Magic Bullet (1)
Done. With holes drilled that way for the screws, Allen didn't make a cart—he built a sled.
'How would I even get wheels in the labyrinth?'
The shock absorption was a mess, so the ride would be terrible, but it had to be a hundred times better than marching. He laid down blankets to make it as soft and cushy as possible, then placed the wounded on top.
Two per sled, four in total. Allen pulled out the cables connected to the automaton's power source.
"Someone with a mana heart..."
They could still supply mana to the automaton despite their injuries. With popular mana training methods and labyrinth explorers overlapping, two out of the four had one.
Allen handed the cables he'd brought straight to his teammates lying on the sleds. They were naturally startled.
"You didn't even ask, but how'd you know I had a mana heart?"
"I figured as much. Anyone skilled enough to target the cave would have one."
"Huh. Good instincts."
'Instincts' was the right word. The larger the mana heart, the thicker the hazy mist seemed to envelop them.
"These mana supply cables are for boosting efficiency, so let go if it gets tough. The main power comes from the mini mana furnace and mana stones anyway."
As Allen walked away again, his teammates whispered among themselves.
"Guy's solid."
"How much you gotta pay an engineer like that to party up?"
"Him with us? No way. A magitech engineer with skills gets invited deeper than the caves. Why would he team with us?"
"Yeah, he could go pro as a direct explorer."
"Exactly. Why would Breaker bother teaching? They're scouting promising wild talents outside formal schools."
"Look over there."
"Told ya."
Just like their whispers, Francois was approaching Allen.
"Finally got a moment, huh."
"I'm a bit busy right now."
"Too honest..."
Allen shrugged and flipped the automaton with Kiki's help. He disassembled the weak belly armor and pulled out the internals.
"No, just came to say thanks. We took down the Collector's slave without any deaths because of you."
"Wasn't it a close call against that black mage? You jumped in right on time. Blasted a path with the beam, charged on the cart, and bam bam bam..."
Excited Kiki puffed up like a fox riding a tiger, but Francois cut him off firmly.
"Close call? I had him overwhelmed. Cutting off his air was just a matter of time... Got too worked up. Sorry."
"It's fine."
Allen understood. Kiki's words had subtly pricked his pride, and that sly voice doubled the irritation.
Composing himself, Francois spoke again.
"Anyway, thanks to you, we finished off the Collector's slave without casualties."
"Didn't the black mage call him his master earlier?"
"The Collector wouldn't see it that way. What mentor implants a mind-control parasite in their disciple's head? Calling him 'disciple' was just a front—proof it wasn't genuine."
"Got it. I've seen similar cases."
Nobak had favored standout assistants, treating them like disciples, but it was all to fatten them up for sacrifice.
"Then we're on the same page. Besides, who knows how many slaves the Collector has. He's got connections everywhere—even across the sea on other continents."
Francois turned and walked away. Kiki whispered softly.
"Thought thanks meant a gift or something. Stingy bastard."
"Uh..."
A powerful mana user like Francois missing a whisper? No chance.
Francois stopped, turned back, and ignored the frozen Kiki to address Allen.
"You're right. I was short-sighted. Need any gear or help?"
From what Allen had seen, Francois had sky-high pride. He'd snapped quick when Kiki downplayed his skills. Types like him hated owing debts and worked to repay them.
Allen thought of something immediately: a mana training method. The best way to control mana excess syndrome was building his own strength.
Yoohwa's blood flower or dialysis at a general hospital only suppressed symptoms temporarily—they didn't fix the root.
He used Nobak's method, but no way that slave-driver gave his slaves the good stuff.
Sorting his thoughts, Allen cut straight to it without hesitation.
"I need a mana training method. Something focused on control and brain enhancement over expanding the mana heart."
Francois scratched his nose for a long moment.
"If that's tricky, just hook me up with contacts."
"Can't commit right now—need time to think. Not planning to drag it out and flake, so don't worry."
"Never crossed my mind."
Mana training methods weren't dime-a-dozen. The rarer and better they were, the harder to get.
It was about influence and connections, not cash. And Allen didn't have enough to brain-melt a seller anyway.
With Allen's negotiation going well, Kiki shot him expectant eyes. But the half-orc gave him a cold glare and left.
Allen comforted Kiki, who looked like his life was over.
"If you need anything, I'll help."
"Really?"
Kiki glanced at the leopard automaton. Seemed he envied the sturdy backup. Maintenance would cost a fortune, though.
Team 6 finished up and headed topside. Killing the Collector's slave hadn't ended things.
One slave black mage had caused this much damage—what horrors if they faced the man himself?
Still, no spells flying so far meant he'd likely clashed with Chairman Marshall too.
Breaking layer rules to interfere across floors was shocking on every level.
'No idea if it takes insane prep or not.'
They reached the 10th layer. Passing the uphill black fog, labyrinth vertigo hit Allen again.
"Here?"
He turned at the familiar voice. Sion leaned against the wall. Francois stepped forward.
"Why alone? Your team?"
"Sent 'em up. I'm tallying headcounts here. Gamal and Omar went too. Team 6's last."
Sion turned and vanished into the dark—eyes closed, yet navigating fine.
"We rest here a bit, then go."
Francois notified his team. Allen, beside him, asked.
"Walking with eyes shut—is that training?"
Francois's eyes flicked side to side. Only Allen was nearby.
'If he knows she's not blind, maybe it's fine...'
Francois clenched his fist, like suppressing emotion. His voice dropped low.
"Too much filth in the world, so she shuts 'em on purpose. Other reasons too, but that's the big one."
"Heard that before—thought it was a joke. Guess not."
Allen nodded, recalling Ranka, Nobak Clinic, Roman Company, and the black mage.
"Makes sense. Relatable."
"Hm..."
Francois wrinkled his nose, glaring at Allen's staff that had spewed fire. For a long time.
Escaping the cave and climbing back through the maze, Allen witnessed something bizarre. The other explorers did too.
"No one's here?"
"Usually so crowded you can't move—feels weird all empty today."
Layers 1-3 had fixed manholes, so you just watched for openings—easy hunting. Automatons were weak, so tons of explorers camped spots.
But today, every farm spot was deserted.
The unprecedented event had Team 6 buzzing. Kiki scanned frantically with his artificial eyes.
"Labyrinth vet of over three years here—first time like this. Black magic hit here too? Everyone dead?"
Black magic mention ramped up the panic, but Francois raised his voice.
"The Collector's cross-layer tricks are dangerous. Don't know the range, but leaving it would've killed more explorers—no choice. Stay calm, focus on exiting."
Allen nodded slightly at the steady leader. A group like Breaker had contingency plans for anything.
Other corps and orgs cooperating made labyrinth control easy. Tough solo, but united? Anything's simple.
His words calmed them, and they sped through the maze.
No issues till full exit. A few dumb automatons blocked, but Francois's axe cleaved them.
The usually lax garrison was tense. Francois sent his team out but stayed at the fortress around the labyrinth gate.
Once away, Kiki tapped Allen's exoskeleton.
"Massacre threats make 'em paranoid. Human rights groups charge first, Saldos Federation gov issues statements to meddle in city autonomy."
"Evacuations, huh."
"Self-intro?"
"Prepping folks for disasters."
"Duh. Goblin joke. I read books too..."
A faint light flickered in Kiki's artificial eye—sign of comms or Samraman access.
Allen said nothing, but Kiki, sensing awkwardness, kept talking, pointing at distant corp skyscrapers.
"Suits at the top tally lives like numbers. Cleared farms 'cause explorers matter? Nah, profit-loss calc. Gasp!"
Kiki froze. His eye zoomed. Allen turned naturally.
Rumble!
No clouds, yet thunder? Sure enough, a flashy explosion bloomed at the fortress.
Allen infused mana into his left eye, zooming vision.
Something rocketed skyward. Black cloak, reaper straight out of imagination.
Gaudy spells and thick beams snaked after the reaper, exploding. Massive heat warped air, distorting the scene.
Chain blasts birthed a growing fireball cloud, surging endlessly upward.
Even distant Allen felt the heat. Nearby buildings? Glass would've shattered from the shockwave.
Onlookers dove or sheltered. After a bit, Kiki spoke behind him.
"Dead?"
The reaper burst from the flames, extending a hand. A ring flashed, opening a portal—he vanished inside.
Fortress had mana distortion barriers. So the reaper—no, Collector—overpowered it with raw force or spell density.
"See that? How'd he pierce the barrier..."
Allen stopped. Kiki was streaming outdoors via eye-cam, hologram chatting live viewers.
"Viewers, smash like and sub if you're in."