Chapter 312
Chapter 312
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 312
Chapter Title: Panopticon Rampage
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The moment I tried to leap forward, Cheringen's fingers slipped between mine. He grabbed my hand, shaking it with a smile. Ulli Ke stared at us curiously from behind, but with Vitriol finally quieting down, we had no time to hesitate—we had to charge up there. Just then, Leo's voice came through the artifact. He'd warped to the back entrance and entered just ahead of us.
[Lucas. It's a Panopticon structure, so think carefully about how to handle it.]
"Got it."
Narke, Leo, and Haike had gone through the back door.
235 patients, 15 guards. The guards were on support duty with government-backed mages waiting outside the building, so they weren't a factor for now.
This closed ward building was circular, with a central watchroom in the middle connected to the wards by narrow iron bridges. The bridges ran from the first floor to the seventh, leaving the space open all the way up to the domed glass ceiling overhead.
We needed someone familiar with the layout, so two nurses were waiting on the first floor and joined us. It was a rampage situation, and they'd kept only the burliest staff behind—both beastkin were about our height. But they seemed more focused on our royal status than our rampage suppression squad role, fumbling along beside us as we ran.
"Uh, Hans Steiner here. I never imagined I'd meet the people I'd only heard about in stories like this..."
"Nice to meet you. Mind guiding us?"
Ulli Ke and I threw up body barriers around them and pulled them along. The other nurse jumped in first, explaining what we needed to know with practiced ease.
"The rampager's locked up on the sixth floor, but he broke out and headed up to the seventh. You've probably seen the blueprints already, but to recap: whether you come from the back or front door, what you see going up is the same. The severity of the confined patients is the same too. This Building B is the only place in the hospital that houses the lunatics."
Lunatic was both a slur and an official medical term. It wasn't much different from the old Western world in my past life. People howled and pounded on iron doors with their fists as we climbed, the sounds echoing through the floors.
Thud—thud—thud-thud-thud-thud—
"See that? We need to catch and treat them now... You know what lunatics are like. They can't handle their violent, beastly urges, and con artists run rampant trying to deceive everyone. Never trust what people here say. Their babble from those restraints isn't even worth listening to."
'Harsh words.'
I got the warning, but as a medical professional talking about his patients like that, it felt pretty alien. Ulli Ke and Cheringen's expressions didn't change—society was what it was, so I was probably the only one who'd object. I didn't even feel like nodding politely, so I asked something else instead.
"What made the current rampager go berserk? Any emotional triggers we should know about?"
Hans, the silent one until now, finally chimed in.
"It happens all the time in psych wards. They're irrational, can't control their emotions. Probably wanted to get out."
I turned to him wordlessly, and he averted his eyes before answering again.
"...Well... He's the patient who's been getting the most treatments lately... Might be related."
"Treatments."
"Rapid sedation for body and mind. Effective, but the patient probably didn't like it."
"......"
Ulli Ke and I exchanged glances at that. He looked uneasy, shrugged, and kept running.
I knew what treatment they meant. Electroshock to induce seizures. Instead of sighing, I held back a bit and asked,
"What's the building next door?"
[Aaaahhh...]
[Shut up! Too loud!]
The howls grew louder with each floor. The rampage news had clearly reached them.
"Flanking buildings have mental patients too, but way milder cases. People you can reason with. Still a confinement facility, so no evac possible. Please keep it from spreading."
The government didn't permit evacuation for severe psychotics. They figured releasing patients bad enough for solitary would harm themselves or the community.
Clunk—screeech—
The rusty frame groaned as iron pushed inward, eerie. The shutter blocking the sixth-floor entrance rolled open. I felt Vitriol prodding at my body barrier.
If things went as planned, the back-door team would've reached the seventh floor a bit ahead of us, so this Vitriol density in the air was after Narke's purification on the way up.
'And it's still this bad? The Vitriol's aggression is no joke.'
Not for nothing a Grade 3. High-risk rampagers split into rational and irrational types, but neither matched 4-9 grade power in the end. Rationals strategized against mages; irrationals got rated high for sheer output. This seemed the latter—tons of Vitriol or hyper-aggressive.
[Lucas. Let's end it within the recommended time.]
Leo's reminder came right on cue. Recommended suppression: 15 minutes. Tight even for pros. Sixth-floor solitaries knew about the rampage, and endless Vitriol waves—even purified—could turn them too.
[Help! These psychos locked us up again!]
[You go and that's it?! Huh? You the only humans here?!]
The sixth floor was noisy with patients. The nurse ignored it.
"Watchroom's open. We cleared all dangerous items, so it's safe, but treatment room doors might be locked—be careful. You know our hospital sticks to humane treatments?"
"Yes."
"Sometimes we use tools that might seem coercive to non-medics when unavoidable."
Got it... Treatment rooms full of hazards.
As we exchanged subtle looks, the nurse stopped at the seventh-floor shutter and said quietly,
"Heard it's your first time—tough luck on closed ward duty. Even vets from other sites are drained, but the government doesn't care about that?"
All eyes turned to him. He stared blankly ahead, expressionless.
"One request: try not to damage facilities. First-timers might not have bandwidth, so unavoidable. And... keep the noise down."
"...?"
Fight silently? Maintain soundproofing on top of everything? Before I could ask, he slipped away and shut the sixth-floor shutter behind him.
[Done. Real combat power: six. Remember that.]
Leo's guidance as he hit the seventh. Narke was out of combat. Obvious once inside Panopticon. Vitriol flowed down the central void, so Narke purified every floor.
Elias knelt carefully behind the rising seventh-floor shutter, gauging vibrations.
"Feels close. Location?"
[Your front-door side. Pacing silently. Floor's all Vitriol, so legs'll tire faster; railings corroded off where it touched. Note that.]
I pondered while listening. No AoE spells first—mine could shatter the ceiling or friends' barriers, endangering everyone.
'...Can't evac ward patients either.'
Block other floors, protect patients—Panopticon was a combat nightmare. But releasing to hospital grounds lacked control manpower.
Trap and snag unaware...?
'Only works on 8s or 9s.'
Pass.
Reroute with Narke dumping divine power from start? No instant fix. Still needed close-range core smash, same as always—not easy for a 3.
Elias waited for Leo's orders, grimacing at inner growls.
"We got no chatty senior to tell us what to do?"
"Nope."
"Nightmare difficulty. Especially for Narke."
"Narke? Why."
"Rumors divine power cures incurables. Heard similar? Hospital and all..."
He trailed off, unsure if psych patients heard it too, and pivoted.
"No unit briefing for newbies either?"
Just a ploy to deploy us at their whim. Prussia, Europe's army-lovers, slotted students into their system guilt-free.
Our 90th-batch seniors—first 1-3 drops but handled 4s in field—were off on other calls like us. Elias knew.
Then Leo, mid-chat with Haike, spoke up.
[...Haike on body barrier reinforcement. Elias, Lucas. I'll draw aggro and lure to back door...]
"...Wait. You?! Dangerous!"
Elias soundproofed and yelled. Melee was his role, not Leo's—extra worry.
Cheringen's eyes sharpened. Yelling vibrations might transmit past shutter. Leo led; follow him. Worry Ulli Ke or Haike, not Leo's skill. Maybe Elias feared Leo wouldn't return unscathed.
Leo paused, then continued.
[Lure, then split east-west pairs. Seal Panopticon core with barrier. Hold: 30 seconds projected. Finish in 30...]
Leo inhaled.
[Let's try.]
Eyes met friends'. All grim, same thoughts. I asked curtly at the vague reply.
"Plan B?"
[None. Survive first.]
Leo's instant answer defied expectations.
Here to save lives, now prioritize safety. No one spoke, knowing Leo's turmoil saying it.
I tapped waiting Ulli Ke's shoulder—let's move. He covered my ear, artifact off, whispering fast.
"Sorry in this mess, but why 30 seconds? We can do better...?"
"Corralling to room doors panics patients inside into rampaging."
Barrier toss meant—30 till it corrodes. Fine for mindless 7-or-below repeat attacks via floor splash, but high-risk? Second-best. Bigger floor contact amps AoE power.
[Go!]
Boom—!
Elias raised the shutter.
The rampager charging Leo whirled to us.
"...!"
Even calm Cheringen inhaled sharply. The rampager—victim—was pure mud blob. Vitriol oozed where hair should've been; ragged gown draped like monster rags. Just teeth—scraped white by mouth friction, quick-covered by fresh Vitriol. Eyes? Buried, unknown.
'One slip and our skin melts too.'
Guesswork. Nightmare fuel straight from dreams. Ulli Ke muttered puzzled.
"All Vitriol-blocked—how's it sensing? Turned instant."
"No idea."
No wonder no prior report. Revealing this horror? Uncontainable fallout. Melt-phobia could spark more rampages.
Sensory organs key anyway. Assume Vitriol as skin, plan accordingly.
Boom—!
While it turned, Elias and Cheringen dashed west to Leo; their mana hit. From front stairs, I swung wand left, shoving room-bound rampager to central barrier.
'Wait—this...!'
Mana touch told me: no barrier contact. Haike's couldn't handle this Vitriol mass. Reading my face, Ulli Ke blasted straight-line mana pre-impact, shoving; Leo countered from opposite, pinning.
"Aaahhh!"
Frustrated roar echoed. Patient screams swelled from rooms. Four—no, five manas encircled, pressing; rampager just howled undeterred. No core gap. Not raw mana issue. We lacked senior tech.
[Theoretically, kill it.]
Cheringen's voice, soft as ever but chilling. He knew he came to save lives—no kill intent. But yeah, math might say cull.
[Proposal: Barrier-fence from 1st to top, no retreat, drop to 1st. Vitriol absorbs impact—no breaks, but buys core-smash time.]
'Classic Cheringen.'
Brain spun sharp even in tension—impressive.
If I decided, veto instant.
[No. Mid-fall peak aggression to final strike—zero proof barrier holds. Save Narke's focus-plans.]
Leo's judgment matched mine. Ulli Ke, shocked by firm no, nodded at explanation. Post-threat attack timing risky.
Work for seven Cheringens—synced brains. But skill gaps, no shared mind? High risk sans his precision, calm, reflexes, mana pool, Leo-tech, adaptive thinking.
Field ≠ school sims.
Sim civilians evac'd on cue; these patients prison-bound. Easier at Chukschupiche—no civvies. Amid it, rampager's ear-shattering screams droned.
"Vocal cords un-melted?"
"Probably."
Short reply to Ulli Ke; watched mana output—no spikes or it'd bolt weak side. Yeah. Haike joins attack mid-barrier maint? Rampager propels opposite via our mana. No upper pin; Vitriol fiercer than thought. Needed breakthrough.
[These booksmart idiots... Why no sim-runners? Run 'em at home!]
Elias's voice cracked like gunshot; Haike buckled under Vitriol toxin, core barrier shattered. Quick center-barrier floor-patched 6-7 gap, but glass-shatter echoed to 1st. Rampager Vitriol gripped opposite door handle.
Boom—!!
Black blob crossed vision. Yanked Vitriol flung it across, slammed door, reoriented—charged Elias.
Boom-boom-boom—boom—
Footsteps exploded Vitriol clashes, deafening. Elias mirrored, mana-wrapped opposite handle, leaped. Ulli Ke's eyes widened panicked. He bolted Elias's flank, head-on charge.
'No good.'
Got Elias's intent. Cheringen too.
Thud—
[Know you the ordinances of heaven?]
Staff-tip floored; Vitriol shoved outward. Finally linked my mana floorward. Repelled Vitriol balled spherical, surged up.
[Will you spread its dominion on the earth—or raise your voice to clouds, drown you in great waters?!]
Boom—
Roars receded. Rampager Vitriol spewed ceilingward. Mana/spell-snag for other's power—Pentalon'd yoinked Gabriele's divine to sky; who'd reuse here... Knew at lunch alert, didn't wanna live it. Lightning-flash Cheringen gold mana peripheral; rampager floored.
Rushing green grass browned cycles, restacked. Grass smothered rampager Vitriol. I stomped mana floor-flow, burned Vitriol. Second-best, but seized momentum—friends aced it. Rampager mana-drowned.
'5 minutes now.'
Passed 5. Maybe...
Elias stomped mud-head loud, wand-to-staff. Core-strike upswing—friends' faces panicked.
"...!"
Air Vitriol thickened.
Narke's purge cut. Rampager seized momentary lapse.
Boom—!
Our floor-pin manas shattered; rampager kicked off. Flung Elias grabbed front-stairs rail, rebounded. Beside-me Ulli Ke artifact-tapped.
"Narke. What happened?!"
Artifact: only run-cast sounds. Purge failed power-down. Back to square one.
[Hey kids. Relax.]
Elias chilled-voice started. Coughed clear, chased yelling.
[Rec 15 min, downed at 5—profs/seniors say vars expected. Why 15 else? Includes screw-up time.]
[Positive.]
Leo's hollow trailed. Elias right. High-risk reason. Flex-think past shocks to survive field.
"Total Vitriol down anyway. Can't burn forever."
Eyed 6th-floor watchroom Narke'd held—empty. Then Narke's alert.
[Patient escape.]
"What?!"
[Three busted corroded 5th-floor doors. Hunting, handoff outside. One... tailing me; nab two more. Support to 5th.]
"I'll go."
Grabbed uncorroded rail, peered down. Narke's voice below. 7th scan: no 6th blown doors; treatment room ripped.
"......"
Problem: that weapons-room door ajar? Intrusion. Dodged sprays, watchroom-to-6th. Half-torn door: held breath.
Hiss—screech—
Presence. Mana-wand, kicked in: pale beastkin. Treatment room side-door mid-open. Startled flinch. Not weapon-hunt—Vitriol dodge to safe spot? Empty hands. Wand aimed, beckoned.
"Come out."
"......"
"Now. No time."
"C-Can I go too?"
"Obviously. Escort you out."
Not discharge-ready, but... Called ground support mages. Patient bolted my-door side, head-whipping air-sniff.
'...What?'
[One secured; tail gone. Lucas, hear?]
"One here."
Eyes fixed, replied.
[...Probably the one hunting me.]
Weird—personality-disorder closed-ward inmate? Or intent? Confusing; barrier-path'd him out. Tail-tight patient now metal-detector-hand air-probing.
Sealed treatment door—eyes locked patient, wand-swung; he froze, stared.
"......"
Chats + inferences clicked. Quick judge—his too. Hand-to-waist: elbowed face-back. Same instant, his right gripped my throat.
Boom—!