Chapter : 24
Friday morning.
Lee Se-hun woke from sleep and, as always, checked his surroundings and memories before rising from bed.
Thump—
Unlike yesterday, when he had been limp and drained, his body sprang up with elastic bounce.
The vitality coursing through his entire frame and the faint heat of the Crimson Flame brought an unconscious smile to Lee Se-hun's face.
'Nice.'
It was partly because he had removed the Ink Spider Ring before sleeping at night, but the biggest factor was the Spirit Link Magic boosting the efficiency of his movements.
'Today, I need to go in at peak condition.'
It was the day to craft the item for delivery in Metal Refining class.
As the department's top student, he ought to produce something at least halfway decent.
Plus, with his body in somewhat usable shape, he felt a spark of anticipation about how far he could push it.
'I'll equip this later...'
Lee Se-hun packed the Ink Spider Ring separately, washed up, and headed straight out of the dormitory.
The entrance buzzed with that familiar subtle murmur. Now used to it, Lee Se-hun strode past without a glance.
Tap—
No sooner had Lee Se-hun passed through the entrance than footsteps fell in beside him.
A quick glance sideways revealed Erika walking alongside, as if it were the most natural thing.
"What's the deal today?"
"I have business at the Forging Department."
"Then why come here?"
"To go with you."
Lee Se-hun eyed her face as she spoke without a hint of pretense.
'No visible change, even with the bond established.'
Of course, at Lv.1, he couldn't expect miracles, but for someone like Erika—whose bonds formed so trickily—there should have been some telltale sign.
Pondering how to test it, Lee Se-hun opted for the straightforward approach.
"Erika."
"Yeah."
"What do you want out of getting close to me?"
Silence fell at his blunt question. They walked on wordlessly.
Side by side, eyes fixed ahead, ignoring each other.
Any onlooker would sense the awkwardness, but the pair pressed on unfazed.
And just as the strange quiet threatened to linger...
"You'll complete me."
"Complete?"
"Yeah. Into the ideal form my family wants."
The ideal form her family wanted. Lee Se-hun had a vague sense of what that meant.
'She's gunning for the family head seat.'
For a clan like the Inoue, claiming leadership demanded not just personal strength but outside influence too.
Preemptively securing talented prospects like him? Basic strategy.
"Then it doesn't have to be me."
"Right. But the more candidates, the better."
"Candidate, huh..."
Her pragmatic answer might offend some, but Lee Se-hun appreciated it all the more.
It made elevating her bond seem surprisingly straightforward.
'Just help her claim the head position.'
In the pre-regression future, her brother Ren had taken the seat. Erika served as a subordinate before turning demon and getting hunted down.
He didn't know the details, but aiding her ascent might naturally intersect those events—and avert her fall.
'This is plenty for now.'
Deeper layers could wait.
With the basics grasped, Lee Se-hun posed one last question to forge her bond stone's "recipe."
"So higher value means better treatment?"
"..."
Erika halted abruptly. Lee Se-hun, a few steps ahead, stopped and turned.
They locked eyes, just like their first meeting.
"It will."
A strange emotion writhed deep in her gaze.
"More than you imagine."
Mere anticipation? Or possessive hunger for talent?
For the first time, glimpsing her true self, Lee Se-hun gained a clear read on her.
'Yeah, I can work with this.'
He could craft her bond stone on the spot—but the refining session loomed.
To etch her image firm, lest he forget, he nodded.
"Looking forward to it, then."
With that, they walked on side by side. Before splitting at the main building, Erika stepped ahead.
"Here."
A familiar letter envelope. He took it, scanned reflexively, as she spoke evenly.
"Don't rip this one."
"Hm. Already got an invite."
"I know. But extras can't hurt. Boosts your value that much."
True enough—arriving via two family invites carried more weight than one.
'And fewer pointless scraps.'
Eyeing the invite, a sudden curiosity struck him.
"When's it exactly?"
"Not set. Seniors pick the date—usually a few weeks out."
To gauge not just entrance scores but ongoing prowess? Ample time. Lee Se-hun nodded, pocketing it.
"Got it. Thanks."
"..."
Erika stared as he stowed it, then abruptly extended her left hand.
"Hm?"
"Handshake."
The request came so out of left field it flustered him briefly—but with bond extraction possible, no real downside.
"Sure."
He clasped her offered left hand naturally, triggering Bond Extraction.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
Extracting bond from target 'Inoue Erika'.
Bond with creator 'Lee Se-hun' is Lv.1.
'Wonder what ability it'll have.'
Her prickly personality plus talent? Bound to be something solid. As his face lit with interest...
"..."
Erika stared fixedly at their clasped hands.
He'd given a light shake—time to release. But she gripped firm. Onlookers gathered; Lee Se-hun shot her an awkward look.
"How long you holding? Something wrong?"
"No. Just..."
She released, brushing his palm naturally, murmuring oddly.
"Bigger and rougher than it looks."
"..."
Blacksmith hands gonna blacksmith. Tricky response; as he eyed her curiously...
"Catch you later."
She left curtly. Lee Se-hun watched her back, bemused.
'Unfathomable girl.'
He shelved thoughts of her and headed for the refining room.
Cadets already inside checked gear tensely. He took an empty spot, inspecting his own.
'Maybe time for a real hammer?'
Babel's standard refining hammer had sufficed till now, but proper work demanded better.
His master's hammer from pre-regression fit best—but unavailable, and reclaiming it didn't appeal.
"...Tch."
He shook off the memory, refocusing on the hammer.
As designs flickered in his mind...
The door opened. Assistant Instructor Han In-seong entered with a cart golem.
"Today, we finish pieces from prior classes. You know they'll ship inside and outside the academy?"
Cadets chorused assent. Han continued.
"Department inspection first, of course. Fail: basic budget. Pass: scales with sale price."
He returned their prior works, face grave.
"Today's output sets your whole semester trajectory. No regrets—give it everything. Clear?"
"Yes!"
"Then... begin!"
Cadets dove in. Lee Se-hun eyed his swords.
'Mess...'
Bad even by current standards, let alone pre-regression.
Traces of effort to fake decency, but unsupported body left myriad tiny flaws.
Such scratches snowball into fatal cracks. He lit the forge, stripped his work tunic top, and tied it at his waist.
'No slacking.'
No heat wards on clothes meant quick stamina drain—but Spirit Link's Crimson Flame would feed him data instead.
In black undershirt, he watched the forge heat, then thrust in the blade.
Roar!
Blade glowed red; mana array quivered. Sweet spot: form intact, structure loosening.
He yanked it, laid on anvil, hammered.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Swing precise, unwavering.
Seemingly identical to before—yet truer. Blade's balance realigned bit by bit.
Hum—
Before, each blow wrung every muscle. Now, Spirit Link mana circuits assisted.
No scramble—prepared flow.
For the first time post-regression, he truly felt he was forging.
Clang! Clang!
Still crude, unpolished, nothing ideal—but everything aligned.
Savoring the long-lost feel, he smiled faintly, hammering without pause to shape it.
Sizzle!
"Whew..."
Quenched, he inspected the reborn edge.
'Solid... but no time for the rest...'
Five prepped blades, but pace forbade full overhaul.
'Better perfect one.'
Five middling might net more budget—but tank his top-student cred.
One focus. Set whetstone, took stance.
Shiiiik— Shiiiik—
Mana: blacksmiths' blessing and curse.
Blessing enabled impossible reforging. Curse bred variables.
'I prefer it now.'
Skillier smiths push arms beyond limits. Creator's ultimate joy.
Shiiiik— Shiiiik—
Edge honed sharper per pass.
His gaze locked on it.
'Keener still...'
Edges dull with use—but initial array dictated longevity.
Shiiiik— Shiiiik—
Not mere whetting—like birthing anew. Hands flew.
Ambient chatter faded; scenery blurred.
All focus: sword in hands.
Rumble—
That grating roar in his ears.
'Ah.'
World's death knell.
The serene wave ground his teeth—yet eased his body.
This sound always heralded his best work. Body flowed proof.
'Pathetic.'
Thrilled by apocalypse? Fleeting doubt—dismissed.
Savor the moment. Senses poured into the blade; dormant mastery unleashed.
Rumble—
Gray husk sloughed; pristine white emerged.
Edge-qi white light.
No fleeting gleam—etched eternal.
Mana array reformed seamlessly, locking perfect.
Shiiiik—
Whetstone shaved microscopically.
"...Whew... Whew."
Motion ceased. Sounds crashed back: ragged breaths, pounding heart.
Sweat-drenched, mana zeroed.
Stamina lingered—but absurd exhaustion for one edge.
'Perfected one, though.'
Long-missed satisfaction, refreshment. He smiled, appraising the blade.
'Lacks vs. pre-regression... but fine.'
Current body's peak. Shed regrets, wiped edge, fitted guard and hilt.
'Done.'
Longsword gleaming white-edged.
One alone sufficed.
⚔ ARMAMENT COMPLETE ⚔
'White Light Longsword' completed!
A master smith unfolds their will through fundamentals alone!
Fully awakening the material's potential and forging a new edge—this craft transcends first-class, no exaggeration.
Judgment: 'White Light Longsword' grade High
Acquired skill 'White Light Flow (C)'
'Eh, passable.'
High-grade on plain iron? Stellar. Last time, Five-Colored Flame Blade neared first-class; now it outright surpassed.
'Pulled my true skill up—a hair.'
Major win. Satisfied smile, he glanced around.
"No way..."
"Ah..."
"I hate this..."
Classmates stared hollow-eyed at their own works.