Chapter 60

The reincarnated one has completed it, Chapter 60

"Stupid guy..."

Yeon Seong-ha muttered discontentedly and left the room, and Lee Se-hoon, who had been watching his back, frowned.

'That guy was suspicious even back then.'

If he thought something was unreasonable, he would start by suspecting it.

While that way of thinking wasn't necessarily bad, Yeon Seong-ha, or more accurately, Kwan-kyeon, was problematic because it was so extreme.

'It took him three years to drink the water I gave him.'

Until then, he would either break the water bottle thrown at him with a window or, if I approached him when he was injured, he would make a fuss, thinking it was an assassination attempt. It was a headache more than once.

'Compared to Kwan-kyeon, it seems better... but I still need to sort things out based on the situation.'

It doesn't matter if he messes up his own affairs, but if he tries to mess up others' affairs, like he just did, it's quite troublesome.

While Lee Se-hoon was deeply thinking about how to deal with that suspicion, Erica, who was sitting on the bed, spoke calmly.

"Don't get too close to Yeon Seong-ha."

"Recently, with his official ascension to the successor position, his standing has become even more precarious. If something goes wrong, you'll be swept up in the Yanhuamen power struggle."

"What... I doubt they'd say anything just because we know each other."

"They will."

Erica, who answered immediately, looked at him seriously.

"The current head, Lee Won-ryong, is the type who would do more than that."

Whether Yeon Seong-ha is studying in Babel or not, if he thinks he's an obstacle, he can take drastic action at any time.

With Erica's warning, Lee Se-hoon reconsidered his thoughts on the current head of Yanhuamen, Lee Won-ryong.

'I heard he was a ruthless guy, but it seems to be even worse than I imagined.'

Since the route has changed from before the reincarnation, he needs to be cautious about his movements. Lee Se-hoon, who had come to a conclusion, looked at Erica.

"If it seems dangerous, let me know."

"..."

Warned not to get too close, but asking to be informed if it becomes dangerous. Erica's expression became peculiar, seeing that he had no intention of giving up.

'Does Yeon Seong-ha have that much value to you?'

While Yeon Seong-ha is evaluated as an outstanding prospect in the world, he is somewhat avoided in the hero industry.

Because of his position within Yanhuamen, even a slight misstep could be misunderstood as internal interference and become troublesome.

Yet, despite knowing this, he still wants to take him in. Erica, who thought about Lee Se-hoon's intentions for a moment, quickly came to a conclusion.

"Alright."

While it could become troublesome if he gets involved in the Yanhuamen power struggle, Lee Se-hoon evaluated that it was worth the risk.

"In return, you need to make my weapon as soon as possible."

Then, he could use that point to his advantage. Lee Se-hoon nodded readily at Erica's condition.

"That's not something I can't do."

This time, bringing the Yin-Yang Ring was probably the advance payment for the weapon they discussed last time. If he also tells her about the information on Yanhuamen, there's no reason he can't do it.

"Ah, I'll give you this too. Eat as much as you want."

"Okay."

Seeing Lee Se-hoon take a handful of Jason cherries from the bag and hand them to Erica, Louise narrowed her eyes.

"I bought them for you to eat, not for him to eat."

"If you gave them, it's over. Do you want to give some to her too?"

"Fine. Just because you got something expensive, don't get so smug..."

Louise, muttering discontentedly, turned her gaze away, and as if waiting for it, her eyes met Erica's.

"..."

Mumble, mumble—

Erica, staring intently, ate the cherries provocatively.

Seeing the obvious provocation, Louise's eyes twitched, and she ground her teeth, muttering.

"Just a Hero-grade elixir... I'll show you..."

Her mutter was filled with frustration. Ignoring her lament, Lee Se-hoon looked at Jake.

"What happened to you?"

"Huh?"

"You look a bit thinner over the past few days."

His pale face and gaunt appearance. Seeing the significant change in his physical condition, Lee Se-hoon looked at him curiously, and Jake smiled bitterly.

"Ah, actually... I came to consult about this part."

"Consult?"

Jake glanced at Louise and Erica, and with that gesture, Lee Se-hoon understood and looked at the two.

"Both of you, go out for a moment."

"Tsk..."

"Okay."

After the two left, Lee Se-hoon immediately asked Jake.

"Is there something wrong with the Water Golem's core?"

If something happened in just a few days and he came to see him, that was the only possibility.

Shaking his head at Lee Se-hoon's question, Jake replied.

"The Water Golem's core itself is fine. It seems to be properly assimilating."

"Then what is it?"

"But... is it that it's consuming too much blood... I've been giving it too much blood every day, and it's getting a bit tiring. I came to see if there's any way to fix it."

Hearing Jake's story, filled with fatigue, Lee Se-hoon looked at him curiously.

"How much blood are you giving it?"

The amount of blood needed for assimilation can vary depending on one's personality, but even so, it shouldn't be so much that he would become so thin in just a few days.

"About 1L a day, I think."

"..."

Hearing Jake's answer, Lee Se-hoon's eyes widened.

At 170 cm, Jake's blood volume is roughly 3L. Using 1/3 of that every day for assimilation?

If Jake were an ordinary person, he would have been in trouble long ago.

'No, that's impossible...'

Before the reincarnation, the most Lee Se-hoon used during assimilation was about 300ml. Three times that amount...

This clearly indicated that there was another cause, not just his personality.

"Do you have any photos?"

"I have a video."

Taking the phone, Lee Se-hoon immediately played the video.

Jake, instead of pricking his finger, made a cut on the back of his hand and let the blood drop. The massive amount of blood fell into the mana stone liquid and seeped into the Water Golem's core.

Carefully observing this, Lee Se-hoon noticed a change and was surprised.

'Look at this... The magic array has changed, and the size has decreased.'

The magic array that Lee Se-hoon had engraved himself now had additional red lines, and most importantly, the core's size had decreased by about 5% compared to a few days ago.

For something as delicate as the Water Golem's core, this change would have been problematic, but the assimilation process was proceeding without any issues and even seemed to be improving.

"Are these red lines in the magic array something you drew, Jake?"

"No way. I just gave blood as instructed."

"Hmm. I see..."

If Jake was not involved, there was only one explanation for the current situation.

The Water Golem's core had changed and mutated on its own.

'Since the material itself didn't have this function, the cause must be Jake's blood...'

Identifying the cause, Lee Se-hoon glanced at Jake, who was waiting for his answer.

'I never imagined he had a mutation constitution.'

A special constitution where the body 'mutates' due to the influence of skills, mana circuits, or mana attributes.

It was a rare case even among heroes, and Jake was one of them.

'Seeing the core shrink, it seems related to his innate skill... This is getting quite interesting.'

It might produce something better than expected. Returning the phone, Lee Se-hoon explained what he had discovered, and Jake looked surprised.

"I have a mutation constitution... I never imagined that."

"Since the effects appeared over a long period, it was hard to notice. If you hadn't done the assimilation, you might never have known."

Indeed, there was a possibility that Jake never knew about it until his death, as there was no mention of it before the reincarnation.

"First, the assimilation is progressing properly, so there's no need to worry. On the contrary, if the sword turns out well thanks to the blood, it will be a good thing."

"Wow..."

Jake's eyes lit up at the prospect of a better sword. Lee Se-hoon gently placed his hand on Jake's shoulder.

"But for that, you need to put in a bit more effort... "

"What is it? I'll do anything if I can!"

Seeing Jake's enthusiastic response, Lee Se-hoon smiled awkwardly.

"From the video, it seems better to spend more time on the assimilation. How about another two weeks?"

"..."

Hearing Lee Se-hoon's suggestion, Jake's eyes twitched.

He was already exhausted from giving blood every day while handling classes and assignments. The idea of extending the period made him want to scream, "Are you crazy?"

But he couldn't bring himself to say it.

'A better sword...'

Since he would likely have to make swords this way in the future, it might be better to get used to it now.

After a moment's thought, Jake resolved himself and looked at Lee Se-hoon.

"I'll give it a try."

"Good. I'll come to check on it whenever I have time, so keep working on it until then."

While he could roughly tell by looking, it's always better to see and touch things directly.

Jake nodded at Lee Se-hoon's words.

"Got it."

"Good. Is that all, then?"

"Wait, wait a moment."

Just as Lee Se-hoon was about to call the two back, Jake stopped him, realizing he had forgotten something.

"There was something I wanted to tell you, but I forgot while we were talking."

"What is it?"

Jake looked at Lee Se-hoon seriously.

"The exchange meeting. The date has been set."

* * *

That evening, after everyone had left, Lee Se-hoon lay on the bed, deep in thought.

'The Nobles' Exchange Meeting...'

A gathering of students with prestigious backgrounds in the hero industry and talented students chosen by them.

While it's called an exchange meeting among students, it's a massive and complex place, almost a miniature version of the hero industry.

'I don't particularly like it, but I have to go.'

Since it's a place where future giants gather, he could gain significant advantages by using his pre-reincarnation knowledge well.

'For that, I need to get out of this room first.'

The exchange meeting is next Saturday, only a week away. He needs to move as quickly as possible.

Having made his decision, Lee Se-hoon immediately took out the Yin-Yang Ring and Shadow Ether he received from Erica and Jake.

'It's been a while since I took an elixir like this on an empty stomach.'

Some people think that taking an elixir alone can make them stronger, but it's not that simple.

A slight lapse in attention can lead to mana backlash or a change in body constitution, causing existing skills to twist, among other side effects.

-Don't take it until you've recovered a bit. If you do, you might die.

Lee Se-hoon's body was in a fragile state, like cracked glass.

Even with thorough preparation, there was a high chance of problems, which is why Erica repeatedly warned him about this.

If there were any common sense, he wouldn't have taken it.

Gulp—

Lee Se-hoon had long since discarded such concerns.

Swoosh—

The Yin-Yang Ring evaporated as soon as it passed through his throat.

At the same time, a heavy mana force descended into his stomach and exploded throughout his body.

"Ugh!"

The sensation of a small bomb going off inside his stomach. Under the intense pressure, as if his body was being torn apart, Lee Se-hoon immediately activated the Lingyan Divine Magic.

Whirr!

It's commonly said that moving and training while injured is dangerous, but Lee Se-hoon had a different view.

Forging metal is done when it's heated, and the reason is that it's easier to make changes when it's in a weak state.

'The same applies to the body.'

The injuries Lee Se-hoon sustained were traces of using abilities beyond his physical limits.

If these traces are properly 'forged,' he can create a more perfect body.

Crack—

To recreate the virtual body he had envisioned in his mind, the energy from the Yin-Yang Ring tore and shattered his muscles and bones, then forcibly connected them.

If he let his guard down even for a moment, his entire body might explode. In this precarious situation, Lee Se-hoon continued the work without hesitation.

'Muscles and bones are complete...!'

After adjusting his body, Lee Se-hoon directed the remaining energy into his mana circuit.

Whoosh!

As the massive energy from the Yin-Yang Ring entered, his fire attribute mana, 'Honglian,' began to burn fiercely, as if it had found fuel.

Sizzle—

Honglian, heating up the weakened mana circuit, raced through his body at an incredible speed.

The special bandages that restrained the mana's movement were even scorched, but Lee Se-hoon gritted his teeth and endured the pain.

The heat rising from his body made his mana circuit stronger, and the power of his fire attribute mana deepened.

"Ah..."

Steam rising from various parts of his body. The flames of Honglian, which had consumed the energy from the Yin-Yang Ring, became even more intense and then suddenly paused.

The pure negative mana that Honglian couldn't absorb. Confirming that the essence was complete, Lee Se-hoon immediately swallowed the Shadow Ether he had been holding in his mouth.

Rumble—

The Shadow Ether seeped into his organs.

Feeling this energy, Honglian fiercely resisted, but Lee Se-hoon quickly created a new path for the Shadow Ether.

Whoosh!

A new mana circuit, separate from Honglian.

Realizing it had a place of its own, the Shadow Ether naturally seeped in, and Lee Se-hoon inserted the negative mana he had created with Honglian into it.

Rumble—

The Shadow Ether, absorbing the negative mana, became even more concentrated, and the flames of Honglian, which had reached their limit, intensified.

The two attribute manas circulated in their respective domains, refining Lee Se-hoon's body according to the design he had created.

Finally, when he reached his limit.

Clang—!

The hammer he had envisioned in his mind struck the completed body.

"Cough, cough! Ah..."

A loud metallic sound that made his ears ring and a continuous dry cough.

Black smoke, instead of saliva, came out of his mouth, and Lee Se-hoon's eyes twisted.

The smoke from the toxins burning in various parts of his body. An indescribable stench filled the air in front of him.

"Ugh... Still better than before..."

Before the reincarnation, the amount of toxins was so great that smoke came out of his entire body, and the smell was so bad that he was chased out of the workshop and forbidden to approach his master for a month.

As he recalled this old memory, Lee Se-hoon smiled slightly.

Snap—

The bandages, unable to withstand the mana movement during the refinement process, broke.

Seeing this, Lee Se-hoon took off his hospital gown and looked at his body.

"Wow..."

The muscle structure, more defined than before, was tightly woven, as if he had trained for several years.

'This... the power of money...'

As he marveled at the well-refined body, a notification window appeared in front of his eyes.

[All stats have significantly increased due to the effect of the skill 'Lingyan Divine Magic'.]

[The attribute mana 'Honglian (E+)' has been strengthened to 'Honglunyan (D+)'.]

[The attribute mana 'Yueying (D)' has been awakened.]

Lee Se-hoon immediately checked the changed information.

[Lee Se