Chapter 247

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on February 16, 2025

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Suddenly, people crowded outside the tent.

The number of armed personnel on high alert was steadily increasing, and various outposts and facilities were being set up to establish a defensive perimeter.

However, there were no signs of an immediate entry.

“Do these guys even plan on coming in?”

The movements visible beyond the translucent tent were somewhat passive.

But with vehicles, turrets, and oddly shaped tower-like objects—probably artifact weapons—positioned in a way that seemed strategic, they appeared to have some sort of plan.

Moreover, various unmanned drones were being sent in and out frequently.

Despite knowing that they couldn’t take them back, it seemed they had some means of checking our situation.

“Just watching, huh? It’s not like we’re some zoo monkeys.”

“Exactly.”

Since they weren’t trying to come inside and were merely observing, the attitudes of the people outside resembled those hesitant individuals poking at meat placed on a grill, unsure if it was well-cooked.

Thinking it might not be safe yet, they kept sticking their forks in and flipping it over repeatedly.

Meanwhile, a group of people who had just exited the exhibition hall arrived in front of the tent.

Like I did earlier, they began searching around the tent and checking for passage.

“Blocked here too. Waiting is the best course of action.”

“Can’t we bore through it with a drill?”

“Impossible! It’s like trying to stop a waterfall with bare hands. The process of saving the sun is far too complex. Some of the formulas are constantly changing in real time.”

From their conversation, it seemed they too hadn’t found any effective solutions.

Some remained in front of the tent to communicate with the outside while others trudged back to the exhibition hall.

“Clone 229. You go back too!”

“Got it.”

As the outside Violets continued to look around, I quietly returned to the convention center.

A few people who remembered the Violet that died earlier looked at me in confusion.

“Hey, aren’t you that girl who got shot earlier? I distinctly saw you die…”

“That’s my clone!”

Clone 229 casually threw that out before quickly entering the building to avoid further questions.

Inside, many people were already waiting with temporary lights turned on.

Seeing camping gear laid out from the corporate promotional booth, it appeared everyone was adapting quickly.

“Smells good!”

The people inside were already sharing food.

Others took out the displayed equipment to temporarily arm themselves or get it ready for use.

The Violet watching this suddenly realized something.

“Whoa, there are quite a few people.”

There were more people than expected.

Before the entire exhibition hall fell here, many had fled or taken refuge when the commotion escalated, so there were fewer here than before the incident.

Still, there were definitely a lot—easily over a thousand, if not more.

“There seem to be a lot of civilians.”

A wave of concern washed over me. Perhaps it was due to the image of the girl who had her head blown off by a sniper earlier.

I couldn’t tell exactly how many non-Awakened were here, but there were definitely a considerable number of people visiting for the exhibition.

The problem was how well the ordinary civilians would hold up in this unstable space filled with Ether.

Ether interacts with surrounding matter and can create erratic phenomena.

“They might catch a disease or even grow tentacles!”

Though it looked stable for now, the environment inside this dungeon could change unpredictably at any moment.

Normally, in stable dungeons, you could enter without concern, but this didn’t seem like it was one of those.

“Isn’t it prickling?”

“Yeah, it’s kind of unpleasant!”

The nerves of the Violets wandering inside the ruins were starting to fray.

A strange salty flavor lingered in my mouth, and my skin and hair felt itchy and sore as if they hadn’t been washed in days.

I instinctively knew.

This place was not one where ordinary people could carelessly wander into.

If the situation worsened, I wondered whether civilians could endure it at all.

“This could easily turn into…”

They could be swept away by dangerous Ether waves and become Ghouls. They might end up in an even worse situation.

For just a moment, my worries were interrupted as I realized others around me were sharing the same thoughts.

“Alright, everyone! Gather over here. Your cooperation is appreciated!”

I saw Awakened students and hunters organizing the civilians in one place while deploying various magic formulas or setting up barriers like temporary shields and tents.

“You need to stay inside for the time being. It could be dangerous outside.”

“Take one of these and carry it with you! Don’t discard it!”

Maybe to further ensure safety, those who could use magic at the scene were making talisman-like items and handing them out one by one.

Thanks to the calm demeanor of those familiar with emergency situations, the civilians obeyed the Awakened’s instructions and guidance.

Although anxiety was visible on their faces, there seemed to be a semblance of relief as they observed the magic circles and barriers unfolding around them.

“Well, it should work out somehow.”

This was the academy exhibition; we must have at least a hundred Awakened among us.

Despite the variation in individual abilities, we could likely respond to any impending plague brought on by monster hordes.

“For now, Command Center! I’ll go get some supplies!”

Clone 229 requested resource support from the Violet Command Center.

Not knowing how long we would be here, it seemed we would need plenty of food.

“We need to eat to get our strength back.”

I took out boxes of combat rations before quietly moving them to an easily visible spot inside the building.

Food left over from the sale earlier. This should be enough for the people here to eat and have plenty left over.

The Violet Command Center quickly began issuing instructions to other Violets.

“First, assemble the hang gliders and start aerial reconnaissance. The search team needs to comb through thoroughly!”

The Violets briefly discussed what to do.

“What do the nearby civilians say when they see us?”

“Let’s just give some vague remarks. But if necessary, we should clarify.”

“Ariel Group!”

Our Ariel Group is a free democratic organization promoting democracy and freedom in the Academy City.

Since monsters are also subjects that should be shown democracy, we have plenty of justification for action.

“Let’s liberate them!”

Before long, twenty powered hang gliders soared into the sky, swallowed by the gray spiral clouds.

“Launch!”

On the ground, the Violets dispersed throughout the ruins.

The landscape of the Violet tactical map shrouded in the dark fog of battle began to shift, and a map appeared.

Yellow dots moved in all directions, tracking enemies and allies.

“Advance, advance!”

Just as the Violets on scene began their search, the Violet Command Center realized something they had overlooked.

“Right, we must inform our friends about our situation.”

“They’ll surely be worried, right?”

We promptly updated our friends about the situation we found ourselves in.

Meanwhile, news coverage on multiple media outlets was actively reporting on the incident surrounding the exhibition hall being covered by a massive barrier.

“Hey, look at this!”

“Breaking news. A collapse at the Academy Exhibition hall… It’s currently under lockdown? Wow, that’s serious. But why…?”

Daphne, who was reading the headlines one by one, glanced at my face and seemed to realize something.

“Could it be, no way?”

“Yup, I’m stuck over here too!”

As soon as Daphne heard that, she let out a brief sigh.

“Is everything okay?”

“Not a big problem yet!”

“Then please listen to others and cooperate as much as you can. Got it?”

“Got it!”

At a monastery in Astoria City. A tall, precariously leaning spire stood with a man and woman on top.

Their eyes narrowed as they surveyed beyond the barrier. They could clearly see the rising ranks of the human forces.

“Looks like the insects are about to crawl in. How many have gathered?”

“Enough. This place was a battleground during the Great War. The quality of the minions we can summon isn’t too bad. If need be, we could even open the gates right now to summon more. What shall we do?”

The man, staring blankly at the air, finally spoke in response to the woman’s question.

“Call forth the origin minions. The south is under the influence of Restraid knights. Our native creatures alone won’t be sufficient to face them.”

A small box with complex patterns, known among humans as a small miracle box, appeared in his hand.

“Fortunately, we have some power left behind by His Majesty. There’s no issue with using a bit of it for practical purposes before recovery.”

The woman nodded in agreement.

“That’s a good idea. The native creatures of this planet are far too weak. It’s uncomfortable even wearing this body we occupy.”

The life forms of this world are flimsy and frail, like potted plants in a greenhouse. Even with bestowed grace to enhance their powers, there was a clear limit.

Having concluded their conversation, the two leapt down from the spire. Four legs landed softly and quietly on the marble floor.

Inside the monastery, their followers stood around, waiting for instructions in dazed silence.

“Our mission was to create chaos. What’s the next step? To crush the forces of Restraid and the Federation and advance outwards?”

“That was the original purpose. But just now, an interesting idea came to mind.”

Their gaze turned toward a distant building at one side of Astoria City.

A modern architecture that seemed out of place with the classical style urban area stood like a drifter of time.

“Let’s incorporate this. They will come rushing to save their compatriots in crisis. We can use them.”

The miracle box held in the man’s hand cracked into pieces. Within it revealed an indescribable, swirling solid with mineral-like properties.

“Enough to spread distrust and fear.”

Light began to emanate from the solid in his hand.

It rippled and fluctuated like a jellyfish tracing an unstable course.

The woman’s eyes sparkled as she realized the man’s intent.

“I rushed it a bit, so it’s a little crude. Because of this, it has to be under our control, but the effect will be very intense. It will rot blood and paralyze nerves, disrupting society.”

“It’s an effective method. However, there’s a possibility they might mercilessly abandon their compatriots. That would weaken the desired results.”

The man’s impassive face slightly shifted as though he had heard something ludicrous.

“Abandon? Humans are cruel. But you see…”

The glowing light swirling within his hand came to an abrupt halt.

“Who in their right mind would burn hundreds of their kin with just mere suspicion?”

He raised both hands slightly as if pondering the unimaginable.

The Violet Squad 1, Unit 2, Team 3 crossed the ruined streets.

“Levi! Where are you!”

“Sister! We’re here!”

Some Violets took the risk to roam around with megaphones, worried that they might not be seen.

Each time the booming voice echoed, the occasional sniper fire would ring out, but they always countered with accurate shots.

“Older Sister Sophie is a potential scholarship officer, so no need to worry…”

“Except for the fact that it’s Levi!”

Perhaps having seen the girl who was shot earlier, my worries grew inside me.

Holding the artifact ballista that grandpa left me, my demeanor shifted like a Vietnam veteran who loved the smell of napalm, yet at the core, Levi remained a delicate and timid girl.

It was impossible to completely change someone through just the Violet’s special courage infusion training.

“Let’s find her before any issues arise.”

“Hey, wait, if there’s a real threat, wouldn’t we be able to locate her by sound?”

“Ah, right!”

As the search squad perked up their ears, a loud noise came from close by.

-Clang! clank!

The familiar noises of home, the clatter of battle tickled our ears.

From the sky, we could pinpoint the source of the noise immediately.

“Who is it? Someone we know?”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a friend. Strange people were being pursued by monsters.

“Command Center! Two people! An adult man and woman! They’re being chased by monsters!”

One by one, the hang gliders changed direction and flew towards the target.

“We’re on it!”

-Boom! Bam! Bang!

The four Violet guided bombs struck in succession into the monster ranks, fragments of the monsters erupting with explosions.

The rushing Violets pushed the monsters back with gunfire and close combat.

“We did it!”

We approached the fleeing people.

From the magical power exuding from the man and woman, they seemed to be awakened hunters. They looked injured, probably after a confrontation with the monsters.

Their families seemed relieved to see us.

“Thank you so much! For helping us…”

The man panted heavily while the woman smiled weakly, as if comforted.

“I just suddenly woke up here, huh? It was definitely the exhibition hall…”

These people appeared to have been caught up in the recent incident and shifted to the outside.

At that moment, the man’s expression turned pale with sudden realization.

“Wait, you guys! You shouldn’t be here! We have to leave quickly!”

“Why? What’s the problem…”

The woman started to flee, as if something had snapped into focus for her.

-Whoosh!

I quickly understood the reason.

Something long, stained with magic and blood, burst forth from the man’s chest.