Chapter 329

Words : 2143 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

Chapter 329 Se-Hoon was once the greatest blacksmith of the human alliance, having forged countless weapons and armors. The number of Rare-tier equipment was so high that it was meaningless to count; the number of Hero-grade equipment was nearly ten thousand; and the number of Legendary-tier equipment even exceeded a hundred. Even considering the human alliance’s support in providing materials, his achievements were monumental. Yet, Se-Hoon never regarded his record with satisfaction. I never reached the pinnacle—Mythical-tier equipment. The ultimate goal of every blacksmith: forging a piece that belonged to the tier that was one above Legendary. Se-Hoon had tried every method imaginable to reach that stage, but ultimately, he failed. Of course, that was unsurprising. In the realm of blacksmithing, reaching the Mythical tier was akin to heroes conquering the Tower of Heroes and becoming a Perfect One. It was not a level that could be reached with mere skill or high-tier materials. Still, it wasn’t a complete loss. Though he had never been able to forge a single piece of Mythical-tier equipment before the world’s end, he did manage to surpass the limits of Legendary-tier. And his breakthrough created an entirely new tier, one above Legendary and just below Mythical—a completely unique tier, embodied by his invention: Limit Break. Fwoosh! The workshop was engulfed by roaring flames. The translucent blaze was far from an ordinary fire, easily melting through the forge’s barriers and spreading across the entire workshop. It was an inferno that even Li Kenxie, narrowing his eyes at the sudden spectacle, observed with a sharp gaze. This isn’t just some fire. At this level, the entirety of Babel—even the whole Pacific—could be reduced to ashes. The Sacred Flame, a flame born from the power of Anatta, specialized in conversion. It could burn even substances with full fire resistance by converting all of the properties into fuel for the flames. Boom! Part of the workshop trembled violently, teetering on collapse as things fell around them. Li Kenxie hesitated. Should he suppress the flames himself? Or should he leave it to Se-Hoon or Ludwig to handle? Internally debating, he had raised his hand just slightly when he froze. Fffffft... A deep inhale echoed from the center of the blaze. Whoo... Se-Hoon drew a deep breath, expanding his chest fully before exhaling slowly. It was a calm, deliberate action, completely unfazed by the hellish firestorm surrounding him. With each breath, his breathing stabilized, and so did the rhythm of his blood flow. Following suit, the Flameheart that had been raging wildly began pulsing in synchronization. Fffffft... whoo... Each time Se-Hoon inhaled, the flames surrounding the workshop contracted, and when he exhaled, they expanded again. That process repeated over and over, the range of the flames shrinking bit by bit with every deep breath. At that sight, Li Kenxie raised an intrigued brow. Hmm... a clever move. The Sacred Flames, fueled by countless materials, had grown so uncontrollable that even Li Kenxie would struggle to contain it. The final ingredient—the Tainted Metal—had then destabilized its flow, making it too volatile for any but the Perfect Ones to manage. Yet, Se-Hoon managed, resolving the situation with a different approach: synchronizing with the Flameheart. By harmonizing his own heartbeat with the Flameheart, he bypassed the usual methods of control. That approach not only reduced the physical strain on his body but also allowed him to regulate the flame indirectly. However, there were still drawbacks. Synchronizing an external flame with one’s own heart was far more complex than directly controlling it, requiring extraordinary skill and focus. Yet Se-Hoon was handling such a task effortlessly, as if wielding his own heart like a tool. I knew he wasn’t ordinary, but this... exceeds all my expectations. Deciding to observe further, Li Kenxie lowered his hand and allowed Se-Hoon to pull the Sacred Flames successfully back to the forge. Whew... barely managed it. Synchronizing his heart with the flame’s core and strengthening it with Soul Honing, Se-Hoon had tamed the Sacred Flames. The original plan was to stabilize the flame before moving to the next step of the process. However, the Fatestone had amplified the flame beyond expectations, forcing him to skip the stabilization process and proceed directly to the next phase. It’s twice as strong as before. If this is because of the increased bond level... Se-Hoon’s eyes narrowed as he studied the Sacred Flames. Until now, he assumed that the compatibility between his unique skill and the Sacred Flame enhanced it. But his experience controlling it just now revealed that wasn’t the case at all. It’s not reacting to the bond itself, but with the impurities within. When his own bond had increased to level three, his own Fatestone had been transformed into Tainted Ore, a material filled with impurities. By using Sever Bond, he had then injected even more impurities into it, unknowingly amplifying the Sacred Flame to a degree beyond expectation. What exactly is this thing... to grow this powerful? Perhaps Li Kenxie knew the answer, but Se-Hoon pushed the thought aside. I’ll worry about that after I’m done. Clearing his mind, Se-Hoon activated Dream Storage and took out the Blooming Flame from his solar plexus. Whoosh! A crimson orb, the size of a human head, shimmered in his palm. Ordinary flames wouldn’t even be able to make a single dent on this orb, but he thought the inferno before him potentially could. Fwoosh! The moment he placed the Blooming Flame into the forge’s core, the Sacred Flames blazed intensely, instantly breaking down the orb’s structure. And at the sight of the molten transformation, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but marvel. The more that I look at it, the more fascinating it is. Smelting the Blooming Flame, the primary material for the Fire Heaven Greatsword, required an S-rank flame or higher—an extremely high hurdle—but once that condition was met, it was guaranteed to turn into at least Legendary-tier equipment. After all, Blooming Flame had already reached one hundred percent of its potential. Blacksmithing is the act of drawing out the material’s latent potential and redistributing it into the final product. But the Blooming Flame has already completed that first step. No matter who meddled with it, the outcome would always be at least Legendary tier. The only difference in the result would be the weapon’s characteristics or design. Some praised it as a miraculous material, but that didn’t include Se-Hoon. If the result is the same no matter how well or poorly one crafts it... for those that put in the effort, it’s downright annoying material. Before the regression, Se-Hoon repeatedly failed to forge a piece of Mythical-tier equipment. Even when he had used the finest Legendary-tier materials without reservation, drew out their full potential, and executed the complex forging processes without a single mistake, all his attempts ended in failure. At the time, he just couldn’t understand why. Now, however, he had a faint idea. That was just my limit. The potential of the blacksmith “Lee Se-Hoon” was simply capped at Legendary-tier. No matter what methods he tried, he couldn’t surpass that obstacle. And in the end, he never reached the realm of Mythical. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but part of him could accept it. It’s not like I can somehow be an exception to this rule. Just as humans couldn’t fly without wings before the Tower of Heroes and the Abyss of Demons appeared, everyone had their limits. The Perfect Ones, revered as pinnacle beings, had fallen to the Harbingers of Destruction. Those Harbingers, who had destroyed the entire planet, had then also eventually succumbed to their enemies. Every single one, without exception, crumbled because they reached their limits. Should I just humbly accept such an ending? While some might choose that path, Se-Hoon wanted no part of it. Even if he had reached his end, someone else might be able to go further. And if that was the case— Thump. —he just had to entrust it to them. Thump. The pulsing of the Flameheart and Se-Hoon’s own heart echoed as one, fully synchronized. Li Kenxie’s eyes widened in disbelief. Is he... creating a new synesthetic mindscape? When forging, what a smith imbued into their creation was essentially a compromise. No matter how grand their vision—be it a sword capable of cleaving mountains and seas or anything else—they were bound by the constraints of their skill and materials. Thus, they always compromised and did what was within their limits, forging equipment specialized for cutting or specialized for thrusting while embedding a fragment of their synesthetic mindscape into it. Woong! But right before him, Se-Hoon was creating an entirely new synesthetic mindscape that lay beyond his reach—one that transcended his limitations. Naturally, since such a synesthetic mindscape was artificial, it had no effect. Yet, Se-Hoon ignored that fact and continued the forging process. Fwoosh! With the Sacred Flames flickering around his left hand, Se-Hoon reached into the Flameheart and grasped the crimson orb of flame. Drip- The Blooming Flame immediately began changing, transforming into a blunt rod. Now it was time for the next step. Se-Hoon brought out the Forgefire Hammer. Sizzle! “Ah, damn.” Unfortunately, the Forgefire Hammer melted the moment he pulled it from his chest. The surrounding Sacred Flames were so powerful that even brief exposure rendered the hammer unusable. I should’ve replaced this with a better one before starting... oh well. Observing the half-melted hammer, Se-Hoon decided not to put it back. Instead, he activated Metamorphosing Dream. Swish- Countless dreams flashed before his eyes, and one projection overlaid itself atop the ruined hammer—a black hammer etched with crimson patterns. Choosing that one, Se-Hoon briefly examined the Ember Hammer, which he had frequently used before regressing. Woong! Unlike its predecessor, the Ember Hammer absorbed the surrounding flames, glowing faintly. Still as trustworthy as ever, Master. Se-Hoon smiled subtly at the sight. Built to withstand the attacks of Harbingers of Destructions and even Perfect Ones, its absurd durability hadn’t changed. Reassured by its strength, Se-Hoon gripped the hammer tightly and swung down. Clang! The collapsing synesthetic mindscape began stabilizing. Since the synesthetic mindscape was just an illusion, it would quickly crumble if left unattended. To properly anchor it, repeated effort was required. Clang! Clang! Clang! Again and again and again, Se-Hoon struck the hollow synesthetic mindscape, hammering it into the flame. Even if others dismissed it as a pointless effort, he still swung the hammer without hesitation. Swoosh- An all-too-familiar sound of waves echoed in his ears. The dark tidal waves that once threatened to end the world slowly rolled in from the distance, rumbling softly as they drew nearer. Swooosh- Hearing the waves after what seemed to be ages, Se-Hoon grimaced. Yet, he felt a strange sense of calm. He knew the sound was proof, proof that he was crafting something exceptional—a piece of equipment that was capable of reflecting his synesthetic mindscape into reality. I wonder when this one will find its purpose. He envisioned a sinner condemned to eternal atonement within blazing flames. Though he had failed to find a way to grant that sinner forgiveness, perhaps someone else could. Clang! With that thought crossing his mind, Se-Hoon continued hammering. Clang! Eventually, deep within the Blooming Flame, something began unraveling. This is... He saw countless synesthetic mindscapes, perhaps numbering in the hundreds or even thousands. It seemed that though the souls that had once been trapped within the flame were long gone, their synesthetic mindscapes had sunk into the flame’s core. ...I see. Feeling those lingering synesthetic mindscapes, Se-Hoon smiled softly. Then, with renewed determination, he hammered the Blooming Flame into shape. Clang! And with one final strike, he embedded the lingering forgiveness into the hollow synesthetic mindscapes. Clang! [Weapon ‘Sin-Eclipsing Blade’ has been completed! A miraculous weapon forged by a blacksmith who has pioneered new heights! While it does not reach the realm of Mythical, its power surpasses limits and poses a threat even to Perfect Ones. The tier evaluation for ‘Sin-Eclipsing Blade’ is—] Like always, a notification window appeared before him, announcing the weapon’s completion. But suddenly, static distorted the final line. Moments later, however, shimmering golden letters replaced the distorted text. [The tier evaluation for ‘Sin-Eclipsing Blade’ is Aspirant.] Finally. Once again, Se-Hoon reached the intermediate stage between Legendary and Mythical he had once pioneered: the Aspirant tier. Seeing it, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but smile as he basked in his achievement. Woong! Suddenly, the blade of the Sin-Eclipsing Blade glowed red, absorbing the surrounding Sacred Flames. And it didn’t stop there—it drew upon the vast flames stored within the Flameheart, transforming the blade further. [Weapon ‘Sin-Eclipsing Blade’ synesthetic mindscape has been activated.] [Synesthetic mindscape skill ‘Infernal Purge’ has been added.] On top of reaching the Aspirant tier once again, Se-Hoon had also successfully manifested his own synesthetic mindscape for the first time since regressing.

Chapter 329

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