When Violet first crossed the gate, what she encountered was a long tunnel. After passing through the dark passage, a spacious area appeared suddenly.
“Wow, it’s huge! This is beyond my imagination. Can everyone see this?”
“Indeed! What is all this?”
The Violet Temporary Command Center was busy digesting the information transmitted in real-time by 406. After about five minutes of observation, there were too many suspicious aspects. In fact, both the Student Council President and the Treasurer, who should have been at school, were here. It seemed worth investigating.
The facilities here resembled a massive cavern. Except for the concrete ceiling, of course. Makeshift structures were built across the floor using metal panels, and various complex devices and wires were chaotically strewn above them.
Artificial lights were installed all around the ceiling, casting shadows created by machines and structures of considerable size.
Violet 406 moved stealthily, careful not to be detected. Fortunately, this odd facility looked like it had been swept away by a storm—nothing remained intact.
“Was there even an earthquake?”
“Seems like it. I can see some dead bodies here.”
406 quietly ascended the stairs to the makeshift structure. Looking around, countless metal cages came into view.
“Look over there, monsters in cages!”
Violet recalled the time she was trapped in the Laplacian Laboratory. This facility also kept various large and small monsters caged for experimentation, just like that place. The monsters inside the cages were trapped, and many of the cages were broken or damaged.
“Did the monsters we caught spill out from there?”
The ground around was soaked in blood, and there were bodies of both monsters and people scattered about—it seemed like a major incident had occurred. The surrounding walls were stained with burn marks, and broken swords and bolts littered the floor.
“Was there a mass monster breakout?”
“Let’s keep investigating for now.”
Violet continued to probe the facility. She made sure to film every suspicious location.
White-coated researchers hurried past, while guards bearing the Magnavis Clan’s symbol moved about frantically. Some lights were off in various parts of the facility, indicating damage.
Violet entered a room inside the facility and witnessed a shocking scene.
“What is that? Human brains!”
“Ahhh!”
Inside what looked like a laboratory, numerous people’s skulls were opened. The age range varied. Electrodes and wires were densely plugged into brains, while unidentified drugs were being injected into their heads through tubes.
“Those people, they’re still alive!”
“That’s horrifying…”
In the center of the people was an unidentifiable device. The wires embedded in the brains led to that device in the middle. Surrounding instruments moved and displayed incomprehensible signals on the screens in real-time.
“What on earth is going on here?”
As Clone 3 cautiously spoke up, a scream echoed from outside the door.
“Help me! Please save me!”
“Test subject escaping!”
Peeking slightly outside the door, Violet saw a patient, dressed in a hospital gown with pins stuck in his head, collapsing after being shot.
“This place is just like the Laplacian Laboratory…”
The guards dragged the corpse away elsewhere. Violet looked up and surveyed her surroundings before heading to another room.
The scenes in the lab were varied. There were rooms filled with the brains of large and small monsters, and even people connected to the monster brains with wires.
It seemed the identity of the hidden facility inside the dungeon was indeed a research laboratory for human experimentation. But for what purpose?
After exiting the laboratory, Violet went back up to the structure to check for any anomalies.
It was then that gunfire suddenly erupted. Confusion and screams followed, prompting Violet to move quickly.
406 dashed between structures toward the location of the commotion. Moments later, the horror that flowed into the Violet Network left everyone speechless.
“A student…!”
Long ago, the executives of Magnavis made the mistake of monopolizing Chloris Great Forest. After checking the reports from the operational staff, the executives realized that the revenue from the dungeon was far too low. The quality of the monsters residing there was poor, and their numbers were scarce. Moreover, there were no special resources inside.
Additionally, the Chloris Great Forest had somewhat unstable spatial characteristics. The space within the dungeon repeatedly expanded and contracted in cycles, much like the ebb and flow of tides. What happened rarely in other dungeons was an annual event here.
After several incidents where hunters exploring the area went missing due to the spatial expansion and contraction phenomenon, the executives pondered how to deal with this useless dungeon.
Just as everyone’s opinions were about to converge on closing the dungeon, one of the executives proposed an interesting idea: Why not take advantage of the dungeon’s spatial characteristics?
Through various studies and experiments, the wizards of Magnavis discovered an intriguing fact: Objects placed within the expanded space were inaccessible when the dungeon contracted, yet they did not disappear or get destroyed.
It was a space highly suitable for hiding something.
Furthermore, they successfully manipulated the unstable space of the dungeon to build a pocket dimension within it. A dungeon within a dungeon, so to speak. Thus, the secret research facility known as A13 was born.
And now, Croscelle was inspecting the interior of the research facility.
“Thank you for the swift support. Thanks to you, the situation was quickly brought under control.”
“Just doing my job. Don’t mind it.”
As the overseer of the laboratory smiled sheepishly, he responded nonchalantly.
The A13 laboratory was swept up in an unexpected sudden expansion of the dungeon, resulting in damage to part of the facility. Seizing this opportunity, experimental monsters escaped en masse. When the laboratory requested support, the Board of Directors deployed Croscelle and Kaim, who were waiting at the closest location, namely the Academy. There was a small passage connecting the outside with the research facility.
The two of them swiftly handled the chaos.
“It doesn’t seem like the situation is settled yet; let’s investigate a little more.”
Croscelle decided to look deeper into the laboratory. There were many tasks at hand, but since it was an order from the Board, they couldn’t afford to slack off.
“Oh, Student Council President! You’ve been working hard!”
Kaim suddenly appeared beside him, all cheerful.
“I told you multiple times to drop the formalities when we’re outside. This isn’t the Academy. Also, drop the title of Student Council President; there’s no need to show you’re a student.”
“Alright, alright, you’re such a handful.”
While checking the internal state of the laboratory, the two talked.
“By the way, what’s the new task that came down? It doesn’t seem like it involves outsiders.”
“Not much. You know these people.”
“Who the heck are they?”
Instead of answering, Croscelle handed over the tablet from his bag. Kaim gleefully manipulated the tablet like a child tearing into a toy box. As he opened the information, the face of a girl with striking purple hair and a stern expression appeared.
“Wow! It’s Irene Solstice! How amazing! Didn’t the Board say to just keep watching for a while?”
“The discussions with the insiders of the Helios Clan have concluded. That girl will lose everything now: her home, her wealth, and even the protection of her clan.”
“That’s so sad! She’s so pretty, too. But what do you mean by insiders? Who are they?”
Kaim’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as he asked. Croscelle chuckled.
“Well, they’re probably relatives wanting to pick apart the shares of a foolish heiress. We just have to take care of that human.”
Kaim was impressed.
“Wow! Family really is the scariest thing.”
“I know, right? But Orion Solstice is in a half-dead state after fighting top-tier monsters and is currently bedridden. It’s obvious he’s beyond revival. Soon, the clan’s management issues will come to the forefront. Normally, the principle would have the daughter inherit her father’s shares.”
“If the person is gone, it goes to someone else. I think they’ve already wrapped up discussions with the insiders. The Board is really thorough, huh? So, who’s next? Oh, wait. It’s this guy.”
While Kaim was flipping through the screens, a familiar face caught his eye.
“Instructor Frederick has been around for quite a while. Isn’t it about time he retired?”
“I heard that old guy has been pretending to do nothing while doing some background checks all this time.”
“Well, that’s a good thing. I’ve always been curious about that senior’s skills.”
“Don’t have useless thoughts. Lera and the troops dispatched from Magnavis will also be moving. That old man has his own uses.”
Saying this, Croscelle inwardly scoffed at Frederick. That pathetic old man must have lazed about for five years just collecting a paycheck. Suddenly feeling a sense of justice?
As Croscelle surveyed the surroundings, he spotted something strange. An outsider. He thought the external passage was closed?
“Call for the guards.”
“Huh, really?”
The two of them quickly moved towards the students, remaining quiet and swift.
While Violet was thoroughly investigating the laboratory, eight students accidentally stepped into the entrance of the A13 research facility. At first glance, the entrance to the pocket dimension resembled an ordinary gate.
“Nathan, is this the right place? This is different from where we entered.”
“It might be connected to some underground tunnel outside the dungeon.”
A male student named Nathan drew his sword and pointed beyond the passage.
“We’ve been trapped for three days already. If we just try a bit harder, we can quickly head home with the others. If it’s a dangerous place, we can leave immediately.”
Nathan thought carefully. Since their classmates were exhausted, they needed to find a new gate as soon as possible. Otherwise, he worried that someone would soon be hurt or worse.
“Don’t be too scared. I’ll take responsibility for keeping you safe.”
“Got it, I trust you. Oh? An exit…”
Suddenly, the group stepped out of the black tunnel. Their eyes widened in shock at the unexpected sight.
“Where are we?”
“This doesn’t seem like the outside…”
The eight students had entered the corridor of the A13 research facility.
“I don’t know what this place is, but it seems like there are people here. We might be able to ask for help?”
“Maybe? But it looks like they’ve been attacked by monsters, too.”
Though it didn’t seem like an exit to the dungeon, the students thought they might find water or food.
However, upon entering the facility, the students were greeted with chaos.
“What the…? This place is…”
“Something’s seriously wrong! Let’s go back!”
Feeling uneasy, Nathan decided to lead his friends back. Whatever this place was, it felt wrong.
At that moment, they saw several people in patient attire, their heads adorned with bizarre devices, running somewhere in a hurry. Startled, the students hid behind nearby debris.
“Ahhh! Please!”
“Test subjects 4, 1, and 12 are escaping! Clean it up fast!”
People in hospital gowns, with strange devices on their heads, were being chased by guards, falling to the ground after being shot. The guards dragged the fallen bodies away like trash.
“Ugh, what is that?!”
“Let’s, let’s get out of here!”
The students, witnessing the shocking scene, hurriedly retreated toward the exit, only to be blocked by heavily armed guards.
“Stop!”
Surprised by the threat of guns and crossbows, the students fumbled to draw their own weapons. Croscelle stepped forward from among the guards, feeling a bit flustered.
“A student, huh? First-years, if I recall. Wasn’t it the experiential learning period?”
“Right, they mentioned the dungeon entrance was currently blocked. I shouldn’t just process them immediately, should I? Don’t forget to follow the instructions from above. They must be treated according to grade.”
“I know.”
Croscelle gestured, and the guards lowered their weapons. Suddenly, the students’ gazes were fixated on the appearing Croscelle.
“Who is that?”
“I know! I saw him last time. Isn’t he the Student Council President?”
As the students gazed at him with ambiguous expressions, the Student Council President slowly spoke.
“You are first-year students, aren’t you? I’m sorry, but this is a restricted area managed by the school. Please leave at once.”
“A restricted area? I never heard of such a thing…”
He carefully examined each student’s face while cross-referencing with a list. They were not on the must-keep list. Their grades were low-middle, and they had trespassed into a security-sensitive facility. By principle, they shouldn’t be allowed to pass.
Croscelle’s expression, which had been flexible until then, turned sharp. Kaim, who had been checking the list, nodded in agreement.
“Since you learned about it today, it’s acceptable. You should have never set foot here in the first place.”
“What? What do you mean by that?”
Just then, one girl retorted, and she felt a sudden shock to her chest. Looking down, she saw a sword lodged in her breast. Confused, she collapsed to the ground.
—Tatata!
Simultaneously, the guards opened fire.
“Ahhh!”
“Ugh!”
Students struck by bullets fell to the ground. The remaining students began to flee, some trying to hide behind shields or through magic.
“Yahhh!”
One brave student charged toward the guards with a shield.
“It’s pretty tough. How interesting,” Croscelle thought as he extended his arm. The male student’s body was lifted with a grunt. Clenching his fist, telekinesis crushed the student’s limbs.
“Ugh… Aaaah!”
From behind the Student Council President, several swords rose and floated in the air. The swords manipulated by telekinesis choked the breath out of the boys and girls attempting to flee or defend themselves.
“Ahh! My eyes! I can’t see… Nathan… help me…!”
“No! Riley!”
The girl, whose eyes were sliced, screamed and collapsed, a blade piercing her heart.
Nathan, holding up his shield and bravely resisting, collapsed while spitting blood. Five swords struck his body in rapid succession. He barely managed to summon his strength and shouted.
“Why… why are you doing this…?!”
“You saw something you shouldn’t have seen. That’s all there is to it.”
Croscelle answered nonchalantly as he cut off the last student’s breath. Of course, he enjoyed the thrill of dealing with those he considered inferior and low-class, but he didn’t show it outwardly.
“Oh dear, quite a few have died again.”
“You know, they’re disposable. Orphans, single-parent households, and those from lower social standings. They weren’t valuable Awakened Ones we needed for the plan. They can be replaced at any time.”
Croscelle turned his head toward the presence nearby, discovering three people frozen at the entrance. At the worst moment, Lucian’s group had witnessed everything.
“Well, they saw it.”
Lucian cursed at the horrific scene before his eyes.
“You crazy bastard!”
The swords hovering above Croscelle whipped toward them, and the guards began firing.
“Ugh! Uwaaaaah!”
Granite collapsed to the ground while Levi took cover behind a nearby obstruction. Lucian defended against the bullets with various magic and deflected the swords flying toward him.
“Ugh!”
Lucian groaned in pain as several telekinetically manipulated swords cunningly flanked him from behind. Although he managed to dodge quickly, he could not avoid injury.
“Lucian! Your back!”
“I can’t just sit still! I’ll fight too!”
“Help? What help? You all can’t handle this! Run away now!”
The encirclement tightened moment by moment. Sadly, there seemed to be no escape for the group.
Just then, Violet arrived, having heard the gunshots, and witnessed everything.
*
Outside, Violet screamed.
“Ahhh!”
“Violet? What’s wrong?”
Irene looked worriedly at 98. The shock experienced by 406 had transferred to 98 without any filter.
“The Student Council President!”
“The Student Council President? Croscelle?”
“The Student Council President is killing students!”
“The Student Council President is killing students!”
“Hiyahhh!”
She saw students lying on the ground, shot to death.
“Oh no! There’s that hero party too! Poor things.”
Sadly, they had met their grim fate some time ago. What mattered more was something else. She saw Lucian’s team engaged in a desperate struggle.
“They’re still alive! We have to save them!”
“We might be exposed!”
“Does that even matter? A madman is killing people!”
While our Violet has killed, she hasn’t indiscriminately slaughtered like that psycho! She wouldn’t stab innocent students!
Sure, she thought Croscelle was a psycho, but she never imagined he would be a psychopathic murderer!
Croscelle couldn’t be allowed to kill anyone else. The students who had already died were a lost cause, but at the very least, Lucian’s team had to be saved!
A jolt ran through the Violet Network. 406 screamed like a siren, contacting the Temporary Command Center. The shock from Croscelle was vividly felt among them.
“Command Center! Permission to use the Flame Blade and Hand of Destiny!”
“Not right now! Look at his level! Don’t you see he’s using telekinesis?”
“Check the magical power around! He’s stronger than our friend!”
Unit 1 coolly directed.
“Try to avoid direct confrontation at all costs! Buy some time. I’ll permit the use of combat rifles!”
“Understood!”
406 pulled out a combat rifle. The crossbow was slow, giving a chance to dodge. She wasn’t sure if she could kill him.
Lucian didn’t seem to be in good shape. He appeared overwhelmed, dodging gunfire from the guards while engaging numerous swords flying through the air. He was already bleeding from several injuries.
Turning to check where the others were, Violet noticed Levi hiding behind a barrier and Granite struggling against a single flying sword.
They had to divert his attention so their friends could escape!
With no time to aim while resting the rifle on the railing, she pulled the trigger.
-Bang! Bang! Bang!
The crisp gunfire rang out consecutively. The bullets flew and shattered the Student Council President’s head…
-Kachang!
In disbelief, she rubbed her eyes. Was Croscelle made of stone?
No. The swords flying around had blocked the incoming bullets!
“Change the target! The Treasurer!”
Quickly re-aiming at the Treasurer, who stood beside the Student Council President, she fired again.
This time, she succeeded. The bullet from the combat rifle shattered the Treasurer’s skull, creating a large hole in his chest.
At that moment, as the surrounding guards’ vigilance weakened, Lucian’s group, realizing something was off, dashed away at full speed.
“I got them!”
Croscelle barked a command to the guards, then turned. Strangely, he didn’t seem to care at all about the dead Treasurer beside him.
His eyes met Violet’s. She saw him open his mouth, and though she couldn’t hear him, she could read his lips and sense the intent.
‘There was another one.’
Then, he used the sword he was holding to deflect bullets. Some of the guards also turned their eyes toward her. The instant the bullets fell, he leaped into the air.
He was flying right toward where she was!
“That guy’s coming for me!”
“It’s telekinesis! He’s lifting himself with telekinesis!”
She thought he could only choke people with telekinesis, but it was surprisingly versatile!
Even more unsettling, ten swords hovered around him, moving like living creatures.
As he charged toward her, the swords rained down.
“Insane! It’s blade magic!”
“Dodge!”
She quickly ducked as the swords flew overhead, embedding into the wall. Their power was no joke!
He landed on the metal panel of the structure she was standing on, and the ten swords around him radiated a menacing aura. Any movement could mean being skewered immediately.
“Should I fight him here?”
Unit 2 advised against it.
“We can’t, remember when we first met the Student Council President? He knows what our abilities are. If we use the Clone Technique, he might notice.”
“Then what do we do?”
“We need to disguise ourselves with another unique ability. For example…”
The Temporary Command Center quickly relayed the explanation to 406. 406 internally gasped. It was quite a revolutionary method.
Croscelle charged at her with deadly intensity.
“What is your identity?”
“…”
Croscelle’s eyes, which had been closely examining her, slightly twisted.
“The blurry view suggests you’ve used an interference device. Well, it doesn’t matter if you don’t answer. My friend excels at interrogation. Even if you’re all tied up later, it won’t matter…”
He rambled on, despite her not asking. Thankfully, as long as he wasn’t pursuing, Lucian’s team had a higher chance of survival.
She decided to provoke him to buy more time.
“Shut up, you trashy loser!”
“What did you say?”
Croscelle frowned at her sudden abusive remark.
“I came here to deliver judgment upon you.”
She picked her words carefully. Let’s slowly act the part of the villain. Conveniently, she had an interference device and a voice modulator. Using this, no one would recognize her.
“We’re terrorists! Wait, those guys were here, right?”
“Alright, from now on, we’re their identity.”
At just the right moment, there was a vocally known representative causing mischief in Rustroom academy city—a group in black combat uniforms.
“Deliver judgment? What do you…”
“I’m from the Obsidian Legion.”
Her modulated voice sounded stiff even to her.
Croscelle’s expression turned baffled.
“The Obsidian Legion? Hah, who’s calling whom trash in a terrorist’s role?”
“True. But hey, it’s accurate that I’m part of the Obsidian Legion, right?”
Hearing another voice from the opposite side of the Student Council President, she turned her head and was startled. The Treasurer she had just shot in the head was standing there, unharmed.
Seeing her reaction, Croscelle sneered.
“Surprised? My colleague doesn’t die. Hey, you said you were from the Obsidian Legion, right? I’ll make sure to take off that mask.”
Around him, the ten swords hovered ominously, and more swords appeared from behind him. Now there were a total of fifteen swords aiming at Violet.
406 pulled out two submachine guns, firing wildly while retreating.
“This is Croscelle, the intruder is moving from Sector 1 to Sector 2! Detain them!”
She could feel the sound of blades slicing through the air from behind. Guards from Magnavis were also rushing up from below. But it was fine.
She had seen Lucian and his crew escaping. While the guards pursued, their friends were heading in that direction. If timed correctly, they might be able to escape.
Buy more time like this!
“Judgment? You’re the ones who are going to be judged!”
“Run! Aahhh!”
However, a sword stabbed into 406’s back. Immediately after, she created a new clone on the lower staircase while pulling out prepared explosives and igniting them.
-Boom!
406 exploded into pieces.
The clone, 312, created just before the explosion, dashed wildly across the platform. Croscelle’s eyes widened in disbelief upon seeing 312.
“I definitely felt a sensation when stabbing. How…?”
312 fired its weapon indiscriminately, ensuring he wouldn’t see the explosion of her body!
Luckily, his gaze shifted. As she desperately tried to escape again, she was pierced by another sword, setting off the Molotov cocktail to turn 312 into ashes.
As her body dispersed into magical particles, Clone 12, generated behind the wall, began firing its weapons as it fled.
They were closing in as they discussed.
“I clearly killed that one! Is it a resurrection?”
“No, that’s the same individual! It’s…”
And they succeeded in their goal.
“The intruder can teleport! They can’t have gone far. Surround them!”
Croscelle shouted to summon reinforcements, tracking their movements with an agitated voice. With each call, he kept mentioning teleportation. They succeeded in creating confusion.
From now on, she was Violet the genius at teleportation. Survive as long as possible and buy time!
