Chapter 96
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Challenging the Sect Leader
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Inside Lee Se-hun's dorm room.
The TV, which had been sitting like mere decoration in the living room, flickered on for the first time. Soon, a video began to play.
Yeom Seong-ha publicly issued the challenge right after the promotion ceremony ended.
The area grew noisy at the sudden provocation, and then a deep, resonant voice boomed out.
A middle-aged man with short red hair and a flame-shaped scar etched on his left cheek—Yi Won-ryong—accepted the challenge. The two received practice spears from below, and the duel began.
Kaboom!
Every time the spear swung, Yi Won-ryong's Flame Ring erupted as if it would swallow the entire training ground whole. Yeom Seong-ha barely managed to block it with his Black Flame Ring, holding on for dear life.
An A-rank hero treated as quasi-S-rank versus a prospective B-rank hero who had just advanced to Babel's third year.
The outcome was a foregone conclusion in this one-sided bout.
Thwack! Crack!
Yeom Seong-ha, who could only focus on defense, soon took a brutal strike to the gut from Yi Won-ryong's spear. Blows rained down on his face, shoulders, and body.
Yi Won-ryong's attacks battered him publicly, as if intent on humiliating him completely. Yet even in that dire situation, Yeom Seong-ha refused to surrender, parrying strikes until the end.
And as his body, continuously pushed back, finally reached the edge of the training ground...
Snap!
A thrust aimed at his solar plexus shattered both short spears and sent Yeom Seong-ha flying out of the arena.
Thud!
He crashed to the ground below, twitching for a moment before slowly rising to his feet.
Blood streamed from his forehead and mouth, leaving his face a mess. Still, Yeom Seong-ha looked up at Yi Won-ryong atop the platform with unwavering eyes.
The video ended with words like a declaration of war.
"......"
Lee Se-hun, sitting on the living room sofa and watching the TV, lifted his head to look at the protagonist from the video sitting across from him.
Yeom Seong-ha sat silently on the sofa, staring back at him. Lee Se-hun let out a deep sigh at the man's brazen demeanor.
"You mad bastard......"
Who would've thought he'd publicly challenge the sect leader, Yi Won-ryong, right after the promotion ceremony?
Despite the headache from Yeom Seong-ha's beyond-imaginative actions, Lee Se-hun calmly asked,
"Let's hear it. Why the sudden stunt?"
Yeom Seong-ha was a madman who charged ahead recklessly once he made up his mind, but up until now, he'd always judged situations soundly.
So there had to be a reason for this declaration of war. In response to Lee Se-hun's question, Yeom Seong-ha answered flatly.
"The sect leader started purging those who stayed neutral. It looked like he was trying to clean up Flame Flower Sect before I could make my move."
"So you flipped the board a bit early?"
"Yeah."
Lee Se-hun pondered as Yeom Seong-ha nodded.
'If that's the case, stepping up now makes sense.'
It was a given that the future Yeom Seong-ha would surpass Yi Won-ryong, but that didn't mean there'd be no clashes along the way.
Especially those clinging to Yi Won-ryong for profit—they'd likely oppose him regardless of his talent or skill.
So if an opportunity arose to check that faction, it was better to seize it without hesitation.
'And the reaction's not bad, either.'
Lee Se-hun glanced at his phone and checked the articles he'd looked up before playing the video.
[Flame Flower Sect's youngest instructor, Yeom Seong-ha, challenges the sect leader.]
[Yeom Seong-ha, wielder of dual short spears, brings new waves to the Flame Ring Remnant Blossom Spear?]
[Flame Flower Sect spokesperson: 'Instructor Yeom Seong-ha's Flame Ring and spear arts are his own. No plans to adopt them until efficiency is proven.']
'They probably called in the insiders to dress him down somehow... but it backfired.'
To the untrained eye, it looked like Yeom Seong-ha got beaten throughout and lost. But to those who knew what to watch for, it was different.
Yi Won-ryong and Yeom Seong-ha's flames canceled each other out, turning what should have been decisive blows into mere grazes.
Even without full power, he hadn't instantly subdued a student at B-rank hero level. That left two possibilities.
'Either Yi Won-ryong's skills are that mediocre... or Yeom Seong-ha's talent is absurd.'
Interpretations might vary, but either way, people would have to take the next sect leader candidate seriously.
Lee Se-hun was slightly impressed by how Yeom Seong-ha had seized the opportunity amid the chaos.
'Is it because he's short on raw power? He's moving smarter than before regression.'
The pre-regression Mad Dog would've smashed all opposition and proven himself the true heir to the Flame Ring Remnant Blossom Spear tradition.
That might be faster, but for Flame Flower Sect's future, this roundabout way was better.
"Now I get how your face ended up like that... but why catch a Flame Blade Hunter?"
From the video and news, Lee Se-hun couldn't fathom why a Flame Blade Hunter was relevant now.
Yeom Seong-ha stared silently at the question before sighing in response.
"Flame Flower Sect instructors get benefits but must take periodic missions in return. So right after promotion, they assign a simple one to test your skills precisely."
"And that's killing a Flame Blade Hunter?"
"Precisely, it's protecting a Flame Flower Sect blacksmith we expect the hunter to target."
"'Expect'......"
Flame Blade Hunts were ongoing now, but Lee Se-hun knew from before regression that the case went unsolved.
'Yet somehow they tracked his movements to Flame Flower Sect? Sounds bogus.'
Recalling Yi Won-ryong's purges, Lee Se-hun asked Yeom Seong-ha,
"That blacksmith. Did he piss off the sect leader by any chance?"
"......Apparently."
"Knew it."
Whether the attackers were real Flame Blade Hunters was uncertain, but their target was clearly Yeom Seong-ha.
Yi Won-ryong wasn't hiding his intentions—perhaps due to the duel. Lee Se-hun grimaced at the headache.
"Can't refuse?"
"They'd just assign another. Refuse three times without good reason, and you lose instructor status."
"Yeah. Figures."
After mulling it over as expected, Lee Se-hun organized his thoughts and spoke.
"Fine. I'll whip something up within three days somehow."
"Then the pay..."
"In exchange."
Lee Se-hun cut him off and stared at Yeom Seong-ha.
"I'm coming with you."
Yeom Seong-ha's eyes widened at Lee Se-hun's words, then narrowed as if he'd heard something insulting.
"Don't talk nonsense. Why would I let a punk like you..."
"Hero-grade spear. Don't want it?"
"Tch......"
His mouth froze mid-refusal, eyes narrowing unpleasantly.
Soon, he stood and shot a cold glare.
"Follow if you want and die for all I care."
With that, he stormed out. Lee Se-hun clicked his tongue at the retreating figure.
"Just say thanks when someone's offering help... Dude can't even warn properly."
He wanted to tell him to handle it himself, but what could he do? Even a screw-up like that was an ace who could kill a demon god in the future.
Lee Se-hun stood and infused mana into the Ring of the Ascendant Emperor.
Whooo!
Space rippled in the air, revealing the subspace box on the floor.
Normally, subspace items couldn't be accessed this way, but Ludwig had tweaked the Ring of the Ascendant Emperor to make it possible.
'The guy who made subspace spells—nothing he can't do.'
Planning to examine it later, Lee Se-hun pulled out pre-selected materials from the box.
Whooo
The inner wood of a tree with lotus stems rooted everywhere. Smaller than the sacred tree fragment used for the Crimson Flame Forge, but far denser.
Grade: Hero [Quality: Lowest]
Root of the sacred tree grown in the Black Lotus Flood.
One of the roots supplying nutrients directly to the core, specialized in mana absorption.
*Properties change rapidly based on infused mana.
A grade higher than the sacred tree fragment, this root absorbed mana fiercely for quick maturation—a rare byproduct.
"And..."
Lee Se-hun placed a hand on his solar plexus and activated the skill 'Dream Storage'.
Fwoosh!
Purple flames rose from his midsection. He reached in and withdrew a jet-black index finger bone etched with dense runes: the Unknown's Phalange.
'Been a while since I pulled this out.'
Like the Ring of the Ascendant Emperor, it held a Summit Climber's power.
He'd held off using it fearing Jürgen might sense it, but with no signs so far, it seemed safe.
After a quick inspection, Lee Se-hun checked the info window.
Grade: Hero [Quality: Highest]
Left index finger bone of the absolute one who summited, 'Jürgen Kruger'.
The body of a necromancer who treads the line between life and death serves as a potent catalyst for necromantic magic on its own.
Infuse mana to use the three necromantic spells engraved on the finger.
*Skill 'Eye of the Boundary' available.
*Skill 'Call of the Departed' available.
*Skill 'Soul-Sealing Darkness' available.
'Hmm. Soul-Sealing Darkness is unlocked now.'
It hadn't been usable when first taken from Polmont—likely the technique that briefly sealed Ryu Eun-ha.
'Works even on S-ranks with a touch... handy.'
Good to keep handy for risky moments. After a brief look, Lee Se-hun pressed the Unknown's Phalange to the sacred tree root.
Crunch!
"?!"
The root turned black the instant it touched, spreading at alarming speed. Lee Se-hun yanked it back quickly.
Crunch—
But it continued darkening, shrinking about 10% before stabilizing.
"......Impressive. That's the level, huh."
Worthily a Summit Climber's fragment—performance beyond expectations.
Lee Se-hun pondered the thick dark mana emanating from the root.
'Plenty of time to forge the spear... the issue's the assassins from Flame Flower Sect.'
The duel showed mid-tier B-ranks could lose to him, so they'd prepare more thoroughly.
'A-rank. Maybe extras.'
One, he could handle with Yeom Seong-ha exploiting gaps. More than that? Tough.
Plus potential interference from factions targeting him. He needed reliable backup.
A veteran assassin-killer with combat experience—the cantankerous old man, Ma Gwang-su, fit perfectly. Lee Se-hun smirked.
"Time to make him groan."
Sunday morning.
A sharp metallic clang echoed in one of the Martial Combat Department classrooms, which should have been quiet on the weekend.
Clang!
Two iron swords clashed in midair.
The blades targeted vitals without hesitation, chilling to watch, yet the wielders chatted casually.
"So you're tagging along?"
Ma Gwang-su parried a neck strike and retorted incredulously. Lee Se-hun thrust at his heart in reply.
"Send him alone, and he'll come back missing a limb or two. Gotta help out."
"People'd laugh if they heard."
Yeom Seong-ha: third-year Spear Arts top student, Martial Hall rank 10, gunning for A-rank.
A first-year Forging student helping? Aqar Quf pride would scoff.
"They don't know him. Thinks he only fights head-on—backstab him, and he's done."
"And you can handle it?"
"Well..."
Scraaape!
Before he could answer, Ma Gwang-su's blade scraped his and dove for the wrist. Lee Se-hun twisted his wrist half-turn and kicked the flat with his foot.
Clang!
Swords repelled, they stepped back. Lee Se-hun reset his stance, caught his breath, and replied.
"To some extent."
"......"
Ma Gwang-su looked disgruntled at Lee Se-hun parrying his slightly serious probe meant as a warning.
'Monster......'
Less than a month since passing Two Kills Technique, and he wielded it freely?
Missing his chance to speak, Ma Gwang-su cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Ahem. Anyway, not your fight. Yi Won-ryong's mad for the throne, but would he overplay that bad?"
"What if he does?"
"......He'd die."
Ma Gwang-su scratched his chin nonchalantly.
"His choice, though. Self-inflicted."
Abandon the throne, and he'd live well as a high hero, no threats.
But he walked into the trap for it—his fault, no complaints.
"Yeah, true."
"So..."
"But what can ya do."
Lee Se-hun sighed deeply and gave Ma Gwang-su a wry smile.
"Promised to help."
"......"
"Anyway, skipping next class. No word after, assume it went south."
Lee Se-hun bowed slightly, sheathed the practice sword, and left. Ma Gwang-su stared, dumbfounded.
"That crazy bastard......"
Why make such a promise and idiotically keep it, courting danger?
Irritation welled at the foolish act.
'Obvious short-lifer. Better off.'
No point teaching Heavenly Insect Sword to someone dying early. As he tried shaking off thoughts of Lee Se-hun...
'—It's a promise.'
A memory surfaced: a young man smiling at him. Ma Gwang-su paused, then sighed heavily.
"Why are promise-keepers never normal......"
Grumbling, he pulled out his phone and texted his second-year class scheduled for Wednesday.
[On business trip.]