Became a Mechromancer - Chapter 18

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

Chapter 18.
Different (2)
A few days later.
Doo-ho stepped out of Design Port with a satisfied smile on his face.
After nights spent analyzing product data Isto had gathered, followed by endless rounds of refinement.
He had finally completed the design for the auxiliary device.
A competition entry and equipment for his father.
Even the simulation results were satisfactory.
‘Now all that’s left is manufacturing.’
These days, Doo-ho didn’t rest even after work.
He spent countless nights in the Garage, juggling design work and Isto repairs.
Of course, when Isto was with him inside the Garage, time felt infinite.
Still.
‘It’s too much to finish in one go.’
So he’d decided to split the work across several days.
The silver lining was.
‘My understanding of mana circuits deepened as my level increased.’
Without that, I wouldn’t have dared touch it at all.
In any case, for that reason, Isto was lying on the workbench.
“Today we’re fixing the shoulder, right?”
-That’s correct~.
As Isto raised his arm, the damaged mana circuit beneath his armpit became visible.
Doo-ho extended his fingertips.
Whoosh.
Silver nanobots flowed from his hand, seeping into the gaps between joints.
Crackle, crackle—.
Minute sparks ignited as the damaged circuit began to repair itself.
Doo-ho, focused on his work, suddenly chuckled as something came to mind.
“By the way, Park Deputy has been acting different lately.”
-Oh! In what way?
Doo-ho inspected Isto’s mana circuit as it was being restored.
“You must’ve heard too. When I said I’d use defective parts for the competition, he told me to use good ones instead.”
Ah! Ah!
-I remember now. I was shocked by what Park Deputy said too.
“It’s Park Deputy, not that.”
Isto’s LED eyes narrowed into a straight line.
-Still, we must remain cautious. People can’t be fixed once broken, you know. Hehe.
“Sigh… let’s not talk about that. Just keep your arm up.”
-Oh! Yes, sir.
While offering a pointed remark, Lim Doo-ho manipulated the nanobots.
The repairs were nearing completion.
[Proficiency increases]
A smile spread across my lips.
-Master Lim Doo-ho, you seem to be in a good mood?
“My skills are improving—how could I not be pleased?”
-A sense of accomplishment!
“Exactly.”
Hahahaha. Ehehehehe.
The laughter of both filled the Garage.
Lim Doo-ho spoke again.
“I need to dispose of some of the mana stones.”
-Heading to Yeouido, sir?
“That’s the plan.”
Lim Doo-ho retracted the nanobots.
“It’s finished—try moving it.”
Whirrrr.
Isto slowly moved his arm.
At first glance, the motion was flawless.
Ohhh.
-Excellent, sir!
Lim Doo-ho tilted his head back to stretch his neck.
‘I’ve been concentrating for days now—I’m exhausted.’
Just then, a transparent bottle on the wall shelf caught my eye.
A bottle filled with shimmering golden liquid.
‘That’s….’
A gift Black Dragon had given me.
‘I wonder how Dragon is doing.’
As Lim Doo-ho approached the shelf and picked up the bottle, Isto drew near.
-Wait! You’ve just been leaving that there, sir?!
“Huh? What is this?”
-It’s an ‘Elixir’, sir.
From the corner, Hawk… no, Hawkeye interjected.
-A mana enhancement potion made from Dragon’s blood.
“So it’s like a miraculous elixir.”
My gaze shifted.
Hawkeye, crouched in the corner.
The scope pointed downward at the floor.
As if the entire world were unfair.
Still….
‘So he’s sulking because of the name.’
The truth was simple enough.
No matter how many times I called him Hawkeye, he refused to respond.
Due to his mechanical nature, he only reacted to the name that had been input first: Hawkeye.
‘And that’s what really bruised his pride.’
I exhaled a weary sigh.
‘If I want to change his name, I’ll need to become S-rank first.’
Whether that’s even possible, I have no idea.
Anyway.
Just as I was about to set the bottle down, Isto snatched at my collar.
-Can’t do that! You must drink it right now!
“Huh? Why?”
Wasn’t this something I should save for emergencies?
-When you drink the elixir, your mana will increase explosively, and the quality of your mana will transform as well!
Isto continued his explanation.
-Most importantly, you must grow accustomed to the increased mana and build a solid foundation to become truly stronger.
Well, if that’s the case….
“I’ll drink it.”
~Ooh~
-Excellent! I shall now impart the knowledge to control the elixir! Adadadadada!
Along with his cheerful antics.
Knowledge flooded into my mind.
Ugh.
A splitting headache.
A sign that the knowledge was substantial.
“…Isto.”
-Yes?
“Give me a heads-up before dumping knowledge into my head next time.”
-Understood. Ehehe.
His LED eyes transformed into seagulls.
So innocent, so pure.
Well….
In a way, that’s his greatest strength.
Pop!
I uncorked the bottle.
I expected the stench of blood.
Instead, a surprisingly sweet fragrance tickled my nostrils.
Gulp, gulp.
The golden liquid slid down my throat.
Smoother than honey, cooler than water.
And then, soon after.
Uuuuoooong—.
Mana erupted from deep within my body, surging outward. A scorching current spread through my veins, and I felt each cell awakening, trembling with newfound vitality.
Thump.
Lim Doo-ho settled onto the ground and crossed his legs into a meditation posture.
‘I need to realign my mana circuits while the elixir circulates through my entire body.’
The elixir moved swiftly throughout my body.
It gathered in my chest before dispersing outward along my mana pathways once more.
A soft luminescence seeped from my skin.
Uuuuoooong—.
The vibration intensified with each passing moment.
Lim Doo-ho recalled the knowledge Isto had transmitted to him,
and concentrated the flow of mana at its core.
Deep into the heart.
In a silence so profound it seemed time itself had stopped,
I simply absorbed, mastered, and controlled.
How much time had passed?
Shhhhhk—.
Silver dust streamed from my fingertips.
Far more abundant than before, flowing with far greater smoothness.
[Nanobot Level increases]
[Nanobot Level increases]
[Nanobot Level increases]
[Nanobot Le…]
…What?
“This absurd leveling speed?”
My eyes widened.
I quickly pulled up my status window.

[Main]
Name: Lim Doo-ho
Class: Mecromancer
F-Rank Lv.62
Experience: 2292/2362
Traits: Super Intelligence Summon/Unsummon, Garage
Collection: Isto, Hawkeye
Skills: Metal Manipulation, Component Detection
Dimensional Access, Nanobot Lv.6
Mana Affinity 97, Mechanical Knowledge 104
Crafting Power 100, Mana Circuit 85
Available Stats: 48
Everything remained unchanged.
Except…
‘Only the Nanobot reached Level 6?’
It was good, but something felt off.
Isto’s LED eyes flickered brilliantly as he cried out.
Oh! Oh oh!
-Master Doo-ho! Your mana capacity has definitely increased!
“But why hasn’t my level changed?”
Isto explained in response to my question.
-This time, it wasn’t system experience, but rather your body was strengthened by the Dragon’s blessing, sir.
“Then what about the Nanobot?”
-As I mentioned before, when not only stats but mana grows stronger, these little ones develop alongside it.
“…Ah. Right.”
-Moreover, the density of your mana has also intensified!
“Density?”
-Yes sir. Quality over quantity. One elephant is stronger than a hundred ants!
When I opened my palm, silver nanobots scattered into the air and danced.
The light traced their paths with smooth, exquisite precision.
‘It’s definitely different.’
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
When I touched the Nanobot section in the status window, a new screen appeared.

[Nanobot]
Lv.6
Precision Lv.5, Control Range Lv.4
Simultaneous Control Lv.6, Production Volume Lv.5
Response Speed Lv.4
◈ Newly Unlocked
Defense Mode Lv.1
Attack Mode Lv.1
Neutralization Mode Lv.1
As expected.
“…This one seemed like it would unlock too.”
I narrowed my eyes and examined the Nanobot window.
The defense and attack modes that Isto had mentioned before were already unlocked.
I flicked my fingertips lightly.
In an instant, the nanobots formed a sharp shape in midair.
The moment I thought of defense, the nanobots instantly wrapped around me.
Wow….
Admiration spilled out unbidden.
‘Next time, I think I’ll be able to help too.’
* * *
A few days later, lunchtime.
Yeouido District 2 Commercial Area.
Beyond the café’s floor-to-ceiling window, a woman sat like a painting.
Silver hair flowed over her shoulders, and her sculpted features were so ethereal they seemed to silence the surrounding chaos.
She set down her espresso cup and fixed her gaze on the augmented display of her smart glasses.
Amber eyes mechanically scanned through the documents.
Then one document caught her attention.
『Bundang Expressway Abyss Rift
Occurrence Time: XX Month XX Day 16:42
Disappearance Time: XX Month XX Day 17:02』
“Disappearance in… 20 minutes?”
For the first time, meaningful words escaped her lips.
Even for high-tier rifts, it typically takes at least two hours to disappear, or a full day if unlucky.
But 20 minutes?
‘How overwhelmingly did they sweep through it?’
She immediately initiated a call.
A man’s face with thick stubble appeared on her smart glasses display.
-Hey, Susan.
“Jacob. Send me all the documents related to the Bundang Expressway Abyss Rift.”
-An Abyss? No, something that trivial creates a rift?
“They’re checking whether there were any meaningful variables in the past year before the Abyss’s upper levels disappeared.”
-This is tedious, absolutely tedious. Fine, hold on.
Susan sipped her espresso and waited.
A moment later, Jacob’s voice came through.
Hmm?
-There’s one civilian who was rescued at the time.
“How did a civilian end up in that place?”
-According to the records, an unmanned taxi was pulled into the Abyss Rift, and then a Natural ‘awakened’.”
She cut into her tiramisu with a fork and ate.
“So what’s the civilian’s identity?”
-Let me see… wait?
Jacob’s voice was tinged with bewilderment.
-They refused to share personal information during Awakener registration? How is that even possible?
Susan tilted her head in confusion as well.
‘They deliberately hid their own existence. But why…?’
Then Jacob’s tone brightened.
Oh ho ho.
-Get this.
“What now?”
-Could you solo 62 Ratkins and 1 King Ratkin?
“…Jacob, I’m not a Hunter.”
-You’re still an Awakener, though.
Susan thought for a moment before answering.
“I’ve trained in simulated scenarios even more difficult than that… so yes, it’s possible.”
-Tch! You’re a natural talent, aren’t you.
Ding—.
Jacob sent over the document.
It was a report stamped with the official seal of the Hansan Guild’s Guild Master.
『Abyss Rift Subjugation Report
Rescue Status: 1 Survivor (Awakening Confirmed)
Subjugation Results: 62 Ratkins, 1 King Ratkin
Abyss Rift Status: Cleared
Notable Observation: Rescue Target completed Beast subjugation independently.』
Susan’s brow furrowed.
“…What is this?”
-If they annihilated all those numbers on their first awakening alone, that explains why the Abyss Rift closed in twenty minutes.
In the silence, only the faint beating of Susan’s heart echoed.
-…Susan?
“Find out who this person is immediately.”
-Without their consent, that’s difficult. And we can’t be certain this is the ‘ghost’ we’re looking for….
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
-So you’re saying I should breach the Hunter Management Bureau’s servers right now? The Changtian Clan will cover for you?
“Who said that? If we track the autonomous taxi that entered the Bundang Expressway at that specific time and cross-reference all the surrounding CCTV footage, the answer will surface.”
Ugh!
-That’s still hacking into national systems!
“The weather’s nice today. Want me to slit your throat?”
-Ahhh~ Our Susan is still sharp as a blade. Fine, I’ll get started right away!
Susan ended the call and stared at the report.
A cold smile settled at the corners of her lips.
“This is fun.”
That’s when it happened.
“Excuse me, are you… alone?”
Oily-accented English brushed against her ears.
A man sat across from her without permission, flashing a sleazy smile.
“I don’t usually do this, but you’re my type. Mind if we chat for a moment…?”
Susan didn’t respond.
She simply continued reviewing the report through her smart glasses.
The man forced his smile to persist.
“Ah, you’re working. That’s impressive. What do you do?”
Despite her silence, the man kept talking to Susan.
Eventually.
He muttered in Korean, “Damn, that’s expensive.”
Susan’s wallet beside the coffee cup caught his eye.
…Hmm.
“That’ll do.”
He deliberately knocked the coaster, causing the wallet to fall.
Thud—.
At the sound of the wallet hitting the floor, Susan turned her head slightly.
Oops!
“My apologies.”
In that instant, his other hand moved subtly beneath his sleeve.
A white capsule wedged between his fingers.
As his fingertip grazed the espresso cup.
Crack!
The man’s wrist twisted violently.
“Ugh—!”
Simultaneously, the pill fell from his hand and rolled across the table onto the floor.
Susan’s fork, which had been picking at tiramisu, now hovered just before the man’s throat.
Scrape.
The sound of the fork’s tip grazing his skin.
Susan gazed down at the small pill that had fallen to the floor, whispering in low, icy Korean.
Drug Dealer.
“Run as far as you can. I’ll find you soon enough and put you down.”
The surroundings remained loud.
Amid the noise of laughter and conversation, no one at this table noticed the killing intent that had just brushed past.
Tap.
The moment she released him, the man scrambled away in panic.
Susan rested her chin on her hand as if nothing had happened.
A map of Yeouido appeared on her smart glasses.
As she expanded the map with her finger, a small dot began moving rapidly across it.
She hummed with evident delight.
“Hide well, hide well, or your hair will show.”
She checked the time, then stood and walked away.
Moments later.
A café employee clearing the table tilted her head in confusion.
…That’s strange.
“Where did the fork go?”
I Became a Necromancer
Author |
Gungang E
Published |
February 25, 2026
Publisher |
TalesYX
Website |
https://talesyx.com
Email |
[email protected]
ⓒ Gungang E, 2026
This publication is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission.
UCI |
G720:N+A277-20260210015.0018

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