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Chapter 145

“Are they really going to hunt down the Ten Evils?”

“If those three are working together, it’s definitely possible. After all, the Emperor of Ascension could handle three of them by himself.”

Thanks to the announcement, the populace’s growing anxiety over the existence of the Ten Evils began to cease, their fear naturally transforming into anticipation for their eradication. Thus with hopes of joining the effort, Babel, now jointly managed by three Perfect Ones, saw unprecedented popularity.

“I heard Babel’s headquarters is completely paralyzed because of top-ranking students from other academies clamoring to transfer to Babel.”

“Really, to that extent?”

Jake nodded while skillfully peeling an apple.

“Most of them didn’t join Babel because of the Chairman. So now, tons of applications are pouring in for all grades—to the extent that some call it the second entrance ceremony of the year.”

“It’s probably a complete mess there...”

Though Babel was the world\'s most prestigious educational institution, many avoided enrolling due to vested interests. However, with two of Perfect Ones—especially Wurgen from the UD Group, who constantly clashed with Ludwig—joining in, those avoiding Babel immediately submitted their applications.

I still can’t figure out why Wurgen changed his mind so suddenly...

Se-Hoon couldn’t help but be curious about what kind of reward Wurgen, who had been so eager to destroy Babel through the media just a few days ago, was promised to receive for cooperating so willingly.

“Here,” Jake said, offering him a fork.

“Ah, thanks...”

Seeing Se-Hoon turn his head to look at the intricately carved apple slice in the shape of a rabbit, Jake avoided his gaze.

“Well... my sister likes it like this.”

“...I see.”

Feeling a brother’s sorrow from him, Se-Hoon bit into the apple slice and asked, “Where is your sister, by the way?”

“She had to take care of another job and left right away. She asked me to give you her regards.”

“Hm...”

Had Aria not appeared at that moment to save him from the assassins and bring him to the hospital, his condition would have been much worse. He did feel grateful to her, but he also felt a mix of complex emotions.

A bond has been formed with her...

What had she seen and thought while he was unconscious? Unable to even guess, he decided to put it out of his mind for now.

I’ll just have to ask her the next time we meet.

He decided that thinking about it now would only give him a headache.

As he organized his thoughts, Jake cautiously asked, “Hey, Se-Hoon... when are you going to call Erika?”

“Hmm?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Se-Hoon confusedly looked at Jake.

“Did something happen to her?”

“No, it’s not that, but she has been feeling a bit down lately... and since I came here before her, it might make things worse.”

Seeing Jake’s awkward expression, Se-Hoon quickly figured out why.

Oh, perhaps it’s because of her family.

Now that the tense atmosphere had somewhat eased, the Myers family started spreading news about their line of mass-produced sword aura equipment. As a result, rumors about how the Inoue family lost the recruitment competition were also spread, and if it was known that Jake had visited Se-Hoon first as well, it was a guarantee it would stir up more talk.

These speculations and exaggerations are always such a nuisance.

Annoyed, Se-Hoon shoved more apple slices into his mouth. Then, when he finished chewing, he replied, “I’ll call her next.”

“Okay, then I’ll... oh, wait.”

Suddenly remembering something, Jake paused while getting up to leave.

“By the way, have you seen Yeom Sung-Ha sunbae?”

“Yeom Sung-Ha? He hadn’t even applied to visit me yet.” And from the look of things, Sung-Ha didn’t seem to have any plan to do so.

Though initially confused by Se-Hoon’s response, Jake soon came to a realization.

“Oh, you didn’t know he was hospitalized?”

At those words, Se-Hoon, who had been chewing an apple slice, froze and slowly turned his head.

“...Hospitalized?

"Yeah. He got injured badly after fighting the spies...”

“Let’s go.”

“Huh, what?”

Wasting no time, Se-Hoon got up from his bed and, leading Jake, headed straight to the area where Sung-Ha was likely admitted.

Yeom Sung-Ha—finding his name on the plate next to a door, Se-Hoon involuntarily swallowed hard before entering the room. Walking in, the first thing he saw was a muscular body covered in scars and stitches, evidence of the fierce battle its owner had recently fought.

“Whoa...!”

Within the room, Sung-Ha was doing handstand push-ups with sweat pouring off his body and pooling on the floor. Se-Hoon stared blankly at the vigorous sight before letting out a sigh of relief.

“Phew...”

Given how much Sung-Ha despised hospitals, Se-Hoon feared Sung-Ha had suffered permanent damage like Luize after hearing that someone like him was hospitalized. Thankfully, however, his injuries didn’t seem to be that severe.

I nearly had a heart attack back there.

Meanwhile, Sung-Ha’s relentless push-ups came to a halt.

“Hm?”

Having finally noticed Se-Hoon and Jake by the door, Sung-Ha pushed off the floor and stood upright. When he then turned toward them, the deep scars across his ribs and abdomen became visible.

...Those look pretty deep.

If they appeared that bad on the surface, they must have affected his internal organs when he first got injured. However, upon examining Sung-Ha’s overall condition, it appeared that the wounds, albeit severe, had healed well over the past week.

Feeling somewhat reassured, Se-Hoon asked, “Are you okay?”

“As you can see,” answered Sung-Ha plainly after looking at him for a moment.

“...”

Does “as you can see” mean... he’s not okay, or that his wounds have healed but he still isn’t in perfect condition? mused Jake, wondering what Sung-Ha’s ambiguous response meant.

Unlike Jake, who was beginning to wonder if Sung-Ha was being sarcastic, Se-Hoon nodded as if he had expected such a response.

“Yeah, it looks like you’re fine. What happened? Weren’t you supposed to be unbeatable?”

“My stamina waned, making the flaws in my spear techniques more and more apparent. I also lost the element of surprise once the enemies realized they were being attacked.”

“That’s why I told you to just fight moderately and then retreat.... How many did you take down?”

“Fourteen.”

“Ho...”

To think Sung-Ha had taken down fourteen active-duty heroes by himself. He did have the advantage of surprise attacks and superior equipment, but achieving that in such a short time was impressive.

“That deserves a bonus.”

“...Do as you like.”

Though Sung-Ha replied nonchalantly, the slight twitch of his lips betrayed his satisfaction.

Catching it, Se-Hoon chuckled and asked, “So, how long did they say you have to be hospitalized?”

“Eight weeks. But I plan to leave in two.”

“How?”

With a triumphant smile, Sung-Ha answered, “I’ll tell them I’m recuperating at my family’s home. After a week of rest, I can return and skip the remaining recovery time.”

“Oh...”

Instead of obediently receiving proper treatment, both Sung-Ha and Se-Hoon only thought about getting out as soon as possible.

Watching the two, who seemed to be in perfect sync when it came to such schemes, Jake thought, Should I report this to the professor...?

Suddenly, Sung-Ha stopped moving and furrowed his brow. He then glanced down at the veins around his scars, which began to bulge and pulse.

“It seems like I overdid it.”

Splurt!

The previously healed wounds split open, causing blood to spray everywhere.

“...Nurse!!!”

Panicking, Jake called for the medical staff who rushed in quickly from outside.

“Yeom Sung-Ha, we told you not to exercise!”

As they started the emergency treatment, the medical staff scolded Sung-Ha. Luckily, the wounds had reopened slightly, and the bleeding soon stopped. However, because his heart rate was elevated from exercising, the blood had sprayed across the room.

“What the...”

While Jake bewilderedly gazed at the now blood-soaked room, Se-Hoon, who had also been drenched in blood, observed Sung-Ha’s body.

...That’s strange. Those wounds shouldn’t have burst open like that.

Unlike others, who thought Sung-Ha had simply overexerted himself, Se-Hoon didn’t think Sung-Ha’s condition was that fragile. Sensing something unusual, Se-Hoon discreetly licked the blood off his hand when no one was looking.

“Hmm...”

Using Soul Honing, he organized and analyzed the information about Sung-Ha’s body that was contained in his blood. Moments later, the physical structure of Sung-Ha’s body was mapped out like a blueprint.

“...Mana interference?”

It seemed two different types of mana were chaotically mixing within Sung-Ha’s body.

***

Back in his own hospital room, Se-Hoon washed off the blood and changed his clothes before sitting on his bed, lost in thought.

Mana interference...

Mana interference was a condition where multiple types of mana interfered with one another within a single body, usually happening when one\'s control over their mana had weakened due to injury. It typically wasn’t a severe issue, since the symptoms often resolved once the injury healed and control was regained.

It’s not a general case...

Recalling how Sung-Ha’s wounds had suddenly burst, Se-Hoon examined his own body carefully.

Hmm. This might work...

Focusing, Se-Hoon channeled fire mana into his left hand and darkness mana into his right hand.

Vwoom-

The two different types of mana, aware of their host’s condition, flowed out cautiously. Observing the quantity of the two, Se-Hoon then mixed the two in the air.

The resulting mana was a dark red color, similar to the mana he had seen inside Sung-Ha. Se-Hoon immediately activated Bond Imprint.

[Bond Imprint ‘Dark Crimson Stone’ has been activated.]

Bang-!

Upon activating Bond Imprint with Sung-Ha’s Fatestone, the combined mana resonated with it and exploded. However, Se-Hoon had anticipated such a thing so he wasn’t injured.

Analyzing the entire process that unfolded, Se-Hoon’s eyes narrowed, “Just as I thought.”

He had found out that Sung-Ha’s unique skill, Complete Source Resonance, was the issue. Though not fully awakened, the essence of the skill had naturally integrated throughout his body, causing the mixed mana inside him to react and explode just like it had moments ago.

Its half-awakened state is causing all this.... This could be dangerous.

Although it just reopened Sung-Ha’s wounds this time, it could damage his organs or mana circuits if not handled in the future. Essentially, it was a ticking time bomb.

I need to treat this right away or provide a safety mechanism.

But treating him was difficult given his current state, and it could also negatively affect Sung-Ha’s growth.

So, a safety mechanism it is, then...

As he mulled over the mechanisms he could use, Se-Hoon felt a faint sensation from the golden Ascension Ring on his right ring finger.

Buzz-

Trembling, the ring then distorted the space around him.

“Are you available right now?”

Hearing Ludwig’s voice, Se-Hoon startledly looked around and noticed it came from beyond the distortion. He then replied, “Yes, I am.”

His surroundings immediately began to warp and change.

Swoosh-

The scene of his familiar hospital room peeled away like the skin of a fruit, revealing a pure white space.

This should be...

He was mid-spatial movement, a process he hadn’t witnessed before. Feeling something lurking in the white space, Se-Hoon tried to turn his head, but his surroundings shifted before he could.

Whoosh!

He was now in the old and stately chairman’s office.

“Ugh...”

Previously, he had only felt a sense of déjà vu due to the unfamiliar process, but now, after witnessing it from start to finish, he felt nauseous.

I guess it’s not a good thing to have a half-baked spatial ability...

Seeing Se-Hoon frowning due to the queasiness, Ludwig looked at him from his seat behind the desk, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Did you... perhaps, see something on the way here?” he asked, genuinely surprised.

Se-Hoon nodded, still bewildered by what he saw.

“I saw something like a white space.”

“...Wow. So you can already perceive the Whitespace,” muttered Ludwig in amazement.

At those words, Se-Hoon suppressed his nausea and looked toward Ludwig with curiosity.

What is this “Whitespace” that’s so surprising to him?

Was it not something anyone with the ring could see? Pondering what to say, Ludwig spoke after a moment, “We’ll discuss this another time. It’s still a bit early for you to grasp this concept.”

“Yes...”

“So, how’s your condition? Professor An informed me you’re doing well.”

Stopping himself from saying he was fine, Se-Hoon hesitated and decided to be truthful.

“I’m fine, but... it feels a bit lacking...”

“Lacking?”

“At times like this, I would like to take in a lot of nutrients and mana to improve my body and heal my injuries faster, but the professor seems to be overly worried...”

Among the many gifts Se-Hoon received from Eun-Ha, there were no elixirs, and Jake’s gifts had also been thoroughly checked even after he was informed that anything related to elixirs was banned.

Now, his only hope to acquire some elixirs was the highest authority in Babel who was standing before him.

Ludwig gazed at him for a moment before smiling.

“That’s unfortunate. While Professor An is very skilled, he tends to be a bit overprotective.”

“Then...”

Se-Hoon’s eyes lit up with hope, feeling the favorable atmosphere.

“However, if the attending physician had made such a judgment, there must be a reason. We should respect the expert’s decision.”

But Ludwig calmly extinguished that hope, thoroughly at that.

And while he wasn’t wrong, it wasn’t the answer Se-Hoon wanted. He narrowed his eyes, looking at the highest authority of Babel who was acting powerless.

What kind of Chairman acts like this...

Grumbling internally, Se-Hoon only looked at Ludwig again when he spoke after a moment of silence.

“Hm, do you know why Professor An banned elixirs?”

“...He said there’s a chance my mana could go out of control while taking them.”

Though Se-Hoon knew it was unlikely for such a thing to happen to him, others wouldn’t see it that way.

Ludwig chuckled and said, “In that case, if there’s a safe method that won’t cause that, it should be fine.”

Before Se-Hoon could even ask if such a method existed, Ludwig lightly waved his hand in the air.

Whoosh-

Space split in half, and flames flowed out to form a small familiar shape with wide wings and ornate tail feathers. Se-Hoon blinked repeatedly at the appearance of the small familiar.

“The Vermillion Bird...?”

He had heard Ludwig had dealt with it, which naturally made him wonder if Ludwig had used its materials somewhere.

“To put me in this form...”

“Quiet.”

With just one word, the Vermillion Bird fell silent.

Then, Ludwig started his explanation. “This is a clone of the Vermillion Bird you captured. The main body is confined elsewhere, but within Babel, I can draw on its power through this clone.”

“I see.” Se-Hoon looked on with interest.

“While researching it over the past week, we’ve discovered something interesting by chance: the Vermillion Bird can absorb the power of the things it burns.”

“Their power...?”

Ludwig nodded at Se-Hoon’s question.

“Regardless of its attributes or whether it\'s mana. Simply put, it converts their form into flames.”

“Just the forms...”

Even from just that brief description, the ability sounded immensely useful. After a moment, Se-Hoon connected the dots and his eyes lit up.

“Are you saying I should feed the elixir to the Vermillion Bird... and then absorb the transformed power from its flames?”

Absorbing its flames wouldn’t be an easy task, but if he made a contract with the Vermillion Bird, it likely wouldn’t be too difficult.

“That way, you’re not consuming the elixir directly and are just receiving the power through your contract with the Vermillion Bird, so Professor An’s prescription isn’t an issue. Isn’t that right?”

Despite Ludwig’s nonchalance and clueless act, he had already thought up the perfect solution.

In this way, Ludwig was both providing Se-Hoon with his reward and explaining its possible usage that would help him the most right now.

Gazing at the Ludwig with a big smile, Se-Hoon nodded.

“You truly are the Chairman.”

He once again witnessed the dignity of the highest authority.