Chapter 78: 5th Week Mentoring and Duel Battles (1)

Chapter 78: 5th Week Mentoring and Duel Battles (1)

Having obtained the metal for crafting weapons, there was no reason to delay.

So my next destination was the blacksmiths workshop.

Clang! Clang!

The rhythmic clanging of hammer on metal resonated and it was interspersed with bursts of intense heat.

Numerous students were evidently busy at work inside yet oddly enough, no voices could be heard.

It seemed everyone was too engrossed in their tasks to spare a moment for conversation.

As an outsider, wandering around the workshop could be quite disruptive, so I opted to stand by the door while waiting for someone to emerge.

As I inwardly matched the rhythm of the hammering sound, a muscular man with bulging veins came to greet me.

His school uniform was partially undone, so the tie pin was not visible, but he was highly likely a senior.

His face simply didnt look like that of a second-year which meant he was perhaps a third-year student.

In contrast, the blacksmith senior merely needed to glance at the tie pin on my chest.

First year? What do you need?

I came to request a commission.

The third-year senior casually scratched his back; it seemed I wasnt the first to approach him with such a request since he looked to be slightly annoyed.

Sorry, but the queue for this semester is already full. If you place an order now, it might not be completed until the start of next semester.

Could I possibly speak with the president of the workshop?

He acted almost as if he could see right through me and his demeanor suggested he had seen many others with similar requests.

He probably thought I intended to hand the president an item and make a personal request.

Thats not how it works. Even if you were from some prestigious family, it wouldnt make a difference. Dont waste your time and just leave.

Im not from a prestigious family, but I do have this.

I pulled out a small ticket from within my coat.

Upon seeing it, the previously indifferent seniors eyes widened in shock.

[Crafting VIP Ticket]

No way, how does a first-year have something like this

Where else, if not from stealing it from another club.

The VIP ticket was the prize for winning a duel against the Emerald Magic Tower, which became mine after a fierce battle with Kwak Ji-cheol that ended with him being thoroughly defeated.

I had carefully stored it in my inventory for several weeks and now its moment to shine has finally arrived.

I smiled and asked again.

May I see the president of the workshop?

Uh Yes, okay. Just a moment.

The third-year senior hurried inside, and shortly after, a different muscular man came out to greet me.

The head of the blacksmithing club looked even older than the senior who had initially met me.

He was clearly a third-year student, yet he didnt look like a student at all.

Looking back, the blacksmiths I had encountered in the past also appeared rugged and aged beyond their years.

Could it be that wielding a hammer ages a person?

While I entertained this impertinent theory, the head of the blacksmithing club approached me and abruptly said,

The ticket.

Yes.

When I showed him the VIP ticket, he quickly verified its authenticity without taking it from me.

While the VIP ticket did indeed prioritize me in the queue, the decision to accept the commission rested on the craftsmans choice in the end.

It meant he would hear me out before making up his mind.

What are you looking to make?

It might be quicker if you see for yourself.

I handed over the blueprint I had prepared in advance to the president of the club.

A rod slightly longer than a human forearm.

And it was designed to be assembled.

The club president scrutinized the blueprint carefully.

This is no ordinary rod. The design is unique; it includes components for attachment, and its quite elaborate. Is this some kind of magical engineering equipment?

Youve got it right.

I passed him the E-rank [Levitation Rod] I had made earlier as a reference.

Naturally, I removed the core components.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

The club president turned the rod over in his hand while inspecting it from all angles and then nodded his head in approval.

This looks interesting. Normally, I wouldnt bother with magical engineering equipment, but Ill make an exception this time.

Blacksmiths generally prefer not to work with magical engineering components.

The reason was that it was more manly to process and wield a large heavy lump of iron as a whole rather than crunching on several tiny parts.

Yet, the blueprint I presented must have captured the interest of the president of the blacksmithing club.

He moved on to his next question.

What about the materials?

Please use this as the main material.

As I pulled out the Millennium Iron Ingot, the blacksmiths expression subtly changed.

Up until now, he had seemed indifferent while barely giving me a glance, but now, for the first time, he looked me in the eye.

An interesting freshman you are. Asking for something unique to be made, holding a VIP ticket and even possessing Millennium Iron.

Cheon-Hye has also applied to be an all-rounder! If things go well, the two of you might even receive mentoring together!

At those words, Song Cheon-Hye who had been pretending to be interested in something far off turned aghast.

Stop talking nonsense, really!

Huh? Whats so strange about it?

Thats

When Han So-mi tilted her head with an innocent look on her face, Song Cheon-Hye seemed at a loss for words.

It appeared she hadnt divulged all the suspicions about me, like the Inferno Fist or the dungeon intrusion.

Perhaps nothing was conclusively confirmed yet, or maybe the seniors in the disciplinary committee warned her to keep silent.

After closing and opening her mouth a few times, she seemed to decide not to speak after all.

Theres Some stuff happened!

It was somewhere between evasiveness and a sharp retort.

Then she turned around and walked ahead at a fast pace,

Uhii.

She stumbled and faltered on empty ground.

After barely regaining her balance, she shot us a sharp glare before hastening away at twice her previous pace.

I turned to Han So-mi and asked,

Does she often do that?

Yes, all the time.

So, it was a regular occurrence.

Just like I had sensed before, she was somehow clumsy.

As we engaged in a few trivial exchanges, the arena came into view right before us.

We decided to split up and find our respective seats.

Good luck with the mentoring and the team matches; see you later.

Yeah! Bye!

I wish good luck to Kim-hyung too.

...

After Han So-mi cheerfully said her goodbyes and left, Go Hyeon-woo also flashed a smile and walked in the same direction as Han So-mi.

Seo Ye-in lazily waved goodbye and set off on her own way.

Around the stands, third-year students or graduate mentors settled into their spots and warmly welcomed the first-year students who approached them hesitantly.

It appeared that all participants had already gathered in some areas with groups of four or five people sitting around a mentor and listening intently to their explanations.

I too checked the seating chart to find my spot.

163-H should be around there.

Since it was an upper seat, I had to raise my gaze quite a bit.

The area was mostly empty which meant our mentor hadnt arrived yet.

I decided to head there first and wait so I started walking towards the stairs.

Just as I was about to step onto the first stair,

Song Cheon-Hye who was a bit ahead of me sensed someone behind her and turned around.

Our eyes met, and her expression instantly soured.

Why are you following me?

Im not following you.

Then go ahead.

Fine.

I walked past the immobile Song Cheon-Hye and trudged up to seat 163-H.

And I sat down in a very comfortable position.

After I settled into my seat, Song Cheon-Hye finally began to move again.

And when she stopped, it was right in front of me.

With a face full of disbelief, she alternated between checking her student ID and the seat number.

Could it be

Youre in 163-H too?

How did this happen?

How should I know that?

All I could do was shrug my shoulders in response.

Did I know things would turn out this way?

Haaah

After letting out a deep sigh, Song Cheon-Hye stood a short distance away with her arms crossed and eyes closed.

Of course, she only pretended to close her eyes. She would occasionally sneak glances at me with half-open eyes.

Let her look; I relaxed and waited for the next arrivals.

Surely Song Cheon-Hye wasnt the only one joining the mentoring session.

Who else would be coming up?

With a sense of anticipation, I looked down to see.

Theyre all familiar faces.