Chapter 5
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: The Regressor Makes It All
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Babel Academy.
One of the educational institutions training climbers to scale the Hero's Tower that had suddenly appeared across the world, its prestige was on an overwhelming level.
It boasted top-tier curricula and facilities for combat, support, and technical roles alike, churning out countless heroes every year through its vast infrastructure.
In terms of sheer scale, it was incomparable to any other training organization. And the most overwhelming aspect of all was its size.
'Building an artificial island in the Pacific and turning it into a city-sized school... Whoever came up with that was a genius.'
He'd heard it started as a tiny island, but after endless expansions over the years, it now rivaled a major metropolis in scale.
With facilities for over a hundred departments, living quarters for cadets and faculty, and even setups from external companies backed or partnered with Babel, it had no choice but to sprawl.
'At this point, it's basically its own sovereign nation...'
Gazing at the buildings whipping past the window, lost in thought, an announcement blared from the light rail's speakers.
-This stop is the Forging Department Main Building.
The mana-powered light rail glided to a halt at the platform. Stepping out, Lee Se-hun looked up at the Forging Department's main building.
'Still massive as ever...'
He'd failed to get into Babel before his regression, but after establishing himself, he'd received an invitation and visited once.
Of course, the Forging Department had been disbanded by then and repurposed for other uses, but the exterior looked much the same.
'Let's see... Forge Room 3, right...'
Following the signs, he soon caught the acrid tang of smoke and scorching metal tickling his nose.
That infuriating yet exhilarating scent made Lee Se-hun break into an unconscious smile as he quickened his pace.
'This is it.'
Confirming the nameplate reading "Forge Room 3," Lee Se-hun gripped the firmly shut door with both hands and shoved it open.
Dozens of mana forges lined up in rows alongside all sorts of equipment. Every piece was state-of-the-art for this era, worth a fortune, and Lee Se-hun let out a low whistle of admiration.
'Even a minor department gets this kind of backing... Babel's on another level.'
He'd heard tales of Babel's lavish spending before his regression, but seeing it up close hit different.
As Lee Se-hun scanned the interior with wide-eyed curiosity,
"Cadet Lee Se-hun."
A cold voice rang out from up front.
A middle-aged man seated at a table, glaring with a razor-sharp expression. His slicked-back blonde hair and pristine white suit gave off a paranoid vibe, and he looked like the prickly type at first glance.
"Everyone's waiting. Take your seat."
Still ten minutes early, yet he barked like Lee Se-hun was late. The blatant hostility narrowed Lee Se-hun's eyes—
"There's still ten minutes left, Vice Department Head."
Kim In-cheol, standing at the podium, pointed it out in a level tone.
"The Department Head isn't here yet either, so no need to rush."
"It's a matter of attitude."
"Then I'll handle the warning."
Kim In-cheol stated it firmly, then softened his expression as he turned to Lee Se-hun.
"The Department Head will be here soon, so take a seat and wait."
"Understood."
Settling into an empty chair off to the side, Lee Se-hun eyed the two who'd just traded barbs.
'Heard the Forging Department was in rough shape... Guess he's on the outs with the Vice Head too.'
Bad performance was one thing, but clashing with the brass meant constant harassment.
Lee Se-hun dimly grasped why Kim In-cheol had suggested other academies. Just then, he felt a stare from nearby.
"Hm?"
Another cadet across from him, shooting daggers.
Blonde hair neatly slicked back, uniform impeccably wrinkle-free—the polar opposite of Lee Se-hun's rumpled one from careless dressing.
"...Tch."
The cadet scanned him head to toe, clicked his tongue, and turned away. The reaction was as overt as the Vice Head's, leaving Lee Se-hun baffled.
'What the hell kinda day is this?'
Two assholes grinding his gears right out the gate.
His hand twitched unconsciously toward the hammer on the table beside him—
"Apologies. I'm the last to arrive."
The forge room door swung open to a deadpan voice.
"...?"
Something about that familiar tone made Lee Se-hun whip his head around to its source.
Red hair neatly tied up in a high ponytail, face utterly devoid of emotion.
Objectively stunning, but the black suit and blank expression radiated intimidation. Lee Se-hun's eyes went wide at the sight.
'...Ryu Eun-ha?'
S-rank Hero "Weapon Eater" Ryu Eun-ha.
The hero with the bizarre unique skill to devour gear and amplify her power—and Lee Se-hun's longest-running client before regression, even outlasting the Three Dogs in familiarity.
Her abrupt appearance left him thoroughly thrown.
'She mentioned working at Babel for a year... She was the Department Head?'
The role didn't suit her at all. As Lee Se-hun reeled, Ryu Eun-ha strode straight ahead and took the empty seat beside the Vice Department Head.
"Let's begin."
"Understood. Both of you, stand."
As the two rose from their chairs, Kim In-cheol eyed them and continued his explanation.
"As announced, the theme of this supplementary exam is crafting equipment compatible with the sword you made earlier."
Kim In-cheol worked the podium panel, and the iron box locked beside the forge sprang open, revealing its contents.
"Ooh..."
Unlike the bare-bones materials from the prior test, this time there were plenty of high-grade ones infused with mana.
They clearly planned to evaluate not just fundamentals, but skill and mana handling too.
'With a lineup like this...'
He'd barely glanced, yet designs slotted perfectly into place in his mind, options queuing up.
As Lee Se-hun's eyes sparkled with mental blueprints, Kim In-cheol pressed on.
"Department Head Ryu Eun-ha and Vice Department Head Michael Valmut here will judge your creations, so produce something you won't be ashamed of."
"...?"
Caught up inspecting materials, Lee Se-hun furrowed his brow at Kim In-cheol's words.
'Valmut... Rings a bell.'
It nagged at him oddly, like something overheard in passing. While Lee Se-hun dredged his memory, Kim In-cheol manipulated the panel to project a timer in the air.
"Time limit: 180 minutes. Begin!"
The timer activated, unlocking the forge. The cadet beside him lunged for materials first.
'Gear first, questions later.'
Valmut could wait. Lee Se-hun shrugged off his uniform jacket, tossing it behind him, and rolled up his shirt sleeves.
The manual claimed temperature regulation and protective functions, but to him, it was just in the way.
"No class..."
The cadet beside him muttered pityingly at the rough display. Kim In-cheol shot him a look.
"Hans Valmut. No extraneous comments during the exam."
"I'll mind myself."
Hans replied politely and resumed selecting materials. At the surname, Lee Se-hun glanced at Michael up front.
'Figures... More than just bad blood.'
His rival was the Vice Department Head's son, no less. Anyone else would've freaked, but Lee Se-hun just grinned.
'Planned to smash one, but now I can take 'em both.'
Motivation surging, he eyed the materials. Hans, having picked first, set his haul on the forge-side table.
"Lazulite and abyssal jade. Materials with high mana retention."
Two ores shimmering with blue light. Ryu Eun-ha perked up at the sight, and Michael smiled as he elaborated.
"Indeed. Attribute materials infused with water mana, to boot."
Mana-infused materials were tricky enough, but those bearing attributes were on another plane.
The slightest error during forging could agitate the internal attribute mana, tanking the ore's quality in seconds.
"Water-attribute mana is especially finicky with fire, or so I've heard."
"Usually. But it all comes down to the handler."
Michael spoke with smug confidence. All prepped, Hans summoned his mana.
[Bond Engraving 'Flame-Containing' has activated.]
Gray mana gathered in his palms.
He swept his hands through the air, tracing intricate patterns along the trajectories until a massive spherical magic circle took shape.
Slotting mana stones into key points around it triggered another shift.
Kiiing—
Fueled by the mana stones, the circle blazed with light.
Hans flashed a triumphant smirk at the dazzling display—like a miniature star—and placed the lazulite and abyssal jade inside.
Whumm—
The ores shuddered violently within, then abruptly collapsed into liquid form.
Refining without heat. Hans plunged his hand into the circle to shape the molten mass. Ryu Eun-ha commented flatly.
"Alchemy forging."
A novel method blending alchemy and magic, diverging from traditional forging.
It skipped hammering and quenching entirely while making it easier to extract a material's mana—earning major buzz in the blacksmithing world.
"Fiddlier than standard methods, but mastery lets you draw out a material's full potential."
"I've heard it's still unstable in places."
"Yesterday's news. Alchemy forging will eclipse outdated techniques before long."
Michael subtly hyped it up from the sidelines.
His Valmut family was renowned for the method, and enshrining it as the Forging Department's core doctrine was Michael's endgame.
'Convince the Department Head, and Kim In-cheol's out of moves.'
With the department's slump dragging on for years, a thin pretext would let him overhaul it easily.
It was only a matter of time. Satisfied, Michael's gaze drifted to Lee Se-hun.
"Valmut... Alchemy forging..."
Lee Se-hun, mid-selection, muttering to himself in thought. He looked hopelessly outclassed by Hans; Michael's eyes gleamed coldly.
'Decent fundamentals... but he's done this round.'
Unlike the prior test favoring old-school forging, this one demanded real skill and mana control.
From his intel, Lee Se-hun's mana ranked dead last among freshmen. No way he beat Hans, the 2nd-year top cadet.
'Clinging to Kim In-cheol as a last resort. What rotten luck.'
Scoffing inwardly at the nobody from nowhere, Michael looked away.
"Ah!"
Lee Se-hun's face lit up as he shouted.
House Valmut. Alchemy forging. A middling name in blacksmithing circles pre-regression—but that's not why he remembered it.
'Right, they were tangled up with that Violent Dog bitch.'
Among the mutts he had to recruit, the ones with bad blood toward Violent Dog Louise Valente.
One more reason to crush Hans. To grind him extra fine, Lee Se-hun tweaked his mental blueprint and snatched up an ignition stone.
Crack! Clack!
Sparks flew as the stones clashed in his grip.
All eyes locked on the simple yet unfamiliar technique. Lee Se-hun slowly channeled his mana, focusing it on one stone.
'Alchemy forging, huh.'
Pre-regression, he'd devoured every blacksmithing technique in sight. No time to be picky with humanity on the ropes.
'You think you know better than me?'
Those two were the real amateurs.
Kwaaaaang—!
An explosion erupted without warning.
Crimson flames roared to life, feeding on Lee Se-hun's hand like kindling. Everyone in the room's eyes bulged.
An accident right as the test kicked off? Chaos gripped them all—
Whirr!
The flames began compressing in Lee Se-hun's fist.