Chapter 19: The Reincarnated One Completes It

Jake slowly ran his index finger along the damp sensation in his nose and examined what he had touched.

"…Blood."

When was the last time he had seen blood while fighting someone his age?

Not only were there rarely situations where he could fight so intensely, but he had never allowed himself to be vulnerable enough to sustain such injuries.

'He hit the mark precisely.'

It was meaningless to say that if he hadn't let his guard down. Lee Se-hoon must have kept this in mind when he attacked.

Instead of making excuses, Jake recalled the final blow that made him bleed.

'That attack. Could it be…'

Though he couldn't fully grasp it due to its suddenness, he had a sense of how it was executed.

How could a student from the Refining Department use such a technique? Jake's eyes sparkled as he looked at Lee Se-hoon.

"Um…"

"You."

Ma Guangshu, who had interrupted, pointed at Jake with a calm expression.

"Disqualified."

"…What?"

"You were hit first. I said I'd teach you if you won."

"No, that's not it…"

As Jake recalled his situation and became flustered, Lee Se-hoon, who had been observing the situation, spoke up.

"Since I hit you, shouldn't you teach me instead?"

"…What?"

Ma Guangshu glared at Lee Se-hoon with sharp eyes, as if daring him to interfere. But Lee Se-hoon answered without blinking.

"Being the top student in Akaluph and getting hit by a student from Borshifa, isn't that serious just to hear about it?"

"Ah."

"Hmm."

Jake's expression became blank at Lee Se-hoon's words, and Ma Guangshu's face showed interest.

The top student in Akaluph is the strongest in their year. To put it mildly, they are the face of their year.

But if the top student got hit in the face and started bleeding during a sparring match with a student from Borshifa?

If the students, professors, and alumni of Akaluph, who have a great sense of pride, heard about it, it would be a matter of foaming at the mouth.

"Will you not tell anyone? Right?"

Jake looked at Lee Se-hoon with a pleading expression. Since such stories only cause trouble, Lee Se-hoon had no intention of spreading them.

"Maybe?"

Jake's face turned pale with anxiety, and he stammered.

"…Ah… Ah…"

At that moment, Ma Guangshu, who had been observing the two, spoke.

"You're right."

"If we keep a clumsy guy like him, he'll definitely cause more trouble… I'll have to make him at least useful enough to earn his keep."

"Then…"

"I'll send you a schedule, so be ready."

"Thank you!!"

Ma Guangshu looked at Jake, who bowed, with a disapproving expression, then glanced at Lee Se-hoon.

"…You can go now. I have something to talk to this guy about."

"Ah, yes. I understand!"

Jake bowed slightly to Lee Se-hoon and quickly left the classroom, leaving the two of them alone.

Ma Guangshu looked down at Lee Se-hoon with a sullen expression, while Lee Se-hoon looked up calmly. The tense standoff continued until the person with less patience spoke.

"That technique just now. Did you learn it or create it?"

"I created it."

This was one of the self-defense techniques Ma Guangshu had taught him before the regression, but since he received it as interest on a late fee, the copyright belongs to him.

Ma Guangshu's expression became strange at Lee Se-hoon's confident answer.

'How did this guy create such a technique?'

The technique Lee Se-hoon used on Jake wasn't particularly original.

The initial shock from Jake's sword swing was redirected to his left arm through a loss of momentum, and his own mana was then collided with it.

The resulting rebound accelerated the attack. This kind of technique is common enough that experienced heroes often have something similar.

'For experienced heroes, that is…'

It sounds simple, but a slight miscalculation in the distribution of force can cause the collision point to shatter.

That's why only highly experienced heroes would attempt such a technique. For a first-year student from Borshifa to execute it skillfully?

It was an absurd story that would make people think he had lost his mind if he told it to his acquaintances.

'He couldn't have accumulated that much experience at his age… so he must have the ability to calculate it accurately enough to replace that experience…'

Now he understood what the ability to synthesize, mentioned in Licaros' recommendation letter, meant.

Ma Guangshu, who had a rough idea, looked at Lee Se-hoon with a disapproving expression, then walked over and brought two training swords.

"Show me the sword technique you used on Licaros."

"Understood."

As Lee Se-hoon took his stance, Ma Guangshu charged lightly, and their swords clashed at a strange angle.

Clang!

Lee Se-hoon's sword was sent flying by a single collision.

The result was overwhelmingly one-sided, and Lee Se-hoon rubbed his tingling right hand while glaring at Ma Guangshu.

'He didn't even control his strength, damn old man…'

While Lee Se-hoon was cursing in his mind, Ma Guangshu, who had been deep in thought, spoke.

"Rough."

"…Is that so?"

"The idea is good, but the execution is terrible. Even if it's specialized for a first strike, a sword technique that becomes a weakness from the second use isn't normal, is it?"

"…"

"If you had taught this to someone and they thought it was good, I would have broken their limbs."

Lee Se-hoon looked at Ma Guangshu, who was harshly criticizing him, with a strange expression.

"Maybe it's because I made it to fit me?"

"That's just an excuse for incompetent people. They say it's specialized because they can't make it properly."

"…I see."

How could someone spit on their own face so easily?

While trying to suppress his twitching lips, Ma Guangshu folded his arms and boasted.

"Just wait. I'll give that skeleton of a technique a proper body."

Lee Se-hoon nodded calmly as Ma Guangshu, who was putting on a show, looked at him.

"Understood. So the lesson is confirmed, then?"

"Huh? Well, yes…"

"Then I'll be going now."

Lee Se-hoon bowed and walked out of the sparring area. Ma Guangshu, who watched his back, narrowed his eyes.

Shouldn't he be more grateful, given that he's going to be personally guided by him?

"Young guy, you're so aloof…"

Feeling a bit twisted inside, Ma Guangshu considered ignoring it. But then he remembered the bracelet on Lee Se-hoon's left arm.

'Now that I think about it, that technique just now. Did he use the mana stored in the bracelet?'

It was clear that mana had come from the bracelet before he used the technique. Ma Guangshu's expression became even more complex.

A technique that is difficult to execute even with one's own mana, and he used the mana from equipment? If he couldn't control the equipment like his own body, it would be several times more difficult.

"…Tsk. I'll have to bear with it."

Since he has nothing else to do, he might as well treat it as a momentary amusement.

Thinking this, Ma Guangshu looked at the sword in his hand and, for a moment, pondered the techniques Lee Se-hoon had used.

* * *

"Arrogant as an AS…"

Lee Se-hoon grumbled, recalling Ma Guangshu's smug face.

He didn't expect much from a technique he had created in just a few minutes, but he didn't think it was so poorly made that Ma Guangshu would criticize it so harshly.

'Just wait and see.'

If he doesn't improve it properly this time, he'll break Ma Guangshu's sword, which he couldn't break before the regression.

While grinding his teeth in his mind, Lee Se-hoon saw someone waving at him outside the classroom.

"Ah, over here, over here!"

Jake, who was waving to catch his attention, looked energetic. Lee Se-hoon approached with a puzzled expression.

"What's up?"

"Nothing much, just wanted to give you something."

Jake took out a familiar square envelope from his pocket and handed it to Lee Se-hoon. Recognizing the design, Lee Se-hoon's eyes widened.

"This…"

"An invitation to 'Noblesse.' Ah, you don't know what it is?"

"Never heard of it."

It sounded familiar from something he overheard before, but he couldn't remember. Jake thought for a moment and answered.

"Um, it's a place where students from wealthy families gather."

"Ah, I see."

Lee Se-hoon, who now knew the identity of the envelope he had torn apart many times, had a strange expression.

'Erica… Did she mean to give this to me?'

But if that were the case, she wouldn't have suggested he tear it open. Given that their connection didn't form, it's possible she just had an extra invitation.

"There are a lot of unpleasant people, but I thought it might be a good opportunity for you. The date isn't set yet, so think about it."

"I'm not sure if I should accept such an invitation."

Jake chuckled at Lee Se-hoon's response.

"Thanks to you, I got to attend a class, so I should show some gratitude. No need to feel obligated."

"…You're quite generous."

Jake seemed nicer than he thought, but the connection notification didn't appear, despite his friendly attitude.

'This guy has strict standards, too.'

Both department heads have unnecessarily high standards. Thinking this, Lee Se-hoon took the invitation.

"Alright, see you later."

"Let's spar again when you have time."

As Lee Se-hoon walked away, he felt a gaze on the back of his head and smiled.

'Stronger competitive spirit than I thought.'

He sent him off with a smile, but the tingling feeling suggested he was upset about being hit.

To form a connection, it might be important to identify the exact nature of this emotion.

'The department heads are all difficult…'

To others, Lee Se-hoon might seem the most difficult, but the person involved often doesn't realize it.

While organizing information about Jake in his mind, Lee Se-hoon re-evaluated his situation.

'The minor majors I applied for are Boundary Composition and Body Control. Connections formed with Kim In-cheol and Ryu Yeon-ha. Potential connections with Erica and Jake.'

And the top priority target is one of the Three Eyes, Gwang-geon Yeom Seong-ha. Though it's not easy to meet him as a third-year student, he might have a chance on the weekend, according to the tower.

After a quick review, Lee Se-hoon focused on what concerned him the most.

'Are two minor majors enough?'

Since he can apply every semester, there's no rush, but he felt a bit disappointed with just two.

After some thought, Lee Se-hoon made a decision.

'I'll look into the options at Borshifa.'

Before the regression, he learned as much as he could, but his knowledge was messy due to the haphazard learning.

Revisiting what he learned in the past or learning something new, it would be better to study a few more minor majors.

'The first thing that comes to mind is curses… alchemy… enchantment… Ah, elemental magic isn't bad either…'

While deeply considering his next minor major, Lee Se-hoon bumped into someone.

Thud.

Realizing he had been distracted, Lee Se-hoon instinctively nodded at the person.

"Sorry…"

Thwack!

Before he could finish, his left hand was grabbed.

Caught off guard, Lee Se-hoon looked at the person holding him.

"…"

Thick brown hair braided and draped over her shoulder, with hairpins scattered throughout. Her eyes were green but slightly cloudy, giving an abnormal impression.

Her outfit, a white gown over a shirt instead of a jacket, made her seem more eccentric than beautiful.

"Hmm…"

The mysterious girl was staring intently at the prayer beads on his left arm, making Lee Se-hoon frown.

'What's this?'

It was too strange to be a simple complaint about the bump. Sensing something unusual, Lee Se-hoon watched her closely.

"These."

The girl finally spoke.

"Did you make them?"

She skipped formalities and got straight to the point.

It was rude, but the strange enthusiasm in her cloudy eyes intrigued Lee Se-hoon, who asked back.

"Then what?"

The girl smiled and said,

[Connection with 'Lea Claudel' has been formed.]

"Want an enchantment?"

A peculiar connection had been formed.