Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 79

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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 (79)

Entrance

Eterion Magical Engineering Academy is located on the outskirts of Seoul.

A place slightly removed from the city center. The Surak Mountain area in Nowon District. They apparently demolished all the existing buildings in the area to establish the academy.

As such, Eterion Magical Engineering Academy boasts an enormous scale.

It was an academy created with that goal in mind from the beginning. To accommodate countless students and nurture the elites who would be responsible for Korea’s future.

And…

Large-scale facilities built in this era like Eterion mostly had ‘underground facilities.’

The reason for this was to supply mana. While they were sometimes used for other purposes like underground parking or warehouses, the primary purpose was mana supply.

‘Without mana, the facilities can’t be maintained.’

This was an era where almost all devices used mana. Naturally, if the supply of the main energy source was insufficient, everything would come to a halt.

What existed to prepare for such situations was the ‘Core.’

A device also called the nucleus and the heart of the facility.

It wasn’t naturally occurring. It was something that came to be after countless researchers worked together through many trials and errors. That’s how the mana core was born.

“And such cores are usually located underground in facilities.”

I continued speaking while looking at Professor Hong Yong-jin and Chairman Lee Young-hoon. Though it was probably a fact everyone knew, I deliberately explained it once more.

“Underground in the vast grounds, precisely at the central district. Extending in multiple directions to supply mana to as many buildings as possible.”

“Then Chronos Industry going underground means…”

“They plan to use the underground core to cause a mana rampage.”

This was different from before. Causing simultaneous rampages in five buildings. That would certainly have been quite powerful too, but it couldn’t even compare to now.

“The mana fracture that occurs from that will probably be large enough to swallow the entire academy grounds and more.”

Swallowing and having more left meant it could exceed that range.

Professor Hong Yong-jin, who had been listening silently, spat out in disbelief.

“This is insane. What the hell are they trying to achieve with this nonsense!”

“They probably want to research ether. Wasn’t the past incident also caused by that?”

“I know that too, but… I’m saying this because it’s completely useless. If a mana fracture occurs at the core level, those bastards will end up getting sucked in too, won’t they?”

“Maybe they want to get closer even if it means doing that.”

“Ha, really. Unless they’re completely insane…”

“Look.”

“What?”

Lee Si-hyeok pointed his finger. Following its direction, there was Pyo Jae-hwan grinning wickedly.

“…The madman was right here.”

Hong Yong-jin frowned deeply and clicked his tongue. Pyo Jae-hwan. When he taught him in the past, he was certainly a sincere and exemplary student. Didn’t he even serve on the student council?

‘But now…’

He couldn’t see him as human at all. This wasn’t a metaphorical expression. From the pupils thinly visible between his narrowed eyes, a bizarre greed writhed. Like a beast that only followed instinct.

He was a monster in a different sense from Lee Si-hyeok.

“One hour.”

In the midst of this, Pyo Jae-hwan suddenly spoke. As Lee Si-hyeok narrowed his eyes and approached, Pyo Jae-hwan’s lips curled up.

“One hour, I said. The time remaining until the mana fracture.”

“Why are you telling me that?”

“Because even if I tell you this, you won’t be able to stop it anyway.”

“…”

“Time is absolutely insufficient. It’s different from before. Earlier, you had prepared in advance, and Ryu Se-eun had informed you. Right?”

The corners of his eyes curved grotesquely.

“This time it won’t be like that.”

“…”

It wasn’t wrong.

One hour.

No matter how amazing Lee Si-hyeok was, it was physically impossible to stop it in that time. The scale itself was different from the spatial compression devices that had been installed in the buildings earlier.

But…

Even so.

He had no intention of giving up.

If their plan was large enough to swallow the academy and more, then Lee Si-hyeok was the same.

More than enough.

At least that’s how Lee Si-hyeok felt. He could do it. If he tried, it would work. Just like he was achieving his dreams now, there was nothing he couldn’t challenge. Even if he failed, confronting it head-on was the best option.

The realizations, knowledge, and emotions that came from that process.

Lee Si-hyeok was confident he could claim all those countless rewards. He was simply running forward because he didn’t want to stay still, and working hard because he had something he desired. Just like he had lived until now.

It was just a process for his dreams.

“Chairman. I have one favor to ask.”

Lee Si-hyeok spoke quietly. The gazes of everyone in the research lab, who had been engulfed in anxiety, focused on him.

“Please take the people in this research lab and evacuate. You’ll need to go as far as possible, to a safe place.”

“…Isn’t Researcher Lee Si-hyeok coming with us?”

“No. I have something I need to do.”

Something to do.

At those words, everyone guessed what Lee Si-hyeok was planning to do.

Immediately, several voices around him offered to help together, but Lee Si-hyeok shook his head.

“I’m sufficient alone. Too many cooks spoil the broth.”

“Huh, understood. Then I’ll evacuate everyone. If we combine forces with the employees who came with us, it should be possible.”

“Thank you. And…”

Next. He turned to look at Department Manager Yoon Seo-jin. She was suppressing her anger while staring at Pyo Jae-hwan with anxious eyes.

Soon, feeling his gaze, Department Manager Yoon Seo-jin blinked.

“…Me?”

“Department Manager, you also have something you need to do.”

Lee Si-hyeok explained simply.

He asked her to work with the Ether Society that Song Hyeon-gyu belonged to and go around the entire academy evacuating people.

Currently, the academy didn’t only have seminar participants. Employees would be working in dozens of buildings.

Everyone needed to be evacuated in preparation for any possible situation.

‘And for these kinds of things, Song Hyeon-gyu and Department Manager Yoon Seo-jin, who attended Eterion, would be more familiar than Chairman Lee Young-hoon, who’s an outsider.’

When he explained this, Yoon Seo-jin made a resolute expression.

“Understood. I want to follow Si-hyeok too, but…”

She paused to choose her words.

“…Entrusting me with this work means you trust me. I’ll help with a glad heart.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. And I don’t even think Si-hyeok will fail. There’s probably no one who believes in Si-hyeok as much as I do, right?”

“I get it, so hurry up and go. We don’t have time.”

When he gently pushed her back, she chuckled and left.

With Yoon Seo-jin, the Ether Society members departed, and then Chairman Lee Young-hoon evacuated the participants, dragging along Pyo Jae-hwan and the unconscious dean.

Even Ray Wen was following along well without saying anything now.

A moment later, the research lab was left with only Professor Hong Yong-jin and Lee Si-hyeok.

“So, why did you tell me to stay?”

“Professor, you need to help me.”

“Didn’t you say too many cooks spoil the broth?”

“Professor is an exception. Rather than being a cook, Professor is more like the pot.”

What kind of nonsense is this suddenly? Professor Hong Yong-jin looked at him with that kind of expression, feeling bewildered.

“Anyway, Professor is coming with me. Didn’t you call me your student last time? Originally, where the student goes, the teacher follows. We’ll die together if we must.”

“Hey, this guy…”

“Of course, I have no intention of dying.”

“You cheeky brat, your words are quite ominous. So what are you planning to do? I still haven’t heard that.”

Lee Si-hyeok put on the research coat he had taken off. Then he moved his steps to leave the research lab, and Professor Hong Yong-jin followed behind.

“It’s simple. We’re going to find the entrance that leads underground.”

“…Entrance?”

Hong Yong-jin, who had eventually exited the building, looked puzzled.

And for good reason—nothing was known about the entrance leading to the underground space of the Magical Engineering Academy. Even he, who had received quite good treatment at Eterion in the past, didn’t know.

It was only natural.

The underground was where the core, which could be called the heart of the facility, was located. If someone entered carelessly, there was a risk that the entire facility itself could collapse.

And yet he wanted to find that place? Without any clues?

“The shortcut to get outside. Do you know where it is?”

“…Follow me.”

However, there was no time to ask questions about that. Professor Hong Yong-jin swallowed his doubts and guided Lee Si-hyeok outside the premises.

After a while, Lee Si-hyeok, who had come outside, turned around to look at the Magical Engineering Academy grounds.

From the massive main gate, he could see Chairman Lee Young-hoon leading the participants in evacuation.

And behind that, security fences armed with various artifacts stretched high.

The outer wall.

“This morning, my bodyguard said he spotted Chronos employees around this area.”

“That means…”

“The path leading underground is hidden somewhere in the outer wall.”

“So that’s why you deliberately came outside.”

Professor Hong Yong-jin nodded as if understanding.

“So what are you planning to do now? Do you have some good method?”

Even calling it an outer wall, it wasn’t a scale that could be surveyed quickly. It surrounded the entire massive Magical Engineering Academy.

‘Even though the rank of 「Mana Sensitivity」 has increased, it would definitely take at least an hour.’

However, Lee Si-hyeok didn’t only have 「Mana Sensitivity」.

A special skill that no one else possessed, one that only Lee Si-hyeok had.

[『Eyes that Pierce the Essence』 activates.]

—Whoooosh!

The moment the skill activated, his vision turned completely blue.

A sticky texture floated in the air as if blue paint had been scattered in the void, and between them, mana streams in the form of blood vessels could be read.

[Searching for ‘Mana Core’ centered on the user’s current location!]

He wasn’t searching for the entrance leading underground.

Things that could be judged as entrances, or ‘doors,’ were countless. The academy’s main gate, building entrances, even manhole covers. All of these could be considered ‘doors.’

Of course, he could distinguish them if he wanted to.

He could create criteria and classify them, but the important thing was time.

One hour.

Because he had to stop Pyo Jae-hwan’s plan within that time.

[‘Mana Core’ location confirmed. Determined to be underground within 2km.]

He had succeeded in finding the exact location of the core.

‘Now then…’

All that remained was to reverse-track this location and find the entrance leading there.

“…”

Lee Si-hyeok’s eyes grew intense. The mana floating around him. He pushed through them one by one, searching for the thread connected to the core.

Which mana stream would be connected to the underground core?

Which one should he grab and follow to find the entrance leading underground?

—Crackle!

His thoughts expanded rapidly. Within his broadened vision, he collected only the necessary information. Was it to the left? Or below that?

‘Above.’

There was no hesitation. The mana that expanded from near his heart spurred his thoughts forward. His wide-open eyes became bloodshot, and a stinging sensation circulated from the burst capillaries.

Just when it felt like smoke was rising from his heated mind.

—Hisss!

His expanded vision suddenly narrowed.

[『Eyes that Pierce the Essence』 terminated.]

[Results found: 1 – Eterion Magic Engineering Academy – Underground Entrance]

“I found the entrance.”

Lee Si-hyeok, who had deactivated the skill, gently rubbed his temples as he spoke. His head felt numb.

“…Y-you already found it?”

In contrast, watching Lee Si-hyeok nod, Professor Hong Yong-jin had an extremely flustered expression for some reason.

Fifteen seconds.

That was how long it had taken Lee Si-hyeok to find the entrance while he had been looking around cluelessly.

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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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