Chapter 144
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: Three Summit Climbers Unite
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After the shocking announcement of the three Summit Climbers' cooperation, the entire world descended into utter chaos.
These climbers, who had shown no interaction whatsoever—almost as if they were outright enemies—were expressing their intent to collaborate for the first time.
Of course, the announcement itself only concerned Babel's reorganization, but no one took it at face value.
"They're really going after the Ten Evils, right?"
"If the Summit Climbers move together, it's gotta be possible. Didn't the Ascension Lord take on three of them single-handedly last time?"
Fear of the Ten Evils naturally transformed into anticipation for their subjugation, and the widespread anxiety began to dissipate bit by bit.
And thanks to this event, one organization was skyrocketing day by day: Babel Academy, now jointly managed by the three Summit Climbers.
"They say the main headquarters is completely paralyzed. Top students from other academies are clamoring to transfer."
"That bad?"
At Lee Se-hun's question, Jake Myers nodded while deftly peeling an apple.
"Most of them had held off because of the president. Applications are flooding in regardless of year—outsiders are even calling it a second entrance ceremony."
"What a mess..."
Babel was the world's premier training institution, but many had avoided it due to vested interests.
However, with two Summit Climbers joining—especially Jürgen from the UD Group, who constantly clashed with Ludwig—those who had been wary of him now submitted applications.
'But why did that old man Jürgen suddenly change his mind?'
Just days ago, he couldn't stand Babel. What kind of payoff had he gotten to jump on board so quickly?
As Lee Se-hun racked his sluggish brain for guesses, Jake held out a fork.
"Here."
"Ah... thanks..."
A neatly carved apple slice in the shape of a rabbit.
Lee Se-hun stared at the suspiciously perfect shape, turning his head. Jake averted his gaze.
"Uh... my sister likes them."
"...I see."
Sensing his little brother's plight, Lee Se-hun chewed the piece and asked.
"What about your sister?"
"She got another commission and left right away. Said to give you her regards."
"Hmm..."
Aria, who had saved him from assassins while he was unconscious and carried him to the ward. Had she not appeared then, his condition would surely be far worse now.
Lee Se-hun felt genuine gratitude, yet a complicated mix of emotions as well.
'A bond has formed...'
What had she seen and felt while he was out? It was impossible to guess. After pondering briefly, he shook it off.
'I'll have to ask her next time we meet.'
Thinking about it now would just give him a headache. As Lee Se-hun organized his thoughts, Jake glanced around slyly and asked.
"By the way, Se-hun, when are you calling Erika?"
"Hm?"
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Lee Se-hun looked puzzled.
"Something wrong?"
"Not exactly a problem, but she's kinda down... I came first today, so it might get worse."
Seeing Jake's troubled expression, Lee Se-hun quickly pieced it together.
'Ah, the family stuff.'
As the tense atmosphere eased, the Myers family wasted no time, flooding the media with articles about mass-produced sword-ki armaments.
Rumors swirled that the Inoue family had lost the recruitment battle because of it. If word got out that Jake visited first, it would fuel more gossip.
'Exaggerations are as annoying as ever.'
Tsking inwardly, Lee Se-hun devoured the remaining apple slices and replied.
"I'll call her next time."
"Good. Then I'll head out today... Oh, right."
As Jake stood to leave, he remembered something and asked.
"Speaking of which, have you seen Senior Yeom?"
"Yeom Seong-ha? Looks like he didn't even apply to visit."
No sign of a visit application anywhere, even after replying about settling accounts.
Jake looked puzzled at Lee Se-hun's answer, then realization dawned.
"Ah, you didn't know Senior Yeom was hospitalized?"
Lee Se-hun froze mid-chew, slowly turning his head.
"...Hospitalized?"
"Yeah. He got badly hurt fighting the defectors this time..."
"Let's go."
"W-What?"
Lee Se-hun sprang from bed, dragging Jake ahead to Yeom Seong-ha's ward.
[Yeom Seong-ha]
"..."
The patient name boldly posted by the door. Swallowing dryly, Lee Se-hun entered.
What he saw was a muscular body marred by scars and stitches, testament to the battle's ferocity.
"Hup...!"
And Yeom Seong-ha, doing handstand push-ups.
Drip... drip...
Sweat poured like rain from his body, pooling on the floor. The sight was so intense it made onlookers sweat. Lee Se-hun stared blankly before sighing.
"Haa..."
He'd dreaded something permanent like Louise's case, but thankfully, it wasn't that severe.
'Gave me a scare.'
As Lee Se-hun relaxed, Yeom Seong-ha's relentless push-ups halted.
"Hm?"
Turning, he spotted Lee Se-hun and Jake, then pushed off the floor into a proper stance.
His front came into view: deep scars across ribs and abdomen.
'...That's pretty deep.'
If it looked that bad externally, organs likely took a hit from the shock.
A near-critical injury overall, but mostly healed after a week's treatment. Lee Se-hun eased his worry and asked.
"You okay?"
Yeom Seong-ha stared briefly before replying.
"As you see."
"..."
His ambiguous answer left Lee Se-hun and Jake exchanging odd looks.
'As you see... means not okay?'
Healed, but not normal. Was he mocking the question? As Jake pondered,
"Yeah, looks like you're fine."
Lee Se-hun nodded as if expecting it and continued.
"You said you could handle it alone. How'd you get hurt?"
"Stamina dropped, spear techniques' flaws showed right away. They noticed the attack, lost the ambush advantage."
"Told you to fight smart and bail... How many did you take out?"
"14."
"Ho..."
14 active heroes, solo.
Granted, with ambush and gear advantages, but in that short time? Impressive.
"That's worth a bonus."
"...Do as you like."
Yeom Seong-ha spoke indifferently, but his lip twitched. Lee Se-hun chuckled.
"So, what's the recovery estimate?"
"8 weeks. Planning to leave in 2."
"How?"
Yeom Seong-ha replied smugly.
"Say I'm recuperating at the main house—they'll discharge me. Rest a week, return, waste the rest."
"Oho..."
Neither planned to rest properly. Watching their perfect sync, Jake grimaced behind them.
'Should I tell the professor...'
Their chemistry was spot-on—for trouble. As Jake worried,
"So, about the payout... Hm...?"
Yeom Seong-ha trailed off, frowning. Veins around the wound bulged and writhed.
He glanced down.
"Pushed it a bit."
Splurt!
The healing wounds tore open, blood spraying everywhere.
"...Nurse!!!!"
Jake yelled in panic as medical staff rushed in.
"Patient! We told you no exercise!"
Scolding, they began emergency treatment.
Luckily minor reopening, but elevated heart rate from exercise made blood spray.
"What the..."
As Jake gawked at the blood-soaked room, Lee Se-hun—drenched himself—looked down.
'...Weird. Not a wound that should burst like that.'
To others, it looked like overexertion. But to him, Yeom wasn't that weakened.
Sensing something off, Lee Se-hun licked blood from his hand discreetly.
"Hmmm..."
Yeom's bodily data flooded his mind. Using spirit magic, he sorted and analyzed.
Soon, Yeom's physiology mapped out like blueprints.
"...Mana fusion?"
He realized Yeom's two manas were muddily mixed.
Back in his room, cleaned up and changed, Lee Se-hun sat on the bed, deep in thought.
'Mana fusion...'
As the name implied: multiple manas mixing.
Common when injuries impair control—not severe.
Usually resolves with healing and regained control.
'In normal cases.'
Recalling the sudden rupture, Lee Se-hun examined himself.
'Hmm. At this level, a bit...'.
Composing himself, he channeled fire-attribute mana in his left hand, dark in right.
Vmmm.
Manas flowed cautiously, sensing his state. Confirming amounts, he mixed them in air.
Dark crimson blend, like Yeom's. Activating Bond Engraving.
Activating Bond Engraving 'Bloodsworn Darkstone'.
Bang—!
Resonance exploded the mana instantly.
Small amount, no harm, but Lee Se-hun's eyes narrowed observing.
"So that's it."
Yeom's unique skill 'True Resonance'.
Not fully awakened, but permeating his body. It reacted to the fusion, exploding.
'Half-awakened state causing this... Dangerous.'
Today just a wound reopening. Wrong timing could wreck organs or circuits.
A walking time bomb.
Lee Se-hun pondered solutions.
'Heal it or add a safeguard.'
Healing now risked his growth.
'Safeguard it is...'
What could he craft? As blueprints flashed in mind,
Vmmm.
The golden ring on his right ring finger—the Ascension Lord's ring—vibrated faintly, warping space.
"Got a moment?"
Ludwig's voice from beyond. Surprised, Lee Se-hun replied.
"Ah, yes. Fine."
At his words, surroundings distorted subtly, shifting.
Shhrrk.
The room peeled away like fruit skin, revealing pure white void.
'This is...'
A new teleportation view. Sensing something in the white, he turned—
Whoosh!
Scenery changed to an old, stately president's office.
"Ugh..."
Nausea hit post-teleport.
Previously unseen, just deja vu. This time, full exposure amplified it.
'Sloppy spatial power isn't great...'
As he grimaced, Ludwig at his desk gaped.
"You... saw something?"
Genuine shock in his tone. Lee Se-hun nodded curiously.
"Some pure white space."
"...Hah. Perceiving the 'Blank' already."
Ludwig muttered in awe. Lee Se-hun quelled his nausea, intrigued.
'What's got him so rattled?'
Not just from the ring? As he wondered, Ludwig paused then spoke.
"We'll discuss that later. Too early for you."
"Yes..."
"How's your condition? Professor An says you're good."
Lee Se-hun started to say fine, then tweaked.
"Decent, but... a bit lacking."
"Lacking?"
"Pumping in nutrients or mana speeds recovery and boosts the body, but the professor's over-worried..."
No elixir gifts from Ryu Eun-ha; Jake's were blocked too.
Last hope: Babel's top authority. Ludwig eyed him, then smiled.
"That's a shame. Professor An's skilled but overly cautious."
"Then..."
Eyes gleaming at the opening,
"But if the lead physician says so, there's reason. Respect the expert."
Ludwig calmly crushed the hope.
Not wrong, but not what he wanted.
Lee Se-hun narrowed his eyes at the powerless top dog.
'How's this guy running an academy...'
As he grumbled inwardly, Ludwig pondered then asked.
"Why'd Professor An ban elixirs?"
"...Risk of mana rampage during intake."
Unlikely for him, but others saw risk.
Ludwig chuckled softly.
"Then a safe, no-rampage method would be fine."
As Lee Se-hun opened to ask, Ludwig waved lightly at air.
Whoosh.
Space split; flames poured out, condensing to head-sized orb, morphing.
Wings spread wide, ornate tail feathers. Familiar yet tiny—Lee Se-hun's eyes widened.
"Vermilion Bird...?"
Heard Ludwig handled it, wondered its use. Kept as familiar?
[Turning me into this form...]
"Quiet."
It silenced instantly. Ludwig continued.
"An avatar of the one you captured. Main body's elsewhere; this draws its power inside Babel."
"I see."
Full power via avatar, Babel-limited. Lee Se-hun watched interestedly.
"Week of research revealed: it absorbs power from what it burns."
"Power...?"
"Mana, traits, etc. Simply, converts to flame form."
"Just the form..."
Endless applications apparent. Realizing the 'safe method',
"Feed elixirs to the Bird... absorb the transformed flame power?"
Not ingesting directly—receiving from contracted summon. Bypasses An's orders.
"Exactly. Not eating elixirs, but power from your familiar. No issue, right?"
Ludwig asked innocently. Bonus given, method taught.
Lee Se-hun smiled back, nodding.
"As expected of the president."
Dignified authority.