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Chapter 95

With each cycle, a flash of crimson sparkled through the gaps in the large 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 flash of crimson growing more vivid with the increasing heat, the surface of the piece of charcoal also began to change.

Crackle-

It began to disintegrate.

“Here we go!”

With that robust shout, Se-Hoon quickly opened the translucent cover all the way.

Flames and an intense heat instantly burst out.

However, despite the heat that seemed intense enough to easily penetrate the basic workwear’s heat resistance, Se-Hoon reached in with the tongs without blinking once.

Whoom!

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.

With each penetration of the skewer, flames burst out like blood. But Se-Hoon managed to skillfully dodge all the flames to finish his work. Soon, he attached a thread of Black Weaver to the end of the skewer and finally threw it to Luize, who had been waiting nearby.

“Last compression!”

Catching the thread of Black Weaver, Luize immediately bit into it and imbued the synesthetic mindscape she had long honed into a single incantation.

“Compression.”

The spell penetrated the charcoal deeply through the Black Weaver, causing the shine of crimson light from the charcoal gaps to intensify further.

Crack!

New cracks quickly spread across the surface. Then, when the cracks seemed to have reached their limits and the surface was about to collapse, a change occurred.

Boom!

The giant piece of charcoal exploded, scattering ash everywhere.

“Cough, cough... 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.

Whoosh!

The workshop’s ventilation finally kicked in and started to clear the view.

“...”

A moment later, 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 gaze landed on the now-empty workbench that had been at the center of the explosion.

Another failure?

Had they really been doing this for ten hours only to start all over again? The thought made her seriously start to contemplate 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’s complete.”

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 glass. 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.

[Crimson Flame Rod]

[Tier: Rare] [Quality: Perfect]

[A rod made by heating a special type of wood over a long period of time.

It has the ability to absorb and store flames, which can then be used as nourishment to regenerate damaged parts.

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.

*Can regenerate using the flames stored in equipment.

*Strength increases when infused with mana

*Current amount of stored flames: 100%]

“...Huh. It’s only Rare?”

Noticing that the Crimson Flame 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 too lacking.

“Is this really the final product? I compressed 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 flames, and then, after multiple pieces were processed and reduced to a certain size, she compressed similarly processed pieces together.

She repeated such a process dozens of times to create the current flame-resistant and durable Crimson Flame Rod.

With that much effort, the result should at least be of Hero tier... She frowned, feeling betrayed by her effort.

Upon seeing her disappointment, Se-Hoon just chuckled, saying, “Slow down. The rod is still incomplete.”

“Incomplete?”

“Normally, there would be a spear blade 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 Flame 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.

It would have been perfect if she hadn’t failed so much along the way, thought Se-Hoon, lamenting over the dozens of fragments of the Divine Tree that were turned into white ash.

“Wait, a spear blade?”

Luize narrowed her eyes.

“You’re not planning to give this to that Yeom guy, are you?”

“Uh... I was going to sell it to hi—”

“Hmph...!”

Instead of listening to the rest of what he had to say, she attempted to snap the Crimson Flame 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 place! 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 Blast 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 blames 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 had come 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 she lacks 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 should help her develop some tolerance this time, he thought, making a mental note.

Considering she was an Incantation Mage, it wouldn’t be right if she lost her composure 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 blade to it, it will definitely become Hero tier.”

“Thank you.”

“And...”

Pausing to contemplate for a moment, In-Cheol confidently added, “There seems to be some potential to use that material with Shattered Flame.”

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 Flame as well, even though it inherently possessed an opposing nature.

Thus, it might be possible to use Shattered Flame to manipulate the piece of wood in a certain way so it could be used replacement 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 flames from Shattered Flame 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—”

“But promise me just one thing.”

In-Cheol looked at Se-Hoon with a serious expression.

“If any trace of Shattered Flame is left in the finished equipment, you must destroy it immediately.”

If the existence of Shattered Flame 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 ride later, 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.

Vrooom-

Se-Hoon stroked his chin as he gazed in the direction In-Cheol had disappeared.

So there’s someone out there that can recognize the traces of Shattered Flame.... Did Kim In-Cheol actually steal it from Watchers?

According to the information he had seen through the Phantasmal Spyblade, In-Cheol had once been a part of Watchers as their blacksmith before being killed during the Fire Sword Blacksmith Hunt incident.

Of course, whether that information was true couldn’t be confirmed yet, but it seemed plausible under the current circumstances.

The only blacksmith-related members of Watchers should be those Offering guys.

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.

To get to them, I need to find the perpetrator of the Fire Sword Blacksmith Hunt first.

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’re late.”

A large 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 his completely 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 you completed?”

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 blade 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 to complete 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 explain 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 Blacksmith Hunter.”