Chapter 24: The Reincarnated One Completes It All

Friday morning.

After waking up, Lee Sehoon, as usual, checked his surroundings and memories before getting up.

Thud—

Unlike yesterday, when he was sprawled out, today he sprang up with vigor.

The vitality coursing through his body and the faint heat from Hongnyeon made Lee Sehoon smile involuntarily.

‘Not bad.’

It was partly because he had taken out the Mokjuwan and slept, but the Linglian Shenfa magic had significantly improved his body's efficiency.

‘I need to be in top condition today.’

It was the day to make the items for the metal refining class that would be delivered.

As the top student in the department, he needed to make something decent.

With his body in a relatively good state, he felt a sense of anticipation about what he could achieve.

‘I’ll wear this later…’

After putting the Mokjuwan aside, Lee Sehoon washed up and immediately left the dormitory.

The dormitory entrance was buzzing as usual. Lee Sehoon, now accustomed to the scene, walked out without a second glance.

Thud—

As soon as Lee Sehoon stepped out, footsteps followed him.

Turning his head slightly, he saw Erica walking beside him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“What’s up today?”

“I have some business in the Refining Department.”

“But why are you here?”

“I want to go with you.”

Seeing Erica’s straightforwardness, Lee Sehoon glanced at her face.

‘There’s no noticeable change despite the connection being established.’

Of course, it was only Level 1, so he couldn’t expect a significant change. However, for someone like Erica, whose connection process was complicated, some change should be visible.

Deciding to check it out simply, Lee Sehoon asked:

“Erica.”

“Yeah.”

“What do you want to do by getting closer to me?”

Lee Sehoon’s direct question broke the conversation, and the two continued walking in silence.

Walking side by side, they both looked straight ahead without exchanging glances.

It was awkward enough for onlookers, but the two continued walking as if nothing was wrong.

Just as the strange silence was about to continue:

“I’m going to complete you.”

“Complete?”

“Yes. Into the ideal form that my family desires.”

The ideal form that her family desired. Lee Sehoon had a vague idea of what that meant.

‘Is she aiming for the head of the family?’

For a family like the Inoue, becoming the head required not only martial prowess but also external influence.

In that sense, securing talented and promising individuals in advance was a basic necessity.

“So, it doesn’t matter if it’s not me.”

“True. But the more candidates, the better.”

“Candidates….”

Her rather materialistic answer could have been off-putting, but Lee Sehoon actually found her attitude refreshing.

It felt like raising Erica’s connection level might be easier than he thought.

‘Ultimately, I just need to help her become the head of the family.’

In the future before his reincarnation, her brother Ren became the head, and Erica, as a member, eventually became a demon and was exterminated.

Though he didn’t know the details, helping Erica become the head might naturally lead to preventing her from becoming a demon.

‘This is enough for now.’

He could delve deeper into the specifics later.

Having a general understanding, Lee Sehoon asked her about the ‘manufacturing method’ to create the connection stone.

“Will the treatment get better as the value increases?”

“...”

Erica suddenly stopped walking, and Lee Sehoon, who had taken a few more steps, also stopped and turned around.

They looked into each other’s eyes, just like the first time they met.

“It will get better.”

Beyond her eyes, a strange emotion stirred.

“Better than you think.”

Was it mere anticipation? Or a possessive desire for talent?

Seeing Erica’s sincerity for the first time, Lee Sehoon felt a clear sense of what kind of person she was.

‘I can make this.’

He felt he could create Erica’s connection stone right away, but he needed to focus on the refining ahead.

To remember, Lee Sehoon nodded and took in her appearance.

“Then I’ll look forward to it.”

With that, the two resumed walking side by side and parted ways at the main building.

“Here.”

A letter envelope he had seen many times before. As Lee Sehoon reflexively glanced at it, Erica calmly said:

“You can’t tear this one.”

“Hmm. I already have an invitation.”

“I know. But the more, the better. It will increase your value.”

Indeed, being invited by two families would make him seem more capable than just one.

‘And it might reduce unnecessary conflicts.’

Looking at the invitation, Lee Sehoon asked curiously:

“When is this exactly?”

“It’s not set yet. The seniors will decide the date, but it usually happens a few weeks later.”

Perhaps to evaluate not only the entrance exam scores but also subsequent skills, the schedule was quite flexible. Lee Sehoon nodded and put the invitation away.

“Got it. Thanks.”

“...”

Looking at Lee Sehoon, who had put away the invitation, Erica suddenly extended her left hand.

“Hmm?”

“Handshake.”

It was a sudden request, which made him a bit flustered, but since it could help with the connection, it wasn’t a bad idea.

“Sure.”

Lee Sehoon naturally shook Erica’s extended left hand and simultaneously activated the connection extraction.

[Extracting connection from ‘Inoue Erica’.]

[The connection with ‘Lee Sehoon’ is Level 1.]

‘What kind of ability will it be?’

Given her stubborn personality and talent, he expected a fairly useful ability. As he thought this, Erica stared at the hand they were shaking.

Although he had given it a light shake, she didn’t let go. The surrounding gazes grew more intense, and Lee Sehoon looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“How long are you going to hold on? Is there a problem?”

“No, just...”

As she let go, Erica naturally traced the palm of Lee Sehoon’s hand and muttered in a strange voice:

“Bigger and rougher than they look.”

“...”

‘What, blacksmith hands are all like that.’ Feeling a bit awkward, Lee Sehoon looked at her strangely.

“See you later.”

With that, Erica walked away, and Lee Sehoon looked at her retreating back with a puzzled expression.

‘She’s a mystery.’

Putting aside his thoughts about Erica, Lee Sehoon headed straight to the refining room.

Inside, the students who had arrived earlier were checking their equipment with tense expressions, and Lee Sehoon also sat in an empty seat and inspected his equipment.

‘Now that I think about it, I should get a hammer soon, right?’

So far, he had used the standard refining hammer provided by Barbell, but to make proper items, he needed a better hammer.

The hammer he used until the end before his reincarnation was the most familiar, but it was impossible to get now, and he didn’t really want to get it again.

“...Tsk.”

Recalling the past, Lee Sehoon shook his head and looked at the hammer again.

As he considered what kind of hammer would be good, the door to the refining room opened, and Han In-seong, the assistant, entered with a cart-type golem.

“Today, we will finish the items we’ve been making during the past classes. You know that the completed items will be delivered both inside and outside the school, right?”

The students answered in unison, and Han In-seong continued:

“Of course, they won’t be delivered immediately. They will go through an inspection process by the department. If they fail, only the basic budget will be allocated. If they pass, the budget will be determined by the selling price.”

After returning the previously collected items, Han In-seong looked at them seriously.

“The items you make today will determine the overall flow of the first semester. So, do your best to avoid any regrets. Understand?”

“Yes!”

“Then, let’s start!”

At Han In-seong’s command, the students began their work, and Lee Sehoon also looked at the swords he had made in the previous classes.

‘This is a mess...’

Even by today’s standards, it was a mess.

There were traces of his attempts to make them look decent, but his body couldn’t keep up, leading to many minor misalignments.

These small flaws would eventually accumulate into major issues. Lighting the furnace, Lee Sehoon took off his work shirt and tied it around his waist.

‘No time to be complacent.’

Without the heat-resistant magic on his work shirt, he would quickly lose stamina due to the heat in the refining room, but with the Linglian Shenfa magic, he would gain access to various information.

Wearing only a black undershirt, Lee Sehoon stared at the heated furnace and then picked up the sword blade.

Whoosh!

As the blade turned red, the internal magic array began to waver. At the point where it was loose but not collapsing, Lee Sehoon quickly removed the blade and placed it on the anvil to start hammering.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The hammer swung steadily without a single misalignment.

Compared to before, the hammering was more precise, gradually correcting the imbalances in the blade.

Whoosh—

Previously, he had to strain his entire body for each hammer strike, but now, the Linglian Shenfa magic circuit assisted his movements.

It wasn’t just about improvising; it was about being prepared.

In this process, Lee Sehoon felt for the first time since his reincarnation that he was truly ‘refining’.

Clang! Clang!

It was still imperfect, crude, and nothing was satisfactory, but everything was prepared.

Feeling a sensation he hadn’t felt in a long time, Lee Sehoon smiled and continuously hammered to shape the blade.

Sizzle!

“Phew...”

After quenching, Lee Sehoon inspected the newly polished blade.

‘This is good... but I can’t finish the rest in time...’

He had made five blades before, but at this rate, it would be difficult to complete all of them.

‘It’s better to focus on one properly.’

Making five blades at a decent level might earn more budget, but it would lower his brand value as the top student.

Deciding to focus on one, Lee Sehoon placed the whetstone and adjusted his stance.

Swoosh— Swoosh—

Magic is considered both a blessing and a curse among blacksmiths.

It’s a blessing because it allows for previously impossible transformations and repairs, but a curse because it introduces more variables.

‘But I like it now.’

The better a blacksmith’s skills, the stronger the weapons become, surpassing their limits. What could be more satisfying for someone who creates?

Swoosh— Swoosh—

The blade sharpened as it passed over the whetstone.

The sharpness gradually etched into the blade, and Lee Sehoon’s eyes focused on it.

‘Even sharper...’

A blade dulls with each swing, but it can also vary depending on how the magic array was set when the blade was first made.

Swoosh— Swoosh—

Not just sharpening, but creating a new blade, Lee Sehoon’s hands moved without stopping.

The small noises around him gradually faded, and the scenery before him became blurry.

And as all his focus was on the blade in his hands:

Whoosh—

A familiar sound rang in his ears.

‘Ah.’

The sound of the world’s destruction.

The silent, calm wave sound made Lee Sehoon’s teeth grind, yet his body felt relaxed.

Whenever he heard this sound, he always made something good. His body moved naturally, proving this.

‘How ridiculous.’

Was it okay to be happy while hearing the end of the world? A trivial doubt crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.

He just wanted to savor this moment, which he hadn’t felt in a long time. With this resolve, all his senses focused on the blade in his hands, and he displayed his blacksmithing skills, which he hadn’t used in a while.

Whoosh—

The gray outer layer of the blade peeled off, revealing a pristine white.

Ruiqi (Sharpness) and Bai Guang (White Light).

Not a temporary sharpness, but a light etched into the blade itself.

The magic array in the blade naturally adjusted to the Bai Guang, perfectly settling into place.

Swoosh—

A thin layer of the whetstone’s surface was cut away.

“...Phew... Phew.”

Lee Sehoon’s movements stopped, and the sounds he hadn’t heard returned, with his heavy breathing and heartbeat echoing in his ears.

His body was drenched in sweat, and his magic was drained.

Although he had some stamina left, the state he was in after just sharpening one blade was absurd.

‘But I managed to make one properly.’

The satisfaction and clarity he hadn’t felt in a long time. Lee Sehoon smiled and inspected the blade in his hand.

‘It’s a bit disappointing compared to before my reincarnation, but it’s not bad.’

Given his current condition, this was the best he could do. Shaking off any lingering regrets, Lee Sehoon lightly polished the blade and immediately assembled the guard and handle.

‘Completed.’

A long sword gleaming with pristine white sharpness.

Even by itself, it was enough.

[The weapon ‘Bai Guang Long Sword’ has been completed!]

[A great blacksmith can demonstrate their skills with basic techniques!

The blacksmith’s skill of completely unlocking the potential of the materials and creating a new edge is beyond first-class.]

[The evaluation result for ‘Bai Guang Long Sword’ is ‘High Quality’.]

[You have learned the skill ‘Bai Guang Liu (C)’.]

‘Well, this is decent enough.’

Although it’s high quality, using only ordinary iron is a significant achievement. When he made the Wusehua, it was nearly first-class, but now it’s said to be beyond first-class.

‘I’ve slightly improved my original skills.’

This alone is a significant gain. Lee Sehoon smiled