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Chapter 131

The remains of the red-stained ceiling came into view. The room was filled with choking black smoke, showing only glimpses of the shattered ceilings and walls. The incessantly flashing warning lights assaulted his eyes, blurring his surroundings. On top of that, the wailing alarms made him unable to think.

Boom!

An explosion resounded nearby, violently strengthening the flames burning the entire lab. The heat awakened the excruciating pain coming from his burned body and torn entrails.

“Ugh...”

Forcing himself up amidst the heat from the flames and the pain constricting his breathing, the devastation that had been unclear finally came into focus.

Dozens of researchers had been vaporized without a trace, leaving only the spots where they had stood. And at the center of everything, the culprit behind the entire incident dominantly exuded its presence.

Vwoooom-!

The sword spewed flames in all directions, forming a seemingly endless sea of flames. If left alone, it would continue erupting until it eventually broke apart, but there was no way he would just let that happen.

“Huff... huff...”

Gritting his teeth, he put on the gauntlet he had prepared in advance and walked over to the sword, grabbing its hilt.

Sizzle!!

Upon contact, the terrifying heat began melting the gauntlet despite it having been prepared specifically for the sword.

Just imagining what would have happened if his bare hand touched the sword made cold sweat trickle down his back, but he knew there was no time to be intimidated by such trivial matters when he didn\'t know when the main force would arrive.

With that thought in mind, he forced his heavy body to move, when suddenly, he heard a voice that seemed to be cut off between syllables.

“He—re.”

Even though he knew he shouldn\'t look, his head slowly turned towards the source of the sound.

His eyes fixed on a blackened charcoal figure buried under the debris. The figure’s form was unfamiliar yet so familiar, putting him in a trance.

“Traitor.”

The voice of his loved one echoed in his ears like a curse.

***

“Huff... huff...”

In-Cheol woke up in his bed with a jolt and immediately sat up.

Upon scanning his surroundings, he noticed that he was still in his unchanging bedroom as always, making him realize that the scene he had just seen was all a dream. Feelings of both relief and uneasiness clashed within him.

I have a bad feeling about this...

Was the nightmare because of the recent progress in the research on Shattered Flame, or was it a premonition of something about to happen? Regardless of which it was, it made him feel extremely unpleasant.

Annoyed by the sensation, In-Cheol furrowed his brow, pushing the thought aside before checking the time.

“Damn... I’m late.”

It seemed he had missed his alarm due to the nightmare, as it was already thirty minutes past his usual wake-up time.

Frowning at the uncharacteristic mistake, he headed straight to the bathroom to wash his nightmare-induced sweat-drenched body and change clothes.

After he was done, he made his way to the garage and mounted a large red motorcycle.

Vroom-

The engine roared to life with a deep purr.

The sensation of his entire body shaking as he sped down the road helped shake off the lingering drowsiness, clearing up his mind enough to remind himself of today’s schedule.

Everything else is the same as usual... I just need to check the exhibition pieces.

The Department of Blacksmithing had submitted a total of four works for the honor student exhibition at Borsippa. Three of them were prepared by graduates from long ago, so there was no need to worry about them. The problem was with the remaining one, the submission of Se-Hoon.

I’m worried it might be too well-made.

While it was better to do something well than poorly, there was a limit to everything. In Se-Hoon’s case, if a first-year student produced something too exceptional, it would inevitably cause various troubles.

And among all of the different possible troubles, In-Cheol was most concerned about whether Offering would reach out to Se-Hoon.

He’s already attracted their attention by forging Jake Myers’s sword....

Se-Hoon had easily forged a weapon that renowned blacksmiths had failed to make and even forged a piece tailored to supporting Incantation Magic, a form of magic that had never existed before. Aside from those, he continuously produced Hero-tier equipment, demonstrating his exceptional skill in blacksmithing.

There was no way Offering, who were searching for an outstanding blacksmith capable of forging the Vessel, weren’t paying close attention to Se-Hoon’s whereabouts and actions.

Submitting something ordinary at this chance wouldn’t be a bad move.

Though it might sound harsh to Se-Hoon, completely botching his submission for the exhibit this time wouldn’t be so bad. That way, Offering might change their mind.

...No, what am I thinking?

Realizing that wishing for his student to botch his submission was too much, In-Cheol rode the rest of the way to the main building while feeling guilty about his selfish thoughts.

“It’s sword aura—actual sword aura! Actual mass-producible sword aura!”

“This is a revolutionary! The singularity has arrived!”

Walking into the conference room, In-Chol was exposed to the excited shouts of his fellow professors. Unable to contain their excitement, they acted like primitive men discovering fire for the first time.

It was why they belatedly noticed In-Cheol’s arrival and thus belatedly greeted him. Normally, In-Cheol would have told them to calm down, but just like his peers, the item in front of him also stirred his excitement.

“Mass-producible sword aura...”

He walked toward the golden sword aura, flawlessly formed on a sleek longsword.

He couldn’t see the internal structure, but even he, as a blacksmith, was able to immediately recognize it was genuine, pure sword aura, something he only knew about in theory. It completely lacked the feeling that arose when normally observing a sword’s mana circuit that had been dyed with the colors of a hero’s sword aura.

I was right. He submitted something truly outrageous.

Blacksmiths had failed to mass produce sword auras until now because manifesting them through synesthetic mindscapes seemed impossible. Yet, Se-Hoon has proven that it was possible, proving that aside from sword auras, various other techniques could also be mass-produced and sold.

Se-Hoon’s submission for the exhibition was truly the “future,” a perfect match to the theme of the exhibition. It made In-Cheol feel both amazement and slight unease.

Can we really reveal something like this...?

Even if he was already familiar with Se-Hoon\'s exceptional skills, the invention before him had far surpassed mere skill. If Offering were to see this, Se-Hoon wouldn\'t just be considered a potential candidate to forge the Vessel, he would be likely be deemed the perfect choice. There was no way they wouldn’t start taking more aggressive actions.

Given their way of doing things, they should start by trying to persuade him, but... with such talent, they might directly resort to kidnapping.

Being familiar with how Offering went about their business, In-Cheol couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. However, if he stepped in carelessly, he could risk exposing himself to Offering.

It was a difficult decision that was tearing him apart.

“Doesn\'t this sword aura look familiar?” one of the professors suddenly remarked, frowning at the sword aura.

At their word, the other professors uneasily looked at each other.

“Yeah. Golden sword aura is pretty rare, in fact.”

“If we consider the most famous person with this sword aura... wait a moment.”

The name of a prestigious family easily came to mind. At first, they all tried to dismiss it as just a coincidence, but then they recalled that Se-Hoon was close to the first-year honor student Jake Myers.

“Could it be...?”

“Is this really the Myers...?”

The professors exchanged worried gazes.

They were shocked by the mere possibility that it was a recreation of the sword aura of the Meyers family, who were globally renowned for their swordsmanship.

“Is this... suitable for the exhibition?”

“I’m not sure...”

In this world, sword aura was, in a sense, a kind of secret technique. So if the Myers family’s sword aura had been analyzed to the point of being mass produciable by an outsider, the consequences it would bring were simply unpredictable. Of course, if the Myers family had permitted it, there were no issues aside from how impressive it was, but if they hadn’t.... no one dared to wonder what might happen to Se-Hoon.

“...”

“...”

Feeling a strange tension fill the room, In-Cheol resolutely made his decision.

I have to tell him right away.

This was no longer just a potential kidnapping situation—Se-Hoon was for sure in for some nasty business.

“I\'ll be back shortly.”

***

While In-Cheol hurried to the Dean’s office, the exhibition hall in Borsippa was buzzing with final preparations for the expo.

“The output here is a bit lacking. Increase it by about thirty-three percent and adjust the delay to a fifth of a second.”

“Understood.”

Seeing that his assistant quickly began making the adjustments, Lan Fei’s gaze shifted elsewhere.

“The coupling there is sloppy. Tighten it up from the beginning.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And make sure the sealing on that formula for that booth is properly done.”

“Understood.”

Despite several days of adjustments, fixing one issue would lead to flaws in two other places. Being the one to deal with this never-ending cycle, Lan Fei frowned.

Why is everyone so sloppy?

While ignorance could be overlooked, it was frustrating beyond measure to see staff members of the expo fail to apply what they said they understood after a proper explanation. Yet, Lan Fei opted to provide detailed feedback to each one of them rather than getting angry, acknowledging that it was due to the limit known as talent.

As he was in the midst of giving a whirlwind of instructions, he noticed two certain staff members.

“Like this?”

“That seems about right...”

Perfectly following orders, Se-Hoon and Luize were adjusting the formula on the outer defense device. For a moment, Lan Fei watched the two work and was able to see the emergency defense barrier flawlessly surround the area. Looking back at the two, Lan Fei saw them exchange satisfied smiles.

“Nice.”

“Let\'s move to the next one.”

Like they had been doing it for years, the two skillfully adjusted the formulas. Their quick and precise skills thoroughly impressed Lan Fei.

I only taught them one thing, yet they\'re doing so much more.

Though one might argue that hextech, like magic, just ran on mana and spell formulas in the end, the complexities that arose from various environmental factors made them much harder to master. As a result, those who underestimated the complexities often failed miserably when creating a hextech device, yet the two were able to perfectly absorb and apply everything that they had been taught.

Their talent is truly on a different level. It’s exceptional.

Luize showed potential with her proficiency in the unique field of magic, Incantation Magic, while Se-Hoon displayed versatile talent across various fields. Thinking that their talents were among the best at Babel, a school known for its geniuses, Lan Fei had a thought as he watched them.

Can I just leave them here like this?

While most would think that Babel, otherwise known as the Emperor of Ascension’s garden, was an excellent educational space, Lan Fei thought otherwise. To him, it seemed like education here was treated as an extension of the various experiments sponsored by numerous corporations and research institutes.

And while such an experimental attitude wasn\'t inherently bad, he personally thought that the consequences of any missteps would likely be fatal.

...It’s a bit too early to worry about that, though.

Jumping the gun without any solid evidence would lead to missed opportunities. So for now, gathering evidence while working as a professor of the Department of Hextech seemed like the best course of action.

Reminding himself of his mission, Lan Fei shifted his focus again.

“...Huh?”

In that split moment, Se-Hoon and Luize had disappeared. Curious about where they had gone, Lan Fei briefly looked around before deciding to just dismiss them from his mind.

They must have gone to check out the exhibits.

He wasn’t too worried since being able to explore had been part of their arrangement from the start. Plus, the security at this expo was tight due to the recent incident at the Ivory Tower, making it difficult for the two to do anything particularly out of the ordinary.

Well, there\'s also no reason for them to cause trouble.

Since they had already completed their assigned tasks, Lan Fei let them be and shifted his focus back to his work.

Meanwhile, Se-Hoon was stretching lightly in the back passage of the expo hall.

“Now that we\'ve finished all of our tasks, shall we get moving?”

“Is there anything we can actually do though?”

Having carefully examined the expo over time, they were able to find out that the facilities within the hall boasted impenetrable protective measures that could easily withstand even the simultaneous explosions of every exhibit inside.

Thus the question changed. What could Offering even do within such a fortified facility, and how could they possibly intervene?

At Luize’s question, Se-Hoon smiled slightly and answered, “It will be tough to overhaul everything. That’s why, at times like this, we’ll go with the flow.”

“The flow?”

“Yep. We’ll skillfully just avoid or use the various devices planted within the hall, just like administrators.”

It would be difficult to completely alter all the devices to their liking, but it was possible to manipulate them within permitted boundaries with just a little bit of effort. Even with Incantation Magic, which was actually quite incompatible with the spell formulas in the protection devices, it would be a piece of cake if they just learned how they worked on the inside.

“Let’s start from here. Formula Integration, Environmental Assimilation...”

Like that, Se-Hoon imbued Incantation Inscriptions mainly on the devices placed on the outskirts of the hall, which were mostly non-essential. And thanks to that fact, it was unlikely that they would get caught during an inspection. But it was precisely that fact that made Luize doubt what they could even achieve by doing such a thing.

“Is this really right?” Luize perplexedly asked, unable to understand how what they were doing could be useful.

With a confident grin, Se-Hoon replied, “Don\'t worry. I’m sure this will work.”

In fact, he was using the very method the Blast Dog had often used herself to take over or blow up entire buildings, so there was no reason to doubt its effectiveness.

Despite still being confused, Luize nodded, finding Se-Hoon’s confidence strangely reassuring.

“Are we done with all the preparations then?”

“For now, yes.”

The only remaining task was to assess how well he understood the opponent\'s moves and how effectively he could exploit their hidden cards.

This time, I’ll give them a proper hit so they won’t dare challenge us again...

Having decided to use Babel as his base, Se-Hoon was determined not to let the upcoming opportunity slip out of his grasp. His eyes gleamed with resolve, thinking about the upcoming weekend.

“Let’s give them a proper blow.”

***

In a small park behind Ascus, Lea, wearing a cardigan over her hospital gown, frowned as she walked along the trail.

“Modifying the formula... well, it’s not like he’s not allowed to modify it, but still...”

When she had been informed by Se-Hoon that he had properly created a mass-producible sword aura equipment, she spent the night pondering over how her enchantments had been slightly modified.

Initially, she had been disappointed that he had changed her enchantments after promising to use them as they were. However, upon seeing the new enchantments, her disappointment changed to astonishment at the unexpectedly high level of its completion.

That main enchantment wasn’t something that could just be tweaked easily and changed in a snap...

Given that the main enchantment was composed of various formulas that were intricately connected, even a slight twist could distort its effects. However, Se-Hoon had managed to tweak it overnight, refining it to produce a more sophisticated sword aura.

The basic framework seems about the same, but... who would’ve thought it could be applied like so... hmm...

The thought of being outdone by Se-Hoon, especially in enchantments, was enough to make her shudder. What if he surpassed her skills before she was even satisfied with her progress? The mere thought was horrifying.

I can\'t let that happen. I need to be discharged quickly so I can start studying or something...

Honestly, hadn’t she been resting obediently for long enough already? Determined to be discharged, Lea began walking back briskly when she noticed something.

“Huh?”

On the bench by the small pond in the park, someone was sitting in her usual spot. The figure had long hair that was neatly tied with an old pink hair tie. Their back view suggested it was a man, but there was also something oddly fitting yet mismatched about them.

Intrigued, Lea stared at them, trying to figure out the peculiar feeling.

“Hm?"

Having sensed her gaze, the man turned his head.

His face was deeply lined with fatigue, giving him a shadowy appearance, but the small smile on his face gave off a sorrowful vibe. He seemed like a middle-aged man with a lingering sense of loneliness.

They exchanged an awkward gaze. Then, the man seemed to realize something and opened his eyes wide.

“Oh. You’re the kid who always sits here. Sorry for taking your spot.”

He sprang up from the bench, and his right sleeve fluttered, showing that his right arm had likely been completely severed.

Ah, he must be the hero they were talking about, the one who lost his right arm in battle...

Remembering the nurses’ chatter, Lea quickly waved her hand at the man trying to give her the seat.

“No, it’s okay. It’s not like I purchased the spot anyway...”

“It’s fine. I was about to leave to meet my daughter anyway.”

Giving her a gentle smile and a small nod, the man turned around and slowly walked out of the park.

Watching his despondently retreating figure, Lea made a curious expression and thought, He’s meeting his daughter, huh....

Since he cherished his daughter so deeply, why was he wearing such a sorrowful expression when he said he was going to meet her? Puzzled by the overall strangeness of the man, Lea just continued to watch.

And she saw the man clutch at his empty sleeve as he walked away.

Just a little longer...

Soon, he would be meeting his daughter.

Knowing this, the man—who was more commonly known to the world as the Fire Blacksmith Hunter—continued walking toward the ward with a cold glint in his eyes.