Genius Engineer in the Labyrinth - Chapter 22



Only Noblemtl

Special Individual (1)

There are intersections and dead ends in a maze, but basically there are many straight passages.

If an automaton pops out of a manhole while moving, or if you encounter one in a passageway, you must defeat it without fail.

There are ways to escape, but the vast majority of explorers who make a living hunting in mazes are slower than automatons.

It was the same for Alan, no, he was slower than average due to his excessive magical powers. That’s why his encounter with the automaton naturally led to combat.

‘It’s true that four legs are faster than two.’

Alan raised his staff and looked ahead. Three mountain goats with circular saw blades instead of curved horns were charging forward in a single file.

Various!

Wheeing!

The sound of metal hooves and saw blades was scary enough to make your hair stand on end. If Alan allowed the ram to charge, he would be turned into a piece of meat.

“Deer, forward. Pig, stand by.”

A deer stood in the middle of the passage, shooting its small horns like bullets. A wild boar blocked Alan’s path, preparing for an emergency.

As the distance between the mountain goats approached.

“firing.”

The drill-like horn flew out with fierce momentum. Normally, the wire between the horn and the head would restrict the actions of the attacked enemy.

Card grab!

They couldn’t properly stop the mountain goats charging at them with their massive mass. The deer’s smooth armor turned into scrap metal, sending sparks flying high enough to reach the ceiling.

Even as he watched the deer he was with being torn to pieces, Alan didn’t even blink an eye and calmly pointed the mountain goat on the left with the laser pointer.

“Pig. Charge.”

The boar that had been guarding Alan ran at full speed toward the mountain goat, which had its flank exposed. Just before engaging, it lowered its head slightly and exposed its strong head armor.

Kyaang!

The very clear sound told me that the hit was accurate. The boar charged again at the mountain goat that had been pushed back to the wall.

One of the mountain goats that had killed the deer tried to attack its hind legs with a rotating saw blade, but was silenced and unable to achieve its goal due to Allen’s magic bullets.

Kwajik!

The goat, the boar’s target, was reduced to a flat piece of scrap metal between the wall and its solid head. The cables and circuits inside its body flowed out like intestines.

But there were three goats from the beginning, and the remaining one charged towards Alan.

I got close enough that I could feel the wind from the saw blade on my skin.

Even in a crisis situation, Alan maintained an indifferent look and expression. Instead, he turned on the laser pointer with a calm hand gesture.

“Ask.”

As soon as the order was given, something crouching in the darkness pounced on the mountain goat. It bit the neck exactly where the red dot was pointing and shook its head violently.

When the saw blade, which he thought would spin forever, stopped, Alan turned his head to the side. The light from the headlamp illuminated the leopard still chewing on the cable.

“Come here.”

The leopard and the wild boar followed orders obediently, but the torn deer did not.

Alan crouched down and examined the goat’s neck. It was much better to use a laser pointer to pinpoint the exact location of the attack rather than just giving verbal commands.

Alan, who had been collecting the loot while struggling, connected the cart to the boar.

Squeak squeak!

The wild boar with its broken leg made a creepy sound whenever it moved and also limped.

“Cheer up. Just a little further and you’ll be able to rest.”

Alan spoke even though he knew there would be no response. He was also talking to himself.

Originally three people traveled together, but now there is only one, so the loot has tripled, but the danger has also tripled.

High risk and high return is a truth that applies in every field.

Of course, my fatigue also tripled, and if it weren’t for the red flowers, I might have only been able to do it in a day due to my physical limitations.

After walking a little further, we came across a place to rest. A group of labyrinth explorers were gathered together in a large open space.

Alan leaned against the cart near the path leading from the fifth to the sixth floor, where explorers usually call the campsite.

Since there was a limit to how much could be carried, instead of moving the entire shell, I first took the magic stone, soul stone, and integrated circuit, and thanks to that, there was still some room in the cart.

‘There is still some space inside, so the leopard···.’

The leopard was slightly dented here and there by the automaton’s attack, but [Hardening] protected the inside, so there was no problem in fighting.

If we had believed in the runes and kept only the leopard in front, it would have been destroyed already, but with the addition of the automaton, the probability of that happening has decreased significantly.

Alan removed the armor of the boar-like automaton and moved the rune pen.

This guy took the vanguard, and the leopard took advantage of the gap. To be honest, he was the third generation, following the already famous scarab and deer.

It could be made much stronger by using advanced materials, but it is very unfortunate that conditions do not allow for this yet.

After finishing the repairs, Alan ordered the boar to walk slowly. The squeaking joints had softened.

“Enough. Sit down.”

The leopard and the boar that had been standing on Alan’s horse sank to the ground. In this way, the wagon, the leopard, and the boar formed a triangle and surrounded Alan.

“after···.”

Alan took a deep breath and wiped the sweat dripping down his face.

It was always like this when dealing with runes or stars. Because it required careful handling and precise magical control, my physical strength and stamina were constantly being depleted.

In addition, Alan had hypermania, so he had to put in several times more effort to control it.

In other words, it meant that Alan could perform this well even while wearing chains.

Alan, exhausted from overworking his brain and hands, prepared a meal.

The energy bars I carry around to reduce bulk are a compressed lump of nutrients, so they are tasteless and hard, but if I put them in water and boil them with seasoning, they are somehow edible.

Since the labyrinth was basically cool without any heat source, drinking the boiled soup had the additional effect of warming up the tired body.

Next, I took out a water bottle that looked like a thermos from my backpack. Inside the magical tool that used [Condensation] and [Purification] together, called the Water Generator, there was a dripping sound of water.

‘I wonder when I’ll be able to make two runes interact with each other…’

When Alan took out the pot from his backpack and tilted the water bottle over it, the refreshing drinking water flowed out.

‘Next it’s your turn to place the pot on the stand and pop the energy bar in.’

Finally, he placed the iron plate with [Flame] written on it under the pot and stimulated it with his fingers filled with magical power.

Hurrah!

The dull stone walls of the labyrinth were bathed in bright light, and warmth lingered in the damp air. As the warmth settled into my cold lungs, my body felt lighter.

As I was crushing the energy bar that was starting to get mushy with my spoon, someone spoke to me from far away.

“If you’re a magic engineer, can I ask you a favor?”

“What may I ask you?”

One of the rules of the labyrinth is not to get too close to other parties or people. The middle-aged man, who followed this rule well, scratched his head when Alan responded.

“We were fighting earlier, and the automaton fell onto the backpack, but the water tank was broken, so I was wondering if I should go upstairs. Then I happened to see you repairing the automaton.”

Alan saw a slightly broken water generator and a group of men waiting for an answer in the distance.

Although there is a means of supplying drinking water at the bottom of the maze, there is no water source in the maze between the 1st and 10th floors.

Besides, labyrinth exploration is tiring, and considering everyone’s schedule, it might be difficult to reach the target amount if you go up now and get a water generator.

In a situation where neither one nor the other is possible, I met a magic engineer and so I am holding out hope.

Alan nodded, knowing that fact well.

“I understand the situation. Leave it there so I can check to see if it’s something that can be fixed.”

“thank you.”

As the man slowly approached, placed the water generator on the floor and stepped back, this time Alan picked it up and returned to its original position.

I activated my left eye’s clairvoyance and examined what part was damaged. Unlike Alan’s, only [Condensation] was engraved on it, and the purification was handled by the filter inside.

‘The runes are intact, the other parts are···.’

As Alan slowly looked around, the man looked curiously at the leopard and wild boar standing there as if guarding Alan.

“Is it possible for a magic engineer? As far as I know, it’s said to be the worst in terms of cost-effectiveness···.”

“I agree with that point. But it does make some profit.”

It was a method that Alan would not have tried if he had not had hypermania. If he really did, he would have been able to earn much more money by working part-time.

While accepting the words, Alan found the cause of the problem and took out his rune pen to reconnect the severed magic circuit.

A very simple process, put into words, was a tree that men could not climb. If everyone could do it in the first place, the profession of magic engineer would not have existed.

There are many criteria for distinguishing between a general magic user and a magic engineer, but the basic requirements for magic perception and magic control are different.

When Alan finished his repairs and tilted the bucket, water started to trickle out.

Alan handed the water jug ​​over to him in the same way he had received it earlier.

“It’s over.”

“Thank you. How much should I pay in compensation?”

Magic tools are the key to conquering the labyrinth, and that’s why magic engineers are included in expeditions. It’s much more advantageous to fix them on the spot than to struggle or return when they break down. Especially on expeditions that last several months.

Of course, since they were precious bodies with a small number of them, they could not join just any party or magic engineer. For explorers who mainly traveled the lower levels, it would be a waste of words to say anything.

“It’s okay. Just put it away.”

Alan shook his head at the man’s words. Drawing a line was too easy for Alan to be worth paying for.

Besides, the man’s aura was somehow familiar. At that age, he would be carrying the weight of a father, and since his appearance resembled someone Alan knew, he wanted to just count it as a service.

“This is true. I feel like I should give you more because of this…”

“It wasn’t that difficult, so don’t worry too much.”

“Then how about this? I may have heard the news, or rather the rumor, that someone is piloting an automaton these days.”

Alan looked back and forth between the man and the leopard without saying a word, as if asking if it was his story.

“No, no. Is that what you mean? Anyway, I’m not saying this for you to hear. Do you know that on the fifth floor, there are usually only two or three automatons moving around?”

“Yes. The number increases significantly from the 6th floor onwards.”

The three riders we met on the 6th floor last time. There were three horses, but if you separate the riders and the wolves, there were six.

“There’s a rumor that someone saw people crowding around on the 5th floor as if they were on the 6th floor.”

“Does manipulation mean that the perpetrator intentionally created the situation?”

“You could have deliberately stimulated the automaton and passed it on to someone else, or you could have acquired an Ooparts that controls the automaton.”

“If it’s an Ooparts that doesn’t have any strange abilities, then it’s possible.”

“I wonder if this sounds like a joke to someone who lives alone on the stairs to the sixth floor? Anyway, that’s the news. So, young friend, may the sun welcome you.”

“May the sun welcome you.”

So the man returned to where the group was waiting, and Alan thought about his words and remembered the body he had found with Carlson. The place where it had been found at that time was also on the 5th floor.

It might have had something to do with it, but it might not. Even in a labyrinth where people would frequently wander, the labyrinth was such an unknown territory that new discoveries would occasionally be made.

‘The culprit doesn’t necessarily have to be a person. He could be a sign of some phenomenon.’

After finishing his thoughts, Alan slowly sipped the finished soup. It was warm.

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