Chapter 010
Chapter 010
Clang—!!
The hammering continued.
Rox crossed his arms and watched Kang-hyun work.
'What on earth is he planning to do?'
Transmutation, alteration, and fusion of materials.
Alchemy offered mana as the answer to this.
Through mana, one melts down the essence of the material... in other words, the mana array, alters it, and combines it.
Metallurgy, or rather, is this actually possible with a hammer?
"It would be possible, theoretically."
Countless technicians in the past had clung to it. Countless geniuses had challenged it.
To alter and transmute the mana array of materials.
All of them failed.
"It's not that easy..."
Evangeline's face stiffened at Rox's mutterings.
Just how absurd is Kang-hyun's work right now for him to say that?
"Professor, ahem. Old man. Is transmuting materials with metallurgy really that difficult?"
"Of course. Do you think you can turn water into ice by hitting it with a hammer?"
"Uh..."
"Material transmutation is like that. You have to change its properties."
Of course, it would be possible if you used mana.
However...
"The difficulty of the work changes, then."
"Yes."
Clang—! Clang—!!
Rox stared at the sparks flying up.
"Mana penetrates directly into the material. You can interfere precisely only with the parts where you want to change the array structure. But a hammer is a method of applying impact from the outside."
"Does that mean the impact doesn't reach the inside?"
"It would reach it. Because the impact is transmitted. But the precision would drop."
Rox raised a finger.
"Mana can touch only where you want, like a needle. A hammer is different. The impact spreads out. To touch only the desired mana array inside the material... you have to perfectly control the intensity and direction of the impact."
A realm impossible with delicate mana manipulation alone.
"......Is that possible?"
"Theoretically."
Rox turned his head back toward Kang-hyun.
"If one is a master who has engraved the sensation hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of times into their body, perhaps it's possible."
"And that wasn't me—"
Rox swallowed the rest of his words.
Clang—!! Ka-clang—!!
"... Hm?"
Rox narrowed his brows. The sound of Kang-hyun's hammering had changed slightly.
The rhythm and intensity had changed slightly. He wondered if he was already tired, but... judging by Kang-hyun's momentum, that wasn't it.
Ka-ang—! Clang-!
It lengthened, then shortened. He struck hard, then weak; he struck at an angle, then drew it out.
A clear intention could be felt.
'... Is he looking for something?'
Rox, having realized something, opened his eyes wide.
'No way! Is he trying to touch the mana array with a hammer right now...!!'
It was an absurd attempt.
It's not an easy task to succeed in on the first try.
One must calculate the impact with precise force and angle, and simultaneously manipulate mana delicately.
'The kid...... is he serious?'
Ka-clang—!!
It changed again.
Rox gasped.
Clang! Ka-ang-!
Kang-hyun controlled his breathing and focused on the work.
Material transmutation, collapse of the mana array... he set aside such unknown things.
'I will focus only on what I can do right now.'
How did Rox do it earlier? What did he accomplish?
'Collapse and fusion of materials.'
To accomplish that... first, one must collapse it.
He had to break the material's structure accurately from the foundation.
'Just shoving mana in isn't the solution.'
He loaded mana into the hammer and struck the desired part at the precise angle.
Like striking and removing only a small part from a countless pile of blocks.
Clang!
He focused on his fingertips. He caught the subtle rebound and sensation.
'That was too strong.'
Kka-ang-!
He twisted his shoulder a little and tried again.
Clang—!
This is it.
Kang-hyun's hands moved without rest.
The mana loaded on the hammer spread out like ripples from a stone dropped in a pond, sequentially collapsing, interfering with, and re-establishing the mana array.
Clang— Clang—!
Kang-hyun's thoughts were focused entirely on one thing.
The surrounding noise was muffled as if separated, and the scenery became blurry as if diluted in water.
Finally, the moment all of Kang-hyun's spirit was directed toward the Mana Crystal in front of him.
Swaaaa—
Something blurry began to spread on the surface of the Mana Crystal.
It even looked like something was flowing under a thin film.
The hammer stopped.
"That—!!"
It was a typical symptom seen when transmutation occurred.
'Is this material transmutation...?'
Kang-hyun calmly observed the Mana Crystal.
The mana array was in a state of intentional collapse. As a result, the internal properties of the Mana Crystal had changed to a flowing state.
"Amazing!! It's amazing!! Hahaha! You brat, aren't you truly incredible!!"
Rox shouted, spraying saliva with an ecstatic look in his eyes.
To make stone flow like water!
To turn water into ice with a hammer!
Filled with joy, Rox rushed over to observe the Mana Crystal.
"You, you! How on earth did you do it, huh?! Do you even know what you've done?! Hahahahaha!!"
Rox carefully lifted the Mana Crystal, inside which things were flowing.
"This will be the greatest masterpiece!! For a mere first-year brat to accomplish what no one else could! Hahahahaha!! Who on earth would believe this?!"
Then, he actually urged Kang-hyun.
"Well, what are you doing! Hurry up and continue the work! Show me to the end what you can make with this!! Hurry!"
Rox looks at Kang-hyun with bloodshot eyes.
But Kang-hyun shook his head.
"......I can't."
"......What?"
"Haa— I said I can't. I can't continue the work!"
Kang-hyun put down the hammer as if dumbfounded.
He pointed at the Mana Crystal held in Rox's hand.
"Old man. Are you saying that after looking at this properly?"
"......What?"
"Take a good look."
Rox observing the Mana Crystal intently.
He flinched, his shoulders trembling, then let his head droop.
"......Ah, damn it..."
"Uh, excuse me...... what's going on?"
Evangeline, who had been intoxicated by Kang-hyun's scent that grew stronger as the work continued, approached hesitantly.
"Why are you saying you can't continue the work?"
Rox, who had been hanging his head for a long time, mumbled.
"......You made it too well."
"Pardon?"
"That crazy bastard made it so well!! It's no longer in a usable state!!"
"Huh?!"
An unprecedented situation where the work became impossible because he made it too well.
Evangeline hurriedly checked the Mana Crystal.
Orange mucus flowing under the translucent surface.
And.
[Name : Altered Mana Crystal]
[Grade : Hero]
[Quality : High]
[Description : A Mana Crystal completed after an unbelievably precise work.
Its internal properties have been altered, so although it is stone, it is flowing.
It boasts near-perfect mana conductivity.
It is unique in itself and is not affected by or mixed with anything else.]
'Unique and not mixed or affected by anything?'
Evangeline blinked and read the status window once more.
This... does this make sense?
It's just a Mana Crystal, but it's unique and unaffected?
"Old man. What on earth happened here?"
Rox was silent for a long time.
Then he opened his mouth with difficulty.
"I'm not sure, but...... it seems the mana array has been completely fixed."
"Isn't that obvious?"
Rox shook his head.
Normally, that would be the case.
"I've been in this field for decades, but I've never seen anything like this, so I'm not sure. But... I suspect that in the state where the structure was altered, it might have completely hardened in that state due to external heat and impact."
A situation where a sandcastle intentionally collapsed has become as hard as concrete.
Rox's eyes glinted.
"But I can tell you one thing for sure."
Grip- Rox grabbed Kang-hyun's shoulder. Where in his frail body such energy was emanating from, Kang-hyun couldn't even move.
"This is the most perfect failure I have ever seen."
A perfect failure.
It was a contradictory statement, but Evangeline and Kang-hyun had no choice but to agree.
In this state, it is completely useless. It will not mix or react with any other material.
Therefore, it is a failure.
However.
The technique that created this was beautifully delicate.
So it was perfect.
Rox handed the Mana Crystal to Kang-hyun.
"Keep this well. It's a failure, but its value is limitless."
Kang-hyun took the Mana Crystal.
"Just looking at the fact that its mana conductivity is near-perfect, it will have plenty of uses."
At that moment, Rox's eyes turned to Kang-hyun's hands.
They were still immature palms.
Rox clicked his tongue.
"Tsk."
"......?"
Rox scanned Kang-hyun up and down with a sharp gaze.
"You brat, now that I look at you......"
His gaze turned askew.
"Your body is really subpar. Your stamina is poor, and you're frail."
"Th, that's..."
He had nothing to say.
Because it was true that this body was still full of shortcomings.
"Hmm. Let's see."
Rox, who approached a place piled high with junk, rummaged through it and brought something back.
Two bracelets and two anklets with a jade hue. The numbers 1 through 9 were engraved on the surface.
"Wear these."
"What are these?"
"You. I see your mana capacity is ignorantly high."
Rox put the bracelets and anklets on Kang-hyun's limbs. Wooooong- They vibrated slightly, and his limbs became heavy.
"Ugh."
[Name : Atlas's Ring]
[Grade : Common]
[Quality : Mid-High]
[Description : An artifact that absorbs and discharges mana.
It adds weight up to levels 1 to 9 depending on the amount of mana absorbed.
It boasts the best effect when all 4 parts resonate with each other and are used simultaneously.]
Rox had added mana, causing it to add the weight of level 1.
Even with just that, Kang-hyun staggered as if he had sandbags attached to his limbs.
"Take them and use them for exercise. They were useless, and I couldn't even throw them away."
"Ugh... Th, thank you..."
"That's enough. If you're done with your work, go."
Rox waved his hand dismissively.
Turning around to clean up the traces of the work, he hesitated for a moment.
"......Next time you come, come empty-handed."
He tossed that out and disappeared between the books.
Evangeline's eyes went wide.
"That... that means come again next time, right?"
"Ugh. Seems like it."
"Uh, maybe me too?"
"Seems like it."
Creeeak—
He closed the door and came out into the hallway.
"It's a bit heavy... it'll definitely be good exercise."
Kang-hyun lifted his arm with the Atlas's Ring on it, put it down, and frowned.
"Looks like we'll be taking classes together from now on. Let's get along."
"Uh, uh-huh? Yeah... nice to meet you...?"
"Yeah. I have business at the Martial Arts Specialization Department, so I'll go first."
Kang-hyun, wearing the rings on his limbs, walked away, staggering slightly.
"......"
Evangeline left alone in the hallway.
She stood blankly, ruminating on what had just happened.
'Did I... end up taking "Understanding of Mana Alchemy Smelting"?'
There were two students.
Herself and Kang-hyun.
'Huh?'
...Then what about the grades?
Isn't it usually relative grading?
Evangeline's tail began to slowly puff up and rise as she started to realize the situation.
'My, my grades? You're telling me to take a class with a monster like that, just the two of us, and compete for grades?!'
"Huh?"
"Is this right?!"