Genius Engineer in the Labyrinth - Chapter 76
Only Noblemtl
The guards stood in wait halfway up the raised platform leading to the throne. They stood still and watched, making sure no one was thinking of coming down.
The Underground Man was the only guard, the rest were all automatons: two gatekeepers, two spiders of equal size, and four wolves the size of tigers.
Taylor, with the Mana Sword hanging down, muttered briefly.
“Even though the types that appear each time are different, the numbers are still the same.”
“The 10th floor is incomparable. I knew about it, but seeing it in person makes a huge difference.”
“You’re not scared, are you?”
“No. I want to finish quickly and study power suits.”
Taylor chuckled at Alan’s answer and stood behind Shiva.
“Brother? Why are you behind me?”
“Please protect me with Mother’s grace. Hurry up and open up a shield.”
The gun barrel hanging from the spider’s back began to emit an ominous light. It went beyond simple glowing and sparks flew out as well.
Shiva immediately recited the sacred spell. If he used the sacred spell in a simplified manner like before, its power would be reduced, but now he did not have time to leisurely recite the scriptures.
As the white shield blocked the way, a beam of light shot out from the spider’s cannon. The magical projectiles arrived with a time difference, shaking the shield with the first shot and destroying it with the second.
The moment the blue and white energies blended together and disappeared like a haze, four wolves quickly approached. They hid themselves using the stone pillars, as if they had planned their battle algorithm well.
Boom!
The bullet that Alan fired hit an innocent stone pillar instead of a wolf. As expected of a labyrinth structure, it only caused a slight scratch and scattered stone dust. Even that quickly returned to its original state as if nothing had happened.
Alan wasn’t discouraged by the sight. Even if a warrior using his power attacked the stone pillar, the same result would occur.
Instead, he figured out the speed and approach pattern of the charging wolf, took into account the location of the stone pillar, and aimed the grenade launcher again.
The bullet fired this time is an armor-piercing bullet with the effects of [Penetration], [Spiral], and [Acceleration].
At first it looked like it was just being sprayed into the air, but the bullet flew so high that it barely touched a stone pillar and pierced the head of a wolf that was just passing by.
The wolf that had been running hard slid along the ground at the same speed, and the wolf that was following closely had no choice but to jump up to avoid it.
Another Matan captured on the camera eye of the wolf, poised mid-air. The intellect injected with the star commanded that it be avoided.
The soul stone sent signals to every corner of his body. First, his mana core spun more vigorously than usual, and the artificial muscles and mechanical joints that had been pumped with mana began to move quickly.
Zzz!
The sword passed the wolf, who had twisted his body, and struck the stone pillar. The sound, like a strong hammer hitting something, reverberated throughout Daejeon.
The wolf that had escaped the danger like that was engulfed in flames before landing, without any benefit of avoiding it.
The box that fired the finishing shot moved its eyes around beside Allen. It was looking for its next target, as if killing one wolf wasn’t enough.
The camera that had been spinning around became fixed on the broken wolf. It hesitated for a moment and tried to move towards it, but was stopped by Alan.
“Attack first.”
beep-
Alan glanced at the box. There must have been a mistake in entering the star character, because when the automaton collapsed, it would prioritize collection.
Although he could be evaluated as good at capturing, I thought that Alan was somehow obsessed with farming. Even when there were still enemies left, I would reach out without realizing it.
Meanwhile, at Taylor’s feet, there was a wolf with a large hole in its torso and another wolf split in half. Shiva stood in front of it and blocked the spider’s barrage with [Embrace of Loving Kindness].
Then, a red light suddenly appeared on the edge of his vision. Even Shiva, who was on his second exploration, knew what it was. It was the light from the gatekeeper’s eyes.
“Brother!”
“It’s okay, just block Allen’s path.”
After speaking, Taylor rushed forward, covering himself with a pillar.
The goalkeepers also caught sight of the sight, but they preferred the two-man position over the one. Instead, the spider’s cannon aimed at Taylor.
Shiva frowned as he watched the light grow increasingly more intense.
“This isn’t the labyrinth exploration I imagined, so why is it so difficult···.”
“You are being too sarcastic.”
“Brother, you are going too far. This is the second time and you are facing the captain on the 20th floor.”
“I guess that means Mr. Shiva’s abilities are outstanding.”
Taylor was a depth 4 explorer in his prime. His old and sick body has been replaced by magicware, and he has now fallen to depth 2.5, but the experience of going in and out so blatantly has not disappeared.
“I guess that means it’s enough according to your calculations. You also said it’s doable.”
The standards for what is worth doing are different between the surface and the labyrinth. In the labyrinth, you don’t have to win the battle; you have to still have the strength to return to the surface.
So, to say that it was doable meant that although it would be exhausting, it wasn’t dangerous enough to risk one’s life.
Despite Alan’s explanation, Shiva continued to mutter. He formally recited the sacred law while keeping his shield open.
“Merciful mother, protect your children with a heart that will not break even in the face of harsh winds. I will advance, remembering your warmth. Neither the bitterness of the north wind nor the heat of hell will break my heart. I will follow you and protect the weak. Even if it costs me my life, may I be able to protect them.”
Finally, thanks to the fact that it was shot almost like a rap, a sturdy shield was created. It was much more transparent than the simple shield, and was a clear white color.
And the goalkeeper’s preparations were complete. The two men thrust their heads forward at the same time and emitted a strong flash of light.
Jiiing!
The attack was so powerful that the part of the wolf’s body that the light beam touched melted away.
“It wouldn’t be the temperature to melt iron. Does magic also have the property of decomposition?”
“Brother, why are you so peaceful?”
Alan, who was analyzing with the same calm demeanor as before, and Shiva, who was maintaining his defenses while sweating profusely. The two were quite a contrast.
“Now the burden will be somewhat relieved.”
“yes?”
As Shiva questioned, one of the goalkeepers’ backs snapped sharply. The light that had been striking the shield went up the stone pillar and hit the ceiling.
The cause was a leopard that had clung to his back. The guy who had moved secretly according to the master’s orders had hung on to the goalkeeper’s back. Since the heavy guy had suddenly clung to him, he had no choice but to bend backwards.
The leopard dodged the two hands that were reaching for it and jumped down. He moved low on the ground and scratched the hammer handle that the goalkeeper had placed on the ground.
The gleaming claws left deep gashes in the handle. The goalkeeper reached down, but the leopard struck the hammer with its forepaw and it slid far away.
The leopard reached the keeper faster than he could, and continued to dig its claws into the scratch. When it got deep enough, it raised its forepaw high and stomped on the handle with its weight.
Sparks flew from the hammer’s head. The circuit that supplied the magic power from the goalkeeper was broken.
The unarmed leopard confronted the goalkeeper head-on. It was like watching a showdown between a leopard and a gorilla.
The first strike was a leopard. It rose on its hind legs and struck the goalkeeper with its freed forelegs. It was not a single strike, but a series of strikes.
Kagakak!
The armor that had caught on the claws was torn. Sparks flew out like firecrackers due to friction. If it had been a real gorilla, it would have run away or died by now.
Of course, the goalkeeper, who did not know pain, tried to hug the leopard. However, the goalkeeper’s arms collided with each other, cutting through the empty air.
Meanwhile, the leopard lowered its body and moved quickly to the side. Because of its speed, its body was about to jump out, so it dug its claws into the ground to control its movements.
The leopard’s body drew a semicircle around its forelegs. The object seen in front of the guy who spun around was the back of the goalkeeper’s leg. The protruding claws tore at the area that would be equivalent to a person’s Achilles tendon.
The thin armor for mobility became poisonous. The severed artificial muscles curled into balls, and the severed hydraulic pipes dripped bloody oil.
The injured gorilla becomes prey to the beast. This time it was the same.
The leopard’s drill fangs, which had re-mounted on the platform, pierced the goalkeeper’s neck. He shook his head and body violently.
Kkiei!
The head, twisted to its limit, fell to the floor with a thud. The last scene captured by the camera eye was that of the leopard running towards another goalkeeper.
The goalkeeper, whose eye beam had ended, entered a state of concentrated magical power. The overworked magical power needed cooling time, and during that time, the goalkeeper crouched down and entered a defensive posture.
But Taylor blocked the leopard’s path. Its sharp eyes scanned Taylor’s entire body.
“It’s brutal.”
It was creepy knowing that it was a process of confirming allies. Taylor pointed upward with his finger.
The leopard, of course, did not respond to Taylor’s instructions, so this was a signal to Alan.
As expected, the leopard looked up. On the stone pillar was hanging a spider with one leg missing.
Claws protruded from the leopard’s thick forepaws and it quickly climbed up the uneven stone pillar. The spider, which had been concentrating its magical power on the barrel, checked the leopard and attempted to escape to another pillar.
But the leopard leaped up and snatched the spider out of the air. Even though it was an automaton, it was still a cat, balancing itself in the air and landing on the ground, using the spider as a cushion.
Kuung!
Of course, the spider underneath became flat.
“Whey.”
Taylor whistled and pulled out his Mana Sword. It would be difficult for the younglings who could barely make it through the tenth floor to break through the gatekeeper’s defenses, but for an explorer who had reached a certain level, it was a sandbag.
The last guard fell, destroying all the automatons. The guards who had been watching until then bowed their heads toward the throne and slowly descended the stairs.
Shiva wiped the sweat from his forehead with his beard.
“The truth is coming down. I want to quickly free you from purgatory and let you rest.”
“If the power suit breaks, I jump out and fight myself. It’s the second battle.”
“Brother Allen, you know a lot.”
“This is my first time too. It’s the power of previewing.”
Alan pointed to Taylor, who was approaching.
Information on the cave was relatively easy to find in Samramansang. The more accurate it was, the higher the purchase price, but Alan didn’t need to do that because he had Taylor.
Taylor’s knowledge extended to the primeval forest. He knew what lay beneath it, but because of the taboo that restricted his disclosure, he had to confront it directly from there.
While Taylor arrived and stood in front waiting for the guards, Shiva looked at Alan, who seemed strangely relaxed, and asked.
“Brother, aren’t you going to shoot the bullet?”
“If possible, I would like to obtain the guard’s power suit in good condition.”
“Are you really going to do it?”
“yes.”
Despite Taylor’s question, Alan’s attitude remained firm.
“We’ll have to fight anyway. If this attempt succeeds, that’s great, but if not, we can just do what we always did.”
Allen loaded the drum magazine into the grenade launcher and aimed for the target. However, the grenade hit the ceiling, not the guards. The box also fired grenade upwards.
Before the bewildered Shiva could ask what was happening, the phenomenon that Alan had intended occurred. Large drops of water fell with a patter. The heavy rain only soaked the guards and their surroundings.
“It’s like magic.”
“So it’s a magic bullet. A bullet with magic in it.”
The runes used were [Condensation], [Submersion], and [Rain]. Although it wasn’t real rain, a significant amount of water poured down.
Five of the bullets Allen fired brought water, and the sixth bullet flew towards the guards.
The guards reacted to the bullet. They tried to cut it down with the greatsword they were holding.
pop!
The bullet exploded in the air, spraying white powder. The powder that sparkled in the light was actually ice. As soon as it touched the water on the ground, it grew rapidly in size and swallowed up the guards.
The guards pushed their feet forward even as they froze. The still fragile prison burst in all directions, but there was still a lot of water, and Alan and the box continued to shoot their bullets.
Eventually, the guards were frozen solid, like Ice Age animals trapped in thick ice.
But the visor light still did not go out. The intense light followed Alan as if it was staring at him.
Soon, the visor darkened and the power suit changed.
Push!
Even though he was trapped in the ice, he could hear steam escaping from between his gloves. The ice cracked, the back plates opened like a crustacean shedding its shell, and the guard’s body slipped out.
The guard had a more muscular build than the other underground people. He aimed the sword he had drawn from inside his power suit at the intruder. A blue light flowed along the blade, and judging by the density and clarity, it was not a mana sword but an aura.
“You skipped the pattern. I’ve seen it done with magic, but this is the first time with a magic bullet. So this is the second round….”
“no.”
As soon as Alan finished speaking, a red flash of light emitted from the eye of the goalkeeper mounted on his staff. The air around him became hot.
The beam and thickness of light shot by the leopard were different. The heat beam that Alan fired himself was naturally much more powerful.
The heat from the beam caused thick vapor to rise. As Alan’s left eye peered inside, Taylor uttered the magic word.
“Did you knock it down?”
“yes.”
There was a sound of something collapsing in the steam, and the water turned red.
End