Chapter 60
“Stupid fool...” Sung-Ha muttered discontentedly, leaving the hospital room.
Se-Hoon frowned as he watched Sung-Ha leave.
So he was still a bit paranoid when he was young.
Sung-Ha’s personality led him to doubt first if something didn’t seem rational to him. And while such a mindset wasn’t bad, Sung-Ha, or more precisely, the Mad Dog, took it to the extreme, making it problematic.
I remember how it took him three years to drink the water I gave him.
Before that, Sung-Ha would either pierce through the water bottles Se-Hoon threw at him with a spear or cause a ruckus over how Se-Hoon was trying to assassinate him.
His personality seems much better than in his Mad Dog days, but... it seems I still need to sort it out considering what happened just now.
It didn’t matter if Sung-Ha just screwed up on his own, but it would be quite troublesome if, like just now, he tried to intervene when others approached Se-Hoon in the name of helping.
With that thought, he began pondering over how to deal with Sung-Ha’s paranoia.
“Don’t get too close to Yeom Sung-Ha.”
But before he could think too much about it, Erika, sitting on the bed, calmly spoke up.
“His position has become more precarious now that he has become a successor candidate. You could be swept into the Flame Sect’s power struggle if you’re not careful.”
“Really...? You think they’d bother me just because I know him?”
“They will,” Erika answered promptly, a serious on her face.
“I wouldn’t put it past the current sect master, Lee Won-Ryong.”
Regardless of whether Sung-Ha was studying in Babel or not, Lee Won-Ryong was someone who would go to great lengths to eliminate him if he thought Sung-Ha was an obstacle.
Upon hearing her assessment, Se-Hoon reconsidered his thoughts about Lee Won-Ryong.
“I did hear about how sly he was, but... it seems he’s beyond what I imagined.”
Thinking about how the many changes he brought to this timeline might change the course of events, he knew he needed to be more cautious. Once he came to such a conclusion, he looked at Erika.
“In that case, could you tell me if he seems dangerous?”
“...”
Seeing how, despite her warning to not get too close, he still seemed to have no intention of giving up, she couldn’t help but wear a peculiar expression.
Does Yeom Sung-Ha hold that much value to him?
Though Sung-Ha was recognized as an outstanding prospect by the public, the hero society was a bit wary of him because of his position within the Flame Sect. Just getting close to him even slightly could lead to someone misunderstanding that they were planning on meddling internally, which would be troublesome.
Yet, despite knowing that, Se-Hoon still intended to take Sung-Ha under his wing.
Erika quickly pondered over his intentions before coming to a decision.
“Okay.”
Although getting involved in the power struggles of the Flame Sect could be bothersome, it was worth it if Se-Hoon had judged that it was worth the risk.
“But don’t forget to forge my equipment as soon as possible.”
Because she could also use that to her advantage.
Hearing her condition, Se-Hoon readily nodded.
“That shouldn’t be a problem.”
The Yin-Yang Pill she brought this time was also a down payment for her equipment, which they had discussed before. And if she were to provide information about the Flame Sect on top of that, then there was nothing he couldn’t do for her.
“Ah. You can have some, too. Enjoy them to your heart’s content.”
“Okay.”
Seeing Se-Hoon taking a handful of Jason cherries from the bag and handing them to Erika, Luize’s eyes narrowed.
“I did buy those for you to eat, not her.”
“Aren’t they mine once you give them to me.... What, do you want some too?”
“No thanks. To think that you’re smiling like a fool just because you got something expensive...” she grumbled, full of dissatisfaction. Luize glanced away, only to meet Erika’s eyes as if Erika had been waiting for it.
“...”
Munch munch-
Erika was eating the cherries smugly while staring intently at her.
Seeing that, Luize’s eyes twitched and she gnashed her teeth at the provocation, which was fully transparent in its intent.
“That darn Hero elixir... just you wait...” she growled in frustration.
Ignoring her growl, Se-Hoon looked at Jake.
“By the way, did something happen to you?”
“Huh?”
“It’s just that... you seem a bit gaunt.”
Se-Hoon had noticed that Jake’s face had obviously paled and thinned out, which puzzled him. Upon realizing what Se-Hoon meant, Jake forced a smile.
“Ah. Actually... I came because I have something to consult with you.”
“Consult?”
But instead of replying, Jake glanced at Louize and Erika. Quickly understanding the hint, Se-Hoon looked at the both of them.
“Can both of you step outside for a moment?”
“Tsk...”
“Okay.”
After the two left, he immediately asked Jake, “Is there a problem with the Core of the Water Golem?”
If Jake had come to find him this soon, then it could only be that.
However, Jake shook his head at Se-Hoon’s question.
“The Core of the Water Golem itself is fine. It seems to be assimilating properly.”
“Then what’s the issue?”
“I think it’s consuming too much blood.... With the amount I’ve been giving it every day, it’s becoming difficult to manage. That’s why I came to see if there’s any way to deal with it.”
Hearing Jake’s story, which was told with a voice full of fatigue, Se-Hoon became bewildered.
“How much blood is it consuming, exactly?”
Although the amount of blood needed for assimilation could increase depending on one’s character, it shouldn’t require an amount that would make one look gaunt in only a few days.
“About one liter a day, I think.”
“...What?”
Se-Hoon’s eyes widened.
Given that Jake was about 170 centimeters tall, his blood volume would roughly only be around three liters. And yet he was using about a third of it every day for the assimilation process.
If Jake weren’t the honor student of Aqar Quf, looking gaunt might have been the least of his problems; an ordinary person would have faced serious health issues already.
But why? It shouldn’t possibly be consuming that much.
Before the regression, the most blood used in an assimilation process was about three hundred milliliters per day. So the fact that Jake had to give three times that amount clearly indicated that the issue wasn’t because of Jake’s character—there had to be another reason.
“Do you have a photo?”
“I took a video.”
Receiving the phone from Jake, Se-Hoon immediately played the video.
He watched as Jake dripped an enormous amount of blood into the magic stone liquid, which then seeped into the Core of the Water Golem that lay submerged inside. To make it easier, it seemed Jake had made a cut on the back of his hand instead of his fingertip.
Trying to catch what the problem was, he examined the video closely. And what he discovered shocked him.
Huh? The magic array has changed, and it’s gotten smaller.
The magic array that he had etched himself now had additional red lines to it. But what was more important was that the core’s size had reduced by about five percent of its size from a few days ago.
Normally, such changes with something as delicate as the Core of a Water Golem would result in the assimilation process halting altogether, but it was still progressing without any issues. It even seemed like the quality had improved somewhat.
“These red strokes in the magic array here, did you add these?”
“No way. I just did as I was told and gave it my blood.”
“Hm. Is that so...”
If Jake hadn’t meddled with it, then there was only one explanation for the current situation: the core had altered the magic array and undergone a mutation on its own.
Since the materials themselves have no such ability, it must be his blood that’s causing it...
Successfully identifying the cause, he glanced at Jake, who was waiting for his response.
I never imagined he would have a constitution for mutations.
He had a special constitution where one’s body would mutate due to the influence of their skills, mana circuits, mana attributes, and other such things. It was an extremely rare case, even among heroes.
In that case, the core shrinking should be somehow related to his unique skill.... This is getting quite interesting.
Upon learning that fact, Se-Hoon quickly realized that it could lead to something beyond his initial expectations. He returned the phone and explained what he had discovered to Jake.
“I never imagined that I would have a constitution for mutation,” Jake said, astounded.
“Since the effects appeared over a long period of time, it was probably hard to notice. If you hadn’t begun the assimilation process, you might have never known.”
Considering there was no mention of Jake having a constitution for mutations before the regression, it was possible that he could have died without ever knowing.
“Well, for now, the maturation is proceeding correctly, so there’s no need to worry. If anything, the sword will only turn out better, not worse.”
“Oh...”
Jake’s eyes sparkled at the prospect of a better sword being forged, and seeing that, Se-Hoon gently patted his shoulders.
“But for that, there’s something more you need to do...”
“What is it? I’ll do anything that I can!”
At Jake’s eagerness, Se-Hoon put on a wry expression.
“Looking at the video, it seems it would be better to spend a bit more time maturing it. How about another two weeks?”
“...”
Immediately upon hearing Se-Hoon’s suggestion, Jake’s eyelids began trembling.
He was already exhausted from giving blood every day while dealing with classes and assignments, yet Se-Hoon was suggesting that the period should be extended? The thought of questioning the sanity of the suggestion rose up, but he couldn't bring himself to voice it.
A better sword...
Considering that his swords would likely have to be forged this way from now on, perhaps it would be better to get used to it from the start. He steeled himself and looked at Se-Hoon.
“I’ll give it a try.”
“Good. I’ll come to check on it whenever I have time, so keep working on it steadily until then.”
While Se-Hoon could somewhat tell with just a look, there was nothing like seeing and touching to know for sure.
Jake nodded at his words.
“Got it.”
“Okay. Then, is that everything?”
“Yeah... ah, wait a minute. Just a moment.”
Stopping Se-Hoon from calling out to the girls who were waiting outside, Jake stopped him upon remembering something.
“There was something I needed to tell you, but it slipped my mind.”
“What is it?”
Before replying, Jake put on a serious expression.
“The Noblesse. The date has been set.”
***
In the evening, after everyone had left, Se-Hoon lay in bed, deep in thought.
The Noblesse social gathering...
The Noblesse was a gathering of elite students with prestigious backgrounds in the hero industry and the talented students chosen by them.
Although it was simply called a social gathering among the students, it was essentially a miniature version of the hero industry, a place vast and tied down by various connections.
I’m not fond of these things, but... I guess I have to go.
It was a place where future big shots gathered, so if he utilized his knowledge from before the regression wisely, he could possibly gain a significant advantage.
But to do that, I need to get out of this hospital first.
The gathering was scheduled for next Saturday. With only a week left, he needed to recover as quickly as possible.
Thus, deciding to act on his decision, he immediately took out the Yin-Yang Pill and Shadow Ether he received from Erika and Jake respectively.
It’s been a while since I’ve had to consume elixirs like this.
People often mistakenly believed that they would become stronger just by consuming elixirs, but in reality, it wasn’t that simple. Even the slightest of oversights could cause a clash with the body’s mana, leading to mana backflow or even altering the body’s constitution, possibly twisting the skills they possessed. And that was just two out of the numerous side effects. “We’ll provide a professional support team for you. So don’t take these elixirs until you’ve recovered to some extent. You might actually die.”
Considering his body was currently as fragile as cracked glass, there was a high likelihood of problems occurring even despite plenty of preparations. Erika had warned him multiple times because of that.
In other words, if he had some common sense, he wouldn’t even think about consuming the elixirs.
Gulp-
However, he was someone who had lost his common sense long ago.
Upon swallowing the Yin-Yang pill, it evaporated instantly, and a heavy amount of mana descended towards his stomach, exploding throughout his body.
“Ugh...!”
Feeling as though a small bomb had detonated inside him, the sensation of being torn apart nearly consumed him. He immediately activated Soul Honing.
While it was often said that moving and training the body when injured was dangerous, he thought differently.
Whether it's the body or metal, it’s always easier to make changes when it’s in its vulnerable state.
The injuries he had sustained this time were the result of exerting more power than his physical abilities could handle. Thus, if he was able to do some proper refining, he could create an even more perfect body.
Crack-
Using the energy from the Yin-Yang Pill, his muscles and bones were torn and forcibly connected, forming the ideal physique he was envisioning.
Although losing focus for even a moment could literally cause his body to explode, he continued without hesitation.
The muscles and bones are complete...!
With his physique adjusted, he directed the remaining energy into his mana circuits.
Fwoosh!
Acting like it had found fuel, his fire mana—Scarlet Lotus—burned fiercely with the arrival of the immense energy of the Yin-Yang Pill.
Screech-
The Scarlet Lotus, heating up his weakened mana circuits, raced through his body at a terrifying speed. The movement of mana was so intense that the special bandages meant for mana suppression began to char. He bit down hard, enduring the pain.
As the heat increased, his mana circuits became stronger and the power of his fire mana deepened.
“Hmph...!”
Steam began to rise from various parts of his body as the flames of Scarlet Lotus, fueled by the energy from the Yin-Yang Pill, became fiercer without end. But then, suddenly, the flames began to wane.
Confirming that the Yin mana, which Scarlet Lotus couldn’t absorb, had reached its peak purity, he immediately swallowed the Shadow Ether he had holding in his mouth with his tongue.
Gulp-
Seeping into his organs, the Shadow Ether acted like it was trying to cling to them. And upon feeling its energy, Scarlet Lotus tried to resist fiercely. However, Se-Hoon had already previously created a new path for the Shadow Ether.
Swish-
Soon, a new mana circuit, separated from Scarlet Lotus, formed.
With a nest for itself, the Shadow Ether naturally seeped deeper. Sensing this, Se-Hoon directed the pure Yin mana left behind by Scarlet Lotus toward it.
Rumble-
Absorbing the Yin mana, the Shadow Ether became thicker. In the meantime, the flames of Scarlet Lotus were reaching their peak temperature.
Circulating in their respective domains, the two types of elemental mana refined his physique according to the blueprint he had envisioned.
And when they reached their limits—
Clang-!
He struck down on his completed physique with the hammer he envisioned in his mind.
“Cough cough! Gasp...”
His ears still ringing with a high-pitched metal sound, he coughed relentlessly. Calming down a bit, he immediately grimaced at the indescribable stench of the black smoke emanating from his mouth, the result of burning the accumulated waste within his body.
“Sigh... still, it’s better than before...”
Before the regression, the amount of waste was so enormous that smoke emanated from his entire body. The smell of that smoke was so horrendous that he was actually kicked out of the workshop and banned from entry by his master for a month.
Reminiscing about the old memories, he smiled slightly.
Snap-
Suddenly, the bandages wrapped around his body snapped and fell apart.
It seemed they weren’t able to withstand the turbulent movements of his mana during the refinement process. Deciding to take a look at his new body, he took off his hospital gown.
“Woah...”
The shape of his muscles had become more defined, their structure now solidly intertwined—it was the body of someone who had been training for years.
Is this... the power of money...?
His body which had been refined beyond expectation truly amazed him. Soon after, a cluster of notification messages popped up in front of him.
[The effect of ‘Soul Honing’ significantly boosted all stats.]
[The elemental mana ‘Scarlet Lotus (E+)’ has been enhanced to ‘Scarlet Flame Wheel (D+)’.]
[Elemental mana ‘Moon Shadow (D)’ has been developed.]
Seeing that his stats had been boosted once again, he immediately checked his updated stats.
[Lee Se-Hoon]
[Strength - C (168) Endurance - C (156)
Mana - C (185) Agility - C (159)]
“Wow... this turned out really well.”
All of his stats had increased by over fifty, each reaching C-rank. He was especially content that his mana stat, which used to particularly bother him, showed the most significant increase.
He checked his elemental mana next.
[Scarlet Flame Wheel]『D+』
[Self-circulating scarlet fire mana. It specializes in melting metals and reduces consumption rates by controlling the flow of flames and circulating them.]
[Moon Shadow]『D』
[Shadow-like darkness mana that seeps under the moonlight. It specializes in eroding objects. While it doesn’t have a dominant presence, it can project the properties of the target to some extent onto something else.]
His second developed elemental mana, Moon Shadow, wasn’t bad either; it was compatible with Scarlet Flame Wheel and seemed useful for the equipment he planned to forge.
The preparations are about finished.... All that’s left is to find an assistant who’ll help by my side.
He contemplated whether to contact that know-it-all sunbae to introduce someone when he heard a sound.
Brr-
His phone lit up.
Turning his head to check the message, he saw it was from someone perfect for the job.
Lea Claudel: Finished.
He chuckled at the amount of confidence in that single phrase.
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