Chapter 295

Words : 2638 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

Chapter 295 It was the first weekend of the second semester. Finishing a quick lunch, Jake stepped out of his dorm and hopped on the light rail, looking around his surroundings. “Have you decided on your minor yet?” “Yeah, it’s all set. At first, I was only looking at those in Gehenna, but I found some intriguing options over at Paradise, too.” “Really? Maybe I should also check it out...” All around him, students were buzzing with energy since it was still early in the semester. Later on, when they were in the thick of the term, their conversations would be weighed down by the endless assignments, harsh classes, and upcoming exams. For now, though, topics like minors and the special district dominated the chatter. But there was one among the many topics that was drawing the most attention—an upcoming tournament scheduled for two weeks from now. “I heard they aren’t going to group the competitors by year in the tournament. Are any sophomores even joining?” “You know? I heard more people have signed up than expected. Just making it to the main round gives bonus points and some decent prizes, so I think people are just going for it.” “There are only 256 spots, right? That’s tough competition.” Many were skeptical about entering, and with good reason. After all, it was basically impossible for those with merely average skills to advance to the main rounds. Yeah, it’s no surprise the participation rate is low for an unrestricted tournament, Jake thought, agreeing. Like they said, the tournament being held in two weeks was no ordinary tournament: no restrictions by grade, department, or even weapons. With those rules, even fourth-years who were currently working as active heroes could join, fully equipped with Legendary weapons if they wanted. Because of that, those less confident or less equipped were hesitant to participate, with most of them opting to watch instead. “So, who are you betting on?” “Of course, on our hero Aria Myers. Who else would you put your money on? I’m not going to waste my money on anyone else.” “Didn’t someone say she might not compete, though?” “That's all rumors. If she joins, it’s an effortless win for her. Plus, the prizes are great.” Naturally, betting on the tournament results was also catching on, meaning the top contenders were getting a lot of attention. And when Jake first heard about that, he thought it didn’t involve him. But very quickly, he realized just how wrong he was. “Hmm... perhaps an underdog will win, maybe...?” “I’m telling you, it’s definitely possible. The vibe is different this time.” As Jake walked away from the station, he couldn’t escape the constant talks and glances thrown his way. And if he was already feeling the pressure here on the streets, Jake thought he’d probably be getting so many looks at the training grounds it’d be hard to even swing a sword. It’s gotten worse lately... At first, he had even been a little happy to be seen as a contender, but the pressure was starting to mount. The stares of those betting on him were distinctly different from those simply admiring a promising talent. If this is how they look at someone they put money on, I wonder what it would be like when lives are on the line... Realizing once again just how daunting a hero’s path was, Jake quickened his pace. Soon, he reached the residential area, where the attention faded, and by the time he arrived at the mountain, a more isolated area, it had completely disappeared. “Phew...” Surrounded by peaceful silence, Jake thought it had been a while since he felt that kind of tranquility. It let him understand why people hiked in the mountains. Savoring the serenity, he was about to climb up the mountain when he remembered a message from a few days ago. Se-Hoon: I'm planning to set up a new workshop this weekend. Could you come by to lend a hand? Back when he first saw it, Jake felt a surge of surprise and curiosity. To him, Se-Hoon was someone always full of unexpected ideas, someone who crafted remarkable weapons. He couldn’t help but wonder what the workshop of such a skilled blacksmith would look like. He constantly pictured the impressive workshops of renowned blacksmiths he’d seen in his childhood. But when he actually arrived, he felt an unsteady sense of nervousness before anything else. Just how dangerous will his workshop be to be placed here...? At Babel, workshops were assigned locations based on the risk they posed in case of accidents. So with Se-Hoon’s workshop being built on top of an isolated mountain, it meant that it needed to be that far away to isolate any serious incidents. Well, it’s only the first day of construction... Though one could build multiple skyscrapers overnight with magic, magic-intensive workshops took time. With that thought in mind, Jake took a deep breath and moved forward. “Can we really leave it like this?” “Well... we did get it all done, right?” “Technically, yes, but still...” On his way up, a group of workers descending the mountain passed by Jake, who looked at them curiously upon seeing their strange expressions. Are they off to lunch? Considering how far they were from civilization, Jake guessed it would be a hassle for them before putting it out of his mind and resuming his climb. And soon enough, he reached the clearing where Se-Hoon’s workshop was being built. “...?” However, when he arrived, he saw a sleek, modern workshop in the middle of the mountain. It seemed as if it had been there for a long time, but a closer look revealed it was a newly constructed building. Did I misread the message? Was it supposed to be finished today, not started? Wondering if he got the date wrong, Jake was staring blankly at the building when Se-Hoon emerged from behind the building, dressed in work clothes. “Oh, you’re here early.” “Yeah, I woke up early and came right over...” Glancing at the completed workshop, Jake turned to Se-Hoon and immediately asked, “Is the construction already finished?” “More or less. We just need to sort out the interior, and it should function as a proper workshop.” “...” In less than a day? By noon? Jake’s mind raced with questions, causing Se-Hoon to smirk, having read his expression. “Come inside. You’ll see how it went up so fast.” “Oh, okay.” Following Se-Hoon inside, Jake took in the workshop’s interior. Outside, it looked like a clean, rectangular storage unit, but it was surprisingly dome-shaped inside. Looking past that, Jake then saw the large furnace at the center, surrounded by various materials and tools, before glancing over at the walls lined with tools and equipment. Furthermore, there was someone already at work. “...” Standing among the tools, Erika was adjusting the enchantments of the workshop with her translucent winged garment, making intricate patterns as if weaving invisible threads. And upon seeing that, Jake instantly understood how the workshop had been built so quickly. So she lent a hand. Even though Se-Hoon himself was a master of enchantments, with Erika’s assistance, the interior must have been set up in no time. As Jake marveled at the workshop’s construction, Erika finished up her adjustments of the enchantments and looked over at Se-Hoon. “All done.” “Okay. Let me take a look...” Watching Se-Hoon inspect her work for a bit, Erika then turned her gaze to Jake. “...” “...” The two exchanged a silent look. During the first semester, they had a tentative, though sometimes awkward, understanding to protect Se-Hoon from others. However, their tact understanding had now shifted to unease and hostility. The delicate balance they’d maintained over the summer was beginning to crumble. She’s grown even more possessive than before. The two seem closer now... A subtle power struggle simmered between them, each wanting to guard and monopolize Se-Hoon’s attention, even going beyond their families’ wishes. They gave each other cold, challenging stares, inevitably changing the atmosphere around them. Yet the tension behind him just made Se-Hoon chuckle quietly. I like how they’re always so full of beans. While the root of the tension stemmed from Erika’s increasing possessiveness, Jake’s responses had grown sharper, too. He likely felt grateful for the help Se-Hoon had given him over the summer, making him feel a strong urge to repay Se-Hoon somehow. At this rate, they might actually get into a fight one day. Although their relationship had never been exactly warm, even in the first semester, it now felt as tense as the standoffs they’d had in the past, when they just met and were practically rivals. Guess I’ll have to step in and settle things down at some point. He was sure that eventually, things would blow up. But for now, it wasn’t real enmity yet, so he figured that as long as he opened up a path for them, they would resolve it by themselves. Convinced it was the best plan, he turned to Erika, feigning ignorance of the frosty atmosphere. “Everything looks good. Thanks for helping out since this morning.” “No problem,” Erika replied with a gentle smile, as if the tension he’d sensed moments before had been a lie. Ignoring Jake, who still looked uncomfortable, Se-Hoon moved on to the next step. “Let’s get the furnace set up next. Can you two lend a hand for a moment?” “Sure.” “Got it.” They approached the large, open furnace at the center of the workshop. It looked like a big bowl resting on a hearth, but it was actually a state-of-the-art furnace, designed with an invisible barrier to contain heat. “Let’s see...” Observing the furnace, Se-Hoon pressed a button below it, triggering the workshop’s power to kick in and send a large current of mana straight to the furnace. Fwoosh! A flame ignited at the center of the furnace. Observing it, Se-Hoon immediately began adjusting the furnace—because it was just a basic flame—to increase its output and shape the flow of the flames with the invisible barrier surrounding it. Swish, swish... Meticulously controlled, the flame almost seemed like it was weaving a pattern in midair. Checking it, Se-Hoon then conjured a pure, glass-like Sacred Flame into his right hand, holding it steady as he tried to refine it as much as possible. When he was finished, he brought the refined Sacred Flame closer to the flame inside the furnace, and in the blink of an eye, it engulfed the basic flame in an intense blaze. Fwoosh! The basic flame in the furnace was no more, completely replaced by the brilliant, holy flame. However, there was more that changed than simply the type of flame. At the intersection points of the pattern Se-Hoon had created with the initial flame, the Sacred Flames began to clash and resonate, gradually building in intensity. Se-Hoon focused, monitoring the increasing intensity as he fine-tuned the flow of mana being supplied into the furnace. Boom... boom... boom... With each influx of mana, the Sacred Flames pulsed brightly, almost as if they were alive. Even Jake and Erika couldn’t help but think of the same thing: a heart. Like the engine that kept a human body running, the furnace seemed to mimic the rhythm of a heartbeat. It’s been a while... Se-Hoon stared inside the furnace with a satisfied smile. The pulsing flame was the result of one of his personally created techniques from before he regressed: Heart of the Sacred Flame. He had discovered the technique by accident, when he used Soul Honing to piece different skills together with everything he knew. And later on, he found it proved invaluable for forging as well as countless other applications. Using this shouldn’t pose any issues, judging by my current skills. Observing the flame while Se-Hoon meticulously inspected his work, Jake found himself with an odd expression on his face. “Is there even anything left to help with...?” he murmured. Even with his limited understanding, Jake could tell that the flame inside the furnace was no ordinary one. So then, what else could they possibly add? “While this is good enough, if I want to impress that old man, I’ll need something extra special.” “Ah... who is this old man, though?” “The Sacred Craftsman.” Jake froze. “W-Wait, you mean the Sacred Craftsman?” So there was more to his workshop than just needing it to forge the weapons of those three for the tournament? Seeing the shocked expressions of Jake, as well as Erika, Se-Hoon thought it’d be best to give them a brief explanation of the entire situation. “The last time we met, we got into an argument over, um, ‘parenting philosophy.’ So, we decided to settle it by seeing who could forge the better weapon.” However, Se-Hoon’s explanation was so brief that Jake was still bewildered. Why are they settling a parenting argument with blacksmithing...? It made no sense, but seeing Se-Hoon’s nonchalant expression, Jake convinced himself it was some kind of blacksmith thing. “What exactly do you need him to acknowledge from you?” Listening from the side, Erika tried to find out more. If they were aiming for his recognition, there had to be some criteria. Yet Se-Hoon replied with a shrug. “No idea.” “...You don’t know?” “Yup. He didn’t give any standards.” The only constraint Li Kenxie had given him was three weeks. He hadn’t specified what kind of weapon Se-Hoon should forge nor what he’d use as the basis for his judgment. In a way, it was completely unreasonable, but Se-Hoon could accept it. After all, convincing others is always like this. It was Se-Hoon who was challenging Li Kenxie’s methods, philosophy, and potentially even synesthetic mindscape. Asking for criteria would be like telling a random person they were breathing the wrong way and then asking them to define the correct way to breathe—it just didn’t make sense. “So, do you have a plan yet?” “I’ve come up with a rough outline. The hard part is figuring out exactly what to fill it out with.” He had plenty of ideas, but he wasn’t sure what would resonate with Li Kenxie’s synesthetic mindscape. Jake and Erika both frowned. He’s trying to convince a Perfect One with no set criteria... Even after knowing him for years, this just sounds impossible. It seemed practically unachievable, but they held back from saying as much. Since Se-Hoon had chosen that path, their role was to help him find a way, not to doubt him. Maybe I asked too much from them... Seeing them both deep in thought, Se-Hoon felt a bit guilty. He had revealed his situation to them, hoping for new ideas, but it looked like neither had an immediate solution. Guess I’ll just go with my gut feeling. Given his memories of the Sacred Craftsman from before the regression and his understanding of his abilities, he might just be able to gauge what would impress him. But just as Se-Hoon was solidifying his plan— “What about this?” “I’ve got an idea.” Having spoken simultaneously, Jake and Erika stared at each other before quickly going on to share their ideas without hesitation. “You should seek advice from someone who has experience with this kind of thing.” “You could experiment with a similar person and gather data from them.” Their suggestions were remarkably similar, sparking Se-Hoon’s interest. “And where do you guys suppose we find a person like that?” To that, the two finally answered in unison. “At Paradise.”

Chapter 295

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