episode_0076

The assignment Professor Albert gave was incredibly difficult.

“It’s math! I can’t read any of it. What are these worm-like things?”

“The ones you can read are numbers, and the ones you can’t are symbols.”

‘I’ before transmigration was a humanities major down to the bone. It had been a long time since I’d sworn off math after the Suneung (college entrance exam). Moreover, the books the professor handed me weren’t just math texts.

“Why on earth do I need physics and chemistry for magic?!”

They said that to use magic in the game, you needed scientific knowledge, but I hadn’t realized it would be to this extent.

Well, it would have been just as difficult if it were runic characters or occult mysticism.

Anyway, the difficulty is one thing, but the volume is no joke either. Isn’t there an easier way to study?

“How about each of us takes one page?”

“Good. Start copying the book quickly.”

It seemed I had to use the method I employed when I first used illumination magic. We printed the pages of the book and each took one.

“How about printing a few more copies? There’s no need for only one person to look at a single page of the book.”

“That’s a good idea. It’ll be easier to remember if multiple people review it!”

We examined the book until bedtime. Seeing ourselves study, it felt like we had become a computer. The Violets’ work could be likened to a form of grid computing.

Working 24 hours without rest is a bit tiring. If there were more people, I could delegate more.

“As expected, our numbers need to increase. A hundred isn’t enough!”

“You know that would make us easier to discover, right? It’s already cutting it close as it is.”

The Violets who had come to their senses were diligently active. Most were focusing on studying, training, and fundraising, but the other Violets were still busy as well.

“Do we really need to make rocket candy? We could replace it with a recoilless rifle or a rocket launcher.”

“That’s because we don’t have an immediate way to get those. Shut up and mix the sugar.”

For example, the Violets in charge of researching data and those in charge of explosive manufacturing research were still diligently performing their duties. The reorganized dungeon team was also hunting to earn funds.

In addition, new tasks were added.

Two clones were assigned to escort Daphne and Irene 24 hours a day.

“No. 58 and No. 89, what’s your current location?”

“D has returned and is self-studying in the dormitory. I has finished dinner and gone home.”

“Why do you only call them by their first initial? Speak normally.”

“Doesn’t it feel like a spy movie?”

Though it was called escort, their actual role was human surveillance cameras and beacons for summoning Violets.

The reason for going to such lengths was simple. I was worried that if my friends learned the school’s secret, they might accidentally get caught up in an evil conspiracy. There was a risk of a repeat of the previous kidnapping incident.

Irene might not need an escort, but you never know what might happen.

I had already told both of them in advance, though they didn’t know it was a 24-hour escort.

The principle was to report on the situation and observe during normal times, then summon dozens of clone troops the moment a crisis occurred.

Of course, if they stuck too close, they would feel burdened and attract attention.

So, they followed at an appropriate distance, disguised in various ways. The makeup Daphne taught me was being put to good use for camouflage, contrary to its original intention.

However, Violets who frequently engaged in outdoor activities were often exposed to their surroundings. Furthermore, the civilization level of this world was comparable to the 21st century. They could be caught on CCTV, cell phone cameras, or dashcams.

Even so, a limit would come someday.

Even now, there were about 130 Violets. Including the personalities floating on the Violet network without physical bodies, that number exceeded 200.

The more their numbers increased, the higher the chance of exposure. Better camouflage techniques were needed. It was time to move to acquire perception-inhibiting equipment.

A few days later, I finished my training early and moved to another region.

The destination was Circcliff, a small town located at the intersection of the central, western, and eastern districts.

***

The October streets were chilly, the sun having clocked out early.

Violet walked through the streets filled with vulgar lights and the heat of desire. Fearing a drunk or drug addict might pick a fight, she pulled her hood down deep and carefully headed towards the alley behind a building.

I sniffed a few times and frowned. Thanks to the smokers standing in every alley, exhaling acrid smoke, the streets reeked of a smell fouler than tobacco.

There was a personal reason for visiting this entertainment district.

“Don’t forget the objectives. The primary objective is to secure a perception-inhibiting mask, but the secondary objective is to establish a continuous network with middlemen and black market dealers. People who can get us artifacts, elixirs, high-performance firearms, and illegal equipment.”

“I feel like I’m becoming a mafia boss.”

The Violets currently faced another problem besides security and concealment: a lack of mana.

Until now, I had only used sword aura, but now that I had learned and was using body strengthening and magic, mana consumption increased sharply.

Including the gradually multiplying clones, and the number regenerating due to death or injury from personal training or other reasons, it was more than I could imagine.

Therefore, mana had to be secured.

However, while there were many ways to obtain mana other than increasing levels, each had a considerable difficulty.

First, obtain artifacts that increase mana regeneration and quantity.

“It’s about time we prepared to go to more difficult dungeons than now.”

“How about an expedition to the islands around Lustrum?”

“Rejected. The difficulty is tricky and it takes time.”

If this method was chosen, the total mana amount could be greatly amplified. This is because artifacts increase the total mana amount by a percentage.

However, most artifacts are inside dungeons, so the process is arduous and takes a long time to find.

Second, obtain and consume elixirs. The Blue Crystal Flower I harvested and ingested from the forest behind Polaris is a prime example of an elixir.

“It’s time to go to the southern region. Let’s go to Aegis Academy!”

“What about Vesperia? That might not be bad either.”

“Hey! If you go into the academy and say, ‘I’ve come to pick some flowers,’ do you think they’ll let you in?”

In this case, there’s the advantage of being able to obtain them more easily than exploring dungeons. As far as I remember, in the main story, they were in relatively safe places, excluding Polaris.

It didn’t necessarily have to be Blue Crystal Flowers. There were various elixirs like rainbow-colored glowing mushrooms or blue-glowing rocks. These elixirs often appeared in auctions hosted by clans.

With luck, they might even be found in the black market.

However, choosing the path to obtain elixirs meant facing unexpected obstacles.

Namely, social obstacles!

Based on Part 1 of the main story, there were approximately 40 Blue Crystal Flowers.

After subtracting the 10 flowers I consumed, about 30 remained.

12 were in Aegis, 10 in Vesperia, and the remaining 8 were scattered throughout Lustrum. Now that the game had become reality, there might be fewer or more, but I didn’t know yet.

Polaris Academy was foolish; it neglected those expensive elixirs in the forest, unaware of their presence.

A normal academy wouldn’t treat such precious items that way. In the case of Aegis Academy, the Blue Crystal Flowers were cultivated in well-managed greenhouses and forests, while Vesperia Academy carefully grew them in an underground garden.

The protagonist in the main story game could freely collect and consume elixirs thanks to his social standing as an inspector from the Audit Bureau, his connections with the academies, and his activities in the story.

However, currently, I was just a student.

They wouldn’t even let me lay a finger on them. The auction house was no different.

If an unknown girl waltzed in asking to be let in, she would obviously be kicked out at the entrance. And the prices were no joke either.

Therefore, there was only one fastest and most efficient way for me to access elixirs like the Crystal Flower.

“Why don’t you just steal them?”

“Exactly!”

“…?”

To become a good-natured pilferer.

Come to think of it, “theft” or “stealing” sounds too harsh. I should use the more traditional and pleasant term, ‘pilfering’.

A perception-inhibiting mask was essential for our covert activities. It would also help with future pilfering operations.

“Oh dear, it’s a restricted item!”

Sadly, possession of perception-inhibiting masks and stealth equipment with special magical properties was restricted.

You couldn’t get them unless you were a veteran hunter registered with a clan of a certain size or someone special.

“This won’t do. Let’s go to the red-light district.”

“The black market, then.”

Fortunately, Lustrum’s underground economy was not small. Clans and corporations needed back channels, and hunters and others working there also secretly wanted to acquire their desires.

If there’s demand, supply will eventually appear.

Coincidentally, Circcliff was a city perfectly located where the borders of each district intersected. It was a political grey zone where the clans’ jurisdiction was ambiguous. Perhaps it was intentionally designated as a buffer zone.

Stygian Lane, Polaris’s largest entertainment district, which also held a significant role in the main story, was located in Circcliff for this reason.

It was a place where even the four great clans mostly observed from afar and only took minor profits, making it suitable for people with professions they couldn’t easily tell their children about to conduct business.

Smugglers, middlemen, fixers, gangs, and all sorts of other dishonest people, you know.

I turned my head and surveyed my surroundings. It was indeed a scene typical of the region’s largest entertainment district.

Underneath the flashing, decadent, and mysterious lights, scantily clad men and women solicited customers on the street. From outside the windows of various gambling dens, sounds of weeping, laughter, chatter, and desperate cries filtered through the loud music.

People intoxicated by the strange fervor hanging in the air came here to chase an unattainable one-night dream, throwing money away.

A place where a few coins could mean joy or sorrow, yet vast sums that determined life and death changed hands without a second thought.

This was Stygian Lane.

The atmosphere was terrible; it was certainly a neighborhood crawling with gangs and people whose lives were ruined. I needed to finish this quickly and go to sleep.

[*Ready anytime, BOY*]

[♡24hr Soft Ladies Awaiting♡ 1234-414-5423]

[☆★Fresh Furballs★☆ Skulkits · Felinuts · Etc.]

[Is Unnie’s identity an armed helicopter? Code AH-Mi-64-24]

Flyers armed with provocative phrases and images stuck and peeled off with a splat from the soles of my shoes. After walking for about five minutes, a small four-story commercial building came into view.

This was a contact I found through an anonymous mobile messenger that guaranteed anonymity, which I learned about after searching the deep web.

It cost me some money to find this. Of course, the anonymous man I met through the messenger was just another middleman connecting me to other middlemen.

To conduct the actual transaction, I had to make direct contact.

Was this the transaction location? From its appearance, it looked like something out of a manga, like a Yakuza office.

“We’re here. Is this the right place?”

“Let’s go inside first.”

Before going in, I adjusted my wig and checked my makeup. My current appearance was that of a black-haired girl.

I generated clones in the building across from the contact point and around the area, placing them on standby, then entered the pub on the first floor.

Behind the counter of the pub, with only flies buzzing around, stood a grim-looking bald man. A large rose tattoo on his head was striking.

Two men at a table were chuckling as they watched TV, each holding a beer bottle. They must have been his associates.

“That’s strange? The instructions said to talk to the female bartender at the counter…”

“Has it changed? Just talk to him for now.”

It was different from what I had heard. I approached the bald man.

“Um, it’s a starry night. Good Unnie? An order!”

“…What?”

As the bald man looked bewildered, I continued.

“One gin mixed with butter, on the rocks. Black Label!”

“What the hell are you talking about?!”

“…?”

Why couldn’t he understand? This was a bit different from what I expected.

Before coming to this place, I had learned a few code words for transactions from the middleman’s middleman.

For example, ‘starry night’ and ‘good Unnie’ implied a desire to start a transaction. Normally, the bartender would hear these words and ask, ‘What would you like to order?’

The words I spoke next were also code words.

‘Gin mixed with butter’ meant illegal magic equipment. ‘On the rocks’ meant I wanted to complete the transaction quickly, and ‘Black Label’ meant there was an intention for bulk purchase.

And, until the main topic was reached, we had to communicate only in code words.

But this guy didn’t understand my words at all. Had I come to the wrong place?

The bald man, rolling his eyes frantically, slapped his forehead and exclaimed, “Ah!” then burst into hearty laughter.

“Aha! So that’s it. Now I get it. I thought you were mumbling nonsense like a ghost eating husks [a saying for incomprehensible speech]. You’re here for a transaction, right?”

I didn’t know what he was talking about, but I answered yes for now.

“Then, follow me. Let’s talk upstairs.”

The rose-tattooed bald man guided me. The men who had been gulping down their beer quietly got up and followed behind me. Before going up the stairs, I requested,

“Um, I need to use the restroom!”

“Alright, hurry back!”

As soon as I went to the restroom, I summoned two more clones in the toilet stall.

“What’s going on?”

“Wait for now, then check out the inside of the building!”

After flushing the toilet, I came out of the stall, and the three men smilingly led me upstairs. The second floor was quiet, and the boisterous chatter and laughter of men on the third floor echoed from the hallway.

Three or four burly men with similar dispositions came out of a door and smirked unpleasantly at me.

As I climbed, holding the stair railing, something sticky got on my hand. I brought it slightly to my nose. It smelled like blood.

When I reached the fourth floor, I saw an office with chairs.

“Sit here. I’ll be right back!”

While Violet No. 110 sat quietly in the room, the Violets who had been in the restroom quietly went up to the second and third floors.

“Suspicious. I’ll go to the second floor, you go to the third!”

They carefully climbed the stairs. As they surveyed the two floors, traces they hadn’t seen when climbing up became clearer.

Blood drops were scattered one by one on the third-floor hallway floor. The blood drops led to the stairs. When I took out a flashlight and shone it around, I saw dark red stains as if wiped hastily with a dirty rag.

A sight often seen in research labs. If you hastily wipe blood from the walls and floor with any random cloth, these kinds of traces are left.

Small bloodstains continued into the second-floor hallway. While No. 110 waited, the other Violets looked around the hallway.

Blood drops were on the floor in front of a certain door. It was locked.

While the other Violets were wondering what to do in front of the door, the bald man came into the room where No. 110 was, leading four other guys.

“…Alright, miss. The boss stepped out for a moment. Just wait a bit. Hey! Don’t you have any sense, you bastard? Go quickly and get some drinks and snacks from downstairs! We have a guest!”

“Um, what about the transaction?”

“…Are you a student? So the rumors that academy students do this kind of work these days are true.”

“What?”

While I tilted my head, the bald man rambled on arbitrarily.

“You know what? Miss, you’re an Awakened, right?”

“Uh… how did you know?”

“Girls your age who come into places like this… *ahem*, women, are one of three things. A fixer, a drug addict, or a prostitute.”

“I see.”

“So you’re a fixer. They say many people come to this line of work these days because hunting humans is easier than hunting beasts. Isn’t that right? Before you came, the boss went to talk about payment with a fixer.”

“Hahaha, is that so?”

The situation seemed to be turning strange. The rose-tattooed bald man babbled on, uncaring if anyone heard.

“…I’m so damn jealous of Awakened. How much do they get paid for just one job? If I were a hunter, damn it… I’d earn so much money, buy a car, gather all the bitches who’d spread their legs just for a car and line them up on top of it… Ah, sorry, miss, did that make you uncomfortable? Just kidding. Hahaha!”

“Uh-huh!”

The men burst into laughter. The Violet in the fourth-floor office forced a smile and played along.

“Something’s wrong here! I need to get out.”

“Alright. Just a moment, wait!”

Suddenly, the Violets on the second floor detected strange sounds from behind a door. Groans of pain. The windows around the door were dark, but there were curtains inside.

“Um, I should probably go now…”

“Oh, don’t leave so soon, it would be disappointing. What about Aramis’s demands? Why aren’t you talking about that? Who were the ones who said we should shake down this smuggling bastard and split the loot?”

My mind snapped to attention. It’s said that the day you leave is market day [a proverb meaning unexpected trouble or coincidence]; I’ve gotten tangled in something strange!

“Yes, that’s right. Before we talk, I need to use the restroom…”

Sensing something suspicious about me, the rose-tattooed bald man widened his eyes.

“Hey, you just went to the restroom. What is it? You weren’t sent by Aramis, were you?”

The Violets on the second floor, seeing the situation on the fourth floor, generated another clone beyond the door without hesitation.

The Violet generated inside the room opened her eyes wide at the sight. A woman in a bartender’s uniform and four other men were tied up and covered in blood. Their mouths were taped shut. The people, seeing the Violet, frantically shook their heads.

“Boss, this bitch earlier. She was talking about gin with butter or something. Could that be their code word?”

“…Oh, Jimmy, you bastard. You’re damn smart. You weren’t selling drugs here. What are you here for?”

The rose-tattooed bald man grabbed my shoulder tightly, and his subordinates surrounded me.

“Yes, that’s right! I’m here to make a transaction with someone. So, could you just let me go?”

“Then you’re not an Awakened, I guess. Doesn’t seem like a drug addict either…”

“No, I really don’t know anything!”

“What if you don’t know? We want to get to know you from now on.”

I clearly saw lust rising in the bald man’s eyes. The air in the room became unpleasant.

“Can’t you just let me go?”

“Our smart Jimmy, how many minutes until the boss gets here?”

“About 30 minutes, I guess. Then…”

The men laughed maliciously.

“Then we’ll have some time to have fun.”

I sighed and took out and put on a mask.

“Hey, what are you doing? You have a hobby of covering your face…”

The bald man’s face froze for a moment. And he had good reason to.

In the blink of an eye, my generated clones smashed the back of the subordinates’ heads with hammers.

[By attacking from behind, Synchronization Aptitude: Backstab [Heavy Injury from Behind] has activated. Damage increases!]

When the sword aura and the enhanced physique combined with the Synchronization Aptitude, the effect was tremendous.

The hammers crushed the gangsters’ heads like bursting tomatoes.

-Crunch!

Blood shot up to the ceiling, and fragments of shattered skulls scattered everywhere. The bald man’s head was also splattered with the residue of what had been his subordinate.

“Uh…? …Uh…? …Uh!!”

“Don’t move. You feel it behind you, don’t you? Shut up and be quiet. I have a lot to ask you.”

The moment the frozen bald man managed to nod his head, the office door burst open.

“Boss, I brought the drinks and snacks as you ordered…”

Damn it. I was trying to handle this quietly.

“Aaaaah!”

As soon as the gangster outside the door screamed, I severed his neck, but it seemed too late. The bald man also took the chance to shout.

“It’s a surprise attack! She’s an Awakened! Aaaaah!”

I quickly smashed the bald man’s head to knock him out, but the sounds of footsteps rushing up from below the stairs were clamorous.

I signaled.

“Everyone, prepare for battle.”

The Violets with their masks on rushed out of the room all at once. Troops were also generated around the Violets on standby outside.

This got troublesome. I’ll have to kill them all!