The Super-science Dungeon Is Getting an Upgrade!

Deep on the B2 floor of the Super-science Dungeon, in the Biological Experiment Zone, the merciless whine of a grinder motor filled the operating room.

Wiiiiiiing—

"La-la-la! Lalalala!"

I hummed a little tune as I sliced the skull open like a lid. This kind of thing was a piece of cake by now. Well, it had been pretty disgusting at first.

"Hiyohohohot! All ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right! Alpha! From here on out, it's a time attack! Music, cue!!"

A blistering electric guitar solo blasted from the ceiling speakers.

Beeyow!

Biririririririri!

"Oh! Yes!!"

I surrendered myself to the rhythm! In a single fluid motion I yanked out the Mantis's brain and dropped it into a glass cylinder.

Splash!

Electrodes and injection tubes cascaded down from the ceiling, latching onto the cerebrum in a sticky, clinging cluster.

"Hiyohohohohot! Perfect!"

I thrashed my head to the rock beat and danced.

"Super! Genius! Ma—ssart! Saving patients again today!! As expected of these God hands!!"

I spun around, white coat flaring, and thrust my hands high.

"Doctor Massart has descended! Scalpel, come on!"

A robotic claw dropped from the ceiling and handed me a scalpel.

"Kishishishishishishishit! Now then, shall we take this apart nice and easy?!"

I plunged the scalpel into the chest of the limbless Mantis and snuck a glance toward the corner. Hongryeon stood there primly, hands folded, watching every move.

As expected of the watchdog Articetia sent! She wouldn't leave her post for even a second. So she was going to keep an eye on me no matter when or where, huh? Damn it!

But... no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠problem now! I'd been playing Massart for seven months already. I could practically call myself a veteran, award-winning actor at this point. I would never get caught. I was going to survive this to the very end!!

I neatly sliced open the Mantis's abdomen, lost in thought.

"Hmmm..."

I'd never in my wildest dreams imagined White Tiger was a Main. Well, even if that first button had been fastened wrong... at least White Tiger had shown up as planned, so that was a relief. The problem was...

"Kh!"

I clenched my teeth. Alpha immediately blared a warning.

Beeeep!

Shit. My hand had slipped and I'd stabbed the heart with the scalpel.

"Non no no! Not a problem at all, Alpha! Once the brain is out, the body is nothing but a hunk of meat! Kihihihihihit!!"

I resumed the surgery.

Damn it! That rhythm I'd desperately tapped into White Tiger's ear.

Tap tap tap.

Pause.

Tap tap tap.

The most basic Morse code there was. It had been an SOS signal! How could she not know that?! Wouldn't a normal person think something was off if they heard an SOS?!

Hahh... I never thought a hero wouldn't recognize Morse code. That was unexpected. Did I need an even simpler method?

That was when a monitor entered my field of vision. Text was being typed out in a frantic scramble.

I looked at the glass cylinder holding the brain. The camera connected to the optic nerve seemed to be working just fine.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Don't you worry, Mantis! The body is nothing more than a mechanical apparatus anyway! As long as the main system — the brain — is alive, you can never die!! Kishishishishishit!!"

Sigh... I was being considerate, letting him put a little faith in my outstanding surgical skills. Well, whatever. If he really didn't want to watch the procedure.

"Alpha! I can't concentrate on the surgery! Mantis, Eyes cut! Do it! Kishit!"

The camera's red light winked out.

What kind of delusion was he having all by himself? Mains really weren't right in the head, tsk tsk tsk. I was the only sane one in this place. Sigh...

I set ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠down the grinder and looked at the internal organs neatly lined up beside the operating table.

"Oho! So this is how insect-type Mains mimic a human body. A most fascinating result! Kihihihit!!"

A hologram of the insect's body structure materialized. As expected, more legs meant greater postural stability. Might be worth a trial run with the Mecha Corps. No need to insist on a humanoid cyborg form if efficiency was the goal.

"A rather satisfying experiment! Hiyohohohohohot!!"

I glanced at the monitor. The text was repeating like mad.

I wasn't planning to kill him in the first place, okay? Aargh! He was making me look like the bad guy again.

"Don't you worry, Mantis! Assembly is simply disassembly in reverse! So easy!"

Countless mechanical arms descended from the ceiling.

"As a special service, I shall up—grade you to be worthy of the Super-science Dungeon!! Kishishishishishit!!"

The monitor was still filled with nothing but pleas to be saved.

"Mantis. Mantis! Mantis!!"

I raised an eyebrow and snatched up the glass cylinder.

"So... where's the thank-you...? Thank you! Very grateful! Arigato!!"

Only then did the text change.

"Hiyohohohohot! That's right! What a good little Main you are. And for that, I shall bestow upon you a reward!"

I snapped my fingers.

Tak!

"Alpha! I'll leave the rest to you. Kishit!"

Gotta love ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠AI. Alpha really was convenient.

I clasped my hands behind my back and turned around. Hongryeon followed, wiping the green blood that had splattered on my forehead with a handkerchief.

"You have labored most diligently, Lord Massart."

"Non no no! Labor? Hardly. If anything, it was a most productive use of time! Kishishishit!!"

I wriggled my fingers and licked my lips. Hongryeon smiled faintly and bowed her head.

"That is most fortunate. Should the opportunity arise, this maid shall capture more test subjects."

Test subjects? Well, sure... Main physiology had all sorts of peculiarities. It'd come in handy for modifying the Mechas or the hero suits.

"Ooooh! Now that's something to look forward to! Kishit! I shall eagerly await Hongryeon's gift!!"

The operating room's automatic door slid open, and Mechaman stood waiting on the other side. A chrome face with blazing red sensor-array eyes. Missile pods mounted on his shoulders. A textbook combat cyborg.

"Master. Reporting on the B1 defense zone modification status."

Oops. I'd gotten so absorbed in the Mantis that I'd forgotten I'd given the order. The entire Mecha Corps was supposed to be fortifying the place, right?

"Right! How far along are we?"

Mechaman spread his palm forward, and a hologram materialized.

"Defense zone modifications are 83% complete. Power wiring and trap array optimization have been finished, and the external intruder induction route is being maintained exactly as Master configured it."

"Perfect! Progressing quite smoothly, I see!"

I twirled my index finger and then jabbed it at Mechaman.

"The newly developed micro-reactor is in its final testing phase. Once it's complete, you'll be the first to receive it, Mechaman! Hiyohohohohot!"

Mechaman raised a fist to the reactor in his solar plexus and bowed his head.

Clack!

"Eternal loyalty to Master Massart! Pioneer of the Great Evolution! Evolution!!"

Augh... the pressure. But I couldn't hesitate here. If they found out I was just an ordinary human, those missile pods would blow me to smithereens. So I thrust my fist out with crisp precision and shouted back.

"Evolution!!"

Then I snuck a glance at Hongryeon.

"How is Frankenmate's condition, Hongryeon?"

Hongryeon folded her hands respectfully and reported.

"His rage and appetite instincts have exceeded the sensitivity limits of the brainwave control device, rendering further suppression impossible. He has therefore been placed in a dormant state within the hangar."

"Hmmm..."

As expected of this world's protagonist, Ultimate. Taming him was going to take time, huh.

"Until Frankenmate is stabilized, I hereby designate Pumpchi as the B1 floor's final boss. Ksssss."

"This one shall relay the command."

I stroked my chin as I studied the hologram Mechaman was projecting. Right. They were probably wondering why I was so frantically remodeling the dungeon.

The reason dated back to the day missiles had rained down on the heart of Seoul. In the brief moment I'd taken my eyes off things... the SS-Class hero Sinnyeo had invaded the Super-science Dungeon.

She'd turned the surface into an absolute wasteland, but absurdly enough, she hadn't even known the underground existed, so the damage had been essentially zero. If I'd been there at the time! I could've given her a tour-guide-level welcome and gotten myself rescued!! Damn that timing!!

Hahh... Anyway, failure was the mother of success. All I had to do was take that feedback and build a perfect plan.

The biggest problem back then had been... a lack of advertising! Nobody had known the Super-science Dungeon even had an underground!!

So I'd provoked White Tiger. Judging by her remarks, the Association wanted to capture Mains too. The heroes would've wanted to analyze Main weaknesses as well.

White Tiger would report this to the Association. The Association would then launch an organized assault on the Super-science Dungeon. And when that happened! They'd take out the watchdogs — Hongryeon, Mechaman, and Pumpchi — no problem! And then, me: rescued!

But!! Putting all the pieces together, there was still a chance it could fail. So I'd prepared a Plan B as well.

A custom-built gauntlet for heroes who couldn't even recognize Morse code and couldn't hold a conversation. Even if the rescue failed, I'd force-train the heroes, brainwash them, and if they got injured — secretly modify their bodies! There was no way this could fail!!

"Hiyohohohohohohot! A truly perfect plan!!"

The day of my freedom was close at hand!

Kishishishishishit!!