Two days later.
W-0001 Branch, Central Elevator.
This was the only exit in the Branch that led to the surface, and now almost all Branch personnel were gathered here.
However, unlike the others, Arthur pushed his way through the chattering crowd and headed toward the small door across the hallway.
After forcing his way into the Control Department's Central Control Room, Arthur finally had a chance to wipe the sweat from his brow. Looking back at the sea of people he had passed through, he couldn't help but exclaim,
"My goodness… How many batches of supplies have there been? They still haven't finished grabbing them?"
"Isn't this all thanks to a certain hero who was willing to stand up and defend employee interests to the higher-ups?" Yulia replied teasingly. "Our Control Department hasn't felt this lively in a long time."
Though she spoke jokingly, Yulia was clearly in a good mood. Among the supplies from Headquarters, there was even EGO Equipment.
One HE-Class EGO weapon, Frost Splinter, had been assigned to this elite Control Department member.
"Still," Yulia added, "even a beer vending machine—you just had to get one, didn't you, Arthur?"
Arthur smiled.
Nonsense. How could he be polite with Angela when he could squeeze supplies out of Lobotomy Corporation Headquarters?
If Minister Netzach of the Safety Department ever found out, he'd probably down a can of Endorphin and curse Angela to death on the spot.
"Arthur… Arthur… let's switch departments…"
A shadowy, miserable voice came from the floor.
Only then did Arthur notice a man twistedly crawling along the ground like a dying insect.
"Oh my… Lyons. Why are you still here?"
Arthur felt utterly speechless.
This was one of the employees who had attended the meeting with him two days ago. It had been Lyons' first time meeting his Minister—and after witnessing his superior's majesty, he had begun complaining nonstop.
"Lyons," Yulia said calmly as she stood up, dragging the tip of the Frost Splinter along the floor until it stopped against his cheek, "as an elite Information Department employee, openly slandering your Minister like this… it's perfectly reasonable for them to send you to your death later, don't you think?"
"Besides," she added thoughtfully, "I think your Minister is quite responsible—"
"Shut up!" Lyons snapped, glaring at Yulia before continuing to writhe like a worm.
"Yulia, your Malkuth isn't any better either!"
He turned his head toward Arthur.
"Arthur! How is your luck so good?! You get such a beautiful female superior, and she's so gentle! Unlike ours, who always has a poker face!"
"The more I think about it, the angrier I get! Why is your Minister Hod a little angel, while ours is Satan?! This is outrageous!"
Listening to Lyons' tirade, Arthur could only sigh inwardly.
Don't even think about it. Everyone in Lobotomy Corporation Headquarters is basically a boxed spirit. Who knows how many layers of cognitive filters Angela slapped on them just to keep us from panicking.
Still, Arthur didn't shatter the man's fragile fantasy.
Stepping over the writhing 'worm,' he said flatly,
"Didn't you also get a T-Class armor, Noise, and a T-Class weapon, Super Cute, from this batch of supplies? Just shut up for now."
Though Lyons didn't look reliable, he was genuinely elite for such a small Branch. After all, he'd only been here for a month and had already resolved an incident that even Arthur found troublesome.
Five days ago, 1.76 MHz had breached containment.
That Anomaly continuously spread through rooms and corridors until it covered the entire Branch. Within its range, everyone had to endure nonstop auditory interference and mental assaults.
Suppressing it was no easy task. Only by fully refilling its Reverse-Qliphoth Counter—by completing four Excellent work results—could the Anomaly be returned to containment.
Under Arthur's instructions, Lyons had accomplished exactly that.
Otherwise, if the Anomaly had continued spreading, Arthur would've found the situation extremely inconvenient.
After all, this Branch had no "Restart" or "End Day" options.
"Big brother! Who would ever use such ugly EGO Equipment?!" Lyons wailed.
In reality, Arthur's attempt at comfort had shattered what little mental defense Lyons had left. In his eyes, the so-called EGO Equipment looked like a blob of pixels paired with dog paws.
…Ignore it. Ignore it.
Arthur steadied himself and turned to Yulia.
"How's Guide G-01-05 today?"
Yes—his daily visit to the Control Department still served the same purpose: checking on the Guide.
"Same as yesterday," Yulia nodded. "No matter who enters, Guide G-01-05 can accurately state their names…"
Over the past two days, the Control Department had sent many employees to work with the Guide. Temporarily, no one had died.
Some employees even brought items out of the containment room—glass bottles, arrows, shurikens—but no EGO accessories.
"But, Arthur…" Yulia hesitated. "Guide G-01-05 keeps asking anyone who leaves to pass a message—he wants you to go in and keep him company."
"Ignore it," Arthur shook his head. "As long as the Reverse-Qliphoth Counter isn't dropping, it's fine."
After dealing with Cthulhu's Eye and the Guide last time, he had no intention of going back in anytime soon.
"Then…" Yulia still seemed hesitant.
"Senior! Senior Arthur!"
A ponytailed girl wearing a Training Department armband rushed into the Control Department.
Arthur looked at her helplessly.
"Komini. What is it now?"
Yes—this scene was familiar. After the Information Department became understaffed, Headquarters had transferred several Old Clerks around, causing new recruits to flood departments that hadn't needed them before.
Komini, whom Arthur had met once before, had been assigned directly to the Training Department—becoming his junior.
"Hoo… hoo…"
She stood there gasping for breath, looking as if she might collapse at any moment.
That was understandable. Someone who could run from the Training Department to the Control Department in one breath was rare in Lobotomy Corporation.
"Deep breaths. Slow ones," Arthur said gently, patting her back. He gestured for Yulia to bring coffee. "What's so urgent?"
By the time Yulia returned with two cups, Komini finally recovered.
They sat nearby, coffee in hand.
"Anomaly…" Komini said shakily. "An Anomaly was delivered in the supply box from Headquarters…"
Damn it. Why does this sound so familiar?
Unless Minister Hod personally assigned him—or the system issued a new mission—Arthur had no intention of getting involved again.
Still, his expression remained calm.
"I told you," he said evenly, "the more panicked you are in Lobotomy Corporation, the faster you die."
"I'm sorry…" Komini lowered her head.
"Tell me," Arthur continued, "do you know what it looks like?"
He wanted information—but wasn't nervous. After all, how dangerous could something sent directly from Headquarters be?
Komini stared into her coffee, stirring it absentmindedly as she thought.
A few seconds later—just as Arthur took a sip—
She spoke.
"Black coat. Bird mask. Maybe… a doctor?"
"Pfft—!"
Arthur spat his coffee across the room.