Greenblood's Warehouse Falls
Two spiders at a time slipped through the small holes bored into the visors. Scaling the exoskeletons and orc bodies without hesitation, they crawled toward the backs.
Their targets were the mana batteries and fusion furnaces attached to the backs—power storage units. Once in position, the spiders unleashed another chorus of muffled booms.
Pfboom!!
A light pop echoed again. The reinforced exoskeletons suddenly stiffened, and the orcs, unable to step forward with their next legs, toppled over flat.
'Not bad.'
Allen's brief assessment. The [Weakness], [Explosion], and [Focus] rune letters were perfect for piercing magic resistance or barriers. Plus, as a magitech engineer, Allen knew the structures and vulnerabilities of magitech gear inside out.
No need to smash everything brute-force; he could smartly disable them by wrecking just a few key components.
"Get up quick!"
"Almost out of this thing... gahk!"
"What the hell?!"
Before the fallen orcs could shed their exoskeletons and stand, a four-legged beast streaked past them. A faint smear of red blood clung to the leopard's razor-sharp claws.
The veteran orc's jaw dropped. His expectation of ripping apart the scrawny intruder in one go had been spectacularly wrong.
"Fuck, didn't even get close..."
The veteran ordered suppressive fire from a gang member who'd just joined from the main gate, then leaped up to the automated turret mounted on the wall.
Grabbing the connection joint of the turret's machine gun-like cannon with both hands, he gritted his teeth and yanked.
Screeech!
With the reinforced exoskeleton and orc strength combined, the machine gun ripped free in an instant. The moment he tried to aim it at the cheeky intruder—
A massive shadow engulfed the veteran. Unable to bear the weight, he plummeted down with it.
"Pry it off!"
Reinforcement orcs surrounded the leopard targeting the veteran's throat and shouted. The leopard cunningly slashed until the last second, then slipped away just before they could grab it.
"Th-that..."
By the time the bloodied veteran—face and arms streaming red—checked beyond the wall the leopard had vaulted, the orcs' screams were nonstop, and not a single one left standing.
Allen gazed at the row of downed orcs and thought,
'Easier than expected?'
The question mark lingered because he hadn't anticipated this. Without even using the mana stone launcher like in the underground, he was clearing enemies at a blistering pace.
Not so much the leopard and spiders' power, but...
'Thanks to the rune letters.'
The more rune letters linked, the exponentially higher the engraving difficulty and mana infusion. Sure, there were downsides, but more input usually meant more output. In magitech engineering, the gains multiplied, not just added.
Allen nodded at the ten orcs sprawled before him—all elite in reinforced exoskeletons. Toppling them this fast was a solid win.
Locking eyes with the veteran watching him, Allen attempted an exoskeleton hack. As long as the magitech wasn't too complex, the soul stone acted as the central processor, making it feasible.
He sliced through the thin firewall and peered into the soul stone. His mana dove into the galactic cluster of star letters, shattering their order.
"Guhk!"
The veteran's exoskeleton betrayed him, curling him into a ball. All he could do was breathe.
Then a massive orc in reinforced exoskeleton appeared, kicking the veteran aside. As he rolled into the yard, the orc spoke.
"Enough! You the fixer?"
"You'd know better than me."
"Thought we only targeted unaffiliated folks. Guess that was a mistake."
Dali, the young boss aiming to revive Greenblood's old glory.
To grow the gang fast, he'd dove into risky, grudge-making ventures like human trafficking. All while thinking he was a cut above the rest.
Dismissing the failures of those before him as mere bad luck.
The situation was clear; no need for more talk.
Dali's helmet visor lowered, and he charged like his minions. His thicker exoskeleton was closer to full-plate armor.
Gear made the man. Unlike his minions helpless against the leopard and spiders, Dali was fundamentally different.
He blocked the charging leopard's forepaw with his left hand, dipped his knee slightly, planted his right palm on its belly, and slammed it to the ground.
Crack!
The thrown leopard dug claws into the asphalt, skidding. Even with a dented gauntlet, silencing it fully needed follow-up.
Leaving cleanup to his minions, Dali closed on Allen. One opponent alone? Just drop him, he figured.
Instead of drawing his mana stone launcher, Allen widened his left eye. He tried suppressing like the balled-up veteran, but it bounced off harmlessly.
A bit more time, maybe—but waiting meant Allen's body torn like tissue.
Allen knew his limits well. Close range was a no-go zone.
"Hacking? Filthy bastard pulling every trick. This is a firewall!"
"So?"
Dali bellowed confidently. Allen thrust his staff forward at the overconfident foe.
The waiting crates burst open, unleashing over twenty spiders. Marching in soldierly ranks, they charged Dali one by one.
Pfboom!
"With puny tricks like—"
Pfboom!
"No issue!"
Pfboom!
"This..."
As Dali drew nearer, his voice boomed louder—but his words grew shorter. The cause: his crumbling barrier and spiders infiltrating, crawling over his body.
Unlike before, spiders clinging to chest and face detonated simultaneously.
"Ah, that wrecks the parts..."
Shrouded in light smoke, Dali knelt just three meters from Allen, slamming his head to the ground.
"Really brute-forcing it. Might as well use a pistol."
Allen wondered if he and Taylor had overreacted. Or maybe Professor Oros had set the orc bar too high.
While watching the rampaging leopard, he pulled out his buzzing device. Messages from Taylor.
Kiki's message followed, blabbing away oblivious to the situation.
The warehouse's overhead door rolled up, and the orcs Allen had taken down were dragged in, leaving red streaks on the floor.
As Allen untied the lines linking the leopard and orcs, Kiki approached with a bouncy gait.
"Why so many? You really handled them solo?"
"No."
"Knew it. Even you're not that special—can't one-shot green stick-limbs like that. Lemme see your helper's face."
"Sorted them out with these guys."
"Guys? Whoa!"
Kiki startled as the leopard thrust its head in suddenly. Her eyes had been stolen by the box rolling on endless tracks.
She'd hopped onto a nearby locker, now slinking down. Goblin cowardice demanded overkill flight from minor scares.
Smarting from the blow to her pride, Kiki eyed the automaton from afar.
"The leopard..."
Drill fangs that could pierce steel plates, bloodied forepaws, rune letters etched across its body. The intimidating form drew her gaze to the box.
Wheels, layered like a lunchbox. Looking harmless, she poked the exterior with a fist.
"You look kinda weak... Yek!"
Reacting to the prod, the box rammed the cheeky goblin.
Kiki clutched her head, rolling on the floor. Still, clutching her pipe tightly was impressive.
"No leaks! Allen, save me!"
Heartlessly, Allen and Taylor ignored the commotion, chatting over the piled orcs.
"Cleared all these without the mana stone launcher?"
"Yes."
"How long exactly since we hit Maze City?"
"Came early July, so about four months."
"Gotta remember the monumental date you entered the mega-city with the great labyrinth. Nah, fits you. Might need to tweak the plan now."
Depth 2 covered layers 11-20 uniformly, but strength varied wildly even among peers.
Plus, individual traits and skills differed, so outliers shattered public molds sometimes.
Taylor stroked his chin, scrutinizing Allen. Right before him was one: mana excess syndrome weakening his body, yet solo delving the labyrinth, compensating with oversized mana heart controlling multiple automatons.
Unable to hold back curiosity, Allen pressed.
"How're you changing the plan?"
"Was gonna hole up mid-cave layers awhile, but we can head straight to lower. Details later—clean up first."
Allen started stripping the reinforced exoskeletons. Custom-fitted to bodies, they weren't plug-and-play.
Still, handling them felt fresh. The days of only tinkering with junk felt distant now.
Above all, steering his life whichever way thrilled him most.
Allen pointed at an exoskeleton.
"Want to try one on?"
"Rather use my current artificial muscles than back-alley junk like this."
"What about Dali's? Made by Full Moon, subsidiary of the Seven Stars—you'd like it, sir."
"You take it. Generosity's fine, but grab for yourself first, think others later. Keep giving, and even the grateful will see you as a sucker."
"You'd do that?"
"Hell no. Time for the sleeping prison hostages to wake."
As Taylor said, the magitech engineers under sleep magic were fluttering heavy eyelids.
"Where's..."
"My arms? Where're my arms?"
"Zzz..."
All sorts of reactions.
Allen approached the three. Seeing his impassive eyes and mask, they groveled, assuming villain.
"Who? P-please, spare us! We'll shut up forever!"
The armless one bowed his head. The stumps suggested prosthetic arms the orcs had ripped off. Standard for magitech engineers—unknown gear on arms was risky.
To quell rising sobs, Allen rapped the table with his staff. The weepers clamped mouths; the drowsy one snapped alert.
"Not gang members. We took out your kidnappers—calm down."
"Really?"
"Thank you."
Brightness faded fast to gloom. Kidnapped, they'd lost all gear—their lifeblood as magitech engineers.
Knowing this, Allen tossed a pouch of mana stones to each.
"Seed for comeback. Take one, head home."
"Thank you."
"Um..."
"Something to say?"
At Allen's question, one eyed around hopefully for more. Spotting the fully modded goblin, her pissy expression spooked him into backing off.
"No."
As the three left, Kiki sidled up.
"Why give away good stuff? Just boot 'em—no, charge rescue fee at least."
"What can stripped magitech engineers do? Brain expanders kill if yanked carelessly, so orcs left 'em, but even intact, they're empty shells now."
"True. Imagining myself there, feels hopeless."
"So call it saving three lives—forget it, Kiki."
"Ugh, damn."
"Problem?"
"Dunno. Feels off somehow... Alone