The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City-Chapter 110: Unexpected Intruders in the Plan

5 minutes before the incident.

Irene returned to an empty house.

Being high above the ground, it was eerily quiet.

She had come back to pick up a few necessary items, unaware of what was about to happen to her in a few minutes.

Of course, there were already more than enough things troubling her.

After escaping the dungeon in three days, one of her cards was frozen, and then her main bank accounts were consecutively suspended.

“What do you mean my accounts are frozen? What’s going on?”

“Yes, ma’am. Currently, the accounts are under investigation for suspected illegal activities, and disbursement has been suspended. For further details, please contact the relevant authorities.”

“Wait a moment! What is this…”

Upon further investigation, she found herself entangled in absurd accusations.

Illegal drug transactions, financial fraud, stock manipulation.

She tried to seek help by contacting the clan’s lawyers or her relatives, but all she got were empty promises with no follow-ups.

‘What is going on here?’

Her financial lifelines were severed within days.

It seemed like someone orchestrated everything maliciously, and it all happened in an instant.

Just a few days after leaving the dungeon, Irene was penniless.

‘At least the house is still mine. Calm down and assess the situation.’

As she opened the door to her penthouse, Irene felt a sense of déjà vu.

A suspicious atmosphere lingered inside, putting her on edge.

The disorganized placement of shoes at the entrance indicated that someone had already entered.

Irene’s golden eyes cautiously scanned the house.

Her keen senses picked up on minor inconsistencies.

Drawers were slightly ajar, and doors that should have been closed were wide open.

Every object in the house seemed to be slightly out of place.

It looked as though someone had rummaged through the place and hastily tried to put everything back.

‘The cleaning lady wouldn’t do this.’

The cleaner, who managed this place, was an old but meticulous woman.

From books on the shelves to photo frames, she wouldn’t leave them askew like this.

‘A burglar? But how?’

Except for the cleaning lady who visited once a week, her house was a perfectly isolated space, cut off from the outside world.

Perched on the 60th floor, the penthouse was soundproofed against external noise, making it nearly impossible for anyone to approach.

Since entering school, this was only the second time anyone had visited her house, the first being when she brought Violet over.

She pondered.

If an intruder had entered, what could they have been after?

For a theft aiming for valuables, it seemed too deliberate.

There was no reason to spend so much time rearranging things.

Her mother’s room was empty.

Her own room had no items of significant value.

Important documents would be at the clan’s building.

No, as she eliminated possibilities one by one, there was still one crucial place in the house.

‘Let’s check Dad’s room.’

The door leading to her father Orion’s room appeared to be locked.

When she turned the doorknob, the supposedly locked door opened.

Irene’s heart began to race.

The inside was in disarray.

The desk and study were a mess.

She could feel that something dangerous had occurred.

There was a faint, dark, and strange smell in the air.

Alarmed, Irene rushed to the living room and made a call.

The wait to connect to her father’s secretary felt unusually long today.

‘Mr. Kress! Pick up already!’

At that moment, Irene felt a gaze, as if someone were watching her.

When she turned her head, she spotted a floating object outside the glass window of the living room.

It was a drone.

Several drones were peeking into her house, circling like vultures waiting for their prey to die.

In her confusion, Irene turned her gaze and finally noticed a suspicious object on the kitchen table.

It was a large gift box decorated with colorful wrapping paper and ribbons.

For some reason, the sight of the gift box reminded her of her friend—a wild and unpredictable blonde-haired girl.

She unslung the spear from her back, approached cautiously, and expertly sliced the ribbon from a distance.

A jet-black metallic object was revealed inside.

Irene’s eyes widened.

Compared to what Violet often used during their dungeon explorations, this object was the difference between a second-hand flea market purchase and a luxury designer bag. R̃Äℕ∅ᛒЕ𝙨

‘Run!’

As she turned to flee, the sound of the front door’s lock mechanism engaging reached her ears.

Instinctively, she knew.

There was no choice left.

Irene quickly activated the mana throughout her body.

Before the guidance of sunlight could fully envelop her, she gripped her spear and dashed towards the window.

-BOOM!

The precise force of her strike shattered the reinforced glass as an enormous explosion erupted behind her.

Without hesitation, she leapt from the 60th floor toward the ground below.

‘My home…!’

As she twisted her body in midair, flames engulfed the spot where she had stood just moments ago.

Fierce winds tore at her as she fell.

Irene knew.

No matter how sturdy she was, no matter how much mana and her innate ability protected her, falling from this height would still hurt quite a bit.

In a split second, Irene made a gamble.

As she fell, she thrust her spear into the building’s outer wall with all her might.

“Grrrrgh!”

The recoil in her arm was beyond her imagination.

She almost lost her grip on the spear.

Mana-infused, the spear cut through the wall and windows like butter.

The vertical gash shredded the wall as debris and shattered glass pelted her ears with noise.

Gritting her teeth, she clung to the spear.

Thankfully, the friction slowed her descent, turning what could have been a fatal fall into something survivable.

The ground quickly approached, and Irene braced herself for the impact by curling into a roll.

-THUD!

“Ugh… my body…”

On the shattered ground in front of the building, Irene barely managed to stand up.

Passersby stared at her in shock.

Her body ached, but nothing seemed broken.

Had she succeeded?

She thought to herself that she just wanted to rest.

Unfortunately, the perpetrators of this incident had no intention of letting her do so.

-RATATATATAT!

“Ugh! What now?”

Before she could fully collect herself, Irene felt a sharp impact on her head.

Bullets collided with her golden mana, sparking as they deflected.

No sooner had she grabbed her spear than three four-wheel-drive tactical vehicles surrounded her with a thunderous roar.

The vehicles screeched to a halt, their mounted machine guns pointing straight at her.

-RATATATATAT!

Caught off guard by the sudden gunfire, Irene crouched.

Mercenaries wearing exoskeleton suits disembarked quickly while others fired at her relentlessly.

As she prepared to counterattack, a grenade launched directly at her chest exploded, knocking her down.

“Pour everything on her! She’s a professional hunter; don’t give her any openings!”

When she raised her head, mercenaries wielding massive weaponry lined up in front of her.

Resembling oversized revolvers, their heavy grenade launchers unleashed relentless barrages.

Though Irene deflected some of the projectiles with her golden spear, the ensuing storm of shrapnel grazed her.

Seizing an opportunity, she dodged the grenades and took cover behind a nearby pillar.

The bombardment continued unabated.

A whistling sound alerted her to an incoming rocket heading her way.

“Terrorists! Aaaaaah!”

“Where are the police?!”

“Call the Inspection Bureau! Get the Inspection Bureau here!”

The streets turned into a war zone in an instant, with people fleeing in panic.

‘I need to call for help… the clan!’

She quickly pulled out her phone and dialed a preset number.

It was the emergency rescue line provided by the Helios Clan.

A lifeline for the worst-case scenarios—if she could hold out, a heavily armed security team would arrive by helicopter within five minutes.

But for the first time in her life, Irene felt utter despair.

[The signal cannot be connected…]

‘Why? I still have reception!’

As she tried making another call, her phone was struck by shrapnel and powered off.

Grinding her teeth, she quickly regained her composure.

‘I don’t know why this is happening, but there’s no choice. I have to escape on my own!’

She waited for the barrage to let up.

She assessed the situation.

The enemy’s forces?

Three modified vehicles with machine guns, two platoons of infantry, several equipped with exoskeletons and heavy weapons.

Seven hunters!

And the large truck at the back—what is that? Their transportation?

Her resources?

A single spear, a multitool in her pocket, and a short sword strapped to her left side.

Still, she could manage.

No, she had to manage.

Quickly, she darted out from behind the pillar.

Dodging bullets and grenades, some of which she deflected with her spear and others she endured, she charged forward.

Seeing her approach, the mercenaries pulled back.

If they were all unawakened, she could break through!

“Where are you rushing off to?”

As she was about to breach the encirclement, seven awakened individuals stepped in between the unawakened forces.

The man leading them swung a massive mace, forcing Irene to grit her teeth and retreat.

“Who… are you people!”

“That’s none of your business, little lady!”

Awakeners launched consecutive attacks.

She activated her unique ability once more, but the relentless barrage from all directions left her struggling to maintain her composure.

Suddenly, magic chains and rocks shot up from the ground, ensnaring her legs.

“A mage…?”

“Well, something like that. Again!”

She trusted her durability and resisted fiercely.

For a moment, the hunters retreated.

The mercenaries, who had reloaded, unleashed a ruthless barrage.

The ether shielding on her skin surface continued to drain her magical power.

“Move!”

When she endured the bombardment, the hunters charged at her again.

Amidst the pain of battle, Irene suddenly had a moment of clarity.

‘This… this is our clan’s tactic!’

She realized it.

The tactics these mysterious enemies were using against her were none other than the “whale hunting strategy.”

This was an effective method used when a mix of heavily armed non-Awakeners and a small number of Awakeners confronted a single target.

Non-Awakeners would unleash concentrated fire to hinder and confuse the target, allowing a hunting squad of Awakeners to swoop in and finish off the weakened opponent.

It wasn’t a particularly unique strategy.

Organizations composed of mixed forces of Awakeners and non-Awakeners often employed similar tactics.

However, the Helios clan’s whale hunting strategy had a more aggressive trait—factoring in the risk of casualties to minimize the gaps between attacks.

The assault was systematic and intense.

‘If this is really the whale hunting strategy, then this isn’t the end! There’s definitely…!’

She deflected a cutlass twisting toward her from the left with her hand.

She barely blocked a flail descending above her head with her spear shaft.

Her hand got a bit sliced, but it didn’t matter.

Amidst the fierce skirmish, Irene noticed something strange.

In the distance, large equipment was being set up on top of a vehicle roof.

‘As I thought, a magic harpoon cannon!’

“Fire!”

The moment the hunters leapt back, a massive machine fired a harpoon made of magical energy.

Golden energy surged upward like a counter-flame.

“What the…? She deflected it?”

“As expected from the Spearman’s daughter!”

The shockwave swept through the area.

The hunters and mercenaries faltered.

The giant golden arrow pushed forward, slicing through the rain of lead bullets and explosives.

‘I can escape… no, I can win!’

Even through her injuries, Irene’s mind became sharper, and she charged toward the enemy.

At the same time as the extraordinary skirmish unfolded in front of the penthouse in the central district, a group of individuals sat on red sofas surrounding a monitor inside an opulently decorated room.

A man with piercing golden eyes sat in the central seat, staring intently at the screen, while his wife sipped tea beside him.

Several others were seated around them, and quite a few stood observing in silence.

“Look at that, isn’t it incredible?”

Rigel spoke in a voice that mixed admiration and irritation.

On the screen, Irene’s attire was in tatters from the crossfire, yet she was still holding her ground.

“She’s tough, as expected of her bloodline. To survive in that firestorm…”

Rigel thought of his older brother, now a cripple in the VIP ward.

Irene’s figure bore a striking resemblance to Orion in his prime.

His wife opened her mouth to reply.

“But, dear, that’s it for her. What good is being sturdy? Her father ended up crippled in the hospital. She’ll be caught in the end, no matter how much she struggles.”

“That’s true. At best, she’s just a kid.”

One of his subordinates leaned over and whispered something to Rigel, causing his eyes to gleam with interest.

“Well, well, our poor little girl sent out a distress signal.”

“Isn’t that thing deactivated by now?”

“Of course. She wouldn’t know that, though. She’s never had the chance to use it.”

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The surrounding people chuckled lightly.

Meanwhile, Irene was still fighting alone with her spear.

Rigel and his relatives found it ironic.

The tactic her father had devised to eliminate villains was now being used to capture his daughter.

Around that time, a woman with violet hair, who had been silent, finally spoke.

“You haven’t forgotten our contract, have you? It’ll be troublesome if she dies. She must be handed over to Magna Nabis alive.”

As the violet-haired woman spoke with a serious expression, Rigel responded with a playful tone.

“Come now, in-law. How could I forget that? We’re dealing with one of the four great clans here. Don’t worry, we’ve prepared equipment specifically for capturing her alive.”

The woman fell silent again.

The group’s attention returned to the screen.

Regardless of Irene’s fate, everyone in the room was calculating how the clan’s future leadership and her share of the stakes would be divided.

As Irene continued to fight the mercenaries bravely, some relatives began to express concern.

“She’s holding out longer than expected. What if she escapes?”

“I told you, didn’t I? Conducting such a bold operation in broad daylight in the middle of the city was a mistake. The police aren’t a problem, but the Bureau of Inspection will definitely intervene!”

Rigel responded to his foolish relatives’ concerns with a cold smile.

“Everyone, be patient. Are you really so scared of those Inspection Bureau pigs? Besides, Magna Nabis has provided us with a special secret weapon. Now, watch.”

At that moment, the screen changed.

The cargo bay of a large truck positioned behind the encirclement opened, revealing the secret weapon Rigel had mentioned.

It was a massive mechanical humanoid with a sophisticated exterior.

Someone recalled the infamous elite units of Magna Nabis.

“Could it be Magna Nabis’s Vanguard?”

“The elite unit of the mage clan? No way! It just looks similar. Apparently, it’s a prototype under development. Just watch!”

The machine, designed with lethal precision, moved like a robot but with the fluidity of a human.

A hybrid of ether engineering, biotechnology, and robotics, it entered the battlefield.

The tide of battle shifted instantly.

Irene, who had been holding her ground against seven hunters, was smashed into the interior of a building with a single blow.

In another drone feed, she was seen throwing away her broken spear and drawing a short sword.

Rigel marveled.

“Joining hands with Magna Nabis was the right choice. Once we seize control of the clan, we’ll need to integrate those into our forces.”

While Irene was locked in a deadly struggle with the combat weapon, the people in the room basked in the thrill of impending victory.

They cared little about the girl’s fate on the screen.

One of them pulled out a champagne bottle and proposed an early toast to their imminent success.

“A drink, perhaps?”

Rigel accepted the glass with a grin.

“Why not? To the future of the clan!”

“To a better Helios!”

While Irene fought desperately against the merciless machine, the room was filled with cheers and glasses clinking—an expression of their hope and greed for the future they were stealing from their relative.

“For prosperity…?”

Suddenly, Rigel’s face turned pale as he stared at the screen.

The combat weapon clashing with Irene was engulfed in an explosion and sent flying.

The countless feeds on the screen flickered violently as if swept by a storm before going black one by one.

Rigel quickly grabbed a radio from a subordinate and cursed.

“What the hell are you talking about? Explain it again!”

[Unknown enemy…! Ambush…! Aaaahhh!]

With the drones transmitting the scene gone, Rigel felt a wave of frustration.

He stopped swearing and turned up the volume on the radio.

Rigel immediately regretted it.

[Eos-1 reporting to HQ! Unknown combat forces have appeared! Their size is… at least company-level! No, stay back! It’s going to blow! Get away!]

The unexpected reports from the radio caused unrest among the people in the room.

[Eos-2, Team 05! Everyone’s been wiped out…!]

Rigel shouted.

“Pull yourself together! Who’s the enemy? Report properly!”

[A… a military unit! All of them are Awakeners!]

The people’s eyes widened in shock.

A company-sized Awakener unit?

What did that even mean?

The last report was even more horrifying.

[The ‘Princess’ is escaping! Repeat, the ‘Princess’ is escaping!]

[No! She’s going to self-destruct! Stay back!]

After a brief death cry, silence followed.

The atmosphere in the room, once hot like a party, turned as cold as a funeral in an instant.

“Damn it alllll!”

Enraged, Rigel hurled his champagne glass.

The plan had failed.