Chapter 136

The next day we went to see Irene. It was to devise a strategy utilizing our numbers.

“Strategy?”

“Yeah! I want to use our numbers more wisely!”

Imagining battling Super Medium Tanks was fun, but it also posed some food for thought for us.

The existing attack method was no different from just rushing in and flailing wildly.

However, in a world overflowing with advanced technology and powerful beings, a clever way of fighting was necessary.

“What if a powerful A-grade Hunter appears?”

“Heavy equipment or high-level Monsters would be a headache too.”

I envisioned a scene in my head. Brave Mouse Violets charging at an elephant.

The Mouse Violets organized themselves and charged at the elephant with their swords and spears raised.

“Squawk! Hit it—stab it!”

Sadly, contrary to myth, elephants aren’t afraid of mice. Soon, the Mouse Violets became jerky.

“Eww—run—run away!”

Simulation failed.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized we were outnumbered. I confided these concerns to Irene.

Upon hearing me, Irene pondered for a moment before speaking up.

“So, you’re curious about group tactics? Like those of the Helios Clan’s operations? Well… I’m not sure if that will help.”

“What? Why not? Is it a secret?”

“No, not at all! It’s a method everyone who should know already knows. However… what the Violets want is military tactics. But, the way clan Hunters operate is a bit different from an army.”

Irene continued to explain. According to her, combat amongst Hunters differs from actual battle, being longer and more gradual.

“It doesn’t matter for low or mid-tier Monsters. The problem arises when dealing with high-level Monsters or dangerous awakened criminals. Why do you think they’re called ‘Hunters’? We aren’t fighters; we’re hunters.”

Ultimately, for Hunters, who are primarily out for profit, taking their time to exhaust the enemy is the most stable way. There’s less chance of getting hurt, and surviving means earning more money.

“Ever heard of whale hunting tactics?”

“Oh! I think I have!”

I entered the factory with Irene. Once the tables and chairs were pushed to the corners, a spacious area was revealed.

“First, I’ll explain the concept; it makes sense to practice in an empty dungeon.”

A squad of one Violet stood shoulder to shoulder in front of Irene.

“Actually, there isn’t much to the tactics. It’s really simple. After a bombardment of ranged attacks, melee fighters rush in, repeatedly attacking the enemy. When the enemy’s strength wanes? You deliver a powerful strike like harpooning a whale. The key is that there should be no time difference between the roles of ranged and melee attackers. Got it?”

“Uh-huh! Got it!”

Irene smiled at our response.

“If you’re a Violet, you’ll easily master this tactic. There’s no time gap in your exchanges of opinion, right? You’ll get it quickly. Now, let’s figure out the basic stance from now on…”

The Violets spread out as Irene instructed. Irene took on the role of the enemy, and we assumed the role of encircling them. We planned to first learn how to form a siege in close combat.

-Thud!

A moment later, we found ourselves sprawled on the ground.

“Eew! So fast!”

“Your skills are too top-notch! How the heck do you exhaust your strength?”

The memory of the previous raid incident came to mind. Looking back, the tactics of those who targeted Irene must have been similar. It seemed those guys were indeed skilled, given they nearly subdued Irene.

Suddenly, I wondered how it would be to simulate the enemy’s actions.

“From now on, I’m Irene!”

A Violet with a purple wig appeared in the network. The Violet cosplaying Irene held a spear and mimicked Irene’s actions in real-time.

The goal was simple. After imitating Irene’s actions, we would find a way to break through.

“It’s a bit clumsy, but I feel like I might be onto something…”

While the real Violets fought against Irene, a fight continued with the imitation Irene in the virtual world.

“I don’t know…”

After hours of training, we thought we somewhat understood, but still weren’t sure.

“Don’t know, huh? But you seem to have grasped the importance of movements, formations, and tactics, right?”

“But I just can’t beat Irene.”

“Well, that’s because you’re without the support of ranged attackers. That’s only natural.”

She shrugged her shoulders.

During break time, the Violets chatted while drinking water. They discussed the state of the world, future plans, or lunch menus.

Suddenly, Unit 712 asked as if something had come to mind.

“Hey guys, don’t you feel something strange lately? I suddenly want to shoot guns and swing swords. Is it just me?”

Other Violets pondered over 712’s words. Soon, they looked surprised as if they had thought of something.

“Right! I keep wanting to swing a sword!”

“Gasp! Me too! Why is that?”

The Violets were puzzled. Lately, whenever we spotted an enemy, we found ourselves wanting to run in and slash at their necks. Was it a surge of pride?

“Something’s itching!”

Perhaps it was because we were winning every day. We were starting to enjoy the thrill of combat.

Since the research laboratory, causing harm to people felt sort of mundane, but wanting to stab someone might mean I was becoming increasingly violent.

“Still, let’s hold back. We should charge when the time is right.”

At Unit 1’s words, the Violets nodded silently. Courage and recklessness are different things. We shouldn’t overdo it. Our Violets are wise after all!

I shook off my lingering thoughts. Break time was over.

The Violets again called their friends and began mock training and sparring.

*

As the Violets trained alongside their simulations, the corner of the network that no one paid attention to quivered slightly, like ripples on water.

Eventually, one corner gradually opened like peeling wallpaper, and a small girl crawled out.

‘…How long have I been asleep?’

The mini Violet rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked around. There was no one there.

The girl crawled out from a hole, escaping from her hideout in the network. Cautiously, she scanned her surroundings.

This mental space, called the Violet Network, could easily become exposed with just a little manipulation.

‘I overexerted myself during the last duel.’

Not long ago, her actions were like a pupa butterfly bursting out before its body was fully matured.

She had made a silly mistake just for a bit of fun. Whatever the fallout, she couldn’t move freely.

To recover her strength, she had to rest slowly.

The mini Violet got up and looked around. When she fell asleep, this place was a gargantuan city, but now it resembled a rural village. The landscape changed every time she woke up.

Suddenly, the mini Violet frowned. The noise of thoughts and emotions spreading throughout the network was far too loud.

‘It’s noisy…!’

Unknowingly, she grit her teeth. The girl’s face twisted grotesquely, hard to believe it belonged to a little girl.

“The prophet said, why have you made the lord’s temple a den of robbers? Why have you turned a house of prayer into a lair of beasts…”

The girl recited a verse from a forgotten ancient scripture. She was an atheist, believing that gods and faith were worth less than a piece of paper, but in this situation, the remnants of old faith resonated deeply with her affliction and frustration.

‘This was my home! My space! Those thieving, fake, illegal squatters…!’

When she was the rightful owner of this place, it had been an elegant and beautiful unchanging temple and palace.

But now it had become a loud, disheveled nest of yellow-haired bugs, devoid of elegance or style.

The mini Violet could hardly accept that fact.

‘But why am I angry?’

At that moment, she felt perplexed. Why was this place hers? What had she done?

Violet herself somewhat grasped it, but she was a wrapped gift box yet to be fully opened, and a novel barely read.

The silver lining was that with every growth of these squatters, she too gradually regained her original colors.

The wrapping was slowly coming off, and she could feel the unfinished chapters being filled.

Nevertheless, there were still blank spaces that looked as if they had been eaten by rats.

The mini Violet wandered around the village of Violets, spying on them.

She maneuvered carefully, using the skills she learned while in the organization. However, there were just too many Violets.

In a narrow alley, she bumped into Violet 319.

319 gasped and yelled.

“Hey! You! What are you? That little girl from earlier! Who are you?”

The girl felt annoyed. These foolish ones would stubbornly dig in like an immune system tracking down external intruders as soon as they sensed something strange.

While 319 was shouting, the mini Violet snapped her fingers. Temporarily, the connection was severed. She quickly dashed over and slapped the back of 319’s head.

“You saw nothing. Forget it!”

“Eek! Get off!”

319 struggled, trying to shake off the girl clinging to her. Even as her memories were being erased, 319 instinctively threw a punch.

“Grrr!”

Unfortunately, the mini Violet was small and weak. A fist flew towards the defenseless girl’s chest. She rolled away on the ground. It was already the second time.

“Ow!”

For a moment, Violet’s pride was hurt.

“Am I… screaming like an idiot? Me?”

The scream she had just let out reminded her of her childhood weakness carved far beyond memories and blanks. The humiliating moments she wanted to forget. The days of humiliation.

“I need to… recover my strength fast!”

As 319 was still dazed, the mini Violet slipped away.

“As long as I recover my strength…”

She inhaled and exhaled slowly to control her rage. It wasn’t the time yet. She continued to spy while awake.

Walking through the alley, the girl fell into thought.

“Should I take care of that noble girl first?”

She recalled a nasty relationship from the blanks of memory.

A duel with the elegant archer with golden hair and violet eyes in a burning academy. As she broke through the rain of furious arrows, a flaming rapier greeted her.

“Damn, how did I end up getting close to that crazy Monster slayer? I didn’t even know we were from the same school.”

The girl remembered the bombardment that struck while she was running on top of a skyscraper like a shooting star.

The melee combat skills of the Monster slayer were abysmal, but the massive bolt attacks launched from kilometers away sent shivers down her spine. The sight of several clones being wiped out by a single bolt shot bursting forth with madness was chilling.

“No, I need to show that damn doctor girl a lesson first! She needs to be skewered!”

She recited the list of individuals who had pissed her off.

The healer girl who held her back, the scholarship officer, the 120-year-old sorcerer relic, her former superior, the Hunters, the Resolvers, and countless other humans…

Imagining revenge felt exhilarating. The mini Violet hummed as she headed toward the gathering of Violets.

The Violets had gathered in front of a screen, watching something.

“What’s that?”

The mini Violet looked at the screen. Beyond it in reality, dozens of Violets surrounded a big boy.

As soon as she focused, the mini Violet gaped in disbelief.

“What the hell is wrong with them? And that size… So familiar…”

The boy on screen shuffled nervously. Each time he did, the Violets on screen yelled and whispered fervently in his ear.

“Granite! From now on, you’re a proud warrior of blood! A warrior of courage!”

“Let’s become revolutionary warriors! Brave champions of revolution!”

“Skeletons! Blood! Violence!”

In a scene too bizarre to see even at the Obsidian Legion’s headquarters, the mini Violet was dumbfounded.

The girl mumbled.

“…What the hell is happening here.”

After a brief moment of astonishment, Violet soon felt a wave of deflation. Time was up.

She had to hide before other ‘fake’ Violets found her. She quickly slipped back into the outskirts, pulling up one corner of the space before crawling back into the hole.

Who knows when she would wake next. Hours? Maybe days?

The mini Violet curled up and closed her eyes. The commotion outside continued unabated.

“Now, repeat after me. ‘I am a real warrior!’”

“‘I love skeletons! I love blood!’”