Chapter 131
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Mass-Produced Sword Aura
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“Cough!”
The breath that had been stuck in his throat burst out in an instant, followed by the sight of a ceiling stained red.
Acrid smoke, shattered ceiling and walls. And warning lights flashing incessantly.
Roar!
Flames blooming in various spots of the lab grew fiercely in size, and excruciating pain surged from his burned body and torn innards.
“Urgh……”
Pain that squeezed his breath relentlessly alongside the flames' heat. Forcing his body up amid it, the landscape that hadn't been clear came back into view.
Dozens of researchers had vanished without a trace, leaving only their standing spots. At the center was the culprit behind all this, asserting its presence.
Wooong—!
A sword body spewing flames in all directions, burning endlessly.
If left alone, it would spew all its flames and shatter, but they wouldn't just let it be.
“Hoo…… hoo……”
Gritting his teeth, he donned the gauntlets he'd prepared in advance, walked to the center, and gripped the sword's hilt.
Sizzle!!
The moment he touched the hilt, terrifying heat that melted the gauntlets.
Just imagining what would happen if it touched his hand bare made cold sweat pour out, but with no idea when the main force would arrive, there was no time to flinch over such trivialities.
With that thought, as he forced his heavy body to move—
──Ja
A sound like something snapping.
He knew he shouldn't look back. Yet his head slowly turned toward the source anyway.
There, under the debris, lay a black lump of charcoal. His gaze locked onto that unfamiliar yet familiar shape, entranced.
Traitor
The voice of his once-loved lover echoed like a curse.
“……”
Waking in bed, Kim In-cheol immediately sat up.
The bedroom was the same as always. Realizing the scene he'd just witnessed was all a dream brought relief mingled with unease.
'Doesn't feel good……'
Was it because of recent progress in the shattered flame research? Or a premonition that something was about to happen?
Either way, it soured his mood. Kim In-cheol frowned, shook off the thoughts, and checked the time.
“Damn…… I'm late.”
Had the nightmare drowned out his alarm? It was thirty minutes past his usual wake-up.
Unlike him to slip up like this. Frowning again, Kim In-cheol headed straight to the bathroom.
After washing his sweat-soaked body and changing, he went to the garage and mounted his massive red motorcycle.
Rumble—
The heavy engine roar echoed as it started.
Shaking off lingering sleep with the full-body vibration, Kim In-cheol sped down the road, recalling today's schedule.
'Everything else as usual…… Just need to check the exhibition pieces.'
The Forging Department had four pieces entered for this exhibition.
Three were from graduates who'd prepared them long in advance—no worries there. The issue was the remaining one: Lee Se-hun's work.
'Worried it'll be too good.'
Better to excel than fail, sure, but there were limits.
For a cadet—freshman at that—to produce something far beyond their station would inevitably stir trouble.
And what worried Kim In-cheol most was them, the 『Gongyang』 faction, reaching out to Lee Se-hun.
'Just making Jake Myers' sword was enough to catch their eye.'
Casually crafting gear that even renowned artisans failed at, gear tailored to novel verbal incantation magic.
Then churning out Hero-grade gear one after another to prove his skill. For 『Gongyang』, hunting for artisans who could craft 'vessels,' he'd surely be on their radar.
'At a time like this, making something mediocre wouldn't hurt.'
Might be harsh on Lee Se-hun, but even botching it outright wasn't bad. It could make 『Gongyang』 rethink.
'……No, what am I thinking.'
Wishing for sabotage? Too selfish. Self-reproach hit as Kim In-cheol arrived at the main building.
“Whoa, sword aura! Real mass-produced sword aura!!”
“A revolution!!! The singularity is here!!”
Professors in the meeting room screeched excitedly, welcoming him.
Like primitives discovering fire, unable to hide their thrill.
Normally he'd tell them to tone it down, but not this time—even Kim In-cheol couldn't.
“Mass-produced sword aura……”
On the sleek longsword, steady golden sword aura gleamed unwavering.
Couldn't see internals, but Kim In-cheol instantly knew: perfectly 'theorized' sword aura.
No trace of that eerie mana circuit corrosion peculiar to heroes.
'He's done something absurd.'
Past failures stemmed from inability to theorize aura shaped by 'mental images.'
Lee Se-hun proved it possible. Now, sword aura and myriad techniques could mass-produce or productize.
True to the exhibition theme, showing a new future. Kim In-cheol admired it, yet felt unease.
'But is it okay to reveal this……?'
Lee Se-hun's skill was known to excel, but this was too much.
They might not just candidate him for vessels—they could deem him perfect and act aggressively.
'Their mindset: persuasion first, but with that talent, abduction's possible too.'
Knowing them, he couldn't sit idle.
But intervening risked exposing his identity to 『Gongyang』.
Tough choice. As Kim In-cheol pondered—
“But doesn't this sword aura look familiar?”
A professor squinted at it. Others mirrored subtle expressions.
“Yeah, especially that rare golden hue.”
“Most famous one…… Wait.”
One prestigious family naturally surfaced in their minds.
At first, mere coincidence? But then: top of the same department, close first-year, Jake Myers.
“No way……”
“Myers' actual……?”
The Myers clan's famed sword aura, world-renowned swordsmanship lineage.
Theorized? Professors gaped, then exchanged awkward glances.
“This…… okay?”
“Not sure……”
Sword aura was a secret art in its way. Analyzed to mass-producible levels by an outsider?
If Myers approved, impressive. Otherwise? Unpredictable fallout.
“……”
“……”
Strange tension filled the room. Kim In-cheol decided swiftly.
'Gotta speak up.'
This wasn't 'might abduct'—they definitely would.
“Be right back.”
Kim In-cheol dashed to the president's office. Meanwhile, Borsippa's exhibition hall buzzed in final prep frenzy.
“Output here's weak. Boost 33%, delay to 0.2 seconds.”
“Got it.”
An assistant fixed it mid-inspection. Lan Fei's gaze shifted elsewhere.
“Sloppy incantation binding there. Redo from scratch.”
“Yes!”
“That booth: secure the incantation fixation properly.”
“Yep!”
Weeks of tweaks, yet fix one, two more slipped.
Hamster wheel. Lan Fei frowned.
'All sloppy.'
Ignorance was one thing; failing to apply after full grasp? Infuriating.
Talent's limits, though. Instead of raging, she pointed out precisely. Then spotted two.
“Like this?”
“Seems right……”
Lee Se-hun and Louise adjusting outer barrier incantations. Lan Fei watched as they followed prior lessons.
Wooong!
Emergency barrier deployed flawlessly, no margin for error, enveloping surroundings. They grinned at each other.
“Good.”
“Next one sideways.”
Adjusting setups like veterans. Lan Fei inwardly admired their swift precision.
'Taught basics…… but they exceed.'
Magitech used mana and incantations like magic, sure—but devices and environs made big differences.
Many magicians flopped in magitech. These two absorbed and mastered perfectly.
'Talent's exceptional.'
Louise with novel verbal magic; Lee Se-hun versatile across fields. Top-tier even in Babel's genius pool.
Lan Fei pondered.
'Right to leave them be?'
Others saw Babel, Ascension Garden as prime education. She felt queasy.
Seemed like sponsoring firms and labs extended experiments to cadets.
Experimental bent wasn't inherently bad, but deviation? Catastrophic potential obvious.
'……Too soon.'
No proof; acting now forfeits chances. Best: teach magitech, gather evidence gradually.
Recalling her mission, Lan Fei looked away.
“……Hm?”
Lee Se-hun and Louise: gone.
Glanced around—no sign. Lan Fei mulled, then shrugged it off.
'Probably sneaking peeks at entries.'
Deal from start, plus Ivory Tower beef ramped security. No funny business easy.
'No motive anyway.'
They'd cleared their zone. Lan Fei refocused. Meanwhile, Lee Se-hun emerged in the rear passage, loosening up.
“Checks mostly done. Time to move.”
“But can we even do anything?”
Thorough scans showed hall's facilities could tank all entries exploding simultaneously—ironclad gear and security.
What could they pull inside, or interfere with?
Louise's doubtful query drew Lee Se-hun's sly grin.
“Overhauling wholesale? Tough. Ride the flow instead.”
“Flow?”
“Yeah. Skirt exhibit effects slyly, use like admins.”
Unauthorized rewiring hard; twisting within perms? Trivial with care.
Verbal magic countered perfectly—probe internals, easy prey.
“Start here. 〈Incantation Link〉, 〈Environment Assimilation〉……”
Lee Se-hun etched verbal engravings mainly on outer hall areas—minor facilities, devices.
Unlikely to trip inspections, but what use? Dubious.
“This really it?”
Couldn't fathom application. Louise puzzled; Lee Se-hun grinned.
“Trust me. Solid.”
Not just anyone—pre-regression terrorist fame, Violent Dog's building takeover/explosion playbook. No doubt.
His confidence oddly reassuring despite bafflement. Louise nodded.
“Prep done then?”
“For now.”
Left: how well he grasped their moves, how thoroughly he'd fleece their hidden cards.
'Make 'em never covet again…… proper thrashing.'
Babel as his base—no letting slide. Eyes flashing at dwindling weekend, Lee Se-hun declared.
“Let's land a solid hit.”
Small park behind Askus Infirmary.
Lea, in patient gown with cardigan, strolled the path, frowning.
“Refine…… can refine, but…… still……”
Hearing of Lee Se-hun's completed mass-produced sword aura gear. Overnight, eyeing the tweaked enchantment, myriad thoughts hit Lea.
First: annoyance at him tweaking hers after saying it'd pass as-is.
Second: shock at surpassing completion.
'That enchantment isn't something a tweak fixes overnight……'
Complex incantations: slightest twist warps effects.
Yet Lee Se-hun overnight refined it into sleeker sword aura.
'Kept skeleton…… but that application? Grr……'
Enchanting her slim edge over juniors. If he overtook before she peaked?
Horror shook her.
'No. Discharge soon, research or whatever……'
Enough bedrest. Decided, she quickened pace—
“……Hm?”
Bench by park's small pond.
Her daily post-admission perch: occupied.
Long hair neatly tied with worn pink ribbon. Back-view male, mismatched yet fitting.
Intrigued stare—
“Hm?”
Man turned at her approach.
Fatigue-deep face, shadowed aura. Faint smile lent melancholy.
Middle-aged man radiating loneliness. Lea awkwardly met eyes; he widened his, realizing.
“Ah. You're the kid who always sits here. Sorry for taking it.”
Sprang up. Right sleeve fluttered—arm severed clean.
'Ah, the hero who lost his right arm in battle……'
Nurses' gossip recalled. Lea waved frantically as he yielded.
“No. Not even my spot……”
“It's fine. Was leaving anyway—time to meet my daughter.”
Soft smile, polite nod, slow walk out. Lea watched his back, puzzled.
'Daughter……'
Talk screamed doting, yet that wistful expression en route?
Odd man. As Lea puzzled, receiving her gaze, he gripped his empty sleeve.
'Just a bit more……'
Soon to meet.
With that, the man—the Flame Blade Hunter—cold-eyed the ward and strode on.