Became a Mechromancer - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 13.
Upgrade (3)
Whiiiing—.
Scorching air lashed against my face, and the dryness seeping through my nostrils left my throat parched.
‘I stashed water in the Garage, so there shouldn’t be any problems.’
It was thanks to having scouted out the environment of Abyss Level 2 early on—or rather, what had now become Level 1.
Scritch-scratch.
A scorpion crawled out from between the rocks.
It raised its tail to threaten Doo-ho’s party, then vanished just as quickly.
“….”
Life persisting even in such barren terrain.
Then, at the edge of my vision.
Something shimmered beyond the heat haze.
“What is that?”
I squinted, peering at it.
Isto lifted his head to check.
-Ah! That’s the Level 1 we conquered, sir.
“What? I thought it disappeared?”
-Well, you see. The Level 1 Forest was liberated from the Abyss… liberated, liberat… the connection point with the Desert and and and….
Isto’s body began to tremble as he spoke.
This time, I grabbed Isto and asked.
“Don’t tell me the old Level 1 and this Desert are separated like this?”
-Y-yes….
Question marks appeared in succession across his LED eyes.
As if the system had encountered an error.
A moment later.
Whether due to my question or not, Isto’s silence persisted quite some time.
Damn.
“Did I push too hard?”
I was contemplating whether we should leave when—
Huh?
-Doo-ho, why do you have that expression?
“Are you alright?”
-Of course I am.
Only then did I let out a breath of relief.
And I became certain.
‘Someone has blocked Isto’s memories.’
I decided not to press further.
Toward Isto, who stared up at me blankly.
“It’s because I’ve never seen the Desert before.”
-I see. Hehe.
That was when it happened.
Whoooosh—
A scorching gust of sand swept over me.
I closed my eyes, but my mouth filled with sand.
Ptui! Ptui!
I tried spitting it out, but it was useless whenever the sandstorm blew.
‘I wish I had a mask.’
The thought that suddenly occurred to me.
Wait, wait.
Could it be possible?
There’s no need to overthink it.
I might as well just try it.
I immediately visualized it in my mind.
Nanobots flowed out and wrapped around my nose and mouth.
A mask formed in an instant.
Whoooosh….
The sandstorm that blew in at that very moment.
Now not a single grain entered.
My breathing was smooth.
“Not bad at all.”
Oh! Oh~
-I never knew you could use them that way!
As Isto marveled, I spread the nanobots further to cover my entire face.
A silvery mask was completed in an instant.
“With this, I can hide my identity. What do you think?”
-Why not just boldly declare world conquest?
I let out an exasperated breath and changed the subject.
“Shouldn’t a Quest appear soon?”
As if responding to my words, the Quest window appeared.

[Main Quest]
◈ Discover the Oasis in the Desert
Reward: Hidden Quest Unlocked
Time Limit: 2 hours
Failure Penalty: Level Down -10
Huh…?
Doo-ho let out a hollow laugh.
Find an oasis in a desert filled with nothing but sand, without even a map.
And it’s a forced progression with no accept button.
‘Here we go again.’
It happened last time too.
A quest to eliminate 50 Ratkins suddenly changed to 1,000, and failure meant death.
This time is no different.
Level Down -10? Is this even normal?
Frustration and despair washed over me.
I drew a deep breath.
Soon, I steadied myself.
Wasn’t I accustomed to unreasonableness by now?
Rather than waste time complaining, I should focus on clearing it.
So…
‘Find a way.’
The problem was how to find it.
Wasn’t one reason hunters struggled here because of mirages?
There were many accounts of people being deceived by false oases and merely exhausting their stamina.
Of course, I’d never seen a post about someone receiving a penalty like level down the way I had.
That’s when Isto tugged at my sleeve.
-Doo-ho, are you alright?
“I’m fine. But Isto, to find the oasis…”
-There’s a way. Magical beasts always gather around oases. So you only need to sense mana.
In other words.
It’s possible to distinguish mirages.
The only problem is.
“How am I supposed to sense mana?”
Isto’s LED eyes flickered.
As if asking, ‘You don’t even know that?’
-I told you before.
“…?”
-When you held my hand and transferred mana to your chest…
Oh! Oh!
“Metal Manipulation?”
-Yes. It’s similar. Think of it as moving mana with your eyes and concentrate. If you want to hear it with your ears, you can apply the same method.
“Okay. I got it!”
Doo-ho closed his eyes.
Recalling the method Isto had taught me back then, I drew my concentration upward.
Hm?
A very faint mana resonated from not far away. And right beside it, there was also mana in a quantity I could hardly fathom.
I opened my eyes.
The small mana was none other than a scorpion hiding in a rock crevice, and the identity of the massive mana was none other than….
‘Isto… you really are incredible.’
Looking at your appearance, you’re round and adorable.
It feels like I’m gazing at the sun floating in the sky.
Meanwhile, Isto marveled.
Ooh~
-You’ve adapted so quickly! As expected of you, Doo-ho!
Then the creature made a new suggestion.
-If you’re a Mecromancer, you should take it a step further and unleash your bird’s-eye view ability!
“Bird’s-eye view?”
-Exactly as it sounds. Looking down at a wide range from a high place.
Hmm…
“How do I do that?”
-Sense the surrounding mana, draw that space in your mind, then look down from above.
At such an absurd suggestion, Doo-ho sighed.
What… nonsense is this?
That’s what I thought, yet…
‘But the fact that I understand it is even more ridiculous.’
-If you understand, that’s all that matters. Now, let’s try it.
After surveying the surroundings once.
I immediately drew the space in my mind and lifted my gaze into the air.
The moment I thought to look down at it, a minimap-like bird’s-eye view unfolded in my mind.
Unbelievable….
I laughed involuntarily at my own bewilderment.
‘This actually works?’
-Isn’t it convenient?
On the minimap, the points where mana gathered were clearly marked.
Of course, it was only the scorpion and Isto.
But certainly.
“It’s convenient.”
-Hehe. Isn’t it!
Doo-ho looked down at Isto for a moment, then made a decision. Relying on Isto for everything like this every time didn’t suit my nature.
“Isto, you go into the Garage.”
—But….
“I’ve learned the method, so I’ll try it myself this time. I’ll summon you when I need you.”
—Understood.
As Isto entered the Garage, Doo-ho moved forward while watching the minimap.
And then, finally!
The Oasis appeared before my eyes.
At that moment, Doo-ho stopped.
About to rush forward in joy, he checked the minimap again and twisted his lips upward.
‘Now I understand for certain.’
It was a mirage—no mana from magical beasts was detected in the surrounding area whatsoever.
* * *
Doo-ho sprinted lightly across the Desert using assassination techniques and footwork.
While checking the minimap in my head.
That’s when Isto spoke to me.
—Doo-ho, I heard the Changtian Clan failed again and is attempting again next month.
“I heard about it too.”
—If the Five Major Hunter Families and top-tier hunters from major guilds gathered, they’re quite incompetent.
Doo-ho spoke while leaping over sand dunes.
“There must be a reason.”
—They failed despite the difficulty being lowered, so it’s definitely incompetence. America has already….
Thirst overwhelmed me, and Doo-ho stopped.
“I need to take a break.”
As I entered the Garage, Isto quickly offered a water bottle.
“Thanks.”
Doo-ho asked while gulping down the water.
“What about America?”
—America has cleared the 82nd floor in four out of five Abysses. Germany succeeded recently as well.
“Germany?”
—Yes. America lent them items. Though it cost hundreds of millions in rental fees.
Doo-ho nearly spat out the water he was drinking.
Wow….
What kind of item could it be.
—Honestly, if you hang around people who go in relying on gear and numbers but can’t solve even one thing, you catch stupidity. It’s contagious.
“Stupidity?”
Doo-ho chuckled and looked up at the ceiling.
“Anyway, the first floor’s disappearance extended the timeline by two months, and they still haven’t solved it….”
Doo-ho shook his head while rolling the water bottle.
‘My own nose is three feet long—who am I to worry about others.’
Chuckling, Doo-ho left the Garage and began searching for the Oasis once more.
Thanks to the assassination technique’s footwork, I could minimize stamina consumption, making it far easier—and that’s when!
Whoooosh—
Suddenly, the sand beneath my feet began to collapse and slide away.
What?!
“What is this?”
A massive pit opened up, and I was sucked down into the sand.
In that instant, I kicked away the sand clinging to my body and pushed myself upward.
I scrambled out of the sand pit and brushed off my chest.
Phew….
“That gave me quite a fright.”
Just as I was carefully peering down into the pit to identify what lurked within—
How dare it!!
-A mere Sandworm!
An enraged Isto burst forth from the Garage.
Thanks to the upgrade, Isto’s movements had become noticeably faster.
Without hesitation, Isto leaped into the sand pit.
“Isto?!”
The colossal Sandworm opened its maw wide and swallowed Isto whole.
“…What?!”
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
I stood there in stunned silence.
I stared down at the sand pit in panic.
Isto?
“Isto!!!”
The moment I snapped back to my senses and cried out—
Rumble… CRASH!
Tremors echoed up from deep beneath the earth.
Crack!
Then the sand caved inward—
BOOM!!!
Sand erupted skyward in a towering column.
Within it, the Sandworm thrashed through the air.
Hurtling toward me, my expression vacant with shock.
Boom!!
The massive Sandworm crashed down hard onto the sand.
Its enormous, elongated body lay sprawled out.
And then….
As a section of its thick, lengthy body tore open, Isto burst free with a sharp sound.
Completely drenched in the creature’s bodily fluids.
Thud!
Landing firmly on the ground, Isto immediately spun around—
You bastard—!!
-Why are you attacking me?!
Boom———!
I kicked the Sandworm’s body.
That section exploded outward, scattering flesh across the air.
Then I retrieved the mana stone and pocketed it.
[You have gained experience]
The system notification—a sound I hadn’t heard in ages.
I shook the bodily fluids from myself and lowered my head.
-My sincerest apologies, Doo-ho. The Sandworms buried deep underground are difficult to detect on the minimap… I overlooked that.
Doo-ho shook his head.
“No, actually I’m grateful.”
-Pardon?
“Thanks to the assassination techniques you imprinted in my mind, I sensed its presence and managed to escape.”
It was true.
If I were my usual self, I would already be this horrific Sandworm’s meal.
Regardless.
I checked the quest timer.
[Time remaining: 00:15:57]
I swept my bangs back and muttered.
‘I thought this would be easier….’
Still, I couldn’t give up.
But I couldn’t just wander aimlessly either.
As my thoughts deepened.
Suddenly, an idea struck me like lightning.
‘The minimap… could I expand it further?’
Overthinking only wastes time!
I immediately sharpened my focus.
I expanded the mental map, stretching it thin like parchment.
Just a bit more… more!
Drip—crack!
A stream of blood trickled down, falling onto the sand.
-Doo-ho!! You mustn’t overexert yourself!
My concentration deepened so profoundly that even Isto’s cry became distant.
That moment.
Found it!
A massive mana signature was detected at the edge of my expanded map.
I immediately sprinted toward it.
The mana drawing closer and closer on my mental map.
Huff… huff….
As my breath filled to the brim of my throat,
the image of the Sandworm erupting skyward flashed through my mind.
‘Could it work at the critical moment?’
I immediately summoned Isto from the Garage.
“Can you carry me up there?”
Isto looked in the direction I was pointing.
The android answered.
-I will attempt it.
With those words, Isto lifted me into its arms.
Thump, thump—.
With each stride, the map rapidly contracted before my eyes.
How much time had passed?
I checked my status window.
[Remaining Time: 00:00:05]
‘Almost there… then!’
“Isto, launch skyward like you did with the Sandworm!”
Whiiiiiing!
At my command, I heard the sound of power concentrating in Isto’s legs.
[Remaining Time: 00:00:04]
-I can finally test the joints you upgraded for me, Master Doo-ho.
Boom───ang!
We defied gravity and erupted into the sky.
[Remaining Time: 00:00:03]
Ahhhhhhhhh!!!
Ooooooh—!
A long parabolic arc traced through the air, accompanied by my cry.
[Remaining Time: 00:00:02]
Crash!
We tumbled headfirst onto the sand.
[Remaining Time: 00:00:01]
And then….
Before my eyes, the Oasis sparkled like crystal-clear glass in the sunlight.

[Main Quest Achieved!]
Reward: Hidden Quest unlocked.
“W-we did it!”
But that joy was short-lived.
Beside the Oasis, I discovered an enormous beast resembling a dragon, sleeping peacefully.
Eek…!
Had Doo-ho not sealed his own mouth with nanobots.
-The Oasis────!!
Isto’s cry echoed long and piercing.
In that moment.
The eyelids of the slumbering colossal beast slowly lifted.
Became a Macromanser
Author |
Keongang E
Published |
February 25, 2026
Publisher |
TalesYX
Website |
https://talesyx.com
Email |
[email protected]
ⓒ Keongang E, 2026
This publication is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission.
UCI |
G720:N+A277-20260210015.0013

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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