Reset Life with Infinite Talents - Chapter 265

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Infinite Talent Reset Life Episode 265

There was a child.

From a young age, he could not understand what the adults were saying.

“The land is drying up. The Great Spirit of Rain is angry. Prepare the ritual.”

“The wind suddenly changed and we lost our prey. The Wind Spirit is angry. Could you ask why they are upset?”

‘Why do the spirits always act so spitefully?’

Why do they hate them so much when they perform rituals for the spirits’ sake?

The most incomprehensible of all was the Fire Spirit.

The Fire Spirit that burns the forest which gives them so much.

Even though they somehow protect the children, the Fire Spirit pays no heed to such things and burns even the young ones.

The child was always curious about this, but his father, the Shaman who heard the spirits’ voices and divined the tribe’s fortunes, earnestly warned him never to speak of it aloud.

As time passed, the child inherited his father’s work and became the tribe’s Shaman.

Crackle crackle crackle!

“Everyone run!”

“Only take what’s important! We can rebuild the houses!”

The forest burns.

Once again, the Fire Spirit appears without fail and acts spitefully.

The Indians who fled far away, clutching only important things like weapons and pots, collapse to the ground.

Despair gazes at the burning forest, then looks around in surprise.

“Where is Maya!”

“Bull’s Leg! Where are you!”

“Mom! Dad!”

“Oh, Great Spirit!”

Those who found their children and parents collapse in relief.

Then they glare at one person as if to kill him.

“What the hell happened, Wise Eyes…!”

Since reading the spirits’ hearts is the Shaman’s job, the tribespeople who were about to pour out their anger at the Shaman close their mouths.

Because of his appearance, kneeling and staring blankly at the forest.

He hadn’t known. That the Fire Spirit had come to this forest.

A Shaman not knowing this meant one thing.

‘Damn it! We should have opposed that bastard inheriting the name of Wise Eyes from the beginning!’

The son of the previous Wise Eyes, who had questioned the spirits’ will since childhood, especially questioning the Fire Spirit that came so suddenly.

They should have chosen a child with different talents and pushed them to the previous Wise Eyes.

Then they wouldn’t have had to move the tribe’s home three times in the past five years due to the Fire Spirit’s anger.

He is hated. The Fire Spirit hates that damn bastard who questions their will.

‘We should have cast him out when he asked why fire doesn’t pity the young and weak!’

The tribespeople who reflexively stepped back for fear of receiving the spirit’s hatred click their tongues. Though anger rises to the top of their heads, they leave him alone because beating someone hated by spirits to death might transfer that hatred to them.

Because this Fire Spirit is such an existence.

Instead, they look at one person.

“What shall we do, Sturdy Tree?”

Deciding the tribe’s future is the job of the chief, Sturdy Tree.

Sturdy Tree frowns at his son’s question.

“What do you mean, what shall we do?”

“The Fire Spirit hates that bastard. And they hate us for letting that bastard inherit the name of Wise Eyes.”

If that weren’t the case, they should have only punished that bastard.

Then they must send him away or leave themselves. Before greater anger consumes them.

But there’s something troubling about casting him out.

‘That bastard is loved by the spirits of trees and grass.’

The one who found herbs and fruits more easily than the previous Wise Eyes. The one who knew how to heal more diseases and appease the spirits’ anger.

If they cast that bastard out, the spirits dwelling in the forest will come to hate them.

Then there’s only one answer.

“…You’re saying we should decide whether to go to the Western Sea or up north where Starblade Foundation is.”

To the east are those too frightening and dangerous.

“Yes.”

The aged Sturdy Tree falls into thought before speaking.

“Let’s go to the sea.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to go north where Starblade Foundation is?”

The sea side is already controlled by other tribes. They, with barely thirty tribespeople, would be absorbed quickly.

“Do you think it would be different there?”

Anyway, with so few in the tribe, being absorbed is the same either way.

“And if we rashly head north where snow storms rage, the Great Spirits dwelling in Sacred Mountain will be very disappointed.”

Not the Sacred Mountain where Starblade Foundation exists, but Sacred Mountain that exists on the land where they currently live. The place where the Great Spirits dwell.

“…I understand.”

As his son withdraws, Sturdy Tree looks at the tribespeople.

“Prepare to move! We head to the Western Sea!”

“Yes!”

After the tribespeople left the burning forest without looking back, Wise Eyes, who was left behind—no, abandoned—grits his teeth.

‘Why on earth…’

“Why on earth!”

He had gathered dead trees and grass monthly to make fire, begging not to burn the forest and its young ones. He prayed earnestly for this to satisfy them.

He also asked the spirits of trees and grass daily to please overcome the Fire Spirit’s spite and protect the forest’s young ones.

“What did I do wrong! What didn’t I do—!”

He had done everything he could. There was nothing he hadn’t done, and he had put in more effort than what his father taught him.

But was having simple doubts such a great wrong?

“Is my inheriting the name such a mistake! If not, then what have you done!”

Now he hates the forest spirits more than the Fire Spirit.

“Did I ask for something big? No, you cowards—!”

The forest spirits who do nothing because they fear the Fire Spirit.

Wretched things that abandon even their own young ones.

Drop!

He looks up at the water droplet touching his face and laughs helplessly.

Pitter-patter! Whoooosh!

“…Ha, fine. Just kill me.”

Now even the Great Spirit of Rain is angry just because he cursed a little.

The Great Spirit of Thunder, who is always with the Great Spirit of Rain, rumbles.

Lying flat, he closes his eyes waiting for the divine punishment that will soon fall.

But perhaps because today was too exhausting.

Or perhaps because he felt relieved that he would finally die.

He loses consciousness.

“Gasp!”

Wise Eyes suddenly opens his eyes wide and rushes frantically to where the Fire Spirit had acted spitefully.

And he is shocked.

A single small tree standing tall on the land full of black and gray ashes.

He trembles at the tree that has no leaves but breathes with life.

“…Ahhh!”

This was it. The reason the Fire Spirit had been angry all this time.

Because this was being created, because it was completed, they had acted so spitefully.

The forest spirits hadn’t ignored his requests and prayers. They hadn’t always trembled like cowards.

They too had been preparing.

They had been gathering the power to overcome the Fire Spirit.

That thing. The power to overcome the fire spirit.

However, they had used most of that power just moments ago to counter the fire spirit’s mischief. That’s why they informed him through the dream.

To spread this power that they had slowly, painstakingly gathered over eons of time to protect just one tree.

So that no more young ones of the forest would burn because of the fire spirit.

“…Excuse me.”

His eyes changed as he peeled the bark from the tree and brought it to his mouth.

* * *

“That’s a substance created through Wise Eyes’ long efforts.”

A flame-retardant material finally perfected through countless trials and errors during 27 fires thereafter.

Bubble bubble bubble, whirr whirr whirr.

In Boeing’s laboratory, liquid boils in beakers and component analyzers spin furiously.

The gathered researchers look at the transparent liquid in the beaker placed on the steel table.

Johann, standing among them, moves his lips.

“However, this knowledge wasn’t passed down to future generations.”

He later became the shaman when a nomadic tribe came to the forest.

More precisely, the situation didn’t allow for its use. The era of western expansion had begun, when countless Indians were massacred and they had to worry about tomorrow’s survival.

“That’s why it was only passed down as records like this.”

He had merely restored it.

“And Dr. Jefferson brought it here.”

Having already created the dream new material Starlight, Dr. Johann could certainly be called a doctor.

Johann shrugs at the Boeing Research Institute director’s words.

“We’re going to sell it commercially anyway, so it’s better to sell to whoever pays the most.”

And Boeing’s research institute had far superior testing environments. The mansion’s laboratory couldn’t conduct satisfactory tests due to size limitations.

“Here’s the component analysis and experimental data.”

The director’s eyes shake as he receives the thick bundle of papers.

The same goes for other researchers who checked the data over the director’s shoulder.

Those who had stopped their work and rushed over upon hearing Johann brought another new material all look at Johann in shock.

“Are you crazy?”

“What! How is this possible?!”

Mr. Kellner frowns at their jumping reactions.

“What’s wrong?”

“Th-this is a flame-retardant material made by mixing only natural materials based on polyphenols…”

Polyphenols are natural compounds generated naturally in plants that convert to graphite layers at high temperatures, protecting wood from fire.

“Heat resistance test results show that wood coated with this material demonstrates flame-retardant performance improved by about 2 times compared to untreated wood…”

That’s not all.

The coating layer showed excellent durability in accelerated climate aging tests over about 20 days, and in tree survival rate experiments conducted in actual environments, coated trees achieved 100 percent survival rates, confirming the material’s non-toxicity and eco-friendliness.

This is why everyone was shocked. Compared to existing flame-retardant materials, it showed similar performance while also being non-toxic and eco-friendly.

At those words, Mr. Kellner looks at Johann.

Johann shrugs.

“Honestly, if we artificially improved based on these materials, I think we could create flame-retardant materials improved by more than 3 times…”

All the chemists he had absorbed and read during this experiment said the same thing.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have enough time.”

Right now he wanted to devote his time entirely to the installation art piece he was currently making.

Kellner laughs as if incredulous at those words.

“Are you interested in trying other experiences?”

He made Starlight to submit to a high school internal competition, and this time he made eco-friendly flame-retardant material after seeing wildfire.

Something unimaginable by common sense.

Even if the beginning was thanks to accidentally obtaining past knowledge, ultimately restoring that knowledge and even suggesting possibilities for further improvement could only be called Johann’s ability.

He couldn’t help but want to create even one more point of contact with Johann.

“For example, experiences building steel structures near the ocean, in deserts, polar regions, or in the sky?”

Extreme environments that Boeing always had to overcome as homework.

“Ahaha.”

Reading from Johann’s awkward laugh that he wasn’t interested yet, Kellner clicks his tongue internally and speaks again.

“What about effectiveness when applied to metals or other materials? Similar to existing ones? Or better?”

“Boeing should figure that out.”

He didn’t have time to experiment with that.

“Though for metals and plastics, the adhesion seemed somewhat poor.”

That’s the limitation of natural materials.

This is why artificial improvement is necessary.

“Hmm…”

Frustrating. A huge treasure shimmers before his eyes but he can’t grasp it like a mirage.

“Still, this will devour the construction sector.”

“Bingo.”

America’s construction market with many wooden buildings.

Most houses should be considered built with wood rather than concrete, and wood is used in many other places, so enormous sales will occur.

Maybe it will devour the global wood processing market.

That’s why he’s puzzled.

“What do you want?”

When selling Starlight to Boeing during high school, he thought it was selling to Boeing, a place that could protect the technology, because he lacked the power to protect it.

But not now.

‘Jefferson of the West…’

How shocked he was to learn about Johann’s family through the variety show Trip Road that Johann appeared on.

‘The relationship with the family didn’t seem good, but…’

He couldn’t conclude it was still the case. Recently, it was confirmed that the Jefferson family was buying Boeing stock, as well as Warner, BlackRock, and SJ Group stocks.

All companies that had relationships with Johann.

It was certain the Jefferson family moved because of Johann.

However, since this wasn’t something that could be passed off as mere speculation, he met and talked with not only Larry but also the Jefferson family head, Grayson Jefferson.

If there were other purposes, he couldn’t just stand by and watch.

‘But their reactions were opposite.’

Evaluating their reactions, Kellner’s conclusion was that Grayson Jefferson was trying to improve his relationship with Larry.

‘I haven’t heard of problems with the heirs’ safety, so ultimately…’

It must be because of Johann.

Johann was someone anyone would covet.

He himself was struggling to create contact points with Johann, so Grayson Jefferson would definitely have tried to win Johann over.

He surely promised sweeter rewards than Boeing.

Yet Johann chose Boeing again.

Kellner wanted to know the reason.

Johann looked straight into Kellner’s complicated eyes.

“The fastest possible commercialization. You can take care of contract money and royalties appropriately, so I hope it gets commercialized as soon as possible.”

‘Too dry.’

The air and ground are too dry.

He feels a sense of crisis that fires like the La Tuna wildfire might occur again.

‘Wolf Who Howls at the Moon’ and ‘Survival Expert Johann’ sense danger, and ‘Daoism Master Doseon’ and the ‘Shaman’ he absorbed this time also warn that fire energy has grown stronger.

“I thought so. With Boeing’s power, commercialization should be possible before the year after next.”

Kellner nods but twists his lips internally. He noticed that the story about rushing commercialization contained other implications.

‘He wants me to propose an alliance with Jefferson.’

He wants to borrow Jefferson’s power to move politicians, at least California politicians, to rush commercialization even more.

Because if Johann directly asked the Jefferson family for help, it could become a debt.

But he doesn’t bring up and point out this fact.

‘If those father and son don’t reconcile with the Jefferson family, many of the things Johann creates in the future will come to Boeing!’

As a businessman, and as someone challenging the pinnacle of CalNer, would there be any reason to deliberately collapse an advantageous situation.

“Try your best to commercialize at least a portion as quickly as possible, preferably before this year ends.”

For instance, coating application for forests.

“…I’ll do my best.”

‘I can roughly guess what you’re thinking…’

What does that matter anyway.

‘Since I have no intention of doing anything more for Jefferson unless Larry permits it.’

“Do you have time afterwards?”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

He needed to do welding. To connect the artworks made of pozzolan with the pozzolan site that had finished curing.

He couldn’t send away the people who were waiting there for quite some time now.

“Hmm. That’s unfortunate.”

“Haha. I’ll invite you first when it’s completed.”

“I look forward to it.”

“Yes!”

Johann, who had exchanged handshakes, turned around.

‘I’ve done everything I could.’

Now all that remained was completing the artworks.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————