Machine God with EX-rank talent (Deus ex machina)

"We're setting sail!"

Honk!

Now part of the Ex Machina Guild, the Mir Merchant Guild had embarked on its first ship transport from Sanhang.

The massive ship was loaded to the brim with cargo.

Such a large-scale vessel was a rare sight these days.

Now, the Earth had become a world teeming with monsters everywhere, but if one were to choose the most dangerous place, it would undoubtedly be the sea.

The sea, especially the deep sea, was full of strange monsters that had never been discovered or known before.

The ocean was crawling with high-level monsters, and in the Pacific, there was even a Level 10 Named Monster.

Why do you think the Level 8 Named Monster, Golden Tail, was quietly residing on a small island in the East Sea?

Because even they could be at risk in the ocean.

In other words, the sea was no longer a domain for humans.

Marine transport was still possible along relatively safe routes, but it required the protection of hunters.

Nowadays, the largest expense in the transport industry was the wages of the hunters.

"[We can drastically reduce those costs by using the Siren Squadron.]"

"Bipo is also a great help."

Below the sailing ship was the Siren Squadron, and on deck, the Bipos were standing by.

Even the ship itself was built using Hyun Suho's mechanical crafting abilities.

Although it took an enormous amount of monster materials, it was much sturdier and had better defense mechanisms than an ordinary ship.

With the Bipos handling all the chores, the Mir Merchant Guild’s father and daughter duo could focus solely on expanding their trade and negotiating prices.

Right now, they had only one ship, but they would gradually increase the number of ships and expand their transport range.

The Mir Merchant Guild was already exploring trade deals not just within Korea, but also with Japan, China, and Russia.

"I never thought the mechanical crafting skill would be used in this way."

When he first obtained the mechanical crafting skill, the vision Nova had shown him was an overwhelming army of machines.

A massive airship so large it blocked out the sky, and an android combat unit equipped with the most advanced weaponry on the ground.

Back then, there was a fatal flaw in that they couldn’t use mana, but that problem was solved with the magic engineering skill.

Of course, some of the units were out hunting and conducting automated hunts, but he hadn’t anticipated they would be more heavily deployed in trade.

Their performance was undeniable.

They saved time and money that would have gone into constructing such a large ship.

As long as there were materials, the mechanical crafting skill could produce results with just a click.

Of course, they weren’t just ordinary ships, but rather summons, so the number and quantity of machines that could be created depended on Hyun Suh’s abilities.

This meant they couldn’t be produced recklessly.

Still, building one ship was manageable.

"[No matter how strong you are, Master, you can't win a war alone. It may be a bit late, but you need to start earning funds and finding allies you can rely on.]"

"I guess you're right."

The end was approaching within ten years, but unfortunately, the world didn’t seem to be uniting to fight back.

Giving up or fleeing was the least of it.

Some people even submitted to Death Star and served him.

Among them, there were even top rankers, according to Nova's analysis.

The idea of focusing solely on Death Star for ten years was too naive.

This wasn’t just a vague concern; he had sensed a clear presence of murderous intent approaching.

"So they were targeting me, not the Silver Knight?"

"[There’s over a 70% chance. The prophecy pointed to Korea’s EX rank.]"

The prophecy of a priestess that Korea’s EX rank would become the greatest obstacle in the grand scheme.

This information had been caught by Nova's intelligence network, which was constantly monitoring the situation in Japan.

Since it was believed that Korea’s only EX rank was the Silver Knight, they targeted Eun Hwi-gwang.

This also explained why many rankers, including the top rankers, were not acting recklessly.

Lakshmi's "Code of Conduct" ability.

The key point was that those who became Lakshmi's "disciples" could not harm other disciples.

This also explained why the Nine-Tailed Fox didn’t directly target Jin Seo-yeon.

"Lakshmi’s influence is truly enormous."

While Lakshmi’s presence was reassuring, it was also concerning.

Hadn’t the Heavenly Demon said that Lakshmi had consumed too much power in sending divine energy to him?

Even during their encounter, Lakshmi looked on the verge of collapse, as if she might fall at any moment.

How much longer would Lakshmi live, having used her power for him?

Lakshmi had gone into seclusion after their final journey to Korea.

There were many questions he wanted to ask, but there was no way to do so now.

"[To survive against them, Master, you must choose your path clearly.]"

"I’ve already decided."

"[Which direction?]"

"It’s simple. Save those who deserve saving, and kill those who deserve killing."

He knew his place.

He could not be a noble hero who didn’t kill even villains.

He had to be prepared to get his hands dirty for his goal.

'I could somehow understand why the Heavenly Demon declared he would become the Demon of the Sky.'

"Hmm... Even though we're in different dimensions, are we still the same being?"

The Heavenly Demon's unwavering belief that Death Star could never become Hyun Suho was because he deeply understood both himself and Hyun Suho.

He might become a Dark Knight, but he would never turn into a mindless killer who murders indiscriminately.

"I must save Eun Hwi-gwang."

Eun Hwi-gwang, who was falsely accused because of him.

Though his behavior was immature and he often flirted with women, it wasn’t a mistake deserving death.

Besides, Eun Hwi-gwang had to survive for Hyun Suho to remain safe as well.

"And I should protect Jin Seo-yeon too."

Some unscrupulous people were trying to take over the Jinryong Family by joining forces with other heirs.

In the world of martial arts, it would be like scoundrels like Hyuk Ri-guang becoming the leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

To prevent such a disaster, it was best for Jin Seo-yeon to become the chairman.

"[So who are the ones to kill?]"

"Isn’t it obvious? Those who’ve sided with Death Star."

The enemy had already drawn their swords.

Hyun Suho was no fool to sit around and wait to be attacked.

He would build his forces and grow stronger.

The ship that had just set sail was the first step towards that goal.

"[Most important of all is your growth, Master.]"

"I know."

He was aware that his growth was unprecedented, but he was still only Level 5.

In his current state, it would be difficult to face the other rankers, let alone the Death star.

He needed to level up.

"If I meet the Heavenly Demon again later, I at least want to land a blow."

Meeting the Heavenly Demon had helped him in many ways, but the biggest benefit was the confidence it gave him.

At the very least, he now knew that somewhere out there, in another dimension, there was someone stronger than Death Star.

In the end, even Death Star wasn’t an invincible being.

Just realizing that gave him a surge of strength.

"Alright, let’s go! It’s time to hunt again."

Once again, Hyun Suho headed off to the Red Zone without fail.

* * * 

The Ex Machina Guild continued to thrive.

The transportation business, which effectively reduced costs, was receiving cargo requests not only from Korea but from many neighboring countries.

It turned out that the Siren’s scales could be sold at a much higher price than anticipated.

This was because they were discovered to have an option that dealt extra damage to sea monsters.

At first, they intended to sell the scales simply as decorative items, but once their effectiveness was proven, they sold like hotcakes as materials for equipment.

In particular, orders from Japan, an island nation, flooded in, prompting them to scour the ocean floor to find even the scales that had been lost long ago.

Time flew by, and one morning that seemed no different from any other.

Hyun Suho, ever diligent, woke up naturally at 6 AM without needing an alarm.

As usual, he woke up exactly at 6 AM, but today, something felt a bit different.

"Gasp!"

He woke up with a single startled cry.

His entire body was drenched in cold sweat, and though he hadn’t moved, he was breathing heavily.

He sat on the bed, staring blankly into space for a long time before finally calming down.

"...Was it just a dream?"

As he sighed in relief, someone spoke next to him.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"It was a strange dream. It was so vivid that it took me a while to fully wake up. But... were you at it again?"

Next to the bed, a slender woman was sitting in front of the computer, clicking the mouse.

She was none other than Nova.

Lately, Nova had been spending more and more time using the computer alone at night while Hyun Suho slept.

With a puzzled expression, Hyun Suho spoke.

"Can’t you access the internet wirelessly without having to turn on the computer?"

"That’s true, but it’s much more liberating and enjoyable to move my body."

He glanced over and saw that empty snack bags and drink cans were piled up.

Was this what it would look like if an unrealistically beautiful woman became a computer junkie?

It felt like a scene too precious to keep to himself.

"Liberating, my foot. You just wanted to eat snacks and drink."

Despite Hyun Suho’s accusation, Nova shamelessly puffed out her chest and responded.

"I rarely get to use my body, so I might as well make the most of it. Think of it as a welfare benefit."

He was about to retort but then just nodded his head.

After all, he was exploiting an ultra-high-level asset like Nova without offering any compensation.

Hiring someone with similar abilities would cost at least hundreds of billions of won.

Considering that, even if she ate not just snacks but an entire truckload of gourmet meals, he wouldn’t be in a position to complain.

"You seem to be enjoying these new sensations?"

Nova was originally a cybernetic computer.

Although she had intelligence close to, or even superior to, that of a human, she couldn’t experience the senses of a living being.

Sure, she could see better than humans and detect smells more acutely, but it was simply processing external information like light and chemicals into electrical signals.

However, now Nova could genuinely feel sensations like a living organism.

This strange phenomenon began when she acquired divine power stat.

He knew the cause but not the exact reason.

It was just that the stronger Hyun Suho became, the more human-like Nova became.

Because of this, Nova asked him with genuine concern.

"Your biorhythm is much lower than usual, Master. It seems to be because of the nightmare. Why not take the day off and rest?"

"...No. I can't just skip work because I had a bad night’s sleep."

Instead of resting, Hyun Suho prepared even faster than usual and headed out to the Red Zone.

Vroom!

Riding the hover bike that Bipo had transformed into, Hyun Suho sped through the Red Zone.

Just a few months ago, Hyun Suho had to move through the Red Zone with extreme caution, as if he were tapping each stone before stepping on it.

This was because if he were surrounded by high-level monsters like the Gung-gi, he could die without even having a chance to escape.

But now, none of the monsters around Korean cities, unless they were named monsters, could pose a threat to Hyun Suho.

This was why he could ride the hover bike freely without worrying about his surroundings.

In fact, there were occasionally monsters that chased after the sound of the engine, but they were easily taken care of with just a shot or two.

However, this was actually a significant problem.

To level up, he needed to hunt high-level monsters, but suitable hunting grounds were hard to find.

Although there were places in Korea where high-level monsters appeared, those areas were already occupied by large guilds.

It wasn’t an illegal occupation, as they had legally acquired usage rights by paying taxes to the government, so there wasn’t much he could say.

This meant that unless he ventured into dimensional gates or dungeons, it would be difficult to gain large amounts of experience as he used to.

"[But where are you heading right now? You've strayed far from Wonsan City.]"

As Nova pointed out, Hyun Suho, who had been speeding on the hover bike, found himself near Seoul.

If he had a clear destination, it would be one thing, but upon hearing Nova’s words, Hyun Suho snapped back to reality.

"Huh? Why did I come all the way here?"

"[Master, it seems something is off with your condition today. Could you be under the influence of a hypnosis spell?]"

"No, it's not that. It's just that..."

The dream he had that morning kept lingering in his mind.

The funny thing was that although the feelings of suffering and sadness remained, he couldn’t remember the exact details of the dream.

He had never experienced anything like this before.

It felt like his brain was clogged.

When he came to his senses, it was as if he had wandered in his sleep to a place he had never been to before.

Rubbing his eyes, Hyun Suho muttered, "Today really is strange. Maybe I should rest a bit, like you said."

That was when it happened.

A voice shouted from afar.

"Drag them off!"

Maybe it was because of the strange dream he had that morning, but the malice in that voice felt like it was piercing his flesh.

Of course, even if it weren’t a dream, the voice was still filled with anger.

"What’s going on?"

"[Approximately 1 kilometer away, there’s a group of about 20 people gathered.]"

"1 kilometer?"

It had sounded like it was right next to him, which was odd.

He knew his senses had heightened as his level increased, but it felt even clearer than that.

"...Let’s check it out."

It wasn’t unusual for hunters to be roaming the Red Zone.

Until now, he had avoided crossing paths with other hunters, but for some reason, he felt a strong urge to meet them today.

Perhaps sensing his thoughts, Nova spoke immediately without any further questions.

"[I’ll guide you.]"

When they arrived at the location, they found a group of hunters and an unexpected underground entrance.

There was no sign of a dungeon on the map, which suggested it was likely an instance dungeon that appeared as part of a quest.

What was strange was the appearance of the hunters.

He didn’t know what guild they belonged to, but they were dressed all in black, with black masks covering their faces.

'A peculiar guild symbol... maybe?'

There was no way the black masks could be seen as a good thing, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.

Amid the numerous masked figures, there were also some hunters dressed in normal attire.

However, their situation was even more unusual.

They were lying on the ground, tightly bound with sturdy ropes.

There were five men and one woman among the bound hunters.

On their chests was an emblem of a white horse with wings.

"A Cheollima?"

It was definitely a guild emblem he hadn’t seen before, but the word came to mind.

With a serious expression, Hyun Suho murmured to himself, "I feel like I’ve seen this scene somewhere before..."