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Chapter 58

My condition isn’t even that serious...

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 claims 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 explaining.

“Take a look at this first.”

Snap-

With a flick of his fingers, three images were displayed 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 places, 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 glass. It looks fine on the outside, but even just a little stimulus can cause it to shatter completely.”

“In other words, as long as there’s no such stimulus—”

“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 plan to bind him with special bandages for compression; 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 eye later, 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 discomfort.

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 discomfort. 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 can’t tell what she’s thinking right now.

Compared to other high-ranking heroes, who usually seemed to be missing a screw each, Eun-Ha had always been relatively 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.

This time it’s a bit different...

Before the regression, she would sign regular supply contracts with blacksmiths 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 blacksmiths; the normal was usually once a month at best. It was not an exaggeration to say that her standards were on a completely different level.

Thus, with that in mind, he had decided to try and maintain some distance from her this time around.

“Would you make my meals every day from now on?”

But, her recent proposal had turned all of his plans 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 didn’t expect that understanding the taste of equipment would bring about this much change.

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 glad 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 repeated compliments, his face twitched.

While he, being a human himself, didn’t mind receiving compliments, it was difficult to get used to, especially coming from someone like her.

“Can’t you do better?”

“It’s not bad, but not impressive. Try harder.”

“Do you really think this is your limit?”

She always gave out critiques that, when put positively, pointed out flaws, and when put negatively, were just complaints and expressions of dissatisfaction. There was a reason she was always avoided by blacksmiths.

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.

It’s a lie, though, 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.

She feels like this right now, but she’ll change her tune once she gets used to it.

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 accept the offer and supplied her with equipment every day, then one day the taste might become too familiar, making her tired of it.

I also need to observe her more.

Because he now understood what equipment tasted like, his relationship 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 don’t want to make her feel that regret twice.

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 collaborate on research instead?”

“Research?”

“I plan to research the taste of equipment, as perceived by you, Dean.”

While a regular supply agreement would create a strictly transactional relationship, framing it as research could change the narrative.

With this, any mistakes made can just be regarded as part of the research process.

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 déjà vu wrapped around him.

Whoosh!

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—Ludwig—greeted him, causing Se-Hoon to stiffen slightly.

He really is a Perfect One... summoning me in such an abrupt manner...

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 manipulating 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.

It seems he has quite an understanding of spatial movement.

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—or 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 also landed in the office as if she had been flung here.

“I apologize for being late.”

“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.

So, an S-rank can withstand it to some extent, Se-Hoon thought, closely observing her.

Meanwhile, Ludwig looked at both of them.

“Explain 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 occurred within Babel, this matter had gotten entirely out of hand, as an entire mountain in the Danger Zone had vanished.

“May I explain first?”

Standing beside Se-Hoon, Eun-Ha briefly summarized the events on Mount Silver Moon. Listening quietly to the explanation, Ludwig grew more and more fascinated.

“An A-class dungeon concealed in a D-class 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 explain 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’s competence.”

“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 had come up with a way to conceal and manipulate this incident, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but be intrigued. It was a familiar sight that confirmed his suspicion.

Although I expected that he wouldn’t be entirely straight-laced... he’s quite a seasoned player.

It seemed like Ludwig was a figure capable of stepping beyond the bounds of the law 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-class 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.

If I’m unlucky, I might attract too much attention.

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 outcome 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 would 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 to compensate 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.

The fame I would have gained, you say...

Knowing that Ludwig must have some calculations 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 the compensation, Se-Hoon celebrated internally and moved on to the next request.

“I’d like the upcoming extermination practical location to be the Black 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 than compensation... 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 Flame 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 incomplete preparations and designs.

I hope he actually has one.

While Dream Ivory and Inkstone Ore had both been rare enough on their own, a Southern Flame 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 particularly troublesome to acquire.

Even if one somehow managed to defeat the beast, its whole body would suddenly ignite, evaporating ninety percent of its physical form.

I heard that its feathers are almost never recovered...

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 Flame Feather, you say.... Wait a moment.”

Ludwig waved his hand through the air nonchalantly.

Click-

And just like before, a golden keyhole appeared in the air, rotated ninety degrees, and then split vertically.

From the white void that appeared, something began to stir, and soon an item fell out.

Thud-

A neatly cut, rectangular 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.

[Southern Flame Feather]

[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Perfect]

[The feather of a Vermillion Bird that rules over fire.

It contains powerful fire mana and has the power to resist psychic interference.

*Increases fire resistance.

*Increases resistance to psychic attacks]

“...”

What lay right in front of Se-Hoon’s eyes was a perfectly preserved Southern Flame Feather.

Seeing how Ludwig had nonchalantly offered an ultra-rare material, Se-Hoon immediately revised his opinion of Ludwig’s ability.

There’s something fishy about him... I should keep him close.

Who could possibly be more important to a blacksmith 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 was completely 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 Flame Feather alone was already easily worth billions, yet Ludwig was still offering more compensation...?

Deciding to just accept after a moment of contemplation, 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 Black Flame 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 nonchalantly provided an ultra-rare material like the Southern Flame Feather, would be able to easily provide him with one.

Thud-

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.”

[Dragon Lung Stone]

[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Excellent]

[An ore that can accumulate fire mana.

If the internal mana is stimulated in a certain direction, it can release the stored fire mana in one go.

*Can store and release fire mana]

“Ho...”

With just a glance, he knew that this was enough to upgrade the Black Flame 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, very, nice person, one that was rare to find in this harsh world.