episode_0174

After deciding to destroy the academy, Violet agonized for a long time. How could they bring down the academy and the powerful enemy behind it?

The Four Great Clans were colossal entities. The number of people entangled with even a single clan was at least hundreds of thousands, and including subcontractors, affiliates, and social influence, it easily surpassed millions, even tens of millions.

Furthermore, their power wasn’t limited to this academy city. While their headquarters and main facilities were concentrated here, they had branches of all sizes on continents and islands outside of Rustrum.

Therefore, completely annihilating them was impossible for me at the moment.

“If they could have been subdued, the Federation would have crushed them long ago.”

The Federation was an international organization established after the dimensional invasion by old-era government officials, some former noble factions, and pro-government Awakened.

Although it used the term “international organization,” it had inherited all the authority and duties of the old-era exiled governments, which had become mere names, making it practically a world government.

Given its origins, the Federation’s goal was clear: to reclaim all the eroded zones beyond the barrier and retrieve the old-era cities and territories swallowed by dungeons.

Thus, the Federation believed only they could save the world and wished to control everything.

If the world had revolved solely around the Federation’s will, all clans and dungeons would have been under government control. Hunters would have operated under the Federation’s banner.

“If that were the case, Rustrum would have become a civil servant academy city.”

“Ugh! Then we’d be civil servant trainees? No way!”

The Violets recoiled in disgust.

Adding the term “civil servant” before “academy city” made it sound incredibly stiff and dull.

The enjoyable academy life of handsome boys and beautiful girls, who attended classes with weapons strapped to them and enjoyed club activities, was instantly covered in a dull, musty image.

“For this much, we should be grateful to the Four Great Clans. Hehe!”

Unfortunately, the Federation’s plan to manage hunters and clans as they pleased failed.

The biggest reason was that the war heroes, who had spearheaded the victory against the dimensional invasion, rebelled against the Federation.

By the time the Federation established itself, the heroes had already shed their military uniforms, gathered followers, and founded their own clans.

The names of the clans founded by knights, soldiers, mages, and scientists were as follows:

Restraid, Arsite, Magnavis, Luminexa.

These formidable organizations, later known as the Four Great Clans, stepped forward before the Federation, which was cracking down on hunters and clans, boldly raised their middle fingers, and soon a bloody war erupted in the Rustrum Archipelago, the continent, and within the dungeons.

Contrary to everyone’s expectations that the Federation would have the upper hand, the war dragged on. Although the Federation had a larger army, the power of the hunters and mercenaries under the clans was by no means insignificant.

There were also political issues. The majority of Awakened sided with the Four Great Clans. Even the citizens of the era thought the clans founded by heroes were superior to the incompetent and perpetually failing Federation.

Shrewd patrons who read the tides of the new era also betrayed the Federation.

To make matters worse, the number of high-ranking officials and officers found dead every morning continued to increase.

Ultimately, the Federation swallowed its pride and compromised with the Four Great Clans.

We drew a hint from that historical fact.

The assassination tactics the clans used against the Federation were highly likely to work against the clans themselves.

This is because even a superhuman finds it difficult to simultaneously and freely control countless people and material elements as if they were their own body, transcending administrative issues. They are not one body.

Conversely, we are one body. Our reaction speed is faster. Therefore, to imitate history, we secretly got into the principal’s car.

Inside the trunk of the car the principal was in, it was dark. Violet 916 lay motionless, chewing on a chocolate bar.

“Command, infiltration successful. How are the others?”

“This is Command! The operation is proceeding without a hitch. No one has been detected yet.”

Thinking that was fortunate, I swallowed the rest of my chocolate bar.

A moment ago, when that principal scanned the surroundings, my heart nearly stopped beating. I thought I wouldn’t be caught since he’d supposedly quit being a hunter long ago, but for an old man, he had annoyingly good intuition.

“Just an old man! We should make him retire quickly.”

After how long, the car stopped and the engine turned off.

Command estimated the location through a triple cross-reference process using the Violet network, maps, and the satellite navigation system of Unit 916.

The principal lived in quite a stylish house. I estimated I was currently in the parking lot.

As night fell, Violet began operations.

Unit 1078, generated outside the car, carefully exited the garage and entered the living room.

“See? It’s incredibly luxurious. Looks like he gets paid a lot!”

The Violets at Command clicked their tongues, seeing the lavish living room in their view.

To think he had so much money. It was time for a physical restructuring of the academy’s high-ranking officials.

“Enough chitchat, now find a space in the walls or floor.”

Unit 1074 attempted to create a clone by flowing magic into the floor and walls.

After several attempts, a hibernating Violet was generated on the living room floor.

“Success. I’m retreating now!”

Unit 1074 retreated.

At the same time, similar incidents were occurring in various parts of the Western District.

Dormant Violets filled every empty space inside the floors, walls, and pillars of the homes of those we had designated for execution.

The student council president’s residence was no exception.

“So this is the student council president’s house.”

“It’s not as grand as I thought.”

His house was outside the school, but surprisingly humble. I had worried endlessly that there might be a barrier or an invisible security system, but it was just an ordinary rented room.

The student council president was currently still in the student council building. Thanks to that, I could freely explore his room.

Unfortunately, no important documents were visible.

“We searched the student council room too, but there was nothing important. Though it’s possible we just missed it…”

“As expected, the basement must be the key, right?”

The Violets at Command glanced sideways at the basement blueprint attached to the wall.

Several dormant Violet bodies had long since been buried there.

Due to the importance of the researchers and data, a company-sized force of Violets was planned to be deployed within the underground facility.

“Alright. The first infiltration is complete. Operation terminated.”

After waiting, the installation of the dormant bodies was finished. Now, the Violets could invade the homes of the academy’s key figures and board members at any time.

When the time came, they would vanish without a trace, all at once, and be scattered across the sea off Rustrum.

“I’m going to eat a late-night snack and sleep. Hiding in a house with a spouse and children was really tough.”

One Violet grumbled and picked up a frozen pizza. Most of the board members were married.

So, they had to wait for the moment the entire family was asleep to infiltrate. They would have to be careful when carrying out operations in the future too.

While we were installing dormant Violets in each house, the other Violets weren’t idle either.

While the fate of the academy officials was being decided, a group of Violets scattered throughout the Central and Western Districts.

The targets were various businesses, research labs, bases, and airfields of the Magnavis Clan.

The infiltration methods varied. Some climbed into trunks, like the way they hid in the principal’s house, while others crawled through sewers.

Of course, not all infiltration processes required stealth.

“Those participating in the tour program, please gather this way! Did everyone bring their visitor passes? Please hang them visibly around your necks!”

The Four Great Clans occasionally implemented tour programs that allowed visitors to explore their interiors. These were promotional tools for aspiring future hunters and civilians.

Inspections were thorough, and identity checks were conducted. According to regulations, visitors could only move along paths guided by a tour guide, and restricted areas were off-limits.

However, all security has loopholes. I passed the identity check without a hitch. The reason was simple.

“So you’re from Polaris Comprehensive Academy. Have a good time.”

“Yes! Thank you!”

Regardless of the reality, Polaris Academy was ostensibly an academy sponsored by Magnavis.

Thanks to that, they tended to be relatively lenient during the identity verification process.

Once I participated in the tour, things moved swiftly.

I carefully followed the guide, observing the locations of barriers and surveillance cameras, then pretended to lean a hand on a wall and generated a clone.

“Installation complete!”

In this way, we devised various methods to infiltrate numerous locations within the clan.

Furthermore, with information obtained from raiding Pinnacle Trade Network Company, we were able to infiltrate Magnavis’s suspicious research lab.

Unit 778, sold through a human trafficking route, spoke.

“Ugh! I must be in the right place. The researchers are injecting strange things into people’s bodies!”

Unit 321, who had been dragged into a windowless building, grumbled.

“This is annoying. Can’t we just kill everyone? That doctor hit me. Argh! He hit my head again!”

“Just hold on for a few more days, and I’ll let you kill them yourself.”

We continued the infiltration operation for several days like that.

The first infiltration concluded smoothly, and the second infiltration targeting Magnavis Clan officials was also proceeding without issues.

Kalia’s uncle called for me.

“It took a while, but the preparations are complete. Follow me.”

“Yes!”

I followed Osprey-Mister. We traveled by car to an empty lot a bit away from town. Numerous trucks were parked there.

“Finally!”

All the money poured in was worth it. The Violets drove the acquired cars away. It was time to build armored vehicles.

“Since things are like this, let’s learn welding and other skills from the Brotherhood Misters!”

“And how to build and decorate buildings!”

The Violets were brimming with dreams.