Chapter 158

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Translator: Ebonarch

Chapter: 159

Chapter Title: The Phantasmal Monocle

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After finishing the meal, they had originally planned to move somewhere else to chat more, but that didn't happen.

It was because Yeom Jin-hyeon's condition had worsened, likely from the long journey.

"I'm sorry. To treat you like this and then end it so early..."

"No, it's fine. It's not like this is our only chance."

"Thank... cough, cough!"

Yeom Jin-hyeon coughed after just a few words. Yeom Seong-ha rushed over in alarm, but Yeom Jin-hyeon raised a hand to stop him.

"Hoo... I'll be staying in Babel for a few days, so let's meet again once my condition improves."

"Yes. Then I'll see you next time."

Lee Se-hun bowed his head and left. Watching his retreating figure, Yeom Jin-hyeon looked down at his own body.

The incantation was still holding even after Lee Se-hun had walked away.

It was possible only because it was an applied enchantment incantation. Examining it, Yeom Jin-hyeon wore an intrigued expression.

'I thought he was just exceptional at forging... but he's skilled in this area too.'

The rumors he'd heard seemed exaggerated at first, but now it felt like they were actually underrating him.

Lost in thought for a moment, Yeom Jin-hyeon turned to Yeom Seong-ha, who was pacing anxiously beside him.

"Seong-ha."

"Yes, Master."

"What do you think of that kid, Lee Se-hun?"

"..."

Yeom Seong-ha hesitated at the question before carefully replying.

"He's eccentric... but when it comes to deals, I think he's someone we can trust."

Yeom Jin-hyeon looked at him with slight surprise at the sincere response.

For Yeom Seong-ha, who trusted no one but his master, to say that...

'He's truly remarkable in many ways.'

Yeom Jin-hyeon resolved to meet him occasionally while in Babel. At that moment—

Thump!

His heart pounded once hard, then stopped. A squeezing pain, as if gripped by an invisible hand, made Yeom Jin-hyeon's eyes widen.

"Guh..."

"M-Master!"

Yeom Seong-ha caught his master's collapsing form in shock and frantically pulled a small silver case from his pocket. He quickly fed Yeom Jin-hyeon a purple pill from inside.

"Hoo... hoo..."

Yeom Jin-hyeon's near-fatal condition stabilized almost immediately. Yeom Seong-ha looked at him worriedly.

"Are you alright?"

"...Yeah. Don't worry."

Yeom Jin-hyeon waved off his disciple's concern and spoke in a weary voice.

"I thought I'd try walking a bit since it's been so long... but it looks impossible."

"Yes. I'll get the wheelchair right now."

Yeom Seong-ha retrieved a wheelchair from his sub-space pocket and carefully helped his staggering master into it.

He then removed his jacket and draped it over Yeom Jin-hyeon.

"Let's head out."

"Alright..."

Yeom Seong-ha gently pushed the wheelchair as they moved. Yeom Jin-hyeon leaned back weakly atop it. His half-closed eyes slowly opened.

A purple aura gathered in his pupils, clouding his gaze.

After parting with the two, Lee Se-hun walked along the street, deep in thought.

'A mental image projector, huh...'

It was an item created in his youth by Max Valmut, head of the Valmut family.

That part was fine, but Lee Se-hun was highly suspicious of its claim to temper mental images.

'Mental images don't just get tempered that easily.'

Attempts to train mental images had been countless in the past, present, and future.

It was only natural, since the completeness and power of techniques depended on one's mental image.

But most ended in failure. Borrowing others' power to temper a mental image just dyed it in foreign colors, making it turbid.

'It could even mess up your personality. The drawbacks outweigh the benefits. In other words...'

The mental image projector had a trap.

Stroking his chin at the realization, Lee Se-hun pondered further.

'In the past, they approached high-ranking heroes besides Yeom Jin-hyeon, so they might be distributing these projectors everywhere by now.'

So, how should he proceed?

After a moment's deliberation, an idea struck him.

'If they don't know about the trap... I just need to let them know.'

No need for him to poke around everywhere. With his decision made, Lee Se-hun immediately called Helena.

"Professor. Does the Forging Department have any Twilight Ingots?"

-If it's a material circulating outside, we have it. Want me to request some now?

"Yes, please."

After hanging up, Lee Se-hun headed straight to the Forging Department, picked up the prepared Twilight Ingot, and entered the forging room.

"Let's see..."

Removing his jacket, Lee Se-hun examined the ingot.

A soft crimson glow infused the ingot. Its hardness was quite low; it would bend with just a bit of force.

"Condition..."

Stroking his chin, Lee Se-hun opened the info window ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to check the Twilight Ingot's status.

"Not bad."

With no issues in the material, all that remained was to refine its performance.

Lee Se-hun picked up the Twilight Ingot and generated white light to slice off a small end piece.

Shing

The ingot cut cleanly without resistance. Picking up the fragment, he infused it with mana.

As mana flowed in, the fragment glowed faintly crimson and began vaporizing slowly from the outside.

Shooo

A hazy pair of tongs appeared above his palm—the tongs by the anvil, manifested as a mirage. Watching the process, Lee Se-hun looked intrigued.

'It doesn't just create a random ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mirage; it spreads out and seeks suitable objects nearby.'

This small fragment had projected the tongs, but using the whole ingot would project something larger like the anvil or furnace.

'The mental image projector probably designates the mirage target as a mental image.'

So, what more was needed to project mental images?

Lee Se-hun tapped the Twilight Ingot lightly, recalling other materials and various mana types he knew.

Tap tap tap

With each tap of his fingertip, faint ripples spread, mapping the ingot's mana structure clearly in his mind.

Combining it with hundreds, thousands of blueprints, materials, and powers, various results formed.

"...This is it."

Following the one completed blueprint, Lee Se-hun reached toward his solar plexus.

Whoosh!

Dreamy flames rose from his chest. Extracting that power, he infused it into the Twilight Ingot.

Keeeeng

The ingot vibrated faintly, blurring as if about to turn into a mirage.

Seeing this, Lee Se-hun used alchemy forging for the first time in a while.

As the Twilight Ingot resonated with Lee Se-hun's mana, its form sharpened again without being consumed by the dreamy flames. His eyes gleamed.

'This is where the real work begins.'

The Twilight Ingot's mirage ability and the dreamy flames' power had to blend perfectly to proceed.

Even a slight imbalance would ruin it, so Lee Se-hun sharpened his senses and focused.

Shoooosh

Crimson and purple swirled chaotically, their boundaries slowly eroding over time.

The moment the dreamy flames seeped into the Twilight Ingot like being sucked in—

Bang!

With an air-burst sound, the ingot transformed.

The original crimson faded, replaced by a soft purple glow.

Lee Se-hun immediately checked the info window.

"Hmm..."

Examining the Phantasmal Ingot from all angles, Lee Se-hun sliced off a piece and infused it with mana.

Shooo

The purple mirage seeped into his palm, and a scene emerged above it.

Roooar—

Black waves slowly rolling in from afar. Lee Se-hun frowned at the sight.

"What a shitty dream..."

He wanted to erase it immediately, but he steadied himself and refined his mental image.

The mirage rippled faintly, then shifted to his childhood self wailing amid building rubble.

The moment his parents died to the Invakillers.

This should avoid suspicion if observed.

'The mental image projector probably adds something more here, but I don't need to figure that out.'

He wasn't making a mental image projector; he was making a tool to detect its users.

Completely different purpose. Lee Se-hun pulled out a new material.

'Unyielding pursuit of his own justice, uncompromising with those he deems evil. Obsessively devoted to his mission, heedless of personal harm.'

Ha Seon-woo's image from before regression and this encounter formed in his mind, manifesting a bond stone in his right hand.

A translucent crystal formed with a chilling sensation.

Marble-sized, with glossy sheen like a crystal.

'Who'd have thought I'd get a bond stone from that guy.'

Chuckling, Lee Se-hun checked the info.

'Perfect fit.'

Celestial Lens, reflecting Ha Seon-woo's unique skill, Far Sight.

After a quick surface check, Lee Se-hun used white light to split it in half.

Crack!

Cleanly bisected. Setting one half aside, he stretched and concentrated white light at his fingertips.

'Sharper...'

The white light compressed into a thin thread. Confirming the edge, he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠finely shaved the surface of the Celestial Lens.

Scriiitch

It cut without resistance, the surface turning transparent. He continued polishing until both sides were fully clear.

Withdrawing the white light, Lee Se-hun held the polished Celestial Lens to his eye.

"Hm. Clear view."

Even without mana, distant objects were sharp.

Having made a monocle lens from half the Celestial Lens, he picked up the Phantasmal Ingot next.

'Divide into sections to consume only as needed...'

The Phantasmal Ingot resonated, stretching thin into a frame perfectly fitting the lens and a slender chain beside it.

After final checks on the parts, Lee Se-hun loosened his stiff body and gripped the remaining Celestial Lens.

A strange sensation emanated from his right hand.

Savoring the unfamiliar sense beyond his normal five, Lee Se-hun wove Black Spirit Thread to connect the lens and frame.

'Only peers through those viewed via the monocle, so adjust with an incantation. Magic doesn't mesh with Black Spirit Thread, so curse ritual...'

Like stitching, layers of Black Spirit Thread bound the lens and frame, then the chain.

A precarious state where any mistake could let the Phantasmal Ingot devour the Celestial Lens.

But Lee Se-hun embedded the lens's observation power in his right hand, using the minute tactile feedback to control the boundary precisely.

"..."

Time blurred in total focus. Then, a familiar sound crept into his ears after ages.

Roooar—

An irritating roar even in dreams, but during work, it cleared his mind completely.

Amid the filling wave crash, his hands sped up, seamlessly uniting all parts with Black Spirit Thread.

Confirming the flawless fusion, Lee Se-hun snipped the final thread.