Chapter 7
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The Regressor Makes Everything
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"Come forward with your completed armament."
At Kim In-cheol's call, the two cadets approached the table where the judges were seated, each carrying their finished piece.
The table held the items submitted from the previous test. Lee Se-hun eyed the one Hans had made.
'The first was a thin sword. This time, a shield.'
It was a small round shield that could be worn on one hand—the kind commonly called a buckler. It wasn't bad at all.
'But...'
As Lee Se-hun frowned at Hans's shield, Ryu Eun-ha spoke up.
"Let's start with Cadet Hans's item."
The shield's core was a cross-shaped frame, its surface gleaming with a subtle blue sheen. Wave patterns symbolizing the ocean had been engraved into it. Regardless of performance, it exuded luxury.
Wave Shield
Grade: Advanced | Quality: Top-tier
A shield infused with water-attribute mana.
Maximizes the power of the ore used as material, amplifying water-attribute mana and allowing pure mana to be converted into water-attribute mana.
* Enhances the power of water-attribute mana.
* Allows conversion of mana into water-attribute mana.
"Mana amplification and attribute conversion. You've achieved a challenging effect quite well."
Hans's tense expression eased slightly at Ryu Eun-ha's praise, delivered with her usual impassive face.
'Right. The theme this time is compatibility with prior submissions. I've still got a shot there.'
His item might lose in a direct comparison, but you had to see the full matchup to know. As Hans mustered his resolve again...
"However."
Ryu Eun-ha set down the Wave Shield, her face still blank as she continued her assessment.
"The shield's center of gravity is uneven, and the mana circuits are too exposed on the surface. It seems intentional to make releasing converted mana easier, but efficiency will drop sharply after blocking just a few attacks."
"......"
"Moreover, the structure suggests the shield suffers permanent damage when using attribute conversion. Do you have any countermeasures for that?"
Her relentless critiques were all irrefutable. Hans's face drained of color in an instant, and Michael's grew grim.
"I see you don't. Next time, pay more attention to the armament's usability and maintenance."
"Y-Yes...... Yes......"
"And the compatibility with your existing armament feels simplistic—just pairing a sword and shield. That's the extent of my evaluation."
With Ryu Eun-ha's assessment done, eyes naturally turned to Michael. He scowled briefly before replying curtly.
"I'll defer to the department head's evaluation."
"Ah......"
Hans hung his head, unable to even receive a proper review. Michael's gaze grew icier at the sight.
It was clear he'd catch hell at home later. Lee Se-hun couldn't help a slight smirk.
'Sharp as ever, just like before.'
Satisfied that she'd voiced his own thoughts so mildly, he watched her. Kim In-cheol cleared his throat to refocus the room.
"Next, Cadet Lee Se-hun......"
"I'll examine it first."
Ryu Eun-ha stepped forward before he could finish. As everyone blinked in surprise, she scrutinized the Flame-Stacking Sheath with care.
The sheath glowed with a subtle crimson hue. Triangular patterns like teeth were etched at regular intervals. After studying them intently, she slowly looked up.
"Cadet Lee Se-hun."
"Yes."
"Would you sell this submission to me?"
The unexpected remark froze the room. Michael stared in bewilderment.
"W-Wait...... Sell a submission? What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
A judge demanding to buy a submission? The situation was baffling enough, but what rattled Michael more was the difference in attitude.
'She tore into Hans's with nothing but criticism, but...'
He knew it was well-made to some degree, but this much?
"I'm not asking for it right now."
Ignoring Michael's question, Ryu Eun-ha pressed on, eyes on Lee Se-hun.
"After top selection and the entrance ceremony, all submissions are returned to cadets. Sell it to me then."
"......"
"It's the lowest quality of rare grade, but if you do, I'll pay five times market value. What do you say?"
"......R-Rare grade?"
Michael's face twisted in shock at her offer.
He'd expected advanced grade at best—rare was beyond imagination! As he reeled...
"Department head."
Kim In-cheol spoke lowly from the podium.
"We're still in the midst of judging. Please refrain from private discussions."
"......You're right. My apologies."
With a nod, Ryu Eun-ha set down the Flame-Stacking Sheath and turned back to Lee Se-hun.
"Have you made rare-grade armaments before?"
"No. Never."
Including his past life, he'd made them until he was sick of it—but this life, it was his first.
"So this is your first rare-grade armament today, yet you don't seem pleased. I hear in the blacksmithing world, it's the stage where you're recognized as more than a novice."
The point where you didn't just enhance material traits but forged new power—skills—into being. Proof you'd begun building a foundation as a true blacksmith.
"You didn't use top-grade materials to achieve it, either...... What about it doesn't satisfy you?"
She kept probing curiously at his reaction. Michael's eyes flashed.
'Does even the department head suspect something?'
Sudden skill spikes weren't unheard of, but Lee Se-hun's leap was extreme. Even if he'd entered Hero's Tower, a freshman like him couldn't have. As Michael clung to faint hope of some overlooked flaw...
"It doesn't satisfy me."
Lee Se-hun replied flatly.
"My first rare-grade armament in this lifetime turns out this mediocre—hard to be thrilled."
He was pleased to confirm Bond Engraving's effect, but objectively, flaws abounded.
Besides, it wasn't his actual first rare-grade—not something to celebrate.
"......"
"......"
Michael gaped at the absurd response. Hans stared blankly.
Kim In-cheol, biting back a laugh, cleared his throat.
"C-Cadet Lee Se-hun. Mind your manners."
"I'll be careful."
"......"
Ryu Eun-ha regarded him quietly, then spoke as if decided.
"To evaluate properly: the armament itself is excellent. Perfectly balanced weight, clean form. It seems designed for combat while worn, correct?"
"Yes. That's right."
"As I thought. The flame storage effect synergizes well with the Five-Colored Flame Blade. And above all......"
She gripped the Flame-Stacking Sheath and infused her mana.
As puzzled glances followed, it began glowing redder.
Whoosh!
Flames naturally enveloped the sheath, not just bursting out but flowing across the surface like liquid fire. She lightly touched a fingertip to it.
Whoosh!
The flames leaped to her hand instantly despite bare contact. Everyone gasped at the propagation. Ryu Eun-ha nodded.
"Using compression ratio differences in the mana circuits to impart 'flow' and boost the flames' spread—brilliant execution."
Setting it down, she met his eyes.
"However, the armament skill 'Wildfire' appears to permanently reduce durability with each use, based on the structure. Any countermeasures?"
The exact flaw she'd noted in Hans's—common in alchemy-forged items. Lee Se-hun couldn't avoid it either.
"Soak it in mana stone solution to repair."
Preserve the ore's core, and such basics were simple fixes.
"Hoo......"
"......"
Michael sighed deeply. Hans drooped again.
"Vice department head? Anything to add?"
"......Nothing."
"Then the result is clear."
Such performance, plus safety measures too.
"The Forging Department's representative will be Cadet Lee Se-hun."
The outcome was obvious.
After the supplementary exam ended, Kim In-cheol remained at Ryu Eun-ha's indication, gazing curiously ahead.
Ryu Eun-ha stared endlessly at the crimson sheath on the table—the Flame-Stacking Sheath. He'd never seen her like this.
He ventured cautiously.
"Are you considering Cadet Lee Se-hun for department top cadet?"
"Yes. He will be."
"......Really?"
Kim In-cheol's eyes widened at her immediate reply.
Rare-grade was impressive among freshmen, but not decisive for top spot, he'd thought.
"Do you disagree, Professor Kim?"
"Of course it's excellent, but...... I'm not sure it outshines the other departments' top entries."
"It might seem so superficially. But this armament's true value lies in its armament skill."
The Flame-Stacking Sheath's skill: Wildfire.
Even same grade and quality, skills determined value wildly.
If she rated its skill highly, her praise made sense.
'Cadet Lee Se-hun's armament skill is that good......'
Crafting skills was hard; optimizing them another level. Required deep structural understanding, design to fit the armament, execution skill.
Making rare-grade was the start; perfecting skills was leagues ahead.
"Hm. You haven't examined it closely, so naturally. Let me show you briefly since I'm curious too."
"Pardon?"
Ryu Eun-ha stood with the sheath, covering its openings with her palm and infusing mana.
Vmmm—
Mana accumulated inside without leaking—absorbing her notoriously volatile mana effortlessly. Her expression grew peculiar.
'It's odd, indeed.'
A total stranger's work, yet it fit her like a custom commission.
The familiarity was palpable. That inexplicable perfection had made her lose composure and ask to buy it.
Squeeze.
'......Calm down.'
Suppressing surging desire, she thrust her hand forward as if drawing a sword.
Wildfire
Compressed mana released in a massive burst
"Wildfire."
Kaboom—!
A colossal blaze engulfed the exam hall's air. Protective magic blocked it fully, but Kim In-cheol's eyes bulged at the scale.
"What......"
Compress mana internally, release in one go.
Any flaw in compression, control, or discharge could shatter the armament—yet Lee Se-hun had perfected it.
"Impressive?"
"At this level...... yes, overwhelmingly so."
Even Vice Department Head Michael couldn't contest this.
Kim In-cheol exhaled inwardly, watching her reexamine the sheath.
"You seem quite taken with it."
"Yes. The most intriguing I've seen lately."
Her words stunned him. None rivaled her strictness on armaments.
For her to praise a mere rare-grade so highly? Curiosity piqued, he asked carefully.
"What makes it so intriguing?"
"Hm. Judging solely by this...... it has many shortcomings. Fine completion, but his physical abilities limit fine control."
She gazed sharply at the Flame-Stacking Sheath.
"I'd say it's 70%—no, 60% or less of what Cadet Lee Se-hun intended."
"Heh......"
"And that's what excites me."
Her red eyes faintly gleamed as she stroked it slowly.
"What if his lacking physical prowess improves? With diverse skills, attribute mana, superior materials?"
Her blank face betrayed faint heat, tongue unconsciously wetting her lips, as if glimpsing that future.
"He'd craft...... something utterly delicious."
"......"
Kim In-cheol gave a wry smile at her anticipation-laden words toward Lee Se-hun.
S-rank hero 'Weapon Eater' Ryu Eun-ha. Blacksmiths whispered another moniker for her.
A gourmet who savored the 'taste' of armaments as a hobby. Bought painstaking works, devoured them like meals, left brutal reviews.
That was Ryu Eun-ha.
'A promising blacksmith eyed by a gourmet......'
Fortune or curse? He smiled bitterly at her impassively caressing the sheath.