Genius Engineer in the Labyrinth - Chapter 92
Only Noblemtl
The Rune Printer is a device that can engrave runes in the smallest size necessary for operation. It is faster and more precise than human hands, making it one of the essential items in magic engineering.
There is a downside to having to have a magic engineer watch over you since you can’t completely leave it to him to monitor the flow of magic, but it’s a minor issue.
As Alan pressed the start button on the rune printer, the nozzle controlled by the machine woke up. The target of the guy was the outer armor of the power suit placed on a square plate. He moved busily over it and drew a picture.
A thin nozzle injected a very thin stream of metal mixed with magicite powder, and the red-hot metal thread formed into a rune shape before slowly cooling.
While Alan was checking for defects under a bright light after finishing his work, Vito, who was next to him, just poked his head in.
“You’re engraving it while ignoring the minimum distance? What about the magical interference between the runes?”
“[Reinforcement][Acceleration][Reinforcement][Acceleration], I carved them one line at a time like this. There is no problem since you only need to activate the necessary parts.”
“That would be okay, but…, um, I don’t think there would be any control failures with you.”
“This is the prototype, complete.”
Alan put the outer armor on the chest of the power suit. The power suit, made of metal and synthetic materials, completely shed the appearance of the guards. If you just looked at it, you wouldn’t know that it was based on the guards’ power suit.
“Are there any originals left? Like the original parts, the frame, the runes, etc.”
“At first. As I kept adding this and that, it all came off like a snake shedding its skin.”
“And then the budget was exceeded···.”
Vito paused in his conversation and glanced at the long sofa, on which Taylor lay.
Taylor, who had been looking forward to upgrading after spending all his spare money on the power suit, was greatly disappointed. He didn’t show it, but anyone could guess his true feelings by looking at his droopy appearance.
“It’s common for projects to go over budget or overtime. That’s how you get the results you want.”
“The theory is correct, but···.”
While Vito watched, Alan put on his power suit with the help of a box. Similar to the guards, the back side opened up and prepared to receive its owner.
As Alan approached, he put his feet in first, then his body and arms, and the open glove closed tightly without a single gap.
beep-
“You can rest.”
The box spun around as if the rune printer was curious. With the pincers folded neatly, Alan felt relieved and enjoyed the comfort of wearing it.
His size and height have also grown significantly. For a labyrinth explorer, his delicate body has become intimidating for the first time. Of course, it will only work on ordinary people, and to the explorers, he will feel like a ‘rich explorer1’.
Alan was wondering what would be good for a simple performance test when he came across a box full of automaton parts.
‘Is it about 200kg?’
I walked up to it and grabbed the bottom of the box with both hands.
“Hey, waist, waist!”
Before Vito could even shout, Alan lifted the box up to his chest. It felt heavy, but it didn’t feel difficult.
Vito lowered his outstretched hand as he looked at the power suit emitting a soft light. For a moment, he had forgotten what Alan was wearing.
“No matter how good the equipment is, you shouldn’t bend your back when lifting such objects. You should straighten your back.”
“I didn’t know because this doesn’t happen often. I’ll do it later.”
How much of what Alan does is done by borrowing the abilities of other people or tools.
I put the box down and visualized the state of the power suit. The soul stones and sensors located in each part were linked to the left eye.
First, an image of a power suit with its arms slightly spread out like an anatomy chart appeared, all green, meaning normal. Next to it, letters were listed in a row.
Durability: 99%
Magic Fusion Reactor: 99%↓
Rune activation rate: 10%
There are three evaluation items. I plan to use it first and add items if necessary.
Alan, who had raised his visor, met Taylor’s eyes.
“Are you happy?”
“yes.”
“Yes, I am satisfied that you are happy.”
The words he spat out and the body that was sagging like a sloth did not match. Alan, who was looking at the listless Taylor, asked Vito.
“When do you start work?”
“12 o’clock. If you go now, it’ll be perfect.”
“How long do you work?”
“If the income is good, there are days when I can finish early, so it’s flexible. Sometimes I finish at 6 p.m., and sometimes I work until midnight.”
After deducting fees for a month, the money that came into Vito’s hands was 5 million coins. If he had continued working until midnight, he would have earned twice as much.
Of course, the special nature of the place, a bar where troubleshooters and mercenaries gather, also played a part. There was always a steady stream of people, and due to the nature of his job, he had to frequently repair magical tools.
Even in a boom time, you might think that 5 million coins is too little, but given the location, I only received requests for simple magic tool repairs.
“Are you studying consistently?”
“That’s why there are few days when I work until midnight. If I worked only for the money, my pockets would be full.”
“You’re doing well. If I just sit still, I’ll automatically fall behind because of the constantly evolving technology. As I said last time, if you need to, look at the special text book.”
“It was good to use as a sleeping pill. I slept really well that day···.”
“You weren’t drooling, were you?”
“Absolutely not. I bought the book brand new and paid a lot of money for it, so how could that be? Why did you ask about my working hours?”
Alan’s finger pointed at Taylor, who was drooping. He perked up his ears, as if he knew it was because of him, even though he seemed uninterested in his surroundings.
“I need to raise funds to upgrade to better magic wear. I’ll need some time to get used to the power suit and figure out some issues, so I’ll be on the ground for a while.”
“Wait a minute, so what about me? Does that mean the boss can take away his employees’ jobs?”
“Competition is the driving force of progress.”
“No, wait… Please, don’t do this….”
Vito, with a look of defeat on his face, picked up his tools and followed Alan.
*
Alan entered Rolf’s bar, a drunken blaze. As he descended the stairs, the first thing he saw was the owner, with his red hair flowing like a lion’s mane.
It was obvious that his hair style was noticeable. He was cleaning the glass himself. Even though there were staff, seeing him do that made it clear that it was a hobby.
Or maybe he’s a broker and he’s eavesdropping on his customers’ conversations.
Why would an information broker or broker run a bar for no reason? People would gather when there was alcohol, and when the alcohol went down their throats, their lips would become lighter.
As Alan, dressed in a power suit, stepped in, the guests glanced at him for a moment before returning their attention to their glasses.
Power suits were a common piece of equipment. Due to the nature of their jobs, they were more familiar with them than the average person, and one of the troubleshooters sitting in the corner had taken off his helmet and was drinking heavily.
Moreover, the level of quality varied greatly depending on who made it and what materials were used. So, the power suit that Alan wore could have been mistaken for a simple strength aid or labor tool.
Rolf, who was paying attention to see if a new person had visited, smirked when he saw Alan raising his visor.
“Magic Engineer Alan, long time no see. You’re dressed up nicely. How much did you pay for it?”
“Sir, why do you call me a tinker but call Alan by his proper name?”
“If you have any complaints, improve your skills. Easy, right?”
The simple things that seem easy at first are the most difficult. As you accumulate knowledge, your skills will improve. Everyone knows this, but knowledge is the first thing that holds you back.
Magical engineering is difficult because it contains the word ‘magic’, so the barrier to entry is high and there is a large gap between people.
Vito, who was struck down by Rolf’s cold and truthful tongue-twisting, headed to the corner of the bar. The small room there was a workshop. Rolf’s bar in the basement had many such rooms, and technicians from various fields worked there.
Alan, curious about an objective evaluation, asked casually.
“What about Vito?”
“Even if there’s an introduction, I won’t give my room to just anyone. I’m still a bit immature, but considering my age, it’s okay. Oh, how old were you?”
“I’m 18 years old.”
“Oh, I remember. Your birthday was in June, right? I brought up your age in front of you. Maze City is so big that people like you who ignore the passage of time often appear. No one knows whether you will remain a perennial prospect and be forgotten, or whether you will become a giant that ignores even typhoons.”
Rolf finished his speech appropriately. Alan guessed what he had swallowed. It was that more than 99% of people end up as prospects.
It didn’t matter to Alan. All that mattered was knowledge, exploration, and healing.
I glanced at Vito’s workshop and saw that there were quite a few visitors. This was a benefit of the place. I could watch the repairs to the magic tools, so I was free from suspicions that they were changing parts or stealing.
Alan also went inside and took a seat. The troubleshooters who knew the face also changed the line.
As a result, Vito’s front seat was empty, and Alan’s front seat was crowded. Vito, who had finished his last task, stuck out his mouth.
“Brothers, you’re really going too far.”
At that moment, a man watching nearby growled. He crossed his arms with the golem prosthetic arm, which was so thick that it almost completely covered his upper body.
“That’s too much. I got away with it because I survived a maintenance mistake. You know? Otherwise, I’d be dead!”
If it hadn’t been a mistake, he would have died before he could say ‘bang!’ and would have lost the chance to say such a thing. Then it wouldn’t have been known that Vito had made a mistake.
Alan, who had just gotten a taste of the magic tool, pushed it towards Vito. Then, there was a backlash.
“Uh, uh. What are you doing?”
Alan didn’t even blink. The solver was as threatening as a monster in a labyrinth, but at least they could communicate… no, they spoke the same language.
“I will inspect it. If it is inconvenient, you can take it back.”
When I explained it that way, the problem solvers grumbled but stayed quiet. If I had left it to a proper store, the cost would have been twice as high.
The troubleshooters left one by one, leaving only the two of them in the workshop.
“You need money to upgrade?”
“I entrusted it to Vito, so I can’t just take it away. I’m thinking about another way.”
“Then how about getting some work from the boss? He must know a lot of useful work as a broker.”
“That’s one of the reasons I came here.”
“One? Surely, checking to see if I’m doing a good job is another reason?”
Alan just shrugged and went out. There was no noise from the typical bar scene. To be exact, the customers were focused on the commotion going on at the bar.
An orc wearing a golem prosthetic hand only on his left hand was shouting at Rolf.
“Is that all I’m worth? Are you kidding me?”
“Hey. There are guests here, so why are you doing this? Let’s go into the room and talk quietly.”
“Just do it here!”
The distorted orc’s face was so ferocious that it scared a child to the point of peeing his pants. Even in such a situation, Rolf did not shake a single strand of his beard. It was the courage of a broker.
The orc’s voice grew louder and louder, and Rolf’s hand moved slightly to the weapon under the table.
Then Alan stepped forward. I was going to ask if anything good was going on, but I felt uneasy about the bloodshed. My personality is such that I want to avoid seeing blood as much as possible.
Alan’s hand was placed on the golem’s prosthetic arm.
“What are you···.”
The orc who was trying to shake off Alan’s arm closed his mouth. His trembling pupils turned to the motionless golem prosthetic arm. A soft light flowed out from the power suit that sealed the prosthetic arm.
A power suit stands tall against the backdrop of a dark bar. As the magical light flows, the shadows become darker.
“Fuck···.”
The orc either had no intention of causing a ruckus from the beginning or sensed the difference in strength, so he quietly disappeared. With the spectacle gone, the guests’ attention quickly dispersed.
Rolf was investigating whether the table had been broken by the orc’s blow.
“How much does this cost? Why are you doing this so carelessly? It doesn’t look broken, so I guess it was expensive.”
“Why did you do that?”
“There was some friction because of the settlement ratio. Anyway, those orc kids. They clearly said it was good, but they changed their words in less than a day.”
“Is that all?”
“of course···.”
Rolf paused for a moment as he met Alan’s indifferent eyes.
“I did try to hire him a little cheaper than the market rate…”
The customers weren’t just watching for nothing. Brokers and problem solvers have a symbiotic relationship, but it’s easy for resentment to build up over money.
“Kids. You guys are just watching and giggling, thinking it’s a good thing. Why are you? Are you going to leave?”
“No. I was just asking if you had any work to do.”
As soon as the topic of work came up, Rolf’s gaze changed. His gaze, which had been like that of a neighborhood uncle, turned fierce.
I was making a cool-headed evaluation of Alan’s skills and equipment. One of the reasons for blocking the orcs was the bonus points.
“Can you show me your ID?”
“Here it is.”
Rolf didn’t even accept the ID. He was only interested in one thing: the attainment class.
“Already in the primeval forest? Then it’s depth 3. Did you go down wearing a power suit?”
“No. I just got a new power suit.”
“Hmm… how about this? My cousin runs a mine in western Soldos and I got word that he needs people.”
Maze City was in the center of Soldos. I don’t know exactly where west it was, but if it was a mine, it was at least a thousand kilometers away.
“But you’re saving people here? Oh, I guess it’s something that shouldn’t be done if rumors spread around.”
“Because you can be more open-mouthed in front of people you know. Mr. Taylor worked at Breaker, so he’ll have a lot of experience with this, and Shiva is a fellow dwarf and monk, so he’s trustworthy.”
Rolf was not a man who was obsessed with relationships. He was also a broker. He coldly analyzed people’s abilities and entrusted them with work.
End