Chapter 17
Magitech Expo Day 2
I spent the day wandering around the Messe Frankfurt Magitech Expo, taking in the latest magitech technologies.
As befitted an expo attended by the entire world, it was packed with all kinds of fascinating booths, providing an endless stream of things to see.
Naturally, some booths were displaying technologies related to magic beasts.
Whenever I passed a booth and encountered the latest magic beast-related technologies, I felt a bitter pang rise within me.
“Hmm… Seeing all this makes me realize anew just how far behind Korea is when it comes to magic beasts.”
Even back when I was at the research institute, we had been competitive in certain specialized fields… But in the end, magic beast regulations tore the institute apart, and the team members scattered across the world.
‘Well, it seems like everyone is doing fine….’
It was only natural, but after yesterday’s competition, I suddenly received an enormous flood of messages from people I knew.
[ Team Leader ] : What the hell, Hyun-ah, what is this…? Is that really you? What happened? The research institute on our end is in complete chaos because you used to be one of my team members!!
[ Me ] : I had a jiggly stroke of fate, Team Leader.
[ Team Leader ] : What does that even mean…? Anyway, if you’re thinking of coming to Japan, give me a call. Though I suppose if you’d wanted to come, you would’ve done it long ago… Anyway, I’m glad to see you’re doing well, Hyun-ah.
That was more or less how it went.
Of course, all sorts of organizations had contacted me as well, including the Korean Hunter Association and the Alchemists’ Association.
But I didn’t bother answering them.
I roughly knew what was happening in Korea. That was why I was deliberately ignoring their messages.
I could more or less guess what they wanted to say… And considering my future plans, it would be advantageous in many ways to give the impression that I had no lingering attachment to Korea.
I had no intention of getting my feet caught in regulations again like I had during my research institute days, so I needed to make it clear to everyone who wanted me that I was the one in the superior position.
My standing might still seem ambiguous, but with every passing day of the expo, my stature would grow, and those who wanted me would grow increasingly desperate.
“Wow, Boss, look at this! They say it’s next-generation material-processing technology! Apparently it can be used to make arrows as well as armor!? This is insane….”
The people accompanying me as guards were Hunters by profession, so although they kept watch over our surroundings, they were also quite interested in the booths.
At the booth Hunter Lee Yujin pointed to, a large machine was dismantling monster materials in real time.
I walked over and read the sign containing a brief explanation of the technology.
“Let’s see… High-density compression technology for monster materials through ultrasonic magical-energy disassembly…?”
According to the overview, it melted monster hides and bones with ultrasound and special solvents, then compressed them into materials that were light as feathers yet much harder than steel…
I instinctively realized that this method was somewhat inefficient and muttered without thinking.
“Hmm… This method seems more likely to destroy the material’s inherent properties than anything else….”
A man who appeared to be affiliated with the booth approached me after hearing me mutter and asked,
“What does that mean…?”
“Ah, I misspoke. Please ignore me.”
“No, I know who you are. Aren’t you Yoo Hyun, the Korean genius alchemist who created the ‘Duality’ school of magic beasts on Day 1 of the expo? I’d really like to hear your opinion.”
I must have become fairly famous in the meantime… My escorts had been blocking countless requests for handshakes since earlier.
Anyway, I had wondered whether he had come over to take issue with me for belittling their technology, but perhaps he simply wanted to hear my opinion?
Hmm…
“……This is material from an A-Rank monster, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. As you can see, they’re low-value materials that generally aren’t used for Hunter equipment despite coming from an A-Rank monster. We’ve given them new life as much superior materials through our own processing method.”
Even A-Rank monsters sometimes possessed strangely fragile hides or soft bones. Such materials could be worth less than those from B-Rank monsters…
This technology was probably intended to make those otherwise unusable materials viable.
I gazed at the finished sample.
“Hmm….”
Looking at the sample after it had been disassembled, compressed, and finished, it had certainly been processed into something convincing.
As for whether it was truly harder than steel and lighter than a feather, as the explanation claimed, that was an exaggeration… Objectively speaking, it was definitely a light and sturdy material.
But…
“The excessively rough process completely destroyed the magical energy array. Processed this way, it can’t compete with mainstream A-Rank monster materials.”
“Aha-ha-ha, we never intended to compete with mainstream A-Rank monster materials in the first place. This technology is focused on recycling materials that can’t otherwise be used.”
“Oh, is that so? I thought you were trying to disassemble and compress materials from off-mainstream A-Rank monsters, then reconstruct their magical energy arrays. If you could compress soft material into something hard while strengthening its magical energy array, it would have surpassed mainstream A-Rank materials.”
“Huh…? Wh-What are you saying…?”
“If you reproduce a material’s properties, the magical energy array naturally follows… Well, it’s not important. If the goal is recycling, this is sufficient.”
“Uh… W-Wait a moment!! Please explain that part in more detail!!! Mr. Yoo!!!”
Having lost interest, I turned and walked away. He shouted something or other behind me, but wouldn’t I only lose out by saying anything more?
“Wow… Boss, what did you say to him? Why is he acting like that?”
“As far as I could tell, you were discussing some kind of technology….”
The escorts seemed curious about what we had been talking about.
“It was nothing.”
I waved my hand dismissively.
‘What a shame… With a little tweaking, this might have been a decent technology….’
There was a reason Hunters wore equipment made from monster materials or special metals.
The special materials obtained from Gates contained magical energy.
Equipment imbued with magical energy possessed special abilities beyond simply being sharper and sturdier than ordinary equipment.
But that technology ground magically imbued materials up in a mixer, severing all their magical energy arrays.
Though the magical energy remained on the surface and the material might have become sturdier, it had completely discarded the potential the material itself had possessed.
An A-Rank monster with soft bones and hide? There was a high probability that its magical energy arrays had formed with exceptional solidity.
However, such sturdy arrays often failed to function properly once the monster died. That was why the bones and hide of such monsters were sold for a pittance compared to those of other A-Rank monsters.
This must all be because no one had the technology to restore those magical energy arrays…
I suddenly realized that I was thinking something utterly preposterous.
“……Scary.”
Without even realizing it, I had been thinking of a technology that did not yet exist as though I could implement it whenever I wanted.
No, judging by the feeling I was getting, there was a high probability that I really could do it.
A sensation that something beyond human intelligence was encroaching on my mind made me quickly erase the thought.
‘No, wait… Then if I stockpiled unusable materials….’
No… Enough. I had to stop thinking about this.
Come to think of it, this ability seemed versatile enough to be used not only with magic beasts but with living things in general.
*
I toured the booths, unable to contain my admiration.
“Wow, the core technology here is really good… Should I actually move to Germany?”
To be able to manufacture Magic Cores with this level of purity…
Its quality was overwhelmingly superior to the Magic Cores made by Lionel, the cost-effective brand I frequently used.
It was a bold and sophisticated technology that minimized the inevitable losses incurred when processing a monster’s Magic Core for use in magic beast pets.
No wonder people said German technology was the best in the world.
This was incredible… Even just looking at the Cores was getting me excited…?
“If I used these to make Jellykkos, they could have an initial lifespan of two years right from the start!!”
“Boss… Are you still going to make Jellykkos…?”
A reporter who had been avoiding the Hunter guards and waiting for an opportunity to interview Yoo Hyun was stunned by what Yoo Hyun had just said.
“H-Huuuuge gasp!!!! The possibility of naturalization…!!!”
[ Breaking ] “Should I really move to Germany?” Yoo Hyun. ‘Admiration for German technology’ raises the once-unthinkable possibility of naturalization?
[ Exclusive ] ‘Duality’ developer Yoo Hyun causes uproar with rumors of seeking asylum and immigrating overseas… “Is a national asset being stolen?”
[ Editorial ] Will we drive the pioneer of K-magic beast technology into immigration… The tragedy caused by politicians’ blind regulations
[ Issue ] “A criminal at home, the god of magic beast alchemy abroad”… Politicians who support magic beast regulations ‘in meltdown’ over Yoo Hyun’s immigration rumors
[ Focus ] “Please, abandon Korea”… A bizarre phenomenon in which netizens are even cheering for Yoo Hyun’s immigration!
With the once-unthinkable possibility of Yoo Hyun immigrating now being raised, Korea entered yet another phase.
【 Korean Hunter Gallery 】
- [ Free ] An article just dropped saying Yoo Hyun might naturalize in Germany?
- [ Free ] Isn’t it practically confirmed, not just a possibility?? Why would he even come back to Korea??
- [ Free ] ㄴㄴ If it were me, I’d go to America. You know, the number-one country on Earth, where you can keep your backside nice and warm.
- [ Free ] Even if he comes back to Korea, who knows when they’ll impose regulations again lol If he wants to live as a magic beast alchemist, going to another country really is the right choice.
- [ Free ] For real, if he comes back to Korea, he’ll probably end up making Jellykkos again at some point;;;
- [ Free ] I’m kind of curious about a Duality Jellykko…
- [ Free ] No, more importantly, won’t China kidnap him if he stays in Korea? They’ve been terrifying lately because they keep failing to make S-Rank magic beasts;;;
Korea was enjoying a dopamine festival every single day thanks to each and every one of Yoo Hyun’s remarks…
【 Magic Beast Pet Minor Gallery 】
- [ Free ] Ah…!! O Great Yoo Hyun!! Thanks to you, every day is a joy!!!
- [ Free ] Honestly, I’d be perfectly happy if the gallery owner just let his talent bloom overseas and lived there lol I want him to make some innovative magic beasts…
- [ Free ] Proof) I raise three Jellykkos lol There were no listings, so I barely managed to get people who already owned them to part with theirs.
- [ Free ] The cultivation competition is finally tomorrow. I’m already looking forward to it, so give this an upvote lololol
- [ Free ] I’m more excited for this than the World Cup final, honestly.
At last… The Day 3 Cultivation Division competition was about to begin tomorrow.
*
At last, Day 3 of the Magitech Expo arrived, with the long-awaited Cultivation Division competition scheduled to take place.
Many people were watching Yoo Hyun after his overwhelming performance in the Design Division, but no one thought he would display the same level of ability in Cultivation.
Design was theory; cultivation was practice.
Although both were fundamental abilities of a Magic Beast Alchemist, they were classified as completely different disciplines.
Directly handling magical energy in practice, injecting essences extracted from materials into a Magic Core, adjusting its array, and creating a seed—the initial form of a magic beast—was delicate work entirely different in character from design.
No wonder there were Magic Beast Alchemists who specialized solely in cultivation.
People didn’t call design brainwork and cultivation physical work for nothing.
A high-grade magic beast’s seed required manipulating its array with such minute magical-energy control that even top-class Hunters clicked their tongues in amazement.
On top of that, the magic beast design provided for cultivation in this competition was fiendishly difficult, enough to make even the judges click their tongues.
“Hmm, it seems Mr. Yoo will have trouble making an impact this time.”
“I suppose so… It’s a different field from design.”
“Perhaps because of the attention on the magic beast market, the difficulty of this cultivation competition is extraordinary.”
Top-tier design ability and cultivation ability…
Possessing both was as absurd as being an archmage and a swordmaster at the same time, so even the judges had no great expectations—
[ The lower-grade trait ‘Evolutionary Lord’s Dexterity’ activates. ]
“Th-This is Jesus!!! Is that really a person!!!?”
“Crazy…! What am I looking at…!!”
“Oh, my God…!! What on earth is he doing to that tiny, adorable seed!?”