<h4>Chapter 31</h4>


    Finished with their conversation, Se-Hoon and Sung-Ha finally left the ssroom and arrived at the forging roomte. Lis, who had been doing a demonstration for the other students, narrowed his eyes after seeing them.


    “Didn’t I tell you toe quickly?”


    “Sorry. Sung-Ha sunbae wanted to briefly discuss the me ring,” replied Se-Hoon confidently.


    “...Yes, I did,” confirmed Sung-Ha bluntly.


    “<i>Tsk</i>... next time, save the personal discussions for after the lecture.”


    Lis normally wouldn’t tolerateziness, especially from those without skill, but there was no reason to reprimand someone who was overflowing with talent like Se-Hoon.


    Se-Hoon took his seat at a forging station and the demonstration resumed. As Lis talked, he nced around the room.


    <i>I guess it’s still basic instructions for now. Half of the students are already drawing out their designs.</i>


    Quickly realizing there was no need to listen attentively to Lis, he quietly got up to examine the materials that were on one side of the room.


    <i>Hm. Even though these are just typically provided materials, there are quite a few useful ones.</i>


    These materials were provided to lessen the financial burden on the students and would not affect the budget they were allocated earlier. Surprisingly, the quality was quite good.


    <i>I remember working like a ve in the workshops run by professors before the regression and getting paid with materials instead of money...</i>


    As he recalled his past, he chose some materials and then returned to his seat. The sight of him choosing without hesitation surprised the students who noticed.


    <i>He’s picking materials already?</i>


    <i>Does he not need to verify his design?</i>


    Normally, theplex nature of mana circuits in equipment with residual mana caused the design to require meticulous nning and verification before starting the forging process.


    Yet Se-Hoon had skipped straight to forging, not even sketching a draft.


    This unconventional approach surprised not only the students but also Lis, who was still amid his demonstration.


    Feeling a particrly intense gaze among the stares from all over, Se-Hoon nced over.


    “...”


    He immediately noticed Sung-Ha, eyes wide open, ring at him; he seemed determined to catch Se-Hoon’s every move. Realizing that his gaze was mixed with suspicion and anticipation, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but smirk.


    <i>That bastard’s eyeballs are going to pop.</i>


    Noticing the smirk, Sung-Ha’s gaze intensified even further, but Se-Hoon just ignored it and examined his chosen materials.


    The primary materials for his forging session were Fire Crimson Stone and Dark Cloud Stone, which contained fire and darkness mana respectively, making them standard choices for materials.


    <i>The ratio should be about seven to three... I should start with the heating.</i>


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The furnace roared to life as soon as it was switched on and began devouring mana as fuel. After checking the temperature, Se-Hoon immediately ced the Fire Crimson Stone and Dark Cloud Stone into the furnace.


    “He’s just tossing them in?”


    “Wouldn’t all of the intrinsic elemental mana just dissipate?”


    Since this was a mistake that not even a novice would make, the students found it unbelievable that the honor student had done it. As everyone watched with perplexed expressions, Se-Hoon rolled up the sleeve of his right arm and looked into the furnace.


    <i>Here ites.</i>


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The heated Fire Crimson Stone and Dark Cloud Stone cracked, leaking the intrinsic elemental mana they contained.


    The two types of mana immediately began shing with the mes inside the furnace. Noticing that they were seemingly about to be consumed entirely by the mes, he protected his right arm with Scarlet Lotus and plunged it into the furnace.


    “<i>Gasp</i>...!”


    “<i>Agh</i>...!”


    The daring sight surprised the watching students. Meanwhile, Se-Hoon, the man of the hour, nonchntly stirred the mes inside the furnace with his right hand.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    With each movement of his hand, the two different types of mana blended with the mes.


    After stirring the mes inside the furnace for a while, Se-Hoon felt a sense of resistance with his palm and promptly withdrew his arm.


    <i>Woosh!</i>


    A me, intricately mixed with red and ck mana, was slowly swiveling inside the furnace. This sight of such a mysterious me left the surrounding students agape, and even Lis became astonished.


    <i>Fire transmutation...?</i>


    Fire transmutation was a technique used to imbue elemental mana by controlling the mes. It was a high-level technique that required not just precise mana control but also proficiency in handling mes.


    Yet Se-Hoon had just managed to pull it off while simultaneously imbuing both fire and darkness mana.


    <i>So there was a reason behind Professor Kim’s confidence...</i>


    To Lis, it was as if he were watching a cksmith with decades of experience, one that had faced all manners of challenges.


    Overwhelmed by such undeniable talent, Lispletely forgot about the ss, lost in his admiration for Se-Hoon.


    <i>Maybe it was too early, </i>thought Se-Hoon with a frown as he tried to shake off the heat from his right arm.


    He had wondered if he could pull the technique off with the Master of mes and Scarlet Lotus, and it seemed he was still unable to withstand that level of heatpletely.


    <i>Although they mixed a bit less than I thought... the more important matter is the control of the me.</i>


    It might seem like a regr fire transmutation to others, but to Sung-Ha, it likely was a different scene entirely. Rather than forging equipment, Se-Hoon’s main goal for this forging session was to make Sung-Ha understand what controlling mes really meant.


    <i>Watch closely.</i>


    After ensuring that the me’s flow wouldn’t stop, Se-Hoon carefully adjusted the furnace’s internal mana using the buttons at his feet. Sung-Ha’s eyes soon widened from afar at the sight of the resulting scene.


    <i>Is that...</i>


    Inside the furnace, fire mana spun rapidly in circles while the darkness mana, flowing slowly, enveloped it.


    In disbelief, Sung-Ha started at the harmonious interaction of the two types of elemental mana.


    <i>How can the two types of mana with conflicting natures blend so seamlessly...?</i>


    Fire mana was known for its outward-spreading nature and rapid movement. It was a stark contrast to darkness mana, which was known for its inward-eroding nature and its slow movement. It was astonishing that Se-Hoon was able to mix these two fundamentally opposing types of elemental mana seamlessly.


    Captivated by the phenomenon, Sung-Ha was able to quickly discern the trick after some observation.


    <i>It’s thanks to a proper ratio that allows the two types of elemental mana to maintain bnce, and... ayout that reflects the characteristics of the mana.</i>


    By cing the inward-eroding darkness mana on the outside and the outward-spreading fire mana on the inside, the two counterbnced, stabilizing each other. While this was simple to say, bncing the ratio and controlling the movement of each type of mana was aplex task. If one could reach an even higher level ofpetence, they would be able to support an even faster rotation, which would lead to the formation of a perfect circle.


    <i>...A circle?</i>


    The moment this thought urred to Sung-Ha, a vision naturally formed in his mind.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    The vision showed a murky, crimson me ring speeding up and separating into two colors to form a red circle enveloped in ck wisps.


    Seeing the form of the me ring in his mind, he naturally came to a realization.


    “Ah.”


    Not being able to use his other type of elemental mana, because it was thought to hinder the acquisition of the Inferno Ring, had been holding him back.


    ***


    After the ss ended, students slowly gathered around Sung-Ha, who was once again standing still in the room. They didn’t know why, but he seemed to be in a slightly better mood than when he was in the lecture room.


    “Um... sunbae-nim, would you like to have lunch with us...?” asked Hans and his group, who approached more politely this time.


    Noticing their eager eyes, Sung-Ha slowly opened his mouth.


    “I’m in a good mood right now.”


    “Then, perhaps...”


    “So, get lost before it bes bad again.”


    At his curt response, the students withdrew with drooped shoulders. After watching them leave, Sung-Ha turned around to look at the only person left in the room with him.


    “Did you get the gist of it?” Se-Hoon asked.


    He was smiling as if he already knew what Sung-Ha’s answer was. Although Sung-Ha found Se-Hoon’s self-satisfied look somewhat annoying, he nodded in confirmation.


    “Thanks to the control method you showed, I’ve found a clue.”


    “Is that so? Then try making one.”


    “...Don’t order me around.”


    Despite the gruff response, Sung-Ha still created a me ring by drawing a circle in the air.


    <i>Fwoosh!</i>


    As usual, a dark, crimson me arose and formed a circle, but this time, it was thicker and elerating faster than usual. The speed pushed the dark tones of the ring to the surface, while the red tones sank inward. The result was the ck me Wheel, a symbol of Mad Dog Yeom Sung-Ha. Its appearance made Se-Hoon feel a slight bit of admiration for him.


    <i>I didn’t expect that he could make it in a single try after looking at my example just once.</i>


    Sung-Ha possessed two types of A-tier elemental mana: the fire-attributed Crimson me Soul and the darkness-attributed Nightshade Soul. However, he practically only used the Crimson me Soul due to the traditions of the me Sect.


    <i>Themon belief among them is that they can only reach the pinnacle of the Inferno Ring with pure mes.</i>


    Because of this tradition, Sung-Ha had to suppress the Nightshade Soul despite having a natural gift for it. Initially, there seemed to be no issues, but problems arose as he achieved higher levels of the Inferno Ring. Sometimes, the color of the me ring would be a murky dark crimson, and at other times it became difficult to control the me rings.


    <i>That’s why he regressed from seven rings to six.</i>


    The reason Sung-Ha was struggling was a phenomenon caused by a conflict between the understanding of the technique and the usage of mana. But after today’s revtion, he should return to seven rings soon enough.


    <i>He’ll also awaken his unique skill, Complete Source Resonance.</i>


    Once Sung-Ha awakened his skill and properly harnessed it, it would allow him to fight on equal terms with Aria Myers, whom he had overwhelmingly lost to many times.


    “Not bad. While you’re at it, let’s see how many you can create.”


    “I told you not to order me around.”


    “Would you be so kind as to do it?”


    “Wait.”


    Seemingly curious himself, Sung-Ha started to create more ck me Wheels. In the blink of an eye, five ck me Wheels werepleted and lined up in the air. Five rings nowpleted, Sung-Ha summoned the mes for the sixth ring.


    <i>Spark! Fwoosh!</i>


    “Huh?”


    Despite the mes showing up, Sung-Ha failed to form another me ring, prompting Se-Hoon to look at him with a puzzled expression.


    “What are you doing?”


    “It’s not working.”


    “What?”


    “I don’t have the strength to create the sixth me ring.”


    Despite Sung-Ha’s furrowed brow that showed his focus on exerting his full effort, there were no signs of the sixth me ring forming.


    With some observation, Se-Hoon btedly realized the cause.


    <i>Is it because creating ck me Wheels requires so much concentration?</i>


    It was natural that Sung-Ha was unable to create the sixth ring, as each ck me Wheel had to be elerated faster than normal rings. He also needed to simultaneously handle two types of elemental mana while controlling the precise ratios.


    <i>But to think that he would be unable to even make six rings when he could make seven before...</i>


    Though Se-Hoon was initially somewhat taken aback by this unexpected setback, he wasn’t overly concerned. After all, it only appeared as a degeneration in skill; considering the power and characteristics of the ck me Wheel, Sung-Ha’s strength had actually increased.


    He would naturally be able to increase the number of ck me Wheels he could maintain as he grew familiar with them, so there was no need to rush.


    “This is problematic.”


    However, unlike Se-Hoon, Sung-Ha seemed concerned.


    “Problematic? Why?”


    “The me Sect regrly sends mentors to check up on the sessors of the Inferno Ring. And...”


    After pausing briefly, he continued with a heavy tone, “Failing to maintain at least six me rings will disqualify one from sessorship.”


    nkly staring at him, Se-Hoon, needing rification asked, “Wouldn’t being strong be enough?”


    “The me Sect is a n that passes down the Inferno Ring, a cultural heritage. While strength is important, one’s aptitude for the Inferno Ring is a priority.”


    Prioritizing the refinement of technique over brute strength was characteristic of a n that passed down a martial tradition. But to Se-Hoon, it was simply a pain in the neck, as it was something Se-Hoon hadn’t known before the regression.


    “Just do it the old way then...”


    “That won’t work either.”


    “Why not?”


    Instead of exining in words, Sung-Ha attempted to create six me rings using the old method. But when he tried to form the sixth ring, his Nightshade Soul surged uncontrobly and swallowed the me, preventing more than five rings from forming.


    “Trying to make me rings with the old method like before causes the Nightshade Soul to be uncontroble. The old method is no longer viable.”


    “...”


    There was a saying in the cksmithing industry: if youcked skill, you could easily make poor-quality equipment, but once your skill improved, you couldn’t make poor-quality equipment even if you wanted to.


    In other words, there was no way Sung-Ha was messing up on purpose. The current situation fit the saying perfectly.


    “So, when is this <i>mentor</i> arriving?”


    “Tomorrow.”


    “...Tomorrow?”


    “Yes. Tomorrow, on Tuesday.”


    Hearing his response, Se-Hoon furrowed his brow in frustration. One could argue that losing heirship was temporary, as reiming the ability to produce six rings could warrant a rechallenge, but it wasn’t as simple as it sounded.


    ording to what Se-Hoon had learned from Sung-Ha before the regression, once his heirship was revoked, he would be emunicated immediately, as if they had been eagerly awaiting the moment.


    <i>That might not be the exact situation, but the real one won’t be that much different.</i>


    The grim expression on Sung-Ha’s face was enough to confirm it.


    Although the situation was infuriating enough to warrant cursing, Se-Hoon kept a cool head and thought things through.


    <i>There’s still time.</i>


    The regression to the state of five rings was merely a temporary phenomenon for Sung-Ha. With just a bit of guidance, he could easily go back to maintaining six rings.


    <i>But the issue is how do I help him achieve that in just a day...</i>


    As Se-Hoon pondered what training method could benefit Sung-Ha, an old memory soon surfaced.


    <i>“Such an inconvenient weapon. If I had received it back then, I wouldn’t have been able to use it.”</i>


    He remembered how Sung-Ha hadined upon receiving the first weapon Se-Hoon had forged for him. It was an infuriating experience at the time, but it seemed like a feasible solution for now.


    cing his hand on Sung-Ha’s shoulder, he quickly performed Bond Extraction.


    <strong>[Extracting bond from subject ‘Yeom Sung-Ha’]</strong>


    <strong>[The bond with the host is Lv. 1.]</strong>


    “What are you doing...?”


    “Shush.”


    Ignoring the confused Sung-Ha, Se-Hoon immediately conjured an image of Sung-Ha in his mind. What came to him was a stubborn individual who never bent their belief once they were set on it. Yet, he was also someone who possessed a warm personality and deep loyalty and humbleness, willing to set aside his pride to repay kindness.


    This unbending, yet in some ways, paradoxical character was the Mad Dog Se-Hoon knew.


    <i>Whoosh-</i>


    As if shaping ording to his thoughts, red-colored mana surged within his hand and formed Sung-Ha’s Fatestone. The stone was interspersed with red and ck specks, engraved with patterns that seemed to spread out in circr waves. It looked more crudely shaped than before the regression.


    <i>Perhaps it’s because he’s still young.</i>


    Regardless of the shape, it would be fine as its performance was simr. Se-Hoon immediately checked the Fatestone’s information.


    <strong>[<u>Fatestone - Dark Crimson Stone</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Perfect]</strong>


    <strong>[A piece of ore containing both fire and darkness mana.</strong>


    <strong>The wavelengths produced by the two elemental attributes resonate within itself.</strong>


    <strong>*Amplifies the power of materials used together]</strong>


    Seeing traces of Sung-Ha’s yet-to-be-awakened unique skill, Complete Source Resonance, in the Fatestone, Se-Hoon was able to confirm that it was suitable for use.


    He then faced Sung-Ha and asked, “Are you willing to do anything to retain your heirship?”


    Sung-Ha hesitated momentarily before nodding firmly.


    “I am willing to do anything.”


    “Good.”


    Gaining confidence from Sung-Ha’s resolve, Se-Hoon lit up with determination.


    “Then we’ll start with changing your weapon.”


    “What?”


    It was time for aplete overhaul.