Chapter 42
Chapter 42
I stroked my chin and examined the safe.
Smooth paint coating, finishing so precise that not even a gap could be found.
The craftsmanship was undeniably good.
The C-rank rating made sense.
Since the collapse, this was the first time I had seen something manufactured to this level.
[Boss! What are you thinking so hard about?]
Picker buzzed beside my shoulder, the lens whining as he meddled.
[Just blow off the door lock with [Disassembly], sir! It’ll open in one second. Why are you dragging it out?]
He was right.
If I used my ability [Disassembly], I could selectively turn that complicated locking mechanism into dust.
But I shook my head.
“Idiot. If I only blow off the lock, I won’t be able to learn the internal structure.”
[Huh? Why do we need to know the structure? We just take what’s inside.]
“Look at the name on the safe. GF-200. Obviously a model name.”
I tapped the logo engraved on the lower right corner of the safe.
“GF probably stands for Guro Foundry, and 200 is the series number. In other words, this isn’t a custom job—it’s a mass-produced model.”
And what did that mean?
It meant that even in this ruined world, demand for safes overflowed.
Did raiders trust each other?
Would pigs like that leave their wealth where others could touch it?
Anyone with a bit of power wanted a safe place to store their assets.
“Don’t you think this would sell pretty well?”
[Ah…]
“Instead of simply destroying it, we should reverse-engineer the structure and extract the blueprint.”
If I did that, I could manufacture this safe myself later and sell it on the Union Market.
The treasure inside was just a bonus.
The real treasure was the safe itself.
For Thunder, technology was the true treasure.
I quietly reviewed the design knowledge stored in my head.
There was technology I had obtained earlier by dismantling hospital medical equipment from the junk hills.
Sssss—
Particles of light gathered in the air, and crude but functional tools were quickly assembled.
[Portable X-ray Scanner]
[Electronic Stethoscope]
I connected a spare [Mutated Acid Battery]—which I normally carried in my backpack for drone charging—directly to the X-ray scanner.
Then I configured Picker’s camera sensor to function as the imaging plate.
Around the safe dial, I attached vibration sensors.
[Boss, this looks exactly like a spy movie. But doing that with that body… it doesn’t really fit.]
Picker snickered.
He wasn’t wrong.
I was currently wearing the heavy [Mechanical Reinforced Exoskeleton].
A destruction weapon capable of smashing concrete pillars with bare hands, now pretending to be a delicate safecracker.
“Quiet.”
To operate outside as the Bomber, I activated the precision control module that allowed delicate work without removing the exoskeleton.
I heightened the sensitivity in my fingertips as much as possible and placed the scanner against the safe door.
“Starting scan.”
Hiss—
A blue X-ray overlay appeared on the HUD of the status window connected to Picker.
Beyond the thick steel plate, complex tumblers and springs interlocked like gears were exposed.
And cutting across them—
a thin pipe.
[Wow… Boss. Do you see that? It’s a gas line. The detonator is triple-layered.]
Picker clicked his tongue.
[Touch one pin wrong and it’s immediately “fire!” Not just the contents—we might get roasted too.]
“Relax. I’ve already figured out the structure.”
Those Guro Foundry guys had put some thought into it.
If someone tried to pry open the door or drill into it, vibrations would trigger the incineration trap.
But if accessed through the dial—the legitimate route—the trap wouldn’t activate.
“Starting.”
I grabbed the dial with the exoskeleton’s fingers.
A mechanical arm capable of lifting one ton was now controlling movements down to 0.1 millimeters.
Click… click…
Minute vibrations were amplified through the electronic stethoscope and struck my eardrums.
[Pin one cleared. Next rotate right thirty-two degrees. Trap pin there—careful!]
Picker relayed the internal state in real time.
Holding my breath, I slowly turned the dial.
Cold sweat formed on my forehead.
Click.
A crisp metallic sound.
The correct pin slid into place while barely avoiding the trap pin.
“Phew…”
Several more dial adjustments followed under tense silence.
Finally—
Tick.
Inside the safe, the sound of power cutting off could be heard.
The incineration trap had been deactivated.
Creeeak—
“Good.”
A smile spread across my face.
Materials like metal and plastic were scattered everywhere.
Anything lacking could be replaced with spare raw materials I always carried in my backpack.
To obtain the blueprint, I activated [Manufacturing].
[Blueprint acquired: Mechanical Security Safe]
[Blueprint acquired: Incineration Trap Module]
I obtained both blueprints in one go.
Now, whenever I had the materials, I could mass-produce this safe and sell it.
The newly created safe and module were immediately [Disassembled] again.
Now only one thing remained.
Before checking the contents of the safe, I called Porter.
“Porter. How’s the situation outside?”
Outside the police station, the air was still filled with acrid smoke.
The area swept by [Toad]’s bombardment was horrific.
Half-burned corpses and twisted scrap metal lay scattered everywhere.
Within that hellscape, a massive rock—
No.
Porter was moving heavily.
Rumble.
Even the sound of his tracks crushing the ground was masked by his stealthy movement.
Hidden within the smoke, Porter was continuously operating [Collection Mode].
Vooooom—
Items around the path Porter traveled disappeared silently.
A [K-3 Machine Gun] dropped by Karambit’s subordinates.
Unused magazines.
They were sucked into Porter’s shadow and instantly transmitted to the Workshop.
[Hey, you fat lump! The boss is concentrating right now, so keep it quiet while picking things up! Stop stomping around!]
Despite Picker’s sharp radio scolding, Porter calmly lifted a crushed car door aside with his mechanical arm and replied.
[Do not fear. My weight inspires terror only in enemies. As long as you do not betray the boss, I will never consider you an enemy.]
[What? Betray the boss? Are you insane?!]
Picker fired back furiously, but Porter ignored him and continued focusing on the mission.
Valuable [K-3 machine guns] were collected.
Bent [K-2 rifles] were left behind.
Ammo boxes full of bullets were taken.
Empty or nearly empty magazines were ignored.
The reason was simple.
Kang Sinhyeok planned to leave bait for Yoon Seongjun’s group later.
If everything were cleaned up too neatly, they might become suspicious.
[Porter. How’s the situation outside?]
—Everything is proceeding smoothly, Boss.
[Good. Come inside now. We need to collect the cores.]
Porter abandoned the scrap metal on the ground without hesitation and turned his heavy body toward the police station.
Inside the safe was empty.
At least, that’s how it looked.
But without hesitation, I tore off the bottom panel of the shelf.
The X-ray scanner had already confirmed it.
A heavy lead box was hidden beneath the false floor.
When I opened it, a brilliant light illuminated the dark room.
Eight [F-Rank Cores].
Fewer than expected, but I had been prepared to find nothing at all.
With this much, the workshop’s power supply wouldn’t be a concern for a while.
Beside the cores lay an old leather notebook.
[Transaction Ledger]
Opening it revealed densely written records.
Tribute payments to the Pig.
Secret funds siphoned over time.
Various minor organizations in Mapo District.
Even price fluctuations of the Union Market.
“This is information. The kind you can’t buy with money.”
Analyzing this ledger would reveal the economic flow of the black market and the power structure around Mapo District at a glance.
I carefully stored the ledger.
“Alright. Time to finish this.”
I looked at the empty safe.
Closing the door, I stepped back and pulled the sling.
BOOM—
The safe’s trap detonated.
But the surroundings remained intact.
It had been perfectly configured to incinerate only the contents.
Guro Foundry’s technology was clearly impressive.
Leaving Picker and Porter on standby, I walked alone toward the front gate of the police station.
Hiss—
Flames that had not yet died out blocked my path.
But I did not stop.
The thick fireproof cloth layered over the [Lightweight Bulletproof Suit] and the steel armor of the [Mechanical Reinforced Exoskeleton] pushed aside the flames.
Thud—Thud—
Heavy mechanical sounds echoed each time the hydraulic cylinders expanded.
As the massive silhouette emerged through the smoke, Yoon Seongjun’s group on the rooftop stepped back.
“W-what is that…?”
“Is that a person? Or a robot?”
Eyes filled with terror.
Enjoying their gaze, I bent my knees.
Then I leapt.
BOOM—
The ground dented as the several-hundred-kilogram body shot upward.
The rooftop concrete cracked under the weight.
Standing on the rooftop, I looked down at them.
The blue glow of the lenses flashed within the hollow eye sockets.
The survivors could not even breathe.
The grotesque mask.
The enormous mechanical arms.
The smell of blood.
With the upgraded exoskeleton, Kang Sinhyeok looked like a villain—
No.
Like a disaster.
Yoon Seongjun swallowed dryly and stepped forward.
His legs trembled, but he seemed determined to act as the leader of the group.
“Who… who exactly are you?”
His voice shook.
“And before… why do you keep helping us?”
I chuckled.
They couldn’t see it beneath the mask.
—Helping?
A distorted metallic voice rasped through the speaker.
—Don’t misunderstand. I merely cleaned up.
I pointed toward the burning police station.
—The smell of trash was disgusting.
Which meant—
they weren’t trash.
Understanding the implication, relief and confusion crossed Yoon Seongjun’s face.
I scanned their equipment.
They still looked like beggars, just like before.
But something caught my eye.
‘Hmm.’
Raiders’ weapons were usually rusted or clogged with carbon from neglect.
But the old rifles, bayonets, and ammo belts carried by Yoon Seongjun’s group were different.
The paint might have peeled with age, but they were oiled.
The leather straps were carefully repaired.
This wasn’t maintenance a normal civilian could manage.
Just like the net they used when hunting [Blade-Beak Chickens], there had to be a technician among them.
—You’ve got a production-type awakener in your group.
At my remark, Yoon Seongjun’s shoulders stiffened.
Bingo.
Without hesitation, I got to the point.
—Let’s make a deal. Lend me that technician and some manpower.
Yoon Seongjun’s eyes widened.
“A deal…? By lending manpower, do you mean becoming slaves?”
—No. Subcontractors.
I crushed a dented shell casing under my foot.
—I need to focus on more important work. High-performance explosive mixtures. Core designs.
—So I need hands for the dirty work. Making bomb casings and gathering materials.
This operation made one thing clear.
There was far too much trash in this world.
I didn’t have time to clean it all myself and gather materials too.
Even with Porter, there were limits.
The more manpower, the better.
Of course, the real reason I cared about them—
was that little girl.
Yoon Seongjun’s daughter.
Yoon Seongjun bit his lip.
After a moment of thought, he shook his head.
A refusal.
“Thank you for the offer… but it’s impossible.”
—Oh?
“As you can see, we’re non-awakeners. We have no strength.”
He clenched his fist, unable to hide his frustration.
“You saw it before. Even hunting a [Blade-Beak Chicken] requires us to risk our lives. And you want us to farm materials? If we run into raiders or mutants out there… we won’t survive.”
He cared about his group.
Knowing their limits, they survived by keeping their heads down.
I understood.
I had lived ten years as a non-awakener myself.
But what I needed were not cowering cowards.
—You say you can’t because you lack strength?
I snorted.
—Then I’ll give you strength.
“…What?”
—You’ll awaken.
Yoon Seongjun stared blankly.
Murmurs spread among the survivors behind him.
“That’s impossible…”
“Awaken… us?”
Naturally.
In this world, the common belief was that awakening was innate.
“What do you mean? Awakening is something you’re born with. It can’t be done artificially—”
—What if it can?
I stepped closer and whispered like a devil.
—Don’t you want power? Power to take revenge on those Ahyeon Shelter bastards who treated you like dogs and drove you out?
Yoon Seongjun’s eyes shook violently.
Ahyeon Shelter.
The moment that name appeared, the resignation in his eyes turned to venom.
That was their reverse scale.
—Come under me. I’ll guarantee you power and survival.
Not just food.
Power to defend themselves in this hellish world.
And the chance to drive a blade into those who abandoned them.
It was an offer impossible to refuse.
“…You must keep your promise.”
Yoon Seongjun bowed deeply.
“If you protect us… I’ll sell my soul if I have to.”
Behind the mask, the corner of my mouth rose.
Hooked.
—Your soul?
I turned away and replied coolly.
—I don’t need something that useless. Just do your job properly.
I snapped my fingers and pointed toward the burning police station.
—There should still be some usable stuff inside. Take it and go back. I’ll contact you later.
I handed him a repaired smartphone.
—Go to the Union Market’s unmanned exchange and convert this to [U-Link]. U-Link has GPS, so if you want to keep your base hidden, only use it when you’re far away.