Genius Engineer in the Labyrinth - Chapter 91
Only Noblemtl
After obtaining a strange staff from the catacombs, Alan set up camp at Breaker’s base and wandered around the 21st to 23rd floors of the primeval forest.
It could get boring if you just kept going to the same places, but you always had to stay on your toes thanks to the doors that changed locations every time and the creatures that appeared in different patterns.
Upon returning to base and settling his hunting haul, Alan realized that the information on his ID had changed.
“It took 30 days.”
“It’s a measure to prevent people from trying to buy an identity with money. Those people are just trying to make an explorer’s ID for a short while anyway, so if it takes too long, they get bored and drop out.”
Alan nodded. People who wanted to renew their IDs based on money rather than skills were more likely to turn back to the ground at the sight of even a palm-sized mosquito or leech wandering around the primeval forest.
Finally, the reach layer has changed, so the biggest goal has been achieved. Starting with the next expedition, the entry time will be greatly shortened.
Alan, who had left the settlement to Taylor, repaired the magic tools in the tent. While he was repairing the stove, the tent was lifted and light came in.
“If you do that in a place that is too dark, your eyesight will deteriorate. That’s big news!”
“You’re not playing around again because you’re bored, are you?”
“You think cheering me on is a joke… This time, no. This is for real.”
“Go ahead.”
Alan looked up. The fire from the repaired stove cast a soft glow inside the tent. Taylor walked around the base, unraveling the conversations he had with people.
“I met someone I know and he said that the expedition that was supposed to be sent from Breaker this month has been cancelled for some reason.”
“Brother, I don’t think this is something to get excited about.”
Shiva, who had been sleeping in the corner of the tent, woke up, not from sleep but from a reception, in his sleeping bag.
“What a fuss.”
Taylor’s finger pointed at the wand near Alan. The surface glowed in the firelight. The letters were so dense and detailed that they looked like an unintelligible pattern.
“We took the things that Zion was supposed to take. Thanks to that, Zion followed us around for a while.”
“So the assumption that it was a key to open a certain place has turned out to be true.”
Alan understood what Taylor was trying to say. After putting together the circumstances and a few clues, the judgment was easy.
“The timing is just right. The expedition was targeting floor 31 and below, so the tightly closed door should be there.”
“Before that, we need to break through the primeval forest. This time, when we get there, I plan on completing the power suit.”
Alan got up and stored his supplies in the box’s drawer. The box was busy moving its pincers to help him put on his powered exoskeleton.
Alan felt the stinging gaze and turned his head to see Taylor glaring at him.
“Brother, your face is so disrespectful.”
“What does that mean? You’re praying. Alan, me?”
“You too, sir, should upgrade this time.”
“We’ve made a lot of money, so let’s not worry about cost-effectiveness this time. My heart feels hot when I use my magic.”
“Fever is a characteristic of the product. It is within the acceptable range, so don’t worry.”
“You can just buy some good magic wear. … Right?”
The primeval forest was much more profitable than the labyrinth or cave. If you go up this time, you can buy the star character interpretation book, make a power suit, and upgrade your tailor, and you’ll still have money left over.
Of course, it was also a dangerous place. High return always went together with high risk.
After leaving the base, Alan fed the prepared magic stone into the compass. The compass is usually an object that points to the poles, and it was the same in the labyrinth. One side of the needle pointed to the entrance, and the other side pointed to the exit.
Alan turned around to find the door leading upstairs. The peak in the center of the 23rd floor was shining with sunlight.
I went back again just in case, but the door wouldn’t open. That meant that whatever magic or mystery the collector had put into the compass had disappeared.
If you don’t feel sorry, it’s a lie, but the new staff you’ve acquired is at least a consolation.
As I passed through the door, I heard a commotion behind me and turned around to see the leopard and the box pushing each other.
Both of them had suffered a lot of damage to their outer skin due to hunting. Although they looked like warriors of the past, their durability was greatly reduced.
It started with a box. The leopard’s armor looked so attractive, or it thought it was something to collect, so it slowly thrust its claws in. Of course, the leopard swatted it away with its front paws.
“What are they doing? Has artificial intelligence already sprouted?”
“That’s not it.”
‘Intermediate Interpretation of Star Characters 1’ is a description of the diversification of behavioral patterns, and Alan himself experimented with and applied parts that were not written in the book.
The headline read: Artificial intelligence thrives on freedom and unpredictability. The box and the leopard’s actions were Allen’s own application of the phrase.
‘If you look at the flow of the book, the special characters I engraved would probably be equivalent to 2-3 volumes.’
Still, I had to buy the book because I didn’t know if it would contain any new knowledge. No matter how trivial it may be, it could become a small cog in the wheel someday.
After separating the box and the leopard, Alan arrived on the ground. It was snowing.
“It’s cold.”
“White trash.”
“The children of the monastery would love it.”
The reactions of the three people were sharply divided.
As I left the fort and turned my gaze to the road, I saw government officials working on clearing snow. They pushed away the high piles of snow with their cars, while fire spirits melted the rest and water spirits carried it into the drains.
In the distance, a holographic public service announcement was displayed on a tall building, urging people to brace themselves and stay away from crime in the new year.
Alan let out a brief comment.
“It’s very Maze City-like.”
“In terms of crime rate, Labyrinth is better. Most of the victims on the surface are weak, but the explorers are all armed, so they can resist.”
When he returned to the storage room he used as his home, Vito, armed with a shotgun, greeted Alan.
“I thought you were a thief.”
“You’re alive.”
“Why are you saying such things? Shouldn’t I be the one who should be saying this? By the way, I’ve been exploring the dungeon for a really long time. Almost 50 days?”
Alan nodded in agreement, and Taylor put an arm around Vito’s shoulder.
“Why did you say that? Kind Alan was worried that Aesong might have died.”
“yes?”
“Do you know why the skills of night doctors and magic engineers are so outstanding?”
“I know that too. If you lack skills, you will die from customer complaints.”
Only the capable survive. In the world of lawlessness, you have to put your life on the line, not your career.
Shiva, who had been stamping his feet, quickly moved towards the refrigerator.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had holy water. I think it’s been properly aged, or rather purified.”
“Let’s go together.”
Taylor was of the same mind this time, so he followed without any trouble. Alan faced Vito near the door.
“Don’t worry too much about what he said. Mr. Rolf’s fee includes protection money.”
“I’ve been working at Aroma for a few years now, but don’t you know that… It was hard to adjust at first, but it gradually got easier. One time, I made a mistake repairing a golem’s prosthetic arm, but a customer actually gave me a tip because it saved his life.”
Vito dug through his pocket and took out a cash chip. Alan watched quietly, so Vito forced it into his hand.
“This month’s equipment rental fee and accommodation fee.”
“You could have just put it in the account I gave you.”
“It feels better to receive it directly. I don’t feel attached to the account because it’s like a numbers game.”
“Was the income okay?”
“After deducting the commission and rental fee, my entire share is about 4 million.”
“Then this chip contains 1 million coins. Just use this, Vito.”
Alan put the chip directly into his shirt pocket. Vito tried to stop him, but he only pretended and didn’t stop Alan’s hand.
“Is it a bonus?”
“There is a saying, ‘Money that comes from the nose’.”
Alan closed the door and headed toward the center of the warehouse, Vito following behind him, panting.
“You feel like a million? Then how much do explorers earn? I guess it includes the life allowance, but… I’ll also do a labyrinth while I’m at it…”
Vito muttered a vain fantasy. He was a risk-averse person, so he would forget about it tomorrow. When he was trying to convince him at the clinic, if there had been no image offered as a sacrifice, he would have stayed still.
Vito took out the shotgun’s ammunition and put it in the box.
“Has a thief visited you?”
“He must be a naive kid because he ran away when I shouted at him. I was nervous because he was a thief in Maze City, but he was just a kid.”
Vito’s shoulders rose slightly. Alan’s gaze passed them and turned upward. The 5-meter-high ceiling was a complex tangle of steel frames, pipes, and cables, and spiders were hiding there.
Alan had no intention of telling Vito that fact, because then Vito would be more nervous and nervous than usual.
The thief who ran away might blame himself for being cowardly, but it was actually his personality that saved his life. Unlike people, machines were merciless.
Alan turned his gaze and reached out to the power suit hanging on the H-shaped maintenance stand. After 50 days, there was quite a bit of dust accumulated on the covering.
Beside him were stacks of boxes that Alan had ordered before he left. Modern metalworking is so advanced that not a single part is off by even a fraction of an inch.
Shiva, who was savoring the holy water that was so strong it smelled like disinfectant, watched the scene.
“Brother Allen never rests.”
“That’s relaxation for him. Just touching the magic tool will release serotonin.”
“How long do you plan to rest this time?”
“It’s not up to me to decide. Once Alan’s maintenance is over, his break is over.”
“There is no such thing as asceticism.”
“Are you trying to quit?”
“No. Even though my body is tired, I feel my mother’s love growing stronger. I didn’t know that I would achieve the results of long-term practice in a monastery in just 50 days.”
Shiva was satisfied. He would be helping with the hospital work even if he stayed on the ground, so he had little time to rest. In that case, the labyrinth, where his skills would definitely improve, was much better.
“You made a good choice. You should save up a lot when you’re young so that you can be comfortable later on. Whether it’s money or skills.”
While the two men chatted away, Vito stayed close to Alan and watched.
“What is that?”
“It’s a magic bullet launcher that attaches to your forearm. It’s retractable, so there’s no need to worry about it getting in your way.”
“What is this?”
“These are the parts for making a magic fusion reactor.”
Even when asked a series of questions, Alan answered them without fail. The answers themselves were a review, and recalling them could lead to good ideas.
“Magic fusion reactor?”
The magic fusion furnace was different from the magic furnace that only consumed magic stones. It was a magical tool that applied the principle of magic stone synthesis, and it utilized the phenomenon of natural magic power being mixed in during the process of synthesizing magic stones and increasing capacity.
The magic stones obtained in this way were consumed again, and when they were about to become empty, synthesis was attempted again.
Of course, it was not a permanent organ because it needed to be replaced due to the durability of the magic stone.
“How do you make it? What are the core technologies?”
“I know the technology to synthesize magic stones.”
“The secrets that companies keep hidden? Have you even found out about the companies?”
“yes.”
“what?”
Vito’s mouth dropped open. His expression seemed to indicate that he couldn’t figure out whether what he had just heard was true or false.
“Obtained while digging up Lockhart’s magic stone mine on the 19th floor of the labyrinth.”
“Energy company? You really work hard···.”
Vito clung on, feeling the gap between them. He knew that Alan wouldn’t kick him out. Of course, there was a price to pay.
“Have you finished handling the part you were assigned?”
“Not yet. It’s too difficult.”
“···?”
“It’s difficult for me, not you···.”
Alan nodded and continued with another task. Vito watched him handle not only his own two hands, but also the mechanical arm.
beep-
I turned my head at the strange sound and saw the box’s claws rattling. It seemed like it was mocking me, and my heart ached.
End