The Craftsman's Touch (1)
"Grraaah!"
With a scream that tore at my eardrums, the boss rolled across the muddy ground. Whether it was the poison taking effect or not, the thing writhed in agony for quite a while, its spear and shield abandoned nearby. This was my only chance.
I kicked off the ground and launched myself forward. My body surged right up to the boss's snout in an instant. I swung the Toothed Flail viciously toward its hollow torso.
Sensing the danger too late, the boss raised one arm in a defensive posture. Normally, its steel armor might have blocked it without much damage. But the armor encasing that arm had already been shattered by the sniper drone earlier.
Whoosh!
Crack!
"Grk!"
The flail connected, and with a sickening crunch, the boss's arm bone snapped clean in two. One arm and one ankle badly damaged. Yet, true to its status as dungeon lord, it didn't go down easy. Swallowing its pain, it rolled wildly across the mud, snatched up its dropped longspear with its good hand, and thrust it at me.
Swoosh!
But the spear's arc, swung one-handed with brute force, was slower and clumsier than before. I easily ducked my upper body to evade it and launched my second counterattack. Swinging the flail from low to high, I smashed it straight into the boss's chest.
Krunch!
The thickest steel plates on its chest shattered into pieces, scattering everywhere.
"Grk...!"
In that moment when its massive body reeled, I glanced at the sky and quickly retreated. The scout drone, waiting for its cue overhead, fired its remaining mechanical arm the instant I was clear, hurling the final bone bomb at the boss.
BOOM!
The explosion sent razor-sharp bone shards spinning mercilessly into the boss's now-unarmored upper body, shredding it.
"Grk..."
Thud!
The lizardman boss finally dropped to its knees and slumped onto the swamp floor. I gripped my flail tighter and approached slowly. All its steel gear was now shattered beyond recognition. Its exposed body was covered in scars.
"..."
"..."
Panting raggedly, the boss looked up at me. The murderous glint in its eyes was gone. Instead, it nodded slowly, as if acknowledging me, then cautiously extended its hand, offering something.
I should have suspected a trap, but oddly, I trusted it. Staying alert, I took the item. It was a sharp, thorn-shaped thing emitting a crystalline glow.
I glanced down to inspect it, then looked back up.
"...Huh?"
The boss kneeling before me had already dissolved into gray smoke, scattering into the air. All that remained on the ground was a massive mana stone.
"The boss hands over the item itself, huh."
I pocketed the glowing thorn with a short sigh of relief. At least this dungeon clear was done safely.
"I'll fix you up."
I picked up the combat drone sputtering on the ground and activated my Repair skill, smoothly restoring its dented exterior. Thankfully, it worked—it took right off again.
After gathering the dungeon's mana stones and scattered drops, we left with light steps.
Back at the train, I headed straight to the car 2 armory. First out were the glowing thorn and mana stone from the lizardman boss.
"Not a blunt weapon this time..."
The reason I'd crafted the flail in the armory before was simple. Swords and spears seemed to require skill proficiency to wield properly, but blunts looked easiest to handle. But things had changed.
"Combat showed me."
The Weapon Proficiency skill was surprisingly effective. I could adapt to tricky weapons quickly now. Once adapted, I'd prefer a spear for its reach.
"...Short arms and all."
Plus, the thorn's long, sharp shape was perfect as a spearhead. I started combining it with iron, wood, and a mana stone on the armory bench.
Immediately, Craftsman's Touch activated, filling car 2 with red light.
"Straight to red light this time..."
While the weapon crafted, I turned to the combat drone staring at me intently.
"Been waiting? Come here."
The combat drone eagerly positioned itself in a corner of the hangar. I dumped in the mana stones from the dungeon and my stockpile. Mechanical clicks sounded as its arms disassembled the drone's plating and began the upgrade.
Combat Drone upgrade initiated.
Time remaining until completion: 05:59
"Takes a good while this time."
Unlike the scout drone, it was a full six hours, complete with a message. No idea if that's normal or my skill's doing. The faint red glow, just like on weapons, suggested Craftsman's Touch applied to drones too.
"Guess I'll..."
While gear and weapons upgraded, I returned to the car 1 cockpit and worked the panels. Activated the monster lure and turrets.
"Used it, time to earn."
Monsters hidden nearby swarmed the train, drawn by the lure's special waves.
"A lot coming..."
Maybe more monsters around here, or just denser population—as soon as I turned it on, they charged. But before they could scratch the train,
Boom boom!
the turrets shredded them, leaving mana stones scattered on the ground.
Gunfire roared outside, but I'd grown used to the racket. I paced the train, glancing out windows now and then.
"Donggle."
I stared at the big tank. The siblings no longer guarded it, but their kids' crayon scribbles of various expressions remained on the glass.
Donggle floated lazily up and down inside, perfectly aligning behind Sua's drawing of a big grin.
"Heh..."
I smiled. With a marimo cheering me up like that, the kids' absence felt a bit less empty.
"...Am I losing it?"
Suddenly recalling something from Yeouido, I pulled out my smartphone and logged into the Survivor Gallery. I quietly PM'd Signal.
A short reply came fast: some people were looking for you.
I told them to contact me anytime if trouble hit. In this apocalypse, the Gallery was a vital info hub and marketplace. Couldn't let it get ruined or vanish if Signal got nabbed.
After chatting with Signal, I stood and manipulated the train interior from the cockpit. Packed away the bunk beds Sua and Jiwoo used, tidied their scattered stuff.
"Was it this spacious?"
Without the kids' warmth, the train felt vast and quiet. I moved Donggle's tank to car 1. Now I could see it from bed.
"We'll bunk together here for a bit, Donggle."
With the tank by the bed, the loneliness eased some. Lulled by the steady turret fire outside, I drifted into deep sleep.
"This really the spot? Supposed to be a huge dungeon."
"Checked the Gallery tons. Entrance was massive—"
"Ah, shit... You believe every internet post?"
"Hey! We've survived thanks to the Gallery—how can you say that!"
"Sigh..."
Five people moved cautiously through Sorae Port Market, scanning everywhere. They were from Yeouido Awakener Alliance, out farming food and items in Incheon thanks to a movement skill.
"No monsters...?"
"Suck... Yeah?"
They crept to avoid aggro, but monsters were scarce. Puzzled—
Thud thud boom!
KABOOM!
"Ow, shit!"
"...What was that?"
"What? Speak up, can't hear!"
"What! Sound! Was that!"
"Haha, dunno?"
The deafening noise sent them flat on the ground, weapons raised.
"...Finally, military dispatch?"
"As if those guys would..."
"Someone fighting?"
They crept toward the noise.
"Wha... what the hell is that..."
A pitch-black train loomed on the tracks. Turrets on roof and sides spun nonstop, spewing fire. For some reason, monsters charged it like mortal enemies. Yet the firepower minced them into chunks before they got close.
"...What is that?"
"What?"
"That! Thing!"
"Oh, that's a train..."
"Sigh... Who doesn't know that..."
The leader chuckled at the woman's sigh. Truth was, even he couldn't answer properly.
'Heard about it, but seeing it move...'
He'd read Gallery posts on such a train. But witnessing it in action was absurd. Mobility aside, that firepower—
'Never make its owner an enemy...'
The man vowed never to cross the train's master.