Hospital (1)
"Ha, what the hell is this..."
Inside the clinic.
Zero, fiddling with a medical device while wearing his sunglasses, grumbled curtly.
I waved Walter's note at him.
"Walter said you'd be the one to solve my problem."
"That old geezer's finally lost it. Does he think I'm running a charity? Hmph..."
Zero griped but still got up from his chair and approached me. His smooth bald head gleamed under the fluorescent lights, impossible to ignore.
"Fine, whatever. Since it's that guy's request, I guess I have no choice. Otherwise, I'd kick you out right now."
Zero stood in front of me, arms crossed, scanning me over like he was appraising meat through those shades.
"...So, you're on the run from the Management Bureau, huh?"
"Yeah. That's part of why I'm here."
"Hmph... Alright then."
Zero gestured, and a hologram data sheet flickered to life.
"...You don't have an ID, right? We gotta fix that first."
"ID... Yeah, that's a big issue too."
"I know you're using magic to dodge the Bureau's grasp. But there's a fatal flaw in that."
Zero flicked the hologram screen lightly and continued.
"Every human born and raised on this continent gets forcibly registered in the Bureau's central database the moment they're born. It's like a serial number etched into their soul. That's how they spot non-humans—the pseudomorphic aberrations. It's all about whether your data exists."
Zero pointed to the blank spot on the data sheet.
NO DATA FOUND
→ Subject classified as unidentified aberration.
→ Immediate disposal recommended.
"No data means you're not human. To the Bureau, you're just some mystery freak they need to scrap on sight."
"..."
News to me.
The Bureau's ruthless. Obsessed with surveillance to this degree. Every living thing breathing on this continent is just a monitored cog in their machine.
This made my situation even stickier...
"Of course, this is the residential area—the Bureau's eyes don't reach here easily. That's why you've been able to roam free so far."
Zero lifted his sunglasses briefly and added,
"But not anymore. Things are heating up. An Executor showing up in person to smash the black market? Unprecedented. Whatever's going on, their tentacles are stretching this way."
And I'm probably the cause. The girl who wrecked Ether Bio Pharma.
"Wouldn't faking an ID just make me more suspicious? I heard the Bureau's on high alert lately."
Zero snorted at my question.
"You know one thing but not two. When the Bureau's watching close, you don't make new IDs—you recycle old ones."
"Recycle...?"
"Dead guys who're still 'alive' on paper, or folks who vanished into a dungeon chasing a quick score... People disappear in this city by the dozen every day. Steal their data and tweak the database."
Zero pulled out his terminal again, glanced at it, and went on.
"But nothing's free. Prove you're worth it. I'll give you a mission—complete it. Can't just hand out favors to dead weight."
"You don't trust me?"
Well, I hadn't shown him my magic yet... Not even impressed by surviving a one-on-one with an Executor?
"If you've got any skill, it'll be a breeze. Hell, I don't even know your magic type. Good chance to scout your style."
Fair enough. Makes sense as a power check.
"...The test is simple. There's an abandoned building next to the clinic. Clear out whatever's nesting there. But don't kill it. Do, and you're out—no second chances."
Why the no-kill rule?
Probably testing mana control beyond raw power. Smashing stuff is easy; driving it off without lethal force? Whole different level.
"Take these, just in case."
Finished explaining, Zero rummaged in a drawer and shoved stuff my way.
"Mana stabilizer. You're fresh out of the hospital—take it. Small tactical chip. Was gonna trash it, use it rough and ditch. Oh, two mana condensate potions too. Expiring soon, headache to dispose."
"...For trash, it's in mint condition?"
Cold words aside, even a rough eyeball said this was tens of thousands of credits easy...
"Shut up and take it!"
Zero grumbled, shoving me out of the clinic.
Stepping outside, I spotted the 'abandoned building' Zero mentioned right away.
Gothic ruins pulsing with aberrant mana.
A pointed spire stabbed at the sky, ash-like particles drifting lazily in the air.
City smog mixed with magic. Eerily, the path to the rooftop was pristine—like a boss arena in a dark fantasy action game.
Deliberately designed.
Thud, thud...
Reaching the rooftop, I came face-to-face with Zero's target.
"Caw?"
"...A crow?"
A pitch-black crow tilted its head at me.
Looked like a crow, but huge—way beyond a raven, evoking Argentavis from books. Wingspan probably hit 10 meters spread out.
Pure field boss vibes.
Its nest was littered with bleached bones and shattered cyberware chunks.
Any second, epic BGM would drop.
The crow sharpened its beak, glaring.
I flipped open my Grimoire, timing it.
"........."
Tension thick as combat loomed—
"Hold it! What're you doing to my Kkamsuni?!"
Outta nowhere, a woman in black robes jumped in, blocking me.
Freaky fashion—crow feather accessory jammed in her hair.
"...Kkamsuni?"
Did I hear that right?
"Yeah! My cute, sweet baby girl Kkamsuni! Why go after an innocent kid, you monster?!"
No chat yet, and my brain's already fried. What kinda nutjob is this?!
I sighed, pointing at the human bones scattered around.
"Lady. Your 'sweet baby' still has a finger bone stuck to her beak. And these skulls rolling everywhere?"
She snorted back.
"Kids have big appetites! Growing girls eat a lot—duh? Those were all self-defense, they started it!"
"No crow eats people in self-defense!"
"Kkamsuni eats veggies too! Sometimes just munches hair!"
Is that why Zero's bald...?
No reasoning with her. Cat lady gone full dark evolution. This fusion-punk world's insanity defies logic.
Crow-mom ignored me, hopped on the crow's back.
"Kkamsuni! Peck out that brat's eyes! Dinner special!"
"Caaaaw—!"
Monster crow flapped massive wings, launching skyward. 5-meter span whipped rooftop dust into a storm.
"Gah! Dust! Cough cough..."
"Punish bad girls, Kkamsuni! You got this again?"
Crow-mom's shrill voice echoed from above.
Soon, the circling crow dove, talons slashing.
Screee!
Slick moves. Air whistled as hooked claws aimed for my forehead.
Aerial ambush to instant-kill prey. Signature style.
Scary-ish, but just a beast. After tentacles dozens of meters long, 2nd Rank mages, Executors... Child's play.
I gazed up at the circling crow-beast, pondering. No kill, just evict...
Tricky, but I had an idea. Spatial magic glimpsed decoding the black market barrier.
Perfect test for new spells. I chanted.
"Shield"
⟨ Protective Bubble ⟩
Air density shifted, deploying a translucent spherical shield bubble.
Not stopping, I layered a precise formula.
"Lightning Bolt"
⟨ Charged Surface ⟩
Fine currents raced along the shield's curve.
Shield wasn't conductive, but Lightning Bolt was a plasma phenomenon mediated by mana.
With precise mana control, overlaying disparate spells at one point? Doable.
Crackle...
Blue electric layer shimmered on the shield's surface.
My all-in-one defense: magic electric fence.
"Go, Kkamsuni! Body slam!"
Clueless crow-mom and Kkamsuni charged straight in. Wild birds into glass.
Collision.
Screee!
Zzzzap—BOOM!!
"Kyaaak!" "Caaaaw!!"
Fierce lightning engulfed them. Burning feathers, shrieks.
Shield repulsion plus shock paralysis hurled the duo tumbling.
"Y-You coward...! A mage... Dirty trickster! Magic's cheating!"
Calibrated just enough to break their will—no lethality.
Crow-mom, hair fried black, dragged the crow and staggered off.
"You'll pay! Animal abuser! I'll report you!"
"Report away if you can!"
I stuck my tongue out at the retreating crow. Total lunatics.
"..."
Rooftop cleared of crow duo.
Unusual glint from the dusty nest.
I dropped the shield, approached cautiously.
Crows love shiny things, right? Kkamsuni collected quite the haul from the city.
Gold rings from who-knows-where, worn but working luxury watch, mana cells ripped from cyberware. 17th District prices? Millions in credits minimum. Jackpot.
"...Nice."
Now I got why no-kill. Automated farm.
Let Kkamsuni hoard, periodically evict and loot. Shear the sheep.
Zero turned the freak bird into his private vault. Genius foresight!
Crow-mom must've pitied it, sneaking help.
Rummaging the nest, I found something deep in.
"...An egg?"
Fist-sized, jet-black shell with purple spots.
I pondered. What to do? Fry the pest?
Grabbed it, decided to pocket. Big and shiny—might fetch big creds.
Jangling loot, I returned to Zero's clinic.
"Evicted?"
Zero, glaring at his data screen through shades, sensed me and asked.
"Yep. Might get reported for animal abuse to the Bureau, though."
He chuckled dryly at my joke.
"Good, good. Not half bad. Solid mana control. Overlaying lightning on a shield... Easy to say, hard in combat—balance the shield while weaving intent? Tricky."
I dumped the loot on his desk.
"Found these on the rooftop. What now?"
Zero eyed the gold, snorted.
"Why would I want scrap and hot watches? One of my clinic machines costs more than you. Broke, right? Add to your pay. I don't need 'em!"
"For real? I can take it all?"
"...No complaints. Shameless punk."
Zero grumbled, faint smile. Pleased I aced the mission.
Glancing at his watch, Zero said,
"Dinner time already. Hungry? Let's eat."
Doffed his coat, led the way.
Basement diner had steaming stew and fresh bread waiting.
Sniff—real meat, not synth.
"Sit. Walter ordered it special for your recovery. Paid up, so if you waste it, I'll nano-bot your guts clean myself."
"Scary threat."
I laughed, spooned stew.
Zero sat opposite, silently sipping whiskey...
As dinner wound down, Zero's tone turned serious.
"Mana stabilized? Time to talk real ID."
Here we go.
Zero projected a hologram: 3D map of the 17th District Residential Area.
Zooming a spot, he explained.
"First, where you're headed: a rift space—Gap Space... or [Dungeon] for short. The Abandoned Hospital."
Dungeon...
Hadn't entered one yet, but heard solvers and mages farm them for riches.
Barrett's hidden arsenal came from dungeons too.
"Know where I source my hospital supplies?"
Zero lifted his shades, continuing.