Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 141

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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 (141)

 

When It Rains, the Dust Settles

 

“…?!”

 

The Snow Flame Empress looked down at the unconscious Blackie with trembling eyes filled with tremendous shock.

 

Lee Si-hyeok swallowed hard as he watched her reaction.

 

‘…Her reaction is more intense than I expected.’

 

Of course, he had anticipated that she would be shocked to some degree.

 

When she first met Blackie, he had seen various emotions intertwined in her eyes.

 

Responsibility, affection, joy, curiosity… and so on.

 

It was probably similar to the emotions she felt about the destroyed Orbes.

 

Lee Si-hyeok had realized this fact the moment he saw her like that, which was why he had tried his best to hide the fact that Blackie had been unconscious all this time….

 

‘It was bound to be discovered eventually anyway.’

 

He had judged it would be better to reveal it in advance rather than continue hiding it. After all, since Blackie recognized the Snow Flame Empress as its mother, she had the right to know.

 

Though he hadn’t expected it to be to this extent.

 

“….”

 

Bae Jun-wan, who had been standing behind the Snow Flame Empress, sent him an awkward glance. This seemed to be their first meeting since the Eterion incident, but due to the current situation, they hadn’t even exchanged greetings yet.

 

After giving a slight bow to acknowledge his questioning gaze that seemed full of things he wanted to ask, he looked at the Snow Flame Empress again.

 

But that was when it happened.

 

“Whoa.”

 

The Snow Flame Empress, who had been looking down at Blackie with a dazed expression, suddenly swayed as if losing her balance.

 

Lee Si-hyeok, who had been watching, immediately grabbed her wrist.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Only then did the Snow Flame Empress slowly turn her head.

 

“…Ah.”

 

She looked at Lee Si-hyeok with empty eyes that seemed ready to collapse at any moment. Her pupils trembled finely.

 

“For a moment, I was out of it. You must have had a hard time coming such a long way.”

 

“Not at all.”

 

“I have prepared food in the Restaurant, so eat and rest. I am a bit tired, so I must… rest now.”

 

With those words, the Snow Flame Empress shook off Lee Si-hyeok’s hand and began walking unsteadily toward the Mansion.

 

Lee Si-hyeok stood still and quietly watched her retreating figure.

 

After taking a few steps, she suddenly turned around slowly and asked again.

 

“Blackie….”

 

Her gaze was directed toward Lee Si-hyeok’s palm.

 

“May I take Blackie with me?”

 

There was no answer.

 

When Lee Si-hyeok approached and carefully handed Blackie to her, she also nodded silently without a word and entered the Mansion.

 

Soon her figure disappeared from the Garden.

 

“….”

 

What surrounded them was nothing but the pouring rain.

 

The shower that had been drizzling since they arrived at the mountain was now soaking the green grass black.

 

As Lee Si-hyeok quietly stared at the Mansion in the rain with sunken eyes, Bae Jun-wan, who had been waiting, approached and held an umbrella over him.

 

“Let’s go inside. I’ll guide you to the Restaurant.”

 

After a brief silence, he answered.

 

“…Yes.”

 

* * *

 

Whoooosh….

 

When it rains, the dust settles, or something like that.

 

It seemed to be an idiom he had seen in a Library in Orbes when he went to the Imitation World.

 

It means that in order to bring about a desired situation, one must inevitably go through hardships in the process. The idea that only by going through difficult processes can one finally reach their goal.

 

It wasn’t simply a metaphysical expression.

 

He had heard it quite often while walking around the Orbes Royal Capital at that time.

 

Was it a beggar in the Back Alleys at some point?

 

He had even heard it from such a thief who loitered around Elec’s Workshop, which meant it was actually a quite commonly used expression.

 

It was a product created by the circumstances of the times.

 

The approaching black smoke. The Infected who were losing their minds as they were consumed by it. A world gradually approaching destruction.

 

The people desperately hoped that just as spring comes after winter, the current pain would eventually settle and a better world would come.

 

“….”

 

It was only ironic that what ultimately came at the end was nothing but destruction.

 

Lee Si-hyeok looked out the Window with an indifferent expression.

 

Only a few candles illuminated the Restaurant, and the heavy rain added to the dim atmosphere created a gloomy mood. Rainwater slid down the Window.

 

“Is the food to your liking?”

 

Bae Jun-wan, who was beside him, asked. Lee Si-hyeok answered only after swallowing the steak he had been chewing.

 

“It’s quite good. The seasoning is just right too.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that. Cha Yu-rim prepared this food all day long.”

 

“The Snow Flame Empress did?”

 

“Yes. To be precise, it wasn’t all day, but she started preparing as soon as she received word that you were coming, so she invested almost half a day into it.”

 

“….”

 

Lee Si-hyeok put down his fork and let out a thoughtful sound as he looked at the neatly sliced steak. Tender meat, well-rested beef, sauce that was harmonious without being forced.

 

It was incomparably better than the last meal of hers he had eaten. He had certainly poured out harsh criticism back then.

 

“She’s been showing tremendous interest in cooking lately. She even enrolled in a cooking academy recently, and it seems she’s been attending without missing a single class. I’ve eaten Cha Yu-rim’s food a few times myself, so I know… she’s changed a lot.”

 

Bae Jun-wan continued with a chuckle.

 

“Of course, our organization is going crazy because of it.”

 

“…Organization?”

 

“Didn’t I mention it once? At the Magical Engineering Academy. Cha Yu-rim is working with others who, like her, have lost their homeland to carry out various tasks.”

 

Now he vaguely remembered.

 

Bae Jun-wan had definitely introduced himself as being from North Korea back then.

 

“Cha Yu-rim holds a considerable position among them, she’s in the leadership, but she’s been focusing on cooking practice instead, which puts us in a very difficult situation. Though it is nice to see her regain her vitality.”

 

“Hmm….”

 

So it was essentially Lee Si-hyeok’s fault that things had turned out this way.

 

Her decision to learn cooking was largely due to the harsh criticism he had poured out.

 

Of course, Bae Jun-wan wouldn’t know that fact, but Lee Si-hyeok awkwardly averted his gaze and put asparagus in his mouth.

 

Soon, Bae Jun-wan, who had been quietly watching Lee Si-hyeok, shook his head and let out a deep sigh.

 

“She seemed to be in quite a good mood today because of the news that you were coming, but suddenly this happens. Really.”

 

“Is the Snow Flame Empress still in her Room?”

 

“Yes. I knocked on her Door a little while ago, but there was no response.”

 

“She’s not sleeping, is she?”

 

“That’s… definitely not the case. I could hear her breathing continuously.”

 

“I see.”

 

Lee Si-hyeok nodded and wiped his lips. The plate was already cleanly empty. It had been more delicious than expected, so he had finished his meal quickly.

 

“Ah, you’ve already finished? Then I’ll guide you to your Lodging, so just a moment….”

 

“It’s fine. I already know where it is.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“I mean you don’t need to follow me.”

 

“…?”

 

Had the Snow Flame Empress not told him about the fact that he had stayed at the Mansion for several weeks? Lee Si-hyeok shrugged and got up from his seat, leaving the Kitchen.

 

He could feel Bae Jun-wan’s questioning gaze from behind, but he walked down the Corridor without paying attention to it.

 

As he moved away, that gaze quickly faded, and Lee Si-hyeok changed direction from heading to his Lodging and went up to the 3rd Floor.

 

He turned the corner and slowly climbed the Stairs.

 

It had the same antique design, but it was different from the cottage at Nari Basin Gate. There were no creaking screams, it was much more luxurious, and there were no corpses like the ones he had discovered when climbing the stairs.

 

All he could see was a corridor with a red rug and the large door of a bedroom at its end.

 

“….”

 

Patter patter, he reached the front of the bedroom, crossing past the window where raindrops were hitting.

 

The Snow Flame Empress and Blackie would be inside.

 

Lee Si-hyeok closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated his senses.

 

He felt somewhat gloomy about himself for a moment, but it couldn’t be helped. It was necessary. And soon he realized one fact.

 

‘…They’re asleep.’

 

He could hear soft breathing sounds from inside.

 

Stable mana and breathing pulsing in a steady rhythm.

 

Since it hadn’t been long since Bae Jun-wan had checked, they had probably fallen asleep in the meantime.

 

“Excuse me.”

 

Lee Si-hyeok quietly muttered as he entered. Fortunately, the door opened easily, and he was able to find the Snow Flame Empress sleeping soundly on the bed.

 

And Blackie sprawled beside her.

 

‘Did she fall asleep while holding him?’

 

He couldn’t understand what kind of emotion this was.

 

He knew the reason why she was so dejected, but he couldn’t empathize with it. Sometimes he thought it was too excessive, but when he recalled her past, it became somewhat understandable.

 

Lee Si-hyeok looked down at her for a while, then quietly covered her with a blanket and carefully took the limp Blackie out with him.

 

Thud.

 

He closed the door and looked out the window.

 

When it rains, dust settles.

 

That fact would certainly be true.

 

* * *

 

『Origin Forging』.

 

A few days ago, an EX-rank special skill he had obtained while modifying the 〈Soul-Pursuing Harpoon〉.

 

It was truly a special skill obtained after a long time. Using this, he had fused two opposing skills to create a property called 『Luminous Extinction』, and had witnessed its overwhelming power with his own eyes.

 

And at that moment.

 

There was one thought that had occurred to Lee Si-hyeok.

 

‘This… if I do it right, I might be able to wake up Blackie?’

 

『Origin Forging』 was a skill that could handle and create the purest origins, that is, the very properties of matter itself.

 

Then couldn’t he also extract the pure destructive ‘ether’ that would be accumulated inside Blackie’s body with this skill?

 

At the idea flashing through his mind, Lee Si-hyeok immediately called up the system.

 

―Flash.

 

[〈Ether〉 – Matter / Material

 

A powerful substance with the power of ‘destruction’. It destroys everything it touches and exerts great influence on the mind and cognition. It is also classified as an element.]

 

[Currently, only a portion has been understood.]

 

[To retrieve more information, 〈Ether〉 must be investigated further.]

 

This was information about the ether he had discovered in the rift within the Magical Engineering Academy.

 

However, at that time, Lee Si-hyeok had only grasped that ether possessed solely the property of ‘destruction’, but couldn’t know more. He only knew that it was an origin, an element.

 

But now?

 

‘It’s different from then.’

 

After the Eterion incident ended, he had survived and faced multiple attacks from the Severed Dream Society’s mental-type Hunters, and thanks to that, his understanding of cognitive-type mana had greatly increased.

 

Also, now that he understood the concept of Origin Artifacts, obtained skills, and could handle the ‘properties’ of matter itself?

 

Certainly, certainly it was different.

 

Now he could wake up the unconscious Blackie.

 

This black cotton ball that had been sprawled unconscious for months.

 

“I can wake him up.”

 

Lee Si-hyeok raised the corners of his mouth in a grin as he petted the cute creature sprawled on the experiment table.

 

As he brushed against that plump belly, it already seemed like he could hear ‘Woof! Woof!’ cries echoing in his ears.

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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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