Jin Yongchan handed over the scabbard he had brought. Seongsik took it and admired it.

“Oh….”

The scabbard was a perfect fit for the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword. It was likely crafted with Mammoth ivory as its base. Wrapped around the entire scabbard was a layer of black leather, exuding a sense of luxury at a single glance.

“The leather you gave me was unbelievably tough. It was harder to cut than I expected.”

It seemed the reason Master Jin’s crafting speed had slowed was because he struggled to process the black bear leather.

“You’ve worked hard. It turned out even better than I expected.”

“Haha, no need to say that. Considering how good the materials were, this is the least I could do.”

Jin Yongchan spoke modestly, but Seongsik knew the truth. No one but Jin Yongchan could have crafted a scabbard of this quality.

‘Insight.’

[Tough Ivory Scabbard]
— Grade: Heroic
— Description: A scabbard meticulously crafted by an outstanding blacksmith.
— Maintains a stable temperature / Mana condensation

A Heroic-grade item. Jin Yongchan’s scabbard had reached the Heroic grade. While it was true that the ivory bone was Heroic-grade material and the black bear leather was Rare-grade, the grade of an item was not determined solely by the quality of its materials.

Especially for a scabbard, which was neither a weapon nor an artifact, high-quality materials usually resulted in an item of a lower grade.

‘Master Jin never disappoints.’

It was worth coming all the way here to gift a proper scabbard to Heaven-Splitter. At this time, a Heroic-grade scabbard was a rarity.

Seongsik fastened the scabbard to his waist and sheathed the Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword.

Swish.

The result was immensely satisfying. There was almost no friction sound as the blade slid into place. That alone was proof of Jin Yongchan’s skill as a blacksmith.

―Oh, the inside of the scabbard feels incredibly warm and comfortable. It might be the coziest one I’ve ever rested in.

Heaven-Splitter’s voice was filled with satisfaction.

‘You like it?’

―Indeed. That man is quite skilled.

The voice of the sword sounded utterly pleased, carrying a hint of relaxation.

―By the way… what exactly did he do to this scabbard? It’s faint, but I can feel it drawing in mana.

‘Ah!’

Seongsik suddenly realized what the ‘Mana Condensation’ option in the scabbard’s description truly meant.

―How did he manage this? It’s not easy to imbue an item with mana condensation properties.

It made sense. Mana condensation was a technique that drew in ambient mana. Artificially condensing mana was an incredibly advanced craft. Even before his regression, very few people besides Jin Yongchan could achieve it.

―If an ordinary sword were left in this scabbard for centuries, it might even develop an ego.

Seongsik stared at the scabbard in shock.

‘An Ego Sword could be born from this?’

―Yes. It would take centuries, of course, but that alone is extraordinary. Normally, such a process would require thousands of years, but this scabbard has reduced that time to a mere tenth.

After a moment, Heaven-Splitter spoke again, clearly delighted.

―Of course, I am already an irreplaceable ego. However, if I continue to absorb mana within this scabbard, my awakening might happen even faster.

Awakening. Heaven-Splitter often spoke of it—claiming its true power had yet to be fully unlocked. That if it were to be completely unsealed, it would become a true divine weapon.

‘Didn’t you say my rank is too low and that I need to advance first?’

―Of course. That’s the main factor. But external elements like this can speed up the process.

That was good news. If Heaven-Splitter’s awakening could be accelerated even a little, Seongsik would welcome it with open arms.

“So? How is it? Do you like it?”

Jin Yongchan’s voice carried an air of pride.

Seongsik had seen that expression before. It was the look Jin Yongchan always wore when he crafted an item he was truly proud of.

Seongsik responded with a silent thumbs-up.

“It’s the best. As expected, you never disappoint.”

“Considering I had to rush it, I think it turned out well. But this is all thanks to you relieving our workshop’s concerns, haha.”

Watching Jin Yongchan’s joyful expression, Seongsik let out a small chuckle.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you smile like that, Master. I’m glad.’

Seongsik remained at the workshop for a few more days. During that time, he had Lee Jinwoong refine all the miscellaneous materials he had collected. Lee Jinwoong, with a look of gratitude, diligently processed everything Seongsik provided.

Surprisingly, Lee Jinwoong had quite the talent. Items that would have fetched 100 coins in raw form were now selling for 200 or even 300 coins after his refinement.

Was this the power of a creative economy? Seongsik suddenly regretted all the raw materials he had sold off in the past.

Lee Jinwoong, feeling honored, promised to continue working for him. They even arranged for him to process materials through the Superhuman Community’s free trade system.

Fortunately, since Lee Jinwoong had reached the 2-Star rank, he was eligible to use the system.

Seongsik registered him anonymously, keeping his own identity as [EX] Returner a secret. It wasn’t time yet to reveal himself in the community.

Meanwhile, Park Jiyeon continued to hover around Seongsik, making her interest increasingly clear. From the start, she had been friendly toward him, but after witnessing him slay the monster, her admiration had deepened even further.

However, Sungshik was dull. He simply accepted things as they were without giving them much thought.

― Tsk, tsk. What a dense fool.

Even Heaven-Splitter clicked his tongue, saying he was worse than a sword.

Kim Jaeil treated Sungshik with utmost respect every time he saw him, his eyes filled with reverence. It seemed he had realized that Sungshik was the very Heo Sungshik who had become a sensation in the Yongho Clan. When Sungshik took some time to observe Kim Jaeil’s swordsmanship and offered a few pointers, Kim Jaeil nearly performed a nine-prostration bow out of gratitude, making Sungshik break into a cold sweat.

After spending a few more days at the workshop, it was finally time to leave. Sungshik, who was treated as nothing short of a hero there, received a grand farewell. The blacksmiths from other workshops also gave him various gifts, leaving his inventory abundantly stocked. Simply selling these items would bring in a fortune of coins.

“Then, I’ll see you all next time.”

With farewells exchanged, Sungshik left the workshop, his pockets feeling noticeably heavier.

A dark room. In its center, a throne stood. A man was seated upon it.

“The ‘Bulgasari—Unit 3’ we planted in Korea has been eliminated.”

Another figure stood before him, bowing his head in report.

“Was there anyone in Korea capable of taking down a Bulgasari?”

“It appears… Heo Sungshik was involved once again.”

At this report, Tidian, seated on the throne, furrowed his brows.

“That man again.”

He had lost count of how many times he had heard Heo Sungshik’s name lately. It all started with the Yongho Clan.

The first time he had heard the name was when ‘Han Eunyeong,’ whom they had been working on, was completely wiped out by a certain superhuman. Back then, he had merely dismissed the name Heo Sungshik. However, when he later received word that even Li Xiaoguang had fallen at Heo Sungshik’s hands, he could no longer ignore it.

‘Li Xiaoguang… Though unstable, he was still a 7-Star superhuman.’

He didn’t know the exact circumstances of the battle. However, the reports indicated that Heo Sungshik had clashed with Li Xiaoguang and reappeared without sustaining major injuries.

‘That means Heo Sungshik is undoubtedly at the 7-Star level.’

Because of that, they had significantly reduced their activities in Korea. There was no need to operate in a land where one of the rare 7-Star superhumans existed.

“I didn’t expect the Bulgasari to be taken down.”

At Tidian’s words, the man before him trembled.

“T-That is… I never expected this…”

The man pressed his forehead against the floor, attempting to explain himself. Tidian’s pupils suddenly changed. His sclera turned a sickly yellow in an instant, while his black irises turned crimson and slit vertically. They were no longer the eyes of a human.

Ssshhh…

A sinister aura began to seep from Tidian’s body. The man kneeling on the ground shuddered violently, as if he could feel it pressing down on him.

“P-Please forgive me, Master! Just give me one more chance to make up for this…”

Perhaps due to the man’s desperate plea, Tidian’s aura receded as quickly as it had appeared, vanishing without a trace. Even his grotesquely altered eyes returned to normal.

“There was no helping it. I trust you will properly manage the remaining Bulgasari.”

“T-Thank you, Master! I will do my utmost.”

With Tidian’s dismissal, the man vanished. Tidian sank into deep thought.

‘Heo Sungshik… I cannot leave him unchecked.’

A premonition struck him. An unshakable feeling that Sungshik would become a major obstacle in their plans.

‘If I had known Li Xiaoguang would fall so easily, I would have devoured him myself.’

Clicking his tongue at the thought, Tidian recalled how he had knowingly left Li Xiaoguang unchecked despite his betrayal. To him, Li Xiaoguang had been insignificant. He was someone Tidian could have erased at any moment.

However, there were restrictions on his actions. He was still bound by causality, limiting what he could do directly.

In such a situation, Li Xiaoguang had been a useful piece. That fool likely believed he was taking control of the Revolution Knights while opposing Tidian, but in truth, everything had unfolded exactly as Tidian had intended.

‘Should I have at least extracted his knowledge?’

Li Xiaoguang possessed a wealth of knowledge. He had acted as if he came from the future, knowing secrets of this world that even Tidian was unaware of.

Originally, the ‘Bulgasari’s Scale’ stolen from Japan had been meant for revival in Japan. However, through Li Xiaoguang’s ‘Chimera Synthesis Method,’ it had been divided instead. If that had worked as planned, Tidian would have taken one step closer to his goal.

‘This won’t do.’

Tidian made a decision.

“I must summon Sa Docheon.”

Between towering cliffs where fierce winds howled. The swirling gusts raged violently, as if capable of tearing apart anything caught within.

Fwooosh—

A lone eagle soared through the air, approaching the cliffside without fear.

Its boldness was met with tragedy. The moment it was caught in the whirlwind, the bird was torn to shreds, not even leaving behind a recognizable shape. That was the sheer ferocity of the winds, which tolerated no intrusion.

Yet, in the midst of that violent storm, a man sat cross-legged, his eyes closed.

Flash—

The moment he opened his eyes, his hand shot out toward a specific spot. An unbelievable scene unfolded. The storm, seemingly a force of nature, responded to the man's gesture and surged toward the target he had pointed at.

There, another man stood.

The violent storm barreled toward him.

Rumble!

However, an even more astonishing event occurred next. Just as it seemed the storm would shred him apart, the man extended his hand, causing the winds to dissipate instantly.

“Isn’t this a rather rough welcome, Sa Docheon?”

That’s right. The man who controlled the storm—he was none other than Sa Docheon.