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

In the era of hunters, the greatest asset of a nation is its hunters.

The strength and number of hunters a country possesses determine its national defense and economic power.

Therefore, each country establishes and manages institutions to systematically train hunters.

The most prominent of these institutions is the Hunter Academy, directly operated by the state.

At the academy, they teach not only combat skills such as swordsmanship and magic but also specialized knowledge like monster behaviors and weaknesses.

There are also many private institutions, not just the Hunter Academy.

These are more like private academies, where one pays to learn the necessary skills.

Among such institutions, the most prominent is the Magic Tower in the UK.

The Magic Tower focuses solely on training mage hunters. As a result, it offers a level of magical education that distinguishes it from hunter guilds.

In South Korea, the most famous private institution is Marumun.

Unlike the Magic Tower, Marumun is a training center that exclusively teaches and practices martial arts.

It was once one of the world's most renowned martial arts schools, but after a single misstep, it has slightly faltered.

It could have collapsed entirely, but fortunately, an outstanding leader emerged, and now it has regained its fame.

The current leader is Na Yeon-sil, the Demoness.

Hyun Suho had joined Marumun and was now facing Na Yeon-sil.

“It’s been a while, Light Bringer.”

“Hello. Have you been well?”

“Thank you for coming to see me.”

“It’s nothing compared to the help you gave me before.”

Hyun Suho had only met the Demoness once during a rift break.

It could have been just a fleeting encounter, but Hyun Suho carried a burden in his heart because of her.

He had used her martial arts without permission.

Even the Suho Swordsmanship he currently used had elements of her techniques.

He had essentially stolen the results of her decades of sweat and effort.

If it had been anyone else, they might have foamed at the mouth and chased him down, but surprisingly, the Demoness was only a bit shocked at the time and didn’t say much.

If she had scolded him, it would have made him feel better.

In the end, Hyun Suho couldn’t refuse the Demoness's request.

“What exactly can I help you with?”

At Hyun Suho’s words, the Demoness sighed slightly and said,

“…It’s about Hui-gwang.”

“As expected, it’s because of the Silver Knight.”

The government had attached many capable mentors to raise Eun Hui-gwang.

It was only natural that Na Yeon-sil, the leader of Marumun and a ranker who made it with just a sword, was chosen.

Since Eun Hui-gwang was a warrior type, Na Yeon-sil taught him the most.

But what good are talent and a capable mentor?

The person himself has no passion.

Although Eun Hui-gwang received the expectations of Koreans, his interest was more in women than leveling up.

It was remarkable that he had already reached level 6 despite his rotten mindset.

Was it because of his EX-grade talent, despite his flawed mindset?

“He recently managed to reach level 7, thankfully.”

“That must be thanks to Lady Lakshmi’s teachings.”

After the previous conversation with Lakshmi, the government selected 100 promising individuals.

Hyun Suho was among them, and of course, so was Eun Hui-gwang.

He could still vividly remember Eun Hui-gwang's smug demeanor after the talk.

Although Eun Hui-gwang had taken a step ahead of Hyun Suho, who had just reached level 6, Hyun Suho felt relieved.

‘That’s fortunate.’

Japan and the Reus Order were targeting him. Not even Nova could figure out how many more enemies there were.

Though the government was looking after Eun Hui-gwang, he needed to become stronger himself.

So, Eun Hui-gwang reaching level 7 was good news.

But the core problem remained unresolved.

“He barely made it to level 7, but he’s become even more arrogant. He’s even skipping classes and wandering around.”

After a brief period of diligent training, he couldn’t resist his debauched tendencies and started chasing after women again.

Hearing this, Hyun Suho could only sigh.

“…But what does that have to do with me?”

“Hui-gwang seems to be particularly sensitive to news about you. In fact, the reason he quickly advanced to level 7 is because of what happened last time.”

Hyun Suho and Eun Hui-gwang were the same age.

Though he wasn’t quite a match for rankers yet, Eun Hui-gwang considered himself the leader among his peers.

Hyun Suho’s accomplishments must have been humiliating for him.

‘It’s probably because of Seo-yeon.’

Jin Seo-yeon had been more affectionate with Hyun Suho than with Eun Hui-gwang, which must have been shocking for him.

Hyun Suho still didn’t understand why women liked such a fool.

[He’s got good skills, a handsome face, and is super famous, after all.]

‘To me, he just seems like an idiot.’

[That, I agree with.]

“But recently, after the news of you defeating Butcher spread, his pride seems to have been hurt again. He’s been training hard recently.”

"That's a relief."

"But it won't last long. That's why I have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"We're planning to enter a Dimensional Gate soon. It's to help Hui-gwang grow."

It's a Dimensional Gate directly overseen by the government.

If you wanted to contract it with money, it would cost a fortune.

Even though Hyun Suho is making a lot of money from his business right now, funds quickly run out when you buy the necessary equipment and rights to dungeons.

This shows just how significant the benefits Eun Hui-gwang is receiving are.

Though it seems he's indifferent to it all.

'If it were me, I'd be bowing and saying 'thank you' while working my hardest...'

The more Hyun Suho learned about Eun Hui-gwang, the more it made him sigh.

But he couldn't just leave him be.

After all, Eun Hui-gwang was currently serving as his scapegoat.

"Do you need me for this?"

"Yes. After much consideration, we've decided to intensify the shock therapy. If, after clearing the dungeon, your contribution rate is higher than Hui-gwang's, it should motivate him."

In other words, they wanted to use Hyun Suho.

Worried that Hyun Suho might be offended, Na Yeon-sil quickly added,

"Of course, we'll compensate you generously. You'll naturally get to keep the contribution share."

It was an offer that had no downsides for Hyun Suho.

Na Yeon-sil seemed concerned that Hyun Suho might feel bad about being used, but he didn’t feel that way at all.

He always prioritized practicality.

"I'm fine with that."

"Thank you. Don't worry about the contribution rate. Other agents will secretly assist you."

Even though Hyun Suho had killed a Ranker like Butcher, people thought it was a scam.

The government seemed to think so too.

They must have assumed Hyun Suho was weaker than Eun Hui-gwang and had already made their plans accordingly.

But even that didn't bother Hyun Suho.

"Understood."

"Great. Then here’s the contract. Please read it carefully and sign it."

Hyun Suho meticulously read the contract Na Yeon-sil handed him.

As promised, it offered substantial rewards, with the contribution rate being a separate matter.

Aside from emphasizing confidentiality, it was a contract that was completely in Hyun Suho’s favor.

It would even be a great help to the Ex Machina Guild.

[There are no hidden clauses, so you can go ahead and sign it.]

At Nova’s assurance, Hyun Suho signed it right away and handed it back to her.

"Here you go. But… what kind of Dimensional Gate is it?"

"The difficulty is easy. There won't be any danger."

"And beyond that?"

The inside of a Dimensional Gate is unpredictable.

It could contain parasitic aliens or even members of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

So far, they had been lucky enough to clear them, but there was no guarantee that luck would last.

No matter how easy it was said to be.

"I'm sorry, but I can’t give you detailed information just yet. But don’t worry. We’ll handle everything, so you don’t need to be concerned."

"Is that so?"

It seemed to be a surprise show put on for the Silver Knight.

Hyun Suho thought the government would take care of it all properly.

With so much work already piled up, it seemed best not to worry about this.

He realized how big a mistake that thought was only after entering the Dimensional Gate.

* * *

The enemy was a bizarre monster.

It had a generally humanoid shape, but its entire body appeared to be made of translucent purple crystal.

It looked smooth, like it would squeak if touched.

Where its face should have been, instead of eyes, a nose, or a mouth, there were strange patterns swirling like fingerprints, with circular holes punched through in several places.

Its height was around 170 cm?

This was a monster beyond the Dimensional Gate.

Judging it by Earth’s standards was dangerous in itself.

Everyone who had entered the Dimensional Gate was a skilled government hunter.

Encountering an unknown monster, they naturally tried to carefully assess its information first.

But even that was a miscalculation.

The monster began attacking them with unbelievable strength and speed.

When it swung its hand, its fingertips had already transformed into sharp blades.

Thud!

A hunter, impaled through the stomach, stared in disbelief.

He was a powerful level 7 hunter leading the team.

Among those who had entered the Dimensional Gate, he was second in rank only to the Demoness.

And yet, he was completely overpowered by the attack.

"Captain!"

As the shocked team members rushed forward, the monster pulled the blade from his body and immediately counterattacked.

Whoosh!

The swift and sharp strike was swung with enough force to cut down everyone who was taken by surprise.

If Hyun Suho hadn't blocked it, that's exactly what would have happened.

Bang!

He felt a heavy sensation in the wrist holding his sword.

Hyun Suho had fought countless monsters, but the strength of this one was almost unparalleled.

‘This feels like… Gula?!’

Gula might have been a fool, but his destructive power was befitting of a Ranker-level strength at level 8.

And this monster they encountered in the Dimensional Gate was just as powerful.

‘Something’s wrong!’

The Dimensional Quest had started early in the morning.

From the beginning, Eun Hui-gwang had been on edge and had engaged in a mental battle with Hyun Suho.

He had been led to believe a false rumor that Hyun Suho’s talents were highly regarded, and that he would soon join the government.

Provoked, Eun Hui-gwang had gotten all riled up, which Hyun Suho found amusing.

The hunters who passed through the Dimensional Gate had split into two teams.

Eun Hui-gwang’s team and Hyun Suho’s team.

Everything had gone according to plan.

Hyun Suho thought he would just receive the promised reward and leave, but the first monster threw everything off course.

They had been proceeding smoothly when suddenly, an unusual monster had appeared out of the ground.

[That’s… a monster I’ve never seen before?]

This was the observation of a hunter who had previously scouted the inside of the Dimensional Gate.

Given the importance of the mission, it was only natural to gather as much information as possible about the situation inside the Dimensional Gate and the types of monsters that appeared.

But no one had given it much thought.

It was difficult to investigate the entire Dimensional Gate in the limited time available.

But now, it was definitely something to be concerned about.

Whoosh!

Hyun Suho quickly moved his entire body to dodge the frantically swinging attack.

The monster’s attack was as powerful as Gula’s.

The only fortunate thing was that while it was fast, its attack patterns were very simple.

It was as if a child was swinging a stick wildly without rest.

With his eyes wide open, Hyun Suho carefully observed every pattern the monster displayed.

It was strong, but not threatening.

Seizing the moment when the monster made a huge miss, Hyun Suho swiftly charged forward and swung his sword.

Clang!!!

He swung with the intent to take the monster down in one blow.

But shockingly, the creature’s body, which looked like it would shatter like glass, remained unscathed, without so much as a scratch.

“?!”

Even Hyun Suho, who had been trying to remain as calm as possible, was shocked by the monster’s hardness.

But before he could even process the shock, the monster swung its hand to attack again.

Clang!

Hyun Suho hastily raised his sword to block, but the powerful force lifted him off the ground.

His chainsword caved in, spilling out the mechanical parts inside.

“Ugh! Repair!”

He quickly repaired the chainsword, but he didn’t dare approach the monster again.

He realized the moment their weapons clashed.

That body couldn't be damaged by an ordinary impact.

The Sonic Blade might work, but…

Instead, he decided to fire the Genocide.

Pew!

At 15% output.

If this didn’t work either, the only option left would be the Sonic Blade.

Fortunately, the attack was effective this time.

The area pierced by the plasma began to melt and sag.

Though the melted part dripped down like molten glass and then solidified again, it didn’t regenerate.

The monster creaked as if its body was now difficult to move.

That was a relief.

If the creature had both immense strength and the ability to regenerate, it would have been truly troublesome.

Hyun Suho retrieved his chainsword, converting it into nanobots, and then pulled out his lightsaber.

Buzz!

He didn't know why, but plasma was effective against it.

Hyun Suho swung his lightsaber.

Bzzz!

As expected, when the powerful plasma made contact, the creature’s body was sliced.

No, “sliced” wasn’t the right word; it was more like the plasma cutter was melting it away.

Up until now, the plasma lightsaber had always cut through anything with smooth precision, but the monster’s body offered resistance.

Still, when its torso was finally split in half and it fell to the ground, it didn’t revive.

Hyun Suho approached the fallen monster and nudged it with his foot, feeling like he was kicking a glass statue filled with something solid.

“…What the hell is this thing?”

Cough!

At the unsettling sound, Hyun Suho turned around to see that a hunter who had been stabbed in the stomach was in terrible condition.

Even though others were pouring healing potions on him, the wound wasn't healing at all.

“Damn it, the healing potions aren't working! If we leave him like this, he’ll die!”

Hyun Suho approached as the panicked agent shouted.

“Let me see.”

Hyun Suho quickly tried to share his Healing Factor with the injured hunter.

Until now, his ability had been able to heal even the most serious injuries.

It was one of Nova's most powerful abilities, capable of directly intervening in external situations.

Hyun Suho trusted in this power, but to his surprise, it had no effect.

‘Even the Healing Factor isn’t working. Why not?’

[The wound is decaying faster than it can heal. This isn't a normal injury—it's more like poison or a curse.]

In other words, even if the Healing Factor was working, it couldn't keep up with the damage being inflicted.

The same likely applied to the healing potions.

After a moment of hesitation, Hyun Suho decided to use his best available option.

“Over Technology!”

This was the Over Technology skill he had previously only used to transform his chainsword into a Sonic Blade.

Even though he had reached level 6, he still lacked the stats to apply it to Genocide or Nova.

But what about the Healing Factor?

“This much should be possible!”

Perhaps it was due to Hyun Suho's determination?

When he activated the Over Technology skill, fortunately, the wound began to heal.

The dying hunter lost consciousness, but it seemed his life was no longer in danger.

“Phew!”

He finally took a breath, but there was no time to rest.

“Something is wrong. Contact someone immediately.”

At Hyun Suho's command, the agent picked up the radio.

Even if they couldn't reach the outside, they should still be able to contact Eun Hui-gwang's team.

But the only thing that came from the radio was a strange sound.

[...Help... attack...!!]

That was the last transmission.

It seemed that, like here, Eun Hui-gwang's team had also been attacked by powerful monsters.

“Damn it!”

Hyun Suho hurriedly equipped his battle suit and soared into the sky.

Maybe if he flew high enough, he could spot the other team.

But no matter how high he flew, he couldn't see them.

Instead, he saw something astonishing.

“…Are all those monsters?”

Spread out across the vast land were countless monsters glowing purple.

They appeared to have suddenly risen from the ground, just like the one earlier.

There were easily thousands of them in sight.

Monsters capable of instantly killing a level 7 hunter, and even giving Hyun Suho a hard time.

“Something's definitely wrong.”

Where did things go wrong?

Was it a mistake by the government?

Or was this, by any chance, another attempt by Japan and the Reus Knight Order to kill Silver Knight?

Hyun Suho had been keeping a close watch on them through Nova, but hadn't detected any movement.

Could their operation really have been so secretive that it even eluded Nova?

And then it happened.

Suddenly, light burst from Hyun Suho's body.

Flash!

Even though he hadn't activated any skills, a light unexpectedly appeared.

Startled, Hyun Suho reached into his pocket and pulled out the glowing object.

“This is...”

It was the item he had obtained after killing Butcher and retrieving it from Chairman Jin Seon-gil.

It looked like an ordinary book, but it was obviously no ordinary item.

No matter how hard he tried, the book wouldn’t open.

Even after he acquired it by chance, the Jinryong family didn’t know its use, so they had stored it in a warehouse.

Hyun Suho, too, had only acquired it following his foresight about the future, without knowing what to do with it.

But now, it was responding in this unexpected place.