Became a Mechromancer - Chapter 5

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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 5
For Family (2)
Lim Doo-ho surveyed the interior of the Garage.
A space roughly a hundred square feet.
Weathered fixtures hung from the ceiling, and metal shelves lined the walls in dense rows.
Hmm….
‘There’s no workbench.’
Then Isto spoke.
-Does it suit your taste?
For a machine enthusiast like Doo-ho, this place was far beyond merely pleasing.
In his twilight years, he’d always dreamed of tinkering with machines in a cozy space like this, living at leisure.
“It feels like a dream come true.”
-…Your dreams are rather modest, I must say.
“Huh? What did you say?”
Isto quickly offered new information.
-As your level increases, the Garage will expand and gain additional functions.
“I see.”
-Of course, you’ll need to handle my upgrades yourself.
“…Me?”
-Of course! Otherwise, how else would I escape this pathetic little body?
Now that I listened, Isto’s grumbling voice echoed from the ceiling.
I looked up.
A shabby robot hung limply from steel wire on the ceiling—the same humanoid I’d fought against the Ratkin in the Abyss Rift.
As I stared at it, Isto spoke.
-This is the body I inhabit. Would you lower me with the remote control?
I pressed the descent button on the hoist remote installed on one wall.
Whirrrr—.
From the ceiling, the humanoid….
No, Isto descended slowly.
Thud!
-Now I feel somewhat alive.
The LED eyes on Isto’s helmet seemed satisfied, crinkling in a smile.
Thump!
Standing on the floor, Isto stretched before walking toward me.
But something seemed off.
“Wait. Walk back over there for me.”
-Pardon?
“I said walk.”
“I’m telling you to try walking.”
As Isto took a few steps, Lim Doo-ho furrowed his brow.
“Just as I thought. Your right knee joint is dislocated.”
-What! How did you know that, sir?
Isto glanced down at his leg.
Lim Doo-ho spoke.
“Must’ve happened while you were fighting those beasts earlier. I can fix it for you.”
-You, sir? This requires specialized knowledge….
“I’ve been working with androids for six years.”
The moment Lim Doo-ho said that and gazed toward the shelves stacked with components!
Bzzt!
As if augmented reality had activated, part numbers and brief descriptions materialized in the air before me.
Lim Doo-ho rubbed his eyes.
“What is this… why am I seeing this?”
Aha!
-The Mechromancer’s skill, ‘Component Detection’, has been activated!
Upon hearing that, Lim Doo-ho looked at Isto’s knee.
A warning marker appeared over the knee area.
‘No. KJ-047, Joint Servo Malfunction’—a diagnostic label materialized before my eyes!
Lim Doo-ho let out a dry laugh.
Wow….
‘This is practically a free win, isn’t it?’
He examined the components on the shelf with fascination.
As the part numbers and descriptions floated in the air, it felt exhilarating—like browsing a game inventory.
However.
There was no component that matched Isto’s knee.
Hmm….
“This is a bit problematic.”
-No need to worry. Once the Garage is upgraded, we should be able to resolve it later.
“No, that won’t do.”
Lim Doo-ho surveyed the Garage’s equipment.
Seeing this, Isto asked.
-What are you planning to do?
“I think I can make one based on the left knee component.”
-You’re going to make it yourself?
After looking around once more, Lim Doo-ho finally smirked.
“I could’ve solved this at the Hunter Management Bureau… but wait, that part on the shelf over there. The shape is slightly different, but if I can modify it, I think it might work.”
Isto’s LED eyes blinked as he looked up at the regretful Lim Doo-ho.
-If you wish to modify it, I recommend trying the ‘Metal Manipulation’ skill.
“Metal Manipulation?”
-Yes. However, mastering it immediately will be difficult.
In other words.
“So I need practice?”
-That’s correct. Simply bending or attaching might be possible, but mechanic components are a different matter. If the thickness, size, or craftsmanship differs by even 0.1mm….
“It becomes defective.”
-Ah! You understand?
“Listen, I spent six years grinding away in the Machine Upcycling Division.”
-Aha!
Perhaps it was thanks to my high stats in ‘Mechanical Knowledge’ and ‘Craftsmanship’.
The moment I widened my eyes, Isto’s left knee component unfolded like a blueprint inside my mind.
As if daring me to create it myself.
‘How can I refuse when he’s pushing this hard?’
Then a Quest window appeared before my eyes.

[Quest Triggered!]
◈Tune Components with Metal Manipulation
Condition: Precision 85% or higher
Time Limit: None
Reward: Workbench
Failure: Material Components Damaged
Accept / Decline
I stepped back and scanned the Quest window.
‘The reward is a workbench?’
“Now I definitely can’t give up.”
A subtle smile crept across my lips.
-Wait a moment!
I froze just as I was about to accept.
Then Isto issued a warning.
-There’s no attempt counter displayed, but… you’ll only have as many chances as there are material components on the shelf.
“Is that so?”
I went to the shelf and counted the components.
“Four pieces.”
-In other words, you have only four chances.
I felt a slight tension creep in.
Four opportunities…
‘This is making me nervous.’
After steadying my breath for a moment, I picked up a metal scrap that had been rolling in the corner of the shelf.
“Let me start with practice first.”
-Oh! How wise. Let me explain how to use the skill.
I nodded, and Isto began his explanation.
-First, move your mana to your fingertips. Then….
“Wait. Mana through my fingertips? I can’t feel anything like that.”
At the mention of mana, I realized my mistake.
The Quest had no time limit.
Just as I wondered if I’d been too hasty, Isto extended his metallic hand.
-If you can sense mana, you’ll master it in no time! Please, take my hand.
When I grasped Isto’s rough metal hand.
Hummmmm….
Isto’s chest glowed with a soft blue light, and mana flowed into my fingertips like a delicate current coursing through them.
Isto spoke to me as I startled slightly.
-Close your eyes and feel the flow entering through your fingertips now. Simply follow where it travels… that’s all you need to do.
I closed my eyes as Isto instructed.
And remarkably.
A luminous thread of light flowed through my body from my fingertips, tracing an ethereal path within me.
It was a strange yet wondrous sensation, like electricity flowing through a precision circuit.
“A small light moving like a thread?”
-Yes! Exactly! Now follow it.
Guided by Isto’s words, I concentrated my consciousness, tracking that delicate strand of light with my mind’s eye.
Then.
‘This… this seems to be heading toward my heart?’
At that moment, Isto spoke again.
-Now, move the mana in your chest, following the mana I’ve sent through.
I furrowed my brow and carefully probed the depths of my chest.
How much time had passed?
Just as doubt crept in about whether this was even possible.
Whoooosh—
A handful of mana gathered in my chest stirred and began to move.
Like a small ball of thread unraveling, the luminous thread flowed along the path Isto had left behind.
“I did it!”
-Excellent work! Keep pushing with that momentum!
Now the flow met no resistance.
It was only difficult at first—once I grasped the sensation, the pathway opened instantly.
Truth be told.
Without Isto guiding me from the side, it would have taken an ordinary Awakened at least a full year to comprehend this process alone.
Of course, I didn’t know that.
I opened my eyes.
A small droplet of light gathered at my fingertip.
-Now, clearly visualize the shape you desire in your mind, then deform the metal.
“I need to create an image?”
-Yes. The clearer the image, and the more skilled your mana control, the more precise the deformation. However, greater precision demands greater mana consumption.
I gathered mana at my fingertip and touched the metal fragment.
‘Let me just try bending it roughly.’
I’d attempt the transformation without a clear mental image….
Whoa, whoa, whoa?!
“It… it actually does this?”
-Hehe! That’s because you touched it without a clear image.
The metal writhed like taffy, losing all definition of form.
How much time had passed?
I continued attempting transformations with intense focus.
The metal slowly began to curve into the shape I desired.
“My eyes are killing me and I’m exhausted….”
Just as Isto said, the clearer my mental image became, the more fatigue crashed over me.
“…It’s harder than I thought.”
-You did well. With practice, you’ll improve steadily.
Isto was about to end the session here and encourage me to practice again tomorrow, but….
I walked over to the shelf and picked up a component!
-You’re going to attempt it right now?
“I’ve definitely got the feel for it now. And honestly, it’s just a minor adjustment, right?”
With those words, I made my first attempt.
-Lim Doo-ho, it’s not that easy in practice….
[Precision requirement 99.97% satisfied]

[Quest Complete!]
◈Component tuning via metal manipulation completed
Reward: Workbench
-Huh?! You actually did it?
Already astounded, the system displayed another status window.

[Overachievement Bonus Granted]
Reward: Metal Manipulation mana consumption reduced by 2%
Isto’s LED eyes displayed prominently.
Ohhhhh!
-Congratulations! This is my first time seeing this too!
I clenched my fist and shot up from my seat, striking a victory pose.
And then—a workbench materialized in the empty space!
As a machine enthusiast, I felt dopamine coursing through my veins.
“Isto, get on the workbench. I’ll fix you up.”
-Yes, sir!
I picked up my tools and carefully began disassembling Isto’s legs.
Click… click…
Each screw and bolt came loose with meticulous precision, and the soft metallic friction sang through the air.
The more I concentrated, the faster and more accurate my hands became.
The moment one leg came free, Isto’s LED eyes blinked in surprise.
I removed the damaged components and replaced them with fresh parts I’d tuned using Metal Manipulation.
As the bolts and contact points locked into place, the distinctive metallic click echoed through the workshop.
And then…
Just as I finished repairing Isto’s leg.
“By the way, Isto, what’s your power source? How are you able to move even inside the Abyss Rift?”
-Well, look here.
Clank—
Isto’s chest panel opened slightly, revealing the interior.
I forgot to breathe, utterly captivated by what lay within.
And for good reason—an unfamiliar device rotated slowly inside.
Within the transparent sphere, azure circuits flowed like living veins, pulsing and emitting a faint glow.
“…What is this?”
-It’s a mana circuit. A technique unique to Mechromancers. You’ll understand soon enough.
Before the words even finished, foreign knowledge flooded into my mind.
The circuit’s structure, the flow of mana, the contact points where it merged with machinery…
Overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information, my breathing quickened.
Ugh…
Dizziness washed over me.
My vision swam, and the puzzle pieces in my mind scattered without fitting together.
I steadied myself and spoke.
“It’s like… I’m grasping at something, but it keeps slipping away like sand through my fingers.”
-I’ve already transferred the knowledge, but your level is too low to comprehend it fully. As you level up, you’ll gradually be able to accept it.
In the meantime, I learned one crucial detail about mana circuits.
“So you run on mana stones?”
-One per day is sufficient. Though if there’s much work to be done, I’ll need more.
“That makes sense. It consumes more energy.”
Just as Lim Doo-ho nodded in understanding,
a whirring sound emanated—
Isto moved his legs experimentally, then gave a thumbs up.
-Oh~ I’m so much better than my previous owner!
“Previous owner? Who was your previous owner?”
When Lim Doo-ho asked, Isto’s body convulsed for a moment, and a question mark appeared on the LED screen where his eyes should be.
-Previous owner? What do you mean?
“You just said it, didn’t you?”
-That’s strange. I have no memory of mentioning such a thing?
Lim Doo-ho stroked his chin, lost in thought for a moment.
Could it be….
“Someone sealed your memories, didn’t they?”
-I’m not sure.
Something felt off,
but….
it wasn’t something I needed to know right now.
“Should we head out?”
-Yes!
* * *
Lim Doo-ho exited the Garage and returned to his room.
The curious thing was, despite spending considerable time in the Garage,
‘less than a minute had passed.’
I collapsed onto the bed—
and gazed up at the ceiling.
I had become an Awakened One.
And somehow, I’d acquired the workshop space I’d always dreamed of.
Most of all….
“I’ve even gained a strange companion.”
-I am very normal.
When I turned my head, Isto was standing in the room in humanoid form.
“If my family sees you here….”
-I can say you created me.
“You’re smarter than I thought?”
-Heh heh. This much is nothing.
“But we don’t have an alibi for how I brought you home today?”
-Oh!
Isto’s LED eyes wavered like ripples, then transformed into large teardrops.
“I’m joking, joking. Who would come in at this hour?”
-Then… we’re okay?
“I’ll be fine, so rest easy.”
-Ooh. Much obliged!
A short while later
Lim Doo-ho drifted into a deep sleep the moment his body touched the bed.
And then….
Oho~ Oh! Oh~.
Isto gazed into an antique-grade laptop, uttering sounds of admiration.
His LED eyes remained wide and unblinking, as if refusing to miss a single detail on the screen.
In one hand, he clutched a mana stone extracted from the Ratkin’s body….
Crunch, crunch.
The way he consumed the mana stone—as casually as munching candy—was the very picture of a basement-dwelling gamer.
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 may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission.
UCI |
G720:N+A277-20260210015.0005

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