Branch D-02 (before battle)
We entered the worn-down building of L Corp.'s branch facility.
The deeper we advanced into the dark ahead, the awful stench rising from the underground floor only grew stronger.
Urgh... The smell... It's awful...
Mm... I can feel the waste collecting in my lungs.
The odor is so intense, it circles back around to refreshing.
Let me warn you one last time: If you die here, Dante won't be able to revive you even when the battle has finished.
Revive...?
Must be a popular joke or something~ Whew, I can't even follow the kind of stories that are going around in the City these days~
They seem to have misunderstood us, but seeing as Faust made no comment on it, I decided not to add my input...
... because we could now almost make out the sources of the rancid smell before our eyes.
<Looks like they've been dead for a while.>
An astute observation, Executive Manager. The corpses have reached the stage of active decay.
Bleh. The bugs are having a feast over there.
... Let's just hurry along.
Huh... Something up, Gregor babe? Are you scared of bugs?
... Now, while I believe you're not so immature as to shove dead bugs in people's faces...
Boo!!!
But just in case one of y― Gah! Put it away! You think that's funny?!
Pfft... I mean, it is hilarious~ Who would've thought that you of all people'd be scared of these creepy-crawlies...
... Greg? Did it bother you that much?
... Forget it.
You there! Stop with your mischief this instant. Do not cause additional concerns for our manager!
Hold on... this body here, it's still warm.
Such is the sign of a recent attack.
The gloom that had cast over Yuri's face cleared after observing the bodies.
These aren't our... I mean, Lobotomy Corporation's employees.
I heard these buried facilities are considered pure goldmines now, attracting all sorts looking for a jackpot.
Phrases like the "Lobotomy Dream" or the "Enkephalin Rush" are apparently starting to catch on among Fixers and Syndicates.
LD, E-Rush... Got a nice ring to it...
*sigh* Really appreciate the input. Totally worth the long silence.
Is such a frivolous use of English not prone to blurring the original meaning?
That's what I'm sayi―
Huh, you seem to be talking a lot more than usual, Yi Sang.
Does that reflect strangely?
He was never really the quiet sort.
He only had a... shift recently.
It's not a bad thing to have more lackeys with keen eyes.
I'd like you to keep that up. Let us march.
You make yourself look like the captain here. I dare say that role belongs to the manager.
... Please forgive my insolence, Executive Manager.
Frowning as though she were caught off-guard, Outis bows to me as she apologizes.
<N-no, it's nothing. Let's head down.>
Most of the corpses' body parts were morphed in bizarre ways.
One had insect wings protruding through their intestines, and another had horribly twisted antennae hanging down.
These look kinda similar to the thugs we ran into just before, don't they?
You mean those bug-headed people?
Quiet, I'm seeing Uniform Tangos ahead.
As Outis noted, multiple figures could be seen down the corridor.
(Uniform... what? What's that?)
(Unidentified targets... Possibly hostile.)
... Mhm.
I'm sure we all had the same idea as to what Outis was referring to:
The enigmatic "Abnormalities" that might be roaming this facility, as Faust mentioned.
That might be what those shadowy figures are.
... We have no choice but to face them.
Hey! Who goes there?!
What we confronted weren't the creatures we'd anticipated, but people.
It was too early to be relieved, though.
Huh? I thought we were the only people 'round here.
Did they slip past our team at the entrance? These scavengers keep coming one after the other.
Oi, bug buggers! You friends with the bodies back there?
Bodies?! You bastards didn't...
Wait.
... I don't know what hole you scum crawled out of, but hear me out.
You're here for the Enkephalin, aren't ya? If you go just one floor down, there's a treasure trove just waiting to be nabbed.
Whatever's on that floor is yours. We'll just take what we can here and be on our...
... way. Ha, Haha.
Tsk, so you recognized me, huh.
The moment the soldier's eyes landed on Gregor's face...
Their thin veil of affability crumbled.
You fucking traitor...
Ahh, you must've been dispatched to the front lines too. Don't I look better in real life than I do on those flyers?
Cut the crap! I can't believe I used to salute to your face.
Whoa, easy there, it's not like you had to salute me in person.
You didn't suffer from a single side effect, did you? You got to live a normal life, all thanks to that damned privilege of yours.
We never even got a chance, you two-faced piece of shit. They discarded us like trash the moment we lost the war.
... I was tossed out all the same, you know. Isn't that a soldier's life? To be discarded?
And I see where you decided to take your life from there, rifling through trash and gunk like actual vermin.
Halt! No good can come out of taunting your foe!
You served in the military too. Y'know where this is going.
We're not getting outta this without a fight.
... We were planning to let you through, we really were.
But now, I'm gonna make mincemeat out of you and your traitor friend.
Like hell you were. You were gonna wait for us to climb back up with the Enkephalin so you could backstab us and swipe it.
W-wait, were they?
They've smashed right past rock bottom a long time ago. Don't expect 'em to care a whit for honor, eh?
Well-off or broke, people turn on each other as long as there's something. You're way too naive to think otherwise.