Chapter 130

The mission at the Akright Ruins, which had more than its fair share of troubles, has come to an end.

“If you stick it in like this, ta-da!”

“Wow… so this is how you mark it.”

While the other hunters were busy taking down the monsters, I led Levi and inserted flags into the heads of two Laskrins.

Next, I drove an electronic stake into the body of one of the corpses. It was a tool I received before entering the dungeon. The stake has a chip with a unique ID embedded in it, and once it’s stuck, it’s hard to remove, preventing others from claiming the hunt as their own.

Now, all that’s left is to wait, as the clan staff managing this dungeon will visit this terrain periodically.

Soon, I saw a cloud of dust in the distance as a group on four-wheeled bikes headed my way. I waved my hand, and the rest of the Violet Squad quietly backed away to the hillside.

“Team 68. Confirmation complete. Thank you for your hard work.”

The staff member took a few photos and scanned the ID on the electronic stake with a device. Everything went smoothly. Now we just had to return, but my gaze was drawn to the bike the staff member rode in on.

“Oh, now that I think about it, with a size like that…”

“Even if a car can’t get through, that should!”

I thought it would be good to buy a small off-road vehicle later. I could disassemble it, put it in my inventory, and reassemble it when needed.

“Okay! Guys, let’s head home!”

After going through the boring march again, we exited through the gate. It was raining outside. As we made our way home, the Violets recapped the events that had taken place.

“Hmm, I guess everyone here is pretty capable. It didn’t seem necessary to sync up in advance.”

“Right? We only exchanged a few words, and it was all sorted out quickly.”

Having fought a few times now, each of our positions had been naturally established. The strong personalities of the team members meant there was little overlap.

If I were to liken the Violet Team to an RPG game, the composition could be classified based on frontlines and backlines.

First, let’s look at the front line.

Leading the charge is Irene. Our friend’s role is that of a tank!

She supports her allies with her unique abilities and uses her sturdy physical capabilities to absorb enemy attacks head-on.

Right behind her is Granite. He may be a bit slow, but his powerful melee attacks pack a punch. Think of him as a berserker.

Meanwhile, Kalia is a versatile attacker who switches between ranged and close combat effortlessly. She’s the fastest among us and excels at striking the enemy’s side or back, akin to a rogue position in games.

Now, let’s head to the backline.

At the very front of the backline is the blue-haired mage, Lucian. He’s a wizard, but far from the slow-and-stationary image that typical artillery conjures.

His equipment includes magic-accelerating gloves, which may not be enough for a powerful single strike but help him cast spells quickly. His movement speed is also swift, akin to an attack helicopter.

Depending on the situation, he could even swap positions with Kalia.

The real artillery is Levi; her firepower from the ballista is devastating. She can shoot anything from long-range snipes to rapid-fire mid-range shots at will.

We’ve turned her into a weapon of iron and blood, so I look forward to her exploits later.

At the back row is Daphne. Shields and healing. She’s someone we must protect at all costs!

As I sorted through my thoughts, a question arose.

What on earth are we, the Violets?

It seems odd upon reflection. It’s like a horde of soldiers suddenly crashing into a classic fantasy RPG adventuring party. There really isn’t a hero party that drags around an army, so it’s hard to picture.

“We’re omnipotent!”

“Fearless, immortal warriors!”

Ah, that’s right. I’ve been seeing reality through the lens of a game.

We can do anything. We can face opponents with shields and swords in the front lines, and even if we aren’t great at magic, we can barrage the enemy from the back with explosives and heavy weapons.

Excluding the scholarship officer, only we, the Violets, can freely switch positions between the front and back and determine how to fight.

I changed my perspective. Our team is not an RPG hero party.

“Why do we have to adjust to the team members?”

We’re numerous; we’re the ones fighting hardest on the front lines. So, shouldn’t it be the case that the team members adjust to the Violets instead?

“From now on, we should do that!”

Just after I finished my thoughts, we arrived at the barracks. The team members got off and returned to their rooms.

“Ah… home…”

“I’m so tired…”

“I’m gonna go too. See you tomorrow.”

“Got it. Kalia, take care!”

Once the others headed to their rooms, only Irene and I, Unit 45, remained. We headed the opposite way from the dormitory, to discuss where to go next.

As we opened the factory door, the Violets inside were each taking a break or doing little tasks.

In one corner of the factory sat Unit 1 and Unit 2. In front of them was Yurik, whose eyes burned with curiosity. He wore a white lab coat.

Where on earth did he get that outfit?

“This experiment is meaningless, you know? We can even share visual experiences.”

“Really? Thank you for your cooperation, Unit 1!”

What we were doing now was an experiment. That doctor had stubbornly clung to me, and I finally allowed him to conduct his research under strict conditions.

Currently, he was testing how far we could share our five senses.

“Simultaneous sense-sharing with no time delay… individual selves…”

The doctor muttered to himself as he scribbled something in his notebook.

Unit 45 stepped into a room beyond the partition installed in the factory. As soon as I took a seat, Irene threw a question my way.

“What do you think? I feel we’ve adjusted well enough in a day. It’s time to move to the next stage.”

“Let’s do that! Remember the place we talked about during the orientation?”

I unfolded my laptop. Photos taken inside the dungeon appeared in order. A surreal, distorted mall city in darkness, and a massive cave adorned with glowing crystals embedded in the floor and ceiling.

“There were three places, right? Vittorio Arcade, Ramsera Mine, and…”

As I flipped to the last photo, it showed a scene of icy mountains and bizarre trees, spread out beneath a sky with strange patterns.

“The Pastera Snowfield!”

Irene’s expression turned serious.

“Why here? You can make some money, but it’s relatively less profitable than the first two locations. Plus, it’s cold.”

Irene’s point is valid. If the goal is merely to make money, there are many more efficient places than this. However, I had my reasons for choosing it.

“Because there’s an Ether Emitter!”

The glimmer in my friend’s eyes softened. I gave a satisfied grin.

“Is that so? Violet, you’re not in any financial trouble, are you?”

“No? Everything’s fine.”

“Then we should head there first. It’s fortuitous. We can enhance the strength of the other team members.”

Without me even mentioning it, Irene insisted more actively that we should go to the snowfield. Maybe she was speaking from her personal experience.

It felt like we were going in reverse order from how I’d introduced the places, but oh well.

“By the way, Violet. Do you have winter gear? The Pastera Snowfield is famous for its extreme cold among dungeons.”

“Oh.”

In an instant, I felt a wave of realization wash over me. Irene, who had been watching my face closely, smiled briefly with a somewhat deflated expression.

“I knew that would be the case. Did you forget?”

“Hehe…”

I gave an embarrassed laugh.

“Then, heading out right away might be a bit much. Let’s go in two days. We need to rest and get proper equipment.”

“Got it! So, what should we prepare first?”

“Start with winter gear. We need to buy clothes too…”

I discussed with Irene what to buy and prepare.

“We need winter combat uniforms! Our combat uniforms are black, after all.”

“Don’t we need to buy winter clothes for the others too?”

There were plenty of things to do over the next two days.

*

Over the course of two days, while the others rested, the Violets purchased the necessary equipment and items. They bought winter clothes and winter gear.

“Minus 30 degrees? I had no idea it was this cold in the dungeon.”

“Did you forget? Certain areas are so cold that if you stay too long, you’ll take damage.”

The Pastera Snowfield is a dungeon boasting the size of a small city. It’s so cold that even the Awakened Ones, who can cover their bodies with magical power, struggle there.

Above all, the natural phenomena inside the dungeon are distorted due to the influence of Ether.

On normal days it’s calm with not a breeze in sight, but occasionally the icy storms sweep through, literally freezing you solid.

If you’re not careful, you could end up becoming an ice Violet.

“But, it’s high altitude and there aren’t that many flying monsters. If things go well, we might be able to operate a flight squadron?”

“Sounds good!”

Having thoroughly prepared, we headed to our next destination with the rested team members.

Since early morning, we drove south for quite a while. After passing through checkpoints and crossing the barricade, we headed toward the gate, where there was a commotion.

“What’s going on?”

I tilted my head in confusion. Kalia, sitting behind me, tapped my shoulder and pointed with her finger.

“Violet, look over there. What’s up with those people…”

Right in front of the gate, a group of men and women were arguing with some hunters holding weapons. I stepped outside the car to find out why.

“No way, how does it make sense to back out now?”

“It’s too late. You heard what they said! We can’t go! Are you crazy?”

A middle-aged man in a suit, appearing to be the group’s representative, was trembling as he clutched the hunter. He looked quite well-off, as he wore what seemed like designer clothing. The rest of his group also looked quite neat and tidy.

As the loud voices escalated, everyone’s attention turned to them. The hunter grimaced as if in distress.

A fellow who looked like a companion released the man’s grip. The man had no choice but to let go helplessly. As he bowed his head in defeat, the other hunter spoke apologetically.

“I’m sorry. But it’s too late. You might even be dead by now.”

His polite words seemed to backfire. A woman of similar age to the man screamed, and people started crying out again.

“Stop talking nonsense! Who’s dead? No one’s dead!”

“They’re over there! They must still be alive!”

I was beginning to be clueless. Then, in the next moment, the middle-aged man cried out in despair.

“My son…! My son is over there! I’ll give you anything. Please!”

It was only then that I understood what was happening.

Hmm, this is interesting.

Maybe I should ask what the situation is.