Production Begins! Thursday Night
Production begins. Thursday night. Once I settled on Mosquito Extermination as the theme for the upcoming product review, everything after that went off without a hitch. I collected several live specimens, ran every test I could think of, and finished mapping out the mana mosquitoes’ traits and weaknesses.
“They’ve evolved like absolute monsters,” I muttered.
The results showed that ordinary physical force couldn’t even scratch them anymore. The little bastards had spent countless generations getting squashed by humans, so they evolved to reinforce their exoskeletons using the mana they drained. And that wasn’t even the worst part.
What made them truly vicious was how they’d shrunk. They were now so small they were nearly impossible to spot with the naked eye. On top of that, they were faster. Even insect screens were useless—they just tore right through. Conventional mosquito coils and sprays did nothing. I’d even discovered, to my horror, that the electric bug zapper on my window was completely ineffective.
Because they could now withstand decent physical impacts, moderate electric shocks couldn’t stop them either. When I tested it, the ones I’d caught simply ignored my zapper and flew straight through.
‘In the end, it was all thanks to Fix.’
So why hadn’t I been bitten? The answer was Fix. Except for recharging, that guy operated twenty-four seven. The moment he detected a mosquito, he used every method at his disposal to drive it off. Living on the top floor helped too. Since I stayed above the eight-meter maximum flight altitude of the mana mosquitoes, it was hard for them to reach my room in the first place.
“No wonder Dream Guardians are in such demand.”
Even the greatest nobles couldn’t completely defeat these things. No matter how skilled a warrior was, they still had to sleep. The instant their consciousness faded and their defenses dropped, the mosquitoes sensed it like sharks smelling blood. They had evolved to target only sleeping humans. Truly nasty creatures.
That was why I decided to exploit the mana mosquitoes’ own vicious traits. I would use the fact that they only attacked defenseless humans. To do that, I first needed to figure out exactly how they identified a defenseless target.
After all, what I was planning to build was a “dummy” that would lure them in and slaughter them.
“I see. So that’s how it works.”
After running multiple experiments, I finally identified the criteria mosquitoes used to select prey. The antennae on their heads could smell scents from twenty meters away, detect body heat, and sense carbon dioxide exhaled by humans. The reason they always hovered around our faces wasn’t to annoy us—it was to lock onto the CO2 from our breathing.
“In that case…”
All I had to do was create a dummy that would register on their detection net. Something that gave off a human scent, retained body temperature, and periodically released carbon dioxide. That would draw them in.
‘And on top of that…’
If I added mana emission, it would be perfect. Just like how Dream Guardians use mana softening to attract the mosquitoes.
“Shall we begin development?”
Having nailed down the product direction through mana mosquito experiments, I immediately started building. I created a device that absorbed oxygen and converted it into carbon dioxide, then programmed it to release the gas in rhythm with human breathing. I engraved heat-preservation runes to maintain body temperature and prepared chemically treated water that would emit a human scent.
The water stored in the dummy was mixed with the waste components found in sweat. It would play a decisive role in luring the scent-sensitive mosquitoes.
“First test, begin.”
I installed the hastily made dummy inside a test tube to see if the mosquitoes would react.
“Failure.”
The first experiment was a bust. The mosquitoes didn’t react at all. But why? It gave off a human smell, released carbon dioxide at regular intervals, maintained a perfect 36.5 degrees Celsius, and even emitted a subtle mana field to lure them. So why?
“…Guess I need to raise the detail level.”
No clear answer came to mind no matter how I thought about it. I decided to make the dummy look more human. That meant peeling off the rubber outer layer and creating artificial skin to cover it. To do that, I needed collagen.
I immediately headed to the market to find raw materials. Fish skins and pig skins were the most common sources, but pollack skins were widely used for food and easy to process, so I bought a large quantity.
“The belly button’s going to be bigger than the belly at this rate.”
Now it was time to convert the raw material into collagen. Extracting pure collagen required several processes—chemical hydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis. For that, I needed equipment that could raise temperature and pressure, plus a cooling device.
“Looks like I’ll have to use the hologram.”
I activated Hologram, the sub-skill I gained when Engineering Thinking reached Level 3. A 3D holographic model of the “collagen processor” I wanted to build appeared, with mechanical components listed underneath.
“List call.”
I pulled up the catalog of every weapon and machine I’d ever created. It was far more efficient to reuse existing parts than to build everything from scratch.
“Hologram, extract mechanical components suitable for the ‘collagen processor.’”
Mechanical components—the basic standardized units that make up machines. They’re largely divided into five categories:
I pushed the floating holographic machines aside and began assembling the collagen processor, pulling the necessary parts one by one. It was like taking only the pieces I wanted from a completed Lego set and rebuilding them. The different component holograms were reassembled under my hands, gradually taking the shape of the collagen processor.
Using the hologram ability, I completed the design in just five minutes. All that remained was to turn the holographic model into reality.
“Fix, it’s been a while. Let’s head to the forge.”
“Wiiiiiiing~!”
The James Forge at the Imperial Academy. The owner, James, wasn’t present. Now that my status had risen to Count, it didn’t look good for my father to be handling subcontracted work here. More importantly, after returning from the Dwarf Allied Kingdom, James had entered a state of enlightenment. The man who had spent his whole life mass-producing items just to raise me had been inspired by the Iron Hammer Exhibition. He was now dreaming of one day earning the title of “Master Artisan.”
He was currently pouring his passion into the cutting-edge personal workshop I’d built for him.
“A-amazing…”
So the only ones in the forge were the blacksmiths James had hired. Thanks to his close connections, they had landed exclusive positions at the Academy forge. They were now watching my performance with wide eyes.
My method of manufacturing modern machinery, the insane dexterity that let me work without a single pause—it was enough to draw gasps of admiration.
“A genius sent from heaven. No, just a straight-up genius.”
“Dwarves or not, that level is just…”
Now I understood why James had spent all day bragging about his son. The technology I was using had already far surpassed this era. Just watching as a blacksmith was mesmerizing, and the thought of the innovations I would bring in the future sent shivers down their spines.
They couldn’t guess what kind of machine it was, but they instinctively agreed that it was both functionally and aesthetically perfect.
“Done!”
After roughly four hours of total focus, I completed the collagen extractor. It was possible because I had already mass-produced standard parts—screws, bolts, bearings, pipes, valves, springs—that matched my “Ed Fix Standard Specifications.”
“Ahem, C-Count Fix?”
One of the blacksmiths cautiously spoke up. He said he couldn’t tear his eyes away from my performance and that it was the honor of a lifetime to witness such incredible skill firsthand.
“Come on, Count? No need for that. Just speak comfortably. You’re all my father’s friends. I’m Ed. The same Ed who used to cause trouble in your forge.”
I insisted they drop the formalities. They protested that I was a noble now and they couldn’t possibly speak casually, but my persistent persuasion eventually convinced them to treat me like before.
“Now I finally understand why James was such a doting father. Hahaha!”
“You’ve grown into such a fine young man. Six years ago you were nothing but a troublemaker.”
After chatting with them for a while, they looked at me with warm eyes. To have such genius talent and a upright character too—my future seemed incredibly bright.
“Anyway, keep up the good work, Ed. And keep it a secret that we spoke casually!”
“Even if they find out, no one can say anything. I’ll be going now.”
“Take care.”
I stored the completed collagen processor in my inventory and headed back to the lab. For some reason, my shadow cast by the moonlight looked especially large today.
Friday morning. Charlotte was being scolded by her client. Despite doing her best last night, she had let one mosquito slip through, and the client had been bitten twice on the forearm.
“Per the contract, I’ll be deducting from the payment. Hmph! What if you’d given me Mana Mutation Disease?!”
Charlotte bowed her head and apologized. She had only just started working as a Dream Guardian, so her skills were still lacking in many areas. Her mana softening technique used to lure the mosquitoes had been insufficient.
Moreover, her own body was covered in mosquito bites. As a first-year student at the Academy—and one whose only talent was nature creation magic—handling self-ignition spells properly had been too much for her.
“Here. 650,000 Arden.”
“…?”
But when the client went to get the money, he handed her 100,000 Arden more than the original 550,000 agreed upon. Charlotte looked flustered.
“Um… this is more than the contract amount?”
“…Ahem. Your surname is Verdian, correct?”
“…? Yes.”
“I remembered that I once received help from your father.”
“Ah…”
“I felt bad, so I added a little extra. Seeing a daughter doing this kind of work… it seems the Verdian family really has fallen completely, just as the rumors say.”
The client glanced at Charlotte’s body. It was covered in mosquito bites. He clicked his tongue and left one last piece of advice.
“Out of old affection, let me give you one warning. Don’t use your body for this kind of work. You’re selling your future for pocket change. What will you do if the Mana Mutation Disease flares up again? From your clothes, it looks like you’ve entered the Imperial Academy. One wrong move and you could end up mana crippled.”
Charlotte clutched the money and bowed her head. Just as the middle-aged man said, if the epidemic returned, she really could become mana crippled. It would be the end of her as a spellcaster.
‘I don’t have a choice…’
But there was no other way. The only legal means she had to earn money was this part-time job. Academy students were forbidden from mercenary work, and using one’s abilities for private business was grounds for expulsion under the charge of failing to maintain dignity.
According to the Imperial Academy’s ultra-elite policy, it was unacceptable for a student to be employed by commoners.
“Mana is vital for nobles. Even if you have status, losing your mana makes you no different from a commoner. Rather than risk losing mana—”
The middle-aged man suddenly stopped mid-sentence. He had unconsciously used an inappropriate example.
“Ahem. In any case, reconsider this method. With your current skill level, you’re very likely to end up mana crippled.”
With those final words, he turned and left. Charlotte kept her head bowed, staring at her arms that were riddled with bites. Her fist clenched tightly with resentment.