Genius Engineer in the Labyrinth - Chapter 36
Only Noblemtl
Goalkeeper (4)
The response method is clearly different depending on whether the combat opponent is a person or an automaton.
The automaton would charge at the explorer like a mad bull, so it would be easy to exploit its weak point, but humans did not move as expected.
Even though the strength may not be much different, the difficulty level changes completely just by having the advantage of being able to think.
First of all, in the lower levels of the labyrinth where physical superhumans were rare, equipment that allowed for long-range firepower combat, such as guns and shrimp, was preferred.
As they opened up distance and launched attacks, groups lacking firepower were bound to be pushed back helplessly. If they were pushed back and their defenses were broken, a one-sided massacre awaited them.
As the sound of footsteps approaching grew louder, Alan reached for the broken shield generator and hid behind the cart. As if that wasn’t enough, he also stopped the leopard in front of him.
‘Who the hell is it?’
Even as he thought about it, the hand holding the rune pen moved without stopping. The runes for [Reinforcement] and [Hardening] were densely written, and the leopard’s unique pattern that had been erased by the explosion reappeared.
Dennis also stopped his cart and crouched behind it. He looked at the red-painted wall for a moment, but the pressing problem now was the approaching horde.
Good people do not come, and those who come are not good.
There are few places where this phrase fits better than the labyrinth. Why would anyone come here when they would surely hear the sounds of fighting automatons?
Dennis’ eyes, which had been watching the black fog, briefly moved towards Alan.
“Are they those guys from earlier?”
“High probability… No, it’s definitely them.”
They have an automaton, and a whistle that summons the 10th floor gatekeeper. How could they spare the explorer party who witnessed that?
There were more than one or two strange things. First, the sight of the goalkeeper wrapped in black air currents was the first, and second, the phenomenon that appeared when there were still more than 10 hours left until the 48-hour mark.
After roughly finishing the restoration of the leopard, Alan reached for the shield generator. Since he was pressed for time, he took out a pair of pliers from his tool belt and tore off the outer shell in one go.
“Try to fix it? Is that okay?”
“What you just broke is just a shell, and the real thing is a part of the magic circuit and soul stone.”
While the emergency repairs were being made, one of the vanguards took out Kakda’s Ebi and put it on his head. Since the Ebi itself was a magical tool that could spread magic, it didn’t matter who used it.
There will be a significant difference in the speed of manifestation, but now is not the time to be concerned about minor inconveniences.
As the footsteps became more distinct, Dennis’ breathing became deeper. He waited without making a preemptive strike just in case, but there was no need to do so.
The head of the skinhead in the lead glowed particularly brightly when the headlamp was turned on. He frowned and moved slightly to the side to avoid the light.
“Surviving a reinforced gatekeeper? This is unexpected.”
His voice was full of ease. The tightly woven hexagonal barrier was the source of his confidence.
The skinhead looked over, whistling. He laughed slyly at the sight of a cart being set up instead of a shield, then looked back and pointed.
“Hey, the graffiti is really pretty. The crimson color is really striking. Can you tell me which company the spray paint is from?”
The crowd following him burst into laughter at his malicious joke. They did not lower their guns, and the Evies worn by the magic users also flashed with light.
On the other hand, Alan remained silent. After temporarily fixing the shield generator, Alan pretended to look straight ahead and lightly touched Dennis with his cane.
There was no other choice at this point. The moment Dennis’ head moved slightly, Alan pressed the button on the shield generator.
A hemispherical protective field appeared quickly. Compared to the other one, the color was dull and the hexagonal grid was not as dense.
As soon as the shield opened, Alan threw the cards he had been fiddling with forward. The three cards flew around, creating small sparks.
Anyway, they had no intention of letting me live, and even if they took me prisoner, I couldn’t expect a good ending.
So the best solution was a preemptive strike. He had no choice but to eliminate the enemies and then walk out on his own two feet.
The sparks on the card suddenly grew bigger and spread widely. The flames that started from the card that fused [Flame] and [Wind] spread widely along the air flow.
Although it wasn’t enough to melt the shield, it was enough to block the enemy’s vision.
“Come together.”
At Alan’s call, the two vanguards raised the goalkeeper’s body like a shield. Rune Fen quickly slid inside the outer armor.
[Reinforcement][Reinforcement][Reinforcement]···.
It was incredibly fast. It seemed like a rough drawing, but it worked properly with a faint light, so the group’s eyes widened.
And the shield shook with the pouring impact. The enemies attempted to attack from a distance even though the flames did not disappear.
Since the passages in the maze were all straight anyway, I figured I could just shoot roughly and it would hit, and that was the right decision.
The hastily constructed shield didn’t last long. The shattered pieces melted into thin air, sparkling, and the skinhead grinned inside his intact shield.
In the midst of the hail of bullets and magical feasts, there was no choice but to endure for the time being. If I took even one step away from the shield made of the gatekeeper and the cart, I wouldn’t be able to endure.
Dennis, who knew that fact well, bit his lip until it bled. After making up his mind, he opened his mouth.
“I’ll be the bait. In the meantime, you escape through the back passage…”
“Please be patient.”
Alan’s calm voice cut through the tragic words.
Dennis’s eyebrows rose slightly. Rather than feeling repulsed, he was more angry at himself for having to endure something because of his lack of ability.
Dennis, shaking his fist, looked at Alan. He was staring straight ahead with his usual expressionless face.
“What are you going to do?”
“···.”
Alan didn’t answer. His left eye was staring straight ahead, and his right hand, which had entered the leopard’s body, was clutching the magic circle.
“The opportunity will come. I will make sure it happens.”
His calm tone and unwavering expression gave the group confidence. Dennis also added magic to the shield without saying much.
Alan’s breathing became increasingly ragged. There was a way out of this situation. It was his own eye and the goalkeeper’s one-eyed eye attached to the leopard.
This time, when I went up to the surface, I was definitely planning on making up for what I was lacking, but I didn’t know that I would try to force myself to do so already.
First of all, it took time to fire the beam. The one-eyed mana was greedily devouring it, and the warm-up took longer than expected.
Doo doo doo!
“Ugh!”
The enemy’s magic stripped away my magical power, and simple yet powerful bullets began to pierce the weak points of my shield.
The man whose thigh had been pierced by a bullet gritted his teeth and injected a syringe containing a combat stimulant near his heart. It was a mental strength befitting a dungeon explorer.
The shield began to develop holes, giving Alan inside a wider field of vision to see the enemy.
Magical power surged into my left eye. My body screamed at me to stop, and my eyelids tried to close on their own, but I resisted.
Hacking was harder than I thought. The automaton had weak magic resistance, so it was done right away, but the magicware made by companies was no easy task.
Still, success was the only way out. Alan couldn’t think of any other way.
A stream of water started from his left eye and flowed down his cheek. Alan forced his eyelid open with his free hand.
The left field of vision was red. It was just a burst blood vessel in the corner of the eye, there was nothing wrong with the eyeball that was attempting to hack.
A light burst from Alan’s eyes that startled even Dennis and the other vanguards.
And Alan’s eyes observed countless galaxies. They were all soul stones contained in the magical tools used by the enemies.
The skinheads folded their arms and watched with glee as the troublemakers were torn down.
“It’ll be over soon. It’s too bland.”
“There’s no way you’ll be okay after facing the goalkeeper. But captain.”
“say?”
“Can I ask where you got the whistle?”
“Shut up. If you don’t want to die, just pretend you don’t know. And don’t let the other kids say anything either…”
The skinhead, sensing something strange, stopped talking. His men, who had been attacking the enemies, were muttering amongst themselves.
The body of the goalkeeper they had set up as a shield was already tattered. Why would they stop when they only needed to attack a little?
The skinhead shouted at his men.
“What are you doing? Who told you to stop?”
“Captain. My arm won’t move.”
The subordinate, who had both arms replaced with prosthetic limbs, had his arms hanging down.
“My legs won’t listen to me.”
The other subordinates sat there, not knowing what to do.
The skinhead turned his head sharply at the sight.
“Are there any hackers?”
Hackers are divided into two types: those who have acquired powers by practicing magic, and those who borrow powers using special devices.
There could not have been a real magician among the enemies. The magicians who survived in the modern era were the real ones, so they would have been the ones who melted.
It didn’t seem like there was any special device involved. If it was real hacking, they would have controlled the magic wear of their subordinates and destroyed them.
Even amidst the chaos, the skinhead looked around the situation. The magicware of his subordinates, which had briefly malfunctioned, began to work again, and red water flowed out from under the enemy’s shields.
“Fortunately, it seems that the magicware connected to the brain cannot be touched. Those who are sane, follow me.”
The men the skinhead had pointed out were able to move normally since their limbs had not been replaced. They deployed their force field shields and advanced slowly.
The enemy’s hidden secret was solved with surprising ease.
“It’s embarrassing to even call causing a momentary malfunction a technique.”
“you’re right.”
It was cute compared to hacking that involved brainwashing or causing explosions with magicware. They were confident of victory. No one doubted it.
The skinhead shouted as the enemies slowly moved their shields aside.
“If you want to surrender, start from the beginning···.”
It was not a surrender. In the place where the shield had disappeared, there was an automaton that resembled a feline beast.
The automaton gaped open. Where the throat should have been, there was the gatekeeper’s single eye. The moment the aperture opened wide, light flashed.
Red was the end of the skinheads.
The leopard sank down with a thud. Alan, who had lost all strength, was about to sank down, but he held on to the cart and held on, seeing the enemies still remaining.
Using all of my magic power made me feel refreshed, but that feeling was short-lived. Like a dry river overflowing, water from the mana heart and magic circuits began to soak my entire body. The violent movement was followed by a slight pain.
Alan stared straight ahead. The red beam swept away the enemies in an instant, and those who survived lost their will to fight.
When Dennis jumped into the flock of sheep, the sheep, who still had strange legs, could not resist the wolf.
Dennis, who had just finished cleaning up, brought out a whistle that was still intact even in the light. At first, it looked like it was made of black fog, but now it was white and rough, as if it had been carved out of bone.
Although Alan was curious, he focused on first aid for the man lying in front of him. He sprinkled the seeds of the styptic plant on the wound and the vines stopped the bleeding.
“are you okay?”
“The organs seem to be fine. The problem is the carcass. And···.”
Alan’s gaze turned to the red-painted wall. There was nothing left to prove his identity. That trace would soon disappear as soon as Alan left.
“If I had shot the beam from the beginning, would the two of you have survived?”
“The result would have been similar. The goalkeeper threw his hammer as soon as he judged that his fighting ability was reduced by the ice spear. It would have been the same even if his body was damaged by the beam. Or he sensed the strong magical power flowing out before the beam was fired and threw it at you right away.”
Dungeon crawling is dangerous. Death can come unexpectedly, and when it does, there is no one to blame. Dennis knew this, and Alan was not the one in charge, but rather the savior.
Dennis patted them on the shoulder, telling them to cheer up, and loaded the relatively intact bodies onto the cart. The captured prisoners were dragged out, tied up.
I encountered automatons while ascending, but it was relatively easy, perhaps because of my experience dealing with the gatekeepers and maggots.
Alan captured the automaton as intact as possible and made it pull the cart. Still, it took a day to reach the third floor.
The 1st to 3rd floors were still filled with explorers. They didn’t care about the sight of Allen and his party and the prisoners being dragged in.
“What is that?”
“Looks like we’re having a fight. Just forget about it and watch the manhole.”
It was like looking at a tree in a forest. Either it was too familiar to be interesting, or it was a waste of calories to pay attention to it.
After they completely escaped the labyrinth, the vanguards took Kakda and headed to the emergency clinic, while Alan and Dennis took the prisoners and the bodies and visited the defense forces.
“Crimes within the labyrinth are not our jurisdiction… Don’t look at me like that and visit the police station. It’s on the other side of the fortress, so it’s only a short walk away.”
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