Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 100

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Even Hastily Made Ones Keep Stacking Up as EX-Rank (100)

Can’t guarantee it

At that time, in the Chinese Desert Region.

Lin Qingwu, who had been sitting on the spire of a towering skyscraper with his eyes closed, felt something connected to him snap with a sharp crack.

He clicked his tongue and opened his eyes.

“Tsk.”

So it ended in failure after all.

The brainwashing he had placed on his subordinate long ago had been broken.

The cause was death.

His identity had probably been exposed to Lee Si-hyeok, the target.

Flick!

Lin Qingwu picked up his pipe with an irritated motion.

As he slowly drew in the smoke, he felt his anger subside a little…

“Damn it. That fucking bastard.”

…Not at all.

Rather, the more he thought about it, the more his irritation rose.

Of course, he hadn’t failed to consider the possibility of failure.

His opponent was an EX-rank Awakened, after all.

Even if he was a Crafting Type, he would possess abilities befitting that rank. Honestly, he had estimated this mission’s chances of failure to be higher than success from the start.

Well, that worthless subordinate probably died without even understanding that much.

‘What was that guy’s name again?’

He tried to recall, but couldn’t remember well.

Aside from being quite old and looking somewhat brutish, there hadn’t been any particularly memorable impression.

While that guy would have carried out his orders without a shred of doubt, to Lin Qingwu, the Hunters of the Society were merely tools to be used and discarded easily.

Nothing more, nothing less.

“…”

Outside the window, the brilliant lights of neon signs enveloped the room.

After quietly admiring those colors that didn’t match the wooden building, Lin Qingwu tapped his pipe.

Immediately, a subordinate Hunter who had been waiting in the corridor came running in.

“Did you call for me, Society Leader!”

Looking at his thoroughly frightened subordinate, he thought.

‘At least, it’s certain that he knows now.’

That he still lacked preparation to use Lee Si-hyeok like a slave right away. And that quite a lot of time would be needed until that preparation was complete.

Then it would be right to set aside that plan for now and handle urgent matters first.

Lin Qingwu asked.

“The force discovered in the Western Desert. What’s the current progress?”

“They’re still in conflict. Our Hunters have also taken considerable damage, so things have entered a lull…”

“Tsk.”

“I-I’m sorry! We’ll handle it as quickly as possible somehow!”

“Forget it. Give the Hunters on the front lines orders to return.”

“…What? Return…?”

Tap. Lin Qingwu knocked his pipe against the ashtray.

Then he slowly stood up.

“I’ll handle it myself.”

“…?!”

And after that.

He would also personally handle that insolent brat.

Lin Qingwu licked his lips greedily and made his decision.

* * *

“…Yes, yes. The initial investigation is complete. There were no more traces from Cheongyeon Workshop. We’ve also finished identifying the corpse we found.”

Below Daegwallyeong Pass, Gangwon Province.

Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon, who had rushed out after receiving the call, spoke. Behind him, Association Staff who had come with him were busily searching the area around Cheongyeon Workshop.

“Can I see the identification results too?”

“Yes, of course. I’ve organized it here.”

Taking the tablet that Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon handed him, Lee Si-hyeok began reading through it calmly.

However, he soon frowned.

“Isn’t there too little information?”

The recorded information was merely the name ‘Lian Xiaojin’, his birth date, and address.

“We had no choice. Since his place of origin was China itself…”

“So they were uncooperative.”

“That’s right. Of course, even if they had cooperated properly, the results would have been similar. If what you told us is true, Lee Si-hyeok.”

Earlier, when the Association team had arrived.

Lee Si-hyeok had explained the entire series of events from being tailed this morning to Lian Xiaojin’s death exactly as they happened.

Ah, naturally he had glossed over the part. That was no different from Lee Si-hyeok’s lifeline. Same with creating the Subspace research lab.

Even so, just that much explanation would have been quite shocking to the Association.

‘…Since it meant Chinese spies were hidden throughout the country.’

Adding the speculation that the Society was likely behind it all, Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon had made such remarks.

The Society was an organization that even the Chinese government couldn’t easily touch.

The Association’s search was gradually coming to an end.

Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon took back the tablet Lee Si-hyeok returned and said.

“For now, our Association plans to keep Lian Xiaojin’s corpse. We won’t dispose of it immediately and will preserve it for the time being. Is that alright?”

“Yes, well. There’s nothing particular to do with a corpse.”

He had no intention of considering human experimentation.

“Then we’re thinking of wrapping up and returning to Seoul now. What will you do, Lee Si-hyeok? If you’d like, we can assign an employee to drive for you.”

“Hmm.”

Instead of answering, Lee Si-hyeok swallowed a thoughtful sound and turned his gaze.

Behind Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon.

Cheongyeon Workshop standing alone on the verdant plateau.

Thinking of a certain person who would be on the third floor, he gazed in that direction for a moment.

Then Kim Seung-hyeon also looked in that direction and sighed softly.

“Ah, Hyeon Eul-cheong…”

“Since she’s unconscious, it would be a bit much to leave her alone.”

“Are you really sure there’s no health problem? It’s not that I don’t trust your judgment, but if something happens after not going to the hospital like this.”

“She’ll be fine. I’ve checked multiple times before telling you.”

“…”

From their earlier conversation, the Association seemed to already know that Hyeon Eul-cheong was secluded here. When Lee Si-hyeok had called and mentioned the location, he’d gotten a surprised reaction.

Anyway.

As he had told Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon, Lee Si-hyeok planned to stay at Cheongyeon Workshop for a while.

‘Probably about a day?’

He didn’t plan to stay long. Hyeon Eul-cheong’s unconsciousness was purely due to mental stress.

However, the reason he insisted on staying was to observe the ‘Crystal Growth Chamber’ he had seen earlier a bit more.

Since it would be core equipment for the research lab, he wanted to analyze it more thoroughly.

“Understood. Then it seems we’re all finished up too.”

“Yes, yes, go ahead. Drive safely.”

“Thank you for contacting us first today. We’ll call when we arrive.”

—Vroooom.

Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon and the Association Staff left like that.

Still, thanks to them, things had proceeded more smoothly than expected.

If he had been alone, dealing with the corpses and cleanup would have made his head quite complicated.

Lee Si-hyeok watched the vehicles disappear beyond the ridge, then quietly returned to Cheongyeon Workshop.

Evening had passed and night had come.

The sheep in the ranch had all fallen asleep at some point.

Creak, creak.

After finishing a light wash, Lee Si-hyeok went up to the bedroom to check on Hyeon Eul-cheong sleeping soundly, then came back down to the first floor.

He sat at a table in one corner of the workshop and silently pulled out one of the notebooks stuck on the shelf.

The very last page among them.

He tore out one page that was still blank, then put the notebook back where it belonged.

It was time to organize his thoughts.

Not only that, but future plans as well.

China and the Jeolmong Society, the subspace research lab, Nari Basin Gate, Britain’s Canterbury Research Group, Orbes, Ryu Se-eun and ether, Blackie who had fainted…

He began recording these elements one by one on the page. The hazy masses that had been floating unorganized in his mind were newly refined into clean language.

“…”

A cool breeze seeped in through the slightly open window gap.

The sound of an animal howling somewhere could be heard, and crickets chirped at regular intervals in between.

Lee Si-hyeok moved his pen without even noticing the moon rising.

* * *

―Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Early dawn.

Lee Si-hyeok, who had been taking a nap while slumped over the table, opened his eyes.

He stretched and leaned his upper body back to the edge of the chair.

“Ugh, my back.”

His back felt like it would split in half from sleeping in an uncomfortable position.

Still, there was no time to dawdle.

He roughly stuffed the paper he had written on last night into his pocket and got up. He finished brushing his teeth at the well located not far outside the workshop.

‘A well in this day and age.’

It was quite a rare sight to see.

After finishing all his preparations, he took one more look at the crafting equipment with regret, then finally went up to the 3rd floor.

Hyeon Eul-cheong appeared to be in better condition than yesterday, looking stable.

Wheeze… wheeze…

Regular breathing cycles. She would wake up within a few days.

Just in case, he carefully placed a note he had written beside her and left the workshop.

Had he only stayed for about a day?

It was certainly that short, yet somehow he felt regretful.

It was like the feeling of visiting a quiet countryside house as a child and returning home after just a few days. The peaceful scenery made him think of memories he never had.

Of course, thinking about what he had to do from now on made his heart race.

He immediately got in the truck and sped down the highway.

After driving and driving, he arrived at the research complex in Pohang that he had visited not long ago.

―Beep! You have been authenticated.

Lee Si-hyeok swiped his card key as if familiar with it and crossed the complex. This time he had a set destination, so he traveled by car.

After a while, the building he was waiting for came into view.

A warehouse-style building of enormous scale, as if built by combining about a dozen containers.

He parked in front of it and called Association Deputy Han Da-hee. After a short ring tone, the call connected.

After finishing light greetings, Lee Si-hyeok immediately got to the point.

“Ah, Deputy. It’s nothing major, but that warehouse usage permission you mentioned last time, can I use it anytime? Yes yes, right now. I’m thinking of taking some materials I need.”

Soon a cheerful voice came from the other end of the phone.

“Oh. Thank you. So I can use it right away? Yes, that’s good. Then I’ll contact you again next time…”

Then, suddenly, he felt concerned.

Lee Si-hyeok added.

“…The materials here, I can really use them freely, right? Even all the ones classified as top-grade?”

At that moment, Deputy Han Da-hee’s voice suddenly stopped.

After a brief pause, she asked in a tone of disbelief.

“Hmm. Still, just in case, could you leave a little bit? I’ll try my best… but I can’t guarantee it.”

It seemed like building a research lab would require all sorts of things. Thinking that, he held the phone with one hand and opened the warehouse door.

―Clang! Clatter!

The moment the door opened, the interior came into full view along with rough mechanical sounds.

“…”

…A scale so vast it felt quite empty rather than just spacious.

Wooden pallets stacked like towers along the container walls.

Metal boxes and mado alloys layered on top of them.

Even countless lights in bright yellow hues illuminating them.

Looking at the truly ridiculous number of materials, Lee Si-hyeok muttered as if entranced through his smartphone.

“I really can’t guarantee this.”

―…

“Really.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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