Everyone Else is a Returnee

The enormous amount of mana, which was somehow crammed into that small magic stone instantly spread out and filled the entirety of the workshop.

It was a very beautiful scene, but at the same time, it could make Yu IlHan, melt or explode and annihilate everything including the workshop itself if something went wrong.

“Fuuu……fuu……”

The area was sealed in order to prevent the mana from flowing outside of the workshop. Yu IlHan took deep breaths while leading the mana that filled the workshop, calmly. The mana that formed blue waves resisted his control and tried to escape it, but Yu IlHan desperately held on with the thought that he was not going to let a 5th class magic stone go to waste.

The overflowing mana, and Yu IlHan who desperately guided it towards the armor. That scene looked similar to a god of the sea controlling the waves.

[Why does master make such a ruckus when creating a single item?]

[That’s what’s good about him, idiot.]

The armor, which was already resonating with the mana, started taking shape the moment it came into contact with the flowing mana. Yu IlHan’s experience and knowledge as a blacksmith was changing not only the shape, but the traits of the metal through the usage of mana as a medium.

[The materials you filled inside the armor is evaporating!] (Mystic)

[It’s not simply evaporating, but that it’s reacting to the mana that IlHan is controlling to shapeshift the inside of the armor……. although it’s still disgusting.]

It wasn’t just that. The Iron-armored fire dragon armor that acted as the mould also could not resist the temperature of the molten metal and the pressure of the mana and melted down. It had completed its job to be the mould of the new armor, but the important sentimental value that influenced a lot of battles until now was just gone like that.

“Hhhp.”

Of course, Yu IlHan was not planning to let go of that armor just like that. The fire attribute resistance as well as the other options were those he couldn’t let go of!

The moment the armor melted, Yu IlHan lead the waves of mana to swallow the mana from the armor that flowed out at the moment of destruction of the armor, and that was about to dissipate. Seeing the light of the mana turning red instantly as if a red drop of ink had fallen into the sea, Liera also realized what was happening.

[So you didn’t just melt it, but extracted it! I didn’t know you could raise the effects that way……!]

“No, it was just my desperate attempt to not let go of the armor’s effects.”

Through the tedious and flashy-sounding process, the armor took shape. However, the process had just started!

The Iron-armored fire dragon armor was replaced by the pure white and thin metallic armor. When the strong mana that composed the 5th class magic stone poured onto that, the white metal that had just began to take shape in the form of the armor, started making clanging sounds and was processed real-time. It was an unbelievable scene to the eyes.

[Wow, is making equipment all like this?] (Mystic)

[There’s no way that’s true.] (Liera)

A portion of mana became the anvil that supported the armor while the other portion became the hammer that shaped it. Can this really be called blacksmithing? However, another expression that fit this situation really couldn’t be found. Liera could only dumbfoundedly stare at it.

[Wow……]

The violent flow of mana that looked like it would explode at any second gradually decreased in strength. In the form creation of the armor, it was being naturally absorbed into it. The armor soon completely solidified and did not allow any further form changes.

“Hhp.”

However, the really important thing only just started from this moment. Yu IlHan focused to the extreme. Until now, a mistake would just end with affecting the outer appearance of the armor, but from now, any mistake would bring this entire process to a failure.

He gathered the now-less-concentrated mana into one place to pull out a thin, red thread from it. The mana concentration of the string was high enough to kill any ordinary monster with a single strike!

[You weren’t going to mana craft just like that?]

“Didn’t I tell you? This is neither blacksmithing, nor is it mana crafting. Please keep your volume down from now on.”

Yu IlHan warned Liera, then completely closed his eyes. Then, he stroked on the surface of the armor, which now, had cooled off quite a bit, to check the engravings he had etched in the process just now.

The engravings were perfect. Now, it was time to fill them in! Yes, inlaying with pure, materialized mana was the climax of this process.

Inlaying with mana was a very absurd concept. Lower existences would laugh at him for not being able to differentiate between matter and non-matter, and higher existences would laugh at him, asking him why there was a need to confine mana to such a tiny space.

However, Yu IlHan couldn’t care less about what the people around his said. As a loner, he didn’t even know if what he was doing was right. He only did it in a way that he thought was correct.

[Master, are you really a lowly 3rd class?]

[Shh.]

Yu IlHan perfectly calculated the density and thickness of the red mana thread and started filling the engravings on the armor. The mana was glowed and was absorbed into the engravings as they had found their homes, and at that moment, the league of the armor rose drastically.

No, perhaps that expression wasn’t suitable. Just the armor that had the form had no meaning in and of itself. Only after inlaying the red mana did it come alive and start breathing.

If the Destroyer’s Flying Fortress was a masterpiece that brought out Yu IlHan’s everything at the largest scale possible, this armor could be said to be the opposite, and was no different from a process that compressed everything he could do in the smallest possible unit. There was no grandeur but the mysticism and beauty did not lose out to the flying fortress.

“Hhp, fuu…..”

[Au, so cool…..]

[And who was it that told me to keep quiet……]

[Shh.]

Red lines were being etched into various places of the blindingly white armor. As the size of the frighteningly dense mana decreased, the lines on the armor became brighter. As the work progressed, the light emitted increased more and more, but Yu IlHan’s eyes were closed, so he wasn’t affected.

An unknown amount of time had passed since the whole process started; and Yu IlHan realized that his hand was now touching the very top of the helmet, and heaved a deep sigh.

“Fuuu.”

The frightening lumps of mana had now disappeared. They were all inlaid onto the armor; from the helmet to the boots. The red lines that looked like human blood vessels on top of the sturdy plate armor, gave a sense of fear, at the same a, strange beauty.

Especially, the heart of the armor had a magic engraving that Yu IlHan had put his heart and soul into; and the red lines were so tangled up that no one could really recognize what that acted as.

[Did it end?]

Carefully asked Liera. Yu IlHan seemed to hesitate a little, but still nodded his head.

“Yes, for now.”

At the moment Yu IlHan declared the end of the process, the armor again, emitted bright light. In that light, Yu IlHan’s retina was engraved with new text.

[Firedragon Body was complete.]

[Firedragon Body]

[Rank – Demigod]

[Defense – 15,000]

[Durability 2,000,000/2,000,000]

[User restrictions – 100% or more fire attribute resistance]

[Options –

1. 100% increase in fire attribute resistance and attack power.

2. Can freely change form of the armor at will, and using the armor to attack will have 70% of the defense of the armor as attack power.

3. 30% increase in all Physical Combat-category skills.

4. 50% increase in all recovery-category skills.

5. Absorbs and re-analyzes weapons and armor, before ejecting them.

6. Endlessly creates fire-attribute mana and stores it. The stored mana can be ejected for offensive purposes, and the power amplifies when using a fire-related ability.]

[One of the miracles made by the Blacksmith that creates myths. This is a masterpiece that all that wield fire will sell their souls to acquire. It is absurd in itself, but the armor still has a lot of un-interpreted engravings.]

“So there’s a demigod rank.”

Just as Yu IlHan was muttering that after looking at the armor, Liera replied as if it was nothing new.

[Yes, so you already created a God-ranked, so Demigod seems easy to you, huh?]

“No, it still looks like it’s higher than Chaos, and I never thought that this would become God-ranked.”

[Why?]

“Because this is still incomplete. You have a feeling after looking at those options right?”

[The part where it says it absorbs weapons and armor to re-analyze and eject them?]

“There’s that too, but the more important one is the 6th option.”

Liera, who didn’t understand a single thing about the artifact even after looking at the same item window, pondered whether to retort in this situation or not, but decided to keep quiet. This was her common sense when dealing with Yu IlHan to keep her blood pressure down.

Meanwhile, Yu IlHan, who never even thought about what she felt like, called out his partner to perfectly finish off the armor, before he wore it.

“Orochi.”

[Why do you call for me?]

Replied Orochi as if it was annoyed of everything in the world now. Perhaps that was because he got too many strong enemies lately. Yu IlHan, who understood what he felt like, laughed and spoke.

“Time to move to your new house.”

[New house….? Then, to that armor?]

Shouted Orochi in surprise. To think Yu IlHan put in all that effort to make his new home? However, Yu IlHan added a condition.

“How many perverted demon thought-souls are there inside me right now?”

[Around 300 thousand I guess?]

“I’ll let you move if you eat them all.”

[……]

Orochi became silent for a moment, but still replied like a man after some time.

[I’ll try.]

“When?”

[Right now.]

“Good.”

Orochi escaped the Eight-tailed dragon spear, and immediately invaded the ‘space’ where Yu IlHan put all his thought-souls into. Mystic, who thought back to how she was in that space until just a few moment ago, shuddered.

[Just what are those strange things in there? I think it’ll be very hard for that guy to win.]

“But right now, the other thought-souls should have shrunk back due to your appearance. No matter how strong of a lower existence they were, they’re no different from frogs in front of a higher existence.”

Said the 3rd class that killed 5th classes. Mystic, who was the person in question of ‘being killed by a 3rd class despite being 5th class’, ended up harboring killing intent towards her master despite the fact that no one ordered her to. Yu IlHan didn’t care, though, and continued explaining.

“So, I’ll aim for this moment. And moreover, Orochi will grow quickly after he eats one or two of them.”

Above all, Orochi had the safe haven known as the Eight-tailed dragon spear. They couldn’t escape the thought-souls area, but only Orochi had a free exit pass!

[Kehk, Kugh, Kuhuk. I almost finished eating an entire one!]

“Do your best Orochi!”

[Don’t eat popcorns dammit!]

As he had predicted, Orochi utilized his advantage and did guerilla attacks, and succeeded in devouring a perverted demon in mere 15 seconds. That was the signal for Orochi’s counterattack.

[Kuooooooh!]

[Kihaaaaaah!]

Watching the grand series drama in his head, Yu IlHan polished the Firedragon Body until it shined, cleaned his workshop, and chatted with Liera and Mystic to become closer. This was all very frustrating for Orochi!

And like that, the 30 minutes that felt like an eternity, passed, and Orochi returned.

[I…… finished them all. Urgh.]

Hearing the report from Orochi, which was now unbelievably stronger than before, and made him wonder if he was still a lower existence, Yu IlHan nodded in satisfaction and activated the skill. With the mastered Soul enchant skill, he let him settle inside the Firedragon body.

[Infernal dragon body was complete.]

Checking the information on the artifact that was still Demigod-ranked, but had marginally better specs, he struck the Eight-tailed dragon spear on his hand into the armor.

Seeing the armor absorbing that while glowing, Liera screamed, but Yu IlHan only snorted and opened his inventory.

“Orochi, meal time!”

[I’m already full!]

That day, Yu IlHan emptied out his inventory to stuff the Infernal dragon body.

Such was the creation of one of Yu IlHan’s strategic classed weapons.

Author’s notes

I tried to make a full chapter, but was shorter than I expected….

Next chapter will definitely be longer!