Lobotomy Room Revelation

Now only the final procedure remained. Driving a firm wedge so we could farm safely.

I placed my hand on the bio-distribution panel again and activated Lightning Bolt, synchronizing the entire floor's magic circuits with my mind.

Flash!

A bizarre sensation of mana burrowing into every corner of my brain, and with it, a 3D map of the entire second floor unfolded in my mind.

The nurses who'd taken the bait were still stupidly searching an empty patient room in the corner of the second floor. Observing them, I thought.

They'd soon realize the alarm was a fake and come back.

Only one conclusion, then. Create a physical 'barrier' so they couldn't return at all.

To sever the outer section of the second floor where the nurses were clustered, I deployed the ritual.

Whoosh—!

A flame magic infused with the power of hellfire. The hospital's aberrations, steeped in malice, would incinerate and vanish on contact.

Like undead tossed under the midday sun.

A few nurse aberrations realized the decoy was fake and came rushing.

But before the massive wall of fire, they could only scream and halt.

"…Hospital… fire… prohibited…"

The aberrations muttered grotesquely beyond the flickering flames. They didn't dare leap into this wall of karmic blaze.

"You've got exactly one hour."

Checking my watch, I shouted to the exploration team members about to enter the dim corridor.

Any more mana expenditure, and I'd run out of even the minimum to protect myself. Being defenseless in this horrific dungeon was a one-way ticket to hell.

"Uh, uh… got it…!"

"The flames will keep the aberrations pinned on that side. Scatter now and loot the patient rooms and ORs. Artifacts, high-concentration meds worth credits—grab whatever."

Before I finished, greed lit up Jangwi's eyes. Money always trumped fear, huh.

"One hour from now, emergency exit east. Rendezvous there. Late by a second, and you're left behind."

"Y-yeah, got it! Let's go, guys! No time—scrape up everything!"

Jangwi's crew vanished down the corridor. Watching their pathetic backs, Zero clicked his tongue.

"You're really a pro at using people. Anyway, I need to hit the pharmacy. Need some nanobot samples to run the hospital."

Zero adjusted his bulletproof vest and pointed down the hall.

"You saw it earlier, but head to the 'lobotomy room' at the end. That's where you'll find the missing ID data."

"Lobotomy room. Real optimistic name."

"Be careful. It's the worst spot in this hospital."

Zero vanished into the darkness after that.

The lobotomy room, unlike ordinary rooms, was sealed by a massive steel door.

Of course, physical locks were no match for magic.

Clunk—

The interlocking gears released, revealing the lobotomy room.

"…Jesus."

Stepping inside, I couldn't help but furrow my brow.

Thousands of transparent pipes tangled like spiderwebs across the ceiling.

Connected to suction devices at their ends, sucking in—what else?—humans. Or what had been humans.

Strapped to operating tables, skulls crudely sawed open in horrific states. Dozens, hundreds of needles pierced the exposed gray matter, twitching faintly each time the suckers activated.

Then, intangible blue smoke-like substance got pulled into the pipes.

These were probably ordinary people kidnapped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into this mad hospital.

What the hell was this place's goal? Extracting personalities or egos for modification? Every guess made me nauseous.

The substance flowed through the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pipes deeper underground, the scenes growing more blasphemous.

Bodies entirely stripped, brains preserved in tanks like cultured specimens, lined endlessly.

They looked dead at a glance… but closer inspection showed the brains subtly contracting and expanding. Still alive, somehow. Or kept alive by force.

Denied even the peace of death, eternally harvested for minds—true Avici hell.

Shuddering at the director's endless malice, I passed the insane display.

Typical of this city with its infinite shitshow routes—one of them led here.

A bit later, wandering the lobotomy room, I found what I wanted.

A full-body cyborg solver's remains, shoved in a corner, power long dead.

Probably strutted in cocky to raid the dungeon, failed, met his end.

Pathetically, his misfortune was my luck.

His all-metal body spared him grotesque experiments, left intact—so the ID data inside remained pristine.

Perfect for a clean ID card.

I conjured a thin heat line from my fingertip, making a makeshift laser cutter. Vrrr…

The chest armor split smoothly. Peeling it open revealed a blinking ID chip near the cold core.

This was his ID data.

Fine-tuned ritual neutralized the bio-lock instantly. I carefully extracted the chip.

"…"

Infusing mana, a holographic ID flickered into the air.

Exposed too long to the dungeon's murky magic, the photo was bleached unrecognizable, name and number blurred.

But as Zero said, just base material. With him, we'd forge a proper fake ID.

"…Perfect."

Main hospital business done.

I pocketed some blue healing vials from a shelf to kill time. Now, rendezvous before Fire Wall died, escape via emergency exit.

I activated the communicator for Zero.

"I'm done here. You?"

Voice said he had more to do. Veteran solver snagging some ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠side loot, probably. Whatever—wait it is.

Casually strolling the lobotomy room, a rare anomaly hit.

Passing an old desk carelessly—

Flash!

The Grimoire summoned itself, reacting strangely.

"…Huh?"

Vrrr…

Intense vibration, then indigo mana tendrils burst from between pages.

Like vines or ivy, they grew, poking an old bookshelf.

Tap.

A leather-bound book dropped to the floor. Urging me to read it, almost.

I eyed it suspiciously.

Mana sight scan: no traps or curses. Rare self-action by the Grimoire meant low risk anyway.

I picked it up carefully.

The cover bore large initials: [J.G.F.]

Inside, crammed with J.G.F.'s mad journal.

Chills down my spine as I read.

Dragon Heart… what the hell?

First thought: dragon heart from fantasy novels. Dragons or spirits exist here?

Or metaphor, code. Anyway, records confirmed Dragon Heart caused this space's vile mutation.

Suppressing questions, I kept reading.

"Fucking lunatic."

I muttered, eyes dropping lower.

The final page hooked me.

Church.

That word struck like lightning déjà vu.

White-robed youth ranting. Girl and me at harbor, gazing night sea. Arrogant silhouette atop mountain.

Memories never lived, incomprehensible phantoms flashed by.

"…Ugh!"

Seizing my temples in burning pain.

What? Like implanting fake memories forcibly.

Is this what nonexistent memories feel like…?

Panting, I flipped J.G.F.'s journal.

Thankfully, no more seizures.

Just notes. Rest summarized 'Church' org dynamics.

Management Bureau managed dungeons via law, tech. Church purged anomalies via 'holy' power.

"…Feels gross."

Beep beep—!

Communicator's sharp alarm. One hour nearly up.

I swallowed dryly, stuffing the journal in my bag. No time to probe the déjà vu now.

Escape before flames died.

Bolting from the lobotomy room, I headed straight for the exit.

A massive silhouette approached from the dark. Zero.

"Mage? You the mage?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

I nodded.

"Pharma team? Don't tell me they're still goofing off—"

"Huff, huff… don't leave us…! Almost late. Exit this way, right…?"

Three appeared right after. Slowpokes when it mattered.

I sighed.

"…Yeah. See the green glow in the dark?"

Indeed. Pictogram above the fire door emitted soft green light.

Zero added,

"Only sure way out of this freak dungeon back to reality. Elevator possible, but coords tricky—usually avoided."

"…Finally…! We're out!"

Jangwi ecstatic. His sack bulged—how much he'd scraped.

Thanks to my flame wall risking life. Not even a thanks. Charming.

Then.

"…!"

Leading to the exit, I froze.

"Everyone, hold…"

My sensitive mana sight caught a lurking aberration.

Dim corner, lightless nook—something ambushed using shadows.

"…Back off. Something's there."

Terrified team whirled; Zero guard-posed—

Thud—!

It sprang on powerful legs from dark. Ear-ringing whoosh, huge shadow blocked me.

"…Huh?"

I let out a dumb laugh.

Familiar face. Dozens of electrodes crudely jabbed in skull, stitched-together monster… but that ugly mug unforgettable.

"Dwayne…?"

The Mosaz cartel exec I'd left dying when I wrecked them.

"Why are you here…?"

Should've died buried in rubble. Why block me like this monstrosity?

"Grrr… f-found… you… mage…!"

Dwayne just raged beast-like. Eyes rolled back like reuniting with arch-nemesis.

Foam spewing like uncapped beer.

'Not right in the head.'

Duh—no one 'fixed' here was sane.

Whoosh—whoosh—

Right arm a massive hammer, floor shattering with each swing's weight.

Then it flew at my head.

Looks like hidden boss time.