Chapter 50: The Reincarnated One Does It All

There was a piece of advice that was commonly given to freshmen at Babel, regardless of their department, shortly after they enrolled.

“Don’t miss any classes during your first semester, no matter what.”

It sounded like a common piece of advice to study diligently. However, freshmen who had just started their life at Babel soon realized the true meaning of this advice.

“A friend who took four days off due to an injury. Take all the assignments that have piled up and solve them by this week.”

“Today, we will practice defending against 38 types of irregular attacks using automatons. You didn’t attend the last class? Then just watch and follow along.”

Even after just a few days off, dozens of pages of assignments had piled up, or they faced unreasonably harsh classes.

Of course, the students who had enrolled at Babel were all exceptionally talented, so they quickly caught up. However, the problem was that by the time they caught up, a mountain of new assignments had already piled up.

“Why are the classes like this...”

“If I had known, I would have only taken one minor...”

The more students who had applied for minors without much thought, the more burdened they became, and some even started to give up on difficult classes.

In this way, the curse of failing grades slowly approached the students who had not heeded the advice.

“Here are the assignments you’ve missed.”

Boom!

Isuhun also faced this curse head-on.

“...”

Looking at the mountain of papers in front of him, Isuhun wore a puzzled expression.

He had clearly applied for Boundary Control, so why was this pile of papers waiting for him?

‘Did I change my subject in two weeks?’

While having such an absurd thought, Isuhun stared at the pile of assignments in silence. Then, Professor Robert, his instructor, calmly spoke.

“The deadline is the day after tomorrow. Since they all affect your grades, I recommend you complete them all. Of course, if you’re confident you can make up for it in the first-semester evaluation test, you don’t have to do them.”

“The day after tomorrow...”

“Now, we need to start the class, so please return to your seat. You won’t understand the class in your current state, so you can work on the assignments if you want.”

Robert turned as if the matter was settled and began preparing for the class. Staring at his back, Isuhun sighed deeply and stuffed the assignments into his subspace pocket.

‘This is why I hated school.’

How could so many assignments pile up in just two weeks? And with just Boundary Control, he was in this state; he couldn’t even imagine what would happen in other classes.

‘Refining should be fine since it’s mostly practical... tsk.’

If it were a subject he had studied before the regression, he might have just done it casually, planning to make up for it in the evaluation test. However, this was the first time he was learning about boundaries.

Isuhun’s principle was to learn things thoroughly to avoid having to study them twice, so he made up his mind.

‘I just need to stay up a bit...’

Deciding to complete all the assignments without missing any, Isuhun sat in an empty seat.

“Hi.”

Erica, who sat next to him as if it were the most natural thing in the world, greeted him.

“...Weren’t you sitting over there just now?”

“Yeah.”

“Why did you move?”

“Because you sat here.”

Erica’s straightforward and blunt way of speaking, without any intention to hide anything, was still the same. Isuhun knew she didn’t mean anything by it, but the other students who overheard it had a different reaction.

“Huh...”

“Wow...”

“It’s really true...”

The students, who couldn’t believe what they were seeing, whispered to each other.

Some of them, especially the students from the Conjuration Department, glared at him as if they had lost a treasure.

‘If someone sees this, they might think I forced her to sit here.’

While looking at the Conjuration Department students with a bewildered expression, Isuhun heard Robert tapping the blackboard to gather everyone’s attention.

“Let’s continue from the last class and learn about the control method of applying the Five Elements to the four directions. First, let’s align the directions...”

Robert continued the class without caring about those who had missed classes or couldn’t keep up.

Isuhun, who had been listening to Robert, sighed deeply, realizing that the content was indeed incomprehensible.

‘I should start the assignments.’

Taking out some of the assignments from his subspace pocket, Isuhun flipped through the pages and read the content.

‘Using the conjuration formulas in the example, create a boundary with entrances at the north-northwest and south-southwest based on the 16 directions... In other words, assemble it.’

It was like trying to put together parts without instructions. Intrigued by the complex content, Isuhun’s expression changed.

‘Let’s see...’

While Isuhun was staring intently at the assignment, the students who were glancing at him wore puzzled expressions.

‘Why is he just looking at it?’

‘Could he be trying to solve it mentally?’

The conjuration formulas given by Robert looked normal on the surface, but each one was missing several crucial parts.

Therefore, to create a proper boundary, they needed to be modified, but the variables were so numerous that it was impossible to solve without actually deploying them.

‘Is he hesitating because it’s during class...’

‘Tsk. That’s why you missed two weeks...’

While the students looked at him with skeptical eyes, Isuhun, who had been idly twirling a pen in his hand, suddenly grabbed it and his eyes sparkled.

Scratch, scratch, scratch—

Isuhun completed the boundary in one go and immediately moved on to the next page to read the new problem.

‘This time, create an entrance at the southwest and an exit at the south-southwest based on the 16 directions...’

The conjuration formula in the example was different from the previous one, but Isuhun, who had carefully examined its structure, slightly smiled.

‘As expected, it’s similar.’

The conjuration formula itself was different from the previous problem, but the way it was twisted was similar.

Having grasped Professor Robert’s ‘habit’ in creating the assignments, Isuhun easily matched the twisted conjuration formula and created the boundary.

Scratch, scratch, scratch—

At first, he spent a few minutes pondering each problem, but as he continued solving them, the intervals became shorter.

Finally, when he finished all the assignments for one day, Isuhun began writing down the answers without hesitation as soon as he read the problems.

“...”

“...”

The other students, who had been watching him, forgot they were in class and stared at him with blank expressions.

How could he solve problems that they had struggled with, unfolding the conjuration formulas in various ways, as if he were copying answers?

‘Is he just showing off?’

‘No, even if he is, why would he do such a pointless thing...’

Moreover, from his slightly smiling face, one could sense the thrill of solving the problems.

The students, bewildered by this incomprehensible scene, suddenly turned their gaze to Erica, who was sitting next to him.

“...”

Erica, who wasn’t paying attention to the class, was staring intently at Isuhun’s assignments. After quickly checking the answers, she nodded slightly.

Realizing what her reaction meant, the students’ eyes widened.

‘Are they all correct?’

‘That’s...’

All the hastily written answers were correct.

Shocked by Isuhun’s unexpected ability, all the students watched him with bewildered expressions.

“Well, the advanced class this year is impressive.”

A voice of admiration echoed from the front of the classroom.

“Is this level of class too easy for you? I underestimated your abilities.”

“Ah...”

“That...”

Seeing Robert’s genuinely admiring expression, the students broke out in cold sweat. After all, the man in front of them was known for his cruelty among the Conjuration Department professors.

“Don’t worry. I’ll ‘adjust’ it to match your abilities.”

Robert, who had calmly finished speaking, turned back to start the class, and the students’ faces stiffened.

The Boundary Control class was already one of the most difficult in the Conjuration Department. If the difficulty level increased even further...

If they studied carelessly, they might really fail, not just as a joke.

‘We’re doomed.’

‘Crazy...’

While the students were stunned by the sudden disaster, the two of them continued to focus on their tasks.

Scratch, scratch, scratch—

Isuhun, who was solving the assignments without a break, and Erica, who was checking the content next to him and nodding slightly.

After two hours, the bell rang, and Robert concluded the class.

“That’s all for today. I’ve prepared assignments in front, so take them as you leave.”

Seeing the thick stack of assignments brought by the teaching assistant, the students sighed and stood up, and Isuhun, who had been busy, stopped his hands.

“Phew...”

Two hours of solving assignments. Although it was in an unfamiliar field, his head ached, but it was worth the effort.

‘I didn’t expect to finish it all in one day.’

The mountain of assignments on the adjacent seat. Isuhun, who had solved all the assignments that had piled up over two weeks, felt a mix of pride and awkwardness.

‘But, is it okay to solve them like this?’

By grasping Robert’s habits and fitting the conjuration formulas, it felt more like solving a puzzle than studying boundaries.

Isuhun, unsure if this was really helpful, had a doubtful expression.

“Did you finish them all?”

Robert, who approached Isuhun, looked at the mountain of assignments.

“Yes, I finished them all.”

“Hmm...”

Robert, who glanced at Isuhun, took out a few assignments and quickly scanned the answers.

The boundaries were completed cleanly without any errors, as if he had written down the answer sheets. Robert’s expression stiffened slightly.

‘In such a short time... he understood this perfectly.’

Not only did he create the boundaries, but he also accurately grasped the intentions of the conjurer who created the foundation.

At this level, he could easily create and destroy similar boundaries as he did before.

‘There was a reason the lady was watching...’

Robert, who glanced at Erica, who was staring intently at Isuhun, put down the assignments in his hand.

“Good job. Don’t forget to take today’s assignments as well.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Isuhun, who bowed, took the assignments and left, and Erica followed naturally.

Walking side by side, they attracted gazes from all directions. Isuhun, now used to this situation, didn’t pay attention and thought about the next class.

‘Next is... Weapon Origin Studies, right?’

A class taught by Kim Incheol, the advisor of the Refining Department. Isuhun was hearing it for the first time today after being hospitalized right before the class started.

‘I was a bit curious about it.’

Before the regression, it was just one of the unremarkable hypotheses, but it might be different now that it’s being researched at Babel.

While Isuhun was thinking about the class, Erica, who was walking next to him, asked naturally.

“Can you make a weapon for me?”

“A weapon?”

“Yeah.”

“Why suddenly? You don’t even use weapons.”

At the demonstration during the opening ceremony, she only used a common crow as a familiar, and he had never seen her use talismans or other auxiliary tools.

She seemed as distant from weapons as Jake, who fought with his bare hands.

“I want to have a weapon you made.”

“You’ve never shown interest before... Oh, is it because of Louise?”

To others, it might seem like Louise just came back stronger, but Erica was one of the few who had seen firsthand how powerful Barque was and its effects.

So, it was natural for her to develop an interest in weapons after seeing such a scene.

“...A little.”

After a brief pause, Erica’s affirmative response made Isuhun smile involuntarily.

‘She’s still a student, after all.’

Although she didn’t show it outwardly, she was indeed interested in combat.

To claim the position of the head of the family, she would need some combat skills, so it was only natural.

“What kind of weapon do you want?”

“Anything you make is fine.”

“...Is that so?”

Isuhun sighed inwardly at Erica’s response.

Typically, beginners think that “anything is fine,” but in reality, it’s the most complicated and annoying request.

‘It means, “I don’t know what I need, but please make a suitable weapon that helps me and doesn’t get in the way.”’

If he made something carelessly, thinking it would be fine, he would immediately regret it. Isuhun had such an experience during his beginner days before the regression.

‘A weapon that suits her...’

In such cases, he needed to observe her innate talent, magic power, and combat style to estimate what would be best.

However, there was no need to do that for Erica because he knew what weapon she used when she was an S-rank hero before the regression.

‘I’ll make something similar to the myth-grade weapon she used back then.’

Although obtaining the materials wouldn’t be easy, that was something she would have to handle herself.

The rough draft of the design completed in his mind, Isuhun confirmed that making it wouldn’t be too difficult and looked at Erica, who was staring at him intently.

“It might be a bit difficult.”

He immediately declined.

“...Why?”

“Because I have other commitments, and I have quite a few things to make right now.”

He had to make a memory-assistance device using a dreamer, Jake’s sword, and new equipment for Yeom Seongha and Louise.

At least Yeom Seongha and Louise could wait until the affinity stone was ready, but he had to make the dreamer and Jake’s sword as soon as possible since he had delayed them for various reasons.

“...”

Erica, who hadn’t expected to be rejected, looked slightly shocked. Seeing her reaction, which was more hopeful than he had anticipated, Isuhun pondered what to do.

“Ah, there you are!”

Jake, a blond young man, approached them with an energetic expression.

“I got all the materials you asked for! We can start making it now, right?”

Jake, who was so excited that he didn’t even notice Erica standing next to him, made Isuhun nod.

“If everything is ready, we can start immediately. But, as I mentioned before, it will take at least a week to complete.”

“That’s fine. But can you describe the sword a bit...?”

Jake, who was talking happily, suddenly turned to look at the side, sensing a chill.

“...”

He saw Erica, who was staring at him with a blank, emotionless face.

Her eyes, which were low and drawn in concentric circles, made Jake shiver involuntarily.

‘What’s going on?’

Was she annoyed because he suddenly interrupted their conversation?

Jake, who felt as uneasy as when he couldn’t reach Isuhun, was flustered, and Erica slowly turned to look at Isuhun.

“You have other commitments... like Myers?”

“Yes, one of them is.”

“Why did you accept his request?”

Erica’s question, which clearly showed her intention, made Isuhun smile and answer.

“He gave me good information about a hero-grade item. I couldn’t not return the favor after receiving such a commission fee.”

“Commission fee...”

Erica, who muttered to herself, thought for a moment and then nodded.

“Alright. I’ll come back later.”

Erica, who glanced at Jake, walked away, and Isuhun, who watched her go, smiled.

Thinking about the fiery performance she showed at the auction, he believed she would bring some useful items next time.

‘That’s enough to put her on the waiting list.’

While Isuhun was thinking about what she might bring, Jake, who had been watching her leave, asked cautiously.

“Did I do something wrong?”

Isuhun, who found Jake’s question incomprehensible, smiled and replied.

“A little.”