Chapter 421
Having entrusted everything to Amir, Se-Hoon returned to Babel with noticeably lighter steps.
“Please check this before you go.”
Or rather, he tried to return to Babel.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Stopped just before he could leave, Se-Hoon blankly watched the small snowmen made of ice waddled forward, stacking thick bundles of documents on the desk one by one until they had formed a fortress wall.
“...You’re asking me to go through all this?”
He had delegated the tasks precisely because he found them tedi—exhausting. So why was everything being handed back to him?
Se-Hoon shot Amir a look of protest, but Amir responded by calmly pulling more documents from the bookshelf.
“I need to know exactly what you know so I can act accordingly. Just go through it once for me, please,” he explained flatly.
“But I’ve already explained everything earlier...”
“If that was enough, I wouldn’t be risking your glare just to ask again, would I?”
“...”
Hearing the unusually sharp edge in Amir’s tone, Se-Hoon grumbled in dissatisfaction but still picked up a document. While he wasn’t thrilled about it, Amir was right: double-checking for inaccuracies was of the utmost importance.
Well, I just need to go through it once.
Consoling himself with that thought, Se-Hoon began reviewing the documents Amir had selected. He flagged errors and key points based on his pre-regression memories, then handed the marked documents to a nearby snowman.
Clink, clink.
Despite being a product of frost alchemy, the snowman waddling off with the documents in its stubby hands had lively movements. They drew Se-Hoon’s attention, making him watch in fascination.
“Since when were you able to make these little guys?”
“Oh, after you handed me my equipment last time. It just started happening naturally. They turned out to be pretty useful.”
Under Amir’s direction, a few snowmen were still sorting and transporting documents, whereas some others were even grinding coffee beans and brewing coffee. Their movements were seamless and natural.
Was his frost alchemy somehow influenced by Zayed’s soul?
Se-Hoon’s eyes gleamed with interest, seeing how frost alchemy had become noticeably more lifelike than the Frost Dog’s.
If that is the case, perhaps I can try mixing in a bit of necromancy.
Humming in thought, Se-Hoon pondered ways to craft Amir’s next armament while reviewing more documents.
Flip- fli—
“Wait, huh?”
Scanning one of the files brought by the snowmen, Amir narrowed his eyes and turned to Se-Hoon with a questioning look.
“Se-Hoon, you said the ones we caught this time were from Dawn, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“According to this file, Professor Charles, who died last year, was a former member of Dawn and also the one who caused all the trouble Luize had been through.”
Amir glanced at the file again before fixing Se-Hoon with a pointed stare.
“...You left her out of this specifically because it was too dangerous, right?”
“Ah...”
Se-Hoon’s expression blanked, his pupils trembling faintly.
In the rush of things, he had completely forgotten about Luize when dealing with Dawn. It was a mistake so absurd that it sent a chill down his spine.
Panicking, he quickly turned to Amir.
“What should I do?” His tone was shaking, full of uncertainty.
Se-Hoon’s priority list changed—the matter with Luize had to be addressed before anything else.
Falling into thought, Amir mulled it over seriously, quickly reaching a conclusion.
“You know what? I have nothing to do with this, actually.”
There were simply some situations where getting involved was just plain stupid.
***
“...”
Back in Babel, Se-Hoon frowned in frustration despite finishing all the paperwork. He had been planning to focus solely on the Planetary Enhancement Project, yet an unexpected issue cropped up.
Well... it’s not exactly a big deal, but still...
Unlike the Blast Dog, Luize had never been subjected to human experiments by Dawn. The root cause of her past suffering, Professor Charles, had also been taken down by her personally a long time ago. Therefore, her grudge against Dawn wasn’t that deep, so an explanation of the situation should be enough to address the situation.
Why do I still feel so uneasy...?
Realizing his emotions had changed compared to before, Se-Hoon glanced down at his chest.
Did the Seeker’s heart affect me somehow?
Although he had removed it immediately, it was still a Perfect One’s organ. On top of that, it was also highly compatible with him. Perhaps it really had influenced his mind or body.
The Seeker said there wouldn’t be any issues, but... I still can’t fully trust her.
Deciding to cleanse his soul just in case, Se-Hoon was about to summon the Warhound he had loaned to Lea when...
Vrrr-
His phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw a message.
Ryu Eun-Ha: Are you free at noon today? There is something I would like to show you.
...This sounds kind of serious.
What was she preparing that had her so tense? Wondering what it could be, Se-Hoon typed out his reply, but then a thought struck him.
Oh. Maybe that could work.
Rather than blindly purifying his soul, he could use Eun-Ha’s help to check things first. Certain it was a good idea, he set up a meeting at the workshop and immediately teleported there to begin.
“Alright... let’s do this.”
Changing into a short-sleeved work outfit, Se-Hoon stretched briefly before kindling the forge’s fire.
Whoosh-
Normally, he would carefully plan out his design before starting. Today, however, he was going with pure instinct—just whatever came to him.
Fwoosh!
The fire in the forge, mimicking a heart, pulsed fiercely. Se-Hoon grabbed several ignition stones, rolling them between his fingers before striking them together.
Crack! Spark!
Brilliant flames of various colors flickered through his fingers, growing more vibrant as they absorbed his mana. They reached closer and closer to their limit—
Snap!
A crisp, ringing sound echoed as he tossed them into the forge.
Boom!
The once-steady fire immediately surged to twice its size, its colorful flames interweaving in a mesmerizing dance. Like countless paints mixing on a canvas, the sight was both dazzling and surreal.
Captivated for a moment by the sight, Se-Hoon then methodically placed materials into the forge and raised his hammer.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A task unplanned and seemingly insignificant was crucial in ways yet unknown. Logically speaking, what he was doing was nothing more than a waste of time.
Yet, for some reason, Se-Hoon felt more focused than usual.
...Did it always feel like this?
Instead of forging out of necessity, he was simply letting his hands follow his instincts. He wasn’t doing anything special, yet everything felt new... just a little, at least. Regardless, it was undeniably enjoyable.
I bet the old me wouldn’t have felt this way.
His older self would have scoffed at the waste of time and materials, criticizing himself harshly. Even after becoming independent from Meirin, he would have dismissed it as a fool’s errand. Why did he find it so enjoyable now?
But despite wanting to know about the change in himself, Se-Hoon pondered over it momentarily before shaking the thought away.
I’ll just focus on the forging process for now.
Rather than overthinking, the best way to find an answer was to make something and see for himself. With that mindset, he began swinging his hammer as if entranced.
Fwoosh-
A transparent flame flared up around his entire body. Startled by the Sacred Flames naturally flowing from within him, Se-Hoon then smirked.
All the better if it helps me clear my mind.
He had already backed up his soul in the Warhound, so there was nothing to worry about. Letting the Sacred Flames blaze freely, he continued hammering, steadily forging.
Sizz!
Eventually, the final quench in the cooling liquid came, and the completed blade gradually revealed itself in the workshop. But upon seeing its form, Se-Hoon’s expression turned peculiar.
The blade was charred pitch-black, with cracks spreading across its surface. By all appearances, it was unstable. Yet, paradoxically, its balance and center of gravity were flawless.
“Hmm...”
Had he chosen the wrong materials? Was there an issue during the forging process? Se-Hoon inspected the weapon, trying to pinpoint where things had gone wrong—
Grrrrrgle.
A loud growl echoed through the workshop. Snapping out of it, Se-Hoon glanced down at his stomach, then turned his head toward the presence he now sensed behind him.
“...”
Standing at the entrance, holding a small container, was Eun-Ha. She had clearly been waiting for quite some time.
Se-Hoon opened his mouth to say something, but Eun-Ha beat him to it. “Ahem. It seems you have been hungry as well.”
“Huh? That sound just now was—”
“I brought something for you to eat. Go wash up. I’ll have it ready.”
Without giving him a chance to respond, Eun-Ha briskly ushered him into the bathroom.
...What’s with her all of a sudden? Suddenly finding himself in the bathroom, Se-Hoon stood there puzzled.
Was she embarrassed because her stomach had growled? Amused by the thought he was unsure of, he washed away his sweat and changed into a fresh work outfit before returning to the workshop.
“Sit here.”
Led by Eun-Ha, Se-Hoon took a seat and looked at the neatly arranged food on the table. There was a variety: sandwiches, rice balls, rolled omelets, and stir-fried sausages.
At the spread, Se-Hoon’s expression changed slightly.
These don’t look store-bought...
The selection was all over the place. But more than that, the presentation, while slightly clumsy, had an unmistakable sense of care behind it. It was as if someone unfamiliar with cooking had made it themselves...?
Se-Hoon’s eyes widened slightly.
“Wait, did you, by any chance—”
“I bought it.”
“You didn’t—”
“I bought it.”
“Personally—”
Whoosh!
Eun-Ha swiftly picked up a sandwich and shoved it into his mouth, not allowing him to say anything else.
“Just eat.”
Her gaze practically screamed that if he asked any more, she’d continue to stuff his mouth full.
Chuckling at the clear mix of embarrassment and frustration on her face, Se-Hoon took a bite of the sandwich.
Soft bread with ham, egg, and vegetables—a simple classic sandwich. Eun-Ha had made the same sandwich for him back in New York. Reminiscing, Se-Hoon savored the taste as he chewed, and not long later, his eyes widened once more.
“...Dean.”
Hearing the unusually serious tone, Eun-Ha tensed up.
“This...”—Se-Hoon looked at her with disbelief—“tastes amazing.”
The sandwich she had made in New York had been a disaster in everything but sentiment. The one he was eating now though—every element, from the toast’s crispness to the seasoning and ingredient balance—was perfect.
“...Phew
.”Eun-Ha exhaled, visibly relieved. She had been holding her breath, fearing he would say it tasted bad.
Scarfing down the rest of the sandwich, Se-Hoon pointed to the other dishes.
“Can I try the rest?”
“O-Of course.”
“Then...”
He sampled each dish one by one, his expressions of satisfaction growing more pronounced.
Watching from across the table, Eun-Ha unconsciously smiled.
I’m glad he likes it.
Had all her practice paid off? Feeling a sense of accomplishment, she was about to relax when...
Grrrrgle.
A poorly timed growl echoed from her stomach once again.
At the sound, both of them froze as their eyes met each other at the same time. Her face burning red hot, Eun-Ha rapidly averted her gaze.
“...Wait a moment.”
Finishing off a rice ball, Se-Hoon stood up and picked up the cracked blade he had set aside earlier. He carefully examined its surface once more and soon smirked.
So that’s what it was.
Only upon the second look did he figure out the secret behind the seemingly flawed weapon he had crafted on instinct. He flicked a specific point on the blade.
Clang!
A clear metallic ring resonated, and the cracks spread further.
Shatter!
And like a shell breaking away, the outer layer crumbled to dust, revealing a deep, oceanic blue longsword. Like it was forged from stardust, the longsword shimmered.
Woong!
Observing its true form, Se-Hoon made an odd expression.
I’m guessing this represents what my synesthetic mindscape currently looks like.
Yet despite it supposedly being a reflection of his synesthetic mindscape, it felt strangely unfamiliar. Ruminating over the strange dissonance, he handed the longsword to Eun-Ha.
“This is what I’m feeling right now.”
“...Excuse me?”
Caught off guard, Eun-Ha’s expression froze. She didn’t realize what he meant until a beat later, when she coughed awkwardly and accepted the blade.
“Do you want me to give my honest opinion?”
Se-Hoon nodded. If something had changed within him, there was no one better than her to recognize it.
Realizing it was important, Eun-Ha’s gaze sharpened with focus as she bit into the blade.
Crunch-
The synesthetic mindscape embedded within the sword flowed into her; her hair tinged faintly red as it flickered like fire. She closed her eyes to let the deep, complex taste settle.
“...The flavor seems to have changed,” she said upon opening her eyes.
“Really?”
“Yes. Compared to the ones you’ve forged before, it feels rougher. Unbalanced.”
“...”
Se-Hoon’s expression darkened slightly. So something had changed within him. As expected, there was a problem—
“But it still tastes fine,” Eun-Ha suddenly added calmly.
“Fine?”
“Yes. Though the taste is indeed on the rougher side, it’s also more intense. The imbalance makes the flavor feel deeper to me.”
Was she just trying to reassure him? Unsure, Se-Hoon hesitated.
Then, in a voice almost too soft to hear, Eun-Ha suddenly mumbled, “It might sound strange, but... I like how it also reflects how you feel about me.”
A taste that conveyed emotions was something he had never heard even before he regressed.
Processing Eun-Ha’s words, Se-Hoon’s expression shifted.
My synesthetic mindscape really has changed a lot.
Whether that was good or bad—for him or for humanity—was still unclear. But one thing, at least, was certain.
“I’m glad.”
Eun-Ha was definitely satisfied with it.