Genius Engineer in the Labyrinth - Chapter 84
Only Noblemtl
The area where the Labyrinth Gate exists has no buildings other than city hall facilities such as fortresses and police stations. At best, there are sidewalks, roads, subway or monorail stations, so there are quite a few empty spaces.
In an empty lot that was being used as a parking lot, Alan sat on a cart and observed the surrounding scenery and people passing by.
Like a basin surrounded by mountains, explorers come and go with the buildings lined up outside the area as the background. Even though they go to fight monsters in the labyrinth, they look just like ordinary office workers, which is an indicator of how close the labyrinth is to life.
I don’t know if the thoughts in their heads were a desire to make a fortune overnight or a curiosity for hidden knowledge, but on the surface, they all looked similar.
Now, I turned my gaze from the familiar scenery to the empty lot. The regular explorers of Breaker were waiting in their respective positions in an orderly manner.
The explorer, who seemed to be a newbie, listened to the story of his senior, and the managers checked the luggage to be transported to the primitive forest base once more.
The bodies of powerful genetically engineered creatures and automatons were tied to carts. There were a lot of carts, but they alone did not seem to be enough to support the base’s supplies.
At that moment, Alan’s eyes caught sight of a dimensional backpack resting on a cart. Its square shape resembled a suitcase.
“How much capacity does it have?”
“About three 25-ton dump trucks.”
Taylor, who was yawning, answered right away. His experience as an explorer for Breaker quickly resolved Alan’s curiosity like a well-organized encyclopedia.
“If you just consider the capacity, it’s 100 billion coins. The actual price will be more expensive.”
“Have you finished calculating yet?”
“I calculated that a 75L backpack costs 100 million won, and 1000L is 1 ton.”
“Yes, you’re right. But since such items are not available in the market, it’s hard to put a price on them.”
“The price of an item is always relative. Some people would be willing to pay several times the price. Or they could treat it as a strategic item and not distribute it at all.”
“Closer to the latter.”
All the items in the dimensional backpack were necessities or materials for base defense. Food and water were kept to a minimum, as they could be obtained by hunting animals in the forest or by getting them from the river.
Even if you quickly reach the 23rd floor, it takes more than 10 days, and there is only nature around you. In such a place, using toilet paper, toothbrushes, detergents, etc. is actually a luxury.
“It’s efficient.”
“But how can people live off of just that? There are a lot of snacks in there. There must be a lot of kids just waiting for that.”
“Brother, when I hear the word ‘jujeonburi,’ I think of old times. The nun who raised me was also an old woman with white hair, and she would call me ‘jujeonburi’ every time she gave me a snack.”
“···Are you making fun of the generation gap these days?”
“It’s a pity to hear that. It has no other meaning than that it brings back fond memories of the old days.”
Taylor punched the air a few times in the direction of Shiva’s face and sat down next to Alan.
“You’re being rude and making fun of adults.”
“It’s good to see you doing well.”
“What do you mean, we’re on good terms. But this cart. If you just avoid the rough terrain of the primeval forest, it should be fine to drive around… No, it’s not. It’ll be hard to drive around the complicated terrain.”
“A valley or a swamp?”
“Yeah, I know that well. Since it’s our first time anyway, let’s avoid those places.”
“What if I do this?”
Alan, who had gotten up alone from the cart, felt around underneath, and the wheel rose about 20 centimeters off the ground. Taylor, who flinched, grabbed the side.
“I engraved [the floating] by overlapping them. This way, you can walk even if there is no road.”
“I guess the magic cost is manageable…, I guess it doesn’t matter. Well, the floating wagon is a similar item, and if you’re going to the primeval forest, that’s an expense you can easily afford.”
Even though Taylor pushed the cart down by bouncing back, the wheels never fully touched the ground.
“This should be fine. Did you think about this and make the wheels on the box into caterpillar tracks?”
“No. I saw a tank on TV, so I followed along.”
“Or else.”
While they were talking, Alan felt as if someone was watching him. He turned his head and saw Zion, who had just gotten off the aircraft and was staring at him.
The clear gray eyes seemed to see right through his mind. Only when Alan waved his hand slightly did he close his eyes and turn his head.
At that moment, a grumbling voice was heard from the side.
“What, he’s here too?”
“Do you have any complaints?”
“They are the problem.”
“yes?”
Alan asked again to make sure he hadn’t heard correctly.
“That’s not what I meant. I mean, they’re kids who go around looking for trouble.”
“ah···.”
Breaker’s agents are comprised of those with particularly strong military powers. Where would such people be deployed? It would most likely be for covert missions or conflict resolution.
As Alan absentmindedly glanced between Zion and Taylor, Taylor flared up.
“What, why? You and those guys are weird. I’m average.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“I should have joined the next supply. It would have been annoying if I got caught up in some weird fight on the way down.”
“The supply unit is coming down, so I’ll follow along. You’ll take care of Breaker’s work.”
“You are right.”
Zion closed his eyes and stood still. He occasionally turned his head as if he was looking around.
Taylor, who had been observing closely, said a word.
“He’s secretly a concept junkie too.”
Just as Alan was about to open his mouth, an administrator wearing ram horns approached him.
“Hey, newbies. I hired someone because we were suddenly short on personnel, so get your act together. Two registered explorers from our company and one priest of the Mosin Church should be enough. Just block the monsters from approaching the wagons, and refrain from doing anything strange. If you do that, I won’t touch you.”
The manager left with those words and disappeared. As a meticulous person, he kept checking the cart.
“It’s more relaxed than I thought, perhaps because it’s a procession of large corporations.”
Shiva took out a portable bottle called a hip flask. Alan knew it was alcohol, but he asked the question deliberately, wondering what she would say this time.
“What’s in the bottle?”
“It’s a transparent substance called the water of life. When the liver is stimulated by an external substance, the body that feels threatened will automatically tense up, so you can think of it as a kind of warm-up.”
“Do you just bow your head and say you’re praying and make excuses like that?”
“Brother Taylor, if you keep slandering me like that, it’s going to be a problem.”
As we chatted, time passed quickly and it was time to leave. The explorers began to slowly avoid the Breaker, perhaps because they could see the distinctive broken glass patterns here and there.
Since the labyrinth was also in the second line, the entrance was very fast. It was an hour shorter than usual.
“how is it?”
“We’ve also achieved a lot of results this time, so let’s change the information on our explorer ID cards. Can we settle accounts at the base?”
“It’s a bit pricey, but it’s not something you can carry around forever. As you hunt, your target class will naturally change.”
The automaton that emerged from the maze did not slow down the steps of the supply team at all. It disintegrated as soon as it approached, only to donate magic stones.
The cave was the same. When the underground people came out, some of them fell out and dealt with them, and quickly joined the supply team.
There was no need for Allen and his party to come forward at all.
“It’s comfortable, but something feels strange.”
“Because it’s a big company. Why are you like that?”
Taylor looked at Shiva. He sat on the cart, in the pose of a thinking man, and opened his mouth.
“Is this a big company? I joined Brother Allen’s party because I expected it to be tough…”
“You’re not saying you’re going to change jobs?”
“Not now, but if Brother Taylor keeps pressing, then maybe.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll take care of it… I have no intention of doing anything, so come to your senses. Either go or don’t go.”
“Without me, you’ll need a lot of medicine. Then, you’ll have to visit Western Sky more often…”
“Oh, what do you think I am?”
The palace on the 20th floor of the cave was the same. Even though the automatons kept coming, there were many explorers to respond this time. After calmly organizing and moving, we arrived at Daejeon before we knew it.
This time, Zion stepped forward. As he walked along the central passage between the thick stone pillars, the guards who had been waiting stepped forward, accompanied by their automatons.
As Alan was waiting to see what she would do, the automaton and the guards suddenly started to panic, as if they had lost their eyesight.
WHEEK!
The magical wave contained in the whistle struck all directions and returned to Zion.
As the whistle echoed, Zion’s body became blurred. The moment the automaton was cut, the only indication of her path was the flash of the blade.
When the upper part of the automaton, cut diagonally, slowly slid down, the upper body of the first one to be hit fell with a thud.
Zion’s lightly held sword pierced the power suit’s visor. The power suit transformed into a guard’s coffin.
He pulled out his sword and swung it downwards with his magical power, causing the foreign substances on the blade to scatter across the floor.
Zion headed to the primeval forest alone, and Breaker’s explorers prepared to rest by stepping on the red flowers drawn on the ground.
Alan recalled the scene from earlier.
“It’s not just a simple concept. I felt a strange magical effect.”
“Is this an ability I gained after quitting my job? Or was it something I kept secret?”
“I read an article that said that no one knew his real name or what he did, but seeing him take the lead and kill the guards, I guess it was just a rumor.”
Taylor just shrugged, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“I don’t know everything either… Now that I think about it, I don’t know why they transferred me there. Ah, that was good.”
“What is it?”
“When artificial eyes and brain extension devices first came out, I used the company’s money to install them. When I first joined the company, it was like… It’s already been over 40 years. Magic Wear hadn’t become popular yet.”
“Then why did you take on the challenge?”
“I told you before.”
“The limits of talent?”
“You remember, right? That’s why I found another way instead of just practicing diligently. The company said they would take responsibility if any side effects occurred, so I didn’t have time to hesitate. They must have thought I was taking a risk for the company, so they kept changing it whenever a new product came out. But now I have to pay for it myself.”
Alan nodded and called for a box near the cart. The man who answered the call took out a new mechanical arm from the cart and placed it on his master’s back.
“That arm keeps snapping? Oh, it’s moving.”
“It took some time to finish the power suit to a satisfactory level. However, if I operated the arm part separately, my arm would hurt, so I modified it.”
The equipment, made up of many joints and artificial muscles, resembled the tentacles of a mollusk.
“I didn’t put in an independent system, but it moves well according to my intention. Now that I have four arms, my work is also easier.”
“For most people, controlling it is a job.”
“and···.”
Before I knew it, the grass had grown up to my knees. It was dark here too, perhaps because it was night. To be exact, only where Alan was.
“Alan!”
Taylor reached out. A huge snake, easily over 30 feet long, was hanging from the tree, its mouth wide open toward Alan.
The moment its jaws fell off, the robotic arms reacted and grabbed the snake’s mouth up and down, then ripped the snout apart.
“···You are strong too.”
The glowing snake fell to the ground and was quickly dismembered by nearby explorers.
“You are very strong-hearted.”
“I was a little surprised.”
“Then at least show your shock on your face.”
The snake that Alan caught was not a mutant. It was an entity that had a magic stone, but could not consciously use its magic power.
The leader of the supply unit took the snake magic stone. It was natural, since the magic stone had to be absorbed into the compass to find the location of the door leading to the 22nd floor.
End