Chapter 44: Mystery (1)

Joaquin Academy.

With a 700-year tradition and a reputation as the best institution in the world, it was a place where the children of the global elite gathered.

Because of this, all its facilities adhered to the highest standards in the industry.

The students, with a very different perception of money, opened their wallets without worrying about prices, which was a considerable advantage.

As a result, everything from supermarkets and gyms to cafés and restaurants within the academy had to pass strict inspections and controls to operate.

This standard also applied to the forge adjacent to Joaquin Academy, managed for the past 15 years by the blacksmith Volundr.

It was said that any student of the academy had entrusted their weapons to him at least once during their training years. Countless weapons had passed through his hands.

Although his personality could be somewhat ordinary, Volundr’s skills were unparalleled, ensuring even the most demanding clients left satisfied with his work.

But two weeks ago, his seemingly impeccable career took an uncomfortable turn.

One day, a cadet appeared at his forge with a long, single-edged sword.

He was a first-year student with rare black hair and eyes, with tips of his hair tinged in an odd ash-gray shade.

From the black mark on his insignia, it was clear he was a student admitted under special criteria.

To be honest, a student’s background wasn’t something Volundr cared about.

As long as they were paying clients who filled his pockets, even the most basic weapons from common students motivated him to work diligently.

As usual, he greeted the young man with a professional smile.

The black-haired student asked for his weapon to be refined and upgraded.

It was evident that the boy didn’t have many resources, and his sword, with its peculiar design, seemed so fragile that one careless strike might break it. Even so, Volundr accepted the commission without hesitation.

Why? Of course, because of the payment. The boy promised him an ingot from a Grade B weapon that he had left over. How could Volundr refuse such an offer? Just by auctioning it, he could make at least 30 or 40 million won.

With his mouth watering, Volundr fired up the forge with a wide grin.

His confidence in his skills, forged through years of experience working with Grade A and even Grade S weapons, was unshakable.

Even if something went wrong, he wasn’t worried. He thought he could easily manipulate a novice like this one.

But that confidence didn’t last until a week ago. Currently, he was…

“Ahjussi, can you reinforce this too?”

“…”

A black-haired student arrived carrying a bundle full of some sort of material.

His bold demeanor was almost disconcerting to Volundr.

“My name is Kang Geom-Ma,” the boy said naturally.

‘Who names their kid that…?’ Volundr thought, stifling a laugh as he untied the bundle the student had brought.

From within spilled buffalo horns—at least twenty of them, maybe more.

“Did you hunt all this yourself?”

“Not entirely. I did it with my team.”

Among the materials, one of the horns shone with a special luster.

Though it belonged to a Grade C buffalo, it seemed more like it came from a Grade B or even Grade A monster.

Although its origin was suspicious, Volundr knew better than to ask questions in this business.

He glanced between the horn and the boy, who licked his lips as if exhausted.

Despite the boy’s relaxed attitude, the blacksmith felt a brief pang of irritation.

He wanted to scold him or throw him out of his sacred forge, but he restrained himself with a deep sigh.

Then Kang Geom-Ma pulled Murasame out of his pocket and handed it over.

“Oh, and this is my weapon. It’s in this condition, but since you’re reinforcing it, could you repair it too?”

When Volundr received the Murasame sword, he felt something inside him crack.

The blade, once gleaming, was now covered in cracks, and the high-quality wooden handle was burned to a crisp.

Volundr stared at the sword in his hands, the one he had painstakingly refined.

It was completely ruined.

A thick vein bulged on Volundr’s temple, and the calm he had maintained so far began to shatter under Kang Geom-Ma’s arrogant attitude.

“Hey! What the hell did you do to leave your weapon in this state?”

His already reddened face seemed on the verge of exploding.

“I just fought some monsters. It happened, you know, things like that.”

Kang Geom-Ma responded vaguely, indifferent to the outrage.

The blacksmith swallowed back the words he wanted to shout.

“…”

Looking into the boy’s tired eyes, he recalled the scene from a week ago when the boy wielded the sword with a mocking smile.

With an almost superhuman effort, Volundr forced a grin.

“…You could’ve been more careful. What would you have done if you’d hurt yourself?”

“It’s a Grade E weapon; it doesn’t have much durability. Anyway, here are Grade A materials. I trust you’ll know what to do with them.”

With those parting words, the boy waved casually and walked out.

“That spoiled brat… even Satan himself would give him a standing ovation.”

Volundr muttered curses under his breath, but just as he thought the boy was gone, he turned his head.

“Oh, by the way.”

Volundr’s throat went dry. He thought about the life insurance premiums he had to pay every month and swallowed hard.

There was an awkward pause before the boy spoke with a smile.

“Any leftover materials, use them to buy yourself some drinks. Alright, I’m off.”

The boy yawned widely and closed the heavy forge door.

Volundr stared blankly at the spot where he had been.

Shaking his head, he grabbed his hammer and began to work.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of metal echoed through the forge, filled with conflicting emotions.

***

Two days after completing the Buffalo Dungeon.

The day after I returned from Cheorwon, I brought Murasame to the blacksmith. Although he wasn’t too happy about it—his frown made that clear—what else could I do? In the end, one must clean up their own messes.

If that man hadn’t botched the weapon in the first place, we both would’ve avoided a lot of trouble.

Still, considering we’ll likely see each other often, I decided not to hold a pointless grudge and gave him a small incentive.

After all, the leftover buffalo horns weren’t of much use to me. It’s not like I’d mount them on a wall like some hunter’s trophy.

Being Class C materials, buffalo horns were only useful for upgrading from Class E to D. There’s a chance of failure during the enhancement process, but the King Buffalo material should significantly reduce that risk.

Would it even fail using Class A materials? If that happens, I swear I’ll cut off his hands.

Before the morning meeting began, I organized my thoughts while opening the status window against the backdrop of the green chalkboard.

== ==

[Blessing of the Sword God]

If you cut it, it will cut.

◎ Body Level: (8 ▶ 9) ▷ Enables the use of larger swords.

◎ Spirit Level l: (4 ▶ 5) ▷ Imposes intimidation in speech and actions.

◎ Weapon Level: 3 ▷ When the blessing is activated, pain is reduced by (1) level.

☆ Synchronization Rate: 9.3% ▶ 12.7% ▷ An additional line of (1)【???】is now readable.

→ [Reaching 15% unlocks the next enhancement condition.]

★【???】

[The blessing only activates if the sword measures less than 38+1 cm in length and has a width of less than 9+1 cm.]

== ==

The first thing that caught my attention was the increase in the synchronization rate.

Unlike the stagnant values of other attributes, this one rose noticeably every time I went through a significant event.

Body and Spirit levels also increased, though the growth seemed insignificant compared to the earlier stages.

Still, they weren’t completely useless. I could feel a much stronger physical and mental resilience now, though it’s clear I still have a ways to go before the next level.

On the other hand, the weapon level remains the most pressing concern, though there’s no need to rush.

The reason I’m interested in delving deeper into the Blessing of the Sword God isn’t just about becoming stronger—it’s about solving a more fundamental issue.

I didn’t expect to discover it immediately, so I stopped worrying too much about it.

‘Reaching 15% unlocks the next enhancement condition.’

At the current synchronization rate, I’ll likely meet that condition after completing one more dungeon.

If this doesn’t just reveal a new line but also additional attributes, it might turn out to be an absurdly overpowered skill.

Though, to be honest, even now, the synchronization seems ridiculously powerful, beyond any logical limits—especially considering how it continues to grow without stopping.

‘A skill with a consistent growth curve…’

While the three main categories have clear goals, the synchronization doesn’t seem to consume any specific resources, which is intriguing. Could it be entirely positive?

Nothing in this world comes free.

That’s a lesson ingrained in every Korean soul, taught by parents before we even cut our first teeth.

Even so, the irregularity in the stats seemed to serve some hidden purpose. Despite attempting to calculate averages across the three main categories, I couldn’t reach any definitive conclusions.

“Something else is definitely at play here.”

As I stroked my chin, I reviewed the differences I’d noticed so far.

The first significant synchronization increase happened after my duel with Chloe.

If I take that as a turning point, the only physical transformation I’ve noticed has been the appearance of gray streaks at the ends of my hair.

What started as 2 cm of gray streaks has grown to nearly 5 cm. I considered dyeing it, but since it doesn’t bother me much, I left it alone.

‘Could these gray streaks be the price of synchronization?’

Moreover, the strange sensation I experienced immediately after the duel hasn’t returned.

This rules out the idea that synchronization comes with physical side effects each time it increases.

‘…If every increase brought those side effects, I would’ve abandoned this sword long ago.’

I carefully revisited everything that’s happened since I arrived in this world.

Not just in relation to the blessing, but also the general circumstances. I finally had some mental space to reflect.

Of course, I should also consider the elders pursuing me and the mention of “that instructor” by the access control employee.

However, those matters are beyond what a mere first-year student can handle.

Still, I need to prepare. My first master always emphasized the importance of being prepared.

My style is to address the problem at hand rather than analyze every detail piece by piece.

Although that same man couldn’t avoid going bald in the end…

Instinctively, I ran my fingers through my hairline. Feeling the dense hair under my fingers, I let out a sigh of relief before shaking my head to clear unnecessary thoughts.

I also needed to think about how to use the new Blessing of Transfer. Once acquired, it’s not something I can simply discard.

Since it’s a synergistic blessing, its effectiveness depends on how I use it. Though I feel a bit guilty about Leon, he’ll eventually obtain even better abilities.

I stretched and leaned back in my chair. The sounds of students arriving on campus began to fill the classroom.

As I idly turned my head toward the window, a ray of sunlight illuminated my face. The day was exceptionally clear, with the warm sun announcing the arrival of summer.

‘Soon it’ll be summer uniform season.’

I reflected on how my life had changed since arriving in this world a year and a half ago.

The routine I had once longed for now seemed like an unattainable mirage.

However, not everything at the academy had been bad. I had made two friends: Speedweapon and Chloe.

Though I wasn’t sure if Chloe considered me a friend…

In any case, my friendship with Speedweapon was solid, forged through two life-and-death situations.

He was someone who understood circumstances well and was reliable.

Moreover, since Chloe and Speedweapon weren’t main characters in *Miracle Blessing M*, I had no reason to distance myself from them.

Come to think of it, Chloe called in sick today due to a sudden cold brought on by the changing seasons. No matter how skilled an assassin she was, she was just an ordinary human when it came to illness.

‘…Well, getting a VIP room for a cold isn’t exactly ordinary.’

As I distracted myself by organizing my thoughts, I heard the sound of the academy door being pushed open. The classroom atmosphere grew even more chaotic.

Riiing—

At that moment, my phone, which was always on silent, began to ring.

‘What?’

I tilted my head slightly to check the screen.

[Hey, what are you doing?]

A message from an unknown number. Immediately, my phone vibrated again.

[Look forward.]

My eyes slowly moved toward the front, and at the same time, widened.

Saki Ryozo, holding her cellphone in one hand, smiled brightly and waved at me.