Genius Engineer in the Labyrinth - Chapter 341



Only Noblemtl

The market in Heliopolis has a lot of shops and is crowded with visitors. There are touts every few meters who are serious about attracting customers, which adds to the noise. If you like quiet, this is the worst place, but if you want liveliness, this is the best tourist attraction.

And tourist destinations are always swarming with criminals out for money.

“It has nothing to do with us.”

“It’s because the junior’s power suit looks scary.”

Pickpockets and swindlers mainly target the general public, and no fool dare approach a labyrinth explorer. Those accustomed to destruction and slaughter will show no mercy.

“Are you very scared?”

“No, it’s cute to me.”

Alan and Zion opened the door to the magic shop. It was a shop that Unas, the representative of the Magic Tower branch, had recommended as a cooperative relationship. Dried lizards were hanging from the ceiling, and excavated stone slabs were placed on the walls.

A hippopotamus with a broad face and tough skin greeted the two.

“Welcome. Have you made a good discovery this time?”

“no.”

“It’s only been 40 days, so it’s greedy to hope for something big. Hahahahaha.”

“That’s all.”

Alan handed the shopkeeper an old jar the size of a thermos flask. It was called a canopy, a container used to store the entrails of a mummy.

The master placed Canopus on top of the scanning magic tool. The light swept over the complex, transforming into a dust of light that permeated his head.

“It’s in good condition and has enough magical power to be used as a reagent material.”

It’s a remark that feels completely disrespectful to the dead, but it’s average in this industry.

Corpses imbued with magic are treasures. There are ethical ideas that say it shouldn’t be done, but the trade is brisk. It’s easy to think of Catan. As soon as he died, the world took him piece by piece.

So, the families of magic users prefer cremation, but they also succumb to the power of too much money.

The jar that Alan handed over was thousands of years old, so it felt more like an antique or a fossil.

“Did you find the product I mentioned?”

“If it were that easy, everyone would be wearing Kamai-related stuff all over their heads.”

“Please let me know when you hear any news.”

Alan left the shop. With Kamai’s reputation and the passage of 500 years, it was very difficult to find any magic or records.

But instead of disappointment, I pursue hope. Because the more difficult it is to pursue something, not just knowledge, the greater the reward.

Alan stimulated the boy who was clinging to his chest with his magic. He rubbed it gently, allowing it to seep into his body little by little.

Kyurur···.

The stomach of the guy who ate it happily became fuller and fuller. Dragons were special creatures, so magic was both a meal and a snack.

Hold!

The little boy, who had reached his limit, trimmed himself. Perhaps because he was alone in a small space, he had no hesitation.

Alan drew out the magical power that had been gushing out along with the trim and guided it to his nose. Instead of putting it in his body, he dabbed it as if he was lightly applying perfume.

Alan took a deep breath. The smell of the market changed as the dragon’s sense of smell took over, as if he was chasing treasure.

It wasn’t a bad smell, but it was full of unpleasant smells. It was evidence that the quality of the surrounding magic tools and magical power was poor.

“Do you feel it this time?”

“no.”

The reason for visiting the market was, of course, to smell the fragrances, but it was difficult to find treasures that satisfied the dragon’s exacting standards.

There was no income for 40 days. If you follow the path, you will eventually reach the magic tool corner of a large store, but that is not what Allen wanted.

“Kamai’s magic and records are hard to find.”

Since the passage of time has been added to this special item, it must have been filled with high-quality magic power.

“Then today too?”

“Yes. Let’s walk slowly.”

The market is so large that it takes several hours to walk around it.

Zion appeared to be a calm senior on the outside, but to Allen, he could see eyes that were watching with excitement.

This is because the definition of ‘field of vision’ changed slightly as we reached depth 6. The eyes are an organ for looking straight ahead, but Alan was able to see all around at the same time.

‘It was dizzying at first.’

Not only did he take in everything around him, he also began to thoroughly analyze the objects and living things he captured. If Alan didn’t control them, they would be labeled within the limits of his knowledge. Like this.

Name: Linen

Features: Made of flax, cool, and wrinkles easily.

The reason why the information about the linen suddenly appeared was because of Zion. She was twirling in front of Alan, wearing a piece of translucent linen like a robe.

“How is it? It’s Kalashiris.”

“It’s practical. Even though the humidity is low, it’s a country that’s basically hot, so if you wear that type of fabric, the heat will escape quickly.”

“···That’s all?”

“Is there some hidden magic? I don’t smell anything…”

Alan leaned close to Zion and lowered his face. After a moment, he tilted his head and passed by. Zion, who had been holding his breath until then, let out a deep sigh and followed him.

How many times have I explored the market like this, chasing after scents? I must have come halfway from my usual route.

‘···?’

A woman with her face half-covered by a scarf passed by. Alan instinctively turned to look at her as the heady scent tickled his nose.

Zion followed suit and turned his head to confirm that it was a woman. His gaze immediately turned askew and his hand went to the hilt of his sword.

Alan saw the woman’s figure moving away from him. She moved nimbly without making contact with anyone even in the crowded market.

‘It’s just a little scented.’

He was not the treasure owner, but most likely lived nearby. Alan only remembered the scarab tattoo on his shoulder and finished his exploration as usual.

*

As soon as Alan returned to the Magic Tower branch, he looked for Unas.

“The scarab symbolizes resurrection and the cycle of life. What exactly does the shoulder tattoo look like?”

Alan made a video of his memories and projected it into the air. Unas immediately jumped to conclusions.

“A golden dung beetle tattoo… Were you a normal person?”

“It was about depth 4. The magical power flowing around the body was similar to that of a wizard.”

“Then he must be a necromancer belonging to the Kamai School.”

“Oh, do you know how to sign up?”

Unas shook his head firmly.

“They are very closed. Their bloodline is everything to them.”

“So you mean we have to become a family? What if I marry that woman?”

There was a sound of the sword hilt being tapped. Unas reflexively turned his head, then averted his gaze in surprise.

“······If it were that easy, the school’s vision would have been spread all over the place.”

“I guess I’ll have to give up on my fake wedding plans.”

“Were you serious?”

“If you look for it, isn’t there at least one woman from that school of thought who doesn’t like marrying into her family?”

Unas’s eyebrows trembled slightly. Then his eyes met with Nicola’s, and he shook his head as well.

“I want to contact them, but how do I do it?”

“Can you find it?”

“I remembered the magic pattern.”

“···?”

Unas’ expression became strange again. He looked at Nicola with the feeling of ‘What can you do with just that?’ Even the disciple of Matapju shook his head, saying he didn’t know.

Alan was different from the wizards who communicated with their eyes. Since the form of magic was engraved in his mind, he could recreate it and then find it by resonating with it.

Since they are related by bloodline and have learned similar training methods, you should be able to catch a glimpse of at least one woman, even if she is not the one you saw at the market.

Shiva spoke quietly to Nicola’s ribs, not his ear.

“You lack faith.”

“Do you understand what he’s saying?”

“At first, I was just like Brother Nicola.”

As Alan’s realm rose, his abilities became more diverse and deeper. Even when using the same runes, the power differed by several to hundreds of times compared to before.

If you had lit a bonfire with [Flame] when you first set foot in the labyrinth, you could now burn down even buildings. That’s why it was easy to find a single person you had caught sight of.

“If you help me and ask for something in return···.”

“I’ll play the role of the robber. My junior will intervene at the perfect time…”

“Hey, hey, hey! Stop teasing an innocent child and get out of here.”

Taylor covered Alan with his body.

“I’m going to dye it black whenever I get the chance.”

“Taylor is no slouch either. And her junior seems to be in a tough spot.”

“Really? You don’t think you’ll fit in with such a flimsy plan, do you?”

“I ran the simulation a few times, but the results weren’t good.”

Now that I had found a waypoint to my goal, I had to make some kind of connection. It was much better than wandering around the desert and digging endlessly.

Unas, who had been quiet, asked.

“Putting aside the possibility of it happening, I’m more curious as to how they managed to see the tattoo, which was so well hidden. They must have covered it up with all sorts of magic.”

“I saw it well.”

“well···.”

It is easy for some, but infinitely difficult for others. An incomprehensible being. From Unas’ perspective, even Nicola, who shook his head, was just like Alan.

*

Now that we had our goal, it was time to get moving.

“How do I find it?”

“I found it.”

“already?”

Nicola had been surprised many times since she had been accompanying Alan for a short time.

“Where.”

“I run a museum. All of the staff are necromancers.”

“And the cleaner?”

“yes.”

They ran a fairly large museum. As an organization that lasted 500 years after Kamaishi’s death, it had a long history.

“The main item we deal with is mummies.”

“Are you organizing an evil army? As a wizard of light, I can’t just leave them alone. Their ambitions are…”

“Are you serious?”

“Please match the rhythm.”

As a group of necromancers, they mainly deal with mummies and stuffed rare creatures, so Nicola’s comment about them being an army is somewhat true.

As soon as we arrived at the museum, we saw a large sphinx statue.

“Am I right? I can see the magic flowing through it, so it’s a golem.”

“Do normal golems use bone as their internal material?”

“No way. Oh, there’s something there too.”

Nicola ran around like a puppy in the snow, talking about how he was an evil necromancer, but he couldn’t hide his true nature as a wizard.

Alan stood in front of the ticket booth. The man selling the tickets slowly stamped them and looked around the group. He too was a necromancer.

“Good, enjoy your viewing.”

The words came out choppy, as if they were being pronounced with force. If it were nighttime, it would have sounded quite eerie.

As soon as he entered the building, a chill enveloped Alan. It wasn’t because of the shade, but because of the necromancer’s magic that filled the museum.

As I walked inside, I encountered a ghost cleaning the window. The guy used the poltergeist effect to clean the stain cleanly.

‘Looking at you.’

When Alan turned his eyes towards her, she was looking outside, and when she turned her head, she glanced at her. Even though she seemed to be watching secretly, Alan’s vision captured everything.

As I went further into the museum, I noticed more and more of these gazes. The eyes of stuffed animals rolled around, and the mummies in their coffins turned their heads slightly. The guides who were explaining the artifacts to tourists also glanced at me.

Taylor opened the communication.

[Don’t bomb me just because you feel bad.]

[Me?]

[Who else but you would do that?]

Taylor didn’t seem to know, but Alan could see the flow of Zion and Nicola’s magic calming down.

As I went inside, more and more people started to stare at me. The number of employees I encountered also continued to increase.

Then, as they entered the half-empty exhibition hall, the door slammed shut with a bang. Then, staff surrounded Allen and his group from all sides.

[Brother, did you come here in self-defense?]

[I didn’t do anything.]

[···.]

[It’s true.]

If it were self-defense, I could have just looted without worrying about Taylor or Shiva. But now, I swear I came with a pure heart.

Actually, I was a little excited to see the staff gathering, but it seemed like they were going to talk. A voice of unknown gender filled the exhibition hall.

[Who are you?]

“Just an ordinary visitor.”

[Don’t lie. You must have been aiming for this. Can you feel this trembling?]

“I have no idea what you’re talking about···.”

The ancient heart attached to the inside of the power suit suddenly shook. The little boy who was startled by the vibration clung to it as a bonus.

End