Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 52

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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 (52)

Are you serious

Just when he had barely resolved the awkwardness with Yoon Seo-jin, they were drifting apart once again.

“What’s the matter?”

Lee Si-hyeok, who had returned home, received a phone call that evening.

It was Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon from the Association, with whom he had been actively exchanging contacts recently.

―A problem has arisen.

“A problem?”

―Yes. You know the requests you made to us, don’t you?

He must be referring to forging an identity to participate in the seminar as part of the Association’s research team.

―We’ve prepared a suitable identity. One with no problems and no complications. However, there’s been a slight issue with placing you in the research team.

“Did the team positions get filled up?”

―No. This research team is composed of a small number of people, so there are actually plenty of spots available.

“Then?”

―Well… the research team leader, Professor Hong Yong-jin. He’s strongly refusing your participation.

Lee Si-hyeok’s eyebrows furrowed momentarily as he listened to the story.

“What’s the reason?”

―He says he can’t carelessly accept someone whose background is unknown.

“…”

―It seems the existing research team has been working together for a long time, so sudden additions aren’t welcome.

So he doesn’t want to accept an outsider who’s rolling in.

Lee Si-hyeok could understand Professor Hong Yong-jin’s reaction.

The current situation was essentially no different from the Association using its power to parachute someone in.

Rather, it would be strange if a real leader didn’t get angry. Even if Lee Si-hyeok had been in that position, he wouldn’t have reacted well either.

“Then what should we do…?”

Joining the Association’s research team was the best option.

He could find other routes if he looked, but that would make things too complicated. And revealing his identity would mess up all the plans he had set up.

―There is one method.

However, Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon spoke with an unexpected tone.

“…?”

―This morning, we received an email from Professor Hong Yong-jin. It was an email containing strong refusal regarding you. But it had this content written in it. Well, it would be better to show you directly.

Buzz! A message arrived as soon as he finished speaking.

Lee Si-hyeok paused the call for a moment and checked his smartphone.

There was a screenshot of the email Professor Hong Yong-jin had sent.

―Did you check it? It should be written in the last part.

Lee Si-hyeok’s eyes grew serious as he read the text written there.

 

[For the above reasons, I inform you that I cannot accept the request. However…]

 

“…If you insist on it, I am also willing to meet in person and make a judgment…?”

Lee Si-hyeok’s eyes widened slightly.

―Yes. It seems Professor Hong Yong-jin has left some possibility open as well.

“Isn’t there a chance he just said it out of courtesy?”

―He’s not someone who speaks empty words. He probably meant it sincerely. However, his standards will be incredibly high.

Incredibly high, indeed.

That would certainly be the case. Professor Hong Yong-jin himself was already a big shot among big shots who dominated the engineering field, and the current situation was even more disadvantageous for Lee Si-hyeok.

Unless he performed exceptionally well, it would be difficult to satisfy his standards.

―But wouldn’t it be entirely possible for you, Lee Si-hyeok?

Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon’s voice came through the phone.

His tone carried not a shred of doubt, as if asking about obvious common sense. He didn’t seem to even consider the possibility that Lee Si-hyeok might fail.

That fact was quite pleasant, and as he smiled briefly, Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon, puzzled by the lack of response, asked.

―…Don’t tell me it’s difficult for you?

“How could that be?”

The corner of Lee Si-hyeok’s mouth curved up.

“Let’s do it.”

Difficult? What nonsense.

“I can do it with room to spare.”

He had more than enough confidence in himself.

 

* * *

 

Once he had decided, there was no need to hesitate.

The next day, Lee Si-hyeok headed to the location he had been given to meet Professor Hong Yong-jin.

The meeting place was Eterion Magical Engineering Academy.

Although the seminar hadn’t started yet, Professor Hong Yong-jin was already staying there.

And so he arrived at Eterion.

“Wow.”

Upon reaching the main gate, Lee Si-hyeok had no choice but to stop in his tracks.

It was truly an incredible sight.

Located on a mountainside slightly outside Seoul’s downtown area, the campus was enormously vast. Even when viewed from afar, it was impressive at first glance, but seeing it up close was truly overwhelming.

‘…I’m getting nervous.’

This was a place he had once dreamed of passionately. The flutter in his chest was an inevitable reaction.

Lee Si-hyeok tried not to show it as he passed through the main gate. Isaac had said he would follow on his own.

As soon as he entered, he looked around.

Buildings that had been hidden by the outer walls and invisible from outside came into view. It felt like a combination of a modern research complex and a cutting-edge science center.

It was magnificent.

Sophisticated, otherworldly, and surreal.

It didn’t have the feeling of another world like Orbes, but it gave him a sense of being detached from reality.

‘What would it feel like to actually conduct research in a place like this?’

For a moment, Lee Si-hyeok was overcome with academic passion that he couldn’t contain. His hands were itching. He wanted to grab an artifact right now and analyze it…

‘…Not now.’

That could wait. He had something to do first, didn’t he? He would be staying here until the seminar ended, so there would be plenty of time.

Lee Si-hyeok, who had barely calmed his mind, started moving again.

‘The Deep Research Building, was it?’

It was probably a separately built annex.

However, as he searched for his destination, a problem arose.

“Hmm.”

There wasn’t just one or two buildings.

Just what he could see exceeded roughly 10 buildings. They were spaced far apart, making it difficult to check each one individually.

To make matters worse, there were hardly any people passing by.

This was probably because it was vacation time, but he should have looked at a map before coming if he had known it would be like this.

While wandering around like this, he finally spotted one person passing by. Judging by their school uniform, they appeared to be a student here.

“Excuse me.”

“…?”

“I’m new here, so I was wondering if you know where the Deep Research Building is?”

However, the student suddenly stepped back hesitantly. Anyone could see they were being wary.

“Uh, um. I’m not a suspicious person. Please don’t misunderstand.”

“…!?”

“No, really. I got permission from the security guard.”

Come to think of it, it would be quite scary for some sturdy man in his twenties to enter their academy and ask for directions.

So Lee Si-hyeok showed the entry permit he had received earlier instead of adding more explanations.

Only then did the student seem to lower their guard.

“…You asked where the Deep Research Building is, right?”

The student ran their fingers through their long hair once, let out a sigh of relief, then asked in a calm tone.

“Yes. I have some business there.”

“Just go straight to the left from here. You’ll see signs along the way.”

“Ah, thank you.”

He was about to leave after greeting them, when he heard the student’s voice from behind.

“But you said you came to meet Professor Hong Yong-jin?”

“…?”

“I saw it on the entry permit you showed me. It says meeting with Professor Hong Yong-jin is the reason for your visit.”

“Yes, well. That’s right.”

“Are you perhaps participating in this seminar?”

At that question, Lee Si-hyeok unconsciously touched his face.

It was to check if the Identity Disguise Artifact he was wearing was working properly. There was no problem. Right now he was ‘Choi Hyeok’, not Lee Si-hyeok.

“I don’t know yet. Whether I’ll participate or not.”

“You don’t know?”

“Everything will be decided after I meet Professor Hong Yong-jin.”

“Ah.”

The student seemed to understand immediately. The type who grasps situations quickly.

“Then please take care of me in advance.”

The student smiled brightly and pointed to their left chest.

There was a name tag attached there.

Ryu Se-eun. That was the name.

“I’m also participating in the seminar.”

“What?”

“I have a feeling we’ll see each other there again.”

Words he couldn’t understand.

But Ryu Se-eun was still just smiling.

“Oh my, you’re busy but I talked too long. Anyway, let’s meet again then. Good luck!”

Then she quickly moved away and completely disappeared from sight.

…What was that?

More than anything else, she’s participating in the seminar?

While wondering what kind of person she was, the participant list he had seen on the letter suddenly came to mind.

 

[Eterion Magical Engineering Institute affiliated, ‘Ether Society’]

 

No way.

Affiliated with Ether Society, Eterion’s club. Then her words about participating in the seminar would make sense.

‘She’s quite a mysterious kid.’

She seemed bright and positive, but it didn’t feel purely innocent.

For some reason, she felt like she had secretive aspects.

Lee Si-hyeok continued various idle thoughts while heading to the Deep Research Building, and soon arrived at his destination.

Professor Hong Yong-jin would be beyond this door.

After taking a deep breath for a moment, just as he was about to knock.

“Come in.”

An old man’s voice came from inside the research lab.

Without hesitation, he opened the door.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Choi Hyeok.”

When he gave the name he had received from the Association, the old man with sparse hair glared at him. The air in the room felt cold and menacing.

“So you’re the bastard the Association mentioned. Let me see.”

He strode over and began examining Lee Si-hyeok.

“Your face is decent enough. Quite tall too. Your fingers are straight without a single scar. So soft, so delicate.”

“Thank you…”

A sneer appeared on Professor Hong Yong-jin’s lips.

“Did that sound like a compliment?”

“What?”

“Ha, no sense either. How could you do research like this? You’d be better suited for modeling or the entertainment industry with that pretty face of yours.”

“…”

A hostile attitude.

Actually, it wasn’t that Lee Si-hyeok hadn’t caught the meaning of his words. Soft fingers for a researcher? It was almost insulting.

In a profession where calluses naturally form from handling various parts, not having any meant he had never done proper research.

But what could he do? The body of Choi Hyeok that Lee Si-hyeok was disguised as had originally been like this.

“…I saw the email you sent. You said you’d judge whether to let me join the team after seeing me directly.”

Professor Hong Yong-jin burst into laughter as if he found it absurd.

“Did you seriously believe that?”

“…”

“Well, if you want to join that badly. Let me ask you something first. Have you ever read even one of the papers I’ve written?”

“Of course. I’ve read not only your papers but also all the books you’ve published without exception.”

“Without exception? Are you serious?”

“I’m serious.”

“Ha! Right, that’s what you’re saying.”

Soon he walked over and pulled out a book from the bookshelf. Author: Professor Hong Yong-jin. It was a book he had written in the past.

“My research team has 4 more people besides me. But even those guys haven’t been able to read all the books I’ve written. Why do you think?”

“…”

“There are too many. So many that even the guys working under me give up without reading them all.”

Lee Si-hyeok inwardly agreed with that statement. Professor Hong Yong-jin published books almost like a factory churning them out.

However, the amazing thing was that despite writing so relentlessly, there wasn’t a single useless piece of content.

“But you’re saying you accomplished what even those guys couldn’t?”

Hong Yong-jin chuckled mockingly.

“Then let’s see. You must be confident no matter what I ask. I have absolutely no intention of working with a team member who spouts lies.”

He seemed to treat Lee Si-hyeok’s words as lies from the start.

At this point, Lee Si-hyeok was starting to get angry too.

‘He said he’d judge after seeing me directly.’

Had he planned this from the beginning? Of course, it wasn’t completely impossible. As he had expected before, the standards were just astronomically high.

He had originally intended to go about this nicely.

Lee Si-hyeok knew his own situation. Parachute hire. A rolling stone. Since he had never looked favorably upon such positions, he had tried to be as humble as possible.

But wasn’t this going too far?

Stroking his hardened face, Lee Si-hyeok opened his lips.

“Where should I start?”

“…What?”

“The answers. You need to ask questions first for me to respond, don’t you?”

Professor Hong Yong-jin’s eyebrows twitched.

“Oh, and.”

Lee Si-hyeok’s eyes curved.

“Would it be okay if I point out mistakes in return?”

“What do you mean…”

“That book. When I read it before, there were quite a few incorrect parts. Since we’re meeting like this anyway, I should correct them all before I go.”

“…?!”

The counterattack begins.

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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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