Chapter 327

Words : 2336 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

Chapter 327 With the completion of Se-Hoon’s demonstration, the stage quickly transitioned into the awards ceremony amidst the lingering confusion. “Due to their exceptional performances in the tournament, the following students will receive special awards...” Luize, Amir, Jake, Erika, Jane, and Ren—who had been eliminated early despite their abilities due to unfavorable matchups—were each given a special award. It made sense, given Babel's tendency to reward talent, and since these individuals were clearly skilled enough to vie for third or fourth place, both competitors and the audience alike found the decision reasonable. However, there was one thing about the announcement that left Se-Hoon slightly puzzled. So, they completely left Manuel out of it... It was shocking, given that the second-year honor student didn’t even place, though Se-Hoon could somewhat understand why. Well, he did fight terribly out there. Had Manuel shown anything worthwhile, things might have been different. But since he had gotten knocked out at the very first moment, losing in one blow to Sung-Ha, Ludwig likely saw no reason to award him anything special. Hmm... perhaps this is a good opportunity. Confirming that Manuel wasn’t even present in the arena, Se-Hoon fell into thought. Since Manuel had been utterly crushed by Sung-Ha, part of the attention would naturally shift toward Se-Hoon. On top of that, Manuel’s alchemical weapon had been destroyed during the match, so with the right approach, Se-Hoon could raise their bond level and become closer to him in one go. Well, I’ll see what I can do with this later... Organizing his thoughts, Se-Hoon turned to the two people waiting to be awarded—Sung-Ha and Aria. Like always, Sung-Ha wore a stern expression, but he seemed visibly downcast. Aria, though, had a bright smile, as if everything was delightful to her. Completely opposite moods, huh... Focusing on Aria, Se-Hoon glanced at the information message he’d been checking earlier. [Relationship: Expectation] [Expecting something can be a blessing that makes the present bearable, a curse that makes the future daunting, or both. Regardless, once expectations begin to swell, it will forever continue to do so, shaping a new Relationship depending on its outcome. As such, the future of this Relationship depends entirely on the person of interest. *A Fatestone is created whenever the subject’s expectations are met. *The maturation rate of the Fatestone increases while the subject still holds expectations. * The probability of the subject’s synesthetic mindscape manifesting inside the Fatestone increases when the subject’s expectations are met. *Currently created Fatestones: 1] Hmm... While Aria’s bond rising to level three and the deepening their Relationship didn’t bother him much, since it was part of his plan, there was a problem in its content. It’s like a minefield... or a lottery... or a random draw? Would he be able to forge a sword that met all her expectations? What would Aria realize through that sword? The outcome depended solely on him. It was a troublesome situation that made Se-Hoon sigh inwardly. But I guess this isn’t entirely bad. Up until now, he’d resolved to change Aria’s future but had no confidence it was actually possible. Forging her sword was no simple task, and more importantly, he wasn’t sure if she was ready to accept it. At first, it felt like a whim of hers... but things will be different now. There was a vast difference between hoping for something out of curiosity and genuinely expecting it. Because of that, Se-Hoon resolved to handle Aria with greater care from now on. —We will now proceed with the awards for our co-champions: Aria Myers and Yeom Sung-Ha. At Lan Fang’s announcement of the final awards, the two champions stepped forward toward Ludwig. As the winners, they would be presented with their certificates and floral necklaces, a special honor reserved only for the champion. “...Hmm?” Noticing faint traces of mana flickering between Aria and Ludwig, Se-Hoon squinted and tried to examine it carefully. At that moment, Ludwig turned and gestured toward him. “Lee Se-Hoon. Come up here for a moment.” “Huh? Oh, yes, sir.” Remembering that they were on a live broadcast, Se-Hoon climbed onto the stage, his curiosity piqued. And once he arrived before Ludwig, Ludwig handed him a floral necklace made of yellow flowers. “As one of the tournament organizers, it’s only fitting for you to present this. Choose one of the champions to award.” “Ah, I see.... Alright then.” Taking it, Se-Hoon was about to approach Sung-Ha when Aria stepped forward as if she’d been waiting. Her sudden interruption made Se-Hoon pause and look at her with a slightly annoyed expression. Yet Aria just smiled nonchalantly. “Is there a problem?” The earlier traces of mana between Aria and Ludwig crossed his mind. He wondered if she had requested it from Ludwig, but he decided not to ask. After all, although Sung-Ha was pushed aside, he stood silently, without complaint. Seeing him like that, Se-Hoon figured it wasn’t the kind of situation worth making a fuss over. ...Although, it’s not as trivial as it seems. Se-Hoon noticed Luize and Erika glaring coldly at Aria, while a heated gaze, likely from Eun-Ha, was directed at them from the VIP section. With all of those gazes, Se-Hoon felt like it might escalate into another brawl entirely unrelated to the tournament and just sighed. “There’s no real issue, but try not to push things too far.” To his request, Aria responded with nothing but a serene smile. And at that, Se-Hoon realized it truly was pointless to argue and just reluctantly placed the floral necklace around her neck. “Hmm...” Admiring the vibrant necklace, Aria seemed lost in thought until she softly whispered to Se-Hoon, “Next time, I’ll make sure I give you a bouquet myself.” “I’ll be looking forward to it,” Se-Hoon replied, returning her earlier words while recalling Aria’s promise to present him with the “bouquet of victory.” It seemed to delight Aria, from how she was chuckling softly behind her hand. She then stepped back, and like that, the awards ceremony concluded successfully. Although the after-party with participants and VIPs still awaited, Se-Hoon decided not to attend. That would only bring about more hassle related to the ceremony, and more importantly, there was still unfinished business concerning Li Kenxie. In a way, this is where the real work begins. No matter how well the demonstration went, failing to craft the weapon that would prove Li Kenxie wrong would prompt him to leave Babel without hesitation. However, while he was on route toward his workshop, planning the weapon design in his head, his phone buzzed with a new message from Amir. Reading it, Se-Hoon let out a deep sigh. What is he, a child? Honestly... Changing direction with a shake of his head, Se-Hoon headed to a secluded area of the campus park near the training hall. It was a place he visited only once before, early in the semester. Here, he found Sung-Ha sitting alone once again, staring up at the sky as if brooding. “What are you doing here?” Sung-Ha remained silent, continuing to gaze upward. Ignored, Se-Hoon stared at him for a moment before throwing out a question that would definitely force a reaction. “Did you cry?” “...” “Oh... you definitely cried. Amir even told me—” “I didn’t cry,” Sung-Ha interjected, a displeased expression on his face. Proven right, Se-Hoon smirked and teasingly asked, “If you weren’t crying in secret, what are you doing here~? Why not join the after-party?” “...I just didn’t feel like it.” Considering Sung-Ha’s naturally introverted personality and reluctance to mingle with those he wasn’t familiar with, that wasn’t unusual. Se-Hoon was well aware of that too, and wouldn’t have sought him out if it was just about that. But today, Sung-Ha felt different. “Or maybe you feel like you don’t deserve to attend?” “...” Sung-Ha averted his gaze, silent. Though he didn’t answer Se-Hoon’s question, his expression and actions said enough. Pondering what to say, Se-Hoon patted Sung-Ha’s shoulder after a moment and spoke up. “I get it. Everyone else fought with all they had, but you? You threw away a sure win because you didn’t want to damage your weapon. Yeah, that’d be embarrassing.” “...” “And judging by how confident you were yesterday, losing for such a stupid reason must’ve made it worse. In a true battle, your life would’ve been on the line, and yet you—” Smack! Slapping Se-Hoon’s hand away from his shoulder, Sung-Ha’s eyes twisting into a glare. “Watch your mouth.” “What’s there to watch? Have I said anything wrong?” Giving up victory to protect his weapon—it might have ended as a draw in today’s match within the training hall, but in an actual battle, at best, he would’ve sustained severe injury. It could’ve even meant death at worst. Because of that, Se-Hoon didn’t hesitate. “Of course, I get that your attitude in practice and actual combat might differ. Maybe you wouldn’t make the same mistake if your life were actually on the line.” “...” “But can you be sure of that?” Se-Hoon’s question left Sung-Ha without an answer. If faced with the same situation in a true fight, could he give up his spear again without hesitation? Out of one hundred times, he might say yes ninety-nine times, but that one lingering moment of doubt gnawed at him, especially now. “...” Se-Hoon watched him quietly. He could guess what was running through Sung-Ha’s mind from his expression, but until Sung-Ha articulated them aloud, they were nothing more than fleeting thoughts. Eventually, after a prolonged silence, Sung-Ha let out a deep sigh. “I don’t know.” “...” “Even if I say I wouldn’t hesitate now, I might think differently when the time comes. To me, the spear... my master... they mean that much.” For both the Mad Dog and Sung-Ha, it was rare to reverse a decision they’d once made. But when it came to matters related to Jin-Hyun, someone dear to him, hesitation crept in just as it would for anyone else. In a way, that could be described as a sign of Sung-Ha’s humanity. At the same time, however, it was his fatal weakness. And it seemed Sung-Ha had come to terms with that realization. “You know your master was really disappointed, right?” Se-Hoon asked, observing Sung-Ha. “...I am aware of it.” “And that if you’d won, that wouldn’t have happened?” “...Yeah.” Sung-Ha admitted it plainly, prompting Se-Hoon to ask something he’d been curious about. “Then if you could go back to the finals, would you change your decision?” “...No. I would never give it up.” Shaking his head firmly, Sung-Ha looked Se-Hoon in the eye. “The spear is just that precious to me.” Even though he’d spent the time since the finals agonizing over whether his decision was the right one, deep down, he’d never truly regretted it. To others, it might just look like an ordinary spear. But to him, it was a weapon imbued with his master’s will. Even if that decision disappoints my master... this is something I cannot give up. Coming to that conclusion, Sung-Ha stood up with newfound resolve, finally free of regret over his choice. Seeing that, Se-Hoon let out a small laugh. “Then I guess you know what to do next.” “...What?” “If you were strong enough to win without giving up the spear, none of this would’ve happened.” “...!” Sung-Ha froze. No matter the smaller reasons, the fundamental cause was indeed his lack of strength. “Then I should start training right away—” “Tsk tsk... When are you going to escape that one-track mindset?” “What?” “Think about your skills. You’re no longer at a point where swinging your spear around by yourself for hours will magically make you stronger.” “That’s... true.” Then what should he do? He mulled it over, but unable to figure it out, he glanced at Se-Hoon for guidance. And that made Se-Hoon grin. “You should attend the after-party.” “...The after-party?” “Yeah. There are bound to be some battle freaks among today’s guests who are itching for a fight. Get to know them.” Making connections with those who came to watch the tournament—people hungry for a challenge—and gaining combat experience through them would be invaluable experiences for Sung-Ha. “...If that’s the case, then it might be worth it.” Though he had initially frowned at the idea of the after-party, Sung-Ha now seemed interested. “Then hurry up and get ready,” Se-Hoon said, patting his shoulder. “Those kinds of people tend to leave the party early if they don’t find anything exciting.” “Got it.” Nodding, Sung-Ha began walking toward the exit of the park before suddenly stopping. Then he turned back with an awkward expression. “Thanks.” Though short, his words were full of genuine gratitude. Smiling, Se-Hoon waved at him dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, just go already. And don’t forget what I said.” “Mhm. I’ll be off, then.” With that, Sung-Ha turned and walked away, his steps noticeably lighter. And as if on cue, notification messages appeared in front of Se-Hoon’s eyes. [You have successfully settled a transaction with the subject ‘Yeom Sung-Ha’.] [A Fatestone has been formed for the subject ‘Yeom Sung-Ha’.] Still no level-up? What a picky guy. Shaking his head, Se-Hoon turned and headed toward the workshop, ready to leave the park as well, when Sung-Ha’s voice stopped him. “Oh, I almost forgot.” “Hm?” Turning around, Se-Hoon saw Sung-Ha smirking. “Make sure you forge me a proper spear next time. One that wouldn’t break so easily like this time.” With that, Sung-Ha quickened his pace toward the after-party venue. And upon realizing the cheeky implication, Se-Hoon cursed loudly and dashed after him. “...You little—!”

Chapter 327

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