Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 48

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Even Hastily Made Ones Keep Stacking Up as EX-Rank (48)

Father and Mother

It wasn’t as if he had approached the plan without any preparation.

Emergency Artifact. Of course, there was that too, but Lee Si-hyeok had conducted one test just before leaving the subspace.

He had selected one of the stored artifacts and tried activating it on Blackie. Each of the artifacts in the subspace possessed tremendous power.

Enough that even Lee Si-hyeok, a non-combat type awakener, could draw out quite strong output when using them.

―Maaang!

Nevertheless, Blackie had devoured all the mana in one bite.

That’s why he thought it would also absorb the Snow Flame Empress’s magic and executed the plan.

Yes, he was certain of that, but.

“…Different.”

The Snow Flame Empress’s magic was incomparably powerful. Was it the difference between combat type and crafting type? It should just be a different direction of awakening, yet the output was worlds apart from what he had expected.

He almost died.

Lee Si-hyeok swallowed his saliva and looked down at Blackie.

“Maaang…”

Blackie lay sprawled on his palm, letting out pleased cries.

Dense mana could be felt from within the creature’s belly.

[Your mana and 〈Blackie’s〉 mana are synchronized.]

[You can use the mana that 〈Blackie〉 possesses.]

[The mana is recovering your ‘overwork’!]

Soon, Blackie’s mana began flowing toward his heart.

The throbbing headache disappeared. His heavy shoulders became light, and his complicated mind seemed to clear up.

As their mana was shared, Lee Si-hyeok’s exhausted mana began filling up again.

‘This is ridiculous.’

Lee Si-hyeok was genuinely amazed. Mana Synchronization. It might seem like a simple ability, but its applications were truly limitless.

With just this, no matter what artifact he crafted, there would be no obstacles. Instead of coffee, just having Blackie would allow him to recover from all fatigue.

“Blackie.”

“Mang?”

“From now on, you’re my auxiliary battery.”

“…Ma, maang?!”

Moreover, this was only an extremely small part.

It was an Origin Artifact, after all. There were still many aspects of Blackie that he hadn’t grasped yet, so it was truly like a treasure chest.

‘To think I first considered dissecting such a cutie!’

While Lee Si-hyeok was reflecting on himself, he could see the Snow Flame Empress slowly approaching from far away.

“Wh-what on earth just happened?”

“Ah, this is my pet.”

“Pet?”

She looked back and forth between Lee Si-hyeok and Blackie as if asking what he was talking about. She looked quite shocked.

…What should he say? Come to think of it, he realized there was no way to explain Blackie’s identity.

To explain, he’d have to start by talking about what Origin Artifacts were, but that would make the explanation too long. Moreover, he’d have to reveal that this insignificant cotton ball was on the same level as the Orbes she had lived with, which would be quite a shock.

While he was pondering this, the matter was resolved surprisingly simply.

“Maang! Mang!”

Blackie, who had been lying down comfortably, suddenly got up and quickly snuggled into the Snow Flame Empress’s arms.

Then it began continuously licking her cheek.

“Uh, uuuh! What is this thing doing!”

“Mang, mang!”

“Stop it…!”

The Snow Flame Empress looked at Lee Si-hyeok as if asking for help. But Lee Si-hyeok showed no reaction and only nodded his head a couple of times.

Not knowing that he was mulling over newly acquired knowledge, the Snow Flame Empress involuntarily cried out at the constant wetness she felt on her cheek.

“What are you doing! Help me already!”

“Th-that, Snow Flame Empress.”

But Lee Si-hyeok hesitated unusually. The Snow Flame Empress’s eyes narrowed as she stared at his hesitant lips.

“It seems Blackie has recognized the Snow Flame Empress as its mother.”

“What?”

* * *

Imprinting phenomenon.

A scientific phenomenon where a newborn creature recognizes the first being it sees as its mother.

The Snow Flame Empress already knew about this theory. Born in Orbes, she had been involved with magical engineering since childhood, and that maniacal disposition still remained.

So there was no way she wouldn’t know such basic information, right?

In fact, the Snow Flame Empress had thought of the imprinting phenomenon as soon as Blackie jumped at her.

‘Originally, imprinting is said to occur with only one target…’

She thought there was no particular problem.

This mana-devouring creature was already a very strange existence to begin with. Adding a bit more strangeness to something already strange wouldn’t be a big problem.

In other words, the Snow Flame Empress surprisingly accepted the fact that she had become Blackie’s mother quite readily.

She accepted it, but.

‘…If, if I am the mother, then the father is…’

She couldn’t come to terms with it.

The Snow Flame Empress tried not to show her nervous feelings and lifted her head to look straight ahead.

The dining room of the grand mansion. Across the table.

Lee Si-hyeok was sitting there.

Clatter, clatter.

Only the sound of utensils clinking spread softly in the quiet dining room. It wasn’t noisy. Rather, it was a pleasant resonance that made her tense mind feel calm.

“…”

However, the awkwardness remained.

It had already been three days since she realized she had become the mother of the child called Blackie.

Since then, unlike herself who continued to feel inexplicable awkwardness and embarrassment, Lee Si-hyeok had been casually asking for various things like using magic without any concern.

Of course, she couldn’t refuse, but the Snow Flame Empress couldn’t treat Lee Si-hyeok the same way as before.

Was it because of the sense of responsibility that came with becoming a mother?

Come to think of it, she had always had a strong sense of responsibility since childhood. She had endured long years with just the responsibility of reclaiming Orbes.

However, her current feelings were slightly different from back then. She couldn’t express exactly what it was, but it was somehow subtle.

‘What on earth…’

The Snow Flame Empress finally put down her fork.

She couldn’t concentrate on her meal at all.

She had no idea where the food was going, so she just kept drinking water while secretly observing the child’s father… that is, Lee Si-hyeok.

Lee Si-hyeok had maintained the same appearance since they first met.

A black dress shirt worn under a white research coat. He always wore the same outfit without getting tired of it, but that didn’t mean it was bad.

It suited him well.

He always kept his word once spoken, giving a sense of trust that he would always be in the same place, like the recent ‘promise.’

And those indifferent eyes also had depth, somehow drawing you in…

‘…Drawing in?’

Wait, eyes?

To look at someone’s eyes, wouldn’t you have to make eye contact?

“What are you staring at like that? Your food won’t go down.”

“…?!”

Looking at the Snow Flame Empress who froze like a squirrel caught hiding acorns, Lee Si-hyeok sighed.

‘Why is she acting like that?’

Lee Si-hyeok was equally unable to focus on his meal.

Pretending not to notice could only last so long, but she had been constantly glancing at him ever since they sat down across from each other in the restaurant, and at this rate he felt like he might get indigestion from what he’d eaten.

This wasn’t just once or twice. It had been going on ever since he started conducting various tests with Blackie.

‘Well, it’s not like I can’t guess the reason…’

No matter how many times he told her she didn’t need to worry about Blackie, she kept acting like this, so Lee Si-hyeok was gradually getting frustrated too.

“Just hurry up and eat.”

“Ahem… I understand.”

At least when he snapped at her once, she started picking at her food.

Ever since the Aglio e Olio incident, Lee Si-hyeok had been in charge of cooking. No matter how much he taught her, her cooking skills never improved, so he had no choice but to do it himself.

Oh, and Isaac ate while remaining stealthed when food was brought to him. He didn’t know where Isaac ate, but judging by how he returned completely clean plates, the food seemed to suit his taste.

As the meal was coming to an end, the Snow Flame Empress, who had been watching for an opportunity, opened her lips.

“…How far have you progressed with the tests? The tests you were conducting with Blackie, I mean.”

For three days, Lee Si-hyeok had asked the Snow Flame Empress to cast magic at him, just as he had initially requested.

The stated purpose was to test Blackie’s health condition, but in reality it was to understand how to utilize the creature.

“It’s almost finished. There’s nothing more I need the Snow Flame Empress to help with.”

And those tests had concluded today.

Lee Si-hyeok bowed his head in gratitude while quickly organizing the test results in his mind.

‘First, the amount of mana it can devour isn’t infinite.’

Our Blackie does eat quite a lot.

But that didn’t mean the amount was bottomless. Once it exceeded a certain amount, it couldn’t absorb any more and would faint.

Since he hadn’t known the exact limit before, there had been one incident during testing where he almost died after taking a direct hit from the Snow Flame Empress’s magic when Blackie couldn’t absorb it.

Anyway, when it reached that limit, Lee Si-hyeok had to resolve it either by using mana himself or letting Blackie digest it.

And one more thing.

Blackie could understand its master’s thoughts to a certain extent.

Its master was only Lee Si-hyeok. While the Snow Flame Empress was recognized as a mother figure, she apparently wasn’t quite at the master level since Blackie showed no signs of reading her thoughts.

There was a difference in hierarchy.

‘Good boy.’

When Lee Si-hyeok chuckled and vigorously rubbed Blackie’s belly, the creature let out a pleased cry.

There were still many unknown aspects, but even this much was an enormous harvest. He was already looking forward to the moment of crafting an artifact.

As he was feeling such excitement, the Snow Flame Empress, who had completely finished her meal, asked in a somewhat wistful tone.

“You said you were planning to leave today.”

“Yes. My body has fully recovered, so I can’t impose on you any longer.”

“You could stay as long as you want…”

“I appreciate the offer, but I have things I need to do.”

“Things to do. You mean researching magical engineering?”

At Lee Si-hyeok’s nodding figure, the Snow Flame Empress burst into laughter.

“Really, it’s good that you haven’t changed.”

She glanced at Blackie for a moment before continuing.

“But I cannot let you go like this. What I’ve done for you is woefully inadequate compared to what I owe you.”

“…Are you planning to confine me or something?”

“Confine you?”

He suddenly remembered a research department head from South Korea’s leading artifact manufacturing company who would say terrifying things every time they met, so he asked.

Knowing that there was half-truth mixed into those words about wanting to kidnap him and make him do nothing but research, Lee Si-hyeok couldn’t help but tense up unconsciously.

However, judging by the Snow Flame Empress’s reaction, she didn’t seem to have such thoughts.

“…Never mind then.”

“Hmm, you say strange things. Anyway, there’s a place I want to show you.”

“A place you want to show me?”

“It’s where I’ve collected the essence of magical engineering that I’ve gathered over the 15 years I’ve lived on Earth.”

Lee Si-hyeok tilted his head. The essence of magical engineering? He wasn’t particularly moved by that.

And for good reason, since Lee Si-hyeok had also spent a long time digging through papers and studying various information. It meant he already possessed enough information to feel proud of himself.

Moreover, he had now gained clues about Origin Artifacts beyond Legacy Artifacts.

For further development, ordinary things wouldn’t be enough.

So how impressive could the information possessed by the Snow Flame Empress, who wasn’t even a Crafting Type awakener, really be? From what he heard, they seemed to be things from Earth, not Orbes.

However, the Snow Flame Empress’s next words made Lee Si-hyeok’s thoughts come to a halt.

“The Imitation World. Someone on Earth attempted it first.”

Perhaps he might be able to obtain information about Origin Artifacts.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————