Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 148

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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 (148)

 

What a Mess

 

Eterion Magical Engineering Academy.

 

After the terrorist incident involving Pyo Jae-hwan and the former dean.

 

The Magical Engineering Academy, which had finally finished several months of repairs and was preparing for the new semester, had recently been engulfed in a serious atmosphere.

 

Just when they thought the chaos was finally coming to an end, they faced a new problem.

 

And it was such a big problem that the admission schedule had to be postponed.

 

“Ugh. What is all this about…”

 

Song Chae-ah muttered weakly and slumped over her desk. Her greasy hair, as if she had stayed up for several nights, gently fell onto the wooden desk.

 

This was her personal teaching assistant office.

 

It was a new research lab assigned to her as soon as she was selected as Professor Hong Yong-jin’s teaching assistant. When she slowly opened her tired eyes, she could see various state-of-the-art experimental equipment everywhere.

 

“…Really. I was so happy when I first saw it.”

 

How did it come to this?

 

She recalled the circumstances that led her to apply for Professor Hong Yong-jin’s teaching assistant position at Lee Si-hyeok’s request not long ago. It was only a few months ago, but it felt like the distant past.

 

It was probably at a cafe in Myeong-dong.

 

Song Chae-ah saw news on Artinet that Lee Si-hyeok was going around touring various research labs, and immediately contacted him first.

 

Coincidentally, her hobby was also touring research labs.

 

Thanks to that, from famous galleries to small workshops, her knowledge was at a considerable level, so she wanted to use that to help Lee Si-hyeok.

 

Fortunately, Lee Si-hyeok readily agreed.

 

Of course, Song Chae-ah’s ulterior motive… no, fan heart of wanting to meet him even once more was bigger than her purpose of helping him, but good things are good things.

 

‘Well. It seemed like Si-hyeok was only interested in research labs though.’

 

Anyway.

 

Song Chae-ah, who met him at the cafe like that, shared various information.

 

Among them, the most important was about ‘Cheongyeon Workshop’.

 

That Hyeon Eul-cheong, who was once one of the eleven stars of the crafting type, was operating a small workshop there in a secluded corner of Daegwallyeong in Gangwon Province.

 

Song Chae-ah was nervous, but Lee Si-hyeok’s eyes lit up. Had he become interested? Was it helpful information? She wasn’t sure, but she was relieved.

 

It was around the time their meeting was wrapping up as she felt proud like that.

 

—Chae-ah, I wanted to ask you a favor too.

 

Lee Si-hyeok suddenly handed her Professor Hong Yong-jin’s business card.

 

He said that as Eterion Magical Engineering Academy fell into crisis, various figures were summoned, and Hong Yong-jin had also returned to his professorship and was looking for teaching assistants to support him.

 

She was startled and tried to ask what he meant.

 

But she couldn’t.

 

—Because you’re trustworthy.

 

—I saw back then that you were good at it.

 

Trust, faith, expectation.

 

Eyes filled with such emotions.

 

The moment she faced them, Song Chae-ah froze.

 

Meanwhile, Lee Si-hyeok left with a word to contact him once.

 

“Keu. He’s so cool even thinking about it again.”

 

Even after he left, Song Chae-ah remained frozen in place for a long time, really a long time, just staring at the business card. It didn’t feel real. She wondered if this was really not a dream.

 

Lee Si-hyeok called it a ‘favor’, but in fact, this proposal was an incomparable opportunity for her.

 

Eterion Magical Engineering Academy is Korea’s premier specialized academy.

 

She had once worked hard to prepare for admission there too, and though she failed, she was secretly swallowing her envy while watching her younger brother Song Hyeon-gyu.

 

But an opportunity to enter such an Eterion.

 

Moreover, as a teaching assistant to the famous Professor Hong Yong-jin.

 

It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. At that time, Lee Si-hyeok looked exactly like a swallow bringing a gourd seed to Song Chae-ah’s eyes. And an unimaginably large gourd seed at that.

 

What happened after that proceeded swiftly.

 

Countless competitors flocked after hearing the news of Professor Hong Yong-jin’s teaching assistant recruitment, but when she called the number Lee Si-hyeok gave her, she passed without any particular interview.

 

When she asked about it one day, the answer that came back was this.

 

—…Hm? Why did I accept you?

 

Professor Hong Yong-jin had an expression that said why would you ask such a thing.

 

—Didn’t that guy Lee Si-hyeok recommend you? I don’t know about others, but that guy alone is trustworthy. That’s all. So instead of useless questions, go write reports.

 

“…”

 

Unbelievable trust.

 

What kind of appearance did he show for such an evaluation to come from Professor Hong Yong-jin, who was famous for his temper?

 

Adapting to the teaching assistant work was more manageable than expected.

 

The other teaching assistants were quite skilled, probably because they had originally worked with Professor Hong Yong-jin at the association, and they took good care of Song Chae-ah, who was new. She also used the social skills she learned from her younger brother to act as nicely as possible.

 

It was when a month had passed like that.

 

During that period, she stayed at the Magical Engineering Academy dormitory and devoted herself to her work every day. Outside, ridiculous rumors that Lee Si-hyeok had gone missing were spreading unknowingly.

 

At that time, Professor Hong Yong-jin said.

 

—You, go on a dispatch to another professor.

 

It was out of the blue.

 

Naturally, Song Chae-ah questioned it. What would happen if she was sent to another team when she had just barely adapted? Was she being exiled because he didn’t like her?

 

But…

 

—What crazy nonsense are you suddenly spouting?

 

—Don’t misunderstand. It’s called a dispatch, but it’s actually practical training.

 

When she listened to the explanation with a surprised heart, she could understand the truth.

 

If she planned to continue working and researching at the Magical Engineering Academy, she needed to know in advance how other teams operated.

 

It was a bigger intention than expected – that collaborative projects within the Engineering Academy sometimes proceeded, and various meetings and events were often held, so she needed to know this and that to prepare for them.

 

And coincidentally, one team was recruiting support personnel.

 

Song Chae-ah accepted Professor Hong Yong-jin’s proposal.

 

There were the previous stories, but the honest reason was that she didn’t want to disappoint Lee Si-hyeok.

 

‘If I had refused…’

 

It would reach Lee Si-hyeok’s ears through Professor Hong Yong-jin’s mouth.

 

Then wouldn’t Lee Si-hyeok regret recommending her for nothing?

 

She hated that.

 

She couldn’t give disappointment to someone who trusted her.

 

So, she steeled her heart and joined the new team.

 

“Ugh, really. This is driving me crazy.”

 

She had reached this state now.

 

Song Chae-ah grumbled and pulled at her hair. She had suffered so much that her hair was coming out in clumps. At this rate, she’d get hair loss…

 

She struggled to raise her upper body and turned on her laptop.

 

The screen she opened with difficulty displayed this kind of material.

 

[Eterion Magical Engineering Academy Central Plaza.]

 

[Regarding the extreme danger of the rift that occurred there and Awakener Lee Si-hyeok’s intention to install dangerous objects.]

 

The content was about the ‘rift’ that had been explosively leaking magic power in the Central Plaza for the past few days. The rift known to have been installed by Lee Si-hyeok.

 

How dangerous it was.

 

And most of the content was about what kind of tragic disaster it would create, and you could clearly feel the effort to describe it as extremely as possible.

 

[Lee Si-hyeok lifted the Magical Engineering Academy site into the sky just before the terrorist incident concluded. In that process, he installed a mysterious rift device whose substance cannot be analyzed in the Central Plaza.]

 

[According to recent research results, the magic power emanating from there is presumed to be very similar in form to Gates. It is dangerous and explosive. In numerical terms, it’s S-rank or higher.]

 

[Therefore, the following speculation can be established.]

 

[Awakener Lee Si-hyeok is a hidden accomplice in the Eterion terrorist incident, and is preparing a new terror by utilizing the fact that he knows knowledge that others don’t…]

 

“Crazy bastard, really.”

 

Although it was a report she had reviewed countless times, Song Chae-ah’s face contorted once again.

 

It was ridiculous content.

 

Didn’t everyone see it back then?

 

Through the memory projection device that Lee Si-hyeok had manifested. That Pyo Jae-hwan and the former dean’s terrifying plan, and that the terror attack had been planned for quite some time.

 

And that the hero who had protected everyone from that insane plan was none other than Lee Si-hyeok—this too would be known by the entire nation.

 

But to think there was someone writing this kind of report.

 

“Haah.”

 

Song Chae-ah let out a deep sigh as she recalled a certain person.

 

The mastermind behind all these reports.

 

The one who had assigned her this worthless review.

 

Professor Bae Young-min.

 

He was arguably the most influential professor currently within Eterion Magic Engineering Academy.

 

Of course, while Termion Corporation was participating in damage compensation with Research Director Yoon Seo-jin taking the lead, even she found it difficult to approach the internal politics among professors.

 

Moreover, Hong Yong-jin, who had been an honorary professor, had only recently returned.

 

Therefore, Professor Bae Young-min, who had served for a long period and produced outstanding students, was stepping forward to seize significant real power with this opportunity. From what Song Chae-ah had observed, he was someone overflowing with desire for power more than anyone else.

 

‘So that’s why he’s trying so hard to bring down Lee Si-hyeok.’

 

He was trying to gain popularity by any means necessary.

 

Whether it was in a good direction or not, if there was one person doing well, there would inevitably be countless people envying him.

 

Perhaps that was why.

 

The biggest problem was that the number of people supporting this ridiculous report was rapidly increasing.

 

Other professors, teaching assistants, school staff… even voices of agreement were coming from the Association? However, Professor Hong Yong-jin, who was in a somewhat isolated position, hadn’t grasped this yet.

 

Moreover, the timing was too perfect.

 

A situation already made sensitive by the terror incident.

 

If they just poked at that bud of anxiety, it would bloom into a flower and grow vigorously.

 

It seemed that requesting personnel support was also for that reason.

 

‘…He probably tried to bring in teaching assistants from other teams to make them his allies.’

 

If there were those who respected Lee Si-hyeok as a magical engineer, there would also be those who envied him.

 

It was truly cunning.

 

Eventually, the seeds of suspicion that spread would reach even their professors…

 

Thud.

 

Song Chae-ah closed her laptop and clicked her tongue.

 

Her smartphone had been turned off for a long time. Though she had been an addict who went on Artinet every day, lately she hadn’t been able to access it at all.

 

Because she herself was desperately trying to stop Professor Bae Young-min’s schemes.

 

In a situation where everyone was agreeing, only she alone.

 

“Sigh. Shall I try again…”

 

Song Chae-ah walked to the research table with a determined expression.

 

Though she still lacked strength, her eyes alone were resolute.

 

She had been staying up nights for several days studying the rift that Lee Si-hyeok had installed. Though unstable mana was currently spewing out, she knew.

 

‘Lee Si-hyeok isn’t that kind of person.’

 

So she would prove it.

 

She would thoroughly prepare and refute Professor Bae Young-min so that Lee Si-hyeok, who wasn’t here, wouldn’t receive unfair misunderstanding.

 

That this wasn’t some terror tool.

 

That it was a great artifact that they couldn’t even understand.

 

‘…Though I don’t know if it’ll work.’

 

Could she, a mere teaching assistant who had been close to a parachute appointment, even compete with him? Would they even listen to her words when she refuted them?

 

Though such doubts arose, she deliberately erased them.

 

She knew that lately she’d been receiving disapproving looks from Professor Bae Young-min and his supporters, and she knew that if she told Professor Hong Yong-jin, it would be resolved quickly, but…

 

She erased that too.

 

Because she didn’t want to see them disappointed.

 

Because she wanted to resolve it with her own strength.

 

—Clack! Clatter!

 

Song Chae-ah moved her hands with serious eyes.

 

Just as she was about to analyze the remnants of mana she had collected.

 

“Hm?”

 

Suddenly, she felt a presence beyond the window.

 

A faintly felt gaze.

 

She immediately turned her head.

 

“…”

 

But there was no one there.

 

“…What?”

 

She was sure someone had been watching?

 

‘Was it an illusion?’

 

After tilting her head for a moment, she moved her hands again.

 

…

 

Below the window.

 

In the corridor hidden by the wall, a mana fracture.

 

Without even dreaming that ‘Subspace’ had briefly appeared and disappeared.

 

Shortly after, a chilling voice flowed out from within that subspace.

 

“…What a mess.”

 

It was not Song Chae-ah’s cute tone, but a heavy and low voice that was clearly that of a young man.

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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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