Genius Engineer in the Labyrinth - Chapter 68
Only Noblemtl
‘A fucking maze. A fucking company. A bunch of fucking kids.’
The curse echoed only in my mind. If I really uttered it, I would be beaten by the explorer who was my guardian and supervisor. In fact, my body, worn out from hard work, wanted fresh air and did not have time to speak.
“Gasp, gasp, gasp···.”
My breathing was ragged. I was worried that my lungs would explode, but oxygen was the priority right now. I couldn’t close my mouth even though I could see the rocks and dust very clearly because of the lanterns placed everywhere.
A man between middle-aged and young-looking raised his pickaxe high and then brought it down again. As soon as the sharp point touched the rock, it shattered into pieces, sending shards flying everywhere.
Is it because men are good at technology? If so, why are they digging the ground in mines?
That wasn’t it. The head of the pickaxe had a metal string attached to it, and the string ran down the handle, through the man’s hand, and up to his upper arm.
To be precise, there was a sharp needle stuck in his skin. The pickaxe was a magical tool that consumed the man’s mana and applied [Digging] to a local area.
If the man had a mana heart, that was fortunate, but if not, it was an item that converted life force into magic power. There must be a reason why the man’s face was filled with fatigue.
“Fuck. I’m going to lose.”
The man looked around in surprise. Fortunately, the supervisors didn’t hear the swearing because of the noise.
‘Fuck, I got tricked.’
Although they said the contract would be completed once a certain area was cleared, it was a condition that was impossible to achieve from the beginning.
The magic stone mine in the labyrinth would restore itself after a few days even if a path was dug or the rock was broken. It meant that it would settle back down like fat that clogs an artery.
Even though I knew it was a repetitive chain, I had to break it. That way, I could get in and out more easily, and at the same time, mine the magic stone.
The man looked at the finely chopped rocks, scanning them carefully to see if he had missed anything.
‘Please, Magic Stone···.’
The problem was that there was no guarantee that there would be magic stones even if you mined the rocks. The regenerated rocks were as capricious as a cat in a box. Still, I had to fill my quota, so I had no choice but to break them with tears in my eyes.
“Hassan! Are you kidding me right now?”
“No. I was just checking to see if there was a magic stone.”
“If you don’t meet your quota, you’re the problem, not me. Behave yourself.”
Illegal immigrants, people living at the bottom, or people who are attracted by big money. They came down here at first because they were tempted by the hard-to-find money, but now they are just hanging on to mining to survive.
Energy bars that taste like a mixture of dust and dirt, musty bedding that you can’t even tell when it was last washed, and clothes that would be much better with a rag.
Everyone had to work on a daily basis. If they didn’t meet their daily quota, they wouldn’t get paid.
It was no use regretting being deceived. Regret was proof that it was already too late.
I’ve thought many times about whether I’d rather die, but what a damn life.
When he saw signs of underground people emerging from the wall, he unconsciously ran towards the cubs he was supervising. They were his only lifeline in the ant-hole-like mine.
“Come out! Run away!”
At someone’s shout, the miners ran away all at once. The supervisors ran toward the bulging wall.
Among the miners who had fallen behind, there were self-deprecating laughter, sighs of relief, and happy faces. They could rest while the battle was going on. Of course, they had to meet their quotas, so it was a very chaotic situation.
Even though surveillance was lax to prevent underground people from running away, no one ran away. Even if you escaped the mine, there would still be a camp, and even if you were lucky enough to escape by receiving the energy of the sky, how would you get to the surface?
They came to the Soldos Federation in search of freedom and to Maze City in search of wealth, but neither of them found what they were looking for.
*
The number of times the party fought while descending to the 19th floor was at most once per floor.
Alan was convinced that Zion was the cause of the strange phenomenon. The magical waves emanating from her body were like ultrasound, detecting enemies and finding the best path to avoid them.
‘They say it’s the skill of warriors with peak spirit. Is there a way to reproduce it?’
Zion was a member of Breaker, so it was difficult to continue hanging out with her. So Alan was studying how to imitate her methods. He kept the ideas that came to mind and focused on new ideas.
To do that, he had to observe Zion closely, and there was no way she wouldn’t notice that Alan was looking at her.
I tried to control myself if I didn’t like it, but there was no real reaction other than her shoulders rising higher than before. And they rose higher and higher every time our eyes met.
Animals intentionally inflate their bodies to threaten their opponents, but it was difficult to find such intention in Zion’s gestures.
While Alan was studying hard, Taylor stayed next to Zion.
“Do you know who owns the mine now?”
“I don’t know, I don’t care.”
“hmm···.”
Taylor didn’t look particularly expectant. He just stroked his smooth chin a few times and continued the conversation.
“Well, I’m not interested in anything other than the sword. If I do something wrong, it could cause conflict between organizations, so would it be okay if I help you?”
“If there’s a problem, all we need is for there to be no witnesses.”
Perhaps because he had been raised as a secret agent since childhood, he blurted out such cruel words without any hesitation. In the tense atmosphere, Zion threw a small stone.
“Just kidding~.”
With a blank expression on his face like Alan, he spoke in a cheerful voice, then touched his neck. Thanks to the disguise tool, Holoskin, he changed from a human to an elf after a little adjustment.
Zion looked at Alan, leaving Taylor in his thoughts.
“How is it? It’s perfect, right?”
“The only difference is the hair color and ear length, but the face is the same.”
“······I know. It’s true.”
He stroked her neck again, and this time her face was covered in freckles. She was a wonderful elf.
These days, there are many people with mixed blood from different races, so they are simply called elves without distinction between mixed and pure blood. Still, it is easy to tell who is who just by looking at their appearance. Sion, if you really want to be specific, was closer to pure blood.
“If you do this, no one will know. Do you still see me in those eyes?”
“Ah, at that time, the workshop street···.”
Zion’s Holoskin had been seen through by Alan. The magic tool’s defenses had been strengthened, but Alan’s eyes had also been strengthened with star characters, so he was able to see through the inside without difficulty.
“It’s visible, but it will be difficult or take time for others. There’s no time to look on in peace when a battle is going on.”
“Huh···.”
Zion let out a squeak. He stroked his holoskin with a dissatisfied gesture and turned his head away. Just then, Shiva came closer.
“What’s going on?”
“Hey, brothers and sisters. You’ve been talking about a battle since a while ago, but we are educated people who know the law and morality. We need to know if the unfair contract is real, and even if it is real, we can’t just attack it.”
“Back off.”
“I know that too. But all people living on the earth are brothers and sisters. Whether they believe in Mother or not.”
It was a completely different reaction from when he had been working on the underground people and automatons. Now he was finally showing some of his priestly side.
“Brother Alan.”
“I’m listening.”
“I had a prejudice against the Dungeon Explorers. They are greedy, impatient, and cruel. Their efforts to uncover the truth about the mines are problematic and could cause inconvenience to the company in question, but I didn’t know they would be so willing to go along.”
“Do you know Lanka?”
“I only know that it is a poor country suffering from a lack of material and human resources. I’m sure some of you brothers and sisters are spreading Mother’s message there.”
The information distortion seemed to have affected the clergy as well. Alan explained briefly. It was similar to a colony in the Soldos Federation.
Alan gave only a brief explanation of Lanka. As the story progressed, Shiva’s expression darkened.
“That happened. I guess I was too indifferent to worldly affairs because I only practiced cultivation. However, I am touched by the heart of a brother who, despite experiencing evil, still does good.”
Taylor blurted out, arms crossed.
“Dangjung. Stop blaming yourself. This is a labyrinth.”
“That’s right. First, we need to take care of the problem at hand. How do you plan on approaching it? I’m sure if you approach it, it’ll tell you to go away.”
Sreung!
As soon as Shiva finished speaking, the sound of a sword and scabbard rubbing against each other was heard. There was no need to look for the owner.
“Sister, you are more extreme than I thought.”
“I’ve heard a lot of compliments saying it’s refreshing.”
“That’s not a compliment.”
“Then don’t worry.”
First, Shiva recited the plan.
“Monks do a lot of volunteer work. So, if you tell the manager, wouldn’t you be able to enter the camp?”
There was no way Taylor would agree to such a flimsy plan. He quickly intervened and corrected Shiva’s thinking.
“Volunteering? You’ve only been in Maze City for a short time, so you’re already blind. Instead, tell them that your comrades are injured, so you’ll rest for a while before you go up. In return, tell them that you’ll treat anyone who’s injured.”
“You’ve aged gracefully. This room reflects the accumulated experience.”
“The word choice is a bit off-putting…”
“It’s still not enough.”
As Alan spoke, three pairs of eyes focused.
“It takes 4 days just to get from the 19th floor to the ground, and 2~3 days if you push yourself too hard. Of course, this assumes there is no fighting. With that distance, the value of the Holy Law is much higher.”
“Brother, the Holy Dharma is not something that can be bought and sold with money. It is something that can be given to those who need it.”
“That’s not what it means. It’s a matter of trust. You can’t trust a priest who suddenly shows up and offers to cure you, but a monk who asks for money is a great business partner.”
“Alan is right. I overlooked that part. Seeking celibacy in a labyrinth? He’s an incredibly suspicious explorer, so we need to keep an eye on him at all times. Now that we’ve got the plan, we need someone to fake an illness…”
Who would get hurt? Of course it was Taylor.
“Me? Why?”
“Because it’s detachable.”
In the blink of an eye, Alan had pulled Taylor’s left forearm away. Shiva’s eyes widened, and Zion was also able to focus for a moment.
“No, already?”
“I usually maintain it myself, so this is a natural result. I left it alone, so if you need it, just install it and screw it in. If you’re in a hurry, you can just use it, but be careful not to let it fall off.”
The severed arm was placed in a cart, and Taylor wrapped it in bandages. He even added some blood to add realism.
The group, who had recalled their roles, moved to the empty lot where the mining camp was. Before entering the empty lot, they saw the company’s logo.
“Lockhart Energy Corporation.”
As Taylor revealed their identities, they also discovered this side.
“Stop. This is Lockhart’s camp. If you understand, go back.”
“Oh, I am a monk of the Mother Church.”
As previously announced, Shiva stepped forward. His acting was so good that I suspected that it was based on his everyday experiences.
The manager, who had permitted the visit upon hearing that he was a monk, chatted briefly and then shook hands.
“The price is···.”
“I’ll give you a discount on the recovery potion. Oh, and I like the magic stone.”
“You know a thing or two.”
The magic stone was a higher-grade commodity than the bearer bond. It was impossible to track it unless the transaction site was raided. The price and the price were exchanged, and Allen and his party took up position on the outskirts of the camp.
“That area is off-limits to authorized personnel. If you trespass, you will be attacked without warning, so be careful.”
As the employee who finished his explanation disappeared, Taylor, who had been helping himself to the cart, got down.
“I took a quick look and the outside area is for show. Anyone can see that only well-fed and well-slept workers are walking around.”
“Then let’s start the operation soon.”
As Alan lay in the tent, he closed his eyes, and a nearby chest drawer opened and a spider jumped out. The creature, who had been given the combination of [Silence], [Assimilation], and [Stealth] runes for hiding, disappeared from the tent in an instant.
Shiva was amazed at the sight.
“That’s amazing. He’s like a wizard.”
“It’s different from your friends. But isn’t it great?”
“Why is Brother Taylor so happy? Is he your real grandson?”
“That’s not it.”
Zion’s head kept moving in the direction the spider was moving. It was an incredible detection ability.
While Alan was controlling the spider, Shiva asked Zion.
“I’m asking now, Sister Zion, why are you helping me?”
“The chairman wants to investigate.”
“Yes? Then why did you ask me to come with you···.”
“I was going to investigate and give them some experience. I was going to deal with it together. Isn’t that not possible?”
Taylor, who had been listening quietly, intervened.
“Of course not. If it’s a mine investigation, it must be a secret mission, so why bring in an outsider?”
“···It’s a waste of time.”
“It’s still a waste of time, except for the sword.”
“Bad words.”
Zion turned his head sharply and remained silent for a while.
End