Chapter 12
The System is God, and Alchemy is Invincible
I placed the miscellaneous items on the workbench, and as if it had been waiting for this moment, Tip appeared.
[Tip. To perform a production task, three conditions must be met.]
[1. You must have the relevant job or trait.]
[2. You must be well-acquainted with the materials or items you intend to handle.]
[3. You must have the necessary equipment to perform the task.]
[If these conditions are met, you can either perform the task directly or proceed with the system’s assistance.]
I read Tip’s message slowly, and to meet the conditions, I grabbed a flathead screwdriver from the workbench and activated my trait.
[Booster Max-13]
A booster part for the power suit.
It was attached to the power suit but had been ripped off during a high-explosion event.
The fall had caused severe internal damage, and after being abandoned for a long time, all parts except the core components had deteriorated to the point where they couldn’t even be used as scrap.
When disassembled, the engine of Booster Max-13 can be obtained.
[Would you like system assistance? Yes / No]
I held the tool and activated my trait.
As soon as the conditions were met, the message appeared as if waiting for this moment.
“Of course I’ll use it.”
I pressed [Yes] as casually as stretching, making sure Camilla wouldn’t notice me using the system.
At the same time…
“Wh-what?”
It felt as if invisible strings were attached to my body. My body began moving involuntarily.
My movements were so natural that it was as if I was controlling myself, and the system started disassembling the [Booster Max-13].
Curiosity was overshadowed by fear, and I instinctively stopped. A snapping sound followed, and my body regained freedom.
“Thankfully, it can be controlled by my will.”
After experimenting a few more times, I realized the invisible strings obeyed my intent: they would stop when I wanted them to stop and act when I willed it.
I relaxed slightly and let the strings take over. They used various tools on the workbench to disassemble the [Booster Max-13].
“Wow… this is insane.”
Even to my own eyes, the task was performed like a master who had done this work for over ten years: fast, precise, and skillful.
They tore off the rusted outer armor, which had been burned and abandoned for so long, and removed wires and circuits clinging to the engine with bold precision.
The only parts still intact were handled as carefully and gently as one would touch a fragile relic.
Camilla, quietly watching my work, muttered:
“Huh.”
It sounded like a low, impressed exclamation.
It made me feel a little guilty—as if I were cheating while everyone else struggled to learn—but also gave me hope that life here might be surprisingly easy.
Of course, that feeling didn’t last long.
“This is ridiculously tiring.”
Even with the invisible strings guiding me, the fatigue and physical strain of moving were mine alone to bear.
Even with masterful skill, it had taken just over two hours to disassemble a single piece of junk.
“Finally, it’s done.”
I used my trait on the engine standing cleanly on the workbench.
[Booster Max-13 Engine]
The engine separated from the power suit booster [Booster Max-13].
It’s a part designed for power suits used in jungles, skies, deep seas, or even space, so it can function well under extreme conditions.
It has enough power to fly objects weighing around 500kg.
Once the trait confirmed the engine had been removed, the invisible strings vanished as if their task was complete.
Immediately, I collapsed into the workshop chair. My body ached everywhere after two hours of continuous work.
“Good job. Take a short break.”
Camilla said this as she put on her goggles and inspected the [Booster Max-13 Engine].
After about ten minutes of inspection, she nodded.
“This should be fine. No further training is necessary.”
“So that’s it?”
Having moved scrap and junk early in the morning and worked for two hours, I really wanted to rest now.
I looked at Camilla with the most pitiful expression I could muster, but…
“No. Next, we’ll work on the furnace.”
Whether it was because of smoke or simply her ruthless nature, Camilla replied coldly.
I sighed and got up to walk with her to the furnace.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—unlike disassembling the miscellaneous junk with the system’s help, the furnace work was simple enough to do alone.
I pressed a button to start the furnace, carried scrap to the center of the workshop, and threw it in. The furnace heated enough to melt the scrap into molten metal.
Then all I had to do was let the furnace pour the metal into molds, cool, and transfer the ingots to storage.
In theory, I only had to throw scrap into the furnace and move the resulting ingots, but the problem was that I had to do all of it physically.
“Ouch, my back…”
For practice, I made only five ingots, and my back nearly gave out.
Each ingot required at least three pieces of scrap, weighing roughly 25kg each.
Anyone can imagine how exhausting it was.
‘Given that the furnace can automatically make ingots, there must be some transport machines or conveyor belts…’
I thought about the equipment from the previous game that enhanced physical abilities, and transport robots and drones that moved items at the push of a button.
And the physical traits I had chosen during character creation also flashed through my mind.
I sighed and lay down on the bed. Even though it wasn’t evening yet, sleeping was the best way to recover.
Soon after lying down, I quickly fell asleep.
Thump, thump, thump
“Wake up.”
At Camilla’s voice, I shot up from my bed.
“I’m up! I’m up!”
Her slightly irritated voice said:
“If you’re awake, get ready quickly and come to the dining hall.”
Her footsteps faded away. Worried I might be in trouble for being late, I got ready quickly and checked the time.
“6:30? Damn it, I’m late.”
I ran to the dining hall.
Camilla was sitting with a plate of energy bars in front of her.
No other staff were in the dining hall, probably because I was late.
‘Late on the first day…’
I devoured an [Energy Bar] in an instant and followed Camilla as she walked back to the workshop.
“Nice to work with you! …Huh?”
Trying to show friendliness to the other staff, I greeted cheerfully. But in the workshop, there was no reply.
Looking up, I saw the workshop was empty except for me and Camilla.
‘Are today’s other employees off? But we work seven days a week… are they really off today?’
I looked around, then at Camilla.
“Where are the other staff?”
“Staff?”
Her response only increased my anxiety. I suppressed it and waited.
“They’re here. Staff.”
Relief almost came, thinking we weren’t alone, but then…
“They’re right here.”
Camilla pointed precisely at me. My brain froze.
I turned in the direction she indicated, but all that was there were the tasks for me and Camilla—no one else.
“Just me?”
I looked at her pleadingly, hoping it wasn’t true.
“Yes, no one else.”
The merciless employer left me with no hope.
“Ugh… phew.”
After finishing the fifth piece of miscellaneous junk, I stretched and checked the time.
It had gone from 6:30am to almost 7:30pm.
“Damn it.”
Even though I chose only the junk that seemed easiest to get parts from, I had only disassembled five pieces by ten minutes before quitting time.
I muttered a curse.
“If only I had moved the scrap faster… or disassembled the junk faster…”
I had missed out on parts I could have obtained according to Clause 7 of the contract.
‘So frustrating.’
All of the junk Camilla brought contained parts that were difficult to acquire even in the previous game.
With my current stamina, this was the best I could do, but I couldn’t help feeling regret.
‘If I work more, I’ll definitely be late tomorrow.’
My body was at its limit. Doing more would surely be disastrous.
Yet abandoning the parts now would waste the time and effort I had put in.
After thinking for a moment, an idea came to me.
‘Use alchemy to disassemble them?’
Having slept deeply despite being late, my mana was fully recovered.
If I went back to my room and rested, the mana would restore fully anyway.
I looked at the workbench where Camilla was working.
Even though she had started randomly working through junk like me, she was already on the seventh piece.
Her focus was so intense that she didn’t even glance at me.
‘Okay, as long as I’m not caught.’
I placed the junk containing expensive parts on the workbench and activated my trait.
[Purple Tail (Fragment)]
A fragment from the rear of a limited-edition motorcycle designed with a rainbow motif.
The core parts were destroyed by a strong impact, but the outer shell survived.
Disassembling it yields small amounts of [Biological Armor] and [Rare Metal].
[Biological Armor]
Armor designed to mimic the self-repair and maintenance traits of life.
It is weaker than normal alloy armor but can regenerate if exposed to water and sunlight.
Regeneration is limited and will not exceed a certain area.
[Rare Metal]
An alloy combining the strengths of steel and plastic.
Extremely difficult to craft, it’s used in construction, weapons, and power suits.
Contains a small amount of mana.
‘[Biological Armor] and [Rare Metal] were already difficult to obtain in the previous game.’
Alchemy made it easier to extract from junk, but the quantities were small.
‘Even a small amount will be useful when making a power suit.’
Of course, creating a power suit would require a secure location, such as a city or meeting allies, along with lots of time and materials.
‘But once it’s made, safety is guaranteed.’
Worried about being caught, I glanced at Camilla and, thinking “whatever,” used alchemy.
My familiar heartbeat quickened. Mana flowed from my heart to my hands, then into [Purple Tail (Fragment)], slowly taking over it.
The fragment reacted violently.
It didn’t spark like when making a [Homemade Bomb], but it began melting as if placed in a furnace.
‘Ugh…’
[Purple Tail (Fragment)] greedily absorbed all my mana, then separated into three pieces as if sentient: [Rare Metal], [Biological Armor], and unusable scrap.
“Phew…”
What would normally take two, maybe three hours to disassemble was done in a minute. Yet I wasn’t happy.
‘I feel like I’m going to die.’
Like when making [Homemade Bombs], using so much mana in a short time left me physically drained.
‘Better go back quickly before I get caught.’
I shoved the large scrap deep into the trash, hid the alchemically obtained materials, and approached Camilla to end my shift.
She, ever vigilant, froze when I came near, gripping her tools tightly.
Exhausted, I said:
“I’ve finished my quota. Can I head in?”
“…Really? You’re done?”
“I completed six during work hours and got one extra.”
Wiping the cold sweat from my forehead, I asked if I could leave.
Camilla glanced at my workbench and watch, then nodded.
“Alright, it’s your first day. Go home early.”
“Thank you, boss. You too.”
I rushed to my room, dumped the materials under the bed, and collapsed.
“I’ll never, ever do this again.”
The side effects of this alchemy far exceeded anything when making [Homemade Bombs].
I swore never to use all my mana again.
[Tip. Maximum mana can be increased by repeatedly depleting and recovering it.]
“Ah, please…”
The system seemed determined to make me suffer, offering crucial information I couldn’t ignore.
“No, I won’t! I’m not doing it!”
I deleted the message irritably and closed my eyes to sleep without showering.
“Life, huh…”
I sighed, realizing survival meant enduring this pain repeatedly.
Eventually, I got up to shower and sleep.
When Gorettak left the workshop exhausted, Camilla, tense and gripping her tools, checked outside.
After five minutes, she opened the door to confirm nobody was around.
She kicked over the trash near my workbench and crouched to inspect a large, unusual chunk of waste.
Such a shape could never appear naturally—it required time and tools only available at the workbench.
The furnace was cold. At my pace, she knew I couldn’t have made this chunk alone.
Clenching her fists, she muttered in a mix of joy and madness:
“…Just like that scrap before.”
Both the mysterious “scrap” and my impossible work defied reason, showing extraordinary power.
Clenching her fingernails in her palms without noticing, she whispered:
“If I’m with Gorettak, someday I’ll meet it.”
Camilla focused back on her work, promising herself that day would come soon.
