NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 35
“Our seats are over there,” Erika said, leading him to some empty seats.
The sight of the seats made Se-Hoon curious.
“I thought you said we met by chance earlier.”
“Yes.”
“Then why is my seat reserved?” Se-Hoon asked incredulously, staring at the two conspicuously empty seats.
“It was just in case something like this happened,” Erika said without batting an eye.
“...I see. How thoughtful of you.”
Regardless of the reason, watching the auction sitting down would be more comfortable than standing. Now sitting down, he pulled out a catalog placed behind the seat in front of him and began to flip through it.
A total of thirty-six swords, huh?
The items up for auction today were already on the stage with six swords laid out on a stand spanning each table.
Hm... it seems like there isn’t a notable figure among the second-year...
There were no names he was able to recognize, and honestly, their iron swords were inferior to Hans’s. His interest cooled as he read through the catalog.
Eventually, the auctioneer walked out from behind the stage and stood in front of the podium to finally start the auction.
“We will now begin the regular auction. The auctioned items will be the equipment forged by the second-year students of the Department of Blacksmithing. The theme today is iron swords. A total of thirty-six items have been submitted. For detailed information, please refer to the catalog in front of your seats.”
The interior lights dimmed slightly while the stage lights brightened intensely, naturally drawing the audience’s attention.
The auctioneer smoothly continued the explanation, “Before we start, let me explain the quality verification process that has been specially added just for this auction.”
As he spoke, the lights focused on the center of the stage. The bright white fabric on top of the cart reflected the light in all directions.
“This white fabric is called West Gold Fabric, and it is made of thin threads spun from the processed fur of the mythical creature White Tiger. It’s soft yet as durable as metal. It also has excellent endurance against slashes.”
Following the auctioneer’s explanation, a staff member swung a sword downward toward the fabric.
Sparks flew in all directions.
The sight of a fabric resisting a sword was unbelievable. Seeing how the entire audience was taken aback, the staff member applied more force.
Crack!
The sword broke in two, unable to withstand the force. The staff member, after picking up the broken pieces, lifted them to show that the blade was completely worn.
“With this, swords that sacrificed durability to increase their sharpness can be easily identified. This auction aims to find such defective products using this West Gold Fabric.”
“Oh, this is going to be interesting.”
“They seem well-prepared.”
The verification method was one that could potentially destroy the submitted work, yet the participating second-years were simply intrigued by this uncommon method. They were able to easily tell that it was designed to highlight Se-Hoon.
“Are they planning to break all of our swords for dramatic effect?”
“They wouldn’t go that far. Maybe they’ll use our swords to wear out the fabric for his?”
Whenever a promising student emerged in any department, a bit of staging was common. The participants considered the verification with West Gold Fabric as part of such an effort.
From the back of the stage, Michael smiled at this scene.
Things are going smoothly.
The reason for the quality verification process was clear, and there even was a good rationale behind it. Even if it were questioned and investigated later, the process would just be seen as an enthusiastic initiative taken by the vice dean to showcase a new talent.
Though that’s only if his sword passes the verification process.
Se-Hoon’s sword, the Radiant Long Sword, was indeed superb, but it didn’t overcome the limitations inherent to swords specialized in cutting.
Of course, expecting a student to surpass this limitation using only iron was a harsh task, but that was not something he had to worry about.
I hope he likes my surprise.
He smiled slightly as he watched Se-Hoon in the audience.
“The auction will start now. The first sword is made by Joseph...”
When the auctioneer mentioned the first item, a staff member brought forward a sword from the stand and lightly swung it across the fabric.
“Woah...”
“The color is different, isn’t it?”
Unlike how the sparks were dark during the previous demonstration, it was blue this time. Surprised exclamations filled the auditorium, and Erika surprised as well, looked at Se-Hoon for an explanation.
“Why does that happen?”
“It’s a characteristic of West Gold Fabric, or to be more precise of the White Tiger’s fur, West Gold Fur.”
The White Tiger was an S-rank mythical creature. Although it was caught long ago and many believed it was just physically strong, its actual abilities were a bit more complex.
The fur, skin, flesh, and bones each had different properties that combined to create an ultimate defense. Among these, the fur had the property of mimicry.
“The hair mimics the sharpness of the weapon that contacts it, reducing the durability of even the best weapons. It’s a monstrous thing.”
“That’s incredible.”
“It didn’t destroy hundreds of Hero and even Legendary-tier weapons with nothing. And if you add the skin, flesh, and bones together, it’s really no joke.”
During his explanation for Erika, he suddenly remembered something from before the regression and stroked his chin.
Now that I think about it, isn’t the West Gold Tiger King armor being made around this time?
The West Gold Tiger King was armor made from the by-products of the White Tiger.
It was the only piece of equipment that was made using the heart of the White Tiger, reputed to almost perfectly replicate the creature’s actual defensive ability.
I wonder if there’s any way to get my hands on the heart...
The blacksmith of the armor was unknown. Also, since it was first sold on the black market, it wasn’t easy to track it down either.
As Se-Hoon pondered this, Erika frowned and asked, “Then, does that mean the sharper the sword, the more it’s at a disadvantage?”
“Right. Swords enhanced for sharpness usually have lower durability.”
A well-balanced sword wouldn’t suffer much damage from being swung against the fabric. Blacksmiths also usually tended to focus on the durability of the sword rather than overly focus on the blade’s sharpness.
However, Se-Hoon had honed the Radiant Long Sword to the extreme for sharpness, so it inevitably had lower durability.
Which means the Radiant Long Sword will likely break against the fabric.
For those knowledgeable about the material, it was an obvious mismatch, yet it was difficult to criticize the approach since it was common for students to focus on sharpness at the expense of durability.
If the Radiant Long Sword breaks, it’ll just be seen as another defective product.
With the other second-year students’ swords passing the test one after another, if his sword was the only one to break, there was no need to elaborate on the kind of scrutiny he would face.
No matter what he forged after such a situation, it would be tainted by rumors that Kim In-Cheol of the Department of Blacksmithing had a hand in it. This would significantly damage his reputation.
It won’t be easy to change such a reputation after.
Then, Michael would likely either persuade In-Cheol to resign or outright dismiss him from the department, similar to how the other professors ended up.
He’s more competent than I thought.
Michael was able to obtain such a fabric and even dared to act against someone under Ludwig’s wings; it seemed that he didn’t get his position by mere chance.
Se-Hoon internally reassessed his view of Michael.
“Will you okay?” Erika asked concernedly as she looked at Se-Hoon.
“What?”
“Wouldn't your sword be at a disadvantage, considering it’s focused on sharpness?”
“Well, that would be the case...”
Se-Hoon glanced at his Radiant Long Sword, standing uniquely on the stage, and smiled slightly.
“If I hadn’t forged it properly.”
Different colored sparks flew as the swords of the other students were slashed across the fabric, and most ended with just slight damage.
“The verification of sword number twenty-five is complete. The starting bid is two million won...”
As soon as each verification process finished, the bidding commenced. Most swords were quickly sold after a couple of bids without much fuss. This was because most of the swords lacked weapon skills and were only of the Advanced tier.
Besides, most of the audience came here today for just one item on the list.
“Now... lastly, sword number thirty-six. The Radiant Long Sword, forged by the first-year honor student of Borsippa, Lee Se-Hoon.”
A staff member carefully lifted the sword and presented it to the audience.
It shone eerily white in the spotlight. Its sharpness seemed capable of slicing through the air itself, drawing the rapt attention of everyone in the auction hall.
“Hoo...”
With far more interest than any previous item, the staff member steadied his breath and slowly brought the sword toward the fabric.
Screech!
And a completely different scene unfolded on stage.
Instead of the blade chipping, a strange noise occurred as if they were scrapping against one another. Simultaneously, the white aura of sharpness enveloping the Radiant Long Sword blossomed and spread out.
Clang!
Sparks flew from the protective gloves of the staff member holding the handle.
“Yikes...!”
After realizing that he was almost cut by the aura, the startled staff member backed away, letting go of the sword.
Thunk!
The sword easily pierced through the floor of the auction hall.
As the audience looked on in surprise, a heavy silence fell over the auction hall at the sudden turn of events. What exactly happened? Even the auctioneer was at a loss for words.
“May I explain?” Se-Hoon asked calmly after standing up.
“Ah... it’s just...”
“Let him explain, please.”
Seeing the auctioneer hesitating to make a decision amidst the unexpected situation, In-Cheol, sitting in the front, spoke up.
“The person who forged the sword should be able to give the best explanation, right?”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
The auctioneer couldn’t refute the head professor’s decision. With the auctioneer’s permission, Se-Hoon ascended the stairs onto the stage.
The gaze of the audience compared to when he was seated among them was completely different now. Leisurely observing the scene, he lightly pulled out the sword that had pierced through the floor.
“Uh... your protective gloves...”
“Ah, it’s okay.”
No matter what happened, he would never cut himself with his own sword.
Dismissing the staff member, he slightly ran his fingers over the blade while looking at the audience.
“First, I’ll re-explain the characteristics of the West Gold Fabric used in this verification, or more precisely of the West Gold Fur from the White Tiger.”
He repeated the explanation he had given Erika, and the audience buzzed upon hearing it.
Anyone with a bit of insight could tell that the verification process was quite disadvantageous for Se-Hoon’s sword.
“Therefore, normally, a sword focused only on sharpness would easily break against this fabric... however, my Radiant Long Sword is a bit different."
He highlighted the blade, showcasing the shining white aura of sharpness on its surface.
“This aura of sharpness on the Radiant Long Sword is not merely a reflection of light. It shows how the mana is circulating the blade.”
“Mana?”
“It doesn’t feel like that at all...”
After all, if the sword’s sharpness was created from mana, the audience would be able to feel it. Seeing the puzzled look on their faces, he smiled.
“It’s normal to not feel much mana from it because it uses a small amount of mana from the air. It’s similar to a firefly.”
Se-Hoon swung the sword lightly in the air. With each swing, the white aura on its surface shone more brightly. Swinging the sword allowed more mana to seep into the blade, strengthening the aura.
“Of course, it doesn’t just shine brightly like a real firefly. The mana arrangement is adjusted so that the released mana is compressed.... To put it simply, think of it as a very thin blade of mana that forms on the edges of the sword.”
The density of mana wasn’t high enough to classify it as actual Sword Aura, but it was too sharp to be just light. Hence, it was described as an aura of sharpness.
“Then, is the phenomenon we just saw caused by the auras meshing?”
Se-Hoon nodded at Erika’s apt question.
“Right. When two auras of the same sharpness lock together, they don’t cancel out but resonate. And with that, you can do something interesting.”
Having finished his explanation, he took a deep breath and looked toward the fabric.
If I mess up, the sword could actually break or even cut someone.
Either outcome would mar his reputation. He had to perform this flawlessly, but his physical condition was not the best due to staying up all night to help Sung-Ha.
Although I’m still confident that I can pull it off... I should be cautious.
He thought about what he had on him that he could potentially use right now. At that moment, he noticed Erika staring intently at him.
Come to think of it, she enhanced an ordinary crow during the entrance ceremony.
Her magic was so precisely entwined that she was able to pull off such a feat. Just like the barrier she had cast on the invitation letter when they met, Erika’s precision was impeccable.
A perfectionist who doesn’t deviate from her plan even a single bit after deciding on a target. And she moves aggressively to achieve her goal.
Her method sought extreme efficiency without any waste. The image of Erika formed in his mind, and it fully manifested in his hands as a piece of ore. The ore looked like a fusion of thousands of thin wires. He immediately checked the ability of the newly created Fatestone.
[Fatestone - Harmonite]
[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Below Average]
[An artificial ore containing compressed mana.
When mixed with other pieces of ores, it adjusts the disordered internal mana circuit to achieve harmony.
*Adjusts the arrangement of materials used together]
This looks good.
Seeing how perfectly its ability matched his intention, he immediately grasped the Harmonite.
[Bond Imprint ‘Harmonite’ has been activated.]
Silver threads spread from his grip onto the sword. The blade’s aura, which had been gently wavering, gradually settled in the shape of a pure white blade.
The mana circuit had been perfectly adjusted, creating a shape resembling Sword Aura.
“He made it into such a distinct shape with such a small amount of mana...”
“That can’t be Sword Aura, right...?”
To those watching, Se-Hoon had performed an unbelievable feat. Feeling their astonished gazes, he smiled slightly, looking at the blade.
It’s done.
This was enough to refine it further.
After extending the sword forward, he slowly drew it down across the fabric.
Screech!
The aura emitted by the West Gold Fabric perfectly meshed with the aura of the Radiant Long Sword, covering the blade in a V-shape.
Se-Hoon pressed down on the sword a bit more after seeing this.
Sparks flew as the two auras collided. At that moment, he quickly pulled the blade toward himself.
Clang-!
With a sharp metallic sound, the blade of the Radiant Long Sword had been further sharpened.
[‘Radiant Long Sword’ has been upgraded to ‘Rare’ tier.]
[Radiant Long Sword]
[Tier: Rare] [Quality: Poor]
[A long sword forged with a pure white aura of sharpness.
The blade, refined to its limit, possesses a strong and sharp aura thanks to the alignment of its mana array. The infused mana is compressed and released through the blade.
*Imbuing mana enhances sharpness
*Enables the use of the skill ‘White Aura’]
Hm, this should be good enough...
He managed to further hone the edge that couldn’t be properly sharpened with a common whetstone. Of course, it fell short compared to sharpening with a special whetstone, but still, it wasn’t bad as an item for his first auction.
In the middle of inspecting his sword, he suddenly noticed that the audience was staring at him blankly.
“Ah. It just leveled up from Advanced to Rare. Please reflect this in the starting price.”
“Huh? Ah, then about the weapon skill...”
“It seems to be White Aura. You can take a look.”
He lightly used White Aura which caused a more distinct aura to burst forth above the blade.
“It’s a simple skill that enhances the aura.”
“Then... according to the manual, we will adjust the starting price from one million to five million won.”
The price jumped more than five times from just the addition of one weapon skill. Of course, this was just the starting price, so the actual auction price was still unknown.
“Then... shall we start the bidding?”
Everyone in the auction house swallowed dryly at the sight of the Radiant Long Sword.
It was a sword that was forged by the honor student who was currently gathering a lot of attention. And, as it was an upgraded item that went from Advanced to Rare, the already high rarity value of the Radiant Long Sword increased even more.
“Seven million!”
“Ten million!!”
“Fifteen million!!!”
The price started to rise at a terrifying speed.
The precise mana array of the sword, which could compress a tiny amount of mana to the level of Sword Aura, made it a useful weapon for researching Sword Aura.
Since the sword had the added value from the ability to use it for research, people kept bidding higher, and the price continued to rise.
When the bidding finally surpassed hundreds of millions, there were only two people who hadn’t given up yet.
“Two hundred million.”
Erika, with sparkling eyes, calmly raised her hand.
“Ugh... two hundred ten million!”
Jake raised his hand in a hurry at the sight of Erika.
From the stage, Se-Hoon sincerely admired the sight of two fellow first-year honor students who were also scions of renowned families.
So this is how the upper class ends up spending money like water.
It seemed crazy to think that they were planning to burn hundreds of millions on just a Rare weapon, but what did it matter? The price the winner shouted out was all going to be his, after all, serving as the foundation of his budget.
“Ah, two hundred ninety million. Is this where it ends? Are you really okay with going back empty-handed?!”
Seeing Se-Hoon shaking the Radiant Long Sword and shouting, Jake’s eyes flickered.
“...Three hundred million!!” Jake raised his hand again.
“Three hundred ten million.”
“Three hundred... twenty million...!”
“Three hundred forty million.”
Erika kept calmly raising the price, while Jake groaned and followed up.
No matter how scarce this sword might be, the price they were shouting was too much to spend on a Rare sword, let alone a low-quality one.
The bidding war that seemed to have become a competition between Inoue and Meyers to recruit Se-Hoon shocked everyone.
“Six hundred million.”
The entire auction hall suddenly froze.
The red-haired woman, Dean Ryu Eun-Ha, was raising her hand with a nonchalant expression at the entrance. Jake and Erika’s faces stiffened at her arrival.
The Gourmet, Ryu Eun-Ha, was famous for always buying and consuming any weapon she set her eyes on. To everyone, the Weapon Eater would never give up.
Six hundred million... that’s just...
I’m not sure if it’s even worth that much...
The two that had been having a heated bidding battle hesitated, unable to raise their hands due to the price being far beyond expectations.
“Maybe I bid too low...” muttered Eun-Ha. Her voice echoed in the quiet auction hall.
“...”
“...”
The two sighed and shook their heads.
“Ra-Radiant Long Sword. Sold for six hundred million won.”
Se-Hoon’s first auction concluded successfully.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is free(w)𝒆bnov(𝒆)l