F-Rank Secretly Becomes Stronger - Chapter 71

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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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71

 

“Lie down comfortably here.”

 

After quickly finishing the meal, they returned to the laboratory.

 

Going through the door to the back area of the laboratory, an operating room with a single bed in the center greeted them.

 

It looked like he’d be dissected immediately if he lay down there, which made him feel repulsed, but since his safety was guaranteed by the contract, he quickly lay down in position.

 

“Now then, shall I give it a touch…”

 

“Don’t do anything weird.”

 

“Why are you so anxious when we even made a contract?”

 

Looking at Garisto’s perverted expression, wouldn’t anyone think the same thing?

 

Even trying not to be anxious, he was grinning like a psycho scientist, which gave him chills and made him feel like he’d put a knife to his body right away, contract or no contract.

 

“Just stay still and hold out your arm, I’ll take care of the rest.”

 

“…Alright.”

 

He extended his left arm with a distrustful heart.

 

Garisto, wearing experimental glasses, began to very carefully touch the mark on his arm.

 

Along with tools whose purpose was completely unknown to a layman.

 

They didn’t look sharp, so he felt somewhat relieved and waited quietly for the results when he heard muttering as if finding it interesting.

 

“You found this on the Academy Rooftop?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Hmm… I see.”

 

After carefully touching it a few times for a moment, Garisto soon withdrew his hands.

 

When he looked at him wondering what was up, he said clearly.

 

“I can’t remove this for you.”

 

“What?”

 

A sudden declaration of giving up.

 

He naturally thought at least one method would come up.

 

It was absurd how easily he said there was no method, so refreshingly straightforward.

 

“It’s an artifact you made, but there’s no way at all?”

 

“It is an artifact I made, that’s right.”

 

Saying that, he let out a deep sigh.

 

He spun his chair around and briefly fiddled with a tool that was beside him.

 

“But the structure has changed.”

 

“The structure?”

 

“In other words, it’s been modified.”

 

He could tell just from examining it briefly.

 

The framework of the Training Room itself that he had made was preserved, but the detailed internal structure had changed quite a bit from his method.

 

“Probably whoever got their hands on this modified it while accepting that the artifact might break. They must be either really confident in their skills or just not normal.”

 

What kind of thoughtless guy had touched such a precise artifact?

 

He wanted to see the face of the guy who had arbitrarily modified something like his own child.

 

“I’m not certain yet, I’ll need to touch it more to find out.”

 

Then he began fiddling with the mark again.

 

He didn’t know what method he was using to understand the structure, but seeing his sincere expression, it didn’t seem like he was joking around at least.

 

Several minutes of flowing silence.

 

Time passed without any conversation, and soon the face inside the goggles frowned.

 

“Phew… That’s as far as I can go.”

 

He removed the experimental glasses.

 

Garisto pushed the goggles up to his forehead and moved away from the mark.

 

“If I touch it any more, something might go wrong with the artifact.”

 

“…So you’re saying there’s no way to remove it?”

 

“Nothing is impossible in this world, it’s just that the problem that needs to be solved according to conditions has become a bit more difficult.”

 

If there was no need to protect Jung Juhyeok’s body, there would be a method to handle it roughly and tear it off.

 

However, according to the contract, he had to remove it without any problems to his safety, so the means were limited.

 

“Which cute kid could have changed my artifact like this…”

 

“…”

 

He didn’t know much about artifacts himself.

 

He had looked into it a bit after the Training Room appeared, but that was only superficial knowledge at best.

 

He was in no position to offer any advice to someone whose main job was artifact manufacturing.

 

He was thinking about just staying still and waiting for him to somehow solve it.

 

Suddenly, something came to mind regarding the mention that the Training Room had changed.

 

“Isn’t it just changed because of the Dream Herb?”

 

The Training Room had started showing errors little by little after he ate the Dream Herb.

 

From the Doll contaminated by the Dream Herb, it even showed him memories that might or might not be true.

 

So he brought up the Dream Herb story just in case.

 

Then Garisto suddenly made an expression as if he had realized something.

 

“Ah, come to think of it, you said you ate the Dream Herb, right?”

 

“Did you forget?”

 

“No, it was such an absurd thing that I couldn’t even think of it.”

 

Since this was the first time seeing a living being that ate Dream Herb and could have a normal conversation with him, he couldn’t bring himself to think of that.

 

“Yeah, the Training Room became a bit strange after that too.”

 

“Hmm… Then the story changes a bit.”

 

He falls into contemplation.

 

As a new formula comes in, he starts laying out the solution from the beginning again.

 

Garisto fell into deep thought for a while, then pulled his goggles down again and said.

 

“Then I can try touching it differently. Let me look a bit more.”

 

“Do as you please.”

 

It doesn’t matter how long it takes.

 

If he can just remove the Artifact, he could lie in this laboratory all day—

 

[Do you hate it that much?]

 

“What did you say?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You just asked something.”

 

A voice that whispered quietly so it couldn’t be heard properly.

 

He roughly got a sense of what was said, but asked back just in case.

 

“…I didn’t say anything though?”

 

Then the answer that came back was puzzlement.

 

There are only two people in this narrow laboratory, so if it wasn’t him, who spoke?

 

While they were looking at each other with bewilderment, the voice was heard again.

 

[You became that strong thanks to me.]

 

It wasn’t Garisto.

 

He was keeping his mouth still, and more importantly, the direction the voice came from wasn’t from his side either.

 

Inside his head.

 

Garisto’s voice echoes inside his head.

 

“Garisto, this isn’t the time for weird pranks.”

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

Garisto said while closely examining his eyeballs from up close.

 

“Did I touch the Artifact wrong and make you mentally unstable?”

 

“I feel like I’m still fine.”

 

“That’s what all mentally unstable people say.”

 

Saying that, the guy starts fiddling with the restraints next to him.

 

Is he really mentally unstable and hearing hallucinations?

 

Well, a situation where voices are heard inside his head couldn’t be normal.

 

Right now in this place, no one exists except Garisto and himself.

 

If it’s not Garisto’s mischievous prank, then who on earth is hiding here and transmitting voices into his head with the exact same voice as his?

 

[It’s on your arm, you idiot.]

 

“….”

 

His gaze instantly turns toward his arm.

 

Juhyeok quietly stared at the mark engraved on his left arm and answered.

 

“Garisto.”

 

“What’s wrong, Patient.”

 

He said to the guy who was preparing restraints and trying to put them on his body.

 

“Do Artifacts sometimes talk to their owners?”

 

“Are you talking about Artifacts with self-awareness?”

 

Garisto tries to put restraints on his wrists and legs while speaking.

 

He answered without a moment’s hesitation.

 

“It’s quite plausible. There have already been several cases.”

 

“I think I’m probably one of those cases right now.”

 

“….”

 

Then he stops in the middle of putting on the restraints.

 

Garisto asked with a glimmer of hope.

 

“Don’t tell me you can hear voices?”

 

“Yeah, it’s saying it’s on my arm.”

 

“What’s the probability you’re suffering from mental illness due to Dream Herb? Do you perhaps feel like everyone here is your enemy?”

 

“Not at all.”

 

The current stage doesn’t correspond to Dream Herb contamination symptoms.

 

Still, just in case, he slowly put on the restraints while asking.

 

“Don’t the hallucinations say anything else?”

 

“Well, it’s quiet right now.”

 

“…Then shall we examine it a bit more.”

 

An artifact that has developed self-awareness.

 

Upon hearing those words, his already overflowing interest surged like a flood.

 

Garisto reaches for the mark on his arm with an even more unpleasant look than before.

 

[I don’t like it.]

 

“What?”

 

The hallucination is heard again.

 

No, is it not a hallucination but the voice of the artifact?

 

When he asked again, the artifact spoke.

 

[I feel disgusted when that guy touches me.]

 

“….”

 

Could this hallucination be projecting my inner thoughts?

 

After thinking that for a moment, he spoke carefully.

 

“Garisto.”

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“I think it would be better if you didn’t touch it.”

 

At those words, Garisto frowns.

 

His reaction showed he wasn’t convinced, perhaps because he was interrupted during his enjoyment.

 

“The artifact says it doesn’t like you touching it.”

 

“What?”

 

The guy flinches momentarily when informed of the artifact’s will.

 

Rather than touching the artifact recklessly, he carefully backs away from the arm.

 

An artifact with self-awareness is an extremely sensitive existence.

 

He instinctively keeps his distance, not knowing what might happen if he touched it carelessly.

 

“Hmm… it’s showing a rejection reaction.”

 

Garisto crosses his arms and contemplates for a moment.

 

He watches the artifact from a distance and asks.

 

“What’s the reason?”

 

When Garisto asked, the same voice answered in his head.

 

[You’re trying to remove me. I don’t like it.]

 

Juhyeok relayed the voice he heard in his head exactly.

 

“It says it doesn’t like it because it can see your intention to remove it.”

 

“…Since it’s an artifact with self-awareness, its self-assertion is quite clear.”

 

His gaze shows interest.

 

Even so, he doesn’t close the distance and maintains a cautious attitude.

 

The voice presumed to be the artifact’s self-awareness echoes in his head again.

 

[Don’t remove me.]

 

“Don’t remove you?”

 

[That’s right, you became strong because I’m here.]

 

The Training Room speaks.

 

Saying that he was able to become strong because it was there.

 

[The ultimate strength you so desperately desired. It can be achieved.]

 

It says.

 

The goal of ultimate strength.

 

She speaks about his endless desires.

 

She had given hope to the Dullard who dreamed of a realm he could never dare touch, and it’s the same now.

 

[If you’re with me.]

 

If he’s with her, it’s possible.

 

Juhyeok can become stronger than anyone if he’s with her, and can reach the realm he’s dreamed of so much.

 

Along with those words, his vision gradually fades to black.

 

That sensation is a familiar one he’s always experienced.

 

“….”

 

The sight of Garisto watching quietly while his eyes widen in contrast.

 

That was the last sensation he encountered before his vision went dark.

 

After that, everything disappears and his consciousness shuts off.

 

Later, his consciousness, which he didn’t even know had been extinguished, returns.

 

A place with a white background without a single tree.

 

A vast canvas where you can’t tell where it ends.

 

There, aside from himself, there’s only one object with a defined form.

 

“Hello, Master.”

 

It was someone who looked exactly like Garisto.

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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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