Chapter 51: The Reincarnated One Does It All

"Come in."

The interior was spotless, not a speck of dust to be seen. Jake's residence, which looked more like a model home than a lived-in house, made Iseun look around with a curious expression.

"What, did you clean up because I was coming?"

"At this level, it's nothing special... Do you want something to drink?"

At the sight of Jake, who seemed ready to head into the kitchen, Iseun shook his head.

"No. Let's see the item first. Where is it?"

"It's in that room. Follow me."

When Iseun entered the room Jake led him to, he was slightly surprised by what he saw.

A large display cabinet took up one wall, and inside it, various minerals were neatly arranged. They all had something in common.

"These minerals. Did you all crush them yourself?"

"Well... yeah."

Seeing Jake's embarrassed expression, Iseun examined the minerals in the display cabinet again.

The minerals were mashed up like clay squeezed in a hand. Among them were quite a few Hero-grade minerals, known for their toughness, all crushed by Jake's grip.

'They couldn't withstand even these minerals... As expected, regular minerals don't have the right compatibility.'

After scanning all the materials in the display cabinet, Iseun finally noticed an object sitting alone in the center of the room.

A white basin filled with blue liquid to about two-thirds. It was a liquid mineral, and even at a glance, it looked highly concentrated.

'At this concentration, it should be worth about 200 million.'

It seemed as if someone from a prestigious family had ordered it, and Jake had prepared it exactly as requested, or even better.

Reaffirming the wealth of the Myers family, Iseun approached the basin and examined the object submerged in it.

"Hmm..."

A blue sphere about the size of a fist lay at the bottom, faintly glowing as it absorbed the magic power from the liquid mineral. It looked like a large firefly.

'Not bad.'

It passed the initial inspection. Iseun decided to check the rest himself, rolled up his right sleeve, and plunged his hand into the basin.

Whirr!

The liquid mineral began to glow and ripple as soon as his hand touched it, reacting to the magic power in Iseun's body. Jake, looking alarmed, reached out his hand.

"Just a moment..."

If this continued, the liquid mineral would splash everywhere, just like when Jake had carelessly put his hand in it before.

Just as Jake was about to quickly pull Iseun's hand out,

"Eh... eh?"

The liquid mineral, which had been rippling, suddenly calmed down, as if it had never moved at all.

Jake, seeing that the liquid remained calm no matter how Iseun moved his hand, looked bewildered.

'Could he have adjusted his internal magic power to match the liquid mineral as soon as he put his hand in?'

It wasn't impossible, but it was a difficult response unless one had extensive experience with liquid minerals or a natural talent.

'Considering the price of the liquid mineral, he probably didn't have much experience... But to do it by feel... '

Jake, impressed, watched with interest. Iseun, who had taken the blue sphere out of the basin, checked the information.

[Water Golem Core]

[Grade: Rare] [Quality: Superior]

A power source of a naturally generated Water Golem.

It generates a special liquid with the same strength as the Water Golem's body by using the absorbed magic power.

*Generates special liquid equivalent to the amount of consumed magic power. Current grade: [D].

*Current magic power charge: 100%

"Hmm... Good."

It was flawless, with no scratches and fully charged with magic power. Satisfied, Iseun turned to Jake, who approached with curiosity.

"But how are you going to make a sword with this?"

The Water Golem Core, while versatile and used in construction materials, alchemy, and familiar creation, was rarely used in weapon crafting.

The durability of the internal magic circuits was too weak to withstand the refining process, often breaking.

"It needs to be matured a bit more."

"Matured?"

"Wait and see."

Iseun, examining the Water Golem Core, extended his left index finger and used the White Light Stream.

Sssss-

A thin, white light flowed from the tip of his finger, unstable in form. Iseun focused his mind.

'A bit thinner...'

The light gradually concentrated at the tip of his finger, forming a uniform shape.

Though not a sword, it was stable enough to fool someone who didn't know better. After refining the light, Iseun swung his finger at the Water Golem Core.

Shh-

The index finger moved smoothly through the air, and a thin line was etched into the surface of the Water Golem Core. The lines overlapped, forming a complex magic array.

"Hmm~"

"..."

While it looked casual, the result was incredibly detailed, as if it had taken days of meticulous work.

Jake, watching from the side, had a strange expression, as if he were seeing a scene from a movie. When Iseun finished etching the magic array, he retracted the White Light Stream.

"Hmm. Done."

The Water Golem Core, now etched with numerous complex magic arrays, was placed back into the liquid mineral.

Whirr-

Blue magic power began to fill the lines of the magic array, and the liquid mineral in the basin faintly rippled, gradually becoming transparent.

The Water Golem Core was absorbing the magic power, and Jake, realizing something, exclaimed.

"Ah! You're overcharging it, right?"

A technique to fill a material with magic power beyond its limit using a magic array.

It was a common method when using low-quality materials, but it required a deep understanding of magic arrays and the material, making it a rather difficult skill.

"Right. 100% isn't enough."

"Then wouldn't it be better to use a higher-grade core? It might break from the overload."

Concerned, Jake looked at Iseun, who smiled.

"Just watch."

When the magic array on the Water Golem Core was fully charged, Iseun gathered magic power in his mouth and used the Incantation Grant.

"<Nature Assimilation>, <Recognition Enhancement>"

The incantations dissolved into the liquid mineral like they were melting, then appeared as small bubbles.

A chaotic incantation magic formula, theoretically impossible to interpret, formed from the jumbled small letters.

The mysterious characters seeped into the Water Golem Core, and after a moment, the magic array began to glow and tremble.

"Right hand."

"…Eh?"

"Extend your right hand."

"Oh. Sorry. Here."

Jake, who had been staring blankly, finally extended his right hand. Iseun summoned the White Light Stream again and lightly cut the tip of his finger.

Plop-

Jake's blood fell into the basin, sinking to the bottom like a bead without mixing with the liquid mineral. As the Water Golem Core emitted light, the blood was sucked into it.

Whirr-

The Water Golem Core, trembling faintly as it absorbed the blood, showed no visible change. However, Jake felt a strange sensation.

'Just now, it felt similar to me...'

Not just similar in magic power, but a strange sense of familiarity, as if it were a part of his body.

Jake, experiencing this for the first time, looked at Iseun with a puzzled expression, who squeezed more blood from his finger and explained.

"For the next week, drop your blood into the liquid mineral once a day. Keep doing it until the Water Golem Core stops absorbing. On average, about 10ml per day, but it might vary, so do it yourself every day."

"What exactly is this process?"

"Explaining it would be complicated, but in simple terms... it's a trick."

"A trick?"

Iseun pointed to the blood he was dropping.

"Your abnormal grip strength... more accurately, the compression phenomenon caused by using magic, is hard to control. It's almost instinctive."

"Right..."

"So instead of trying to control it, which would be difficult, I'm going to use an exception, tricking it using your body."

Rather than a real grip strength, it was a 'skill' that activated under certain conditions. Jake, captivated by Iseun's plausible explanation, listened intently.

"By assimilating it with your blood, we can make the weapon think it's a part of your body."

"A part of my body..."

"Of course, it won't really become a part of your body. It just creates that feeling, and for now, that should be enough."

If Jake's grip strength, which is likely a unique skill, awakens and becomes even stronger, it might not withstand it, but that's a problem for another time.

Jake, thinking about Iseun's explanation, slowly nodded.

"Indeed, that makes sense."

"Of course. Any other questions?"

"Not now. I'll see you in a week."

If it were someone else, he might have asked about the entire process, but Jake realized there was no need to ask after hearing the explanation.

Even if he did, it was a completely different method from what he knew, making any comparison impossible.

'Frankly, it's like a gamble.'

A method that no one had ever tried before.

While it was a worrying story from the client's perspective, Jake surprisingly wasn't worried.

He had a strong belief that Iseun, of all people, would complete the weapon effortlessly.

"I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out."

Jake, looking like a child excited about a birthday gift, made Iseun chuckle as he stood up.

"Then keep doing this. It seems to need more than 10ml, given that it's still trembling."

"Got it. Until it stops trembling?"

"Right. I have a class, so I'll be going now."

Iseun left, and Jake, left alone in the room, continued to drop blood into the basin, looking at the submerged Water Golem Core.

"How much longer will it take..."

Since it was about 10ml on average, he thought it wouldn't take much longer. As he watched the blood fall,

"…Eh?"

Whirr-

Even after 30 minutes, the Water Golem Core didn't stop.

* * *

'Jake... he's more stubborn than he looks.'

Back in the Borshifa district, Iseun recalled the recent events with a curious expression.

The assimilation process varied depending on the person's character, and usually, the more stubborn someone was, the longer it took to assimilate.

This meant that while Jake seemed to be easily swayed, he actually had a strong will.

'I should keep this in mind when making the affinity stone later.'

This time, it was a bit ambiguous, so he postponed the extraction, but if Jake was filled with anticipation for a week, he could probably create a decent affinity stone.

While organizing his thoughts, Iseun arrived at the main building of the Refining Department and headed to the lecture hall where Kim In-cheol's class was held.

'The location of the lecture hall isn't as good as I expected.'

He thought it would be in a prime location, given that it received a lot of support, but it was in a corner and seemed smaller than expected.

Considering Kim In-cheol's personality, it made sense that the lecture hall was small because there weren't many students attending.

'While his lack of pretense is good, it's a bit problematic if he tries to save money on the class.'

The main reason Iseun chose this class was to attract Ludwig's attention and secure a large budget. If Kim In-cheol unnecessarily saved money, it would be a hindrance.

With a worried expression, Iseun entered the lecture hall.

"Ugh..."

"Ugh..."

"Ugh..."

Five students, each holding various tools, were staring intently at them.

"..."

A sword and a shield, a pickaxe and a shovel, and finally, a frying pan.

Seeing the students holding these various tools, Iseun had a strange expression.

He expected the class to be unconventional, given the topic of the origin of weapons, but it exceeded his expectations.

'What should I call this...'

Iseun chuckled as he watched. Then, he heard footsteps from behind, and Kim In-cheol appeared.

"Ah, welcome. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, I'm completely recovered."

"That's good to hear. I thought about visiting, but the beginning of the semester is busy. I'm sorry."

Seeing Kim In-cheol's embarrassed expression, Iseun shook his head.

"No, it wasn't a serious injury. But..."

Iseun glanced around the lecture hall and looked at Kim In-cheol.

"What are they doing?"

"Oh, right. You haven't attended a lecture yet. I'll explain. Come this way."

The students didn't even look at the professor, focusing on the tools in their hands, and Kim In-cheol walked in without paying attention.

Iseun followed and sat in the front row, looking at Kim In-cheol.

"The class on the Origin of Weapons is about understanding what the essence of the weapons we create is and how to embody that essence."

Kim In-cheol, holding a long sword from one side of the lecture hall, showed it to Iseun.

"Let's use this sword as an example. What do you think the blacksmith who made this sword intended?"

"…It's specialized for thrusting. The center of gravity suggests it was made for someone who leads with their right foot."

Iseun, glancing at the sword, answered immediately. Kim In-cheol, slightly impressed, nodded.

"Right. I thought you might get it... Impressive."

"The more skilled the craftsman, the more it shows on the surface."

"Hmm. Can you tell if there are any other intentions besides that?"

Iseun, receiving the sword from Kim In-cheol, read the emotions from the blade to the handle and answered.

"The owner of this sword seems to have wished not to kill anyone."

"…Why?"

"The blade is quite dull, but the balance of the sword is excellent. It seems intentional rather than due to poor maintenance... Usually, someone who reluctantly makes a weapon does this."

A half-hearted sword that the owner didn't want to use to harm others but also didn't want to break in a fight.

Kim In-cheol, impressed by Iseun's explanation, nodded with a smile.

"Right. A sword, as a tool, is usually intended to cut, but it can change depending on who makes it and how."

Kim In-cheol, taking back the sword, gently stroked the dull blade.

"So, is the essence of this sword the 'killing intent' inherent in a weapon, or the 'non-killing' wish of the blacksmith who made it? That's what we explore in this class."

"…I see."

Iseun, intrigued by Kim In-cheol's explanation, found it more appealing than the vague concept of the origin of weapons he had encountered before reincarnation.

'Theoretical discussions are less practical than something with potential, even if it's small.'

While it was a bit difficult, it had practical applications once mastered. If the system were more established, it could become a very useful field.

Just as Iseun was looking forward to how the class would proceed,

"By the way, you've already finished this semester's class."

Kim In-cheol said with a troubled voice.

"…What?"

"This semester's content was about reading the intentions embedded in weapons. That's why they were all staring at their tools."

Pointing to the back, Iseun turned around.

"…"

"…"

The five students, breaking their gaze from the tools in their hands, looked blankly.

Realizing he had progressed too far, Iseun looked back at Kim In-cheol.

"…What do we do now?"

"Well, what can we do?"

Iseun's question made Kim In-cheol chuckle.

"You get a perfect score for this semester."