Chapter 95

The Reincarnated One Does It All 95

Whoosh!

Crimson flames, like waves, surged inside the furnace.

The flames that struck the walls scattered in all directions, then gathered back to the center and surged again like waves.

Rumble—

Each time this process repeated, the crimson light flickered through the gaps in the large charcoal placed in the center of the furnace. Iseun, who observed this through the translucent lid, narrowed his eyes.

And when the heat intensified and the crimson light grew even more intense—

Crack

The surface of the charcoal began to crumble.

"Here we go!"

Iseun shouted loudly and quickly opened the translucent lid of the furnace.

Whoosh!

Flames and heat burst out of the furnace.

In the intense heat that easily penetrated the heat-resistant function of the basic work uniform, Iseun didn't blink as he inserted the tongs.

Whoosh!

The crimson-hot charcoal was swiftly moved to the workbench, and Iseun, having closed the furnace lid, immediately inserted iron rods in various places.

Whoosh!

Crimson flames, like blood, spurted out as the iron rods pierced through.

Iseun skillfully avoided all the flames, then attached the black spirit silk to the end of the rod and threw it to Louise, who was waiting.

"Final compression!"

Louise caught the black spirit silk and immediately put it in her mouth, using incantation magic with the mental image she had honed for a long time.

【Compression】

Louise's incantation magic deeply permeated through the black spirit silk, and at the same time, the crimson light shining through the gaps in the charcoal became even stronger.

Crack!

As the cracks spread and reached their limit, the surface began to collapse.

Boom—!

The large charcoal exploded instantly, scattering ashes in all directions.

"Cough, cough... Damn it..."

Louise frowned at the ash covering not only her surroundings but her entire body. She was glad she had changed into a work uniform; otherwise, she would have ruined her favorite clothes.

"Hey! How did it go? Is it done?!"

Unable to see clearly, she shouted, but there was no response. As Louise became slightly anxious due to the lack of response—

Whoosh!

The ventilation system in the workshop activated, clearing the view.

"..."

The workshop, covered in ash, was in a mess, and Iseun, who was also covered in ash, looked disheveled. When Louise saw that the workbench, the center of the explosion, was empty, her face turned pale.

'Failed?'

After 10 hours of this, do we have to start all over again?

While seriously considering whether to just hit Iseun on the back of the head and run away, Iseun turned around and showed her a crimson rod with a smile.

"Done."

Louise, who had been holding her breath, approached Iseun and examined the finished product in his hand.

It was about 130 cm long. The surface had a strange luster, making it look like it was made of glass, which intrigued Louise.

"Is it hot?"

"A bit warm."

"Then give it to me. Let me see it too."

Louise snatched the finished product from Iseun and immediately read the information window.

[Red Flame Staff 紅炎杖]

[Grade: Rare] [Quality: Best]

A rod made by heating a special wood for a long time.

It has the ability to absorb and store flames and can regenerate damaged parts using nutrients.

It can maintain output efficiently due to the magic circuit circulating inside, increasing its strength.

*Can regenerate using the flames stored in the weapon. Current storage: 100%.

*Strength increases when magic power is infused into the weapon.

"...What? Just a rare grade?"

Seeing the grade of the Red Flame Staff in her hand, Louise looked disappointed.

While a rare-grade best-quality item wasn't bad by student standards, considering the effort and time she had put in, and especially the amount of materials used, it seemed too low.

"Is this really the right one? How many of those strange wood pieces did you compress to get this?"

The process involved infusing incantation magic into the pieces of sacred wood to activate them, then placing them in the furnace to adapt them to the flames.

Once the pieces were processed and reduced to a certain size, they were combined and compressed with other similarly processed pieces.

This process was repeated dozens of times to create the Red Flame Staff, which had the ability to handle and resist flames.

'This should at least be a hero grade...'

Feeling betrayed by the effort, Louise frowned, and Iseun chuckled.

"Calm down. It's not finished yet."

"Not finished?"

"Originally, there should be a blade at this end that can release magic power. If we just attach it roughly, it will be a hero grade."

The Red Flame Staff was like a drawing with all the lines completed. Even in this state, it almost reached hero grade, so in a sense, it was well-made.

'If only it hadn't failed so many times during the process.'

Thinking of the dozens of sacred wood pieces that had turned into white ash, Iseun felt a bit regretful.

"...A blade?"

Louise narrowed her eyes.

"Are you planning to give this to that Yan guy?"

"Yeah, I'm going to sell it to him—"

"Ugh...!"

Louise slammed the Red Flame Staff on her knee, trying to break it.

Iseun blocked her knee with his hand, looking at her in disbelief.

"What are you doing?"

"I wouldn't have helped if I knew it was for that guy! Why are you making something like this for such a scumbag!"

Despite only meeting once, Louise seemed to have a strong dislike for Yan Chengxia, venting her anger.

Thinking of the way the Berserk Dog used to grind his teeth whenever he saw the Mad Dog before the reincarnation, Iseun chuckled and patted her shoulder.

"Don't get so angry."

"Don't tell me not to get angry. You're the one who—"

"Yan Chengxia is a rude and unpleasant person who doesn't think about his own skills and blames his weapons, but he has some good qualities too."

"Really, why did you make it for him?"

Instead of defending him, Iseun calmly answered, despite Louise's incredulous look.

"How can you do business if you only sell to people you like? As long as it meets the standards, I'll sell it."

"Like... talent or something?"

"Exactly. And they need to have a clear belief. Such people tend to live longer."

They survive tenaciously in battles and resist temptations, living as 'humans.'

That's why, despite numerous conflicts with the Three Dogs before the reincarnation, Iseun continued to make weapons for them until the end.

"Next time, tell me in advance. Don't make me lose my motivation."

Although she spoke curtly, she didn't say she wouldn't help. Seeing this, Iseun naturally asked about something he had been curious about.

"But, does making weapons make you lose your motivation?"

"Of course. I thought you knew how to use it and—"

Louise's body stiffened as she naturally answered, and Iseun, who had a rough idea of the situation, slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

"You thought I knew how to use it? So what? Keep talking."

"…I'll die."

"If you're going to die, you might as well hear it first. Ah! I get it. You thought I knew how to use it and worked hard on it, right…"

"Hey!!!"

***

"Never ask for help again when you make something!!"

Louise shouted and got into a taxi, leaving. Kim Incheol, who had come out to meet her with Iseun, asked.

"What on earth happened while I was away?"

"I played a little joke, but the kid has no patience."

Whether before the reincarnation or now, teasing someone for a slip of the tongue always made them lose control.

'I need to help her build some resilience this time.'

A verbal slip shouldn't make a linguist lose her composure like that. As Iseun made a mental note, Kim Incheol smiled bitterly.

"Be careful. Your tone and expression are perfect for making people dislike you."

"That's a heart-wrenching piece of advice. Oh, by the way, did you see the finished product?"

At Iseun's question, Kim Incheol nodded.

"It was excellent. Attaching any blade will definitely make it a hero grade."

"Thank you."

"And…"

After a moment of thought, Kim Incheol spoke with confidence.

"I saw potential in using broken flames."

The pieces of sacred wood could grow to adapt to their environment, and this included flames, which were considered their opposite.

So, it might be possible to grow the sacred wood to replace the destroyed 'origin' by adapting it to broken flames.

Iseun nodded at Kim Incheol's speculation.

"While it might not be perfect, I think it will have some effect."

"That's why… can you sell me a little of the sacred wood material?"

Even though the amount of material was large, it might not be possible to obtain it again, so he might be hesitant to use it.

Although they were working together, since Kim Incheol had requested his cooperation, he waited nervously for the answer.

"Of course."

Iseun nodded readily.

"I have plenty of material, so I can definitely give you some."

"…Thank you very much."

Kim Incheol bowed in sincere gratitude, but Iseun stopped him by holding his shoulder.

"It's fine. And I also have a request for you."

"A request…?"

At Kim Incheol's question, Iseun answered cautiously.

"I want to use the fire from broken flames in the next refinement."

"…"

Iseun's request made Kim Incheol's expression stiffen.

Despite bringing such a rare material, he was still hesitant. Iseun watched his reaction carefully, and Kim Incheol slowly nodded.

"I understand. It might be a bit dangerous, but… I trust you."

"Thank you…"

"One thing, though."

Kim Incheol looked at Iseun seriously.

"If there are any traces of broken flames left on the finished weapon, you must destroy it."

If the existence of broken flames were to be known, they might be attacked by someone. Iseun nodded, understanding the subtle warning.

"I will keep that in mind."

"I trust you."

Nodding, Kim Incheol looked up at the darkening sky.

"It's getting late. Let's head back. I'll give you a ride."

Kim Incheol brought out a large red motorcycle from the garage and quickly drove Iseun across the road, disappearing as quickly as he had come.

Vroom—!

Kim Incheol disappeared over the horizon in the blink of an eye. Watching his back, Iseun stroked his chin.

'There's someone who can recognize the traces of broken flames… so he must have taken them from inside the Watchers.'

According to the information about Bing Dog seen through the Dream Path before the reincarnation, Kim Incheol was once a blacksmith in the Watchers and died in the 'Flame Hunter Hunt.'

While the information might not be entirely accurate, it was a plausible story given the current situation.

'The only ones in the Watchers related to blacksmithing are the 『Offering』 guys.'

The eccentric group that believed anything could be sacrificed to create perfect weapons.

The ones Iseun encountered most frequently before the reincarnation, who relentlessly pursued him and had the most knowledge about the internal structure of the Watchers.

'I need to find the Flame Hunter and the Flame Hunter Hunters first.'

If the guy really belonged to 『Offering』, he could find traces on his body.

The problem was how to find the culprit, who couldn't be caught even before the reincarnation. As Iseun pondered various methods while walking—

"You're late."

A large figure blocked his path.

The unlucky voice that made him work hard on weekends made Iseun naturally look up, and his eyes widened.

"You…"

The bandage on his forehead, the gauze on his cheek, the torn lips, and the numerous small wounds on his face were not just a few.

The completely disheveled face of the young man, Yan Chengxia, made Iseun ask with a dubious expression.

"Did you get beaten up?"

Who could have beaten this troublemaker so badly? At Iseun's question, Yan Chengxia slightly frowned and changed the subject.

"How many blades have you made?"

His expression suggested he didn't want to talk about the injuries. Despite his firm stance, Iseun, though dubious, answered.

"The fire attribute one just needs a blade, and the dark attribute one hasn't started yet."

"…"

Yan Chengxia, lost in thought, then spoke calmly after a moment.

"Try to make as many as possible in four days and hand them over."

As if that was the end of the conversation, he tried to leave. Iseun naturally blocked his path.

"…What is it?"

"I don't know who beat you up, but if you need weapons, you should at least explain the situation."

"There's no need to—"

"I need to know what kind of blade to make for someone. We're in this together, and it's disappointing to keep secrets like this."

Iseun firmly stated he wouldn't move until he heard the explanation. Yan Chengxia stared at him for a moment, then sighed and answered.

"I need to kill a Flame Hunter Hunter."