Special Entity (2)
“It wasn't, so don't worry too much.”
“Then how about this? I heard some news—or rather, a rumor—that someone’s been controlling automatons lately.”
Allen silently alternated his gaze between the man and the leopard, as if asking whether he was talking about him.
“No, no. Does it sound like that? Anyway, it's not meant for your side. You know that on the 5th layer, automatons usually travel in groups of two or three at most, right?”
“Yes. Their numbers increase significantly from the 6th layer.”
Last time on the 6th layer, there had been three riders. Three riders, but separating the riders from their wolves made six.
“There's a rumor that someone saw them swarming around like on the 6th layer, even on the 5th.”
“Does ‘controlling’ mean the culprit intentionally orchestrated the situation?”
“They might have deliberately provoked the automatons to pass the danger on to others, or maybe they got their hands on an Oparts that controls automatons.”
“If it's an Oparts capable of that, it's certainly possible.”
“To someone camping alone at the stairs to the 6th layer, it might sound like a joke. Anyway, that's the word. Well then, young friend, may the sun welcome you.”
“May the sun welcome you.”
With that, the man returned to where his party waited, and Allen mulled over his words before recalling the body he had found with Carlson. Of all places, that discovery had been on the 5th layer too.
It might be connected, or it might not. Even in a labyrinth people constantly traversed, new discoveries cropped up now and then—the place was still full of unknowns.
The culprit doesn't have to be human. It could be a harbinger of some phenomenon.
Finishing his thoughts, Allen slowly sipped the completed soup. It was warm.
Special Entity (2)
A light beaming from the person's forehead struck Allen's face directly. It was incredibly rude behavior, but the other showed no hesitation whatsoever.
“You alone?”
“As you can see.”
Allen replied coolly to the elf with rooster-comb hair. His tone was so calm that the elf might not have even registered it as cold.
“Wandering the labyrinth with an automaton...”
The elf muttered to his companions for a moment before asking again.
“The path here wasn't too tough?”
“Not particularly. Is there some problem you're getting at?”
Ignoring Allen's question, the elf vanished into the darkness with his party.
Allen had tried not to show it, but he could easily infer the intent behind those questions.
They were a party that had come to the campsite at the end of the 5th layer to investigate the source of the rumor the old man had mentioned.
If it was false, they'd return empty-handed; if true, it would make for a fine payday.
The megacorporations always bought up new discoveries at premium prices, whether artifacts or knowledge—no exceptions.
Then I'll head that way.
Allen didn't believe in physiognomy, but he had no desire to stick close to people whose attitudes and faces all screamed menace, so he chose a different passage.
This was the 6th layer now. The old man's warning meant he had to be cautious, but he couldn't abandon his original plan over an unverified rumor.
Hunting on the 5th layer would have been safer, true.
It's secure enough, and I can earn plenty for that discounted red flower.
If Allen's goal had been a peaceful life, that would have been fine. Hell, if it really was, he never would have become a labyrinth explorer in the first place—he'd have gotten a job at a workshop and lived out his days as an ordinary magitech engineer.
But a stimulus-free existence wasn't Allen's style. What had driven him as a child to rummage through dumps for newspapers and books, if not that?
An endless curiosity and a thirst for the wider world.
In that sense, Maze City—and the labyrinth beyond—was the perfect place to satisfy his cravings. It was like an endless furnace named Allen, constantly stoked with fresh fuel.
Desire for something is the spark of life.
That's what makes people move. The janitor scrubbing the city streets every day, the barista brewing beans at a café, the college student logging into Samraman Sang to study—they all had their own desires.
Craving a tasty meal, perfecting a richer coffee aroma, chasing scholarships with better grades.
The directions differed, but the essence was desire unchanged. Whether called dreams or hopes, that driving force propelled Allen downward. And onward, exploring.
Allen pulled a small mana essence stone from the inner pocket of his deep navy jacket. Its surface sparkled in the light from his headlamp.
Deeper enemies definitely drop better spoils.
Mana stones held more power, soul stones had wider fog-like interfaces, and mana essence stones dropped more often.
I need to stockpile essence stones for my eyes too.
Two were tucked in his backpack as a precaution against overloads, with the rest safe in the Breaker vault.
Allen cast his gaze ahead once more. He selected one of the paths leading to the 7th layer and pressed on. A single entrance and exit, but multiple routes connecting them.
This one's mostly narrow straight passages—ideal for controlling automatons in combat. Good for preventing ambushes too.
Maze maps were as common as a licked-clean plate; easy to come by. They were all over Samraman Sang too—no one was without one.
Plunging in with courage was another matter entirely.
Suddenly, a manhole ahead quietly opened and closed. In that brief instant, the emerging wolf rider sensed an enemy and unleashed its red glow.
“Sheep, forward. Pig, hold.”
Allen sent the damaged goat ahead to draw attention. It limped, but the sawblades in place of horns whirred ferociously—a menacing sight.
Perhaps because the star letters were inscribed with external mana, the rider recognized the goat as a foe and thrust its spear. The body pierced clean through, the shaft lodged firm.
“Pig. Charge.”
The boar thundered forward. The rider, having twisted to impale the goat, obligingly exposed its flank.
Clang!
Once more, a clear ring echoed as the rider's body launched into the air. As the boar attempted another gore on the falling foe, Allen drew his laser pointer.
A red dot marked the wolf's neck, and the leopard sprang in an instant.
“Bite easy.”
He wasn't sure if it understood, but fortunately, the wolf's head stayed attached.
While the leopard pinned the wolf with its jaws and weight, Allen swiftly closed in and prodded the wolf's body with his staff.
He quickly pried off an unusually resistant iron plate, plunged his arm deep inside, and yanked out the soul stone in one go.
The loot quality's solid here.
The mana stone's aura pulsed strong, and the flows inside the soul stone were dense.
He fully disassembled the rider for valuable parts, and since the wolf was undamaged, he planned to scrap the broken goat and add it to his forces.
Allen perched atop the goat and began manipulating the soul stone.
The first time with the leopard had taken over a day to iron out errors, but since it boiled down to using the same letters, he'd gotten faster with practice.
A little over an hour of nimble fingering later, the soul stone was covered in fresh star letters.
Combat letters varied by automaton form and were already well-crafted—no need to touch them.
Allen glanced at the approaching wolf and tapped the goat's chassis with a finger.
Inputting star letters manually for every mod takes too long and drains mental stamina. Isn't there another way?
The thought popped up suddenly. No solving it here, so he pulled a notebook from the inner jacket pocket at his heart and jotted it down.
A new line joined the densely packed pages of his usual musings and queries at the bottom.
Allen pocketed the notebook and stretched out his stiffened body while peering into the soul stone.
Then he advanced again. Today's goal: reach the 7th layer entrance, or push through it if time allowed.
The maze was packed with stone, and enemies were solely automatons—spoils lacked variety. Especially anything worth Allen's research.
He'd need to breach the 11th layer and its underground city for that to change.
The passage was quiet. Only the footsteps of Allen and his minions, and the cart wheels rumbling along.
Oddly, no automatons in sight.
He recalled the old man's words and heightened his vigilance, but with no fights breaking out, he reached the 7th layer entrance swiftly.
Arriving earlier than expected, Allen paused as he was about to descend, scanning the surroundings.
No people.
Explorer intel said campsites in the maze always had at least one or two parties. The maze was the smallest sector overall, but saw the most traffic.
Allen drew a deep breath. The labyrinth's damp, chill air passed through the mask Yohwa had given him, emerging fresh and tangy.
With the leopard, boar, wolf, and red flower, my body's even healthier for now.
Objectively, his combat power exceeded traveling with Carlson and Aung. Still, encountering rare phenomena nonstop bred unease.
Now for the choice: press on per plan, or reinforce the automatons and head back.
Being solo had its perks here—no need for debate, decisions came unhindered.
Yet Allen couldn't decide. Not indecisiveness—something caught his eye before he could even think.
Beyond his headlamp's reach, from what looked like black mist, something stepped forth.
A person?
Humanoid like a rider, but not a spindly mannequin—more like a knight in full plate. And no telltale automaton glow in its eyes.
No lantern.
Darkness in the maze demanded a light source, no exceptions—not for archmages or superhumans wielding aura.
Allen raised his voice.
“Hey, is your lantern busted?”
No reply. As suspicion dawned and Allen channeled mana into his staff—
Whirr!
The knight silently drew the greatsword from its back. Serrations along the blade whirred viciously, filling the space with a hair-raising din.
Clanking forward, it hoisted the greatsword overhead. Malice oozed from the motion.
“Pig. Charge.”
At Allen's command, the boar charged. War machines knew no natural fear.
And the descending greatsword, vertical. Left alone, the boar would bisect—but Allen had a plan.
Mana gathered in the staff converted to a bullet, firing at the knight's wrist.
Thud!
The wrist caved in. Yet the greatsword didn't falter.
Crunch!
The boar's head—the same unyielding brow that had pulverized automatons till now—shredded in an instant. Sparks erupted like blood droplets.
Pity about the boar, but the fight wasn't over. With the blade's teeth snagged on inner cables and parts, opportunity struck.
“Wolf!”
A red dot hit the knight's ankle—thinnest armor there, aimed to cripple mobility.
The wolf crouched low and closed fast. As it passed the boar—
The knight swung the boar-impaled greatsword outright. The wolf staggered from the blunt impact.
The knight sidestepped, slamming down again. Flattened under boar and blade weight, the wolf struggled to rise, but—
Whirr!
Serrations spun anew. Having fully bisected the boar, they reached the wolf. Smaller than the boar, it cleaved easily.
Having dispatched the charging pair, the knight turned to Allen. But there waited only a flood of blue light pushing back the dark.
The instant their eyes met, Allen unleashed the rampaging mana from his staff. Without the output regulator, the mana bullet became a shell, streaking forth—almost like a beam of light.
Aiming staff-rifle style, Allen fixed on the target beyond the glowing red tip.
Left arm and