Chapter 53 · 11 min

Chapter 53

Time and patience

Seo I-hyeon returned home and really slept soundly.

Of course even in the meantime didn't forget sticking the injection needle on the forearm before sleeping.

Preparing blood in advance later no occasion of regretting.

What first seen in the eyes of Seo I-hyeon who woke was the tube stuck in the shadow, and behind that the appearance of two magic books standing upright.

"You don't need to sleep?"

Seo I-hyeon even regarding as nonsense himself asked such a question. Because thinking the two magic books were like that all night the emotion was a bit peculiar. Pitiful and also worrying and a bit complex emotion arose.

Flutter.

'Breath of the Avesta' flipped the pages.

Rustle.

[Okay. Grimoires don't sleep. Us falling asleep also means sealed.]

Seo I-hyeon roughly nodded and left the bed. Anyway not a question intending to hear the answer. Also didn't know would answer so diligently.

Seo I-hyeon first lightly moved the body and thoroughly shook off sleep and washed.

Went to the always eating gukbap restaurant and resolved breakfast and returned and started the full day.

Today the first thing Seo I-hyeon has to do is exactly raiding the safe.

Seo I-hyeon took out the safe from the shadow.

And examined inside the safe with the shadow eye.

The safe was divided into total three compartments. In the topmost compartment there was a rack with dozens of ampoules stuck.

Just looking at the shape one knows. That is clearly treatment ampoules.

No mark, but probably highest grade treatment ampoules.

'Bug Mania' used magic with part of the body as price. So needed treatment ampoules that can regenerate.

"Hmm, shall sell that."

Seo I-hyeon as soon as seeing the treatment ampoules could know. That no matter to others to oneself useless at all.

Not knowing exactly how acts one could know very certainly that those treatment ampoules can't remove pain from Seo I-hyeon.

A matter of priority.

Even if using treatment ampoules, because Seo I-hyeon's recovery power or regeneration power is much superior to the treatment ampoule's ability regeneration already ends before the ampoule operates.

Receiving pain as pain, using ampoule as ampoule.

So that is just money.

Anyway obtained dozens of highest grade treatment ampoules that cost thousands of coins each.

In the second compartment 200 gold bars were stacked neatly. Not large gold bars. Seeing 100 gram gold bars.

Seo I-hyeon tilted his head.

Gold precious is right, but to the degree a mage stores in own safe?

At that time one piece of thought flashed like a flash.

"Uh... don't tell me?"

Don't tell me that gold, gold containing mystery?

Possibility large. The more Seo I-hyeon thought the conviction thickened.

"If knew like this shouldn't have sold that pickaxe."

Really sold to the black market without any thought. Saw such a blockhead.

Seo I-hyeon pressing the temples and about to fall into slight self-reproach then soon came out.

"No. Going to the cartel and buying better is enough. Not that I have no money. Who uses things like pickaxes? One has to use much more compact and sophisticated equipment."

If asking what such equipment is would answer don't know, but anyway there would be.

Seo I-hyeon with a expression that became bold as much as possible confirmed the third compartment.

"Huh? Ether cartridge?"

In the safe's third compartment ether cartridges were filled densely.

Same standard as the cartridge Seo I-hyeon bought at the cartel.

The cartel's ether cartridges weren't only used for the barrier generator.

Standardized to fit most equipment non-ability users use.

Not that ability users don't use ether cartridges.

To use abilities not one's field one has no choice but to stick the cartridge in equipment non-ability users use.

The barrier generator is such a case.

No way a spirit user or martial artist can spread a barrier, so at such times use the barrier generator. Sticking the ether cartridge.

Anyway as expected a mage. Money just overflowing.

One cartridge 1 thousand coins. How many such things. Counting exactly 100.

Just this is 100 thousand coins.

Treatment ampoules how again. Thousands of coins ones dozens. This also hundreds of thousands of coins.

Not only that. Also gold bars. If gold bars made of gold dyed with mystery this also hundreds of thousands of coins.

Anyway Seo I-hyeon opened the shadow warehouse and put all the things inside the safe.

If some special device or barrier on the safe wouldn't have been easy, but whether none such very cleanly could take out the contents.

Now the safe not needed. Briefly worried then just put into the shadow. Without even memoing.

This now as time passes will naturally disappear.

Raided the safe, stored the contents in the shadow and even finished memoing.

"The feeling as if even not eating full."

Of course because ate gukbap heartily for breakfast actually also full.

Seo I-hyeon organized luggage in the small room again.

Yesterday before going outside put all luggage into the shadow, for a while okay so took out again.

Anyway better not storing long in the shadow.

Seo I-hyeon who finished organizing luggage sat on the 1-person sofa prepared by the living room window and looked outside.

"Well bought."

As expected this place exact. Seo I-hyeon quickly went to the kitchen and made one cup of coffee. And sat on the sofa again and drank coffee while looking outside.

While doing so rolled the things to do in the future in the head.

First the most first that came to mind was Etherix.

If not properly stepping on those guys clear will continue to bother in the future.

Next the magic books.

'Bug Praise Theory' and 'Breath of the Avesta' really using well. Also cute taste in one's way, and also useful. Risk almost none.

In Seo I-hyeon's thought magic books the more the better. The more the better.

If others heard would have said crazy, but Seo I-hyeon okay.

First no occasion of going crazy because of magic books.

Seo I-hyeon's mind thanks to the soul connected with the sea of mana contamination impossible.

The price paid every time using magic books also okay. Anyway only using the body that infinitely regenerates.

Lastly the strange guys Seo I-hyeon met every time performing requests, regarding the guys who used rune magic.

"Something fishy."

Seo I-hyeon with gaze outside drinking coffee muttered.

At first just resentment as much as hit by guns. Regarded as repaying that much enough, but when handling the crawling old man the feeling a bit different.

If leaving those guys the feeling of something very bothersome arising arose.

"Let's do one by one."

First from Etherix.

From what heard from Choi Won Etherix's representative Park Han-seong connections considerable. Even most connections very deep.

Choi Won moving right away at Park Han-seong's request also because of that.

So doesn't know when again at Park Han-seong's request ability users like Choi Won will move.

If what came this time not a spirit user like Choi Won, but another ability user could one have handled so easily?

Of course would have handled. But not this easy and simple.

Spirit users lose in compatibility even to Seo I-hyeon, and also lose to 'Breath of the Avesta'.

But if the opponent was a martial artist how.

Even not one but several?

"Au, terrible."

Probably a considerably fierce fight would have occurred. Seo I-hyeon also would have hurt a lot.

Anyway so one has to surely organize so Etherix never moves again.

To do so how one has to?

Seo I-hyeon right away called Lee Yeong-su.

- Hello.

"Call okay."

- Of course. Call with our precious fixer.

"Curious something."

- What? If ordinary I'll inform for free.

That talk means if not ordinary cost enters. Seo I-hyeon nodded. Giving price for important information natural.

"Regarding Etherix."

- Umm, Etherix... Going to have a match with there?

"Well, similar."

- In a situation Cheonra and Arachne moving if moving so the matter won't become complicated?

"There already organized ended."

- Huh? Organized... ended? When?

"Yesterday."

Lee Yeong-su was silent for a while. Then opened his mouth with a tone full of surprise mixed.

- I see. Yesterday... Too short time for information to come to me though. Heo. Really great.

"Not only that. By any chance know Choi Won?"

- Choi Won? Know. Wind spirit user. Personality can't grasp, and as strong as personality. Suddenly why Choi Won?

"From Etherix sent Choi Won too."

- Choi Won? From Etherix? No, Choi Won has some debt to Etherix's representative, but no matter that suddenly sent Choi Won? Choi Won to catch you?

"Why? Strange?"

- Cost-benefit not matching. Even strange too strange. If the person Etherix looking for is the attacker who seized ether batteries understanding goes, but not that looking for you.

Seo I-hyeon flinched at those words.

"Right. Those two separating is right."

- Right. Originally the same person, but in Etherix won't regard so.

Certainly while talking with Lee Yeong-su things to think increase. Also many realizing something.

- Anyway so exactly what curious? If from Etherix sent even Choi Won really determined.

When Lee Yeong-su turned the words, Seo I-hyeon chuckling answered.

"Wanting to give Etherix one shot."

- Give one shot?

"Yes. What how doing can give Etherix very big damage? Would be good if completely ruined, but up to there hard, right?"

- No... ruining is difficult.

"Difficult? Then not impossible?"

- No, accepting that so troublesome.

Lee Yeong-su exhaled a deep sigh then continued.

- So wanting to give a blow to Etherix's hidden world side?

"Right. If able to erase that side's influence completely even better."

- No, up to there a bit hard. Anyway if hidden world side there is one method though...

"As expected there is. Knew so. Believed if uncle there would be a method."

- No, believing that much troublesome. Anyway know what business Etherix does on the hidden world side?

"No."

- Makes and sells simple ether props. More precisely makes small ether circuits and supplies to needed places.

"Nothing special."

- Seems nothing special but earnings considerable. Influence also fairly great. A thing with demand worldwide.

"That degree?"

- That degree. Putting the ether circuit that is the foundation of ether goods on a small chip, enters most things related to ether. Also absolutely needed for ether-related research.

This a bit surprising. Then demand would be tremendous.

"Like a semiconductor that operates with ether? Selling such a thing worldwide?"

- How? Not an ordinary company?

"Certainly. So to give such Etherix one shot how one has to do?"

- Smashing the ether circuit factory is enough.

"Meaning breaking the factory?"

- More precisely smashing the core of the process of making ether circuits.

"Core?"

- When making ether circuits, not simply doing with technology. If technology Etherix's competing companies would have sprung up.

"So what is the core?"

- Anomalous phenomenon.

"Yes?"

- Utilizing anomalous phenomenon.

"What is that?"

- Regard as an expanded form of anomalies. What Etherix uses is an anomalous phenomenon called moonlight pond.

"Moonlight pond? Name pretty."

- Actually seeing wouldn't be pretty like the name? Because a pond close to a blood puddle.

"But why the name moonlight pond?"

- Absorbs moonlight. More precisely absorbs ether originating from moonlight. Absorbing like that if exceeding the limit spreads around sharply.

"Interesting. With that how making ether circuits?"

- Circuits one makes in advance. Piling the circuits made like that near the moonlight pond. Then when releasing ether that sticks to the circuits.

"Style of ether dwelling on the circuits and becoming ether circuits?"

- First estimating so.

"Not certain?"

- A conclusion drawn by analyzing completed ether circuits.

"Who?"

- From the Management Bureau.

"The Management Bureau also does such things?"

- Does. If even a little related to abilities, regard as doing anything. Anyway utilizing the moonlight pond certain, but exactly what how doing don't know.

Lee Yeong-su once starting excitedly continued the explanation.

- The moonlight pond is an anomalous phenomenon that arises if there is a living being nearby. If hit by the ether the moonlight pond spread one severely sickens. Usually regard as catching a cold. After spreading all like that disappears and appears in another place style.

"Not such a serious anomalous phenomenon."

- Right. Honestly even just leaving no particular problem. Doesn't even appear near sick people. Guessing attracted to strong life force, well, don't know.

"I see."

- The problem is Etherix forcibly holding that. Probably used a barrier.

"Is that possible?"

- Possible. Before did related experiments abroad.

"Experiments? How became?"

- Okay until the first few times spreading ether then when exceeding the limit the barrier can endure smashed all and spread ether far.

"Don't tell me the ether became stronger?"

- Right. The ether stuck to living beings didn't fall and changed all living beings into ether.

"Scary."

- But in Etherix what method used holding the moonlight pond for a long time without particular accidents.

"Certain holding?"

- Certain. Still the moonlight pond's ether stuck.

Seo I-hyeon nodded.

"Anyway if eliminating the moonlight pond can give a blow to Etherix."

- Not just a blow degree. Probably will stagger for a while?

"That likes. So where is the moonlight pond?"

- That I also don't know.

"Yes?"

- No, think. Would Etherix manage that carelessly? People who know that location, almost none in Etherix. How thoroughly managing.

Well, if the location known too many people who would touch there.

"Can't look into? Said there is an ex-girlfriend too."

- Exceeds the range my ex-girlfriend can know.

"Well, understood. Anyway please. Look into as much as one can look into."

Of course not expecting greatly. Seo I-hyeon thought of stepping forward directly and looking into.

- First understood. Will look into a bit.

"Thank you."

Seo I-hyeon hung up and fell into thought.

'Alright, how find out?'

Somehow time and patience seem needed.