Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: 22. Preparations (1)
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Jeong Chan-woo's mind ground to a halt.
Reinforcing items himself.
If it was as Kang San said, that meant he possessed the same reinforcement ability as Yoo Jung-young.
Without realizing it, he stammered out in shock.
"N-No way! Is that even possible?"
"It's a bit complicated, but the truth is, Yoo Jung-young mentioned me as his sponsor because we're partners sharing this technique. Of course, it's a secret from everyone else. I'm only helping you guys out as a special favor, and I don't want this getting out to anyone."
"Whoa."
"...Just how far do your limits go, hyung?"
Yeon Woo-bin and Jo Han-byeol marveled in awe.
Unlike the two who simply accepted it as "typical Kang San," Jeong Chan-woo found the situation utterly bewildering.
Suddenly,
a conversation he'd had with Jeong Hye-mi flashed through his mind.
"Chan-woo. If there's any info about Kang San that I should know while you're hanging out with him, could you share it? I promise it won't cause him any trouble, and I'll keep it completely secret that I got it from you. You know how much I truly want him. This is just to figure out what he needs so I can offer it—no harm to him at all."
It had been a heartfelt plea.
If Kang San's secret got out to Jeong Hye-mi, Heavenly Firmament would go all out to recruit him. Just think about it—his connection to Yoo Jung-young alone skyrocketed his value. But if he personally held the technique? That meant his influence stemmed directly from himself, not indirectly. No matter his young age, they wouldn't overlook that worth.
He swallowed hard.
Unthinkingly, he handed over his shield.
"Stay here or wherever you're comfortable. I'll contact you when it's done."
Kang San started walking away.
Watching him light the forge, Jeong Chan-woo weighed his family against Kang San on the scales in his mind.
Help his family?
Or honor his trust with Kang San?
It was simple.
'Noona is noona, and I'm me.'
What was sibling bonds anyway?
Blood was thicker than water, so mending ties was always possible—but he never wanted to betray Kang San.
Jeong Chan-woo murmured as he gazed at Kang San.
"Of course it's a secret. I'll keep it safe, hyung."
Whoosh.
Roooar.
The flames roared to life.
He poured mana stones into the mold, melted them thoroughly, then drenched the shield and immediately began hammering with crisp strikes.
Clang.
Clang, clang!
His deal with Yoo Jung-young.
Thanks to it, Kang San had tapped into an endless fountain of wealth, but he had no intention of letting his own unique skills gather dust. The ability to reinforce items personally was an immense privilege. And originally, he'd partnered with Yoo Jung-young not just for money, but to learn the craft from him.
In that vein, they met occasionally.
Yoo Jung-young taught him everything—how to handle steel, the speed and force of each hammer strike.
Mastering a craft took time.
But Kang San was different.
Clang!
His muscles rippled.
Recalling Yoo Jung-young's lessons stirred his past life's memories, guiding him with familiar flows.
This much force.
This speed.
I've felt this before.
The master's guidance, paired with his past life's experience, propelled Kang San's skills forward with momentum.
Roooaaar.
His skin heated up.
He'd forgotten the onlookers entirely, utterly immersed in the task at hand. Truth be told, he didn't need to reveal his craft to his brothers. It was his secret privilege, no reason to share—but when they said they wanted to get as strong as possible in six months without question, he was grateful. Even if it meant courting danger, they showed faith that with him, they'd leap into fire without hesitation.
It was trust.
Mutual belief.
That's why he'd shared his secret, and even if it leaked, so be it.
It'd just be that level of bond then, and his secret would hold even greater value revealed.
But did his brothers know?
He hadn't named the source of his skills; they just thought he and Yoo Jung-young were partners. In truth, it was worlds apart. Yoo Jung-young excelled at crafting, sure—but Kang San dominated in mana manipulation, the core of reinforcement. Meaning his results would outshine even those the money-grubbing crowds flocked to Yoo for.
He poured his heart into it.
For his brothers, he aimed for a satisfying outcome.
Clang!
Clang, clang!
Repetitive work.
Repetitive rhythm.
Flames filled Kang San's vision.
That was when it happened.
Whoosh, roooar.
Within the blaze,
something began to emerge beyond the flames.
Storm clouds gathered.
Beneath a sky ready to unleash rain, the people collapsed to the ground, tears pouring like a downpour.
"You bastards! Why take my son? Tell me!"
"Oh, Father Jeong!"
"Sob, sob."
The cries echoed.
They'd heard yesterday
that everyone in the village had been massacred.
Living as slash-and-burn farmers split between upper and lower hamlets, the survivors from the lower one rushed here in panic after the disaster. It was a horrific sight. Just yesterday, these folks had been laughing and chatting—now young and old alike lay scattered, limbs torn apart.
A few had been out and survived.
Confirming their families' deaths too late, they wailed, cursing the nameless culprits.
Not far off,
a man watched the scene.
After staring with emotionless eyes for a long while, he turned away as the rain finally fell.
"...You died because you were weak."
Raindrops trailed down his face.
He quickened his pace.
Back at his dwelling, he shed his soaked clothes and entered the forge.
Then he recalled.
Terror-stricken trembling folk, those dying while cursing him, families raging at the heavens. The tangled emotions boiled like a volcano ready to erupt—but with one hammer strike, he melted them all away.
'Infuse killing intent into the blade.'
Clang!
Clang, clang!
It was different now.
The man, once restrained and methodical, now swung wildly like a unleashed beast.
His master had said
the sword expressed will.
If his goal was the world's destruction, he had to pour every suffocating vengeful spirit into it. Each strike vaporized memories from his mind: wiping out a village, aiding a boy he met, and beyond to the final recollection.
Melted into the blade.
Emotions swelled to burst, yet his hammering stayed controlled and steady.
Days blurred together.
When his face grew thick with beard, he finally finished and gazed at the sword.
Sizzle—
Smoke rose.
Its mere sharpness seemed to slice flesh; he staggered out of the forge.
His master waited there.
Seeing the sword, the master smiled for the first time.
"The time has finally come."
The man thought,
finally, he
"From now, I shall teach you the essence of the Blood Demon Art."
was no longer human.
Swoosh—
A strange sensation flooded in.
The past life's memory glimpsed through the flames now etched into every muscle cell—a profoundly unfamiliar experience.
Wriggle, wriggle.
Muscles twitched.
When Kang San swung the hammer as usual, the writhing altered its path and force. Instinctively, he knew it was the 'past life's memory.' His body sought familiar paths on its own; rather than resist the sudden shift, he yielded and let it guide him.
Clang!
Sparks flew.
Like in his past life, engulfed in flames yet unscathed, Kang San felt no heat from the blaze.
Changes emerged.
No time to dwell.
Kang San couldn't stop hammering amid the surging memories; each strike sharpened past experiences. His skills leaped forward instantly. Even under Yoo Jung-young's direct tutelage, reaching this level demanded grueling time—but his body, prepped by those lessons, improved in a flash. Gaps filled with detail. Overlooked subtleties by even Yoo Jung-young were perfected through past-life experience.
As his past self had said.
This wasn't mere work.
Infusing emotion, expressing will toward a precise goal.
Hammering Jeong Chan-woo's shield repeatedly, Kang San knew exactly what will to imbue.
'May this shield protect Chan-woo.'
Goodwill.
Different from his past life.
Not killing intent, but care for another.
That was the divide between past and present.
Whatever tragedy his past self endured leading to ultimate malice, Kang San differed. He'd faced misfortune too—enough to twist anyone—but here, forging the shield, he infused positivity, not negativity.
Clang!
Clang, clang!
Fully immersed.
Completely absorbed.
Yet this dramatic shift wasn't his alone.
The sight before her.
Yeon Woo-bin stared blankly.
It was intense.
Kang San hammering the shield amid flames left her only able to gape.
'Amazing.'
Kang San was a true enigma.
When they first met, trusting an E-Rank like him for magic seemed unimaginable. Yet each encounter revealed new layers. One: rock-solid protection. Two: potential to jump to B-Rank overnight. Three: now manifesting Yoo Jung-young's world-shaking craft before everyone's eyes.
A man without limits.
So perhaps
that's why, no matter the danger, she believed Kang San would surpass expectations and resolve it all.
During her father's test.
The Rangers' isolation incident.
He always did.
Even in situations meant to break him, he transcended.
Her father had grumbled about the Japan trip.
Yet approved despite her stubbornness—likely sharing her sentiments.
That was when
Yeon Woo-bin spotted something.
Amid the fiercely burning flames, an odd mana flow.
'What is that?'
At first, like tiny particles.
Each hammer strike scattered them, only for them to swirl back around Kang San. Another strike, and they burst like a child's laughter. To most, an alien sight—but to her, somehow familiar. The mana pulsed with 'life.'
She opened her heart.
Accepting the absurd, viewing the particles as living beings.
Then.
"...!?"
The sudden voice made Yeon Woo-bin's eyes widen in shock.