Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Park Yong-jun was exchanging messages with the White Saint, a Setinos Hunter.

They were acquainted to some degree, so he was simply passing along information she might need ahead of time.

There was no deeper meaning to it—he had reached out on the off chance it might matter.

[Shin Da-hee (15:37) : Like the Demon King, you mean? How impressive are they?]

[Park Yong-jun (15:37) : I confirmed it myself. Given the right conditions, he can use physical healing and both types of mana transfer simultaneously.]

[Shin Da-hee (15:38) : Start by telling me more about this Awakened.]

[Park Yong-jun (15:38) : They're closer than you'd think. And they're connected to the Black Demon King.]

Park Yong-jun sent only indirect hints through his messages, amused by the game of it.

He figured she would catch on soon enough.

There was no way she didn't know the Black Demon King was Miterich's chairman.

[Shin Da-hee (15:39) : Don't tell me this Awakened is a student at Miterich?]

[Park Yong-jun (15:39) : That's right. And not just any student.]

[Shin Da-hee (15:39) : I take it they hold at least a Team Leader position.]

[Park Yong-jun (15:40) : Higher than that. You know about Miterich's Student Council President, don't you?]

[Shin Da-hee (15:40) : Of course. They say he can copy other Awakened's abilities.]

[Park Yong-jun (15:40) : What do you think happened when he copied my ability?]

No reply came immediately after that message was sent.

The White Saint was likely mulling over everything Park Yong-jun had said.

Park Yong-jun leisurely browsed the internet on his smartphone while he waited.

[Shin Da-hee (15:40) : He copied the dragon transformation ability, so how is he able to use physical healing and mana transfer?]

[Park Yong-jun (15:41) : Your guess is as good as mine. I only confirmed it.]

[Shin Da-hee (15:41) : You're not lying, are you?]

[Park Yong-jun (15:41) : What would I gain from lying?]

[Shin Da-hee (15:41) : And if it's a copied ability, it's meaningless anyway. He could just as easily copy mine.]

Park Yong-jun acknowledged her point as he typed his reply.

If Seo Hyun-woo needed combat support abilities, he could simply copy the White Saint's abilities rather than his own.

But since those abilities had originated from the dragon, wouldn't they be fundamentally different from the White Saint's?

[Park Yong-jun (15:42) : There could be other abilities hidden beyond that. Whether he's deliberately concealing them or there's truly nothing else, the Student Council President himself would know best.]

[Shin Da-hee (15:42) : It seems like you're the one who's more interested, Dragon King.]

[Park Yong-jun (15:42) : I won't deny it. But it wouldn't hurt to know in advance.]

[Shin Da-hee (15:42) : That's true. There could be changes worth observing if the Student Council President copies my abilities.]

As expected, the White Saint was thinking along the same lines.

Copying abilities alone was useful enough, and if transformations occurred on top of that, countless possibilities would open up.

In other words, the copied ability could end up more efficient or more powerful than the original.

[Park Yong-jun (15:43) : So what are you planning to do? The kid doesn't seem too keen on providing combat support.]

[Shin Da-hee (15:43) : With abilities like that, he wouldn't want to come under me. I should make time to at least see him in person.]

[Park Yong-jun (15:43) : Going to verify it yourself?]

[Shin Da-hee (15:43) : I'll take care of everything at once. I should build a rapport with the Demon King while meeting the Student Council President, don't you think?]

***

Inside the testing room at Hanhon Industries headquarters.

Seo Hyun-woo had come here once more for the Battle Suit's performance test.

He was greeted by the familiar faces of the development team members and their team leader, Lee Min-sung.

This time, instead of a test-model Battle Suit, a sturdier and more refined-looking Battle Suit had been prepared off to one side.

"It's been a while. Have you been well?"

"Thank you for your concern. I must apologize for the mishap last time."

"Oh, not at all. The mistake was squarely on our end that time. Besides, thanks to you, we were able to address the Battle Suit's shortcomings. We're grateful, if anything."

Seo Hyun-woo had mentioned the Battle Suit's shutdown to Lee Min-sung while making a polite show of courtesy.

If they were to strictly assign blame, Lee Min-sung bore the greater fault.

It had been an incomplete Battle Suit, and he had underestimated Seo Hyun-woo's caliber before proceeding with the performance test.

"This Battle Suit looks a bit different from before. It seems you've put in quite a lot of research."

"It's all thanks to you. While tracking down the cause of the shutdown, numerous other issues came to light. By incorporating the team's input on top of that, we were able to significantly raise the Battle Suit's completion level."

Seo Hyun-woo listened to Lee Min-sung's explanation while eyeing the neatly arranged Battle Suit.

By now, the prototype that would serve as the basis for all future Battle Suits should be emerging.

Judging by the Battle Suit's color, exterior, and magic stone processing level, it was unmistakably a prototype.

'The prototype being completed also means the official product is on its way. I should start preparing to buy stock soon.'

Seo Hyun-woo sank into thought, imagining the numbers in his bank account skyrocketing.

Around the time the Battle Suit's framework was established, Lee Min-sung would receive capital from his father—the president of Hanhon Industries—to found a subsidiary.

In practice, it was nothing more than securing a location to independently develop and safely store the Battle Suits.

'......The Battle Suit data will probably end up in Rebellion's hands before long. There's a Rebellion member hiding inside the development team, after all.'

Rebellion's interest in the Battle Suit stemmed from their desire to recruit weak Awakened as members and deploy them immediately.

On top of that, considerable time and money would be needed before the Battle Suit could be commercialized and sold on the market.

Rebellion was well aware of that, which was why they planned to steal the Battle Suit's manufacturing methods in advance, secure funding, and expand their forces dramatically.

'Of course, that's not entirely a bad thing. That incident is what drives Lee Min-sung to redouble his efforts on Battle Suit development. He even Awakens and ends up creating the greatest AI system that modern technology alone could never produce.'

Lee Min-sung would be deeply betrayed by a subordinate team member, leaving him with an extreme distrust of people—but that was merely one ordeal on the path to becoming the Battle Suit's pioneer.

Moreover, the ability he gained from Awakening would lead him to create an AI that would assist in both the construction and piloting of Battle Suits.

In other words, Lee Min-sung's very existence was the foundation of the Battle Suit, and he would have an enormous impact on its commercialization.

'Lee Min-sung becomes the first civilian Hunter and a Setinos Hunter through the Battle Suit alone. He does Awaken, but it's a one-time ability—the moment he uses it, he becomes an ordinary human again.'

The Silver Machine King.

The title Lee Min-sung would earn upon becoming a Setinos Hunter.

The name "Machine King" was given because he used a Battle Suit forged from processed magic stones.

And with an AI system at his disposal, the Battle Suit's stability and functionality had been elevated drastically.

'As long as I keep Lee Min-sung close, the money problem is practically solved. Even if I can't sell Battle Suits right away, their sheer existence will drive up Hanhon Industries' stock price. What becomes important here is how I involve myself with Lee Min-sung......'

Seo Hyun-woo knew full well the value Lee Min-sung represented, which left him no choice but to proceed cautiously.

If he grew greedy too hastily, it could set back Battle Suit development or send the entire timeline spiraling.

But he couldn't just sit by and watch Lee Min-sung's Battle Suits be exploited by Rebellion.

'I think it's about time I started keeping Rebellion in check. I've still got plenty of things left to do—I can't keep tiptoeing around because of one organization.'

Seo Hyun-woo sketched out the major events in rough order and wore a sour expression.

Rebellion, the cult, dungeons and magical beasts, Dragon Awakening, large-scale subjugation campaigns, and more.

Compared to all of those, the incidents at Miterich were child's play.

But from Seo Hyun-woo's standpoint, maintaining his position as Miterich's Student Council President was the top priority, so he was merely laying the groundwork for the future beyond graduation, bit by bit.

"Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Your complexion looks a bit off."

"Ah, I was just lost in thought for a moment. Can we start the performance test right away?"

"Of course. Unlike the previous model, the wear time has been significantly reduced. If you give us just a moment, it'll be done in no time."

Lee Min-sung led the development team members and began operating the Battle Suit.

Seo Hyun-woo quietly watched the process while channeling a faint trace of mana into both hands.

'Still, a prototype should hold up to some extent. No point in it ending too quickly......'

***

'Something doesn't add up. Is it really possible to reach this level from just one performance test with Seo Hyun-woo?'

Lee Min-sung stood perfectly still, waiting for the Battle Suit to finish fitting.

Normally, fully equipping the Battle Suit would have taken roughly an hour.

But after addressing the various issues uncovered during the performance test with Seo Hyun-woo, that time had been cut down to twenty minutes.

'Should I chalk it up to coincidence? Performance tests with other Hunters never yielded results like this. And while Blue-grade Hunters and above have subdued the Battle Suit, none of them ever caused a full shutdown.'

Lee Min-sung ran system checks as he felt the Battle Suit's fitting near completion.

The reason he had proposed a performance test to Seo Hyun-woo was to solidify the business relationship between Miterich and Hanhon Industries.

Miterich was the nation's premier training institution, and naturally, many companies had taken an interest.

If he could prove the Battle Suit's capabilities through Miterich, he would be able to promote its existence with ease.

'There's something about Seo Hyun-woo. Maybe this performance test will let me fast-track the official version.'

Lee Min-sung had pinned modest hopes on Seo Hyun-woo.

The previous performance test had provided considerable help, and hadn't Seo Hyun-woo even said he would assist whenever circumstances allowed?

Above all, he needed to reclaim the pride that had been dented alongside the Battle Suit's shutdown.

'This time, I absolutely have to last at least nine minutes with a 99% probability. Surely it won't be like last time, where the 1% chance hit and I couldn't even last ten seconds? Once is enough for wounded pride, isn't it?'