Became a Mechromancer - Chapter 65
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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 65.
How Many Layers? (2)
“Prepare yourselves.”
Isto interjects at Doo-ho’s thunderbolt declaration.
Doo-ho!
-What do you mean! The expedition is about to….
“Rejected.”
At the firm refusal, Isto’s LED eyes narrow into slits. Meanwhile, Hawkeye, who had been anticipating Doo-ho’s rank advancement, shoots his hand up eagerly.
-Mecromancer. I vote in favor….
“No, rejected.”
-Huh? Huh? Huh?
Hawkeye, flustered as if struck by lag, stammers and brings up a hologram on his smart watch to express himself.
『Attention! Mecromancer’s level-up is urgent!』
“….”
Doo-ho’s mouth twists wryly.
Hawkeye quickly offers an explanation.
-Ah, I compressed the language module for efficiency, and it’s causing typos.
Sigh.
‘My Super Intelligences are remarkably human, aren’t they.’
And then….
Reading the situation, Bom-i quickly presses herself against Doo-ho’s back.
-Iron’s all talk and no action for a vanguard, ribbit.
Tremble, tremble.
Isto’s fists quiver slightly.
But then.
The moment everyone stares down at him simultaneously, he whips his head around.
Tsk.
-Currying favor is quite difficult.
Isto’s declaration of surrender.
Doo-ho lets out a chuckle at those words. He then leaves the Garage and tosses back a parting remark.
“See you at dawn.”
The moment Doo-ho’s presence vanishes, Isto shouts.
-Emergency meeting!
Whoosh.
The Super Intelligences gather around the workbench, centered on Isto.
-Doo-ho said he’d be leaving us out of the fight. But here’s the thing….
Isto’s LED eyes, which had been slits, narrow even further as his words trail off.
As Hawkeye and Bom-i focus intently, Isto adds with grim determination.
-What if we simply don’t use our power?
-???
-Croak?
A moment of silence fell.
Shhhhk.
Hawkeye drew a steel arrow.
-What, what is it?
Tap, tap, tap!
A barrage of arrows immediately rained down toward Isto’s round head.
You iron-headed fool!
-Have you forgotten our duty to care for Mecromancer?
-Iron Head should probably go back into the furnace. Croak.
-Ack! Ack!
In truth, the arrows weren’t particularly damaging to Isto.
It was just that his mood had soured.
His LED eyes flashed with an exclamation mark as he spoke again.
-I meant we should use our stamina wisely!
Only then did Hawkeye’s barrage seem to pause.
-Is efficient stamina management really so difficult to understand?!
-That’s why Lanky here can’t even spell Korean correctly!
-That, that is….
The two of them were engaged in a petty comparison.
Buaaah─.
Bom-i sighed, puffing out his cheeks.
Master.
-How did you manage to draw blanks twice, croak.
Bom-i placed his webbed hands on his hips.
-If you go in with me, at least two Quest options will open up, croak!
Isto and Hawkeye both stopped bickering at once.
-What’s that?
-Explain in detail.
Bom-i answered, folding down his fingers one by one.
-You can choose between an easier path or better rewards. Croak.
-There’s no option for both easy and generous rewards?
-Iron Head looks like he needs a factory reset, croak.
Bom-i, having rebuked him, left room for hope.
-If Master’s level rises, there will be changes for me too, croak.
Hawkeye stepped forward after hearing the full explanation.
Leveling up was the answer, then.
If that’s the case….
-Spring, get Mecromancer aboard the transport. I’ll provide cover for Iron Head from above the transport while he takes the vanguard position.
Then he clenched his fist and showed it to Isto.
-I’m curious how efficiently Iron Head will advance as the vanguard.
Oh, oh!
-If I break through quickly, it’s all over, you know!
-That’s right.
Isto’s LED eyes widened in a circle, finding the strategy simple and clear.
Bom-i watched Isto, who had forgotten the strategy, with half-closed eyes before shifting his gaze toward Hawkeye.
‘Is it just Iron Head who’s going all out, you croaker?’
Bom-i didn’t know.
Just how absurdly immense that iron vanguard’s stamina was….
* * *
-It’s morning~.
-It’s morning~.
Mm.
Doo-ho opened his eyes at dawn and lifted himself from the bed.
-It’s….
Click.
He turned off the smart watch’s alarm.
Rising from bed, he cracked his neck lightly to loosen it.
Rustle rustle.
As he changed clothes, Isto spoke to him.
-You’re awake, sir!
‘Yeah.’
Doo-ho reached into the Garage and pulled out his equipment.
Working in the Workshop had made it possible for him to craft simple protective gear on his own.
Doo-ho donned the protective gear and activated his Dimensional Control skill.
[Dimensional Control is activated]
[You may enter Layer 1 or Layer 4.]
Which layer would you like to enter?
“Layer 4.”
Whoooosh—.
The air shimmered, and a portal materialized before me.
I thrust my body directly into the undulating gateway.
.
.
.
A biting chill penetrated deep into my lungs.
When I opened my eyes, my vision was consumed entirely by ashen gray.
Sharp rock faces jutted along the slopes, while a thin mist wrapped around everything in desolate silence.
A barren stone mountain where even a single blade of grass was scarce.
Abyss Layer 4 was mountainous terrain.
Ting….
Suddenly, a sharp headache pierced my temples like needles.
Whiing—.
The inside of my ears felt pressurized and numb.
Even with deep breaths, my lungs wouldn’t fill completely—an unpleasant, suffocating sensation.
Huuuh….
I calmly followed the countermeasures I’d been briefed on for this Layer 4.
‘They said I’d need to adapt to the thin oxygen.’
After a moment.
Just as I was catching my breath.
Uuuuoooong—.
A sound from above made me look up, and I saw fluffy white clouds drifting across the sky.
More precisely, something with fur that resembled fluffy clouds….
-That’s a sky whale.
When I turned around, Isto was already looking down at me—I wasn’t sure when he’d emerged from the Garage.
“A whale?”
Uuuoong….
A long cry echoed across the landscape.
‘For some reason, my heart feels warm.’
-It’s not an entity you see often. You’re quite fortunate.
Hawkeye pointed upward with his finger to help my bewildered gaze.
Following the direction of his finger, I saw a pair of black eyes gazing down at our group.
Gasp!
I stumbled backward in shock.
‘I can see its eyes from this distance?’
The sky whale’s absurd size was truly astounding.
But here’s the thing.
“…Don’t tell me I actually have to catch that thing?”
-Master. Even if you set flags, it won’t help, croak.
Bom-i, perched on Doo-ho’s shoulder, added once more.
-Sky whales rarely slip through from other dimensions when space collapses, then return back again, croak.
Only then did Doo-ho let out a relieved breath.
Looking up again, the sky whale faded into the distance.
Uuuuoooong….
With that final cry, silence descended.
Doo-ho found himself smiling without realizing it.
‘Coming here was really the right call.’
Even if my motives were somewhat impure.
I was lost in the pleasant afterglow when it happened.
Tap tap.
A gentle tapping sensation came from my shoulder.
-Master. Stop admiring and get moving, croak.
“Oh, sorry.”
-Right then. Take two steps toward seven o’clock, croak.
At Bom-i’s sudden instruction, Doo-ho blinked and shifted his direction.
‘There must be a reason for this.’
Then Bom-i spoke again.
-One step forward from there.
“Like this?”
-Now two steps back, croak.
A movement pattern as if dodging invisible mines.
When I stepped on the final spot Bom-i indicated.
[Hidden Trigger Activated]
Two Main Quests suddenly appeared before Doo-ho’s eyes!
[Main Quest A]
◈Rock Wolves 30 (0/30)
Reward: Deep Vein Map
Time Limit: None
*Deep Vein Mithril Discovery Rate 88%
Accept
[Main Quest B]
◈Rock Wall Crawler x5 (0/5)
Reward: Biotic Assimilation Lv.1
Time Limit: 1 hour
Biotic Assimilation: Low-pressure and high-pressure resistance.
Accept
Heh.
“What is this?”
Hawkeye approached Doo-ho’s side and offered an explanation.
-It is a special trait of Bom-i, Mecromancer.
“A trait?”
Puffff.
The creature perched on my shoulder puffed out its chin, swaggering proudly.
Master.
-Choose one. Remember, once you accept one, the rest will disappear, croak.
Shortly after.
The creatures began clamoring around the rewards.
Hmm….
Doo-ho turned his back on the commotion and gazed silently at the Quest window.
[Reward: Biotic Assimilation Lv.1]
The headache and oxygen deprivation from when I first set foot on Abyss Layer 4 still lingered slightly.
In an environment like this, equipment and potions alone have their limits.
That’s right.
‘It’s not money—it’s skill.’
Then Isto cried out.
-At 88%, it’s basically free!
-It’s a mithril vein no less, croak.
Hawkeye countered.
-The ‘Biotic Assimilation’ skill will be greatly helpful for deep exploration.
-No way! If I protect you, that’s all you need!
-Just ride on my transport vessel, croak!
Doo-ho stroked his chin.
“You know what?”
“I’m actually not that lucky.”
Without hesitation, I reached out my hand.
[You have accepted Main Quest B]
Huh??? C-croak?
Toward the two stunned creatures, Doo-ho pulled out nanobots and drew a circle on the ground.
“You don’t realize it, but twelve percent means….”
Doo-ho divided the circle into eight sections, scratching and marking one of them.
“This one’s a dud.”
I lifted my head.
“One in eight tries.”
-Huh?
“That’s exactly how unlucky I am.”
It sounded plausible, but it was really just an excuse.
However.
‘Our Isto is so gullible, after all.’
Sure enough.
I could swear I saw a bead of sweat drawn on Isto’s LED display.
Oh!
-That was an extremely dangerous situation!
“Right?”
-Yes. Hehe~.
Meanwhile, Bom-i blinked her round eyes and whispered a small protest into my ear.
-The wheel itself was rigged from the start, and this is going too far, you rascal!
Ouch.
As I pressed my lips together, she made a quiet demand.
In exchange.
-Let me have automatic farming once we clear this, you rogue.
“Deal.”
She’d mine resources on her own anyway, so there was no reason to stop her.
‘Actually, I prefer it.’
Then I smiled brightly at Hawkeye.
Truth be told.
I cared more about Spring’s wellbeing too.
I’d done it this way to avoid the appearance of only looking after Hawkeye.
“That’s settled then.”
As I turned around, Hawkeye tried to say something at the same moment.
But I was faster.
“Bom, want to bring out the transport ship?”
-Croak?
She glanced at Hawkeye before speaking.
-I was about to bring it out anyway, croak.
“Right? On four legs, you’d climb these rocky mountains way faster than on foot, wouldn’t you?”
-Of course, croak!
Bom-i did a little shoulder dance and waved her hand, pleased at being praised.
Then.
Whoosh—.
The transport ship materialized in the empty air, and its massive shadow descended.
Boom―!
A boxy frame painted in orange and white two-tone.
Beneath a body as massive as a tractor, four articulated legs planted themselves firmly against the stone.
Screeeech―.
The hatch on the side slid open.
Hop, hop.
Bom-i bounded through the hatch.
Doo-ho was about to follow when a dark shadow suddenly shot upward.
Huh?
What?
It was Hawkeye.
The creature was scaling the outer wall with practiced ease, crawling toward the roof.
“…Why are you going up there?”
At Doo-ho’s question, Hawkeye paused and glanced down.
-Isto will take point ahead, and I’ll provide cover from above….
Doo-ho waved him down without waiting to hear more.
“No, just get in.”
-But Mechromancer. Tactically speaking, we need visual coverage….
Hawkeye gestured toward the hologram floating in the air.
[Time Remaining: 57 minutes 48 seconds]
“We don’t have time. Get in, now.”
-…!
Hawkeye exchanged a glance with Isto, then scrambled down and rushed into the transport vessel.
* * *
Hisssssh―.
The hatch sealed shut, and the interior of the transport vessel became perfectly airtight.
“Huh…?”
I touched my ears.
Ever since entering Abyss Layer 4, my eardrums had felt clogged as if stuffed with cotton—now they suddenly cleared. My labored breathing eased into something natural and comfortable.
‘It regulates air pressure and supplies oxygen?’
A sanctuary completely isolated from the harsh world outside.
The space that had looked cramped from the outside…
Whirrrr―.
Bom-i pulled a lever from the pilot’s seat, and the walls expanded, opening wide.
“Wow….”
Before I could even finish my exclamation, the floor tiles flipped over, and three comfortable chairs rose up.
-Sit down, Frog.
Instead of sitting, I scanned the ceiling.
As expected.
“There’s a hatch here too.”
I pointed at the round hatch mounted in the center of the ceiling.
“Bom-i, can we open this and get out even while moving?”
-Yes, we can, croak.
Creak.
Doo-ho turned the lever and opened the hatch.
As the ceiling opened, the dry wind from outside rushed in along with the sound of machinery turning.
Poking my head out through the hatch.
Whirr, whirr.
A round dome spinning on the roof came into view, making noise as it rotated.
Closing the hatch again, it was indeed comfortable.
‘This is really nice.’
Oh, but speaking of that.
I asked Bom-i.
“That dome on the outside—is it something like a beast-detection radar?”
In that instant, Bom-i’s round eyes grew as wide as a bun.
-H-how did you know that, croak!
Instead of answering, Doo-ho smiled faintly and sat down.
‘How did I know, indeed.’
A transport ship with a large frame but sparse armament.
Then what would be most necessary for survival?
Early detection and evasion would naturally be the top priority. So I simply thought something like that would obviously be equipped.
Doo-ho gestured with his chin toward Hawkeye.
“With that, we can just sit here and then go out to engage when needed.”
Zing- click. Ziiing.
Hawkeye extended and retracted his scope toward Bom-i as if asking why he hadn’t mentioned this.
Puff.
Then Bom-i puffed out his chin.
-We’re supposed to have our own positions originally… but our master is unconventional, croak!
And he added with a somewhat disgruntled tone.
-It seems like the world favors those who know things, croak.
“Bom-i, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Doo-ho understood why the front wasn’t a window but a main screen instead.
Wow.
“You can see everything around, and it’s impressive.”
Looking at Isto and Hawkeye, who still seemed bewildered, Doo-ho smiled faintly.
Actually, you see.
I said I’d reduce their burden.
‘But I have no intention of making them struggle uselessly.’
When the moment truly demands action.
I’ll simply pour everything into it then.
As Doo-ho leaned back against the seat, Bom-i cried out excitedly.
—Hold on tight, you rascal!
Vroom!
With the roar of the engine, the transport machine’s four legs began to thrust against the rough bedrock and surge forward.
Became a Mechromancer
Author |
Keongang E
Publication Date |
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 duplicated without permission.
UCI |
G720:N+A277-20260210015.0065
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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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