Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 93

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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 (93)

Estimate

Setting up a research lab in 『Subspace』.

It might sound complicated, but Si-hyeok was pleased with the fact that it was possible. According to the description of subspace, this space could be manipulated however he wanted.

Well, that didn’t mean he could act rashly though.

“….”

Si-hyeok quietly slipped out so as not to disturb those observing the research lab.

Now he planned to observe the research lab next to it.

He needed samples. By experiencing as many different research labs as possible, he would collect examples of how to create an efficient and satisfying design.

That was the whole reason he came to Pohang Research Complex in the first place.

There was nowhere else in Korea packed with such cutting-edge facilities.

‘Termion isn’t quite at this level either. That leaves Kronos, but they went under.’

Of course, there would be more overseas, but Korea first.

After that, Si-hyeok spent a long time wandering around the Eastern District, ‘Cluster East’, then headed straight to the northern district.

Next was the west, the Dimensional Stabilization Center.

Finally, the southern Waste Purification and Treatment Plant.

Looking around each one took about a day’s time.

He briefly stopped by his lodging to shower before coming out.

“Hmm.”

On a sunny morning, he walked along the walking path within the complex, organizing his achievements so far.

‘Overall clean and efficient. No unnecessary elements.’

It really had that government agency feel.

They pursued extreme efficiency, ignoring any design aspects that might be unsatisfactory and just building anyway. After all, as long as research goes well, what else matters?

However, Si-hyeok tilted his head slightly.

He had grasped how to be maximally efficient, but he still wasn’t sure if it appealed to him.

‘Since I’m doing this anyway, I want to do it properly.’

Of course, yesterday he said he’d exclude personal desires, but still, once you build something it’s hard to change. He wanted to try building the research lab he’d been dreaming of.

Even aside from that, to arrange the equipment Si-hyeok wanted, the samples were still somewhat insufficient.

Si-hyeok got a cup of coffee from a nearby vending machine, then headed to the western district once more.

It was the district with the most important ‘particle accelerator’ in the research complex.

* * *

The role that particle accelerators perform in the modern era is diverse.

Accelerating matter to high energy to maximize mana reactions, or pushing hard-to-measure mana to create ‘standard units’.

Or being used experimentally to determine the critical threshold of unstable substances.

Among other things, particle accelerators were used in many fields, including manufacturing artificial magical cores.

‘I heard that Eterion’s core was also made through the particle accelerator here not long ago.’

The level of completion at that time was impressive even to Si-hyeok, so Pohang’s magical facilities were truly world-class.

Wooooooong!

Si-hyeok was admiring the accelerator spinning vigorously.

He put down the coffee he was drinking and spoke to the person in charge near the control panel.

“I think you can turn it off now.”

“…Pardon?!”

However, his voice was drowned out by the loud spinning. Si-hyeok shouted with all his might.

“I said you can turn it off now!”

“Ah! Yes!”

Wooooong….

The person in charge smiled awkwardly and stepped aside, leaving Si-hyeok alone in the magical facility. In that vast space, there was only Si-hyeok and the particle accelerator.

Feeling his ears stuffed from the sudden silence, he sipped his coffee again.

‘I’ll need to do something about the noise.’

If he was making a research lab, a particle accelerator was essential.

Even artifacts like 〈Hollow Trace〉 that he’d made so far would double their power if run through an accelerator once.

Simply put, it would enhance artifacts by one level.

The image of the research lab was roughly taking shape in his mind.

Then, one concerning point suddenly came to mind.

‘Design. Is design the problem after all?’

Indeed, how to handle the interior.

Currently, the subspace was in a state with Legacy Artifacts swept up from Orbes scattered about messily.

When building the research lab, he planned to construct a warehouse as well, but how to design it was the stumbling block. You need to have experience decorating something in life.

The only time in his life he’d thought about design was when considering how to design efficient circuits.

And it wasn’t just a matter of simple self-satisfaction.

Design and efficiency. Only when those two aspects worked together rationally would research efficiency increase further.

Tap.

Si-hyeok put down the empty paper cup and took out his smartphone.

Then he searched for related information in the search bar.

[Search: artifact research institutions]

Soon, countless pieces of information came flooding up.

He quickly caught only the necessary content from among them.

Workshop, data lab, experimental garden, technology museum, gallery, creative lounge….

‘So there are roughly these kinds of things.’

Even excluding the facility called ‘research lab’, there were quite diverse spaces for creating artifacts. Since Si-hyeok had encountered them at least once while studying magical engineering, it felt familiar.

After carefully examining the appearance of various spaces like that, Si-hyeok turned off his smartphone a moment later.

Rather than looking through screens like this, going directly to observe with his own eyes would proceed much faster.

Just visiting five or six places would give him a rough estimate.

He immediately selected places worth visiting and left his seat.

* * *

At the same time in China.

Jiuquan, Gansu Province, desert zone near Dunhuang.

In the massive Magical Industry Complex spread in the middle of the endless desert, Ray Wen let out a pained groan.

“Kuhheok…!”

Being struck directly in the face by a boot heel, his knees buckled involuntarily. Thud! Following his collapsed lower body, his upper body fell powerlessly.

China’s largest magical engineering company, Jinling Heavy Industries.

The head and CEO of that major corporation bowed his head before a man.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…. I was wrong….”

Even while desperately looking around, no one who could help was visible.

An industrial complex large enough to cover the entire desert zone and more.

With just one command from that man, all subordinate employees had gone home.

“Wrong, you say. Right, what did you do wrong?”

“Ma, making a mistake at the seminar… and then being humiliated there…. Everything is my fault….”

“Is that all?”

“…!”

“I asked you. Is that measly thing the end?”

The slender man bit on a long pipe. With light steps, he sat on a throne, then crossed his legs. The tip of his foot touched the crown of the bowing Ray Wen’s head.

“That, that’s all I know! If there’s some mistake I failed to grasp….”

―Crack.

“Krgh, krrgh!”

“Mistake? Disgrace? Well, sure.”

“Grrgh!”

“If that’s a fault, then it’s a fault. Thanks to that, the corporation’s image has been tarnished. Still, I don’t intend to hold you accountable for that much.”

The man smiled bitterly.

“That was actually kind of funny.”

“….”

“With that bulk of yours, you couldn’t even resist that little brat once. It was so ridiculous. Don’t you think it was funny too? Well, anyway. Do you think I came all the way here just to question you about something like that?”

“Th, then….”

“Stupid bastard.”

The man with furrowed brows swung his pipe with a thud. Then a graph painted in blue appeared on the screen behind the throne.

“What I want isn’t the process, but the result. As long as you bring me the targeted result, I don’t care what the process is like. But what about you?”

Blue. That was the color representing Jinling Heavy Industries’ stock price.

Just a few weeks ago, right after the Global Artifact Seminar ended, it had been plummeting at an insane speed.

“You brought me a fucking terrible result. I said I wouldn’t look at the process, but since the process was shit, the result was shit too.”

“But there were unexpected circumstances…!”

“That EX-rank brat? Ha! Didn’t you hear what I just said? Results. I told you to bring me only results, didn’t I?”

“….”

…Damn it. Ray Wen, who was bowing his head, gnawed on his tongue. If he didn’t do this, he felt like he wouldn’t be able to bear the humiliation. Pain awakened his distant mind.

The past.

In his youth, Ray Wen was a researcher with decent talent.

But that was exactly where it ended. Compared to renowned engineers, he fell far short, and overcoming his set limitations was beyond his wildest dreams.

All he had was ambition for success.

And the one who recognized that ambition and approached him was none other than.

‘Lin Qingwu.’

The man before him, Lin Qingwu.

He didn’t know at the time.

That Lin Qingwu was actually someone obsessed with money to the point of madness, and that over time, the guild he established, the Absolute Dream Guild, would devour all of China.

In the end, Ray Wen took Lin Qingwu’s hand.

The proposal he offered to ‘make Jinling Heavy Industries the best in China’ felt too tempting to resist.

‘I shouldn’t have fallen for it back then…!’

Of course, Ray Wen wasn’t exactly a good-natured person either.

As he had shown at the seminar, he was selfish and liked to look down on others.

But he was nothing compared to Lin Qingwu.

There was no comparison. In his entire life, he had never seen such a vicious and malicious piece of trash.

After cooperating with Lin Qingwu, time passed.

Eventually, just as Lin Qingwu had said, Jinling Heavy Industries surpassed being the best in China and began eyeing the global market, and Lin Qingwu’s Absolute Dream Guild became a Hunter guild that no one could challenge.

And Lin Qingwu also changed.

No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say he was always like that.

Stock prices, money, honor.

He began craving all of it.

Endlessly, just like now.

―Crrrack.

“Grrrrgh… Please, please…!”

Ray Wen writhed in agony.

Forgetting that his tongue was about to be severed, he clenched his jaw.

After a moment, Lin Qingwu spat.

“Get lost. Don’t let me see you again.”

“Yes, yes…!”

Ray Wen immediately got up and rushed out of the executive office.

“….”

The room where Lin Qingwu was left alone.

‘…Damn bastard. Just thinking about the money I lost makes me want to go crazy.’

Looking at the flashing blue behind him, he irritably threw his pipe at the screen. Crash! With an ear-splitting sound, the glass shattered.

Even so, his anger wasn’t relieved.

In Lin Qingwu’s mind, only the tarnished honor and the lost money kept circling.

“Fuck.”

He had earned enough money.

He had accumulated enough honor.

But he couldn’t let go.

When someone who has something loses it. The pain felt then is dozens of times greater than what someone who never had it feels.

Even though it was a loss that could be recovered someday, Lin Qingwu’s anger showed no signs of subsiding.

But what was even more infuriating was that he couldn’t do anything about Ray Wen, who was the cause.

‘If I kill him now, the losses will only grow bigger.’

He had to keep him alive somehow and squeeze out as much as possible.

In the darkness, in a skyscraper where only neon sign lights entered, Lin Qingwu quietly chain-smoked cigarettes.

As the cigarette smoke filled the room, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.

‘Wait, thinking about it, isn’t there another cause?’

The person who was currently the talk of the town, the EX-rank Awakener.

It was already irritating that such a person was born in that small country, but he had even inflicted humiliation upon him.

On top of that, he had been displeased that Ray Wen had recently returned from Korea after suffering damage without making any demands. But he remembered hearing that was also because of that Awakener.

“The name was… Lee Si-hyeok, wasn’t it.”

Lin Qingwu immediately called for a subordinate who was waiting in the corridor.

Then he quietly gave several orders.

‘There’s no need for me to step forward directly right now.’

From behind, secretly, so that no one would know.

He would repay the humiliation he received dozens of times over….

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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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