Chapter 318: The Transfer Student is a Singularity (6)

In the kitchen, there exists something superior to the chef—and its name is the ingredient. That was one of the chief’s favorite sayings.

And he was a stubborn old man who stuck to his philosophy no matter what.

That’s how, even though his disciple flat-out refused to go, he ended up dragging him all the way to the sea in front of Tongyeong.

“Let’s just go to Oido, Oido instead!”

“Idiot, do you think the West Sea and the South Sea are the same?”

“In the end, it’s all just water, who cares where it’s from!”

“I’d like to deny it, but today you hit the exact point I wanted to teach you, so I have no comeback. Anyway, let’s go. The morning at sea starts earlier than on land.”

The chief said it all with just a look.

– You’ve been kidnapped.

…..!

That’s how, several hours later, the salty sea breeze greeted me.

As soon as we arrived in Tongyeong, the chief went straight up to a fisherman preparing to set out.

“Would you mind letting us borrow the boat for a bit?”

“Eh… all of a sudden…?”

“I’ll pay you properly.”

The boat owner hesitated for a long time, net in hand, but finally agreed. I guess it was the aura the chief gave off.

“You’re not bringing barrels or anything shady, are you?”

“Of course not. The guy with me is my disciple.”

“…Everyone says that before they board.”

The boat’s stern gently sliced through the water’s scales, but my stomach wasn’t faring as smoothly. It was my first time ever on a boat, and I ended up puking everything I ate the day before.

“Do you know where this salty seawater comes from?”

The chief asked just like that, as if it didn’t matter that his disciple was on the verge of dying.

Being dragged out to sea was unfair enough already…

“Uuugh!”

Just the thought that he was about to start one of his corny philosophies made my stomach turn even more.

What a cruel man. Unlike the kind words he would later receive, the Founding Hero was someone so hard you wouldn’t get blood even if you stabbed him.

“I don’t know where it comes from, but I do know it just left my stomach.”

“….”

I earned a smack right on the head (+1). Only then, seeing his disciple was ready to listen seriously, the chief continued.

“Rivers, streams, brooks, pipes, even the sky. Every flow of water moves and moves until it reaches the sea.”

“Master, have you gone insane? That’s why I told you to stop drinking. I, your concerned disciple, am so worried the sea breeze is making my eyes blur.”

In that moment, the beloved disciple received an even harder blow as a gift.

He was so moved he almost died right then.

Behind the chief, the boat’s captain frantically searched for any barrels.

The Founding Hero gave a gesture to calm him down.

“Manryugwijong (만류귀종).”

And then, with the aura of a sage, he said, mixing in classical Chinese.

“In the end, everything comes together in one place. That’s what you need to understand.”

At the time, I thought he was just trying to sound profound.

“Are you suggesting I sign up for a funeral plan?”

With a thump, the boat shook, and the seagulls flew off in a panic.

Anyway.

Now—only now—this clumsy disciple finally understands that the chief’s words weren’t just to sound cool.

He was a , and the knowledge he’d gathered through countless experiences must’ve been close to truth itself.

.

At the end of all things.

I, Kang Geom-Ma, savor those words once again.

***

“You nap no matter the time, huh?”

That was the first thing I spat out as soon as I woke up.

“Maybe I should change the bed…?”

They said it was top quality, but that didn’t mean it suited my body. Especially not for someone like me, who’s lived a life using cheap stuff.

Still, I was glad I had met the chef in my dream, even if the end of the dream had been a bit strange.

I muttered it out loud.

But it came out raspy, like I’d swallowed sand.

I pressed on my throbbing temples as I got out of bed.

Since Ryozo was sleeping deeply beside me, I got dressed and left the bedroom as quietly as possible.

It was the weekend.

Even the crowded Joaquin Academy, always full of people, had at least one day of rest.

The weekend atmosphere was very different from my days as a cadet. Back then, the rules didn’t even allow us to leave the grounds during weekends.

That absurd rule was something Ryozo had abolished.

Why?

No idea.

I can only guess it had something to do with her past. She spent her childhood like a princess locked in a tower, thanks to the pressure from Kojima, the Absolute Archer.

‘Ryozo must have hated that.’

That’s why she gave freedom to the cadets. If I had to compare Ryozo to a season, she’d be April. Even if she seems cold like an April breeze, deep down she has a warm heart.

I started walking aimlessly around the academy.

Every now and then, cadets who passed by let out squeals when they saw me. I returned their greetings with a polite wave, and they melted with excitement.

‘Back when I was a cadet, I wasn’t this popular.’

Anyway, it’s the title that makes the man.

I gave a wry smile and kept walking, leaving the girls behind.

“March flew by.”

The air still carried a faint scent of winter, quite chilly still. But you could tell spring equinox had already passed.

As I walked, staring at the bare branches of the trees, I unconsciously pulled Murasame and Eternal Frost from my clothes.

Slide.

I unsheathed them just a few centimeters. The blade came out easily.

That was because it had worn thin.

I had been sharpening it every time I had a spare moment. Eternal Frost wasn’t made to be a weapon. It was just a very expensive sashimi knife.

‘I still use it because it was a gift. Besides, I’ve never been the kind to throw away things I grow attached to.’

It’s time to let it go. It deserves it, after all it’s done so far.

“But using only Murasame makes me feel like I’m abandoning my left hand.”

Dual wielding had become my signature style. It wasn’t something I chose willingly. If the chief had seen me, he would’ve yelled at me for playing with knives, but oh well.

Since the class placement exam, I hadn’t stopped using the dual style, and now I couldn’t feel comfortable with just one blade.

‘What should I do…?’

Eternal Frost had weakened after so many battles. The fault was with its clumsy owner.

Finding a replacement wouldn’t be hard. After all, I was a Seven Star Hero. I could buy an S-rank weapon with a single order.

“But I don’t want to.”

Like I mentioned earlier—just because something is good for others doesn’t mean it’s good for me.

In fact, I value the time shared more than performance.

Whether it’s S or A-rank weapons, they all feel the same to me. B-rank was already crossing a line. And honestly, talking about weapon ranks didn’t even make sense in my case.

After all, I’m the God of the Sword.

When a blade touches my hands, even a Daiso sashimi knife becomes an EX-rank weapon.

But this is just selfishness. A petty wish to have a new sword to replace Eternal Frost.

And there’s one person I can talk to about this, openly and honestly.

“Haven’t heard his greeting in a while.”

A smile slipped out.

And with that, I changed my direction.

***

The blacksmith, Volundr.

To users of Miracle Blessing M, he’s a figure of love and hate.

At least for me, though, the scale tips more toward “love” than “hate.” Not to say I feel no resentment—I’m still a bit bitter over the time he totally wrecked Murasame’s classification.

He thinks he’s made up for it by helping me so much since then.

But Koreans never forget when someone gives them something and then takes it back. That gets remembered for generations.

Clang! Clang!

Loud metal bangs echoed through the air.

I hadn’t even entered yet, but I could already feel the floor shaking from the vibrations. What strength for a man in his seventies.

“You here, ahjussi?”

Volundr paused mid-swing, hammer held high. He squinted.

When he recognized me, he raised both hands in cheerful greeting.

“What’s someone so important doing in a humble place like this?”

“Yes, yes. I’ve graced your humble corner with my illustrious presence.”

“You’re still as shameless as you were in your teens.”

“And you’re still the same as always. Hope you’ll still be like this in twenty or thirty years.”

He wiped off the soot with a grin.

His muscular arms didn’t look like those of an old man. The sweat gave them a special shine.

For some reason, that made me happy. Watching someone close grow old can be a heavy feeling.

Even if I’m being sentimental, I want Volundr to stay by my side for a long, long time.

I grabbed a chair and sat down. Since I’d come unannounced in the middle of his work, Volundr kept hammering the metal.

I watched as iron turned to steel while I spoke.

“So how long do you plan to keep working in this forge? Volundr Forge is at its peak. You used to go on and on about money, and now you’re still hammering away.”

I said it out of concern.

As a smith constantly working with fire, his eyesight was getting worse by the day. That’s why he hadn’t recognized me right away.

“You used to wear a suit and be called ‘President.’ What made you come back to the forge?”

“When I put it on, I realized it didn’t fit.”

Volundr quenched the steel in water. The steam condensed in droplets along his wrinkles.

“Then at least take on an apprentice. It’s not good for someone your age to work this hard.”

“If you came here just to make an old man feel useless, go back the way you came, Heavenly Sword. When you’re old, there’s no time to waste.”

“I’m saying this because I care.”

“Instead of worrying about me, worry about the world. You’re the one in a position to do that, Heavenly Sword.”

Every word from this artisan carried immense weight. That’s how the chief was, and so is Volundr.

“Don’t tell me someone as busy as you came here just to say hi. What brought you here? Don’t waste my remaining seconds on pleasantries.”

“…Sharp as ever.”

I had no choice but to tell him. Eternal Frost had reached the end of its life, and I needed a new weapon.

Volundr was indifferent about small talk, but when it came to metal, his eyes lit up. A blacksmith’s heart never cools.

“Making a weapon isn’t hard. With my skill, I can make an S-grade weapon easily.”

He didn’t stop hammering.

“What matters is the material. You worked in a Japanese restaurant once, didn’t you? What did the chef always say? Probably the same as me.”

“Exactly the same.”

He nodded, reminiscing.

“The material has to be good. Even if they call it S-grade, the quality depends on what’s used.”

“What do you think is the best material for a weapon?”

“That’s a broad question, so I can’t give a single answer. But in my experience, there are two main criteria. First, it must be extremely rare in this world. Second, it must be closely tied to life.”

To explain it better as an outsider—

The reason rarity matters is because the world of Miracle Blessing M is based on a game (a mobile gacha game).

Naturally, rarer materials improve a weapon’s performance more than common ones.

While Volundr explained it in technical terms, I interpreted it with gamer logic.

He also explained the second reason.

“A weapon isn’t just a blade.”

It was more like a living organism that responded to a hero’s unique blessing.

The closer it is to life, the stronger the connection and synchronization with the hero.

The rarer and more tied to life it is, the better the material.

“But finding something that meets both conditions is extremely difficult. The first one alone is already tough. Dragon scales, for example, were once a precious material. But now that human-demon relations have improved, they’re no longer rare. There’s even smuggling.”

A weapon needs an aura of mystery. If it can be explained by science or becomes too common, it loses that mystique. Even if the composition is the same, its effect drops drastically.

“Hard to imagine anything rarer than dragon scales.”

“Exactly.”

Volundr finally set down his hammer. He sat beside me, refreshed himself with some makgeolli, and sighed.

“Still, nothing beats dragon scales. So bring me at least one. I heard you have a good relationship with the Dragon Lord. Ask him for a scale, even if it’s just one.”

“…And what would you do if someone asked for your underwear?”

“I’d bash their head in with a hammer.”

“Then the dragon would roast us with fire breath.”

“Either way, dragon breath isn’t much of a threat to you.”

“Just when things were calming between the human and demon worlds, I’m about to ruin it all.”

Volundr joked lightheartedly.

“I’ve always wanted to forge a weapon with an ancient dragon’s scale.”

“You’re practically endangering humanity out of greed.”

“What danger? You’re here, aren’t you?”

He said it like it was nothing. But without meaning to, his words hit me deeply.

A world where even non-heroes can live in peace.

That’s why I live so busily, constantly moving between the human world and the Demon Realm.

‘…Wait a second.’

The moment an idea struck, I voiced it.

“Hey, could you use an egg as material?”

“If it meets those conditions, even cow dung could be weaponized.”

I ignored his sarcasm.

I immediately called Speedweapon.

***

At that moment, he was on a mission in Gehenna as a representative of the Hero Association. In other words, they had sent him to do the dirty work. And I was about to pile on even more.

When the call ended, Speedweapon looked visibly confused, and Deputy Director Kim from the exploration team tapped him on the shoulder.

“Who called you, boss?”

“Ah, ah. The President. No, Kang Geom-Ma.”

“Huh?!”

Speedweapon said it without thinking, and Kim quickly covered his mouth with both hands.

“I’m… I’m a fan!”

“It’s not that big a deal.”

“No, I’m not talking about you, boss. I’m a fan of the Heavenly Sword!”

“I hope you don’t forget it’s me who evaluates your performance, Deputy Director Kim.”

Speedweapon sighed so deeply that even the weeds on the ground seemed to bend over.

That was Gehenna for you. A place so worn out that even the grass wilted at a human sigh.

“What did the Heavenly Sword say?”

“He asked me to bring him something.”

He didn’t elaborate.

“Let’s prepare it right away.”

“Y-yes…”

Kim didn’t ask for details. He hesitated a bit, then wisely went off to help prepare the equipment.

Speedweapon looked around.

He and his exploration team were setting up camp. These weren’t the old-fashioned kinds of tents.

They had already established camps scattered throughout various zones of the Demon Realm.

“For the president to have less work, the Hero Association needs to put in more effort.”

He murmured to himself, when, in the distance, he spotted a black dot on the horizon. It was moving slowly, but clearly heading toward them.

As the silhouette became clearer, Speedweapon was startled. The others didn’t seem to have noticed yet.

He thought it was a demon, but as it got closer, he saw it wasn’t. The black dot was a human girl.

If she had been an elf, she would’ve had pointed ears; if a vampire, her skin would’ve been pale.

Speedweapon was a healer. His blessing gave him the ability to sense the difference between humans and demons.

He extended his perception toward her, and the answer was clear she was human.

Speedweapon was the first to move. He approached the girl quickly and spoke to her.

“A-are you okay? No, more importantly, why are you here?”

The girl was wearing mismatched clothes, thrown on carelessly.

She walked past without replying, but at his persistence, she looked up.

When their eyes met, Speedweapon’s eyes went wide open.

That she was beautiful wasn’t the issue. What mattered was that her eyes were identical to those of a “certain person” he had just spoken with on the phone.

‘President… don’t tell me…!’

Was this the reason he traveled so frequently between the human world and the Demon Realm?

As Speedweapon put on his best expression of shock, the girl’s perfectly shaped lips began to move.