Chapter 86

In the end, we had to abandon the self-destruction operation.

“Really…”

Irene frowned, hands on her hips, glaring at us with an expression she rarely wore.

We stood silently, enduring her reprimand.

“Self-destruction? Where did it all go wrong, seriously…”

“This is our efficient tactic with the Violets…”

“Efficient, you say?”

At the tip of her golden gaze, I could see the charred body of Mumilion.

“If you had followed my instructions, you could’ve slipped away without a scratch. Mumilion has sensitive antennae, but its other senses are dull. It won’t attack if you stand still. Why make things difficult for yourself?”

“Ugh… but it came back to life, didn’t it?”

The newly generated Fifty-Sixth Clone chimed in.

“Yeah! I’m totally fine!”

It was true that we acted hastily, ignoring Irene’s words. But we had our tactics, you know? It’s genuinely frustrating that she doesn’t understand.

“It’s strange, what’s the issue here?”

“This was a perfectly reasonable choice…”

As Irene scrutinized us thoughtfully, she threw out a comment.

“Can you show that earlier stance to Daphne as well?”

“Ugh…!”

Violet flinched and clammed up. Seeing the Violets recoil, Irene continued.

“If it was the only way to fight, I’d understand. But there’s no need to throw yourself into battle from the start.”

“Understood…”

“…I hope you can fix that habit of reckless fighting. If you’re not going to fight alone, you should think about those around you. Got it?”

Thinking back, our clones looked rather similar to actual corpses before disappearing, which wasn’t a pretty sight.

As we hung our heads in defeat, she relaxed her posture.

“Alright, just do better next time. Let’s start over. Move carefully, okay? Understood?”

“Got it, let’s go!”

We took a deep breath and resumed our journey.

*

The Violet squad advanced slowly.

It was a different scenario when moving with Daphne.

Daphne’s role was that of a support. Her combat power barely managed to protect herself. So, we kept her safely in the center, escorting her as we moved.

With Irene, it was the opposite. She always led the charge. Though it was partly because she was familiar with the dungeon’s geography, it was mainly due to her role.

In the main storyline, she was a close combat fighter, even a tank.

Outwardly, she appeared to be a petite girl, but her body was far more resilient than ours. I felt it during our duels; she was as tough as iron.

In addition to her physical capabilities, the jacket or coat she wore seemed light at first glance, yet they were incredibly sturdy protective gear. Made from high-quality synthetic fabrics, they were bulletproof and fire-resistant, with composite materials densely layered in the lining.

I heard they were custom-made armors provided by Helios, but when I tried to replicate them, they were of a four-star quality, so I gave up.

Moreover, our Violets were soft compared to Irene. We needed to be careful.

Violets at the front poked the ground with rods like mine detectors.

When they found a spot that sank, all sorts of attacks would rain down inside.

“Here! Attack!”

We faced not only monsters but strange phenomena as well.

“From here, gravitational anomalies often occur. Be cautious, and if anything seems suspicious, move by throwing marbles or stones.”

“You mean that?”

“Exactly! You can see dirt or branches floating in mid-air from a distance, right? You must never step into those areas. They can suddenly shoot you into the sky or crush you with intense gravity.”

“Look! The marble is floating.”

“Don’t touch it!”

Violet Clone 178, curious, reached for the metal marble and got sucked in.

“Eek! I’m flying!”

The Violet ascended into the air.

“Grab this!”

“Okay!”

Irene extended a spear, and Violet Clone 178 suddenly slammed down under immense pressure.

“Gack?”

-Crunch!

Clone 178 managed to break free. Moments later, the area where the Violet had been sunk, and the metal marble was crumpled.

“I told you not to touch it!”

“It just looked fun…”

That could have easily turned her into fish jerky. We shouldn’t take things lightly.

We snapped back to reality and learned from Irene while carefully maneuvering through the strange phenomena.

“How did they set up a forward base in a place like this?”

“They used airships and helicopters. The elevation of this dungeon is rather high.”

According to her explanation, they selected an area deep inside the dungeon where strange phenomena were absent, cut down all the trees, and transported whole structures to set up the base.

The hunters at the forward base even use helicopters to move around instead of on foot or in vehicles.

“Of course, they do move on the ground too. The anomalies in this dungeon are arranged very regularly, and the monsters here aren’t too strong.”

As we got closer to the base within the danger zone, the number of monsters kept increasing.

From among the tall trees, I heard rustling noises—branches snapping and dry bark cracking.

I could also hear sounds akin to insects flapping their wings.

“It’s Krol Tide, it’s coming.”

As she pointed her spear towards the trees ahead, I could see brown, glistening bodies with multiple legs rushing towards us.

They were lower-grade monsters resembling cockroaches, Krol Tide.

“There’s so many!”

“Don’t worry. Krol Tides may be numerous, but their intelligence is lower than Scrags, and their defense is pathetic. Everyone, prepare!”

“Ready! Let’s go!”

Among the twenty Violets lined up in two rows, Irene lightly traced the air with her spear like a brush.

From beneath her feet, a radial light burst forth like the sun. Golden magical power spread out, enveloping us.

“I can feel the power rising…!”

As the golden magic engendered a gentle aura around us, we felt a surge of strength. Even in a state of magical enhancement, additional force made us feel nearly explosive.

This was the effect of Irene’s unique ability, Guiding Sunlight.

Guiding Sunlight has two primary effects.

First, it temporarily amplifies the physical abilities of the user. This ability complements basic physical enhancement.

A Krol Tide flew rapidly, flapping its wings, swinging its scythe-like forelimbs in an arc. At the center of its trajectory stood Irene.

-Swish!

The sharp, blade-like forelimb was casually caught in Irene’s right hand. While the Krol Tide squirmed, Irene kicked it away like a ball.

-Swish!

With one kick, the monster was sent flying. The forelimb she held was yanked out with the recoil, yellowish liquid bursting forth. The golden aura enveloping her body repelled the vile liquid like a water droplet sliding off a lotus leaf, keeping her clean.

Her golden silhouette stood out even from afar. As the monsters swarmed like moths to a flame, she swung her spear, effortlessly cleaving through a few of them.

However, the effects of Irene’s unique ability didn’t stop there.

“I’ll take the front. Violets, just clean up the little ones!”

She intentionally positioned herself at the forefront, drawing the attention of the monsters. We only had to deal with the smaller ones.

“Understood! Starting fire!”

Irene’s golden sword energy surged in front of her, rippling like a wave. Some monsters dodged it and charged toward us. The Violets promptly engaged in battle.

-Bang! Bang!

“Eat this!”

The cockroach-like monsters flapped their wings, evading the bullets. A Violet, who was firing a shotgun, quickly switched to sword and shield. The golden magical power harmonized with the red magical power, forming a blade.

-Swish!

The upper body of a Krol Tide writhed, separating from its lower half.

I felt an even faster velocity and strength this time. The golden magical power flowing through our bodies was aiding us.

A Krol Tide dove toward Violet 201, who was firing anti-air with her automatic rifle.

-Flap!

“Whoa!”

It swung its forelimb. I circulated my magical power and reflexively retreated, but it was too late. The sharp forelimb shattered the rifle in two and slammed into Violet’s waist.

Violet stumbled backward, feeling the impact. As the Krol Tide charged again, several spears pierced through its body. It flailed before collapsing.

“201! Your waist…”

“I’m fine…”

I held my aching waist. If it had been in its original strength, it should’ve been severed.

Looking over the situation, I could see a wound peeking through the torn fabric. It was bleeding, but the skin was just slightly scratched. A recovery syringe would fix it up quickly.

This was the true power of Guiding Sunlight. Irene’s unique ability empowers allies.

When used, it increases the physical capabilities and durability of comrades for a certain period, layering magical power onto melee weapons and enhancing their offensive power.

Truly, it’s a skill specialized for group combat.

“Die! You cockroaches!”

The empowered Violets formed ranks and stabbed and slashed the monsters one by one.

Although monsters generally have resilient lifeforces, these cockroaches kept thrashing even after limbs were severed and heads were chopped off. Confirmed kills were essential.

After the brief skirmish concluded, we began to assess our situation.

“What’s the status? Is anyone hurt?”

“There are about two slightly injured, but no fatalities. Thanks for using your unique ability!”

“Thanks? We’re a team, aren’t we?”

As she turned her back to us, Irene approached. Around her, the mutilated bodies of bug monsters oozed thick fluids.

“Ugh… disgusting…”

It’s intriguing; is Irene really not afraid of these things?

“They’re gross, but you’ll need to get accustomed to it. Krol Tides are monsters that thrive anywhere, unlike Scrags. They’re probably living in Chloris Forest too.”

“But they look like cockroaches; isn’t that gross?”

I pointed to the monsters’ glossy beige shells and hairy legs.

“How many more grotesque monsters are out there compared to that? Well, they are cockroaches. Academia states that those monsters are mutated cockroaches corroded by Ether.”

“Ugh!”

I hadn’t noticed it during the fight, but now that I look, they really are horrendous. Cockroach monsters, indeed!

Even if David Cronenberg and Howard had teamed up to create a bug-themed VR game, it wouldn’t be as horrifying as this.

The Violets at the command center, observing the scene, exchanged opinions.

“We need to increase the production of incendiaries. Should we get flamethrowers?”

“No, let’s learn Fire Magic from Professor Albert.”

Watching us looking askance at the Krol Tides, Irene casually commented.

“So, Violets are scared of cockroaches, huh?”

“No! It’s not fear; I just dislike them. They’re too big!”

Irene burst into laughter.

“That’s what people usually refer to as fear.”

“No way!”

“Not scared!”

As we squabbled and walked, we soon arrived at a clearing where the forward base was visible. The base was a small fortress constructed of reinforced concrete blocks and containers. A small helicopter sat on the rooftop.

“We’ve reached the target location. That’s the forward base.”

“It’s smaller than I thought.”

“Even though it’s called a forward base, its role is simply to monitor potential hazards as we approach the safe area.”

She waved her hand lightly.

“Well then, shall we head back? We’ve learned the basics, so aren’t you hungry? I’ll treat you to a meal.”

“Yeah! I’m starving.”

“Me too, me too.”

The Violets chattered happily.

As we turned to leave, a loud engine noise echoed above us. A white object flew through the dense branches.

“Isn’t that the helicopter from the forward base?”

“Looks like it.”

Irene’s expression hardened.

“The helicopter is retreating? From the forward base? What could it mean…”

From a distance, sirens began wailing near the safe zone.

“Violets. How’s everyone’s stamina?”

“Good, why?”

She slung her spear over her shoulder.

“The reason the personnel at the forward base are retreating typically indicates one thing: the emergence of an intermediate monster.”

“Yikes, that’s bad news!”

“But these intermediate monsters here are slow. Let’s hurry back.”

The Violets understood the situation and sprinted full-speed toward the safety zone.

*

After dispatching the clones and returning to the safety zone, the white helicopter we’d seen earlier hastily descended into the clearing. Hunters ran up urgently, shouting at the person who appeared to be in charge.

“What’s going on? Why didn’t you alert us?”

“We’re sorry! The communication line was cut! It’s Krol Tide Nest! Evacuate now!”

Surrounding workers grasped the situation and left their tools behind, making their way to the exit as if it was no big deal.

“I can’t believe it, I was just about to do some overtime today…”

“Hey now! Everyone set your tools down and move quickly. Do we usually deal with this kind of stuff just once or twice?”

Seeing everyone so calm, it seemed this wasn’t their first rodeo. We followed the crowd toward the exit.

Suddenly, the entrance of the glowing gate began to swirl with a chaotic hue reminiscent of ink.

“Ugh… Aah! The gate is blocked!”

“Why?”

With the sound of someone starting to scream in panic, the atmosphere grew chaotic.

It made sense.

That phenomenon occurs when a warp gate malfunctions. Crossing over would mean becoming a temporal and spatial lost soul.

The unexpected situation bewildered Irene.

“What’s going on? Alesia Forest is known for its stable spatial characteristics. I’ve never heard of a gate being blocked…”

“What do we do? Are we trapped?”

If this is a wild stroke of bad luck, we went out just to practice, and now we face this calamity.

From among the trees, the rustling noises grew louder. It sounded like something fluttering through the branches, or maybe a buzzing sound was coming our way.

Violet turned her head. Focusing her magical power, she caught sight of a brown wave rippling between the trees.

“Oh no, of all times…”

Irene’s golden gaze shook as she recognized the situation. That was the monster horde we had faced before.

We faced a tide of hundreds of Krol Tides. Among the trees, we saw figures walking with large, beehive-like structures attached to their legs.

“Eeeeeek! A flood of cockroaches!”

The Violets, observing the situation, all screamed in unison.