episode_0309

On the dark blue earth, devoid of life, a single tank stood alone, facing a tide of monster legions.

The commander sank into thought. It was endless.

Their plight was no different from a tree on the beach, desperately swaying amidst the surging tsunami, struggling not to break.

There was nowhere to retreat. Neither morally nor realistically.

They were completely isolated.

With everyone fleeing, support was unthinkable. The artillery had withdrawn, and it had been three hours since the last close air support.

The only positive news was that they had a plentiful supply of ammunition.

The autocannon continuously spewed flames, glowing visibly red from the heat.

The crew didn’t know which would happen first: running out of ammunition or the cannon breaking down from overheating.

The armor was subjected to relentless attacks from the monsters, to the point where no undamaged parts could be found.

Only the hot steam emanating from the reactor, pulsating with a low-frequency hum, was the sole proof of their survival.

Perhaps due to the terrible aether density, the communication device kept suffering soft errors. The technician, who had been tinkering with the machine, struck the screen hard in frustration.

With a sharp *bang!* that seemed to awaken the machine’s senses, the radio, which had been stubbornly silent, suddenly burst forth with a torrent of messages.

-Warning!… Warning… All personnel in this area, listen! Gravitational wave anomaly detected! High-density magic wave detected… Type 1 alert issued!… Variant monster appearance!

“What kind?”

-Identification code is… Omega!

“What?”

The gunner looked up and asked again. The technician replied with a sigh.

“It’s Omega! I think it’s that one!”

“Damn it, you mean the one that devoured the Lumnexa bigwigs and vaporized the Restraidna tin cans the day before yesterday? Should we load armor-piercing rounds?”

As the gunner looked up and asked, the commander replied in a strained voice.

“That’s all we have left anyway. Load it. They say it’s got incredibly strong barriers or spells. Whatever else, if it gets hit by this, it’ll die.”

Omega was an urban legend, occasionally mentioned in combat lessons or moral education. It was a monster said to annihilate legions every time it appeared, but he had never actually seen it during his military career.

“Damn it.”

The driver in the front seat muttered.

As a non-awakened, surviving in this hellish red zone was a miracle in itself, but now every crew member in the tank keenly felt the approaching end.

At that moment, a grotesque monster, identical to the one described by headquarters, appeared on the battlefield.

A monster exuding an atmosphere that would send chills down anyone’s spine.

Just looking at it made one’s eyes sting and head spin.

The tank commander, barely steeling his resolve, issued the attack order.

“Ten o’clock front! Code Omega! Concentrate all firepower!”

Tremendous firepower, enough to topple several buildings and even flatten mountains, poured towards the monster.

But a moment later, the monster emerged from the smoke, striding confidently.

“Alright, whether you’re a variant monster or whatever. I’ll make sure to pulverize you!”

The monster extended its hand.

“All turrets, free fire-”

The view was instantly bleached white.

“Gasp!”

The girl woke from her sleep, covered in cold sweat.

For some reason, her face was damp.

Unconsciously rubbing her eyes, the girl felt the persistent, inexplicable moisture around them.

“I, I…”

Memories slowly surfaced from the abyss of her unconsciousness.

As sadness and complexity seeped out like blood from a wound, causing the girl to sniffle, a familiar yet cheerful voice echoed in her mind.

“Cheolkwon of Ruzilin! Wake up!”

The girl struggled to swallow her gloomy emotions, wiped her eyes, and emerged from the hatch.

The issue of transporting Cheolkwon of Ruzilin was resolved a few days later when one of the bridges was restored.

Although there was the inconvenience of having to partially dismantle the hull due to its weight.

“Is this the fusion entity?”

“Yes, Professor-nim. She’s my fairy!”

While the tank was being loaded onto the trailer, Professor Albert, who had taken an interest in our new companion, meticulously examined Cheolkwon with various magic observation devices.

Countless spells spread out before his eyes like lenses.

The professor, silently observing Cheolkwon and the hull, soon came to a conclusion.

“It’s incomparably simpler than studying your network. I quickly found where the magic was condensed. This child’s true body is the hull itself.”

Hmm, in that case, there shouldn’t be much difficulty with the work.

Beside them, Doctor Yurik was busily filming the hull and Cheolkwon with a camera-shaped observation device, as if fascinated.

Soon, the work of loading the trailer for transport began.

Although the hull was quite wide, they managed to precariously get it onto the trailer.

The gate leading to the exterior space here was wide, allowing them to barely extract it. If it had been a different dungeon, they might have had to cut the entire hull into pieces to move it.

Even with such a wide gate, some structures still had to be removed for ease of transport.

“Removing one turret won’t be a problem.”

“So your true body really is the hull!”

At the sensation of the turrets being detached one by one, Cheolkwon of Ruzilin awkwardly turned her neck and moved her arm joints.

She described it as feeling like a part of her body was falling off.

“It doesn’t hurt, but the sensation is strange.”

“Really? Then be sure to tell me if it hurts! It’s super important. I don’t know what will happen when we repair it later.”

She is our only precious tank fairy. A being to be handled with care.

And it was necessary to understand the fairy’s characteristics in advance.

After all, more fusion fairies might appear in the future.

It was wise to experience trial and error now, like a vaccination.

It was still unknown what abilities a super-heavy tank fairy could exhibit.

It was also unknown what her combat power would be, or whether it would be similar to when she was a fusion entity.

“Later, couldn’t we make fighter plane fairies or battleship fairies?”

“That sounds like so much fun!”

Aerial aircraft carrier or aerial battleship fairies, that would be truly amazing.

For now, let’s start step by step with repairing and operating her.

“It might be impossible to restore her at all!”

If that happened, it would be the worst-case scenario.

After several experiments, it was clear that the fairy could not move far from the tank.

They could forcibly separate them, but if they did…

“Whoa!”

As he carried Cheolkwon and moved far from the tank, her figure vanished with a brief flash of light.

The fairy instantly teleported back onto the tank.

“Hmm, it doesn’t work…”

“See, I told you it wouldn’t work. I can’t be far from the tank.”

Cheolkwon stood with her arms crossed, staring intently.

It felt a little ridiculous to be lectured by someone who looked younger than him.

“Hey! I’m saying this for your own good. If you stay only by the tank, you can’t even go out. You’re not going to drag the tank along when you go out, are you?”

“That’s true, but…”

Her fate, stuck in the garage all the time, was truly pitiful.

Later, I should bring a bunch of game consoles and toys to the garage for her.

Since cool heavy weapons would gradually be secured, it seemed it was time to re-evaluate his swordsmanship training as well.

“How is it?”

“It’s a bit heavy! This is the first time I’ve touched such a massive sword.”

The Scholarship Officer came all the way to the academy himself, looking tired.

What he handed over was a very large and heavy two-handed sword.

It was a type of weapon commonly called a zweihander.

Its identity was the Death Throes of Grief. It was a weapon used by the Boundless Witch.

“There was no need to come all the way to deliver it yourself. You could have just sent it to the house in the Central Region.”

“I had something to discuss with the Principal-nim. I also came to check on how you’re doing at the academy.”

The Scholarship Officer’s condition hadn’t looked good for weeks.

He’d even received treatment from Daphne, but he was still in that state. He looked like an alcoholic suffering from a hangover.

The reason for his poor condition was probably that he had overexerted himself by drawing too much magic during his fight with Sycamore.

Mana overflow was a different realm from general physical injuries or psychological issues, so only sufficient rest was the answer.

“You said this was the price for saving the doctor, right? Not bad, but isn’t it too valuable a weapon?”

A fleeting mischievous glint appeared on his expressionless face.

“Shall I take it back?”

As he swiftly tried to snatch the sword from my hand, I grabbed the scabbard and pulled it back towards myself.

“No! Not that! I’m going to use it!”

I quickly hugged the sword to my chest.

That Seijis, he can even joke around in an atmosphere as serious as this.

It seems he really is the Scholarship Officer I knew.

I wonder how he ended up looking so full of darkness.

“It was a promise, after all. I just had a small conviction.”

“What conviction?”

The Scholarship Officer was about to say something, then closed his lips as if choosing the right words. Silence lingered for a moment, then he opened his mouth again.

“Perhaps, I thought you might be a good person.”

Hmm, it was a rather anticlimactic answer. He seemed to realize his explanation was lacking too, so he cleared his throat and added a few more words.

“Your close-quarters combat skills are still lacking. That weapon should be able to sufficiently bolster them. Compared to students of similar grades and ages, or general hunters, you’re quite excellent, but you need to hone your skills further. Practice not dying, that is.”

“Practice not dying?”

“Yes. Try practicing how to survive.”

After the Scholarship Officer left, I stood for a long time, holding the sword and lost in thought.

Practice surviving, huh… Not a bad suggestion.

Around the time the Scholarship Officer handed Violet the sword, an interesting event was unfolding inside the Violet barracks in the Central Region.

“What is this?”

Opening the door and stepping inside, Violet witnessed Yurik and Albert tinkering with complex machinery.

She had just stepped out to run an errand after they asked her to leave briefly while they installed research equipment, but the two researchers seemed to be up to something curious.

“Ah, you’re here, Violet. The work just finished, and we were about to test it. Perfect timing.”

Around them, newly opened plastic bags, boxes, and packaging materials were scattered untidily. But what caught the eye most were the two chairs placed in front of the two researchers. Situated between a diagnostic monitor and a computer, the chairs looked soft and comfortable enough to lie down on, yet they were attached with complex wires and various devices of unknown purpose.

Above the headrest was a hemispherical, helmet-shaped device.

Violet found its appearance very peculiar.

If a dentist’s unit chair and an electric execution chair were combined, wouldn’t they look something like that?

“So, Mister. What exactly is this?”

“Oh, it’s nothing much. It’s a precise brain-mana tracking scanner for tracking and observing the hive mind network.”

“Tracking the hive mind network?”

“The Violet Network, that is!”

Unit 3442 asked with a curious expression, and Yurik continued his explanation in a confident tone.

“Do you remember Bernike Professor-nim performing a brain scan before she left? Based on that data, and after several tasks with Bernike Professor-nim, we are finally able to proceed with this experiment. These devices are from Bernike Professor-nim’s company and university lab. They underwent several modifications based on the data to perform the necessary tasks, and they were just delivered and installed today. All checks have also been completed.”

“So, starting today, we plan to uncover the true nature of your network.”

Violet’s interest was piqued.

This was because she had sometimes imagined what it would be like if she could show the magnificent scenery of the Violet Network to others.

“We can reveal our network to others!”

All the Violets’ attention was focused on the Central Region.

She wondered how her friends would react if she could show them the grand Violet Plaza and the Violet War Memorial, imbued with glorious history.

“So, how will the observation be conducted?”

Professor Albert pointed to the device and continued his step-by-step explanation.

“You don’t have much to do. Just sit comfortably in the chair and put this hat-like scanner on your head. First, this magic engineering experimental device, with its precisely tuned spells, will thoroughly scan your mind. The role of this device is to analyze the flow of waves in your head in real-time. To use an analogy, it’s like scanning an address book to find out which phone number to dial to connect. Then, in the second stage, we plan to detect the network’s location through this aether wave measurement antenna. Simply put, you can think of it as an antenna for connection.”

The professor’s hand gestured towards the long lines extending from the chair and the antenna, and the points where they connected.

“And based on those results, we’ll connect to the network to measure signals, and finally, transfer the data to the computer and these mana spectrum recording devices to analyze how it’s structured. That’s the final goal.”

Violet listened intently and quickly understood.

She had expected it to be complex, but it was simpler than she thought.

They weren’t drilling into her head, so it didn’t seem very dangerous either.

“But why is there another chair? And the device you put on your head looks a bit different.”

“Ah, I missed that explanation. This device is designed so that if network detection is successful, one can directly observe the inside of the Violet Network with human eyes. You can think of it as a type of virtual reality connection device. Bernike Professor-nim strongly insisted on adding this. She said that theoretically, if there’s a compatible device, one might even be able to directly see the network as if in a dream.”

“Wow, then let’s start right away!”

With the thought that if luck held, she might even be able to invite her friends into the Violet Network, Violet quickly sat down in the chair.

Soon after, the first experiment began.

While Violet, wearing the modified brain scanner on her head, gazed blankly into the air, the detection devices flashed, and a mix of digital and analog machines emitted a loud clamor.

Soon, a peculiar static burst from the speakers.

Devices spitting out paper tape.

Monitors rapidly filling with numbers and graphs.

The researchers, examining the information, froze on the spot.

Gasps erupted.

“It happened this fast? I can’t believe it! It’s much faster than expected! This can’t be right!”

“But these numbers don’t lie! Although it’s only a superficial glance, we might have observed the network!”

“Excuse me, Professor-nim. Did it succeed?”

“Not yet! It’s too early to conclude. We can’t rule out the possibility of natural aether flow or external magic communication.”

In contrast to Yurik, who was clearly excited, Albert adopted a more cautious stance.

Because the observation results came out much faster than expected, he couldn’t shake his doubts.

“The waves were detected too quickly. This differs from our calculations. It’s impossible! Research can’t be finished overnight, can it? Let’s not be reckless, Doctor. There’s no way the results would come out this fast… There must be another reason.”

“There’s another possibility. It might be because there are many other Violet bodies around this factory. In reality, where we are is a kind of high-density signal area.”

“Violet, roughly how many of you are there near this area?”

“It’s a bit vague. Including those doing odd jobs and patrols, deliveries, and those currently stored in the warehouse, wouldn’t it be about three hundred?”

“I see, we didn’t consider the number of Violets in the network measurement…”

The two continued to conduct observation experiments. Twice, three times, four times. Five times.

“Right?”

“Yes, it’s too early to conclude, but we really…”

“…might have observed a hive mind for the first time in human history!”

Professor Albert laughed hollowly and slumped into the chair.

Yurik, interrupting his own sentence, let out a short shout. So loud and booming that he himself was surprised by it.

“Wow! Success!”

“Hooray!”

The surrounding Violets, who had gathered without anyone noticing, cheered and set off firecrackers.

There was a minor incident where Yurik was suddenly doused in champagne, but…

Violet thought good things would happen.

“Oh dear, you rascal. Why are you setting off champagne already!”

“Didn’t we succeed?”

“Success, yes. Since a good start is half the battle, you could say it’s a success, but…”

Amidst the continuous applause from the surrounding Violets, Unit 3321, who was sitting in the chair, asked.

“Wow, congratulations! So, Mister. What are you going to do next? Is this it?”

“This is just the beginning. We need to continue observing. We need to collect more precise data and move on to the next stage. And…”

Yurik, flushed with excitement, pointed to the empty seat next to Violet.

“Since we’ve captured the signal, we’ll try a direct connection experiment right away.”

“Connection, you mean…?”

“I’m going to try connecting directly to the Violet Network. Since there’s no test subject, I plan to try it myself.”

Violet, who had been intrigued, suddenly felt a wave of unease at Doctor Yurik’s words.

“But will it be okay? Professor-nim and Mister, you both know what I did. What if he turns into an Apostle or something?… You don’t want to become a Violet, do you?”

Albert answered Violet’s question.

“We calculated that possibility long ago, young one. With this device, all you can do is see and feel. You can’t directly connect and mentally interact. For that, far more complex and sophisticated experimental equipment would be needed. And we’ve prepared safety measures in case something unexpected happens, so don’t worry.”

“That’s why I’m participating directly. I’m a non-awakened. My affinity with magic is low, so such a catastrophe won’t occur. Right, Albert Professor-nim?”

Yurik added a few more words and burst into laughter.

“Actually, it’s even doubtful if we’ll be able to see the network directly. It would be fortunate if we could see even a blurry outline or a dream-like vision of the network. Haha!”

Violet raised a few more questions.

“Is there a need to connect our network directly to consciousness to see it? Wouldn’t it be easier to just observe it with machines?”

“Ah, that’s a sharp observation. According to our calculations, if we directly connect the network to a device for visual implementation, there’s a high probability it won’t function properly. The network itself is quite detached from conventional human perception. That’s why we thought it would be better to first filter it through someone else’s senses and then interpret it.”

“Is that so…”

The thought that Doctor Yurik might be hiding something crossed Violet’s mind for a moment, but she had no intention of probing further.

The mere possibility of someone else being able to access the network was so exciting that it completely erased her doubts.

Perhaps because the experiment progressed so swiftly and successfully,

the two researchers became somewhat complacent.

Continuous small successes.

Even Albert, who had maintained a rather cautious attitude, inadvertently entertained the thought, ‘What could possibly go wrong?’

Two days later, a more sophisticated wave tracking, based on the network observation data, began.

Doctor Yurik finally lay down on the second bed.

“Professor-nim, then I’ll begin the experiment immediately. Recording start, experiment start time is 1:30 PM…”

The moment the experiment began, a scream suddenly echoed.

“Eyes, eyes, countless eyes, Ugh, Ugh-aaaaargh-Kyaaah!”

The Doctor grabbed his head and screamed.

Albert quickly cut the power and waved his hand through the air a few times.

The wires disconnected instantly, and the scanner was removed from Yurik’s head.

“Mister? Are you okay?”

“He’ll be fine. I’ve used healing spells and mana stabilization charms. Doctor, was there a problem? If it’s too difficult, you don’t have to answer-”

Yurik let out a high-pitched, scream-laced reply.

“So many eyes! So many gazes! In a dark space, eyes- huh?”

Immediately after, a surprised Doctor Yurik covered his mouth.

The Doctor’s strange speech pattern. Professor Albert’s face froze, pale as plaster.

“…My God, dear heavens, we were too reckless.”