Chapter 4
Chapter 4
When I first killed the contaminated wild dog, I was so relieved to have survived that I didn’t feel any revulsion.
I had immediately used [Disassembly] afterward.
But dissecting it was a completely different matter.
I chose the corpse of the dog that was in the best condition among the dead ones, yet the foul stench of blood hit me immediately.
“…Hoo.”
Still, it had to be done.
I let out a short breath and crouched in front of the corpse.
I tightened my grip on the crude knife I had hastily made from scrap metal.
The contaminated wild dog was the most common mutant around the shelter.
Recalling the butchering scenes of the technicians I had once watched from afar, I simulated the process in my mind.
Slice.
The knife tip transmitted the slippery sensation of the fat layer and the tough resistance of the fascia.
The unfamiliar texture of fresh flesh and the sickening smell of blood kept breaking my concentration.
How much time had passed?
At last, between the tough bundles of muscle, a faint milky-white tendon appeared.
Found it.
It was the moment I relaxed in relief.
Snip.
Because of the slippery blood, the knife slipped and cut part of the tendon.
“Damn it. Did it snap?”
The severed tendon could not be restored.
No helping it.
I placed my hand on the dissected corpse and issued [Disassembly] in my mind.
At that moment, a completely different sensation brushed through my mind.
The biological structure of the contaminated wild dog I had just explored seemed to imprint itself into my brain.
Based on this experience, it was obvious that the probability of obtaining rare materials when disassembling similar creatures in the future would be adjusted.
Soon the final results appeared before my eyes.
Just like before—some leather, bones, and teeth.
And [Contaminated Wild Dog Tendon Fragment] ×1.
Looking at the severed tendon fragment that appeared on my palm, I became certain.
My hypothesis was correct.
Understanding.
That was the key that turned probability into certainty.
By increasing my understanding of the target through the process of dissection, even if I failed, I could at least secure a minimum reward.
Normally a severed tendon would be useless.
Yet just like the fragment I had obtained now.
With new confidence, I immediately dragged over the second corpse.
Having done it once already, I felt much more confident.
The knife cut through the fascia with no unnecessary movements and slid smoothly along the grain of the muscle.
It was impossible to become this proficient after just one experience.
“So this is how the correction works.”
Then again, combat-type Awakened didn’t train endlessly either.
It must all be the effect of ability correction.
Bastards like Kim Cheolmin spent most of their time bullying carriers like me or harassing women.
Now that I understood the truth, it was absurd.
“And yet he acted so arrogant.”
Grumbling as I worked, a complete tendon soon appeared.
A clean and perfect separation.
Once again, I activated [Disassembly].
This time the anatomical diagram forming in my mind became even more precise.
[Contaminated Wild Dog Tendon] ×1
Watching the flesh and blood disappear from the tendon as it transformed into an item was fascinating no matter how many times I saw it.
After that, the work progressed rapidly.
The more dissections I performed, the clearer the structural diagrams in my head became, and the faster my hands moved.
Processing the remaining four corpses took less than half the time it had taken to dissect the first one.
Four complete tendons.
And one fragment.
Except for the one I accidentally cut earlier, every attempt had succeeded.
Now the last one remained.
The pack leader—the one whose hind leg had been pierced by my spear.
The moment I began skinning it, I immediately sensed something different.
Even the resistance felt at the knife tip was unusual.
Thicker hide than the others.
Dense and powerful muscles.
And an especially thick skeletal structure.
As I looked at the leader’s face, I suddenly remembered something Kim Cheolmin used to brag about back in the shelter.
He would warn about particularly large and cunning wild dog mutants, calling them “Dobermans.”
What the Awakened called Named Mutants.
Judging by the face, which closely resembled a Doberman, this must be exactly that creature.
No wonder their movements had been unusually coordinated and cunning.
It had all been directed by this one.
I proceeded with the dissection even more carefully.
Finally, after separating the intact tendon, I executed [Disassembly].
Blue particles enveloped the corpse.
The usual materials appeared in front of me.
But among them, one object stood out.
A small bead glowing with a brilliant red light.
As if entranced, I picked it up.
Information about the bead appeared in my mind.
[D-Grade Core]
A crystallized mass containing the entire power and essence of a mutant.
It contained powerful energy and could serve as a key material that evolved certain manufactured items to the next stage.
A core…
Had something like this ever appeared among the spoils?
Even after living in the shelter warehouse for over ten years, it was the first time I had seen one.
For now, I slipped it into my pocket.
Then I gathered the wild dog corpses together and poured strong chemicals I had disassembled from the waste pile over them.
Ssssss—
A precaution.
Other mutants might be attracted by the smell of blood.
Disassembly cleaned things up somewhat, but repeated use was already giving me a headache.
My ability wasn’t infinite.
Fortunately, [Workshop Owner] was a production-type class.
If it had been combat-oriented, I might have passed out after using [Disassembly] a few times.
After cleaning the surroundings, I entered my new shelter.
The steel box I had built myself.
I locked the bolts on the window and door and collapsed onto the cold metal floor.
“Ugh… it’s cold.”
After a moment of thought, I took out all the wild dog leather obtained from disassembly and spread it across the floor.
Sniff.
Even checking again, all I smelled was well-tanned leather.
[Disassembly] was amazing.
Lying on the leather, I stared at the moonlight leaking through the crack in the iron door.
A thought crossed my mind.
“Could the core work as a light source?”
It had emitted a faint red glow.
The moment I took the core out of my pocket—
The entire steel shelter began to glow.
[Modifiable target detected.]
[Target: Steel Box]
[Result: Temporary Workshop]
[Required Materials]
[F-Grade Core] ×1 (Owned)
[Scrap Metal] 20 / 50 kg
[When evolved into a Workshop, a new function will be unlocked.]
Storage?
My gaze naturally moved to the small box icon under the new function labeled [Storage].
When I focused my consciousness, additional information appeared like a pop-up.
[Storage]
– Automatically stores materials obtained through [Disassembly] within a certain distance of the workshop.
– Automatically withdraws materials during [Manufacture].
Even in my exhausted state, the information snapped my eyes open.
– Storage is a virtual dimensional space bound to the workshop system.
– As the workshop level increases, storage capacity and automation range expand.
At that moment, the countless piles of waste I had passed earlier flashed through my mind.
Mountains of scrap metal beside abandoned vehicles.
Chemical containers spilled across the ground.
Things I had wanted to move closer to experiment with—but couldn’t because of my injured leg.
“…That’s ridiculous.”
All the effort carriers in the shelter spent hauling materials would become a joke with this single function.
I almost pressed the upgrade button immediately.
But instinctively, I stopped.
[Required Materials]
[F-Grade Core] ×1 (Owned)
[Scrap Metal] 20 / 50 kg
Wait.
I didn’t have an F-Grade Core.
“…Don’t tell me it wants me to use the D-Grade Core?”
No.
That made no sense.
This steel box was only an F-Grade structure.
No—honestly it wasn’t even worthy of a rank.
If I used the core here, it would only produce F-Grade efficiency while wasting the rest of its value.
It would be like using a diamond to hammer a nail.
“Total waste.”
And my [Work Protocol] level was still only 1.
According to the description, I could currently own only one workshop.
If this temporary workshop were destroyed, every material stored inside it would disappear.
This steel box sat at the very top of the waste hill.
Far too visible.
It was only a matter of time before a shelter hunting party—or raiders targeting exiles like me—found this place.
It had only been built for one night of safety anyway.
My decision was made.
Without hesitation, I pushed the D-Grade Core deep into my pocket.
“I can’t abandon future potential just for immediate comfort.”
When morning came, I would first search for the Capital Defense Corps supply warehouse.
If there was a usable foundation there, good.
If not, I would build my first proper workshop somewhere hidden far away from the shelter.
Even if it meant moving away from the waste hill, I could simply build a cart and transport materials.
“Ugh… it’s colder than I expected.”
I woke on the cold steel floor.
Even with thick layers of dog leather beneath me, the chill of the night had seeped into my bones.
I forced my stiff body upright.
The aching in my back and shoulders from sleeping curled up was familiar.
But the real problem lay elsewhere.
Throb!
The moment I pushed myself up, a sharp pain shot through the ankle I had sprained yesterday.
“Ugh.”
A short groan escaped.
I had hoped it would improve after sleeping.
Instead, the swelling had worsened.
“Damn… I won’t get far with this ankle.”
It was far more swollen than yesterday.
Trying to explore the vast and dangerous waste field like this would be suicide.
Any other survivor would be forced to wait several days for recovery.
But I was an Awakened now.
Someone who could make anything.
A splint to stabilize the ankle.
And crutches to help me move.
If I made those two items, I could walk.
First I searched for materials for the splint.
Scanning the waste pile with awakened vision, I spotted sturdy [Discarded Timber] strong enough to support my leg.
Placing my hand on it, I executed [Disassembly].
Blue particles enveloped the wood, converting it into [Wood] and [Resin].
Next step.
I calculated my leg size, ankle angle, and pressure points precisely and imagined a custom medical splint.
When I activated [Manufacture], particles of light emerged from my hands and moved through the air like a 3D printer.
The warped discarded wood was instantly reconstructed into a smooth ergonomic splint.
“Nice.”
Compared to the crude items made by shelter technicians, the difference was enormous.
I secured the finished splint around my ankle with strips of tough cloth I found nearby.
The stabbing nerve pain turned into stable pressure.
But a splint only prevented further damage.
It didn’t restore mobility.
So I limped toward the wreckage of the car I had dismantled yesterday.
There was [Aluminum] there—light and strong.
I sat down before the materials and designed a pair of aluminum crutches in my mind.
Height perfectly matched to my body.
Comfortable hand grips.
Carbon-wrapped underarm supports.
Rubber anti-slip pads on the bottom.
When I activated [Manufacture], the surrounding materials glowed and reshaped into exactly what I imagined.
At the same time, I felt a surge of experience far heavier than anything before.
“Oh?”
Even without a blueprint, creating delicate multi-material objects accelerated growth.
I placed the finished crutches under my arms and stood up.
Before, I had almost been crawling.
Now I could move faster and far more steadily.
“Since they’re aluminum… should I call them aluminum legs instead of crutches?”
The ridiculous thought made me laugh.
It reminded me of times I had been injured while hauling cargo in the shelter.
Healing-type Awakened were extremely rare.
And even they were assigned first to combatants.
A non-Awakened like me simply endured the pain and continued working.
But things were different now.
This ability allowed not only production, but also healing and combat.
The fact that I could solve everything alone filled me with a strange confidence.
“Shall we go?”
Leaning on the crutches, I began my serious search for the Capital Defense Corps supply warehouse.