Genius Engineer in the Labyrinth - Chapter 380
Only Noblemtl
Yeongsan (1)
Taylor was waiting for his turn at the Esselma Tower’s space gate management office when he lost his temper.
“Why is that collector attacking all things and causing trouble? Doesn’t he have nothing better to do?”
“What’s going on?”
“I was on the phone with my sister when the call suddenly got disconnected. I was able to reconnect, but I couldn’t hear her beautiful voice very well because of the static.”
“The destruction of the large server left a lasting effect on the distorted magic signals.”
There were many things that made it difficult to call the Collector’s server attack a coincidence.
‘Did he get angry when he heard the news about the auction house?’
To do that, it would have been best to attack Olympus or Chilseong, since they had enough power to wipe out branches other than the headquarters.
There were so many things to worry about that he couldn’t help but feel suspicious. Could it be that the cool-headed wizard couldn’t control his anger in the moment and acted on impulse? Alan thought the odds were very low.
‘There must be an intention hidden in the angry attack. What was he trying to find? Let’s go back to the beginning. The Collector was trying to steal the stone tablet with Sonia’s soul bound to it in the Forbidden Zone.’
Sonia was right next to Katan when he died, so she naturally knows how the events of that day unfolded.
Sonia, who had been hit by something at the floating fortress, was in no condition to talk. So he let her go, but her curiosity still tormented Alan.
‘Are the collectors looking for Catan?’
Alan recalled the scene he had witnessed before the Deep Sea Demon disappeared. On the head of the Sea Serpent, which was the creature’s leg, was Katan, or rather his soul. It was different from the powder, and he could clearly see it in his spirit eyes.
Alan looked ahead, his thoughts fading away. The black space door leading to the labyrinth was right in front of him.
Before Nicola entered, he grumbled at the wizard.
“This is really too much. Is this how it’s going to be?”
“Please pay the usage fee.”
“Don’t you know who I am?”
“You are the disciple of the Lord of the Tower. But you still have to give it to him.”
The space gate office was under the charge of Nicola’s brother-in-law, Lorenzo, and he collected a toll every time Nicola passed through.
As Nicola took a step forward, narrowing his eyes, the wizard raised both hands and stepped back the same amount.
“Threats are prohibited.”
“If you keep acting so cruelly, I’ll tell you that I’ll pay you back in kind later. Be sure to let me know.”
“All right.”
Alan looked at Nicola who was beside him.
“Isn’t it okay if I get to the 27th floor right away with 10 million coins?”
“You have no feelings.”
As I passed through the space gate, I was greeted by the usual labyrinthine tinnitus. The scream-like tinnitus passed for a moment, and was replaced by a commotion.
The wizards urged them to come out quickly, and beyond the wide open door a wave of explorers, merchants, and tourists swirled.
Alan found children wearing yellow hoodies, the oldest of whom looked to be only about six years old.
As Alan continued to stare, Zion clung close to him and whispered.
“Is this your first time seeing me?”
“I just saw it.”
“The labyrinth has a higher concentration of magical power than the surface, so they’re sending it down like that so that you can get used to it. The rumor is that the longer you stay in the labyrinth, the easier it is to awaken magical power, so that’s the result of tempting the parents.”
Even though I already knew the information, I listened to Zion’s words with the feeling of reviewing it.
“If a child can realize it, he will realize it.”
“Senior, you came down when you were 8 too.”
“I felt the magic even before I entered the labyrinth. Unlike those kids, I had actual combat experience from then on.”
As Zion stared at Taylor, he shrugged.
“Why? What about me?”
“Brother, there is a saying that a thief’s own feet are numb.”
“I don’t know.”
“You seem to react particularly sensitively whenever Sister Zion’s childhood story is brought up.”
“I just faithfully performed my role as an instructor.”
“Are you talking about an 8-year-old?”
“That’s how you survive the labyrinth.”
“That is correct.”
Shiva immediately agreed. This world taught children how to survive before protecting them.
Zion turned his head as soon as the children disappeared. Even though he controlled the magical power that had taken hold in his brain, he was still cold to others.
Alan, observing the range, watched Zion’s movements. She held the handle tightly so that she could easily draw her sword at any time. Her eyes looked still, but they scanned everyone who passed by.
Her life as a combat weapon has deeply ingrained itself in her actions and thoughts. This applies not only to Breaker agents but also to those who handle dirty work for other organizations.
‘It’s an interesting world.’
Everyone in society is just a cog in a giant wheel. If one part breaks or wears out, the wheel keeps turning.
Today, Alan goes down the labyrinth again, trying to become the wheel itself, not just a cog.
*
Alan and his colleagues walked along the twilight path. The branches of the trees, 20 meters wide, stretched endlessly, and the sky was sprinkled with red paint in a disorderly manner.
Thanks to the Twilight Path, exploration has accelerated and the expedition team’s behavior has changed as they no longer have to deal with monsters one by one.
The number of people staying on the 30th, 40th, and 50th floors, where the twilight road ends in 10-story units, has increased. Since there is only one road, a meeting place has naturally opened up. Whether the ending is good or bad.
Alan found two groups on the 50th floor twilight trail, resting far apart from their campsite.
“Oh my, Mr. Allen.”
One side was familiar. Larissa was practically living on the 50th floor, eager to get to depth 6. Her wavy hair swayed charmingly as she walked like a model.
“hello.”
“We meet often. Could it be fate?”
Larissa looked at Zion with only a slight movement of her eyes. She was sitting comfortably on a spot where the bark protruded like a chair.
“You try to interrupt even the simplest conversation, so why are you so quiet? Have you finally given up?”
“Huh.”
Zion smiled lightly. The leisure contained in it grated Larissa’s nerves. Larissa hid her feelings and responded with a light smile.
“Are there any changes in your relationship?”
“no.”
Zion’s eyebrows twitched slightly at Alan’s answer. Larissa noticed the change and smiled. Then her eyes widened.
“I created a new automaton.”
Larissa spotted the kid in the dragon suit. The kid held his head up high and endured the stares as if the suit was his natural size.
It was a huge improvement. But when Larissa tried to touch it, it screamed and ran away.
“He’s the size of a beast, but he’s a coward.”
“I set the evasion priority to the highest because I’m in charge of magic.”
Larissa believed the kid in the dragon suit was an automaton, and Alan agreed. Even at depth 6, you would have to touch it to realize that something was on board.
After exchanging brief greetings, it was time to ask about the other expeditions. It was a labyrinth, so thorough preparation was always the right thing to do, no matter what happened.
Alan blew the whistle. Larissa’s body was reconstructed as a gift from the Cloud Dragon, and her brain expansion device was gone.
[Who are they?]
[You are good at translating.]
[Because you just have to reflect the magic power and transform it into the form of sound waves.]
[How nice it would be if the world were as simple as Mr. Allen said. I don’t know their identity, but I know they’re an expedition that came from across the sea. They look like they’re from somewhere between the Western and Eastern continents…]
[If you explore quietly, your origin doesn’t matter.]
[Why did the people who hate Soldos come to Maze City?]
Only they know that. As Alan approached them to talk, one of them stood up and held out a weapon. It meant to tell them not to approach.
In fact, that’s normal. How can you trust someone you meet for the first time in the labyrinth if you don’t know them in advance? And there’s no rule that says conversation is necessary.
The next day, the exotic expedition left early. Larissa tried to sneak up on Alan while he was preparing breakfast, but was interrupted by a shadow that appeared.
“You were so relaxed yesterday, did you have a change of heart?”
“Why do you keep approaching your juniors?”
“Love at first sight.”
“A woman as cruel as you? Don’t lie.”
“Cruel? Did an agent of Breaker have the right to say something like that?”
As Larissa took a step to the left, Zion did the same to the right.
A spark flew in the middle of the campsite, but no one looked at it. To be exact, they tried to ignore it. Who would be the one to handle it if sparks flew later?
“Are you thinking of dragging your junior into Roman? There’s absolutely no way you’ll do that, so give up.”
“I explained it because I liked it, but you don’t believe me?”
“lie.”
“You have no experience? Does your mind only move in the direction you want it to?”
Zion kept his mouth shut. He felt hostility when he saw excessive magical power, and it was far from his intention. He learned the training method and improved a little, but sometimes it would come out unexpectedly.
Larissa interpreted Zion’s silence differently.
“I thought it was a tin robot… If you knew, get out of the way.”
Zion looked at Larissa, who approached Alan and greeted him warmly. Affection? If you knew the usual Larissa, it would be hard to believe.
In the past, I would have only thought about drawing my sword, but now that my mind was a little clearer, it was different. The thoughts that had been stuck in the narrow land went over the fence.
‘Is there a training method that allows you to feel favor when you see excessive magical power?’
It was a very plausible inference. But the fog that had run away was gathering again. Zion focused on getting Larissa away for now.
Alan decided to stay on the 50th floor for a while. Nicola needed time to get used to the cane and the little one needed time to get used to the suit.
“I’m grateful that you didn’t put me into actual combat right away. No, the 50th floor is enough for actual combat···.”
Nicola was in a very contaminated state because she had been with Alan. She came to her senses and gently patted her head.
“I must shake off the devil’s whispers. Light, give me strength.”
As Nicola raised his staff, the darkness fled. The light pursued them all the way to the capital’s walls. Sensing the light, the reptilian heads popped up on the walls.
Kieek!
One screamed, and ten reptilian soldiers responded by jumping down at the same time. As expected of monsters that control magical powers, they easily ignored the ten-meter distance.
Nicola memorized the spell.
Kyuururur, kook!
The little boy followed along and recited along. As expected of a dragon, the results of the learning process were revealed before him.
A blazing orb of light appeared in front of the black suit. The surface trembled, and a thin beam of light shot out toward the reptilian.
Kick!
The Reptilian who was running ahead lightly knocked it away. It was understandable to be angry at the mocking tone, but the boy ignored it and hid behind Alan.
The remaining distance was 50 meters, a distance that could be reached in a few seconds. At that moment, the light sphere that had settled on Nicola’s head began to emit rays of light.
The flashes and beams the kid had made were the same size and width. But there were too many of them. The beams of light shot out were so numerous that they looked like a single pillar.
The soldiers were able to easily deflect a few arrows of light, but the wounds on their bodies gradually increased. As a result, their speed slowed down, and the light erased their bodies like an eraser.
Once darkness fell on the land, only magic stones rolled around. Nicola lifted his nose.
“How is my magic control?”
“If you want to show off your control, you only need to put a hole in your forehead.”
“Some of the soldiers were of the same rank as me. That’s a good thing.”
“You said we were rivals.”
“I think about it again, it’s because it’s the first time. It’ll be different once you get used to it. What is that?”
Nicola found little flesh dolls following the boy around, made of reptilian scraps.
“Commandment? I’m worried about the future.”
“why?”
“What if when I grow up I make the world a paradise for the dead?”
“You have to raise them well.”
“When you say it, I lose all confidence···.”
“···.”
“Hey, why are you so scary?”
Alan stared into the distance for a long time. He remained silent even when Nicola asked him questions.
“What’s going on?”
“Shall we go over there?”
Nicola turned her head to the place Alan was pointing to. In the distance, she could see the mountain she had visited before. However, it was a place that was only visible and inaccessible.
“It’s blocked there.”
“If you investigate, you will know.”