Chapter 62
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: The Regressor Makes It All
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Ring-a-ding-ding!
The shrill alarm blared from the desk.
The blanket piled high on the bed twitched, and an arm shot out to slam the alarm clock's button with all its might.
Clang!
The enchant carved into the alarm clock repelled the hand lightly, silencing it. Moments later, Lea's head emerged from a gap in the blanket, her hair splayed wildly in all directions.
"...I don't wanna go."
Her face looked more hollowed out than after an all-nighter of work.
She'd tossed and turned all night fretting over today's enchants, and now her whole body creaked in protest, goosebumps prickling her skin.
'Should I just say I'm too sick to do it?'
Lea hesitated over the excuse flickering through her mind, then let out a deep sigh and dragged herself out of bed.
"Dodging it won't change anything."
Whatever the outcome, she had to at least try.
Steeling herself, Lea washed up quickly, tied her hair simply, and pinned it with a hairpin embedded with a red gem.
Whoosh!
The moisture evaporated in an instant thanks to the enchant on the hairpin.
Confirming her hair was perfectly dry, Lea changed into her cadet uniform and switched to a hairpin with a purple gem.
Swish.
The enchant on this hairpin sent mana flowing through her entire locks, and soon her hair began braiding itself into a single neat plait, moving like it was alive.
"Hmm... time for adjustments, maybe."
Eyeing how it braided a bit slower than usual, Lea waited for it to finish while gazing at the picture frame on the table.
A long-haired man smiling with round glasses on, and a child perched on his knee, playing with his neatly braided hair.
"..."
Lea's eyes naturally drifted to one side as she stared at her father from her younger days and her innocent five-year-old self.
A pale white hand lightly draped over her father's shoulder. But the spot where its owner should have been was torn away, unrecognizable.
"Hoo..."
After staring at the photo for a long while, Lea exhaled. The anxiety in her eyes sank deep.
"Get it together."
She had no time to wallow here.
Chewing over the words she reminded herself of several times a day, Lea secured the remaining hairpin and pins into her braided hair.
Finally, she swapped her outer coat for a crisp white lab coat, grabbed her subspace pocket loaded with tools, and...
Bam!
...kicked the door open with all her strength, storming out of the workshop.
"Heh..."
In the workshop set up in the Forging Department's main building, Kim In-cheol—who had arrived early after approving Lee Se-hun's intermediate forging request—scanned the material list and blinked in surprise.
'Dream Tusk and South Flower Tailfeather... He actually managed to get his hands on these.'
Rare ingredients that were hard to obtain even with money.
The South Flower Tailfeather, a feather from the Vermilion Bird, was coveted even by professors.
'Where the hell did he get these...? Don't tell me from the president?'
As he stared incredulously at the list, a soft presence approached, followed by a gentle voice.
"Freshmen these days sure are fearless. Diving headfirst into handling stuff this rare."
A woman with her brown hair neatly braided up and a brown shawl draped over her shoulders. She looked mid-thirties but carried a more mature air. Kim In-cheol responded calmly.
"Anyone else, maybe. But Professor Rebecca doesn't seem in a position to say that."
"Oh? What did I do?"
"You chased down legendary-grade materials for six years, then blew them all on a whim."
"..."
Rebecca Clodel—professor in the Enchant Department and instructor of Ancient Enchantment—winced at Kim In-cheol's jab, her eyes twitching.
"I didn't blow them. I used them for research. They're the foundation for my next success."
"Right. Here's hoping for good news in six years."
"..."
Rebecca's eyes trembled at the corners as he poked her sore spot without mercy, and she sighed.
"You must really treasure that cadet. Coming at me this aggressively."
She'd grumbled a bit because he'd dragged her granddaughter—still stuck in her slump—into this, but this prickly response was unexpected.
"As much as you treasure your granddaughter, Professor Rebecca."
"...That much?"
Rebecca stared in surprise at his answer.
She'd heard from her granddaughter that this year's Borsippa top student was no ordinary talent, but she hadn't imagined Kim In-cheol held him in such high regard.
"Never met him?"
"Had personal business, so I left the first class to Lea. Haven't seen him since he got hospitalized."
Kim In-cheol nodded as if it all made sense now.
"That explains it."
He spoke with utter conviction that she'd recognize him on sight. As Rebecca watched him with a strange expression...
"Pardon the intrusion."
"Pardon the intrusion..."
Lee Se-hun and Lea entered through the workshop door. Kim In-cheol stood and spoke calmly to Rebecca.
"See for yourself and judge."
"...Alright."
After greeting the two cadets, Kim In-cheol introduced the woman beside him.
"This is Rebecca Clodel, professor from the Enchant Department, overseeing with me today. Say hello."
"Nice to meet you."
"Pleasure's mine. We should've met sooner, but our schedules never lined up until now."
"No, that's fine. But if I may..."
Lee Se-hun glanced at Lea, who stood rigidly tense beside him, and asked Rebecca.
"Are you Lea's grandmother?"
"...Grandmother?"
Rebecca blinked in confusion at the question.
"Did you just say grandmother?"
"Yes. Aren't you?"
"Well, yes, but..."
Rebecca looked flustered at Lee Se-hun's puzzled expression.
'Lea hasn't mentioned me, so...'
With her mid-thirties appearance, shouldn't he have guessed sister, aunt, or even mother first?
Full of questions, Rebecca asked again.
"How did you know?"
"Just took one look."
It wasn't a lie—Lee Se-hun had pegged her age group the moment he saw her.
Before his regression, he'd met ageless heroes or examined their bodies, learning to spot the differences naturally.
'The eyes, the aura of their mana. And hyper-developed bodies are hard to hide.'
Telltale signs of time over talent. Tricky to spot, but once you got the knack, it was great for unmasking hidden identities.
"..."
As Rebecca touched her face with a slightly stiff expression...
"Why are you here? Didn't you have weekend work?"
Lea cut in from behind.
"...You holed up in the workshop for a month, then suddenly bolted out yelling. I stopped by, and an intermediate enchant request came in, so I took it."
Rebecca crossed her arms, fixing Lea with a stern look.
"The Ivory Tower special trainee selection is just two months away. Finished your entry piece?"
"..."
Lea averted her eyes, and Rebecca sighed.
"I won't meddle in what you do. But don't forget our promise. Got it?"
"...Yes."
"Good. That's all."
Rebecca stepped back as if that settled it. Kim In-cheol picked up.
"If anything goes wrong, tell me right away. I'll help."
"Understood."
"Carry on, then."
Kim In-cheol and Rebecca returned to their seats. Lee Se-hun turned to Lea.
"..."
She'd been tense enough already, but that exchange had shrunk her further. After a moment's thought, Lee Se-hun spoke.
"You've got some circumstances, huh."
"Ah, don't worry. It's not that serious."
Lea forced a smile, but Lee Se-hun shook his head.
"Not worried. Just say upfront if you can't handle it."
"What?"
"If you're not focused and mess up, my materials go poof."
"..."
Lea's blank stare hardened, her eyes trembling at his bluntness.
They weren't close enough for concern, but did he have to be this cold?
"Then call someone else instead of dumping it on me and..."
Forcing it on her one minute, now telling her to quit? As Lea grumbled...
"Because you'll make it the best."
"..."
"Any other reason to request collaboration?"
For stability, someone else might beat Lea, still in her slump. But Lee Se-hun trusted his choice.
Bond level aside, these materials suited her enchants better than anyone's.
"...Hoo."
Lea sighed deeply, rolled up her lab coat sleeves to her elbows, twisted her braid into a bun, and secured it with the purple gem hairpin.
She tidied her bangs with pins, shot Lee Se-hun a grumpy glare.
"Say stuff like that with prettier words next time. Got it?"
"..."
"Let's start. I'll prep too."
Lea said her piece and began setting up tools from her subspace pocket. Lee Se-hun smirked at her back.
'Definitely not all there.'
He selected ignition stones by type from the material bin, fired up the furnace, and tossed them in.
Roar!
Flames erupted messily from the mix. Rebecca frowned curiously.
'What does he plan with that chaotic fire...?'
Wondering if it was a mistake, she glanced at Kim In-cheol, but he watched expectantly for what came next.
As Rebecca puzzled over it...
Crack! Snap!
Dry snaps from Lee Se-hun's palm, brilliant sparks flying. Realizing he was clashing stones to create them, Rebecca's eyes widened.
Clink!
A clear ring as he tossed a glowing red ignition stone into the furnace.
Kaboom!!!
A ferocious explosion rocked the furnace interior, shaking the whole workshop. Rebecca jumped up in shock.
"Wh-what...!"
"Calm down."
Kim In-cheol blocked her as she pulled a palm-sized emblem, speaking evenly.
"Just the process of making the fire."
"What nonsense is that? Can't you see the cracks in the furnace?"
That much flame bursting out was basically a bomb. As Rebecca moved to halt the forging...
"Don't panic. Watch closely. You'll see."
"See what..."
At his insistence, Rebecca peered back. Her eyes bulged.
The furnace had gone eerily still, as if the blast were a lie. Inside, a 'pure white' flame flickered faintly, on the verge of winking out.
"White flame...?"
Bleached utterly white.
No heat radiated; it looked like a model. But its wavering shape and mana draw from the furnace confirmed it was real.
"What... is..."
As Rebecca gaped...
Lee Se-hun frowned at the flame.
'Fancy furnace, my ass. Can't even handle proper White Egg Fire.'
It should form a perfect sphere, but the furnace's limits kept the top from closing.
Tsking at the cracks and creaks, he decided.
'Gotta compensate manually.'
He stripped off his work shirt, tying it loosely at his waist, and snatched the South Flower Tailfeather.
A red ore sealed in blue crystal. Harmless-looking, but open it casually and it'd ignite and vanish.
'Let's see...'
He maneuvered the White Egg Fire near the mouth, gripped the crystal in his left hand, and drew his Black Flame Hammer in his right.
"Hmm..."
Inspecting the crystal by feel. Rebecca whispered to Kim In-cheol.
"Isn't that a Laphlas Crystal?"
"Yes."
Rebecca looked dumbfounded.
"He's smashing it with a hammer?"
Laphlas Crystals preserved special materials. Soft before processing, but enchantments made them incredibly tough.
To extract without damage, dispel the preservation magic first. Yet Lee Se-hun was about to hammer it.
'Damage aside, even breaking it looks impossible...'
Seemingly absurd. But Lee Se-hun showed no anxiety, and Kim In-cheol watched eagerly.
Even Lea barely glanced. Rebecca felt like the odd one out.
'What is even going on...'
As she reeled in confusion, Lee Se-hun's eyes flashed after probing the crystal.
"Found it."
He pressed his thumb to a spot, channeled Baekgwangryu to gather pure white aura at the tip.
Bzzz.
Aura blade to the spot, then a light tap atop his thumb with the hammer.
Crack!
The crystal shattered cleanly around the South Flower Tailfeather.
"That's...!"
"What..."
Kim In-cheol gawked; Rebecca was floored.
A masterful technique that stunned even Babel's renowned professors. But Lee Se-hun ignored them, moving swiftly.
Fwoosh!
The crystal shards fell, preservation magic broke, and the tailfeather ignited fiercely.
Its durability draining in real time—not just burning superficially—Lee Se-hun plunged it into the White Egg Fire.
Bzzz!
Thicker red glow inside; ominous waves emanated.
Kim In-cheol spotted the cause and paled.
'The tailfeather resonating with the white flame, amplifying it?'
Ideal for forging to maximize properties. But recalling the Vermilion Bird's nature, he shouted urgently.
"Cadet Lee Se-hun! Get it out now!!"
Among monsters, 'magical beasts' roamed freely outside danger zones like mine.
The infamous S-rank magical beast Vermilion Bird was highly intelligent, spoke fluently, and even spared attacking heroes.
But that mercy led to worse fates—its flames could burn the human 'mind'.
'Those waves could turn him into an idiot or vegetable...!'
As the professors lunged to intervene...
"It's fine."
Lee Se-hun calmly cupped the White Egg Fire with both hands.
Swish.
The heatless white flames closed slowly under his touch, morphing into a perfect white egg that sealed the tailfeather within.
Bzzz!
The feather thrashed violently inside.
A normal flame would've been devoured and breached, but this was different.
'Pure flame, impurities purged.'
Not for heating metal, but a shell to contain savage fire. That was the White Egg Fire's purpose.
Swish.
Shaping it ceaselessly like pottery, the tailfeather gradually calmed.
Once the waves subsided, Lee Se-hun summoned his fire-attribute mana, 'Crimson Flame'.
Fwoosh.
Flames circled his palm. Adjusting the flow, he gently gripped the egg's base.
Slowly lifted it from the furnace.
Hummm.
The White Egg Fire rested in his hands, free of the furnace.
"..."
"..."
Lee Se-hun held the massive flame-filled egg. Kim In-cheol and Rebecca stared dumbfounded in awkward stances.
"Hey."
Approaching Lea with it.
"Huh? Why the f... uh."
Lea turned from her enchant prep, words dying at the sight.
What's that huge egg when he's supposed to be forging? And the flame inside?
Utterly unnatural. She looked up demandingly for explanation.
"Enchant this."
Lee Se-hun smiled and held out the White Egg Fire.