episode_0010

The situation was taking an odd turn.

‘Send me to school? Suddenly?’

The bald lab director’s sudden declaration to enroll me in school stunned everyone except himself.

What was this? Delusions of grandeur? Had his intelligence flown away with his hair follicles?

The group of bewildered researchers murmured. One of them, after glancing around, stepped forward. Had he decided to take the lead?

“Excuse me, Director-nim. You suddenly announced that you’d be enrolling that test subject in an academy, but may I ask the reason why?”

“Good attitude for asking questions! First, we need to understand the situation we’re currently in…”

Then the bald director vaguely motioned for me to be sent out.

Wait! Let me hear it too! Wasn’t the genre of my life sci-fi human experimentation horror? Drifting into a school life genre? That’s too sudden!

I was led out of the room by an employee. At the same time, I focused on the hearing of the clone I’d hidden in the ventilation shaft. Manipulating the clone’s senses while moving my main body still felt awkward.

Inside the office, I heard murmuring, as if opinions were divided. A tapping sound was heard, then it quieted.

“Alright, pay attention. See the intelligence test results? 10-6-8 has the highest intelligence quotient among our teenage test subject Awakeners. She also possesses a unique ability. Her way of speaking is a bit awkward, but it’s fine.”

Oh dear, I tried to mess up the intelligence test to seem like an idiot, but it seems I failed.

“Anyway, I somehow managed to pull some strings and get her admitted to an academy specializing in Awakeners. Now, we just need to assign someone to her and have her achieve average grades. For now, keep it a secret and don’t tell anyone, then reveal it later if the results are good. Wouldn’t that change how the higher-ups view us?”

“Nowadays, the best way to increase an Awakener’s value is through an academy. I heard that other companies are also enrolling kids with their applied technologies to verify them. Moreover, I checked, and her unique ability is rare: clone creation. It has some lacking aspects right now, but what if we improve it? A one-person Awakener army might be possible!”

The researchers seemed to be nodding in agreement. The bald man, now seemingly confident, raised his voice.

“And, how long are you guys going to keep ripping off suckers in this backwater? You need to get promoted. Don’t you want to be transferred to the main branch? I’ll package it appropriately and present it, so you just need to watch. Understood?”

The bald man’s overly exaggerated persuasion drew enthusiastic responses from the researchers.

Hurray! Amazing! Along with shouts, someone cheered, followed by a brief round of applause. They must have all lost their minds.

Damn it, so they’re trying to sell me off just to add another line to their resumes.

‘Our child gets such good grades and is so smart!’ It’s surprising to see parents who run academies for that purpose, not just in school, but here too.

But an academy, isn’t that a stretch? No idiot would try to enter the Pocket Monster World Championship with the goal of selling a stray cat at a high price.

Of course, I’m a beautiful girl, incomparable to a dirty stray cat! Anyway, that’s the point.

Just as I was about to cut off the clone’s senses and make it disappear, I heard something I couldn’t overlook.

“But Director-nim, what about that girl in the secret room?”

“That pink-haired one? Actually, headquarters just contacted me about her. Send her to the city with 10-6-8 on the day of departure. Don’t forget to implant a tracking device. Speaking of which, aren’t there any more useful test subjects? We should start clearing them out soon. We should also begin other projects…”

What? Kalia is being dragged to headquarters?

**

The plan Kalia and I put our heads together to create was originally this:

First, contact the Osprey Brotherhood to which Kalia belongs.

Afterward, the detailed plan would change depending on the Brotherhood’s method of assistance, but it was crucial to buy time to delay the lab’s response while they came to rescue her.

In the worst-case scenario, we had to create chaos by any means necessary, such as taking hostages or releasing all the magical beast cages on the second floor.

The starting point depended on how we contacted the outside. Since Kalia was restrained and imprisoned, finding a way was solely my role. The problem was, I was stuck at that very first step.

“It’s a bit difficult to say anything when we’re largely dependent on you, but you still haven’t found it?”

“Ugh… just a little more, please… They’re surprisingly strictly cut off from the outside!”

Employees surrender their mobile phones at the entrance before entering. Internet? I even tried sneaking into empty offices, carefully avoiding surveillance camera angles, but they used an intranet.

I occasionally eavesdropped from above the ceiling during what they called ‘security training,’ and they talked strange things about external attack threats.

Ultimately, I was considering whether to just go with the method of using Kalia as a front, taking hostages, and breaking through.

But things got complicated. It’s an emergency!

I met Kalia that evening.

“What’s wrong?”

As I hurriedly crawled through the ventilation shaft and tapped on the bars, Kalia’s eyes sharpened, as if she sensed the unusual atmosphere. I explained everything I had learned to Kalia in detail.

“We’re in big trouble! We have to scrap this and go with Plan B!…”

“Calm down. We still have about one to two days, right? If push comes to shove, we might be able to escape by exploiting a loophole during transportation.”

As I was about to spill my words like a storm, she calmed me down.

“I thought of that at first too, you know? But it seems impossible. They said they’re implanting tracking devices in both your body and mine!”

– This project is slowly coming to an end. But there was such a control method? With this, even one or two people can smoothly manage control.

– If implanted in the body, it’s a bio-tracking device that assimilates with the body, making extraction almost impossible. It’s an experimental technology, they say. It’s the item that was delivered today. They’re departing the day after tomorrow, so don’t forget to inject it into the test subjects’ bodies.

This was the result of what I saw and heard after moving the clone, unable to stay still while waiting for evening.

Hearing that, Kalia let out a soft sigh.

“Hmm… this isn’t good. We haven’t found a way to contact the outside, and while my condition has recovered thanks to you, it’s not perfect. Any potential weapons?”

“I told you last time. At most, it’s just tools. For now, we’ll either go down to the second floor, or knock out the guards and take their weapons.”

“Then we’ll have to advance the plan… I’m sorry. With me in this state, I’m just relying on you.”

She awkwardly shook both her arms for me to see. The chains attached to her restraints jingled. Her expression turned somber.

“No! You play the most important role in our plan. You are a very special existence!”

“…Thank you for saying that, even if it’s just lip service.”

Oh! I wasn’t just saying empty words, but she seemed to misunderstand. Even if she’s a 4-star character given as a default, she’s a playable character, so of course she’s special in this world.

I continued to shower her with exaggerated compliments.

“You’re super strong! Your hair is pink, so you’ll definitely be powerful! And you’re a beautiful girl!”

“Ha… what was that… are you teasing me?”

Kalia, facing me, shook her head from side to side, yet the corners of her lips curled slightly upward.

It was a sight not often seen from her fierce face with light pink bobbed hair.

From that faint smile and gaze, I could read many emotions.

Gratitude for my help, regret for being unable to repay it, and a sense of helplessness regarding her own powerlessness.

Seeing her like that, I remembered. The fact that this was the past,

The ‘character’ named Kalia, whom I saw behind a screen, was a strong woman full of self-esteem.

However, hidden beneath was a tender heart, composed of a sense of responsibility to not rely on others and altruism to not harm others.

Moreover, this is a point in time at least several years before the main story. She currently maintains a composed demeanor, pretending nothing is wrong on the surface.

However, in reality, she was still a girl who hadn’t left her teens. After failing to find her missing uncle and experiencing humiliation and pain within this lab, her heart couldn’t possibly be at ease.

It seems she was feeling very sorry towards me. Even though there was no need for it at all.

“Ah! I don’t know! Anyway, you’re special! So don’t lose heart, okay?”

“What? Who’s lost heart?! This girl…”

“Heheheh.”

“What’s with the ‘heheh’… Ugh, the more I look at you, the more foolish you seem…”

So, I hope Kalia becomes the strong girl she was in the main story again.

She looks cool that way.

“Since we haven’t secured a way to contact the outside, there’s no choice but to escape on our own, right? Hostage situations, frontal assaults—let’s try everything we can. Oh, but no setting fires, understood?”

“Alright, then it’s early this morning. Probably around 4 to 5 AM, okay?”

“Early morning, huh? Then I’ll try to get some sleep now.”

I withdrew the clone to conserve mana. My mana was depleted and needed to recover until dawn.

Strangely, my mind was clear. Was it because my body was tense? Looking at the desk clock I’d stolen from the office, it was almost time.

I created clones. One on the floor, one on the ceiling. I had to manipulate two at once.

I had occasionally done group exercises or danced during experiments, but this was my first time moving two clones separately.

The visual information entering my mind was three times the usual. Even if my main body lay still with its eyes closed, I had to handle double. It was difficult.

‘From now on, I need to stay sharp and move.’

The clone moving on the third floor’s ceiling would be called No. 2, and the clone moving on the second floor’s ground would be called No. 3. No. 1 was me. This was a form of self-suggestion to facilitate smoother manipulation.

First, I moved No. 2 towards the corner of the ceiling where I had gathered the items I’d pilfered over time.

Carrying the large, old sack filled with items like a backpack, I cautiously turned to leave, but oh no. I took the wrong path.

‘It’s dark, so I got confused again.’

As I was about to turn back, I sensed someone, so I paused my movement and waited for them to pass. I heard several people talking. A moment later, I heard the sound of water flowing.

‘What is it?’

Even after a long while, the conversation didn’t disappear. I pried open a gap above the second toilet stall in a corner of the ceiling, which I often used for spying, and peeked inside.

“…There! Good. It seems I’ll have some free time after this project ends, you know? I’m going too! Kkya… Thanks, man! Hahahaha…”

Some researcher guy was holding a smartphone and busily chattering on a call.

Wait? A smartphone? I heard that according to the rules here, mobile phones aren’t allowed inside the lab…

Hold on. That glasses-wearing researcher, I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere.

‘Ah… let’s just let it slide. He’s just using a messenger app…’

‘That watchdog is really making a fuss for nothing. It’s just a dummy phone, you idiot…’

Now I remember. That researcher was the shifty guy who gave the dummy phone to the security guard before!

‘The means of contact was here all along!’

With the situation already urgent, there was no reason to be more cautious now. There was no time to spare either.

‘It’s a good thing I brought this along.’

I carefully crawled down from above the partition and landed on the toilet. The glasses-wearing researcher was too absorbed in excitedly chattering with his friend.

I cautiously pulled out the hammer I had taken from the warehouse last time.

[ForgePro™ Alloy Hammer ☆☆]

A hammer produced by Rustroom, a specialized tool manufacturer.

Made from rare minerals from another dimension, it is sturdy and expensive.

The tool company went bankrupt due to its excessive attempts,

but the ForgePro™ brand is being reevaluated as a weapon.

That a tool of creation becomes a weapon of slaughter.

Isn’t this ironic?

…

There was one peculiar thing about the status window. The moment I held a tool and focused my thoughts, it would display a window briefly explaining the item’s performance or characteristics.

It was truly amazing; if I held an object and focused, it would show me ‘ ‘ or ‘ ‘.

In 『Crimson Scholar』, it was common to grind up all 1-star or 2-star weapons for enhancement, but for me right now, even a 2-star was a blessing.

I opened the toilet stall door.

“Hup!”

“Huh? Who… Ugh!”

I swung with all my might, striking the back of his head with a loud thwack.

[Attacking from behind activated Synchronization Affinity: Backstab. Damage increased!]

Thanks to the amplified damage effect, the glasses-wearing researcher fell with a single blow.

Just in case, I struck his head two more times. Blood splattered. Checking again, he wasn’t moving and wasn’t breathing, so he seemed dead.

‘For the first time, I’ve killed someone.’

The sensation of striking his head, the impact when the hammer collided, felt quite unpleasant.

Yet, surprisingly, I found myself remarkably calm.

Had my mind gone strange?

I quickly snatched the smartphone from his hand, then dragged the body to the very end of the toilet stall and hid it. Anxiously wondering if anyone would come, I splashed water to roughly scatter the bloodstains.

After using the original owner’s fingerprint to unlock the smartphone’s security, I grunted and climbed back up to the ceiling.

‘Such luck!’

Good, originally there was something else I had to do, but now there was no need.

I moved clone No. 2 and sent it to Kalia.