Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 83

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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 (83)

Strange Lee Si-hyeok

He brought coffee and sat at a window-side seat.

An empty cafe, steam rising gently.

He doesn’t drink it right away.

With the warm mug in front of him, Lee Si-hyeok slowly looked around outside the window.

Among the busily moving Association staff, he could see one woman walking around with eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Her eyes were so bright and lively, as if everything was fascinating to her.

—Tap tap.

Lee Si-hyeok, who had been observing her, knocked on the window a couple of times.

Then Aila Fairchild turned around with wide eyes.

“Huh? Choi Hyeok… Oh, no? Lee Si-hyeok?”

“How about having a cup of coffee?”

“Ooh?”

Aila, who let out a strange exclamation, hurriedly entered the cafe. For some reason, her quick steps became even quicker, and she plopped down across from him.

“Coffee?”

“Yes. You worked hard for a week.”

She had participated in the creation of the 〈Soaring Elevator〉 together.

The original design itself came from Canterbury, and if she hadn’t cooperated, it would have taken several more days.

Since she came up with the Association staff, apparently curious about this Sky Island that Eterion had become, he decided to express his gratitude while he was at it.

Aila smiled brightly and lifted her coffee cup.

After savoring the aroma for a moment, she said:

“This bean? It’s Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, isn’t it?”

“Oh, you know what it is?”

“Of course I do? My hobby is drinking coffee.”

“Oh ho…”

He didn’t know this. Her image seemed pure, like someone who wouldn’t even touch coffee, but her hobby was actually drinking coffee.

“Then please explain it to me. I just picked any bean that was available and brewed it, so I don’t know anything.”

“Should I? I’ll tell you about it.”

Instantly, the corners of Aila’s mouth rose considerably.

She seemed quite proud of the fact that she knew something Lee Si-hyeok didn’t.

An explanation that continued for several minutes.

“I see. That kind of feeling.”

A moment later, Lee Si-hyeok, who had listened to all of her curation, brought the coffee cup to his lips. According to what he heard, it was characterized by delicate and various sweetness like jasmine, peach, and lemon.

“How is it? Is it good?”

“Mm, definitely. As you said, the bitterness is weak and the acidity is quite smooth. But is acidity the right expression to use in this case?”

He wasn’t sure since he had never really tried anything high-end.

Even after earning quite a bit of money, he had only invested in magical engineering-related areas.

“Oh?! That’s right?! That’s right?!”

Swoosh swoosh! Still, seeing Aila nodding her head vigorously, it seemed to be correct. Even though he was the one who brewed the coffee, why was she so proud?

Anyway, when the coffee had diminished somewhat, Lee Si-hyeok spoke up.

“Didn’t the other research team members come with you? You always move together.”

“Those guys? They went straight to the Association after finishing the elevator.”

“To the Association?”

“Yes? They went to give some kind of statement? Related to this incident? I already finished and came back.”

“Ah.”

He understood immediately.

The ripple effects of this incident itself would be enormous worldwide.

Because it was literally a case where one Korean conglomerate planned terrorism against incredible engineers.

So they would be taking direct statements to understand the exact truth and cross-verify it. Probably other participants were also having various discussions at the Association.

‘It won’t end easily.’

The Awakener Association would definitely suffer a huge blow.

This incident was literally something that would more than damage South Korea’s national prestige.

Still, he thought he had done his duty.

With zero casualties and protecting this entire vast Magical Engineering Academy, he had done more than enough.

Of course, Lee Si-hyeok’s own purposes were hidden separately within that.

“By the way, I have something I’m curious about.”

“Please go ahead.”

“At this height? How do you control the air density outside…”

After that, Aila’s questions poured out.

She seemed to feel great curiosity and academic passion for this space itself, asking everything from how the Magical Engineering Academy was floated in the air to how the surrounding atmospheric pressure was controlled.

She asked various things without even noticing her coffee getting cold.

Meanwhile, Lee Si-hyeok also answered happily.

There was nothing bothersome about it at all. He had partly called Aila to have plenty of conversations related to magical engineering like this.

‘This kind of time itself is healing.’

It might give others a headache, but for Lee Si-hyeok alone, it was such a happy time.

While having such various conversations, Aila’s interest flowed to the ‘dimensional gate’ that had been installed recently.

“Earlier while walking around? I saw something interesting in the Central Plaza?”

“You saw it after all.”

“Yes yes? Oval-shaped jet black? With mana fluctuating?”

However, she probably didn’t know that it was a dimensional gate.

The concept of dimensional gates itself was something that even Pyo Jae-hwan, who had continuously researched ether, had simply named a ‘mana fracture’.

Since they didn’t know that other dimensions existed in this world, there was no way she would know about this.

So it was the moment he was about to speak to give even a short hint.

“That artifact works in what way…”

“You know? Lee Si-hyeok? I’ve seen that before?”

“…What?”

At the unexpected words, Lee Si-hyeok blinked and looked at her.

She had seen a dimensional gate before? What was this about?

“Please tell me in detail, in detail.”

“Hmm? I’m not sure if it’s exactly the same? But it felt similar? Our former director? Made one long ago?”

“Director… you mean the director of Canterbury’s research team?”

“Ah? I spoke confusingly? To be precise, it’s the former director? The director before I took over as director?”

At those words, Lee Si-hyeok leaned his upper body against the table. The distance between him and her suddenly narrowed.

“Eek?”

“What happened next. Quickly.”

“R-right? Anyway, that director? Suddenly showed it to us saying he made it? So when I asked what it was?”

“When you asked?”

“He said it was an entrance to another world? A space beyond Earth? Something like a passage leading to that place?”

“…?!”

At the even closer distance, she accidentally spilled her coffee. Regardless, Lee Si-hyeok opened his eyes wide and continued questioning.

“Then did you verify it directly?”

“Wh-what?”

“Whether it was really a dimensional gate. Whether it was really an entrance to another world, as that former director said.”

“No…? We couldn’t do that? The director said it might be dangerous? He wouldn’t let us approach it?”

—Whoosh. Lee Si-hyeok’s upper body suddenly moved away.

At the restored distance, Aila let out a small sigh of relief, and Lee Si-hyeok rapidly spun his thoughts.

‘…There’s someone else who knows about dimensional gates?’

A fact that even Pyo Jae-hwan couldn’t figure out?

Then a memory suddenly flashed through his mind.

Between memory and memory. In the crumbling time, one memory that remained vividly clear.

‘Back then, when I was in Orbes.’

At the royal palace where I went to find the Snow Flame Empress.

―You, you came from Korea.

There had been a time when strange voices flowed out from the alchemists who were in a vegetative state.

Clearly, they had lost their sense of self and couldn’t say anything.

Yet ‘someone’ had borrowed their bodies to convey a voice to Lee Si-hyeok.

That unidentified existence that had given him various information along with goodwill, could it possibly be…

However, Lee Si-hyeok’s thoughts stopped at the words that soon flowed out.

“Ah? I think the director told me more?”

Aila, who had been thinking deeply with her lips pursed, clapped her hands together.

“The connected world? What kind of space that place is? He explained it a little?”

“Don’t tell me that place has a huge kingdom and is continuously approaching destruction…”

“Huh? No? That’s different from what I heard?”

“…?”

“Umm, from what I heard? That place beyond is full of powerful materials? Unlike what’s discovered in Earth’s gates? Extremely pure and close to a natural state?”

She tapped her mug lightly.

“Plus there’s some god-like existence? Did he say that? I can’t remember after that? I think that might be the end?”

“…”

“By the way, how does the director know such things? As time goes on, his condition? has gotten a bit strange? Could he have fallen into delusions?”

Oops. Aila slapped her lips as if she had made a slip of the tongue.

However, even at such a cute action, Lee Si-hyeok couldn’t unfold his stiff expression.

‘…It seems like it’s a different place from Orbes, at least.’

This seemed certain.

There was no religion or anything like that in Orbes, and while ether brought about destruction, there wasn’t anything else that could be called pure materials.

Then it meant it was another dimension…

‘Do other dimensions exist besides Orbes?’

This was the first time he learned this fact. Of course, he had thought it might be possible, but this was the first time he felt it so clearly.

It wasn’t bad news at all.

After all, Lee Si-hyeok’s dream was to walk the path of magical engineering for his entire life, and his goal was to gain countless learnings in that process.

Then being given something new was joy in itself.

Endless research passion and curiosity.

The great emotions that composed Lee Si-hyeok began to stir.

He asked.

“By any chance, is that dimensional gate still there?”

“…It is? At our research team headquarters?”

“That’s fortunate.”

“Huh? Fortunate? What is?”

Looking at Aila tilting her head, Lee Si-hyeok’s eyes flashed.

Canterbury Paranormal Phenomena Research Team.

Canterbury, Britain, where that headquarters would be located.

Lee Si-hyeok engraved that information deep in his mind.

* * *

Aila, who had finished her coffee, left the Magical Engineering Academy saying she had to take care of other team members.

After waiting for a while like that, Professor Hong Yong-jin and Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon, who had finished their conversation, came to find him.

“Did you hear everything well?”

“Yes. Why you raised the academy to this height… it all made sense. I was very surprised.”

From what he heard, Professor Hong Yong-jin had explained everything properly.

He was a professor from the beginning, wasn’t he. As such, he had spoken systematically about what had happened underground and why the academy inevitably reached this state.

“Ah, and this is about the other participants.”

Also, the seminar participants that Lee Si-hyeok had rescued were scheduled to return to their respective countries after completing their statements at the Association.

But one surprising thing was…

“No one wanted damage compensation. Except for a very few, they said they didn’t want anything and could just go back.”

That they didn’t blame the Association at all for failing to prevent the terrorism.

This had very significant implications.

The country of Korea itself could have faced an international crisis, but those great researchers declared their return without any complaints.

When Lee Si-hyeok looked puzzled, Professor Hong Yong-jin chuckled.

“They were all captivated. By seeing what you did.”

“Pardon?”

“Think about it. No matter how great those guys were, when in their lives would they ever directly face the sight of such a landmass flying up?”

“…”

“Then what about the barrier you deployed in the research lab at that time? What about when you detonated the bomb against that bastard Jae-hwan’s scheme? Do you think you can easily see such things anywhere?”

A proud smile spread across Hong Yong-jin’s lips.

“It’s a rare sight. The kind of sight that any engineer walking the path of magical engineering would have dreamed of at least once. Yet a distant sight they could never reach in their lifetime. You accomplished such a thing.”

In simple terms, it felt like Lee Si-hyeok had vicariously fulfilled the dreams they had harbored as magical engineers.

And people felt various complex emotions like gratitude, awe, and exhilaration through that sight, and as repayment, they were returning without making any demands? Even that Ray Wen?

“Huh, even so…”

“Even so what? That it’s too unreasonable? Look here, Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon. You tell him.”

Glancing at Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon, he grinned.

“Whether them just going back is really unreasonable. Or whether this guy who accomplished such feats without any danger is more unreasonable. Which is more unreasonable?”

“That’s obvious, isn’t it.”

Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon’s eyes turned toward beyond the Magical Engineering Academy.

Outside the high security fence.

The endlessly spread clouds and sky, that unbelievable spectacle.

“I also think Lee Si-hyeok is more abnormal. The expression ‘abnormal’ might be a bit much, but with my limited insight, that’s the only expression I can use.”

“Ha! He is an abnormal guy. You have quite the eye.”

“…”

The abnormal Lee Si-hyeok stood there dazed and strangely swallowed his saliva.

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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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