episode_0399

The phantom of General Raix appeared and vanished like lightning in our minds. We were bewildered.

Hellman had clearly already become a proper Violet.

“What on earth was that? Hellman Violet! Was that you?”

Hellman Violet was just as flustered.

I was clearly a combat weapon created by Raphlaxia. I distinctly recognized that the memories were injected. I became a Violet, inheriting the spirit of democracy.

Nevertheless, I pride myself on the clear continuity between Hellman—the fake Emmanuel Raix—and the current Unit 11341.

The connection between mind and spirit, firmly linked like a chain, could still be vividly felt within my chest.

“But why?”

“No way! Did a soul split in two?”

I muttered, speaking aloud. I gave myself strong auto-suggestions several times. And then I thoroughly searched the network.

It was certainly a suspicious part. I had heard that the existence of ‘souls’ in the Academy City was affirmed on its own scientific basis through concepts like Aether Science or Magicology.

Our duplicates or consciousness transfers could also be called soul backups or transfers if a few terms were changed.

However, despite the presence of demonic beasts and aliens in Academy City, there are no actual ghosts or spirits.

So, was what we Violets heard merely a hallucination?

The truth was scattered far beyond the network, disappearing. It was truly an enigmatic matter.

Suddenly, another possibility came to mind. The network was endlessly vast and wide.

Although it had undergone reconstruction, perhaps our subconscious, feeling a need, had created it based on the fake General Raix’s memories.

“That’s right! We needed someone to push ourselves!”

Whether it was a real soul or not wasn’t immediately important. What was important was that it was clearly heard by us, and its existence itself was real.

Therefore, at the moment we needed him, General Raix would appear again when we needed an awakening.

At that moment, an important realization flashed like lightning.

“Wait a minute, bringing something from the subconscious into reality?”

We had already succeeded in drawing out some of the Apostle’s abilities. The abnormal acceleration ability was a historic moment created by the Violet’s prodigious intellect.

Even without the Apostle’s power, we could once again test the extent of our imagination.

Let’s try the simplest thing first.

We need a punching bag. The keyword should be as simple as possible.

“Come forth, punching bag!”

“A good one to beat!”

The Violets all closed their eyes at once and earnestly muttered.

Then, an annoyingly frivolous voice pierced their ears.

When they opened their eyes, there stood a strangely familiar man in an old, outdated armored suit, along with his group.

“Haha! I’ll kill you! You punk! I’ll show you the terror of Levin-nim, who’ll slice your legs off!”

After blinking a few times, we finally realized his identity.

It was that dungeon robber who had given us enlightenment.

The benefactor who had given them two valuable gifts—armored suits and tactical immersion technology—had appeared before their eyes.

“I see! This guy was also sleeping in our minds!”

We swung our swords once more, filled with gratitude towards the robber who had given us enlightenment.

“Nice to see you, robber!”

“Aargh!”

-Slice!

The dungeon robbers might be the most grateful beings to us.

We put aside further deliberation and decided to materialize more specific imaginations.

“Boss! How do you do that?”

For some reason, the V-animals seemed particularly interested.

**

A young man strode through a wide, splendid white corridor. His red hair swayed slightly in the cold air.

The building’s corridor leading to the office boasted an overwhelming scale.

The ceiling was impossibly high, and the walls and pillars crafted from granite and marble exuded a classical yet imposing beauty.

Sebastian, walking down the corridor, recalled the tastes of his ancestor who had insisted on this architectural style.

‘It was my great-grandfather’s requirement, they said.’

The Lestrade Central Headquarters building fully embodied Jemont Lestrade’s poignant longing for the old Arnore, which had become a Red Zone Incursion Area.

It was a desolate reproduction of the contemporary Arnore royal palace style, which simultaneously pursued martial strength and aristocratic antiquatedness.

Of course, such a grand and robust design harbored a practical intention.

The seemingly endless corridor instilled an unconscious sense of pressure in the minds of those heading to the office.

This gave the building’s owner a subtle political advantage. This sense of weight was no exception even for him, the former successor.

But that wasn’t the only reason.

Sebastian felt the sharp gazes pouring from all directions on his skin. Armored knights stood tall like statues, on guard throughout the corridor.

He felt the cold gazes from within their helmets follow him every time he walked down the center of the wide corridor.

‘Are they laughing at me?’

All building corridors in Lestrade were designed wide and large, considering the operational range of armored knights. While the latest generation of armored suits had become much lighter and more comfortable due to the organic-inorganic magic mutual enhancement system and the development of engineering technology, architectural considerations were still maintained.

As he reached the office door, the armored knights moved nimbly. Their distinctive capes and insignia caught the eye.

They were the Steel Guard, composed of only the most elite among the armored knights.

With an indifferent motion, they took out scanners and scanned Sebastian.

A radio transmission from inside a helmet, relayed towards the office. A subtle murmur announcing a visitor flowed out.

The sturdy door opened.

Inside the rugged office, adorned with various armors and weapons, was his father.

“…Alright, it seems results are finally coming. Put them straight into testing. I’ll generously provide condemned criminals, so experiment away.”

Cordo, who had been muttering in front of a hologram, turned off the screen as soon as he finished his instructions. Then, seeing his son standing at the door, he glared.

It was because he had already heard unpleasant news from below.

“Hmph, so what do you have to say? Finish it in 5 minutes.”

Sebastian calmly, yet directly meeting Cordo’s sharp gaze, spoke proudly.

“Father, the Duplicate Killer is running wild. We must catch him.”

Cordo let out a light scoff.

Following was a furious burst of laughter, and in an instant, his face twisted with rage.

“Pathetic fool, have you forgotten that you should be reflecting right now? You still haven’t come to your senses. So you played hero? To save some common unawakened peasant?”

“It was necessary. If I hadn’t saved that person, they would have died! Father. The Western District is an area managed by our family. Someone must stop that mad awakened. It is our duty…”

-Slam!

From Cordo’s grasp, the desk items flew violently. A flying pen grazed Sebastian’s head and bounced away.

As if his anger hadn’t subsided, Cordo fumed. The rough surge of magical power was immense, to the point where steam rose from his body.

“Duty? Ha! Is this the time for you to play knight, you brat? It hasn’t even been half a year since you were defeated by that young punk. Leaving that aside, what about Lestrade’s current situation? Can’t you see the political situation in Rustrum?”

A rough, large hand pointed to a map in a corner of the office.

The map of the Rustrum Archipelago fluttered under his oppressive aura.

“Luminexa has fallen. Self-replicating mad anarchist terrorists are rampaging inside and outside the continent and Academy City! Academies and clans are expressing doubts about our control. Those Arcite bastards are holed up in their bunkers. The authority of supers is shaking. Authority, I tell you. At a time like this, when our family’s long-cherished ambition should be focused!”

“Father, I…”

“And yet. At this critical juncture, you come to me to play hero? Sebastian, ah, naive and pathetic Sebi.”

Cordo’s voice was tinged with scorn.

“My son, don’t try to deceive your father. It’s obvious. You were planning to use that killer’s head as a trophy to challenge for the successor position again, weren’t you?”

As Cordo’s burning gaze bore down, Sebastian felt a thrill as if his true intentions had been completely seen through.

Involuntarily, he let out a low groan at the chilling, fierce aura.

“My words, are they not true?”

The words that came from Sebastian’s mouth drifted out weakly.

“…Father. But, I, merely… We, must protect people…”

“Stop playing hero, you idiotic child.”

Cordo’s voice grew sharper.

“Until now, I let your hunting games slide, thinking it was all good, but now your knightly games are over. Don’t even dream of getting permission to use the armored suit! That petty rat has already been handed over to other clans’ strike teams. Our knights have also been dispatched as detachments. It’s just a common disturbance. That serial killer who’s disrupting our district will be caught soon enough.”

As if his head had cooled, Cordo sat down with a thud and gestured.

“Your business is done, so get out. Get a grip. Unless you want to be forever pushed aside by your siblings.”

Sebastian left the office with faltering steps.

Complex thoughts swirled in his mind.

Could his father’s words be right?

He trembled for a moment, then slowly took a deep breath. Strength returned to his eyes.

‘No, this isn’t some hunting game…’

He struggled to compose himself as he walked down the wide corridor.

His figure, caught in the gaze of the knights guarding the office, looked particularly pathetic that day.

**

The evening sunset barely reflected on the translucent glass revolving door.

Silver hair, emerging from the door after a half-turn, rippled and gleamed faintly in the twilight glow.

Daphne tucked her staff under her arm and met the outside air with light steps.

“Let’s see, what did the children ask for?”

It was already the second time she had checked on the child in the ward, as per her friend’s request.

This routine of stopping by after training, with her bag on her back, was subtly enjoyable for her.

The child, whom Violet called her self-proclaimed ‘future junior,’ was both cute and clever.

The other children in the hospital room were the same.

“Wow! Unni, what’s this?”

“This is equipment I use, little ones. They’re auxiliary armaments attached to a staff…”

To the children dreaming of becoming brave superhuman warriors, the appearance of another awakened girl seemed to be a fresh stimulus.

The boys’ eyes sparkling at the weapons and her exhaustion from the flood of questions she had to explain, but their pure curiosity wasn’t bad.

‘Poor children…’

Daphne suddenly fell into thought. She understood why Violet seemed to care for those children so much.

Especially the child named Ariel, who had lost her parents in the recent Incursion Area incident.

That news created subtle ripples in Daphne’s delicate heart.

It was because her own parents and younger sister suddenly came to mind.

The absence of parents. Could that be what moved Violet’s heart?

‘Actually, looking at it like that, Violet is truly a kind person…’

She often felt it, but her roommate, filled with the scent of splashing blood, clearly had a gentle side.

To her, who had gradually realized that violence and cruelty become virtues in this harsh world, Violet was now someone she could fully understand and empathize with.

Perhaps she herself was a little biased.

“I’ve confirmed the medication dosage Phoebe-ssi talked about, on time.”

It might be a bit rude to the hospital’s medical staff—but Daphne thought it might be better if she stayed here a little longer.

It was because she had realized her healing abilities had grown astonishingly in the past year.

Among the numerous awakened individuals with healing aptitudes, there likely wasn’t anyone who had accumulated as much rich clinical and practical experience as she had.

If you think about it, this was also thanks to Violet.

“Squeak!”

Suddenly, something pushed its way out from between the buttons of her blouse. A mouse poked its head out from her chest and squeaked briefly.

Ignoring the surprised Daphne, the mouse squeaked again.

“Squeak! The boss asks! If you could possibly buy something tasty when you come back!”

“Tell him yes. And…”

Daphne’s cheeks flushed slightly.

“Why do you keep coming out from there? It’s a bit embarrassing…”

The mouse, Raspberry, looked chagrined at the protest thrown by its owner’s friend.

“Squeak! It was comfortable and warm, so I did… Sorry!”

“Sigh… I wonder who it takes after.”

Daphne, walking home, strolled along the city sidewalk under the streetlights that had just come on.

Perhaps because it was the weekend, the streets were bustling with people.

As the essence of October began to be felt, the sun hastened to hide itself, and the city’s bright lights enveloped the surroundings.

A strange scent stimulated her nose around the time Daphne was heading towards the bus stop.

“There’s a suspicious smell! It’s the scent of fresh blood. Strange?”

As sensitive an animal as it was, Raspberry seemed to detect the anomaly before her, climbing onto Daphne’s shoulder and urgently tugging at her collar.

When she turned her head, a subtle metallic smell wafted from between the shadows cast by nearby buildings.

A strange magical wavelength was also felt. Others didn’t seem to notice it, though.

She fell into thought for a moment.

Should she just pass by? Her hesitation was brief.

“Raspberry, please tell me the location of the nearest Violet.”

“There aren’t any redeployed nearby. The boss is a bit far! It’ll take some time to get here… Ah, he said rapid deployment is possible depending on the conditions. He’s asking why.”

Daphne replied with a resolute voice.

“There’s been a casualty. It’s an emergency. I think I need to step in. Please also contact the local authorities, the police, and Irene.”

The mouse nodded, and she plunged into the ominous shadows without hesitation.

‘Please, don’t be late!’

**

“Huh? Daphne visited?”

It was around that time Lucian became aware of the crossed visitor’s presence.

“Yes! She was a super pretty unni, Oppa!”

“M-me too, when I enroll, I’ll work hard to be with a beauty like that unni…”

“Ugh! You just study hard!”

“W-what!”

Lucian, who had briefly scoffed at the children’s fuss, discovered a bag placed in a corner of the hospital room. A white, metallic-looking mass poked out of it; it was an equipment bag.

“What? That guy left this behind…”

For such a smart person to make a mistake like this. Since she just left, she couldn’t have gone far.

“I’ll be back shortly. Wait here. Don’t play around just because I’m not here!”

“Yes! Hyung!”

“Alright, Oppa!”

Looking at the time, he figured he could go and come back quickly if he ran.

Thinking so, Lucian lightly ran out of the dimly lit hospital.

Unaware of what awaited him.