Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 63

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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 (63)

Ryu Se-eun

As they came out of the building, the team members were waiting.

“Oh, hyung-nim came out.”

“It took quite a while.”

Song Hyeon-gyu and Ryu Se-eun.

From what he heard, Park Sang-min seemed to have left first. Since he hadn’t expected anything, there was no disappointment. Still, it was surprising that these two waited instead of leaving first.

“We thought we’d have lunch together. From what we heard earlier, it seems like you haven’t eaten since yesterday evening.”

That was true.

He had started working immediately after getting out of the Rift. He didn’t feel particularly hungry, but he should eat something.

“Let’s go then. I’ll pay.”

“Wow…!”

“Yes.”

There were quite a few restaurants inside Eterion.

From high-end Japanese restaurants to Western cuisine, Chinese food, and so on. As expected of a specialized academy competing for first place in Korea.

Lee Si-hyeok wanted to treat them to beef as a special gesture of gratitude, but after Hyeon-gyu strongly objected, they ended up deciding on a pork cutlet restaurant.

After finishing their light meal.

Since there were still a few days left until the second session, they returned to the dormitory.

Song Hyeon-gyu’s dormitory was the closest.

Before parting, he stood in front of the building entrance and sniffled.

“Sniff! Hyung-nim, you really worked hard these past few days. Carrying these pathetic team members…!”

“What carrying. I was the one who disappeared without a word.”

“Anyway, thank you so much. Then I’ll head up first, hyung-nim. See you again at the next session!”

“Go on. Don’t get your hopes up since we might not see each other again.”

The next session would probably proceed in a different way, so this might be farewell with that guy.

Next was Ryu Se-eun’s dormitory.

However, since the distance was quite far, Lee Si-hyeok and Ryu Se-eun had to walk a bit.

The two walked silently along the walking path where flowers bloomed freshly.

When an awkward silence began to settle, Lee Si-hyeok suddenly stopped walking.

Ryu Se-eun, who had been walking ahead, turned around.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s strange.”

“Strange?”

Her head tilted curiously. Their gazes met as her head tilted halfway.

Curved eyes, corners of her mouth turned up in a smile.

This was the expression he had been seeing constantly since first meeting Ryu Se-eun. Seemingly innocent yet somehow unsettling.

It was indeed strange.

“Do you remember Ray Wen’s presentation from earlier?”

“Yes. It was only a few hours ago.”

“Then you must also remember how the artifact broke on its own as soon as he got on stage. And how he retired without even starting his presentation.”

In the end, Ray Wen finished with 0 votes without being able to do anything. Lee Si-hyeok continued asking.

“What do you think was the cause?”

“Hmm. Maybe a component defect during the manufacturing process? Or perhaps a mistake in an important connection part?”

“That’s what the other participants speculated. I’m asking for your opinion.”

“They’re all renowned researchers, so their speculation must be correct. There’s no need to hear my opinion…”

“There is.”

“…Pardon?”

“I said there’s a need to hear it.”

“…”

“…”

“…Hehe.”

Her large eyes blinked once.

Once. That was the number of times her eyelids moved just now. During the time they exchanged a few words, her black pupils were washed down only once.

Ryu Se-eun grinned.

“Why are you asking that?”

“Because you provided Ray Wen with the blueprint for that artifact.”

Ryu Se-eun was the very person who had shared the project with the opposing team in this session.

And at that time, the team members including Lee Si-hyeok had never checked her blueprint.

“Oh my. Are you suspecting me?”

“I’m not suspecting you. I’m just curious about your opinion.”

“Why? Didn’t several participants check the broken artifact after all the presentations ended? I remember they found problems in the connection parts then.”

Blink. Her eyelids moved once more.

“Are you saying their judgment was wrong?”

Of course, there was nothing wrong with what she said.

The artifact suddenly developed a defect, and when other researchers investigated the cause, they found there had been a mistake in the manufacturing process.

That would normally be the correct answer.

‘Normally.’

Lee Si-hyeok hardened his expression and brought up a message before his eyes.

A translucent blue window appeared, covering Ryu Se-eun’s face.

[『Eyes that Pierce the Essence』 discovers an abnormal phenomenon!]

[Traces of the new substance ‘Ether’ have been detected in the relevant artifact.]

This was the message that had appeared the moment Ray Wen’s artifact broke earlier.

What did it mean that Ether was detected in the broken artifact? Just as Ether erodes people’s minds, doesn’t it have the same effect on artifacts?

Once he realized this, suspicion inevitably led to Ryu Se-eun.

The uneasiness he had been feeling all along. Somehow, it must be related to her.

Lee Si-hyeok closed the message and said.

“I never said they were wrong. Didn’t I say it several times already? I was just curious about your opinion.”

However, he had no intention of directly asking about Ether.

He smiled at Ryu Se-eun, who was staring at him intently.

“Anyway, I think that’s enough of an answer. Sorry for bothering you unnecessarily.”

Blink. Ryu Se-eun, who had blinked a total of three times, turned around and started walking again.

“It’s okay.”

That one word was the end. Ryu Se-eun and Lee Si-hyeok continued walking without exchanging any conversation, and after a while, they arrived at the front gate of her dormitory.

Even though it would have been natural to add a few more words, she didn’t say anything.

“Well then, you worked hard. Get some good rest.”

Ryu Se-eun left after giving a brief greeting.

Lee Si-hyeok quietly watched her figure disappearing into the entrance.

“…”

With a just-in-case feeling, he activated his skill.

But for some reason, the skill was reacting.

―Flash.

[『Eyes that Pierce the Essence』 searches for target ‘Ryu Se-eun’.]

[Searching. Searching. Search…^&@!*$]

[Error. Cannot search target. Target cannot be seen through by conventional methods… Correction. ‘Ether’ found in current user’s database.]

[Re-searching target ‘■■■’.]

Finally.

Their eyes met as she got on the elevator.

Jet-black pupils. Those same pupils he had been looking at from the beginning somehow felt even blacker in that moment.

[Search Complete.]

[〈■■■〉 – Grade Unclassified

An unidentified existence formed through unknown methods. Though shrouded in mystery, the only confirmed fact is that its interior is filled with ether.]

[Target’s Current Ether Concentration: 107.08%]

* * *

Lee Si-hyeok returned to the dormitory.

As soon as he arrived, he threw himself onto the bed with a thud.

As he felt the rushing fatigue, memories from lunch earlier flashed through his mind.

It was when he briefly went to the restroom with Song Hyeon-gyu after finishing their meal at the pork cutlet restaurant.

―Hyeon-gyu. Why do you dislike Se-eun so much?

He asked while washing his hands at the sink.

―…Our club president?

―I noticed you seem to really avoid her.

It wasn’t just once or twice he’d seen this behavior.

Getting flustered whenever Ryu Se-eun spoke to him. Even stuttering, giving off the obvious feeling that he wanted to avoid her.

―Aren’t you in the same club? Haven’t you been together for quite a while?

―Well, that’s true. Though I’m not sure if it’s been that long.

―What do you mean?

―Uh, um. Is it okay for me to tell you this…?

Song Hyeon-gyu, having finished his business, scratched his head vigorously and pondered for a long time before speaking again.

―Ah, whatever! It’s not just anyone, it’s you, hyung-nim!

Honestly, I’m not sure if you’ll believe me…

He began with those words.

―Our club president isn’t human.

―…What?

―I mean, this might sound strange. It’s not a metaphorical expression or anything, she’s literally not human. Not a human being.

Song Hyeon-gyu lowered his voice quietly in case someone might hear.

―It’s been about 2 months now. You remember the GateTech Expo that was held recently, right? I participated in that, and there I met that hottest person right now, Lee Si…

―Just get to the point. Just the point.

―Ah, right. Anyway, I met someone there and had a big change of heart. What this means is, no. This is also unnecessary talk…

To summarize what the guy said next:

Song Hyeon-gyu met Lee Si-hyeok at the Expo and resolved to live more earnestly from then on.

To realize this, he started attending Eterion and began doing various things he hadn’t done before.

―So one of the things I tried then was using each of my Awakening Abilities one by one. Going through them one by one to see if there was anything that might be helpful.

Most of Song Hyeon-gyu’s Skills were Crafting Type.

However, according to him, there was one peculiar one among them.

―『Discomfort Detection』. It’s a skill that detects discomfort in the surroundings. What’s really strange about it is that while this kind of skill should be fairly common, I’m apparently the only person who has this skill?

―The only one?

―Yes. Nobody else has it. Of course, few people reveal their special skills, but at least among the Awakened who are publicly known, I’m the only one.

He smacked his lips.

―But what use is detecting discomfort in daily life? This kind of thing is only needed by Hunters who raid Gates. Anyway, since I had made up my mind, I thought I should try using the skill at least once.

The location was the Ether Society’s club room where all the members had gathered.

―Do you know what happened?

―…What?

―All the other kids looked the same as usual, stupid and identical, but only one person looked different. Ryu Se-eun. Only our club president.

―…

―Clearly, clearly it was our usual president. No matter how I looked at her, she was our always-kind president, but why did she feel so… awkward? Like I was seeing her for the first time?

Song Hyeon-gyu’s voice quickened.

―…When did she join our club? When was she chosen as president? No, was there even a student named Ryu Se-eun at our academy to begin with? Same grade? Since when? I at least didn’t see her at the entrance ceremony?

―…

―Then, who exactly is she?

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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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