**Episode 1
Mechromancer (1)**
If you only had money…
An era where people could strengthen their bodies with machine parts.
A man was dragging a heavy suitcase.
Whirr—
At that moment, a metallic prosthetic body hummed as it brushed past him.
The man stopped his suitcase
and watched the cyborg’s back as it moved away.
‘Is that neural prosthetic worth the price of a house in Seoul…?’
There are really a lot of rich people in this world.
Soon, the man shook his head.
I may be a machine geek, but what I really want is…
“An Awakened.”
Why would anyone replace perfectly good limbs?
Well…
‘Not that it matters—I’m past the age of awakening, and I don’t even have money for modifications.’
With a bitter smile, the man tried to pull his suitcase again when—
“Excuse me, where is the Awakening Measurement Room?”
He turned around. A pretty young woman stood there.
He pointed with his finger.
“Over there.”
As she looked in that direction, a holographic notice appeared in the distance.
『Hunter Management Bureau
July 2069 – New Awakened Registration & Assessment』
“Thank you!”
As she bowed, her eyes fell on the man’s name tag and her brows lifted.
『Machine Upcycling, Im Du-ho』
Sensing her gaze, the man—no, Im Du-ho—adjusted his name tag once.
“It’s the department that collects, dismantles, and repairs broken androids.”
“The Hunter Management Bureau has a department like that too?”
“When Abyss management gets neglected, cracks form.
But since those cracks appear randomly, the androids controlling those areas break down often.”
“Ah! So the mana interference phenomenon really affects even the Bureau’s androids.”
“If someone solves that, they’d make a fortune.”
“Hm… then my awakening wouldn’t mean much anymore.”
Her words carried weight, and Du-ho scratched his head awkwardly.
“Sorry. I misspoke.”
“I’m joking, I’m joking.”
With a bright smile, the woman headed toward the measurement room.
Watching her back, Du-ho muttered to himself.
She looks so young…
‘I’m really jealous.’
Dragging the heavy suitcase filled with android parts,
Du-ho struggled forward. The components rattled inside.
He was now twenty-six.
Statistically, awakening occurred between ages 15 and 20,
with 22 being the latest possible limit.
And…
It had already been 70 years since the Abyss appeared in human history.
Humanity had split into three groups:
Awakened, Cyborgs, and Naturals.
Among them, the Awakened ruled the world.
The mana flowing from the Abyss deep underground corrupted ordinary humans—
but not the Awakened.
They were immune. Instead, they gained powerful magic and abilities.
People called them those chosen by the heavens.
Thus, hunter families were born.
Eventually, to continue bloodlines, astronomical sums were spent—
‘I’ve heard rumors about artificial awakening procedures in labs…’
Wiping sweat from his forehead, Du-ho muttered:
“…But being Awakened isn’t the only path.”
The cyborg who passed him earlier was an alternative to hunters.
Another kind of monster created by science.
Even if their bodies were destroyed, they could revive through neural backups.
‘Honestly, in terms of physical ability, cyborgs can surpass most Awakened.’
That’s why the Bureau even deployed androids designed to suppress hunters.
And finally…
The lowest class—“Naturals”—who couldn’t even afford basic enhancement procedures.
‘That’s me. Im Du-ho.’
* * *
When Du-ho entered the Machine Upcycling Department, the place was chaotic.
Damaged android limbs hung from the ceiling,
walls were packed with parts,
and in a corner stood an android rolling its eyeballs around—
like a tragic reminder of someone who sold their body for debt.
Clink!
A robot vacuum collecting screws bumped into Du-ho’s foot.
Just as he moved aside—
“Why are you so late?!”
A man in his early 30s approached with mechanical noises.
Park Gyu-tae, assistant manager with implanted limbs.
Du-ho glanced at his arm.
‘If you’re going to replace it, at least get something decent…’
Cheap implants—unsuitable for delicate work.
“Didn’t I tell you to hurry up?”
After snapping at him, Park checked the parts.
Du-ho cautiously spoke:
“Assistant Manager Park…”
“…Speak.”
“I think that android’s waist connector is damaged.”
Park frowned.
But Du-ho continued:
“The left pelvis looks slightly misaligned. That usually happens when the waist connector fails. So if we just replace that part—”
“Hey—!”
“Who told you to diagnose it?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“You don’t even have a proper education.”
Du-ho bit his lip.
Six years of hands-on experience—ignored just because he was a high school graduate.
In truth, Park resented being assigned here
and often took it out on Du-ho.
To prove him wrong, Park activated the diagnostic program.
Moments later—
…the result matched Du-ho’s prediction exactly.
“Damn it.”
Embarrassed, Park quickly shut it off.
“The problem is the pelvis part!
Go to Bundang and bring it yourself!”
Du-ho was speechless.
‘If I offer to fix it, he’ll just explode again…’
Still, quitting wasn’t an option.
He thought of his family.
His father handled hazardous waste.
His mother cleaned houses.
They couldn’t afford his siblings’ education alone.
“…I’ll go.”
“Take a taxi, not a bus. It’s urgent!”
* * *
Inside the autonomous taxi—
No driver seat. Just facing sofas like a small lounge.
Du-ho sighed.
Bus fare: 2,000 coins.
Taxi: at least 40,000.
But the part could’ve been delivered by drone.
This was just harassment.
“Take me to the Bundang android parts warehouse.”
-Estimated travel time: 32 minutes. Premium service?
“Standard.”
The taxi moved.
Outside, holographic ads exploded across the windows.
“Low-interest loan tailored for you, Im Du-ho”
“Safe matchmaking for 26-year-old male”
If you’re poor, your personal data gets sold.
The “premium service”?
Just ad-blocking.
Then—
-Warning. Crack detected.
“What?!”
Outside, sparks tore through space—
a crack forming.
Mana interference shut down the system.
The taxi slid forward—
and was swallowed.
* * *
Inside the crack…
Du-ho sat in darkness.
The door opened automatically.
No matter how he tried, it wouldn’t close.
‘Mana poisoning…?’
Even standing near a crack was dangerous.
Let alone being inside one.
“…What a shitty life.”
He wrote his will:
“Donate my organs to my family…”
Then—
Scratch… screech…
A rat-like humanoid approached.
‘A… Ratkin?’
His vision blurred.
Claws scraped the taxi.
His breathing faltered.
I’m going to die…
“…I don’t want to die…”
At that moment—
[Congratulations on your Awakening!]
Name: Im Du-ho
Class: Mechromancer
Rank: F Lv.1
Traits: Super Intelligence Summon / Garage
Skill: Metal Manipulation
His vision cleared.
“A… what is this?”
A miracle at the brink of death.
‘Now I awaken?’
But no time to celebrate.
The Ratkin was opening the door.
BANG!
Du-ho kicked it—
[Experience gained]
Then another—
[Level Up!]
Breathing heavily, he muttered:
“Mechromancer…? What’s that?”
Then—
a voice echoed in his head:
“Oh? Curious about Mechromancers?”
