Chapter 53
Chapter 53
Pandora.
The deepest abyss of the community operated by ARGUS.
Glossary - Owner of a Workshop …
It was a place where assassination contracts, human trafficking, and military secrets inaccessible to ordinary people were traded.
—Search results filtered by the keyword have been compiled!
Horrific photos and reports appeared in sequence on the screen.
Frowning, I read through the documents.
[Operation Chimera – Military Disposal Record]
[Test Subject No.: 74-Alpha]
[Injected Substance: Military Awakening Inducer MK-3]
[Result: Cardiac arrest and full-body vascular rupture due to mana circuit overload. Subject immediately incinerated.]
The condition of the test subject in the photo was horrific.
Blood vessels had burst throughout the body, turning the skin dark and blackened.
Blood had clearly poured from the eyes and nose.
“So it’s true… the military bastards were experimenting on people.”
Hammer’s dying words had not been nonsense.
From the earliest days of the collapse, the military had already been conducting experiments to artificially create Awakened.
—Analysis shows there are currently two primary methods!
Picker split the screen in two.
—First: drug-based awakening induction. This is the method the military mainly uses. It’s cheap and easy to mass-produce. The downside is severe side effects, so at best it produces F-rank physical enhancement.
“Mass-producing disposable soldiers.”
That must be why the military had such a high proportion of Awakened.
—Correct! And second: artifact-assisted awakening. This is what shelter elites and wealthy people use on their children.
Images appeared showing beautifully crafted necklaces and rings.
—Almost no side effects, but the artifact prices are astronomical. And they’re single-use. Basically buying talent with money.
I stroked my chin and nodded.
The pattern was becoming clear.
Awakening wasn’t a blessing from God or magic, as some religious groups claimed.
It was a biological engineering process that opened pathways inside the body through which mana could flow.
In other words, the formation of mana circuits.
The drug method was like forcing open the path with high-voltage electricity.
The artifact method gently guided mana to carve the pathway.
“In the end, it just means the mana circuit has to be formed safely.”
The glowing pathways I had seen when scanning Pig and Karambit with the Mana Resonance Lens.
If those could be artificially designed—
“Awakening Yun Seong-jun isn’t impossible.”
I was certain.
With the technology of my Workshop, I could develop something far more precise and safer than the military’s crude drugs.
—There’s one more thing to report, Boss.
“What is it?”
This time complex signal waveforms and map data appeared.
—I spent all night chewing through ARGUS’s communication network—the so-called ARGUS Net.
Picker’s lens gleamed mischievously.
—Turns out these guys are basically blind!
“Blind?”
—Yes! Their artifact, the Fragment of Babel, simply creates a giant mana barrier above the capital region that reflects radio waves!
Because I had already acquired considerable knowledge about related technologies, I immediately understood.
“So triangulation isn’t possible.”
Before the collapse, GPS worked by calculating time differences from signals sent by at least three satellites.
But the ARGUS system was like placing a giant mirror in the sky.
Signals transmitted successfully, but there was no way to determine the exact origin point.
—Exactly! For Union or ARGUS to track a terminal, they would have to physically attach a GPS tracker to the device!
“So they can’t track locations through software?”
—Nope! It’s basically the same as broadcasting radio waves! Even if you turn on your [U-Link], all they know is ‘Thunder logged in somewhere.’ They can never pinpoint the exact location!
I slapped my knee.
I had been extremely cautious using [U-Link] out of fear of revealing my location.
Turns out that wasn’t necessary at all.
“Then it’s safe to distribute terminals to Yun Seong-jun’s group.”
—Completely safe! Unless they physically attach a military tracker, the network itself can’t trace you!
This was enormous information.
I had been overestimating ARGUS and Union Tech far too much.
They were merely users of artifacts.
Not administrators with complete control over their systems.
Meanwhile, I actually have the technology.
Drone deployment.
Signal analysis.
Mechanical manufacturing.
Right now my Honeybee drones only monitored nearby areas.
But someday, when my workshop grew stronger—
If I could launch real satellites…
Or access the ones already floating in the sky—
Then I would possess an Eye of Argus of my own.
A system capable of observing every corner of the world.
When that day came, information asymmetry would become my strongest weapon.
“Excellent report, Picker.”
—Hehe. Thank you, Boss!
The theory was now confirmed.
What I needed next was practical data.
Research required samples.
Whether it was military awakening drugs or awakening artifacts, I had to dismantle real examples to analyze their structure and obtain blueprints through [Disassembly].
But where could I obtain such dangerous items?
I couldn’t raid a military base.
And Union Market didn’t sell them.
Then someone came to mind.
A major buyer on the black market.
A VIP who practically went crazy over my products.
SurvivalIsMyHobby.
The Gangnam Madwoman—Cha Yumin.
If anyone had something like that, it would be her.
I immediately opened [U-Link] and sent a message.
[Do you happen to have any military awakening items or related artifacts?]
The reply arrived within a minute.
As expected from someone addicted to the Survivor Forum.
[SurvivalIsMyHobby: Oh? Thunder oppa? Why suddenly asking about awakening items?
Wait… are you not awakened yet? Are you a non-Awakened?]
Surprise filled her message.
I smiled bitterly and replied.
[That’s impossible.]
[SurvivalIsMyHobby: Hmm… Short answer. Looks like you don’t want to explain why.]
The typing indicator blinked briefly.
Then a photo appeared.
A red ampoule stored inside a crude metal case.
[SurvivalIsMyHobby: I actually have one.]
[Military Awakening Inducer MK-2]¹
Exactly what I was looking for.
[Can you sell it?]
[SurvivalIsMyHobby: Hmm. I don’t really need money. I already have more UP than I can spend.]
I had expected that.
The Gangnam Madwoman wouldn’t move for a few coins.
[SurvivalIsMyHobby: Instead, bring me an amazing weapon next time. Something pretty and sturdy. Deal?]
Pretty and sturdy.
[SurvivalIsMyHobby: I already know you’ve got an excellent craftsman behind you.]
That message made me flinch.
She had guessed.
Well… technically I was doing everything myself.
[Understood. What’s the price of the sample?]
[SurvivalIsMyHobby: Market rate. 5,000 UP. No friend discounts. I paid a lot for it.]
Cold business.
Typical of a veteran survivor.
But it wasn’t a bad deal for me either.
I currently had 4,467 UP.
I was just considering making a few more knives to cover the difference when a rifle sold.
Perfect timing.
[Deal.]
[SurvivalIsMyHobby: Nice and decisive. I’ll register a direct 1:1 trade now. Thanks~♥]
The trade was completed.
Soon after, a notification appeared from the unmanned exchange depot.
[Item has arrived.]
I dismantled the [Mobile Bunker] used as my temporary shelter to erase all traces of my presence.
Then I immediately headed to the designated unmanned exchange depot and retrieved the item from the kiosk.
A palm-sized metal case.
But the contents were far more than a simple drug.
It was the key that could awaken Yun Seong-jun—and the people who would someday form the core of my faction.
I had grown tired of humanity…
But in the end, humans couldn’t survive alone.
After personally witnessing the collapse, that truth had been carved into my bones.
“Let’s head back.”
I placed the case into my bag and turned toward the workshop.
[Workshop upgrade complete.]
[Current Level: Lv.2]
The 24-hour wait had finally ended.
Filled with anticipation, I hurried forward.
But when I arrived at the workshop entrance, the scene greeting me looked exactly the same.
—Boss! What is this?!
Picker circled the metal door in disbelief.
—You said it leveled up! It upgraded! Shouldn’t the door have LED lights or laser security or something?!
“….”
—This has no style at all! My expectations have been betrayed!
Picker even rolled around on the ground in exaggerated frustration.
Even Porter, who normally remained silent, looked disappointed.
His main camera lens repeatedly tightened and loosened its aperture as if saying:
“Master, this is unacceptable.”
But I thought differently.
Instead, I let out a sigh of relief.
“This is the best upgrade possible.”
—Boss… has your sense of aesthetics finally collapsed?
“Think about it. What would happen if a shiny high-tech door suddenly appeared in the middle of this junkyard?”
It would basically advertise:
Someone lives here.
“This shabby exterior is actually the best shield protecting us.”
If the appearance had changed, I would have had to redesign the exterior camouflage entirely.
“…Wow.”
When I stepped inside, an involuntary gasp escaped me.
The cold metal walls and faint blue energy lines remained.
But the scale was completely different.
The cramped studio-sized room from before was gone.
In its place was an enormous underground space stretching far into the distance.
The ceiling height was the most striking.
Nearly ten meters tall.
Using that height, the workshop had been redesigned into a full two-level structure.
The once-empty interior was now filled with mysterious machinery and thick pipelines.
Cooling fluid flowed along the walls with a deep humming vibration.
This was no longer a personal workshop or laboratory.
It felt like the engine room of a massive battleship.
No—
A perfectly functioning factory.
—Th-this is insane! Boss! Is this really our house? It’s like a stadium!
Picker, who had just been rolling on the floor, suddenly flew around the workshop in excitement.
—The Honeybees could even do three-dimensional flight training in here!
My chest swelled with pride.
This place—
Was my fortress.
But there was no time to dwell on emotion.
Many new systems had been added.
I moved toward the production area on the first floor.
There stood the core feature of the upgrade:
The Automated Production Line.
A long metal conveyor belt extended along the wall.
Above it hung four articulated robotic arms waiting in standby.
“And the summon slots increased by two.”
The entity management bay had expanded from two slots to four.
Now I could officially register two additional drones alongside Picker and Porter.
Besides the production area, the first floor also contained a warehouse, laboratory, and drone hangar.
But my eyes were drawn upward.
A separate glass-walled space stood on the second floor.
[Residential Zone unlocked]
Almost hypnotized, I climbed the metal stairs and opened the door.
The mechanical noise stopped instantly.
Inside was quiet.
Under soft lighting stood a comfortable mattress bed, a small desk, and a chair.
There was even a tiled bathroom attached.
Even the high-ranking residents of shelters would envy this.
This was no longer survival.
This was living.
“Workshop Owner… the best.”
Overwhelmed, I walked into the bathroom.
First thing to check—water pressure.
Click.
“…Huh?”
Not even a puff of air came out.
A red system message appeared before my eyes.
[Warning: Water source not connected.]
[Water tank or groundwater pipe installation required.]
The joy that had surged moments ago cooled instantly.
A bed without water to wash.
“Figures. Nothing is free.”
I laughed helplessly and turned the faucet off.
The workshop had grown.
The system had improved.
But the amount of labor I needed to do had also increased massively.
—Boss! What are you doing? No water? Should I spit some in there?
“You don’t even have saliva glands.”
I sighed and left the bathroom.
But the smile on my face remained.
Compared to hauling cargo for nothing in the shelter—
This kind of work was something I could do gladly.