Chapter 95

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Translator: Ebonarch

Chapter: 95

Chapter Title: Crimson Flame Rod

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Whoosh!

Crimson flames churned like waves deep inside the furnace.

The flames slammed against the walls, scattering in all directions before gathering back at the center, surging like waves once more.

Bzzz—

Each time this repeated, a crimson glow flickered through the gaps in the massive lump of charcoal at the furnace's heart. Lee Se-hun narrowed his eyes as he peered through the translucent lid.

And then, as the heat intensified further and the crimson blaze grew fiercer...

Crack.

The surface of the charcoal began to crumble.

"Here we go!"

Lee Se-hun bellowed and swiftly flung open the translucent lid of the furnace.

Roar!

Flames and heat burst out from the furnace.

In the scorching blaze that easily pierced through the heat-resistant functions of his standard-issue work uniform, Lee Se-hun didn't blink as he thrust in the tongs.

Swoosh!

The crimson-heated charcoal lump was transferred to the workbench in one motion. Closing the furnace lid, Lee Se-hun immediately stabbed prepared iron rods into it from all sides.

Fwoosh!

Blood-like crimson flames erupted as the iron rods pierced in.

Skillfully dodging every burst of flame, Lee Se-hun finally connected black spirit threads to the ends of the rods before tossing it to Louise, who was standing by.

"Final compression!"

Louise snatched the black spirit threads and bit down on them instantly, channeling the mental image she'd polished in her mind for so long into her word spirit magic.

Louise's word spirit magic seeped deeply through the black spirit threads, and at the same time, the crimson glow shining through the charcoal's cracks intensified even further.

Crack-craaack!

As the cracks spreading everywhere reached their limit and the surface began to collapse...

Boom—!

The massive charcoal lump exploded in an instant, scattering ash everywhere.

"Cough, cough... Ugh, damn it..."

Louise grimaced as ash covered not just her surroundings but her entire body. Good thing she'd changed into work clothes; otherwise, all her favorite outfits would have been ruined.

"Hey! How'd it go? Is it done?!"

Unable to see clearly, she shouted, but no answer came back. Starting to feel a bit anxious at the silence...

Vrooom!

The workshop's ventilation kicked in, clearing her vision.

"..."

Lee Se-hun was a mess, covered in ash just like the workshop. And the workbench at the explosion's epicenter was empty. Louise's face paled.

'A failure?'

They'd been at this for 10 hours straight already—did they have to start over from scratch?

As she seriously considered just smacking the back of Lee Se-hun's head and bolting...

"It's done."

Turning around, Lee Se-hun smiled and held up the crimson rod in his hand.

"Goddamn... you scared me."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Louise approached Lee Se-hun and examined the finished product in his hand.

Roughly 130cm long. Its surface gleamed with a strange luster, almost like it was made of glass. Intrigued by the change, Louise asked,

"Is it hot?"

"Just a bit warm."

"Then gimme. Let me see it."

Snatching it from Lee Se-hun, Louise immediately checked the info window.

"...What is this? Just rare rank?"

Louise frowned in disappointment at the rank of the rod in her hand, the Crimson Flame Rod.

By a student's standards, a top-grade rare item wasn't bad at all. But considering her own effort and time invested...

And above all, the sheer 'quantity' of materials used, it felt too low.

"Is this really right? We compressed so many of those weird wood pieces, and this is what came out?"

Infuse word spirit magic into fragments of sacred wood to activate them, then adapt them to flames in the furnace.

Once the fragments shrink to a uniform size through processing, bond and compress them with similarly processed ones.

Repeating this dozens of times created the flame affinity and resistance that defined this Crimson Flame Rod.

'With all that, it should've been at least hero rank...'

Feeling betrayed by her efforts, Louise scowled, and Lee Se-hun chuckled.

"Calm down. It's unfinished, that's why."

"Unfinished?"

"Normally, there should be a blade at this end that releases mana. Slap something basic on, and it'll hit hero rank."

This Crimson Flame Rod was like a line drawing fully outlined. Nearly hero rank in this state alone— in a way, it was well-made.

'If we hadn't failed midway so much, it would've been perfect.'

As Lee Se-hun lamented the dozens of sacred wood fragments turned to pristine white ash...

"...A blade?"

Louise narrowed her eyes.

"Don't tell me this is for that flame whateveryourname guy?"

"Yeah. Selling it to h... "

"Hmph...!"

Louise slammed the Crimson Flame Rod down toward her knee to shatter it.

At the sudden move, Lee Se-hun blocked her knee with his hand and stared in disbelief.

"What the hell?"

"If I'd known it was a weapon for that bastard, I wouldn't have helped! Why make something like this for a jerk like him?!"

Despite meeting him just once, she clearly hated Yeom Seong-ha, venting her rage.

Recalling how the Violent Dog used to grit her teeth at the mere sight of Mad Dog before his regression, Lee Se-hun patted her shoulder with a smirk.

"Don't get so mad."

"How can I not? You're giving it to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠someone like th..."

"Yeom Seong-ha's an arrogant prick with crap personality who blames his weapons for everything instead of his own skills, sure. But he's got his good sides too."

"...Why'd you really make it for him?"

Not only not taking her side but voicing everything she wanted to say, Louise stared in exasperation, and Lee Se-hun answered calmly.

"Can't run a business selling only to people I like. As long as they meet the baseline, I sell."

"What... like talent or something?"

"Exactly. And firm convictions. People like that survive a long time."

They cling to life tenaciously in battle and resist temptation ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to stay 'human.'

That's why, despite countless clashes with the Three Dogs before his regression, Lee Se-hun kept forging armaments for them to the end.

"...Tell me next time. Don't make me waste my energy."

Grouchy, but not refusing to help next time—that was Louise. Seizing the moment, Lee Se-hun casually asked what had been bugging him.

"By the way, does forging armaments really drain you?"

"Of course. I thought it was for you, so..."

Louise froze mid-answer. Guessing the situation, Lee Se-hun smirked.

"For me? So what? Keep going."

"...I'm gonna kill you."

"If you're dying anyway, at least let me hear it. Ah, I get it. You worked hard thinking it'd be for me..."

"Hey!!!"

"Don't even dream of getting my help next time you make something!!"

Louise yelled as she hopped into a taxi and sped off. Kim In-cheol, who had come out front with Lee Se-hun to see her off, asked,

"What on earth happened while I was away?"

"Teased her a bit, but she has no patience."

Whether before or after his regression, teasing her over slip-ups always made her snap the same way.

'Gotta build up her tolerance this time.'

A word spirit mage losing her cool over a little wordplay? No good. As Lee Se-hun resolved inwardly, Kim In-cheol gave a wry smile.

"Go easy. Your tone and expressions are perfect for making enemies."

"That's some bitter advice. Oh, right—did you see the finished product?"

Kim In-cheol nodded at Lee Se-hun's question.

"Excellent work. Attach any blade, and hero rank is guaranteed."

"Thanks."

"And..."

After a moment's hesitation, Kim In-cheol spoke with conviction.

"I see potential for using it with Shattered Flame too."

Sacred wood fragments grow to match their environment—even flames, their natural counter.

So, could they grow one attuned to Shattered Flame and use it to replace the destroyed 'origin'?

Lee Se-hun nodded at Kim In-cheol's hypothesis.

"Not perfectly, but I think it'll have some effect."

"That's why I'm asking... Could you sell me a bit of that sacred wood?"

Even with plenty of material, its uncertain renewability might make ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠him hesitate.

They were collaborating, but since he'd initiated the request, Kim In-cheol waited tensely.

"Of course."

Lee Se-hun nodded readily.

"I've got more than enough, so take as much as you need."

"...Thank you sincerely."

As Kim In-cheol bowed in genuine gratitude, Lee Se-hun grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"No need. Plus, I have a favor to ask you too, Professor."

"A favor?"

At Kim In-cheol's question, Lee Se-hun replied cautiously.

"Next time, I'd like to try smelting with Shattered Flame."

"..."

Kim In-cheol's expression hardened slightly at the request.

Even with rare sacred wood on offer, he hesitated. Watching closely, Lee Se-hun saw Kim In-cheol slowly nod.

"Alright. It might be risky, but... you'll manage."

"Then..."

"Just promise me one thing."

Looking at Lee Se-hun seriously, Kim In-cheol said,

"If the finished armament bears any trace of Shattered Flame, destroy it immediately."

Exposing Shattered Flame could invite attacks. Conveying this subtly, Kim In-cheol waited as Lee Se-hun nodded.

"Understood."

"I trust you."

Kim In-cheol glanced at the darkening sky.

"Better head back. I'll give you a ride."

Pulling a massive red motorcycle from the garage, Kim In-cheol zipped across the roads to drop Lee Se-hun off, vanishing into the distance just as quickly as he'd arrived.

Vrooom—!

Gone beyond the horizon in a blink. Stroking his chin as he watched, Lee Se-hun mused.

'Someone who can spot Shattered Flame traces... Probably smuggled it out from the Watchers internally?'

According to pre-regression info on Ice Dog via Dream Tusk, Kim In-cheol was once a Watcher-affiliated blacksmith, killed in the Flame Blade Hunt.

Not confirmed true yet, but plausible now.

'Among Watchers, only the 『Offerings』 crew's tied to blacksmithing.'

The eccentrics who sacrificed anything for perfect armaments.

He'd encountered them most before regression—stalkers who knew the Watchers' internals best.

'First, track down the Flame Blade Hunt culprit, the Flame Blade Hunter.'

If they're really 『Offerings』, traces on their body would confirm it.

Problem: how to catch the bastard he couldn't before regression. As Lee Se-hun pondered methods while walking...

"You're late."

A hulking figure blocked his path.

That irritating voice from the weekend hell—Lee Se-hun looked up naturally, then widened his eyes.

"You..."

Bandages around the forehead, gauze on cheeks, split lips, minor cuts everywhere—his face was wrecked.

Staring at the battered Yeom Seong-ha, Lee Se-hun asked awkwardly,

"You get beat up?"

Who the hell pummeled this thug like this? Yeom Seong-ha squinted slightly at the question and changed the subject.

"How much of the spear is done?"

Expression saying he didn't want to talk wounds. Despite the reluctance, Lee Se-hun answered.

"Fire attribute just needs the blade. Dark attribute's not started."

"..."

Yeom Seong-ha sank into thought silently, then spoke flatly soon after.

"Make as many as you can in three days and hand them over."

Turning to leave like that was it—Lee Se-hun blocked him naturally.

"...What?"

"Don't know who beat you, but if you need armaments, at least explain the situation."

"No need for th..."

"Gotta know whose gut this spear's going into to make it right. We're in this together anyway—hiding it like this leaves a bad taste."

Not budging until he heard, Lee Se-hun stood firm. Yeom Seong-ha stared, sighed, and answered.

"I need to kill the guy called the Flame Blade Hunter."