Chapter 39: Ma Gwangsu

Ma Gwangsu, a former S-class hero who once roamed the world with Ludwig, hunting countless monsters and miners. Despite his foul personality and rude manner of speaking, he was still a remarkable figure, once mentioned as a potential successor. Even now, as a professor at Babel, his graduates hold him in high regard.

“……”

“……”

Fidgeting.

In front of Lee Sehoon, he was nothing more than an old man who couldn't stop fidgeting.

“Don’t move. I warned you.”

Starting from the shoulder, then the arm, chest, back, abdomen, thighs, and calves, he pressed and touched everywhere, including the hands and feet.

Lee Sehoon, who was being continuously touched while sitting in a chair, looked at Ma Gwangsu, who was meticulously examining his body, with a strange expression.

‘No matter how I look at it, he seems senile…’

He thought he was already half-senile, but now he seemed definitely senile.

Lee Sehoon seriously pondered whether this was a butterfly effect caused by his intervention.

“Who are you?”

After 10 minutes, Ma Gwangsu, with a sharp gaze, looked at Lee Sehoon.

“Last time, you had the posture of an old blacksmith, but this time, you have the posture of a skilled spearman. What trick are you using?”

“Huh?”

“Is it a unique skill? Or is this your true ability?”

It was more of an interrogation than a simple question. The suspicion and faint hostility in Ma Gwangsu’s eyes made Lee Sehoon realize what he was thinking.

‘Does he think I’m a spy for the Ten Thousand Beasts?’

The Ten Thousand Beasts' Swamp, which infiltrates the environment and changes the ecosystem to create demons, and the forces that follow it are known as the ‘Ten Thousand Beasts’ Front.’

“You’d better answer carefully to avoid any misunderstanding.”

Though he didn’t show any killing intent, Ma Gwangsu’s eyes darkened, and his right hand formed a blade from below.

Though he was still suspicious and hadn’t attacked, if he confirmed that Lee Sehoon was a spy, one of his limbs would definitely be lost.

Even an A-class hero would break out in a cold sweat in such a situation. However, Lee Sehoon, seeing this, had a nostalgic expression.

‘Wow, it’s been a while…’

Thinking about it, their first meeting was also like this.

The old memories that suddenly surfaced made Lee Sehoon smile inwardly, and Ma Gwangsu, reading his emotions, had a strange expression.

‘…Is he just a madman?’

Seeing such a reaction while being interrogated with killing intent, he seemed more like a half-mad genius than a spy.

As Ma Gwangsu pondered how to respond, Lee Sehoon spoke calmly.

“In short, you’re saying my posture is too excellent and suspicious.”

“…Yes.”

At Ma Gwangsu’s answer, Lee Sehoon glanced down at his body.

‘I thought it would help with precise movements, but it seems to be more than I imagined.’

It wasn’t that he used a spear skillfully, but that he took the posture of a skilled spearman. Though they sound similar, Lee Sehoon knew the difference was significant.

Every part of the body, from head to toe, was optimized for handling a spear. It required not only talent but also the time it took to make it second nature, which was what Ma Gwangsu meant by ‘posture.’

‘I need to explain this well.’

Though he had formed a connection with Ma Gwangsu due to the misunderstanding, if he didn’t explain properly, it could turn into a ‘bad connection.’

Not wanting to lose this rare opportunity, Lee Sehoon recalled his past experiences with Ma Gwangsu and slowly spoke.

“This is a miscellaneous skill I developed from my own abilities. It’s not as impressive as you think.”

“A miscellaneous skill?”

“I’ll stand up for a moment.”

Standing up, Lee Sehoon began to move his body in a familiar way, jumping lightly in place.

The threads that had been tightly bound to his body began to loosen, one by one.

After confirming that the traces of the sajeokseok had completely disappeared, Lee Sehoon looked at Ma Gwangsu, who was staring intently.

“The posture I just showed was temporarily mimicked using a skill. Once the effect ends, it disappears quickly.”

“Hmm…”

“By adjusting the muscles, I can achieve this effect… You could say it’s like transforming into someone else’s body.”

Adjusting a part of the body could be considered enhancement, but if it included the extremities and organs, it was far beyond ordinary enhancement.

‘The more I think about it, the more impressive this skill is…’

The talent of Tamcheol and Ryu Eunha, which made such applications possible, was truly remarkable.

As Lee Sehoon thought about this, Ma Gwangsu, with a serious expression, asked:

“Does this skill have any limitations?”

“It takes time to observe, and forcing it on the body puts a significant strain. I’m barely standing right now.”

In reality, he had perfectly recreated a skill he knew before the regression using the power of the sajeokseok, but seeing the effect, he realized it could be applied in such a way.

“Observation… So, you mean…”

Ma Gwangsu, with an unusually serious expression, muttered. Seeing his deep interest, Lee Sehoon realized what he was thinking.

‘He must be thinking about Doppleganger.’

Doppleganger, one of the Ten Evils, a demon who mimics the martial arts of his opponents and uses them to kill, causing many heroes to lose their potential.

Ma Gwangsu had a deep grudge against Doppleganger for some reason and would rush to any place where there were sightings.

‘This connection must be because of that guy.’

Whether he suspected Lee Sehoon of being Doppleganger or thought his skill could be useful in finding him, he found it useful and formed a connection.

In other words, to easily improve his connection level with Ma Gwangsu, he needed to help in the hunt for Doppleganger.

“…Ahem. I’m sorry for being so aggressive. I reacted a bit sensitively because there’s a demon with similar abilities.”

Seeing that his suspicion had eased, Ma Gwangsu looked embarrassed. Lee Sehoon nodded.

“It’s understandable, especially when it comes to demons. I would have done the same.”

“Indeed? These days, heroes lack a sense of vigilance against demons. In my time…”

Seeing Ma Gwangsu about to start a pointless old story, Lee Sehoon quickly shifted his body.

“Um…”

“Ah, right. You said it was a strain. I guess today’s class will be tough.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s actually good timing.”

Ma Gwangsu, looking Lee Sehoon up and down, stroked his chin.

“Seeing your skill, I need to change the teaching method. I initially planned to only improve your techniques, but a fundamental change seems better.”

“Fundamental…?”

“A more efficient way to use your body. I’ll explain when I have a clear plan. For today, you can go.”

“Understood. Then…”

Lee Sehoon bowed and left the training ground. Ma Gwangsu, watching his back, stroked his chin.

‘Why did he go to Borshipa?’

Considering his talent and the recent sparring, he could have aimed for the top at Akalcof if he wanted.

‘Come to think of it, he said his family wasn’t doing well…’

Though he hadn’t been particularly interested before, Ma Gwangsu decided to look into Lee Sehoon later.

He was curious, and more importantly, he needed to know what would be necessary to involve Lee Sehoon in the search for Doppleganger.

‘If he grows properly… It might be worth recommending him to become an ‘Enforcer’ after graduation.’

Though it was uncertain if he could grow to that level, it would be good to pay a bit more attention this time.

For the first time, Ma Gwangsu, who was usually indifferent to teaching, showed enthusiasm.

“Sword…”

Jake, who had been pushed to the corner, also muttered and stared at the door Lee Sehoon had left through.

* * *

“Hmm…”

Outside the lecture room, Lee Sehoon pondered the recent events with a curious expression.

‘I never thought I’d form a connection with Ma Gwangsu…’

Lee Sehoon awakened his unique skill, the Blacksmith of Connections, after the war with the Ten Thousand Beasts’ Front and the Six Great Demons began.

Ma Gwangsu had disappeared while tracking Doppleganger before the war started, and he was presumed dead.

‘I wonder what kind of connection stone will come out.’

Considering Ma Gwangsu’s skills, it would likely be related to physical abilities. Though he needed to confirm, as an S-class hero, it should be useful.

As he thought about how to naturally extract the connection, his phone vibrated.

There weren’t many people who knew his number, so Lee Sehoon quickly checked the caller.

[Yeon Sung-ha]

“…Tsk.”

Though he didn’t feel like it, he couldn’t ignore it, so he answered the call curtly.

“Why?”

- Have you decided what you want as a reward?

Yeon Sung-ha’s direct question made Lee Sehoon frown.

“It’s only been a day. Why are you in such a hurry?”

- …I feel uncomfortable not paying a reward.

“What?”

- Anyway, I want to pay something, even if it’s just a part.

Not paying a price made it feel like he had received help out of pure goodwill, which bothered him. Understanding Yeon Sung-ha’s thoughts, Lee Sehoon sighed deeply.

“You really live a tiring life…”

- Stop complaining and just say what you want. I’ll get you the materials or whatever.

“Reward…”

He considered asking for some expensive materials. After a moment of thought, he thought of a suitable reward.

“Find someone for me.”

- …A person?

“I’m personally curious about someone. His name is Louis Valente. He’s a mage from Babel.”

One of the Three Beasts, Louis Valente the Explosive.

Unlike Yeon Sung-ha, he wasn’t particularly famous in the past, making it difficult to find him with a simple search, but Yeon Sung-ha should be different.

‘Besides, this guy won’t go around telling people.’

If it became known that he was inquiring about this, given Louis Valente’s sensitive nature, things would likely go wrong.

Therefore, maintaining secrecy was the most important, even if it took longer.

- I’ve never heard of him. Do you know him?

“It’s none of your business. Just find out what he’s doing. Do you have the connections to do that?”

- Are you underestimating me?

“You can do it. You’re a dog of the Yeon family.”

- …I have other sources.

Unable to deny being a dog, Yeon Sung-ha’s response made Lee Sehoon chuckle.

“Anyway, just find out what he’s doing. Keep it secret that I’m looking. You understand?”

- Got it. I’ll contact you when I find out.

Click.

The call ended abruptly, as it always did, whether before or after the regression.

‘If this guy is like this, what about Louis Valente…’

While Yeon Sung-ha was a headache due to his lone-wolf personality, Louis Valente was a ticking time bomb.

He would suddenly burst into flames and cause all sorts of trouble. Judging by the scale of the incidents he caused, he was in a league of his own among the Three Beasts.

‘But he only became so prickly after his injury, so he might be a bit better now.’

Of course, like Yeon Sung-ha, he was likely a personality disorder even before the incident, but if he wasn’t as bad as before the regression, it could be manageable.

As Lee Sehoon organized his thoughts, his phone vibrated again.

Seeing Yeon Sung-ha’s name, he looked puzzled.

‘What is it?’

Did he have another matter to discuss? As Lee Sehoon answered the call, Yeon Sung-ha’s gruff voice came through.

- I found him.

“…What?”

How could he find information that Lee Sehoon couldn’t find in just a few minutes? Impressed by Yeon Sung-ha’s information network, Lee Sehoon was momentarily stunned.

- Louis Valente, a second-year student in the Elemental Department. He was originally a promising student, ranking second in his department.

“Oh, second place, that’s… Wait. Was?”

Why was it in the past tense? Sensing something was wrong, Lee Sehoon’s expression hardened.

- Six months ago, during a sparring session in the martial arts hall, his weapon exploded, causing severe injuries. He is currently on leave.

“Ah.”

For the first time, he cursed his thick skull.