After the exam, Jin-Woo went straight to the infirmary, where the doctor tended to his wound.
“This is minor. It shouldn’t leave a scar. I’ll begin the treatment.”
A soft, green light bloomed from the doctor’s palm, enveloping the gash on Jin-Woo’s right hand. In moments, the skin mended itself, leaving no trace of the injury.
So this really is the past.
The scarred, mutilated hands he’d lived with for so long were gone, replaced by smooth, pale skin marked only by a few faint calluses. A pang of sadness hit him as he looked at them—the proof of decades of hard work had vanished. But another part of him felt a profound sense of relief. Before his regression, his hands had been in such terrible shape that they often hindered the delicate work of smelting.
I’ll have to take better care of them this time.
Most of his old injuries had come from the endless trial and error of his early forging days. With the memories of his past life to guide him, things would be different now. He walked out of the infirmary, his mind already racing, sifting through memories as he planned his next steps.
“Are you okay?” a voice asked. In-Cheol was waiting for him just outside the door.
“Good. There’s a saying that scars are a badge of honor, but too much of anything becomes a burden.”
In-Cheol spoke to him with an easy familiarity, clearly impressed by the Blade of the Quintuple Inferno. But Jin-Woo sensed there was more to it than simple admiration.
An offer of recruitment? No, he doesn’t have that look.
In his experience, men deeply entangled in power struggles had a certain greasy, oily quality to them. But the man before him radiated only the fierce, fiery temperament of a blacksmith dedicated to his craft.
Is he going to ask me to be his disciple?
For any other trainee, it would have been an incredible offer. But Jin-Woo, who had risen to a station far higher than In-Cheol’s before his regression, felt a flicker of reluctance.
As Jin-Woo considered how to handle the situation, In-Cheol set the tone. “Tell me, do you know how Olympus Academy selects its honor student from the incoming class?”
Jin-Woo dug through his memories for the answer. “As I recall, the results from an additional test for each college are compared to determine the final selection.”
Olympus Academy was divided into three colleges: Vanguard Citadel for combat, Sanctuary of Providence for support, and Crucible of Creation for technical skills. Within each college were dozens of departments tailored to a student’s aptitude. The exam Jin-Woo had just completed was for the Division of Soul-Forging, under the Creation of Crucible of Creation.
“That’s right,” In-Cheol confirmed. “Only the top two students from each department will take part in that additional test. It will be even more competitive than what you faced today.”
After laying out the academy’s structure, In-Cheol let out a heavy sigh, as if steeling himself for what he had to say next.
“It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but the Division of Soul-Forging hasn’t produced an honor student in twelve years. As a result, our budget has been shrinking, year after year.”
“What’s worse is that as word of our decline spreads, the quality of our applicants drops even further. It’s a vicious cycle, and it’s the harsh reality of our department.”
Jin-Woo’s expression grew complex as he listened to the man’s lament. He knew the situation was even worse than In-Cheol described. In eight years, the Division of Soul-Forging would cease to exist entirely.
The official reason was that the department failed to meet Olympus Academy’s exacting standards, its continued existence a stain on the academy’s reputation.
Several attempts would be made to revive it, but each would fail, and the department would eventually be lost to history. It seemed In-Cheol could already see that bleak future on the horizon.
“Hm. This is all a story for another time, but… there’s one thing I need to tell you.” In-Cheol’s eyes were filled with a grim determination.
“If you want to truly succeed as a blacksmith, you should go to World-Forge Academy. The application period is over, but I have connections. I can get you in.”
Jin-Woo was taken aback by the suggestion.
World-Forge Academy… isn’t that considered the premier institution for blacksmiths?
At present, World-Forge Academy wasn't ranked that much higher than Olympus. But once Olympus’s blacksmithing department was dismantled, World-Forge Academy would leverage the news to solidify its reputation as the undisputed king.
In-Cheol, a professor at Olympus, was actively encouraging his most promising new student to transfer to their greatest rival, all for the sake of that student’s potential.
Is he planning to transfer there himself? No, that doesn’t fit his character.
Jin-Woo saw the subtle regret in In-Cheol’s eyes and knew this wasn't some manipulative ploy. He was genuinely offering guidance, a sunbae looking out for his junior in the blacksmithing world.[1]
He seems like a decent person.
He’d never heard of In-Cheol before his regression, but he was starting to like the man.
“Is that really necessary?” Jin-Woo replied after a moment of thought.
“You have talent. To see it flourish, you need to be in a better environment…”
“Choosing the best option is always wise. But that only applies if World-Forge Academy truly is the best.”
“You’re right, but the fact is that World-Forge has surpassed us. And that gap will only widen in the future.”
In-Cheol started to elaborate, thinking Jin-Woo hadn’t grasped the gravity of the situation, but Jin-Woo cut him off with a wry smile.
“Why should I bother lowering my head? The academy I choose to attend will naturally become the best.”
Wherever he went would become the best. The words were breathtakingly arrogant, yet somehow, they didn’t ring hollow.
In-Cheol was speechless for a moment. He had secretly hoped Jin-Woo might choose to stay, but he had never expected a response like this.
“If that’s how you feel, then you’ll have to secure the honor student position. Are you certain?” In-Cheol asked, his tone now deeply serious.
“Of course. You wouldn’t have brought up this entire conversation if you didn’t think I was capable of it, right?”
A bitter smile touched In-Cheol’s lips. “It seems you’ve seen right through me from the start.”
“The additional exam for the Creation of Crucible of Creation will be to forge one more item. The prompt will be revealed on the day of the test, and your score from today will be factored into the final grade.”
“It’s in one week. We’ll send you your uniform and student ID. Be sure to have them with you for the exam.”
In-Cheol watched him, a hint of bewilderment in his eyes. It was strange, seeing this young man respond to such pressure without a single sign of nervousness.
He’s still just a boy… so why do I find him so trustworthy? It was like he was speaking to a master blacksmith, an equal of his own age.
An involuntary, gentle smile spread across his face, and he held out his hand.
“I expect great things from you.”
It was a gesture that would have stunned every professor, assistant, and student in the Division of Soul-Forging. Jin-Woo, unaware of its significance, simply met In-Cheol’s gaze. They had only known each other for a short time, but a bond had clearly formed between them, forged from the older man’s sudden trust and high expectations.
If that’s the case…
Realizing the conditions for Bond Extraction had been met, he grasped In-Cheol’s hand.
[A bond has been successfully established with the subject ‘Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Kim In-Cheol’.]
“I look forward to working with you, too.”
[Extracting bond from subject ‘Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Forgeheart Kim In-Cheol’]
[The bond with the host is Lv. 1.]
Jin-Woo had successfully extracted his first material since his regression.
After the whirlwind of an exam, Jin-Woo headed straight home. In-Cheol had offered to buy him a meal, but he’d declined, needing to check on a few things.
“Hm. It should be around here…” He trudged up a steep staircase in the slums, retracing a path that was now decades old in his memory.
Physically, he had left this house only that morning. Mentally, it had been a lifetime. His memories were faint, but he followed his instincts, climbing the final set of stairs until a familiar, yet unfamiliar, house came into view.
It stood alone in a clearing at the foot of the hills, dilapidated and worn. Jin-Woo smirked at the shabby structure, which looked as though a strong gust of wind might knock it over.
“Just as I remember it.”
Back then, he had despised this house, desperate to escape it every waking second. But seeing it again after so long, he felt an unexpected flicker of fondness.
The gate was a mess of rust, the house itself no more than twenty square meters. The toilet was a disaster of mold and crawling insects, completely unusable.
The grim reality of the place was quickly stripping away any rose-tinted nostalgia. But his expression softened when he turned his gaze to the workshop. A second-hand magic furnace, purchased with every scrap of money he’d had, sat in the corner. His smithing tools and materials were neatly organized around it, a stark contrast to the rundown state of his home.
I devoted my entire life to this place after my awakening.
To get revenge on the demons who had killed his parents, he needed power. With his aptitude for blacksmithing, he’d believed that power would come in the form of wealth earned from selling weapons. So he had sold what little he possessed, found this hovel, and built his world around that furnace.
Oh, right. That bastard must still be alive. He ground his teeth at the thought of the enemy he had spent his entire twenties hunting down. But now, even knowing the man was out there, the old rage didn’t burn so hot. He’d settled that score before his regression. There were more pressing matters at hand.
The most pressing issue was the Six Harbingers—or rather, all of demonkind.
They were monsters that threatened not just humanity, but the entire planet. They had to be annihilated. To do that, he would have to change the fates of heroes who had died in vain and somehow rally the selfish scoundrels who had refused to cooperate until the very end.
Seems like I have a lot to do…
Memories flooded his mind—of future events, of allies yet to be met and enemies yet to be faced.
Let’s not overthink this. He took a deep breath, clearing his head. He was a blacksmith. Trying to forge a grand plan with incomplete information would only lead to flaws.
For now, he would focus on what was right in front of him. He would start with Olympus Academy and work his way up, dealing with the major events as they came.
To make sure I don’t mix up important details like dates, I should create some kind of memory-related weapon or skill. With his priorities finally in order, he looked at the furnace with a calmer mind.
I should check my physical stats.
He hadn’t even had a chance to assess his own body, having been thrown into an exam right after regressing. He knew his stats would be garbage, but he needed the exact numbers to plan his training. With a quiet resolve, he called up his status message.
[Strength - E (62) Endurance - E (56)
Mana - F (43) Agility - F (47)
Unique Skill: Crafter of Covenants
Learned Skills: Master of Flames (C)]
He rubbed his temples wordlessly.
The average new student at Olympus Academy had stats in the C-rank. Mine are…
The numbers were so low it was a miracle he hadn't been accused of cheating on the entrance exam. The nearly empty skill tab, with only Master of Flames, was just as heartbreaking.
Well, it’s a fair price for turning back time.
Time was the one resource money couldn't buy. To get it back at the cost of starting over from scratch… that was a bargain.
Forget the stats. Let’s look at my unique skill.
[Crafter of Covenants] 『Unique』
[Covenants have the power to change one’s heart. By establishing a bond with a subject, you can extract it into a piece of ore.
Bond Extraction: Extract ore from the subject you have established a bond with]
The description was as unhelpful as ever. Unique skills were meant to be complex, but Crafter of Covenants was notoriously obtuse. It explained how to extract bonds but said nothing about how to form them, nor how to use the ore once it was created.
But it’s different this time.
He infused his right hand with mana and focused on his memories of In-Cheol. The first image that came to mind was of a twisted, gnarled tree, a picture of weariness and emptiness.
But then he pictured In-Cheol witnessing his talent, seeing his potential. In that moment, a spark had ignited within the old tree, a hidden fire rekindled. Though the man looked drained by the world, a passionate flame still burned in his heart. It was a shallow understanding, based on only a brief observation, but for now, it would have to be enough.
A faint glow emanated from Jin-Woo’s hands as a new material took shape. It was a light gray ore with wavy patterns, looking more like a block of wood than a piece of metal.
“Hm. This is decent.”
The Nexus Crystal was flawless, a sign that his understanding of In-Cheol had been sound. Smiling with satisfaction, he checked its status.
[Nexus Crystal - Flame-Infused Metal]
[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Average]
[A metal infused with flame.
It has the same properties as wood.
Flames can be stored within]
A wood-like metal?
It felt like wood to the touch, but tapping it produced the definitive ring of iron. After a brief examination, he had a rough idea of how to smelt it. The real problem was its size—the piece of ore was no bigger than two of his fingers.
This is the problem with level-one bonds. He clicked his tongue in frustration.
It was too small to be a main material, but mixing it with other metals risked losing its unique characteristics. He would need precisely the right materials and properties to forge a proper weapon.
I won’t be able to get those materials with my current stats. I’ll need to level up or earn strong support from Olympus Academy.
It was a bit disappointing, but he had time. There was no need to rush. Setting the Flame-Infused metal aside, Jin-Woo’s gaze drifted down to his own chest.
I should take a look at my own Nexus Crystal.
If he remembered correctly, the skill imbued in the last dagger he’d made before regressing was called ‘Echo of the First Moment.’ He didn’t know its exact effect, but given the name, it was almost certainly connected to his regression.
If that kind of power is hidden inside me, I have to use it.
His eyes lit with purpose. He placed a hand over his heart and began the Bond Extraction.
[Extracting bond from subject ‘Park Jin-Woo’]
[The bond with the host is Lv. 1.]
His eyes widened. The bond level had always been blank before. Seeing that number—one—was a shock.
Stunned, he looked down at the Nexus Crystal in his hand. On the surface, it was the same colorless ore he remembered. But as he looked closer, he saw a faint, unsettling quality to it, as if something else was mixed within.
Impurities? No, it feels different.
His heart racing, he immediately pulled up the status message.
[Nexus Crystal - Relationship-Null Metal]
[Tier: Normal] [Quality: Poor]
[An empty metal that holds nothing.
It contains many impurities and is much lower in strength than normal iron.]
His face soured.
“It got even worse…”
The old description had said its strength was slightly inferior to iron. Now it was much worse.
To his dismay, there was no information about his regression, nothing to explain the power of ‘Echo of the First Moment.’ He was about to give up when an unexpected message appeared.
[The host’s bond has reached Lv. 1.]
[Skill ‘Bond Imprint’ has been added.]