Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 173

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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 (173)

Being Alone is Comfortable

When I decided to head to China, one of the things I was most curious about was the Master of the Muksi Guild.

I had seen a paper about him. It wasn’t written by the Master himself, but rather he became an example when another researcher discussed the possibility of dual awakeners.

He was an S-rank Hunter who had conquered several high-level Gates in China.

Naturally, he had also conquered S-rank Gates. The raid team led by him came out with an artifact that would soon shake the academic world.

‘Changseongpungmyeoldo .’

A curved blade-type artifact with thin grooves carved along the back of the blade.

Each time the blade is swung, air compression forms along the grooves, and through this, the mana driver inside the handle instantly accelerates the airflow.

Is that all?

The additionally applied ‘localized pressure cutting’ function creates high-pressure air blades at the tip, boasting tremendous cutting power, and creates small vortices behind the blade at the moment of cutting, leaving fatal wounds.

It was an artifact that perfectly embodied ‘magical aerodynamics,’ which is currently treated as essential theory in the engineering world.

All of this was thanks to the Master publicly revealing Changseongpungmyeoldo to the entire world, allowing all engineers to study it.

Then one day, questions arose from certain quarters.

—This doesn’t look like an artifact that came from a Gate, does it?

Changseongpungmyeoldo had many traces that couldn’t be seen in existing artifacts. Generally speaking, artifacts discovered in Gates have common patterns.

The arrangement of mana circuits takes on a simultaneous operation structure.

Unidentified alloys not found in nature are used as materials.

Or abnormal reactions frequently appear during overcharging.

Legacy artifacts and general artifacts are distinguished through these patterns. So Changseongpungmyeoldo, which opened new horizons in magical engineering, should have shown similar reactions.

—There’s nothing like that at all. This looks like something made directly by a person…?

Naturally, attention turned to the Master.

He was the one who led the raid team, and he was also the one who faced the Boss alone at the final moment.

Furthermore, according to the claims of other raid team members, the Master had pulled out a weapon they’d never seen before. In the form of a blade that cuts through wind…

That was the incident that became the starting point for discussions about dual awakeners.

The possibility that there might be someone who awakened S-rank in both combat and crafting.

And now.

Lee Si-hyeok was beginning to realize the truth behind that veiled discussion.

“So you’re saying that runaway due to oversaturation is the first reason for malfunction, the second is circulation being cut off, and the last is due to external contamination?”

Lee Si-hyeok asked. As soon as he entered the workshop, he couldn’t help but admire the Master who had been pouring out explanations as if he’d been waiting.

‘His eyes are extraordinary. More than I expected.’

There’s a certain look that engineers typically show. Bleary-eyed from overwork, yet with madness and venom flickering within—a chilling gaze.

He saw that exact same look in the Master’s eyes.

“One more remains. The separation of core and vessel caused by the previous three reasons.”

“Ah.”

The Master was equally impressed.

He stroked his chin while quickly scanning Lee Si-hyeok.

Tall stature as his daughter had described. Neatly pressed research coat and pale white skin. Along with black eyes that seemed indifferent to the world.

At first glance, he might appear frail, but the atmosphere he gave off was completely different. Rather, his posture was straight and his voice carried strength. It meant he was overflowing with confidence.

Indeed, worthy of his daughter’s affection.

He had been looking forward to this, but now he liked him even more.

“By the way, did you understand everything I explained? I spoke quickly, so it couldn’t have been easy to grasp.”

“Yes. There was no lacking content.”

“That’s fortunate then. I’m Dominique del Lumière.”

The Master extended his hand for a handshake.

“My Korean name is Cha Gang-han. I’m running a guild in China due to circumstances. Please take care of me.”

“I’m Lee Si-hyeok.”

It was a leisurely greeting, unlike the urgent situation from earlier. All of this was thanks to Lee Si-hyeok bringing Lumibra and establishing discipline among the Hunters.

Lee Si-hyeok immediately headed to the table where the artifact was placed.

Indeed. Flames were crumbling away from the crystal orb containing fire. Sparks were flying around visibly to the naked eye.

Ignoring Cha Gang-han’s gaze directed at him, he carefully picked it up.

[You have discovered 〈Primordial Fire Crystal 〉.]

[It is a vessel containing the power of pure flames, but it is currently broken and losing its purity. All fire will be extinguished before long.]

[Warning! This artifact requires restoration!]

[It will be destroyed if not restored within 12 hours!]

12 hours. It was a more pressing timeframe than expected.

He could understand why the Hunters had been so desperate.

Lee Si-hyeok summoned the necessary tools from subspace and put on his work gloves.

Cha Gang-han, surprised by the tools appearing from thin air, asked.

“Are you planning to start right away? Without any other preparations?”

“Aren’t all the preparations already finished?”

From a rough examination, everything Cha Gang-han had said was correct.

So he could proceed with the work.

“Still, it would be better to examine it a bit more… If necessary, I could assist you. I’ve been trying for a long time, so I’ll be helpful.”

“It’s fine.”

“…”

“Being alone is more comfortable.”

An indifferent remark.

Cha Gang-han’s eyebrow twitched.

* * *

Cha Gang-han was a person with strong pride. At least in his field, he tried to maintain a high position, and he also had pride in his own abilities that made this possible.

That didn’t mean he was arrogant.

Rather, he belonged to the humble side. Like a king who once ruled Orbes and was friendly to the common people, he wanted to give and share as much as he could. That was also the reason he had publicly revealed Changseongpungmyeoldo to the world.

However…

His pride had recently developed major cracks.

First, that artifact. The vessel of flames called 〈Primordial Fire Crystal〉 was extremely difficult to analyze from the start.

It was clearly a simple artifact. Fire. Flames. Elements. Heat. It only possessed such properties and didn’t include other properties, making it belong to the very simple category.

However, that very point made Cha Gang-han more complicated.

This should originally be like this here. This is normal.

Huh, why isn’t it working? What could be the problem…

Such days repeated throughout his detention by the Hunters. Moreover, his worries weren’t just about that—he was also greatly concerned about the Muksi Guild that would be at headquarters.

The feeling of his self-esteem, which he had somehow protected even when Orbes collapsed, being completely shattered.

Therefore, Lee Si-hyeok’s words couldn’t help but strongly stimulate his already cracked pride.

“…”

Cha Gang-han watched Lee Si-hyeok’s work process with his arms crossed.

Tap, tap. Clatter.

Whirrrr!

He could see flames scattering from a distance.

As time passed, Cha Gang-han’s expression gradually became more peculiar.

‘What exactly is he fixing right now?’

Only after staring for a while could he figure it out.

‘Resonance collection’.

It was the process of gathering the scattered traces of flames.

Pure elements don’t completely disappear even when destroyed, but remain in space with minute pulsations. Such heat lingers in space and provides various clues to researchers.

It’s convenient to think of it as checking collision logs.

Everything Cha Gang-han had explained to Lee Si-hyeok was also figured out from those traces.

But….

‘…He’s gathering those remnants again?’

Why?

Weren’t those just like records of wrong answers?

He wanted to ask. It was a method that Cha Gang-han had never even attempted once during the weeks he’d stayed in this workshop.

However, Lee Si-hyeok’s expression looked so serious as he operated the special resonance device, reading the flame’s wavelengths while guiding the remnants.

“….”

He couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Pride was pride, but curiosity was curiosity.

He had once been a king of a kingdom and always tried to maintain a humble attitude. If there was something to learn, he had to learn it. That was why he had been able to create the Spear of Creation and Destruction.

He had learned directly by watching the finest alchemists in the kingdom.

Light entered Cha Gang-han’s eyes. New aspiration was replacing his wounded pride.

He became absorbed in Lee Si-hyeok’s movements.

‘This time he’s aligning the grain of the remnants.’

Even if he couldn’t understand everything, he could at least guess the purpose of the movements.

The stage of organizing the grain of the gathered remnants.

If the flame was currently collapsing continuously because its pulse was misaligned and fluctuating in different directions.

Now it seemed to be the process of extracting the debris of that collapse and calming the flame.

Clatter.

Lee Si-hyeok thrust his hand into the flame.

The work gloves neutralized the heat.

Soon he moved his hand and began slowly caressing the flame. Like sculpting clay into a statue. Something new was being created at the center of the flame.

Whoosh!

Soon a temporary core was born.

At the same time, he arranged the flame fragments in a line around that core, and when he matched them to the same rhythm, the colliding flows gradually subsided.

After a moment, with a rustling sound, the contaminated sparks scattered into the air.

‘…He solved both the rampage and contamination simultaneously. And in one attempt.’

These were things Cha Gang-han had failed at despite trying desperately.

No.

To be honest, he hadn’t even been able to properly think of those methods. That’s why he’d been wandering around until now, unable to think of it.

He swallowed dry saliva and continued concentrating.

Now only two things remained.

Reforming the core and reviving the circulation structure.

‘For the core, it looks good to use that temporary core to remake it… as expected.’

This time he finally got it right.

Along with the impurities turning to ash, Lee Si-hyeok’s hand newly created the temporary core. That method was also quite ingenious – he purified the turbid mana emanating from the ash and used it as material to form the core.

Just watching made him feel like his knowledge was increasing.

Sweat flowed down Cha Gang-han’s forehead.

If he could feel the heat even from this distance, just how hot must it be around there?

However, Lee Si-hyeok showed no sign of it.

He just silently extended his hand and delicately adjusted the grain of the flame.

‘He needs to reform the circulation… I wonder how he’ll do it this time.’

However, contrary to Cha Gang-han’s expectations, he couldn’t understand the movements happening now.

His mouth opened slightly.

Mana was flowing out along Lee Si-hyeok’s forearm, and it was entering the flame.

…What is that?

He didn’t know, but actually it was natural that he couldn’t understand.

This process originated from the enlightenment about the ‘cycle of circulation’ that Lee Si-hyeok had gained a few days ago. Regeneration and collapse. Rising and crumbling. 〈Star of the Heavenly River〉 and 〈Remnant of Optimism〉.

That profound principle was shining here.

At the same time, 『Origin Forging』 added adaptability to the elements. Lee Si-hyeok’s hand movements became increasingly incomprehensible, and soon the broken crystal sphere regained its smoothness.

It was the moment a drop of sweat fell from Cha Gang-han’s forehead.

Soon after, Lee Si-hyeok’s mouth opened and a low voice flowed out.

“It’s complete.”

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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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