The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City-Chapter 140: The Relic Hunter Violet! (2)

The size of the Vittorio Arcade is comparable to that of a large city.

However, this measurement accounts only for its horizontal area.

When evaluating the true scope of a dungeon, focusing solely on its surface area is akin to judging the taste of a fruit by eating only its peel.

This is because a dungeon’s territory also extends vertically.

When vertical dimensions are included, the overall scale of a city-grade dungeon becomes unimaginable.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

For this reason, the map of the Vittorio Arcade Dungeon remains incomplete, with unexplored regions marked as blank spaces.

Within those blank areas, countless individuals with diverse circumstances have hidden themselves.

From those burdened by immense debts, to fugitives with bounties on their heads, to individuals pushed to the brink of despair.

However, not all visitors to this place are runaways.

The dungeon is a location completely isolated from the outside world.

Without specific methods, communication with the external world is nearly impossible.

This means it is a perfect refuge from the scrutiny of clans or federations.

Thus, in the secluded corners of Vittorio Arcade, strange and unimaginable events often take place, ones ordinary people could never fathom.

At the same time that Violet and her team were driving a truck down the main road, Lera J. Velleston and the Third Research Division’s investigative team felt a sense of unease.

When they arrived at their destination, the scene was full of deranged zealots.

"Ooh! Heretic!"

"Ooh! Ascension awaits!"

Somewhere deep within the dungeon, in an indoor plaza surrounded by pillars, a crowd of people had gathered.

Though their genders, ages, and skin tones varied, their eyes burned with the same madness.

Lera and her squad hid behind a wall.

At the center of the crowd was a table, upon which lay a man with his limbs bound by chains.

Judging by his attire and equipment, he seemed to be a hunter, but the poor man’s chest had been split open.

Among the fanatics, a figure wearing a peculiar conical hat held up the man’s heart and began to chant something.

The cultists cheered in response.

"Salvation beyond the dimensions!"

"The turning point is here! Ascension is coming!"

Watching the fanatics, Lera felt waves of disgust and contempt rise within her.

They were nothing more than deranged pests of no benefit to humanity.

「Team Leader, what should we do? I don’t see the artifact! It seems like the cultists have taken it!」

A rookie agent, with a nervous gaze, looked to her for guidance.

The telepathic communication of the novice, deployed to the field for the first time, was tinged with urgency.

「No, the target is still secure.」

Lera replied in a calm tone.

A small, eye-shaped orb flew to the ceiling and scanned the area below.

Amid the sea of cultists, a sphere entwined with jewels and gears was visible.

「Attention. Based on their rituals and chants, they appear to be members of the Unification Sect. Move to your assigned positions and hold for further instructions.」 ṘâΝɵʙЁş

The agents quietly shifted to encircle the group.

The Unification Sect was a newly-emerged pseudo-religion.

Its teachings were ludicrous, but its members included awakened individuals, making them formidable foes.

While the agents moved, the cultists danced and sang hymns filled with their sect’s doctrines.

Some cultists staggered about, drooling and incoherent.

The sight of syringes being injected into their arms suggested drug use.

"When the day comes, all pain and tears will vanish!"

"We shall bask in eternal life and happiness!"

The bizarre, collective ecstasy roiled the crowd into chaos.

The elders of the sect, wearing conical hats, expertly managed the fervor of their followers.

"Brothers and sisters, time is of the essence.

It is time to act! Quickly, let us secure the artifact.

The early bird catches the worm, after all.

Only the diligent shall attain salvation.”

The sect leader skillfully calmed the frenzied cultists.

The once-inebriated expressions of the followers began to turn sober.

"Ah... Forgive us! We were so absorbed in the ritual... Elder, please forgive us!"

"Haha, I too was like that in the past.

I understand.

Your sins are forgiven!"

The elder smiled benevolently and raised a hand, patting the heads of the followers.

"Now, let’s get to work! Bring the artifact to the sect!"

Overhearing the elder’s words, Lera was shocked.

To think that their target was also the artifact!

Without hesitation, she signaled the agents and simultaneously activated her spells.

Magical energy flowed into the mechanical device affixed to her back.

An invisible magical barrier spread throughout the interior of the building.

"...What is this?"

"Elder?"

While the elders and awakened cultists sensed the disturbance in the magical flow, masked figures emerged from all sides, raising their hands.

"Ahhh! Heretics!"

The elder shrieked.

Yellow flames erupted from an agent’s hands, engulfing the elder’s body entirely.

The elder crumbled into ash.

One enraged cultist plunged a syringe into his own body, drew his sword, and charged forward.

Lera calmly raised her staff and swung it lightly.

A bolt of blue lightning lashed out like a whip, coiling around the cultist and shattering him into pieces.

The lightning moved like a serpent, striking down six more cultists in its wake.

The Magna Nabis agents mercilessly slaughtered the disoriented cultists of the Unification Sect.

Some cultists, snapping out of their stupor, managed to draw their firearms.

The drug-enhanced physical abilities of the cultists allowed them to move as quickly as awakened beings.

A blurred face came into the crosshairs.

"Salvation is upon us!"

The cultists cackled maniacally as they pulled the triggers of their guns.

Their faces twisted with glee in the flickering light, thrilled by the prospect of martyrdom.

-Click!

The sound of firing pins striking inert primers echoed.

Nothing happened.

"Huh...? Why?!"

The unexpected malfunction left the cultists dumbfounded.

Their weapons, meant to unleash wrath upon their enemies, refused to function.

One cultist pulled the charging handle to clear the dud round and attempted another shot.

Only hollow clicks emanated from the chamber.

"No, this can’t be!"

The last thing the despairing cultists saw was a barrage of magical arrows.

As the final fanatics fell, the team approached the artifact.

「All threats have been neutralized. Proceed now.」

When Lera gave the order, the team began their work.

The team examined the artifact sphere using various precise instruments and magic.

Then, they carefully detached the securing device and placed it in a metal box.

The Investigation Unit 3 of the Department of Mystical Studies began their withdrawal.

The masked agents, who had been quietly standing by, also started to move.

As Lera headed towards the exit, one of the masked men at the rear spoke up.

"If the dispatch request was for these drug-addled cultists, then I’m disappointed. You could have handled this yourselves. Vanguard has too much on its plate."

At the disgruntled, mechanical voice, Lera turned her head.

The Vanguard agent crossed his arms and pretended to yawn out of boredom.

"In the Deep Zone, safety is the highest priority. Unexpected situations like the recent Unification Order incident can arise again during artifact exploration. We may need elite forces like the Vanguard in such cases. And during operations, communicating via telepathy is standard protocol..."

The agent waved off her words.

"I know the protocol. But you’re too cautious as always. For something like this? Crosell would have handled it just fine. Well, that caution is why the Archmage holds you in high regard."

"Is that all you wanted to say?"

"When are you returning to the field? I heard you’ve been playing some strange student game at the academy. Wasn’t it as the student council president?"

"No, I’m the vice president. I can’t discuss the mission in detail, but it should conclude in a month or two."

"Same difference. Anyway, relay a message to Crosell and Caym for me. Tell them to hurry back to the field. I don’t know what you’re all doing at the academy... I’ll be going ahead."

The Vanguard agent shrugged and walked out.

His subordinates followed him.

Left alone, Lera checked her surroundings to ensure nothing was overlooked, then exited as well.

The interior plaza grew silent.

The only things remaining were the bodies of the cultists.

The Violet squad raced down the roads of the boundary zone.

Each time the twisted pavement jolted, the trucks clattered noisily.

The Violets shouted in excitement.

"Woohoo!"

"Yeehaw! This is awesome!"

Barely an hour into their adventure, it already felt like a rollercoaster.

The road was rough, and the ground uneven, yet the pickup trucks held up surprisingly well.

"Kalia! Tell Marco thanks! This thing is holding up great!"

When No. 642 shouted from the driver’s seat, Kalia, seated in the back, snapped in annoyance.

"642! Eyes on the road! You’re driving! And slow down a bit! You’re not the only one in this truck!"

"Huh? You didn’t find it fun?"

"Fun? My foot! Look at them!"

Kalia pointed behind her, revealing the pale-faced siege weapon duo.

"Uh...uhh..."

"Where am I? Grandma? Grandpa...?"

"Sorry!"

I immediately slowed down.

I’d gotten carried away in my excitement.

We were on our way to a designated zone marked on the map.

There’s something peculiar about Vittorio Arcade.

After an artifact is extracted, a certain amount of time passes before another object appears in the same spot.

Simply put, the artifacts replicate themselves.

The problem is that it takes anywhere from several days to a week for an artifact to reappear.

It’s as if they grow like mushrooms.

This delay has led to strong individuals or clans unlawfully occupying these areas, monopolizing the artifacts, and even stealing others’ finds.

After a series of bloody conflicts, the clans reached an agreement.

In the boundary zone, a regional rotation system was implemented.

Once a zone has been looted, it’s restricted from entry until the artifacts regenerate.

During that time, people conduct exploration and excavation in zones where artifacts have already appeared.

These zones are divided among individual entrepreneurs, small-to-medium-sized clans, and large clans, ensuring balanced competition.

This prevents unilateral theft since the groups are matched by their levels.

Of course, this system only applies in the boundary zone.

In the Deep Zone, it’s finders-keepers.

Since we weren’t acting as individuals, we operated in the small clan zone.

We drove the truck into a building.

The interior was oddly bright.

The commercial building inside the zone looked as though it had been forcibly stretched like rubber.

The entrance alone was about two to three times the height of a normal building entrance.

Inside was even more exaggerated.

It felt like stepping into a land of giants.

As we entered the building, we saw many others at work.

A pair of hunters stood before a group of workers, explaining something.

"Everyone, if you see a beast, call us immediately. Don’t forget to move in groups of three or more. Now, let’s shout our chant and head in!"

"Safety first! Safety first! Safety first!"

The workers, clad in exoskeletons, rushed into a grotesquely enlarged closet.

Judging by their gear, they appeared to be non-Awakened individuals.

Elsewhere, students who seemed slightly older than us rummaged through gaps in

walls and oversized drawers, hauling out bags of materials.

"Found it! Reinforced fabric!"

"Wow! How do you always find things like a pro?"

Though the building was gigantic, the artifacts were surprisingly ordinary in size.

It was time for us to start our work as well.

We parked the truck in front of a dark hallway and stepped out.

As we walked down the corridor, something scrambled and charged toward us.

"Kaaoooork!"

A familiar cry. It was Skrax.

There was even a Skrax Caster among them.

"Prepare for battle!"

The Violets, who had grown in numbers to a platoon, quickly formed a defensive formation in the corridor while the marksmen aimed their weapons at the incoming enemies.

“Fire!”

Behind the shield, rifles blazed. The bullets that flew were deflected with flashes of light.

“Ugh! It’s a shield!”

“The beasts are wearing relics. Look over there!”

Irene pointed at them. Upon closer inspection, these monsters were wearing necklaces! Their bodies were draped in strange suits that looked like they came from nowhere. They were definitely relics.

“Damn, they’re tough as hell. Don’t you have a strong move? You’re a mage, right?”

Kalia, who had been firing her Magnum pistol, asked Lucian, who grumbled.

“I’m shooting! It’ll break through soon.”

Looking at those treasure beasts who were blocking bolts and magic, I started drooling. If we took the stuff they were wearing, would we be that tough too?

“Alright, then we should prepare for close combat. Irene, Daphne, please do your thing...”

“Hahaha! You trash! Disappear!”

-Boom! Bang!

As we were preparing to charge, a hailstorm of medium-sized bolts rained down on us. The shield broke. The bodies of the Skraks shattered like squashed tomatoes. I turned my head and saw Levi, who had set up a tripod and was unleashing bolts from a ballista. When did she go there?

“Hahahaha!”

She cackled maniacally. As the shooting stopped, Granite charged in with the force of an angry wild boar. The surprised Violet shield wall automatically opened.

“Uooooo!”

He rushed into the beast crowd, swinging his axe wildly. With a single swing of his axe, the Skraks’ limbs flew into the air, and with a second swing, their guts were scattered everywhere.

“Waaaaah! Uraaa! I’ll wipe you all out!”

-Crash! Crash! Crash!

The monster horde was torn to pieces. The giant holding the axe, drenched in monster blood, howled amidst the wreckage.

“I am a man!”

We stared at the scene, stunned.

“Uh... Is that really how Levi and Granite are? I don’t remember them being like that...”

“Yeah, me neither... What the hell...”

Daphne asked with a bewildered expression, and Irene shook her head. Suddenly, someone tapped me on the back. It was Kalia.

“Violet. When we went to the dungeon last time, I saw you talking to those two. Now that I think about it, it’s weird. What did you do to those two? You did something weird, didn’t you?”

“It’s nothing!”

“Liar, liar. I’ve told you so many times that your lies are obvious by the look on your face.”

“Hehe...”

I smiled awkwardly, and the three girls stared at me suspiciously. Why do they doubt me? It’s a sad thing.

Lucian, who had been watching from behind, muttered.

“Yep, I really think you’re a secret agent...”

After the small incident, we refocused on our work. Sadly, the results of our first battle were disappointing.

“Ugh! What is this, it’s all broken!”

Room 432 cried as they picked up the wreckage of the relics. The small girl and the big boy, seeing this, awkwardly turned their heads.

“S-sorry... Haha...”

“Hmm, this is bad...”

Sadly, this siege weapon couple had destroyed all the monsters with their brute strength. As a result, the relics the Skraks were wearing were all broken too.

“This won’t do. Until the large beasts appear, you two follow 342 and carry the supplies. Got it?”

“Ugh...”

I was incredibly disappointed. A shield necklace or magic-resistant clothes!

Maybe I can clone it.

Fortunately, after eliminating the Skraks, we entered a place filled with relic fabric. Violet and the idiot couple were loading colorful fabric bundles into a truck.

While the Violets were working, there was a loud bang from the side.

The source of the sound came from the closet where the workers had gone earlier.

A moment later, a man, his body smoking, walked out with a woman. The workers followed, dragging a large, unknown beast with them.

"Damn it, got another one! This thing takes them down in one hit, no contest!"

"You’re amazing, really!"

The woman giggled while the man proudly fiddled with the pole he was holding.

One end of the pole was blackened and broken.

The man twisted the damaged part off and pulled out a cone-shaped object from the bag slung over his back, attaching it to the pole’s end.

At that moment, the beast lying on the ground began thrashing its limbs violently.

"Graaaahhh!"

The workers gasped and stepped back in shock, but the man scoffed and stabbed the beast with his pole.

Something incredible happened.

-KABOOM!

When the pole—no, the spear—pierced the beast, it exploded, obliterating the creature!

I snapped to attention.

I didn’t expect such an impressive weapon to exist!

I didn’t know what it was, but I had to have it.

I approached the man.

"Hey, mister, where can I buy that?"

"Oh, this spear? It’s called a Thunder Spear. Don’t you know?"

The man hesitated briefly at my abrupt question, but soon began explaining enthusiastically.

"So, you mean there’s a bomb at the tip that explodes when you stab a beast with it?"

"It’s not just a bomb! It’s a Thunder Spear! It’s fitted with high-performance special shaped charges. Isn’t it amazing?"

As the man finished explaining, I felt like I was reborn.

A Thunder Spear!

How could such a beautiful weapon exist?

The mechanism was simple.

A large, heavy spear tip fitted with shaped charges was attached to a replaceable pole.

The user would channel their sword energy into the spear and thrust it into the enemy.

The energy would penetrate the beast’s ether barrier and thick hide in the first strike.

Then, the special shaped charge would detonate inside the beast, destroying it from within.

Moreover, the spear tip could be replaced and reused two or three times, making it surprisingly efficient, perhaps even better than self-detonation.

A perfect fusion of martial arts and chemical engineering!

I spoke to the hunter enthusiastically, my eyes sparkling.

"Sir, are you willing to sell this?"

"Ah, I’ve got one left, but it’s nearing the expiration date. You still want it? It’s a bit risky..."

"Deal!"

I quickly handed over the money and bought the Thunder Spear.

As I turned away, Daphne called out to me.

"What are you doing over there?"

"I got a cool weapon!"

I ran up to Daphne, buzzing with excitement, and explained what I had just bought.

"It has explosives inside, so it blows up when you stab with it!"

"...Isn’t that basically a rocket?"

"No, it’s a Thunder Spear! You run up, stab, and boom!"

When I finished my explanation, Daphne’s expression turned peculiar.

Her face looked like someone who had bitten into a cream-filled bun only to find it filled with toothpaste.

"That... that’s not okay."

"I didn’t say anything!"

"You’re planning to charge in with that, laughing like crazy, aren’t you?"

"Gasp!"

How did she know?

Daphne must have developed mind-reading powers.

Could it be the effect of the ether emitter?

"Who in their right mind uses a weapon like that? Just use a spear or sword like everyone else—safely!"

"But... it’s so cool!"

"You’ll get hurt!"

As Daphne and I argued, Irene walked over, curious about the commotion, and sighed briefly when she saw the Thunder Spear.

"Oh dear, Violet..."

I realized then that no one truly understood me.

It was a little heartbreaking.