Sli Stone.
It was a hardened piece of sli flesh that had turned into stone, and its value as a material item or an ordinary item was among the lowest of the low.
However, the Sli Stone that Nam Hae-won brought was different from the ordinary kind in appearance from the start.
Nam Hae-won spoke.
“It seems like this is the top-tier version, as it can’t be synthesized any further. The item information says so too.”
Su-ho took it and checked the information.
[ta Sli Stone]
Rank: S
Description: A body fragnt of the ta Sli, known as the ultimate sli.
ta Sli is said to be a combination of regeneration, composition, and expansion.
The ta Sli Stone.
This was the final form of the Sli Stone.
And Su-ho, who knew the true nature of the ta Sli Stone, smiled with satisfaction.
‘I really knew this would work.’
He was certain.
After all, it was a rare synthetic ability, almost unique on Earth.
That’s why he believed that by attempting to craft the ta Sli Stone based on that synthesis, it would just take ti and materials, but sooner or later, success was inevitable.
Su-ho smiled proudly as he spoke.
“Good job, Hae-won.”
“Hehe, I really worked hard. When you subtract the ti spent eating, sleeping, and... well, actually, I was synthesizing even while pooping,” Nam Hae-won replied with a chuckle.
“I know, I know. You think I wouldn’t know how hard you worked? So, did you level up a bit?”
“Yes, I leveled up quite a bit. I also got bonus stats whenever the Sli Stone’s grade increased.”
“Good job. A synthesis specialist grows like that. Anyway, thanks for your hard work. The rest of the materials should co in soon, so I’ll need your help again when that happens.”
“Yes, of course.”
Su-ho had secured the ta Sli Stone.
Now, only one material item remained.
Just then…
Bzzz!
The phone vibrated.
It was Su-ho’s phone.
When he saw the caller ID, he couldn't help but chuckle.
‘This person really can’t be called a gentleman.’
The caller was none other than Kang Seul-gi.
Su-ho answered the phone.
“Yes, Deputy Team Leader.”
“Su-ho, is this a good ti to talk?”
“Yes, it’s fine. What’s going on?”
“I’ve got the item you asked for. Can I et with you now?”
Kang Seul-gi’s voice was urgent.
It seed like she was really in a hurry.
Su-ho understood.
She probably wanted to get rid of the cursed ga Crusher as soon as possible.
Su-ho smiled and responded.
“Of course. Where would you like to et? Are you at the Association right now?”
“Yes, I’m at the Association, but I’ll co to you. Just tell the location.”
“You sure you want to co all the way here? Alright, my address is…”
Su-ho gave her his address and started waiting for her arrival.
***
Did she fly here? Kang Seul-gi arrived much faster than Su-ho had expected.
Sweating profusely, Kang Seul-gi couldn’t hide her embarrassnt as she put the car into Su-ho's garage.
She lives in Cheongdam-dong Safe Zone and on top of that, she lives in such a huge mansion...?
Su-ho was a nationally famous figure, that much was clear.
Right now, for example, the entire country was buzzing about the third sealed gate that was being targeted.
But no matter how much of a rising star he was, she knew the period wasn’t very long, and yet, she never imagined he’d already be living in a house like this...
But instead of voicing unnecessary thoughts, she decided to focus on work.
What mattered right now wasn’t that.
Su-ho greeted Kang Seul-gi warmly.
“You’ve arrived? I could’ve gone to you, but you’ve had a long journey. I appreciate you coming.”
“No, no. It wasn’t during rush hour, so the roads weren’t blocked. First, about this…”
Kang Seul-gi quickly pulled out the three-pronged item from her coat and handed it over.
Knowing how urgent her situation was, Su-ho decided to check the item first before leading her to a seat.
[Third-Person Pilot Viewpoint]
It’s difficult to make a good pilot, but even harder to preserve their strength. Most die on the battlefield along with their machines.
Su-ho chuckled after reading the item description.
Right.
This description, which was incredibly unhelpful.
It was exactly the three-pronged item Su-ho had been looking for.
The real description of the item’s true options would have to be discovered in another way, but Su-ho wasn’t particularly concerned.
He already knew what the real options were, so there was no need to uncover the hidden explanation.
After confirming the item description, Su-ho stored it in his inventory and said,
“You found it well and brought it. Thank you for your hard work.”
“No, no. The higher-ups gave the order, and I just added the spoon to the table that was already set. What did I really do?”
“Still, it’s sothing I couldn’t bring myself at the mont. So, in that sense, the treatnt of the three-pronged item…”
“Yes, while using the 22nd purification thod, the curse option was suddenly activated, so I had no choice but to report it as destroyed.”
“Clean and tidy.”
As it was, just as he said.
Even though he knew what was in the junk item storage, Su-ho still decided to borrow Kang Seul-gi’s help—not only because of the ga Crusher, but because he had the perfect alibi of being the deputy team leader of Special Team 2.
“Now, the three-pronged item will beco a legally recognized item not in the Grand Union of Craftsn.”
No.
Once the synthesis work is completed and Su-ho makes the final item he’s aiming for, it will be sothing that doesn’t exist in this world.
Su-ho guided him down to the basent and said,
“Since you’ve brought the three-pronged item, let’s get to work on separating the ga Crusher.”
“Really? Thank you! Thank you so much!”
At the ntion of separating the ga Crusher, Kang Seul-gi’s face brightened more than Su-ho had ever seen.
Perhaps because of that?
Seeing that bright expression made Su-ho feel a bit sorry for him.
“How much ntal strain has he gone through alone until now?”
The nickna “Disassembler” wasn’t just because Kang Seul-gi crushed a lot of items.
The "Mad Crystallizer" title, with the “mad” modifier, ca from the fact that as ti passed, the ga Crusher slowly drove him insane.
“That’s why the ga Crusher is a cursed item.”
Of course, the ga Crusher didn’t turn soone into a complete lunatic, but it continuously injected specific desires into its user, slowly warping their mind into sothing half-mad.
If Su-ho had to describe it, it would be more of a subtle madness.
Because of this, the ga Crusher was an extrely dangerous item for an ordinary person.
“This is true for all the interdinsional civilization series.”
The so-called Technology Series.
Each one of them was a terrible creation that slowly consud the user’s mind, drawing out their power in the most horrifying way.
Su-ho shook his head as he led Kang Seul-gi to the basent and sat him in the chair he had prepared.
“Shall we start imdiately?”
“Ah, yes. I think we can start right away.”
“Understood.”
The mont Kang Seul-gi gave his approval, Su-ho began fastening special handcuffs to Kang Seul-gi’s wrists and ankles.
“...?”
Kang Seul-gi looked at his own wrists and ankles with a confused expression, then looked up at Su-ho with a slightly fearful gaze.
“It’s going to hurt a bit. The process of removing the tumor on your body will be painful, and we’re talking about an entity that’s been occupying your lower abdon entirely, right?”
“Ah… yes… um, then, is there any kind of anesthesia…?”
“I was about to anesthetize you now.”
“Do you have anesthesia? But isn’t it illegal to possess or use it without proper authorization…?”
“Of course, it’s illegal. That’s why I’ll be personally administering the anesthesia.”
“Excuse ?”
At that mont.
Thud!
Su-ho struck the back of Kang Seul-gi's neck with a karate chop, instantly knocking him unconscious.
As his head dropped forward, Su-ho raised the corners of his mouth in satisfaction.
“Should’ve done this a few tis already.”
A karate chop to knock soone out might seem like sothing straight out of a cartoon, sothing impossible in reality. But for Su-ho, it was incredibly familiar and easy.
After all, when you work in a special division for a long ti, you pick up quite a few ways to knock soone unconscious.
No, even if you don’t want to know them, you have to.
It just made handling things easier in many ways.
When Kang Seul-gi’s body went limp, Su-ho ripped his shirt off with brute strength, exposing his upper body.
Beneath it, he saw the inner clothing ant to hide the ga Crusher, and Su-ho removed it as well, finally revealing the ga Crusher to the world.
Grind… grind…
The ga Crusher turned slowly.
Now that its host was unconscious, its movents were sluggish as well.
“It’s just like a worm.”
A worm with steel teeth, that is.
There were actually many ways to remove this creature.
The most common and simplest thod was to cut the item directly out of its host’s body.
But that ca with a high risk of killing the host.
“I can’t go that far just for one item.”
Another thod that only Su-ho could use was to throw the ga Crusher to an immortal beast, a creature that could eat steel.
But that couldn’t be done either.
Because the chaos the ga Crusher would cause while being consud by the beast was unpredictable.
“Either way, it would probably result in death or so kind of aftereffects.”
That’s why Su-ho was planning to use the most straightforward and safe thod.
After confirming that Kang Seul-gi was unconscious, Su-ho activated one of his skills.
[Recovery has been activated.]
Whoosh!
Recovery, a skill that heals status ailnts.
It was an upgraded version of Cure, a skill that treated poison, and now it could heal not only poison but various other debuffs as well.
“And one of those status ailnts is ‘parasitism.’”
Parasitism was definitely harmful to a player.
Just having sothing parasitic implanted in the body could cause dot damage and a host of other diseases.
That’s why Recovery, as an advanced version of Cure, was capable of healing it.
“Honestly, Recovery is like a deworming treatnt.”
Of course, Recovery wasn’t all-powerful.
The ga Crusher currently implanted in Kang Seul-gi’s body was still in its early stage, not yet fully evolved. That was why Su-ho's Recovery skill was able to work.
“If it evolves further later, ordinary Recovery won’t even make a dent.”
Thinking about it this way, Kang Seul-gi from his past life seed like a truly unfortunate person.
If only he hadn’t been so scared and had told people about his condition from the start, he could have gained freedom long before the “Disassembler Incident” ever happened.
“But thanks to that, he learned the combinations for many items…”
It was an ironic situation—sothing to feel sympathy for while also being grateful.
And then, it happened—the mont when Su-ho’s Recovery began to seep into the ga Crusher.
Whirr? Whirr?
As Recovery seeped into the ga Crusher, the object, which had been turning slowly, began to stir.
The parasite instinctively sensed sothing.
It could feel that the light that was spreading through it was very harmful to its existence.
Perhaps that’s why?
Wiiiiing!!
Sensing danger, the ga Crusher suddenly went berserk, starting to rampage wildly.
“I knew it.”
This was exactly why Su-ho had knocked Kang Seul-gi out.
If he had been conscious, the unbearable pain in his lower abdon would have made him faint instantly.
As the creature began thrashing around, Su-ho also poured his mana into the situation, not holding anything back.
It was sothing that needed to be removed quickly—not carefully coaxed out like a delicate object, but forcefully removed like a malignant tumor.
Shudder, shudder, shudder—
Kang Seul-gi’s body began to tremble.
Even though he had lost consciousness, his body was shaking in response to the excruciating pain in his stomach.
Was that why?
Kang Seul-gi’s body quickly beca soaked in cold sweat, and a faint groan escaped his lips.
Then, at the mont when the sharp pain tried to bring his consciousness back to him…
Kwahhh!!
Unable to withstand the Recovery, the ga Crusher exploded outwards, much like a mimic’s assault, spraying itself forward.
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