I Became an Illegal Cheat User

80 – The 9th Subjugation Unit (4)

Following the proverb that says to strike while the iron is hot, I made my way to Winry’s room.

– Y-Youjin? What brings you here so suddenly… Ahh!

I couldn’t tell what she was doing, but it seemed she didn’t expect my sudden visit, as a loud clatter echoed from inside the room.

It appeared she had been working on something and had dropped her creation due to my unexpected arrival.

‘Oh… please tell me she’s not telling me to get lost.’

Despite the initial buff of goodwill from my parents’ reputation, Winry has a pathological aversion to being interrupted when she’s in the middle of creating something.

Given that, I thought that my request for synthesis crafting might not go well today… just as that thought crossed my mind.

Click.

The lock on the door was released.

– C-Come in.

And fortunately, instead of telling me to get lost, I received permission to enter.

‘…I can’t believe I’m entering Winry’s room with permission instead of breaking in.’

Typically, the way to enter Winry’s room is not through ‘permission’ but through ‘trespassing.’

In other words, one has no choice but to sneak in like a thief.

This is understandable, as Winry allows no one inside her room except for Kali and Gray.

Of course, one could build up affection using the game’s affection system, but… unlike other characters, Winry cannot have her affection fully maxed out.

No matter how many gifts the player showers her with or how many affection quests they complete, it never exceeds 60%.

Thus, the only way for a player to enter Winry’s room is to occasionally, very occasionally, sneak in when she is away.

Yet, despite having known her for only an hour… no, it hadn’t even been thirty minutes, I had somehow gained the right to enter her room with her permission.

‘Is this what they mean by parental reputation?’

I couldn’t help but marvel as I opened Winry’s door.

What greeted me was a chaotic scene filled with various machines, guns, and materials, just as I had seen in the game.

And amidst it all, Winry approached me, her face slightly flushed, dragging her white lab coat that didn’t quite fit her frame.

“…Youjin, what’s going on? Why did you come to see me so suddenly?”

Without hesitating, I dove straight into the main topic at her question.

“Winri, I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor?”

“Yes, only you can do it….”

“No.”

…What!

She said no right away?

I looked at Winri with a face full of disappointment.

‘Wasn’t there a starting affection buff?’

No, that can’t be right.

There must be a starting affection buff.

That’s why I ended up in Winri’s room.

‘But to refuse without even hearing what the favor is…’

So, she’s okay with me entering the room, but not with synthesizing items?

‘Ah… this is bad.’

I had thought long and hard about what items to synthesize.

But it seems I can’t do it right now.

No, will I be able to do it later?

It makes sense, though. No matter how esteemed my parents are, she might feel uncomfortable with me asking for a favor on the very first day.

So, Winri could very well reject me, affection buff or not…

“I don’t like being called Winri.”

…That wasn’t it.

What? It’s not that she doesn’t want to grant my favor, but that she doesn’t like being called Winri?

I let out a sigh of relief internally and chuckled in disbelief.

“Then how about Winri unni?”

And when I called her unni, just as she wished.

“Yeah, of course, you should call me that.”

Winri nodded with a satisfied smile.

Then she pulled me over to a workbench that was even larger than the bed.

“So, what kind of equipment do you want to make?”

She asked what I wanted to create.

‘…Oh my, I can’t believe Winry is the one making the equipment first.’

With a face full of emotion, I looked at Winry and deactivated the infinite items to ‘OFF.’

Then, I opened my inventory and dumped the items I was going to synthesize onto the workbench.

“Oh, what’s this! You use guns just like Seong-jin oppa?”

Winry looked up at me with sparkling eyes, gazing at the various firearms laid out on the workbench.

‘Wow, geez… I almost reached out to pat her head.’

Having gotten into the habit of petting Asuka’s head frequently at the academy, my hand instinctively rose.

Winry’s current behavior was undeniably cute enough to be compared to Asuka’s.

“Ah, yes. Somehow, I’ve ended up using guns too.”

As I said this, Winry’s expression changed to a pout as she continued to look up at me.

…Wait, why is she suddenly acting like that?

“Um, sis? Why the sudden change in expression…?”

“I don’t like it.”

No, what is it this time that she doesn’t like?

I sighed inwardly at her reluctance to be straightforward and asked, “Sis, could you tell me what you don’t like?”

“That.”

“…That?”

“That, the formal speech.”

Ah, so she doesn’t like the formal speech?

‘…I was trying to treat her with the same respect as Gray.’

Well, it can’t be helped.

I have no choice but to do as Winry wishes.

“Then should I drop the formalities? Is it okay if I do?”

Winry blushed and nodded her head.

“Got it. Then I’ll speak informally, just like you said.”

“Yeah, that’s good.”

At my declaration of using informal speech, Winry smiled brightly and turned her head back to the workbench.

I noticed her ears were turning a bright shade of red.

[As expected, she’s a white dove.]

Suddenly, a message from Terra appeared in my view.

But for some reason, there was a hint of brusqueness in the text.

So I asked what the problem was.

[Both in appearance and behavior, she’s just like Ping-Duk.]

[I’m sure White-Duk will cling to you just like Ping-Duk does.]

‘…No way.’

Even if Winley looks like that, she’s five years older than me—definitely an older sister figure. How could she cling like Asuka?

‘And that sister is a quiet bamboo shoot who doesn’t come out of her room, unlike lively Asuka, so I doubt it.’

Then, as if to say I was wrong, Terra’s messages poured in.

[(⩌_⩌) Master.]

[Please be vigilant.]

[Ping-Duk didn’t act like that at first either.]

[But didn’t she end up clinging to you after just a few days?]

[And according to what I’ve learned, introverts tend to be more obsessive than extroverts.]

‘…Really?’

[Yes, indeed.]

[So, Master, please be careful.]

[If you continue to wander around carelessly spreading pheromones, you will eventually suffer due to the consequences of your actions.]

‘No, hey! When have I been spreading pheromones!’

[Of course, you wouldn’t have realized it.]

[But because of your unawareness, there are already three entangled because of your pheromones.]

‘…….’

I couldn’t refute Terra’s words.

I knew who those three were.

‘…But still, it can’t be Arthur, right?’

[(ಠ‸ಠ)]

‘…I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful.’

[Yes, please do.]

Nodding heavily at Terra’s heartfelt advice, I looked at Winley, who was excitedly disassembling her firearm.

Feeling my gaze, Winley looked up at me with a flushed face from excitement and spoke.

“Yujin! Where did you get this?”

Winry pointed at the disassembled Thunderbolt (A).

“This is a gun item! An A-grade one, no less!”

Winry’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“An already hard-to-find item, and it’s a firearm! An A-grade pistol, no less!”

She spoke in rapid-fire bursts, gently caressing the parts of the Thunderbolt as if it were a precious treasure.

Then she asked how I had managed to acquire it, and I pulled out the answer I had prepared in advance.

“My parents left it to me.”

“Ah….”

Winry’s hands, which had been exploring the Thunderbolt’s parts, froze.

Her face, previously flushed with excitement, quickly returned to its original color.

“…I’m sorry.”

Winry pulled her hands away from the Thunderbolt’s components.

Then, with trembling hands, she set the screwdriver down on the workbench.

Looking at me with a gloomy expression, she said, “Um, Yujin… I don’t think I can make it.”

“…Why not?”

“How can I disassemble and reassemble something that belonged to my sister and brother…?”

But the Thunderbolt was already taken apart, wasn’t it?

As that thought crossed my mind, Winry picked up the screwdriver she had just set down.

“…I’ll put it back together.”

Saying that, she truly began to reassemble the Thunderbolt, and I let out a deep sigh.

“Sis.”

I called out to Winry and grabbed her shoulder.

“…Huh?”

She turned to face me, meeting my gaze.

“Please, I beg you. Make the equipment with your own hands.”

“Uh… um…?”

Oh, please!

Please, make the synthesis!

“Upgrade my equipment!”

Is that my true intention being conveyed?

“Ah, I understand. I understand, so…”

Wynrig hastily nodded and released my hand, which she had been holding onto.

Then, with a hesitant expression, she began to examine the equipment and soon…

“Are you really going to upgrade the equipment?”

I nodded at Wynrig, who was shouting that she would disassemble and reassemble the non-inherited items left by our parents.

My serious expression seemed to have convinced Wynrig, who took a deep breath and began to take out various tools from the spatial item.

Then, with her gaze fixed on the workbench, she pointed to the door with her hand and said…

“I’ll leave it to you, so please take care of it.”

I left her room, and as soon as I did, I heard the sound of the door locking behind me.

As if waiting for that moment, Terra’s message appeared.

[White Botchi is quite professional in that aspect.]

‘No wonder they call themselves a machine artisan. When it comes to handling machines, they’re more serious than anyone.’

So, I had no choice but to expect great things.

I smiled expectantly and headed back to my room.

‘I wonder how the upgrade will turn out.’

&

It had been a week since I left the synthesis production to Wynrig.

During that time, I went on a mission to track down and hunt down the corruptors with Grey and the 9th Annihilation Squad members.

Of course, there weren’t many corruptors or villains in the city, so we operated in the outskirts where they were more active.

As I worked with the squad members, building trust and credibility, I finally received a message from Wynrig.

The synthesis production I had requested was complete.

I immediately returned to the base to check on it (I borrowed the base key from Grey).

────────────────────

【Death’s Angel (A-)】

A mini-gun crafted by a renowned artisan.

The requester’s request was fulfilled, with an extremely high level of strength.

But in proportion, the weight has increased significantly.

– When firing, ‘Armor-Piercing (B-)’ applied.

– When firing, ‘Explosive (B-)’ applied.

– Agility -12

────────────────────

────────────────────

【(Special Modification) Angel of Death (A)】

…….

[Upgraded due to the synthesis by the machinist, Winry.]

– When firing, ‘Special Armor-Piercing Round (B+)’ applied.

– When firing, ‘Special Explosive Round (B+)’ applied.

– Agility -6

────────────────────

────────────────────

「Special Armor-Piercing Round (B+)」

Grants ‘Special Armor-Piercing’ to the bullet.

Deals additional damage and fixed damage to ‘armored’ enemies.

────────────────────

────────────────────

「Special Explosive Round (B+)」

Grants ‘Special Explosive’ to the bullet.

Inflicts fire damage to ‘enemies’ while also pushing them back.

────────────────────

At last, the Angel of Death could be wielded without difficulty.

────────────────────

【Thunderbolt (A)】 [0/100]

A pistol imbued with the power of lightning.

With each shot fired, the sound of thunder reverberates.

– When firing, ‘Lightning (B)’ applied.

– When firing, ‘Pharma (B)’ applied.

– Available for use when certain conditions are met: ‘Lightning Explosion.’

– Agility +8, Magic Power +8

────────────────────

────────────────────

【(Special Modification) Thunderbolt (A)】[0/100]

…….

[Upgraded through the synthesis of Mechanist Winry.]

– When fired, applies ‘Lightning (B).’

– When fired, applies ‘Pharma (B).’

– Added rapid-fire function.

– Available for use when certain conditions are met: ‘Lightning Explosion.’

– Agility +10, Magic Power +10

────────────────────

My beloved Thunderbolt has been upgraded from a semi-automatic pistol to a submachine gun.

However, due to the lack of suitable materials for synthesis, it seems to have merged with a lower-grade submachine gun, resulting in only a slight increase in the stats of the item and the addition of the rapid-fire function.

But what does that matter?

My Thunderbolt can fire rapidly!

Anyway, the final item was a synthesis of OPG (A) and Ares Armor (A).

“Wow… insane.”

I couldn’t help but exclaim in awe at the transformation of the item’s effects.

And rightly so, because the original equipment effect of Ares Armor was.

────────────────────

【Ares Armor (A)】[0/200,000]

A suit inspired by the armor worn by Ares, the God of War.

It usually maintains a bracelet form, but when activated, it transforms into a full-body suit.

– Wearing the suit reduces incoming melee damage by 40%.

– Wearing the suit reduces incoming ranged damage by 30%.

– Wearing the suit reduces incoming elemental damage by 30%.

– Damage absorption (destroyed when absorption gauge is full)

– Item transformation function (Bracelet / Suit)

– Equipped with supporter function.

– 30% increase in health recovery.

– Underwater breathing possible.

– Self-repair.

– Health +10, Strength +10, Agility +5, Magic +5

────────────────────

It was like this, but after merging with OPG, the upgraded item showed extremely excellent performance, to the point where even the item name changed.

────────────────────

【Atlas Armor (A+)】[0/350,000]

A suit containing the power of a giant who carries the sky on his shoulders.

Just wearing the suit grants immense power.

[Upgraded through mechanical synthesis by Winry.]

– 50% reduction in close-range damage taken when wearing the suit.

– 40% reduction in long-range damage taken when wearing the suit.

– 40% reduction in attribute damage taken when wearing the suit.

– ‘Gigantic Strength (A)’ applied when wearing the suit.

– Damage absorption (destroyed when absorption gauge is full)

– 50% increase in health and magic recovery.

– Item transformation function (bracelet / suit)

– Equipped with supporter function.

– Underwater breathing possible.

– Self-repair.

– (Activated) Strength +40, Health +20, Agility +10, Magic +5

– (Deactivated) Strength +30

────────────────────

“Ah, finally.”

I’ve escaped bare-handed.