Genius Engineer in the Labyrinth - Chapter 78
Only Noblemtl
Just before the terminal where the memory correction was inserted burst into light, Alan covered the holographic projector with his hand.
The experimental data that Zion handed over was, in other words, a record of human experimentation. Since I had experienced something similar, I couldn’t help but feel psychological resistance.
As Alan hesitated, Taylor, who was standing behind the sofa, leaned forward and asked.
“Why is that?”
“I feel a bit uncomfortable because I think that information was obtained by changing people.”
Taylor chuckled after hearing the answer and ruffled Alan’s hair.
“I thought he was a mad scientist, but sometimes I see him as strangely human.”
“Brother, sometimes means that I usually feel that way···.”
Taylor cut Shiva off by raising his voice.
“Experimental data is just a collection of knowledge, and has no meaning beyond that. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”
“It’s people who give meaning to it. People decide whether nitrogen becomes fertilizer or a bomb.”
“Yes, I know. If you feel uneasy, think of it as the price you pay for avenging the dead magic engineers. Because we went there, there were no additional casualties, and we were able to reduce the resentment.”
As the saying goes, joy doubles when shared, and sometimes, shared sorrows can also make you feel better. Feeling much better, Alan took his hands off the terminal.
The holographic projector beamed light into the air. Created by a combination of illusion and light magic, the hologram visualized the data contained in the memory crystal in three dimensions.
First, a transparent human body model appeared, and pipes and cables were connected to the model. The pipes branched to the left and right, and each had the words “input” and “output” written on them.
“It’s a drawing, so it’s still acceptable.”
Taylor’s lips opened near Alan’s ear, but Alan, distracted by the hologram, heard nothing.
White lines began to connect each part of the picture, and annotations began to run down the wall. There were so many of them that the ceiling of the warehouse, which was over 4 meters high, was filled with text and equations.
“hmm···.”
Taylor held on, even though her eyes and brain were dizzy. As an adult, she couldn’t just run away after hearing good things from him. She kept her eyes unfocused and planned to ask Alan a three-line summary.
Alan’s eyes moved quickly. Once he read a line, he couldn’t read it again. The vast amount of information was extracted to its core and inserted into each and every one of his brain cells.
‘The reason for gathering magic engineers, even to the point of kidnapping them…’
To put it simply, it was because wizards were hard to obtain. The level of wizards they wanted was high, and if they tried to kidnap such a person, a fight would inevitably break out, and naturally, it would be noisy.
There are also wizards who act as problem solvers, but unless it is a special case, their level is really low. So they kidnapped a large number of magic engineers, who are the closest thing to wizards.
The experiment that Lockhart was trying to do was to create magic stones, using people as materials or as filters.
The results alone were a failure for the experiment. Instead of being impossible to produce, the level of the existing magic stone could be increased. Even so, the output compared to the input was a mess, so even the higher-ups were skeptical.
Since it involved kidnapping people, it must have been a very risky experiment.
Alan, who understood up to that point, summarized the contents and told Taylor.
“I did have an idea that it was a mistake.”
“That’s not it. They do worry about public opinion, but the ultimate reason is the stock price. If there’s news that someone has been arrested or is involved in a crime, the price will plummet.”
“It starts with money, and it ends with money.”
“But the kids who are the real owners of the company probably don’t care.”
“Master?”
“When you watch movies or read novels, there’s always a dark side to it. I don’t know the details, but it’s just a story I’ve heard.”
“You worked as an agent, but you’ve never met anyone?”
“I am fundamentally different from the agent you are talking about···.”
A tightly shut mouth. This happened often when talking to Taylor, so Alan brought up a different topic.
“The magic stone field was a complete failure, but magic stones have shown results. We have developed a new magic stone synthesis technology that utilizes the body’s magic circuit.”
“How specifically?”
Alan called the box in response to Taylor’s question. The guy who approached on an endless track held out one of the drawers. Alan took out the magic stone inside and placed it on the table.
“The magic stones in front of you are 10 level 1 magic stones and 1 level 2 magic stone. If you only consider the amount of mana, the two are similar, but the purity of the level 2 magic stones is higher, so their value is superior.”
“But why is a 1st grade magic stone being traded for 100,000 coins, and a 2nd grade magic stone being traded for around 1 million coins? According to what I’ve explained so far, a 2nd grade magic stone should be sold for over 1 million, but that’s not the case.”
“It’s thanks to the magic stone synthesis technology, the chicken game between companies, and the magic stones coming out of the labyrinth. Either way, it’s a good thing for consumers.”
Of course, even for the same 1st and 2nd grade magic stones, the price may change slightly due to differences in production location or size.
“Then why don’t you just buy it? Why bother spending time making it?”
“Yes. Looking at Lockhart’s data, the mana capacity increases as natural mana is drawn in during the synthesis process.”
“how much?”
“According to what it says here, if the creator is a beginner, it’s less than 2%, and if they’re skilled, it’s up to 10%. Other synthesis techniques are said to have a maximum of 5%, so if you think positively, it’s double.”
“Whose nose are you going to put that in?”
“There wouldn’t be a significant difference if it were a low-grade magic stone. How much would a 4th-grade magic stone cost?”
“100 million. Oh, that’s right. It’s much better since it increases by percentage. Then, should I pull it into the loan pool and use it to make magic stones?”
Alan paused for a moment at Taylor’s cheerful question.
“···.”
“Brother. Ugh… Even when I listen to it, it doesn’t sound like that.”
Shiva, whose face turned red as if he had drank so much holy water that he could not breathe, scolded him. Taylor, who had become an incompetent adult in an instant, made a resentful expression.
“A whopping 10%.”
“Brother Allen said that only if you are skilled.”
“No, you don’t trust Alan? I’m sure he’ll do it from the start.”
“That’s not the problem···.”
“You’re saying your trust has fallen to the ground? You don’t trust Alan?”
“You keep trying to shut my mouth by cleverly pushing me.”
Eventually, Alan intervened. Only then did Taylor calm down and listen to the explanation.
“Lockhart’s technology grinds down the creator. The higher the level of magic stone you synthesize, the longer the period of time you’ll be bedridden.”
“Then let’s not do it.”
Taylor gave up right away. The excessive magic was already damaging his body, and no amount of money could add fuel to the fire.
Taylor, who had given up money for his health, asked Alan, who was collecting magic stones, what to do.
“What are you doing now?”
“Synthesizing magic stones.”
“You said it was dangerous a little while ago.”
“I think it’s okay to make enough for exploration. If you have any doubts, ask the Yohwa boss later.”
“Really? I’ll be back right now, so you rest.”
Taylor, with a grim expression on his face, quickly disappeared. Shiva, who was watching him, laughed heartily.
“You could have just asked over the phone, but you’re going in person. Then I’ll just prepare dinner for two.”
“Today is a holiday for Western Sky, so I’ll be back soon.”
Shiva stared at Alan’s face for a moment, then chuckled and drank the holy water.
*
Alan tried several times to get the power suit into the labyrinth, such as reducing its weight with runes or replacing the magic stones with magical energy through magic stone synthesis.
‘Should I just reduce the size?’
The power suit itself was tailored to the body type of a guard, so it was a bit big for Alan. If you wear it like this and move even a little bit quickly, your body will shake and you will bump into things and get a bone disease.
‘If we reduce the size of the boarding area and remove some parts, I think we’ll be able to achieve some efficiency.’
It would have been practical enough to leave the main parts alone, reduce the outer armor and frame, and use high-quality materials to reduce the weight.
“It’s more complicated than I thought. How do you construct the skeleton?”
“I guess we can make it based on the reinforced exoskeleton we are using now.”
“Is that possible? Well, then you’re a magic engineer.”
Taylor nodded, and Shiva joined in the conversation.
“Before entering the labyrinth, I thought that magic engineers were comfortable sitting and working, but seeing Brother Allen, I see that he has a lot of hardships. After all, anything becomes flesh and blood only when you experience it firsthand.”
“I think your original thoughts are right. In my view, Alan tends to do things by asking for trouble. But I can’t say that because the results are excellent.”
While I was drawing a rough blueprint on a blank piece of paper, using their conversation as music, the screen of the phone terminal that I had left on silent mode began to light up.
The caller’s name was Rolf. He was a bar owner and broker who arranged work for the troubleshooters. When Alan touched the screen, his voice came through.
[Gongdoli. How have you been?]
“Yes, how about Rolf?”
[Every day is the same for me. Selling alcohol, kicking out people who vomit, and giving them work. But these days, it’s hard to see my face.]
“You’re asking Alan to rent your seat? Where on earth are you going to use your precious body so carelessly?”
[The inspiration was also nearby. It felt awkward to call him using the phone terminal… I’ll provide you with sufficient service when you come later, so come by sometime.]
“There happens to be a dwarf here too.”
[Of course I should do it for that friend too.]
“Are you a monk?”
[There are plenty of fermented drinks, so don’t worry. If you don’t like drinks, there’s also strong holy water, so that’s okay.]
As expected from a job that deals with people, Rolf, who had been coaxing Taylor, called Alan again.
[Alan.]
“Shall we get to the point now?”
[Main topic? Yes, that’s right. Do you know Vito? He’s a magic engineer, I think. His skills are a bit lacking, though. Is it because of our Allen that his standards have been raised?]
“Come to your senses, even if you flatter me, the bread crumbs won’t come back.”
[Sir, I’m talking to Alan right now. I’m starting to get confused about who I’m calling.]
Alan was silent for a moment. Why would the name of the person who escaped the clinic together and sought to find his family in Vega come out of Rolf’s mouth?
After thinking about it, Alan agreed with Rolf’s question.
“Yes, I know that person. Can you tell me why?”
[I received a request to find someone a while ago, and after thinking about the person’s appearance, I realized that it’s you. Thanks to you, I won’t have to pay you any salary as an informant for this job. Hahaha.]
Laughter erupted for a while. It was natural, since the request was processed quickly and money was saved.
[Then what should I do? If you have a business number, let me know. I can tell my client···.]
“There’s only one number. Do you have any contact information left on your side? Or the location of your accommodations, for example.”
[I have the contact information. It looks like it’s a cannon phone.]
“Then please let me know.”
After receiving Vito’s contact information, Alan pressed the call button right away. He heard a few familiar beeps, and then a familiar voice.
[Mr. Rolf?]
“This is Alan.”
[Oh, Alan. Nice to meet you. How have you been? Your voice sounds good.]
“Vito, did what you were going to do go well?”
[The family moved somewhere and couldn’t be found.]
“Do you still only watch those kinds of movies?”
[Spy stuff? Are you doubting whether I’m real? I guess I can’t help it since you contacted me so suddenly.]
It had been over half a year since we broke up, but when he suddenly came to see me, and I found out about it through a broker, I couldn’t help but be suspicious.
If it was the real Vito, that would be fine, but if someone ripped open Vito’s brain expansion device and read his memories, it probably wasn’t meant well.
[Then I’ll start by telling you why I came here. I was staying in the city my family left to repair magic tools for a while, and someone was trying to find me. When I heard the story, it seemed similar to the cartel in the port city of Aromaa, so I quickly ran away.]
“So you came here to tell me that?”
It wasn’t strange for Vito to come to see me since he had told him he was going to Maze City.
“But isn’t the way the cartel is handling things a bit strange? Why did they approach Vito so that he could hear them?”
End