Chapter 96
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Attending Lectures
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“Nice to meet you all.”
A mild-mannered professor with a few gray hairs starting to show in his locks entered and began the lecture.
“Time flies, and another semester has come to an end. Unfortunately, final exams are just around the corner, so this really is the end.”
It was early summer, and the learning sessions that had begun with the start of spring were drawing to a close.
“To keep things neat and symmetrical, shall we revisit the topic from our first class?”
However, the students paid more attention to the unfamiliar face at the back than to the professor waxing nostalgic and romantic.
“...Was there someone like that in our lectures?”
“No, who is she anyway? She's not a freshman, and she can't be one of our seniors.”
“Dunno, but damn, she's pretty. Insanely so.”
“Whoa, three heads...!”
“Don't say it out loud, you idiot...!”
They stole cautious glances, but they couldn't avoid making eye contact with the mysterious female student.
“H-Hey, she's looking this way...!”
They were the epitome of model scholars at the academy—devoted to their studies, with little progress in romantic pursuits.
Despite their interest, lacking the courage to act, they hurriedly averted their gazes—
“Huh.”
—only to freeze as the mystery girl cheerfully waved at them.
Her eyes curved into gentle crescent moons, filled with unmistakable goodwill sparkling in her amused gaze.
A beauty beyond anything they'd seen or even imagined placed a finger to her lips in a playful shush, turning their faces beet red without mercy.
“F-Fairy...?”
“Jee-yang would be a good name for my grandson...”
Hearts pounded wildly, faces burned crimson, eyes shook uncontrollably, minds reeled in a haze.
Here, in the hearts of these young students, a fire was kindled.
It was summer.
Of course, the identity of the mystery girl was So-hyang, who had slipped into the lecture unnoticed as it began, auditing the class.
She'd waved briefly because their sneaky peeking was cute...
“As I mentioned before, choose one of the two perspectives for this part. Oh, and the paper from Group Three's presentation in Week Seven on 'Constructing Spell Formulas Using Mercury and Their Side Effects' will be on the exam. Specifically...”
“—She was looking at me, you bastards...!”
“Bullshit? Don't you know I'm taking Gaze Focus Analysis Basics? Her eyes were locked right on me...!”
“Dude, I'm in that class too...?”
“Oh, right.”
Those kids—were they even listening while the professor helpfully outlined the exam scope?
“It might seem difficult at first glance, but it's not that bad. I showed it to the professor next door, and they said it was easy. Of course, they're not from our school of thought. No need to worry too much...”
Even as they whispered, the professor kept dropping key points freely. Was that okay...?
She'd even given them a look urging them to pay attention to the front, so if they ignored it, it wasn't her fault.
The lecture was titled [Foundation of Refining].
According to the course list from the registrar, it was notoriously advanced despite the "foundation" label.
Yet the quality was high, drawing many students.
Above all, it was a required graduation course for all academy students, regardless of school.
So, they'd have to attend while grumbling—what choice did they have?
The classroom was filled with freshmen eyes sparkling at the professor's romantic tales and upperclassmen with hollow stares reviewing notes from repeated lines.
Having arrived near semester's end, So-hyang couldn't take detailed classes, but reviewing the semester's content was a boon.
After nearly three years delving into the Heavenly Alliance's Heavenly Martial Repository and pestering Wind Path Beggar for sorcery studies, So-hyang had mastered basic sorcery...
Listening to the lecture summary, most was knowledge she already knew.
Still, it was meaningful—she could share the professor's perspective on refining studies.
So-hyang smiled, nodded, tilted her head thoughtfully, immersing herself in the insightful lecture.
Meanwhile, Il-ho faced an unprecedented crisis.
“Ugh, ughhh...”
A barrage of alien jargon and dizzying concepts—he widened his eyes, straining to comprehend.
“Ughh, Lady So-hyang, my mind's clouding... Possible mental attack from outside...!”
Yet the onslaught of drowsiness proved too much.
“Hm, that's just because Il-ho isn't interested in class. Want to nap for a bit?”
“...N-No. Losing consciousness in unknown territory is suicidal—”
“There.”
Unable to stand Il-ho's drowsy mutters, So-hyang pressed his nodding head onto her thigh.
“N-No...! Astrological perimeter, hazard control...!”
The soft cushion cradling his skull, gentle strokes on his hair, a heavenly lullaby transmitted via telepathy.
“Uwaaaah...”
Il-ho trailed off incoherently and passed out.
“Pfft...”
So-hyang burst into laughter at the boy snoring softly, breathing evenly in deep sleep.
She closed his drooling mouth and resumed listening.
The rowdy students, buzzing with excitement, finally realized something was wrong and begged classmates for notes...
The lecture continued.
In the end, it was quite interesting.
The way sorcery handled metals differed greatly from So-hyang's materials science knowledge, but the methodologies aligned.
With the same goals, their pursuits naturally converged.
Had she fully mastered sorcery over time, she wouldn't have needed to exclude rare metals unique to this world when forging the Spirit Sword.
Like Millennial Cold Iron absorbing natural qi, True Silver, Seven-Colored Gold, or alloys synthesized by refining scholars.
Even for So-hyang, such mastery would take a decade of study.
To eliminate variables, excluding qi entirely was wiser, leading to the current Spirit Sword.
And that product far exceeded initial expectations.
Born from sudden inspiration, a primal process akin to tempering a blade with lightning.
She hadn't anticipated traits like phasing between material and immaterial, ignoring mass, or overwhelming accumulation power.
A happy deviation, but it left So-hyang ignorant of much about her own Spirit Sword.
Not even named, left blank.
Her body's transcendent growth via intent infusion was likely its influence.
Even that was mere conjecture—the unknown realm.
In this context, the [Foundation of Refining] lecture sparked many thoughts.
What if she'd used diverse materials beyond pure qi-free titanium alloy?
A delightful puzzle.
So-hyang's true passion was the sword, but she enjoyed studying other fields too.
Like savoring cuisine or spectacles—study as hobby.
In her past life, she'd crash debates with professors when bored, half-joking she'd have been a scholar without sword obsession.
Of course, all secondary to the sword—mere prep for better blades.
“—Let's wrap up here. You've all worked hard this semester.”
Tapping her desk, lost in designs, theses, rebuttals, the lecture neared its end.
“Any questions?”
The ritual phrase. No takers, as usual.
“Oh, you there, miss—do you have a question?”
Of course, So-hyang wasn't enrolled.
“Yes, Professor. First, thank you for the excellent lecture.”
“Ahem, thank you.”
Some half-dead students glared murderously at the culprit behind them...
“Huh.”
Anger evaporated instantly.
Overwhelming beauty erased fatigue; an inexplicable silence filled the hall, only So-hyang and professor exchanging words.
“—About question three you mentioned. Incorporating traditional forging partially could maximize sorcery while securing high tensile strength... What do you think, Professor?”
“Ah... That's more metallurgy or forging arts than refining. But citing only parts of the framework...”
“Yes, procedures reproducible without dantian or inner power. If sorcery redefines reality unbound by convention, why not borrow martial arts?”
“Indeed, spot on. The Zhuge Clan integrated sorcery and martial arts— from True Lord's solo brew, but rational enough for common use.”
“Conversely, sects like Mt. Scatter absorbed martial arts into sorcery systems. Different goals, but over-separating them isn't ideal.”
“...Yes! Full integration dubious, but academia's too conservative even on partial adoption!”
The professor initially questioned the unfamiliar face but soon dove into the exchange, forgetting all.
Professors teach yet are researchers craving knowledge.
Those finding ecstasy in study—eccentrics or madmen—earn their doctorates.
To him, this student was perfection.
“Also, the Dragon Iron conundrum proven five years ago—external forces sharing inner power properties...”
“Whoa! Dragon Iron! You know it! My academy solved that decade-old puzzle—such relief!”
“Oh, really? I benefited greatly from it... Led to theory exclusion ultimately, but solidified my premises.”
“Hmm? Intriguing—care to elaborate?”
“Well, it's long, but concisely...”
Fresh views, original logic, poised debate.
Knowledge too deep for a student—peer-level intellect.
Differentiated from tedious routine arguers...
“Where did this gem come from...!”
The professor's eyes gleamed with fervor, thrilling in intellectual bliss.
Of course, from So-hyang and professor's view.
“—Anyone get what they're saying?”
“...I gave up at Dragon Iron. No clue.”
“Dunno, just sleepy as hell...”
Students' faces soured at the duo citing obscure theories and papers in heated debate.
“Shall we continue up close?”
“Yes. Here's the chalk.”
So-hyang had yielded front seats for students, but near end, no need.
Side by side at the board, they filled it with equations and spells in fervent discussion...
“No good. I crave diverse, fresh perspectives.”
Beaming with joy, the professor dropped a bombshell on potato-faced students.
“Sorry, everyone, but I'm changing the final assignment. Submit personal views on integrating forging arts and refining as on the board, with evidence.”
“...Pardon?”
Slow despair crept over uncomprehending faces.
“Existing submissions won't be penalized, but new ones get bonus points.”
“...Dream? Gotta be.”
No penalty was semantics—missing universal bonuses equaled penalty.
“Even if theoretical polish lacks, original views earn top marks regardless of finals.”
“Ha, hahaha...!”
Students just laughed.
“My life...”
“Fairy my ass... Witch! She's a witch...!”
“Student, no more classes? Continue at my lab? Wait, are you a student?”
“Haha, uniform for observation. Not enrolled.”
“Ah, thought so—not undergrad level. From Tech Institute? Or Alliance's Iron Forge... Anyway, lab.”
“Sure, I have personal consultations too.”
“...Intriguing.”
Students shuffled out dazed; So-hyang and professor chatted warmly to the lab.
“Uwoong... Where are we going...?”
“Kuh, tough...”
Il-ho rubbed sleepy eyes; the born soldier-general trailed, fighting slumber desperately.
So-hyang promptly drew the Spirit Sword.
“Debating was fun, but my main reason here is advice on this sword.”
“Hm? Isn't this a martial artist's ultimate technique?”
Excitement dimmed to subtle disappointment on the professor's face.
Ultimate techniques embodied a warrior's life—material or not, inconsistent phenomena.
Unresearchable independent laws, untouchable by sorcery.
“More importantly, are you a warrior?”
Doctorate-level sorcery mastery plus supreme expert? Monster, his face screamed.
So-hyang elaborated.
“I call it an ultimate loosely, but principles differ. Not intent manifestation—real entity.”
Warrior yes, but mutant beyond standard realms.
Freely wielding qi = peak realm?
Yet skipped three middling tiers.
Forms Gang Qi = transcendent?
No Bone Transformation or unique ultimate.
Mortal-transcending strength = (Fire Realm)?
Far from True Person unity.
“Frankly, baffling...”
Even his insight struggled, but trusted her prior display.
Employing various sorceries, he appraised and analyzed the sword...
“...!! No, this... Impossible...? Can't be! But it happened...!”
Chaos, shock, fluster, faint terror.
And clear ecstasy.
“Magnificent! No wonder someone like you seeks counsel...!”
Yet he admitted limits cleanly.
Esoteric blend of principles, mystic and real—beyond solo refining scholar.
Call colleagues.
“Blacksmiths! Braggarts! Buddies!! A killer research topic rolled in—too much for me alone! Tougher than Dragon Iron!!”
Shouting crisply into transmission talisman, belying age.
“...What?”
“Joint research...?”
“Yes! You turtles! Hurry!!!”
“—Half shichen, no, one daekyung.”
“Got it, coming! If minor, I'll fry your souls!”
“Ha! Zero chance—come!”
“Damn, that big...!?”
Pure zeal in eyes ignoring So-hyang's looks, professor gripped her hand.
“Thank you for coming...! Heart racing like this—how long...!”
Leading to the current situation...
“How is its bond with the Dharma Treasure so ironclad? Sorcery-wise, practically the same entity...”
Scripture School astonished.
“My god, what density, what process—refining revolution...!”
Refining School aghast.
“Wait, spirituality? Materialized...? Impossible, our lifelong dream...!? P-Please teach us!! I'll offer my assistant's soul!! Mercy!!”
Origin School on knees.
But odd bit midway?
“...Wait, offering your assistant's soul—what?”
Past life knew grad students' plight, but here—sacrifices? Subhuman?
“Ah, you're not academy folk? Circumstances led to...”
“Circumstances be damned—slave-driving plus soul-binding—”
“The guy embezzled research funds.”
“Still, life—”
“Amount roughly this much...?”
“...Why not kill?”
The Origin prof's assistant: caught red-handed diverting national-budget-scale funds—madman.
“Killing costlier. Talented, so soul-sealed for forced labor.”
“...Yeah, death merciful.”