Genius Engineer in the Labyrinth - Chapter 106
Only Noblemtl
Trading is an activity where parties try to bring about the best outcome for themselves by coordinating their differences. In most cases, the one who is in a hurry ends up losing.
“If you don’t like it, there’s nothing I can do.”
Lorenzo acted as if nothing was wrong, but Alan could sense his intentions.
Why would they suddenly bring it up? Because it is difficult to solve it on their own, or because there is too much work to do and they want to ask for help.
However, he could not entrust the job to just anyone. Lorenzo would be as picky as he was skilled. He would think that an adventurer who remembered him after a brief meeting and saw through his illusionary magic would be sufficient.
I asked slyly whether he still had feelings for her or if she was just saying it out of courtesy.
“When are you going up?”
“It’s late, so I plan to sleep in for a day.”
The sun is always shining in the primeval forest, but people try to act according to the outside time zone. According to the clock hanging on the corner of the vacant lot, it is now 7 pm.
Lorenzo shook his head after hearing the answer.
“You have the audacity to refuse. If you change your mind, you can tell me anytime before we leave.”
It was the attitude of a person who was regrettable to anyone who saw it.
Alan got up from his seat and headed to the cafeteria, which was available to him as he was nominally a guest of Lorenzo.
Foods that you would never have imagined eating in a labyrinth were laid out like a buffet. It was a part that showed the capabilities of a large corporation.
Taylor, sitting across from me, stabbed the meat with a fork.
“No matter how vast the primeval forest is, it’s still a confined space like a ship. You have to relieve stress by eating.”
“a moment ago···.”
Alan recounted the conversation he had with Lorenzo.
“Why us?”
“Where is this place?”
“It’s a research institute that explores the creatures of the primeval forest. If we conduct biological experiments here, we can do it freely without any outside interference.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if it was a research lab, brother? There are so many magicians.”
“quietly···.”
Taylor looked at Alan.
Because a wizard can become a magic engineer, but a magic engineer cannot become a wizard. One of the prerequisites was missing.
So, if you ask people to choose between being a wizard and a magic engineer, most of them would choose the former.
Taylor thought that was how Alan felt, and it was a topic he rarely brought up.
“I don’t care. I like making things, and I can do anything that resembles magic by borrowing the power of tools or automata.”
“That’s true too.”
Taylor recalled the sight he had seen in the catacombs. The method of purifying the undead, written in runes on spiders, was almost magical.
“I understand what you mean. The wizards here specialize in research and are not suited for combat. If you’re not interested, just bring some bloodsucking flower seeds and go up.”
“Are you going straight there?”
“Where?”
“That···, Western Sky.”
Alan nodded. The motion copy sensor attached to Taylor’s body also played a part in the decision…
No, it was bold. Rather, it was a measure for Taylor’s health. If there was something wrong with her body or magicware, the sensors would detect it, and Alan would know right away.
“Why did you agree right away?”
“You don’t like it?”
“No way.”
Taylor asked dubiously, but to no avail.
After finishing his meal, Alan headed back to the bench in the vacant lot. If not now, then when would he see so many wizards bustling about?
Even the wizards often went out to the open space because they didn’t like the lab. It was understandable because it was their workplace. The fatigue from working in the workspace would be enormous, so it would be much better to just breathe some fresh air.
They also knew that Alan was an outsider, but since he was always sitting there, they got used to it and didn’t even pay attention to him.
Alan was actually happier being treated like he didn’t exist. Thanks to this, he was able to see and hear conversations that were familiar to wizards but hard for outsiders to see.
There were many fun imaginations and unique ideas. Some people criticized it for being too far from reality, but Alan liked even those little details.
At that moment, a voice knocked on Alan’s eardrums.
“Team Leader···, why are you getting off···.”
This is a research lab, and each experimental subject has a team leader, so even if there are several of them, when they come down, they point to one person.
Alan turned his ear to the other side, pretending to look the other way. With his hearing enhanced, he could hear clearly.
“What did the maggots steal?”
“Oh, what did you say you were doing down there…? What did you do as a security guard?”
“It’s impossible with just maggots. They may be crazy, but they don’t even rush to find a place to die.”
“Just ‘maggots’? You mean there’s someone behind you. Who is that?”
“If you knew, report it and go on vacation to the surface.”
“What on earth is the stolen item?”
He looked around and his voice suddenly became lower. But Alan caught one word.
‘dragon’
Dragons and dragons.
The former resembled a snake, the latter a lizard. Of course, these creatures were so transcendent that even this analogy was insulting.
Unlike the underground people who are hard to find in reality, traces of dragons and dragons remained.
There were even people who specialized in finding the laboratories, treasure troves, and residences they had created.
Of course, the search was difficult. Out of 100 people who jumped in, 99 failed, and the one who was left could only find everyday items such as a dragon-used cup and dragon scale polish, making it difficult to claim that he had made any notable discoveries.
Anyway, it was enough to pique Alan’s interest. He went back to his quarters and knocked on Taylor’s door. As it happened, Shiva was inside, holding a vial of holy water.
“I wish you would delay your return a little.”
“Why? Why? Suddenly?”
Taylor reacted more violently than expected, but nodded immediately after hearing Alan’s explanation.
“Dragon? Most of the time it’s a waste, but labyrinth explorers know this and still challenge themselves. That’s a forgotten romance now.”
Taylor started with “When I was a kid~” and Shiva countered that it’s similar these days.
Alan went straight to Lorenzo.
“Have you changed your mind already?”
“I talked to my team members. If they just give me a reasonable salary….”
The word dragon made me change my mind, but it was hard to say it out loud. Fire could burst out of Lorenzo’s hands at any moment.
When Alan brought up the topic of compensation, Lorenzo nodded with a look in his eyes that said, ‘Well, that’s right.’
It would be better for both of us to think that way. How nice it would be if we could just move for an appropriate price without asking for other circumstances.
Lorenzo began to explain right away, as if time was running out.
“I was researching an object at a location where I found it, when an unidentified group attacked and stole it. Our personnel are following the door leading to the 24th floor and watching it…”
“It will be difficult.”
I couldn’t inspect every single adventurer that came and went, because that would mean fighting.
It may be possible if you are part of a smaller group than Essel Mattap or if you are a party of individuals, but in the end, the karma will come back to you.
It is a world and era where power is human rights. Now, the power of Essel Matap is high, but who knew that among those who oppressed them, one would become a superpower?
In addition, there were many forces that would enjoy the self-sufficiency of Essel Matap. Most people would feel sorry if the last place fell, but many would applaud if the first place fell. Even if it was not a fall but a scratch, they would go crazy and rush in.
“We’re checking the adventurer’s face, but that alone is a high-intensity control. So we need to resolve it quickly.”
The next day, at 4 a.m., the sun was high in the sky.
Before Taylor left, he asked Lorenzo an unexpected question.
“Can I stop by Breaker’s base?”
“For any reason?”
“As you can see, I have some luggage. I work there and know a lot of people.”
“···.”
Lorenzo’s eyes became fierce as he immediately understood what she meant.
“Don’t insult me.”
“Insult? What does keeping things have to do with insult?”
“We’ll take care of that. Even salamanders can be preserved as if they’ve just died.”
Having achieved his goal, Taylor retreated obediently. The two groups split up and moved away, and when they were quite far apart, Shiva asked.
“Brother, was it really necessary to say that?”
“Here, being too naive is a disease. No matter how kind you may seem up there, here, you have every reason to become a devil.”
“Alan?”
“yes.”
“A child who could die at the snap of a finger has a book full of valuable knowledge. What should we do?”
“I will pay for it, so please show it to me.”
“What if I say absolutely not? No matter what you do, no one will know.”
Alan thought for a moment and then answered.
“I’ll leave it there for now and attach a spider to it. It’ll be taken away soon, so I’ll read it and return it to you.”
“You shouldn’t change the question. It deviates from the original intention of the question.”
“The premise is wrong, so the answer should be appropriate. What kid these days reads a book instead of having his memory altered?”
Taylor glanced at Alan, then spoke to Shiva again.
“Anyway, be very careful. Is there a large corporation that doesn’t have any shadows? Besides, it’s impossible to collect evidence in a labyrinth.”
“I understand what you mean. The world is not easy, and just as Mother said, only power can enforce justice.”
“There is such a thing in the scriptures?”
“I suddenly realized something while meditating.”
“It’s not meditation, it’s sleep. Okay.”
Alan and Lorenzo’s group pretended not to know each other and moved in the same direction. Since there was only one door anyway, it didn’t seem strange to anyone.
Contrary to Lorenzo’s words, there was no one at the door leading to the 24th floor. The door sometimes teleported, so Lorenzo didn’t say much.
After passing the plains, Lorenzo stopped halfway up the 25th floor, where there were swamps everywhere, and waited for Allen and his party.
“Maggots. There must be some force dealing with them.”
Even if they could make a living, it was difficult to stay in the primeval forest forever. How long could people who were deeply immersed in modern civilization, if not addicted to it, endure?
If you deal with gangs, how can you be any different from maggots? Lorenzo’s words were an inconvenient truth.
As Lorenzo snapped his fingers, the man behind him came out, his back pushed forward. He looked like a rat he had caught while fishing.
“Now do your part.”
“···Fuck. Kkaaa!”
The man stumbled, clutching the back of his neck as he cursed. In the meantime, the brain expansion device had been replaced. The man could no longer escape.
“This guy will guide you. Let me explain again. The object you need to find is a 50cm long metal cylinder with a dragon engraved on it. If we get any closer, they’ll go on high alert, so we’ll wait here. If we get chased, we just need to run to here.”
Lorenzo pointed to the tree next to him. It was the largest tree on the 25th floor, so it was easy to find.
Alan passed the 25th floor and arrived at the mountainous 26th floor. The more curves there were, the harder it was to scout, which meant it was easy to hide.
Alan asked the man with his mouth tightly shut.
“We’re going to work together, so let’s get to know each other. What’s your name?”
“shut up.”
Alan showed me a device with two buttons, one with a lightning bolt on it and the other with a skull on it.
“···Gary.”
“Gary, take the lead.”
Gary stared at Alan, his eyes asking why he didn’t tell him his name, but Alan shook the device in response.
Since it started with a wrong encounter, the relationship that followed was bound to be distorted. It was fortunate that he didn’t press the button because he was bored.
“Gary.”
“···.”
“Gary?”
“why?”
“Please tell me where you are going next.”
Why is it that formal speech is more annoying? Gary answered with a deep sigh.
“There are three groups on the 26th floor.”
“There are many ugly brothers.”
Gary continued to speak obediently as Alan shook the device, gritting his teeth.
“The first place we should go is the headquarters of my organization. I’m telling you this in advance so that there won’t be any misunderstandings, but since outside guests often visit, I don’t think they’ll think it’s strange.”
End