AV怡红院一区二区三区

Chapter 34

“Phew...”

The overnight training combined with the recoil from creating seven rings using the unfamiliar technique for domain sparring had caused a lot of fatigue. However, he also felt a sense of relief from having successfully created seven rings.

With a tired expression on his face, he took his time catching his breath; he hadn’t felt the sense of total exhaustion in a long time.

“You’ve made an utter mess,” said Se-Hoon after climbing to the sparring ground.

He looked around at the floor.

“Didn’t you tell me to break his spear?” Sung-Ha asked.

“You should have broken it more gracefully. Do you know how expensive Dragon Firestone is?”

There were hardly any fragments of the spear left; most of them had been pulverized into powder with no trace left. Se-Hoon continued grumbling while picking up a few remaining fragments. Sung-Ha looked on curiously.

“How did you know?”

“Know what?”

“That there was a problem with Kang Hyun-Woon’s spear.”

Sung-Ha was able to win this domain spar partly due to the specialized properties of the Black Flame Wheel for this particular type of sparring and partly because Kang Hyun-Woon’s skill was at a lower level than the other mentors.

However, he was only able to have such an overwhelming victory because he heard about the spear’s flaw from Se-Hoon.

“As soon as our flame rings clashed, I could tell that with a little pressure, the weapon skill that enhanced his flame rings would immediately twist.”

Reliant on the weapon skill, Kang Hyun-Woon’s seven rings crumbled instantly the moment Sung-Ha’s Black Flame Wheel penetrated the gap and engulfed it. Essentially, it was the deciding factor for the domain spar.

Proven true, Sung-Ha couldn’t help but find Se-Hoon’s ability to detect the fault in the spear with just his eyes fascinating.

“Hm. To be precise, there wasn’t an actual problem with the spear. It was actually in its best condition.”

“Are you telling me I should believe that?”

How could a spear in its best condition fall apart so disastrously under such slight pressure? Sung-Ha looked skeptical, so Se-Hoon responded while examining the fragments he picked up.

“Although I didn’t get to look closely, that spear must have specialized in amplifying and accelerating mana. The output level was probably at least Hero-tier.”

“Hm. Yeah, probably.”

“But focusing solely on increasing the output compromised its stability. The mana that leaked out when he first drew the spear is proof of that.”

This was a phenomenon that occurred when the magic circuit was over-engineered in an attempt to increase output.

Depending on how it was used, it could be an advantage, but Kang Hyun-Woon’s spear was so extremely over-engineered that its durability was affected.

“As a result, when it collided with a much denser cloud of mana while maintaining its maximum output, it shattered instantly. It’s no different from a glass cannon.”

Sung-Ha looked puzzled by Se-Hoon’s explanation.

“How did such a flawed piece of equipment receive a Hero-tier evaluation?”

“Because the system usually grades equipment according to its best performance. In the hands of those that specialize in one-hit kills or could handle the output, it could be a powerful weapon.”

So the spear had shattered due to Kang Hyun-Woon’s dismal understanding of his weapon. Sung-Ha looked down at the fragments as if fascinated by Se-Hoon’s explanation.

“I didn’t know the system worked like that.”

“You should be careful too. If something like this happens in real combat, your head will be blown off.”

“I’m not that dumb.”

Ignoring his grumbling, Se-Hoon looked down at the fragments he had collected again.

Even so, this is a bit too much.

Considering the properties of the Dragon Firestone which was the main material of the shattered spear, adding a small cooling function could have allowed for both high output and stability.

However, the blacksmith who made this spear chose not to include a cooling function and instead mixed it with other pieces of ores to prolong a high output.

It was a method that completely disregarded the material’s properties. Whoever the blacksmith was, their foresight was not just poor, but dead and withered.

What a waste of materials... tsk.

Clicking his tongue in regret, Se-Hoon pocketed all the fragments and stood up.

“By the way, what happens now?” he asked.

“If Kang Hyun-Woon reports this to Sect Master, the promotion ceremony will be held soon. From then on, I’ll be recognized as an official successor candidate and as a mentor of the Flame Sect.”

“What do you need to do to become the leader?”

“I need to satisfy two conditions. The first is reaching the eight rings; the second is gaining the approval of more than half of the mentors.”

In order for Sung-Ha to become the next sect master, he needed to excel in the Inferno Ring and also get approval from the mentors. Hearing these conditions, Se-Hoon made a questioning look.

“Getting eight rings is one thing, but can you get their approval?”

“I can win their approval by sparring with them. The problem is, it won’t be as easy as the domain spar today.”

“Hm...”

All of the mentors at the Flame Sect were active-duty A-rank heroes and masters of the Inferno Ring, having honed it over many decades. Their weapons were also of the highest tier thanks to the support that they received.

Even Kang Hyun-Woon, a low-ranked mentor, would be challenging to face in a normal sparring session.

“I guess it won’t take too long, then,” Se-Hoon said nonchalantly.

“It’s easy for you to say.”

“I’m saying it because it actually seems possible. Just like today’s spar, right?”

The slump that held back Sung-Ha before the regression had been resolved already, and Se-Hoon planned to continue teaching the training methods Sung-Ha himself developed in the future.

With the amount of talent Sung-Ha had, he would grow immensely in the blink of an eye.

Especially with the Towers of Heroes.

They were scattered around the world, and one of them was in the center of Babel Academy, the Tower of Pristine. If his abilities were unquestionable, the power of the towers could help him conquer the constraints of time in an instant.

“I know I already said it yesterday, but again, even if you hate it, I’m going to make you the next sect master. So, you should start thinking about how you’re going to pay the price,” Se-Hoon said with confidence.

“...”

Sung-Ha silently looked at Se-Hoon. He had never received help from anyone in such a manner since entering the academy.

Receiving help from others was burdensome because their intent was unclear. Additionally, it felt unpleasant since it was as if he was acknowledging his own weakness if he accepted help.

I still feel the same about his offer to help, but...

For some reason, help from the annoying guy in front of him didn’t bring about the anxiety and displeasure he usually felt.

Until yesterday, he wasn’t able to pinpoint the reason, but now that his head felt much lighter after the promotion test, he seemed to understand.

“...Right.”

I won’t accept the help of those with unknown intentions, but...

“You too will have to pay for what you’re going to receive.”

A materialistic transaction was, conversely, something worth putting his trust in.

[The bond with ‘Yeom Seong-Ha’ has increased to Lv. 2.]

[Since the bond has increased to Lv. 2, a Relationship has been established. Your Relationship with ‘Yeom Seong-Ha’ is currently ‘Transaction’.]

[Relationship: Transaction]

[While some may find it cold, a Relationship built on transactions, where one returns what they have received, is convenient and clean. For someone who is still awkward with Relationships, such a Relationship may feel more comfortable.

*A Fatestone is created with each established transaction.

*The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases during an ongoing transaction.

*Currently created Fatestone: None]

Notification messages popped up one after another in front of Se-Hoon. The content surprised him.

Level two?

If reaching bond level one meant that they knew each other’s names, then from level two onwards, it signified a specific Relationship had been formed.

It wasn’t rare to reach level two quickly under normal circumstances, but Se-Hoon was surprised because the person in question was none other than Sung-Ha.

The bond with this guy is already level two...

Before the regression, it took Se-Hoon at least a year to reach this level with Sung-Ha. Why was it so fast this time?

While Se-Hoon was still in shock, Sung-Ha calmly spoke, “State your price for your help in the promotion test today. Whether it’s cash or materials, I’ll prepare as much as I can.”

“Alright. I’ll tell you later.”

“And there’s something else I’d like to request additionally.”

“Already?” Se-Hoon asked puzzledly.

Sung-Ha glanced down at the two spears in his hands.

These were just Se-Hoon’s class submissions. They weren’t bad, but they weren’t without their shortcomings.

If this is what he can forge in just a few hours, it might be worth expecting something more. What kind of weapon will he forge for me next time?

Having never been attached to a weapon in his life, this sense of anticipation was unfamiliar yet not entirely unwelcome. Thus, without even realizing it, the corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly.

“Forge me a more usable weapon next time.”

Grind-

Se-Hoon’s teeth made a harsh sound as they gnashed together.

***

“Huff... huff...”

Upon exiting Flavium, Se-Hoon focused on calming his boiling rage by taking deep breaths.

If he didn’t control his anger, he felt like he might just pull out the Red Sun Spear and the Black Cross Spear from the void pocket and thrust them directly into Sung-Ha’s abdomen.

That ungrateful bastard...

Even a stray dog passing by would do better than demanding a properly forged weapon after getting help. There wasn’t even a mere thank you.

And that smirk of his...

That smirk was something Sung-Ha had never made before the regress, and now that he did, all it did was make Se-Hoon’s neck stiffen in irritation.

But, despite how he gnashed his teeth, Se-Hoon calmed down quickly since he knew that Sung-Ha was an inherently rude person. What was more important anyway was that his demand wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

Those spears were forged using only basic materials and just a slight application of the Fatestone. They were fine for practice but not for serious use.

To properly harness Sung-Ha’s power, the weapon needed to be of at least the highest quality of Rare-tier, if not Hero-tier.

A properly forged weapon, huh.... Let’s see what I can do about that.

Today’s humiliation would be paid back twofold. Resolving himself, Se-Hoon habitually turned to his side and asked, “Were you waiting for me again?”

“No. This time was just by chance,” answered Erika naturally as she walked by his side.

Having become accustomed to her behavior, Se-Hoon continued to talk to her as they waited for the light rail at the station.

“Are you headed to the Department of Spells?”

“No. I’m on my way to the Borsippa auction house.”

”Why are you going there?”

“I’m curious about the weapon you’ve forged.”

“...Ah.”

Se-Hoon had completely forgotten that the second-year regular auction was going on.

He had forgotten even though the auction in the Department of Blacksmithing was where his first semester’s budget would be at stake. But since the issue with Sung-Ha had ended sooner than expected, he still had some time left to visit the auction.

Hm. Should I go or not...

Although he was tired due to observing Sung-Ha all night and forging the spears, it wasn’t that unbearable. Plus, the only remaining thing for today was Metallurgy, and he had already completed the assignment.

It won’t matter if I skip class... and I’m also too tired to train...

If he went back to the dorm now, he would just end up going to sleep and then waking at an awkward time. The choice was simple, Se-Hoon looked at Erika.

“Let’s go together, then.”

“Okay.”

***

Arriving at the Borsippa auction house with Erika, Se-Hoon glanced around.

So this place used to look like this back in the day. Interesting.

As he stepped into the auction house, which was somewhat smaller than he remembered, he found it just as lavishly built as a high-end department store. The sight made him furrow his brows.

I vaguely remember hearing that there was some incident that led to its reconstruction... but I can’t quite recall the details.

Such trivial memories might not matter now, but they could become crucial later. Remembering once again how important his memory was, Se-Hoon thought of the Dream Ivory he received from Ludwig.

I should prepare for that soon.

Planning out various things in his mind, Se-Hoon suddenly became aware of the stares directed at him. Some of the gazes belonged to headhunters from outside the academy. They hoped to find promising talents, and when they saw Se-Hoon, their gazes shone especially bright.

The entrance ceremony must have been impactful.

Some genuinely seemed interested in proposing a deal and hovered nearby, but no one dared to approach him directly. While they were wary of each other, it was largely because of Erika’s formidable presence.

“...”

Erika was able to detect anyone who tried to approach, and she stared them down without saying a word, ensuring that no one dared cross the Inoue family’s prestige.

Having been worried about being swarmed by people, Se-Hoon smiled slightly due to the comfortable environment created by Erika’s presence.

This is not bad.

If the Inoue name kept someone from approaching, then there was no need for him to bother with them. The discovery made Se-Hoon seriously consider using Erika as a filter in the future.

“Over there.” Erika, tugging at his sleeve, pointed toward a door to the side.

Next to the large door was a plate with “Hall 6” on it and a small information board that said “Department of Blacksmithing Second-Year First Semester Regular Auction. Item theme: Iron Sword.”

“Let’s go in.”

“Okay.”

They quietly entered, and Se-Hoon surveyed the interior of the hall.

There were enough seats to accommodate up to one thousand people. While normally less than a tenth of the seats would be filled, nearly all of them were occupied today.

An honor student has quite the reputation, huh...

He had anticipated a crowd, but not to this extent. Marveling at the turnout, he carefully scanned the audience and soon spotted a familiar face.

Jake was in the audience, looking as if he’d been threatened into attending. After roughly figuring out who had sent him, Se-Hoon smirked at the sight.

That guy sure has it tough.

Having observed everyone in the auction hall, he became curious.

With such a high turnout, that guy won’t be able to interfere as much... I wonder what he has prepared.

Just how thought out was Michael’s attempt to take control of the Department of Blacksmithing? Se-Hoon waited with interest, and soon a familiar sound echoed through the hall.

Rumble. Rumble.

The sound of wheels from the back of the stage caught everyone’s attention, drawing their gazes to the thing on top of the cart.

It was a stark white cloth, one that was taut and fixed in place. Its soft yet metallic texture hinted at something extraordinary. Anyone who recognized it was admiring the material.

“Is that the Hero-tier material that is made from the fur of the White Tiger?”

“Ah, the West Gold Fabric, right? But why would they bring it here?”

“They must be doing some kind of experiment. That piece of fabric is famous for its resistance to slashing attacks.”

The curiosity of everyone in the hall peaked over the item that was seemingly unrelated to the auction. At the sight, Se-Hoon found himself smirking unwittingly.

Ah. So that’s the plan.

He now fully understood what Michael had in mind to destroy the Radiant Long Sword.

With an understanding of the entire situation, he looked at the key material, the West Gold Fabric, and thought to himself, Not bad at all.

Imagining how the Radiant Long Sword would be refined, his lips twisted into a slight smile.