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Humans are weak.

In terms of muscle power or instant acceleration, they are infinitely lacking compared to other animals.

Even when compared to orangutans, which are also primates, their strength is not comparable.

Physical abilities themselves are significantly lower than those of other animals.

…However, even such weak humans possess superior abilities over other animals.

It’s precisely their throwing ability.

After all, even the most skilled stone-throwing chimpanzee, aside from humans, has a hit rate of less than 10% when targeting a goal the size of a plastic bottle from a distance of 2 meters.

They’re far behind when compared to humans, who can throw a baseball at a speed of 145 km/h right into the strike zone.

Moreover, humans excel in thermal management.

While other animals must simply cool down, humans use a liquid cooling system that expels “sweat,” allowing them to exhibit superior endurance in activities like long-distance running.

Considering these points, we can define humans as:

“A long-range dealer with great endurance.”

In other words, the “Iron Man” is the ultimate evolutionary form that humans can reach.

It can be seen as the pinnacle of “tools” and “energy management systems.”

“Phew…”

A long monologue grounded in the physical superiority of humans leading up to Iron Man.

The reason for my deep breath is that today is an incredibly important day.

It’s right at the brink of obtaining the key that will lead to the “final version” of the suit.

[Lv.3_Hand Technique – Required Experience 0.1%]

[Lv.3_Engineering Thought – Required Experience 0.15%]

As you can see, it’s merely one step away from upgrading ‘Hand Technique’ and ‘Engineering Thought’ to level 4.

If I create just one piece of equipment applying ‘new materials,’ I’ll level up and gain experience.

“After all, new materials were the answer.”

Hand Technique and Engineering Thought had remained at level 3 for several months.

Even when I built the Dreadnought, these two skills didn’t budge at all, but once I applied ‘new material’ to create equipment, the experience started pouring in right away.

It had been merely “one month” since I returned to the Empire after concluding my expedition.

“How relatable.”

And this exponential growth wasn’t the result of some loophole or coincidence.

By applying the totally new materials obtained through ‘Decomposition/Synthesis’ to the suit and adding the ‘Invisibility’ function, I gained a large amount of experience as a reward.

After all, applying new materials to the suit required meticulous hand skills and technical thought.

“It wasn’t easy.”

The invisibility function of the suit.

I recalled all the shenanigans I had gone through to implement this.

Just thinking about it sent shivers down my spine from the continuous days of hardship.

No matter how much I tried to synthesize the skins or shells of monsters with invisibility functions and combined them with ‘iron’, I just kept failing.

So, I thought back to how the ‘Iron Egg’ had succeeded.

I scrutinized the gap between my initial success and my ongoing failures.

‘…There’s a plausible possibility.’

As a result, I concluded that there exists a ‘plausible possibility.’

In other words, I instinctively knew that egg shells could combine with iron powder, but I couldn’t grasp the potential of combining the shells of invisibility monsters with iron.

Because I knew that the main component of egg shells is calcium carbonate, which is similar to cement, yet I knew nothing about the stealth monsters in this world.

To be frank, I was knowledgeable only about modern sciences; I’d never seriously researched the monsters in this realm.

“I was complacent.”

So I reflected on my complacent attitude.

I wanted to reflect on my approach of relying on the loophole of ‘Decomposition/Synthesis’ as a scientist and engineer, and to properly understand the mechanism.

I began researching the invisibility monsters.

As a result, I discovered that monsters achieve invisibility not by changing the color of their skin itself, but by altering the “light that reflects off their skin.”

This means that with each force applied to the skin, the nanocrystals of the red pigment in the skin cells’ cytoplasm change structure to selectively reflect light of specific wavelengths.

-What a ridiculous mechanism.

And as soon as I grasped that principle, I had a gut feeling.

That applying an invisibility function to my suit would not be as straightforward as I had thought.

After all, for the skin to absorb and emit specific wavelengths in exact unison with its surroundings, a significant brain processing function is required.

In other words, the core of invisibility isn’t ‘skin that can refract and reflect light,’ but rather a ‘processing unit’ that can detect surrounding colors in real-time and emit light accordingly.

-Aah!! My head’s gonna explode!!

At that moment, my personality soured.

I looked so irritable that even Elena was careful around me.

But on the flip side, I could have time to cultivate myself.

Perhaps my ability to come this far was all thanks to the ‘mechanical design blueprints’ and ‘modern knowledge.’

Of course, that alone wasn’t an easy feat, so I’m not demeaning my past actions… But in any case, it’s true that I was getting comfortable with reality.

With the steel mill and shipyard, didn’t I mistakenly think I had grown immensely just by building the Dreadnought?

In reality, I had merely mimicked modern knowledge.

“No wonder I wasn’t gaining experience.”

So I accepted it.

Growth must inevitably come with pain and anguish, and only after this can enlightenment be gained.

An engineer who doesn’t ponder can never progress.

-I’m gonna do it no matter what.

So, I began devoting myself to creating the ‘processing unit’ with determination and intensity.

I tried combining all modern engineering and magical engineering, searching for ways to instantly recognize the changes in light and relay that value.

-Damn, finally!!

Three weeks had passed since I had earned the nickname ‘Dark Ed.’

At last, I was able to construct the processing unit.

Recently, applying ‘ancient magic formulas’ Elena started researching, I solved the issue of ‘real-time light detection.’

-Now, the remaining part is new materials.

Now, what remains is a material that can absorb and emit light based on the values received from the processing unit.

Yet as I pondered the ‘plausible possibility,’ I questioned whether it was feasible to have a material that could emit light freely while also being tough.

Could there really be a material with such a complicated mechanism in this world?

‘Impossible.’

There isn’t.

Creating such a cheat-like new material is impossible.

So I shifted my thoughts to ‘new materials that change their properties depending on the situation.’

In other words, I envisioned a material that weakens when in stealth mode but returns to titanium alloy once the stealth is released.

After all, if perfect invisibility is possible, there shouldn’t be a situation of getting attacked.

So, I imagined a new material amenable to both stealth mode and standard mode, placing the harvested monster skins and titanium alloys before me.

Then, I executed a synthesis using all the ‘entropy’ obtained from dismantling various items.

And then—

-Ding!

[You have obtained Ghost Switching Titanium Alloy!]

Finally, I secured the desired new material.

I had acquired titanium alloy that changes its properties based on purpose.

-Ding!

[Achieved ‘Trinity’ achievement!]

[This is a technology perfectly interacting with modern engineering, magical engineering, and magic! You gain a large amount of experience!]

And as I swapped the suit to the new material and connected the processing unit, I received a message that I had achieved the ‘Trinity’ accomplishment.

Thanks to having grown in the proper direction that the system demanded.

“Phew…”

And now.

I stand at the precipice of leveling up Hand Technique and Engineering Thought to level 4.

Once I complete the ‘invisible chainsaw’ I am developing, I will achieve level 4 along with a surge in experience.

-Tick.

Thus, I applied the formula scroll and completed the ‘invisible chainsaw.’

At that, a message indicating experience gained appeared, accompanied by a golden light radiating forth.

[The level of ‘Hand Technique’ has risen to level 4!]

[The level of ‘Engineering Thought’ has risen to level 4!]

The message that appeared before me indicated that both skills have reached level 4.

With my heart pounding, I waited for the results of this level-up.

When I reached level 3, I obtained ‘Fix’ and ‘Hologram,’ so I couldn’t help but anticipate this time as well.

-Ding!

[Due to the level-up of Hand Technique, you can perform more refined tasks. ‘Remote Control’ is activated, enabling control at a nanoscopic level.]

Thus, with the level rising in Hand Technique, I gained a new ability: ‘Remote Control.’

As I read the rough description, it mentioned a technology that allows controlling a holographically manifested hand to create equipment.

In other words, since it’s not a physical hand, but rather one that can change its shape at any time, it could do meticulous work down to the nanoscopic level.

-Ding!

[With the level rise of Engineering Thought, you can add ‘Instance’! Utilize your brain’s imaginations as virtual memory to activate ‘Edgar Fix Avatar.’]

Then the next message stated that I could add my virtual avatar.

In simpler terms, I could upload another version of me to my brain and discuss matters with it.

Moreover, since I could operate it even in the ‘deep consciousness’ corresponding to the brain’s background, I could task the avatar with solving problems while I worked on other things.

Indeed, my productivity would multiply several times over.

“With this much…”

It won’t be long before I reach the awaited ‘perfect form.’

I would be able to freely fly without relying on things like three-dimensional motion devices, maximizing my mobility to the extreme.

-Ding!

But by this point, I had no idea at all.

That the ‘Remote Control’ and ‘Instance’ I had just seen were merely appetizers.

The main dish, the core reward, would reveal itself in the messages to come.

[Both Hand Technique and Engineering Thought have reached their maximum level!]

-Ding!

[As a reward, all attributes of Edgar Fix are transferred to the collaborative robot ‘Fix,’ significantly enhancing its performance!]

-Ding!

[The collaborative robot ‘Fix’ is upgraded to the android assistant robot ‘Eve Fix’!]

 

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