Chapter 43

Chapter 43

- Team Leader, Battle Suit fitting is complete.

- Copy that. Commencing startup after a five-second countdown. 5, 4.......

Upon receiving the transmission, Lee Min-sung counted down the rest and immediately extended his right leg forward.

The Battle Suit enveloping his body followed the motion, emitting a thunderous roar.

Befitting a prototype, its mobility and response speed had improved substantially, and both its power conversion rate and system stability were elevated.

'Seo Hyun-woo copied an enhancement-type ability again this time. Enhancement-type abilities yield the most logical and definitive results, but they're just too ordinary. Starting from the next test, I should ask him to copy a different ability.'

Lee Min-sung gradually adapted to the Battle Suit's movements and came to a halt in front of Seo Hyun-woo.

He then manually opened the helmet's faceplate with his right hand, revealing his face.

Due to the Battle Suit's thickness and size, he had no choice but to look down at Seo Hyun-woo.

"I look forward to working with you again."

"This Battle Suit is a prototype, isn't it?"

"......How do you know that?"

"It just feels different. Hmm...... how should I put it? Compared to the last one, the completion level seems considerably higher."

Seo Hyun-woo offered a plausible excuse while closely examining the Battle Suit's exterior.

Being a prototype model, it hadn't been properly painted yet, but the alloy armor seemed thicker.

Furthermore, the Battle Suit's movements had become more natural, and the blue glow at its center was brighter—indicating that the power source's efficiency had improved even further.

"You have a keen eye. I didn't expect you to notice that from a single glance."

"If it's a prototype, it's probably stronger and more durable than the previous model. The official product should be out within a year as well."

"That's impressive. For a moment, I thought you were one of our team members. You really do know a great deal."

"I think I should brace myself a little this time. It won't end as easily as before."

Seo Hyun-woo subtly talked up the prototype Battle Suit before promptly stepping back.

The most important thing in social life was to humble oneself and elevate the other party.

In reality, he could easily dismantle a prototype Battle Suit, but he should at least make a show of exerting effort.

"Hmm...... well. I'd like to say I'll hold out with a 99% probability, but right now, the 1% seems far more likely."

Lee Min-sung closed the helmet's faceplate and raised the power to maximum.

The faint mechanical hum that had been trickling in instantly transformed into a harsh roar.

Simultaneously, the blue glow at the center flared more intensely, spreading along the lines and branching out to every section.

'Still, I should be able to hold out for a few minutes at least. This thing was built through dozens, hundreds of tests. The "prototype" name wasn't slapped on for nothing.'

Ordinarily, all test models produced before the official version would be classified as prototypes.

But Lee Min-sung had been dissatisfied with the test models, refusing to grant any of them the prototype designation.

Only now that a somewhat decent model had been produced did he designate it the first and final prototype.

"We'll start with the power test, same as last time. If it can't pass this, there's no point running any other tests."

Lee Min-sung spoke in a deeply modulated voice and began taking slow, deliberate steps forward.

The Battle Suit's performance had clearly improved significantly, so it shouldn't shut down as easily as the previous model.

Even so, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease, and a wariness toward Seo Hyun-woo rose unbidden.

'......I've still got a long way to go. This is the prototype model I personally approved. I worked this hard for it—there's no way it won't deliver.'

Lee Min-sung belatedly mustered his conviction and slowly clenched his fist.

This Battle Suit contained his life, his effort, and his deepest aspirations.

Just because it had crumbled a few times didn't mean all those hours and that process would vanish like foam on water.

From here on, starting with the prototype model, Battle Suits of ever-greater performance would continue to be created.

WHIRR—, BZZZZ.......

THUD—! GRIND.......

A mana-laden alloy fist collided with Seo Hyun-woo's fist.

Unlike the previous test, it didn't get pushed back, nor did it shut down.

The mana packed into each of their fists simply kept clashing, producing a blue cluster of light.

'Yes! I finally held! Now I just need to maintain this for a few more minutes.'

Lee Min-sung pulled his fist away first and drove his right leg forward with all his might.

A booming roar accompanied a heavy kick aimed squarely at Seo Hyun-woo.

Seo Hyun-woo showed a flicker of interest and countered with a mana-charged kick of his own.

BOOM—, GROAN.......

'Wait, that sound—don't tell me......'

Lee Min-sung heard the all-too-familiar crash and felt his balance give way.

The Battle Suit would no longer move the way he wanted.

On top of that, his already buckling frame was now tipping backward.

'Right. I knew it. Just when I thought things were going well for once. The 1% hit again and I couldn't even last ten seconds. God, I hate the number one.'

***

'......I had a feeling, but it came to this after all.'

Seo Hyun-woo shook his head as he watched the development team disassemble the Battle Suit.

He had controlled his strength more than enough, and hadn't he even eyeballed his mana output to match the amount the Battle Suit was emitting?

That was why the first exchange had ended smoothly, and he had moved on to the next action without delay.

'This time it shut down from a single kick. Do I need to wait for the official product before I can actually do anything?'

Seo Hyun-woo reached his conclusion quickly and took a swig from a water bottle.

Once the Battle Suit was manufactured as an official product, its performance would be incomparably superior to the prototype.

By Hunter grade standards, it would be at least Blue Hunter-class at the lowest estimate, and arguably close to Green Hunter-class at the highest.

'As the versions keep upgrading, Lee Min-sung will naturally be promoted to a Setinos Hunter. And to properly use Battle Suits that aren't the commercial model, you absolutely need the AI system's assistance.'

Only commercial Battle Suits would be available to Awakened and civilians.

The AI system obeyed only Lee Min-sung's commands and was indirectly linked to his mind.

In other words, all Battle Suits beyond the commercial line could only be worn by Lee Min-sung himself.

'The original Seo Hyun-woo must've turned the prototype Battle Suit into scrap metal too. He was probably so strong that controlling his power was pointless.'

If one had to assign blame, it would come down to one of two things.

Either the prototype Battle Suit was too crude, or Seo Hyun-woo was unreasonably strong.

But since this had been more or less expected, he didn't particularly feel sorry.

'The performance test doesn't matter. What's really important is something else entirely. If I lay the groundwork now, dealing with Rebellion later will be much easier.'

Seo Hyun-woo deliberated and began selecting information suitable to give Lee Min-sung.

It had to be information that could keep Rebellion in check without affecting Lee Min-sung's future.

If it only sped up the Battle Suit's performance improvements by a small margin, there was no need to overthink it.

'There's quite a bit I can get from Lee Min-sung. Asking for Hanhon Industries stock, or getting help whenever I need it, wouldn't be bad either. Being provided with magic stone processing services—Hanhon Industries' core business—or expensive magic stone equipment also......'

The Battle Suit was disassembled faster than expected, and Lee Min-sung emerged from within.

The moment he climbed out of the Battle Suit, he turned his back.

Looking at the limp Battle Suit left behind, a mix of desolation and hollowness seemed to hit him first.

"Team Leader, could you spare a moment?"

"......Ah, could you give me just a second?"

Lee Min-sung heard Seo Hyun-woo's voice and belatedly pulled himself together, issuing separate instructions to his team members.

But Seo Hyun-woo didn't harbor so much as a shred of sympathy, merely waiting for Lee Min-sung to come over.

'Frustration and loss weigh a person down, but they also serve as catalysts for growth. Maybe I'm that catalyst for Lee Min-sung. Should I try pushing up the official product's development timeline first?'

Seo Hyun-woo stepped out of the testing room with Lee Min-sung and headed straight into a nearby break room.

Since it was during working hours, not a single person could be found inside.

The two sat down across from each other.

"Team Leader, everything I'm about to say must stay between you and me."

"Pardon? What do you mean?"

"Going forward, you must not hand over any Battle Suit-related data to the development team members. The more people who know, the more inevitable information leaks become."

Seo Hyun-woo had no intention of rooting out the Rebellion member hiding inside the development team.

Rebellion needed to learn the Battle Suit's blueprints and manufacturing process for the story to unfold as intended.

But he wanted to weaken Rebellion's forces however he could, so his plan was to ensure only the prototype's data—not the official product's—reached them.

"Additionally, there are several issues with the prototype Battle Suit."

"......?"

Lee Min-sung tilted his head but said nothing.

There had to be a reason behind those words.

Above all, the prototype Battle Suit had been born from the performance test with Seo Hyun-woo, so he couldn't simply dismiss what the man had to say.

"I understand you're trying to increase the power output, but the resulting surplus of mana makes overload highly likely. The prototype is especially heavy, which makes its power efficiency poor. I'm sure you prioritized the user's safety, but if you go that route, the Battle Suit won't be usable for more than an hour."

"......I'll take that into account."

"I also understand there are gaps between each connecting section of the alloy armor. If those gaps are targeted, the user would sustain critical injuries immediately. On top of that......"

Lee Min-sung found himself agreeing with Seo Hyun-woo's observations, yet growing more puzzled at the same time.

Seo Hyun-woo knew the prototype's weaknesses all too well, and was even offering partial solutions.

The remarks kept coming, one after another, to the point where Lee Min-sung—the actual expert—was the one left flustered.

"One last thing. Everything I've told you today must remain between us. However, whether you follow my advice is entirely your choice. You have nothing to lose, so I hope you'll do as I've suggested."

"......Is there something you'd like me to provide in return?"

From an expert's standpoint, Seo Hyun-woo's advice was simple yet effective.

It almost made one wonder if the man had personally researched Battle Suits.

But there was no way he would share all of that without some form of compensation, hence the question.

"Since this is our first deal, I'll take your trust in me as payment. But if you disregard my advice and suffer for it, the price of our next deal will go up."

Seo Hyun-woo answered with a thoroughly serious expression.

It was also a sort of warning—an insistence that Lee Min-sung trust his words.

Of course, it didn't matter if Lee Min-sung chose not to believe him and continued business as usual.

There were still plenty of ways to keep Rebellion in check, and regardless of the outcome, he could prove that his advice had been correct.

"Our first deal? Then you're saying you have more information you can give me?"

"Won't you find that out naturally when the time comes? I may know a great deal, but I can't exactly force you."

Lee Min-sung grasped the meaning behind Seo Hyun-woo's words at once and swallowed his silence.

In short, he wouldn't interfere with whatever choice Lee Min-sung made, but their relationship could change depending on it.

'Why is he so confident? Does he actually have something? When he puts it like that, how am I supposed to refuse?'