Chapter 13
Chapter 13
However, it was difficult to go out to farm materials.
The sun was about to set.
“Feels like I actually have time to spare.”
Back in the shelter, aside from sleeping, I worked nonstop.
But now, once night fell, there wasn’t much to do.
More precisely, there were things I should do, but going outside to move around was dangerous.
“If only I had enough power, I could expand the workshop.”
The [Large Hydraulic Robotic Arm] was extremely useful, but building it had consumed almost all the power charged from the [F-Grade Core].
Only about 5% remained.
Still, being able to keep the lights on freely was nice.
I had never realized how good LED lighting was.
Even in Mapo Shelter, lights had to be used carefully because of [Mutant] attacks.
Most of the time we relied on torches or oil lamps.
That was why Kim Cheolmin—the bastard with the fire-starting ability—had been so arrogant.
“Since I can’t sleep, maybe I’ll dismantle some drone parts.”
Looking at the drone sitting alone on the table, memories of the shelter surfaced.
Parents there would have sold their souls if it meant their child could awaken.
So they forced their kids to learn anything and everything.
An orphan with nothing like me didn’t even get that chance.
While working as a carrier, I picked up discarded technical books left by engineers and read them through the night.
I learned the structure of machines by watching over their shoulders.
Just in case it might help me awaken.
And yet the condition for awakening had simply been grabbing a wrench.
The awakening I had longed for came from a single metal rod grabbed instinctively during a life-or-death moment.
That wasn’t coincidence.
The shelter administrators.
The so-called upper-class Awakened—the ruling elite.
They must have known.
Before talent, awakening required specific conditions.
And they had monopolized that information completely.
Otherwise the awakening rate between classes wouldn’t have been so extreme.
The hierarchy inside the shelter was clear.
The children of the ruling class, combat personnel—even scum like Kim Cheolmin became Awakened.
Meanwhile people like me at the bottom remained strictly non-Awakened.
Coincidence?
Not a chance.
It was control designed to maintain privilege.
“Filthy bastards.”
While shouting about humanity’s revival, they probably hoped we’d carry loads until we died.
They wanted us to remain parts supporting their feet.
I looked back on the carrier’s time they had dismissed.
Ten years.
Ten years spent moving and sorting tens of thousands—hundreds of thousands—of supplies in the shelter warehouse.
The shapes and structures of the junk that Awakened people ignored remained vivid in my mind.
Back then I thought it was wasted life.
But now that experience had become a weapon stronger than anyone else’s.
The workshop system was giving me a hint.
A drone was a collection of complex parts.
If I couldn’t obtain the blueprint for the finished drone at once, then I could start with its components.
The BLDC motor—a brushless direct current motor.
As the name suggests, it was an upgraded technology compared to a standard DC motor.
To obtain blueprints for higher technologies, the blueprints of the lower technologies must first be unlocked.
“Right. Let’s organize the blueprints I need to collect.”
Pens and paper could easily be created from scrap materials.
I quickly wrote a list.
— Blueprint Farming List
Power System:[DC Motor]
→ Stepping stone toward BLDC.
→ Expected farming sources:
Fan, hair dryer, refrigerator, cordless vacuum.
Control System:[Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)]
→ Combination of gyro sensor and accelerometer for posture control.
→ Expected sources:
Smartphones, tablets, game controllers.
Communication System:[Wireless Transceiver Module]
→ Essential for drone control.
→ Expected sources:
Wi-Fi routers, cordless phones, remote controllers.
Computation System:[Central Processing Unit (CPU)]
→ Core of the FC (flight controller).
→ Expected sources:
Laptops, desktop PCs.
Observation System:[Optical Lens]
→ Camera components.
→ Expected sources:
CCTV cameras, convenience store security cameras, webcams.
The more I wrote, the clearer my thoughts became.
There were probably many more blueprints than this, but this was the limit of my knowledge.
Disassembling things would clarify the rest.
The drones stacked in the Capital Defense Command supply warehouse weren’t unused.
Each one had something broken.
Farming the [Drone Blueprint] wasn’t just about gaining Work Protocol experience.
It was also necessary for repairing them.
If they had been perfectly functional, the Capital Defense Command would have retrieved them no matter where they were buried.
As I ended the day, I reviewed the farming list on the desk.
The list looked impressive, but reality wasn’t easy.
“To collect five DC motors, I’d probably have to strip an entire building.”
Farming electronics was completely different from farming scrap metal or wood.
For ten years, rain, wind, and dust had fused the ruins into massive solid structures.
Trying to pry them apart with a steel pipe alone would dismantle my back first.
And using [Disassembly] recklessly would leave obvious traces—basically announcing my presence.
“I need equipment.”
Tools beyond bare hands or pipe levers.
Before the collapse, heavy machinery would be used.
Now, without fuel or electricity, that was impossible.
Well, not entirely impossible for me.
I could convert those [Plastic Cubes] stacked against the wall into petroleum.
But doing that would attract far too much attention.
Which meant there was only one solution.
“I amplify my own strength.”
I opened the design screen of the [Central Control System].
A grid pattern appeared across the display.
I wasn’t planning to build giant robots or powered suits.
Without batteries or motors, those would just be moving coffins.
Instead, I remembered the shelter construction site from ten years ago.
A small jack lifting a truck weighing tens of tons.
Manual hydraulic tools used when electricity failed.
If I applied that simple, brutal principle of force to my own body…
[Design Mode]
Ever since the workshop gained Production Processes, designing had become much easier.
Imagining something and actually seeing it were completely different.
Holding a pen of light, I began drawing quickly in midair.
First, the lower body.
A crude frame wrapping the calves and thighs.
Hydraulic cylinders installed at each joint.
“The name… let’s call it [Hydraulic Greaves].”
The core principle was simple.
The force of 1 from my foot pressing a pedal would push sealed oil.
That would drive the piston upward with 10—maybe even 20—times the force.
With this, I could kick apart massive concrete slabs or lift them just by straightening my knees.
Next was the upper body.
A backpack-type frame extending auxiliary arms along both arms.
My hands would grip control levers.
Pull the lever, and cylinders on my back would contract, closing the steel claws at the front.
These were the [Hydraulic Gauntlets].
Armor wrapping the arms that amplified grip strength.
Clamps meant to straighten bent rebar or pull refrigerators trapped in rubble.
The entire power source was my muscles and physics.
Not even one volt of electricity.
Purely analog.
“Good. The structure’s set.”
Finally, the design of a rugged but reliable exoskeleton appeared.
The system chimed.
[New Blueprint Created]
[Please assign a name.]
A new blueprint?
Probably because the item didn’t exist before.
Name…
No need to complicate it.
“Simple and clear is best.”
Without hesitation I entered:
[Mechanical Reinforced Exoskeleton Set]
Once confirmed, the material list appeared.
[High-Strength Alloy Frame]
[Hydraulic Cylinder]
[Pressure Valve]
[Steel Wire]
[…]
Materials were more than sufficient.
The workshop system recommended inserting them into the Production Process.
But with almost no power, automatic production was wasteful.
My mental energy would recover after sleep anyway.
The main targets were three components:
[High-Strength Alloy Frame]
[Large Hydraulic Cylinder]
[Overload Prevention Pressure Valve]
I could have used [Manufacture] immediately, but for practice I started producing the sub-components step by step.
Then I noticed something.
“Building step by step consumes less mental energy?”
Curious, I checked if the same applied to automatic production.
“Ah. Power consumption decreases as manufacturing experience increases.”
Even with Work Protocol Level 2, higher experience reduced energy consumption.
“So for efficiency, I’ll need to mix both methods.”
Balancing mental energy and production time seemed ideal.
Once all parts were finished, I began assembling.
“Alright. Let’s test it.”
I finished assembling the Hydraulic Gauntlets first and grabbed a steel pipe lying on the floor.
I only lightly gripped the exoskeleton handle.
CRUNCH!
A dull cracking sound echoed through the workshop.
The thick steel pipe in my hand had been crushed like clay.
It looked like taffy rather than steel.
“…That’s too strong.”
This wasn’t just grip assistance.
It was practically a destruction weapon.
Great destructive power—but impossible to perform delicate work.
I’d pulverize anything I tried to move.
“Too strong is also a problem.”
The fixed pressure system was the issue.
I redesigned a dial-type valve that allowed fine pressure adjustments.
After installing it, the force could be controlled.
Testing it again, I was satisfied.
My Manufacture experience had also increased significantly.
Next was the lower body.
The Hydraulic Greaves.
I attached the frame to my legs and tried walking.
Clank. Clank. Stumble!
After just a few steps my balance faltered.
Trying to stabilize shifted enormous weight to my lower back.
At this rate my spine would break before I lifted anything.
“Ugh… this is killing me.”
The mistake was ignoring human joint range and center-of-gravity movement.
Suddenly I remembered the shelter’s production-type Awakened testing combat gear for days.
Back then I thought they were being overly cautious.
Now I understood.
“Experience really is king.”
Admitting my lack of knowledge, I revised the design.
Adjusted joint positions.
Added pelvic supports to distribute the load.
Most importantly, it had to be light and easy to remove.
I wasn’t a combat Awakened.
Heavy gear would only get in the way.
After multiple trials, the result was finally complete.
[Mechanical Reinforced Exoskeleton]
Grade: C
Analog system that operates without electricity.
Explosively amplifies the wearer’s physical strength.
The creator’s meticulous craftsmanship is impressive.
“Huh?”
I was momentarily confused by the item information.
Did items created through the system always display like this?
Hard to say.
I’d never used equipment like this before.
“Well… let’s try it.”
I was exhausted but couldn’t resist.
When a man sees a robot, restraint becomes impossible.
I equipped the Mechanical Reinforced Exoskeleton Set.
Belts tightened around my pelvis, thighs, and calves.
Cold metal supported my body firmly.
I equipped the gauntlets and gripped the levers.
Click!
Hydraulic cylinders contracted.
My body and machine connected as one.
Even wearing heavy equipment, my body felt lighter.
First, internal testing.
I stood before a [Compressed Scrap Metal Cube].
It weighed nearly one ton.
Impossible to move with bare hands.
I gripped the handle with the exoskeleton claw and pressed the pedal.
“Hup!”
CREEEEAK—
Oil compressed inside the cylinders.
Explosive counterforce surged through my legs.
It felt like a giant’s hand lifting me.
I didn’t even need to strain my back or legs.
I just rode the machine’s rebound.
THUD.
The ground trembled slightly as the one-ton cube lifted easily to waist height.
“Wow… this is insane.”
My mouth hung open.
This was basically a small forklift.
After setting the cube down, I walked outside to continue testing.
External test.
Now to measure destructive power.
A short distance from the workshop stood a massive chunk of concrete.
A collapsed column from a ruined building.
I approached and gripped it with the Hydraulic Gauntlet claw.
Pulling the right-hand lever—
Pressure valves opened step by step.
Stage one.
Stage two.
Stage three.
The cylinders expanded violently.
CRRRACK! BOOM!
With a thunderous noise, the concrete column shattered like a cookie.
Dust scattered in the air.
I stared blankly at my right hand.
Or rather—the steel claw.
Did I really just do that?
A thrill ran down my spine.
Objectively speaking, I had seen countless Awakened over ten years.
“With strength like this… I might be stronger than most C-grade combat Awakened.”
Even C-grade fighters couldn’t crush concrete with bare hands like that.
A D-grade like Kim Cheolmin would be sent flying with one hit.
A former non-Awakened like me had gained physical power beyond combat Awakened just one day after awakening.
“This is seriously broken.”
That didn’t mean I could defeat a C-grade combat Awakened in a fight.
Just that in raw strength I might have the advantage.
Combat Awakened improved not only strength but also reaction speed and overall ability.
The Mechanical Reinforced Exoskeleton had about a 0.5-second hydraulic delay.
When I moved, the machine followed half a beat later.
With practice I might use it in combat.
But did I really need to wrestle Mutants face-to-face?
“Time to rest.”
As I walked back to the workshop, I thought about improvements.
It was already designed to be light, but it still felt somewhat heavy.
If I could obtain special materials like [Contaminated Wild Dog Tendons], perhaps I could modify it further.
After spending ten years carrying cargo, I realized how little I knew about mutants.
Thinking about possible upgrades, I arrived at the workshop quickly.
Right.
I really liked this kind of work.
If the world hadn’t collapsed—
Maybe I would have been doing something like this all along.