Genius Engineer in the Labyrinth - Chapter 43
Only Noblemtl
Cave (5)
Can the monsters in the labyrinth be considered living creatures?
They too eat, have a body temperature, bleed, adapt to situations like explorers use magical tools, and even grow if left alone.
They are born and taken in by the labyrinth, so they have no reproductive ability, but other than that, they can be called living things. There are also intelligent beings called underground people.
However, even if you use magic, communication does not work, and when you try to forcibly capture him and take him out of the labyrinth, he dies for an unknown reason the moment he steps out of the cave into the labyrinth.
Because of the many obstacles, many scholars came down to the labyrinth to talk to them, but all they got in return was murderous intent.
They are fundamentally hostile to dungeon explorers, and once a battle breaks out, they try to sink their teeth into the dungeon’s impurities even if it means dying.
“Whoa!”
“Fuck. You’re not even a beast!”
One of the vanguards blew the head off of an underground man screaming at him with a mana pistol.
Thanks to Allen’s group hacking, the momentum of the assault was dampened, and the underground man who was sitting on the automaton and fell headfirst met an unfortunate end.
However, when I saw the squirrel crawling with both arms despite having both legs broken, I couldn’t help but feel goosebumps as a human being.
The impressed vanguard thrust his forearm forward. The shield, which was the size of a pot lid, emitted a translucent magic field and blocked the underground man’s long-range attacks.
The impact of the enemy’s magic bullets hitting the force field shield was transmitted through the bones. Even so, the vanguard performed its role well.
Would the automaton have tripped over its own feet and fallen? It was obvious that one of its allies had unleashed its power, and it knew that its defenses had contributed to the stable release of its power.
“Okay. The automatons are acting as a hindrance to the charge, so we can’t use our power! Now, reduce their numbers as much as possible!”
At the deputy commander’s loud shout, several of the vanguards took out mana pulse grenades from their bosoms. The automaton in the cave had considerable magic resistance, so it wouldn’t be very fun, but it was possible to damage the magic circuit and reduce its output.
The grenades flew in a parabolic arc and exploded in the air. For a moment, blue static electricity flashed in the shape of a net and then disappeared.
The automaton that had withstood Allen’s hacking was defeated by additional attacks, and the underground man, who was regrouping, lost his temper at the automaton that was not listening.
The underground man riding on top of the crab-like automaton screamed.
“Kakikiki!”
It wasn’t a simple expression of anger. It was their own language that the explorers couldn’t understand.
If you see the underground people moving briskly right after the scream, the meaning of the scream would be roughly ‘You idiots, stand your ground!’
‘Or maybe he urged me to charge again.’
As if Alan’s prediction was correct, the automaton riders rushed through the gaps between the fallen allies or jumped over them and ran towards the explorers’ formation.
Boom boom!
One of the vanguards really did clash his thick fists as if he had attached the golem’s arm. He stepped forward confidently, but when he saw the deer charging forward with a bouncy bounce, he began to have doubts.
‘Can you stop it?’
But what can you do if you have to block it? If you get through, the damage will spread to the back, and the defensive formation that you’re holding out for will be ruined. If that happens, the only ending that will follow is death.
Even if it meant enduring some injuries, it was imperative to stop them. Explorers were not to doubt their comrades. In a labyrinth where there was no one else to rely on but each other, trust was the basic requirement.
As the distance narrowed, the deer lowered its head and thrust its blade-like horns forward, full of malice, intent on inflicting pain on the wounded.
“Come on! You can’t get past this!”
But, to the chagrin of the vanguard, the deer’s two front legs became stiff and it naturally lowered its head to the ground.
Was this a coincidence? The vanguard seized the opportunity and did not miss it. He struck down with his fist, leaving a dent in the deer’s neck, and trampled the neck of the underground man who was staggering from the shock of the fall.
The underground man’s neck was snapped sharply. An ominous ‘crunch!’ sound was heard, and even though his limbs were paralyzed, the bastard aimed for his ankle, his teeth chattering.
The effort was in vain. Even if he had tried, it would have been useless because of the combat boots.
The vanguard kicked the bastard’s head with a soccer kick and used the fallen automaton as a barricade. The others did the same, making the defensive formation even stronger.
However, overflow was not an easy phenomenon. The number of enemies was at least twice as many as 6 trillion, and above all, the underground people were not stupid.
“Ugh!”
Even amidst the chaos of the battlefield, with someone screaming and the sound of metal clashing, the roar was distinct. The enemies judged that it would be difficult to overcome the obstacles, so they slowly advanced forward with the automaton in front.
Attempts to crush them with kinetic energy were thwarted, but this time they had to deal with the violence of numbers.
“It’s coming! It’s coming!”
Kiki, who had let out a new scream, looked at Alan, wondering if he would show her something this time.
“Can you hack it this time too?”
“I’m having a hard time right now because I’m overloaded. I’ll be okay once I stop the enemies.”
“It’s too much. Somehow, the light in your eyes is weak. I can’t help it… I’m a man who keeps my word.”
Kiki blocked Alan’s path with her much smaller body. Since they were surrounded by enemies anyway, the meaning of protection would be somewhat diminished if she only blocked the front.
Alan looked at the larva sprawled across Kiki’s feet. He had killed the one that had crawled between the vanguard’s legs with the awl on his arm.
I left him behind, doing his job, and called the leopard.
“from now on.”
The vanguard was startled by the sudden appearance of the leopard, but when they saw its size and the runes, they felt very strong.
And then the crash.
The leopard lunged forward and bit the mechanical bull’s neck. Its drill fangs pierced the metal plate, sending sparks flying. It looked like it was holding a firecracker in its mouth.
The leopard, having torn off the bull’s head, aimed for the rider, the underground man. The laser that Alan shot landed right on the underground man’s chest.
Liar!
The upper body of the underground man was crushed with a sound of something exploding. The size of the dent in the wound was the same as the forepaw of a leopard.
As the leopard infiltrated the enemy formation and swept across it, the vanguard also became more active.
“Should I run one too?”
“Money?”
“Profits will decrease significantly, but stability will increase.”
“You’re not even a magic engineer, how can you afford the repair costs?”
“still···.”
“Stop whining and hold up your shield!”
They chatted for a bit, but they carried out their assigned roles properly. They would buy a little time with the force field shield, and then the magic users would come to support them, or the superior assistants would silence the automatons.
However, there were cases where the defenses were breached because the number of enemies was too large. Or, injured or weak enemies were intentionally left behind.
“Kkiyot!”
At such times, Kiki would step forward. She would move her arms vigorously and thrust out the awl. It was an extremely clumsy movement, but since she was a magic engineer and probably didn’t train in weapon techniques, it was better to do something like that.
“Ah! Save me!”
Whether it was due to the goblin’s physical limitations or his weak mind, he was pushed back even though he covered his body in magic wear.
Alan, who had been walking slowly, raised his cane and struck the wolf automaton’s head as if he were playing golf.
The automaton’s body stiffened for a moment, and Kiki, who had gained freedom, climbed onto the wolf and stabbed it hard with an awl. Although Alan had called it an awl, it was actually something closer to a spear blade.
The battle became increasingly sticky. As Avi’s mana packs ran out, the magic users rushed in with their weapons.
Each explorer has a set role, but that doesn’t mean they’re completely inexperienced in other areas. Of course, since it’s not something they’re used to, their injuries pile up quickly.
Alan, in the middle of the chaos, brought back the leopard. The magic power was slowly being emptied, and the number of enemies was greatly reduced, so he had some free time.
Above all, the performance of the assistant managers was dazzling. As if the name of regular employees was not just a decoration, they quickly dealt with the enemies even if they suffered some injuries.
Alan adjusted the leopard’s left eye, which was slowly returning to normal. As expected, the magic was sparse.
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
“doesn’t exist.”
Kiki, who had been cowering at Alan’s firm answer, took out a cloth from somewhere and began to wipe the leopard’s mouth. Then, she discovered something shiny inside the leopard’s throat.
“What is this? The goalkeeper’s eyes? You’re scarier than I thought.”
Kiki immediately realized the identity of the part, confirming that the title of Magic Engineer was not a lie.
“You can stop wiping.”
“Just a little more.”
“This is not the time for that.”
Alan looked around while fixing the leopard. The corpse of the underground man was moving. If Alan was right, it was definitely one of the black magics, ‘corpse resurrection’.
Alan tapped the leopard’s chin to open its mouth and called Kiki.
“Please tell the crew a word.”
“what?”
“Don’t stand in front of the leopard.”
“Using the light? Didn’t it use up all the power?”
“No, come on.”
Kiki noticed something odd about the sharp edge, but turned around at Alan’s urging.
Alan put his hand into the leopard and replaced it with the magical power he had been warming up until now. As if that wasn’t enough, the overflowing magical power quickly flowed in.
It was an act of using oneself as a power source. To others, it might seem like one was busy with maintenance.
“Why did you call us? It’ll be a problem if the black magic is completed. It won’t be just regular zombies, but they’ll also spray a lot of toxic substances like poison.”
One of the advancing vice-captains asked. Normally, he would ignore Alan’s request, but he had a rough idea who had stopped the automaton’s advance.
In the labyrinth, power has a strong persuasive power. That’s why Alan’s skills were enough to move the vice-captain’s heart.
“The best way to revive a corpse is to stop the sorcerer, but as a second option, there is also a way to get rid of the corpse.”
“how?”
Instead of answering, Alan showed them the inside of the leopard’s throat. There was the goalkeeper’s one eye, which they had been tired of seeing.
“Oh, I see. Everyone back!”
The charge was already complete, and as soon as the crew moved behind the leopard, Alan fired the beam. The target was the approaching zombies. As the assistant captain had said, a green fog-like substance was covering their bodies.
I felt it last time too, but my body was shaking because it was consuming so much magic power. However, I felt more relaxed than last time, so I didn’t lose all my strength or anything.
Every time a red beam of high heat passed by, the corpses of the underground people were burned black. Even if they recovered through corpse reanimation, a significant portion of their bodies were lost, so their fighting ability was poor.
While Alan was happily burning the zombies, he caught sight of the warlock among the zombies.
‘There’s still some magic left.’
After thinking about it, Alan spoke to the vanguard standing there.
“Get out of here.”
At the same time, the leopard turned its neck, and the red line moved horizontally.
*
François charged at the black magician with a bloody look on his face. No, that would be the wrong way to put it. The barrier regenerated the moment it broke and continued to block the twin axes.
“That’s why ignorant warriors are no good.”
“···.”
“You can’t break through my defenses anyway. But I···.”
The black magician quickly made a seal. As the spell was completed, a strange energy spread out in a circle.
François realized that the spell was not aimed at him. Corpses were rising from the place where his crew was.
“Zombies that spread poison and rot, and corpses exploding. If you were a great wizard, you could have stopped it.”
“You will definitely die here.”
“Where are you going? Come play with me…”
The moment when the black magician tries to block François’ path with his black tentacles.
Boom!
A red ray suddenly struck the side of the shield. The shield, which had been reinforced only at the front, was shattered without a trace, and the bright red ray struck the warlock.
François didn’t miss the opportunity. As the warlock’s concentration wavered, his shield weakened. The crimson axe broke through the shield and finally cut off the creature’s head.
“Ugh!”
The Warlock’s uncanny regenerative powers allowed him to scream even though he was only a head. He regenerated endlessly.
Still, François did not give up. Any phenomenon comes with a price. In short, healing magic also meant consuming magical power or precious materials to remove wounds.
If you keep cutting, cutting, and breaking, the foundation will be revealed.
With that in mind, I swung the axe.
The wizard was tricky, but the situation was reversed when he allowed the warrior, who specialized in physical enhancement, to get away. His face, full of laughter, was also covered in blood and floundering.
‘derision?’
François felt a heavy presence. A huge thing resembling a crab approached, its claws clicking.
The underground man riding on top of it was holding a weapon similar to a grenade launcher. Since he fired it by overloading the magic stone, the actual power was similar.
bang!
The actual explosion was heard from somewhere else. A leopard that had run all the way here slipped and hit the automaton with the cart it was carrying.
“Kkiyaa!”
The goblin leapt upwards, screaming something that was neither a scream nor a shout. Luckily, the underground man served as a cushion for the goblin.
The leopard overwhelmed the crab, which was much larger than itself, and was destroying its armor with its forepaws.
And the explorer who approached from the side.
“I will help you too.”
Alan lifted his staff, covered in rune-engraved plates.
“What is that?”
Hurrruk!
François stopped chopping, startled by the fierce flames. The flesh and blood the warlock had spread out burned, releasing a foul smell.
“It’s a flamethrower. It’s effective against living tissue.”
“Fuel?”
There were no fuel tanks in sight. No explorer would bring heavy fossil fuels just to use a flamethrower.
If so, it means magic or a magical tool, but even though there were various devices attached to the staff, it did not appear to be a magic stone or magical power.
Even as François stared blankly, Alan focused solely on the arson.
“Kkaaaah!”
The warlock screamed. The searing pain, the literal burning pain, was one of the highest ranked pains, and it seemed that even a warlock with a modified brain would have a hard time enduring it.
Alan was carrying out the execution with a blank expression, without any emotion. François unconsciously took a step away.
────────────────────────────────────
────────────────────────────────────