When a Genius Blacksmith Humiliates Everyone at the Academy! - Manhwa Recap

Everyone at this academy knows that the blacksmithing department sucks. So, when the demonstration of the top students from each department begins, no one expects anything from the blacksmith. The first to enter the arena is a student from the combat department, and his opponent is a special C-rank combat robot. And just as expected, he destroys it with a single blow, sending pieces flying all over the arena. All the Students immediately applaud him. Next, a student from the support department steps out with her Raven. Her opponent is the same C-rank robot, but with reinforced armor. However, that

turns out to be no problem at all for her raven. It soarses high into the sky and delivers a single swift strike, leaving a hole straight through the middle of the armored robot. All the students start cheering for her like she's a true prodigy. All the professors and students Are certain that the rep from the blacksmithing department will simply be humiliated compared to the previous two students. But when our guy Seahune enters the arena, things take a different turn. They offer him a D-rank robot as a concession, assuming he's nowhere near the same level as

the previous students, but he immediately tells them to replace it with a B-rank armored robot. Everyone is shocked by his choice, but they prepare the robot For him anyway. Then Seahun begins charging the sword in its sheath with mana, all equipment that he crafted himself. The moment everyone sees the quality of his gear, they're left completely shocked. Meanwhile, Seahun finishes charging his sword and the power of its fivecolored flame is simply incredible. Even though the robot activates its energy armor, a single strike from our guy is enough to turn it into dust along with half

the arena. When the dust settles, everyone is completely speechless. Even the host can't find the words to speak. So, who exactly is Seahun? In the past, he used to be the greatest blacksmith in the world. But even he didn't stand a chance when the five demon kings decided to slaughter mankind through the perishing sea. The heroes fight back and finally claim victory in the very end. But the cost is absolute. Even with the demons gone, nothing remains of the world. Most Of the planet has already been swallowed by the perishing sea, and victory feels like

a complete loss. Lee Seahhun, the last blacksmith of humanity, stares at the endless sea that closes in with every passing second. Alongside him are three mortally wounded heroes who managed to kill the demon kings only thanks to the gear our boy crafted for them. But now their time has come, and Seahun is left alone, surrounded by nothing but the endless sea. That's when He decides to craft one final item. He has almost no time or resources left, but with his unique skill, he extracts a special ore from his own body and begins forging a dagger.

And just as the water reaches him, he finishes his work. Then he stabs himself with it. The moment the sea engulfs him, a hidden skill activates, returning to Origin. And then everything fades into total darkness. A sudden light hits his eyes and he wonders if he's actually still alive. A Voice calls out, "Candidate Lee," a name he hasn't heard in 31 years. Looking around at the scene of his entrance exam, he wonders if his life is just flashing before his eyes. But then he remembers that last weapon he forged. The manifestation is called Return to

the Origin, and it strikes him. This happened because of the weapon he made from his own bond ore. The instructor snaps at him, giving him a final warning. If he doesn't take this Seriously, he's getting kicked out. As Seahun picks up his weapon, his mind drifts back to his past regrets. He thinks about how things might have gone if he had started sooner, wondering if he can truly change the future this time. Taking the weapon in his hand, he reminds himself that the past doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that he has a second chance.

He needs to seize this opportunity to protect everyone. That thought alone is enough to bring a Hopeful smile to his face. The first thing on his list is passing the Babel exam. Finding the three dogs will have to wait. He gets to work. With a lifetime of experience guiding his hands, his forging is so flawless, it immediately catches the proctor's eye. The professor leans in, watching closely. Seahun's hammer work looks slow from the outside, but the rhythm is perfect, creating a clear, sharp resonance with every strike. After Checking the materials, the proctor concludes this craftsmanship

is top tier. Even the assistant Han is astonished by the quality. Both are certain this piece is more than enough to pass the exam. But then, to their absolute shock, Seahun suddenly breaks the item. In this new life, he isn't about to compromise his standards by making something superficial. Assistant Han is furious, viewing the act as an insult to the smithy, but Seahun calmly Requests a chance to remake the assignment. When Han tries to protest, the proctor reprimands him, noting that Seahun hasn't actually broken any rules. Turning to the boy, the professor reminds him there

are only 40 minutes left. Seahun simply claims he can't bring himself to submit something so mediocre. Impressed by his confidence, the professor gives him his best wishes. Our hero starts again, but he quickly hits a wall. His younger body lacks the Mana and physical strength he's used to, and the clock is ticking. He needs a shortcut that works for his current situation. Suddenly, a strange sound echoes through the room, drawing everyone's attention. The other candidates stare in disbelief. Seahun is manually infusing mana into ignition stones. One candidate warns him that if those catch fire, they'll

explode. But our boy ignores the panicked shouting and tosses the stones directly into the Forge. The room descends into chaos as students scramble, someone even yelling for a fire extinguisher. Even Han begs the professor to step in, but the proctor remains calm. He commands him to watch the flow of the fire, refusing to panic like a rookie. Before them, a fivecolored fire demon rises, which is high temperature flames enhanced by the resonance of different ignition stones. It's a brilliant high-level technique that requires precise mana control, but Uses very little actual energy. The other candidates can

only watch in awe as the forge stays stable. Realizing that against all odds, nothing is going to explode, the professor takes note of the iron ingot's shifting hue, recognizing the high-level technique of using ignition stone resonance to amplify the heat and accelerate the forging process. Even so, looking at the clock, he remains skeptical that Seahun can beat the remaining 30inute window. As the hammering continues, Seahun's underdeveloped body becomes his greatest enemy. His mana reserves dry up and his protective barrier fails, leaving him to endure the raw heat of the forge. He makes a silent vow

to prioritize physical training once the exam is over. But for now, he pushes through the exhaustion, utilizing every remaining second. When the instructor finally calls for a halt, our boy manages to complete his work. The fivecolor Fireblade, which triggers a system notification, granting him a unique artisan skill. The quality of the blade leaves the room in a state of shock. The judgment results are incredibly high, and Sehun casually offers to let the professor examine the item's detailed stats. Assistant Han is so overwhelmed by the display of skill that he declares a passing grade on the

spot, momentarily forgetting to wait for the professor's official word. Following the exam, Seahun finds himself in Professor Kim Inshol's office. Though Seahun gives a polite affirmation when asked if he is satisfied with his work, the professor can sense the lingering dissatisfaction in his eyes. Getting straight to the point, Kimol suggests that Sihoon should withdraw his application, explaining that Babel's refining department is a sinking ship with a fading reputation. Seahun is already well aware of the future where the department eventually Collapses and Vulcan Academy takes the lead. However, when the professor attempts to point him toward

Vulcan, Seahun stops him. He firmly corrects the professor's outlook, stating that Vulcan won't be the top institute because Babel is the place he intends to transform through his own enrollment. Hearing Seahun's bold claim, the professor reminds him that he'll have to become the department valadictorian first. Our boy doesn't blink. He's fully confident That even at a student level, he's in a league of his own. Still, snagging the freshman validictorian spot at Babel is no walk in the park. Say who knows the deal. The academy picks the valadictorian through a highstakes official exam between the top

two students in the department and only one walks away with the title. Babel Academy is a massive maze divided into three departments. A car for combat, UR for support, and Boripa for technology. In Each one, dozens of majors are tangled together like messy roots. To become the validictorian in that chaos, a student has to outshine everyone across those countless majors and prove they're the absolute best of the best. The professor is clearly impressed, but still tries to nudge him toward Vulcan Academy, pointing out that a blacksmith with his talent belongs there. Seahun catches the hint,

but sticks to his guns, insisting that Babel is going to become the top School once he's enrolled. The professor thinks the kid is incredibly arrogant, but he doesn't actually hate the attitude. He offers a handshake, saying he's looking forward to seeing what our boy can do. As their hands meet, Sihoon's bond skill kicks in, establishing a level one bond with the professor. He doesn't waste any time and extracts it immediately, scoring a bond stone of flamebearing iron. It's a high-grade metal with a weird wood-like Texture that's perfect for storing flames inside. Back in his apartment,

Seahune eyes the metal he extracted from the professor. The quality is solid, but the size is definitely lacking. Bond extraction is a tricky business. It basically pulls non-existent ores out of thin air based on the strength of his connection with a target. Right now, his bond level is barely enough to make use of the medal, and compared to other freshmen, his current system stats are Pretty miserable. He takes a sigh, but honestly, he isn't complaining. Having miserable stats in exchange for returning to the past is a bargain he'd take any day. He tells himself not

to get greedy. He has plenty of time to eventually crush pandemonium. That organization didn't just trample humanity. They were the masterminds who orchestrated the summoning of the six demon divinities that wiped everyone out. If he's going to stop them, he Can't afford to be picky about his methods. He also can't risk getting confused about future events. So, his priority is obtaining an armament or a skill related to memory. With his first goal of enrolling in Babel checked off, it's time to focus on the second phase of his plan. Just then, a notification catches his eye.

His bond level has increased, unlocking a new skill, bond imprint. A week later, it's Seahun's first day at Babel Academy. The place is So massive and grand that he almost ends up wandering in circles before finally finding the refining room. As soon as he enters into the class, he runs right into a lecture from Michael Barmitt, the vice dean of Borsippa. Michael lays into him for his tardiness and his supposedly relaxed attitude. Professor Kim tries to jump in and defend him, pointing out that there are still 10 minutes left before the additional exam even starts,

but Michael isn't having it. He keeps Harping on Seahun's vibe. Watching the back and forth, Seahun finally gets why Professor Kim wanted him to stay away from this place. It's not just that the department's stats are tanking, but they're also clearly at odds with the higherups. Our boy tries to play nice and greet another student nearby, but he gets hit with a total cold shoulder. It's an awkward moment to say the least. Just then, a woman steps forward and asks if everyone is finally present. When the vice dean addresses her as dean, Seahun's eyes go

wide. He recognizes her instantly. It's the dean of Babel's Boripa department herself, Ryu Yunha. Seahun can't help but wonder why a heavyweight like her is even here. In his past life, this lady was a regular customer at his shop. She's an S-rank powerhouse with a unique terrifying skill. She can devour armaments to grow stronger. He actually saw her in her final moments where she Admitted her one big regret was to eat his highquality gear. Professor Kim's voice snaps him back to reality. It's time for the additional exam. The rules are simple but brutal. They have

90 minutes to create an armament that pairs perfectly with the sword from the previous exam. The catch? They have to use an alchemy smithy to forge it. A massive pile of ores is laid out for them to choose from. And with both the dean and vice dean acting as judges, the Pressure is through the roof. As the signal starts, Seahun ties his apron. He focuses on the alchemy smithy, knowing he needs to create a perfect resonance using pure mana so the elemental energies don't go haywire. A taunting voice breaks his concentration, asking if he thinks

staring at the materials will magically boost his mana. When Seahun asks if that was aimed at him, the hotty blonde student, Hans Barmmet, just sneer that Seahun is the only one Besides him. Professor Kim steps in to tell Hans to shut up and focus, but the damage is done. Hans is the vice dean's son, and it's obvious he's riding high on his lineage. He looks down on Seahun's low-level mana, confident that his own barit training, renowned for alchemy smithing, gives him an unbeatable edge. Hans already has mana levels comparable to a second-year validictorian, he grabs

some lazerite and hanam jade, both high mana water Elemental ores, looking like he's already won. Dean Ryu watches as Hans picks the water ores and Professor Kim notes that forging water attributes is incredibly sensitive to fire, making it a nightmare to Smith. Vice Dean Michael scoffs, claiming that old school worries don't apply to modern alchemy. Kim grumbles that while alchemy might not be bound by traditional space, time is still a huge factor depending on the caster. Michael just cuts him off, Bragging that his son only needs 30 minutes to synthesize any ore. Professor Kim is

floored when they realize Hans really is that fast. His resonance speed is way above a typical freshman's. It's clear the exam was rigged from the start to favor someone like Hans who grew up in an alchemy lab. Professor Kim silently curses the vice dean for the blatant favoritism. Meanwhile, Dean Rus eyes widen as she looks over at Seahun. He hasn't touched the water Ores. Instead, he's picked up hydrate and crimson fire stones, the exact opposite of Hans's choices. Seeing the stones, Michael mocks, commenting that the kid clearly has too much pride for his own good.

Even Hans can't help but stare, wondering if Seahun picked those contrasting ores just to be a contrarian. From the blond's perspective, the choice is nothing short of stupid. With Seahun's measly mana capacity, there's no way he can control Crimson Fire Stones. Han starts to relax, thinking this will be an easy win, but his internal monologue is cut short when he notices something strange. Seahun activates his new skill, Bond imprint. Using the skill, he equips the flame bearing iron to his right arm. Instantly, his limb is engulfed in a controlled roaring flame. Han scoffs, dismissing it

as a cheap trick, but our boy doesn't even look up. He's already deep in the zone. The vice dean watches With a smug grin, noticing that Sihoon is attempting to create resonance using the same attribute as the minerals. To him, it's a rookie mistake. Using pure mana to resonate with elemental minerals, usually just forces the elemental energy to go berserk, which is a one-way ticket to a nasty accident. He's leaning back, waiting for the explosion, but the disaster never comes. Instead, Seahhun's firepower surges to an incredible level, nearly blinding the Onlookers. In a blur of

perfect motion, he finishes the synthesis and completes the armament, a fire accumulating sheath designed perfectly for his sword. The room goes dead silent as the item description pops up. It's a rare grade item. Not only can it store massive amounts of fire attributed mana, but it also allows the user to unleash a skill called smoldering wildfire. Hans still midforge is sweating bullets. He can't wrap his head around how our boy Finished such a volatile synthesis without a single hiccup. He starts second-guessing his own analysis, and that's where things go south. In his distraction and arrogance,

Hans messes up the timing while imbuing his moness with elemental energy. His father realizes the mistake and screams a warning, but it's too late. The next second, a massive explosion rocks the entire lab. By the time afternoon rolls around, the refining room is a mess of Smoke and tension. The vice dean, Ever the Snake, immediately tries to turn the tide in his son's favor. He declares the match a tie, using Hans's injury as a convenient excuse to push the final decision to a later date. Professor Kim isn't having it. He points out that the accident

was entirely due to Hans's own carelessness. Michael just snaps back, accusing Kim of caring more about exam scores than the well-being of his students. Michael isn't done playing Dirty, though. He starts poking holes in Seahun's performance, claiming that achieving full resonance and high tier mana output in under 5 minutes is impossible for a rookie. It shouldn't be humanly possible for a freshman to act that way. Seahun just watches them, his mind on the technique he actually used, something that isn't even supposed to be discovered for years. He used a method designed for crafting armaments when

normal smithing is impossible. In his Eyes, alchemy isn't about killing the ore to reshape it. It's about finding the mineral's core and letting the life of the ore unfold. He's basically used a future tier shortcut, but he has zero intention of explaining that to a guy like Michael. He just plays dumb, staring back with an oblivious expression. Michael takes the bait, smirking as he flat out calls Seahun a fraud. He argues that a freshman forging a rare grade item is a statistical Impossibility, so he must have cheated. R is starting to get actually pissed off,

but he's cut off by Dean Ryu's voice. To everyone's shock, she agrees, stepping forward to say that Seahun's talent doesn't make any sense. Michael is practically glowing, thinking the dean is backing him up to disqualify the kid and demand a re-examination. But then things get weird. Dean Rayu isn't looking at the rules. She's staring at the sheath and her mouth is literally Watering. She looks like she's about to lose it. Clearly dying to take a bite out of the armament. She settles for wondering if she can at least get one lick, leaving the entire room

stunned by her sudden bizarre greed. Later, our hero head out, reflecting on his newly forged sheath. The timing was a bit off, making the end product feel immature and incomplete to his expert eyes. But it was still more than enough to leave a sour taste in the vice dean's mouth. As He walks, the name barit keeps itching at the back of his brain. He knows he's heard it before. Then it clicks. He remembers a story from the explosive dog, Louis Valent. She had mentioned buying an armament back at Babel that ended up exploding, leaving her

with permanent mana burns. He realizes that Hans was likely the incompetent blacksmith behind Louis's lifelong injuries. His original plan was to track down and rehabilitate all three dogs, But he decides to leave Louiswis's path alone for now. Those very injuries are what turned her into the explosive dog and going astray. Meanwhile, over in the Borsipa department conference room, a heated debate is underway. Dean Ryu is pushing hard to name Seahun the department validictorian, but the other professors are skeptical. When she darkly asks if anyone has an objection, Michael slightly speaks up. He frames it as

a suggestion rather than an Objection, pointedly reminding her that she only recently became dean. The argument shifts to the sheath itself. While impressive, the board wants a closer review. Professor Kim jumps in, pointing out that even if the craftsmanship lacks a bit of polish, the way the mana is utilized and its perfect compatibility with the fivecolor fireblade is genius. One professor looks over the report, admiring the stats, but still doubting if a freshman could Actually pull it off. Dean Ryu shuts them all up with a bombshell. She tells the board that the armament they're looking

at is likely only 60% of what Sihune actually intended to make. And that very deficiency is what makes his potential so terrifying. To settle the matter, she offers them a front row seat to his validictorian demonstration. She's so confident that she puts her career on the line. If they won't accept her decision after seeing him in action, She'll resign from her post on the spot. The next day at the opening ceremony, Emperor Ludvig Schubert kicks things off with a long- winded lecture on the history of Babel. He talks about how five years ago, the heavens

sent down the tower of heroes for the sake of human evolution, but the world beneath responded by unleashing the swamp of pandemonium to corrupt everything in its path. While humanity gained new possibilities, a massive calamity was Born at the same exact time. Babel, based in the middle of the ocean, has been turnurning out heroes ever since. And now the emperor is inviting the new students to join those ranks. Looking at the old man, Seihoun already knows he isn't the goody two shoes he pretends to be. The announcer finally calls for the valadictorian demonstration, summoning this

year's top candidates to the stage. As Seahun walks up, he remembers all the arrogant jerks he met in his past life, Guys who were way too cocky just because they were top students. Now that the demonstration is actually starting, he can finally see why they carried that kind of attitude. The announcer explains the challenge. They'll be facing off against a golden unit produced by the marionette factory automation model 9. This isn't just some practice dummy. It has enough combat performance to actually spar with a C-rank hero. Looking at the robot, our boy wonders if The

thing can even use martial arts considering it isn't carrying any weapons. The first demonstration comes from the combat department led by the Akar Kuf validictorian Jake Meyers. Looking at the guy, Seahun guesses he's the third son of the Meyers family, a clan famous for swordsmanship. Though this boy is clearly an expert in hand-to-hand martial art. Jake squares up against the robot and the match begins. The robot rushes in immediately, But Jake dodges the attack with ease. He ducks under another strike, staying light on his feet. The robot keeps pressing, and Jake keeps dodging until he

finally steps back, deciding it's time to go on the offensive. He lunges forward like a wild animal and buries a punch deep into the robot's gut. The impact is so brutal, it crushes the metal plating, leaving the audience dead silent in shock. Sihune remembers that in the past life, this guy died young as An A rank in his mid20s. Seeing him now, he's a once in a- decade prodigy, which makes our guy wonder how someone this talented died so early. Jake isn't finished with just one punch, though. He attacks again, completely smashing the machine into

small pieces. He lets out a satisfied sigh, joking about how he's finally loosened up a bit. The announcer is just as stunned, but quickly jumps into praising him. Subduing an automation with the power of a C-rank Hero using nothing but raw strength is no small feat. After a magnificent performance like that, anyone would be feeling the pressure. The demonstration continues with the validictorian of the support department, Inu Erica. Looking at her, our boy figures she isn't feeling any pressure at all. As the eldest daughter of the Inu family, one of the three great families in

Japan, she's used to the spotlight. In his past life, she was an S-rank hero wielding a Mythic grade armament, but she eventually fell to corruption, turned into a mag, and was taken down by her own family. Sihune decides to keep his distance. He doesn't want to get tangled up with someone destined to become a magun. Just as he thinks this, she glances back at him before stepping forward. Erica faces a Model 9 equipped with heavy armor, boasting a defense roughly 1.5 times stronger than the previous one. She opens a small cage, Releasing a bird. As

one of her eyes begins to shine, she commands the bird to go. It flies out with a piercing screech. The robot readies itself, and it looks like it'll be a tough nut to crack since it's a specialized defense type. Suddenly, Erica's crow transforms into a full-fledged mechanical beast with steam-sharp claws and heavy armor. It streaks toward the robot and in a single second drills a massive hole right through it, rendered the machine Useless. The crow shifts back to its original form and returns to its mistress. The announcer boasts about how she one-shot a C-rank defensive

robot while the audience goes wild. Now, the pressure is immense. If Seahun just shows off a weapon and calls it a day, he'll probably get booed off the stage. The announcer calls his name and he steps forward. Meanwhile, Ludvig, acting as a supervisor for the demonstration, comments on how the bar for the new Department validictorians is remarkably high. It has been a long time since the refining department produced a validictorian at all, so he assumes the pressure on Seahun must be crushing. Ryu Yunha, the second supervisor, simply watches with a knowing look. The audience is

already hyped to the moon thanks to the flashy displays from the combat and support departments. As our bro steps forward and unshath his sword, a murmur ripples through the crowd. Everyone is stunned to see a freshman holding a rare grade item, but they're skeptical about whether a blacksmith can actually match the intensity of the previous two prodigies. Listening to the students doubt, Michael grins from his seat in the audience. He has his eye on the dean's chair, and if Seahun flops here, it'll be the perfect leverage to take it. On stage, the announcer declares that

our will face Model 10, which has the combat power of a D-rank Hero. Seahun cuts him off immediately, flatly demanding they bring out Model 8 and equip it with full armor. The announcer is petrified. Model 8 can withstand attacks from B-rank heroes in certain cases and he wants it armored on top of that. The announcer tries to make an excuse, saying they can't prep a model like that on such short notice, secretly wondering if this kid is just trying to ruin the demonstration. However, Professor Kim suddenly appears, Wheeling out the exact model our boy requested,

already fully armored, left with no choice, the announcer signals the start of the match. Professor Kim tells him to go wild, and his student intends to live up to the hype. He draws his sword and five colored flames erupt from the blade. Jake looks on hyped by the sight while a jealous Hans sneers convinced Seahun is just showing off. In Hans's mind, there's no way Seahun has enough mana to control a sword like That. He's not entirely wrong about the difficulty. The flames inside the fivecolor fire blade naturally clash, and if they aren't controlled with

massive amounts of mana, they'll explode and take the user's arm with them. But our boy isn't using raw mana. He's using the fire accumulating sheath to store the flames internally. and his artisan of flame skill to inject crimson fire into the mix. With the storage complete, he prepares to unleash wildfire, a skill That detonates the compressed mana. He forces the fivecolor demons to explode all at once as he strikes the robot. The explosion is massive, engulfing the entire arena in thick smoke. As the smoke clears, Seahun dramatically wonders if he overdid it. A massive destruction

mark from his strike stretches across the arena floor. The announcer, shaking off the shock, immediately calls for the construction support team to rush to the central Auditorium. With that explosive finish, the midterm evaluation for the demonstration officially begins. After the performance, our boy is summoned directly to the dean's office. Ryu Yunha strolls in a little later, apologizing for the delay because she was stuck helping clean up the absolute mess he made of the arena. Seahun nervously offers his own apology, admitting he probably should have controlled his power a bit better. He's sitting there Expecting a

lecture or a scolding, but she quickly explains that's not why he's there. Before she can get to the point, her stomach lets out a loud, awkward growl, leaving her pretty embarrassed. The redhead doesn't beat around the bush for long, though. She looks him dead in the eye and offers to buy his blade and sheath for 10 times the market price. Seahun is too stunned to even process the offer, but at that exact moment, a notification pings. He's officially Formed a bond with her. Our bro is taken aback to see the bond form so early. In

his past life, he had to feed her his armaments multiple times just to establish a connection. Outwardly, he thanks her, but inwardly, he's already planning to take advantage of the situation. He immediately uses bond extraction on her and manages to score some gluttony iron. It's a supreme quality high-grade metal that generates heat by consuming iron and can even Create mineral blood if fed enough. When our boy finally gets the metal, she asks again if he's going to sell his gear to her. He turns her down flat. Just then, Professor Kim opens the door to borrow

Seahun for a bit, leaving the dean behind with her stomach still growling. Kim leads him to the heart of Babel Academy, the old main building known as Marduk Mansion. They're there to meet the academy head. On the way, Kim warns Sihoon to behave. The head didn't just Overlook the mess in the auditorium. He's on a level far superior to any of them. Sihune assures his professor he's got this and steps inside. The academy head is none other than Ludvig. In the previous life, he was the hero who fought and exterminated a demon divine being from

the extermination sky. Ludvig starts the conversation by calling Seahun's armaments interesting. He mentions he has some regrets but high expectations. Hearing the word regrets Makes Seahun want to chuck his artwork back into the furnace. Regardless, Ludvig offers him a choice of two rewards for his hard work. After thinking it over, he asks for something to increase his mana and memory capacity. With a flick of Ludvig's hand, two items fall into Seahun's grasp. One is heavy ink rock which absorbs mana from everything it touches. The other is dream ivory which connects to dreams using dreamlike mana.

Seahun is stunned While the ink rock is rare. Dream ivory is almost impossible to find. They'll be difficult to handle but he already has a great idea of how to use them. When asked if he likes the rewards, Seahun replies that they are perfect. As soon as he leaves, a voice comes from a keyhole asking Ludvig what he was thinking by giving two rewards to just one guy. Ludvig nonchalantly answers that it's because Seahun has the capability to handle them. The hidden Voice comments that Ludvig must see himself in the boy, and Ludvig agrees, noting

that Seahun has enough depth for it. The voice subtly replies that it actually can't fathom just how deep that depth goes. When our boy enters his classroom, Hans is already boasting about his ties to Howard, a third-year senior validictorian in Borcipa. The other classmates are in awe of his connections. However, once Seahun enters and shoots Hans a dark gaze, the blonde Is instantly paralyzed with fear. While Hans silently curses the lowborn Seahune, Professor Kim enters to start the first class. He introduces a bulk of ingots known as projection alloy, a material dozens of times more

sensitive to mana than common ores. Kim demonstrates by injecting mana into the interior of an ingot. Instantly, the armament envisioned in his mind is created with ease. Watching the professor work, our boy realizes the man Didn't make it into the world's top 100 artisans for nothing, a fact he felt clearly while creating their bondstone. The armaments created by these ingots can't actually be used in battle. Because the alloy is so sensitive to mana, it essentially records the creator's subconscious, forcing them to reflect on their inner self. That's why they're called alter egos. The blades they

create are a direct reflection of who they really are. Professor Kim Explains that instead of a standard self- introduction, the refining department will be using these alter egos. They'll be exhibited in the back building for a week, and he wishes everyone luck. Seahun notices the price of these alloys, over 10 million one each. It just goes to show how much effort Babel puts into making even a simple self-introduction feel grandiose. Hans tries his hand at it first, but he can't even keep his sword under control. Our boy, on the other hand, is looking around and

wondering why no one here seems to have any real talent. Then his name is called. Staring at his ingot, Seahun decides there's no point in holding back anymore. He's already the department validictorian, so he might as well go all out. He lets his mana flow, but he realizes a second too late that he might have overdone it. The next moment, a blast shatters the windows. At the exhibition ceremony, a massive crowd Gathers, specifically to see the alter ego of the refining department's top student. To everyone's shock, it isn't just a single sword. Seihoun ingot accidentally

absorbed 19 nearby projection alloys, resulting in a display of multiple weapons that the department decided to exhibit exactly as they were created. They claim this grand display is a representation of Seahun's vast aptitude. The students are understandably nervous, assuming he must Be incredibly confident to pull off something like that. Some whisper that since it's been a while since the refining department had a validictorian, the school is just trying to hype him up as a genius. However, the other two validictorians see it differently. They suspect that even that mountain of projection alloy wasn't enough to fully

express Seahun's true potential. Meanwhile, back in the workshop, our boy is forging with such precision that he Doesn't even have a 0.01 second margin of error. Assistant Han watches him, feeling a bit useless. What is there left to teach someone like this? Deciding to skip the tutoring, Han moves on to find other students who actually need a demonstration. Once class is dismissed, our guy stares at the blades he's formed and raises his hammer to strike them again. Han's voice cuts in asking if he's really about to break them. He suggests keeping them as they Need

to deliver the finished products after this week's smithing so the cadets can secure their budgets. Babel's support system basically operates based on the track record of weapons sold externally. Han asks what's behind Seahun's obvious dissatisfaction, wondering if it's his mana. He admits it's actually his body. The problem is that he needs to start training with the heavy ink rock, but his current physical stamina just isn't up to the task. That's when Han offers a solution. Why not use buffs instead of relying purely on physical training? The realization hits Seahun hard. In his past life, he

never bothered with that method, but now it seems like his only chance to smith the heavy ink rock while his body still lacks the raw strength to do it on its own. Our boy thanks Han for the tip. While Han tries to brush off the gratitude, Seahun returns the favor with some advice of his own. Use only 70% of His mana. He points out that Han burns through his entire reserve during forging and suggests focusing only on a single point instead. Sihoon walks away, leaving a completely baffled Han, wondering how a freshman just gave him

a master class in Mona management. Babel is a unique place that encourages autonomous learning. Students are free to take classes from any department or stack dozens of courses in a single semester, provided they complete their Major requirements. The catch is the responsibility. Fail to maintain your grades three times and you're expelled. Taking advantage of this freedom, Seahun hops on the train toward the UR station, heading for the Department of Sorcery. As soon as he steps off the train, he runs into Erica and her bodyguards. One of the guards irritably tells him to move since he's

blocking the path. Sihoon doesn't flinch, darkly, telling the guy that he's the one who should be Moving. When Erica asks where he's headed, he mentions he's checking out the Department of Sorcery to see if he can pick up a minor. Much to her bodyguard's annoyance, Erica offers to lead him there herself, even though she has a gathering to attend. Despite the minor protest from her staff, she walks with our hero and asks about his interest in a minor. He explains that he wants to learn buffs to enhance his physical abilities without interfering With his smithing.

She suggests barrier arts, but Sehun points out that those are usually for defense. Erica explains that the application varies depending on the user. To demonstrate, she creates a barrier on an envelope and challenges him to tear it. Seahun tries to rip the paper, but fails. He initially wonders if she simply increased the paper's durability, but he quickly realizes that isn't it. He notices that while the material maintains its original Properties, it hardens only when subjected to a strong force. He notes that the technique is a perfect match for smithing, which requires incredibly delicate control. Erica

suggests he seek a professor's help for such a complex formula, but as Seahun looks closely at the envelope, the formula feels strangely familiar. Erica starts to offer an introduction to the barrier composition professor, but her words die in her throat. She watches in shocked Silence as he effortlessly tears the envelope in half. He didn't just understand her family's secret barrier formula. He dismantled it on the spot. He thanks her for the help and casually suggests they grab a meal sometime, including her lackeyis who are still trailing behind. The guards start to rush him, but Erica

watches Seahoon's retreating figure with a dark, intrigued expression. She tells him she's giving him an invitation instead, leaving him Surprised as he walks away. Later, when Erica leads him to the UR department of sorcery, the gossip mill is already spinning at full speed. Some students assume there's a romantic spark between them, while others claim they've been seen at late night exhibitions together. Hour is certain that she doesn't have feelings for him, otherwise the bond will be established until now. He's actually there to take a placement test before he can apply for classes. Erica Shows him

to the barrier composition testing site, but the place looks like a total wreck. Seahun wonders if they're going on a treasure hunt or if something is hidden behind a barrier, but he accidentally walks right through the security and passes the entry test without even realizing it. He's taken aback when the instructor flatly tells him he's already cleared the first phase. A little while ago, Robert Perry, the professor of barrier composition, Heard the rumors that Erica has taken an interest in Seahune. Her lackey even showed him a picture as proof. Looking at the data, the professor

realizes why she's suddenly showing up for basic lectures, a move that has tripled the number of applicants. To make things more complicated, Erica's brother from the Inuway family has also requested a spot in the basic lecture. Now in present, Professor Perry is particularly interested in the fact that Seahun Bypassed the disorienting soul labyrinth. It's a barrier that distorts the senses to make people lose their way. It's basic, but an ignorant student shouldn't be able to detect it, let alone walk through it. The professor announces the start of the second test. Students must break a barrier

to extract pure mana with their grades based on speed. One boy steps up first, desperate to impress Erica. The barrier is shaped like a spiderweb with a spider at the Core that senses mana traveling through the strands. As long as the spider lives, the web regenerates infinitely. The boy struggles, trying to surround the entire formula with his mana, but he doesn't have the reserves to pull it off. He finally breaks it in 2 minutes and 23 seconds, earning a lukewarm work on your speed from the professor. After several other students go, it's Erica's turn. She

dismantles the barrier in seconds, leaving the onlookers stunned. She's the department validictorian for a reason. Professor Perry reminds her that the standard dismantle method could technically be 2 seconds faster, which she promises to remember. Finally, it's Seahun's turn. Professor thinks he looks pretty ordinary at first glance. Instead of rushing to dismantle the barrier or stays still, staring at it intensely. The other students start to whisper, questioning his method. Our boy isn't just looking at a spell. He's realizing The barrier structure is identical to the heavy ink rock. The barrier repairs and reverts itself just like

the ore. To smith the rock, he realizes he needs to inject all stimulations simultaneously while perfectly matching the ratios. He takes so much time that the professor begins to lose patience. But Erica speaks up, asking the professor to let him finish. Seahun is deep in thought. If he can hold on to the accumulated stimulation in the heavy ink rock like This, he can master it. Suddenly, he dismantles the barrier in a blur. The assistant is unimpressed because Sihoon took over 7 minutes. But professor knows better. The observation time doesn't matter. The next time Sihoon sees

this barrier, he'll destroy it in a heartbeat. Our boy didn't just dismantle the spell. He created a formula to neutralize it. The professor is left reeling, wondering what kind of legendary creations Seahun will produce Once he starts combining sorcery with his smithing. Our boy has applied to use intermediate smithing on a heroggrade material. Because of this, the administrative staff sends emails to several professors who need to supervise the practice sessions according to safety rule article B. The staff wonders how many applications Sehun will actually get, but they're shocked to see a flood of requests from

professors wanting to oversee him. On the flip Side, not a single person applies for Hans's session. It seems taking second place has made things rough for him. He looks over the list to pick a supervisor and his eyes go wide because Dean Ryu herself has applied to watch him work. That's why the redhead is currently there. Keeping an eye on his skills, Seahun jokes that he'll really have to work hard on this armament now. Now he's finally ready to smith the heavy ink rock. He starts with step one. While There are many ways to handle

the material, he chooses the most complex method, the dark curtain process. He places the rock in a pitch black space to delete impurities, which spread out like water when hit with mana. This method shrinks the rock's size, but massively increases its purity. It's practically a total reconstruction of the material. He decides to use a 140 ratio because if he reduces it any further, the performance won't hold up. Then comes step two. He flows mana through a crimson flame to filter out only the most suitable fire called wildfire. This specific flame has the unique property of

maintaining its exact temperature from the moment it's formed. With that ready, he moves to the actual forging. He starts striking the rock with a hammer wrapped in flowing wildfire. The key here is not to stop until the distortion of the metal aligns perfectly with the properties of the Flame. Watching him work with the fire, the dean wonders even he's just immune to the heat, how he's simply ignoring the pain. She finds herself wondering how much of himself he's had to whittle away to get this good. Four hours pass and a blur of rhythmic striking. The

dean is even starting to get a little sleepy, but then the properties of the rock finally reach their limit. It begins to absorb the flames and the material starts to change. With the Distortion finally settled, step three is in the books. Now, Seun moves to melt the processed ink rock and pour it into the mold he has prepared. This part of the process doesn't require any casting or forging because the properties of the material naturally shift within the darkness of the mold. Watching him work, even the dean is dumbfounded by the techniques he's pulling off.

He transitions into step four, synchronizing the changes in the heavy Ink rock with a barrier dismantle formula. In that split second, he constructs a mana circuit. An explosion rocks the room as the final product emerges, the ink spider bracelet. Even though he hasn't fully tapped into the material's total potential yet, the new possibilities he's unlocked are definitely first rate. Along with the craft, he levels up a new skill, black spirit thread. He checks the bracelet specs. It's a rare grade item of medium Quality that absorbs the wearer's mana and increases in weight based on how

much it's holding. Best of all, it allows him to use the explosive ring skill. It's a massive success, but seeing the finished item makes the redhead Dean's stomach growl again, much to her embarrassment, she leans in for a closer look. Impressed by the resonance phenomenon, Sihune admits it's not that strong yet, but if he plays his cards right, he might be able to aim for a set Effect down the line. He apologizes for not having a full armament for her to eat since she helped him out. So, he offers her the remnants of the bracelet

instead. She treats them like a pallet cleanser, munching away and commenting that they taste like fried crumbs. Seahun can't help but wonder if he has a subconscious habit of making things that suit her specific tastes. Not that he minds since it's doing wonders for their bond level. She mentions it's a shame to Be eating scraps when the real thing is right there. Then circles back to her offer to buy his blade and sheath. Sihoon still isn't ready to sell. He needs them for his upcoming subjugation class. And besides, he knows he needs to keep her

hungry for now. He promises to make her something specifically suited for her later, and she's clearly looking forward to it. With the work finished, she tells him he can head out while the staff handles the cleanup. However, the Exhaustion finally hits Seahune and he collapses. She's genuinely concerned, but he brushes it off, blaming the hours smithing session for draining his stamina. She offers to take him back to his dorm and asks if he's afraid of heights. When he says no, she scoops him up and leaps high into the air. The scraps she just ate, giving

her a noticeable boost in power. As they fly, Sihoon reflects on just how much things have changed compared to his past life. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the academy, Erica is still waiting for him, wondering exactly how she should deliver his invitation. The Babel Academy community site is already blowing up. Someone posted a picture of her when Erica was waiting for Seahun and standing in front of the refining department for 3 hours. The comment section is a mess of theories. Most people are convinced she's waiting for our boy. Sihoon sees the post and Figures if it's actually

important, she'll track him down again sooner or later. Right now, he has bigger problems. Professor Ricardo Miles, who's in charge of the understanding tools course, starts the day by dropping a bomb. He tells the class to head to the training center immediately, adding that the last person to arrive will be punished with 20 laps around the track. The entire class bolts toward the training ground, leaving our boy to Wonder if this was supposed to be a theory class. Unfortunately, with his current stats, Seahoon is the last one to arrive and gets slapped with the 20-lap

penalty. As he runs, the professor watches him, confused as to how someone with such low stamina managed to pull off intermediate smithing. Once the class settles in, the professor confirms Seahun's suspicion that understanding tools was originally a theory class. However, they've changed Their teaching method due to the recent emergence of flame blade hunters. These hunters specifically target blacksmiths capable of forging herograde or higher fire attribute blades, making it a matter of survival for the students to be physically prepared. Even in his past life, that particular case remained a cold, unresolved mystery. The professor continues his

explanation, stating that the class is shifting toward physical practice so the students can prepare Their bodies for self-defense. The goal is to learn the nature of tools while simultaneously training to survive an ambush. Sihoon realizes he needs to be cautious and decides that his first step must be increasing his raw stamina. To achieve this, he utilizes his new bracelet to store mana, a method that helps him boost his average stats by five points. He hopes that by maintaining this regimen, his body will finally be combat ready by the end of His first year. The professor

eventually calls him over, ending his penalty run. Our boy is handed a sword so the instructor can evaluate his swordsmanship through a few basic swings. Looking at the weapon, Seihoun knows the added weight and mana drain of the bracelet will make his movements feel heavy. Though his technique is incredibly refined from his past life, he decides to commit to the strike. To the other students watching, his Movements appear painfully slow and sluggish. The professor initially notes that while Seahun's blade seems to know its intended path, the execution feels rushed and lacks power. He prepares to

offer a critique before moving into a match, but Seahhun's next motion leaves him completely paralyzed. In a sudden blur of motion, he maneuvers his sword until the edge is resting directly against his instructor's throat. Clearly shaken, Miles demands to know who taught Him such a highle technique. Seahun finds himself in a tight spot, remembering that his instructor in his past life claimed to have invented that specific style in just 10 minutes. that person had actually been a broke customer who couldn't afford a smithing bill and paid with the technique instead. Seahhoun quickly comes up with

an excuse, claiming he simply picked it up by watching videos online. Blown away by the boy's apparent natural talent, Miles asks if he has any interest in learning the art properly, he even offers to personally write a letter of recommendation for the elite body control lecture over at a car coup. That is how Seahun finds himself at a car that afternoon. There he recognizes someone from his past life. A man who is currently trying to shake off a persistent student begging for lessons. In his previous life, this man was a retired S-class hero and a

regular Customer known as the swordbreaker, Ma Wang Su. Seahun finds it hard to believe that the same man who eventually lived for gambling and booze was originally a professor. The professor becomes even more irritated when he sees another student approaching. Seahun introduces himself and mentions the recommendation from Professor Ricardo. Jake, who is also present, chimes in to inform the professor that Seah Hun is this year's refining department validictorian. Despite the title, the professor thinks our boy looks quite mediocre at first glance. To get rid of the persistent blonde student once and for all, the professor

proposes a challenge. The blonde must defeat Seahune if he wants to be taken on as a student. He declares that the winner will be whoever manages to land the first hit. The match begins and the blonde student immediately rushes towards Seahune. The professor watches closely, noticing that Seahun is Strangely relaxed. He realizes our boy is maximizing his flexibility by removing all tension from his body, suggesting he is looking to grapple rather than strike. To the professor, the match initially seems like it won't be much fun to watch. As both opponents close the distance, the blonde

seems to have the upper hand, pushing him back with everything he has. However, our hero is a step ahead. He activates the explosive ring to manipulate gravity at The crucial moment. In the blink of an eye, Seahun falls back. But as the blonde lunges over him, he finds himself stunned. Seahun manages to bruise the student's nose in the scramble and cooly asks if he was perhaps a bit too fast for him. The professor remains speechless after witnessing the attack. Once he finds his voice, he tells them that the demonstration is over, noting that he can't

possibly teach Jake since the boy failed. However, Seun, ever the Cocky one, points out that since he was the one who defeated Jake, the professor is now obligated to teach the blonde. This force play makes the instructor admit that it's truly pathetic for the Akar Kuf validictorian to be bested by a blacksmith. Grumpily, he agrees to teach Jake and promises to send a schedule later, which somehow brightens his face despite the loss. After the boy thanks him, the professor shoes him out so he can speak with Seahun alone. Once they Are solo, the professor demands

to see the same technique Seahun showed Professor Ricardo. He rushes forward and swings his sword, but in a heartbeat, the professor disarms him. He explains that the technique is the first sight kill. It has great potential. But Seahun's execution is so crude that it's useless against a real swordsman. He even claims he would break the bones of the person who created such a skill. Having no idea that professor is Technically the one who will create it in the future. Regardless, he offers to help Seahun build a proper physical foundation to support such a skill. Our

boy is officially enrolled in his class and dismissed. As he leaves, the professor can't help but think the boy thinks a bit too highly of himself. Outside, Jake catches up to him and hands him an invitation, the very same one Erica wanted him to have. It's an invite to no bless, a prestigious Gathering for cadets from elite families. Sihune is hesitant, but Jake insists it's a token of gratitude for helping him get accepted by the professor. On his way back to his department, Seahhun calculates his schedule. With minors in barrier composition and body control, he

decides he needs one more minor from his own department. He weighs his options between alchemy and enchanting. Just then, a new character appears. A girl With starry eyes who is absolutely enamored with his bracelet. She excitedly asks if he made it, and when he confirms, she begs to add an enchantment to it. In that moment, a bond forms with the girl, Leia Claudell. In the past life, she was a genius who raised an armament's grade by two whole ranks by her enchantment. She eventually shattered the entire enchanting industry. She nearly shrieks when she realizes the

bracelet is made from heavy Ink rock. They settle down so she can inspect it, and she starts rambling about which formulas to use. The problem is she wants to add too many. The materials compatibility is just too good to pass up. Hearing her passion, Seahun decides to leave the item with her since he already has a replacement in hand. She is amazed by his trust and they formally exchange introductions. She's a third-year senior from the enchantment department. Their conversation is cut Short when one of Erica's lackeyis arrives demanding a word with our boy. Leah tries

to protest the interruption, but Seahun stops her telling the guy to say whatever he has to say right there while he finishes his coffee. The man demands that he apologize to Erica for his rudess in tearing up her invitation. Seahun reminds him that Erica herself was the one who asked him to tear it. The lackey admits that's true, but argues that our boy shouldn't have Accepted the new invitation from Jake. Frustrated, Seahun asks if Erica actually sent him, but it's clear the guy is acting on his own. Leah steps in to put him in his

place, pointing out that everyone knows he's just a servant to the young master of the Inway family. Infuriated, the man triggers an illusion spell, warping the surroundings and growling that there are many people in Babel far superior to the two of them. Sihune points out that the man must be Talking about himself, which only fuels the lackis's anger. In response, the man sends a swarm of illusionary beasts charging toward them. Instead of flinching, Seahun holds his ground. He realizes these beasts aren't made of pure mana. He correctly guesses that the man is using a feather

as a medium to anchor the illusion. Terrified that his secret is out, the man watches as Seahun easily snatches his dagger. Using the bond imprint of the gluttony iron, Seahun has the metal consume the dagger entirely. The lackey lets out a horrified shriek as his 1 million one weapon vanishes into thin air. Seahun doesn't stop there. He activates his explosive ring, rushes the man in a blur and lands a heavy punch that ends the confrontation. With the nuisance out of the way, he turns back to Leah and asks which lecture in the enchantment department she

would recommend. Excited by the prospect, she suggests he take Ancient enchantment, mentioning that she's currently taking the class herself. The lackey flees from Seahun only to run straight into Erica. She cold-bloodedly demands to see his dagger. When she takes the weapon, she strictly instructs him not to report the incident to her brother, stating she will handle the matter with the family head herself. Inspecting the blade, she notes the anti- theft enchantment and wonders if Seihoon created a counter Skill based on her own and the professor's barrier magic. She rates his smithing aptitude as potentially higher

than S-grade. But seeing his grasp of magic, she realizes his magical aptitude needs to be adjusted to at least A level. Meanwhile, back at his class, Seahune receives a notification that he has established a bond with Erica. He wonders if she witnessed his lopsided fight with her servant. Since he stole the formula from the lackis dagger During the extraction, he has already created several replicas that can serve as compensation. While he can't use them yet, he plans to combine them with the black spirit thread. Now he finds himself bored during a lecture as he already

knows everything professor Kim is teaching. Eventually the professor moves to the practical portion of the class. He places metal bricks before the students explaining that while the material is the same, they can change Its form depending on the mana arrangement. He demonstrates the deformation of iron, explaining that mastering this versatility is what determines a blacksmith's skill. He emphasizes that they must grasp the true potential of the metal they handle. Assistant Han distributes the ingots and Kim tasks the students with their first exercise. Manipulate the mana arrangements to create a simple scratch. He warns them to

be careful as the Ingots are highly sensitive. Seahun observes the lecture and realizes the professor hasn't rejected the potential of magic smithing yet. The students are given 10 minutes. Most of them panic as their ingots are not snapping back to their original shapes. Only Hans and Seahun succeed. Hans is brimming with confidence, certain that his speed and competence match Seahun's. He's thrilled when he finishes the next step before Seahhun, but his joy is short-lived. Professor Kim demands that Hans return his ingot to its original form because the mana arrangement is completely ruined. The metal can't

withstand the deformation because the processing method was wrong from the start. The blonde is stunned, arguing that he followed the instructions perfectly. Kim reminds him that he failed to grasp the metal's potential. If he can't restore the arrangement, the equipment is just deteriorating, not deforming. While Hans Is forced to restart, he notices Seahun spacing out and assumes his rival messed up. At that exact moment, the said rival completes his own arrangements. Professor Kim is so stunned he asks him to demonstrate the deformation again. Sihune hottily replies that it's only possible because these ingots are specially

adjusted for cadets and he couldn't pull this off with regular iron. Kim reluctantly agrees, but his mind wanders to the saint of the holy Fire, Lee Kensei, the greatest blacksmith and creator of the deformation formula. He wonders if Seahun has found an entirely different way to achieve the same results. After class is dismissed, Kim stops him and gives him a crimson fire jade as an admission gift. He explains that by absorbing its essence, Seahun can permanently strengthen his crimson flame. Seahun thanks him and the professor then suggests he take a Specific minor armament fundamentals. He

is giving classes of this class boasts the largest budget at Babel. Seahun reflects on his past life. Realizing he never even heard Professor Kim's name back then, he wonders if the man met a tragic end in the original timeline, but notes that in this life, things are definitely taking a much more high-profile turn. He then decides to take the course. The professor reminds him that he's already stacked with minor Subjects, but eventually agrees, noting that this will bring his total to four. As they shake hands, Seahun takes advantage of the physical contact once more, using

bond extraction to pull flame bearing iron directly from the professor. Later back at his place, Seahune reflects on his unique ability. If he can extract metal from a person, it implies he has the capability to forge and process a human body as well. Normally, having multiple mana Attributes is dangerous because they clash within the body, which is why blacksmiths are usually advised to stick to one. However, Seahun is a different case. By allowing his internal mana, the kind usually used to block out heat to deplete, his body naturally begins to draw in the essence of

the crimson flame. He realizes that to master this, he needs to construct a mana circuit inside himself specifically for that flame. He begins the grueling process of Smithing his own internal energy. As he succeeds, his attribute mana strengthens and his crimson flame jumps from F to E plus rank. This breakthrough grants him an S-grade skill, spirit body smithing magic. His physical abilities surge and his strength and overall stats see a significant enhancement. However, the sheer influx of power is nearly too much to handle. Just as he's on the verge of collapsing and giving up, he

hears Leah's voice. She calls him out, telling Him that having the materials, but giving up now is just plain stupid. She asks him flatly if he's really going to accept defeat. Sihoon snaps his eyes open, his determination renewed. He resolves to use every tool and advantage at his disposal. Sitting alone in his room, he settles on a single driving purpose. He won't live this life with any regrets, whether it involves a friend or a foe. The next day, the workshop is a hive of activity. The Students are wrapping up the items they've spent the semester

creating as they need to supply the finished products to both the school and external buyers. Assistant Han encourages everyone to give it their all, reminding them that their budget depends on this final flow. Everyone dives into the work, but Sehun is far from satisfied. His body still isn't in peak shape, which caused a slight misalignment in his latest piece. Refusing to take the Easy way out, he restarts the forging process from scratch. He knows that while a moderate standard product is enough to secure his budget, he wants to produce at least one item of truly

high quality. As he works, the rhythmic clanging of his hammer begins to harmonize until he hears it. The sound of the perishing sea. It's a sign that he's tapping into something deep. When he finishes, the blade doesn't just have temporary sharpness. A permanent edge is Engraved into the very body of the metal. He has successfully created the white light long sword, and in doing so, he unlocks the C-grade White Light style skill. Even though he used regular iron, his preregression skills are clearly starting to surface. While he admires his work, many of his fellow students

are struggling to produce anything even remotely decent. On Saturday morning, Seahune meets up with Leia. He's curious to see her basic enchanting skills in Action, so she leads him to a secluded workplace tucked away in the Accar Kuf district. They eventually arrive at a hardware store owned by an old woman named Helena. The moment they step inside, Helena shouts at Leah, immediately asking if Seahun is her boyfriend. When Leah introduces him as the refining department's validictorian, the grandma scoffs, remarking that the academy must have lowered its standards to accept such a soft-looking guy. The Old

lady then turns her anger back to Leah, pointing out the massive pile of work that has accumulated. As Seahun looks around the shop, he admires Helena's hidden skill, but wonders why someone of her caliber is running a simple hardware store in a place like this. Leah admits the workload is heavy and shows Seahun her enchantment pallet and the powders she makes by grinding magic stones. He watches as she handles more than the basic eight colors with Incredible diversity. When he asks if she can restore damaged enchantment formulas using only her palette, she confirms it. She

explains that this is how she earns money by rebirthing enchantments without having to worry about high material costs. Watching her work, Seahun realizes that the nerd didn't miss out on being validictorian because of a lack of talent. She's just so immersed in the joy of her craft that she doesn't care about titles or Rankings. While exploring the shop, Seahun's eyes catch a specific wet stone that resonates with Mana to grant special effects. He's itching to test himself, especially since he just engraved the white light for the first time in this life. His thoughts are interrupted

by Helena, who urges him to pick something from the junk pile and get to work. Seahun finds a worn-own knife. The edge is dull, but he notices the axis isn't twisted, which tells him This blade belonged to someone who truly knew how to handle a sword. He decides to use the high-quality wet stone to sharpen the edge to its absolute limit. As he begins the delicate process, the precision of his movements makes Helena a pause, wondering if this kid is really just a freshman. As the morning goes on, the nerdy girl finishes her own task

and notices Helena is completely mesmerized by Seahun's work. She teases the old woman, suggesting she was looking for a Mistake to criticize, but ended up getting a lesson herself. The comment earns the girl a swift, playful smack from the grandma. Seahun finally finishes and hands over the knife, though he promises he'll do an even better job next time. Helena promptly shoes both of them out of the shop, acting like they're in the way. A moment later, her brother walks in to pick up his knife, mentioning that he's been swamped with orders at his restaurant. Helena

isn't shy about her disapproval, grumbling that the man should be a professor in the combat department instead of a restaurant owner. When the man inspects his knife, he stops dead. He asks Helena if she sharpened it herself or if one of her assistants finally leveled up, but she surprises him by revealing that a mere freshman did the work. After analyzing the terrifyingly sharp edge and the skill behind it, the man is left wondering Just who this mysterious student actually is. While heading back, Seahun and Leia discuss Helena's history. Leah explains that the old woman is

actually a retired professor from the refining department who opened her shop in a car coupe after leaving the academy. Seahun wonders about the story behind her departure, especially since he remembers that the refining department was the weakest in Babel during his past life. He notes that this isn't a detail he Should overlook. Leah shily asks for his opinion on her enchanting. He praises her fundamentals as being flawless, but just as she starts to boast, he shuts her down by calling her narrow-minded. He points out that despite her vast knowledge of various methods, she never actually

attempts them. She is taken aback, but he emphasizes that she is one of those people who knows the theory but lacks the creative courage to execute it. He tells her that a creator's Imagination is their greatest weapon, but she has been suppressing hers. When she protests that she obviously understands her craft, Seahun decides to show her a trick. He uses an analogy. If she needs to place a stone beneath the water's surface, creating the stone is smithing. But carving the image of that submerged stone onto the water surface is enchanting. Enchantment, he explains, exists in

the nature of a dream. He draws his crimson flame and shows her The dagger. Leah is aruck to see that the reinforcement isn't just on the surface, but is engraved beneath the metal. He suggests she try double layering her enchantments if a single one isn't enough. He demonstrates by throwing a knife, explaining how the sharpness flows along the current of the crimson flame. Though his own enchanting is technically imperfect, he places his trust in Leah, knowing that geniuses like her always find a way once they are Shown the path. Convinced and inspired, she asks to

keep the dagger so she can rework it properly. Sihune agrees and even hands over the other daggers he's been working on. As she happily thanks him, Seihoun successfully extracts a bond stone from her without her realizing it. Later, our boy heads toward the martial arts hall, wondering if he'll encounter Mad Dog during today's match. He also can't help but wonder why Erica is currently clinging To his back. He asks if she'll give him some space if he tries to shoe her away, and she agrees to give him a little bit of room. Having no other

choice, he lets her tag along. During the walk, he manages to extract a bond stone from her touch. Erica's S-grade social link stone contains compressed tuned mana that can adjust disorganized internal mana arrangements when mixed with minerals. Meanwhile, the bond stone he took from Leah is the top level complex blast Bloom, which acts as a powerful amplifier to push the potential of mixed minerals to their absolute limit. They finally arrive at the martial arts hall, where the commentator introduces herself as the youngest professor at Babel, Ranfang. Ranfang introduces the heavy hitters and the crowd goes

wild. First up is the Aerys of the Meers family, a fourthyear validictorian from a car coupe. She's an absolute monster in combat with an A-class superhuman Martial art. This is Arya Meyers, the sword saint who eventually conquers the Tower of Heroes in the future. Then comes the successor of the flame wheel Amber Spear and the third-year validictorian, the South Korean intangible cultural property himself. Sihoon can't help but smile when he sees him, knowing that in the future, this politelooking guy becomes the infamous mad dog Yam Xiang Ha. The match starts with a bang, blades clashing

instantly. Arya clearly has the upper hand, cornering Xang Ha with flawless precision. Seeing Sean Ha's below average performance, Sihune wonders why the successor of such a prestigious spear style is struggling so much. Is he not getting the support he needs? But more than that, it's the poor quality of the spear Sean Ha is using that really bug Seahhun's blacksmith instincts. Ultimately, Mad Dog loses the match and gives up on the spot. Usually, there are Interviews scheduled for both players, but Sean Ha storms out of the arena before anyone can grab a mic. As Arya starts

her post-match interview, Seihoun spots Seong Ha leaving and decides to follow him. Getting up from his seat, Erica notices him heading for the exit and looks a bit relieved. She's glad he's not sticking around to watch her brother fight next. Though, Sihune tells her he's just not interested in Arya's obnoxious attitude. What Seun doesn't Realize, however, is that as he stands to leave, he's caught the sharp, attentive eyes of Arya Meyers herself. Sihoon tracks down Yong Seong Ha in a park near the martial arts hall. Watching him from a distance, he remembers the man Xiang

Ha becomes. the mad dog who served as the backbone of the death squad, eventually throwing his life away to take down the demon god of the sea of extinction. Right now, Shan Ha isn't nearly as twisted as he was in The future, so Seun figures extracting a bond stone will be a lot easier if he plays his cards right. Siang Ha notices him immediately. He recognizes him from the audience and admits the kid has a talent for tracking people, but his mood is dark. He demands to know why our boy is following him. Sihune tries

to keep things friendly, but Siang Ha isn't having it, sternly telling him to get lost. When our boy persists, the mad dog snaps, declaring how much he hates Weaklings who think they're on his level just because they have a little bit of skill. Compared to the terrifying version of the man our hero knew in his past life, this behavior actually feels somewhat polite. Realizing words won't work, Seun activates his crimson flame. The sight of him standing his ground infuriates Xiang Ha, especially when our boy taunts him, suggesting that Xiang Ha will be the one responsible

for ending the legacy of the flame wheel ember Spear. Seeing red, Ha rushes forward with a punch meant to end the conversation. But just as the blow is about to land, our hero activates bond imprint gluttony iron, which allows him to deflect the massive force of the strike. Sean Ha is shocked. He finally acknowledges that Seahun as a department validictorian actually has the right to stand before him, but he can't let the insult slide. He charges again, intending to show the true power of the Ember wheel. The next second, Shangha freezes in sheer confusion. The

ember that should belong solely to his family's technique is suddenly flickering in Seahun's hand. Dread washes over him as he realizes Sihoon didn't just block the attack, he dismantled the formula and stole it. He attacks again in a blind rage, but Sehun dodges effortlessly. He knows Xiang Ha is on the verge of losing control. In the future, the Flameflower hate Incident happened precisely because of this unstable attitude. However, the effect of the gluttony iron wears off and his body starts to buckle under the strain. He knows he needs to finish this to secure the bond,

but he can't do it peacefully. He has to smash Xyon Ha's pride to reach him. Just as he prepares his next move, a hand catches Xan Ha's fist in midair. It isn't our hero. It's Jake who has jumped in to interrupt the brawl. Jake handles the situation Quickly. While Xan Ha tells them both to get lost, Jake practically drags our boy away from the scene. Once they're gone, Xan Ha is left alone in the park, lamenting the fact that he just picked a fight with a junior and threw a punch that could have tarnished the

reputation of the flame wheel ember spear and brought shame to his master. On the way, Jake continues to reprimand Seahun for picking a fight with a senior, pointing out that challenging someone like Yom Seyong Ha is a literal death wish. Our hero just shrugs it off, nonchalantly answering that he wasn't really fighting him. He was just threatening him internally. He is already analyzing the notification that he has established a bond with Xiang Ha. He knows he can extract a bond stone whenever the right opportunity pops up, but he realizes there is a slight problem compared

to the terrifying battleh hardened mad dog from his future memories. The current ha Is much softer. This difference in personality means the bondstone's effect might be weaker or different than expected. To get the high-grade power he needs, Seahun realizes he has to find a way to level up his bond with the future Mad Dog. Trying to change the subject, Seahun turns to his blonde year and asks how his hand is holding up after stopping Mad Dog's punch. Jake beams, happily boasting that his hand is as tough as iron. Jake, however, isn't Easily distracted. He is

still sweating over what Seahun said earlier about his sister. Knowing Arya is Jake's sister, Sihoon doesn't sugarcoat it. He tells Jake flat out that she has stuck up. This sends a look of pure horror across the boy's face as he realizes just how much trouble Seahun is in, especially since Arya is already digging for info on him. To make matters worse, Jake drops one final bombshell. He tells him that his sister has officially taken a Personal interest in him. Jake looks like he's about to faint, knowing that when Arya Myers takes an interest in someone,

things never end quietly. The first thing our boy comments on is how Arya must have some seriously sharp ears to overhear his conversation in that noisy crowd. He notes that he'll welcome her interest as long as it stays just an interest. Inwardly, he's already calculating that catching the eye of Arya, who is Seyang Ha's rival, is the Perfect shortcut to getting the madman's attention, too. Jake tries to play mediator, warning him that his sister isn't someone to be taken lightly, but Seahhun cuts him off. He bluntly calls Arya petty and insidious, which sends Jake into

a total panic. Jake finally asks why he dislikes her so much, and Seahun's thoughts drift back to his past life. He remembers how Arya suddenly vanished one day only for someone to summon a demon god from her sword. The Demon divinity of extinguishing light. Of course, he can't say that. So, he just makes the excuse that her face practically screams trouble. As Sehun leaves, Jake gets a text from his sister. She wants every scrap of info on Seahune and basically orders Jake to be their bridge. But her next message makes him flinch. She mentions that

his petty and insidious sister wants a favor. It means that she heard the whole conversation. The next morning, our dude Finds himself in the lecture hall. though his shoulder is still killing him from the scuffle with Siong Ha. Hans is nearby buzzing with anxiety about the upcoming exchange meeting schedule. Their professor Rhys Dova from Attribute Refining arrives to take charge of the major classes. The students are visibly miserable because the guy is a notorious lunatic. Before starting, the professor begins handing out the results of their major refining assignments and their Budgets for the next semester.

One by one, students collect theirs and Seahun is left for last. The whole class is dying to know what his budget looks like, but the professor drops a bombshell. His budget isn't released yet because his submission was so high quality that they've decided to enter it into the secondear public auction first. They'll finalize his funding after that. Seahun initially suspects this is Michael's handiwork, but he quickly Brushes that off. He figures if there were actually a problem, Professor Kim would have stepped in by now. So, he decides to let the budget situation go for now

and focuses on the class. Professor Rhys Dova kicks off his lecture on residual mana and the room goes quiet when Yam Seung Ha walks in as a volunteer assistant. The freshmen are stunned to see a famous third-year validictorian in their midst. The professor explains that residual mana in Armaments is usually split into two categories, the basic charging type and the independent type, which can generate its own mana or pull it from the atmosphere. Since independent types are incredibly difficult to craft, the professor announces they'll be practicing the charging type today. He signals Seang Ha to

demonstrate, adding that fire attribute mana is notoriously volatile and hard to stabilize as residual energy. However, if a smith can Suppress that wild nature, the heat retention is second to none. Everyone watches in awe as Shangha effortlessly handles his flame wheel ember spears, showcasing a level of control that seems impossible. The professor ends the theory segment by assigning them to create an item using fire attribute charging residual mana with a flame wheel theme. He tells everyone to change and meet in the refining room. As the students head out, several try to butter Up Siang Ha,

but he snaps at them to get lost. Once the room is empty, he addresses our boy and demands to know exactly what the kid has figured out about him. Our dude drops a dark clinical evaluation that leaves Ha reeling. He explains that the true power of the flame wheel style is measured by how many wheels a practitioner can manifest, noting that the sect leader, Lee Wan Rayong, can famously create eight. He then points out that while Seong Ha can handle six and is currently pushing for a seventh, he's hitting a wall where he won't be

able to maintain them much longer. Sei Ha is visibly shaken because he hasn't even shared this struggle with his own master. Sihoon explains that because he also possesses a fire attribute, he could feel that Xyang Ha's flames were off. Instead of properly detonating the power, he's just letting the energy bleed away half-hazardly. Realizing Sihoon sees a solution he can't find himself, Xiang Ha demands to know the price for his help. Our boy doesn't hesitate and lays out two conditions. First, Xyon Ha must pay a fair price for every piece of advice or assistance he receives.

Second, he must consult Seahun whenever he has a difficult decision to make. He tells him that he wants an answer before they step into the refining room. After a short, tense silence, the mad dog agrees to the deal, Provided that Seahun can actually show him some tangible proof of his skill during the practical assignment. Sihune is ready to deliver the proof Xiang Ha demands. during the afternoon smithing workshop. As he works, a wave of murmurss ripples through the other students because he is crafting completely without a blueprint. They watch with skepticism as he mixes fire

attribute and dark attribute ores in a 7.3 ratio, gossiping that he is Recklessly wasting materials and that the opposing mana will simply dissipate into nothing. Seahun is far too immersed in his work to care about the noise. He waits until the heat reaches the point where the attribute mana begins to leak out, then pulls off his gloves. It is time for thermal substitution. He simultaneously controls the flames in his own mana to lock the attributes into the metal. Watching from the sidelines, Professor Dova finally realizes why the School is so obsessed with Seahun's auction submission.

The kid is already mastering thermal substitution as a mere freshman. While it looks like a standard procedure to the untrained eye, Xian Han notices the subtle genius behind it. Our boy is placing the fire mana on the inside and the dark mana on the outside, creating a perfect balance that allows a flawless mana circle to be drawn. This hits home for Xiang Ha, who has always viewed his own dark mana attribute as a Forbidden hindrance to his flame wheel style. Seeing this method, he realizes he might finally be able to integrate his dark mana rather

than fighting it. However, when Ha tries the method himself after class, things go sideways. He manages to create a black flame wheel, but his power drops to the fifth wheel, leaving him without the strength for a sixth. Our guy notes that while these black flames are technically stronger than seven regular wheels, However, the problem is that flameflower fate evaluation is coming up. If Ha falls below six wheels, he loses his position as a successor. Sean Ha is frustrated because he still can't fully control the dark mana and the instructor arrives tomorrow. Desperate to keep his

rank. He tells him that he will do anything to secure his position. At that moment, Seahun extracts a bond stone, the red resonant black stone. This unique ore allows fire and dark mana to Coexist by making their clashing wavelengths resonate instead. To execute the plan, Seyang Ha takes Sihoon to a highsecurity private training room in a car coupe. They adjust the room's environment to mimic the flame flower gate so Seoon can forge the perfect training tools. Using the bond stone he just took from Shangha, our boy divides it and embeds a piece into each of

two separate spears. Seong Ha isn't thrilled about dual wielding, especially since Managing one spear is already a challenge. But our hero explains that two spears are the only way to properly balance his two conflicting mana attributes. To make this work, he further explains that Xiang Ha needs to manifest a flame wheel with his left hand while simultaneously releasing dark attribute mana with his right. As the mad dog starts practicing, he immediately hits a snag. Our boy points out that Ha is unconsciously letting Dark mana leak into his left hand. It's a natural side effect of

having multiple mana types. But in Xiang Ha's case, the energy is a mess because he spent years trying to suppress the dark attribute. Sihune explains that if he can just get used to handling both simultaneously, reaching the six wheel mark will become easy. To speed up the process, he has Xang Ha wear a specialized bracelet to help stabilize the flow. After 3 hours of grueling training, the mad dog Finally starts adapting. This technique is actually something his future self created, so it fits him perfectly. Seahun watches intently, analyzing every detail. The breathing patterns, the muscle

movements, the shift in gravity, and the specific wavelength of mana as it circulates through the body before being released at the tip of the spear. Xongha eventually notices the staring and asks what he's doing. Our boy nonchalantly explains that he is simply Collecting data to forge a weapon for him. He reminds Ha that he still has an assignment to submit, so he should not keep his hope up. But the mad dog admits he doesn't expect much from a first year's work. The conversation eventually shifts why Seiong Ha is so desperate to stay a successor. He

admits it's because it is his master's wish. Our boy remembers from his past life that Xiang Ha was an orphan taken in by his master, the first sect leader and an S-class Hero. Even though the master eventually retired due to injury, Seyong Ha views him as a father and feels the weight of carrying out his master's dream. Ha then turns the question back on Seun, asking what he gets out of all this. Our boy doesn't sugarcoat his answer. He explains that soon the six great demon realms will be swallowed by the swamp of pandemonium and

the world will be crawling with demonic beasts. To stop the catalyst, he needs to enter those Realms, which requires two things. Powerful people to protect him and materials to forge weapons. Having Seong Ha as a future sect leader gives him the financial backing and political influence he needs. Seong Ha calls him materialistic and he doesn't deny it. They are practically strangers, so why would he help for free? Xyon Ha finally understands the stakes and makes a grim vow. If our hero helps him become the sect leader, he will follow him into Those six demon realms.

In that moment, Seun flashes back to the future Mad Dog who once demanded a weapon capable of killing demon divinities. With that memory in mind, Seahun uses Bond imprint on red resonant black stone. Fully determined to turn his senior into a powerhouse. Next day, the instructor Gang Hian Yun from the flame flower gate arrives at the Flavium firstf flooror public training hall. He brings along disciples selected by the sect leader, Hoping to broaden their horizons through a sparring match. When the instructor starts to mock him, Siang Ha warns him to watch his tongue. The sly

man offers a fake apology and asks to proceed with the skill assessment, but the mad dog throws a curveball. He demands a promotion test for the seventh wheel. The instructor is taken aback. In his eyes, Siang Ha is nothing but a fool trying to squat on the sect leader seat through sheer effort alone. He recalls The sect leader's orders to deal with him if he ever tries to challenge the seventh wheel. With a greasy smile, he tries to stall, but Seang Ha darkly asks if he's too afraid of losing his instructor position to take the

challenge. Finally, they agree to a domain sparring match, a straightforward contest of strength where the stronger flame wheel wins. Sean Ha needs at least a win or a draw to secure the promotion. As he steps up, the instructor mocks the Crude looking short spears in his hands. He reminds Ha that using dark attributes is strictly forbidden since he can't control them and they won't be recognized as true flame wheels. But Xiang Ha ignores him and successfully manifests the seventh wheel, seamlessly blending both attributes. The instructor remains cocky, claiming Xyang Ha will regret this as he

starts up his own wheels. But a second later, a massive explosion rocks the hall. A dark flame Dragon rips through the instructor's wheels, completely shredding them. The force is so overwhelming that the instructor's own spear snaps, leaving him utterly defeated. With the instructor gone, Shangha's promotion ceremony is set. He'll soon be recognized as an instructor and the official successor. When Seahun asks what it takes to actually become the sect leader, he explains the two conditions. First, he must reach the Eighth wheel. Second, he needs the consent of the majority of the instructors. Since that consent

usually comes through official and brutal sparring matches, it won't be easy. Seun remains confident he can get him there and taunts him to just focus on how he's going to pay him back. Sean Ha agrees to pay any price within his reach. In fact, he's so impressed that he wants to commission something else. Looking at the twin spears, which were originally Just a quick assignment, he realizes that if Seahun can make something that powerful in a few hours, he can definitely do better. So, he demands a truly useful weapon. At that moment, Seahun's bond level

with the mad dog hits level two. The relationship is becoming more established, and a bond stone will be ready once their next big transaction is complete. By Wednesday, it's time for the secondyear auction house. There's a huge crowd, and Seahun Decides to switch up his outfit a bit as he sits alongside the other validictorians, ready for the show to begin. Professor Kim remains suspicious, wondering exactly what kind of scheme the vice dean is cooking up to seize control of the refining department. The theme for the auction is iron swords with 30 items submitted. But there

is a catch. A special quality verification step has been added. The verification uses sea gumpo, a specialized cloth Woven from the melted fur of the S-class beast, the White Tiger. This material is incredibly unique because it is soft like fabric, but maintains the hardness of metal, specifically designed to strip away the durability of any weapon that isn't perfectly crafted. By slashing the swords against this cloth, the judges can easily weed out any items that sacrifice structural integrity for sharpness. As the auction kicks off, the judges begin testing the swords one by One against the white

tiger fur. Erica, watching from the side, asks Seahun why they would use something as rare as S-class fur for a simple test. Seahun explains the trap. While the tiger is known for being hard, its properties are actually complex. The fur acts like a metal eater. No matter how high quality a blade seems, the fur will chew through its durability if the refining isn't flawless. Erica realizes this puts Seahun's white light long sword at a Massive disadvantage. He admits the entire verification process was rigged specifically to make him fail. If his weapon breaks or fails the

test, Professor Kim's reputation will take a massive hit alongside his own. However, Seahhun isn't worried. He knows he didn't just make a good sword, he made a masterpiece. Finally, it's our hero's turn. The judge steps up to the white light long sword and prepares to strike the seo jumbo cloth. But as he swings, Something impossible happens. Instead of the blade cutting the cloth or breaking against it, the sword is violently pushed back. The sword flies out of his hand, clattering to the floor, leaving the entire audience and the judges standing there in total shock. They

have no idea what just happened, but it's clear this isn't an ordinary iron sword. The very next moment, our boy stands up to clarify the chaos. He explains that while a typical sword focused on Sharpness would shatter against the seojumpo cloth, his blade is different. It gathers scattered atmospheric mana and condenses it into an impossibly thin edge. When the audience protests that they didn't sense any mana, he confirms that the layer is so refined and thin that it's nearly undetectable, a true sharpness aura that looks like pure light. He explains that the sword was deflected

because both the blade and the cloth shared the same highle sharpness Aura, causing them to cancel each other out. He then used the social link stone to adjust the irregular mana fluctuations, ensuring the blade remains perfectly stable. To prove it, he takes the sword to the cloth himself, and it slices through effortlessly. At that moment, the sword's rank officially upgrades to rare. Since the edge isn't set with a wet stone, but maintained by a skill strengthened aura, its value skyrockets. The baffled auctioneer Immediately bumps the starting price from 1 million 1 to 5 million. Suddenly,

every top student in the room wants the sword as a research material. The bidding war turns into a frenzy. The blonde validictorian pushes the price to 200 million1 while Erica keeps raising the stakes while his peers are throwing around life-changing money. Our literal poor boy can't help but think about his own measly bank balance of 110,0001. Eventually, the price hits a staggering 600 million1 bid by none other than the redhead dean. Jake is left grouchy on the sidelines. His sister had ordered him to buy it at any cost, but even he can't outbid the dean.

Professor Kim just watches with a proud, smug smile. Later in Ryu's office, the money is deposited into Seahun's account. The dean explains she plans to use the sword in a real danger zone rather than letting it waste away in training. Seizing the moment, he asks her to set a Subjugation destination, Yunwall. It's a location usually reserved for firstear practice. And while the dean is hesitant due to protocol, Seahun lures her in by promising to gift her a custom armament when they return. She agrees instantly and sets the schedule for next week. In reality, Yunwall is

just an excuse. He is actually hunting for a special grade item that once belonged to Jurgen Krueger, the head of the UR group and the world's strongest necromancer. Meanwhile, a defeated Jake reports back to Arya. She already knows he lost the bid, but she decides to let it go for a price. She tells Jake that since he shares a body control class with Seahun, he needs to use that opportunity to bring him to her. In exchange, she promises to handle their father regarding the succession ceremony and even hints that she can get Jake out of

his validictorian position before graduation. Motivated by the chance at Freedom, her brother determines to succeed at any cost. As he leaves, Arya thinks back to Seahun's comment about her being obnoxious. The boy is definitely starting to get on her nerves. Next day, our boy submits his major assignment for the attribute refining class, the very same short spear Shanghai used in his fight. One is the crimson spear with fire attribute, and the other is the black spear with dark attribute. The professor is floored By the craftsmanship, noting that the formulas are so precise, they actually warn

the user if their mana control is even slightly off. Essentially, these aren't just weapons, they are perfect training tools. The professor gives him a perfect score and exempts him from future attendance, mentioning that at this rate, Seahun could practically graduate now. After getting his spears back, he heads to the training hall for his body control class. He finds Jake Already there. Since Seahun arrived early to squeeze in some practice, he offers to leave, but Jake stops him to ask for a favor. Our boy refuses before Jake can even finish his sentence. He already knows Arya

sent Jake to get a weapon out of him. Actually, his goal is to keep Arya's interest high, just like he did with Ryu. That's why he isn't about to hand over mediocre work. The blonde, desperate to deliver for his sister, pulls out a highquality hammer, The black flame hammer, and proposes a bet. If Seahun wins a spar, he keeps the hammer. If Jake wins, Seahun has to forge a weapon for Arya. Our boy agrees, but with one condition. Jake must not mention his sister's name for a full month, and he has to let her know

about this silence as well. With the stakes set, our boy readies his two new spears. Jake isn't planning on being caught off guard like last time. He decides to go all out from the start, compressing a Massive amount of mana into his fist, the same overwhelming power he used to stop Shanghai's punch the other day. Seeing this, our guy deactivates his social link stone and activates Gluttony Iron through his Bond imprint skill. Jake notices Seahun's fluid stance and wonders if being a blacksmith gives him a natural perk for handling various weapons. However, the blonde remains

confident. He doesn't believe Seahun can beat him just by being familiar with a Weapon. He rushes in fist ready to end it, but is completely baffled when Seahun effortlessly steps back and dodges. Then Seahun initiates the flame wheel ember spear technique which sends a shock wave of fear through Jake. In his past life, our dude spent a lot of time talking with one of the dogs just to build a bond strong enough to get a highle stone. During that time, he learned the secret technique the creator never passed down to anyone. Even though What Seun

is doing now is just a crude imitation, it's more than enough to dominate. Seahun arches forward with his spear, forcing Jake to back away in terror. Jake realizes he's being dragged around by Seahun's flow, but he also knows Seahun's physical stats are being propped up by skills. He decides his only chance is to dodge and wait for the skills duration to wear off so he can turn the tables. On the other hand, Seahun sees right through Jake's Strategy to stall. Knowing he can't win a long game of attrition, he decides to end it quickly by

activating explosive ring, drawing massive power from the bond stone in his bracelet. Jake is terrified as a torrent of crimson flames rushes toward him, realizing the intensity of the manhoon is now channeling. Feeling the pressure, Jake stops holding back. He manifests the Meer style formless sword, using blue axis and light thread simultaneously to Launch a high-speed counterattack with his bare hands. Our boy meets him head-on with the flame wheel ember spear. First revision, Eclipse Crescent. Initially, he planned to take it easy, but seeing Jake use a highle sword art without an actual blade forces him

to use every ounce of his skill to secure the win. The two powers clash in a blinding explosion of mana. When the dust finally settles, the two boys are at each other's throats in a perfect Stalemate. Jake's fist is a mere millimeter away from Seahun's face, while his spear tip is pressed firmly against Jake's neck. Jake goes quiet for a moment before finally admitting his loss. After Jake admits his defeat, both boys cool down, and the first thing Cahoon suggests is that they call the match a tie. Jake refuses, arguing that since he used a

near fatal skill, it counts as a loss for the blonde. Frustrated, Jake loudly curses his Inability to use a sword. Our boy has already noticed the problem. Despite Meyers's legendary reputation in swordsmanship, Jake can't use a blade because he ends up shattering every weapon he touches, even those with herra durability. To diagnose the issue, Seahhoun asks Jake to hold out his right hand, relax, and keep his mana still. While Jake wonders what's going on, he freaks out when Seahun suddenly strikes his palm with a hammer. Through this, Our boy concludes that the problem is alteration

rather than simple material reinforcement. With a groan, Jake demands an explanation. To his surprise, Seahune promises to forge a sword specifically for him. At that moment, he also extracts a bond stone from Jake, which is a high-grade compression stone of superior quality. It's perfect for compressing absorbed mana, though it usually breaks if the density exceeds its durability. Seahun promises to make A sword that won't break under that pressure. Meanwhile, their teacher, who has been eavesdropping, establishes a bond with our boy as well. As Jake steps out, the professor demands a private word. He's suspicious of

how Seahun, who is supposedly just a blacksmith, is suddenly so proficient with a spear. He demands an explanation for his suspiciously perfect stance. Sihoon pulls out Erica's link stone and explains it as a simple buff skill that Allows his muscles to mimic another person's body. He demonstrates the skill, noting that the physical strain is immense because it forces the movements onto his body. The professor realizes this is observation mimicry and apologizes for his suspicion. He reveals there is a demon, the doppelganger from pandemonium with the same ability. This evil entity kills heroes by copying their

skills and the professor clearly holds a grudge against it. Seihoun Realizes the professor's bond was established because he either suspected he was the devil himself or saw him as the key to finding the monster. When our boy shows he understands the gravity of the demon threat, the professor's face brightens, noting that young people these days rarely care about demons. He admits Seahun's skills are already beyond his teaching and promises to share more once things are finalized. Our boy knows he has the professor Hooked because his skills are already on par with the Akar coup validictorians

despite having no family background for backing. On his way out, Sihoon gets a message from Siang Ha who is feeling guilty and wants to know the price for the recent help. As payment, our boy asks for information on Louis Valant. Although Ha doesn't know her yet, he promises to use his connections outside the sect to find her. Sihoon reflects on Lewis aka the explosive dog who wasn't As famous as Siong Ha in the past and will be hard to track down before her injury. To his shock, Seiong Ha calls back almost immediately with the details.

Lewis is the secondyear saludiatoran of the elemental department, but she is currently on a leave of absence. During a spar, her own wand backfired, permanently damaging her mana circuits. She is undergoing rehabilitation at the Ear General Hospital, but there's no improvement. This shocks Seahune. If she's already injured, she's likely already becoming the explosive dog. Just then, Jake catches up to Seahun, buzzing with questions about his new sword. Taking advantage of the timing, our boy shows him the culprit behind Louiswis's faulty wand. The names involved are the Krueger and Barett families, in-laws and members of the

elite no bless network. As the price for the unbreakable sword, Seahune demands that Jake investigate both Families for him. Seahun tells him it will take about a week to finish the blade. The blonde is so hyped that he excitedly offers to do absolutely anything in exchange for a sword that actually works for him. But his excitement turns to pure shock when Seahun gives his first order. He wants Jake to break his arm as cleanly as possible. It turns out this is all part of our hero's plan to secure an admission into the Ur General Hospital.

To get close to his target, he needs a reason to be there, and a cleanly broken arm is the perfect ticket. In the scene shifts to the hospital where the staff watches with baited breath as Louis Valent stubbornly attempts to practice her magic. She tries to manifest a lava bullet but her injury flares up causing agonizing pain. She groans but her eyes widen with horror as she hears the doctors confirm the mana backflow phenomenon. The sound triggers a Flashback to the exact moment she received her lifealtering injury. The lead doctor immediately orders the experiment to

stop and tells the staff to administer mana neutralizers. Louie tries to bargain, desperately requesting a short break before resuming. However, the doctor is firm. Due to her deteriorating condition, he limits her rehabilitation to only 50 attempts a day and demotes her to practicing only beginner level magic. The news horrifies Her. For a saludiatoran, being relegated to the basics feels like a death sentence for her career. Panic sets in. She begs her doctor for one more chance, but her desperation causes her mana to leak out of her system uncontrollably. The staff, seeing her spiral, prepares a

tranquilizer to subdue her. She rushes toward the doctor, screaming that she can still do it, but a staff member is faster, plunging a tranquilizer injection into her and finally silencing Her. Later, she wakes up alone and curses the desperation that cost her a chance at the experiment. She decides to take matters into her own hands. If the official medical route isn't working, she has to find another way through meditation or physical exercise. Just as she prepares to move, someone pokes her in the head. She looks up to see our standing there, his arm in a

cast, right where he wanted to be. We were right. He injured himself on purpose just to cross Paths with Louis at the hospital. The scene flashes back to his past life, back to the first time they ever met when half of the city was burning down. They happened to be in the same building when an emergency air raid alert went off, forcing everyone to evacuate. Seahun barely made it out alive, but as he fled, he caught the eyes of Louisie. Back then, she assumed he was one of the masterminds behind the chaos, judging by his

A-rank status. In the present, Seahun snaps her back to reality by repeating the very question she's thinking. What is she looking at? Louie gets instantly infuriated, demanding an apology for him bumping into her, but she's currently too weak to put up much of a fight. Our hero decides to play the gentleman, offering to either escort her back to her room or call a nurse. The second option is a non-starter for her. If she gets caught out of bed, the staff will lock her down for good. She Reluctantly lets him help her back to her room,

cursing her own weakness for not being able to handle a random guy with a broken arm. Once inside, he helps her find the inhaler buried in her drawer. She takes a hit and finally feels some relief. However, our boy isn't just watching her breathe. He's watching her mana. As he tracks the flow of energy during her inhalation, he realizes something is terribly wrong. He shocks her by claiming that instead of Actually treating her, that inhaler is making her condition worse and tearing up her throat. Louise freezes, stunned that a stranger making such bold statement. The

next moment her expression darkens instantly. She demands he repeat himself in a low dangerous voice, but Seahun doesn't blink. He doubles down on his claim right as an announcement blar over the hospital intercom. Seahun is needed at the second floor nursing station Immediately. Before he ducks out, he gives her one last piece of advice. Stay away from that inhaler. Knowing he's from the refining department only makes her hatred flare. She screams at him to get out, snapping that she doesn't need advice from a lowly blacksmith. It's clear that after her accident, she's developed a deep-seated

loathing for anyone associated with forging. Despite the hostility, Seahun is surprised to see a notification. He's already Established a bond with her. The doctor informs him that his clean break requires a week of treatment and another week of rest. With two weeks on the clock, our boy already starts plotting. His goal is to heal Louis's damaged mana circuits. But his first priority is destroying that inhaler, which he knows is actually a mana eroder in disguise. As a first step, he tips off Louiswis's doctor, claiming he saw her having a seizure while trying to force her

magic. He knows the medical staff will lock her down for her safety, keeping her right where he needs her. The next morning, our boy calls Jake for an update on the two culprits. Jake admits that Louiswis's accident smells fishy. He brings up the Ivory Tower, an independent organization that sponsors magic cadets outside the influence of Babel. Its power over students is absolute. It turns out the Ivory Tower was selecting a scholarship student from The second-year class, and Louis was the top competitor. During the selection match, her wand provided by the Barett family exploded. Since the

Barmet and Krueger families are in bed together, it's obvious they teamed up to crush her. However, Seahun is more worried about the inhaler. He asks Jake if there's anything else weird going on. Jake mentions that Professor Charles from the elemental department has gone out of her way to sponsor her treatment. On the surface, it looks like a kind teacher helping a student, but Seun's gut tells him it's a trap. Before hanging up, Jake nervously asks Seahun to check in with the people worried about his injury. So, after a while, our boy starts by messaging Sean

Ha, telling the mad dog to play nice if he runs into Jake, which Sean Ha surprisingly agrees to. Jake also mentioned Erica was worried, but since Cahoon doesn't have her number and figures she isn't the Type to cause a scene, he decides to deal with her later. His focus returns to his target. He walks up to Louiswis's room and knocks. As soon as she realizes it's him, she reaches out, grabs him, and pulls him inside, slamming the door shut. She is beyond furious. Thanks to Seahun's little stunt with the doctor, she's been put on absolute

bed rest for 2 weeks, and her rehab intensity has been gutted down to level one. She's poured blood, sweat, and tears into her Recovery for the past 6 months, and now she feels like he's ruined everything in a single day. When our boy brings up the inhaler again, she snaps that she actually listened to his warning and stopped using it. After getting her mana burned by a faulty barmit wand, she's learned her lesson about trusting gear blindly. However, she's completely dumbfounded when he calmly claims he can heal her. She mockingly asks if he even knows

what manurn is. Sihoon doesn't Flinch. He confirms that it's an incurable disease, something even the legendary summit climbers haven't found a cure for yet. Louisie is skeptical but curious enough to hear his theory. He starts with the inhaler, which her professor gave her. Instead of just talking, he decides to show her the truth. Using his divine spirit link, he visualizes her mono circuits. He explains it simply. Her original circuit was built for 110V, but the eroded area In her neck has been artificially spiked to 220V. Her eyes widen in horror as she sees the same

volatile mana pattern manifesting in Seahun's own throat as he demonstrates the effect. He explains that this constant voltage conflict causes a perpetual overload, eventually making it impossible to use mana at all. As the realization sinks in, she flashes back to the moment Professor Charles handed her the inhaler. The professor had promised it would be effective for Her wounds, urging her to use it to overcome the mana burn and telling her never to give up despite the pain. Louie had thanked her back then, feeling grateful for the support. Now standing in her hospital room with gritted

teeth, she finally realizes she's been played from the very beginning. Therefore, she vows to get revenge on the professor, and our boy breathes a sigh of relief as the light of sanity returns to her eyes. He candidly explains that while he can't Physically heal her mana wound as a blacksmith, he can recalibrate her mana usage so she can cast magic again. Sensing a catch, Lewis asks what he wants in return. Our dude is direct. He wants her to join him in changing the future by exploring the six demon realms. She finally smiles and shakes his

hand, sealing the deal. Later, our boy hands her a bag of cherries, which leaves her completely baffled. He explains that the pain she feels comes From refined mana passing through the damaged circuit in her neck. Usually, a mage must circulate refined mana throughout their entire body to cast, which is why she's stuck. His solution, she needs to bypass that circuit by refining mana directly in her tongue, which is a feat he compares to fitting an elephant in a fridge. Louie doesn't believe she can do it since there are hardly any circuits there. But Seahhun assures

her she's the only one who can. In reality, she's the one who invented this method in the past life, earning her the title explosive dog. The training is grueling. First, she has to eat a cherry and delicately manipulate the stem using only her tongue and mana. Sihune pushes her even further, making her clamp a stick between her teeth while shouting difficult sentences, infusing them with mana and raw emotion. After a week of this lunatic training, she is frustrated, feeling like she's Only improved her pronunciation rather than her magic. However, she eventually apologizes and wants to

proceed. He, on the other hand, finally reveals the secret. This entire process was about refining the mana used for incantation magic. Louie is shocked to listen it. He explains that incantations only need a tiny core of mana and a powerful mental image to manifest. To demonstrate, he forms a simple manosphere, uses a transformation spell to infuse it with Elements, and then uses an accelerate incantation. The sphere becomes so sharp and fast that it shatters the hospital window. Before he can even apologize for the broken glass, he's stunned into silence. Louie has already gripped the concept.

She creates her own manosphere. The next moment, she expands it into a massive looming orb. Seahun watches in awe. He's reminded that while magic ignores the laws of the world, a mage with a strong mental image can defy the Very laws of magic itself. The explosive dog is overwhelmed by a rush of raw emotion. Realizing she can finally use magic without feeling that soul crushing pain, our boy gently suggests she cry if she needs to, but she refuses. She isn't wasting tears until she takes her revenge on the people who did this to her. To

help her overcome the trauma of her accident, Seahun pulls out his phone and prepares to stir the pot on the school's community board. Later, at the Ivory tower mock training grounds, a group of freshmen is struggling to defeat a simple skeleton monster. Watching the pathetic display, the current Ark's villain, Gots, mockingly tells them to get lost. As they flee, he receives a call from Barmitt, who tells him to check the latest post on the Tower Cafe board. When he sees it, Gots explodes in a fit of rage, cursing Louiswis's name. Lewis has posted an open

challenge for a duel. The terms are Set. One week from now, 100 p.m. at the martial arts hall. She publicly mocked him, saying he could decline if he was too scared of getting injured. A polite jab that got nose is a direct insult to his pride. Infuriated, he vows to beat her so badly she'll never stand up again. Back at the hospital, the girl isn't exactly thrilled with the post. She's worried her incantation magic isn't strong enough to take down Got in a real duel. For a second, she even Suspects Seahun might be a spy

sent by Pierre Barmut, but he calms her down. He explains his strategy that her magic is instinctive and tied to her subconscious, but the accident left her terrified to use it. This duel is the shock therapy she needs to break her trauma. When she worries that losing will only make the trauma worse, Seahune assures her he has total confidence in her. At that moment, Seahhun extracts a bond stone from her, which turns out to Be the dying water stone, a supreme quality material that specializes in amplifying the properties of mana imbued into an ore. It's

the perfect component for her new armament. Louie is momentarily relieved until she sees Seoon put on a glove for her oral examination, which prompts her to start barking profanities at him. Meanwhile, rumors are spreading like wildfire across the campus. People are openly suspecting that Gots was the mastermind Behind Louis injury, especially since it happened right before the scholarship selection. Gots is feeling the heat. He's already been reprimanded by his older brother who told him to clean up his mess. He knows they are secretly enjoying his failure, hoping to use it as an excuse to seize

authority over the UR group affiliations. When Pierre Barmoot shows up, Got snaps at him. Everyone knows they were behind the plot and Got is pissed because the plan was Originally just to get Lewis expelled or imprisoned. It was Pierre who changed it to physically injuring her. Pierre offers a shallow apology, but Got doesn't want words. He wants a solid plan to secure their positions as successors. Pierre reassures him with a dark tone, promising that he has a perfect way to deal with the situation.