The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City-Chapter 102: Violet Witnesses a Suspicious Incident!

When Violet first crossed the gate, she encountered a long tunnel.

After passing through the dark corridor, a vast space suddenly unfolded before her.

「It’s huge! Way beyond what I imagined. Can you all see this?」

「It really is. What is all this?」

Violet’s temporary command unit was busy processing the real-time information relayed by No. 406.

After observing for about five minutes, there were far too many suspicious elements.

To make matters worse, the student council president and treasurer, who were supposed to be at school, were here.

It was clear this place was worth investigating.

The facility resembled a massive cavern.

Except for the concrete ceiling, it felt entirely like a cave.

Temporary structures made from metal panels were scattered around, and complex equipment and wires cluttered the spaces above them.

Artificial lights were installed all over the ceiling, casting shadows from the machines and large building-like structures below.

Violet No. 406 moved stealthily to avoid being detected.

Fortunately, this suspicious facility seemed thoroughly wrecked, as if swept by a storm.

「Was there an earthquake or something?」

「Could be. There are even dead bodies around.」

No. 406 quietly climbed some stairs to the top of a temporary structure.

Looking around, countless metal cages came into view.

「Look over there, beast cages!」

Violet was reminded of her time imprisoned at Laplaxia’s laboratory.

Like that place, this facility also kept large and small beasts in cages for experiments.

The beasts inside the cages were restrained, while some cages were entirely broken or damaged.

「Could the beasts we captured have poured out from there?」

Judging by the blood-soaked floors and the scattered bodies of beasts and humans, it seemed like something significant had happened.

The walls were marked with bullet holes, and broken swords and bolts littered the ground.

「Was there some kind of massive beast escape?」

「I’ll keep looking around.」

Violet continued to stealthily explore the facility, making sure to record any suspicious spots.

White-coated researchers hurriedly moved through the area.

Guards wearing armbands with the Magna Nabis Clan symbol busily patrolled the surroundings.

Some of the facility’s lights were out, likely due to damage.

Violet entered one of the rooms in the facility.

What she saw inside was shocking.

「What is that? Human brains!」

「Ugh!」

Inside what appeared to be a laboratory, numerous people had their skulls opened.

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The ages varied widely.

Electrodes and wires were densely inserted into their exposed brains, while unknown substances flowed through tubes into their heads.

「Those people are alive!」

「This is horrifying…」

At the center of the room was an unidentified device.

The wires connected to the brains led to this central device.

Measurement instruments around it displayed incomprehensible signals on their screens.

「What in the world is this?」

Just as No. 3 cautiously spoke, screams echoed from outside the door.

“Help me! Please save me!”

“The test subject is escaping!”

Peeking outside, Violet saw a person in a hospital gown with a pin embedded in their head collapse after being shot.

「This place is just like Laplaxia’s lab…」

The guards dragged the body away to another location.

After scanning her surroundings, Violet headed to another room.

The scenes inside the various laboratories were horrifying.

There were rooms filled with large and small beast brains, as well as rooms where human brains were connected to beast brains via wires.

It seemed the facility hidden within the dungeon was a laboratory for human experimentation.

But for what purpose?

After leaving the laboratory, Violet climbed back onto a structure to look for anything unusual.

That was when gunfire suddenly rang out.

Amid the rapid bursts of gunshots and following screams, Violet hurriedly moved.

No. 406 ran between the structures toward the source of the commotion.

Soon, a horrific scene streamed into Violet’s network, leaving everyone speechless.

「A student…!」

Long ago, the decision by Magna Nabis’ executives to monopolize the Cloris Forest was a mistake.

After reviewing reports from subordinates, they realized the dungeon’s profitability was abysmally low.

The quality of the beasts was poor, their numbers were scarce, and no unique resources were found within.

Moreover, the Cloris Forest had unstable spatial properties.

The dungeon’s boundaries would expand and contract in cycles, like tidal ebb and flow.

This rare phenomenon occurred regularly here, unlike in most other dungeons.

Several hunters went missing after being caught in these spatial shifts during exploration.

The executives were left pondering what to do with this useless dungeon.

Just as the consensus leaned toward shutting it down, one executive proposed an intriguing idea.

What if they utilized the dungeon’s spatial instability?

Through research and experiments, Magna Nabis’ mages discovered an interesting fact.

Objects placed within the expanded space remained intact even when the dungeon contracted, becoming inaccessible but not destroyed.

This made the space ideal for hiding things.

Taking it a step further, they manipulated the unstable space to create a subdimension.

Essentially, a dungeon within a dungeon.

Thus, the secret research facility, Lab A13, was born.

Currently, Crosell was inspecting the interior of the research facility.

“Thanks for your swift assistance. We managed to suppress it quickly.”

“It was just part of my mission. No need to thank me.”

The research facility’s manager offered an awkward smile, to which Crosell responded perfunctorily.

Lab A13 had suffered partial destruction due to an unexpected expansion of the dungeon.

This had led to a massive escape of experimental beasts.

When the lab requested support, the board dispatched Crosell and Caym, who were stationed at the nearby academy.

A small passage connected the subdimension to the outside world.

The two quickly handled the commotion.

“It doesn’t seem fully resolved yet. I’ll continue to look around.”

Crosell decided to further inspect the facility’s interior.

There was much to address, but orders from the board couldn’t be taken lightly.

“Well, well, Student Council President, you’ve been busy!”

Caym appeared beside him, grinning.

“I’ve told you many times to drop the formalities outside.

This isn’t the academy, so don’t call me president. There’s no need to act like a student here.”

“Got it. My, you’re particular.”

As they checked the facility’s condition, the two chatted.

“By the way, what’s this new mission they sent down? Doesn’t seem like it involves outsiders.”

“It’s nothing big. You’re familiar with them.”

“Who is it, exactly?”

Instead of answering, Crosell handed over a tablet from his bag.

Grinning like a child unwrapping a toy, Caym manipulated the tablet.

As the data loaded, the face of a stern-looking girl with violet hair appeared.

“Wow! Irene Solstice? Incredible! Wasn’t the board just keeping an eye on her for a while?”

“The insiders of the Helios Clan have all been dealt with. That guy will lose everything now—his home, his wealth, even the protection of the clan.”

“How pitiful! And she’s so pretty too. But insiders? Who are they exactly?”

Caym asked with sparkling eyes, full of interest. Crosell chuckled softly.

“Relatives who want to leech off the shares of a spoiled heiress, that’s who. All we need to do is clean up after them.”

Caym exclaimed in admiration.

“Wow! Family really is the scariest, huh?”

“You know Orion Solstice is in critical condition after fighting a top-tier beast, right? He’s practically a corpse stuck in a hospital bed. It’s clear to anyone that he’s beyond recovery. Soon, the clan’s management issues will rise to the surface. Normally, his shares would be inherited by his daughter.”

“But if she disappears, someone else would take over. I can’t believe you’ve already settled things with the insiders. The board really is thorough. So, the next person is… Oh, this guy.”

As he flipped through multiple screens, Caym paused at a familiar face.

“Frederick the Instructor has been around forever. Isn’t it about time he retired?”

“I heard that old man was secretly investigating things while pretending to sit quietly.”

“Well, that works out. I’ve always been curious about the skills of that senior guy.”

“Don’t get carried away with useless thoughts. Troops dispatched from Lera and Magna Nabis will move as well. That old man has a different use.”

Saying this, Crosell smirked inwardly at the thought of Frederick. A pathetic old geezer who had idly collected his paycheck for five years. Was he finally burning with a sense of justice?

As Crosell glanced around, something unusual caught his attention. An outsider.

Wasn’t the external passage supposed to be closed?

“Call security.”

“Oh, you’re right.”

The two quickly, but quietly, began moving toward the students.

Violet was busy scouting the research lab when a group of eight students happened to step into the entrance of Research Lab A13. On the surface, the entrance to the subspace resembled a standard gate entryway.

“Nathan, are you sure this is the place? It looks different from where we went in.”

“It could be connected to some underground passage outside the dungeon.”

The male student, referred to as Nathan, drew his sword and pointed it toward the corridor beyond.

“We’ve been trapped here for three days now. If we push ourselves a little more, we can find the others and get home sooner. If it’s dangerous, we can leave immediately.”

Nathan thought to himself. Given how exhausted the other students were, he had to find a new gate as quickly as possible. Otherwise, someone might get hurt—or worse.

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll protect you all.”

“Alright, we’ll trust you. Oh? Is that an exit?”

The group eventually emerged from the dark tunnel, and what they saw left their eyes wide with surprise.

“Where are we?”

“This doesn’t look like outside…”

The eight students stepped into the corridor of Research Lab A13.

“We don’t know what kind of place this is, but it looks like there are people here. Maybe we can ask for help?”

“Not sure. This place seems like it was attacked by beasts.”

Although it didn’t seem like the dungeon’s exit, the students wondered if they might find water or food inside.

But as they ventured further, they were greeted by a chaotic scene.

“What the heck is this place?”

“This feels wrong. Let’s leave quickly!”

Feeling uneasy, Nathan decided to lead his friends back. Whatever this place was, they clearly didn’t belong here.

Just then, several figures sprinted down the hallway ahead. Startled, the students ducked behind some fallen debris.

“Ahhh! Please, no!”

“Subjects 4, 1, and 12 are escaping. Contain them immediately!”

People in patient gowns, their heads outfitted with strange devices, were being chased by guards.

The patients were shot down and dragged away like garbage.

“Oh my god, what is this?!”

“Let’s get out of here!”

Shocked by the horrific scene, the students quickly retreated toward the exit. However, heavily armed guards appeared and blocked their path.

“Freeze!”

Startled by the threatening guns and spears aimed at them, the students hesitantly drew their weapons.

Crosell stepped forward from among the guards, looking a little surprised.

‘Students. First-years, judging by their faces. Right, it’s the experiential learning period.’

‘The dungeon passage was supposed to be blocked, wasn’t it? We’re not supposed to handle this immediately, remember. Follow protocol according to their rank.’

‘I know.’

At Crosell’s gesture, the guards lowered their weapons. The students’ gazes turned toward the man who had suddenly appeared.

“Who’s that guy?”

“I know him. I’ve seen him before. Isn’t he the student council president?”

Under the students’ wary eyes, the student council president slowly opened his mouth.

“You’re first-year students, right? I’m sorry, but this area is a restricted zone managed by the academy. Please leave immediately.”

“Restricted zone? We’ve never heard of such a thing…”

He scanned each student’s face, comparing them to a list.

None of them were on the list of those to be spared.

Their ranks were mid to low, and they had intruded on a highly secured facility. According to protocol, they could not simply walk away.

The soft line of Crosell’s expression hardened into a sharp glare. Caym, checking the list beside him, nodded in agreement.

“Well, now you know. You shouldn’t have set foot here in the first place.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

Before the questioning girl could finish her sentence, a sharp pain struck her chest.

Looking down, she saw a sword embedded in her torso. Without understanding what had happened, the girl collapsed to the floor.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

At the same time, the guards opened fire.

“Ahhh!”

“Gaaah!”

Students hit by bullets collapsed.

The remaining students began to flee.

Some tried to shield themselves with barriers or magic.

“Hyaaah!”

A brave student charged toward the guards, relying on a shield.

Resilient, aren’t they?

Thinking so, Crosell extended his hand.

The male student’s body floated upward with a gasp.

Clenching his fist, Crosell crushed the student’s limbs with telekinesis.

“Gah… Aaaaah!”

Several swords appeared behind the student council president, floating in the air.

Controlled by telekinesis, the swords severed the lives of boys and girls attempting to flee or defend themselves from the gunfire.

“Ahhh! My eyes! I can’t see… Nathan, help me!”

“No! Riley!”

The girl, screaming in agony from her slashed eyes, died as a sword pierced her heart.

Nathan, who held his shield and fought until the end, fell spitting blood.

Five swords pierced him in quick succession.

With the last of his strength, he cried out.

“Why… are you doing this… to us?”

“You saw something you shouldn’t have. That’s all.”

Crosell replied nonchalantly, finishing off the last student.

Of course, he relished the personal amusement of dealing with what he deemed low-level individuals, but he didn’t show it openly.

“Oh dear, quite a number of them died again.”

“You know it’s not an issue. These were expendable. Orphans, single-parent households, and low-status families.

They weren’t even Awakening-class individuals essential to the plan. Completely replaceable.”

Crosell turned his head at the sound of movement and spotted three people frozen at the entrance.

Unfortunately, Lucian’s group had walked in at the worst possible moment, witnessing everything.

“Well, well, you saw, didn’t you?”

Faced with the horrific scene, Lucian spat out a curse.

“You psychotic bastard!”

The swords hovering above Crosell’s head aimed at the group and flew toward them.

The guards also opened fire.

“Ahhh!”

“Kyahh!”

Granite ducked to the ground, and Levi hid behind nearby cover.

Lucian used various spells to block the bullets and deflect the incoming swords.

“Ugh!”

Lucian groaned in pain.

Several telekinetically controlled swords had cleverly maneuvered to strike him from behind.

Although he quickly dodged, he couldn’t avoid getting injured.

“Lucian! Your… your back!”

“I can’t just stand by! I’ll fight too!”

“Help? Help how? You idiots can’t do anything! Run away now!”

The encirclement was closing in rapidly.

Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be a chance for the group to escape.

At that moment, Violet arrived, having heard the gunfire, and witnessed the entire scene.

Outside, Violet screamed.

“Ahhh!”

“Violet? What’s wrong?”

Irene looked at No. 98 with worried eyes.

The shock felt at the scene by No. 406 had been transmitted to No. 98 without filter.

“The student council president!”

“Student council president? Crosell?”

「The student council president is killing students!」

“The student council president is killing students!”

「Nooo!」

On the scene, I saw students struck down by bullets and swords.

「Even those Warrior Party guys are here! Poor souls.」

Sadly, they had met their grim end long ago.

But that wasn’t the point.

Lucian’s team, desperately fighting for their lives, came into view.

「They’re still alive! We have to save them!」

「Our identities might get exposed!」

「Does that matter right now? That maniac is killing people!」

We Violets kill too, but we don’t randomly slaughter just anyone like that lunatic!

We don’t hack down innocent students!

I suspected Crosell was psychotic, but I didn’t think he was a full-blown murderous psychopath!

I couldn’t let that bastard kill any more people.

Though the already dead students couldn’t be helped, at the very least, I had to save Lucian’s team!

Electric sparks crackled across the Violet mental network.

No. 406 screamed in despair as they contacted the temporary command.

Their shock resonated vividly with all of us.

「Command! Requesting permission to use the Blazing Blade and Hand of Fate!」

「Not now! Did you see his level? He’s using telekinesis!」

「Look at the surrounding mana levels! He’s stronger than our ally!」

No. 1 issued calm instructions.

「Avoid direct confrontation at all costs! Stall for time. Permission granted to use the combat rifle!」

「Understood!」

No. 406 pulled out a combat rifle.

A crossbow would be too slow, and there was a chance he could evade it.

Whether it could kill him remained uncertain.

Lucian didn’t seem to be in good shape.

He was barely managing to fend off the guards’ gunfire and multiple swords flying through the air.

Already injured multiple times, he was bleeding.

I searched for the rest of his group.

Levi was hiding behind cover, and Granite was struggling to deal with a single flying sword.

I needed to divert their attention so they could escape!

Without time to steady the rifle on the railing, I pulled the trigger.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

The crisp sound of gunfire echoed in rapid succession.

The bullets flew and aimed straight for the student council president’s head…

-Clang!

…only to be deflected with sparks.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Was Crosell’s skull made of steel?

No, it wasn’t.

The swords flying through the air by telekinesis had blocked the bullets!

「Target change! Go for the treasurer!」

I quickly adjusted my aim to the treasurer standing nearby with arms crossed and fired again.

This time, there was a result.

The battle rifle’s bullet smashed the head of the logistics officer and tore a large hole through his chest.

At that moment, as the surrounding vigilance loosened, Lucian’s group, realizing the situation had turned strange, bolted away at full speed.

“I’ve got them!”

Crosell gave some instructions to the guards before turning his body.

Strangely enough, he didn’t seem to care about the dead logistics officer beside him.

Our eyes met.

I saw him say something.

I couldn’t hear it, but based on the atmosphere and the movement of his lips, I understood.

‘There’s another one, huh.’

He was now deflecting bullets with the sword in his hand.

Some of the guards also turned their gazes toward me.

As soon as the bullets fell, he kicked off the ground and leaped into the air.

The guy flew straight toward where I was.

“He’s flying!”

“It’s telekinesis! He’s using telekinesis to lift his body!”

I thought he could only use telekinesis to choke people, but turns out it’s versatile!

What was even more terrifying were the ten swords hovering around him.

The swords, controlled by telekinesis, moved as if they were alive.

As he flew toward me, the swords rained down in my direction.

“Crazy! That’s swordsmanship with telekinesis!”

“Dodge!”

I quickly ducked.

The swords flew over our heads and embedded themselves into the wall.

The power was no joke!

He landed on the metal panel structure I was standing on.

The ten swords swirling around him radiated an ominous aura.

They seemed ready to skewer me the moment I moved.

“Do I have to fight him here?”

No. 2 stopped me.

“Not here! Remember when we first met the student council president?

He knows what our ability is.

If we use the clone technique, he might figure it out.”

“Then what do we do?”

“We have to disguise it as another unique ability. For example…”

The temporary command center quickly explained something to Violet No. 406.

She gasped inwardly.

It was a rather groundbreaking idea.

Crosell approached me with sharp intensity, pressuring me.

He opened his mouth.

“What’s your identity?”

“…”

As he scrutinized me, the corner of his eyes slightly twisted.

“The way your form appears blurry suggests you’re using a cognitive interference device.

Well, it doesn’t matter if you don’t answer.

My friend is skilled in interrogation.

Even if you stay silent now, you can answer later, tied up tight…”

He muttered on without me asking.

Good.

If he didn’t chase after Lucian’s group, their chances of survival would increase.

To buy more time, I decided to provoke him.

“Shut up, you trashy eunuch!”

“What did you just say?”

At my sudden outburst, Crosell frowned deeply.

“I’ve come to punish you.”

I chose my words carefully.

Slowly, I began to act like a wicked villain.

Fortunately, I had a cognitive interference device and a voice modulator.

With these, my identity wouldn’t be revealed.

“We’re villains now! Terrorists, to be exact. Wait, those guys, what about them?”

“Perfect. From now on, our identity is theirs.”

In Academy City’s Rustlum, there was a notorious group wearing black combat suits and causing havoc.

“Punish us? What kind of…”

“I am from the Obsidian Legion.”

Even to my ears, my altered voice sounded rigid.

He looked at me with a ridiculous expression.

“The Obsidian Legion? Ha, who are you calling trash, you terrorist scum?”

“Exactly. By the way, are you really from the Obsidian Legion?”

I turned my head at the voice from the other side of the student council president.

I froze.

The logistics officer, whose head I had just blown off with the battle rifle, was standing there, perfectly fine.

Crosell smirked as he noticed my flinching reaction.

“You seem surprised. My comrades don’t die, you see.

Hey, Obsidian Legion, huh? Stay still while I strip off that mask of yours.”

Ten swords hovered above him menacingly.

More swords appeared behind his back.

Now, a total of fifteen swords were aimed at me.

Violet No. 406 pulled out two submachine guns and fired wildly while retreating.

“This is Crosell! The intruder is moving from Zone 1 to Zone 2! Capture them!”

The sound of swords tearing through the air followed behind me.

Magna Nabis guards were also running from below.

But that was fine.

I saw Lucian’s group escaping.

Although the guards were pursuing, my friends were heading in that direction.

If they timed it right, they might be able to escape.

I just needed to buy more time!

“Punishment? Ha! We’re the ones getting punished here!”

“Run! Ahhh!”

However, a sword stabbed into No. 406’s back.

Immediately, I created a new clone on the stairs below while pulling out a prepared explosive.

-BOOM!

Violet No. 406 exploded into pieces.

The newly created Violet No. 312 dashed frantically along the platform.

Crosell’s bewildered eyes locked onto me.

He looked completely baffled as he stared at Violet No. 312.

“I clearly felt the sensation of stabbing. How…?”

Violet No. 312 fired wildly to keep him from thinking further.

He couldn’t see my body disintegrating!

Fortunately, he turned his gaze away.

Running desperately, I was pierced by another sword just as I reached into my coat.

The Molotov cocktail I carried ignited, reducing Violet No. 312 to ashes.

As my corpse dissolved into magical particles, Violet No. 12, created beyond the wall, fired and ran off.

The guards spoke as they chased us.

“I definitely killed it, didn’t I? Is it revival?”

“No, it’s the same person! That’s…”

And with that, our intention succeeded.

“The intruder can use teleportation! They can’t have gone far. Surround them!”

“There they are!”

Crosell shouted for reinforcements while pursuing us.

With each call, he kept mentioning teleportation.

We had successfully planted a misunderstanding.

From now on, I was the teleportation genius, Violet.

I just needed to survive as long as possible to buy more time!