episode_0249

The sky outside the barrier was peaceful. It was a stark contrast to the city within the barrier, which was covered in murky clouds.

Sometimes, the fact that we, linked as a collective, existed simultaneously within two cities with completely different scenery and atmospheres would cause us a slight confusion.

Fortunately, dark clouds slowly began to appear over the blue afternoon sky.

Now, my senses feel a bit more synchronized.

No, why a sudden political news? I turned the channel, annoyed.

Good. That’s the weather forecast I wanted. Now I’m finally satisfied.

Just as I was focusing on the broadcast playing in my ears, Adela Unnie returned from meeting with the Federal Army.

“Violet, what’s the situation inside right now?”

“First off, everyone inside the convention center is safe. Those at the Aegis Academy booth are also safe. But…”

“But?”

Violet, via radio, gave a response laden with multiple meanings.

“The situation is a bit strange!”

“Violet, it seems a lot of the previous content has been omitted.”

Adela Unnie, who hadn’t quite understood my words, asked for a more detailed explanation. It’s times like these that I regret not being able to share the Violet Network with others. Conveying thoughts directly from my mind is much faster than speaking.

“Unnie, do you remember when we fought Magnabiss before?”

“You mean that incident at Vittorio Arcade?”

I recalled the fanatics we had encountered in that dungeon.

“There was that strange group called the Unity Society that led monsters to attack the outpost. The behavioral patterns of the monsters we’re facing now are similar to back then. They’re moving like a trained army!”

I specifically described our dungeon experience: monsters moving in perfect unison regardless of type, sudden abduction attempts, and even an awkwardly sudden halt to their pursuit and retreat.

As Adela Unnie listened intently to my story, a shadow slowly crept into her eyes.

“So, someone inside the Erosion Zone is controlling the monsters. Is that what you’re trying to say?”

“Yes, that’s right!”

As if realizing the gravity of the situation, the emotion in Unnie’s voice faded.

“The original plan was for the academy to assemble a small rescue team and send them with the Federal Army. But if what Violet says is true, this is by no means a minor issue.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

“One moment of carelessness is enough. I’ll explain the situation to the academy board and request more rescue personnel. I’m also planning to ask our family for military support.”

I was impressed by Unnie’s confident demeanor, but at the same time, I worried whether it was a good idea to involve even the family’s hunters in such a dangerous matter.

“Wow… will that really be okay?”

“What do you mean, ‘okay’? It’s the duty of those with power to help people in crisis. As long as our family is involved with the academy foundation and its board, shouldn’t we naturally take responsibility? Getting permission won’t be difficult.”

Hmm, Unnie seemed to have misunderstood the gist of my question somewhat.

“Anyway, I’m a bit worried about the fact that this internal space within the barrier is the first area to appear. A military official informed us that information analysis suggests this interior is likely Asteria City. But the barrier is obstructing accurate information gathering.”

“Asteria City?”

“They say it was one of the sacred sites of a certain religion that vanished during the Great War. Its name was… the Sacred Heart Order, I think.”

The Sacred Heart Order. Hearing the name of the organization that had distributed bread to us again gave me a strange sense of déjà vu.

“It’s dangerous to carelessly send people into an Erosion Zone or dungeon that’s just been discovered. The military and Lestrade are also conducting preliminary surveys before deploying full-scale rescue teams. Even if a rescue team comes, they won’t be able to come immediately.”

Unnie spoke with a cautious attitude. Beyond the barrier, somewhere in the city, there was an unknown entity controlling the monsters. It would be reckless to deploy forces hastily when they didn’t know what traps might be waiting.

“The most ideal solution would be to form a reconnaissance team with a small group of elite hunters specialized in pioneering and infiltration. The problem is that there aren’t many skilled clans that specialize in that…”

As I looked at Adela Unnie lost in thought, a good idea suddenly popped into my head. If there was a group of hunters whose main mission was to pioneer and explore unknown territories, weren’t they already close by?

“Unnie, there are people like that near us!”

“Who are they?”

I answered confidently.

“Helios!”

**

Irene observed her father, standing tall in the hangar. He was a bit large for her father, but he was undeniably her one and only father.

A high-pitched whine continued, making her ears ring, and Irene’s face twisted slightly as she looked at her tablet. The interior of the space was filled with sharp metallic noises generated by machines, more than enough to stimulate her sensitive hearing.

Her annoyance was brief, and she quickly refocused on her work. The Magnabiss researchers provided by Violet and several technicians scouted from outside were efficiently modifying Stregonix’s body.

‘What did Manager Viktor say? That the design was somewhat similar to Lestrade’s power armor, making it easy to modify?’

Indeed, the claim that the four major clans had collaborated to create it was not an empty boast. Thanks to that, parts were easy to acquire, making modification simple.

On the tablet screen, blueprints before and after modification were displayed side-by-side for comparison. The current appearance and the expected image after modification were quite close.

‘Yes, this modification was necessary.’

Once the technicians finished their maintenance, Irene asked her father, “Father, how do you feel? Are you uncomfortable?”

A smiling face appeared on the LED screen attached to his head. “Uncomfortable? Not at all. I feel wonderful. Full of power!”

As if to demonstrate his strength, a heavy thrum echoed from his power core and both arms and legs.

“That’s a relief then. But…”

Irene continued her thoughts, letting out a small sigh. Her gaze turned to the Head of the Reconnaissance Department and the Head of the Artifact Excavation Department standing beside her father. The two executives, boasting Helios Clan’s core combat power, were engaged in a heated debate about the modifications.

“What did I tell you? We should’ve used Alphaion Corp. parts! To fully replicate the Chief Executive’s original skill, the joints need to be smoother—”

“Have you forgotten what the technicians said? Since the original was designed for long-range combat, it’s inevitable that its movements aren’t delicate. We should just focus on power.”

A while ago, the Helios Frontier Service board had unanimously passed a resolution for additional modifications to maximize the Chief Executive’s combat power. Up to this point, Irene herself had fully agreed with the matter.

Stregonix’s body was unsuitable for her father, who specialized in agile spear arts and hand-to-hand combat. In the initial stages of modification, the length of the arms and legs was extended to more naturally mimic his human movements. Armor plates composed of megasteel and various rare metals were added for extra defense, and various artifacts were generously invested to enhance defensive capabilities.

As a result, Stregonix’s original height, already close to 3 meters, increased by about 1.5 times. Now, her father, Orion, boasted a stature comparable to the Federal Army’s bipedal weapons platforms.

‘This was necessary. But…’

In truth, the increased size was not even a problem. Her true concern lay elsewhere.

“Irene, why the long face? Did you find something wrong with the documents?” Morgan, the bronze-skinned man who was the manager, spoke up when he saw her troubled expression.

“No, there are no procedural issues.”

Morgan thought her attitude stemmed from guilt over turning her father into a cyborg. Feeling sympathetic, he offered words of comfort to her as an experienced senior hunter.

“As I’ve said before, don’t blame yourself too much. You said yourself that there was no other way. I would have made the same choice as you. Of course, the best option would be a regeneration artifact, but…”

“It wouldn’t hurt to search for it slowly, I suppose.”

“Hmm, it seems the Acting Chief Executive is finally interested in this matter. Our team—”

Manager Viktor’s cold voice interrupted their conversation.

“Enough. We agreed to suspend that pointless endeavor for now. Acting Chief Executive, you’ve seemed to have a complaint for a while, speak your mind.”

As if on cue, Irene replied, “Actually, I think the modifications are a bit excessive. I question whether this approach is truly correct.”

To her query, Morgan and Viktor responded as if it were nothing.

“You also approved the additional budget, didn’t you? This is a project to boost our clan’s combat power.”

“Statistically, we can expect a combat power increase of over 200%. Isn’t that a perfectly rational plan?”

Had they still not grasped the core of the problem? Irene unfolded her tablet and spoke in a calm tone.

“I agree with increasing Father’s combat power. But, managers…”

Suddenly, Irene’s gaze sharpened, like a wife confronting a husband who secretly bought an imported car. “You were supposed to modify it, not turn it into a department store!”

In the direction she pointed, countless armaments were being prepared for installation on Orion’s body.

“What’s the problem? It’s good. Firepower.”

“Acting Chief Executive. It seems you don’t understand, but you need sufficient armament to prepare for any situation in the field.”

Their words left her dumbfounded. And rightly so. Unlike the initial plan, which simply included shooting weapons, a long spear, and an additional shield, the final plan had somehow transformed into something beyond imagination.

“The technical department kept requesting budget, so I wondered what it was for, and it turns out you two made additional requests one by one. Missile launchers, multiple bolt throwers, direct-fire cannons, harpoon launchers, ether emitters…”

At this rate, her father would become a combat machine with an appearance even Violet would go wild for. Truly, a walking super-heavy tank. A serious chunk of overkill.

“This is too over-armed! Budget aside, if there are so many weapons, the constant operation will be a huge burden on your nerves. More importantly, how will you transport it long-distance?”

“We’ll just airlift it with a helicopter. We can take the equipment separately and assemble it on site!”

Orion’s speaker, which had been silent, turned on. “Don’t worry too much, my child. I requested this myself. I must account for that much.”

“Excuse me?”

The modified Stregonix shrugged its shoulders.

“Why did you do that? This configuration is far from Father’s original fighting style.”

“I judged that replicating my previous fighting style exactly would be difficult. And besides…”

The next moment, Orion uttered something unexpected. “Can’t you tell? It’s cool.”

“…Huh?” Irene felt utterly bewildered.

Suddenly, an unbelievable sight unfolded before her eyes. Helios’s top executives, excited like toy collectors, reacted to their leader’s words.

“How about adding more machine guns while we’re at it?”

“There are too many shooting weapons. My personal opinion is, how about adding cutting saws to both arms?”

“That’s a good idea, Viktor! Chainsaws aren’t bad either.”

Now, they were passionately debating how to make it even more over-armed. Irene was speechless.

‘Are these really the people I know?’

The two adult men and one giant cyborg were discussing ideas like elementary schoolers excitedly playing with a robot toy.

Fortunately, Irene’s bewilderment didn’t last long. A special operations unit member appeared, holding a phone and looking for her.

“No. 998. What’s the matter? Alright. Just a moment—”

She took the phone, and soon, a familiar voice was heard.

“Student Council President-nim?”

*I didn’t expect Ms. Irene to answer directly.*

The voice on the phone was kind but conveyed its message clearly: a contract and a request for support.

When the call ended, Morgan asked, “Cascadia? That’s already underway.”

“It’s a request from Aegis Academy. Erosion Zone exploration and rescue.”

Once the explanation was finished, the managers returned to their professional demeanor as if nothing had happened.

“Everyone assemble! We’re deploying. Move quickly.”

“Erosion Zone, you said? We’ll depart as soon as equipment checks are complete.”

Preparation time was not short. Considering the distance from the central sector to the southern sector, it would take time even by helicopter. Just as the three hurriedly exited the hangar, the speaker vibrated once more.

“Wait a moment, I’m coming too.”

At Orion’s request, Irene asked with concern, “The modifications aren’t completely finished yet. Will you be okay?”

“Of course I will.”

Stregonix lifted a spear as tall as a utility pole that lay beside him and replied, “This is a live-fire test. Personal preferences don’t matter in the field.”

The iron man’s power core thrummed, ready for battle.

**

Deep within Asteria City, the Violets searching the area witnessed a procession of monsters moving in orderly lines.

“It’s them!” “The monsters are moving.”

Monsters of different shapes, species, and sizes moved through the streets like an army. Feeling suspicious, we shadowed them. We also didn’t forget to plant dormant Violets in every corner and crevice of the walls as backups.

“Where are they going?”

We kept our distance and followed the monster procession. They clearly had a commander. If we followed them to the end, we would find them.

Of course, we had to be careful while shadowing. They were more sensitive than usual, and even a slight mistake would cause them to pounce like lightning.

“Screech!” “You should’ve been more careful.”

Seeing another Violet Stalker torn apart, the other Violets moved more calmly. We could respawn, but then we’d have to chase the monsters from the beginning again, which was annoying.

“I wish I’d just let myself be abducted.”

Since the fight a little while ago, they had been treating us like sworn enemies, trying to kill us without fail whenever they saw us. Perhaps it was because we overused self-destruct.

After shadowing them for a long time, we heard a loud noise nearby, indicating a battle. It was around then that the marching monsters suddenly changed direction.

“Survivors?” “Could it be…!”

Filled with anticipation and fear, we followed the monsters towards the source of the noise.

And we saw it.

“Growl!” -Thud!

Endless hordes of monsters pouring through an alleyway. And amidst that wave of monsters, a woman darting around with only a single sword.

“It’s Sophieel Unnie!”

Overjoyed at finally finding her, the Violets rushed forward joyfully.

-Rat-a-tat! “Unnie! We’ve come to save you!” “What? Violet! Why are you here…”

Dozens of Violets, having multiplied, fought their way through the monsters and rushed to Unnie. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to be injured anywhere.

“Violet! Don’t come this way! Be careful!” “Found her!” “Let’s take her somewhere safe now!”

Our joy was brief. A sinister beam of light cut across our path. No. 876’s body instantly stiffened as the light brushed her.

Turning our heads towards where the light came from, we saw a woman with an ominous aura. I blinked, and the woman vanished.

“Huh? My foot, why…” No. 876, bewildered, realized her body was turning to stone.

“Waaah! Turning to stone! I’m being turned into concrete!” -Shatter!

With a final shriek, I shattered into pieces.

“Ack! It’s a petrification beam!”

The Violets were horrified. If you get hit by this, you’re guaranteed to die!