Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 78
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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 (78)
Failure is a matter of definition
Lee Si-hyeok, who had been looking toward the door, walked toward Chairman Lee Young-hoon.
“You came.”
“Yes. Didn’t we make a promise?”
He grasped and shook the hand the Chairman extended. Even during this, he could feel a confused atmosphere around them.
Like ‘Why on earth is Chairman Lee Young-hoon here?’
Of course, since the participants came from various countries, there were people who didn’t recognize Lee Young-hoon.
But that was only a minority. Since anyone in magical engineering would inevitably know Termion Corporation, everyone’s eyes widened.
“By the way, it seems you used quite a radical method.”
Lee Si-hyeok glanced at Pyo Jae-hwan and the Dean, who were being held by Chairman Lee Young-hoon’s hand. They were slumped and unconscious.
“It’s not just anyone, but a promise I made with Researcher Lee Si-hyeok himself. But for saying that, wasn’t Researcher Lee Si-hyeok also quite radical?”
“…That’s true.”
A promise.
Before the seminar started, Lee Si-hyeok had received a call from Chairman Lee Young-hoon and stopped by Termion Corporation.
It was for the purpose of the Chairman wanting to repay him for helping with the Expo.
But there, the Chairman brought up the story about his son, Hunter Lee Gang-mok, and told him to ask for anything he wanted as compensation for saving his son twice.
‘So that’s when I made that request.’
Since I was planning to overturn Termion Corporation once, please help with that matter.
At that time, Lee Si-hyeok didn’t know exactly what would happen either.
Nevertheless, the reason he brought up this matter to Chairman Lee Young-hoon was…
‘Because Termion Corporation is the main sponsor of Eterion Magical Engineering Academy.’
Just like universities form cooperative relationships with various major corporations.
Termion and Eterion had a similar relationship.
And among Eterion’s numerous sponsors, the company that poured in the most sponsorship money was precisely Termion.
‘I think I heard that the Vice-Dean is actually an executive of Termion Corporation.’
Anyway, as long as Termion was closely connected to Eterion, the current incident meant it was also an extremely important matter for Chairman Lee Young-hoon.
So he judged that even if he made an unreasonable request, the Chairman would act actively.
“…”
That said, he never thought Chairman Lee Young-hoon would come personally. He naturally assumed contracted Hunters would be dispatched, not that he would come himself.
But there was a strangely reassuring feeling.
A burly build that didn’t pale in comparison to Termion’s Hunters lined up behind him.
His refined posture and muscles made comparing him to Ray Wen, whom he’d thought was bear-like until now, seem rather rude.
Indeed, they said he had worked as a Hunter for a long time before starting his business.
“Ah.”
It was when Lee Si-hyeok was organizing his thoughts. Chairman Lee Young-hoon, who had been smiling faintly while receiving everyone’s attention, let out a small sound.
“…Chairman Lee Young-hoon. So we meet like this.”
Professor Hong Yong-jin had approached at some point.
Since Hong Yong-jin had also been at Eterion for a long time, he would have connections with Lee Young-hoon as a sponsor.
“Haha… Of all times, it had to be now.”
While those two briefly caught up, Lee Si-hyeok quickly scanned the research lab.
He needed to find Yoon Seo-jin and Song Hyeon-gyu.
Whatever others might be like, those two would also be quite shocked by the current situation.
‘I can’t just ignore them.’
After all, hadn’t they built quite a connection? He couldn’t help but worry. Until just now, it couldn’t be helped due to the urgency.
“…”
Song Hyeon-gyu came into Lee Si-hyeok’s view.
But surprisingly, the guy seemed fine. Rather, he was bragging to other Ether Society club members while pointing at Lee Si-hyeok, as if he was excited.
It was so like him that he felt relieved. Then next…
“Oh.”
Lee Si-hyeok unconsciously stepped back.
Right behind him.
Department Head Yoon Seo-jin was hesitantly approaching.
“When did you arrive?”
“Just now.”
He seemed to have missed her while only looking ahead. Yoon Seo-jin stuck close behind Lee Si-hyeok and for some reason kept avoiding his gaze.
When Lee Si-hyeok looked at her questioningly.
“Just, I’m grateful. I’m also a bit embarrassed that my past seems to have been dug up. You know, there’s that kind of thing. So that… I don’t know how to express it.”
“Well, that kind of thing. I roughly understand.”
In fact, people all over the world had come to know her past. Of course, they had no idea it was Yoon Seo-jin, but there would be some kind of strange emotion from that aspect.
She shook her shoulders and smiled bitterly.
“Anyway, Si-hyeok fooled me again this time. I keep getting fooled every time.”
“Didn’t you figure it out at the library back then?”
“I speculated that it might be you, Si-hyeok. Speculated. The problem was that I couldn’t be certain.”
Some life returned to her previously dejected voice. Though she was afraid and quite scared, what remained in the end was relief.
She raised her wrist and showed off her bracelet, jingling it.
“Still, thanks to Si-hyeok, I received a precious gift and recalled memories I’d forgotten. I’m so grateful, what should I do? Is there anything you want?”
“Not particularly. And it’s not over yet.”
“Not yet?”
“Yes. There’s still work left to do.”
Lee Si-hyeok subtly pointed toward where Chairman Lee Young-hoon and Professor Hong Yong-jin were.
They were discussing something about the Dean and Pyo Jae-hwan, and at some point, Pyo Jae-hwan appeared to have regained consciousness.
“…Ah, that bastard.”
Yoon Seo-jin ground her teeth. Then she lightly pushed his back as if telling him not to worry and go ahead.
“Aren’t you coming with me?”
“I want to. I want to tear him apart and kill him right now. But Si-hyeok must have a plan. Don’t mind my thoughts and handle it yourself.”
Then there was nothing particularly to worry about.
Lee Si-hyeok nodded and approached where Pyo Jae-hwan was sprawled.
People were surrounding Pyo Jae-hwan in a circle as if watching a spectacle. When Lee Si-hyeok approached, they naturally made way for him.
“What are you planning to do, Researcher Lee Si-hyeok?”
“First, let’s talk briefly.”
“Understood. But you’d better not expect much. I asked him several times but he wouldn’t give any answer.”
Chairman Lee Young-hoon, who said this, stepped back slightly.
Lee Si-hyeok calmed his mind and met Pyo Jae-hwan’s gaze.
“…”
Narrow eyes so curved it was hard to tell if they were open or closed.
A smile close to mockery that always lingered around his lips.
‘How many times have I suffered because of this bastard.’
It was the moment he was about to open his mouth, thinking he should say something.
“Nice to see you, EX-rank.”
Pyo Jae-hwan, who had kept his mouth shut until now, spoke first. Lee Si-hyeok’s eyebrows rose.
“My plan failed a little because of you. Congratulations. Like Ryu Se-eun, everything you do works out well.”
“…Ryu Se-eun.”
“Yeah, Ryu Se-eun. You freed her, didn’t you? She’s my friend.”
“How did you know I freed her?”
“How did I know, you ask.”
The bastard grinned.
“I heard from the Dean. That you entered the Central Records Hall. Then it’s obvious. Ryu Se-eun originally has a playful personality, so she would have approached you somehow, and I don’t know what happened after, but didn’t you do something to her?”
“Do you call helping someone ‘doing something’?”
“Why not?”
Pyo Jae-hwan blinked his eyes. An expression that genuinely showed he had no idea what the problem was.
Disgust welled up inside. Both the way he referred to Ryu Se-eun as a friend, and that attitude showing not an ounce of guilt.
“…Don’t you have any regrets?”
“Why would I regret it? You saw it too, in the memory projection document. I just want to research ether. This is just part of that process.”
“Even though it ultimately failed?”
“Failure is a matter of definition.”
Lee Si-hyeok’s gaze turned cold.
‘…Something’s strange.’
Why does he look so pleased?
As the bastard had said himself, Pyo Jae-hwan had shown a blind obsession with ether. So consistent it could be considered devotional.
You could tell just by looking at how he tried to cause mana fractures targeting this many people.
But now the situation was a complete failure.
‘And yet he says failure is a matter of definition?’
No way.
As Lee Si-hyeok continued his thoughts, he realized what he had been missing. The sense of unease. Pyo Jae-hwan’s inexplicable confidence that he could almost but not quite grasp. The reason for it.
“You haven’t finished what you prepared yet.”
Lee Si-hyeok asked in a low voice. Tension coursed through his entire body.
“The planning document that Ryu Se-eun left behind, that wasn’t the end of it.”
In that moment, the corners of Pyo Jae-hwan’s mouth curved up in a smirk. The bastard put on a rather cheerful tone.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“…!”
“That was just a rough draft. You turned out to be more impressive than I thought. So I made some modifications.”
Naturally, this was something Lee Si-hyeok had also kept in mind.
That’s why he had asked Isaac to investigate until this morning.
“What is all this about, Researcher Lee Si-hyeok? What do you mean the preparations aren’t finished?”
Chairman Lee Young-hoon, who had been silently watching, asked with confusion. Professor Hong Yong-jin felt the same way.
Ignoring the smirking Pyo Jae-hwan, Lee Si-hyeok looked at Chairman Lee Young-hoon.
And asked directly.
“Chairman. By any chance, before entering the engineering building earlier, did you see any Chronos Industry employees near the outer wall?”
“No. Just in case, I had my subordinates investigate, but there was no one there. It was all just the reporters who had gathered.”
Lee Si-hyeok’s expression crumpled.
This morning, according to Isaac, Chronos employees were moving around busily near the outer wall for some reason.
But no one discovered them?
It didn’t make sense logically. Since they came with Chairman Lee Young-hoon, there’s no way they wouldn’t have been discovered, which means they vanished without a trace.
“Underground.”
“Pardon?”
“Underground. These bastards entered Eterion’s underground.”
The location where the core that supplies mana to the entire Eterion campus is located.
Chronos Industry was preparing their second plan there.
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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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