Genius Engineer in the Labyrinth - Chapter 104
Only Noblemtl
“It strongly resists the magic power injected. It is at least at depth 3.”
He could be stronger now that he’s out of the depth 5 estimated Lorenzo. Or he could have a secret weapon that could fool even him.
“It would have been a headache if we had been ambushed. But I didn’t know they would monopolize the tea for me···.”
“If you want to fool your enemies, you have to fool your allies as well. If you had shown even the slightest strange behavior, I would have been suspicious even if Mr. Shiba was there.”
There certainly were stereotypes about priests, so even a man who was assumed to be a maggot would have drank the drink offered without hesitation.
Poison was a traditional assassination method that even those who Taylor considered troublesome could easily catch if they let their guard down.
As long as humans exist, it will continue to exist. As long as we are born as living beings, it is difficult to respond when a substance that destroys the body penetrates inside.
The man whose eyes were spinning around would occasionally have fits, and foam would constantly bubble up from his mouth.
“If he had been an ordinary person, he would have died from respiratory distress due to muscle paralysis. He is still far from regaining consciousness, so let’s wait and see.”
“yes.”
There was still work to be done, so it was difficult to take the man back right away. At least the buds of the bloodsucking flower had to open or the seeds had to form.
Alan instructed the box to watch the man who was tied up tightly. The box, which was lying on its stomach, was not interested in living things, so it did not even try to poke him gently.
Alan crossed to the tree with the salamander, and Taylor, who had come with him, also cast his fishhook back into the swamp.
“Mr. Lorenzo is a wizard, so he must have strong magical powers, so how did he escape?”
“There is one way to guess. It is the method of the ghost.”
“It definitely seems like a name that originated from the Eastern Continent.”
“That’s right. It’s a technique that disguises oneself as a hibernating animal. Like an animal in hibernation, one’s breathing and heartbeat slow down significantly, allowing one to survive for several days on a small amount of calories, and for experts, even up to a month.”
“You must have lasted a week in the water, or maybe even in the mud. Being tough is an advantage in the fight for survival.”
Looking at another tree, Shiva was placing his hand on the man’s chest. He should not die from respiratory distress, so he is only treating that part.
“Mr. Lorenzo told me to go back because it was dangerous. What did he mean?”
“We’ll find out when he wakes up. Or maybe he was just trying to scare me.”
The next day.
The man woke up when the blood-sal-lily flower, which grew on the nutrients of the emperor salamander, was in full bloom.
The man opened his eyes and shouted. He must have known that if his voice was too loud, the swamp creatures would gather, so he adjusted the volume appropriately.
The group was once again swarmed by a tree. The man looked as if he had been captured by a kidnapper and locked in a trunk. To anyone who didn’t know the situation, Allen and his group were the worst villains in the world.
“Are you guys crazy? No, you’re maggots! Are you trying to roast me and eat me because you don’t have enough food to eat?!”
“It must be you. Lorenzo told me.”
Taylor returned an answer that was a clever mix of truth and lies. The man’s expression turned cold as soon as he heard the name ‘Lorenzo’. Even if he wore a mask, the change would be less than that.
The newspaper was taken over by Taylor.
“name.”
“···.”
“Is that a maggot?”
“···.”
“The right to remain silent is a waste for guys like you. Are you still having trouble understanding the situation?”
Taylor knew several ways to open her closed lips like a gate, but she was reluctant because Alan and Sheba were watching.
If I left it to Allen, he would probably torture me with water or burn me with a blank expression, but I felt a little uneasy about leaving it to him.
As the wrinkles on his forehead deepened, Alan suggested.
“Let’s not waste our energy on this kind of thing and take it upstairs. The Essel Tower also has a small research base on the 23rd floor. If you leave it there, Mr. Lorenzo will take care of it.”
“He chased after me, so there must be something wrong with him… But now you are right.”
Although Lorenzo had not formally requested it, he was in a position to return the favor with a proper reward if he showed sincerity. Judging from the way the man’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, it seemed like a good choice.
Another day has passed.
The bloodsucking flowers have withered and seeds have formed, so the purpose has been achieved. If it weren’t for the salamander, I would have had to stay much longer.
We were able to leave quickly by living simply and not setting up camp.
Taylor absorbed the magic stones he collected while fishing into his compass. When fish in the primeval forests hold magic stones, they grow much larger than their species, which makes them taste better and makes them easier to distinguish.
“Then shall we go?”
Taylor rowed the raft the way he had come. The man who had been growling in the tree was quiet. He probably would have been more likely to be swarmed by animals if he made a fuss, and since he was tied up, there was a high chance he would be thrown into the water.
Before passing through the door, Alan looked at the emperor salamander, which was only breathing faintly. Unlike the commercial ones, the cultivated blood salamander mercilessly absorbed the life force of its host.
The struggling guy closed his eyes as he passed through the door. He looked as comfortable as if he was sleeping. In this way, when a monster or animal in the labyrinth crossed a floor, it lost its life or stopped functioning.
The knight automaton that Alan met early in his life as an explorer was, in that sense, a peculiar being. However, it was only a matter of probability, and in the entire labyrinth, it did appear occasionally.
The salamander was wrapped in a cloth with anti-corrosive properties and handed to the box. Behind the box, a floating wagon connected to the creature’s power followed it.
The 24th floor had an overwhelming proportion of grassland, unlike the 23rd floor, which had many peaks and forests, and the 25th floor, which was full of swamps.
The meaning was that it could be seen clearly from a distance.
Alan looked at the man, noticing the dots approaching from afar and growing larger. He felt like a child trying to hide his mistake.
“Is there a traffic light?”
“Do you understand now? It’s too late.”
The man had a proud expression on his face.
“If it was a magical tool like that, I would have caught it already, so they would have been waiting here for you.”
“Does it matter? If you let me go now, I’ll spare your life. You’re a magic engineer, so follow us.”
“Unfortunately, I am a freelancer so I do not accept scout offers.”
Alan gestured to the box. The guy quickly figured out his master’s intentions and lifted the man up with his pincers, holding him forward like a shield.
“I’ve been curious for a long time, but let’s see what the maggots’ loyalty is like.”
“This, this cruel···.”
Whether the man was shaking or not, the box never loosened its posture.
In the meantime, the dots had come close enough to be distinguishable. I thought it was riding an automaton or something because of its mobility, but it was actually riding a creature from the primeval forest, a woolly rhinoceros at that.
Alan looked at the man for a moment. How could he have tamed a creature that would kill an explorer if he met him? He was squealing, as if he didn’t want to be the cannon fodder.
Whether he screamed or not, Alan stretched his arms forward. The cluster bomb that had been loaded last time was now free.
The fireworks flew in a parabolic arc and a display that could be enjoyed even in broad daylight was displayed.
Of course, the people below didn’t have time for that. The flames didn’t go out, but settled down around them.
The equipment was scorched, and the rhinoceros’ fur caught fire. The tamed rhinoceros rolled on the ground in pain. It was only natural that the rider on its back was flattened.
Taylor asked in a slightly tired voice as he prepared for battle.
“You say it’s a cluster bomb? The fire won’t go out?”
“I also mixed in a little bit of white phosphorus. It burns well because I added a lot of magic stone powder.”
The man was unsure whether he should be sad that his comrades were dead or glad that he no longer needed to act as a shield.
The cluster bombs had taken out a significant portion of the enemy, but many maggots still remained. They made their way through the flames to get close.
At the same time, I could feel the vibration. It was Terragula, the mole that creates the ant hell.
The mole was aiming for Alan. Taylor, who was cutting one of the riders in half, tried to come towards him, but Alan shook his head.
And then the ground sank and his body slid down. Terragula, located in the middle of the ant pit, aimed its sharp claws at Alan’s body.
Kagakak!
The honeycomb-shaped magic barrier repelled the claws. Since it did not touch the armor, there was no chance of sparks flying.
Alan tried to grab the guy’s claws, but he had been a clumsy boy since he was a kid. It was hard to grab him even though he was clearly in front of him.
“after···.”
I sighed secretly and slammed my body into the mole. Even though it was a clumsy move, the massive weight and output of the power suit were applied, and the mole was thrown out as if it had been pulled out.
Alan grabbed the guy’s foot while he was mounted, and snapped his claw. The rock-crushing claw snapped like a corn stalk.
Would you wear a power suit just for show? The word ‘power’ in the name wasn’t just added on for no reason.
The artificial muscles hidden under the outer armor wrapped around the wearer’s entire body, cushioning shock and generating several times more power with the same movements.
When Alan pulled out his claw and stuck it into the mole’s neck and escaped the anthill, the surviving maggots were already running away.
The loyalty of the maggots was just at this level. They gathered because they had the same purpose, but their own lives were always the top priority.
I would have liked to go after them, but I lacked the mobility to chase after the enemies who were scattered and running away in all directions.
As we got closer to the 23rd floor, the man whose name I had not yet revealed was sweating profusely. He asked for a deal, as if he did not want to meet Lorenzo.
“Do you know why Lorenzo wanted to capture me? If you release me, I will teach you the art of taming…”
“Just a moment.”
Alan covered the man’s mouth and thought for a moment before speaking.
“Rather than having that kind of technology, he probably borrowed the power of the ruins or Ooparts. Maybe that’s one of the reasons Mr. Lorenzo came down. He attacked the ruins or stole the Ooparts, which just so happened to belong to Essel Matap. The attempt to sow discord was good.”
Objects that had a designated owner were to be treated like stones, not treasures. Greed tends to bring about greater trouble, and the skill of taming them was too conspicuous.
Even Ethel Matapju was a man of equal power as Chairman Jake Marshall. If he fell out of favor, he could disappear without anyone noticing.
Alan’s guess was almost right, as the man made a shit-eating expression and closed his mouth like he had at first.
Alan asked Taylor quietly.
“If I ask you to let me see the ruins and Ooparts as compensation for capturing that man, will you grant my request?”
“Will it work?”
“If you persuade them well, you never know. I’m curious to see what kind of mysterious power they have to deal with the monsters in the labyrinth. If you ask them for detailed information, they’ll refuse, but if you ask them to just show you the outside…”
“Well.”
Taylor was oddly negative. He remained silent as they moved, but opened his mouth again when he saw the door leading to the 23rd floor.
“Let’s say Lorenzo gives permission. Then what about the pharmaceutical workshop?”
Taylor glanced at the man. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to hear. He didn’t want to reveal the location of the magic wand to those dirty ears.
For that reason, I couldn’t see the strange light that was flashing in Alan’s eyes.
“It’s a seed, so it’s okay to go slowly.”
“Then let’s use it. We need to think about possible variations as well.”
“It’s an item with a strange expiration date, so it’ll be fine.”
Taylor called for reinforcements at his stubborn attitude. He touched Shiva’s side as if to say something too.
“Will a simple prayer suffice? Holy water?”
“Formal prayer to mother···.”
Taylor’s expectant expression.
“···It doesn’t matter where, as long as you give it to me in your dreams.”
It’s broken.
The tied man muttered as he watched the friendly sight.
“I didn’t even see that kid’s face, and they decided among themselves and fell asleep… Whew!”
The man who had been slapped in the ear by the leopard’s paw spat out a hard, white piece. Alan advised him.
“Be careful, I ordered you to hit me if you speak without permission. It’s a shame that your teeth are gone, but they can be put back in, right?”
I got even angrier when he spoke to me formally. But I endured it because my jaw hurt from the blow I received earlier.
End