Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 58

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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 (58)

If It’s That Person

“H-Hyung-nim… are we really okay just doing this?”

“Why?”

“The other teams already started working, so I’m wondering if it’s okay for us to be leisurely reading books like this.”

“The more urgent it is, the more we need to take the long way around.”

“No, but even so…”

Watching Song Hyeon-gyu grumble while still faithfully following behind, Lee Si-hyeok let out a chuckle.

‘Well, it’s understandable that he’d be anxious.’

Just as he said, most of the other teams had started analysis immediately after receiving the project, while Lee Si-hyeok’s team hadn’t even begun analysis and was just going around the library collecting materials.

And they had even split into two groups.

It was intended to minimize wasted movement by placing the Eterion students Song Hyeon-gyu and Ryu Se-eun in different groups, but Song Hyeon-gyu seemed to not understand this deep down.

“Hyung-nim, you’re not giving up on this session, are you?”

“Give up what. By the way, where’s the Medical Data Wing?”

“It’s to the right from here. No, three days isn’t exactly a short time, but it seems like you’ve half given up. Even if we had started analysis a while ago, it would be tight, but at this rate we really won’t meet the deadline.”

“So what if we don’t meet it?”

“Even now, before it gets any later… Huh, what?”

“It’s not like there’s any penalty for failing a session. It’s literally just one of the activities.”

“Hyung-nim, are you crazy?!”

Song Hyeon-gyu shouted as if horrified. Soon after, he belatedly realized this was a library and covered his mouth, but attention had already focused on them.

Lee Si-hyeok chuckled and stacked another book on the cart before moving to the next destination. The Medical Data Wing. Since there were supposedly 17 wings total, there were still many places left to explore.

“Ah, this is really driving me crazy…”

Contrary to Song Hyeon-gyu’s worries.

In fact, he had absolutely no intention of failing.

Given that the theme was ‘Mimicry’ in the first place, this session was just a good stage for Lee Si-hyeok to run wild. Was there any need to be impatient?

So since he had some leisure time, he planned to do some library exploration.

‘Eterion’s library is quite famous after all.’

He had encountered it through internet reviews. Even though photography was strictly prohibited and only written reviews from visitors remained, he could tell the scale was extraordinary.

He suddenly remembered sitting in his small room, continuing various imaginations about what Eterion’s library might look like.

“They said the book you asked for is here, hyung-nim.”

“Oh, thanks.”

The actual impression wasn’t different.

It felt even more magnificent than he had imagined. For Lee Si-hyeok, whose only library experience had been the neighborhood public library, everything was new.

Of course, he had heard about it in Orbes too, but that was a completely different world, so it should be considered separate.

“I think we’re almost done.”

Lee Si-hyeok stopped the cart he had been pulling. On top of it were tremendous stacks of books, almost resembling a tower.

“…But I wonder if all of these can be checked out at once. Even with participant status for the seminar, I know there’s a borrowing limit…”

“What are you talking about? We’re going to read them all here.”

“Whaaaat?!”

Song Hyeon-gyu’s eyes, which had been tilting his head in confusion, immediately widened. This time too, attention focused on them, but he couldn’t help it. No, he had no choice but to not mind it.

“H-Hyung-nim…?”

“You sit down too. It’ll finish faster if we read together.”

Regardless, Lee Si-hyeok took out a book from the cart and sat at the desk, tapping the seat next to him.

* * *

[Introduction to Mana-Based Biological Regeneration Engineering]

[Operating Principles and Design of Self-Catalytic Healing Artifacts]

[Report on Application of Irregular Healing Devices to Acute Trauma Patients]

…

Countless books and papers stacked endlessly high.

Lee Si-hyeok’s reason for prioritizing data collection even while splitting the team into two groups included personal desire, but that wasn’t everything.

First was investigating the incident that had occurred at Eterion in the past.

A library with as many as 17 wings. Since it stored vast amounts of materials, he wanted to search for any remaining documents about past incidents.

And the second reason was…

‘I became interested.’

Earlier, when he saw Ray Wen’s team’s artifact.

Lee Si-hyeok, who had been quietly examining the artifact with his ‘Eyes that Pierce the Essence’ activated, was able to discover it.

A virus hidden deep within the artifact.

At first, he thought it was quite cleverly hidden. But the more he looked at it, for some reason, he thought he could use it in reverse.

‘Ray Wen probably thinks this thing is broken…’

Rather, in Lee Si-hyeok’s eyes, it was an opportunity itself.

An opportunity to create a completely new artifact that had never existed before.

So his intention was to look up related books in the library and check once more whether his thoughts were correct.

—Crack crack.

As he stretched and got up, sounds came from various parts of his body.

While briefly going to the restroom and passing by the window, it had already become deep night.

‘Ah, is that why Hyeon-gyu left first?’

That guy had slipped away saying he’d go ahead first, so he wondered why he was leaving so early. In fact, it wasn’t that he left early, but that he had been so absorbed in books that he didn’t notice time passing.

Lee Si-hyeok, returning from the restroom, immediately sat back down.

He had no intention of wasting time.

So he became absorbed again between sentences and paragraphs, concentrating for quite a while when he felt some gaze from around him.

It was a very obvious gaze. As if wanting him to notice that person was there…

“Hehe, you’re finally looking at me.”

“…?”

“We met once before, right? I’m Yoon Seo-jin.”

Lee Si-hyeok blinked his eyes.

“Oh my. Why are you so surprised? Making me feel awkward?”

“…Ah, I’m Choi Hyeok.”

“I stopped by to cool my head after finishing collaboration, and I happened to see you, Hyeok. I was happy to see you, so I came over.”

“I see.”

“Yes. But anyway, I’ve been curious about something.”

Yoon Seo-jin pointed to the pile of books stacked on the desk.

“These books, don’t tell me you brought them to read?”

“I’ve already read about half of them.”

“Half? You just said half, right?”

Lee Si-hyeok nodded.

She pulled out a book and suddenly asked.

“Why do people show different recovery speeds even when using the same healing artifact?”

“Healing signals aren’t simple regeneration commands but affect the user’s biological rhythm… No, what. Why are you suddenly asking that?”

“Wow, you really did read them all?”

The answer had reflexively popped out.

Yoon Seo-jin, who had been admiring, closed the book with a thud and muttered.

“You know what?”

Her face came much closer.

“Among the people I know, there’s this really strange person. Strange but peculiar, peculiar but unique… Hmm, how should I express this?”

“…”

“Anyway, there’s this somewhat amazing person. Though they seem more like a monster than a person. I think you’re incredibly similar to that person, Hyeok?”

Lee Si-hyeok unconsciously touched his own cheek.

“No, no. I’m not talking about your face, but your atmosphere is similar. There’s some strange feeling I can’t quite explain. Like how you didn’t notice when I came right up close earlier because you were so absorbed in reading.”

Yoon Seo-jin’s face had somehow drawn close to Lee Si-hyeok’s research coat. Suddenly, something stirred in the front pocket of his coat.

“Hm? What was that just now?”

“…It’s my mobile phone. It was vibrating.”

“Well, I’ve been talking for a while. It’s just really fascinating. How can you give off such a similar atmosphere?”

“Hmm. Perhaps you’re mistaken.”

“I’m not sure. That person has a history too. You couldn’t possibly be that person, could you, Hyeok?”

“Of course not.”

Yoon Seo-jin chuckled softly.

“Sorry about that. Just bothering a busy person. Anyway, we’ll be seeing each other often from now on, so please take care of me.”

She stood up from her seat and tucked an energy drink into his pocket.

“Well then, I’ll head out first. Good work!”

After confirming she was moving away, Lee Si-hyeok calmed his pounding heart.

Just as Yoon Seo-jin was about to completely exit the reading room, Lee Si-hyeok was about to open his book again when she suddenly turned around and looked his way.

Her voice reached him.

“But Hyeok, aren’t you curious about who that person is?”

He was about to answer that he wasn’t particularly curious.

“You’re not particularly curious?”

“…?”

The corners of her mouth turned up.

“I thought that person would answer like that.”

* * *

After Yoon Seo-jin left.

In the reading room that had grown dark with only minimal lighting remaining, Lee Si-hyeok closed the book he was reading and muttered.

“What could it be?”

The few people who had remained had also left long ago.

While his mind was fiercely organizing the newly acquired knowledge, Lee Si-hyeok’s soliloquy echoed quietly in the silent reading room.

“Did she figure it out?”

However, in truth, it was ambiguous to call it a soliloquy.

Right now, there was one more living being here besides Lee Si-hyeok.

“What do you think?”

“Mang?”

“You’re an Origin Artifact. Shouldn’t you be able to grasp that much through intuition or something?”

“Maang?”

Blackie just tilted its head as if it didn’t understand what he was saying. Then, unable to bear its own weight, it kept tumbling over to the opposite side.

“Clueless little thing…”

It’s useful but clueless.

…Or is it? Thinking back to how it trembled the moment he thought about dissecting it when they first met, it seems perceptive in some ways.

He didn’t know.

Actually, even during the earlier encounter with Yoon Seo-jin, when it suddenly stirred in his front pocket, he was internally shocked beyond measure.

“Why did you do that all of a sudden?”

“Maaaaang…”

When he asked reproachfully, the little thing suddenly shrank back.

Only Yoon Seo-jin and the Snow Flame Empress knew of Blackie’s existence so far. That’s why he had to be especially careful in front of Yoon Seo-jin.

Lee Si-hyeok let Blackie out for a moment while methodically organizing the haphazardly stacked books.

He had now finished grasping the content to some extent. Although he ultimately didn’t find records of past incidents, he had perfectly conceived a method to use Ray Wen’s scheme against him.

Starting tomorrow, he could begin working with his team members.

“Mang? Mang, mang!”

Just as he was finishing tidying up with that plan in mind, Blackie suddenly started hopping around.

“What’s wrong?”

Something was strange. He had let it out briefly because it had been so well-behaved staying quietly in his pocket, but this was an unexpected reaction.

“Huh? Hey, where are you going!”

Blackie, which had been wandering around in circles, suddenly dashed off somewhere with swift movements he had never seen before.

Despite its plump, jiggling bottom, its body movements were incredibly fast, so Lee Si-hyeok quickly checked the positions of the surrounding surveillance cameras.

‘Three on the right, six on the left?’

As soon as he finished assessing, he followed Blackie.

Blackie was a creature drawn to mana. While its owner’s mana took priority, it also reacted well when it was some kind of special mana.

It must have sensed some kind of mana.

Todododot!

They ran and ran between the dark bookshelves.

Turning corners intermittently as they proceeded, they eventually reached a blind spot without surveillance cameras.

A dead-end wall, bookshelves packed with books.

“…”

As he held Blackie in his arms and let his mana flow, the bookshelf split apart with a slight vibration.

In the secret passage that was revealed, there was a single sign attached.

[Special Experiment Building No. 2]

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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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