Black Robe Inspection Team Spin-off · Prologue_3

Lampman saw him ranting at the air like a madman, complaining, "No task is performed impartially, everything is personal retaliation."

Then, he noticed Shiller's gaze on him. Shiller asked him, "Who are you?"

Lampman didn't reply; he merely pulled out a lighter, and from between his palms, a surge of fierce flames shot towards Shiller. But this attack was in vain, as Shiller instantly appeared behind him.

"Oh, Lampman, you're Lampman, right?" Shiller stated his name outright, then continued, "I see you've stirred up quite a mess, picking such a dangerous world..."

He sighed, shaking his head, "It seems like we really do need an even more dangerous character to combat all of this. I'm going on vacation."

After that, he lowered his head for a moment, seeming a little dazed, but then regained composure. When he turned back to face Lampman, looking straight into his eyes, he saw an incredible danger and insanity within them.

"What are you thinking about?" Shiller's calm voice yanked Lampman from his reminiscence. Lampman shook his head and responded, "I was wondering about the first time we met, Doctor, how exactly did you get here?"

"Didn't I show you the job notification? I was sent here by my superiors."

Lampman scratched his head with one hand, "I know that, I'm just surprised that Vaut has good doctors like you."

Shiller chuckled and replied, "So you consider me a good doctor? I remember you were running from me at first."

Lampman's expression hardened again, he swallowed nervously, but didn't say anything. As the pair continued ahead while conversing, they strode through the courtyard at the heart of the hospital, descending the stairs until they reached the first floor.

Lampman kept his focus averted, ignoring the centre of the lobby. Shiller patted his shoulder and pointed towards the centre, saying, "The patient seated on the leftmost chair isn't doing too well, switch him out."

Lampman's lips started to tremble, he forced himself to turn his head towards the lobby centre, closing his eyes and doing so slowly. When he finally opened his eyes, it was the same horrific scene that haunted his nightmares every night.

The empty hospital lobby had rows and rows of chairs meant for waiting patients, now it was full of people.

Or rather, it was full of corpses.

On total there were four rows of chairs, each row was filled with corpses, each killed in different ways. They were all fixed in the same position, their arms crossed over their chests, hands by the side of their necks, heads tilted back. However, the way they died was peculiar.

Lampman began to tremble all over as the horrifying images played on repeat in his mind. The first person he saw, seated on the far-left row, and also the one Shiller pointed out to replace, looked like an obese man sitting on a chair.

But Lampman was well aware, Duncan was actually very skinny, he only appeared fat now because his entire body was jam-packed with mud.

The reason for this grotesque sight was that Duncan, who had the superpower to turn others into mud, had killed another patient, and Shiller consecutively filled his body with the mud-transformed person he killed.

Lampman closed his eyes tightly, before that, he was able to distinctly see the stitches on Duncan's abdomen and chest. He remembered clearly that the doctor was stitching Duncan up while he was still alive, despite losing more than 60% of his internal organs, he was indeed conscious.

Lampman could never erase the memory of Shiller Calmly completing this gruesome procedure, donning his gloves and forcing a seed into Duncan's throat, saying, "You are so fond of mud, I guess, becoming a flower pot should be your ideal resting place."

Duncan was still alive then, but the expression on his face told Lampman that he'd never craved death as much as he did in that moment.

Sharply trembling, Lampman turned his head back and stared intensely at the medicine bottles on the small cart, although he didn't understand the words printed on them. It was as if he was trying to discern something from these medicine bottles.

This calculated, eternally calm and gentle-looking doctor, in his first month of arrival, had killed all the patients who resisted control or tried to escape, placing them upon chairs.

The remaining patients also didn't escape the torture. He used drugs and hypnosis to reach into their deepest fears, constantly stimulating, controlling, and "saving" them…

Lampman knew that some patients had gone entirely mad due to the torture, while others like him had been truly rescued amidst the fear, pain, and torment.

The long stretch of time, which felt like centuries to Lampman, had elapsed as they passed through the lobby. Lampman sighed with relief. Upon entering the preparation room, he first pushed the cart into position, then he turned and hesitated before saying, "Doctor, watch out for the Super Seven…"

"I will."

Lampman didn't expect Shiller to answer him directly for the first time. As he looked back from the doorway, he saw Shiller, still fiddling with the unrecognisable medical tools on the table. Lampman shook his head and exited the room.