Became a Mechromancer - Chapter 48

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

Chapter 48.
Back of the Head Tingling (4)
“Experience points, all of a sudden?”
Startled, Doo-ho gazed down at the sphere in his hand—roughly the size of a watermelon.
Intricate patterns were carved across its surface.
Within it, mana stones pulsed with a rhythmic glow.
Could it be… this sphere…?
‘Was it a magical beast?’
Before the question could fully crystallize in my mind, unfamiliar system notifications cascaded before my eyes.
[Level Up!]
[Rank Adjusted Upward]
[F-Rank Lv.99 → E-Rank Lv.1]
“What…?!”
My mouth fell open involuntarily.
I’d become E-Rank?
It wasn’t my imagination.
The density of power coursing through my body was fundamentally different from before. A sensation of bone-deep solidity surged through me with a sudden rush.
As I stood frozen in bewilderment, another notification layered itself on top.

[Hidden Quest Complete]
◈ Inactive Zone Re-Sealed
Reward: 3,000P, Elixir
I stared dazedly at the quest completion message.
Whoooosh— pop.
The air before me rippled slightly, light coalesced, and a glass vial materialized.
I caught it reflexively.
Inside the vial, golden liquid sloshed gently.
“It really is an Elixir!”
A memory surfaced—the sensation of my nanobot level skyrocketing once before.
I squeezed the vial once more for good measure, then moved to place the Elixir reverently into the Garage.
That instant.
[Additional Reward]
Mana Stone (Black Dragon) Acquired.
An unexpected message blocked my vision.
What in the world…?
My gaze shifted to the sphere in my hand.
‘This thing I’m holding… is a Black Dragon mana stone?’
A memory surfaced—the mother and the hatchling that had emerged from its egg.
An indescribable, eerie sensation.
Of course, I knew that these mana stones and elixirs were different things.
He didn’t want to spoil the sense of accomplishment from the Quest’s success, so he stashed the mana stones and elixirs in the Garage.
Only then did my emotions settle into place.
Grrr, grrr, grrr….
Beyond the wall, the dull sound of stone grinding against stone echoed out.
Doo-ho reflexively turned his head.
The Stone Stairs were being pushed outward.
Thud, thud-thud-thud! Rumble, rumble.
From below the stairs came the successive sounds of something collapsing.
Carefully stepping onto the stairs and looking down, the Automata that had been rampaging moments before began losing power one by one and crumbling to the ground.
And as if that weren’t enough, the fallen Automata crumbled away and vanished.
Ooh! Ooooh!!
-Doo-ho, Quest success!
Wooooah!
As Isto’s voice echoed up from below, Doo-ho threw both arms up and roared in triumph.
Despite having ventured into the Abyss only a handful of times, this time I had done it—the emotion crashed over me powerfully.
Perhaps it was because this had been the most nerve-wracking attempt yet.
Thump—!
Doo-ho collapsed onto the stairs and exhaled a long breath.
Watching Isto down there reveling in joy all by himself, laughter spilled out unbidden.
But then again.
Hawkeye showed no reaction whatsoever.
I called out to him in my mind.
‘Hawkeye?’
No answer came.
‘Hawkeye!’
-….
Just as the silence stretched on, a system notification suddenly appeared in the center of my vision.

[Super Intelligence summoning is available]
[Will you summon?]
Accept / Decline
The moment Doo-ho furrowed his brow, a larger notification swept across the screen.
[World Announcement]
The disappearance of South Korea’s Abyss Layer 2 and 3rd Floor is postponed.
※ Black Dragon’s mana stone recovery
“…Hm?”
Since the Abyss still had the 1st Floor remaining, the system must have automatically applied the postponement.
But more than that….
I reached out and swept the system windows aside, rising to my feet.
A new Super Intelligence, an Abyss postponement… it was all surprising, certainly.
Yet my priority right now was singular.
Hawkeye, who gave no answer.
More precisely, I sensed a presence.
So I deployed nanobots across my back.
Whoooosh—!
At a speed incomparable to moments before, they formed wing-like shapes in an instant.
What came next was even more astounding.
‘The mana I poured into the wings… it’s consuming less?’
The same motion, yet the consumption was noticeably reduced.
The response and density were the same.
F-rank Level 99 and E-rank Level 1 weren’t just numbers changing—the efficiency had visibly improved.
Whoosh!
A light flap of the wings showed decent airtime.
Wild chicken level, perhaps, but for short distances, it qualified as genuine flight.
With things as they were, a hunger for higher ranks began creeping in.
‘So this is why everyone descends into the Abyss.’
Even as I felt a surge of intense understanding, I pressed my chest gently to maintain composure.

‘…First, I need to deal with Hawkeye.’
I rolled my feet and launched myself high from the edge of the staircase.
Simultaneously, I spread my wings wider.
I glided downward and shouted.
“Isto, stay right there!”
-Huh? Huh?!
Before he could finish responding, I stretched out a portion of my nanobots and wrapped them around Isto, hoisting him up.
He dangled in mid-air, thrashing about in surprise.
Ogogoogo….
-D-Doo-ho sir. I’m getting dizzy.
His LED eyes were spinning like pinwheels.
What was remarkable was that my nanobot wings didn’t waver even as Isto struggled.
I flapped my wings with practiced skill.
Flutter~.
My body stretched forward in a long arc. Sharp turns were impossible, but straight flight was more than sufficient.
‘At this pace, I should easily reach the Automata Factory where Hawkeye entered.’
I heightened my concentration and navigated between buildings.
Agogo, Doo-ho sir.
-The world is spinning of its own accord….
Isto dangling limply from my nanobots looked absurdly like a drooping bird dropping.
“We’re almost there.”
Before long, a shimmering cluster of light appeared below.
It was the factory entrance.
However.
Both its size and luminescence were considerably diminished compared to what I’d seen on the monitors.
I rapidly retracted my nanobots and landed in a smooth glide.
I released the nanobots that had been holding Isto and set him down with a soft ‘thud’.
Ooh!
-That was absolutely thrilling.
“Yeah? Then I’ll give you another ride sometime.”
-Uh… that’s a bit much.
Isto’s LED eyes trembled slightly.
The gesture amused me, and I let out a dry chuckle.
“Let’s just head into the factory.”
-Yes sir, I’ll lead the way!
Only then did Isto seem to come alive, passing through the cluster of light first.
Following behind, I surveyed the interior.
The automated equipment I’d seen on the monitors.
All processes had come to a halt.
The Dragon Mana Stone that had been the power source was in my Garage.
‘Of course it would be.’
Yet strange sounds echoed from within the silence.
Clang! Clang clang! Ting, ting-ting─!
The sound of metal striking metal.
A rhythmic beat laced with fury.
“…Hawkeye?”
When I turned my gaze, Hawkeye was pummeling the crouched security unit with steel arrows.
When the security unit blocked with its arms, Hawkeye targeted its legs; when it evaded, the torso.
The hand movements were possessed—like mincing meat with ritualistic precision.
Clang! Clang clang! Crack!
One of the security unit’s arms snapped off and dangled uselessly.
-What the hell are you….
Hawkeye muttered while continuing the assault.
-You bent those precious things.
Following where Hawkeye’s chin gestured, Doo-ho and Isto turned their heads.
Two bent steel arrows lay on the ground.
Doo-ho blinked once.
He recalled the conversation with Hawkeye during the climb up the Stairwell Wall.
「Hawkeye. Are you alright?」
「…The thing is quite strong, but… there’s another issue….」
「Another issue?」
「It’s nothing. I’ll kill it.」
…Hmm.
Bent arrows were worth killing over?
Clang! Clang!
Hawkeye’s movements grew more violent.
And the finishing blow landed.
-These precious gifts bestowed by Necromancer! How dare you bend theeeeeem!
Crack─!!!
The security unit’s head shattered, and it went limp.
Seriously, now.
“What’s wrong, Hawkeye!”
Hawkeye’s head snapped up.
Screeeee!
-Necromancer! How did you get here?
“You weren’t responding—I was worried!”
Hawkeye tapped the limp security unit with the tip of an arrow.
-This worthless hunk of metal… damaged Necromancer’s arrows, and I… I lost myself….
Doo-ho rubbed his temples, staring at the mangled security unit.
Come to think of it, both Isto and Hawkeye were operating outside normal parameters.
I couldn’t easily picture what would happen to those two if they faced a demonic beast.
Sigh.
‘I’m the fool for worrying.’
Isto lifted the bent arrow, his LED eyes narrowing into straight lines.
-Is a bent arrow really worth raising the anger gauge that much?!
Hawkeye’s head snapped around.
-Of course it is!
Hawkeye swung the security unit’s torso like a whip, using steel arrows.
Crack!
The metal could no longer withstand the force and shattered explosively.
Doo-ho waved his hand dismissively.
Ah well.
“I’ll make you another one when we get back.”
Ah…
-I am truly grateful.
There’s no need to be grateful.
Just as I was about to turn away after wrapping things up, a System Message appeared.
[Hidden Reward]
A portion of the production line will be transferred to the Garage.
What a surprise.
“…What is it this time?”
After reading the message, Isto cheered.
Ooooooh!
-Is he giving us a factory?!
Hawkeye released his scope and tossed it aside.
-Iron head, it says ‘a portion’ right there.
-Either way, he’s giving us a factory.
That wasn’t entirely wrong.
Hawkeye reluctantly nodded.
-Even if it’s just a portion… that’s true.
Meanwhile, Doo-ho gazed at the now-empty production line, his heart racing.
‘There were robot arms in that spot, I think.’
The robot arms that had been rapidly assembling automatons swirled in my mind.
And then an idea began to form.
‘If I tinker with it right, couldn’t I mass-produce auxiliary devices?’
Moreover, the Garage already contained the mana stones that powered the factory.
Of course, there would be much to prepare and consider.
‘If I do this well, couldn’t Father become a representative producer of auxiliary devices?’
I was already feeling proud at the mere thought.
That’s when Isto grabbed my collar.
“Huh, why?”
-The entrance is disappearing.
When Doo-ho turned around, the shimmering light that had been wavering was noticeably fading.
“Let’s get out of here.”
The moment the three of us hurried outside, the entrance vanished as if it had never existed in the first place.
Once Doo-ho confirmed this, he finally released the tension that had been coiled in his shoulders.
I stretched luxuriously.
“I’ll head home, get some proper rest at the Garage, and then head to work.”
-You’ve worked hard!
Doo-ho waved his hand dismissively.
“You two did the hard work.”
-Not at all. It was because you handled the situation so wisely that we were able to achieve such excellent results.
“If we’re being fair, you did your part too.”
-Me, sir?
“The production line.”
-Ah~ you mean that.
Hehehehe. Hahaha. Ehehehehe~.
Laughter spread as we looked at each other.
The tension from just moments before had finally eased enough to become a joke.
Then Isto glanced at a window floating in the air and asked.
Doo-ho, sir.
-Aren’t you going to summon it?
Doo-ho stared at the summon window for a moment, then shrugged.
“It doesn’t seem to have a time limit, so I’ll do it later after I’ve rested.”
-That’s right. Even Diamond Mountain looks better on a full stomach. Ehehehe~.
As Isto laughed innocently, Hawkeye beside him furrowed his brow.
He was about to say something about whether that proverb even fit the context.
Pat pat.
Doo-ho lightly tapped Hawkeye’s shoulder and shook his head.
“It’s a good day. Let’s just let it slide.”
After a brief silence, Hawkeye answered quietly.
-…Fair enough.
Honestly, among all the times we’ve entered the Abyss, this was the most varied and the rewards were almost excessively generous.
In times like these, good is good!
Doo-ho immediately activated his skill.
[Dimension Control is activated]
Whoooosh—.
As the portal opened, the three of us stepped through.
In the blink of an eye, my Rooftop Room.
Still, 3,000 points….
‘I’ll need to stop by the Parts Shop soon and pick up some things they need.’
It was only fair.
Simply swapping out the parts had made a significant difference this time around.
As Doo-ho shook off his thoughts and began changing into more comfortable clothes, Isto hoisted the makeshift cot from the corner of the room and carried it straight down to the Garage.
-I shall arrange it properly for you.
“Oh, thanks.”
Hawkeye, cloaked in invisibility, had raided the refrigerator downstairs and brought back some light snacks for Doo-ho to eat.
Before heading out to work, sufficient rest was essential.
Today, it was more so than ever.
And….
At that very moment, the entrance to the Abyss was swelling with crowds waiting for Ghost.
Two entire layers had received verdicts of ‘Annihilation Reprieve.’
But that wasn’t even the end of it.
Black Dragon’s mana stone recovery.
Of course, people didn’t know exactly what that meant, but it was more than enough for their imaginations to paint a vivid picture.
Ghost had….
Clashed with a dragon.
The moment that single line spread.
The outside world descended into chaos as if a nuclear bomb had detonated.
I Became a Mechromancer
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+A277-20260210015.0048

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