I Am A Wizard Who Can Travel Between Earth And The Other World-Chapter 69 - 71 The Research Request

Jay sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, nervously watching Gin's expression.

He hadn't expected to walk in on someone who had just pulled an all-nighter. Sure, it was early, but Gin had finished his expedition the previous day—surely he'd had time to rest.

'How was I supposed to know?' Jay thought defensively. His plan was just to rouse him slightly, not ruin his sleep.

Besides, who stays up all night after such an exhausting trip to the ruins? Gin was annoyingly inhuman that way.

Suppressing his frustration, Jay maintained a carefully composed expression as Gin, still pressing his fingers to his temples, finally broke the silence.

"So, why are you here?" Gin grumbled.

"Why else? I got a new job request and came to tell you," Jay said cheerfully, despite the tension hanging in the air.

Gin blinked, vaguely recalling Jay's earlier shouting as he pounded on the door about some new work. "And what's this request?"

At that, Jay's demeanor shifted dramatically. His face brightened, a grin spreading wide across his features.

"Man, you're going to be surprised," he teased.

Gin raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. After all, he'd just been invited to a private audience by Owen—a mage from the Five Great Houses, rulers of a vast world of interconnected cities. What could possibly be more surprising than that?

'Why do I still feel uneasy about them?' Gin thought to himself.

Any mention of the Five Great Houses stirred an instinctive sense of foreboding. It wasn't magical intuition, but something closer to a deeply ingrained aversion—a reflex born of experience.

He suspected the Houses had committed countless atrocities behind the scenes to maintain their dominion. Yet, despite that knowledge, Gin didn't consider himself particularly bothered by their methods.

After all, he wasn't above taking ruthless actions to achieve his own goals.

"Why did you stop talking?" Gin asked, his voice cutting through Jay's theatrics.

"Because your reaction is pathetic," Jay shot back with exaggerated annoyance. "You could at least pretend to care.

You're sitting there with that 'get this over with' expression—how do you expect me to be motivated to tell you anything?"

"And why are you acting like a seven-year-old craving attention? If you don't want to say it, then leave," Gin snapped, scowling.

"Hey, I didn't say I wasn't going to tell you. Just listen, alright? I got a research request this time," Jay explained, now more serious.

That caught Gin's interest. He straightened slightly. "Research request?"

"Yeah, this job involves some big names. I worked my connections and hustled a bit, you know?"

"Big names?" Gin narrowed his eyes. "Don't tell me—Owen?"

Jay stared at him like he'd grown a second head. "What? That's not a 'big name'; that's a monster! You think I'd approach someone like him? No! I'm talking about the cleanup contractors—there are some heavy-hitters in that circle."

"Cleanup, huh?" Gin muttered, nodding in understanding.

"Don't underestimate them," Jay warned. "Some of those companies are owned by the Five Great Houses.

They're responsible for handling everything from clearing monster corpses to excavating and securing ancient ruins after expeditions."

It made sense. For all the mundane-sounding "cleanup," it was likely a vital operation with complex logistics.

"If you build good ties with them, they can help discreetly handle... sensitive situations," Jay added.

"Alright, I get it," Gin said. "So, what's the request?"

Jay's eyes lit up. "They want to research that troll's body.

You know, the armored one you fought in the ruins."

"You mean the chitinous troll?"

"Exactly! They're developing a new type of shield based on its abilities," Jay explained.

"A shield that deflects shock, huh?" Gin mused.

"Yeah! I heard they've been working on it for five years but weren't making much progress.

Now that they've gotten their hands on fresh materials, things are looking promising."

"Five years?" Gin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. With that much time invested, the researchers had likely built up valuable expertise.

"Still… research can be a pain," he muttered.

"Pain? Are you kidding? They've been waiting for you!" Jay exclaimed.

"Why me?" Jay asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, maybe because of your performance in the ruins?" Jay offered with a grin.

Gin chuckled softly, shaking his head. Of course. Recognition came with its own set of complications.

"Hey, dig a little deeper. I can't be the only mage who went to that ruin. There's a five-circle mage there—why me? They don't even know what kind of mage I am."

Jay smirked. "Oh, I did dig around a bit."

Gin narrowed his eyes. "And you didn't think to mention that sooner?"

"Don't give me that look! I'm just building up to it, alright?" Jay defended himself, raising his hands in mock surrender before continuing.

"The workshop's struggling. Their head mage quit recently."

"Quit? The mage just walked away?"

"Yeah. See, a workshop's research team always needs a mage—one who's a top-notch theorist. Without one, they're screwed.

And wouldn't you know it, their key mage left at the worst time."

Gin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So, does that mean their accumulated knowledge left with him?"

"Not quite. Everything's documented. Data is the core of any workshop," Jay explained.

Gin observed him quietly, reevaluating the man's competence.

Despite his disheveled, somewhat unreliable air, Jay had proven resourceful—constantly bringing in new job offers and handling critical information behind the scenes.

"The problem is that the mage likely joined another workshop to finish their research," Jay added.

"Can they do that?"

"Why not? The project isn't patented or anything. They're still stuck trying to figure out the fundamentals. So, yeah, it's fair game."

Gin ran his fingers along his jaw. "And now they want me to complete their research?"

"Not exactly. They just need a mage's help to move forward. They're desperate—grasping at straws," Gin replied with a shrug.

"And what's in it for me?" Gin asked.

"Equity."

"Equity?"

"Yeah. Depending on your contribution, you could get up to 20%."

"Only 20%?" Gin scoffed.

"'Only'? Do you have any idea how much money that'll bring if they get to mass production? We're talking billions!"

|Gin chuckled dryly. "Mass production could take years. How long are we looking at?"

"Best case? Five to seven years, maybe," Jay admitted sheepishly.

Gin knew even that would require near-perfect circumstances.

Large-scale manufacturing wasn't feasible without simplifying the magical design, and that alone would demand years of development.

"Even if it doesn't reach mass production, selling directly through the workshop could still make a fortune. Do you know how much a high-tier magical artifact costs?" Jay asked.

"Billions," Gin replied.

"Exactly. It's worth a shot, don't you think?"

Gin paused to consider. 'Money... even here, in the Shadow Realm, it's a necessity.' He had plans for a stable revenue stream: introducing coffee from Earth.

He was already mapping out an automation system to streamline production.

After a moment of reflection, Gin asked, "Jay, ever think about running a café?"

"A café?" Jay stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Look, if you don't want to do it, just say so," Jay teased.

"Why would I want to run a café? I'm busy enough with my work as a broker!"

"You'd be good at it," Jay said, grinning.

"I said no! Stop messing around!"

"Are you sure? You might regret it later," Gin warned with a playful smirk.

Jay hesitated, suddenly feeling an inexplicable sense of foreboding. It was as if refusing the offer would lead to some vague but inevitable loss.

"Fine," he finally said. "I'm not doing it."

"Suit yourself," Gin replied, clearly amused.

"But I'm serious about this research request," Jay added. "If you pull it off, we'll both be climbing higher."

Jay chuckled. "We'll see how you handle things."

"Ugh, you're such a pain," Jay muttered.

"When are they expecting me at the workshop?" Gin asked.

"Soon. But if you need time—?"

"Give me a week," Gin interrupted.

"A week? Isn't that too long?"

"Make it work," Gin said firmly.

"Fine, fine. I'll let them know you'll visit in a week," Jay conceded with a sigh.

Gin stood, stretching.

"Where are you going?" Jay asked.

"Home. I need to check on something."

"You have a home?"

Gin simply grinned in response, walking out of the hotel without another word.

Jay blinked, momentarily frozen before scrambling to follow. But by the time he reached the hotel entrance, Gin had already vanished.

"Damn... Mages really are something else," Jay muttered, scanning the street in vain. With a resigned sigh, he turned back toward the hotel. freeweɓnovel.cѳm

"Please let him show up on time," he whispered, shaking off the nagging sense of doom creeping into his thoughts.