In a sense, it felt like patching a bug or loophole.
Since anyone could use a Magic Sword.
Then theoretically, an ordinary person with a sufficient number of powerful Magic Swords could also quite easily kill deep-floor monsters, or even the powerful bosses known as Floor Masters.
In short.
In this world, it was impossible to become stronger purely by "pay-to-win."
Rich kids, no way!
Since Magic Swords wouldn't work, then naturally, his monster-killing today, which mainly relied on the explosions of the RX-78 Land Runners, wouldn't work either.
To put it bluntly, this world had quite poor compatibility with "summoning" type classes...
The reason why his Strength, Dexterity, and Agility had increased by a few points.
Thinking back.
It must have been because he killed a few monsters with his pistol when he first entered the Dungeon. After all, a pistol was also a ranged weapon like a "bow and crossbow."
Makes sense!
El quickly figured it out.
The so-called [Ability Values] were essentially a kind of "record."
How many times an adventurer swung their sword today, how much damage they took, how many times they dodged attacks, how many precise strikes they landed on a monster's weak points, how many times they used magic...
The Divine Falna recorded these actions and transformed them into [Ability Values].
In short—it materialized the rewards of hard work.
But no matter what, the prerequisite for hard work was that the person had to at least move first, even if it was just taking a beating.
But without a doubt.
His "monster farming" today was truly, genuinely standing in place without moving at all.
He even handed the remote control to Miss Lunoire to press the button several times.
He was purely just keeping his head down and picking up magic stones the whole time...
To put it plainly.
"To this world, a Mechanic can be seen as a Blacksmith. No matter how many monsters are slain by the weapons made by a Blacksmith, it won't be credited to the Blacksmith themselves to increase their [Ability Values]."
"I see..."
He finished summarizing to himself.
Well then.
El felt that since he understood where the problem lay, what he needed to do next was actually simpler...
...
Late at night.
El lay in bed, looking at the dim stars and moon outside the window, lost in thought.
Before going to bed, Demeter had gently comforted him.
Things like "Everyone in our Familia is like this," "Maybe El has talents other than being an adventurer," and "Do you want to try opening a shop? Mama will sponsor you, it's okay if you lose money, the Familia has money!"
She probably thought he was sad because he went to the Dungeon for a whole day but came back with only single-digit ability value increases.
El actually didn't feel much about it.
He was actually more curious about the status board unlocked after receiving the Divine Falna.
According to Demeter.
Before the gods descended to the lower world, people were also fighting monsters. It's just that without the Divine Falna, people led by heroes had to pay a considerable price in casualties to defeat the monsters.
Of course, legend has it that there were exceptionally talented heroes who, relying on the blessings of spirits, even managed to injure the legendary monster, the Black Dragon, blinding one of its eyes.
The arrival of the gods changed everything.
Anyone could receive the Falna and become an adventurer. Although there were so-called talent limits, it was an indisputable fact that it allowed ordinary people to easily deal with monsters.
"After receiving the Falna, as long as you work hard, you can become stronger, and even break through your own limits. In a sense, isn't this like giving ordinary people a cheat code?"
So.
Why?
Does divine power strengthen the body?
Why does leveling up allow one's "vessel" to sublimate along with it, breaking the body's limits?
What is the deal with the so-called Development Abilities and Skills?
Why can one easily master magic?
Everything made El curious.
Therefore, as an experiment with himself as the subject, El wanted to experience what it felt like after leveling up.
Especially.
Demeter had said.
[The higher the level, the closer one gets to the gods.]
It could even extend one's lifespan. It was said that Finn, the Captain of the Loki Familia, was in his forties, but his appearance was that of a young Pallum.
This made El even more curious.
"In that case..."
He quickly sat up from the bed. Since he couldn't gain ability values by using robots, he would just have to be a bit more hands-on.
This wasn't a difficult task for El either.
"I'm heading to the workshop."
[Understood.]
[Command input complete, dimensional space opening.]
Following the cold, mechanical female voice.
An azure doorway unfolded before El's eyes. Stepping inside, pure white light illuminated the cold steel walls and floor.
R-Series and G-Series robots were piled up like mountains on both sides, sorted into categories.
Countless Air Combat Mechs hung in the launch bays.
Not far away, on the fully automated production assembly line, unassembled parts of various war machines rested on the conveyor belts. As long as he was willing to start it, hundreds of drones, Vipers, and humanoid combat mechs would be continuously produced by the hour.
Not to mention the ammunition depot, which was already filled with so much ordnance that he didn't even know how many years it would take to use it all up...
This was El's War Machine Workshop.
To cope with the war against Bakal, the Empyrean resistance fighters once worked day and night to produce enough weapons and ammunition to sustain the war for hundreds of years.
After the victory.
A portion of the "inventory" was sealed in El's mechanical workshop—after all, Mechanics in Empyrean who mastered dimensional space technology were truly few and far between.
Besides the aforementioned daily "consumables."
In the center of the mechanical workshop, within that circular space hundreds of meters deep.
A brownish-yellow, super-massive mecha stood silently, like an ancient and sacred steel statue.
El came here tonight.
To find some "antiques," or rather, some "novice weapons" he had used when he first arrived in Empyrean.
That was quite a long time ago.
Thinking this.
With the help of the mechanical assistant, El finally dug out two somewhat heavy, rusty items from a corner of the workshop.
[M-137 Gatling Gun].
And.
[M-3 Flamethrower].
The most basic heavy equipment in Empyrean; everyone knew how to use them, and they were effective for everyone.
"I haven't used them in so long, they definitely need some repairs."
"Oh right, I can prepare some Silver Bullets..."
"I have enough bullets, so which guns should I take to the Dungeon tomorrow?"
El's thoughts drifted as he began walking towards the workroom under the cold light.
Tonight.
He would probably have to keep busy for a little while before going to sleep...
<><><><><><><><><><><>
Good Reviews/Ratings are greatly appreciated
Drop some POWERSTONES to push the story forward!