Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 94

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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 (94)

What’s with the Contact

At that moment.

An artifact gallery in Seoul Myeongdong crowded with countless people.

After finishing his tour, someone suddenly called out to Lee Si-hyeok who was quietly trying to leave.

“Wait! Mr. Lee Si-hyeok! Are you leaving already?!”

A voice shouted with enough force to burst eardrums.

The already focused gazes became even more concentrated. Lee Si-hyeok slightly furrowed his brows and turned around.

“…Director?”

The gallery director. The top executive overseeing this magnificent artifact gallery, and a big shot among big shots who was always dignified at official events.

However, that same person approached with a rather shocked expression.

“You’re really leaving already! It hasn’t even been 10 minutes since you started looking around!”

“I’ve already seen everything I needed to see. There’s no point in staying longer.”

“No, no point! How can you say such a thing…!”

“No. I don’t mean the artifacts have no meaning, but that there’s no use in staying longer…”

“That’s too much!”

“…”

The director suddenly seemed about to have a fit beyond just being shocked.

After clutching his head frantically, he suddenly glared at Lee Si-hyeok.

“Did you really look at everything without missing anything?”

“Of course. From the first floor to the 7th floor. There was quite a lot, but I saw everything at least once.”

“You looked properly, right? Not just carelessly?”

“Why would I lie about something like that?”

“Then, what was the name of the artifact in the last section of the first floor?!”

“Excuse me?”

“Answer me!”

“What’s with the sudden…”

…What’s wrong with this person? Lee Si-hyeok opened his mouth in disbelief at this sudden quiz show.

After a moment, he eventually chose to answer. It seemed like this would go on endlessly otherwise. Even if he ignored it and tried to escape, the man would probably follow him to the parking lot.

“The last one on the first floor would be the 〈Arcana Soldering Iron〉.”

“Then what about the third section on the second floor?!”

“The 〈Alchemical Perturbation Device〉, wasn’t it? And the 〈Monolith Catalyst Stone〉 after that is composed of three stones.”

“Then, then how many stones make up the catalyst stone… Huh? How did you know that?”

Obviously. It was a question that anyone who carefully toured the gallery could answer. In that case, the questions that would follow would be the same.

However, there was one point Lee Si-hyeok was overlooking.

‘In, in less than 10 minutes?’

To be precise, 6 minutes.

There wasn’t a single person who could observe all floors of the gallery ‘carefully’ in such a short time.

“Whoa.”

The director opened his mouth wide enough to tear. He was the one who asked the question, but he ended up receiving several times more shock in a different way. His initial suspicion disappeared without a trace.

Indeed, this was that Lee Si-hyeok.

He clicked his tongue and looked around.

This was an artifact gallery located in the heart of Myeongdong.

As such, there were quite a few visitors, and all their attention was focused on Lee Si-hyeok.

The exhibited artifacts?

No one was paying attention to such things. Though they were surely collection items gathered over a lifetime, at this moment the director felt no self-reproach about this.

Just pure awe.

“Well then, I’ll be going now. I enjoyed the tour.”

A quiet voice reached him as he blankly stared at Lee Si-hyeok’s retreating figure.

“Ah! Yes, yes! Thank you for visiting! Next time you come, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed! Absolutely!”

There was no reply.

After staring at the door that closed with a jingling sound for a long time, the director turned around.

His gaze, which had been fixed on Lee Si-hyeok, now finally noticed the many people.

People murmuring about the series of events.

“Ah…”

The emotion of embarrassment belatedly flooded into his mind that had been filled only with admiration and awe.

 

* * *

 

“Ugh, seriously.”

Lee Si-hyeok, who barely managed to get into his truck, let out a deep sigh.

It took a full 5 minutes just to reach the parking lot. It should have been a distance that could be covered in less than a minute normally.

“Why are there so many people?”

It was truly a sea of people. The crowd was packed so densely that it went beyond the sidewalks and completely paralyzed even the roadway.

Actually, he knew better than anyone why this had happened.

‘It’s because of me, obviously.’

For the past few days, Lee Si-hyeok had been traveling around the country, starting artifact tours.

To be precise, tours of ‘institutions that handle artifacts.’

It was to collect as many samples as possible before the full-scale construction of his research lab.

Since it would be difficult to modify once built, he thought he might as well do it properly while he was at it. Whenever there was an institution that seemed decent, he would visit directly and observe with his own eyes.

This artifact gallery was part of that effort.

Of course, since the gallery wasn’t a direct research facility, it felt a bit different, but still, the more diverse the samples, the better, right?

“So that’s why I came…”

During the tour, at some point, people suddenly started flocking like crazy. Like idol fans following their idol’s schedule in droves.

It was somewhat less at first, but it got worse as time went on.

Lee Si-hyeok looked out the truck window with a displeased expression.

Through the dark tinting, he could hear people’s voices.

“Wow, did you see? Lee Si-hyeok walking?”

“Just walking alone had insane presence. What kind of person has that aura…”

“Damn. I should have asked him to take a picture!”

This problem was, in a way, a situation that arose because Lee Si-hyeok didn’t properly recognize his own position.

Even though he had experienced tremendous things recently, until just a few months ago he was a non-awakened ordinary person. Lee Si-hyeok had been in a similar or worse situation than those people outside the truck.

So he couldn’t accurately gauge how much social standing he had.

That he was someone who could cause incredible issues just by walking around the streets.

‘I was somewhat aware of it though.’

But only to a certain extent.

He wore a mask and a hat too.

However, he didn’t use artifacts that completely changed his appearance like during the seminar and expo.

That was the problem.

Museum curators, research lab directors, and so on.

People who recognized Lee Si-hyeok started appearing one by one, and word spread through the internet by word of mouth.

Still, he thought this incident wouldn’t be on the level of the seminar or expo, so he only prepared to the extent of covering his face. If he had known it would be like this, he should have been more careful… regret lingered.

‘And it was probably because my route itself was so easy to predict.’

Because Lee Si-hyeok deliberately chose only famous institutions.

They were also places he couldn’t visit during his non-awakened days because he was busy or they were expensive, and he thought major places would be better since he was going to look anyway.

As he was clicking his tongue at his own foolishness, conversation sounds came from outside the window again.

“Hey, about Lee Si-hyeok. Where do you think he’ll go next?”

“People were saying it would be Infomatrix, right? That’s the next most famous place after this gallery. The Magical Engineering Data Lab.”

“Is that really it?”

“It’s gotta be 100%. Let’s head out too. When else will we get to see an EX-rank?”

Soon, people began departing in droves.

Just like when they had flocked here, a massive crowd left all at once. The bustling outside suddenly became quiet.

‘…Infomatrix.’

Thinking of that name, Lee Si-hyeok narrowed his eyes.

It was certainly a famous institution. A massive data lab that quantifies and analyzes data in the field of magical engineering. He’d heard they were targeting the global market these days.

He’d been too busy to search for information, so he wasn’t sure of the details. After all, he was bound to be less interested in it than in orthodox research facilities.

However, Lee Si-hyeok soon closed the app after looking up that information on his smartphone.

“This place is excluded.”

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, he had no particular intention of going there.

That wasn’t all.

The institutions he had originally planned to visit. He deleted all the names of the carefully selected institutions from his notepad – workshops, technology museums, creative lounges, and so on.

Cleanly, without leaving a trace.

These institutions were also places that people had speculated, or rather, were almost certain would be Lee Si-hyeok’s next destinations.

However.

“From now on, it’s a complete plan revision.”

He wouldn’t go to the places he had planned to visit.

Instead, he would mainly visit relatively unknown, less famous institutions.

Because he was conscious of people’s attention?

Because their gazes were burdensome?

As if. Of course it was burdensome, but not to the extent that he would deliberately avoid it. He could handle it if he tried, and accept it if he chose to.

He could just let it slide.

Moreover, now that he had crafted 〈Phagethesis〉, there was no particular need to worry about safety issues.

Still, the reason he changed his plan was….

‘There’s no longer any reason to tour famous places.’

…Because he had achieved his intended purpose.

Starting from the Pohang Research Complex, he had already accumulated more than enough data on how to set up a research lab.

To the point where blueprints were practically drawn in his head.

Then what he needed from now on was something slightly different.

Namely, the ‘facilities’ that would constitute the research lab.

One might wonder how this differed from before, but they were thoroughly distinct.

If the previous focus was on the overall structure of the research lab, this time it meant examining each element that would constitute that research lab.

Simply put, it was like this.

To make artifacts, you need ‘equipment for making artifacts.’

Like mana furnaces, for melting and casting materials.

Equipment necessary for the crafting process itself.

‘But that’s not the end.’

So how did this furnace come into being?

Did it sprout from the ground? Did it just fall from the sky?

No. It too exists because someone made it.

Following the source of artifacts like this, you eventually encounter crafting equipment, and this equipment forms the core of research facilities.

‘But…’

The real problem was that Lee Si-hyeok was relatively weak in that field.

Anyone would be the same from the start.

Most people are interested in artifacts themselves, not carefully observing the equipment used in the process. At best, they might be interested in crafting materials.

That’s because there’s active trading that catches attention.

Things like how much this magic stone sold for, or gate cores being traded.

However, crafting equipment is usually used for almost a lifetime once acquired.

In other words, it was bound to be a market with low interest.

Of course, Lee Si-hyeok would naturally know more than others, but it was also true that he was slightly less curious about it compared to finished artifacts.

‘So from now on, I’ll look into that.’

Visiting unknown places also had that meaning.

Workshops that focused on crafting equipment itself rather than artifacts would be relatively unpopular, and inevitably have fewer visitors.

After fully familiarizing himself with the necessary crafting equipment there, he could focus on actual research lab construction.

Lee Si-hyeok nodded and picked up his smartphone.

He had already compiled a list of workshops worth visiting.

 

[· Pungryugongjakso Workshop

· Green Forge

· Equipment Maru

· Cheongyeon Workshop….]

 

However, he needed to filter these down a bit more.

Which would be good? As he pondered for a moment while comparing various information, a notification suddenly appeared at the top of his phone.

[Text Message]

[Song Chae-ah: Hello, is this Lee Si-hyeok’s number by any chance?]

Lee Si-hyeok’s eyebrows twitched.

Song Chae-ah? They had exchanged numbers at that Expo dinner, but why the sudden contact?

[Me: Yes. That’s correct.]

As he tilted his head and sent the text, a reply came immediately.

[Song Chae-ah: Ah, I knew it! You must be surprised by my sudden contact 〒▽〒]

[Song Chae-ah: It’s nothing serious… I’ve been hearing news about you lately]

[Me: News?]

[Song Chae-ah: Yes, I heard you’ve been touring research institutions every day lately… places like museums and galleries]

Had the news spread even to her?

[Me: That’s true. Why do you ask?]

[Song Chae-ah: Well… my hobby is actually similar to yours. When I have free days, I go around looking at galleries ╰(*°▽°*)╯]

[Song Chae-ah: So I thought I’d introduce you to a few places. From what I saw online, you were going to Infomatrix, but there are much better places than there!]

[Me: Oh.]

This was somewhat unexpected.

Song Chae-ah had such a hobby? He thought the only gallery she knew was the ArtiNet Community gallery, but she had a more refined side than expected.

Though he was a bit hesitant to readily accept.

[Me: I appreciate it, but I’m thinking of changing direction from now on. It’s probably a field you’re not familiar with.]

[Song Chae-ah: Huh?? Direction?]

[Me: Instead of artifact crafting workshops, I’m thinking of visiting workshops that make crafting equipment.]

[Song Chae-ah: (＃°Д°) Crafting equipment!!!]

“What?”

She sent just one strange emoticon and then no reply. After about a minute, a notification finally rang again.

[Song Chae-ah: (Photo)]

[Song Chae-ah: I also like those kinds of places you mentioned! The photo I sent is a list of workshops I’ve visited!]

As stated, the photo contained the names of about 50 workshops.

Workshops dealing with crafting equipment, just as Lee Si-hyeok had mentioned.

Soon his eyes narrowed.

‘This….’

It matched exactly with the list Lee Si-hyeok had compiled.

Of course, since there were about 50, it was much more extensive, but the places he had planned to visit were all included without exception.

Did Song Chae-ah already visit all those places?

If so, the story would be different.

Things would become much easier than expected.

[Me: Let’s meet right away.]

[Song Chae-ah: q(≧▽≦q)]

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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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