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Chapter 31

“Sorry. Sung-Ha sunbae wanted to briefly discuss the flame ring,” replied Se-Hoon confidently.

“...Yes, I did,” confirmed Sung-Ha bluntly.

“Tsk... next time, save the personal discussions for after the lecture.”

Lis normally wouldn’t tolerate laziness, 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 glanced around the room.

I guess it’s still basic instructions for now. Half of the students are already drawing out their designs.

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.

Hm. Even though these are just typically provided materials, there are quite a few useful ones.

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 remember working like a slave in the workshops run by professors before the regression and getting paid with materials instead of money...

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.

He’s picking materials already?

Does he not need to verify his design?

Normally, the complex nature of mana circuits in equipment with residual mana caused the design to require meticulous planning 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 particularly intense gaze among the stares from all over, Se-Hoon glanced over.

“...”

He immediately noticed Sung-Ha, eyes wide open, glaring 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.

That bastard’s eyeballs are going to pop.

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.

The ratio should be about seven to three... I should start with the heating.

Fwoosh!

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 placed 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.

Here it comes.

Crack!

The heated Fire Crimson Stone and Dark Cloud Stone cracked, leaking the intrinsic elemental mana they contained.

The two types of mana immediately began clashing with the flames inside the furnace. Noticing that they were seemingly about to be consumed entirely by the flames, he protected his right arm with Scarlet Lotus and plunged it into the furnace.

“Gasp...!”

“Agh...!”

The daring sight surprised the watching students. Meanwhile, Se-Hoon, the man of the hour, nonchalantly stirred the flames inside the furnace with his right hand.

Whoosh-

With each movement of his hand, the two different types of mana blended with the flames.

After stirring the flames inside the furnace for a while, Se-Hoon felt a sense of resistance with his palm and promptly withdrew his arm.

Woosh!

A flame, intricately mixed with red and black mana, was slowly swiveling inside the furnace. This sight of such a mysterious flame left the surrounding students agape, and even Lis became astonished.

Fire transmutation...?

Fire transmutation was a technique used to imbue elemental mana by controlling the flames. It was a high-level technique that required not just precise mana control but also proficiency in handling flames.

Yet Se-Hoon had just managed to pull it off while simultaneously imbuing both fire and darkness mana.

So there was a reason behind Professor Kim’s confidence...

To Lis, it was as if he were watching a blacksmith with decades of experience, one that had faced all manners of challenges.

Overwhelmed by such undeniable talent, Lis completely forgot about the class, lost in his admiration for Se-Hoon.

Maybe it was too early, 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 Flames and Scarlet Lotus, and it seemed he was still unable to withstand that level of heat completely.

Although they mixed a bit less than I thought... the more important matter is the control of the flame.

It might seem like a regular 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 flames really meant.

Watch closely.

After ensuring that the flame’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.

Is that...

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.

How can the two types of mana with conflicting natures blend so seamlessly...?

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.

It’s thanks to a proper ratio that allows the two types of elemental mana to maintain balance, and... a layout that reflects the characteristics of the mana.

By placing the inward-eroding darkness mana on the outside and the outward-spreading fire mana on the inside, the two counterbalanced, stabilizing each other. While this was simple to say, balancing the ratio and controlling the movement of each type of mana was a complex task. If one could reach an even higher level of competence, they would be able to support an even faster rotation, which would lead to the formation of a perfect circle.

...A circle?

The moment this thought occurred to Sung-Ha, a vision naturally formed in his mind.

Fwoosh!

The vision showed a murky, crimson flame ring speeding up and separating into two colors to form a red circle enveloped in black wisps.

Seeing the form of the flame 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 class 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 becomes 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 flame ring by drawing a circle in the air.

Fwoosh!

As usual, a dark, crimson flame arose and formed a circle, but this time, it was thicker and accelerating 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 Black Flame Wheel, a symbol of Mad Dog Yeom Sung-Ha. Its appearance made Se-Hoon feel a slight bit of admiration for him.

I didn’t expect that he could make it in a single try after looking at my example just once.

Sung-Ha possessed two types of A-tier elemental mana: the fire-attributed Crimson Flame Soul and the darkness-attributed Nightshade Soul. However, he practically only used the Crimson Flame Soul due to the traditions of the Flame Sect.

The common belief among them is that they can only reach the pinnacle of the Inferno Ring with pure flames.

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 flame ring would become a murky dark crimson, and at other times it became difficult to control the flame rings.

That’s why he regressed from seven rings to six.

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 revelation, he should return to seven rings soon enough.

He’ll also awaken his unique skill, Complete Source Resonance.

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 Black Flame Wheels. In the blink of an eye, five Black Flame Wheels were completed and lined up in the air. Five rings now completed, Sung-Ha summoned the flames for the sixth ring.

Spark! Fwoosh!

“Huh?”

Despite the flames showing up, Sung-Ha failed to form another flame 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 flame ring.”

Despite Sung-Ha’s furrowed brow that showed his focus on exerting his full effort, there were no signs of the sixth flame ring forming.

With some observation, Se-Hoon belatedly realized the cause.

Is it because creating Black Flame Wheels requires so much concentration?

It was natural that Sung-Ha was unable to create the sixth ring, as each Black Flame Wheel had to be accelerated faster than normal rings. He also needed to simultaneously handle two types of elemental mana while controlling the precise ratios.

But to think that he would be unable to even make six rings when he could make seven before...

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 Black Flame Wheel, Sung-Ha’s strength had actually increased.

He would naturally be able to increase the number of Black Flame 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 Flame Sect regularly sends mentors to check up on the successors of the Inferno Ring. And...”

After pausing briefly, he continued with a heavy tone, “Failing to maintain at least six flame rings will disqualify one from successorship.”

Blankly staring at him, Se-Hoon, needing clarification asked, “Wouldn’t being strong be enough?”

“The Flame Sect is a clan 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 clan 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 explaining in words, Sung-Ha attempted to create six flame rings using the old method. But when he tried to form the sixth ring, his Nightshade Soul surged uncontrollably and swallowed the flame, preventing more than five rings from forming.

“Trying to make flame rings with the old method like before causes the Nightshade Soul to become uncontrollable. The old method is no longer viable.”

“...”

There was a saying in the blacksmithing industry: if you lacked 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 mentor 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 reclaiming the ability to produce six rings could warrant a rechallenge, but it wasn’t as simple as it sounded.

According to what Se-Hoon had learned from Sung-Ha before the regression, once his heirship was revoked, he would be excommunicated immediately, as if they had been eagerly awaiting the moment.

That might not be the exact situation, but the real one won’t be that much different.

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.

There’s still time.

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.

But the issue is how do I help him achieve that in just a day...

As Se-Hoon pondered what training method could benefit Sung-Ha, an old memory soon surfaced.

“Such an inconvenient weapon. If I had received it back then, I wouldn’t have been able to use it.”

He remembered how Sung-Ha had complained 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.

Placing his hand on Sung-Ha’s shoulder, he quickly performed Bond Extraction.

[Extracting bond from subject ‘Yeom Sung-Ha’]

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

“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.

Whoosh-

As if shaping according to his thoughts, red-colored mana surged within his hand and formed Sung-Ha’s Fatestone. The stone was interspersed with red and black specks, engraved with patterns that seemed to spread out in circular waves. It looked more crudely shaped than before the regression.

Perhaps it’s because he’s still young.

Regardless of the shape, it would be fine as its performance was similar. Se-Hoon immediately checked the Fatestone’s information.

[Fatestone - Dark Crimson Stone]

[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Perfect]

[A piece of ore containing both fire and darkness mana.

The wavelengths produced by the two elemental attributes resonate within itself.

*Amplifies the power of materials used together]

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 a complete overhaul.