Became a Mechromancer - Chapter 67

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

Chapter 67.
How Many Layers? (4)
Early dawn.
Republic of Korea Immigration Office Integrated Situation Room.
Whirrrr—
The automatic door slid open.
The moment the team leader stepped inside, he froze in his tracks.
Holographic warnings hung suspended in the air—absolute chaos.
Looking closer, there were citizen inquiries, electronic visa applications, consultation bots, and more!
The entire administrative network had gone dark.
The team leader steadied his breathing and approached the desk, asking urgently.
“Is it a hack?”
“No, sir.”
The security officer who answered that way examined the AI-provided log records.
The frustrated team leader burst out.
“Then what’s the cause?!”
“Ah! …The traffic volume suddenly surged….”
“That doesn’t make sense!”
Of course it didn’t make sense.
But.
The system had entered power-saving mode in the early dawn hours when there were no users to reduce electricity consumption, and that became the problem.
The team leader pressed his forehead.
“I’m going to get called in this morning and chewed out.”
The security officer displayed another hologram toward the sighing team leader.
Team leader.
“This isn’t just our problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“Related government agencies’ administrative networks have also gone down, and even several private travel company servers crashed in less than five minutes.”
The officer began pinpointing the cause while examining the data.
“Looking at this, it seems hunters from various countries initially went through the membership registration process at our immigration office, and not long after, ordinary citizens started flooding in as well.”
Click.
The officer brought up a global access distribution map with a gesture.
“They’re still pouring into our servers right now.”
“So why did this suddenly happen? Is this some kind of server-crashing challenge?!”
The analyst at the next desk blinked and asked.
“Team leader, didn’t you hear the news on your way in?”
“…What news?”
Just as the team leader was about to open his smart watch, the analyst answered.
“A world announcement about the Abyss Layer 4 extinction reprieve just came through.”
“Abyss Layer 4 is on hold?”
“Yes, sir!”
The team leader’s fist clenched without him realizing it.
It was understandable.
The danger of Seoul being swallowed by the Abyss had diminished even further!
Just then, the analysis officer issued a command to the situation room’s AI.
“Summarize the major content from global communities.”
-Please set the scope.
“From thirty minutes ago.”
Whirr.
The loading bar spun, and content from communities across the world flooded the situation board.
The officer scanned through it, reading aloud.
“It’s all about the Republic of Korea Immigration Office. Ghost consistently clears layers, so Korea is the safest… that’s the mainstream narrative.”
“So the entire world sees it that way?”
“Yes.”
Seeing the team leader’s brightened expression, the analysis officer broke into a wide smile.
“Moreover, with the upper layers—which had seen sparse activity—now eliminated, our domestic Abyss Rift occurrence rate has hit an all-time low!”
The team leader, tension finally released, patted his stiffened shoulders and spoke.
“Good news, though I’m exhausted. Heh heh.”
Despite his words of fatigue, his face bloomed with smiles. Then his gaze lingered on the access numbers.
Wait a moment.
“This isn’t something to just observe.”
“Sir?”
“All these people accessing right now—aren’t they all valuable individuals?”
“Ah, yes, they would be.”
That’s how the world works.
The more one possesses, the more one cares about self-preservation.
So most who had found this safe haven would be wealthy individuals or capable hunters with considerable power.
The team leader tapped the officer’s shoulder.
“I need to submit a report.”
“What kind of report, sir?”
“A complete review of visa issuance standards.”
“Pardon?”
“Don’t be surprised.”
“But is it really okay to submit something like that so suddenly?”
At the officer’s words, the team leader’s mouth twisted slightly.
“Have you forgotten what America did?”
Ah….
Only then did the officer nod in understanding.
America had purchased elite hunter talent with money and strengthened its own national interests based on that foundation.
From travel visas to immigration, they had rewritten the entire system to suit their own tastes.
And there was precedent for it!
“As the safest nation, we can’t just accept anyone.”
The team leader’s exhaustion lifted as he watched the traffic spike even further.
He glanced at the Ghost figurine wearing a silver mask sitting on his desk.
Mwahahaha!
‘Ghost is completely changing the nation’s standing!’
Excellent. Absolutely excellent!
* * *
A dark bedroom.
Ding.
A system notification suddenly pierced his ears.
“Huh…?”
The floating text jolted Go Gyeong-taek from his light sleep.
[Global Notice: South Korea Abyss Layer 4 Destruction Postponed]
※ Rock Wall Crawler Queen Annihilated
Half-awake, he furrowed his brow.
Ghost.
“Do these guys never sleep…?”
Not foxes, just trampling through the night dew.
Tsk.
What’s this Crawler Queen anyway?
A muttered complaint tinged with irritation.
But the next instant.
Wait—?!
‘Layer 4??’
Flash.
Go Gyeong-taek’s eyes snapped wide open.
Sleep vanished in an instant.
‘If this appeared…’
A signal that was decidedly bad for him.
Bolt.
He sprang from bed and hastily grabbed the smart glasses resting on the table.
As expected.
The moment he put on the glasses, notifications began flooding his vision.
Once he regained his senses.
They were from key figures, including Changtian Clan Chairman Han Hyun-chul.
Go Gyeong-taek squeezed his eyes shut.
“Damn it, this is maddening.”
He had expected Ghost to rest for a while, but his prediction had been wrong.
And no wonder—Ghost Team had been raiding the Abyss at roughly monthly intervals until now!
Somehow, I had to slip out of this situation by claiming I was in close contact with Ghost Team regarding this matter.
Of course, I knew better.
That this excuse wouldn’t hold up indefinitely.
Still.
‘I’ll figure something out when the time comes!’
After steadying myself with a deep breath, I accepted the call from Han Hyun-chul among the many incoming contacts.
“Yes, Chairman.”
-Go Manager. Did you see the Layer 4 disappearance grace period notification that just came through?
“Of course I did.”
-Then why wasn’t there a prior report?
A low, measured voice came through the phone.
Displeasure was evident in his tone.
-Didn’t you say you were working in close cooperation with Ghost Team?
“Ah, well, about that…”
Go Gyeong-taek’s mind raced quickly.
“As I mentioned before, Ghost Team is extremely sensitive and closed off about information.”
-Closed off? At this point, isn’t that just ignoring us?
“…Yes. It’s natural for you to react that way. However.”
“…?”
Go Gyeong-taek trailed off and let out a sigh of genuine frustration.
“If our Changtian Clan were to grasp their schedule or movements in advance, wouldn’t other hunters catch wind of it and follow along?”
-What?!
At Han Hyun-chul’s sharp interjection, Go Gyeong-taek’s shoulders shrank.
My statement amounted to deceiving the clan members.
But instead of defending myself, I decided to bring up the most plausible excuse—one that would also allow me to evade responsibility.
“I’m not saying that’s my position; rather, that’s what they told me.”
-And now you’re presenting that as an excuse?
I knew all too well.
How infuriating this situation was becoming.
So.
‘I need to provoke his anger further—make him lose his rational thinking!’
“Ghost Team specifically called out Yu Chang-min, the guild master of Byeokryeok Guild who’s registered with our clan, and I was quite shocked myself.”
-What, what? Guild Master Yu Chang-min?!
Chairman Han Hyun-chul’s expression hardened.
He seemed to have some inkling of what this was about.
But just as the question of how Ghost Team knew about it crossed his mind.
Chairman.
“The hacking incident from a while back.”
“Could it be?”
“Our secretary team was secretly surveilling the guild masters who joined the clan, and Ghost Team found out about it….”
-Damn it!
Go Gyeong-taek swallowed hard as he saw Han Hyun-chul’s furious face reflected in the hologram.
A moment of silence.
Han Hyun-chul, his anger rising, spoke.
-Tell Ghost Team that if they contact you again.
“…Yes.”
-Don’t cross the line again.
“….”
-Why aren’t you saying anything?
“I understand.”
If it became known that the Han Hyun-chul Family’s secretariat had been investigating the guild masters who joined the clan.
The Changtian Clan would inevitably shatter.
That would inevitably affect the conquest of Layer 81 as well.
Watching Han Hyun-chul’s silent, stern expression, Go Gyeong-taek thought he had weathered the crisis for now.
‘Since I brought this up, Grandfather won’t be able to say anything about Ghost for a while.’
I thought it would end there.
But Han Hyun-chul was not so lenient.
-The next time the next layer’s conquest is announced to the world, Ghost Team will have to be prepared, and so will you.
“Me, but why me?”
Han Hyun-chul answered Go Gyeong-taek, who wore a bewildered expression.
-I can’t tell whether you’re a member of Ghost Team or a member of our family.
His grandfather Han Hyun-chul’s words demanding genuine loyalty stung Go Gyeong-taek.
He bit his lip once and answered.
“…If they contact me again, I’ll do my best to share the information.”
-Secretary Go. Don’t try.
“I, I’ll answer with results.”
Click.
Only then did the call end.
“Sigh….”
Go Gyeong-taek, his tension released, collapsed onto the bed.
Though I had somehow weathered the immediate crisis, the anxiety rising to my throat refused to dissipate.
‘I can only share information if they contact me!’
Should I spread more false news?
The only way to meet Ghost!
If there was one other path!
He urgently activated a hologram and connected to a secret line.
A moment later.
A hologram window appeared in darkness, and a woman’s voice was heard.
-…What is it?
“Blood Soo, what’s the status of my commission…?”
-….
A faint sigh escaped through the speaker.
Go Gyeong-taek, growing impatient, pressed the issue.
“You took it and ran, so why haven’t I heard anything yet….”
-Go the butler.
“What?”
-Isn’t a secretary just a butler? Someone who cleans up after others.
Go Gyeong-taek couldn’t comprehend it.
‘Why does this crazy woman keep trying to provoke me?’
If not for the commission, he would have tracked her down and wrung her neck on the spot.
Of course, dealing with an assassin wouldn’t be easy.
Another voice crackled through the dark screen.
-Even Chairman Han is being cautious about contacting me, and a mere butler dares to reach out?
“Stop playing games. And don’t forget that I’m the one who hired you.”
Go Gyeong-taek cracked his neck as he spoke.
Ding.
A notification appeared on his smart glasses.
He pulled it open—it was the advance payment he’d sent to Blood Soo.
Ding.
Another notification chimed.
He opened it to find a penalty fee labeled from the sender.
Exactly double the amount.
Ah…!
“This… this can’t be right!”
Click.
The abrupt disconnect tone struck Go Gyeong-taek’s ears.
Aaaahhhhh!!!
The rage he’d been holding back finally erupted.
“Do you think I’m the type who enjoys groveling?!”
Go Gyeong-taek huffed and puffed, his breathing ragged and rough.
His android Coco, sitting in the charging port, caught his eye.
‘Wait… wait a moment.’
If I swap out Coco’s main chip….
‘Then Ghost couldn’t contact me even if he tried?’
‘Should I have left the hacking vulnerability open instead of trying to patch it?’
Desperate thoughts—messy, absurd imaginings—swirled in his mind.
He dialed again through a secure line.
But.
-The line has been disconnected.
Ah….
My main chip!
“Forget the money—you need to return that!”
This damned cat!
Huff, huff, huff….
In the darkness, only the sound of his hot, ragged breathing as he smoldered with rage could be heard.
* * *
The moment Doo-ho emerged into Abyss Layer 5 by passing through the rippling void.
Whoooosh—.
The first thing that struck his ears was the roar of violent waves.
A thick, briny ocean scent seeped through his nostrils.
But.
Inhale.
Doo-ho drew a deep breath and tensed his body.
His entire frame felt as heavy as water-soaked cotton, sinking downward.
‘Is this the gravitational shift they mentioned on the Hunter forum?’
Those who felt it less—or not at all—were the ones who could ascend further, they had said.
Doo-ho scratched his cheek.
He had harbored considerable hope after rising from F-rank to E-rank.
Yet….
‘I’m still far too weak.’
It was neither despair nor discouragement.
He had always begun as the underdog.
As long as he never surrendered, he would achieve anything.
In that moment.
[Biotic Assimilation skill activates]
A system notification brushed against his awareness.
The crushing pressure that had weighed upon his entire body gradually lifted.
Ah!
‘Right, I had that.’
The skill he had obtained from Layer 4 moments earlier suddenly came to mind.
Hmm….
Back in school, his reflexes had been sharp.
“I’ve grown quite dull.”
Ooh!
-Finally, the sea!
Isto, who entered behind him, raised both arms as he gazed upon the ocean.
Turning around, Doo-ho saw Bom-i’s massive transport ship passing through the open gate.
At that very moment.
A human voice echoed from the coastal shore below the hillside.
“What, what’s so massive?”
Flinch!
Doo-ho reflexively summoned the Super Intelligence units to the Garage and secured them.
He quickly glanced toward the coastline—a five-person party armed with weapons came rushing over.
‘Fast, they’re fast?’
And soon.
They leaped over the hill in a single bound, appearing before Doo-ho in an instant.
Became a Necromancer
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 transmitted without authorization.
UCI｜
G720:N+A277-20260210015.0067

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