Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 103

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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 (103)

Kidnapping

Below Daegwallyeong Pass, Gangwon Province.

On the verdant plateau, Cheongyeon Workshop Building 3rd Floor.

Baaah….

At the weak bleating of sheep, Hyeon Eul-cheong slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes, not yet adjusted to the warm sunlight, naturally squinted.

After a moment, she groggily sat up and stared blankly into space.

‘How much time has passed?’

She quickly realized she had been unconscious.

It was probably right after regaining consciousness. Her arms drooped from days without nutrition, her skin had become dry and rough, and her mind was hazy. Every element revealed her condition.

My watch, where did I put my watch.

Hyeon Eul-cheong rustled through the blanket searching for her wristwatch.

The old leather watch she had worn since childhood.

A regular watch without smart functions would be treated as an outdated antique in today’s era, but for her it was an indispensable tool.

This was because she didn’t have a smartphone. For her, who only communicated through an old-fashioned phone, this watch was her only means of checking time.

“Where, where is it….”

However, no matter how much she rummaged through the blanket, the watch was nowhere to be seen.

Even if she had fainted, she should have been wearing it on her wrist, right?

Suddenly, anxiety welled up.

To her, that watch was a precious treasure that couldn’t be exchanged for anything. The only precious thing she had been able to protect at the accident scene where she lost both legs….

“Ah.”

Something caught Hyeon Eul-cheong’s eye as she anxiously looked around.

The table beside the bed.

On top of it, a small note lying alone.

It was a note she had never seen before. She gathered strength in her trembling hands and brought it to herself.

Then, carefully unfolding the folded paper, she saw it was filled with neat handwriting.

[To Ms. Hyeon Eul-cheong.

This is Lee Si-hyeok. I’m leaving this note in case Ms. Hyeon Eul-cheong wakes up. You must be very confused since you suddenly fainted, but I hope you’ll read this slowly.]

‘Lee Si-hyeok… that’s the engineer who came to visit the day I collapsed.’

Then could it be that he was the one who made her faint?

That’s the only conclusion she could draw.

The thought ‘What would such an accomplished person want?’ followed, but no other culprit came to mind. Aside from her legs, she hadn’t been in poor health normally.

Could he also be the one who took the watch?

With sudden suspicion, Hyeon Eul-cheong’s eyes darkened as she continued reading the note.

[First, let me tell you what happened. It would take too long to explain in words, so it would be better for you to see it directly.]

See it directly – the moment she read that phrase, some memory seeped into Hyeon Eul-cheong’s mind.

The memory of being with Lee Si-hyeok when something urgent came to mind, so she went up to the workshop’s 3rd floor alone.

The memory of someone breaking in right after and making her faint.

The memory of an intruder’s spirit possessing her after she collapsed.

And the memory of what that possessor did using her body, and Lee Si-hyeok’s exploits in turning those misdeeds against them.

All of these events had settled in Hyeon Eul-cheong’s mind.

“….”

With wide eyes, she stared into space for a long time.

This… is real?

However, she had no choice but to believe it.

In the past, she had been selected as one of eleven researchers, a magical engineer. Having been called the future of South Korea, she could feel how precisely crafted this memory projection method was.

At this level, it would actually be harder to fabricate.

Eventually, Hyeon Eul-cheong continued reading the note in bewilderment. There was still more left.

[Did you confirm it? I trust that Ms. Hyeon Eul-cheong wouldn’t doubt it. Then there’s one more thing I need to tell you.

The wristwatch Ms. Hyeon Eul-cheong was wearing when she fainted. This is about that.]

“…!”

[Though it wasn’t properly captured in the memory I showed you, when Ms. Hyeon Eul-cheong collapsed just before the possession, her wristwatch hit the floor hard. I discovered it late, but it was quite badly damaged.]

Hyeon Eul-cheong’s eyes moved rapidly.

Damaged – this was twice as shocking as the memory she had just seen.

[So I’ll take it with me for now. After all, this incident probably happened because I came to visit Cheongyeon Workshop.

I’ll repair it properly and return it to you. Please contact me when you wake up.]

The note ended there.

Hyeon Eul-cheong weakly put down the note and looked at her empty wrist. The watch she had carried her entire life. Overcome by emptiness that rose above her anxiety, she immediately moved her body.

She brought the old-fashioned phone from the table and dialed a number.

The recipient was the Korea Awakener Association. Instead of smartphone contacts, she opened her handwritten phone book and connected the call.

After several beeps, someone answered.

The other party seemed quite flustered. That was understandable since the last time she had initiated contact was ten years ago.

However, Hyeon Eul-cheong got straight to the point.

“I’d like to know Mr. Lee Si-hyeok’s phone number.”

Did they sense the urgency in her voice?

The other party soon cleared their confusion and gave a serious response.

Please wait a moment, that’s what they said.

So she quietly held the phone for several minutes.

“…What?”

At the bewildered response that came back, Hyeon Eul-cheong blinked and asked back.

“He’s…disappeared? And he was kidnapped…?”

 

* * *

 

This was roughly how the incident unfolded.

“Hmm hmm. The floor panels should definitely be unified in white.”

It was already the 12th day since Lee Si-hyeok had started humming and begun research institute construction.

He didn’t know since he hadn’t gone outside, being absorbed in his work, but due to the time ratio, it had been almost four full days on Earth.

And at the exact moment four days had passed.

Hyeon Eul-cheong, who had been unconscious, woke up and after seeing Lee Si-hyeok’s note, demanded his contact information from the Association.

So the Association that received the call passed the task to the Grade Assessment Team, who were usually close with Lee Si-hyeok.

“…What? Mr. Lee Si-hyeok?”

They had sent a text to ask if it was okay to give his number to Hyeon Eul-cheong, but even after a long time, there was no reply.

At the Awakener Association Headquarters, Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon asked in disbelief.

“Deputy Han Da-hee. What do you mean? He’s not reading texts?”

“Exactly as I said, Team Leader. Right after receiving Ms. Hyeon Eul-cheong’s call, I sent nearly five texts, but the read receipt still hasn’t appeared.”

“Isn’t he busy with something? I remember he was often hard to reach when he was busy.”

“Well… this time is a bit different.”

“Different?”

“Yes. A few days ago, just before communication with Mr. Lee Si-hyeok was cut off at the Pohang Warehouse, he said he would be free for a while. But….”

“The situation is different from what he said.”

“…That’s right.”

Actually, Lee Si-hyeok hadn’t expected things to unfold this way when he said that. In reality, he had originally planned to come out of subspace intermittently to replenish food.

However, what he hadn’t anticipated was the Achievement and 《Constant Buff》.

He had gotten too excited by their sudden arrival. So he had completely forgotten what he said and was pouring all his attention into work for days.

“Did you try calling directly?”

“No. You told me to contact by text first and then call, Team Leader. You said to maintain maximum courtesy.”

“No, that depends on the situation! Just because I said it once doesn’t mean even at times like this…!”

“It’s the rule you established, Team Leader.”

“….”

At that moment, Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon flinched at Deputy Han Da-hee’s suddenly cold gaze. It had been cold before, but now it felt even more piercing.

“That’s… true! Ah, I don’t know! Anyway, try connecting quickly!”

Deputy Han Da-hee immediately picked up her smartphone.

After inputting the number, 10 minutes passed.

30 minutes.

1 hour.

…3 hours.

Even after calling periodically for such a long time, it never connected even once.

“Damn it. I’m really going crazy. Where did he go?”

“Should we check?”

“Is there a way to check?”

“Yes. The Pohang warehouse where we last made contact with Mr. Lee Si-hyeok. We can check the CCTV there. Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon, you exchanged messages with him there too.”

“Ah, that’s right! There was that method. Why are you only mentioning it now?”

“It wasn’t part of my assigned tasks.”

“…Just check it quickly.”

“Yes.”

Deputy Han Da-hee immediately contacted the Pohang Research Complex.

The CCTV recording arrived shortly after.

Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon pressed close from behind to check the screen.

“He’s just standing still near the entrance. What is he doing?”

“I can see a smartphone in his hand. Comparing the time, it seems he was checking your message, Team Leader.”

“I see…”

Soon Lee Si-hyeok put away his smartphone.

According to the comparison, it was the time he sent a short reply to Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon.

He headed toward the ‘Storage Cell R-7E-032’ he had been guided to.

“Hmm. So far it’s as expected.”

On the screen, Lee Si-hyeok who had entered the cell was checking a small storage box. After staring intently at the gems for quite a while, he soon closed the storage box.

“There seems to be no problem so far.”

“That’s what I’m saying. Did nothing happen at the warehouse?”

“Then we might need more CCTV from the research complex. We should predict his movement and request more necessary data…”

That’s when it happened.

“Wait. That, what is that?”

“Pardon?”

“No, there next to Mr. Lee Si-hyeok! Don’t you see that?!”

Deputy Han Da-hee’s eyes followed where Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon was pointing.

A position not far from Lee Si-hyeok.

The empty air there was suddenly starting to crack.

As if a rift was forming.

Deputy Han Da-hee’s previously expressionless eyebrows twitched.

“What is that?”

“I don’t know either! Is it, is it a Gate? The scale doesn’t seem right for that though?”

“Just in case. Let me check for any Gate signs observed in the vicinity… uh, uhh.”

Her calm tone disappeared and bewilderment unconsciously slipped out.

The rift that had been forming near Lee Si-hyeok gradually grew larger, and eventually swallowed him up in one go.

No.

“He went in directly…?”

Rather, it looked like he was directly stepping into that rift himself.

Lee Si-hyeok’s figure, who entered without a moment’s hesitation, soon disappeared.

They quickly checked the CCTV after that, but could no longer find Lee Si-hyeok anywhere.

“He, he went missing here.”

“It seems so. What kind of situation is this?”

“Is there any possibility that Mr. Lee Si-hyeok was hiding that type of special skill?”

“…I think there’s not even one percent chance. Even if special skills don’t have to be disclosed, awakening types can never be hidden. Mr. Lee Si-hyeok was crafting type.”

Among Hunters, there are also some with spatial movement abilities.

They possess skills that can instantly move distances from Korea to America, but since they’re Hunters, it was an ability that only combat-type awakeners could have.

“Huh. I just can’t understand this at all. What was that rift, and why did Mr. Lee Si-hyeok go directly into it… wait.”

“Did you think of something?”

“Jeolmong Society. Isn’t there a possibility that Jeolmong Society brainwashed Mr. Lee Si-hyeok?”

“…?!”

“…Right, that’s it. When you think about it, it’s simple.”

Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon stated the hypothesis that came to mind.

“Kronos was completely wiped out recently, so there are no groups that were openly hostile to Mr. Lee Si-hyeok. But we know, Deputy.”

“At least the Association does.”

“That’s right. At least the Association knows. That there’s one more group connected to Mr. Lee Si-hyeok from a few days ago. I even went out on that mission directly.”

Namely, Jeolmong Society.

“They’ve started moving actively. To kidnap Mr. Lee Si-hyeok.”

“Kidnap…!”

“The rift must have been one of the kidnapping methods prepared by Jeolmong Society. Lin Qingwu, that guy has incredible skills. He would have somehow obtained a Hunter with spatial skills.”

Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon continued his deduction with a serious expression.

Deputy Han Da-hee quickly organized the content into a document.

“And Mr. Lee Si-hyeok must have been in a brainwashed state. From a few days ago at Cheongyeon Workshop.”

“But I remember there being nothing wrong at that time.”

“There wouldn’t have been anything then. But think about who the opponent is. Lin Qingwu. A guy who rose to S-rank Hunter with mental interference skills alone. Even China has no Hunter who can handle him.”

“You’re saying even Mr. Lee Si-hyeok didn’t notice?”

“Yes, unfortunately… In the end, Mr. Lee Si-hyeok is also a crafting type awakener. No matter how much Isaac Reynolds is with him, he would have been vulnerable to mental interference.”

Tap tap tap tap!

Deputy Han Da-hee’s hands swept across the keyboard at tremendous speed.

The incident report was being completed.

“So to summarize, it’s this.”

 

[1. The seed of brainwashing hidden in Lee Si-hyeok activated.

2. A few days later, a spatial rift appeared near Lee Si-hyeok.

3. Finally, the brainwashed Lee Si-hyeok directly walked into it.

→ Conclusion: Jeolmong Society kidnapped awakener Lee Si-hyeok.]

 

“…I told you not to write reports like that.”

“Team Leader, you never taught me that.”

“No, you’ve been working here for several years already!”

Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon stopped talking and pressed his forehead.

Right, Deputy Han Da-hee was originally from a Hunter background, so adaptation would inevitably be difficult. He had to understand that.

After reviewing the report several times, Deputy Han Da-hee asked.

“Then what should we do, Team Leader?”

“It’s not even a question. Submit the report to higher-ups immediately. And…”

“And?”

“Request a team dispatch to China. We must bring back Mr. Lee Si-hyeok.”

“Yes, as ordered.”

Deputy Han Da-hee hurriedly left the office.

The room left alone like that.

‘How dare they!’

Anger filled Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon’s eyes.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, at that moment.

Inside the quiet and peaceful 『Subspace』.

Thud, thud.

“Hmm hmm, hmm hmm hmm.”

Thud, thud.

“Hmm hmm hmm, mm hmm….”

Thud.

“…Hm?”

Stop.

Lee Si-hyeok, who had been humming while carrying materials, suddenly stopped walking. He felt like something was on the tip of his tongue, as if he was about to remember something.

What is it? Was there something I forgot?

He tilted his head in thought, but nothing came to mind immediately.

This happened quite often. Since he didn’t bother retracing things unless they were related to Magical Engineering, and because he was researching so many things simultaneously that his mental capacity was at its limit.

Just thinking about artifacts alone gave him plenty to consider, so it was difficult to pay attention to every little thing.

‘…Well, it’s probably nothing important.’

After pondering for a moment, Lee Si-hyeok shrugged his shoulders and immersed himself back into his work.

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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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