Mechromancer (2)
Gah!
Startled, Im Du-ho clutched at his head.
Then…
> Sorry about that. I see you got a shock.
A voice sounded in his head.
“W-who are you?”
> Your sympathetic nervous system is in overdrive. Now, inhale through your nose for four seconds, hold for four, and then through your mouth…
“...?”
> Come on, hurry!
Pressed by the unknown voice, Du-ho reflexively followed the breathing exercise.
The situation was absurd, but the tension in his chest began to ease.
Maybe that was why.
The random summon that had slammed into his ears with the level-up a moment ago came back to him.
“...Don’t tell me you’re that super-intelligence thing?”
> Ohhh~ Not bad! That’s right.
There was a brief silence.
Du-ho rubbed at his temples.
He had spent six years at the Hunter Bureau and heard about every kind of awakened ability under the sun, but he had never once heard of a super-intelligence.
The thought that surfaced was absurd.
Wait… is this schizophrenia?
> Not mental illness~ What you asked about earlier, the Mechromancer, is a being that gives life to broken machines. Like a necromancer reviving corpses. Is it starting to make sense now?
“...!!”
Du-ho was at a loss for words.
He had heard of necromancers.
People who ordered the dead around like zombies.
But to breathe life into machines?
“What kind of bullshit is that…?”
> One moment!
Just as he was about to protest, the super-intelligence cut him off with a warning.
Twenty Ratkins are approaching. They’ll arrive in about a minute. Huh? Another group is joining them from behind.
“──!”
He had awakened, yes, but he had only managed to take down two of them. There was no way he could face a whole pack of Ratkins.
As fear washed over him, he picked up the axe the Ratkin had dropped on the ground.
It was all he could do just to hold something and steady himself.
But the super-intelligence, having no idea what was going through his head, went on.
> Oh! Will Mechromancer-nim fight personally?
“So what, you’re going to fight instead?”
> Hmm… if you want me to.
“...What?”
He let out a dry laugh.
Crazy.
And this thing’s just babbling in my head.
Or so he thought, until the super-intelligence answered.
> I’m not crazy, and yes, I heard you correctly.
“You… can read my thoughts?”
> Is that what matters right now?
Squeak, screech, screech… skrrk.
The shrill cries of the Ratkins drew closer and closer.
Just from the sound alone, he could tell there were quite a few of them.
> So. What will you do?
There was no need to think twice after the super-intelligence asked.
If he could survive the Rift!
“...Help me!”
> Just give me direct orders. Your safety is my top priority. Hmm, there’s no time, so I’ll convert the skill Garage into your inventory and open it.
“What are you talking about?”
An inventory window opened before him.
It contained several neatly organized compartments, but the one that caught his eye held the humanoid.
That was only natural, because the compartment was blinking.
> Please select and summon the humanoid.
The moment he did—
Squeak, squeeeeeeak─
The Ratkins spotted Du-ho and charged.
He hurriedly selected the humanoid.
Waver.
The air rippled, and the humanoid was summoned.
A humanoid a little larger than a Ratkin.
Its head was round like a helmet, and a large LED display formed a pair of circular eyes.
And in that moment, one thought flashed through Du-ho’s mind.
Oh, my God….
There are machines that work in the Rift!
Just then,
Whirr─
The humanoid raised a hand and said,
> Mechromancer-nim, please rest in that car.
The instant it answered,
Skreeeech─
One of the Ratkins thrust a dagger at the humanoid.
The humanoid shot out a hand and seized the Ratkin by the head.
Thud!
It slammed the creature into the floor, and a dull crack split the air as the skull caved in.
Three more immediately leapt onto its back and legs.
Whirr─
With a mechanical hum, the humanoid calmly turned its body and smashed one of the Ratkins into the wall.
Crush!
The Ratkin was pulped on the spot.
Thud, crack!
The remaining Ratkins sagged weakly under a few follow-up kicks.
Just as Du-ho stood there with his mouth hanging open—
Kakakak! Clang, clang─
The axes and spears of the Ratkins that charged in after them attacked the humanoid indiscriminately.
But…
Only sparks flew; the Ratkins’ weapons did nothing.
Du-ho, hidden in the unmanned taxi, muttered,
“It doesn’t stand a chance…?”
After that.
More Ratkins came charging in.
When five of them were mercilessly wiped out, six more immediately climbed the wall and rained down from the ceiling.
The humanoid tore Ratkins apart without any sign of strain, and sometimes crushed them as lightly as if it were holding an apple in its hand.
> Experience points acquired.
> Experience points acquired.
> Experience points acquired.
> Level up!
> Experience points…
The system notifications kept ringing in Du-ho’s ears.
“What the hell? He’s the one fighting, but the experience and levels are coming to me?”
How much time had passed?
More than sixty Ratkin corpses were already strewn across the floor.
It had all ended in just a little over three minutes.
Crunch─
After twisting the neck of the last Ratkin, the humanoid slowly turned around.
> Experience points acquired.
> Level up!
Du-ho wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
“This is… a massacre.”
As he tried to get out of the taxi, the humanoid raised a hand and said,
Oh!
> A somewhat stronger one is coming.
And then.
Grrrrr…!!!
With a furious howl, the Ratkins’ superior species, the Kings Ratkin, appeared.
It exhaled bursts of hot breath as it stared at the Ratkin corpses littering the ground.
The Kings Ratkin was over two meters tall, its silver-white fur covering its entire body like armor.
It held a pair of massive twin axes in both hands and swept its thick tail over the floor, but…
Seeing it through the taxi window, Du-ho rubbed his face dryly.
How is that just “somewhat stronger”?
Its size alone made the Kings Ratkin look like a monster beyond imagination.
The Kings Ratkin drew in a deep breath.
Its chest swelled with rage at the loss of its underlings.
Then—
Thud! Thud! Thud─
Dragging its huge twin axes along the ground, it strode forward with heavy steps.
With every step, it seemed to accelerate.
At the same time, the humanoid broke into a full sprint as well.
And then…
The moment the two collided!
Kiiiiiii─
The Kings Ratkin raised both axes high and brought them crashing down.
Kwaaaaaaang!!!
The ground shook, and a plume of dust burst upward.
Vision vanished behind the thick cloud.
Du-ho’s heart froze before that overwhelming destruction.
No matter how strong the super-intelligence is, that…
Then the dust settled.
And Du-ho’s mouth fell open on its own.
“...My God.”
The Kings Ratkin had only its lower half left.
Its massive twin axes were embedded in the ground, and behind them the remains of what had once been its upper body were stretched out in blood and torn flesh.
And standing before it was the humanoid.
Du-ho felt a chill race down his spine.
For seventy years, no electronic device had ever survived a Rift.
That alone was astonishing, but…
It just blew away a beast nearly two meters tall.
And then he was sure of it.
If he could uncover that secret, he would never again have to fear the Rifts caused by the Abyss!
His chest swelled.
For a fleeting instant, he could even picture a future in which he was receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.
...That is, until the humanoid spoke again.
> Let’s build your strength quickly and begin conquering the world. I’ll help you, Mechromancer-nim!
Whirr.
The humanoid turned its helmeted head, and laughter spread through the LED eyes.
Du-ho, climbing out of the unmanned taxi, stood there with his mouth half-open.
World what?
What the hell am I hearing right now?
Seeing his dumbfounded expression, the LED eyes on the humanoid’s helmet changed again.
The eye-smile vanished, replaced by a disappointed straight line.
> A peace prize? Becoming a Mechromancer and having flowers growing in your head, are we?
“I-in my head?”
Ignoring Du-ho’s protest, the humanoid spread its arms wide.
World domination!
> If that’s impossible, then at least take over one country?! With the potential a Mechromancer has, it’s doable!
Du-ho grabbed his head.
This guy’s speech was one thing, but…
For all that absurd power, his dreams are ridiculously delusional.
Tap, tap.
The humanoid walked up to Du-ho and asked,
> Mechromancer-nim may want to bring peace to the world! But war and conflict are what drive technology forward!
“What are you even talking about….”
> If you’re a Mechromancer, then you should seize power in the midst of such chaos! And develop weapons of slaughter!
Du-ho let out a long breath.
No matter how he looked at it—
“Someone must’ve educated you on war-mania. I don’t need anything like that….”
Before he could finish, the humanoid’s chest plate lit up brightly.
It seemed to be an expression of emotion.
> When I spoke of conquering the world, that was not a joke. It is the true mission of the Mechromancer. I will serve my master diligently for that purpose!
“You insane bastard!”
“I’m just satisfied living well with my family!”
> You want to live well with your family using the power of the Mechromancer?
“Yeah!”
> Excellent! Then gain strength quickly, conquer the world, and live in total abundance!
Ah, damn it!
This isn’t even like talking to a wall.
> I am not a wall.
“Are you seriously going to keep reading my mind and talking back?”
> If you want, I can stop replying, but the link between us and the Mechromancer cannot be severed.
Du-ho let out a heavy sigh.
> But living an ordinary life with the power of the Mechromancer would be like an elephant petting a tiny ant.
“What the hell are you?”
As the LED eyes on the humanoid blinked with a suggestive gleam, voices suddenly reached them from far away.
It seemed hunters, having received the report, were rushing into the Rift.
Come to think of it, a Rift had opened along the road toward Bundang, so dispatching hunters quickly made sense.
Just as Du-ho was letting out a sigh of relief, the humanoid’s voice came from behind him.
> Quite a few strong mana users. For the sake of our future world domination, let’s subdue those—
In the end, Du-ho activated the inventory and put the humanoid away.
Meeting them like this would only lead to trouble, and he knew it.
I’ll have to talk this lunatic down later.
> What do you mean, talk me down! Pull me out now and let me tame them into the groundwork for world domination….
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
“Shut up!”
> ...
The humanoid fell silent at once.
Hah, at least it listens to orders.
The next thing he thought was this:
There’s no need to show the humanoid to the hunters.
He wanted no unnecessary trouble on his side.
First, let’s clean up this place.
He’d think about the rest later.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Hunter-nim! Over here. This way!”
A man’s voice echoed from the dim side of the Rift.
Whoooosh─
One of the startled hunters cast a blue defensive skill into the air.
“Wasn’t there a report that another hunter got in here before us?”
“No.”
“Then who is that?”
The hunters stared at the mysterious man standing beside the unmanned taxi.
“Could he be a survivor who got sucked in with the taxi?”
“Are you kidding? The info the taxi company sent said he was a Natural!”
“Why are you yelling at me?”
As the defensive skill faded, a young hunter stepped forward, eyes wide as he sensed the man’s mana.
What the—
“He’s awakened?”
“Damn it! The company gave us bad information.”
Even so, the hunters kept their distance as they approached the mysterious man.
Their eyes were full of suspicion and caution.
That was when—
“I’m Im Du-ho, of the Hunter Bureau’s Machine Upcycling division!”
The unexpected introduction made the hunters flinch.
What?
“Then the information was right.”
“No, he’s awakened.”
“Ugh, my head’s killing me. What kind of situation is this?!”
As the confusion spread, Du-ho spoke again.
“This may be hard to believe, but… I awakened in the Rift.”
At once, the hunters’ expressions hardened.
“Hey, didn’t his profile say he was twenty-six?”
“That’s what I saw too…?”
Then the young hunter turned to his companions with an excited look.
“The oldest awakened person in history was twenty-two. And that was China’s Jang Wei.”
“T-then that means he broke the record?”
Only then did the man who seemed to be the party leader narrow his eyes and study Du-ho. The flow of mana spilling from Du-ho’s body.
If he had just awakened, it was natural for mana to leak like that.
However—
“He says he just awakened, but his mana output is pretty impressive…?”
At once, murmurs broke out.
“Isn’t this big enough for the overseas news?”
“So something like this really can happen!”
“Whoa, amazing! I can’t believe I’m seeing this for real….”
The party leader smiled and approached Du-ho.
Not a bad idea to make a connection, in case this was an exceptional talent.
Meanwhile, Du-ho exhaled in relief.
“I really thought I was going to die.”
“We’ve never seen a case like this either, so please understand why we were cautious.”
“Ah, no, of course.”
“Either way, congratulations on your awakening!”
Though they had relaxed only slightly, the party members sensed something strange. The same question kept circling in their heads:
Why is there not a trace of any monster nearby?
At that moment, one hunter pointed behind Du-ho and shouted in a trembling voice.
“T-there… look!”
All at once, the hunters turned to look behind him.
What they saw was dozens of Ratkin corpses scattered across the floor, and at the center of them, the lower half of the Kings Ratkin.