NoveLight ™
“It’s almost time, Master Tan Hwaju,” Ariel called out.
“I know that.”
The steady rhythm of hammer strikes ceased, as if the world’s sounds had momentarily vanished.
My own concentration was broken as well.
While the hammering of other blacksmiths continued on the first floor, none resonated with the same pure clarity as the old man’s strikes.
With an expressionless gaze, he inspected the sword he’d forged.
It was a simple sword, hastily crafted by hammering a metal ingot.
Though the iron used was of decent quality, as confirmed by my Observation, it wasn’t particularly rare or imbued with any special effect. It was the sort of iron that a small workshop could acquire with enough effort.
Despite the rough finish, the blade glinted sharply under the furnace’s light, an undeniable testament to its quality.
“Hmph. This piece turned out unsatisfactory,” he muttered, looking somewhat displeased. He gave the sword a dissatisfied look before propping it up against the wall and standing.
Ariel glanced at the sword resting against the wall and commented, “Your standards for weaponry are as high as ever.”
“They’re not high—they’re exactly where they should be.”
The old man dusted off his hands and turned around. After giving Ariel a quick look, he set his gaze on me.
Grayish eyes met mine. Despite the characteristic dullness of old age, there was an odd vitality flickering within his gaze.
“Curious lad,” he murmured after a long, assessing look, an enigmatic comment.
“Let’s go,” he said, setting his tools aside and wiping his hands as he walked towards the side door.
He walked with purpose and confidence. Before I realized it, I found myself following behind him.
As we left the forge, the rhythmic clanging sounds of metal grew distant.
Glancing back with Observation, I saw Ariel silently following the old man. It didn’t seem we were headed anywhere strange.
Though the sun still shone outside, a check of my watch revealed that hours had passed.
I hadn’t lost track of time entirely, even while concentrating... but, evidently, more time had slipped by than I realized.
‘A lad…? I mean, I am younger than him, but...’
As I followed the old man, I wore a slightly perplexed expression.
True, I was younger in appearance, but being so openly treated like a child left me feeling… well, something indescribable.
Not unpleasant, just strange and slightly bewildering.
“Did you learn anything?” the old man asked abruptly as we walked across the mansion’s carpeted halls.
Though he could see my eyes were closed, his tone suggested he assumed I had been observing his movements.
[Just a little,] I replied after a moment’s thought.
In truth, I’d learned a great deal. The old man, Tan Hwaju, Hwa Byeok-un, was one of the most skilled blacksmiths even in the original story.
I’d gathered valuable information by closely observing his movements through the power of Observation. Not only that, I’d cataloged the actions of most of the blacksmiths working in the forge.
All of them were members of the Guhwa family, well-versed in advanced metallurgy.
If I could replicate what I’d seen, I might be able to wield a modest amount of skill in metalworking myself.
“You didn’t ask who I am. Do you already know?”
[Yes,] I replied. [You’re Master Tan Hwaju, Hwa Byeok-un.]
“Impressive. So, even a shut-in old man with no public presence is known to you, eh?”
A shut-in old man with no public presence?
Such a self-description didn’t exactly suit him, considering he held the title of Tan Hwaju, the family’s foremost blacksmith, and the best in the Guhwa family.
As I struggled to come up with a response, Ariel spoke up from behind us.
“If you’re a shut-in old man, then I suppose that makes me a child fresh out of the cradle?”
“Claiming to be a child at your age is an awkward look. It’s already been—”
“A shut-in with the strength to crush monsters with a hammer is an even more awkward look, Master Tan Hwaju.”
Their sudden conversation gave me an excuse to stay quiet, and I took it, continuing to walk without interruption.
Thanks to Ariel, I managed to avoid an awkward exchange.
We steadily walked until we arrived at the mansion’s underground facility.
Past a long underground corridor, we encountered a thick metal wall. I used Observation to check the inside.
‘The main material is Flameneus Metal, known for its heat resistance, and it’s enhanced with an “Flame Resistance” inscription... This must be the assessment site.’
Not only the thick door, but the entire interior was designed to withstand flames.
The metal door creaked open, revealing three people already waiting inside.
There was Hong Yeonhwa, who looked lost in thought, and Choi Jiyeon, the Overseer, looking just as I’d seen her that morning.
And then...
“Oh, you’ve arrived!”
Red eyes gleamed from the man who fixed his gaze on me as I stepped inside. With a broad smile, he pointed at me.
“Sister-in-law, he’s here!”
“I’ve told you, in formal settings, address me as Overseer.”
“Huh? Isn’t it a bit stiff to call you that here instead of the conference room?”
“Strictly speaking, this is also official... Forget it,” Choi Jiyeon cut herself off, closing her eyes tightly and rubbing her neck.
With a chuckle at her reaction, the man walked over and held out a hand that was as large as a pot lid.
“So, you’re the one everyone’s talking about. I’m Hong Jin-hyuk.”
The man’s broad smile and casual demeanor gave him an approachable and friendly impression, though one could say it felt somewhat unbefitting of his position.
Hong Jin-hyuk.
There might be others with that name in the world, but there was only one member of the Guhwa family who referred to Choi Jiyeon as “sister-in-law.”
Stopfire, Hong Jin-hyuk.
He was the younger brother of the family head and the leader of the Guhwa family’s combat unit, the Stopfire Brigade.
[I’m Lee Hayul.] [It’s an honor to meet you.]
“Ah, so you’re the formal type,” he commented, grasping my hand. As I’d expected from his large frame, his hand was thick and solid.
Despite possessing a superhuman body unlikely to scar, his hand was rough with calluses.
I also observed his inner aura.
When I first encountered Hong Yeonhwa, I sensed the dormant fiery energy within her.
That was before I’d fully awakened my spatial and observational abilities, and I’d haphazardly relied on my perception of space.
Now, I could perceive far more detail.
“Hmm... intriguing,” he muttered, seeming to size me up as I’d done to him.
But he didn’t appear satisfied, tilting his head in puzzlement.
“There’s no trace of Guhwa Fire. Even if it’s sealed tightly, I should be able to... Ouch!”
“Mind your manners and get out,” Choi Jiyeon, who had smacked the back of his head, sighed and dusted off her hands.
And so, I found myself standing alone in the center of the facility.
The verification process was simple.
The purpose of the meeting was to confirm whether I could truly manifest Guhwa Fire.
In other words, all I had to do was summon it once for them to see—no need for anything complicated.
[Shall I begin?]
“Yes, please,” Choi Jiyeon replied with a nod from behind the glass.
Beyond the glass, besides Choi Jiyeon, were Hong Yeonhwa, Hwa Byeok-un, and Hong Jin-hyuk.
Hong Jin-hyuk had initially insisted on staying in the room to personally experience the Guhwa Fire, but... Choi Jiyeon had dragged him out and shut him behind the glass.
I supposed it was their family dynamic that gave it such an unceremonious feel.
‘Enough idle thoughts.’
I set aside irrelevant musings for the moment.
I had to stay focused, clearing away any lingering emotional remnants to maintain a calm state of mind.
Never forget: Guhwa Fire can burn through anything, but the most potent fuel is the user’s own emotions.
If emotions run dry, Guhwa Fire is a reckless ability that will provoke feelings to forcibly draw on them.
If one’s mind wavers and emotions become entangled during its use, the fire can spiral out of control, turning on its wielder.
Exhaling slowly, I emptied my mind and let my mana flow.
The mana from my core surged through my circuits, concentrating in my right arm.
I arranged my mana, expanding it in its unique form.
It wasn’t a creation of something new, but a replication of something that already existed.
Affinity Expansion Ability: Homogenization – Guhwa Fire
With a fierce whoosh, flames flared around my arm encased in a bracer.
Through the glass, waves of crimson fire surged forth.
The fiery tide filled the facility, crashing repeatedly against the glass wall.
Hwa Byeok-un reached out to touch the glass.
It was hot.
The fire’s... the Guhwa Fire’s heat could be felt.
This glass wall was a heat-resistant barrier crafted by Hwa Byeok-un himself.
It had been designed and built to withstand even ordinary Guhwa Fire, but exposure to that fire would soon melt it.
“Old man.”
“What is it, brat?”
“Am I just imagining things?”
Hwa Byeok-un turned to look. Hong Jin-hyuk, normally so lighthearted and unserious, wore a rare expression of seriousness.
Momentarily surprised, Hwa Byeok-un reached up and touched his own face.
His muscles were similarly tense.
“......”
Am I just imagining it?
Hwa Byeok-un couldn’t answer immediately.
He’d felt the same impression, but he hadn’t arrived at a clear conclusion.
For 200 years, the Guhwa family had passed down the Guhwa Fire as their unique ability.
Yet, not everyone in the family had been able to manifest it.
And among those who had, not all displayed identical properties.
While the fire’s inherent intensity and ferocity remained consistent, slight but noticeable variations appeared between users.
That boy’s Guhwa Fire gave off a sense of discord.
Hong Jin-hyuk, who had fought countless battles with Guhwa Fire, and Hwa Byeok-un, who had spent a lifetime shaping steel before the flames, both sensed something off in the boy’s flames.
There was a distinct trait.
The flames held a fierceness akin to Hong Yeonhwa’s, whose Guhwa Fire was unprecedented in its raw power in the family’s history.
But also...
‘That’s...’
200 years.
It may be a brief span in human history, but it was more than enough time for dissidents to emerge as the bloodline continued.
This special ability, originating from the founder, was rarely, but sometimes, used for less than peaceful ends.
And.
Not too long ago, there was one who had manifested Guhwa Fire, causing untold harm to civilians.
In the core of New City Reverse, within a bustling district, a tragedy unfolded.
Thousands perished, burned alive by the fire that spread in all directions.
Taking into account indirect casualties, the number of victims was easily multiplied several times over.
The distinct trait of that infamous fire, wielded by the criminal the Association had marked for “immediate extermination,”
...appeared to be faintly mixed into that boy’s Guhwa Fire.