Chapter 21

Reincarnationer 21st Episode

“……”

At the sight of the confident Lee Sehoon, Seits felt more bewildered than angry.

‘What on earth is he relying on to act like this?’

As the top student in the department, information about Lee Sehoon had already been circulating to some extent in the underground.

According to that information, Lee Sehoon's physical abilities were among the lowest of this year's freshmen.

He had never learned any combat techniques, and he didn't even have a proper weapon.

‘The only variable might be the weapons he displayed at the opening ceremony, but even those are nowhere to be seen...’

He checked again, thinking he might have missed something, but there was nothing particularly threatening about Lee Sehoon.

‘...Is it really that, then?’

Seits, who had figured out the source of Lee Sehoon's confidence, sighed deeply and slowly spoke.

“Sure. Since you're good enough to get into Babel, you probably have a hidden ace up your sleeve. You must have thought that if you go all out, you'd be incomparable to the others.”

The baseless belief that he would be the most special at Babel. This often appeared among students from less prominent families, and the reason was simple.

“But this is Babel. Every student here has such talent and power, and you are ultimately just one of them. Do you understand what I mean?”

Without encountering anyone better than themselves, they fall into the absurd delusion that they can do anything if they set their mind to it.

And most of those freshmen usually taste bitter defeat before the first semester is even over.

“You are nothing.”

Today would be the day Lee Sehoon would face such a reality.

Squeak!

As Seits' mana reacted to the barrier, the surroundings changed.

A chilling air enveloped him, and the shadows deepened, darkening the forest.

Black shadows began to dart through the underbrush.

Swish!

A low, eerie cry, reminiscent of a wild beast, echoed, but the shape was obscured by the shadows.

The scene, which stimulated fear of darkness and beasts, could have been a mere illusion created by the barrier.

Crack!

A shadow that brushed past his head warned that it was not just an illusion.

“Hmm.”

A few strands of hair fell, as if cut by a sharp blade.

Lee Sehoon looked at them calmly, and Seits continued with a cold gaze.

“This is your last chance. Apologize to the young lady.”

If he still didn't understand after this, he would have to be made to understand. Lee Sehoon pondered for a moment and then asked.

“Was that your story?”

“...What?”

“The emotion in your voice suggests it wasn't just a casual remark. You must have been beaten up in your first year, right?”

Seits' mouth gaped open at the unexpected response, and Lee Sehoon nodded.

“Well, I can understand. If you thought you were the best and then faced that, it would be bitter.”

“You... You...!”

“Still, you have to maintain your pride. If you don't think about growing and just cling to others, doing menial tasks... tsk tsk.”

Lee Sehoon shook his head and looked at Seits with a disdainful eye.

“So that's why you only hear insults.”

A calm yet penetrating remark. Seits' patience snapped instantly.

“Shut up!!!!”

His mana exploded, and the shadows in the forest rushed towards Lee Sehoon.

───!!

Dozens of black wolves, baring their fangs and howling.

A C-rank barrier that used Seits' main skill, 'Gurei Aisha (Shadow Wolf Fang Shot)', to create shadow wolves and suppress the target's movements.

Crack!

These shadow wolves were illusions created by the barrier, but they could become tangible and inflict damage if additional mana was injected.

Thus, if one couldn't distinguish between the real and the illusion, they would be torn to shreds in an instant.

‘Black Spirit Fang.’

This only applied to those who couldn't discern the difference.

Splat!

The moment Lee Sehoon's hand, covered in black web-like patterns, pierced a shadow wolf, it dissipated like mist.

“What...”

“Indeed, it wasn't just made of mana.”

Lee Sehoon looked at the object in his hand as Seits stared in shock.

A black dagger, about 20 cm long, with incantations densely engraved on its surface, still bearing traces of mana.

“Using the dagger as a medium to enhance mana efficiency and make attacks possible even when it's an illusion. Not a bad idea.”

“How did you...?”

To see through his incantation and application in just one attempt. Seits looked at Lee Sehoon in disbelief, and Lee Sehoon returned a bewildered look.

“How? The sound was obvious.”

“Sound? Wait, could it be...”

The sound of the dagger breaking the air. When it first brushed past, he heard it and figured everything out.

Seits, bewildered by the unbelievable fact, hesitated, and Lee Sehoon glanced around.

‘About 25 daggers in total. I can use about 10 at once, but... it's not good.’

In a prolonged battle, the side with less stamina and mana would be at a disadvantage. Thus, Lee Sehoon decided to act simply and boldly.

‘Innengakjin (Affinity Stone).’

[Innengakjin 'Tamcheol' activated.]

Crack!

As Lee Sehoon's right hand turned reddish, the dagger in his hand melted and seeped into it.

The affinity stone of S-rank hero Weapon Eater Ryu Eun-ha. 'Tamcheol' (Iron Absorption) activated in Lee Sehoon's right hand.

“St... Stop!!!”

A special dagger worth over 1 million won melted away in Lee Sehoon's grip.

Realizing the situation, Seits summoned all his mana and sent the shadow wolves charging.

Understanding that Lee Sehoon's strength exceeded his imagination, he unleashed his full power, but...

‘Ah.’

His judgment was far too late.

‘Is this the taste...’

A taste that ordinary food couldn't provide, piercing from the mouth to the entire body.

Simultaneously, blood boiled up from his right hand and raced through his body.

Lee Sehoon's hair tips faintly turned flame-like as he slowly surveyed the approaching shadow wolves.

‘Bokhwan (Rush).’

His body shot forward, compressing the distance in an instant.

Clang!

The shadow wolves, charging with terrifying momentum, missed and the daggers inside collided, scattering on the ground.

Lee Sehoon, breaking through the gap, reached Seits and...

Smack!

Delivered a punch to the stomach with a clenched fist.

“Gah!?”

Even on the brink of death, the barrier must be maintained.

This was a common adage among barrier mages, but Seits' Gurei Aisha was shattered in one blow.

Lee Sehoon's punch was that terrifying.

“St...”

No matter what method he used, another punch like that would likely leave him brain-damaged.

Seits, sensing this, tried to say something to stop Lee Sehoon, but...

Crack!

Before he could, Lee Sehoon's hand roughly grabbed his throat.

“Gah!”

Seits, deprived of his ability to speak, looked at Lee Sehoon with trembling eyes, and only then did he understand everything.

“Didn't I tell you before?”

Lee Sehoon wasn't looking down on him or ignoring him.

“I specialize in turning people into idiots.”

He simply evaluated him like a piece of material on a workbench, nothing more, nothing less.

In short, to Lee Sehoon, this fight was a kind of 'refinement.'

“Now, just...”

Refinement doesn't stop until the tool is complete.

“Be a human.”

Lee Sehoon, loosening his shoulders, clenched his fist.

“I'll stop if you do.”

* * *

“Speak.”

In response to Lee Sehoon's question, Seits, with a swollen face, opened his hoarse mouth.

“Regardless of the circumstances... I apologize for imposing our position... unilaterally.”

“And.”

“I will not project my shortcomings onto others... or overstep my authority beyond what is ordered... again...”

“Hmm...”

Lee Sehoon's voice, tinged with a hint of disappointment, made Seits' shoulders tremble. He had been beaten up again for being inadequate.

‘Please... please...’

It would have been better to pass out from the beating, but whatever he did, it only hurt more, and his mind remained clear.

Seits, trembling at the strange and terrifying beating from Lee Sehoon, heard Lee Sehoon say:

“Fine, then.”

Lee Sehoon nodded as if there was no other choice.

“Still, you're a senior, so I can't be too harsh.”

“...”

If this isn't harsh, what is?

Seits' face turned pale at the thought, and Lee Sehoon, standing up, continued:

“Instead, go back and tell that young master clearly. Don't get involved in pointless fights like this.”

“...”

“Answer.”

“Yes, yes...”

Seits, reluctantly answering, was slapped hard on the back of the head by Lee Sehoon.

Smack!

“Gah!”

“Sigh. What a pitiful guy...”

While not all groups are bad, sending someone for such a trivial matter—how great could they be?

Seits might think he's part of the Inoue family, but to Lee Sehoon, he was just a replaceable part.

‘He'll learn something from this.’

If he doesn't, he'll be used until he breaks and then discarded.

Lee Sehoon, having cleared his thoughts about Seits, picked up his jacket from the floor.

“I'm leaving. Clean up after yourself.”

“Yes...”

“And if we meet again, you know what to do.”

With that, Lee Sehoon walked away, and Seits, kneeling and bowing, remained on the ground until the sound of his footsteps faded.

“...Damn.”

Coming to warn a freshman and getting beaten up, and now being ordered to clean up the mess.

He couldn't be more pathetic, but Seits had no choice.

He had already overstepped his bounds, and the situation was out of his control.

‘No, the biggest problem is that he still lost after going that far.’

He thought he was in the upper middle of the third year and could be in the top if he fought properly...

It seemed he was the one who had been delusional, not Lee Sehoon.

Seits, sighing deeply at his unchanged self, was interrupted by a voice.

“It's over.”

A girl walked out of the forest.

“A, Miss...?”

Seits' eyes widened at the appearance of the girl, Erica.

How long had she been watching? The thought that his overstepping might have been seen made Seits' face pale.

“T... That...”

“I'm not interested in your excuses. From now on, only answer my questions.”

Her eyes were on him, but he wasn't there.

She looked at him like an inanimate object, even more hollow than Lee Sehoon.

Seits, swallowing hard, nodded.

“Yes, I understand...”

“Lee Sehoon absorbed your daggers and used something, right?”

“Yes...”

“Those daggers. Bring them.”

“Yes!”

Following Erica's order, Seits looked at the daggers on the ground and his eyes widened.

‘What? Why are there only 14?’

There should have been 24 left after Lee Sehoon destroyed one. What happened to the missing 10?

Seits, realizing the fate of the missing daggers, opened his mouth in shock.

“What are you doing?”

“I, I'm going.”

Spurred on from behind, Seits hurriedly gathered the remaining daggers and handed them to Erica, who examined them.

‘As expected, there's a theft prevention enchantment.’

Weapons used as mediums become powerless if stolen, so preventing this is crucial.

Thus, Seits' daggers had such an enchantment, but Lee Sehoon had easily broken it.

‘The black web-like incantation made it possible...’

Based on the form and effect, it was clearly a new incantation created from Professor Robert's 'Blood Array' and the 'Spirit Array' he had shown.

An incantation