Chapter 173
‘On the development and utilization of strategic weapons using magic stones’.
There is one technology that no CS player will ever forget.
‘Magic Stone Reactor’
A technology that will drastically change the energy business of CS in the future, it utilizes the energy generated by strong magic stones to generate a kind of nuclear power.
Whereas current technologies rely on the power from magic stones, this amplifies it, squeezing out a huge amount of efficiency.
The problem is that it doesn’t become commercially available until later in the CS.
It’s meant to be used as a gimmick to give players something different, like a new update.
And it was a nerdy scientist at the Seoul Hero Academy who created the technology that would become the basis for the Magic Stone Reactor.
It was Ahn Byung-hoon.
‘I thought he’d be doing some personal research by now, but he already came up with a draft?”’
The report was simple.
It was to convert the magic power generated by the magic stone into a shock, and then use the shock to deliver a secondary impulse to greatly increase the explosive power.
It was already a proven fact that a large impact on a magic stone would create a dungeon with tremendous energy.
Why wouldn’t the scientists of today have thought to capitalize on that?
In fact, this was already more or less a done deal.
But
“Should I support this as well?”
If I knew Ahn Byung-hoon, he would do research without any support, just for the sake of reading and enjoyment.
People’s practicality?
It didn’t matter to him.
He was what we call a mad-scientist, someone who researches only for his own satisfaction.
“It’s definitely a pumpkin rolling in, and I should pick it up, but he’s a little dangerous.”
Later on, Ahn would go crazy with his research and become a villain.
Could I capture him now and use him as a long-term pawn?
I thought about it for a while.
“One day.”
“Yes. Master.”
“Pass this through.”
I hand Ahn’s application to Haru, who is sitting at the next table.
Haru reads it and looks at me.
“Are you serious? A strategic weapon using magic stones? It doesn’t make sense.”
“I know. I know, but the question is, how can we use what comes out of the process?”
“Like……?”
“I have an idea, but let it pass for now. The research he’s asking for isn’t too much, is it?”
Even if you think of it as an investment, I said confidently, knowing that I could make a huge profit.
“He’s a real talent, so let him pass, and fund his research and development on my account.”
And this is the kind of guy that’s easier to keep on a leash and keep an eye on.
More on that later, but it’s never too late to decide.
“…… If you say so, I will.”
Finally agreeing, Haru signed the papers and set them aside.
This would give her a head start on the technology.
After all, the Academy was a treasure trove of untapped talent.
“Still, with your help, this should be a quick process. I didn’t realize you had a faster turnaround time than I do.”
She was certainly right, and it was a visible fact that I had sorted and processed more papers than she had.
“……You must have a very strict upbringing. I’ve been learning the organization’s office work lately.”
“If it’s clerical work, then you’re being taught by Consigliere, which certainly explains the pace.”
He’s practically in charge of all of Corleone’s paperwork, so he’s a specialist when it comes to that sort of thing.
It’s definitely helpful to go through the paperwork as he shows me and I was able to get through all this paperwork in no time.
“I think you’ll be able to do it in no time. Let’s keep going.”
“Yes, sir.”
Was it the joy of seeing the end in sight?
Haru smiled while I smiled back and continued to work.
Of course, even so, it was after dark when it was finished.
* * *
The last day of the ‘Gaegwacheonsun’ evaluation.
The evaluation sheets of the students who were targeted for the program arrived at the academy from each school.
“You really did this? Did you lock them up and threatened them with knives?”
“Of course not.”
Ji-hyun shook her head in disbelief as she read the reports of the kids I was in charge of.
“What in the world do you do to get a report that says the evaluation and demeanor of difficulty S kids has changed drastically, and that they feel very guilty about their usual activities?”
“Isn’t that all the result of my efforts?”
What I did with them was nothing spectacular.
The principle is simple.
All I’ve done was to make sure they know what they’ve done and that they’re going to live a life of guilt and atonement for the rest of their lives.
“They even do community service and use all the money they make from their part-time jobs to compensate their victims? Come on, be honest with me. You buried the real ones in the ground and replaced them with similar ones, didn’t you?”
“Say something that makes sense.”
I’m sure it would have been quicker to do that, but…….
The important training was done by Latte and Han Seo-Joon, so I’m not sure, but they probably didn’t bury them.
Well……probably.
“Well, I guess you’ll take first place based on total points. And……Jin-woo Bevalt?”
“Nope.”
“I don’t know what the hell you’ve been doing, but why is your kid going into the temple?”
……entering a temple?
“I don’t know, maybe he suddenly wanted to leave the world.”
“Hey……!”
I knew the details of what he’d done since I remembered him posting about it in the chat.
I’m pretty sure he was taking the kid to his family’s business or going on a two-day camping trip with him, right?
I was like, “The parents are happy and so is the school. I’ve never seen anyone send a mentee to a temple in my life.”
“Yay!”
It seems that the other kids also got high scores.
However, it seems that no one can surpass me, who succeeded in the S difficulty level mission with three students.
Rumor has it that Jung Hoon challenged an S-level mission, but……ended up mobilizing the police and sending his mentee to a power facility.
Anyway, it’s the guys who take ‘Gaegwacheonsun’ too seriously who are the problem.
“It seems that the dean will give the awards for ‘Gaegwacheonsun’ separately at a later date, so know that.”
“Yes.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a system window that I hadn’t seen in a long time appeared in front of me.
[Hidden achievement earned!]
[Achievement: “My child is different!”]
[You have succeeded in guiding delinquent children and ranked first in the “Reforming Children” project!]
[Special rewards will be given!]
[Attribute: [Orator] changes!]
[Attribute: [Eloquent] has been created!]
“Ah, good.”
I should have gotten the talent [Persuader], which increases the persuasiveness of others, but I already had a similar talent [Orator], so I got one more boost.
[Eloquent]
[1. People find your words very attractive and persuasive]
[2. People around you are drawn to your words].
[3. Your Speech skill increases in proportion to your Charm]
A talent that would benefit from having a skill that compensates for charm as it is now.
It was a good talent to have at the moment, so I smiled and decided to be satisfied with the change in my new talent.
With the end of the project, the academy’s activities returned to normal.
The children were sad to see their classes back to normal after the exams, but what can you do?
It is a law of academies and schools that after the midterm exams come the final exams.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a class, so I’m really tired. I can’t wait to go home and eat the food made by the recipe development club~”
“Certainly, you haven’t been to the club lately. Isn’t there a club meeting today?”
Se-ah looks exhausted while Young-jae still looks relaxed.
Judging from their expressions, they must have regretted the fact that they had to take a long break from ‘Familia’ activities.
“I guess we should. We have work to do today.”
“Work?”
Jin-woo is puzzled by the mention of work.
“Me and Choi Yeon have to do it anyway, so you guys can stay at the training grounds as usual or take on any requests that come your way.”
If I remember correctly, having Choi Yeon with me was enough to get the job done.
After finishing the rest of my classes, I head back to Familia clubhouse for the first time in a while.
The door is already open and inside, I see Choi Yeon, already dressed in a workout tank top, using the equipment on the training floor.
She’s pulling on the machines with great concentration, as if she’s been waiting all this time to use them.
After about two sets, she looks up, spots us, and raises her hand gently.
“Hi.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you in the booth. Warming up?”
“Yep. It’s been frustrating that all I’ve been able to do is run around in the wilderness or swing my sword when there’s no Familia activity.”
She must have missed the latest gadgets, the crown jewels of modern science.
“That’s too bad but I think you should work with me today.”
“Work?”
Was it the sudden word ‘work’?
Choi Yeon looks at me, scratching his head.
“Do you have to work today?”
“Uh, yeah. It shouldn’t take long, okay?”
Choi Yeon immediately turns sour at my words and puts on a smile.
“It’s okay, I can work out afterwards…….”
It didn’t sound convincing when she said it with a puppy-dead-grass look on her face, but…….
As she leaves the training center, her eyes never leave the equipment.
“……It’s upper body day today.”
“We’ll be right back.”
I grabbed her by the hem of her dress, looking like a puppy asking for a treat, and we headed out.
We were headed to what was called the Next Generation Magic Stone Research Club.
Since they weren’t assigned a club room, the group was actually secretly using an empty lab in Building C.
“Hello.”
He’s supposed to be in here according to what I’ve heard, but for some reason, all the lights inside are off.
Multiple knocks went unanswered so I gingerly slipped my aura inside, wondering if he wasn’t there, and a vague picture of the inside began to form in my mind.
“Is anyone there?”
Someone was sitting at the head of the table, doing something, which meant they were either not hearing us or ignoring us.
I grabbed the doorknob and tugged gently, but found it locked from the inside.
“Choi Yeon.”
“Huh?”
“I need you to cut this lock from the inside.”
“Can I cut……?”
“I’ll just buy a new one anyway.”
“Okay. Then I’ll cut it.”
Choi Yeon wrapped aura around her index finger and swung it at the door.
At the same time, there was a loud snap and the sound of the latch being cut off.
“It’s cut.”
“Shall we go in then?”
I grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open, and an amazing scene greeted us.
A bright blue light emanated from a magic stone on a table, and a man crouched in front of it, watching.
“Huh. What’s wrong with this, why did it react suddenly……?”
As he watched the glow fade, the man began to panic, and his eyes grew wide as he turned to look at us.
“You, you, you son of a bitch!”
He suddenly lunges at me and grabs me by the throat.
“You crazy bastard, I purposely locked the door to keep outside stimuli out, how the hell did you get in, how the hell did you get in, ahhhhhhhhh!”
And then he lets out a near scream.
“Hey, buddy.”
His grip on my shoulder shakes.
Ha, obviously we’re here to talk today…….
“Do you want to take your hands off me?”
