The lunatic doctor’s research laboratory was both a giant city and a fortress.
Surrounded by walls, the city contained numerous research buildings, and Dr. Retor was the owner of this city.
The old man who styled himself a scholar forced people to call the city a “laboratory,” but in reality, he was also the mayor and a dictator.
Rex and Duke were merely imprisoned in one of those research buildings.
Instead of heading directly to Dr. Retor after escaping from Research Wing S, the two moved toward another research facility.
“There might be others trapped elsewhere. Let’s free them.”
Rex’s ability specialized in command.
Because of this, the more troops he acquired, including Duke, the stronger he would become exponentially.
In other words, Rex wanted to liberate and fight alongside those who were in similar predicaments as himself and Duke.
Upon hearing this, Duke pondered.
“Um… Is he worried about our combat power?”
Even alone, Duke had the confidence to escape from this laboratory.
“What’s escaping? I could flatten the lab like a ditch and walk out.”
However, after some contemplation, Duke decided to follow Rex’s words.
There wasn’t really a good reason not to listen to Rex.
It was also much easier to fight with a group than alone.
Moreover…
‘It’s flowing somewhat like the original story.’
Duke also wanted to follow the original storyline as closely as possible.
‘Rex originally escaped without me.’
In the original story, Rex didn’t need Duke.
Rex traveled around the lab, delivering errands and building connections with various test subjects, eventually sparking a rebellion throughout the entire facility when the time was ripe.
Even though Rex’s followers were typically labeled as “failures,” they successfully overthrew the “successes” due to Rex’s overwhelming command abilities.
This was also an anecdote showcasing Rex’s munchkin-like capabilities to cover individual power gaps solely through command.
“People will follow if they know it’s from me.”
Rex was confident since he had been preparing this uprising secretly before their action today.
Duke willingly took on the role of Rex’s envoy and headed toward another holding area.
“The iron gate is just beyond.”
Their destination was the C wing, which housed the most test subjects.
It was also a place that Rex often visited to deliver food.
Without a word, Duke nodded and tried pushing the iron gate lightly.
It, of course, didn’t budge.
“It’s useless. This place was built to prevent riots. But I’ve already confirmed that there are siege bombs in the D warehouse…”
Before Rex could finish speaking, Duke raised his palm.
In the middle of Rex’s surprise, Duke struck the gate in a sweeping motion.
KU-GU-GUNG!
The massive iron gate, which could withstand siege weapons, was split in half.
Rex’s mouth dropped open, just like the gate.
“Guess what?”
Duke made an effort to hide his satisfaction and feigned indifference.
Duke’s aggressive self-promotion left Rex speechless.
‘He’s not hiding his level anymore.’
He at least should have kept up the facade with his level hidden in the third rank.
It was impossible to understand why Duke had concealed his level in the first place if this was how he was going to act.
‘What did this guy do in the past?’
Though Rex increasingly grew curious about Duke’s past, he curbed his interest and moved on to the next objective.
“Now let’s gather our comrades.”
It didn’t take long after Rex and Duke stormed into C Wing for the entire laboratory to be thrown into chaos.
Rex managed to offer temporary contracts to various test subjects through Duke. In this way, an army of slightly more than three hundred “failures” was formed.
The average rank of the failures was between second and third rank.
From the perspective of ordinary citizens, they were strong enough, but within the city where even goblins could be fourth rank, they were mere “failures.”
“Hmm… No heroes in sight.”
Rex looked at his army, which numbered over a hundred, with some regret.
There were no “heroes” among the contracted test subjects.
In a mobile game analogy, they would be equivalent to 4-5 star characters.
Heroes were not merely about strength or rank but more about talent and potential, something vague without a clear criterion.
If there was one, it would be if someone could become the protagonist in a story.
“Of course, heroes can be made.”
Many heroes awaken through specific quests or after meeting certain conditions, so Rex wasn’t overly concerned.
Furthermore, hiring a top-tier hero like Duke made it greedy to hope for more.
Rex issued orders to the blue dots and the golden dots marked with Duke’s face.
“Toward Wing A! Direct assault!”
The group began a frontal charge.
‘I should be more cautious…’
With a monster-class unit like Duke, there was no need to strain his brain.
After all, strategy and tactics have their proper place.
Though direct assault orders may seem foolish, it’s the most efficient tactic when your force’s penetration power is absolute.
Especially with a spearhead like Duke, the assault centered around him could minimize casualty.
Finally, Retor’s success unit army clashed with Duke’s failure unit army.
The result was…
‘This is Duke. Just win the fight.”
By now, Rex had long viewed Duke as the god-tier hero provided in the tutorial to explain the control method.
A hero who bends over backward to let his opponent win but keeps outdoing them anyway.
(And after the tutorial ends, that hero disappears like a ghostly illusion.)
Rex shared the battlefield across all screens.
On one screen featuring Duke, a colossal red bipedal reptile blocked him.
Shortly after, a dice appeared in the corner of the screen.
‘It’s a duel!’
When hero-grade units clashed, they faced off in single combat; these events affected the morale of the battlefield depending on the outcome, thus holding considerable significance.
‘The reptile’s rank… I think it was fifth rank.’
Unable to access enemy details from the screen, Rex relied on his memory for calculations.
Afterward, Rex commanded Duke to take on the reptile.
‘65? Perhaps even higher…’
Upon Rex’s command, Duke borrowed a spare iron sword from a soldier after fighting bare-handed until this point.
As the 24-sided dice began to roll on Rex’s screen, a judgment was required to defeat the reptile—a roll of 20 or above.
‘Time doesn’t stop like in a game.’
While Rex mused about this, the dice showed the result.
2.
It was a failure.
However, Rex didn’t immediately become discouraged.
The combined score of a hero’s skills and the dice roll was the determining factor.
‘Duke’s skill adjustment is…’
+40
“Ahh.”
As Rex muttered unintelligibly, Duke’s iron sword decapitated the reptile.
Duke’s dominance continued.
Magic Judgment: Critical Success. The genetically modified troll army’s heads exploded.
Swordplay Judgment: Critical Success. The myrith golem was cleanly bisected.
Command Judgment: Critical Success. Soldiers trembling in fear before an eldritch being transformed into berserkers after Duke’s speech.
“FOR OUR LORD!!”
Rex had missed the final cry as he’d been focused on another screen.
Though something odd might have slipped in, Rex brushed it off as paranoia and nodded.
‘Ah, this is relaxing.’
The preparation Rex had spent sabotaging and organizing guerilla routes over the past month seemed a waste in hindsight, but now, it felt good.
‘Apparently, full-body twists don’t compare to a straightforward charge.’
Grateful for meeting the absurdly powerful hero Duke, Rex stepped into the breached research wing.
<Duke's Perspective>
Following Rex’s orders, we moved toward the interior of the research lab.
The test subjects who initially struggled to understand Rex’s abilities soon grew used to it, and one by one began to extol him.
“Could Lord Rex be like a messenger of God?”
“An iron man, truly.”
“An iron man, indeed, a perfect man… No, a ‘weberman’!”
“Hmm… This contracted force is quite intriguing.”
While the test subjects shared their impressions, I looked into the corner of my vision.
‘It seems what we see and others see are different.’
To me, Rex’s commands and abilities were displayed as quest windows, mini-maps, UI overlays, and other elements similar to those seen in a typical FPS game.
Things that needed destruction had red outlines, preservation items had green ones, while directions were indicated with arrows.
But listening to other soldiers’ descriptions, they mentioned glowing fireflies guiding them and Rex’s voice resonating in their heads.
‘Is it because I’m a former life traveler?’
With a chance that these differences could expose my reincarnation, I carefully reviewed them.
While reviewing the distinctions, Rex’s commands continued.
I followed all of them, marveling at Rex’s commanding abilities.
‘An ability like this wouldn’t work well even if given to me.’
Rex’s power seems unfair at first glance, but it’s more because Rex himself is extraordinary.
Reality isn’t a turn-based game.
There’s no pause while Rex makes decisions.
Not only that, but beyond basic movement and attack orders, he must immediately assess each situation and directly indicate strategies and vulnerabilities, which significantly increases the difficulty.
In summary, Rex’s commanding ability was entirely his own.
Continuing to marvel, our sweeping through the research wing led us to the last line—the bunker where Dr. Retor had taken refuge.
Duke and the soldiers waited outside the bunker in preparation for Rex’s arrival.
He then arrived at the bunker’s entrance.
Nodding,
In his presence, I demolished it with the light-heartedness of opening a package.
“Public unveiling~”
I found the trembling Dr. Retor with his disciples inside the bunker, and, to my surprise, a familiar face.
The Guildmaster of the human trafficking guild.
Based on appearances, the guildmaster had escaped here alongside the doctor while a contract renewal deal had been ongoing during the rebellion.
‘Good timing.’
I had planned to track down and deal with him later. It saved me some effort.
Unaware of my presence amidst the rebels, the guildmaster harassed Dr. Retor.
“Professor! Do something!”
“Professor, it’s Doctor!”
Whatever. A guy who’d been expelled from the Mage Academy and no longer holds a degree.
Perhaps out of denial, the guildmaster pulled a flintlock pistol and aimed at the rebels.
Was he stupid? Was his rationality paralyzed by fear?
Seriously believing he could handle us with a pistol?
Though it could be educational letting him pull the trigger so he learns the hard way, it’s better to…
‘Prevent stray bullets from hitting others.’
I stole his pistol with psychokinesis.
“Gah!”
The guildmaster pathetically reached for his flying gun.
He was shocked as he witnessed it land in my hand.
“Du… Duke!”
Both the guildmaster and Retor showed disbelief.
Apparently, the news that I led the rebellion somehow hadn’t reached them.
“Probably because everyone involved was wiped out.”
I had jammed the communication magic and eliminated all messengers.
Only then did the doctor’s party understand the gravity of their situation.
Rex and the test subjects stared at them with intense hatred.
“You caused my sister to…”
“In the end, you’ve even defiled my death, doctor.”
“I didn’t want to become stronger this way!”
Each relayed their grievances based on their experiences in the doctor’s experiments.
However, the doctor’s attitude remained utterly defiant.
“I fed you useless ones and opened doors of possibilities. Where’s the fault in my grand objective?”
Fueled by the doctor’s shameless defiance, the test subjects flared with anger.
As if aware of his impending end, the doctor taunted the rebels, hurling humiliating curses.
Some soldiers trembled with their swords, refraining from striking the doctor’s neck only out of deference for Rex and Duke as their supreme commanders.
The soldiers believed only Rex and Duke had the authority to judge and act against the professor, so they suppressed their emotions as much as they could.
At that moment, I executed an action I’d been considering since before entering the bunker.
Ugh.
“Aaaah!!”
With a turn, Dr. Retor’s right wrist slipped from his pocket.
Dropping from the pocket was a magical device with a red switch attached, designed for communication.
“That’s…”
“I felt something weird from the city’s underground mana veins. You’ve been scheming this?”
When I spoke, the soldiers who could use earth magic scanned the area below.
Then…
“It’s true!”
“What?”
“If you don’t focus, it’s barely noticeable, but it’s there. I wouldn’t have noticed without Duke’s alert.”
“Is that really?”
“I used to be a geologist back home.”
As the soldiers chatted, fighting the urge to smile became challenging.
The truth was, I knew little about this.
While I possess some detection abilities, they aren’t specialized in this area.
I only noticed it because the scene had left a strong impression on me from the original story.
‘In the original story, the rebellion succeeds and the doctor is subdued.’
After months of sabotage and guerrilla tactics, Rex succeeds in subduing the doctor.
However,
‘Rex’s followers all perish except for him.’
The experiments who truly regarded Rex as a benefactor sacrificed themselves to save him.
Thus, Rex’s first led unit ended in total annihilation.
‘It’s not necessary to add paranoia to a child’s burden.’
Following this event, Rex develops paranoia as a mental disorder.
Naturally, I had no intention of sitting idly by.
Because I pursued the ultimate happy ending…
‘My goal for this lab chapter is full survival.’
That’s why I had destroyed the doctor’s self-destruct button.
I chose the dramatic suspenseful moment merely for effect.
Surely enough, I felt the weight of reverential gazes at my back, precisely as intended.
‘Oh, incredibly charismatic…’
Maintaining a solemn expression, I redirected my attention to the doctor, his assistants, and the guildmaster.
At that time, the human trafficking guildmaster tremulously began speaking.
“I didn’t do anything! Swear! I just followed this man’s orders…!”
“Rude! Call him Doctor!”
Ignoring the odd flare-up of Dr. Retor, I exchanged a glance with Rex.
“What should we do?”
“Huh???”
Damn. Communication by glances alone isn’t enough with our bond being so underdeveloped.
“Sir Rex. May we be entrusted with the punishment of these men?”
I thought our less experienced Rex might entrust that to us.
My guess turned out correct.
“The punishment is yours.”
The verdict was delivered.
I coldly kicked the doctor who clutched the hem of my pants.
Then I addressed the large experimental creatures nearby.
“The Guildmaster and the assistants will be dealt with by you.”
The soldiers, delighted, dragged them away.
The doctor’s face paled on watching them being led away like livestock to the slaughterhouse.
I recalled his attention by calling his name.
“Doctor.”
“Du…Duke…No, Sir Erwick!”
He appealed to me in desperation.
“Please, spare me. I will display my capabilities. Show some mercy…!”
Apparently, he still thought the true commander here was me.
But his fate had already been decided.
I discarded my sword.
Though decapitating him swiftly was an option, for the sake of the victims present, a more spectacular execution was necessary.
“Gulp…”
I slowly strangled the doctor and levitated him using telekinesis.
As his legs flailed futilely in the air, I recited the lines I’d thought up since last night.
“You beg for mercy even now. Did you bestow mercy upon those who begged you?”
While suspended, the doctor rushed to narrate his acts of kindness.
“I’ve given jobs to children and held free seminars in the city last week…”
As a person driven by a twisted goal of elevating humanity’s abilities, he’d occasionally engaged in charity work.
Turning someone with potential into a knight-level warrior, rejuvenating the elderly, etc.
He occasionally shared his experimental results with various lords and cities instead of hoarding them.
This was why other cities and territories consistently accommodated the doctor, and perhaps some had been blessed by his interventions.
But none of that had place before this audience.
After all, his lofty ideals had sacrificed ten thousand lives for ten.
And naturally, I expected this response.
That’s why I posed the question the doctor could not avoid failing with.
“Let me ask one more thing. Over the past half year, did you offer me even a drop of mercy?”
“That-”
The doctor hesitated.
Given his tier, I almost predicted his response.
“Gave you water? But you had occupied that room for months without eating!”
The moment those words came close,
I snapped his neck.
The doctor’s body slumped, dangling lifelessly in the air, resembling an executed hanging.
The soldiers cheered.
Having explained the experiments I endured (which I had volunteered for, but that’s irrelevant), my actions carried sufficient justification.
To them, it appeared I had deemed the doctor unworthy of even hearing.
‘The dead cannot argue.’
And thus, the perfect crime is complete.
In case the corpse was resurrected by necromancy or something alike, I meticulously exorcised and cleaned the remaining brain information.
‘Anyway, my meeting Rex was a coincidence.’
History is always written by the victors.
Even by breaking the doctor’s neck mercilessly, I had gained the image of a cold-blooded man.
‘Perfect.’
Another step toward becoming Rex’s perfect, yet utterly evil second-in-command.
