Became a Mechromancer - Chapter 2

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

Chapter 2
Mechromancer (2)
Gasp!
Startled, Lim Doo-ho clutched his head.
Then….
-Oh my, my apologies if I startled you.
A voice resonated inside his mind.
“W-who are you!”
-Your sympathetic nervous system is in overdrive. Now, breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold it for four, then exhale through your mouth….
“…?”
-Come on, hurry!
As the mysterious voice urged him on, Lim Doo-ho instinctively followed the breathing exercise.
The situation was bizarre, yet I found myself regaining composure.
Perhaps that’s why.
The random summon that had struck my ears alongside the level-up moments ago came to mind.
“…Don’t tell me you’re Super Intelligence or something?”
-Ooh~ Quite perceptive! That’s correct.
A brief silence.
Lim Doo-ho rubbed his temples.
After six years working at the Hunter Management Bureau, I’d heard of all manner of awakened abilities, but never anything like Super Intelligence.
The thought that crossed my mind was.
Could it be…
‘Am I experiencing psychosis?’
-It’s not a mental illness~ That “Mechromancer” you asked about earlier refers to a being that breathes life into broken machines. Just as a Necromancer resurrects corpses as zombies. Does that make sense now?
“…!!”
Doo-ho was left speechless.
I’d heard of Necromancers before.
Those who command the dead like puppets.
But breathing life into machines?
“What kind of nonsense is this….”
-Just a moment!
The instant I was about to protest, Super Intelligence cut me off with a warning.
-Twenty Ratkin are approaching. They’ll arrive in approximately one minute. Wait? Another pack is joining them from behind.
“──!”
Though I’d awakened, I’d barely managed to dispatch two of them. Facing an entire swarm of Ratkin was impossible.
Fear gripped me in that moment.
I picked up a dull axe that a Ratkin had dropped.
Holding onto something felt like it would calm my nerves, even if only slightly.
But Doo-ho had no idea.
Oh!
-So the Mechromancer will fight directly?
“Then you fight instead?!”
-Hmm… if you wish.
“…What?”
A hollow laugh burst from my lips.
Insane.
‘This thing just chattering away in my head.’
I thought, but Super Intelligence answered.
-I am not insane, and you heard correctly.
“Are you… reading my thoughts?”
-Is that important right now?
Squeak squeak, chirp chirp chirp… crackle.
The cries of the Ratkin swarm drew closer.
From the sound alone, I could tell their numbers were considerable.
-So, what will you do?
There was no time to think or deliberate over Super Intelligence’s question.
If I could survive in the Abyss Rift!
“…Help me!”
-Simply give orders freely. Your safety is my highest priority, Mechromancer. Ahem, there’s no time—I’ll swap the skill ‘Garage’ from your inventory and open it.
“What are you doing?”
An inventory window opened before me.
The inventory contained various items in separate slots, but my eyes were drawn to the slot containing a humanoid.
That made sense, since the slot was blinking.
-Please select and summon the humanoid.
That instant!
Squeak squeak screeeeeech—
The Ratkin spotted Lim Doo-ho and charged.
I quickly selected the humanoid.
Ripple.
The air shimmered as the humanoid materialized.
A humanoid slightly larger than the Ratkin.
Its head was perfectly round like a helmet, with a large LED screen displaying circular eyes.
In that moment, one thought crystallized in my mind.
Good heavens…
‘Machines actually work in the Abyss Rift!’
Then it happened.
Whirrrrr—
The humanoid raised its hand and spoke.
-Mechromancer, please rest in that vehicle.
The moment he answered.
Screeeech—
One of the Ratkins thrust a short blade at the humanoid.
The humanoid reached out and seized the Ratkin’s head in its grip.
Crack!
Slamming it straight into the ground, a dull thud echoed as the skull shattered.
Three more immediately rushed in, clinging to its back and legs.
Whirrrrr—
With a mechanical hum, the humanoid calmly rotated its body and smashed one Ratkin against the wall.
Splat!
The Ratkin was crushed.
Thud, crack!
The remaining Ratkins went limp from the ensuing kicks.
It was then that Lim Doo-ho’s jaw dropped.
Clang! Screech screech—
More Ratkins rushed in, their axes and spears raining down indiscriminately on the humanoid.
But.
Only sparks flew—the Ratkins’ weapons were utterly ineffective.
Hidden inside the autonomous taxi, Lim Doo-ho muttered.
“It’s not even a fair match…?”
After that.
More Ratkins kept coming.
As five were brutally swept away, six more immediately scaled the walls and poured down from the ceiling.
The humanoid indifferently seized the Ratkins, tearing them apart, and sometimes crushing them as casually as one would squeeze an apple in their palm.
[You have gained experience points]
[You have gained experience points]
[You have gained experience points]
[Level Up!]
[Experience points…]
System notifications continued to ring in Lim Doo-ho’s ears.
“What? It’s fighting, but the experience and levels are coming to me?”
How much time had passed?
Over sixty dead Ratkins already littered the floor.
All of it was finished in just three minutes.
Crack—
Twisting the last Ratkin’s neck, the humanoid slowly turned its body.
[You have gained experience points]
[Level Up!]
Lim Doo-ho wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
“This is… a massacre.”
As he tried to exit the taxi, the humanoid raised its hand and spoke.
Oh!
-A considerably stronger one is approaching.
Moments later.
Grrrrr…!!!
With a roar filled with rage, the superior variant of Ratkin—the Kings Ratkin—revealed itself.
It exhaled hot breath repeatedly as it gazed upon the corpses of Ratkin scattered across the ground.
The Kings Ratkin possessed a massive frame exceeding two meters, its entire body covered in silvery-white fur like armor.
Wielding colossal twin axes in both hands, it swept the ground with its thick tail….
Watching through the car window, Lim Doo-ho’s face went pale.
‘Considerably stronger? What nonsense.’
This Kings Ratkin, which I had never encountered before, transcended imagination—a monster incarnate.
The Kings Ratkin drew in a deep breath.
Its chest swelled with the fury of losing its subordinates.
Then.
Boom! Boom! Boom—
It dragged its colossal twin axes across the ground, advancing with massive strides.
With each step, its speed intensified.
Simultaneously, the humanoid sprinted at full force.
And….
The moment the two entities collided!
Kiiiiiii—
The Kings Ratkin raised its twin axes high and drove them downward.
Kwaaaang!!!
The earth trembled as dust erupted skyward.
Thick smoke obscured the view.
Before such overwhelming destruction, my heart froze.
‘No matter how powerful Super Intelligence is, that….’
Then the dust settled.
My jaw dropped involuntarily.
“…Good heavens.”
The Kings Ratkin had only its lower half remaining.
The colossal twin axes were embedded in the ground, while behind them lay traces of what had been its upper body—now a gruesome trail of blood and flesh.
Standing before it, the humanoid.
I trembled.
For seventy years, no electronic device had ever withstood the Abyss Rift.
That alone was astonishing, but….
‘To obliterate a beast approaching two meters in size.’
And I became certain.
If I could uncover this secret, I would never need to fear the Abyss Rifts caused by the Abyss!
My chest swells with grandeur.
For a fleeting moment, I can envision my future self receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.
…Until the humanoid says this.
-Let’s hurry and build your strength to begin world conquest! I shall assist you, Mechromancer!
Whirrrr.
The humanoid’s head turns with a motor’s hum, and the LED eyes beneath its helmet glow with what appears to be a smile.
Lim Doo-ho’s mouth falls half-open as he steps out of the autonomous taxi.
World what?
‘What in the world did I just hear?’
Seeing Doo-ho’s bewildered expression, the humanoid’s helmet LEDs respond.
The smiling eyes vanish, replaced by a disappointed, straight-lined gaze.
-A peace prize? How did your mind become such a flower garden after becoming a Mechromancer?
“F-flower garden?”
The humanoid ignores Doo-ho’s words and spreads its arms wide as it answers.
World conquest!
-If that’s not possible, shouldn’t you at least seize one country?! With your potential as a Mechromancer, it’s achievable!
Doo-ho clutches his head.
This thing—setting aside its manner of speech….
‘Despite such incredible abilities, it certainly harbors grandiose delusions.’
Tap tap.
The humanoid approaches Doo-ho and asks.
-You surely wish to bring ‘peace’ to the world, Mechromancer! But war and conflict are the very driving forces of technological advancement!
“That’s not—”
-A true Mechromancer must seize power amidst such chaos and turmoil! You must advance lethal technology!
Doo-ho exhales in exasperation.
No matter what.
“A warmonger must have educated you. I don’t need any of that….”
Before Doo-ho can finish speaking, the area beneath the humanoid’s chest plate glows brightly.
It appears to be some form of emotional expression.
-When I mentioned world conquest, it was no mere jest. It is the true calling of a Mechromancer. I shall diligently support my master toward that end!
You crazy bastard!
“I’m satisfied just living well with my family!”
-You wish to use a Mechromancer’s power to live comfortably with your family?
“Yes!”
-Excellent! Let’s quickly build your strength, conquer the world, and live in abundance!
Damn it!
‘It’s like talking to a wall.’
-I am not a wall.
“Stop reading my thoughts and contradicting me!”
-If you wish, I shall refrain from responding, but the link between you and I cannot be severed, Mechromancer.
Lim Doo-ho exhaled deeply.
-But to live an ordinary life with the power of a Mechromancer… that’s like an elephant gently patting a tiny ant.
“What are you?”
It was then that the humanoid’s LED eyes blinked with meaningful intent.
Footsteps echoed from far away.
Apparently, Hunters had rushed into the Abyss Rift after receiving the report.
Come to think of it, it was natural that Hunters would be dispatched since an Abyss Rift had appeared on the way to Bundang.
Behind Lim Doo-ho, who was breathing a sigh of relief, came the humanoid’s voice.
-Quite formidable individuals with mana, I see. For our future world conquest, we must subjugate them…
In the end, Lim Doo-ho activated his inventory and stuffed the humanoid inside.
If I encountered them in this state, it was clear that something catastrophic would unfold.
‘I’ll try to talk this bastard down later.’
-What do you mean talk me down! Release me at once so I can tame them and lay the foundation for world conquest….
Ugh!
“Shut your mouth!”
-….
The humanoid fell silent immediately.
‘Phew, at least it obeys commands.’
My next thought was immediate.
‘There’s no need to show the humanoid to the Hunters.’
I’d rather avoid unnecessary complications on my end.
‘First, let me clean up this place.’
I’ll figure out the rest as I go.
* * *
“Hunters! Over here! Here!”
A man’s voice echoed from the dim depths of the Abyss Rift.
Whoooosh—
One startled Hunter deployed a blue defensive skill into the air.
“Did we get a report about another Hunter entering before us?”
“No, sir.”
“Then, who is that guy?”
The Hunters fixed their gaze on the mysterious man standing beside the autonomous taxi.
“A survivor who got sucked in along with the taxi?”
“That doesn’t make sense? The taxi company said the driver was a Natural!”
“Why are you angry at me?”
The defensive skill dissipated.
A young Hunter stepped forward, widening his eyes as he sensed the man’s mana.
What…?
“You’re an Awakened One?”
“Damn it! The company gave us wrong information.”
Yet the hunters approached the mysterious man while maintaining their distance.
Their eyes were filled with suspicion and caution.
That was when it happened.
“I’m Lim Doo-ho from the Machine Upcycling Division of the Hunter Management Bureau!”
The hunters faltered at his unexpected introduction.
What?
“Then it matches the information.”
“No, he’s an Awakened One?”
“Ugh, my head hurts. What kind of situation is this?!”
As confusion spread, Lim Doo-ho spoke again.
“I understand it’s hard to believe… but I awakened in the Abyss Rift.”
Instantly, the hunters’ expressions hardened.
“Hey, didn’t the profile say this person is 26 years old?”
“Yeah, that’s what I saw too…?”
Then a young hunter turned to his colleagues with an excited expression.
“The oldest Awakened One on record was 22 years old. And that was Zhang Wei from China.”
“So… the record’s been broken?”
Only then did the man who appeared to be the party leader narrow his eyes and examine Lim Doo-ho. The mana waves flowing from his body.
If he had just awakened, it was natural for mana to flow like that.
However.
“If he just awakened, his mana capacity is quite substantial…?”
Suddenly, murmurs erupted.
“Isn’t this international headline material?”
“So something like this can actually happen!”
“Wow, incredible! I never thought I’d see it in person….”
The party leader approached Lim Doo-ho with a smile.
‘He might be a talented individual, so it wouldn’t hurt to establish a connection.’
That was his thought.
Meanwhile, Lim Doo-ho exhaled in relief.
“I really thought I was going to die.”
“We were cautious since this is our first time encountering such a case, so please understand.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Anyway, congratulations on your awakening!”
The party members, who hadn’t lowered their guard, sensed something amiss. A common question lingered in their minds….
‘Why is there no trace of any monsters at all?’
That moment.
One hunter pointed behind Lim Doo-ho and shouted with a trembling voice.
“Look… over there!”
The hunters all turned to look behind Lim Doo-ho.
What they saw were dozens of Ratkin corpses scattered across the ground and, at their center, the remains of a King’s Ratkin with only its lower half left.
Mechromancer
Author |
Gungang E
Publication Date |
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 copied without permission.
UCI |
G720:N+A277-20260210015.0002

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