Genius Engineer in the Labyrinth - Chapter 352



Only Noblemtl

Diver (2)

Each avatar was similar to a real body. It can be transformed freely, so why use the body as a motif?

“This way, the matching rate will be high, making it easier to respond when an incident occurs. Especially in dangerous areas like the deep sea, we also need to consider mental distortions depending on the form of the avatar.”

Catherine was right. The mind and body are two separate things, but they are one in a big way. They are inseparable and both influence each other.

Alan followed Catherine into the sea of ​​clouds. As soon as he left the bright clouds, a deep-sea black liquid enveloped his entire body.

It’s not a very pleasant feeling to have something sticky and gross stuck to you, but as a diver, you have to get used to it, even if you don’t like it. This is their stage and workplace.

The lower you go, the darker the liquid becomes. It’s like the phenomenon where sunlight loses its power as it penetrates the bottom of the ocean. But it’s not a real ocean, so at least some visibility is secured.

Nicola followed closely behind Alan.

“Are you anxious?”

“Me? No! When you enter a dangerous place, you keep in formation and go in. It’s similar.”

“Try to use your magic powers as if you were strengthening your eyesight as if it were real.”

“It works, but it’s more frustrating than I thought.”

Nicola rubbed the avatar’s eyes roughly. It wasn’t real, but it was okay to touch it roughly.

“The universe is slightly different from reality. Increase the ratio of willpower to magic power.”

“How much will?”

“About 70 percent.”

“It’s similar to primitive magic.”

Nicola is also a talented wizard. Thanks to Alan’s advice, her field of vision has improved and her range of action has expanded. Then she collides with a floating object filled with dregs.

“evil!”

“Come out quickly.”

“Hey, there’s something here. It’s an information monster that resembles a seven-eel eel!”

“There are no monsters. It’s an illusion.”

“This guy was trying to bite me! … He disappeared.”

Nicola turned her head away, pretending to brush away the dregs as if embarrassed. When Alan handed her a mask shaped like the sun, she quickly put it on.

“Illusion magic takes up a significant portion of the structure of all things.”

“I know, too.”

“Just knowing something and actually practicing it are different, right?”

Nicola nodded her head just a little bit, because lying hurt her pride even more.

Alan taught Nicola a few things on their way to the ark, and like a promising wizard, he quickly picked up the know-how.

“10 points.”

“Out of 10?”

“No, 100 points.”

“Your standards are too high.”

“Instead, there is enough ladder to climb up. We have arrived.”

The ark, the first destination, came into view. As I entered the chimney of the shipwreck, the black liquid disappeared and an emerald sea appeared. Floating houses and palm trees were jutting out from the water.

“It’s better than I heard.”

“Is this your first time?”

“Even if you devote yourself to magical training, it’s hard to see the end. You should stay away from trivial things and invest that time in magic. Don’t look at me like that. You’re the one who’s weird.”

“Me?”

“You’ve touched every nook and cranny. Who would set off to the other side of the planet just to find out something?”

Alan noticed Oros nodding, a gesture of agreement with Nicola’s argument.

Catherine, who had been silent until now, clapped her hands to get attention.

“Follow me.”

There was a floating bar where she was headed. The building was made entirely of wood and leaves and had quite a charming atmosphere. It was a remote place so there were no customers.

Catherine, sitting at the bar table, took out a fresh leaf from her bosom. A red ladybug was quietly attached to it.

“What is this···.”

“It’s a totem.”

“···Yes, it’s a totem. In fact, up to the depth where the ark is, even ordinary people can endure it. However, as you go deeper, the illusion of the deep sea begins to eat away at the diver’s mind.”

Even though Catherine snapped her fingers to hit the leaf or shook it roughly, the ladybug did not fly away.

“Totems don’t change. But when you’re in a fantasy, it’s different.”

“How does it change?”

Catherine cleared the leaves in response to Nicola’s question.

“Of course, it will change in a direction that is not set. I will tell you the trick, so Nicola, you should also make a totem to prepare for illusions and mental erosion.”

While Catherine explained to Nicola, Alan watched the owner shaking the shaker. He finished mixing and poured a liquid that resembled grape juice into a glass.

“One drink per person.”

“It’s a stimulant, right? I’m good.”

Deep sea divers use various means to protect their minds. One of them is a mental enhancement virtual supplement, commonly known as an awakening drug, made by boiling and distilling information monsters. The reason the word ‘virtual’ is included is because it is made up of only intangible magic power.

The owner tilted his head at Alan’s refusal.

“You’ll regret it.”

It was not a threat. The owner was also a member of the Deep Sea Light. The eggshell mask hanging from his waist, identical to Catherine’s, was proof.

“What, you’re not drinking? Then I too···. Ugh, ugh!”

“Nicola, the wizard, do not learn bad things from Alan. The young man has the right to be angry, but as a professor, I have a duty to stop him.”

Oros tightened his thick arms around Nicola’s neck and forced the stimulant down his throat.

“Professor, I can’t pray!”

“How can you say that your prayers are blocked? This is not reality.”

Oros took over Catherine’s baton and educated Nicolas.

Catherine took off her mask and glanced at Nicola, looking at Alan. As if asking if bringing her was the right choice. Alan nodded immediately.

Information monsters are predators, and predators target sick individuals or young ones first. In normal circumstances, accompanying Nicola would have been a clear mistake.

But when you think of the lantern, the approach changes a little. Even if the monster approaches the luminous entity called Nicola, the being it eventually encounters is Alan with his mouth wide open.

Of course, information monsters are a bit different from those conceived by the labyrinth, so they don’t rush in blindly. However, the frequency of attacks can be increased slightly.

Catherine looked puzzled, but Alan had no intention of telling her everything. She was just beginning to know.

As soon as I swallowed all the stimulants, the owner left the bar.

“Catherine, let’s go.”

“Are you sure you’re ready? Feeding tube?”

“okay.”

“Intruder countermeasures?”

“It’s not perfect.”

“Where is the sewage treatment facility?”

“Ready to go.”

Nicola frowned as he listened to the conversation.

“That is an inelegant remark.”

“Even if you’re alone, it’s okay, but when you’re with others, it’s important to dispose of waste in terms of maintaining dignity.”

“···I think about it, that’s right. I can’t leave a stain on such brilliant light···.”

Nicola looked at the horizon. Even though he looked calm, his body was shaking slightly. Alan knew why Nicola was doing that. It was because he had removed the cumbersome sewage pipe.

I ordered a box and put it back on like a diaper, but I didn’t plan on telling her. That way, if I asked her to do something later, she would do it right.

The group that escaped the ark descended vertically. After diving a certain distance, they gathered to check if they had experienced any mental confusion or hallucinations, and then moved on again.

The place they arrived at was an ordinary-looking lump of debris. Like other floating objects, it looked like all sorts of trash had been haphazardly thrown together and stuck together with black adhesive.

Catherine pointed to the float.

“That’s the base camp. We’ll spend a day or two acclimatizing there and then head back down.”

I followed Catherine and threw myself into the buoy. Inside was a base that resembled a cake, and on top stood a lighthouse that resembled a candle.

“I don’t know who you are, but you have cute tastes.”

Catherine wiggled her fingers at Nicola’s remark. Although she hid them behind her waist, Alan could see them. It was possible to observe the range itself by going up to depth 6.

Catherine threw herself against the wall of the base. The whipped cream rippled and her body disappeared.

Alan looked around for a moment and then followed. As soon as he entered, he saw a metal passage. Nicola, who had entered first, tapped the floor with his foot in curiosity.

“In all things, what you see is not everything. Everything can change.”

“How? …Ugh!”

Nicola opened his mouth wide in surprise. It was clearly a metal passage, but it had changed to look like the inside of a bombed-out building.

“Did you see?”

“Did you do it?”

“yes.”

Alan returned the passage he had transformed to its original state. Just then, several divers flew into this area from the other side.

“Alert! Alert! Base erosion alert!”

“Friends, calm down.”

Catherine stepped forward and calmed her colleagues. She then gave a brief account of the people she had guided. She went into great detail about Alan.

“Are you really that old? That doesn’t make sense.”

“Would you like me to play around with my guests? If you understand, then go back to your work.”

Alan muttered as he listened to their conversation.

“Age doesn’t matter.”

“Hey, if you’re too humble, that’s bragging.”

“I think differently. It’s more important to focus than age. And if you’re just following the path paved by the pioneers, why should you brag?”

“Well, if it weren’t for you, Master, I would have reached Depth 4… No. Considering my genius, I would have reached Depth 5 by now….”

Alan was shown to a room to rest, leaving Nicola to her useless worries. He planned to adjust to the pressure of the deep sea through meditation.

*

Nicola woke up. It felt strange to be sleeping with a connection to the universe for the first time in her life.

‘It’s like a dream within a dream.’

Nicola chewed her thumbnail. The inexplicable urge to urinate brought on a great deal of anxiety.

‘I can’t believe you’re already being rude… Ah, please.’

It was okay for other colleagues to witness this, but not Zion. How could he be so shameful in front of his rivals?

I was so sleepy that I quietly left the room. Since I couldn’t stop what had already happened, I thought I could adapt quickly and surprise Alan.

‘I’ll tell you after seeing your indifferent eyes grow wide.’

Now I realized why the Master had ordered me to join. It must have been to keep an eye on the strategic weapon that Breaker was secretly growing. At the same time, my mind, which had been relaxed due to the praise from those around me that I was a genius, began to feel tense.

Nicola walked down the dark hallway. Even the simple movement made her breath catch in her throat and her headache grow stronger.

‘I thought the universe was just a playground, but it wasn’t.’

If you overcome the pressure from all sides and strengthen your weakened will, the magic you perform on the ground will evolve even further.

Nicola paused as she focused her gaze as Alan had taught her.

‘what?’

I could clearly see something moving in front of me. As I intensified my vision, even colors began to appear.

Nicola rubbed his eyes unconsciously. It was definitely a metal passage, no, it had to be that way.

Nicola looked back to go back, then stopped again. The back was as red as the front. The passage disappeared, and a space like the intestines of a beast squeezed everything in all directions. The writhing object was a tentacle that resembled fur.

‘Is this a fantasy?’

As I slowly lifted my foot, the fleshy wall that had been firmly attached to me began to rise up along the sole. Then it fell with a squelching sound.

Nicola squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them and looked around. There was a loud noise, but everything was quiet.

‘totem···.’

I summoned the totem as Catherine had taught me. A small phoenix flapped its wings on my palm. If I was of sound mind, the phoenix would remain calm, but if I was mentally unstable, it would burn to ashes.

Catherine told me not to be so sure, but since this was the only coping mechanism she knew, I had to give it a try.

‘There is no change.’

It was even worse because it meant that the base itself had changed.

Nicola ran towards the room, her legs making a squeaking sound with each powerful lift.

There was a change in the wall. It was gradually closing in on the surrounding area, like a carnivorous plant trying to devour a bug that had stuck to it.

Nicola reached out beyond the narrowing wall. The wall remained intact even as he hurled the destructive sphere forward. And then it closed completely.

Trapped without being able to move, Nicola recalled Alan’s words.

‘Imagination is important. Imagination is power.’

Magicians pride themselves on having a richer imagination than anyone else, because imagination fills in the gaps in magic.

‘I am going forward.’

I stretched my arms forward. I moved my legs forward. In fact, I lost my sense of direction and didn’t even know where the front was.

Although Nicola’s movement speed was very fast, the end of the wall was not visible, as if mocking it.

But I didn’t give up. I made the most of the hard-core nature of the wizarding race. And finally, I grabbed the familiar handle.

Nicola shouted, throwing the door open forcefully.

“Get up! Emergency······.”

The words suddenly stopped. What he witnessed was Alan sitting on the bed and Oros clapping his hands. And the inside of the room was intact.

“You sure you didn’t do this?”

“No. It’s the magic of the deep sea.”

Alan said, poking the flesh wall with his finger.

“Isn’t it fun?”

“Shit.”

“Where is the person who was looking for dignity?”

“Let’s go check if there’s a hole in your brain. I know a good doctor.”

Alan shook his head in disapproval and placed his palms on the wall. From there, the metal passageway returned to its original form.

“Alert! Alert! Base erosion alert!”

Catherine and her friends came flying in as fast as before. She stepped forward.

“Did Mr. Allen solve it?”

“Yes. I also wanted to ask. Does erosion occur often?”

“If that were the case, I wouldn’t have designated this as a base camp. News from other bases is also delayed, so why is this happening… There’s something strange about the deep sea.”