Chapter 68: The Regressor Does It All

The banquet hall set up on the first floor of Shangri-La.

It was created by weaving together all the rooms on the first floor using spatial magic, and its vastness was astounding. Even more astonishing were the facilities that adorned the interior.

Swish—

Water spouted from the central fountain, forming living shapes of birds and fish, while a massive chandelier hanging above gently scattered light, illuminating the entire banquet hall.

Humanoid golems in formal attire served food, and dozens of musical instruments floated in the air, playing music.

In addition to these, numerous decorations that were hard to see from the outside adorned the interior of the banquet hall. The magnificent scenery left the students, who had just passed through the maze, with their mouths agape.

“Wow...”

“What is this...”

Although they thought they had adapted to the facilities of Babel, the sight before them made them realize that it was merely a taste of what was to come.

As they were overwhelmed by the extraordinary scene, the people who had invited them approached and chuckled.

“Is this all that impressive? There are even more interesting things inside.”

“I’ll introduce you to the people I mentioned earlier. Let’s go.”

If they were captivated by this scene, the recruitment was already half successful. The students gradually became immersed as they entered the banquet hall.

Standing beside the entrance, Erica observed the scene with a detached gaze and muttered.

“Useless...”

Even those invited as promising individuals and the members of the exchange conference who invited them seemed to have no value to her.

The meaningless scene before her left Erica feeling nothing, and the students who noticed her gaze swallowed hard.

‘What kind of look is that...’

‘I can’t even approach her...’

As the top student of Ur’s department and the eldest daughter of the Inoue family, leading this exchange conference, she was a person with no flaws in background or talent. Many wanted to build a relationship with her during this opportunity, but her unique aura made it difficult to even approach her.

As everyone waited for a chance to approach, Jake, a young man in a white suit, approached Erica and spoke naturally.

“When did you get here?”

“Just now.”

“Is that so? Ah, your dress looks great.”

“Thanks.”

Erica’s responses, which seemed to indicate a lack of interest, and Jake’s indifference to her reactions left the surrounding students puzzled.

‘What’s this? Were they close before?’

‘Inoue and Myers don’t get along, do they...’

If one knew about the incident at the exchange conference two years ago, this scene would seem awkward. However, the two continued their conversation, ignoring the curious gazes.

“Where’s Iseun?”

“He’s still in the maze.”

“Oh, right. How long has it been?”

“5 minutes and 43 seconds.”

“...What?”

Jake’s expression changed in surprise at Erica’s words.

Anyone else might not have noticed, but Iseun was a person with a keen sense, capable of handling even the most difficult magical stone fluid. For this maze, it should have taken him no more than five seconds to break through.

‘Was he really that badly injured? He didn’t look that bad... or did someone tamper with the maze?’

It was a plausible scenario for those who enjoyed watching students wander through the maze. As Jake pondered whether to go look for Iseun, the entrance opened, and Iseun entered the banquet hall.

“Finally made it... What’s this? Were you waiting for me?”

Iseun chuckled as he noticed the two. His casual demeanor left Jake puzzled.

“Why did it take you so long?”

“Hmm? Ah, I got a bit lost while sightseeing.”

“...Sightseeing?”

Was this maze connected to other rooms? As Jake pondered this unheard-of story, Iseun recalled the corridor he had just walked through.

‘It looked like something Ludwig set up... Spatial magic isn’t easy, after all.’

The spatial magic in Shangri-La allowed the massive mansion to be divided into thousands of blocks and reassembled freely, like a puzzle. Once the structure was understood, one could manipulate it to some extent, even without knowing spatial magic. However, a few mistakes led him to the wrong path.

‘Still, I gained some unexpected benefits.’

During his detour, Iseun stumbled upon a waiting room for voyeurs, where he met Bier Varmut. As soon as they parted ways, a new notification appeared.

[Your connection with ‘Bier Varmut’ has been established.]

‘A connection from just a few words... I must have really annoyed him.’

The connection with Bier, though not a positive one, was still a valuable gain for Iseun.

‘Knowing that he’s aware of me to this extent...’

This level of awareness meant that any actions he took wouldn’t be surprising. Iseun decided to be more cautious as he organized his thoughts.

“Really?”

Erica, who had approached, looked at Iseun seriously.

“Did you go to other rooms besides this one?”

“I only went to a few. A room with voyeurs, a storage room, and a room with a magic array.”

Iseun spoke casually, but Erica’s expression grew even more serious.

‘The monitoring room, the storage room, and the management room...’

All of these were highly secured areas. If Iseun had really gone to these places, it would mean he had essentially broken through Shangri-La’s spatial magic.

‘Even if the security was lax due to the exchange conference, it’s not easy without specialized knowledge. This level of skill... he must have a magical aptitude of A, or even S.’

Not only did he have a keen sense for incantations but also a talent for the intricate calculations required for magic.

Erica’s eyes sparkled as she recognized this new talent, and Iseun’s expression turned wary.

‘She’ll probably try to raise the connection level whenever she gets a chance.’

While it was nice to see progress, her gaze was a bit overwhelming. Iseun glanced away from the intense stares and surveyed the exchange hall.

“More than I expected...”

Even as he had just entered, the number of students gathering around him was significant. As the situation began to form a包围圈, Jake chuckled.

“Today’s main characters are the freshmen, after all.”

For those talented enough to be invited to the exchange conference, it was common to find sponsors during their first conference. If they failed to recruit talent this time, they might miss out for years, or even permanently.

‘Blacksmiths are especially popular.’

A powerful hero is limited to one person, but a powerful weapon can be reused by changing owners.

Thus, for groups with power and capital, technical experts, especially those in weapon crafting, were more valuable than heroes.

The students gathered around, looking for any chance to start a conversation. This reminded Iseun of a scene from before his regression.

‘The blacksmith who made the Mad Dog’s Spear! Kill him!’

‘Are you the lover of the Mad Dog? If you come quietly, I’ll spare your life.’

‘Freedom for the leader!!’

He had been involved in kidnappings and assassination attempts just because he was close to the Mad Dog. With incidents happening frequently, people eventually avoided him for fear of being dragged into the chaos.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve experienced this.’

A crowd of people with good intentions, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Despite the unfamiliarity, Iseun didn’t mind it.

Smiling, Iseun looked at the two people watching him.

“Let’s go, then.”

Standing still wouldn’t make him the main character; it would just make him a spectacle. Jake chuckled at Iseun’s words.

“Sure. I’ll guide you.”

As Jake took the lead, the students surrounding them quickly stepped aside, intimidated by the prominent families of Erica and Jake.

“Excuse us.”

“...”

Jake, who was seeking understanding, and Erica, who seemed to be memorizing the faces of those targeting Iseun, formed a solid defense.

Just as everyone hesitated to approach, a timid young man approached Iseun.

“Um, excuse me...!”

A brown-haired young man, clearly nervous, asked, “I have a question about weapons... Can I ask you something for a moment?!”

Iseun, who had been observing him, asked, “Just like that?”

“Oh, oh! He’s Adam Viner, the top student of the second year in the Weaponry Department.”

“Hmm...”

As Iseun observed Adam, Jake, who was standing nearby, whispered, “He’s a senior I know, and he has no ulterior motives.”

“Is that so?”

After a moment’s thought, Iseun nodded.

“What do you want to know?”

“Is it okay?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Adam took a deep breath and, with a tense expression, began his question.

“It’s not about anything else. I recently got a new gauntlet, but I feel a sense of discomfort during battles. However, when I checked it, there were no issues...”

“The results are unreliable. Did you bring the gauntlet today?”

“Oh? Ah, here it is!”

Adam hurriedly pulled out a black gauntlet from his subspace pocket and handed it to Iseun. Iseun, receiving it, lightly swung it as if to shake off dust.

It looked like he was playing with a toy. As the surrounding students watched with mixed expressions, Iseun pointed to a part of the gauntlet.

“The magic circuit between your index and middle fingers is slightly misaligned.”

“...Really?”

“It’s minor, but it would have affected efficiency. It’s impressive that you noticed it.”

Iseun, who was examining the joints, looked at Adam with a puzzled expression.

“But who did the inspection? It’s impossible to miss this if you have eyes.”

Adam, who was checking the surroundings, hesitated to answer. Iseun waved his hand.

“Never mind. If he can’t even find this, there’s no need to listen to him.”

Iseun, who was busy dealing with talented individuals, had no reason to waste time on such a person. He turned his attention back to the gauntlet and lightly flicked the misaligned circuit.

Ting—

A clear sound echoed. Iseun, satisfied, handed the gauntlet back to Adam.

“I’ve fixed it.”

“...What?”

“It was just a minor misalignment.”

Iseun’s casual response left Adam and the surrounding students with a mix of expressions.

To fix a magic circuit, which could easily break if mishandled, so easily? Even as the top student, it was hard to believe.

“...”

Adam, who had received the gauntlet, carefully put it on his right arm.

Click—

The gauntlet fitted smoothly as he inserted his hand, and as his magic power seeped in,

“...What?”

The discomfort was gone, and it moved more smoothly than before.

“I noticed a few inefficiencies and adjusted them. Take it to a proper person and have the other side adjusted as well.”

Not only did he repair it, but he also fine-tuned it. Adam, who had been in a daze, finally came to his senses and asked,

“Thank you. How can I repay you...”

“I’ll send you my account. Just send a reasonable amount.”

“Got it. Thank you so much!”

Adam, who received the account information, bowed repeatedly and left. The students, who had been watching, quietly observed the situation.

‘With that level of skill, even if he just had a good reputation...’

‘If Inoue or Myers don’t try to recruit him, it would be strange.’

‘This is something you’ll definitely regret if you miss out on!’

Just as the students were about to approach Iseun, a large young man pushed through the crowd.

“Move!”

A towering figure, at least 2 meters tall, with a face that could intimidate anyone on first sight. His suit was stretched tight over his bulging muscles.

“Is it you?”

His question sounded like a growl, exuding a sense of intimidation. Iseun, however, didn’t flinch.

“What?”

“Did you make a fuss about the gauntlet I modified?”

The young man’s face was contorted as if he was about to strike. Iseun’s expression hardened as he finally understood the situation.

Just as the young man, realizing his advantage, was about to press further,

“Why is it so bad? I didn’t know it was made by a non-specialist... I wouldn’t have criticized it so harshly if I knew it was a hobby project.”

“...What?”

“Hey, why do you seniors entrust weapon crafting to Akalk