Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 126

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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 (126)

 

The Creator’s Legacy

 

Baek Min-ji.

 

She was a Hunter that Lee Si-hyeok knew well.

 

When the Gate era had just arrived, she was the first S-rank Hunter to appear in South Korea. Since Guardian of Light was the second, she could be considered an S-rank who was born even earlier than that.

 

And she had awakened a skill that was a bit ambiguous to call her a Hunter, a skill that was on a different trajectory.

 

It was the unknown Special Skill called ‘Exploration Type’.

 

That was exactly how much information Lee Si-hyeok knew about Baek Min-ji.

 

If he were to add one more thing, it would be that she suddenly went missing in some Gate about 6 years ago and has been hiding her traces ever since.

 

However, that was also the story up until recently.

 

A few months ago.

 

Right after Lee Si-hyeok’s awakening.

 

When he first held a meeting with Deputy Representative Lim A-yeon for Termion Security’s revival.

 

When Lee Si-hyeok, who saw that Security had only one customer at the time, asked how the company was being maintained, Deputy Representative Lim A-yeon’s answer was this.

 

―That one customer is feeding our entire company. She’s been contracted with us since our company was founded, and she pays quite a lot of money thanks to using our VIP service.

 

―You’ve probably heard of her before, Mr. Lee Si-hyeok. She’s South Korea’s Exploration Type S-rank awakener, Ms. Baek Min-ji.

 

But Baek Min-ji was already in a missing state.

 

So he asked how she was paying the fees.

 

―We’re not really sure about that either. In the first place, we included a special clause that ‘the contract will be maintained no matter what happens’… and the fees keep coming in from Ms. Baek Min-ji’s account. It’s probably an automatic transfer system.

 

―We don’t know the reason. Maybe she was receiving threats at the time of the contract…

 

At that time, he had heard this story and immediately threw it to the back of his mind.

 

Because there was no need to worry about it.

 

Whether Security and Baek Min-ji had a connection or not, it was irrelevant to Lee Si-hyeok at the moment. Recruiting capable bodyguards like Isaac Reynolds was the priority.

 

But now that it had come to this.

 

‘…It has become relevant.’

 

He couldn’t just brush it off anymore.

 

Lee Si-hyeok’s eyes looking at Lumibra suddenly became calm.

 

The memories that had been stirring in his head settled down, and only cool reason remained beneath them, coldly cooling his heated brain.

 

He asked.

 

“Are you certain? That Hunter Baek Min-ji stole that artifact.”

 

“Child, what reason would I have to lie to you. I am only speaking the truth.”

 

Lumibra smiled bitterly and slowly moved her arm.

 

The dragon’s forearm covered in scales emerged from beneath her prone upper body, and soon created a purple form in the air.

 

“This is…”

 

“It’s called the ‘Oraculum Orb’. The Creator’s masterpiece and an artifact that can see the future. That thieving bitch appeared before this space was connected to your Earth.”

 

“…”

 

“And she quietly infiltrated this Nest, secretly took the orb, and leisurely escaped. That was the end of it. There was no opportunity to see that bitch again after that.”

 

Lumibra’s sharp teeth ground together with a grinding sound. Lee Si-hyeok tilted his head.

 

“How did you know that thief was Hunter Baek Min-ji? According to what you’re saying, there didn’t seem to be any particular opportunity for you two to have a conversation.”

 

“I’m not really sure about that either.”

 

“You don’t know?”

 

“When that thieving woman infiltrated, I suddenly heard a whisper in my ear while I was sleeping. Baek Min-ji, Baek Min-ji… It was such a tickling voice.”

 

“So that’s why you came to think it was Hunter Baek Min-ji…”

 

It was absurd nonsense, but he had no intention of pointing it out.

 

At this point, he had learned far too much to nitpick. The Creator who gave birth to life, the Future Sight Artifact…

 

In just a few minutes, he had heard stories that transcended common sense.

 

Instead, Lee Si-hyeok neatly summarized the situation.

 

“So in the end, I need to find Hunter Baek Min-ji.”

 

It was merely a personal goal.

 

For the dream that Lee Si-hyeok was looking toward.

 

Seeing the future—whether such a thing was truly possible with magical engineering, and if possible, exactly how it had been implemented.

 

He wanted to know that.

 

And if he could, personally.

 

He wanted to walk all those paths with his own feet.

 

“You understand well, child. You can achieve what you’re thinking on your own.”

 

Looking at Lee Si-hyeok sitting cross-legged, Lumibra smiled with satisfaction.

 

“There’s still much left to tell you.”

 

She continued in a gentle voice.

 

“The vanished Hunters, the Creator’s commands, the warm nature of mana you must be sensing from me. You must have many questions as well.”

 

“Ah, right. My mana has been reacting to you since earlier…”

 

“However.”

 

“…?”

 

“It seems there won’t be enough time to share all the stories.”

 

Lee Si-hyeok’s brow furrowed at the regretful tone.

 

Lumibra shifted her gaze to look behind her. The golem standing there flinched and raised its harpoon.

 

Lumibra let out a smile.

 

“Cute little one. Sorry to disappoint, but I wasn’t looking at you. Behind you, check the cave you entered from. Can’t you feel the bustling energy?”

 

“What energy are you talking about… Ah.”

 

“Yes, you felt it.”

 

By then, Lee Si-hyeok could notice it too.

 

Beyond the long passage they had traveled through, the mana of several people was being detected. How many is that? Five? Ten people?

 

‘No.’

 

Even a rough estimate suggested at least twenty.

 

Even that was filled with quite powerful mana, suggesting considerable experts had gathered.

 

Lee Si-hyeok recalled the message he had seen before coming here.

 

[As seawater rises where the existing land once stood, the 〈City of Hunters〉 that was only considered the deep sea returns to land.]

 

‘Were Hunters deployed to prevent the Gate Break?’

 

On top of that, since this place that was originally filled with seawater had conversely become land, entry wouldn’t have been difficult either.

 

When Lee Si-hyeok nodded, Lumibra gently moved her toes.

 

Though it was clearly a small movement, each time she moved, Lee Si-hyeok’s hair was softly caressed.

 

“….”

 

Just as he was about to glare at the affectionate gesture, Lumibra spoke first.

 

“You don’t need to feel regret about not being able to share many stories.”

 

“…What are you talking about?”

 

“Because I still have a gift left to give you.”

 

Then she withdrew the foot that had been stroking his head.

 

Lee Si-hyeok roughly fixed his disheveled hair while watching Lumibra’s foot move toward her chest.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

Swoosh….

 

From the foot that reached her chest, the three toes stretched out long, and soon sharp claws protruded.

 

It was the moment when the tips of those claws pointed precisely toward Lumibra’s heart.

 

―Squelch!

 

“…?!”

 

The sharp claws pierced through Lumibra’s heart.

 

Simultaneously, multicolored blood spurted in all directions, mixing into the water pool.

 

Lee Si-hyeok quickly got up as countless colors spread around them.

 

“What are you suddenly doing…!”

 

“Hah… Heuuk….”

 

But all that came back from Lumibra was a faint groan.

 

Lee Si-hyeok looked at Lumibra with trembling eyes.

 

Unlike all the appearances he had seen so far, the smile on her face had faded. Her curved eye corners drooped down, and pain spread through her vertically split pupils.

 

“Child….”

 

A voice that seemed about to break.

 

The golem that had been running with a harpoon stopped in its tracks. Lee Si-hyeok swallowed hard as he looked down at the brilliantly colored blood clot that Lumibra offered.

 

“If you would accept this… I would be… grateful….”

 

On her claws was impaled a heart the size of a soccer ball.

 

It had penetrated so deeply that half of the claw protruded from the other side.

 

Drip, drop…. Only the sound of blood dripping filled the vast cavity.

 

That silence was coldly covered by the voice that flowed from Lee Si-hyeok’s mouth.

 

“What, what are you suddenly doing?”

 

“Didn’t I tell you… a gift, I said it was a gift….”

 

“This thing? When did I ever want something like this?”

 

“Ha, haha… That’s true….”

 

This thing.

 

Though he expressed it that way, even at this moment Lee Si-hyeok’s eyes were analyzing Lumibra’s heart.

 

From the blood covering the flesh, he could feel an absurd level of mana. The energy made his skin crawl, and furthermore, the heart contained enormous mana that couldn’t even be compared to that.

 

And the nature that composed all of it was….

 

‘…Warmth.’

 

Still, Lee Si-hyeok’s mana was reacting.

 

A quality that could never be felt from others was being felt intensely from this heart alone.

 

As Lee Si-hyeok’s thoughts deepened over the mysterious mana, Lumibra’s voice rang out.

 

“Then… instead of thinking of it as a gift… would it be better to express it a bit differently…?”

 

It was a voice that sounded squeezed out, as if even making sound had become difficult. Trembling and fragile.

 

But the words that followed were heard more clearly than anything else.

 

“The Creator’s legacy.”

 

“What?”

 

“I would like you to think of it… as the only legacy left behind by the Great Creator… little one.”

 

“What does that…”

 

However, there was no need to ask.

 

Soon Lumibra’s eyes closed, and various messages appeared.

 

―Flash.

 

[‘Great Creator’.]

 

[Among the countless artifacts he left behind, the first masterpiece and eternal dragon 〔Lumibra〕 who had been carrying out his will has chosen self-destruction.]

 

[The powerful Will Circuit that had been composing her appears to have fulfilled its role by meeting you. Accordingly, the artifact naturally dissolves without leaving a trace.]

 

Beyond the blue window, dragon scales could be seen scattering away.

 

Though only glimpsed due to being half-obscured, the closed-eyed body was slowly crumbling away.

 

[This death is shared with the ‘Great Creator’.]

 

[Furthermore, with 〔Lumibra〕’s dissolution, the master of the 〈Nest of Life〉 becomes vacant. Thus the 〈City of Hunters〉 is also in a state without a master.]

 

[All functions of the city will cease until a new master appears.]

 

The crumbling flesh completely shed even its skin.

 

What remained were only those organs and the circuits thinly connected to them.

 

But that was the moment.

 

The continuous messages paused briefly, then displayed text of a different context.

 

[…]

 

[Currently confirmed that ownership of the 〈Dragon Heart〉 has been transferred to ‘Lee Si-hyeok’ by 〔Lumibra〕’s will.]

 

[Checking mana quality compatibility…]

 

[Check complete. Numerically over 99% compatible.]

 

“…”

 

[Will you accept ownership?]

 

[Upon acceptance, all General Skills will increase by one rank. Also, 〔Lumibra〕’s complete dissolution will be postponed to the distant future!]

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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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