I spent the time until dawn in Workshop No. 1 and slept for a while in the dormitory.
When I woke up I sent a message to Seo Ye-in as usual.
[Kim Ho: Are you awake?]
[Seo Ye-in: ….]
[Seo Ye-in: (Glaring cat emoji)]
[Kim Ho: Meal?]
[Seo Ye-in: (A cat covered with a blanket emoji)]
[Seo Ye-in: (A cat rolling over emoji)]
[Kim Ho: Hey]
[Kim Ho: Not coming?]
[Kim Ho: Am I eating alone?]
……
No reply came.
I expected that her anger would subside after a day or two but the lack of response suggested otherwise.
A notable downside of the [Wind Force] skill was its potential to incite greater anger in the opponent than originally intended.
In my defense, it wasn’t my intention to face Seo Ye-in in a direct confrontation and at the time [Wind Force] was the only means I had for any form of restraint.
However, I couldn’t completely free myself of the guilt for having metaphorically rolled her in the hot sands of the arena.
It seems texting won’t cut it.
It looked like only a face-to-face conversation might resolve the issue.
I waited briefly in front of the cafeteria, just in case, but Seo Ye-in never showed up.
It seemed she really wasn’t coming.
And so, I ended up having breakfast alone this morning.
I quickly finished my garlic bread and coffee and then headed to the classroom.
I went to class quite early today so there were only a few people in the classroom.
Surprisingly, among the few present I spotted a head of gray hair.
“……”
There lay Seo Ye-in, sprawled across her desk.
Perhaps because she sensed my presence, she peeked out with just her eyes while remaining face down.
And when our eyes met, her face swiftly retreated back between her arms.
I calmly took a seat next to her.
Then I went to ask Seo Ye-in.
“You didn’t have breakfast, did you?”
“……”
Though she remained silent, the circumstances led me to conclude with high certainty.
She didn’t eat.
It’s likely my message had woken her up.
But perhaps she wasn’t in the mood to join me for breakfast and it was too awkward a time to go back to sleep.
Thus, the scenario that she came straight to class seemed most plausible.
“You should eat something, at least.”
I placed a paper bag on Seo Ye-in’s desk.
The warm bag let out the savory scent of garlic bread that was still retaining its heat.
I already knew this would happen so I got another bag.
“……”
Seo Ye-in didn’t show any reaction for a moment.
It would be more accurate to say she pretended not to react.
Eventually, while still lying down, she stealthily reached for the paper bag, pulled out a garlic bread, and began nibbling on it.
She must have been secretly hungry.
When she was nibbling on the garlic bread and our eyes met she subtly turned her head away.
She was still not entirely appeased.
Her expression remained impassive from start to finish, so it was impossible for me to tell whether her anger had subsided or not.
Still, if there was a time to talk, it was now.
I decided to be straightforward without beating around the bush.
“I went too far yesterday. But I just wanted to show you your weakness.”
“……”
Seo Ye-in’s eyes slowly shifted toward me.
Even when her gaze was elsewhere, she made sure to keep her ears open.
“As you know, your combat style becomes significantly vulnerable when you’re within the range of area-of-effect skills or when your position is revealed.”
Given that sniping is all about targeting a specific point, even the slightest disturbance can throw off the aim.
This time, the [Wind Force] skill exploited that weakness effectively as it generated wide-ranging winds that made it easy to locate the concealed Seo Ye-in. And by applying physical force here and there and forcefully turning the muzzle, the magic bullets would be fired in the wrong place.
This was something I, and likely others, had gradually begun to notice in our encounters.
So what was the solution?
Seo Ye-in’s ears perked up while awaiting an answer.
“There’s a skill called ‘Immovable Stance’. Even if you’re disturbed, it prevents your posture from collapsing. You’ll still take the full damage, but… if you go a step further, there’s ‘Ethereal Form’ which allows you to completely deflect physical force.”
In addition, mastering mobility skills to quickly move to the next sniping point, as well as stealth and evasion techniques, would be beneficial once your position is compromised.
“The basics of your magic bullets are solid, and they pack quite a punch, so perhaps investing in support skills could be the next step.”
“Are you going to give me a special lecture?”
“I’d like to teach you myself if possible, but it’s more efficient to learn these from another gunner class. It might be a hassle, but let’s get some mentoring.”
“…. Alright, I’ll do it.”
Seo Ye-in nodded her head and swiftly filled out the mentoring application form.
All the while munching on garlic bread.
When I looked at her like that, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
She does listen well, after all.
When I first brought up the idea of mentoring, her reaction made me think it wouldn’t be easy.
Surprisingly, she was persuaded in one go.
She must have felt the need for it too but sometimes I wonder if she’s too compliant for her own good.
I’m curious about the reason but it doesn’t seem urgent to find out.
Maybe as we get closer, I’ll naturally come to understand.
The real issue is her mentor…
I can’t guarantee that Seo Ye-in will show the same enthusiasm in front of her mentor as she does in front of me.
Before we even talk about enthusiasm, I’m not sure if she’ll be able to control herself properly.
She tends to show her boredom and annoyance quite openly even in front of Lee Soo-dok who’s known to be unforgiving. Would she behave any differently with a mentor?
I really don’t know.
For now, all I can do is hope for the best.
Or perhaps I was secretly hoping that Seo Ye-in would show an abundance of enthusiasm in front of her mentor.
“Ah, it seems Miss Seo is applying too.”
Go Hyeon-woo appeared out of nowhere and greeted us with a question.
Seo Ye-in responded with a slight nod.
Upon examining Go Hyeon-woo,
“You’re fully recovered.”
“As Kim-hyung suggested, I’ve come fully prepared.”
His determination to complete the duel that was left unfinished the day before was clear.
He was eager to test the guard’s longsword and the escort’s longsword he had purchased from the student store yesterday.
I handed him an item I had crafted overnight.
“Try using this as well.”
“This is…”
A steel clip about the size of two fingers.
At first glance, it might seem like an ordinary clip from a stationery store, but a closer look would reveal intricate parts and geometric patterns.
This was proof that it was a magic engineering item.
[Durable Clip (D)]
▷Weapon Durability Protection
▷Automatic Weapon Durability Recovery
An item specially crafted for the sole purpose of durability.
The “Durability Protection” effect mitigates the extent to which a weapon sustains damage, i.e., reduces the rate at which its durability decreases.
While “Automatic Durability Recovery” repairs the weapon slightly over time.
Still, the amount was not significant and the durability would decrease more rapidly if powerful techniques were continuously employed.
Yet, it seemed sufficient to serve as a makeshift salve and bandage for injuries.
Go Hyeon-woo clipped it to the front pocket of his shirt.
“It’s reassuring. I will make good use of it.”
“After the remaining matches, let’s analyze it together tomorrow.”
“I will.”
I planned to check the replay tomorrow to see how long E and D-rank weapons supported by [Durable Clip] could last compared to the F-rank iron swords.
And the next course of action would be decided based on those findings.
***
After class, I headed straight to Workshop No. 4.
Ji Park-ryeong, the senior from Workshop No. 4 who was looking at my work, greeted me first.
“You’re here.”
“Good day to you.”
Our relationship felt much improved compared to yesterday.
At the very least, the awkwardness had almost completely vanished.
We also exchanged materials and even after I honestly disclosed this to Bong Jae-seok, there were no issues that arose.
This probably instilled in him the confidence that associating with me wouldn’t bring any disadvantages.
Considering we might often engage in transactions in the future, it seemed wise to maintain a harmonious relationship.
I settled at one of the workbenches and took out Bong Jae-seok’s failed projects.
Although I had set a lengthy deadline just in case, my intention was to prioritize and complete them as soon as possible.
After all, this would secure the [Magic Engine] for me.
It was crucial to acquire this key material sooner rather than later.
I immediately set to work.
When I cast [Magical Engineering], everything on the workbench was bathed in a blue light.
Maintaining that focus, I began to slowly chip away at a large lump of scrap metal.
***
Time seemed to slip away as I lost myself in the task.
Eventually, I stopped my hands and laid down my tools.
The overwhelming blue light that filled my vision quickly faded away.
I’ve finished quite a lot.
The disassembled materials were now piled high on the workbench.
I turned my gaze toward the window and noticed the sky was just beginning to turn red.
Had it been about two or three hours since I started?
During that time, I swiftly completed Bong Jae-seok’s request.
“Are you finished?”
“Yes.”
It was the third-year senior who asked the question.
A look of astonishment was unmistakably present on his face. Perhaps he had once again glimpsed my work.
“Wow… I thought you were some kind of machine. How do you manage to finish all that without taking a single break from your seat?”
It was a compliment I had heard often.
During my peak times of producing S-rank heroes, there was a strong hypothesis that I wasn’t human.
Some even mistook me for a special NPC and came to me expecting to receive quests.
In any case, Bong Jae-seok’s request was now concluded and it seemed appropriate to deliver it all at once when I headed to Workshop No. 1 at midnight.
It was time to move on to the next task.
When I got up from my seat, the senior asked me.
“Are you heading out?”
“Not at all.”
We both shifted our gaze to the mountain of junk items at the same time.
“There’s still a long way to go.”
I had finished making Go Hyeon-woo’s [Durable Clip] item and now it was my turn.
I planned to address the parts of my weapon that included magical engineering among its various components.
The process of gathering materials was nearly similar to the previous day.
For the part that required points, I had received one [Heat Catalyst Reagent] as a service fee from Go Hyeon-woo.
Apart from this, some materials were obtained by dismantling failed projects while others would be supplied by this senior just like yesterday.
“Since we’re at it, could you do me a favor?”
The way he phrased it as “since we’re at it” suggested that his request was likely related to item dismantling.
As I looked at him silently, he pointed towards the pile of items and continued his explanation.
“Actually, there are a few things I need from there, so I was wondering if you could focus on dismantling those. Of course, only if it’s okay with you.”
Yesterday, I had chosen the necessary materials from the ones that came out of the dismantling and traded them.
But today, the idea was to specifically select the failed projects that contained the materials he needed from the start, dismantle them, and then trade with him.
I nodded agreeably.
“That’s fine with me.”
“Thanks. I’ll make sure to provide you with everything you need as much as I can.”
From my perspective, there was no reason to refuse since I would be satisfied as long as I obtained the materials one way or another.
It was also more efficient that way.
We spent a moment crouching before a pile of assorted items as if we were shopping.
After selecting what we each needed, we brought them to the workbench and I quickly dismantled them.
These failed projects were significantly easier than the commissions from Bong Jae-seok so they were transformed into materials in no time.
The materials were immediately traded.
“I’m really grateful. You’ve saved me a lot of time.”
The senior expressed his gratitude to me over and over again.
It was only natural that he would be this grateful considering that the effort it would have taken him to gather materials while running back and forth was taken care of with a few barter trades yesterday and today and at a very low price.
I for my part had gathered all the materials I needed.
I planned to take them to Workshop No. 1 at midnight to start crafting.
And when I suddenly checked the time.
There’s still plenty left.
Even after completing the procurement of materials for the second item on Bong Jae-seok’s request, there would still be plenty of time left until midnight.
I contemplated whether to head to the training center for some practice or to secure some extra materials even though they weren’t immediately needed.
However, I soon realized there was no need for such deliberation.
Work had found its way to me on its own.
“Is that him?”
“It does look like him, doesn’t it?”
Two pairs of eyes were peering in my direction from outside Workshop No. 4.
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