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Chapter 24

Feeling the lively vigor pulsing throughout his body and the faint warmth from Scarlet Lotus, he found himself smiling unwittingly.

This feels nice.

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 should be in my best condition today.

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\'ll wear this later...

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 accustomed 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 Blacksmithing.”

“Yeah? What are you doing here, then?”

“So I can go with you.”

He glanced at her, who spoke without hiding anything.

Nothing seems to have changed even after we formed a bond.

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 were complicated, 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 becoming friends with me?”

His point-blank 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 will complete 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.

Is she aiming to become the head of the family?

To become the head of a family as large 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.

In the end, all I need to do is help her become the head of the family.

Before the regression, Ren, her brother, became the head of the family. Erika, who was just a family member, ended up becoming a demon and was later subdued. The details of those events were unclear to him, but by helping Erika become the head of the family, he would naturally learn what led to it, and even possibly prevent her from becoming a demon this time.

This should be enough for now.

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 can make it.

He felt as though he could envision Erika’s Fatestone right then and there, but he needed to focus on the upcoming forging session. He nodded as he tried to remember her exact image for later.

“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.

It might reduce unnecessary conflicts too.

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 weeks later.”

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.

[Extracting bond from subject ‘Erika Inoue’]

[The bond with the host is Lv. 1.]

I wonder what kind of ability her Fatestone will have.

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 clasped 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 planning 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 blacksmith’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.

She’s an enigma.

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.

Come to think of it, I should get a new hammer.

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 replacement 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 explanation.

“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’s command, all the students began to work. Similarly, Se-Hoon began by examining the swords he had forged during previous classes.

Utter garbage...

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 accumulate over time into a significant flaw.

Igniting the forge, he took off his workwear and tied it around his waist.

There’s no time for complacency.

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 black undershirt on, he intently watched the forge heat up and soon inserted the blade of the sword into it.

Fwoosh!

The blade glowed red, and the internal mana array began to destabilize. He had to watch for the precise moment that it loosened just enough without collapsing entirely.

The moment he noticed the first signs, he immediately removed the blade from the forge and began smithing it on the anvil.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

His hammer swung with unerring precision. Though the swings seemed identical to before, they were more accurate and gradually corrected the blade’s balance.

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.

Clang! Clang!

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 blade.

Sizz!

Now finished with the quenching, he inspected the newly forged blade.

This is decent... but it seems there’s not enough time for the rest...

Although he had previously forged a total of five swords, at his current pace, it was impossible to fix and finish them all.

The right choice is probably just focusing on forging one decent sword.

While five mediocre swords might have brought in more budget, his brand value as an honor student would diminish. His plan to focus on a single sword decided, he assumed his position in front of the whetstone and began sharpening.

Shhhhhk- Shhhhhk-

Among blacksmiths, 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.

Even now, I still prefer the world with mana.

The greater a blacksmith’s skill, the stronger the equipment they could forge. There was no greater joy to him than surpassing his limits and forging something powerful.

Shhhhhk- Shhhhhk-

With every passing over the whetstone, the blade was honed, a bit more sharpness etched in with each movement. His focus on the blade intensified, aiming for even greater sharpness.

Even sharper...

It was inevitable that the sharpness of a blade would become dull with use, but how sharp the blade could become would be significantly affected by how the mana array was arranged at the moment of its creation.

Shhhhhk- Shhhhhk-

His hands moved tirelessly as if he were not just honing the blade 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.

Swoooosh-

The dreaded sound once again echoed in his ears.

Ah.

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 relaxed 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.

This is ridiculous.

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 blacksmithing skills, which had lain dormant until now.

Swoooosh-

The gray exterior of the blade began to peel away, and a pristine, white figure was revealed underneath.

Accompanying the white blade was a blinding white light that felt as though it was sharp enough to cut through skin.

The blade’s sharpness wasn’t just temporary; it was etched into the very essence of the blade. The sharpness was imbued with white light which naturally altered its mana array to settle perfectly into place.

Schwing-

With a swish, the surface of the whetstone was thinly sliced away.

“...Huff ...huff.”

At the sight, Se-Hoon froze. His hearing, which had been completely 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 blade was utterly tragic.

At least I managed to forge one properly.

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 blade in his hand.

Though it’s a bit disappointing compared to before the regression... it’s not bad.

Given his current stats, this was the best he could do. Letting go of any lingering regrets, he lightly cleaned the blade and immediately assembled the guard and handle.

And... done.

A long sword that boasted pure white sharpness.

Though that was its only unique aspect, that alone was enough for him.

[Weapon ‘Radiant Long Sword’ has been completed!

A great blacksmith unfolds their intent with the basics alone! The skill of a blacksmith who has drawn out the full potential of the material to forge a state-of-the-art blade surpasses even the first-rate.

The tier evaluation for ‘Radiant Long Sword’ is ‘Advanced’.]

[Skill ‘White Light Surge (C)’ has been acquired.]

Well, I guess this can be considered fairly good.

Although it was only Advanced tier, it was impressive considering that it was made from ordinary iron. Moreover, when he previously forged the Five-Flame Sword, the achievement message claimed that his skill was approaching those regarded as first-rate, but now it claimed that he had surpassed them.

I managed to slightly improve my abilities.

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.