episode_0274

I scattered in all directions.

The impromptu plan gradually took shape.

Its specific name was the Trist Dispersion Plan.

“Spread me far and wide!”

Come to think of it, I’d been stuck inside this academy city all this time. It wouldn’t be bad to build my base in other neighborhoods.

Of course, there were other objectives.

One was practicing stowing away.

“How far can I go if I ride a plane or a ship without paying?”

The other was seeing the world.

“To the continent!”

“To the sea!”

Beyond the vast ocean. Or to the areas beyond the continent that encircled the archipelago.

“Let’s go by plane!”

“I’ll go by ship!”

Of course, I only had one ID card, whether it was a visa or a passport. If I moved carelessly, immigration control would surely see records of one girl simultaneously boarding a ship, a plane, and an airship. The military police would definitely come looking for me immediately.

“No illegal immigrant Violet!”

“Right, let’s enter fairly and squarely.”

Was there truly no way for multiple Violets to go outside the island?

There was an answer. Forged identities.

“Director! What are you up to these days?”

I entered the employment agency office after a long time. Facing me was Director Leslie, dozing off with his chair tilted back.

“Uh… hmm? What’s the matter?”

“Remember those forged IDs I talked about before? I need them!”

There were several experts connected through the director. With a bit of money, fake IDs using other people’s personal information were quickly created.

“I’m Yuria!”

“I’m Laila!”

Girls with slightly different appearances headed for the continent.

“I’m going!”

“Wow!”

Of course, there were times we got caught or exposed. Usually, a bit of money would solve it, but fussy people would immediately call the military police.

“Eek! We’re caught!”

“Stop! Stop!”

If we’re caught, there’s nothing to be done.

Number 887, caught while boarding a ship, went over the railing.

“The wicked government oppresses us!”

This was Violet’s struggle of resistance against a nation that suppressed her freedom.

Below, dark waves splashed and churned moment by moment.

“Stop!”

-Splash!

Number 887, who fell into the water, de-generated underwater. By committing suicide this way, I could simply use a new identity.

Of course, there was no absolute need to go through such complicated administrative procedures without fear of being caught. There was also the method of buying a ship directly and crossing the sea, but I experimented with free methods just in case.

An international airport in the western district. Violet, who had crossed the walls by repeatedly generating clones, placed her hand on the airplane’s cargo hold.

“Generation complete! Now I’ll escape!”

Even as the airport security chased her, Number 1824 chuckled. At least three or more passenger planes currently had Violet planted in their cargo holds or under their landing gear.

While Number 1824 miraculously escaped and de-generated, the planes with Violet planted in them took off one by one.

“Wow, this works?”

“Free planes are fun!”

Although hiding in the landing gear subjected us to the minor issue of cold, it wasn’t bad since we could endure it by hibernating.

Waiting according to the guidance of the portable satellite navigation device, we soon arrived in the skies above our destination.

“Descent initiated!”

The Violets, one and all, placed their hands on the outer wall of the airplane. More Violets were generated several kilometers up in the dark sky.

“Wow! We’re flying!”

“Be careful! Don’t collide!”

First, fast in a wingsuit. As the night view of the ground gradually approached, we immediately deployed our parachutes.

“Move quickly!”

Although we chose to land in uninhabited areas, there was a possibility that radar might have detected us.

“Alright, let’s scatter from here for now. See you later!”

By airship, by plane, by various means, we flew through the sky.

The Violets’ journeys were not limited to the sky.

A group of Violets fidgeted boredly inside a container box.

“Stowing away practice is boring.”

“Right! Do we really have to go this far?”

Muttering, I unfurled a map. The cargo ship I had stowed away on was currently crossing the ocean, heading towards the continent where the Blue Zone was located in the west.

“It’ll take a while…”

Well, at least there won’t be any chance of being caught. The Violets’ positions were being tracked by headquarters moment by moment.

Even in hibernation, I would immediately sense a crisis, so responding wouldn’t be difficult.

“The world is vast…”

Of course, not many people could truly enjoy that world. Most areas of Trist were Red Zones, full of places where non-Awakened individuals would immediately turn into ghouls the moment they set foot in them. Even in Yellow Zones, where one could endure for a bit longer, farming or productive activities were impossible.

The safest were Green Zones. Of course, even here, monsters would open gates and appear whenever they pleased, and there were dungeons, but proper economic activities were possible.

“Shall we try going to a Red Zone?”

“That sounds fun.”

Coincidentally, we were heading west. Aside from a few tiny Green Zones, the rest was entirely Red Zones, Yellow Zones, and Blue Zones.

According to what I knew and learned here, there wasn’t much difference between Blue Zones and Yellow Zones. Security was bad, electricity and water were frequently cut off, but the only difference was that more troops were stationed and there were more immigrants.

“By the way, what are the other me doing?”

“They’re looking for uninhabited islands…”

Various details were added, but the essence of the Trist Dispersion Plan was ultimately territorial expansion.

However, there was another problem.

“There are owners!”

Islands that looked promising were occupied by ruthless owners. For example, that’s what Number 1287 experienced.

“The Federation bastards just shot at us!”

Number 1287, who was wandering between the southern Rustroom Archipelago and the continent on a fishing boat, discovered a neat, tropical-looking island.

“Wow, it’s amazing!”

Just as the Violet Marines were preparing to land, a warning broadcast blared over the public channel.

Warning! This is a military control zone. Unauthorized entry is prohibited. Turn back immediately. This area is under Federation military control! Failure to comply with orders will result in immediate forced action!

“Huh? Oh?”

While I was bewildered, a column of water erupted above the fishing boat the next moment.

-Boom!

“Aargh!”

Warning again! This is a military control zone!

“Alright! I’ll go back! Don’t shoot!”

We had no choice but to turn the fishing boat around. Similar incidents kept repeating.

-Warning. You have currently trespassed into Luminax Research Foundation’s A-01-B2 sector. If you do not withdraw-

-Get out now! You won’t leave? Get out before I shoot you!

-What, is that a fishing boat? This is our zone. Get out quickly. One, two, three-

Corporations, clans, the Federation.

It seemed everyone had at least one island to themselves.

“Villas, bases…”

“Wicked bourgeoisie!”

There was no real estate for commoner Violets.

It seemed we had to go further out to sea.

Then, an unexpected situation occurred.

“Guys! I found an island! It’s huge!”

The report came from Number 1172, who was traveling by intercontinental airship. Violet, who had jumped out in the middle of the ocean, landed in an unexpected location.

“There’s an island here!”

Number 1172 looked around.

Sparkling sand, calm waves, and forests and hills stretching in the distance.

It was a truly beautiful landscape.

“There won’t be an owner, right?”

Centered around Number 1172, two company-sized units of Violets were generated.

The role of the Violets generated this time was that of Marines. They were tasked with pioneering new islands and regions and landing on them.

“Advance! Advance!”

The Violets ran past the sandy beach and deep into the island. There were no traces of people whatsoever.

“Wow! Looks like there’s no owner here!”

“Went to the continent for nothing.”

“Let’s pioneer here!”

While the stowaway Violets became downcast at the new discovery, the sailing Violets were overjoyed.

That is, until they discovered something strange.

“But, where are we?”

Headquarters tracked Number 1172’s location. However, after losing connection in the middle of the ocean, there was no way to track my position.

“That’s strange? Where am I?”

“I don’t know! Looks like the navigation device is broken.”

The Violets pulled out and examined everything from compasses and inertial navigation systems to satellite navigation devices and artifact beacons.

“What? Nothing’s really picking up?”

After much deduction while looking at the map, it seemed I had landed on an island in the middle of the ocean.

“This is…”

“The Carnac Archipelago!”

The Carnac Archipelago is an area made up of four small islands, stuck in the middle of the world map.

Formally, all islands and continents of Trist are under the Federation’s management, but in reality, due to circumstances, they are uninhabited islands.

“In other words, this is ours now!”

“Wow!”

Of course, those ‘circumstances’ were a bit complicated. There was a reason neither the Federation nor any clan touched this place.

“By the way, will we be alright?”

“Why?”

The Carnac Archipelago is one of the most dangerous regions in the world.

“This is a Red Zone!”

“Hmm, indeed.”

As soon as the Violet Marines realized the reality, they immediately went on high alert.

A Red Zone was a truly dangerous place, incomparable to ordinary dungeons or erosion zones.

Various anomalous phenomena occurred, and there was no telling what kind of monsters might appear.

“Stop searching for now. Retreat!”

The Marines stopped their exploration and returned to the beach where they first landed.

“Let’s build an outpost!”

First, they built tents and temporary warehouses and stored food.

“Begin defensive line construction!”

Next, we laid down trenches and barbed wire. On the ground, we installed the remaining explosives and magic formations.

“Just try coming!”

“We’ll kill anyone!”

The Violet Marines stayed awake all night.

Nothing particularly happened.

**

On the morning of the second day in the Carnac Archipelago, the Marine Violets rubbed their eyes and got up one by one.

“I’m hungry! Let’s eat breakfast!”

Reflected in the eyes of the awakened Violets was a purplish sunrise.

“Wow. The sun is purple!”

“Is it always like that?”

Puzzled by the strange sight they had never seen before, the Violets headed to the warehouse.

“This morning’s breakfast is a canned food party!”

“Looks delicious!”

The Violets on duty, who were preparing the meal, witnessed a strange phenomenon.

-Rattle! Rattle!

The canned beef they had placed there yesterday was shaking on its own. As if something was trapped inside.

Perplexed, Number 218 opened the can of beef.

Sparkling inside the can lid were dozens of large and small eyeballs.

Huh, what?

The next moment, the canned beef swung dozens of tentacles and attacked Violet.

“Screech! The canned food is alive!”

It wasn’t just one or two cans of food that came alive. Legged herrings burst through their own lids and sprang out. Canned corn boiled and turned into slimy monsters.

“Gah! The food is attacking us!”

The stored food attacked them, alive. While the Violets were in chaos, a new enemy appeared.

“Aargh! I’m being sucked in!”

“M-monsters!”

Soon, everything on the island began to attack the Violet Marines with malice.

“It’s a surprise attack!”