living room.


    <i>Considering the time I arrived... it¡¯s been two hours since I came here.</i>


    It seemed it had taken him quite a while to be aware of the Whitespace around him. Time did often rapidly pass when he was in a state of deep focus.


    ¡°What were you doing all this time?¡± Manuel asked.


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. I guess I¡¯ll figure it out eventually.¡±


    Even though he had escaped from theyer of Whitespace he had been in, he still wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to escape the dormitory.


    Deciding to try an easy method, Se-Hoon headed for the front door and grabbed the doorknob.


    <i>Click!</i>


    Seeing that the door opened without resistance, Se-Hoon stepped into the hallway and looked down the ordinary corridor.


    <i>I guess this works.</i>


    He wasn¡¯t trapped in the dormitory but the Whitespace that had ovepped with it. He turned back to look inside the dormitory.


    ¡°©¤©¤©¤!¡±


    The first thing he saw was Manuel standing there with his hands pressed against the air, acting like a mime. His exaggerated gestures made him look hrious, and Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    ¡°©¤©¤©¤!!¡±


    From how he started pounding on the air, Manuel had evidently taken offense at the ridicule. However, rather than being intimidated, Se-Hoon became even more amused.


    <i>Ah, I probably shouldn¡¯tugh too much.</i>


    Btedly remembering that Manuel had been one of his regr clients, Se-Hoon realized he still needed to rebuild a positive rtionship with him. And to do so, he couldn¡¯t be leaving a negative impression already.


    So, Se-Hoon suppressed his smirk and gestured to the frustrated Manuel to step back for him to re-enter the dormitory.


    ¡°It looks like I did make it work.¡±


    Manuel paused momentarily at the nonchnt remark. Then, when he calmed down, he asked, ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    In less than an hour, Se-Hoon had managed to escape the Whitespace, something Manuel hadn¡¯t managed to do in over a week. It was so incredibly fast that rather than hurting Manuel¡¯s pride, he simply epted it and wanted to know how it was done.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> It¡¯s a bitplicated to exin. How about I just make it a bit simpler?¡±


    ¡°Simpler?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you out of here.¡±


    Manuel had been trapped in the dormitory for over a week now. He had already epted the situation for what it was, however, being unable to learn anything despite being trapped under the pretext of training was likely frustrating for him.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Yet he shook his head after some consideration.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need that kind of help.¡±


    ¡°You know, if things go wrong, you could end up stuck here for the entire break.¡±


    ¡°Then that would be just something I¡¯ll have to deal with.¡±


    Cool and collected, Manuel looked directly at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather fail than run away.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    With those final words, Manuel turned and headed back into the living room, watched by the curious Se-Hoon.


    <i>He really hasn¡¯t changed at all...</i>


    The Weapon Master had never feared failure. He was someone who, once he established a singr objective, would persistently pursue it until sess. It was that fearless determination that earned him his S ranking, but... it was also what led to his demise at the hands of Demon¡¯s Edge.


    <i>...Well, at least I¡¯ve got a pretty good read on him now. </i>


    Having truly confirmed what kind of person the current Manuel was, Se-Hoon followed him into the living room.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    Noticing Se-Hoon, Manuel, who had been about to lie down on the sofa, stopped and puzzledly watched as Se-Hoon sat across from him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you cut through space. But I have a few conditions.¡±


    Sitting up properly, Manuel faced him directly. ¡°Name it.¡±


    ¡°The first condition is that the next time I ask for your help, you will agree to assist me without anyints.¡±


    It was a rather vague condition, so Manuel took some time to think and eventually asked, ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask me to be a hitman, are you?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask for anything shady. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Well, in that case...¡±


    Teaching him how to cut through space was no small matter, so Manuel could easily agree to that condition.


    At Manuel''s nod, Se-Hoon introduced the next condition.


    ¡°The second condition is that you lend me that yellow sword you swung at the back of my head earlier.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    At the unexpected request, Manuel¡¯s expression shifted in surprise, prompting Se-Hoon to exin further.


    ¡°I¡¯m simply curious about how it was forged. I¡¯ll return it after examining it over the break.¡±


    In truth, Se-Hoon nned to use it in his fight against the Dream Demon, but there was no need to exin that. As long as he returned it in good condition, that would be enough.


    ¡°...Fine. I trust you won¡¯t steal it or anything.¡±


    Hesitating, Manuel finally relented and pulled out a cylindrical rod with yellow markings from his void pocket. The de that had been there earlier was nowhere to be seen.


    Receiving it, Se-Hoon, who hadn¡¯t had the chance to examine it properly before, observed it with a hint of surprise.


    ¡°So, it was an alchemical weapon after all. Where did you get it?¡±


    Alchemical weapons, which could change forms during battle, were the Weapon Master''s main tools. However, both back then and now, it should have been difficult to find a high-quality one like this one.


    ¡°I got it from my new sponsor.¡±


    ¡°By sponsor... do you mean the Barmuths?¡±


    ¡°No, that was my old sponsor. I¡¯m with someone else now.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Se-Hoon made a small smirk.


    Originally, the Weapon Master had a sponsorship contract with the Barmuth family, who provided him with all sorts of prototype alchemical weapons.


    However, it ended when an explosion during testing left him with arge scar on his chest¡ªthe cause of it being the Iron Warden, which Se-Hoon had toyed with during the Noblesse. With the future having changed though, it seemed that incident had never urred.


    <i>So he switched sponsors when the Barmuths started to lose their position, huh?</i>


    Deciding to examine the alchemical weapon in more detail, Se-Hoon brought up his final condition.


    ¡°And the third condition...¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you asking for a bit too much?¡±


    ¡°This is the final one, so just hear me out.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Though Manuel seemed reluctant, Se-Hoon still continued, this time more seriously.


    ¡°You¡¯ll follow my training regimen withoutint. That¡¯s thest condition.¡±


    For some, leaving their bodies entirely in the hands of someone they barely knew would be the hardest condition to ept. Manuel, though, nodded without hesitation.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    After all, he had been prepared to ept any training regimen from the start, believing he wasn¡¯t weak enough to be fazed by a n devised by a fellow student.


    ¡°...Really?¡±


    Se-Hoon studied Manuel¡¯s confident expression. Then, a few secondster, he let out a small smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief, then.¡±


    ***


    <i>Woong-</i>


    In the endlessly vast Whitespace, a golden sphere glowed with a radiant brilliance. It shone so brightly that even the zing sun looked like a mere firefly inparison. And standing before it, looking up at the immense power, was Ludwig who slowly extended his right hand.


    <i>Squeeze-</i>


    Gradually tightening his outstretched hand into a fist, the golden sphere began topress. Then, when Ludwig''s hand could closepletely around it<i>¡ª</i>


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Letting out a shockwave, the golden light condensed into a single point.


    <i>Whirr-</i>


    Where the point was, a tiny dot now floated there, and with a simple gesture from Ludwig, it was brought before him¡ªa golden ring with a white line etched through the middle.


    Its appearance was simple and neat, but the power it contained seemed to be anything but ordinary.


    <strong>[<u>Hero¡¯s Ring</u>] </strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Legendary] [Quality: Average] </strong>


    <strong>[A ring created by Ludwig Schubert, the first to sessfully conquer a Tower of Heroes.</strong>


    <strong>The only one who can wear this ring is a hero who seeks to change the world, and their abilities and character will also determine the ring¡¯s performance. </strong>


    <strong>*Effects: Unknown]</strong>


    The description was sparse, and the effects were unrefined. At first nce, it seemed like a failure. However, Ludwig was satisfied.


    ¡°This¡¯ll do.¡±


    To Ludwig, it was an appropriate reward for finding a way out of the Whitespace. With that thought in mind, Ludwig pocketed the Hero¡¯s Ring and was about to leave.


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    But a booming voice halted his tracks.


    It was just a single phrase, and yet the sheer force contained within it seemed to crush the surrounding space. But it just made Ludwig let out a deep sigh despite being the target of the overwhelming pressure.


    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>... Why do you have to oppose me so strongly?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see a reason not to, especially since this pertains to the oues of our research.¡±


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    Although the voice was merely expressing its displeasure, the space quaked violently. Even S-rank heroes would have found the pressure unbearable, but Ludwig simply rubbed his temples.


    Unlike the simpleints he was used to hearing, the opposition was far too strong for him to disregard this time.


    <i>Being thorough isn¡¯t a bad thing... but this is getting a bit tiring, </i>Ludwig thought.


    However, he couldn¡¯t dismiss the other party¡¯s concerns because they had created the Hero¡¯s Ring together. In that case, Ludwig decided to try to persuade them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen it yourself. This level of investment is more than eptable.¡±


    ¡°No. I disagree,¡± objected the voice strongly.


    ¡°That kid is far too abnormal. Especially the way he understood and mastered your power and the Whitespace.¡±


    In contrast to Ludwig, who had seen this aspect of Se-Hoon as a useful talent, the voice saw it as a threat¡ªa talent so brilliant that they felt alien.


    ¡°If it were up to me, I would kill him right now to eliminate the potential threat he poses. But you wouldn¡¯t allow that, would you? So let¡¯s juste to apromise on this.¡±


    Faced with the voice¡¯s firm resolve, which made it clear that there would be no retreat, Ludwig fell silent to make a decision. They had felt stronger about it than he expected.


    ¡°Then how about this? I¡¯ll ce restrictions on the ring, limiting its abilities for now,¡± Ludwig eventually said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even approve of giving it to him in the first ce...¡±


    ¡°The restrictions will be lifted under two conditions. The first is that he ys a member of the Ten Evils.¡±


    As he talked, Ludwig slowly turned and looked up to face the source of the voice.


    ¡°The second is that he destroys one of the Fragments of Origin in the Six Great Demon Realms. Would that be sufficient?¡±


    A silence fell, and after a long while, the voice, filled with disbelief, asked. ¡°Do you really believe he could pull something like that off?¡±


    ¡°He might, or he might not. That¡¯s why this is a fairpromise.¡±


    Another silence fell, and after another long moment, the voice, filled with irritation this time, spoke again. ¡°<i>Tsk...</i> Fine, get out of here.¡±


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    A massive force pushed Ludwig away, essentially expelling him from the surrounding space. Smiling, Ludwig stepped out of the Whitespace.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The surroundings shifted, and Ludwig found himself back in his office. He checked the time.


    <i>Let¡¯s see... It¡¯s been around twelve hours.</i>


    Ludwig had ced them in the same space to encourage them to observe each other and pick up on anything unusual. He knew that, for them to find a way out of Whitespace, they needed to realize that it ovepped with another space in reality, and to cut through it, they needed to perceive its existence first.


    In other words, they were each other¡¯s hints.


    But though Ludwig intended for them to help each other escape, Se-Hoon had escaped faster than anticipated alone.


    <i>It turned into a one-sided lesson, but... this isn¡¯t bad either. </i>


    Curious about how the teaching was unfolding, Ludwig decided to check on them while delivering the reward.


    <i>Smack!!</i>


    Arriving in the dormitory space, Ludwig found Se-Hoon repeatedly punching Manuel, who was wearing a blindfold and earplugs.


    <i>¡°Ugh...!¡±</i>


    Manuel shuddered violently, having just taken a punch to the stomach that knocked all the air out of his lungs. One could tell he was in immense pain by just looking at him, but Se-Hoon didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°This is space! If you don¡¯t want to die, feel it from my fists!¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s fists, wrapped in a white veil, continued to rain down on Manuel. And at that sight, Ludwig finally realized what was happening.


    <i>So, he¡¯s making him feel it through his body because he can¡¯t see it...</i>


    By cutting off Manuel¡¯s sight and hearing, Se-Hoon heightened Manuel¡¯s other senses, forcing him to feel Whitespace indirectly through the punches wrapped in white veils of space.


    Though crude, it was simple and effective. For a while, Ludwig quietly watched, intrigued by the unexpected approach.


    ¡°Why is your stance copsing...?¡±


    Trailing off, Se-Hoon stopped mid-punch, having noticed Ludwig¡¯s presence behind him. It was the most efficient training method, but Se-Hoon felt awkward about being watched because it looked rather brutal.


    ¡°Chairman... I know this looks bad, but...¡±


    ¡°Keep going.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Taken aback, Se-Hoon stared nkly at Ludwig, who smiled warmly.


    ¡°This is the perfect training method for Manuel. So don¡¯t worry about me and go on.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Oh, and...¡±


    With a casual wave of his hand, Ludwig altered the veils of space wrapped around Se-Hoon¡¯s fists, adding blunt spikes that resembled knuckles.


    ¡°...¡± Se-Hoon was speechless.


    ¡°This should be even more effective. Go on, try punching him again,¡± Ludwig urged, his warm smile unchanged.


    Not only was Ludwig not stopping him, but he was also actively encouraging Se-Hoon and had even leveled up the brutality of the training. It was a moment that made Se-Hoon realize a universal truth.


    <i>No wonder this guy is a Perfect One.</i>


    Like the rest, Ludwig waspletely out of his mind.

 Chapter 219

    <h4>Chapter 219</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    Standing by silently, Manuel waited with a blindfold on and earplugs in.


    Then, when Se-Hoon confirmed Manuel¡¯s unwavering stance, he clenched the air with his right hand and activated the Veil of Whitespace.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Grasping the pure white veil that emerged naturally from the empty air, Se-Hoon spread it over Manuel''s head and began manipting the space around him.


    <i>Rustle, rustle.</i>


    Eveloped by the Veil of Whitespace, space started to condense into droplets, which soon began falling one by one. But unlike rain, the droplets were intangible and dissolved naturally when they touched Manuel''s body, making them unable to be felt by Manuel at all.


    Yet Manuel remained still under the soundless rain, waiting.


    <i>Smack!</i>


    Suddenly moving, Manuel swiftly snatched something out of the air with his right hand. It was a clean, precise motion. Feeling what was in his hand, Manuel then showed it to Se-Hoon and Ludwig.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Within Manuel¡¯s hand was one of the space droplets created by the Veil of Whitespace, still holding its form. The sight made Se-Hoon smile subtly before ncing at Ludwig.


    ¡°Is this be good enough?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> Yes, that should suffice.¡±


    Having gained Ludwig¡¯s approval, Se-Hoon began writing a word on Manuel''s palm with his finger: Passed.


    <i>¡°Kraaaagh!¡±</i>


    The moment Manuel understood what Se-Hoon was writing, he let out a scream he''d been holding in and violently threw his blindfold and earplugs to the ground.


    <i>¡°Ugh...¡±</i>


    Suddenly exposed, his senses were rushed by a flood of light and sound all at once, overwhelming them. It was so intense that Manuel squinted in pain.


    <i>What kind of stupid training method was that...?</i>


    Manuel could ept that cutting off his sight and hearing was to enhance his perception of space, but he hadn¡¯t expected to wear the blindfold and earplugs for two whole days, unable to remove them even once due to being told it would dull his senses.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Do I look okay to you...?¡±


    The most difficult part of the training method wasn''t the amplified pain due to his sharpened senses¡ªit was theck of sleep.


    Even normally, Manuel had trouble falling asleep due to constant thoughts swirling in his mind. So, with his senses heightened due to his sight and hearing being blocked, he was unable to get any sleep at all.


    <i>¡°Huff... Huff...¡±</i>


    Rubbing the dark circles under his eyes with his palms, Manuel asked Se-Hoon, ¡°Is the training over now?¡±


    ¡°For now. It¡¯lle down to whether you can cut through space or not.¡±


    Though Manuel had sessfully perceived and touched space, slicing through it was an entirely different challenge. It required a certain level of skill and talent, making it something best learned through personal experience.


    ¡°Got it. Well, thanks for your help. If we ever meet again, ask me for whatever you need. I don¡¯t need any farewells, so take care. And thank you, Chairman, for watching over me the entire time. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I''ll just¡ª¡±


    <i>Thud!</i>


    ¡°...¡±


    Unable to finish his sentence, Manuel copsed on the spot, asleep. Dumbfounded, Se-Hoon just looked down at Manuel, unmoving.


    A secondter, a notification message popped up in front of him.


    <strong>[A bond has been sessfully established with the subject ¡®Manuel Ortega¡¯.]</strong>


    <i>Hmm. Well, I guess this should do.</i>


    Having formed a bond and gained more familiarity with the Veil of Whitespace during his training in the Whitespace, Se-Hoon considered it a decent oue.


    Still staring at the sleeping Manuel, Se-Hoon was organizing his thoughts when Ludwig, who had been standing beside him, spoke up. ¡°Is it okay if we move to another location?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. That would be fine.¡±


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    The surroundings instantly changed. They were now under a vast, cloudless night sky, standing above the glowing cityscape of Babel.


    ¡°Where is this...¡± Se-Hoon remarked, stunned by the view he had never seen before.


    ¡°I frequentlye here to observe the academy. The height and angle make it an ideal vantage point.¡±


    At Ludwig¡¯s words, Se-Hoon looked down at the night view of Babel below them. From where he was, the massive artificial ind built in the North Pacific, centered around a Tower of Heroes, could be seen entirely, leaving Se-Hoon in awe.


    <i>He really did build this well.</i>


    The countless facilities on the ind were intricately connected, functioning as if they were the parts of a living organism.


    A serene silence fell as Se-Hoon admired the view, and after a moment, Ludwig questioned, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Pride filled Ludwig¡¯s expression as he gazed down at Babel.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯ve taken good care of it?¡±


    Looking at Ludwig, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but recall Babel¡¯s nickname.


    <i>The Emperor of Ascension''s garden.</i>


    For decades, Ludwig had meticulously cultivated Babel, and his pride in being its caretaker was evident.


    ¡°I think it''s truly extraordinary.¡±


    He was being honest. He acknowledged that Babel was the world¡¯s top training facility and research center, a ce equipped with numerous conveniences that also made it an excellent ce to live. It truly was the ideal space that both heroes and ordinary citizens aspired to be.


    ¡°Babel is the realization of my dream of an ideal world,¡± Ludwig remarked.


    ¡°An ideal world...¡±


    ¡°A world where everyone strives to be better than they were yesterday. Making the current world like that has been my lifelong dream.¡±


    Listening to Ludwig¡¯s aspirations, Se-Hoon recalled the speech from the entrance ceremony.


    <i>He did mention something about trials and challenges back then, too.</i>


    Though many strove to improve themselves, Ludwig wasn''t just focused on personal growth; he was someone who aimed to encourage and lead those around him. He was someone fully determined to ovee the immense trial known as the Abyss of Demons together with others.


    If anyone was well-suited to lead a world as chaotic as this one, it was Ludwig.


    <i>He may be a bit demanding sometimes, but... </i>Se-Hoon gazed out at the nightscape.


    ¡°And now, both Babel and I stand at a critical crossroads, one that will determine whether or not my dream can be realized. Even I cannot guarantee its oue yet.¡±


    Despite being at a pivotal moment in his life, Ludwig was calm.


    ¡°So, even if I can¡¯t help you this time, I hope you can understand.¡±


    At those words, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes widened. <i>Is he worried about how he treats me?</i>


    To Se-Hoon, Ludwig was being surprisingly considerate.


    <i>I didn¡¯t expect him to be so concerned about me.</i>


    At first, Se-Hoon thought Ludwig was treating him like someb rat, throwing him into the Whitespace like a dog left to fend for itself. But now, it didn¡¯t seem like that was the case at all.


    With this new discovery, Se-Hoon fell into contemtion, thinking about how to respond.


    And in the end, he said, ¡°With all the help I¡¯ve received from you so far, how could I possibly think otherwise?¡±


    Although Ludwig wasn¡¯t able to help him this time, the assistance Se-Hoon had received from both Ludwig and Babel up until now was far from insignificant. Feeling disappointment over a single instance and distancing himself would be something only a lunatic, or a mad dog, would do.


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear you say that. I was worried that you might hold a grudge for this, thinking I was testing you and not offering any real help.¡±


    ¡°<i>Ha</i>, no way. Who would be so ungrateful as to harbor such thoughts?¡± Se-Hoon said with a smile.


    At that, Ludwig, too, smiled softly in response.


    ¡°Thank you. Speaking of which, this is a small reward for your aplishments.¡±


    With a wave of his hand, a golden keyhole appeared in the air. Like many times before, it rotated ny degrees before splitting open to reveal a white void. And now that Se-Hoon had learned to handle the Veil of Whitespace, it looked different.


    <i>I thought it was just a special kind of void pocket, but now I see that it¡¯s linked to the Whitespace.</i>


    At that thought, Se-Hoon began to wonder if Babel had more hidden spaces concealed by the Whitespace. Meanwhile, a ring had floated out of the opening to hover before him.


    Examining the ring, it was a golden one with a white line etched through the center. It looked ordinary, and Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t sense any power from it.


    Noticing Se-Hoon¡¯s puzzled expression, Ludwig exined. ¡°It¡¯s a ring I crafted specifically for you... but due to certain circumstances, I¡¯ve ced restrictions on it. You¡¯ll have to break the seal to use it properly.¡±


    ¡°What kind of restrictions?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t tell you that, either.¡±


    Though having to break the seal without knowing what would seem like a joke to anyone else, Se-Hoon saw that Ludwig waspletely serious.


    <i>This must be some tricky piece of equipment.</i>


    Though rare, Se-Hoon previously had seen equipment with restrictionsyered so heavily that it was almost unusable. So, not thinking much of it, he just grabbed the ring and inspected its information message.


    <strong>[<u>Hero¡¯s Ring</u>] </strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Legendary] [Quality: Average] </strong>


    <strong>[A ring created by Ludwig Schubert, the first to sessfully conquer a Tower of Heroes.</strong>


    <strong>*All functions are restricted.]</strong>


    <i>Hmm... the restriction must be pretty severe.</i>


    Though such restrictions tended to give off the sensation that they were binding something, the ring¡¯s restrictions didn¡¯t feel like that at all. The ring''s craftsmanship was also so intricate that careless activation could lead to its destruction.


    <i>It shouldn¡¯t be something as absurd as climbing the Tower of Heroes... I guess I¡¯ll just have to figure it out step by step.</i>


    epting the situation, Se-Hoon ced the Hero''s Ring on his right ring finger and, after confirming there were no issues, bowed his head slightly to Ludwig.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use it well.¡±


    ¡°I may not be able to lift the restriction for you directly, but I¡¯ll help push you along when the opportunity arises,¡± Ludwig said with a smile.


    He then nced at the moon in the night sky to check the time before asking, ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to ask?¡±


    Considering it, Se-Hoon asked, ¡°If I were to seek help from another Perfect One in the future, who would you rmend?¡±


    With the foundationid to conquer the Pleasure District, all that remained was to wait until everything was ready. Thest piece Se-Hoon needed now was the strength to ensure the Dream Demon¡¯s defeat, as solely relying on Wurgen wouldn¡¯t guarantee sess.


    <i>It¡¯s better to maximize the chances of sess while I can.</i>


    Even though he had sessfully hunted down the Dream Demon in his previous life, the situation now was entirely different. Because his abilities were far weaker than they had been then, he needed to make thorough preparations.


    ¡°Another Perfect One, you say...¡±


    Musing over it, Ludwig slowly replied, ¡°I think the Visionary would be a good choice.¡±


    ¡°May I ask why you think so?¡±


    ¡°Because of her proficiency with long-range attacks, it will be easy to receive support regardless of where you are. I don¡¯t know how your n ising along, but... I believe the Visionary could offer decent help.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes lit up. He had already been debating between the Visionary and the Pilgrim, but he was unsure of their values.


    <i>So, the Visionary is better than the Pilgrim.</i>


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    When it came to knowing about other Perfect Ones, the best source of information was another Perfect One.


    At that moment, Ludwig added, ¡°It¡¯s also because of how...¡± Trailing off, Ludwig looked off to the side before continuing calmly, ¡°...she¡¯s watching you right now.¡±


    At those words, Se-Hoon instinctively followed Ludwig¡¯s gaze to find nothing but the vast, empty ocean in the distance. However, knowing whaty beyond, Se-Hoon¡¯s expression turned to one of surprise.


    <i>Could it be...</i>


    <i>Vrrr-</i>


    His phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling out his phone, Se-Hoon saw an unfamiliar number on the screen. But he still brought the phone to his ear and answered the call, as he had a good guess as to who it was.


    ¡ªYou seem to be nning something quite interesting.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s...¡±


    ¡ªYou don¡¯t need to exin right now. We were bound to meet eventually, so it¡¯s better to hear it in person.


    On the summit of Mount Everest, thousands of kilometers away from Babel, a brown rocking chair came to a stop. An old woman, draped in a white fedora and coat, then stood up from it and gazed into the distance.


    Smiling faintly with her eyes still closed, she spoke to the young man far, far away.


    ¡°Let us meet face-to-face, my disciple.¡±

 Chapter 220

    <h4>Chapter 220</h4>


    Early morning the next day, Se-Hoon arrived at the Void Space Terminal. Currently, he was sitting in the lobby, staring nkly ahead. Like always, the terminal was bustling, packed with people at all hours of the day.


    And as he sat there, absorbing the gazes of those around him, he recalled the callst night with Ha Baek-Yeon.


    <i>Meeting face-to-face...</i>


    With most people, it was a simple suggestion to catch up with one another. But when it came from Ha Baek-Yeon, the Visionary, it meant something very different.


    Because she was a monstrous figure who could oversee the entire world from the summit of Everest, she rarely met others in person. Normally, if she found someone interesting, she would just call them or send a letter by tying it to an arrow¡ªa unteral message, nothing more.


    <i>She¡¯s really asking me to meet her in person...</i>


    Having never experienced such a thing before, even during the war against the demons in his previous life, Se-Hoon was unable to gauge Baek-Yeon¡¯s intentions.


    Wondering how to handle their uing meeting, he got lost in his thoughts until he heard a heavy sigh behind him.


    ¡°<i>Haah</i>...¡±


    Turning around, he found a grumpy old man, Kwang-Soo, who had finally arrived at the lobby. Dissatisfaction oozed from his face like he had just been dragged out of bed.


    Se-Hoon rose to greet him. ¡°Good morning, Professor.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Instead of responding, Kwang-Soo squinted at Se-Hoon and then sarcastically asked, ¡°Do I <i>look </i>like I¡¯m having a good morning?¡±


    ¡°...No, not really.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you say good morning? You trying to pick a fight with me?¡±


    At the nitpicking, Se-Hoon¡¯s expression became slightly awkward.


    <i>Why is he acting like a stubborn three-year-old...? </i>


    The thought ofining immediately crossed Se-Hoon''s mind, but he knew there was no point when a superior started nagging like this. Moreover, the old man had diligently shown up early to escort him, even though Baek-Yeon had asked Kwang-Soo to do so, so he decided to let it slide.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful.¡±


    ¡°...<i>Tsk.</i>¡±


    With a dissatisfied click, Kwang-Soo headed toward the turnstile of the B-ss Danger Zone, and Se-Hoon quickly followed behind.


    [Lee Se-Hoon, student. Permission to enter B-ss danger zone required...]


    ¡°Apanied.¡±


    [Ma Kwang-Soo, professor. Apany confirmed for B-ss Danger Zone.]


    After both scanning their IDs, the two passed through the turnstile and headed down the corridor until a blue portal came into view. It looked just like the portals they had used before, but this time, Se-Hoon noticed something different.


    <i>What is that...?</i>


    Inside the blue portal, he saw a white diagonal stripe pattern. The familiar feeling it gave off tugged at his senses until he recognized what it was.


    <i>Ah, it¡¯s a fragment of the Whitespace.</i>


    Judging by the structure, it was apparently a support mechanism for the portal. Before now, Se-Hoon had always thought the portal stood on its own, but now he knew it had been meticulously crafted by Ludwig that way. It was interesting.


    <i>I guess no other spatial magic user can tamper with it if it¡¯s like this.</i>


    Unless they could meddle with the Whitespace like Ludwig, any attempts to interfere with the portal would be futile. And that was why the Void Space Terminal had remained intact even until the end of the world.


    Intrigued, Se-Hoon carefully examined the structure as he passed through the portal.


    ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    Having already walked through, Kwang-Soo seemed impatient.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ming.¡±


    Quickening his steps, the two soon left the terminal.


    Standing under the clear sky, towering mountain ranges stretching into the distance could be seen beyond the barrier. Thendscape looked like a painting, with multicolored clouds adding a mystical touch to the peaks.


    <i>It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been here...</i>


    This was the B-ss danger zone, Mount Baekdu. In the past, it was renowned for being the tallest mountain on the Korean Penins, but now it was for being a special Danger Zone and the home of the Visionary.


    Taking in the familiar sight of Mount Baekdu, Se-Hoon only refocused when Kwang-Soo turned to him, an annoyed expression on his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stray off the trail. It¡¯s dangerous out there, so just follow me quietly. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving, then.¡±


    The two of them headed east and soon reached a hiking trail with a sign pointing the way to Baek-Yeon¡¯s family home, the Ha Sect.


    [Ha Sect (2,600m) ¡ú]


    Following the sign to the summit, the two began their ascent along the well-maintained trail.


    Unlike a normal mountain, as they climbed higher, the air grew heavier. If it were like other Danger Zones, they would also require a period to adjust to the thickening of demonic aura, but Mount Baekdu was different. Despite the signs of demonic aura corruption around them, the air was filled only with mana.


    <i>The atmosphere is almost the same as before, </i>thought Se-Hoon, ncing around.


    Continuing their ascent, they encountered several heroes along the way. Some were jogging up and down the trail, while others were resting on pic mats in open areas like they were simply enjoying the day at a local park. The peaceful scene didn¡¯t resemble a Danger Zone at all.


    ¡°<i>Ahem. </i>I heard you learned something from that bastard Wurgen... Is that true?¡±


    Turning his gaze away from their surroundings to Kwang-Soo, Se-Hoon calmly responded, ¡°Yes, I managed to pick up a few things from his lessons.¡±


    Kwang-Soo fell silent for a moment.


    ¡°Do you find them useful? That bastard¡¯s got such a nasty personality. I doubt he taught you anything properly.¡±


    As expected of a first-generation hero, Kwang-Soo seemed somewhat familiar with Wurgen.


    ¡°I found them quite useful,¡± Se-Hoon honestly answered, noticing the worry in Kwang-Soo¡¯s tone.


    ¡°...Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And thanks to his help, I was able to forge a weapon with the Nimbus Steel.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s words, Kwang-Soo abruptly turned his head in disbelief.


    ¡°You¡ªyou made what with what?¡±


    ¡°I forged a weapon with Nimbus Steel. Want to see it?"


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Responding to Se-Hoon¡¯s call, Abgrund sliced through space and appeared before them.


    Still shocked, Kwang-Soo examined the de.


    <i>What the...?</i>


    While the craftsmanship was impressive, what truly shocked Kwang-Soo was that Wurgen had infused his power over the boundary into the Legendary weapon.


    <i>That jerk actually imbued his power into a weapon?</i>


    He couldn¡¯t believe it, but the proof was in front of him, leaving no room for doubt.


    <i>But for someone to wield a weapon like this, the user has to know how to wield the power of Boundaries...</i>


    It clicked the moment the question formed. Trembling slightly, Kwang-Soo turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me... you actually learned how to use his power?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did learn a little.¡±


    To his disbelief, Wurgen¡¯s power, something he wouldn¡¯t teach even his own children without them first proving they were worthy, had been passed on to Se-Hoon, a mere cksmith. The thought sent a chill down Kwang-Soo¡¯s spine.


    He had already been annoyed that Se-Hoon was following Wurgen and Baek-Yeon around instead of learning his Celestial Infinity de. And now, at the new fact, he understood the situation was far more serious than he thought.


    <i>It¡¯s not that my Celestial Infinity de iscking, but... this isn¡¯t good.</i>


    While not every technique of the Perfect Ones was inherently superior to those of S-rank heroes, it was hard to ignore the reputation that came with their authorship. And that meant there would be problems with passing down his Celestial Infinity de to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°<i>Ahem.</i> Still, it¡¯s best to not get too close to him. He¡¯s a pain to deal with once you do,¡± Kwang-Soo said, returning the sword.


    ¡°Ah, well, he did catch me off guard by suddenly asking if I was interested in an arranged marriage.¡±


    ¡°...Did he also offer you a business deal?¡±


    ¡°He told me to reach out if I was interested.¡±


    Realizing just how well Se-Hoon had gotten into Wurgen¡¯s favorable graces, Kwang-Soo became uneasy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t contact him recklessly. The guy¡¯spletely nuts.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I hate to say it, but basically, all the Perfect Ones are¡ª¡±


    <i>ng!</i>


    Ending the conversation abruptly, Kwang-Soo instinctively shed his hand to the side, slicing a blue arrow in half and scattering it into the air. On guard, the two of them curiously scanned their surroundings.


    Just then, Se-Hoon¡¯s phone buzzed with a new message.


    Baek-Yeon: Stop messing around and hurry up.


    ¡°She says to stop messing around and hurry up.¡±


    Sighing heavily, Kwang-Soo rxed and red up at the summit. ¡°Let¡¯s go before more arrowse flying our way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Resuming their climb, the two sped up, and soon a massive gate with the sign, ¡°Ha Sect,¡± loomed before them. And standing in front of the gate was a man in traditional martial arts attire¡ªSeon-Woo. He bowed deeply to greet them.


    ¡°Thank you both for making the long journey.¡±


    Seon-Woo¡¯s greeting was more formal than usual, perhaps because they were currently here as esteemed guests.


    Thinking his unexpected politeness was interesting, Se-Hoon bowed in return.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Feel free to address me casually, senior disciple,¡± Seon-Woo corrected with respectful deference, reminding Se-Hoon of their familial connection.


    ¡°Right, I keep forgetting. Where¡¯s the master?¡± Se-Hoon said with a wry smile.


    ¡°My great-aunt is waiting for you at Heavenly Lake Pavillion. Please follow me.¡±


    Opening the massive gate, Seon-Woo led the way. Inside, Se-Hoon and Kwang-Soo found a long staircase stretching up to the mountain peak, its sides nked by traditional Korean houses. It was apletely different scenery to what was visible from outside the gate.


    Curious about the phenomena, Se-Hoon examined the airflow and soon realized they had crossed a barrier.


    <i>Before I regressed it was like a fortress, but now it feels more like a hidden retreat.</i>


    Respectfully observing the surroundings, Se-Hoon found that both those out in the open and those hiding inside their houses were all highly skilled.


    It was a testament to the fact that, while some might mistake the Ha Sect as a mediocre group riding on Baek-Yeon¡¯s fame, the small sect surpassed even the me Sect in terms of purebat power. There was a good reason they were recognized worldwide.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Jung-Woon?¡± Kwang-Soo asked.


    ¡°The n leader has left due to a summons by the Heroes Association.¡±


    ¡°The Heroes Association? <i>Tsk... </i>must be for something annoying.¡±


    At Kwang-Soo¡¯sment, Seon-Woo made a sheepish smile.


    ¡°It must be an important issue. Anyway...¡± Trailing off, Seon-Woo nced at Se-Hoon before cautiously asking, ¡°May I ask what brings you here today, Senior Disciple?¡±


    For both investigator and personal reasons, Seon-Woo was filled with curiosity and couldn¡¯t help but ask, subtly anticipating something.


    ¡°Well... I¡¯m not sure myself. The master simply asked to see me.¡±


    ¡°Great-aunt asked to see you...?¡±


    Understanding how rare it was for Baek-Yeon to request a personal meeting, Seon-Woo grew more serious.


    At that moment, Kwang-Soo also chimed in with a warning. ¡°If she offers to teach you something, don¡¯t be too quick to ept.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°If you try to learn too many new things at once, you¡¯ll end up mediocre at everything. It¡¯s better to hone the skills you already know before picking up something new.¡±


    After saying that, Kwang-Soo nced warily toward the summit, clearly concerned about another arrow possibly flying at them.


    At the sight, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but chuckle inwardly.


    <i>So that¡¯s why he¡¯s been so agitated all morning.</i>


    To think Kwang-Soo was jealous. Although the unexpected emotion wasn¡¯t a particrly ttering sight for the grumpy old man, Se-Hoon could understand why he felt like that.


    To Kwang-Soo, Se-Hoon was quite valuable since he could help locate Doppelganger. So if Se-Hoon got too cozy with others, it likely felt like betrayal.


    <i>But instead of just saying that, he¡¯s letting his pride get in the way... tsk, tsk.</i>


    However, despite what Se-Hoon thought about Kwang-Soo¡¯s behavior, he still responded reassuringly, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve already nned to spend some time refining my existing skills.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm. </i>Good. Just be mindful of what will actually be useful for youter on.¡±


    Like that, they continued chatting and soon reached the top of the stairs, where a small pavilion sat. In it, they spotted someone standing with her back turned, wearing a white coat and a fedora.


    Naturally, they headed toward her, but then Baek-Yeon raised her left hand without turning around.


    ¡°Stop right there.¡± Her tone was calm but authoritative tone.


    ¡°Kwang-Soo and Seon-Woo, wait down below.¡±


    Annoyed, Kwang-Soo¡¯s eyes narrowed at the order.


    ¡°What am I, a damn mutt...?¡±


    ¡°If you keepining, I won¡¯t help you find the Doppelganger.¡±


    ¡°...<i>Tsk.</i>¡±


    ring at Baek-Yeon, Kwang-Soo turned in frustration and descended the stairs.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter.¡±


    On the other hand, Seon-Woo turned back obediently, albeit a bit reluctantly.


    Now alone, Se-Hoon continued looking at Baek-Yeon¡¯s back until she casually beckoned him with her fingers. Having gained permission, he stepped toward the pavilion and the summit¡¯s scenery spread out before him.


    Ake, filled with vibrant colors due to demonic aura, could be seen filling the crater of Mount Baekdu. It was the transformed Celestial Lake.


    <i>The colors are a bit clearerpared to what I remember.</i>


    While Se-Hoon observed thete, Baek-Yeon, who had taken a seat in the pavilion, spoke calmly. ¡°It¡¯s your first time seeing the Celestial Lake, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve only seen pictures of it before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s be much prettier since it was tainted by demonic aura. Unfortunately, it now creates monstrous clouds that devour people.


    Unbefitting of their mystical appearance from afar, the multicolored clouds that clung to various parts of Mount Baekdu were extremely deadly; they clung to living creatures andpletely dissolved them. They were the reason Mount Baekdu had be a B-ss Danger Zone and why no monsters resided here.


    Although the information had already been disseminated to the public and casualties decreased, it was a bit toote as the clouds had already imed numerous heroes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Tearing his gaze away, Se-Hoon entered the pavilion, sat across from Baek-Yeon, and observed her from up close.


    She wore a white fedora and an outfit consisting of a white coat over a ck vest and pants, and her long hair was tied back in a single strand. Standing over one hundred and eighty centimeters tall with her long legs, she effortlessly pulled off the look.


    <i>I heard she is always dressed in white, and the story turns out to be true.</i>


    He continued observing her closely, as she was someone he had only heard about through rumors. And of course, she knew.


    Baek-Yeon opened her eyes slightly and smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking at me like I¡¯m some sort of strange creature.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. It¡¯s quite natural. After all, we Perfect Ones aren¡¯t quite humans anymore. So, neither I nor the others care much about that.¡±


    From her words, anyone would have been worried that they¡¯d offended a Perfect One. But Se-Hoon knew right away that she wasn¡¯t being sarcastic. He had heard simr things from her over the phone before regressing.


    <i>She¡¯s almost the same... no, she¡¯s exactly the same.</i>


    Although high-ranking heroes tended to have firm mindsets, their personalities and values still changed slightly over time. However, there were exceptions, and the Perfect Ones¡ªspecifically, Baek-Yeon¡ªwere ones.


    <i>She hasn¡¯t changed at all after all those decades.... Can that even be considered normal?</i>


    Pondering the resilience of the Perfect One¡¯s psyches, Se-Hoon fell into thought. But Baek-Yeon soon cut through them with her next words.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough small talk. Let¡¯s get to the point.¡±


    She faced Se-Hoon, her gaze now direct and cold.


    ¡°You can either answer truthfully or lie; it doesn¡¯t matter. But just know that, whatever you say, you¡¯ll have to take full responsibility for it.¡±


    There was a distinct chill in her calm words.


    Bracing himself, Se-Hoon nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then I¡¯ll get straight to the question.¡±


    With her eyes still only slightly opened, she focused her gaze on Se-Hoon and removed all the emotion from her voice.


    ¡°Are you a Watcher?¡±

 Chapter 221

    <h4>Chapter 221</h4>


    ¡°...¡±


    Se-Hoon paused. Beforeing here, he had considered many scenarios but never that particr question.


    <i>Could it be because of Dawn?</i>


    If Baek-Yeon had seen the recent events in Denmark, then it made sense why she would suspect him of being a Watcher. Organizing his thoughts, Se-Hoon refocused and responded with a shake of his head to Baek-Yeon, who was staring in his direction with closed eyes.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you take that strange arm from the Marite Factory''s workshop? And why did you return to the dead researcher¡¯s house?¡±


    As he had guessed, Baek-Yeon knew everything about what had happened in Denmark. So, Se-Hoon just answered honestly, leaving out only a few details.


    ¡°To use them.¡±


    ¡°Use them?¡±


    ¡°To exin from the beginning, I have a friend named Luize Valente...¡±


    Se-Hoon went on to carefully exin everything needed, starting from how he met Luize, and Baek-Yeon listened quietly without interruption.


    Then, upon hearing everything, Baek-Yeon crossed her legs and smirked.


    ¡°It was all to help that kid ying with the ring, huh?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Well... ah. Ludwig must have blocked my vision. He¡¯s such a sensitive guy, really.¡±


    While watching Baek-Yeon grumble, Se-Hoon quickly figured out what she meant.


    <i>Has she been keeping an eye on Luize?</i>


    However, he couldn¡¯t sense anything. It had been this way before regressing too; Baek-Yeon¡¯s farsight had always been a mystery to him.


    Noticing his curiosity, Baek-Yeon chuckled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, do you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that...¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t, why don¡¯t you try sending her a text? I¡¯m curious how she¡¯ll respond too.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Although reluctant, Se-Hoon still pulled out his phone and sent a message to Luize.


    Se-Hoon: Stop ying with it so much. You''ll wear it out.


    A read receipt soon appeared, and shortly after, Luize called him.


    ¡ªHey! Are you spying on me or something?


    ¡°I just guessed. Sorry. I¡¯ll call youter.¡±


    ¡ªWhat? What do you mea¡ª


    Quickly hanging up, Se-Hoon nced at Baek-Yeon, who had been watching with a smile.


    ¡°I guess you were right.¡±


    He already knew she wasn¡¯t lying, but confirming it personally still felt uncanny.


    <i>There¡¯s not a single trace of mana. Is she looking through something invisible, like the Whitespace?</i>


    Wanting to figure it out, Se-Hoon sharpened his senses.


    Meanwhile, Baek-Yeon was thinking about something. And after wrapping up her thoughts, she spoke up again. ¡°Having listened to your story, it sounded like you knew about Watchers even before you met Luize... but you¡¯re not nning to exin that, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, that involves more of a personal reason.¡±


    ¡°Personal, huh...¡±


    Questioning his words, Baek-Yeon slightly tilted her head and stared at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°You¡¯re still worried about privacy even now?¡±


    For most, defying the will of a Perfect One was tantamount to suicide, but Se-Hoon didn¡¯t even flinch.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to share it with someone I don¡¯t trust.¡±


    Baek-Yeon¡¯s eyes immediately narrowed at those words. Then, she crossed her arms and questioned, ¡°You don¡¯t trust me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Well, this is only our first meeting. Isn¡¯t it strange to trust you enough to share my secrets already?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    An unexpectedly simple answer. Caught off guard, Baek-Yeon stared at him nkly. Then, her lips began uncontrobly twitching, and she lifted her white fedora to cover her face.


    ¡°<i>Heh... Pfft...</i>¡±


    But despite her efforts,ughter still slipped through and her shoulders shook faintly. It was only a whileter that Baek-Yeon finally removed her fedora from her face, acting as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>... Fine. You do have a point there. Even though I consider you my disciple, I haven¡¯t taught you anything yet.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡±


    ¡°I am still curious, though, but I guess that doesn¡¯t really matter. If a problem arises because of your secrets, I can just deal with you then.¡±


    A chill went down the back of Se-Hoon¡¯s neck. Baek-Yeon had brushed it off so casually.


    <i>She¡¯s talking about taking my head off with her arrows like it¡¯s nothing...</i>


    Just like how she eliminated the S-rank hero who led the European coup incident, Baek-Yeon wouldn¡¯t hesitate if she perceived a threat. And he was now on the radar of the world¡¯s strongest sniper. It was unsettling, but Se-Hoon could quickly shake it off.


    <i>As long as I don¡¯t cause trouble, I¡¯ll be fine.</i>


    Though her standards were unclear, if he moved carefully based on his experiences, there shouldn¡¯t be any issues.


    ¡°May I ask you something, too?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°When did <i>you</i> first learn about Watchers?¡±


    While it wasn¡¯t surprising that Baek-Yeon, someone with the ability to see across the world, would know about them, he wanted to know <i>when</i> she had started noticing them. Such information would help Se-Hoon understand Baek-Yeon''s values.


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Thinking about whether to respond, Baek-Yeon finally chose to say, ¡°Before bing a Perfect One. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say for now.¡±


    ¡°So, they¡¯ve been around longer than I thought.¡±


    The Towers of Heroes and the Abyss of Demons had appeared fifty-four years ago, and Baek-Yeon had be a Perfect One thirty years ago. In other words, Watchers had been around since the early days of the war with the Demon Forces.


    <i>So, she¡¯s known about them since then but hasn¡¯t taken any action? </i>Se-Hoon realized.


    A possible reason was that Baek-Yeon had simply been keeping an eye on them in secret, but Se-Hoon, someone who had seen the future, knew that wasn¡¯t the case. For some reason, Baek-Yeon had never taken action against Watchers even when they publicly revealed themselves before the regression.


    Knowing that fact, Se-Hoon had to change his assessment of the Perfect One before him.


    <i>I need to be more cautious.</i>


    At that moment, Baek-Yeon flicked the brim of her fedora with her index finger and lifted it.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough talk for now. Let¡¯s hear about the n you need my help with. You¡¯re not going to keep that a secret, are you?¡±


    With a sly smile, Baek-Yeon looked toward Se-Hoon again, and Se-Hoon promptly began exining his n without holding back.


    ¡°Before the end of this summer vacation, I n to kill the Dream Demon and destroy the Pleasure District.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s quite a hefty task for a summer project.¡±


    Though there was surprise in Baek-Yeon¡¯s response, there was also nonchnce, as if she had already known.


    But unfazed, Se-Hoon just continued, ¡°I¡¯ve nearly finished the preparations, and Wurgen will handle the elimination of the Dream Demon. But since our opponent is infamous even among the Ten Evils, I believe we need to be more thorough in our nning.¡±


    ¡°So, you want me as backup.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    The n was that Wurgen would face the Dream Demon head-on, and Baek-Yeon would prevent her from potentially escaping while cutting off any reinforcements. That was the best strategy Se-Hoon coulde up with given the situation.


    Unfortunately, after a moment of consideration, Baek-Yeon slowly raised two fingers and refused.


    ¡°There are two reasons I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    Folding her middle finger, she calmly exined the first, ¡°Firstly, there have been unsettling movements within the Six Great Demon Realms recently. For some unknown reason, the ck Sea keeps advancing north and the Forest of Repetition is continuously shrinking, even at this moment. Additionally, the Garden of Emptiness has changed its orbit, and the City of Nightmares is transforming as well.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    ¡°This is the first time we¡¯ve seen such simultaneous changes ur, so I can¡¯t take my eyes off them just yet.¡±


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Since even Baek-Yeon couldn¡¯t see inside the Six Great Demon Realms, she needed to be extra cautious.


    Frowning at the reveal, Se-Hoon mind becameplicated.


    <i>I don¡¯t remember such disturbances happening around this time.... I guess the butterfly effect is spreading further.</i>


    Since even just one of those was a serious matter, Se-Hoon refrained from saying anything else.


    And when she saw that Se-Hoon didn¡¯t respond, Baek-Yeon folded her index finger.


    ¡°Secondly, to be blunt, I can¡¯t trust your n.¡±


    ¡°...You think I¡¯ll fail?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Nodding firmly, Baek-Yeon focused on Se-Hoon.


    ¡°No matter how perfect you think your n is, I can¡¯t afford to believe in it blindly. Especially not during times as chaotic as now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Tell me, can you guarantee that everything will go smoothly and that nothing will happen in the Six Great Demon Realms while your n is in motion?¡±


    Se-Hoon fell into deep thought. Besides revealing his regression and somehow proving it, there was no solid proof he could offer. And even then, there was no guarantee that she would believe him. In fact, it could lead to much bigger problems that would make the situation worse.


    So, with no options, Se-Hoon sighed and replied, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I can.¡±


    ¡°Right. In the end, all you¡¯re doing is iming that the chances of sess are high. That¡¯s not enough for me to help you.¡±


    Completely rejected, Se-Hoon frowned involuntarily.


    <i>Should I ask the Pilgrim instead? But if Ludwig didn¡¯t rmend him, there must be a reason...</i>


    With this option closed, Se-Hoon began trying to figure out how to fill the gap in his forces, but then, he heard Baek-Yeon¡¯s voice again.


    ¡°However...¡± Her voice slow and drawn out, Baek-Yeon added, ¡°...I can at least teach you something.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Standing up, Baek-Yeon walked out of the pavilion. And, while he was still confused, Se-Hoon quickly followed her to the edge of a cliff overlooking the Celestial Lake.


    ¡°Stand here,¡± Baek-Yeon instructed, pointing to a spot beside her on the precipice.


    Obeying, Se-Hoon stood next to her, and then Baek-Yeon extended her hand into the air.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    A pure white longbow then appeared out of nowhere, looking like it had been created from the air. At the sight, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°This is...¡±


    ¡°This is the White Night Bow. Take it.¡±


    Catching the White Night Bow that Baek-Yeon threw at him, Se-Hoon examined it curiously.


    <i>Is this... another form of her power?</i>


    The bow felt tangible yet strangely hollow. More importantly, though, when he tried to bring up its information message, nothing appeared. And in that case, it meant it was simr to the Soul Weapons created from the Demonic Blood Art, which made his interest in it grow.


    ¡°Stop looking and shoot it. I¡¯ll teach you how to use it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    Following Baek-Yeon¡¯s instructions, Se-Hoon slowly drew the bowstring, taking his stance.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    As he pulled back the bowstring, a blue arrow materialized naturally. It was formed bybining the ambient mana around it with his mana, and it seemed to be quite powerful.


    ¡°Widen your stance a bit and lower your arm.¡±


    Tapping Se-Hoon¡¯s body here and there, Baek-Yeon corrected his posture before stepping back.


    ¡°Good. When you¡¯re ready, fire at the Celestial Lake.¡±


    Though he still didn¡¯t understand the purpose of the sudden lesson, Se-Hoon cleared his mind regardless and looked down at theke below.


    <i>It shouldn¡¯t be as simple as just shooting... right? </i>


    Steadying his stance, Se-Hoon drew the bowstring back further and gazed at the colorful waters of the Celestial Lake.


    When shooting, the fundamental goal was hitting the target. And what truly mattered was what effect that shot would have after.


    <i>What I need to aim for now... is Ha Baek-Yeon¡¯s trust.</i>


    This one arrow had to earn a Perfect One¡¯s trust. But how could he achieve that? Unable to find a solution, Se-Hoon¡¯s thoughts kept repeating.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite the thinker, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Suddenly calling out to him, Baek-Yeon, who had been watching from behind, tapped the corner of her eyes, which had been closed for a while.


    ¡°Close them. It¡¯ll help.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Taking her advice, Se-Hoon closed his eyes and a faint light immediately shone through his eyelids. With the target now out of sight, Se-Hoon began focusing entirely on how to achieve his goal.


    <i>Should I make the shot more powerful?</i>


    Would demonstrating his strength be enough to gain her trust? Se-Hoon immediately dismissed the idea. Though the standards for earning her trust were still unclear, if strength alone were enough, she wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to help him.


    Then... He shifted his thoughts to the essence of marksmanship.


    <i>Set a target, then hit it. But beyond that...</i>


    What else did he need? Pondering the question, Se-Hoon recalled the sniper attack in Germany.


    <i>The timing.</i>


    No matter how much power one possessed, failing to seize the right opportunity would lead to defeat, just like with Hraesvelgr, who had failed to snipe him.


    Struck by the realization, Se-Hoon began feeling a strange force surging from the White Night Bow in his hands.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    And then, amidst the faint light, the bow shone brightly and the blue arrow nocked on the string began to turn pure white. However, Se-Hoon stayed calm and carefully reflected on his thoughts.


    <i>I had the order wrong.</i>


    The essence of marksmanship was actually setting the target <i>and then</i> seizing the opportunity to achieve it. Only then would one be able to gauge the appropriate force required to hit the target.


    It was an approach that differed significantly from standard marksmanship, but Se-Hoon knew it was right. After all, this was a test of how well he could handle the mysterious power of a Perfect One.


    <i>Creak!</i>


    Stretching the bowstring further, the arrow gleamed even brighter.


    This was his one chance. And having sessfully seized that opportunity, Se-Hoon opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on the Celestial Lake.


    <i>Thwang-</i>


    A single white arrow flew from the bowstring.


    ***


    ¡°Um... sir, why don¡¯t we head inside instead of sitting out here...?¡±


    ¡°Just leave me be.¡±


    Dismissively waving away Seon-Woo¡¯s words from the step he sat on, Kwang-Soo rested his chin on his hand and scowled. From how he was making constant nces toward the summit, it looked like he was waiting for a chance to go up.


    And that made Seon-Woo feel a headacheing on.


    <i>If he goes up there and interferes with their meeting...</i>


    At best, he¡¯d get reprimanded with a scolding, but there was also the possibility that Baek-Yeon would punish him by raining down sniper fire on him for three days and nights like she had before.


    Resolving himself to prevent Kwang-Soo from ascending no matter what, Seon-Woo tensed and kept a close watch on him. But then, he suddenly felt a gaze sweep over him, as though a giant was looking down.


    Reacting instinctively, he activated his unique skill, Enhanced Vision, and blue ripples appeared in his eyes, expanding his vision to reach the summit.


    But Seon-Woo wasn¡¯t the only one who reacted.


    <i>Thump-</i>


    Kwang-Soo swiftly kicked off the ground and rushed toward the peak.


    ¡°Wait...!¡±


    From the looks of it, Kwang-Soo had timed his move precisely with Seon-Woo¡¯s attention dividing due to his enhanced vision. Realizing the gap Kwang-Soo had exploited, Seon-Woo hurriedly gave chase.


    <i>Huh?</i>


    To his surprise, Kwang-Soo had stopped at the top of the stairs and hadn¡¯t moved further. Curious as to why, Seon-Woo joined him.


    And what he then saw was a pure white arrow shooting from Se-Hoon¡¯s bow toward the crater below.


    <i>BOOOOM-!!</i>


    A deafening explosion, like a volcanic eruption, tore through the air.


    The waters of the Celestial Lake shot hundreds of meters into the sky.

 Chapter 222

    <h4>Chapter 222</h4>


    <i>Ssh, ssh, ssh-</i>


    Shooting up into the sky, the water of the Celestial Lake cascaded down like rain from the heavens. The multicolor downpour, the result <i>he </i>created, put Se-Hoon in a slight daze.


    ¡°It actually worked...¡±


    All he intended was to impress Baek-Yeon, yet the White Night Bow had still exponentially increased the arrow¡¯s power. It was a strange phenomenon where the result influenced the process.


    It was unbelievable to even Se-Hoon, who caused it. Stunned, he just stood there.


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> I''d give it nine... no, eight seems just right,¡± Baek-Yeon judged, stroking her chin thoughtfully from where she stood next to him.


    While it wasn¡¯t a glowing review, it was still fairly positive.


    Finally recovering, Se-Hoon shook off the slight numbness in his right arm and asked, ¡°Where did I lose points?¡±


    ¡°Your stance broke when you released the arrow, so that¡¯s minus one. And the mana bnce in your arrow was off, so that¡¯s another minus.¡±


    ¡°Then that means my shooting method itself was correct.¡±


    Instead of confirming, Baek-Yeon looked down at the Celestial Lake, which was still rippling.


    ¡°The power of Perception isn¡¯t about being right or wrong. It¡¯s determined by how much you can see.¡±


    Before continuing, Baek-Yeon lightly kicked up a pebble at her feet and caught it skillfully. Then, she asked, ¡°Let me give you an example. What will happen if I throw this pebble into theke?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    ncing at the White Night Bow, Se-Hoon fell into contemtion.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he eventually answered.


    Though it was an ordinary pebble, there was no telling what could happen in the hands of someone like Baek-Yeon.


    Baek-Yeon nced at him out of the corner of her eye.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a very thoughtful answer.¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s correct.¡±


    Repeatedly tossing the pebble lightly into the air and catching it again, Baek-Yeon continued on to say, ¡°Even when looking at the same scenery, the interpretation can vary depending on one¡¯s knowledge. The same applies to opportunities.¡±


    While a certain opportunity might be perfect for someone, it could also be the worst opportunity for another. So to even find the perfect opportunity, people needed to observe everything around them carefully.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Knowing that with this pebble, I can either evaporate the entireke or make the surface serene, which do you think will happen?¡±


    Now faced with a more detailed question, Se-Hoon instinctively drew up the power inside the White Night Bow.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Feeling the mana flowing through his hand, his vision expanded¡ªthe power of Perception. Having experienced it twice now, Se-Hoon answered, ¡°I think...¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    But just as Se-Hoon had begun his answer, Baek-Yeon flicked her wrist and sent the pebble flying. Hitting the edges of Celestial Lake, the pebble skipped toward the opposite side, forming wide ripples in its wake. But then, as if by magic, the surface becamepletely still.


    Seeing that behavior, Se-Hoon responded, ¡°...I was going to say that you were going to make it calm.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you were, provided you observed correctly.¡±


    Lightly dusting off her hands, Baek-Yeon looked at the White Night Bow in Se-Hoon¡¯s hand.


    ¡°If everything you¡¯ve said is true, this bow will exert a force equivalent to me personally shooting in a critical moment. Use it wisely, as you only get one shot.¡±


    Se-Hoon looked down at the White Night Bow. Provided he could perceive the right moment to defeat the Dream Demon, it would unleash its full power; otherwise, its power would be minimal.


    <i>So it all depends on how well I execute the n.</i>


    While it wasn¡¯t the help he expected to receive from Baek-Yeon, it was good enough.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Se-Hoon bowed to Baek-Yeon.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll use it wisely.¡±


    ¡°Good. I won¡¯t give you a second chance, so don¡¯t go breaking it in the name of research. Got it?¡±


    ¡°...I wouldn¡¯t do something so ungrateful. <i>Haha</i>.¡±


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s shamelessugh, Baek-Yeon looked at Se-Hoon with a peculiar expression.


    <i>How did he produce such power...?</i>


    Even with his solid foundational knowledge about equipment as a cksmith, his unique habits and mindset should have inevitably influenced hisbat style. And yet, whether it was those he used during previous battles or the shot just now, none of Se-Hoon¡¯s techniques disyed a distinct mindset belonging to him.


    <i>A talent in imitating....</i>


    With just some slight corrections, Se-Hoon could quickly understand and adapt the powers of the Perfect Ones to his own style, sometimes making them more efficient. It wasn¡¯t a method that would produce the best results, but his talent in it made it easy for him to reach apetent level.


    <i>He probably can handle our powers better than others because of that strange talent of his.</i>


    The powers of Perfect Ones weren¡¯t something one could imitate just because they were talented. Yet, with just a little help, Se-Hoon had grasped the power of Perception and immediately began using it¡ªan ordinarily impossible feat. To Baek-Yeon, that was likely why Ludwig and Wurgen had taken an interest in Se-Hoon.


    <i>...Or is it due to his strange perspective that seems to see into the future?</i>


    If that were the case, the power of Perception that Se-Hoon ended up grasping would likely be different from her own.


    Considering the possibilities, Baek-Yeon asked, ¡°Anything else you want to discuss?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> do you know who the Seeker is?¡±


    Initially, Se-Hoon had thought about asking Ludwig, but heter realized that Baek-Yeon, who kept an eye on the world, would likely give a better answer.


    ¡°You mean Natalia? Why do you ask?¡±


    It was an unexpectedly aggressive reply. Startled by Baek-Yeon¡¯s stormy expression, Se-Hoon hesitated before replying, ¡°Well, there¡¯s hardly any public information about her, so I thought you might know something...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know about that person. And if she everes to you, call Ludwig or me immediately. She¡¯s a real hassle to deal with.¡±


    ¡°...Did you two have an incident in the past?¡±


    Could there have been some kind of conflict between Perfect Ones that wasn¡¯t known to the public?


    Remembering the past, Baek-Yeon grimaced and replied, ¡°That wrench once followed me around for three months, saying she wanted to create a familiar from my eyes. She even tried to get me to sign a consent form while I was delirious from an injury.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Later, she even brought a donor form.... If I hadn¡¯t be a Perfect One myself, she¡¯d probably still be chasing me around.¡±


    Seeing how exasperated Baek-Yeon was, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. He already guessed the Seeker wasn¡¯t normal, considering she was also a Perfect One, but he hadn¡¯t expected her to be this unhinged.


    <i>I¡¯ll have to be more careful going forward. I should also check on Akasha frequently.</i>


    Worried, Se-Hoon resolved to keep a closer eye on the Seeker. And at that moment, Baek-Yeon eyed him suspiciously.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t already met her, have you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I was just curious about who she was.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i>¡±


    Noticing the doubt in Baek-Yeon¡¯s stare, Se-Hoon made sure to keep his expression neutral. Originally, he had considered mentioning the Seeker¡¯s corpse or what happened when he met the Regions, but after seeing Baek-Yeon¡¯s mood, he decided against it.


    <i>She might take Akasha away, iming it¡¯s for my own good.</i>


    For now, it seemed like it was better for Baek-Yeon to not know about the Seeker¡¯s death.


    ¡°Well, seeing that there are no traces on you, I guess you haven¡¯t met her yet. But if you ever do, be careful. Got it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±


    ¡°And... oh, right. When exactly are you going to carry out your n?¡±


    Pausing to think, Se-Hoon answered, ¡°Probably within the next two weeks.¡±


    Since he had asked Amir to keep an eye on the Pleasure District, there would likely be an opening for him to exploit soon.


    Considering the timing, Baek-Yeon eventually nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep the date in mind. Now, off you go. There are people desperately waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Following Baek-Yeon¡¯s gaze, Se-Hoon turned around to see Kwang-Soo and Seon-Woo standing near the stairs. The two, who had likely witnessed the shot he just made, were standing therepletely dazed.


    Kwang-Soo in particr had a look that made it seem like his world had just crumbled, which made Se-Hoon chuckle.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯d better head over, then. I¡¯ll see you next time.¡±


    At Baek-Yeon¡¯s wave, as if urging him to leave, Se-Hoon bowed slightly and walked toward Kwang-Soo.


    ¡°Let''s head back, Professor.¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡±


    Lacking energy, Kwang-Soo quietly began trudging down the stairs. Before following, Se-Hoon turned to Seon-Woo, who was still standing there dazed.


    ¡°See youter, junior disciple.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Please take care on your way back...¡±


    With the goodbyes said, Se-Hoon followed after Kwang-Soo, and Seon-Woo, who was watching their backs, turned and cautiously approached Baek-Yeon.


    ¡°Um... Great-Aunt?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Hesitating, Seon-Woo made sure to pose his question as carefully as possible, ¡°...Did you pass on your power to Lee Se-Hoon?¡±


    With the skill Seon-Woo knew Se-Hoon possessed, there was no way he could have shot an arrow with that kind of power. So then, the only usible exnation was that he had imitated Baek-Yeon¡¯s power of Perception to make the impossible happen.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s more like I lent it to him.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see...¡±


    ¡°But soon, he¡¯ll be able to use it on his own. He¡¯s that kind of guy.¡±


    The near certainty in Baek-Yeon''s voice left Seon-Woo wide-eyed.


    ording to the Heroes Association¡¯s records, there were only a handful of cases where someone could properly use the power of the Perfect Ones.


    <i>Does that mean Lee Se-Hoon has that much talent...?</i>


    It was a matter that, as an investigator, Seon-Woo should have reported immediately to the Heroes Association. However, since he wasn¡¯t here in an official capacity, he hesitated.


    Meanwhile, as Seon-Woo wrestled with his dilemma, Baek-Yeon, who had been quietly gazing at the now-calm Celestial Lake, suddenly murmured a few words.


    ¡°Things are going to get quite chaotic.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to tell just how noisy it will be.¡±


    Giving no exnation, Baek-Yeon lifted her gaze to the peak of Mount Baekdu and the rest of the world beyond it. She could clearly see it¡ªthe fragile peace that had been maintained by the Perfect Ones was starting to show signs of breaking down everywhere.


    <i>I wonder what the oue of this chaos will be...</i>


    Closing her eyes, Baek-Yeon tried to glimpse the future, raising her head even higher to look beyond the sky.


    ¡°...Let''s head down.¡±


    Then, as if she hadn¡¯t seen anything, she turned and started descending the stairs.


    ***


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    A massive vibration reverberated through the entire area. At the same time, purple smoke started swirling up from the ground, and the skeletal framework of a massive building shot into the sky.


    In the blink of an eye, a huge structure had risen from the barrennd. When everything settled, the horned demon overseeing District Twenty pped his hands to get the attention of the workers.


    ¡°Come on, folks! The residents will be moving in tomorrow! Let¡¯s get this done quickly!¡±


    At the foreman''s call, the workers, wearing casual clothes hastily covered by work vests, sprang into action and quickly began refining the structures that had been just bare frameworks. The construction was proceeding unnaturally fast.


    And watching it all happen was a young man in a sharp suit, Amir, who looked up with a curious expression.


    <i>A districtrge enough to house tens of thousands is being built so easily...</i>


    It would only take two days to finish furnishing the building, and once the residents moved in, a small town would be created almost instantly.


    Moving his gaze, Amir examined the tools the workers were handling next.


    ¡°Make sure to only take one each!¡±


    They were using purple wands with green gemstones at the tip¡ªDream Tools that allowed them to manipte the dream mana powering the entirety of the Pleasure District. They were tools that had been newly developed by the Barmuths.


    Of course, since they were all exchanged for unofficially, there was no hard evidence to prove that it was really the Barmuths who had sold them to the Pleasure District. Though just seeing Felix, the current family head¡¯s second son, frequently visiting was enough proof.


    <i>It seems their family¡¯s focus on alchemy remains strong.</i>


    It appeared that the rumors, which said the Barmuths had shifted their focus from the weapons industry back to aggressively advancing in alchemy with the change in sessor, were true.


    ¡°Is there something you¡¯re concerned about?¡±


    While Amir had been observing the Dream Tools, the foreman who directed the workers had cautiously approached.


    Even the foremen, who had received his power from the Dream Demon directly and held significant authority in the Pleasure District, couldn¡¯t easily dismiss personal secretaries.


    They were akin to tools directly aligned with the Dream Demon¡¯s will, so any disrespect to them could be seen as defying the Dream Demon.


    ¡°I was just inspecting the newly distributed Dream Tools as part of the checklist.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean those wands?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What are your opinions on them?¡±


    Looking toward the Dream Tools the workers were using, the foreman thought for a moment before replying, ¡°They seem to perform better than the previous versions. Theg seems to have reduced if that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Could you describe the improvement more specifically?¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> If I were to make aparison, it would¡¯ve taken at least half a day longer to finish this construction work with the previous tool.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a significant difference.¡±


    Noting down the foreman¡¯s assessment, Amir nced around the rapidly progressing construction site.


    ¡°I think this concludes the inspection. I¡¯ll be on my way now.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Take care.¡±


    Leaving the foreman, who was openly showing relief, Amir headed to the next construction site with a small frown on his face.


    ¡°The pace of the Expansion is elerating beyond imagination.... Is it really okay to just stand by and watch?¡±


    While he had taken precautions, believing that the signs Se-Hoon had nted in the Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Devices would naturally reveal themselves, no such signs had appeared.


    It made Amir grow increasingly anxious, fearful that the Dream Demon¡¯s n might bepleted first.


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    ¡°...?¡±


    A sudden deep rumbling came from behind him. It was a familiar sound that apanied thepletion of each building, but Amir could feel an odd sensation from it this time, so he turned around.


    And what he saw was a clear sky¡ªsomething not unusual at all, if one didn¡¯t consider the fact that they were in the Pleasure District.


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    Shocked, he just stared as the clear sky vanished as quickly as it had appeared, reced by a gloomy purple fog.


    Then, upon realizing he was the only one who had seen the abnormality, Amir instinctively lowered his gaze and quickly scanned his surroundings.


    <i>...Is it because of my Winter Sky Eyes?</i>


    His unique skill allowed him to perceive the emotions and thoughts of others. Yet it had been triggered by something inanimate?


    While he couldn¡¯t understand at all, one thing was clear.


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s n was steadily progressing deep within the Pleasure District.

 Chapter 223

    <h4>Chapter 223</h4>


    Returning to Babel from his meeting with Baek-Yeon, Se-Hoon enjoyed his first moment of leisure since the summer vacation began. Aside from when he headed out to work on the Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Devices for the Pleasure District whenever Dawn called, he used all of his time to research the powers of the Perfect Ones.


    Each day was peaceful without major incidents, and a week flew by before he knew it.


    <i>Hmm... I think we should be almost ready by now.</i>


    ording to Amir, who had contacted him a few days ago, the signs he had mentioned were starting to appear throughout the Pleasure District. Now, once the final preparations wereplete on his side, he could begin the assault at any time.


    <i>The only question remaining is when should I make those final preparations...</i>


    Pondering it over while finishing a hastily eaten sandwich, his breakfast that morning, he suddenly heard a loud noise from the front door.


    <i>Bang, bang, bang! Ding dong, ding dong!</i>


    Wondering who it was, he sent a Shadow Thread to press the inte button and saw Lea slumped with her face practically stered against the door.


    ¡°Right on time.¡±


    Chuckling at the timely arrival, Se-Hoon pressed the button on the inte with the Shadow Thread to open the door. Shortly after, Lea walked into the kitchen, practically dragging her feet.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Awkwardly stopping before the kitchen table, Lea made a strange noise. Looking at her from up close, the color of the dark circles around her eyes had deepened to ck, and her pupils were only half-focused. She lookedpletely dazed.


    Seeing her like that, Se-Hoon curiously asked, ¡°How long has it been since youst slept?¡±


    ¡°About... four days...?¡±


    Lea''s voice was full of uncertainty like her memory was fuzzy. Feeling sorry, Se-Hoon gave her a wry smile and stood up.


    ¡°Want some coffee?¡±


    ¡°No... I¡¯ll just get even more sleepy if I drink something now.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then at least sit down¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Cutting him off, Lea waved her hand feebly and the look on her face became more determined.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fall asleep right away if I sit down now. I¡¯ll show you the finished product and then leave right away.¡±


    Realizing her eagerness to show the finished product that made here straight here instead of taking a nap from those words, Se-Hoon acquiesced.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do that.¡±


    ¡°<i>Whew</i>...¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Lea pulled out thepleted Inkstone Bracelets from her void pocket and ced them on the table.


    <i>Wooong-</i>


    ced on the table together, they immediately began resonating with each other. Typically, additional enchantments would eliminate any resonance the original possessed, but Lea¡¯s enchantment made the resonance even clearer than before.


    <i>So she perfectly replicated the enchantments.</i>


    Pleased that her skills had improved significantly since the first time he had seen her work, Se-Hoon put the bracelets on his wrists and ankles.


    <i>Hmm. These don¡¯t feel like anything.</i>


    In the past, just wearing them would have drained his strength, but now that his physical abilities had improved, the bracelets didn''t affect him at all.


    Shaking his body lightly, Se-Hoon looked up at Lea, who was staggering.


    ¡°Now all I have to do is summon Abgrund, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.... Then the enchantment will activate.¡±


    Having gained Lea''s confirmation, Se-Hoon immediately summoned Abgrund from beyond the boundary.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Glowing, the enchantments engraved like constetions on the surface of the Inkstone Bracelets lit up all at once when Abgrund appeared. An invisible link began forming between the equipment, and when it stabilized, the Netherworld¡¯s darkness mana stored in Abgrund naturally began flowing into Se-Hoon¡¯s body.


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Unlike before, when he had to forcefully draw it out with the power of Boundaries, the mana moved much more smoothly.


    Seeing Se-Hoon marveling at the feeling, Lea rubbed her eyes and exined, ¡°I noticed that no matter how well one can handle the power of Boundaries, there seems to be an inherent ipatibility with the living. It was like an unsolvable mismatch.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s definitely some truth to that.¡±


    Although Se-Hoon had be ustomed to using the power of Boundaries to draw darkness mana from the Netherworld, he still couldn¡¯t say he had full control over it. To make aparison, it was as if he was drinking from a saucer instead of a cup¡ªthere was still a strange disconnect.


    But now that disconnect hadpletely disappeared.


    ¡°So, I designed the enchantment to use the bracelets as a medium to allow you to harness the power of Boundaries. Simply put, it¡¯s like tricking both the darkness mana and your body simultaneously with an intermediary.¡±


    ¡°Tricking them both... huh?¡±


    Thinking about Lea¡¯s exnation, Se-Hoon drew out darkness mana from the Netherworld again.


    <i>Sss-</i>


    Gathering at his fingertips, the summoned mana rose into the air and transformed consecutively into an axe, a spear, and a dagger. During the process, he focused on the movement of the mana, which had be much more refined than before.


    <i>If it¡¯s like this...</i>


    Recalling what he had been recently researching about the power of Boundaries, Se-Hoonpressed the darkness mana into a single point.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    <i>¡°Shh.¡±</i>


    Shushing Lea, Se-Hoon focused on thepressed mana in his palm.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Pressed together, thepressed mana elongated and soon looked like a thin line etched in the air. Then, connecting that line to the Netherworld, Se-Hoon slowly widened the gap.


    Splitting open, the line revealed a ck void that settled in the center like an empty pupil¡ªa recreation of the Vision of the Abyss, Wurgen¡¯s unique necromantic magic.


    But just as the spell was about to fully form, the ck void seemed to turn and lock onto Se-Hoon.


    <i>Clench-</i>


    Feeling a chill down his back, Se-Hoon reflexively closed his hand and dispelled the Vision of the Abyss.


    <i>What was that just now...?</i>


    It was apletely different sensation than when he first used Wurgen¡¯s Vision of the Abyss. It was as if... the eye had its own will.


    Narrowing his eyes, Se-Hoon gaze moved to the ck mark on his palm; it was a sign of the Netherworld''s taint.


    <i>Is it warning me not to take the Netherworld lightly?</i>


    Things had been going so smoothlytely that he had arrogantly believed the Perfect Ones'' powers were lessplicated than they were.


    Resolving to be more careful in the future, he used the power of Boundaries to erase the tainted mark.


    ¡°...What just happened?¡±


    In her dazed state from theck of sleep, Lea couldn¡¯t fullyprehend the whole thing since it had happened so quickly.


    Checking that the taint had been removed, Se-Hoon calmly responded, ¡°I was just conducting a little experiment. Anyway, you did a great job. This is better than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯d lie about something like this?¡±


    At his praise, Lea¡¯s eyes regained their focus, and she eagerly asked, ¡°So, how many points does it get?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Remember,st time, you gave me an eighty. What about this time?¡±


    Remembering how he had given her a score when she helped enchant the Phantasmal Spyde, Se-Hoon contemted it for a moment before replying, ¡°I¡¯d give it ny points.¡±


    The enchantment was well-crafted and of high quality, but there were still some shorings.


    ¡°I thought it¡¯d be at least a ny-five...¡± Lea despondently said, her expression shifting between happiness and frustration. epting it in the end, her eyes soon lost focus and Lea copsed forward.


    Surprised, Se-Hoon moved to catch her before she hit the table and checked her condition.


    ¡°She¡¯spletely out...¡±


    Her mana, along with her physical and mental strength, had beenpletely depleted. With such a condition, Se-Hoon was honestly awed that she had managed to make it all the way to his ce.


    Making a wry smile, Se-Hoon picked her up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see...¡±


    Thinking ofying her on the sofa, Se-Hoon soon changed his mind and headed to his bedroom.


    <i>Slide-</i>


    Using Shadow Thread, Se-Hoon skillfully removed Lea''s whiteb coat and hair essories, then pulled back the nket to make space. Gentlyying her on the bed, he ced his fingers on the carotid artery in her neck.


    <i>Ba-dump-</i>


    ¡°<i>Mhmmm...</i>¡±


    Manipting her blood flow to speed up her recovery, Se-Hoon covered her with the nket before leaving the bedroom.


    <i>She should regain some energy in an hour or two.</i>


    Deciding to let her rest briefly, Se-Hoon closed the door and went to sit on the sofa in the living room.


    Summoning Abgrund from the kitchen into his view, he fell into thought. <i>Thepatibility with the Sphere should be fine. The only thing left is...</i>


    The only thing remaining was whether the rest of his n would unfold as he anticipated. Pondering his next move, he decided to start by adjusting the power of Boundaries to restore the corrupted mana circuit inside his body.


    ¡°Hmm? You summoned me a bit earlier than usual today.¡±


    Awakening, the Seeker immediately began analyzing the surroundings with curiosity. Truthfully, the term ¡°awakening¡± was a bit of a stretch since the Seeker was essentially dying and reviving every time Se-Hoon summoned her, but she didn''t seem to mind.


    <i>I guess she most likely was already like this before she was killed.</i>


    While Se-Hoon started to believe in Baek-Yeon''s im that meeting her in person would be problematic, the Seeker had noticed the Inkstone Bracelets on Se-Hoon''s wrists and ankles.


    ¡°That''s quite intriguing equipment you got there. Did that Lea girl you mentioned earlier enchant them?¡±


    <i>¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±</i>


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive. The enchantment structure is pretty innovative, I must say. The younger generation is certainly more advanced than we were back in the day.¡±


    Contrary to that quiet and youthful voice of hers, her choice of words made her sound like an old man.


    But he hadn¡¯t awakened her for that. Not wanting to waste any time diddle-daddling, Se-Hoon got straight to the point.


    <i>¡°I have something I¡¯d like to discuss with you.¡±</i>


    ¡°Hmm, if you let me examine your body for a bit, I may be willing to listen...¡±


    <i>Woong-</i>


    ¡°I¡¯m kidding! I¡¯m kidding!¡±


    Sensing that her consciousness had slowly started dispersing, the Seeker quickly backtracked.


    <i>¡°I¡¯m going to refuse every time, so can¡¯t you stop already?¡± </i>Se-Hoon asked with a frown, pulling back the power of Boundaries.


    ¡°Well, even if you say no today, who knows what might happen tomorrow? Consistency is key to sess, you know.¡±


    With a smug expression, the Seeker seemed proud of her persistence.


    And that made Se-Hoon smirk. <i>¡°Is that why you tried to get Ha Baek-Yeon to sign an agreement when she was unconscious?¡±</i>


    ¡°Did that old grandma really have to bring that up...? Anyway, what are you trying to ask me?¡±


    Changing the subject smoothly, the Seeker focused her attention on Se-Hoon as he began to exin his uing n.


    <i>¡°Hmm...¡±</i>


    The Seeker pondered for a long time before finally whispering the answer to him, ¡°It does seem doable. Based on the information I have and what you¡¯ve provided me, there shouldn¡¯t be any technical issues.¡±


    <i>¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±</i>


    ¡°However, I¡¯m concerned about whether that Lea girl can keep up with you.... Are you sure she can handle it?¡±


    While the Seeker did acknowledge Lea¡¯s undeniable talent and skills, she also knew that life was unpredictable.


    <i>¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±</i>


    But Se-Hoon waspletely calm.


    <i>¡°When ites down to it, she¡¯ll do whatever she can to get it done.¡±</i>


    He was absolutely certain of that. After all, the only alternative was her death. It was an unchanging truth that applied to most people, which he had learned from first-hand experience before the regression.


    ***


    <i>I was not strong enough...</i>


    As her lifelong regret yed back in her mind, Lea, who had been sleeping like the dead, suddenly jolted awake.


    <i>¡°Huff... Huff...¡±</i>


    Cold sweat drenched her entire body, and her head throbbed with pain. She had dreamt of that dreadful day when both her parents had vanished¡ªa nightmarish day that had been guing her for decades.


    Running a hand through her disheveled hair, Lea tried to shake off the lingering terror.


    ¡°Is today my unlucky day...? <i>Hmm?</i>¡±


    Muttering to herself, she tried to reach for her phone when she noticed something amiss. Taking a closer look, she noticed theyout of the room was different from her own. Awakening in an unfamiliar room, she nked out. Then, when she abruptly realized where she was, her eyes widened.


    <i>No way...</i>


    Realizing whose bed she was in, she practically leaped out of it.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°He could¡¯ve just left me on the sofa.... What is this... <i>eek</i>!¡±


    The state of the bed made her let out an involuntary shriek. Looking at the sheets soaked with sweat from her nightmare, she broke out in a fresh wave of cold sweat.


    <i>This... this is bad.</i>


    Regardless of her closeness with Se-Hoon, there were still standards of dignity to maintain. Spotting her hairpins and ornaments on the nightstand, she quickly activated a newly inscribed enchantment.


    <strong>¡°Setting!¡±</strong>


    With the influx of her mana into the hairpins and ornaments, they began rising into the air and flew toward the bed. The three hairpins then started rotating in a circle above the bed, and when the blue pin and red ornament glowed, the sweat on the sheets started to evaporate.


    <i>¡°Phew...¡±</i>


    At the sight of the bed linen bing fresh and dry again, Lea let out a breath of relief. Just then, the bedroom door creaked open.


    ¡°You¡¯re already awake... <i>Hmm</i>?¡±


    Stepping into the room, Se-Hoon paused and puzzledly surveyed the room before looking curiously at Lea.


    ¡°Did you spray perfume or something...?¡±


    <i>¡°Aghhh!!¡±</i>


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Letting out a scream, Lea rushed to the window and opened it so forcefully that it nearly shattered. Sparkling, the green hairpin quickly began ventting the room¡¯s air.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Confused by everything that happened in the blink of an eye, Se-Hoon gave Lea a perplexed look.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with you all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Shush. Don¡¯t ask any more questions. I have my personal standards too, you know.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay... sure.¡±


    Baffled by Lea¡¯s uncharacteristically desperate appearance, Se-Hoon moved on to the main topic.


    ¡°Get dressed ande out. We need to move quickly.¡±


    ¡°Huh? We¡¯re going somewhere?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the Puppeteer¡¯s hideout, like I mentioned before.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right... wait, what?¡±


    Her hands freezing, Lea, who was about to tie her hair up, looked at him in confusion. She was bing more and more bewildered.


    They were heading to the Puppeteer¡¯s hideout now? While it wasn¡¯t entirely surprising, since he had told her that they would go one day, why did they need to hurry?


    ¡°...Who¡¯sing with us?¡±


    ¡°Who else? Just you and me.¡±


    ¡°No one else ising?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    Falling silent, Lea then cautiously asked, ¡°Can I submit my resignation right now?¡±


    To that request, Se-Hoon smiled gently at her.


    ¡°Nope.¡±

 Chapter 224

    <h4>Chapter 224</h4>


    The war against the Demon Force had left the vige in partial ruins. With nothing particrly special remaining, it was rebuilt. However, after its reconstruction, it became one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world.


    ¡°The ce you¡¯re looking at now is where the Eternal Nocturne, Wurgen Kruger, defeated the Corpse Demon. ording to the records, the Corpse Demon was a powerful fiend that took down countless S-rank heroes with strengthparable to today¡¯s Ten Evils...¡± Standing before the tourists, the guide softly exined the vige¡¯s history.


    Everyone listened intently, and one of them, a young man with ck hair, gazed out at the scenery beyond the fence.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    As if a massive monster had wed through it, thend was grotesquely scarred, and not a single de of grass was sprouting. It was so barren that it seemed like someone had thoroughly applied herbicide throughout the entire area, especially in the center where some of the ground hadpletely ckened and died.


    ording to the guide, research had been done on it and they found out it was because of the poison that the Corpse Demon had scattered in its final moments.


    ¡°The Corpse Demon¡¯s thick cloud of demonic aura tainted thisnd, permanently corrupting it despite the multiple purifications that have freed the vige of toxins. Even now, many researchers are working tirelessly to restore the ground, but progress has been...¡±


    Still listening to the guide¡¯s long-winded exnation, the young man with ck hair, Se-Hoon, narrowed his eyes.


    <i>It doesn¡¯t seem like demonic aura is the real problem here...</i>


    In fact, he could sense a familiar sensation from the ckenednd and the deste ground surrounding it. And if the feeling was urate, then it was undoubtedly the power of Boundaries.


    <i>The poison part of the story must have been true, but it looks like Wurgen flipped the entire area to the Netherworld to minimize damages.</i>


    It was likely during its time in the Netherworld that the soil had been tainted, turning it into a barrennd where nothing could grow.


    ¡°As you can see, the Eternal Nocturne didn¡¯t hesitate to risk his own life to save countless people...¡±


    Though Wurgen was the culprit, the guide and the tourists all praised him while standing on the verynd he had devastated. However, since Wurgen hadn¡¯t intended for things to end up like that, it wasn''t much of a problem.


    Still though, since Se-Hoon had instantly figured out the truth, he couldn¡¯t help but feel it was a bit questionable.


    ¡°Seems like Wurgen hasn¡¯t changed a bit. Turning a vige he destroyed into a tourist spot to make money...¡±


    Hearing the Seeker¡¯s quiet embarrassed sigh, Se-Hoon was filled with curiosity.


    <i>¡°It seems you¡¯re not on good terms with Wurgen.¡±</i>


    ¡°How could I be? I once asked him for a donation for my research, and he just blew up on me.... All he cares about is money.¡±


    <i>¡°What did you ask him to donate?¡±</i>


    At the question, the Seeker hesitated before answering, ¡°To research the conditions for suitable necromancers, I needed a bit of his mana and essence...¡±


    <i>¡°By essence, do you mean... his soul?¡±</i>


    ¡°B¡ªbut Wurgen was researching it too at the time! So isn¡¯t it not too unreasonable of an ask???¡±


    <i>¡°...Sure.¡±</i>


    No longer listening, Se-Hoon half-heartedly dismissed the Seeker¡¯s indignance. Nobody in their right mind would willingly donate their soul.


    <i>If only she offered something in return like how my rtionship with Wurgen, maybe...</i>


    Though Wurgen nned to use Se-Hoon¡¯s soul to create offspring, that was still better than people who shamelessly asked for donations without offering anything in return.


    <i>Maybe I¡¯ll need to be unhinged like that if I want to be a Perfect One...</i>


    At the thought, Se-Hoon sighed inwardly, doubting whether someone as decent and upright as him could ever do that. Though... if it became absolutely necessary, he would just have to try a little harder.


    <i>Squeeze-</i>


    While lost in thought, Se-Hoon suddenly felt the woman walking beside him embrace him.


    With her thick brown hair braided into a single strand, her sparkling green eyes, and a straw hat that was paired with a white dress, she looked like a character from a fairy tale. She, Lea, was so pretty that she caught the eyes of the tourists around them.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± There was a smile on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a bit scared about this ce... It¡¯s so hot, I¡¯m sweating... Can we go back to the hotel first?¡±


    At the sight of Lea clinging to him and whining, Se-Hoon¡¯s expression twitched briefly, but he quickly fixed his expression.


    ¡°But we still have the tour...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! I don¡¯t want to walk around anymore!¡±


    At the sight of Lea lightly bumping her forehead against Se-Hoon¡¯s chest while grumbling, the tourists around them chuckled softly.


    ¡°All right, all right. I got it,¡± Se-Hoon acquiescence with a wry smile.


    Patting Lea¡¯s back, Se-Hoon approached the guide leading the group.


    ¡°Is it okay if we leave early?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, of course! Just make sure you¡¯re back by the meeting time tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so hot outside...¡±


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Despiteining about the heat, Lea continued clinging to Se-Hoon, and the sight made the tourists around them look on with warm smiles.


    <i>Ah, young love...</i>


    <i>That guy¡¯s one lucky man.</i>


    To the tourists, the overflowing affection between the two was heartwarming.


    Leaving the group, the two returned to their hotel and Lea immediately dashed to the bed, throwing the nket over her head. Clearly mortified, she rolled around wildly on the bed.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to be that embarrassed, why didn¡¯t you just y it cool?¡± Se-Hoon asked, exasperated.


    Why was she overreacting and getting embarrassed all by herself?


    ¡°Since I¡¯m already embarrassed about pretending to be a couple... I figured I should at least do it properly so no one notices!¡± Still hidden under the nket, Lea vigorously rubbed her flushed face as if she was trying to scrub it off.


    ¡°...That makes sense.¡±


    Since it was embarrassing anyway, she decided to do it right. But Lea¡¯s unexpectedly serious attitude just made Se-Hoon curious.


    <i>Why did she even make such a fuss about not wanting toe at first...</i>


    Despite her reluctance, Lea would do anything well once she was pushed into it¡ªjust as Se-Hoon thought. He felt satisfied, knowing his perspective of Lea was correct.


    ¡°But...¡±


    Suddenly stopping her writhing, Lea poked her head out from under the nket and narrowed her eyes at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Why do we have to act like a couple? If we need to disguise ourselves, couldn¡¯t we have pretended to be siblings or something like that?¡±


    Did Se-Hoon have another reason for this specific disguise? Suspicious, Lea stared at Se-Hoon, making him feel a bit awkward.


    <i>Hmm... How should I exin? It¡¯s just that I¡¯m used to it...</i>


    Before regressing, he always pretended to be a couple whenever he had to do a disguise with the st Dog, so he naturally chose it again. But it wasn¡¯t like he could exin that to her.


    So, after thinking about it, Se-Hoon decided to just repeat the answer he heard from the st Dog when he asked the same question.


    ¡°There¡¯s a certain atmosphere or feeling thates with being a family. It¡¯s not easy to replicate that with just acting.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s actually such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is. Especially with close family, they say it¡¯s like having amon synesthetic mindscape or something.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a difference so huge that an ordinary person would notice, but since the person they were dealing with wasn¡¯t ordinary, it made sense to be cautious.


    ¡°...If that¡¯s the case, I guess it makes sense.¡±


    Calming down, Lea finally pulled off the nket and sat up. She then looked straight at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Anyway, are you sure this is the right ce? No matter how I look at it, it doesn¡¯t seem like it...¡±


    She couldn¡¯t believe that the infamous Puppeteer¡¯s hideout was in a ce managed directly by the UD Group. Puppeteer was known for moving discreetly, but it was still hard to believe.


    ¡°This <i>is </i>the ce. I even figured out the exact location while we were walking around.¡±


    ¡°...Already?¡±


    All they had done during the day was tour the sights under the guide¡¯s direction. So, when exactly did he manage to find it?


    ¡°I can always find it as long as I have the right info.¡±


    Though he said that, it was the Seeker who had figured it out bybining the unique characteristics of Puppeteer¡¯s hideout, the coordinates obtained from Hraesvelgr, and the geographical information of the vige.


    ¡°It was, in fact, a very basic method,¡± the Seeker whispered.


    <i>It is certainly convenient not having to do all the thinking myself.</i>


    Although the Seeker pulled some tricks asionally, making her a bit untrustworthy, there didn¡¯t seem to be any openings for her to exploit this time, so there was no issue.


    ¡°Oh... You looked pretty smart just now.¡±


    ¡°Stop with your nonsense.... Anyway, we¡¯ll be sneaking in around evening time; you should get some rest now.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll sleep a little, then.¡±


    Wasting no time, Lea pulled out a sleep mask from somewhere, gotfortable on the bed, and fell asleep in the blink of an eye. It seemed she was still feeling the effects of staying up all night.


    Letting her be, Se-Hoon went to sit on the sofa, and it was then that Seeker whispered to him again, sounding impressed.


    ¡°She looks like such a goody-two-shoes on the outside, but she¡¯s surprisingly adaptable. I thought she¡¯d be a bit more nervous after being dragged into this suddenly.¡±


    <i>¡°She may look like that, but she¡¯s quite bold.¡±</i>


    It was that boldness of hers that had allowed her to lead a massivepany like the Gxy Corporation and earn the title of Maestro before the regression.


    Observing the sleeping Lea, Se-Hoon suddenly had a thought.


    <i>I wonder how she died back then...</i>


    Considering that Puppeteer possessed the Sphere back then, it seemed likely that Lea had been killed by her. However, there was one thing that puzzled him: Lea¡¯s body had never been found.


    <i>Knowing Puppeteer, she would have turned her into a puppet... but I¡¯ve never heard of any such sightings.</i>


    Was Lea¡¯s body too damaged to be of any use? Or did some shred of humanity return to Puppeteer, and she peacefully buried her daughter instead?


    Unfortunately, Se-Hoon could never satisfy his curiosity since everything had reset once he regressed.


    <i>Well, it¡¯s not important at the moment.</i>


    Right now, he needed to focus on the infiltration mission tonight. Settling in on the sofa, Se-Hoon rested his body until the time arrived.


    ***


    With the setting of the sun, the vige was now cloaked in darkness. Readying himself, Se-Hoon woke Lea up and began to stretch lightly.


    ¡°From now on, you have to follow my instructions exactly. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but... is it really okay to wear this?¡±


    Feeling doubtful, Lea looked down at the pure white dress she was wearing. Wasn¡¯t it moremon to wear tight, ck clothing for this kind of nighttime infiltration?


    Understanding Lea¡¯s confusion, Se-Hoon exined calmly. ¡°If you wear half-baked gear, you¡¯ll get caught easier. You might even be better off naked with body paint.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hm.</i> That doesn¡¯t sound too appealing either.¡±


    ¡°Well, the method we¡¯ll use to get in this time works better with this outfit. Come over here; we need to get ready soon.¡±


    Taking out the four Inkstone Bracelets from his void pocket, Se-Hoon ced two around his wrists and then ced the other two around Lea¡¯s ankles. Then, he wrapped his arm around Lea''s waist, pressing her closer to him.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be dangerous if you fall away from me, so if it gets bad, just hold on tight. Understand?¡± he warned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Nodding in understanding, Lea clung even closer to him than she had in the morning. Then, after confirming that they were fully prepared, Se-Hoon slowly activated Ethereal Vision.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    As his eyes turned a deep violet, their bodies blurred and they gradually crossed over the boundary of dreams.


    <i>¡°Ugh...¡±</i>


    Lea felt a chilling sensation; it felt like her body was dissolving. The new experience was so bizarre that she furrowed her brow.


    Moving to the next step, Se-Hoon summoned the power of Boundaries.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The Inkstone Bracelets they were wearing trembled faintly, and the outlines of their bodies, which had started to fade, became sharp and clear again.


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    However, their bodies were now so transparent that they could see through each other, yet their outlines were still distinctly defined. It was so peculiar that Lea couldn¡¯t help but marvel.


    ¡°We¡¯re in a state that¡¯s ambiguously between dream and reality. If we synchronize with the environment in this state...¡±


    Clearing his throat, Se-Hoon chanted an incantation.


    <strong>¡°Spatial Synchronization.¡±</strong>


    <i>Sss...</i>


    <i>¡°Ugh...¡±</i>


    It was another feeling. Shivering from the feeling of something permeating her body, Lea nced around the room and paused when her gazended on the mirror in their hotel room.


    ¡°...!¡±


    All that was reflected in the mirror was an empty room. Realizing that their bodies had turnedpletely transparent, Lea widened her eyes and turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°In this state, our voices can¡¯t be heard by others. But don¡¯t speak too loudly, just in case.¡±


    ¡°<i>Mmm</i>... Got it.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Moving locations, the two walked toward the hotel wall, striding forward without hesitation.


    <i>Ssshhh...</i>


    Easily passing through the hotel wall, the two began walking effortlessly in midair.


    ¡°...¡±


    Still clutching Se-Hoon, Lea looked down with an incredulous expression.


    <i>How is something like this even possible...?</i>


    Unknown to her, they weren¡¯t flying in the air but rather were walking in a separate dimension.


    As she looked around, amazed by the sights, Se-Hoon suddenly stopped walking after a while.


    ¡°It¡¯s just below us.¡±


    At his words, Lea looked down. They were now standing right over the center of the ckened ground, over the barrennd that Wurgen had unintentionally created when he defeated the Corpse Demon.


    ¡°Is this really the ce?¡±


    ¡°Technically, it¡¯s somewhere around here, but this is the best entry point,¡± Se-Hoon said, examining the remnants of the power of Boundaries scattered throughout the ground.


    If they slipped in through those remnants, it would be harder for Puppeteer to notice.


    ¡°Wow... So how exactly do we get in?¡±


    ¡°We go straight down from here.¡±


    ¡°From here?¡±


    Not understanding, Lea looked around her in the air, wondering if there was a hidden entrance.


    It was a sight that made Se-Hoon smirk.


    ¡°Don¡¯t scream.¡±


    ¡°What do you me¡ª¡±


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Before she could finish her question, she started plummeting toward the rapidly approaching ground.


    Unsure of what to do, she instinctively looked at Se-Hoon. However, all she saw was his amused smile, so she clung to him tightly with no other choice.


    <i>Ssshhh...</i>


    Their bodies passed straight through the ground, sinking deeper into the earth.


    At the sight of the dark soil rushing past her eyes, Lea became overwhelmed. It felt like she was being buried alive. Putting strength into her arms, Lea clung to Se-Hoon as if trying to squeeze the life out of him.


    <i>¡°She¡¯s scared, as expected.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Most people would be. You''re the odd one out for not being surprised.</i>


    Casually chatting with the Seeker, Se-Hoon adjusted their speed as they descended further. Soon, special metallic structures began to rece the soil around them and a white corridor appeared.


    They had finally entered the artificial structure that was hundreds of meters beneath the surface, hidden from the world.


    And at the sight of the alien space, Lea instinctively realized something: they were now in Puppeteer¡¯s hiddenir.

 Chapter 225

    <h4>Chapter 225</h4>


    <i>So this... is her hideout.</i>


    Lea looked around and swallowed hard. The long hallway she was in stretched into the distance,pletely pristine and white. It was devoid of any signs of life, without even the faint hum from venttion and lights. The only sound was her own breathing, making the eerie silence deafening.


    She intuitively knew¡ªthis was no ordinary hideout.


    <i>I heard it was supposed to look like a warehouse... but this feels more like aboratory.</i>


    If this truly was an important ce to Puppeteer, what could be inside? Tensing, Lea carefully surveyed her surroundings.


    ¡°Let''s move forward first,¡± said Se-Hoon softly.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Matching their strides, the two moved in unison, staying close together. The hallway seemed endless, with no signs of any side paths or doors. It made Lea feel a twinge of unease, half-expecting something to jump out at them.


    ¡°<i>...Hmm?</i>¡±


    She suddenly noticed a faint ripple in the air. At first, she thought her eyes were ying tricks on her, but a closer look revealed that the entire hallway was subtly shimmering.


    Realizing something was off, Lea tapped Se-Hoon on the waist.


    ¡°Hey, something''s strange about the air around us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that''s probably toxins.¡±


    ¡°Toxins...?¡±


    ¡°You know how Puppeteer and their puppets don''t need to breathe, right? Because of that, they likely filled the air with a color and odorless poison.¡±


    Without preparations, any intruders would instantly sumb to poisoning. And even if they were prepared, they¡¯d still need to use magic to filtrate the toxins, making it the perfect trap to eliminate <i>and </i>identify intruders.


    They were notoriously difficult to deal with ording to stories he heard before he regressed, and such traps weremon in major bases.


    ¡°That''s one nasty trap...¡±


    ¡°It just shows how adept they are at using their strengths to their advantage. Under normal circumstances, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to get in this easily.¡±


    They only got in so smoothly this time because Se-Hoon had the unique talent to handle both dream mana and the power of Boundaries simultaneously. Without that and with just their pure skills, the base was too dangerous to even get close to.


    <i>And this method won''t work a second time, either.</i>


    Once they eliminated the Dream Demon, Puppeteer would undoubtedly realize she had been used. And that meant they had to gather as much as possible since they wouldn¡¯t get another chance to exploit Puppeteer''s base.


    <i>I hope there''s a lot we can make use of...</i>


    Surveying the area, Se-Hoon soon began to sense something unusual in the distance.


    ¡°Wait, slow down a bit.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm?</i> Okay.¡±


    Heightening his senses, Se-Hoon carefully moved toward the source of the strange sensation, stopping in the middle of what seemed like an ordinary hallway.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Here? Are you sure...?¡±


    It looked like they just stopped in the middle of the corridor they''d been walking through, but Se-Hoon clearly saw something Lea couldn''t.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Before his eyes was a faint ripple in the hallway''s scenery. Space had been distorted with magic to loop the hallway endlessly, trapping intruders in a continuous circuit.


    However, the ripple in front of them was the junction of that loop.


    ¡°That was close...¡±


    Se-Hoon let out a sigh of relief.


    If one didn¡¯t notice the junction, like Lea, they would have kept walking in circles endlessly. Se-Hoon, though, was different. If it had been him, his subconscious would have disrupted the spatial magic with dream mana, allowing him to unknowingly head directly into the hidden space beyond.


    <i>We would have been immediately revealed as intruders to Puppeteer.</i>


    Of course, if they were here to destroy the base then such a course of events wouldn''t matter. However, their goal was to nt a device and leave the base undetected, so they couldn¡¯t afford to damage the facility.


    <i>Now, let''s see...</i>


    Mulling over his options, Se-Hoon soon extended his left hand and grasped the empty air.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    A Veil of Whitespace then formed in his hand, and he hung it in the air in front of them.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Now the veilpletely blocked their view, though unknown to the curious Lea.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°<i>Hmm...?</i>¡±


    She felt like Se-Hoon had done something but couldn''t tell what.


    And before she could figure it out, Se-Hoon calmly called out to her, ¡°Let''s go.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Though still confused, she followed him and walked through the Veil of Whitespace.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    The scenery before Lea¡¯s eyes suddenly changed, and now, instead of the endless hallway, arge door had appeared before them.


    ¡°Whoa... What did you do?¡± she asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°Just a little trick.¡±


    Brushing off her question, Se-Hoon began examining the spatial magic still present in the hallway.


    <i>No signs of the spell being dispelled, and no traces were left behind.</i>


    Since the Whitespace was created by the voids between spaces, by using it as he just had, Se-Hoon could bypass spatial magic like it were nothing but thin air.


    <i>I had a feeling it would be effective against spatial magic, but after seeing it in action... it''s even more impressive than I thought.</i>


    With it, he could easily slip in and out of a majority of secure facilities. Satisfied and impressed, Se-Hoon turned his attention to the door.


    ¡°Let''s head inside.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Staying cautious, Se-Hoon wrapped the door in a Veil of Whitespace just in case before passing through it with Lea.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    An empty, white room greeted them. Its ceiling was domed, with lines drawn at regr intervals that formed an oddly familiar pattern.


    ¡°Is that...?¡±


    ¡°The Celestial Coordinate System,¡± Lea muttered, her eyes narrowing upon recognizing the markings. ¡°It uses Celestial Magic as its backbone to observe celestial bodies and mark their positions.¡±


    Lea stared at the Celestial Coordinate System on the ceiling in incredulity. Puppeteer, Reyna udel, specialized in Biological Enchantments. She was someone who had no interest in Celestial Magic, even discouraging others from studying it, deeming it too limited.


    ¡°That bitch...¡±


    And yet, she was putting her dead husband¡¯s research to use. The sight infuriated Lea, making her want to destroy the facility immediately, but she forced herself to remain calm.


    <i>¡°Whew...¡±</i>


    She hugged her waist tightly and took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. Noticing her struggle, Se-Hoon gave her time and nced around the room.


    <i>It¡¯s just as I thought...</i>


    Although the Puppeteer making use of Celestial Magic was something Lea couldn''t have imagined, Se-Hoon had suspected it long ago. He clearly remembered Puppeteer using a simr device to the Sphere during her final moments. Considering its simrity, if that device was based on Celestial Magic, it wouldn''t be surprising.


    <i>So, she was already using Celestial Magic before she killed Lea...</i>


    What could Puppeteer have been thinking, using the very research of her husband whom she had brutally murdered? Se-Hoon fell into thought. And it was at that moment that a voice whispered into his ears.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    The Seeker, who had been silent since they entered the base, murmured in admiration.


    ¡°I knew there was something special about him, but... this is beyond my expectations. If he were still alive, I''d even want to take him on as a disciple.¡±


    At the Seeker¡¯s praise, Se-Hoon furrowed his brow, unable to see why.


    <i>¡°What are you so surprised at?¡±</i>


    ¡°What, you haven¡¯t noticed yet? Heh. I guess even a genius can¡¯t know everything...¡±


    <i>Woong-</i>


    ¡°The center! Go to the center of the room, and you''ll understand.¡±


    Following the Seeker''s suggestion, Se-Hoon examined the room''s center.


    <i>Hmm. I don''t see anything particrly special...</i>


    Maybe there was some kind of device rted to Celestial Magic he didn''t recognize? Staying cautious of being deceived by the Seeker, he continued to inspect the area.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Lea called, tugging his arm.


    She then pointed to the center of the room, just like the Seeker had.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over there.¡±


    Intrigued, Se-Hoon looked at her and asked, ¡°Is there something there?¡±


    ¡°That''s where the observation point is. If she really does know how to use Celestial Magic properly... you''ll see something different from there.¡±


    Depending on where you observe from, the same pattern can look entirely different. Pondering Lea¡¯s exnation, Se-Hoon nodded.


    ¡°Alright. Let''s check it out.¡±


    They moved to the center of the room together.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    The moment they stepped into the center, the white room was engulfed in darkness and the Celestial Coordinate System on the ceiling lit up in blue as stars began to appear, one by one.


    Looking up, the ceiling now looked like a perfect reproduction of the night sky¡ªit was breathtaking. However, there was also something unsettling about it. Looking closer, eightrger and brighter stars stood out.


    And from those stars... were life-sized puppets hanging from each, all limp and eerily reminiscent of hanged figures.


    It was a grotesque sight that contrasted sharply with the beautiful night sky.


    ¡°This... is an ancient enchantment, isn''t it?¡± Se-Hoon eventually said, studying the ceiling.


    ¡°...I think so.¡±


    The eight puppets represented thes of the sr system, channeling all of the celestial bodies'' power. It was an enchantment on an enormous scale, and its effects were equally significant.


    ¡°She¡¯s using the vessel bound with her own soul to mirror Earth and synchronize it as the center of the celestial bodies.... That¡¯s how she¡¯s been able to control her puppets across the world.¡±


    Impressed by theplexity, the Seeker praised the mechanism again.


    <i>¡°This is a truly borate magic array,¡± </i>Se-Hoon mentallymented in awe.


    ¡°It has to be. To pull this off, one would have to master both Biological Enchantments and Celestial Magic. If even one of those wascking, the magic array would have been ruined long ago.¡±


    It was aplex array of magic that was made possible only by the perfect bnce of the two.


    Se-Hoon nced at Lea.


    ¡°...¡±


    There was a troubled expression on Lea¡¯s face as she stared up at the ceiling. Why had Puppeteer gone to such lengths to study Celestial Magic? It could have just been out of necessity, but if there was any chance of another reason, then it would be impossible for Lea not to feel conflicted.


    After all, despite being her enemy now, Puppeteer was once her beloved mother.


    <i>¡°...Phew.¡±</i>


    After a while of staring at the ceiling, Lea let out a long sigh and shook her head slightly.


    <i>This doesn¡¯t change anything.</i>


    No matter what story or hidden motives Puppeteer had, the events of that fateful day wouldn¡¯t be erased. Puppeteer was now one of the Ten Evils responsible for countless deaths, and no reasoning could ever justify such actions.


    With her thoughts finally settled, Lea turned to Se-Hoon.


    ¡°So, what should we do next?¡±


    Relieved by the sight of Lea regaining herposure so quickly, Se-Hoon looked around.


    ¡°Puppeteer uses this facility to move her soul between puppets hidden all over the world. If we can disable this facility, we''ll effectively restrict her movements.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i> So, you¡¯re trying to trap her soul inside one of the puppets in the Pleasure District?¡±


    ¡°Something like that, but a bit different. What I''m aiming for is...¡±


    Se-Hoon then proceeded to exin how he nned to use Puppeteer during the campaign to defeat the Dream Demon.


    ¡°That... is that even possible?¡± asked Lea in disbelief after hearing everything.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s more than doable.¡±


    ¡°But... I mean... it''s a bit far-fetched, but I guess it could work...¡±


    Though Se-Hoon¡¯s n seemed absurd at first, when she thought it through, it no longer seemed entirely impossible.


    Taking some time to deeply think about it, Lea frowned for a bit before making up her mind.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go for it. If that bitch could pull this off, why can¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s get started right away.¡±


    Grabbing the Sphere from his void pocket with his left hand, Se-Hoon rested his right hand on Lea''s shoulder to maintain their invisibility. He then adjusted his posture for the task ahead, all while watching Lea flex her fingers in preparation.


    ¡°There are two main requirements for the enchantment. First, we need a trigger that only activates when we send the signal. Second, it has to be subtle enough that Puppeteer doesn¡¯t notice it.¡±


    The first condition was rtively simple, but the second made it far moreplicated. They needed to seamlessly integrate the trigger and the entire enchantment into the existing magic array without raising any suspicion.


    ¡°That''s one hell of a task.¡±


    ¡°Think you can handle it?¡±


    Since it relied entirely on Lea''s talent and skill, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t be certain.


    ¡°...¡±


    Instead of answering directly, Lea reached into the holder on her thigh and pulled out a hairpin, which her father had given her long ago, to secure her hair.


    Lightly patting her cheeks, she looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Make sure you back me up properly.¡±


    At the sight of her confident expression that dered that she wasn¡¯t going to make any mistakes, Se-Hoon smiled slightly.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s begin.¡±


    Ready, Lea extended both hands toward the Sphere and a golden aura promptly began to ripple across its surface. She could have used the Sphere¡¯s observation function to instantly analyze the magic array above them, but doing so would leave traces behind.


    So instead, Lea carefully examined the magic array by sight, manually inputting the details into the spear.


    <i>She really copied everything...!</i>


    Reading and replicating such extremelyplex magic by eye was essentially impossible, but the circumstances were different this time. The magic above Lea was based on her parents'' research, which she had seen countless times since childhood. Knowing the ins and outs of it, Lea could replicate it without too much difficulty.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Now bloodshot from intense focus, Lea¡¯s eyes darted around quickly, allowing her to faithfully replicate the magic array onto the surface of the Sphere.


    She was fully immersed in her work, a sight that made Se-Hoon smile.


    ¡°Wow... she¡¯s pretty good,¡± murmured the Seeker in admiration.


    <i>¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? She always gets the job done.¡±</i>


    ¡°You¡¯re really proud of yourself for saying that, aren¡¯t you... oh, you should fix that part over there.¡±


    <i>¡°Don¡¯t you think this part is also a bit excessive?¡±</i>


    ¡°Yeah, just smooth it out with the rest.¡±


    While Lea replicated the core structure, Se-Hoon and the Seeker fine-tuned the details. Working as a team, the surface of the Sphere was soon covered by intricate symbols, indicating that the replication waspleted.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    Comparing it with the array of celestial magic above them, it appeared like a perfect replica, but theirs had their own enchantments hidden within, all subtly woven in.


    ¡°How does it look?¡± Lea asked.


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Se-Hoon didn¡¯t even hesitate.


    Unless Puppeteer lost her mind and meticulously examined the entire array piece by piece, there was no way she would notice.


    With everything now prepared, Se-Hoon surveyed the area and said, ¡°When I give the signal, sync the Sphere and apply the enchantment to the Celestial Coordinate System immediately. We need to finish this as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    From this point on, it was mostly a matter of luck. No matter how fast they worked, if Puppeteer happened to check the base during this time, they¡¯d be caught instantly.


    <i>We can''t expect everything to go perfectly all the time.</i>


    To take advantage of someone as powerful as Puppeteer, they would just have to ept some risk. Firming his resolve, Se-Hoon started adjusting the dream mana surrounding the spear, pulling it into reality.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    <strong>¡°Celestial Synchronization!¡±</strong>


    At Se-Hoon¡¯s signal, the Sphere emitted a golden glow as it seamlessly synced with the array on the ceiling.


    <i>Whirr-</i>


    Its five rings began rotating, shifting their axes, and Lea¡¯s enchantments subtly merged into the array of celestial magic above them. Remaining hyper-aware of their surroundings, the two braced themselves for any signs of detection.


    Waiting anxiously, the arrays were fully synched momentster.


    ¡°Done!¡±


    At Lea¡¯s shout, Se-Hoon immediately pulled the Sphere back into the dream realm, leaving the room in heavy silence. Anxiously checking her surroundings, Lea let out a quiet sigh upon seeing that there was no immediate reaction.


    <i>I really thought something was going to go wrong...</i>


    Luckily, it seemed like everything had gone perfectly. Relieved, Lea opened her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t say anything.


    <i>sp-</i>


    Se-Hoon¡¯s hand had suddenly mped over her mouth.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Confused, Lea¡¯s eyes shot wide open, but before she could process anything, she felt something cold and sinister brush against her body.


    A shadowy figure had emerged without her knowing and had slowly walked past them. It filled Lea with the indescribable feeling of dread, making her heart race.


    The ck silhouette crept forward, scanning its surroundings while turning its head slowly.


    <i>Creak-</i>


    Its face was covered by countless eyes looking in different directions. The eyes all darted around as the ck puppet inspected the area, its eyes gradually fixing on Lea and Se-Hoon, one by one.


    When its eyes were all focused on them, the towering figure, easily over two meters tall, bent down and locked its gaze onto Lea¡¯s face.


    <i>Creak-</i>


    Chills went down Lea¡¯s spine. Desperately hoping it hadn¡¯t detected anything, Lea stared back at the countless eyes.


    Then, a cold voice echoed through the room.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 226

    <h4>Chapter 226</h4>


    The puppet¡¯s voice, filled with conviction, resounded loudly in Lea¡¯s ears. Its countless eyes were all fixed on her.


    Lea froze. How to defeat the Puppeteer, how to escape, how to survive¡ªwhat did she have to do? All of those questions swirled in her mind, and she couldn''te up with an answer to any of them, making her stiffen.


    <i>What if... I can''t get out of here...?</i>


    If she couldn¡¯t, then she should just strike now. At that impulsive thought, Lea reached for the hairpin holstered at her thigh. But then, just as her fingers touched it¡ª


    <i>Tap, tap.</i>


    Se-Hoon''s fingers lightly tapped her cheek.


    Startled, Lea looked to the side and met Se-Hoon¡¯s calm, steady gaze. He stood thereposed like nothing was wrong, so Lea calmed down and turned her gaze back to the puppet in front of her.


    Like before, the ck puppet¡¯s eyes were all fixed on her in silence. The pressure she felt staring back made her want to drive the hairpin into one of them immediately, but she suppressed the urge.


    Like that, the strange standoff continued until the puppet eventually lifted its head.


    ¡°...Did I mishear it?¡±


    Still staring in the general direction where Lea was standing, the puppet slowly stood up.


    ¡°But I did feel something off...¡±


    Still suspicious, it took another look around the room, scanning the area with its darting eyes. Then, when it saw nothing unusual in the room again, it reached for the air.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Responding to his gesture, a celestial body on the ceiling began to move, and soon a massive presence was felt throughout the facility.


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    <i>Is it... assimting itself with the entire facility?</i>


    It seemed the puppet was going to survey the entire facility by treating it as an extension of its own body for a brief moment. Se-Hoon had never encountered any method like it even before the regression, but he didn''t let it rattle him.


    He had already done everything he could since stepping into this ce. Now, even if he felt uneasy about the unfolding situation, it was best to just trust his intuition and wait.


    <i>Rustle-</i>


    It felt like countless eyes swept across them. Staying still, they waited until the ck puppet that had stopped began to move again.


    ¡°I guess I was wrong...¡±


    Shaking its head, the puppet slowly turned away and walked past Se-Hoon and Lea. Momentster, the sound of a door closing and footsteps fading into the distance reached their ears. Only then did Se-Hoon remove his hand from Lea''s mouth.


    ¡°Let''s get out of here,¡± he quietly whispered to Lea.


    Seeing Lea nod in response, Se-Hoon grabbed the Sphere and moved toward the door behind them. He decided it was best to escape through the corridor they had entered, wary of what traps might lie in wait elsewhere.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    Covering the door with another Veil of Whitespace, Se-Hoon pulled Lea into the corridor.


    ¡°!!¡±


    The ck puppet was right there, its face pressed right up against the door. It had only pretended to leave, stealthily returning to inspect the interior again.


    Se-Hoon broke out in a cold sweat.


    <i>She¡¯s a thorough one, alright...</i>


    Though it had convinced itself that there weren''t any problems in the room, the puppet still killed its presence and doubled back, just in case. And it would have paid off had they gone through the door without going through the Veil of Whitespace first; they would have been instantly detected.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    Skillfully avoiding the puppet, the two of them slipped out of the door. Se-Hoon then quickly attached a Veil of Whitespace to the corridor ceiling and exited outside to the sight of the ground surrounding them.


    ¡°<i>Phew...</i>¡±


    Unknowingly letting out a sigh of relief, Lea foundfort in the sensation of being in the ground. Originally, it was unpleasant, like she was being buried alive, but now it felt like the earth was hiding them.


    Feeling the overwhelming fatigue and weakness that had overtaken her begin to lift, Lea vigorously shook her head to clear the remainder and looked at Se-Hoon.


    ¡°We won¡¯t get caught, right?¡±


    ¡°Probably not. She only did a quick check after all.¡±


    If Puppeteer had been certain of their presence, she would havepletely sealed the entire facility or brought in a Single Number to search. So while she was highly sensitive, it was likely she ended up dismissing it as her own mistake.


    <i>Judging by her meticulous nature, it¡¯s probably not the first time she¡¯s done something like this.</i>


    Just like how someone would turn on the light to check when they sensed something in a dark room, Puppeteer would briefly examine the facility whenever she had a hunch. It would have been disastrous if they had left any traces, but they made sure they took care of that so that there wouldn''t be any further problems.


    ¡°Okay... that''s a relief...¡± said Lea wearily, clinging to Se-Hoon¡¯s arm.


    With their business done, the two of them slipped out of the ground and returned.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    Now back in their quarters, the dream mana that had enveloped their body dissipated, and Lea breathed in the air of reality. Forcefully steadying her trembling legs, Lea barely managed to sit down on the bed.


    ¡°I don''t think I''m cut out for infiltration or this kind of stuff...¡±


    Though she had known from the start it wouldn''t be easy, now that it was over, she finally realized she was sweating and trembling so much that she could hardly remember what she had just done.


    It had been a perilous infiltration, one where a single mistake could have led to the infamous Puppeteer discovering them.


    Watching Lea trying to calm her trembling, Se-Hoon spoke calmly from his seat on a chair. ¡°Do you really think so? You were quick to respond when you thought we were caught instead of just giving up. That kind of boldness is crucial in infiltration missions.¡±


    Of course, making wrong choices could make things more dangerous, but it was far better than freezing up and doing nothing. More dangerous or not, it could significantly increase their chances of survival.


    ¡°You did well this time. You have a knack for it.¡±


    At the unexpected praise, Lea made a sheepish smile. ¡°<i>Ahem.</i> It''s not that big of a deal...¡±


    ¡°I''m serious. I''d trust you with this kind of mission any time.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. That¡¯s enough ttery for today... oh, wait...¡±


    At the sight of her expression abruptly changing to one of slight frustration, Se-Hoon looked at her curiously.


    ¡°What''s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that... should I really be happy about being praised for my infiltration skills instead of my enchanting skills?¡±


    She had almost forgotten after being dragged into the Puppeteer''s base but hadn''t she scored only ny points on an enchantment she thought deserved ny-five, maybe even a hundred points?


    <i>Should I just give up enchantments and be an assassin or something?</i>


    Just because one knew how to enchant didn''t mean they had to be an enchanter, right? Such random thoughts crossed her mind.


    ¡°Your enchantment skills are a given. That''s why I didn''t mention it. The enchantment you inscribed back there was excellent, too,¡± Se-Hoon said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really.¡±


    ¡°Then how many points would you give it?¡±


    Under her scrutinizing gaze, Se-Hoon seriously pondered it.


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡°Ny-one points.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be giving me ny-five or even a hundred points during moments like this?¡±


    A score of ny-one was too low to be encouraging but too high to be disappointing.


    Noticing Lea¡¯s dissatisfaction, Se-Hoon decided to give her an exnation. ¡°You should be proud of scoring a ny-one, since from this point onwards, it''s out of my hands.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean...?¡±


    ¡°It means your enchantments have reached a level that I can''t even replicate.¡±


    Her enchantment was beyond Se-Hoon¡¯s power to reproduce¡ªthat was what an enchantment scoring ny-one or higher meant, and Lea had just seeded in reaching that level.


    ¡°...¡±


    Speechless, Lea processed Se-Hoon''s words and a smile soon began tugging at the corners of her mouth. Her tiredness hadpletely vanished now, reced by a new surge of energy.


    Feeling a surge of confidence, Lea dered in a proud, assertive tone, ¡°<i>Ahem. </i>If you ever have something difficult to handle, just let me know. I''ll help you out as your caring sunbae.¡±


    <strong>[Subject ¡®Lea udel¡¯ feels superior.]</strong>


    <strong>[A Fatestone has been formed for the subject ¡®Lea udel.¡¯]</strong>


    Dismissing the notification messages that popped up before his eyes, Se-Hoon saw how Lea had regained her confidence and energy and decided to take her up on her offer.


    ¡°Then there''s something I''d like to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any insight on how Puppeteer is using Celestial Magic?¡±


    Falling into deep thought, Lea ended up shaking her head.


    ¡°I have no clue either. From what I know, she used to despise Celestial Magic... and she wasn''t verypatible with it either. It''s strange to see her handle it so skillfully.¡±


    ¡°So she wasn''tpatible with it...¡±


    Typically, mastering a field of expertise one wasn''tpatible with was no easy feat. But knowing what Puppeteer was capable of, Se-Hoon naturally considered one possibility.


    <i>...The Box?</i>


    The Box was a bioweapon that granted the abilities of its previous owner by using their flesh as material. And considering that it waspleted, it wouldn''t be surprising if Puppeteer had used it to gain knowledge of Celestial Magic.


    <i>...I''ll have to investigate this further.</i>


    There were ways to confirm it right now, but it could make Puppeteer suspicious. It would be best to look into it with Lea after the Dream Demon was killed.


    ¡°Alright, let''s leave that forter. Specting without enough information might lead us astray.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Are we all set now?¡±


    Nodding in response, Se-Hoon confirmed. ¡°The preparations are all in ce now.¡±


    If the Pleasure District and the Dream Demon were as he remembered, then his n was wless. However, Se-Hoon decided to hold off on executing the operation for a little longer.


    <i>I still don''t know what variables might arise, so I should observe and wait for the best opportunity.</i>


    His n would only be more effective as the Expansion nearedpletion, so there was no harm in biding his time until then. For now, he would just keep a close eye on the situation in the Pleasure District through Amir, patiently waiting for the perfect moment.


    <i>The ideal scenario would be if nothing unexpected happens during the n... but that¡¯s basically impossible.</i>


    Considering how many changes his regression had caused already, it seemed improbable that the Pleasure District and the Dream Demon would remain unaffected.


    <i>I have no choice but to trust him for now.</i>


    The direction of the uing battle against the Dream Demon would depend heavily on the information Amir managed to gather. With the day of the decisive battle drawing near, Se-Hoon looked out the window.


    ¡°I wonder how this will y out.¡±


    ***


    The Nightmare Tower stood in the heart of the Pleasure District¡¯s Zone One. Being the Dream Demon''s stronghold and the Pleasure District¡¯s center ofmand, it was an imposing building.


    And within it, on the first floor, was Amir. Ignoring the demons and criminals on the wanted list filling the lobby, Amir headed straight for a specific wall.


    <i>Wobble-</i>


    Passing through the wall, Amir stopped in a private elevator room essible only to authorized personnel. Stepping into the elevator, which had just arrived on the first floor, Amir pulled out a purple card and held it up to the panel beneath the buttons.


    <i>Ding!</i>


    The doors quietly closed with a clear sound, and the elevator began descending deep underground instead of rising. Its movement was so quiet and smooth that it was impossible to gauge how fast or how deep it was going. It even made Amir wonder if the entire elevator had frozen in midair.


    <i>Ding!</i>


    When the doors opened again with another clear chime, a hallway decorated in an antique style, reminiscent of one in a grand mansion from the Middle Ages, was revealed.


    Noting something different, Amir¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    <i>The density of dream mana has increased sincest time...</i>


    The violet haze swirling the area was now more intense, enough to make him feel dizzy. So, Amir decided to just suppress his unique skill, Winter Sky Eyes.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The haze clouding his vision instantly vanished, and he steadied himself before proceeding down the corridor to a certain door.


    <i>Knock, knock.</i>


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Hearing the voice inviting him in, Amir cautiously opened the door and saw the Dream Demon standing in the center of thevishly decorated reception room.


    ¡°Sorry to call you while you were working. Were you very busy?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It was just some simple paperwork.¡±


    ¡°That''s good to hear. Please, have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Obeying the Dream Demon''s instructions, Amir sat on the sofa, and the Dream Demon walked over to him slowly.


    ¡°How¡¯s work been goingtely?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing my best to handle everything perfectly.¡±


    ¡°I know. I''ve heard nothing but praise about you from your colleagues.¡±


    Thepliments from the secretarial office and the increase in the zone chiefs¡¯ wariness of Amir proved that his work had been wless. Truthfully, the Dream Demon was surprised at how quickly Amir had adapted to his new responsibilities.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re just getting the recognition you deserve. So, I''m a bit curious.¡±


    Resting a hand on the back of the sofa Amir was on, the Dream Demon posed a question in a soft voice. ¡°How would you rate the current project through your eyes?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Amir hesitated to answer. The Expansion was the Dream Demon¡¯s brainchild, so the safest answer would be tovishly praise the project while carefully suggesting a few minor improvements.


    <i>But considering that she''s asking me this now...</i>


    What was the Dream Demon''s true intention? How could he answer without arousing suspicion? His mind racing, Amir considered his options.


    ¡°It seems a bit rushed,¡± answered Amir in the end.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°While the expansion of the Pleasure District itself is progressing sessfully, the verification process for the new residents has be toox.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i>¡±


    The Dream Demon made no furtherment, a signal for Amir to continue. So, Amir drew on the information he¡¯d gathered while working in the secretarial office to borate further.


    ¡°While it¡¯s sort of understandable, as the resident poption has increased by more than five hundred percentpared tost year, if things continue as they are, there''s a high risk that spies from the Heroes Association or other factions could infiltrate. And also...¡±


    ¡°You think the zones could suffer a significant blow if someone exploits the gaps created by this project?¡±


    From how the Dream Demon finished his words, she was already aware.


    ¡°Yes... That¡¯s at least what I think.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm...</i> These are all very obvious points.¡±


    There was a hint of disappointment in the Dream Demon¡¯s murmur. She then stood behind Amir, naturally cing her hands on his shoulders.


    ¡°But they are also things that no one else dares to bring up.¡±


    While the zone chiefs and the Dream Demon¡¯s direct subordinates would also have noticed such ws, they never pointed them out, fearing that there might be some hidden intention behind them.


    ¡°Obeying my orders without question and avoiding unnecessary doubts¡ªthings used to be simpler that way, but... it''s tiring to have to issue orders for every little thing.¡±


    Sighing, the Dream Demon began gently massaging Amir''s shoulders, sending a cold shiver down his body.


    <i>If that was still her preferred approach... it would have been the end of me.</i>


    Tools that outlived their usefulness were discarded¡ªthat was the Dream Demon''s philosophy, and Amir had just narrowly avoided crossing that dangerous line.


    The Dream Demon spoke again, her tone even. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking of giving a few capable people more autonomy. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I will do my utmost if entrusted,¡± replied Amir, having managed to steady his emotions.


    Once the Dream Demon made an offer, there was no option to refuse. The Dream Demon smiled with satisfaction.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Then, let me show you the project we¡¯ll be working on after the expansion ispleted so that you can take the lead when the timees.¡±


    <i>Whirr-</i>


    Violet butterflies suddenly appeared in the room, fluttering around it beforeing together to form arge purple mirror that disyed multiple scenes simultaneously.


    <i>Whoosh! ng!</i>


    Surprised by the scenes of dozens of people engaging in one-on-onebat, Amir just watched quietly.


    ¡°This new project is called Projection. We''re using dream mana to create a variety of enemy specimens. Right now, it''s just being used for training, but the ultimate goal is to summon them as an army in the real world.¡±


    At those words, Amir''s breath caught in his throat.


    <i>An entire army...?</i>


    An army created purely from dream mana¡ªif such a thing were truly developed, the Dream Demon''s forces would be even more formidable.


    Amir focused. <i>This is something to worry about after the Expansion isplete. But perhaps there''s a gap I can exploit here...</i>


    Taking a closer look, Amir observed the variousbat scenes in the mirror and something strange caught his eye. While one side consisted of various people fighting, the other side featured individuals who, despite using different weapons and techniques, all seemed oddly simr.


    And for some reason, that familiarity unsettled Amir.


    At that moment, the Dream Demon''s voice interrupted his thoughts.


    ¡°But right now, we don''t have many suitable specimens, so I''m mass-producing the best and most capable person I have right now. That¡¯s why you might find some of them familiar.¡±


    ¡°What... do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you haven¡¯t noticed yet?¡±


    At those words, the mirror promptly zoomed in on one of the scenes, showing a battle where a demon was brutally shing a subdued opponent with a sword.


    ¡°Die!!¡±


    The victim, a young man with bronze skin,y helplessly beneath the onught.


    Recognizing the face, Amir''s eyes widened in horror. It was his cousin, Zayed, who had been taken hostage by the Dream Demon.


    ¡°...¡±


    ncing at the frozen Amir, the Dream Demon smiled.


    ¡°Don''t worry,¡± she whispered. ¡°It''s just a copy.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I''m thinking of using him until we find a more suitable specimen.... What do you think?¡±


    Feeling the Dream Demon''s hand resting on his shoulder, Amir quietly swallowed his emotions. Though Zayed¡¯s copy was being savagely beaten by dozens of opponents in the mirror, Amir steeled himself once more.


    ¡°It would be an honor.¡±


    And once again, he swore to himself that he would ughter the Dream Demon.

 Chapter 227

    <h4>Chapter 227</h4>


    Erika: Can¡¯t contact you for the time being.


    Jake: I''ll be busy with household chores, so it might be hard to reach me. If something urgentes up, please contact me through my sister.


    <i>¡°Hmm...¡±</i>


    Reading the two simr messages that arrived at 3:00 am and 8:00 am, respectively, Se-Hoon began stroking his chin in thought.


    <i>Are they preparing in advance for next semester?</i>


    Since the three Perfect Ones had announced that they were going to work together on Babel''s education system, it made sense that they were preparing to reap the most from the opportunity.


    Replying to both that he understood, Se-Hoon then sent a message to Sung-Ha: What have you been up totely?


    <i>He¡¯s not going to check right away, so maybe around dinnertime... huh?</i>


    Contrary to his expectations, a read indicator appeared almost instantly. And then, the screen indicated that Sung-Ha was replying.


    Sung-Ha: Training.


    It was short and blunt, a response that exuded utter annoyance.


    <i>He responded while training...?</i>


    Shocked that Sung-Ha responded, Se-Hoon immediately recalled how the Mad Dog severed all contact once he started training, causing the dy of many operations.


    <i>Seems like his social skills have improved a lotpared to before.</i>


    Compared to a typical person, there was still a long way to go, but Se-Hoon considered even that as pretty good. Satisfied, Se-Hoon replied with some encouraging words before continuing to browse the news section.


    Since there hadn''t been any significant incidents recently, the headliners were rtively peaceful. He continued scrolling down, and soon, a familiar name caught his eye.


    ¡°S-Rank Hero Ryu Eun-Ha Files Lawsuit to Terminate Contract with the Seraphim Guild.¡±


    It didn¡¯t make headlines, it was still a highly noted story. Opening it, Se-Hoon read through it with a peculiar expression on his face.


    <i>She really went through with it.</i>


    Though he still remembered Eun-Ha mentioning terminating her contract with the Seraphim Guild during thest meeting, he hadn¡¯t expected her to move so proactively.


    <i>Hmm... She¡¯s definitely acting more decisively than before the regression. </i>


    Back then, Eun-Ha had only cared about him when their bond had reached level four. So considering that their bond was currently only level three, things were proceeding quite rapidly.


    <i>Although, there are some negative emotions mixed into our Rtionship this time... I guess the key will be the Dream Demon¡¯s elimination.</i>


    He truly wondered how she would react if he told her that he had gone and eliminated one of the Ten Evils despite her asking him to be careful. Before, she would have likely just cautioned him again, but now, there would likely be a much stronger reaction.


    <i>Well, let''s set that aside for now... </i>


    Deciding that getting a rough idea of Eun-Ha¡¯s reaction was enough for now, Se-Hoon checked the time.


    <i>Ding-dong!</i>


    Immediately realizing who the visitor was, Se-Hoon used a Shadow Thread to press the button on the inte.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    Emerging from the entrance to the living room, Amir gave Se-Hoon his usual gentle smile. However, something about it made Se-Hoon narrow his eyes.


    ¡°...Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Noticing the look Se-Hoon was giving him, Amir looked back suspiciously.


    But instead of answering, Se-Hoon returned a question of his own, ¡°I¡¯m guessing something has happened?¡±


    Se-Hoon immediately let out a sigh, having caught Amir¡¯s momentary surprise.


    ¡°Sit down and let¡¯s talk.¡±


    ¡°...Understood.¡±


    Observing Amir as he sat down in front of him, Se-Hoon lightly scanned Amir¡¯s body with Eyes of irvoyance and Ethereal Vision.


    <i>Nothing too rming.</i>


    Confirming there was no risk of anyone eavesdropping or self-detonation, Se-Hoon fixed his expression and stared at the stoic Amir.


    ¡°Tell me everything about what happened.¡±


    Briefly hesitating, Amir took a deep breath.


    ¡°Since this matter is rted to my past, I will exin from the beginning. Originally, our family belonged to the aristocracy, but during the war against the Demon Forces, my grandfather...¡±


    Amir¡¯s storysted for a while. It was the story of the Singh family¡¯s second wind and the subsequent attack by the Dream Demon. The Dream Demon had killed all of the family elders, including his father, who was a lieutenant at the time. She had then taken his cousin, Zayed Singh, who was a strong candidate for the next head of the family, as a hostage.


    ¡°Thus, our entire family was subjugated by the Dream Demon overnight. She was probably upset that we tried to withdraw from the underworld.¡±


    Seemingly without any regrets, Amir calmly exined the history as if it wasn¡¯t his own family¡¯s. However, Se-Hoon knew that wasn''t the case.


    <i>¡°It''s been decades now, but I still think about it sometimes. Aren¡¯t I pathetic, Se-Hoon? Even after avenging my family, I still can''t break free...¡±</i>


    During that moment, the Frost Dog sounded so bitter as he stared at the campfire in front of him.


    Recalling the conversation they once had in the deste ruins, Se-Hoon came back to reality and looked at Amir.


    ¡°That''s enough of an exnations. To get to the main point, the current issue is the Projection Project that the Dream Demon is preparing next after the Expansion.¡±


    ¡°The Projection Project?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She ns to create a legion of soldiers by gaining information about humans and demons using dream mana and then manifesting them in reality.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gaining information from... dreams?¡± A hint of incredulity could be heard in Se-Hoon¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Exactly. She gets various results by applying various stimuli within the dreams of the test subjects.¡±


    In other words, she was taking advantage of the world of dreams to learn information. In simpler terms, she was having them see an unending dream of learning archery to train someone to be an archer.


    It sounded usible in theory, but it was actually an absurd idea. But since it was the Dream Demon they were talking about, Se-Hoon thought that it might really be possible.


    <i>She does happen to be collecting Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Devices...</i>


    If she used the synthetic mindscapes acquired for the Expansion to stimte other people''s dreams... then even Se-Hoon could only wonder about the results. The sess rate wasn¡¯t that high, but merely having the potential to seed made the n significantly threatening.


    ¡°You said the sample she¡¯s using currently is your cousin?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Thinking through the brief exnation from Amir about the suspicious n and the hostage involved, Se-Hoon couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel like a trap?¡±


    ¡°...There¡¯s a high chance it is.¡±


    Just the fact that Amir had been told the details of the new project that used Zayed as a sample despite only recently bing the Dream Demon¡¯s secretary was suspicious enough. No matter how valuable the Dream Demon might consider Amir, it was hard not to sense an ulterior motive.


    <i>Did she mention it with a condescending attitude, thinking, ¡®What could someone like you possibly do¡¯? No... that¡¯s too optimistic.</i>


    He tried to figure out what the intentions of the Dream Demon might be, but it didn¡¯t take long before Se-Hoon gave up. Trying to understand a lunatic''s mind would only lead to confusion. Right now, the more pressing concern was how to deal with the new variable that clearly looked like a trap.


    <i>I don¡¯t remember there being such a project before the regression...</i>


    He could only remember there being a simr counterpart for the Expansion.


    <i>The closest thing might be... the creation of the Destroyer of Perceptions.</i>


    The specifics of the creation process carried out by Session of Watchers and Doppelganger together differed, but they both used the synesthetic mindscapes of various heroes and demons.


    <i>Even if they might not be rted, I know one thing for certain: this shouldn¡¯t be taken lightly.</i>


    Considering how simr the method was to the creation of a Harbinger of Destruction, it couldn¡¯t be dismissed. Organizing his thoughts, Se-Hoon looked at Amir who had gone quiet.


    ¡°So what do you think we should do?¡±


    Pausing at the question, Amir slowly began to answer after a moment ¡°Currently, the Projection Project is only being conducted within the Dream Castle. That means that in order to put an end to it, we would have to enter the Dream Castle directly.¡±


    Entering the Dream Castle was essentially entering the embodiment of the Dream Demon¡¯s power¡ªthey would be practically giving up on their lives.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s still in the preparation stage, it shouldn¡¯t create too significant of a variable yet. Also, the Dream Castle will copse when the Dream Demon is eliminated, naturally resolving the situation. So for now¡ª¡±


    ¡°We should ept some sacrifices and move forward, even if it means Zayed Singh¡¯s death.¡±


    Finishing Amir¡¯s words, Se-Hoon looked at him calmly.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you mean, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Amir met Se-Hoon¡¯s gaze. Then, he slowly nodded.


    ¡°That would be the most prudent decision.¡±


    After all, the opponent was none other than the Dream Demon, one of the Ten Evils. It wasn¡¯t a creature that could be defeated with half-hearted resolve.


    <i>Zayed would have made the same choice.</i>


    Whether the Dream Demon was using Zayed to test his resolve or not, Amir was able to steel himself thanks to that. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t afford to lose the chance he had waited so long for. He reaffirmed his determination.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±


    Amir saw Se-Hoon shaking his head.


    ¡°Not it...?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right that it¡¯s the most prudent method at the moment. But that¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking, is it?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. What do <i>you</i> think we should do?¡±


    For the first time, Amir let his emotions show. His eyes wavered, and his fists trembled slightly. He tried to suppress them, but the emotions within him were uncontroble.


    In the end, Amir let out a hollowugh and let go of everything. ¡°Of course, I want to save my cousin. Why are you asking something so obvious?¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say it?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I say it?¡±


    Normally, he would have suppressed his emotions and rationalized the situation, but this time, he let his feelings speak for him.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Entering the Dream Castle, which is practically walking inside the Dream Demon¡¯s belly, to save someone whose location we don¡¯t even know and escaping... do you <i>really </i>think that¡¯s possible?¡±


    His words dripped with cynicism, but Se-Hoon simply stared at him, silently urging him to continue. He looked so serene that something stirred within Amir.


    ¡°Why are you making me say this? Is it because you think I¡¯ll me youter? That I¡¯ll say, ¡®My family died because of your n, so you should take responsibility¡¯?!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you don¡¯t need to worry. I may be an opportunist, but I¡¯m not that foolish. So please...¡±


    Unable to contain his continually swelling emotions, Amir gritted his teeth and desperately pleaded with Se-Hoon.


    ¡°Please... please don¡¯t make me feel any more miserable... please...¡±


    Even if it was the most logical choice, the mere thought of sacrificing someone who had once saved him just for the sake of revenge was unbearably painful for Amir.


    Having finally faced his true emotions for the first time, Amir felt himself sinking into a deep sense of helplessness.


    ¡°Okay, I understand.¡±


    In contrast to Amir, who was losing his mind, Se-Hoon was perfectly calm.


    ¡°If it was that difficult for you, you should¡¯ve said so. I was just asking in case you had another n in your mind.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bewildered by how casually Se-Hoon was taking this situation, Amir could do nothing but stare at Se-Hoon. For a moment, Amir even wondered if Se-Hoon was trying to provoke him, but the emotions he could see through his eyes were as clear as a cloudless sky.


    <i>What... is he... </i>


    Feeling as if he had been yed, Amir couldn¡¯t find the words to respond. And it was at that moment that Se-Hoon spoke again, this time in a disinterested tone. ¡°Well, in any case, if we sum it all up, saving Zayed is the better option, right? Then let¡¯s go with that.¡±


    ¡°What... do you mean?¡±


    Thinking he must have misheard, Amir asked again. And again, Se-Hoon¡¯s response was the same.


    ¡°We¡¯ll storm the Dream Castle and save your cousin.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Amir nked in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t understand how Se-Hoon could be so confident; this wasn¡¯t like raiding a neighbor¡¯s house, it was a fortress of nightmares.


    Again, he suspected he was being provoked, but like before, the expression on Se-Hoon¡¯s face made him discard that doubt.


    ¡°Why would you do something so reckless...?¡±


    ¡°You said there were no significant variables yet, but that bothers me. I wouldn¡¯t have cared if I didn¡¯t know, but now that I do, I have to poke around a bit.¡±


    Considering it was a variable that wasn¡¯t present before the regression, he had to do some probing even if it was a trapid by the Dream Demon.


    ¡°But still...¡±


    ¡°And you said it yourself, that you want to save him.¡±


    Seeing Amir still struggling toprehend, Se-Hoon added, ¡°We¡¯re on the same boat. The least I can do is help your family out. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    In truth, if Amir had genuinely meant that he didn¡¯t care what happened to Zayed, Se-Hoon would have just proceeded ordingly. After all, Zayed was someone he had only heard about, someone who didn¡¯t matter to him in either timeline.


    <i>¡°Zayed should have lived instead of me. It would¡¯ve been better that way. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±</i>


    But even as the world was ending, he still clearly remembered how the Frost Dog had regretted Zayed¡¯s death till the end. And if that regret was what had twisted Amir into the dog he had be, then saving Zayed was essential for Amir¡¯s redemption.


    <i>And this is also what I decided to change this time around.</i>


    To prevent both his and the Three Dog¡¯s regrets¡ªthe resolution he made after regressing.


    Se-Hoon looked at the dazed Amir.


    ¡°Well, is there anything else you want to say?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, no, nothing more...¡±


    ¡°Then stop spacing out and go and get ready.¡±


    Standing up, Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes began gleaming with determination.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to hit the Pleasure District in two days.¡±


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 228

    <h4>Chapter 228</h4>


    Moving around a hotel room on the top floor of Turkey¡¯s most luxurious hotel, Amir prepared to return to the Pleasure District.


    He had just finished handling some family business and was currently changing his clothes. He paused, having caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.


    Like any other day, he was wearing subtle and ordinary apparel, but today, he noticed that within the depths of his eyes was a storm brewing thick with dark clouds, threatening to unleash chaos at any moment.


    <i>Am I... nervous?</i>


    It was obvious why he was nervous; the day he had waited all these years for was finally within reach¡ªit was the day he would bring down the Pleasure District and kill the Dream Demon.


    And because of that, it didn¡¯t seem real. Staring at his reflection, Amir pinched his cheek hard.


    <i>Squeeze-</i>


    ¡°Ouch.¡±


    The pain was real, and his skin had reddened in proof of his actions. It had been a foolish act, something his old self would never have done. But right now, he desperately wanted to convince himself that the current moment was indeed real.


    <i>I don¡¯t want to start doubting everything again.</i>


    The chance he longed for had finally arrived at his doorstep thanks to a single individual. Even now, with the day imminent, Amir struggled to believe how it all came to be.


    How could a young man, who wasn¡¯t even an S-rank hero, let alone a Perfect One, be talking about bringing down the Pleasure District and ying the Dream Demon? He was just a mere student who had joined Babel half a year ago. Who would believe such a fantastical tale?


    <i>What if... this is all part of the Dream Demon''s trap?</i>


    What if they had already fallen for the Dream Demon¡¯s scheme and were unknowingly revealing every detail of their n without even realizing it? Knowing best the ability of the Dream Demon¡ªmaking reality feel like a dream¡ªand the true terror of it, Amir couldn''t shake off his lingering doubts.


    <i>If even my Winter Sky Eyes can''t see through her, then how is Se-Hoon holding up?</i>


    The Dream Demon had once said that Se-Hoon was simr to her, a being who believed that the reality he was living in was all a dream. But if that were true, what could be driving Se-Hoon to act so desperately?


    Spiraling, Amir''s thoughts drifted to when hest spoke to Se-Hoon two days ago.


    <i>¡°I can''t promise we''ll seed. So, at the very least, do your best to prepare so that you have no regrets left after.¡±</i>


    At the time, Amir had simply thought his words reflected the difficulty of the task. Now, however, his words about settling regrets resonated more deeply.


    <i>To have no regrets...</i>


    Even if their reality turned out to be a dream, Se-Hoon was still resolved to act based on his convictions and do everything he could. Perhaps that determination was what separated Se-Hoon from the Dream Demon, despite their simr states of mind.


    <i>Yes... this should be enough.</i>


    No matter what happened, Amir vowed to use everything he had prepared to avoid future regrets. Burning that determination into his mind, he closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and then slowly opened his eyes again to look at the mirror.


    Though faint, a glimmer of light began to shine through his stormy sky of emotions. And upon noticing it, he promptly turned to head toward the Pleasure District, his eyes now sparkling.


    ***


    <strong>[The bond with ¡®Amir Singh¡¯ has grown to Lv. 3.]</strong>


    <strong>[Since the bond has grown to Lv.3, the existing Rtionship has deepened.]</strong>


    <strong>[Rtionship: Vignce]</strong>


    <strong>[Just like how one can easily flip the side of a coin, the standards of good and evil easily flip. </strong>


    <strong>With such vague standards, one can easily be led astray. However, the story changes if they are able to establish their own criteria. </strong>


    <strong>If you and the subject start to feel less cautious when interacting and start to look in the same direction, this Rtionship can evolve into something new.</strong>


    <strong>*A Fatestone is created whenever the subject¡¯s vignce lessens.</strong>


    <strong>*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases as the subject¡¯s vignce decreases.</strong>


    <strong>* The probability of the subject¡¯s synesthetic mindscape manifesting inside the Fatestone increases when you and the subject share the same standards.</strong>


    <strong>*Current created Fatestones: 1]</strong>


    Staring at the notification message that popped up, Se-Hoon raised an eyebrow at the message before letting out a small chuckle in the dark alley on the outskirts of the city.


    <i>At least he still has some conscience left.</i>


    Since he had offered to rescue a person he had never even met from the Dream Demon¡¯s stronghold, it was only fitting that the bond level between him and Amir grew.


    In fact, Se-Hoon had just been thinking that he might be helping an ungrateful beast, but the notification had eased his mind.


    <i>But still, to think he hasn¡¯t let his guard down after all that.... Well, I guess it¡¯s understandable, albeit a bit frustrating.</i>


    After all, Amir¡¯s entire life had revolved around the Dream Demon and revenge. Given his personality and past, it would be hard for him to rx until everything waspletely resolved.


    <i>If we seed, our Rtionship will likely progress significantly.</i>


    If they managed to rescue his cousin, Zayed, and kill the Dream Demon, Amir¡¯s bond level could shoot up to level four in an instant.


    Thinking about the possibilities that could bring, Se-Hoon fell into deep thought.


    ¡°<i>Huff... Huff...</i>¡±


    At the tense breaths, Se-Hoon put away his thoughts and turned his head to see Lea. d in a white coat, Lea was taking deep breaths to calm herself.


    ¡°Are you nervous?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Hearing Se-Hoon¡¯s carefree voice which contrasted sharply with her own tension, Lea shot a quick nce at him.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m nervous. Isn¡¯t it weirder not to be in this situation?¡±


    They were about to enter the Dream Demon¡¯s territory¡ªthe Pleasure District¡ªto meet the Puppeteer. And their goal? It was to use the Puppeteer to kill the Dream Demon.


    Considering the grandness of their scheme, not being nervous in such a situation would indeed be strange.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>... I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±


    Though he agreed with her, Se-Hoon still showed no tension. After all,pared to his days during the war against the Demon Force, their situation didn¡¯t seem so bad.


    <i>Back then, I had to fight not for the best oue but to avoid the worst...</i>


    He still vividly recalled the struggles of those days when he was driven purely by revenge rather than hope. Compared to that, the current situation could even be called favorable.


    <i>But still, it¡¯s not good to get toocent.</i>


    A single mistake could nullify all of the preparations he had done in advance. Keeping that in mind, he reaffirmed to himself the importance of the mission. It was the first step for theing war against the Demon Force.


    He turned to look at Lea, who was still taking deep breaths.


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s about time we head out. Are you ready?¡±


    At his question, Lea took onest deep breath before nodding with a calmer expression.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Looking at Lea, she had changed significantly since theirst encounter with the Puppeteer. And upon seeing the clear resolve in her demeanor, Se-Hoon confirmed that the final piece was set.


    Beginning the n, he retrieved a jewel box from his void pocket.


    <i>Click-</i>


    Opening its lid, Se-Hoon gazed at the purple gem with a ck streak running through it¡ªthe Dream Demon¡¯s Eye, which he had acquired during the special exam.


    He had pondered how to use it back then, but hadn''t touched it since. It was challenging to manage in its current state, and more crucially, it had already undergone enough processing.


    <i>Let¡¯s get started.</i>


    Briefly checking the condition of his body first, Se-Hoon took out the Dream Demon¡¯s Eye and slowly closed his right eye. Then, bringing the Dream Demon¡¯s Eye closer to his closed eye, he gently pressed it against his eyelid.


    <strong><i>Ethereal Vision</i></strong>


    A violet aura gently began to emanate from the surface of his eyelid.


    ¡°Oh wow...¡±


    Not stopping his movements, Se-Hoon continued to gently push the Dream Demon¡¯s Eye further in, gradually burrowing it into his eyelid.


    Watching from the side, Lea eximed in awe. She was reminded of the time she had plunged her arm deep into his sr plexus.


    Momentster, Se-Hoon fully embedded the Dream Demon¡¯s Eye into his right eyelid.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    There was a faint sense of unfamiliarity stirred in his right eye. Confirming that the Dream Demon¡¯s Eye was perfectly oveid with his own, Se-Hoon tried to open his eyelid.


    <i>Hmm. It doesn¡¯t move, as expected.</i>


    Because Wurgen¡¯s seal on the Dream Demon¡¯s Eye still remained, it would continue to be unresponsive. And if Se-Hoon were to just leave it in that state, it would be no different from willingly giving up his right eye.


    But of course, he had a solution for that.


    <i>I can¡¯t use the Vision of the Abyss fully yet, but I can still manage something simr.</i>


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Concentrating the power of Boundaries in his right eye, Se-Hoon managed to make the seal on the Dream Demon¡¯s Eye respond to it, activating it. A faint line began to form on his eyelid, and Se-Hoon slowly felt his right eyee under his control. With some control regained, he carefully opened it while fine-tuning the power of Boundaries.


    <i>Swish~</i>


    From his now-opened right eye, an ominous violet glow could be seen. Still watching from the side, Lea¡¯s awe soon turned into shock at the sight of it.


    <i>Is he...</i>


    While it was undeniably Se-Hoon standing before her, she couldn''t shake the unsettling sensation that another entity had taken his ce. It felt as though if she closed her eyes, the presence she would feel wouldn¡¯t be Se-Hoon, but the Dream Demon herself.


    Overwhelmed by the indescribable sensation, Lea tensed. Meanwhile, Se-Hoon blinked his right eye a few times and smacked the area around it with his palm.


    <i>Whack.</i>


    ¡°It feels a bit sluggish...¡±


    Noticing that his right eye moved slightly slower than his left, he repeatedly hit his eye socket again to adjust the alignment. Then, once his vision was fully synchronized, he turned to Lea, who was staring at him in a daze.


    ¡°How does it look? Pretty good, right?¡±


    Rolling his eyes in circles, Se-Hoonpletely shattered the mysterious and eerie atmosphere he had inadvertently created.


    His antics made Lea, who had been stunned, smile. ¡°Not bad. It suits you, I think.¡±


    She had been worried that doing such a thing might be too dangerous, but she decided to trust that someone as skilled as Se-Hoon could handle it without a problem.


    Seeing Lea reassured, Se-Hoon decided to move on to the next step.


    ¡°Alright, let''s finally get started then.¡±


    At Se-Hoon''s signal, Lea pulled out a purple card from her pocket; it was her invitation to the Pleasure District that she received from Puppeteer. Bringing it up to a shabby wall in the alley, she infused it with her mana and pushed the card inward into the wall.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Glowing purple, the card sank deep into the wall.


    <i>Click!</i>


    When the sound of something locking into ce sounded, the hidden entrance to the Pleasure District revealed itself.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Exchanging nces with Se-Hoon, Lea grabbed the handle of the faint door oozing with violet-colored mana and pulled it open.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    A surge of dream mana wrapped around Lea¡¯s entire body, attempting to pull her in. Having anticipated it, Se-Hoon quickly slipped through the gap beside her. Normally, the dream mana would have swept away anyone other than the invited guest, but Se-Hoon remained unaffected, standing firm.


    It was because the dream mana had recognized Se-Hoon as the master of the Pleasure District, the Dream Demon herself.


    <i>Swish.</i>


    Pulled into the door, the dream mana soon dissipated to reveal apletely different scenery.


    Neon signs cluttered the walls, and a violet mist obscured the sky. Before them was a decadent street, where humans and demons walked side by side without hostility.


    <i>So this... is the Pleasure District.</i>


    They had entered the center of the underworld, where pleasure and violence were uninhibited. Amazed, Lea looked around the city which only criminals and demons dared to enter before ncing to her side.


    <i>What, he¡¯s gone?</i>


    Though Se-Hoon had vanished without a trace, Lea didn¡¯t panic. He had already told her that once inside, he would immediately hide to avoid the detection of the Dream Demon and Puppeteer.


    <i>He should be nearby, even if I can¡¯t see him. It¡¯s fine.</i>


    Taking a deep breath and reassuring herself, she pulled out the map she had received along with the invitation and walked out of the alley. She felt eyes on her, not just curious ones but predatory ones as well, and she had only just stepped out onto the main street.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the honor student from Babel?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s someone like her doing here?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how much she¡¯s worth.¡±


    The gazes were reminiscent of hunters eyeing prey. Shivering under their scrutiny, Lea tried her best to ignore them and continued to follow the map.


    <i>Cling!</i>


    When she turned into a narrow alley off the main road, she felt her white coat deflect a bullet and send it into the wall.


    ¡°...¡±


    Bewildered by the sudden bullet, Lea stared at the bullet in the wall, and four figures¡ªthree demons and one human¡ªproceeded to appear as if they had been waiting.


    The bald man, who had most likely fired the shot, scratched his head.


    ¡°Damn, I guess it wasn¡¯t just a regr coat.¡±


    ¡°You idiot... move aside.¡±


    Shoving aside the bald man, one of the demons stepped forward, his monstrous eyes glinting as he red at Lea.


    ¡°What was your name again? Lea udel? Clodele?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever. If you¡¯re looking for something, you shoulde with us. We got lots of good stuff.¡±


    The demon¡¯s tone was oozing mockery. He seemed confident that he could easily subdue someone from Borsippa since it wasn¡¯t abat-oriented college like Aqar Quf. He didn¡¯t know what kind of equipment Lea might have, but he dismissed it, certain that she had littlebat experience.


    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>.¡±


    ncing around, Lea let out a sigh and snapped her fingers.


    <i>Cling-</i>


    Activated, one of the hairpins in her bun trembled slightly, and thin needles hidden among her braids emerged. Surprised, the four attackers tried to react, but...


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    Shooting forward explosively, the needles pierced the three demons, leaving them riddled with holes like Swiss cheese on the ground.


    ¡°What the...!¡±


    The bald man had been the only one to leap into the air out of caution, and now he was frozen in shock. He couldn¡¯t understand how needles that were thinner than toothpicks had inflicted wounds dozens of timesrger on the demons.


    <i>Damn it, she¡¯s no ordinary crafter!</i>


    Since his fellow demons were taken down so easily, his fate was obvious. Decisively taking action, the bald man charged at her, channeling his mana andunching himself off the alley wall.


    <i>I¡¯ll deal with the aftermath after I kill her!</i>


    He believed his only chance to strike was now since Lea shouldn¡¯t be able tounch another attack like that. After all, the needles were still embedded in the surrounding walls.


    He swung his sword down toward Lea¡¯s head.


    <i>Creaaak-</i>


    However, the de stopped dead just above her scalp.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    Taken aback, the bald man looked around, expecting to see some sort of contraption that had blocked his attack, but there was nothing.


    Confused, the bald man began to wonder what was going on, and it was at that moment that a strange noise reached his ears.


    <i>Creak, creak-</i>


    It was the sound of something rusty and mechanical being forced to move. The bald man frowned.


    <i>Wait, why am I still in the air?</i>


    If his attack had been blocked, shouldn¡¯t he have fallen back to the ground? Btedly realizing something was wrong, the bald man looked down at his body in confusion.


    <i>Creak, creak-</i>


    His body was twisting in directions it shouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Wai¡ª¡±


    <i>Snap!</i>


    Before he could even process what was wrong, his joints were all bent backward, contorting him into an impossible shape in midair.


    It was a grotesque sight that made Lea frown.


    <i>What a tasteless execution...</i>


    Was this meant as a warning to her? Stone-faced, Lea gazed at the gruesome disy. A beatter, she heard footsteps echoing through the alley.


    Turning her head, Lea stared intently at the woman who slowly approached from the end of the alley.


    ¡°...¡±


    The woman, passing under the bald man¡¯s twisted body, stopped in front of Lea. She was covered in tattoos and exuded a decadent aura, a person Lea had never seen before. But she felt familiar.


    <i>¡°It wasn¡¯t enough.¡±</i>


    Abruptly recognizing the expression in the woman¡¯s eyes¡ªan expression she could never forget¡ªLea''s eyes narrowed with disgust. It was the same vivid gaze she remembered, the one belonging to the woman drenched in her father¡¯s blood.


    ¡°Wee, Lea.¡±


    Smiling warmly, the woman¡ªPuppeteer¡ªgreeted her daughter.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 229

    <h4>Chapter 229</h4>


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lea looked at the building in front of her. It looked makeshift, possibly a renovated warehouse. However, despite how it looked, itcked therge sign and wide-open door characteristic of warehouses, making it look more like a building under repair.


    <i>I can¡¯t see anything inside.</i>


    It was pitch-ck beyond the door, looking like a void ready to swallow her whole. Feeling her nervousness growing, Lea stared into the void. It made Puppeteer, who noticed her anxiety, slightly smile.


    ¡°Are you still scared of the dark, just like when you were a kid?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. I made it dark like that so I can harvest things.¡±


    ¡°...Harvest?¡±


    Puppeteer''s lips curled upward. ¡°If I leave the door open like that, something usually wanders in. Then I use that as material.¡±


    Puppeteer¡¯s voice waspletely casual, causing Lea to immediately frown. It was absurd that Puppeteer experimented on slum residents who snuck in to steal. Of course, it could be said that they were reaping what they sowed, but the way Puppeteer talked about it sent chills down Lea¡¯s spine; Puppeteer sounded like she was talking about pulling weeds from the roadside.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll exin everything inside. There are too many eyes out here.¡±


    Watching Puppeteer enter the workshop, Lea briefly hesitated before following her in.


    <i>Click!</i>


    The lights in the workshop flicked on the moment they entered. Looking around, she could see workbenches, various material crates, tables, sofas, and various other pieces of furniture scattered throughout.


    As Lea continued scanning the wide-open space, she soon noticed that the ceiling was still shrouded in darkness.


    ¡°...Ugh.¡±


    When her eyes adjusted, she made out dozens of figures hanging limply, as if they had all perished by hanging. Their outlines were faint, making it impossible to tell whether they were puppets or corpses, but either way, it didn¡¯t make much difference. With Puppeteer, her puppets were always made with corpses.


    ¡°Have a seat over there.¡±


    Gesturing toward the sofa, Puppeteer then walked over to the fridge by the wall and checked inside.


    ¡°Anything you¡¯d like to drink?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just grab whatever, then.¡±


    Pulling out an assortment of drinks, she headed back to Lea and ced them on the table before plopping down on the opposite sofa. Lowering her gaze to the drinks on the table, Lea realized they were the same ones she used to have at home when she was younger.


    The memories that were brought back immediately made her frown, and she soon let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°<i>Phew</i>...¡±


    ¡°Sighing again? You¡¯ll make it a habit¡ª¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t get it.¡±


    Cutting her off, Lea red at the Puppeteer incredulously.


    ¡°Do you really not remember how you made mee here? You threatened to kill my grandmother and my friends if I didn¡¯te.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to see you in a better light because of your stupid act?¡±


    <i>Thud-</i>


    Kicking the bottom of the table, Lea intensified her re at Puppeteer, who met her gaze calmly.


    ¡°Stop pretending to be human... stop acting like you¡¯re alive. Just get to the point because this situation is making me sick.¡±


    Perhaps a remnant of her former self remained; perhaps there was a reason behind the events of that day¡ªshe was mistaken if she believed such ideas would influence Lea. To Lea, Puppeteer¡¯s mere presence was revolting.


    ¡°<i>Hmm.</i>¡±


    ncing at the toppled drinks, Puppeteer casually picked up a bottle of green tea¡ªthe drink Lea¡¯s father, Dane, had always enjoyed.


    Puppeteer then deliberately opened it and took a sip, causing Lea¡¯s frown to deepen even more. It was a reaction that made Puppeteer smile.


    ¡°For someone who says they don¡¯t care, you sure seem affected by every little thing.¡±


    ¡°Whatever...¡±


    ¡°Fine. I guess talking to a teenager doesn¡¯t always go well. Let¡¯s get to the point then.¡±


    She set the bottle down and snapped her fingers.


    <i>Clink-</i>


    The sound of chains echoed from the ceiling, and a momentter, a gaunt old man in a suitnded gracefully next to her and stood upright.


    ¡°This is Eleven. One of my Single Numbers.¡±


    At the Puppeteer¡¯s introduction, Lea turned her gaze toward the elderly man. He looked like an ordinary old man, but he was a monster nearing S-rank. He could get rid of someone like her with ease, making Lea tense involuntarily.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so nervous. His job is to take care of you.¡±


    ¡°...Take care of me?¡±


    Hearing the surprise in Lea¡¯s voice, Puppeteer nodded to confirm.


    ¡°You should stay here for a while and learn the basics of Biological Enchantments. Once you¡¯refortable with it, I¡¯ll teach you how to process puppets as well.¡±


    She gave Eleven a signal, and he waved his hand through the air, pulling several thick books out of what seemingly was empty space and cing them all on the desk. Though Lea didn¡¯t know where the books came from, that wasn¡¯t what was bothering her. It was Puppeteer¡¯s words.


    ¡°What... exactly are you trying to achieve out of this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as I said. I want to teach you.¡±


    ¡°And why would you want to teach me this... garbage?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯ve got talent,¡± replied Puppeteer calmly, fixing her eyes on Lea. ¡°You have great talent, and I have the right skill set to teach you. Do I need any more reason than that?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Besides, Babel isn¡¯t as great of a ce as you think it is. The ethics and morality they teach are things that only hold back your true potential.¡±


    ording to Puppeteer, Babel¡¯s education system was simply disguised as one that gave students freedom. In truth, they actually pruned their student¡¯s branches and leaves to make them grow the way they wanted.


    That was why, upon realizing Lea¡¯s potential, Puppeteer had decided to take Lea away.


    ¡°You can be so much better than you are now. I can guarantee you, with every useless shackle you break, you¡¯ll grow even more.¡±


    If Lea was currently limited to ten colors on her enchantment palette, abandoning hermon sense would increase that number tenfold. Of course, having more colors wasn¡¯t always better, but the ability to use them well regardless was also a sign of talent, and Lea had that talent.


    ¡°If we start today, I could have you creating Single Numbers within five years...¡±


    ¡°And what happens then?¡±


    Her eyes locked on Puppeteer, Lea¡¯s frigid voice forced Puppeteer to trail off.


    ¡°What happens after I give up my humanity and master your revolting techniques? What happens to me then?¡±


    Was she expecting Lea to be her sessor, some kind of partner who understood her madness? To Lea, it was an absolutely ludicrous idea. She could never be the person Puppeteer wanted, and Puppeteer wasn¡¯t someone capable of forming such a bond anyway.


    ¡°...That¡¯s a conversation for another time.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? Then let me ask you something else.¡±


    Taking a nce at the books on Biological Enchantments, Lea turned back to Puppeteer.


    ¡°Why are you going out of your way to convince me?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You could just turn me into a puppet and force me to learn your skills. So why are you going through the effort to pull off all thisme act and this nonsense?¡±


    Puppeteer¡¯s mouth remained shut, causing Lea to let out a small, mockingugh.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s also a conversation for another time. Fine, I¡¯ll just keep talking to myself then. My guess is it¡¯s because your puppets can¡¯t grow.¡±


    Ever since Lea had vowed to kill Puppeteer, she had researched everything she could find on puppets. And she had learned that once someone became a puppet, they couldn¡¯t progress any further.


    ¡°Sure, you can swap out their parts and enable others to mimic their skills by turning them into cubes. But while they might be stronger in terms of pure strength, there¡¯s no fundamental growth behind it at all.¡±


    It was as if aputer¡¯s hardware was upgraded but the software remained the same¡ªonce someone lost their physical body and became a puppet, their development stopped there.


    ¡°When I thought about it that way and looked into it some more, I found plenty of evidence. Puppets who couldn¡¯t beat heroes with the same skill level, Single Numbers with severe limitations because they had little to no self-awareness, and also...¡±¡ªLea stared straight at Puppeteer¡ª¡°...your own stagnant skill that¡¯s stuck in ce.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve said a lot of things, but there¡¯s only one conclusion.¡±


    Facing the silent Puppeteer, Lea, with her voice dripping with genuine disgust and contempt, dered, ¡°It¡¯s that you¡¯re a real piece of trash.¡±


    She had killed her husband and abandoned her daughter, and now, after realizing her own skills had hit a dead end, she was trying to raise and sacrifice her daughter to move forward again.


    For a while, Puppeteer just quietly watched her. Then, she took a sip of green tea and sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to believe me even if I said everything you''ve said is wrong, right?¡±


    ¡°If you were me, would you?¡±


    ¡°...Fair enough.¡±


    Sighing in resignation, Puppeteer set down the empty bottle.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just proceed as I nned.¡±


    <i>Snap!</i>


    With a snap of Puppeteer¡¯s fingers, Lea¡¯s body was yanked into the air as if an invisible thread had suddenly strung her.


    <i>¡°Ugh...?!¡±</i>


    Looking closer, Lea finally noticed the transparent string, which she hadn¡¯t noticed wrapping around her, suspending her in midair.


    Puppeteer nced at Eleven. ¡°Get ready for surgery.¡±


    Nodding, Eleven disappeared somewhere, and Puppeteer looked up at Lea.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯m just going to enchant your brain a little so that you can focus better on your studies.¡±


    Though Puppeteer tried to sound reassuring, Lea looked down at her in disgust.


    ¡°You¡¯re truly disgusting.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hmm, </i>maybe I should also add some manners to the enchantment. By the way...¡±


    Trailing off and crossing her arms, Puppeteer looked around the workshop.


    ¡°When are your allies supposed to arrive?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯te here without any backup, right? Besides, you don¡¯t seem to bepletely resigned to your fate.¡±


    Puppeteer¡¯s eyes nonchntly met hers. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste more time. Just go ahead and call them.¡±


    ¡°You sound confident.¡±


    ¡°That should be my line. Did you bring a Perfect One or something?¡±


    Puppeteer was truly puzzled. She couldn¡¯t understand how Lea could face someone as powerful as herself, one of the infamous Ten Evils, with such confidence.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Lea¡¯s lips twisted into a smirk.


    ¡°I actually teamed up with someone simr to you.¡±


    <i>Swish-</i>


    As if summoned, hundreds, if not thousands, of butterflies suddenly materialized in midair. They quickly swallowed Lea¡¯s body in the blink of an eye and vanished, leaving Puppeteerpletely shocked.


    ¡°What...?¡±


    She could easily recognize the dream butterflies¡ªwhich could only be controlled by the Dream Demon. Completely taken aback by the unexpected interference, Puppeteer froze. That was when the space in front of her split open.


    <i>Shunk!</i>


    Arge ck sword she had never seen before shot toward her, radiating immense power. Quickly reacting, Puppeteer summoned another Single Number that was suspended in midair to block the attack.


    <i>Whirr-</i>


    However, a purple mist came out of nowhere and covered the workshop¡¯s ceiling, stopping hermand.


    With nothing intercepting, the ck sword swiftly plunged through.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Piercing Puppeteer¡¯s body, which was tougher than most A-rank heroes, in an instant, the force of the sword sent her flying hundreds of meters, shattering a wall before crashing into the ground.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Her body, barely maintaining its form, nowy sprawled in the open area. Completely bewildered, Puppeteer looked at the ck sword embedded in her chest.


    <i>Did Lea team up with the Dream Demon?</i>


    If she really had joined forces with her, it made sense How Lea could stand before her in the slums without flinching. In a ce like this, the Dream Demon was far stronger than she was. However, Puppeteer couldn¡¯t understand <i>why </i>the Dream Demon had made such a choice.


    <i>I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t see wrong, though. Those were clearly her butterflies...</i>


    Lost, Puppeteer tried to make sense of the situation. During that time, a purple mist gathered above her, and the Dream Demon materialized.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± the Dream Demon asked, looking genuinely confused.


    At her reaction, the gears in Puppeteer¡¯s mind began to turn and she thought of another scenario in her mind. But those gears never finished.


    <i>Woong-</i>


    A constetion appeared on the surface of the pitch-ck sword, Abgrund, in her chest.


    ¡°...¡±


    Puppeteer''s eyes lost focus. Noticing, the Dream Demon gave her a puzzled look. She hade because she sensed her own powering from Puppeteer''s workshop, but what in the world was this mess?


    ¡°Could you please exin what happened...?¡±


    ¡°Are you really asking that?¡±


    Puppeteer''s voice was cold andced with killing intent.


    The Dream Demon narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to deny it now? You brazenly took my daughter right in front of me.¡±


    Surprised by Puppeteer''s sudden usation, the Dream Demon''s eyes widened before letting out a scoff.


    ¡°Do you really believe I did that?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know the full details, but it was clear with just a quick nce that someone was trying to stir trouble between them. However, the Dream Demon''s reaction made Puppeteer scowled.


    <i>Yes, she wouldn¡¯t... if she had anymon sense.</i>


    The Dream Demon wouldn¡¯t do such a thing to her. That much was obvious. Calming down, Puppeteer was about to reach that conclusion, however¡ª


    <i>Woong-</i>


    The constetion on Abgrund''s surface shone once again. Simultaneously, the Sphere which was in the hands of Lea, who was standing on top of a building, responded and began to spin.


    <strong>¡°Celestial synchronization.¡±</strong>


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    The five axes swiftly began rotating. Golden constetions illuminated the sky above, forming a barrier around the puppets housing the Puppeteer''s consciousness and separating them from her main body.


    With the connection cut off, Puppeteer¡¯s lingering doubt and rage toward the Dream Demon intensified to an overwhelming degree.


    <i>There''s no way she isn''t the culprit.</i>


    Puppeteer''s consciousness spiraled into madness.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    With a flick of her left hand, which only had a thumb and middle finger left, the roof of the distant workshop crumbled, and four figuresnded in the clearing.


    Seeing the Puppeteer¡¯s four Single Numbers that were stationed in the Pleasure District, the Dream Demon''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    <i>What in the world...?</i>


    She couldn¡¯t understand how Puppeteer could fail to grasp such a simple truth and instead direct such hostility at her. bbergasted, the Dream Demon stared nkly at Puppeteer, who was now behaving as if she were an actual puppet that was controlled by someone else.


    ¡°Kill her.¡±


    The four Single Numbers lunged toward the Dream Demon.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 230

    <h4>Chapter 230</h4>


    [One point lesson! You can also learn how to manipte Puppeteer.]


    Reading the phrase written on the whiteboard in the workshop seemed like a joke, but the man standing next to it, Se-Hoon, was being upmost serious about it.


    ¡°Alright, starting now, I''ll exin how one can control Puppeteer.¡±


    Turning to face the whiteboard, he drew arge Earth and then sketched a small person on top of it.


    ¡°As you saw, Puppeteer controls her puppets using abination of celestial magic and ancient enchantments. The control range extends across the entire.¡±


    Drawing arge circle surrounding the earth, he nced at Lea, who was staring nkly at the whiteboard.


    ¡°But no matter how vast of a range it covers, the core of it is remote control via key stations. In other words, if you really want to, you can always separate a puppet from the main body.¡±


    Circling the small person, a puppet, that he had drawn earlier, Se-Hoon added a question mark above it.


    ¡°Now, I have a question for you. What happens to the puppet if it loses its connection to the main body?


    ¡°Um... it would just stop functioning, right? Since it¡¯s controlled remotely.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, at least that¡¯s what would happen normally. But if you add the power of Boundaries to the equation, things change.¡±


    Facing the board, Se-Hoon erased the circle around the puppet and closely outlined it instead.


    ¡°The power of Boundaries grants independence to the puppet. Simply put, it turns the puppet into something like a clone, rather than just a lifeless doll.¡±


    It was a little bit different from Wurgen''s consciousness, which was resurrected using the Eternal Nocturne¡¯s Phnx, and the Seeker, who was revived using Se-Hoon¡¯s corroded mana circuit, but the underlying mechanism was the same¡ªusing the power of Boundaries to grant independence.


    ¡°The clone''s consciousness is formed based on the memories and emotions just before the connection is cut. And I''m nning to exploit this feature.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying... that we¡¯ll induce hostility toward the Dream Demon and then use the power of Boundaries through Abgrund to sever the connection, right?¡±


    Pleased by Lea¡¯s correct guess, Se-Hoon smiled and nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m nning to do. But there''s one more thing we need to add.¡±


    Se-Hoon then drew several additional smaller puppets around the one outlined and then marked a ¡°No.?¡± above them.


    ¡°Judging by Puppeteer¡¯s choices so far, she''s likely stationed at least two Single Numbers in the Pleasure District. On top of that, she probably added extra parts in them to take direct control in emergencies.¡±


    Even if Se-Hoon managed to sessfully manipte one puppet, if Puppeteer just switched to another one, their n to sow discord between Puppeteer and the Dream Demon would almost certainly fail.


    ¡°So, aside from manipting the puppets, we also need a way to prevent the main body from intervening...¡±


    ¡°And that would be the enchantment installed in Puppeteer¡¯s base?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    No matter how skilled Puppeteer was, if a problem urred in an internal region of her spell form, it would take time to recover. And given her obsessively cautious nature, there was a good chance she wouldn¡¯t interfere before the Dream Demon was eliminated.


    ¡°The Sphere will activate the enchantment as soon as I pierce Puppeteer¡¯s body with Abgrund. That¡¯s how I designed it from the start.¡±


    ¡°Impressive...¡± Lea uttered. She couldn¡¯t help but admire the borate n.


    Not only was it amazing that he had devised such a thorough strategy, but he had even fully prepared for it. Yet, despite it all, she was still worried.


    <i>Will this really work?</i>


    While the whole n seemed logically possible, the opponent was formidable enough to make certainty impossible to be assured of. So, unable to avoid anxiety, Lea pushed herself to prepare even more thoroughly for any unforeseen circumstances.


    <i>BOOM!</i>


    And now, whether that would pay off would be determined by the chaos unfolding right before her eyes.


    ¡°<i>Aghhhh!</i>¡±


    A bolt of blue lightning shredded through the purple fog surrounding the city, toppling the building it hit with its immense power. But that wasn¡¯t the end, shockwaves were sent rippling outward like waves.


    ¡°No... no, this can''t be happening...!¡±


    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The shockwavespletely incinerated those near the city center and made those hundreds of meters away copse with convulsions. It was the handiwork of the young boy with hair crackling like electricity, Single Number Three.


    Zone Seventeen descended into chaos. However, the lightning strike was only the beginning.


    <i>Thud, thud, thud!</i>


    Single Number Four, a massive ck automaton standing at least three meters tall, swung its ten fists wildly in all directions like a colossal bulldozer plowing through the streets. Neither the district''s residents nor its buildings were spared.


    Following behind it, a woman with hair longer than her body, Single Number Eight, raced down the path of devastation.


    <i>Whip-crack!</i>


    With a light shake of her head and a simple twist of her white fingers, her long hair spread out in all directions, the strands of hair moving as if they were ying cat''s cradle.


    ¡°<i>Ahhhh!</i>¡±


    ¡°My... my torso!!¡±


    With just a flick of her hand, she mercilessly yanked dozens of residents fleeing in all directions into the air.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Their bodies all promptly swelled up and exploded, causing a ck liquid to spray down like rain.


    <i>Sizzle!</i>


    ¡°<i>Ahhhh</i>!¡±


    ¡°It''s acid rain... no, it''s cursed!!¡±


    The cursed rain caused the other residents to vomit blood as they melted, adding to the contamination all around them.


    And that had all urred in just a mere two minutes.


    <i>Is this... the power of S-ranks? </i>Lea gasped.


    Thendscape had changed after just a few attacks. The destruction of an S-rank battle, something she had only heard of in stories, sent chills down her spine. But what gave her even more goosebumps was the realization that <i>she </i>was the one who had caused it.


    Though she didn¡¯t feel much guilt because most of those in the Pleasure District were criminals involved with the Demon Force, the sight of hundreds of people dying and buildings copsing with just a wave of a hand made her shudder¡ªwhat if it had happened in the real world, not the Pleasure District.


    <i>If this is the level of havoc an S-rank can cause, what happens if the Ten Evils... or the Perfect Ones were to get involved?</i>


    It was only now that Lea began to truly understand the heights of the world¡¯s true scale of power and... how precariously the world outside was hanging. At that moment, a snap brought her back to the present.


    Confirming that Lea had snapped out of it, Se-Hoon calmly reprimanded her, ¡°Stop spacing out and focus. If you¡¯re not careful, Puppeteer might regain her senses again.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I¡¯ll concentrate.¡±


    Taking Se-Hoon¡¯s warning to heart, Lea refocused and began controlling the Sphere with full attention again. The five axes spun fiercely, amplifying Puppeteer''s emotions even more.


    <i>BOOOM!</i>


    The attacks from the puppets grew even fiercer. Taking a deep breath, Lea watched as Puppeteer rampaged under her guidance.


    She looked weak and battered with Abgrund embedded in her chest, but she was controlling four Single Numbers simultaneously to destroy an entire zone. The unfolding destruction before her was unmatched by anything Lea had ever seen.


    With a grim expression, Lea murmured to herself, ¡°Is it really going to end just like this?¡±


    At first, she thought the whole n would be significantly more difficult to pull off since they were fighting inside the Pleasure District, the Dream Demon¡¯s home itself. But contrary to expectations, the Dream Demon hadn¡¯t even been able to put up a proper defense.


    Hopeful, Lea watched the Dream Demon¡¯s half-hearted attempts to defend herself by transforming into mist and butterflies. However, upon hearing her, Se-Hoon shattered her hopespletely.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not going to end this easily.¡±


    Despite having been watching silently as well, his voice was calm yet firm, and his eyes glinted with purple.


    ¡°The whole situation is about to turn around.¡±


    At his words, Lea naturally directed her gaze toward the Pleasure District again in confusion.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    The ck mist enveloping Zone Seventeen vanished. As if everything had been washed away, the intense battle just moments ago now felt like it had all been just an illusion. But then, something even more astonishing happened to the cityscape itself.


    <i>Rumble-</i>


    A purple fog engulfed all the destroyed buildings and, in just a few moments, were restored to their former, vibrant glory. In the blink of an eye, Puppeteer and the Single Numbers were surrounded once again by towering skyscrapers.


    Then, on top of one of the buildings, the purple mist gathered and reformed into the Dream Demon.


    ¡°Wow... you''ve really fallen into their trap, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    The Dream Demon sighed as she gazed down at Puppeteer.


    At first, she intended to resolve the situation by figuring out and neutralizing the intruder¡¯s tricks, but no matter how hard she tried, she wasn¡¯t able to spot a single thing.


    It wasn¡¯t simply because the intruder had thoroughly prepared; Puppeteer herself had installed parts in all of the puppets to resist dream mana, making it all the more difficult.


    ¡°Are you pretending to be under the enemy¡¯s control to keep me at bay?¡±


    ¡°Shut up with that nonsense. You were the one who started this.¡±


    Her words had intensified Puppeteer¡¯s gaze and filled it with more than hostility¡ªit was now filled with murderous intent.


    The Dream Demon sighed once more at the sight.


    ¡°Well, in that case, there¡¯s nothing I can do. This was your negligence, so don¡¯t botherining about itter.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the nonsense! Just give me my daughter¡ª¡±


    Before Puppeteer could finish her sentence, the world around her flipped upside down in an instant.


    At first, Puppeteer thought her vision had been reversed by decapitation, but she quickly realized the entire zone had, in fact, turned upside down.


    The massive Zone Seventeen was now upside down in the sky.


    <strong><i>Dream Magic: Sea of Illusions</i></strong>


    The purple mist surrounding the entire city grew into a vast ocean.


    Quickly responding to the sudden turn of events, Puppeteer took control of Eleven, the elderly man in a suit standing by her side.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    Using Eleven¡¯s spatial abilities, the five puppets around her were instantly transported into a nearby building. Puppeteer then shoved her fingers into her temples, stirring them wildly.


    <i>Creak!</i>


    Adjusting a part of her brain, Puppeteer drastically reduces the suction force dragging her entire body downward. Dream magic worked by shaking the target¡¯s thoughts and synesthetic mindscape, so as long as she could control that, she should be able to hold up against the Dream Demon even within the Pleasure District.


    ¡°Eight!¡±


    At the Puppeteer¡¯smand, Eight embedded her hair into the surrounding puppets and marked them with glowing ck sigils, a binding curse that immobilized the target in ce.


    Under the curse, living beings would struggle to do even the smallest movements like breathing, but puppets could use it to ignore the environmental changes around them.


    <i>First, I¡¯ll buy some time by teleporting to other zones in this bound state, then I¡¯ll have Three prepare the immobilizing spell...</i>


    Her mind was racing to formte her next move when Puppeteer¡¯s thoughts suddenly froze¡ªsomething odd had struck her.


    <i>...Wait, where are the gates to the other zones?</i>


    Considering they were fighting in a building adjacent to the zone borders, she should have seen the gates leading to the neighboring zones, but all that was visible was purple fog and a massive blue pir.


    Confused, Puppeteer¡¯s thoughts slowed, and at that moment, the building they were in began to tremble and something appeared in their view.


    ¡°<i>Heh. </i>You have be quite adorable.¡±


    The Dream Demon, now the size of a humongous giant, smiled down at the building Puppeteer was in. And at the sight of her, Puppeteer realized what the blue pir she saw outside was¡ªher finger.


    She immediately gave orders to her puppets.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The five puppets escaped outward, seemingly swatted away, thanks to Three''s magic, Eight''s curse, and Eleven''s spatial control.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Crashing through windows, the puppets tumbled across the ground. Their quick escape made the Dream Demon smile with amusement.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯dpletely lost it when you assimted with the surrounding space during our fight. But I see you haven¡¯t gotten <i>that </i>stupid. What a shame.¡±


    <i>Swish-</i>


    The building they were just in, which the Dream Demon had grasped, disintegrated into mist before being restored just as quickly. Though the Dream Demon had just restored an entire building, it seemed effortless, and she naturally extended her hand toward Puppeteer as if inviting her for a dance.


    ¡°Shall we begin again?¡±


    <i>¡°Tsk...¡±</i>


    The two Ten Evils shed once more, distorting thews of physics in the Pleasure District as it became grotesquely picked apart.


    The Dream Demon wasn¡¯t just controlling space; she was manipting the entire Pleasure District, treating it like a dream she could bend to her will.


    The absurdity of it all made Lea fall into a daze.


    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to... kill <i>that</i>?¡± She couldn¡¯t stop herself from muttering those words.


    It was said that even the Perfect Ones couldn¡¯t kill the Dream Demon when she was inside her Pleasure District. However, even though Lea had heard the rumor as well, she had never expected it to be to this extent. She even wondered: if gods were real, wouldn¡¯t they look like this?


    She waspletely overwhelmed, freezing her steps in ce. In contrast, Se-Hoon, who had been observing the Dream Demon, began to move forward.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn now.¡±


    Startled, Lea spun to face him.


    ¡°W¡ªWait! Are you really going to join that fight now?!¡±


    ¡°I have to. That was the n from the beginning. But I can¡¯t promise you that I¡¯ll be able to take care of you after this, so I¡¯ll send you outside first. If something unexpected happens, go immediately to the location we previously agreed upon.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lea bit her lip at his calm words. When they first infiltrated Puppeteer¡¯s base, she had believed that he would somehow pull through. But not now. The problem at hand was much bigger.


    <i>It¡¯s impossible.</i>


    Not even a Perfect One could be sure that they could kill that monster. But she knew; she couldn¡¯t help or stop him, and that made Lea clench her fists in frustration.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Se-Hoon patted her shoulder in reassurance.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯ve done your part, that¡¯s all that matters. I have a heart too, you know. I won¡¯t me you for being unable to help me out in a situation like this.¡±


    His voice was steady and he seemed genuinely rxed, as if everything would be okay. But Lea still looked at him with worry.


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not just empty words¡ªyou really don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s gaze shifted toward the Dream Demon, who was still fighting fiercely.


    ¡°After all, this is all just a dream.¡±


    <i>Boom!</i>


    A torrent of rain began to pelt the five puppets. It looked like an ordinary downpour at first nce, but each drop contained the mass of arge building,pressed into a single droplet. In the dream realm, even such attacks were possible.


    The sheer physical force of each droplet alone would be enough to crush most S-rank heroes, but not Puppeteer.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    She deflected every drop or diverted them, sending them all in directions, while using curses to form miniature ck holes between the raindrops.


    Puppeteer¡¯s stubborn resistance made the Dream Demon, who was holding an elegant purple umbre, narrow her eyes.


    <i>Is it because of the parts installed in them...? My magic isn¡¯t as effective as I thought it¡¯d be.</i>


    Puppeteer was constantly adjusting her consciousness and synesthetic mindscape, reducing the dream magic¡¯s effectiveness. It seemed Puppeteer had anticipated such a battleing all along, leaving the Dream Demon sighing in frustration.


    <i>How exhausting.</i>


    Why was it so hard to get everyone on the team to cooperate? Although the Dream Demon herself also didn¡¯tpletely trust the other Ten Evils, antagonism to this extent was exhausting.


    <i>Sigh...</i>


    Perhaps it was inevitable, given the origins of demons like them. Everyone had their own desires, after all.


    Setting aside her minor grievances, the Dream Demon turned her attention away from Puppeteer for a moment and scanned her surroundings.


    <i>There¡¯s still no sign.</i>


    She intuitively knew that someone had interfered with Puppeteer to cause the current situation, but no matter how much she searched, there was no trace of the culprit. The only clue she had was the faint trickle of dream mana she sensed earlier in Puppeteer¡¯s workshop.


    With only that clue, the Dream Demon pondered the possible culprit, and various suspects passed through her mind.


    <i>Could it be him?</i>


    Given that <i>he </i>possessed her eye, it wasn¡¯t an impossible scenario. But the Dream Demon quickly dismissed the thought. More than anything, she hoped that he, Se-Hoon, wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to interfere¡ªhe was the only one capable of understanding her in this dream realm after all.


    <i>I guess I should just wrap this up.</i>


    She considered investigating further, but her previous injury was beginning to make it harder to control the situation. If she were in her normal condition, she would likely have been fine, but with so many things already in motion, she needed to be cautious.


    With her decision made, she was about to move to finish Puppeteer, but then¡ª


    <i>RUMBLE-</i>


    A foreboding sound echoed from the sky. It was a sound that shouldn¡¯t exist in her dream realm. Quickly turning to look at the source, the Dream Demon¡¯s eye widened in shock.


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    Something unfamiliar and massive had taken root inside the heart of her dream, in the deepest part of the Pleasure District. The overwhelming sense of something foreign made even the Dream Demon shudder.


    Raising her guard, she decided to move away. However, that was when she sensed something odd.


    ¡°...!¡±


    She spun her head back and forth, finally spotting a young man standing on the rooftop of a nearby building.


    The man had the same purple eyes as her own, and he was looking at her with a fierce expression. He was thest person she ever expected to see, making her feel bewildered¡ªit was Se-Hoon.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to wake up.¡±


    Noticing the Dream Demon¡¯s gaze, Se-Hoon raised the Phantasmal Spyde and thrust it into his own chest.


    <i>Shank!</i>


    The strike left no visible wound. But that single action¡ªthe same exact one that Se-Hoon had done moments before the end of the world¡ªtriggered a flood of thoughts to rush through his mind.


    <i>Woong!</i>


    The tsunami of thoughts then engulfed the Synesthetic Mindscape Storage Devices taking root across the Pleasure District, throughout the entire dream realm.


    <strong>[Activating Awakening Dream]</strong>


    <i>Crack-</i>


    A massive fracture appeared across the Pleasure District.

 Chapter 231

    <h4>Chapter 231</h4>


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Large cracks rapidly spread across the sky, looking down at the purple mist and the massive city. The once dazzling scenery of the Pleasure District now looked fractured, like a broken mirror.


    ¡°What kind of trickery is this...?¡±


    What had been a problem confined to Zone Seventeen was now spreading across the entire Pleasure District.


    Appalled by what was unfolding before her, the Dream Demon quickly drew upon her powers to try and suppress the cracks spreading through the sky.


    <strong><i>Dream Magic: Dream within a Dream</i></strong>


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    Dream butterflies fluttered up from all corners of the city, attaching themselves to the cracks and transforming them into dreams. Like that, each crack slowly disappeared and the Pleasure District restored itself like nothing had happened.


    But that was just how it appeared to onlookers; the chaos was far from controlled.


    ¡°W-Where are we?¡±


    ¡°I thought I was just in the Pleasure District, but... where am I now?¡±


    Residents of the Pleasure District began to find their surroundings unfamiliar, filling them with fear. However, that was only the residents; the visitors looked at their strange behavior in confusion.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong? What are you seeing?¡±


    ¡°Say something, damn it!¡±


    Their vision was no longer hazy; they looked around as if no one else was around them,pletely ignoring their surroundings. Enraged by their disregard, a demon reached out to grab one by the cor.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Their outstretched hand passed right through them; it was as if they were trying to grasp air. Just like a phantom, their friend had be intangible.


    Everyone was stunned. The situation was just too bizarre and soon, confusion began to take hold. It was also then that the now intangible figures realized something and screamed.


    ¡°I... I entered reality! No! Send me back to the Pleasure District... back to the dream!!¡±


    The terrified demon vanished¡ªand they weren¡¯t the only ones. Simr incidents were simultaneously urring throughout the <i>entire </i>Pleasure District.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Aghast, the Dream Demon''s face turned pale at the sight of the momentarily repaired sky cracking once again.


    <i>How... how is this possible?</i>


    The Pleasure District was built on the border between dreams and reality. While the Dream Demon hadid its initial foundation, the pirs that upheld the massive city were in truth the synesthetic mindscapes of its inhabitants. Millions of people dreamed of the same Pleasure District, believing it to be reality.


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    But a single individual had awakened, breaking out of the enormous dream. And now, that abnormal being, who could maintain their sense of self amidst the chaotic swirl of countless minds, was shouting to awaken those who had been dreaming alongside them.


    ¡°This is a dream! Wake up!¡±


    Even if just one person awakened upon hearing those words, they would in turn trigger the awakening of ten others, who in turn would awaken a hundred. With everyone awakening, the city of dreams¡ªwhich even the Perfect Ones could not bring down¡ªwas copsing from its very core.


    All due to one man at that, Se-Hoon.


    <i>Craaaack!</i>


    The cracks widened further, causing a part of the sky to crumble and reveal apletely differentndscape beyond. A ckened sky, a deste wastnd, and buildings twisted in bizarre shapes¡ªthey were all bathed in an eerie purple hue.


    Reality had begun to reveal itself.


    bbergasted, all the Dream Demon could do was stare nkly at the sight.


    ¡°...Heh.¡±


    But soon, her lips twisted into a smirk and she burst into uncontrobleughter. Clear and unsettling, herughter echoed throughout the Pleasure District, drawing the attention of those still in shock.


    They all looked up at the sky, and the Dream Demon abruptly stoppedughing.


    ¡°Yes... It¡¯s time to wake up now.¡±


    Given the situation, she had to adapt even if she wanted to prepare more. Gathering her thoughts, the Dream Demon looked again toward the rooftop where Se-Hoon had stood.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve hidden yourself again.¡±


    Just like when he first appeared, Se-Hoon had vanished from the rooftop without a sound. And now, the Dream Demon was certain that he was using her own powers to move freely through the Pleasure District.


    Twisting her lips once more, she gently rubbed the corner of her missing right eye. A mix of fury and frustration welled up within her, a testament to the painful realization that she might lose everything she had built over decades.


    However, aside from the rage that was threatening to explode, there was another emotion stirring up in her chest.


    <i>Ba-dump.</i>


    A thrill of excitement made her heart race. Despite standing at the brink of her dream realm¡¯s end, the Dream Demon still managed to calm herself to assess the situation.


    <i>The Pleasure District can¡¯t fall just yet. I need to stabilize it first and then track down Lee Se-Hoon...</i>


    She had to find Se-Hoon as soon as possible before he caused more chaos. With her decision made, the Dream Demon began preparations to restore order to the Pleasure District.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    A massive fist stopped inches from her face. Barely distorting space in time to stop the attack, the Dream Demon looked down.


    ¡°...<i>Sigh</i>.¡±


    Puppeteer was still seething with murderous intent. Even in the midst of the fall of the Pleasure District, she still hadn¡¯te to her senses yet.


    Annoyed, the Dream Demon grimaced.


    <i>This is already hard enough without you.</i>


    Well aware that fighting the Puppeteer alone right now was too risky, she made a swift decision, and her left eye began glowing a vivid purple.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Seeing the storm of dream butterflies sweep across the area, Four quickly retreated. What then appeared from the swarm of butterflies were demons with horns protruding from their heads¡ªthe Zone Chiefs.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to back down, are you?¡±


    The Dream Demon gazed down at Puppeteer from the building''s rooftop.


    Meeting her gaze, Puppeteer stayed eerily calm.


    ¡°If you kill yourself right now, maybe I¡¯ll back off.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Simultaneously realizing no more words were necessary, the two Ten Evils locked eyes once more.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The Pleasure District crumbled around them.


    ***


    At the top floor of Nightmare Tower, inside the Dream Demon¡¯s executive office, mayhem reigned. A flood of reports from all sides was rushing in, overwhelming the secretaries managing the Pleasure District under the Dream Demon''smand.


    ¡°Boss! All the newly expanded buildings havepletely copsed!¡±


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ¡°A massive sinkhole just appeared in Zone Nine! It seems to be connected to the nightmare!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a string of incidents in Zone Thirteen. Residents are turning purple and undergoing grotesque transformations...¡±


    Disasters of catastrophic magnitude were happening across all zones, plunging the entire Pleasure District into pandemonium.


    Their dream had be a nightmare.


    With no end in sight to the madness, the secretary chief, Alex, turned to his colleague with a pale, stricken face.


    ¡°How¡¯s the recovery process for the Pipeline going?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re trying to restore it from the original sections, but the cracks are spreading faster than we can keep up. Plus, all the Zone Chiefs have been summoned...¡±


    ¡°Damn it...¡±


    The Pipeline, which connected the Dream Castle to the Pleasure District, was vital infrastructure that kept the entire dream realm running. But currently, it was being severed by mysterious cracks in several ces. What made it even worse was that the Zone Chiefs, who were supposed to be handling the situation, had all been called away to fight Puppeteer.


    Taking stock of the situation, Alex tore at his hair in frustration.


    <i>I don¡¯t see a way out of this.</i>


    Unless the Dream Demon subdued Puppeteer and sealed the cracks immediately, there was no way to stop the catastrophe. The looming disaster was far too enormous for him to handle.


    <i>What¡¯s happening? Could a Perfect One have be involved? </i>Alex bit his lip.


    If a Perfect One had truly gotten involved, not even the Dream Demon would be able to guarantee her survival. Consumed by helplessness, Alex¡¯s face grew even paler.


    <i>Thud-</i>


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    For some reason, his vision had flipped upside down. The next moment, his head hit the desk with a dazed expression and began rolling lifelessly. Following suit, the heads of the other secretaries in the room also began tumbling down one by one, letting silence drape the room.


    Now, all that was left was the lone young man whose head remained intact¡ªAmir.


    Confirming that everyone else in the room had been decapitated, Amir withdrew his magic.


    <i>Swoosh-</i>


    Melting, the Transparent Ice de created by his Frost Alchemy disappeared into the air.


    <i>That was easier than I expected, </i>he thought, rising from his seat and ncing around the room.


    With the Pleasure District copsing, Amir seized the opportunity to eliminate the executive secretaries, thus paralyzing themand chain of the Pleasure District.


    Normally, the secretaries would have still posed a significant challenge despite being weaker than the Zone Chiefs inbat. However, the panic caused by the Pleasure District''s downfall made them easy targets.


    <i>I didn¡¯t expect him to take apart the entire Pleasure District...</i>


    Surveying the reports flooding in from various sectors, Amir couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. He had expected some kind of explosion or structural copse in the newly expanded zones, not the whole Pleasure District being brought to ruin.


    He had no idea how Se-Hoon was pulling such a thing off, but he did finally figure out why Se-Hoon had been so confident all along.


    <i>Still, I have to stay on my toes for whatever¡¯sing next.</i>


    Considering where he was about to head, Amir knew he especially couldn¡¯t afford to lower his guard. His eyes sharpening, he created a dagger with Frost Alchemy before heading outside.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s falling apart; who cares about the Ten Evils?¡±


    ¡°Get out of the way, you bastards!!¡±


    Though the Nightmare Tower was rtively safe because it was directly above the Dream Castle, panic had already spread among the staff members. People were trying to get out, cramming the elevators and stairs. Rogue fights and even murders were breaking out everywhere, transforming the interior into a scene of total chaos.


    <i>Should I just kill them all right now?</i>


    Frustrated by the chaotic situation that prevented him from easily making his way down, Amir scowled. Before he could act, however, he heard his name called.


    ¡°Amir.¡±


    Se-Hoon had suddenly appeared beside him.


    ¡°You... how did you¡ª?¡±


    Stopping his arm from swinging his dagger on reflex, Amir stared in surprise at Se-Hoon. It should have been impossible to teleport within the Nightmare Tower due to the barrier cast by the Dream Demon.


    ¡°I managed to imnt the Dream Demon¡¯s Eye into mine, so I can roughly mimic her abilities now.¡±


    ¡°What the...¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s surprising, but we don¡¯t have time for this. I¡¯ll exin everything while we move.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s right eye then flickered with a purple hue, and in an instant, the chaotic scenery around them shifted to the interior of an elevator.


    <i>Ding!</i>


    The elevator began descending toward the Dream Castle below the tower. Confirming there were no problems so far, Se-Hoon spoke up. ¡°For now, things are going smoothly. The Pleasure District is copsing, and the Dream Demon is too busy fighting Puppeteer to do anything about it. For the moment, this stalemate will continue.¡±


    Their next goal was to infiltrate the Dream Castle and rescue Amir¡¯s cousin, Zayed, to eliminate any potential wild cards. Afterward, they would summon Wurgen to finish off the weakened Dream Demon.


    However... a new variable had recentlye to light.


    ¡°There¡¯s one problem, though... the location of the Pleasure District ispletely different from what I expected.¡±


    ¡°The location...?¡±


    Amir couldn¡¯t understand. Wasn¡¯t the Pleasure District constructed on the border between dreams and reality, supported by the Dream Demon¡¯s dream magic?


    ¡°Due to its borderline status between dreams and reality, it has to exist in the real world as well. Originally, I thought it was somewhere on a continent contaminated by the Abyss of Demons.¡±


    In his memories, the Pleasure District had been located in Argentina, a part of the South American continent tainted by the Abyss of Demons. So naturally Se-Hoon assumed it would be there again.


    However, when the Pleasure District started copsing, he had glimpsed apletely differentndscape outside.


    ¡°We¡¯re not just on any contaminatednd.¡±


    ¡°Not just on any? What do you mean?¡± Still not understanding, Amir furrowed his brow.


    ¡°The City of Nightmares.¡±


    Se-Hoon¡¯s eyes narrowed to slits.


    ¡°We¡¯re on top of one of the Six Great Demon Realms.¡±


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