Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 77

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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 (77)

Now

[Loading….]

[Entering into forgotten memories.]

Besides Song Chae-ah, countless people clicked the accept button. Beyond South Korea, across the entire world. The number was so vast it was impossible to count.

[You have entered 〈Former Special Experiment Building No. 2〉!]

[Witness with your own eyes the truth behind the tragedy that occurred here several years ago.]

After her vision changed completely, what she faced was a space filled with sophisticated buildings lined up in rows.

‘So this is Eterion Magical Engineering Academy.’

Song Chae-ah was inwardly amazed. Even though she narrowed her eyes and examined carefully from the moment she entered, she couldn’t find a single flaw in the spatial design.

She stood there dazed, looking around her surroundings.

[The memory is being reproduced.]

[Move according to the guidance.]

Arrows floated up before her eyes.

‘I guess I need to follow these to move around?’

Like that, Song Chae-ah and everyone else who had entered this space began to move their steps one by one.

According to the guidance, according to Lee Si-hyeok’s design.

After moving for quite a while, they came to witness everything directly with their own eyes. The ugly reality of Eterion Magical Engineering Academy, supposedly South Korea’s premier specialized academy.

“Is this… really true?”

Honestly, it was hard to believe.

The scene of the Dean and Pyo Jae-hwan planning insane experiments and throwing innocent students into mana rifts was something that absolutely shouldn’t and couldn’t happen in this era.

But watching the students being sucked in while screaming beyond the rift, she couldn’t help but clench her fists without realizing it. Her molars ground together and her eyes widened.

Of course, all the victims’ faces were mosaic-processed.

But even so, couldn’t she feel it?

The tremendous despair and pain revealed in those blurred faces.

For what reason on earth?

‘…I don’t know.’

That made it even more problematic. A reasonable cause? A just purpose? This incident didn’t contain even a speck of such things. It was merely for the personal greed of the Dean and Pyo Jae-hwan.

Time flowed quickly.

Before long, people who had finished the experience began to emerge one by one back to the original space.

Song Chae-ah was the same.

As soon as she came outside, she checked ArtiNet with a rigidly hardened face.

[No, are they really insane?]

[Author: Arti1Emperor

Human experimentation, corpse concealment, case fabrication.

These kinds of incidents happen in the 21st century? Does that make sense?]

[Upvotes 3,828 / Downvotes 1]

Originally, it was extremely rare for ArtiNet opinions to be unified.

That was because an enormous number of users were permanently active, so opinions were also varied.

The last time opinions were unified was probably when the fact that an EX-rank awakener was born in Korea was announced, and even that was quite a long time ago.

But now….

[Factos.: For real, it’s just time for Eterion to fall into the abyss now ㅇㅇ]

[ㅇㅇ: I was bored, so this is perfect timing]

[12313: I really didn’t know they were such crazy bastards;;;]

[Korea’s Artifacts Amaze the World: I cannot remain still.]

Even users who were usually called ‘malicious’ were posting articles one after another, furious to the tips of their heads.

In a way, that massive force, said to be more frightening than most Hunters, began to move with one heart and one mind according to a single person’s plan.

* * *

“Th-this is….”

Professor Hong Yong-jin, with wide eyes, muttered in a voice of disbelief. That wasn’t all. All the participants in the research lab.

Even the researchers who had been hostile toward Lee Si-hyeok, including Ray Wen, couldn’t help but be shocked at this moment.

“…What we just saw was real?”

“No, that doesn’t make sense?”

“Then the reason the Chronos team isn’t here is also for that reason?”

Among them, only Lee Si-hyeok maintained a calm expression.

Soon Pyo Jae-hwan’s second attack would begin. However, there was no need to rush, so Lee Si-hyeok waited for Professor Hong Yong-jin’s reaction for a moment.

“Hah, I’m at a loss for words.”

After a while, he let out a hollow laugh. Lee Si-hyeok approached his side again.

“As you just confirmed, there are no parts where I added personal opinions or anything. From beginning to end, exactly as it was….”

“No need to explain.”

“…Pardon?”

“I know better than anyone that you didn’t fabricate this with lies.”

What does he mean? As Lee Si-hyeok tilted his head, Professor Hong Yong-jin clicked his tongue.

“I didn’t mention it earlier, but when I directly investigated the case in the past, there were several suspicious parts. It felt like there were gaps here and there. However, at that time I simply thought the evidence was lost due to the rift….”

“So now you understand.”

“Right. I never imagined the mastermind would be the Dean.”

His acceptance was faster than expected.

Just moments ago he had stubbornly opposed, but now that Lee Si-hyeok had directly shown him the evidence, he immediately accepted it.

It was truly characteristic of Professor Hong Yong-jin. Fiery yet sometimes gentle, and knowing when to bend when necessary.

“…I’m sorry to you.”

“It’s fine. I also brought up the topic suddenly.”

“Then explain what you mentioned earlier. What, you’re going to detonate a bomb somewhere?”

“Just a moment.”

Lee Si-hyeok nodded and turned around. Then he felt the gazes pouring from all directions suddenly flinch and withdraw.

‘It seems no one is thinking of running away.’

Actually, the door that had been locked when he activated the barrier had been opened for quite some time. Yet seeing that not a single person had left, it seemed they intended to stay here.

Probably either curious about what Lee Si-hyeok was planning to do, or perhaps they felt it was safer here.

Making that judgment, he slowly climbed up to the platform where the host had first stood.

“Please give me the microphone.”

“Oh, yes.”

The host who had been taking refuge near the platform handed over the microphone in bewilderment.

Lee Si-hyeok took it and plugged the USB he had brought from the dormitory into the beam projector.

‘The remaining time is….’

1 minute.

Sufficient.

Soon the prepared screen appeared on the large screen. It was surveillance camera footage showing somewhere. Five in total.

“That place… isn’t that the Engineering Practice Building?”

“I’ve been near there too. The one on the left looks like the Energy Management Building.”

He nodded toward the murmuring participants.

“Yes, that’s correct. The locations you’re seeing now are buildings where Pyo Jae-hwan and Chronos Industry have installed ‘Spatial Compression Devices.'”

“Spatial Compression Devices!”

“A-are they really insane.”

Since everyone was high-level participants, there was no need for explanation. Spatial Compression Devices. Just mentioning the name of that machine was enough for everyone to predict what would happen next.

“They’ll probably start from the Engineering Practice Building. From there, they’ll cause a mana rift and simultaneously activate all five Spatial Compression Devices.”

Then the runaway mana would meet other mana and cause an even greater rampage.

Soon it would create a tremendous collision, leading to a mana rift that would swallow up the entire Central Engineering Hall where the participants were located.

That is, if Lee Si-hyeok did nothing about it.

“I’ve pre-installed bombs in these buildings. They’re called ‘Terminal Pulse,’ quite powerful explosive-type devices.”

Lee Si-hyeok paused briefly and tapped the platform.

“I modified them to reduce the explosion range. With the reduced range, that power will be compressed into a much smaller area.”

“You’re going to detonate them to destroy the Spatial Compression Devices.”

“That’s right, Professor.”

“There’s one thing I don’t understand.”

“Please go ahead.”

Professor Hong Yong-jin narrowed his eyes.

“If you had enough time to install bombs directly, wouldn’t it have been better to use that time to dismantle the Spatial Compression Devices instead? Then you wouldn’t have needed to use such an extreme method.”

“Well, that’s a valid point. But if we did that, wouldn’t things end too simply?”

“…?”

Lee Si-hyeok extended his finger as he said this. At the end of his pointing finger, a camera drone for live broadcasting was flying.

“…You had to show everyone, is that it.”

“That’s the only way to uproot Eterion completely.”

This time, even Professor Hong Yong-jin didn’t argue back. Lee Si-hyeok smiled briefly at him, then turned his gaze to look at the research lab.

Song Hyeon-gyu, Yoon Seo-jin, Aila.

Familiar faces were staring intently at Lee Si-hyeok alone. With anxious eyes, with trusting eyes.

Such emotions could have been quite burdensome, but he had grown somewhat accustomed to them by now. What’s good is good. These were things he couldn’t have even dreamed of before.

Lee Si-hyeok smiled with satisfaction and checked his smart watch.

Time remaining: 10 seconds.

Now it was really the final moment.

If things went according to plan, he would be able to perfectly thwart Pyo Jae-hwan’s scheme.

He counted silently to himself.

10, 9, 8, 7….

…6, 5, 4, 3, 2.

1.

“Now.”

Click.

He pressed the remote control in his hand. His tensed finger pushed the button in, and the moment the button popped back out.

―BOOOOOOOOM!

“…!”

An ear-splitting explosion sound rang out. Left, right, behind, in front. Vibrations were felt from all directions, and mana trembled faintly through the air.

“Look at the screen over there!”

Someone shouted like that. While covering their ears, everyone’s gaze turned toward the screen in the research lab.

The five buildings shown were literally in ruins. Their forms were unrecognizable. They had completely collapsed, making it hard to even guess they had once been buildings.

“I-is it a success?”

“It seems to be over…?”

As the noise gradually subsided, people removed their hands from their ears. After glancing at each other, they began expressing admiration one by one at the power created by the small bombs.

“Did it go according to plan?”

Professor Hong Yong-jin, who had been watching from a distance with subdued eyes, approached.

Lee Si-hyeok put down the microphone and stepped down from the platform. A slight dizziness. Due to the recently increased rank of his “Mana Sensitivity,” he seemed to be receiving the trembling of mana more delicately.

“It seems to have ended successfully. We’ve destroyed all sources of the mana rifts, and Pyo Jae-hwan won’t be able to do anything more.”

However, Professor Hong Yong-jin still had his brows furrowed.

“What do you mean it’s over.”

“…?”

“It’s only really over when we catch that Dean bastard. In all my years, I never thought that man would be scheming such things behind the scenes! And even Jae-hwan….”

At the end, the corners of his mouth drooped slightly. After a moment, he grabbed Lee Si-hyeok’s wrist.

“Let’s hurry and go catch them. Before that, we should contact the Awakener Association too. Who knows what other tricks they might pull.”

However, Lee Si-hyeok didn’t move. As he just stood still and stared blankly, Professor Hong Yong-jin turned around with a puzzled expression.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”

“Ah, well….”

Come to think of it, hadn’t he mentioned that part?

That there was no need to go directly catch Pyo Jae-hwan and the Dean.

As he was about to talk about that, suddenly the research lab door burst open.

“Hm?”

Professor Hong Yong-jin and the others turned their heads toward the door. Could it be those Chronos bastards? With that thought, everyone became extremely alert.

However, those who soon revealed themselves were completely unexpected.

“Those people are….”

Sturdy men dressed in black suits.

With appearances that could be assumed to be Hunters, they entered the research lab in orderly formation.

And among them, there was one face familiar to Lee Si-hyeok.

“It’s been a while. Researcher Lee Si-hyeok.”

Lee Young-hoon.

The Chairman of Termion Corporation and head of a major conglomerate had personally come to this place.

With the Dean in one hand and Pyo Jae-hwan in the other, dragging them along.

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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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