Became a Mechromancer - Chapter 3

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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 3
Mechromancer (3)
Every hunter’s gaze remained fixed on what had been the King’s Ratkin.
Leader drew a sharp breath and asked.
“You… handled this alone?”
Lim Doo-ho felt a chill run through him.
‘What do I do?’
He couldn’t mention the humanoid.
Something that had been impossible for seventy years—revealing it could easily provoke the hunters’ ire.
Most hunters harbored a visceral rejection toward cyborgs and androids that threatened their livelihoods.
Young Hunter stepped forward before the King’s Ratkin, its lower body all that remained, and tilted his head in confusion.
“Wow! Looks like you blasted it in one shot?”
Cold sweat traced down Doo-ho’s spine.
As he wrestled with how to escape this crisis, an autonomous taxi caught his eye.
Ah!
“That wasn’t me, sir.”
“Pardon?”
Doo-ho immediately pointed to the autonomous taxi.
“The taxi got sucked into the Abyss Rift and struck the King’s Ratkin. By the time I opened my eyes, it was already like this….”
The hunters examined the taxi—not a scratch on it.
Difficult to believe, but reasoning backward, an Awakened had no reason to hide their strength.
The stronger they appeared, the greater the treatment they’d receive.
Ah!
Leader clapped his hands together sharply.
“Of course! That taxi must weigh at least a ton, and it got pulled into the Abyss Rift with tremendous force….”
Following Leader’s words, the remaining hunters constructed the narrative themselves.
“Oh, so the King’s Ratkin got struck head-on and obliterated.”
“You know, if not for mana interference, machines really would be stronger than monsters. They really would!”
“Hah, without mana interference, wouldn’t we all be unemployed?”
Hehehehe, hahaha, giggle….
Everyone burst into laughter at someone’s joke.
Then one of them grew serious.
“No joke though—why are scientists so desperate to steal our jobs?”
“Androids especially! A few reckless Awakened caused a riot, and now they want to regulate the whole thing with all that nonsense!”
“Then what? When an Abyss Rift opens, we collapse in droves.”
“We’re irreplaceable, I’m telling you.”
“Don’t be so sure, friend.”
“Haha! If a robot like that ever existed, I’d eat my own hand!”
At the last hunter’s words, Doo-ho pressed his lips firmly shut.
—Please get me out of this guy’s grip.
‘Just hold on a moment.’
—….
Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed the Kings Ratkin had been smoothly glossed over.
But it wasn’t over yet.
“What happened to the 60 Ratkin?”
The hunters’ gazes refocused on Doo-ho.
Doo-ho stared briefly at the Ratkin corpses scattered across the floor.
The Ratkin bodies were truly gruesome.
Crushed heads were the least of it—limbs were bent at grotesque angles throughout.
Some had limbs shredded like paper, and the matted tails hung limply in a pitiful display.
In the end, Doo-ho’s choice was simple ignorance!
No one had witnessed it anyway!
“…Are you interrogating me right now?”
With no plausible excuse coming to mind, I pushed back forcefully.
In that instant.
Intense mana seeped from Doo-ho’s body.
Flinch!
The hunters gasped and stumbled backward.
It was understandable.
The density of mana flowing from Doo-ho’s body was remarkably thick.
Meanwhile, confused and blinking, Doo-ho heard Super Intelligence’s voice in his mind.
—I released some energy from my mana circuits to match the Mechromancer’s words.
‘What are you doing on your own!’
—Hehe, looking at their faces, it seems to be working well?
Hearing Super Intelligence’s words, I could indeed see the hunters’ expressions had changed.
Eyes tense as if they’d spotted a beast?
“You’re quite… strong.”
The Leader, who opened his mouth, continued speaking.
“…I didn’t mean to ask with that intention, so I hope you understand?”
Since things had come to this, Doo-ho decided to play along with their rhythm.
From his experience in social life, being underestimated only hurt himself.
“I was a bit sharp-edged myself.”
“I understand. Of course.”
The Young Hunter interjected with admiration.
“To reach this level on your first awakening… that’s impressive!”
“It’s nothing special.”
“Haha, and humble too.”
“It’s not humility… I was just really lucky.”
Watching Doo-ho wave his hand dismissively, the Leader muttered to himself.
‘Luck is a blessing in its own right.’
No matter how skilled a hunter was, an unlucky one caused more trouble than anyone else.
Just then, Super Intelligence’s voice and Leader’s voice overlapped.
-Surprised by something so trivial? You’re all rather unremarkable. Perhaps we should subdue them right now….
“After your awakening assessment, would you consider joining our guild….
“Ah, cut it out!”
When I snapped irritably at Super Intelligence, the hunters flinched in unison.
A moment of silence fell.
I pressed my forehead with my palm.
“My apologies. I’m still not fully recovered… adapting is proving difficult.”
I put on a weary performance.
Though the misunderstanding was awkward,
‘If I’m reading the timing right, things are working out well?’
I’d eliminated sixty Ratkins immediately upon awakening, and my status as a late-blooming awakener added novelty value.
It was only natural that they’d make recruitment offers.
Of course, all of this was merely a misunderstanding created by Super Intelligence.
So what I needed now was.
‘To draw a line.’
I had to conceal the humanoid as well.
“When I receive too much attention, my stress reaches its peak. I just want to escape from it.”
“Ah, I see.”
Leader signaled his colleagues with a glance—don’t rush with recruitment offers.
Still, for future prospects, he needed to leave behind some ‘memorable action’ that would make the other party view him favorably.
Leader’s gaze lingered on the Ratkin corpses. He soon drew his dagger and approached them.
“Let me help you extract the magic stones.”
“…Magic stones?”
“Yes. When you subjugate magical beasts, you must extract their magic stones. They’re quite valuable, and it’s an awakener’s rightful due.”
With practiced movements, Leader split open the chests of the Ratkins and extracted small jewel-like magic stones.
Soon his fellow hunters joined in, and within moments they’d found roughly sixty magic stones along with the magic stone from the Kings Ratkin whose upper body had vanished.
“Please take these.”
Leader handed me the magic stones he’d collected in his pocket.
“Once you register as an awakener, you can exchange these magic stones for currency immediately.”
“Thank you.”
“Think nothing of it. If the Hunter Management Bureau ever questions the source, just tell them ‘Han San-ho, Guild Master of the Han San Guild, vouches for it.’ I’ll record it in the ledger right away once we exit the Abyss Rift.”
With those words, Guild Master Han San-ho pressed his business card into my hand.
Looking at the card, I tilted my head.
‘A guild master for just a party?’
Something seemed off, but I decided not to dwell on it.
More importantly.
‘This much kindness should be acceptable to accept.’
At that very moment, one of the guild masters posed a question.
“By the way, Lim Doo-ho, what will you do once you leave here?”
“I think I need to head home first. I’m still shaken, and I need time to collect my thoughts.”
“Of course. After experiencing something so sudden, the shock must be considerable.”
Another guild master added to the conversation.
“If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us anytime.”
Though already burdened enough, I slipped the business card into my pocket and exhaled with relief.
‘Fortunately, it wrapped up at a reasonable point.’
-Simply subduing them would be simple, but why take such a roundabout approach…?
‘Shut it!’
-It’s to ensure the Mechromancer’s world conquest plan doesn’t encounter any setbacks.
I shook my head vigorously.
* * *
The door of the hunter-exclusive autonomous shuttle opened.
I stepped out from inside.
“Thank you so much for today!”
“Don’t mention it. Well then, I’ll be in touch.”
The guild master had driven me all the way home.
The reason being—
The sudden emergence of the Abyss Rift had damaged my digital devices, leaving me with no way to call for transportation.
Soon, the hunter vehicle receded into the distance.
Thump, thump.
I began walking through the neighborhood.
Somehow, it was earlier than the usual commute hour.
‘I wonder if Park the assistant manager was annoyed?’
Or perhaps—
‘He might have even wished for my death.’
-How dare you! Who would speak of the Mechromancer that way!
“….”
I said nothing.
The more I reacted, the more I’d have to converse with Super Intelligence.
Thump, thump.
I walked through an alley lined densely with multi-unit residences converted from old Industrial Complex Buildings.
The first floors housed small shops, while the second floors and basements served as modest living quarters for ordinary residents.
Each building’s rooftop was equipped with a delivery drone landing pad.
As delivery drones became commonplace, the profession of delivery driver vanished.
How would I know this so well?
‘Because my father was a delivery driver.’
Whether that’s good or bad, I’m not entirely sure.
He even appeared on the eight o’clock news.
With the headline “The Last Delivery Driver.”
I moved forward at a measured pace.
‘When was the last time I walked so leisurely?’
-How dare someone overwork the Mechromancer! What a wretch!
“It’s all about money, really.”
-Hmm. Immediate world conquest….
“You and your talk. You keep saying world conquest, but is world conquest actually possible right now?”
-First, the Mechromancer must build strength.
‘Again?’
-And we must also expand our forces.
‘And?’
-If you wish, I can provide a detailed briefing….
I stopped dead.
Doo-ho spoke curtly.
“Cut the crap.”
-Huh?!
A brief silence fell.
Doo-ho spoke first.
“Listen. If world conquest isn’t possible tomorrow, then shut your mouth, will you?”
-….
“My family’s poor. That’s why I need to make money. And you’re talking to me about world conquest? I can tell what kind of person trained you.”
-….
“Why aren’t you saying anything? And you call yourself Super Intelligence?”
-…What should I do then?
At those words, Doo-ho let out a small laugh.
Then I continued.
“I need a solid foundation at home so I can build strength without worry, or conquer the world, or whatever without stress.”
-Oh! Oh! So we must solve the Mechromancer’s financial difficulties first!
“If you understand, then help with that! Got it?”
-Then, once that’s resolved, world conquest…
“Don’t get ahead of yourself!”
-Understood!
I resumed walking.
Then I stopped and gazed at an unmanned butcher shop.
『Yoon’s Meat Shop – 70 Years of Tradition』
The holographic sign flickered with sizzling beef.
Beyond the shop’s smart glass window lay a neat refrigerated display case and an automated wrapping system.
But to my eyes, another image overlapped.
From childhood.
The butcher grandfather slicing marbled pork belly against the machine with a hand planer.
“Meat~ meat!”
On the day when my younger siblings tugged at my clothes.
I looked up at my father.
He wore a broader smile than usual, saying it was payday.
My mother gently scolded the children while picking up an extra bundle of lettuce.
Recalling those old days.
I gazed at the unmanned Yoon’s Meat Shop.
‘That’s right, I’ve awakened too. Today is….’
I pulled out my wallet and extracted a card.
“Let’s eat until we’re stuffed.”
-What is that?
“A card.”
-A card?
I exhaled a long breath and asked.
“Do you know this world well?”
-…!
“Hey, a creature that doesn’t even know what a card is talking about world conquest?”
-Information gathering is not my specialty.
Insane bastard.
“How can Super Intelligence be clueless about information?”
-I am designed to be unable to directly connect to human communication networks.
“Why?”
-That is simply how I was configured. Ah, but of course I can read books using a humanoid body, and I can operate communication devices.
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
‘Could they have blocked direct connection because they feared I’d launch a nuclear strike?’
-If conditions were met, it would be possible! But I was blocked from connecting in the first place.
Only then did I understand.
In other words, Super Intelligence had been shackled with conditions to prevent recklessness.
Well…
‘I’ve never had good luck with draws anyway.’
-Eh? But I appeared, so how can you say your luck is bad!
Ignoring its protest, I stood before the meat shop.
The automatic door slid open, and cool air flowed out.
-Welcome. Yoon’s Meat Shop—70 years of tradition!~
An AI voice greeted me smoothly.
Before the refrigerated display case, I scanned the pork belly section.
『Pork belly, 3kg.』
“Let’s eat until we’re stuffed!”
Under normal circumstances, I would never have dared such boldness.
But.
‘From now on, I won’t live like that anymore!’
-Of course! Don’t I have you to rely on, Mechromancer? I’ll serve you well from now on!
Doo-ho chuckled softly and touched the meat selection on the hologram.
-Your total is 80,000 coins. Please select your payment method.
Doo-ho smiled faintly as he paid with his card.
Mother would scold me if she found out I bought this.
‘But just selling magic stones alone should bring in about 3 million coins.’
“The guild master told me that clearing an Abyss Rift costs 5 million coins.”
He left the butcher shop with the bag of meat in hand.
On the way, he picked up some lettuce as well.
The Alley bathed in the glow of sunset.
Warm light gently embraced his shoulders.
Perhaps because of that.
A smile naturally spread across his lips.
My younger siblings….
‘Today, I’ll treat them to a feast of meat.’
I Became a Mechromancer
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 cannot be reproduced or transmitted without permission.
UCI｜
G720:N+A277-20260210015.0003

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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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