Chapter 117: Three-Way Chaos
The laboratory shook.
Not from explosions.
From footsteps.
Heavy.
Uneven.
Closer.
The fighting stopped for only a heartbeat.
Cultists.
Outlaws.
Everyone instinctively looked toward the center corridor.
Something was coming.
Then—
Crash.
A reinforced steel door burst outward.
Pieces of metal flew across the hallway.
A massive figure stumbled into view.
Nearly three meters tall.
Its body looked vaguely human.
But only vaguely.
One arm had swollen into an enormous mass of muscle.
The other had become a grotesque collection of exposed bone and black flesh.
Its chest pulsed.
Veins glowed with unstable mana.
Its face...
No longer resembled a person.
Only one terrified eye remained.
The creature screamed.
Not in rage.
In pain.
One cultist whispered,
"...Experiment."
The creature charged.
It ignored the Outlaws.
Ignored Kai.
Ignored everyone.
It slammed directly into the Cult.
Bodies flew.
One cultist disappeared beneath its fist.
Another tried casting a barrier.
The creature punched through it.
The barrier shattered.
So did the mage.
The hallway erupted into panic.
"They released one!"
"No!"
"It escaped!"
"Kill it!"
The Cult immediately redirected its attacks.
Fireballs.
Ice spears.
Lightning.
Everything struck the creature.
It barely slowed.
Munnu blinked.
"...Well."
"I wasn't expecting that."
Persia adjusted his glasses.
"I vote we let them kill each other."
One Outlaw laughed.
"Best idea you've had today."
The Outlaws immediately opened fire.
Not at the monster.
At the distracted Cult.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Caught between the Outlaws and the experiment—
The Cult suddenly found itself trapped.
Kai realized it immediately.
"A pincer..."
The hallway had become a death trap.
The experiment roared again.
Its fist struck another pillar.
The ceiling cracked.
Stone rained downward.
One Outlaw barely avoided being crushed.
Another cultist wasn't so lucky.
Dust filled the corridor.
The screams multiplied.
Then—
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
Slow applause echoed from the central chamber.
Every head turned.
A man wearing a stained white laboratory coat stepped into view.
His glasses reflected the mana lanterns.
His expression...
Annoyingly calm.
Almost proud.
"So."
He looked around.
"My children are awake."
Nobody answered.
The doctor smiled.
"I must admit..."
He adjusted his glasses.
"...their performance exceeds expectations."
Kai froze.
The face.
The coat.
The voice.
The memory.
"...Doc..."
The word escaped before Kai realized it.
The doctor tilted his head.
"...Hm?"
His eyes landed on Kai.
Recognition flickered.
Only for a moment.
Then disappeared.
"...Interesting."
Behind him—
Two more figures slowly emerged.
Unlike the first—
These remained on all fours.
Their bodies were leaner.
Covered in pale skin stretched over muscle.
Long claws scraped against the steel floor.
Drool dripped from twisted jaws.
Their eyes glowed blue.
The doctor patted one on the head.
"My latest successes."
He smiled proudly.
"They're still rather unstable."
"So..."
He released his hand.
"Do entertain yourselves."
The two experiments exploded forward.
One leapt toward the Cult.
The other toward the Outlaws.
The laboratory descended into complete madness.
Munnu fired repeatedly.
"Focus!"
"Don't let that thing reach us!"
Several Outlaws engaged the creature.
Bullets.
Blades.
Explosives.
Nothing seemed enough.
Across the corridor—
The Cult desperately fought the remaining experiments.
For the first time—
Neither side cared about each other.
Only survival.
Kai never looked away from the doctor.
Fragments.
His head hurt again.
Not enough for another memory.
Just enough.
Enough to know—
He knew this man.
The doctor noticed.
"...Curious."
He smiled.
"You have that look."
Kai stepped forward.
"...Magic circuits."
The doctor's eyebrow rose.
"...What?"
"You..."
Kai couldn't explain it.
He simply knew.
"You know about magic circuits."
Silence.
The doctor's smile widened.
"...Fascinating."
Before Kai could ask another question—
The doctor turned around.
"Unfortunately."
"I dislike conversations during emergencies."
He walked toward another corridor.
Completely unconcerned.
Kai's instincts screamed.
If he let this man disappear—
He might never find him again.
Kai broke into a sprint.
"WAIT!"
Munnu shouted from behind.
"KAI!"
Kai ignored him.
He chased after the doctor.
The doctor never ran.
He simply kept walking.
As though he already knew Kai would follow.
Behind them—
Persia watched Kai disappear into the corridor.
Then looked toward Munnu.
His expression had become unusually serious.
"We need to leave."
Munnu didn't even turn around.
"Our people are still missing."
Persia clenched his jaw.
"...They're dead."
"We don't know that."
"We do."
"No."
Munnu reloaded both revolvers.
"Until I see their bodies..."
"...I'm bringing them home."
Persia lowered his head.
"...You're making a mistake."
Munnu laughed.
"I've made plenty."
"One more won't hurt."
Persia slowly adjusted the large radio strapped to his back.
For just a moment—
His fingers rested on a switch.
Hidden beneath the casing.
"...Yeah."
He whispered.
"...One more."