The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 167

“Ugh...”

Se-Hoon winced as he stretched his body. He ached all over due to yesterday's sparring session, which had essentially been him getting beaten up by Sung-Ha.

How could a third-year try so hard to win against a first-year...

Both now and in his past, Sung-Ha was a narrow-minded person who would often boast about going all out against even the young and elderly.

Stretching, Se-Hoon worked to loosen his bruised body as he headed to the living room. When he arrived, he spotted Kwang-Soo and Jin-Hyun enjoying tea.

Looking at Kwang-Soo first, Se-Hoon remarked, “I see you’re up early?”

“Well, the bed was quite uncomfortable.”

Kwang-Soo’s response immediately prompted a glare from Se-Hoon. How could he blatantly voice his dissatisfaction in front of their host?

But Jin-Hyun, the host, just smiled gently.

“He can’t sleep well in unfamiliar places. More importantly, how are you feeling?”

“Well, I’m a bit stiff, but I’ll be fine soon.”

Unless a part of his body was broken or severed, simple injuries like bruises could be healed quickly with Soul Honing.

Examining Se-Hoon, Jin-Hyun noticed he really was moving around without any real trouble. It made him curious.

“Do you happen to have any recovery-type skills?”

“I do have something similar, but it’s more geared toward support.”

“Support, huh...? You continue to surprise me.”

From helping him achieve his prime in the dream to holding his own against Sung-Ha yesterday, Jin-Hyun just couldn't see the limit to Se-Hoon’s talents.

It should be fine to give it to him.

Having confirmed his decision once more, Jin-Hyun looked at Se-Hoon.

“Can you sit down for a moment?” Jin-Hyun asked.

“Ah, yes.”

Sitting across from Jin-Hyun, Se-Hoon watched him bring over an elegant wooden box he had set to the side.

“What is this...?”

“This is the gift I mentioned before. Take a look.”

Tensing slightly, Se-Hoon opened the lid to reveal a large ingot resting on a cushion. The color, a serene mix of sky blue and white, gave it a mystical appearance; it looked like a piece of the sky.

“...”

Recognizing the familiar material, Se-Hoon was left speechless. He quickly checked the information message to confirm.

[Nimbus Steel]

[Tier: Legendary] [Quality: Poor]

[A special type of steel smelted from ore that contains the essence of the sky.

It can preserve or enhance a large amount of mana and can also freely fly by consuming some mana.

*Can enhance or preserve the properties of stored mana

*Enables flight by consuming mana and will only move according to the user’s command]

Besides the Southern Flame Pupil, it was the only Legendary material he had seen after regressing. Even simply reading its information message made his heart involuntarily race.

I can’t believe I came across Nimbus Steel here...

As the description suggested, Nimbus Steel was notoriously difficult to produce. It required perfectly blending five different types of elemental mana and then injecting pure mana gathered from clouds to infuse it with the essence of the sky.

It’s so rare because the purity of pure mana is all down to luck, too...

Since that was the case, some naturally thought they could just artificially create pure mana. However, even then, a single touch during the process would drastically lower its quality upon completion. In short, it was a troublesome material dependent on luck, meaning it could take years to make if unlucky.

“Where did you get this?”

“I received it as a gift from the Sacred Craftsman. I once helped him before he became a Perfect One.”

“Ah...”

Indeed, if it were the Sacred Craftsman, he’d have the time and money to create Nimbus Steel.

With knowledge of the full story, Se-Hoon looked at Jin-Hyun.

“Are you sure it’s okay to give me something like this, then?”

Truthfully, he wanted to accept it immediately, but he was aware that blindly accepting gifts could lead to trouble down the line. And since the giver was Sung-Ha’s master, that was especially true.

“It’s completely fine. As you can see, the quality isn’t that great, so it’s not as valuable as you might think.”

“But it’s still Legendary tier...”

“No matter how high the tier is, it’s meaningless to me since I can’t use it properly. So don’t feel too burdened. Also...”

Trailing off, Jin-Hyun looked Se-Hoon in the eye and became more serious. Properly facing Se-Hoon, Jin-Hyun finished his words and said, “Think of it as payment for looking after Sung-Ha in the future.”

It wasn’t a gift, but a trade. Seeing the overlap between master and disciple, Se-Hoon nodded.

“If that’s the case, I’ll accept it without burden.”

“Thank you.”

Satisfied that Se-Hoon agreed to help Sung-Ha in the future, Jin-Hyun smiled and Se-Hoon stored the box with the Nimbus Steel in his void pocket.

I was planning to make some new equipment anyway. This should be perfect for the material.

Inspired, Se-Hoon immediately began mentally sketching various blueprints. Watching him, Jin-Hyun remembered something he had to say.

“By the way, it might be helpful to get some advice from this guy.”

“Excuse me?”

Confused, Se-Hoon looked back at Jin-Hyun, who then pointed at Kwang-Soo.

“Well, his favorite sword’s main material is Nimbus Steel.”

“Ah...”

Reminded by Jin-Hyun, Se-Hoon finally recalled Kwang-Soo's favorite sword, Celestial Night.

Now that I think about it, it is made of Nimbus Steel.

Having repaired Kwang-Soo’s sword far too many times, he hadn't thought about referencing it again.

He’s not willing to show it anyway, though.

Thinking that, Se-Hoon turned to look at Kwang-Soo, who crossed his arms upon meeting his eyes.

“No, thank you. I’m a bit too lazy for that.”

Instead of outright refusing, he was indicating it was a hassle. It was his indirect way of saying he might help if asked properly.

However, Se-Hoon just simply nodded while saying, “Then, I guess that’s that.”

“...It won’t be easy.”

“And that’s just how life is.”

Kwang-Soo’s eye twitched. Se-Hoon’s apparent lack of interest in Celestial Night almost made it seem like he had lost interest in the Celestial Infinity Blade as well.

Does he think he doesn't need it because he’s already mastered Sword Control...?

With so many Celestial Infinity Blade techniques left for Se-Hoon to learn, how could he lose interest after just a few? Kwang-Soo groaned, unable to articulate his frustration.

Noticing, Jin-Hyun smiled wryly.

If he's going to let go of his stubbornness, he should let it go completely...

Jin-Hyun truly couldn’t understand why Kwang-Soo was still trying to maintain his pride and acting so petty despite willingly acting like a bodyguard.

Shaking his head, Jin-Hyun changed the topic and the three casually talked until a voice came from behind them.

“Good morning, master.”

At Sung-Ha’s voice, Jin-Hyun turned to look at his disciple.

“Yes, you too...?”

Throughout his reply, Jin-Hyun’s expression became more and more subtle. Then, Se-Hoon also turned to look at Sung-Ha.

“...”

Compared to Se-Hoon he was fine, but his right eye was bruised and bite marks were visible on his cheek. At the sight of them, Se-Hoon had to hold back his laugh.

“...Don’t laugh.”

Sung-Ha gritted his teeth.

***

“Well then, I’ll be off.”

“You may come again when you have the time,” Jin-Hyun invited.

Bowing to Jin-Hyun, who had come to see him off at the door, Se-Hoon then looked at Sung-Ha, who was standing beside Jin-Hyun.

“When are you coming back to Babel?”

“I’ll return within a week,” Sung-Ha answered.

Instead of returning with Se-Hoon and Kwang-Soo, Sung-Ha wanted to stay longer to recover from his injuries. In truth though, Sung-Ha insisted on staying to care for his still-unwell master, who had actually wanted to send him back.

If only he cared about the people around him a tenth as much as he does for his master.... No, there’s no point in thinking about it further.

Resigning himself internally, Se-Hoon saw Sung-Ha abruptly extend his hand.

“Take this.”

“Hmm?”

Holding out his hand, Se-Hoon observed the black seed, the Shadow Tree seed, Sung-Ha placed on it.

“...Huh? Did you extract it yourself?”

Surprised by the unexpected gift, Se-Hoon looked at Sung-Ha's solar plexus, where he had placed a spell to prevent injuries from mana interference. Originally, Se-Hoon had planned to remove it personally once Sung-Ha seemed better, but Sung-Ha had managed alone.

“When I drew on my elemental mana after having rested for a while, it suddenly exploded out.”

“Hmm... I guess you’ve healed quite a bit.”

Previously, Sung-Ha couldn’t control his elemental mana properly, but now he had recovered enough to ignore the spell that Se-Hoon placed and draw on his mana.

This is full, Se-Hoon thought, turning his gaze to the Shadow Tree Seed.

Filled to the brim with Sung-Ha’s darkness mana, the seed was now a valuable material. For such a thing, Se-Hoon would gladly receive it, so he stored it away.

“Still, don’t overexert yourself.”

“That was an unnecessary warning.”

“Sure, sure. I’m off then.”

Bidding farewell to Sung-Ha, Se-Hoon and Kwang-Soo took a pre-arranged car to the Void Space Terminal and returned to Babel.

Now back in Babel, Se-Hoon stretched his still-stiff body.

“Phew...”

“What’s your plan now?”

“I plan to head to Ur. I promised to help Professor An Jung-Wan with his class.”

It was a prior commitment, and after hearing what Makif had to say, it seemed worth the effort despite his fatigue.

“The medical department, huh.... It's not a bad idea. You do seem to get into a lot of scrapes.”

“I’m not that injured.”

“Oh really now... Anyway, fine. If you ever don’t know how to use the material you obtained today, you can come see me. I can give you some advice.”

While Kwang-Soo still didn’t outright offer to show how Celestial Night worked, his gesture of concern mildly surprised Se-Hoon.

“Okay.”

“I’ll be leaving then.”

Without further ado, Kwang-Soo walked away as Se-Hoon watched him with interest.

Even though it seems like he still wants to use me, he’s still looking after me and waiting. I guess it’s because there are still many areas I need to improve.

Honestly, it felt a bit like he was being nurtured until he became useful like livestock, receiving food and health care until he was fully grown.

He’s quite pragmatic in his own way.

Though he would likely become a hassle later, for now, it would be easy to get help from him—and that was enough.

Satisfied, Se-Hoon walked off.

***

—The next stop is the Panacea Comprehensive Medical Research Institute.

Reaching his destination, Se-Hoon stepped off the light rail and looked up at the building.

The gleaming white structure, which occupied a space as large as Askus, was a shared facility for the medical-related departments of Ur. It was designed to encourage collaboration between students from related fields, much like Flavium in Aqar Quf.

However, unlike Flavium, the atmosphere here was different.

“Phew...”

“Ha...”

Everyone was walking around with dreary faces. Most of them were students doing their residency at Askus and attending advanced classes here during their off-duty hours.

In short, it was a place frequented by graduate students, giving Panacea a more somber and field-oriented vibe. It was a stark contrast to the bustling Flavium that was filled with undergraduates.

Maybe because it's the medical department, but it feels like fewer people recognize me.

Or perhaps everyone was too exhausted to notice those passing by. Regardless, Se-Hoon felt comfortable here.

Let's see, it should be this way...

Following the map given to him by Jung-Wan, Se-Hoon soon arrived at a research lab.

Knock, knock-

“Professor, it’s Lee Se-Hoon.”

“Ah, come in.”

Having gained permission, Se-Hoon opened the door and entered the neatly organized lab. Scanning the tidy interior that reflected Jung-Wan's meticulous nature, Se-Hoon hurriedly directed his attention to the professor.

“Welcome to my lab. How did the recent incident go?”

“Ah, the culprits have been apprehended, and the investigators are still looking into their connections with the Demon Force.”

“That’s a relief.”

Looking genuinely relieved, Jung-Wan glanced at the clock on the wall.

“We still have some time left. Would you like to rest a bit? You must be tired with everything going on.”

“I’m fine. Besides, I’ll recover soon enough.”

The upcoming class that Se-Hoon was going to help Jung-Wan with involved analyzing the effects of elixirs made with divine mana. Normally, there was potential mana backflow to worry about when taking them, but for Se-Hoon, it was just a health tonic.

“You really are... something else.”

Impressed by Se-Hoon’s confidence, a rarity among students, Jung-Wan nodded.

“Let’s get started a bit early then. Have a seat on the sofa.”

“Okay.”

Before sitting on the seat facing Se-Hoon, Jung-Wan retrieved several items from his void pocket.

“These are samples of the elixirs we’ll use in today’s class. First, we need to see if you have any adverse reactions to them.”

Despite Se-Hoon's confidence, Jun-Wan still wanted to check for any reactions beforehand since problems could arise unpredictably with elixirs.

Understanding, Se-Hoon nodded.

“Got it.”

“Then let’s start with this one...”

Taking the transparent case containing a sample with the lowest divine mana content from Jung-Wan, Se-Hoon promptly opened the lid and swallowed the small piece inside.

Upon entering his mouth, the elixir melted rapidly. Surging through his body, the mana within quickly dissipated.

“Hmm, this is fine.”

“...Really?”

Jung-wan was skeptical. Even though it was a weak elixir, it should still take time to be absorbed, yet Se-Hoon responded almost immediately.

Seeing his skepticism, Se-Hoon extended his hand.

Woong!

The black orb spinning rapidly on his palm, a creation made with darkness mana, would have been impossible to control if he were still absorbing the elixir.

“Is this enough?”

“Let’s move to the next one.”

Convinced, Jung-Wan handed over elixirs with progressively higher divine mana content, which Se-Hoon consumed as if they were water each time.

How is he...

Seeing Se-Hoon show no rejection and absorb the elixirs alarmingly fast left Jung-Wan in disbelief. Even though they were all low-grade samples, they still contained mana that should be foreign to Se-Hoon’s body system. And anything foreign should have taken some time to absorb completely.

The ones infused with divine mana should have been especially tricky...

Marveling at Se-Hoon’s ability, Jung-Wan came to a decision after some hesitation.

“Wait here a moment.”

Returning to the lab storage, he brought back a new case. Inside was a white pill with a faint golden hue, an unusual item that piqued Se-Hoon’s interest.

“What is this?”

“This is an elixir made entirely with divine mana, which I received from the Pilgrimage Church. I intended to use it for the class but decided to leave it out just in case.”

The potential risks of those without divine mana taking in a large quantity of it in a short period were unknown.

“As long as you’re willing... would you try it out?”

If Se-Hoon could absorb this as well, his ability would exceed what Jung-Wan had expected of him.

Pondering it briefly, Se-Hoon accepted.

“Sure.”

Since it was made entirely of divine mana, it likely wouldn’t be efficiently absorbed into his system, but there wouldn’t be any significant problems. Confident in that thought, Se-Hoon promptly swallowed the elixir.

Woong!

Dissolving inside his body, something suddenly surged within him. The force moved fiercely like it had been waiting for this moment. Remaining calm, Se-Hoon skillfully used Soul Honing to contain the rampaging power within a temporary mana circuit.

He immediately prepared to incinerate it with his fire mana, wondering if the elixir had a hidden poison. But the force just quietly settled within the mana circuit.

What the...

The once wild power now flowed smoothly, behaving familiarly as if it belonged there.

[‘Divine Mana (F)’ has been acquired.]

“...Huh?”

All he could do was blankly stare at the notification message.