The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City-Chapter 153: The Witch’s Cauldron (3)

As the Violets ran off with the Prism, escape lines continued to form across various safe zones.

“This is madness! We need to evacuate quickly!”

“Evacuate? Where to? This is a safe zone!”

The Ghoul Federation was attacking from all directions, and the turrets were suddenly deactivated. Even from the rear, monsters that had tunneled into the ground were intruding.

Unable to withstand any longer, the clan’s hunters could only salvage their weapons and bodies and retreat.

“The defense line has been breached! The back area is still intact, let’s head that way!”

“The engine won’t start!”

Unfortunately, the enemies targeting them weren’t just the fanatics and the Federation soldiers.

“Proceed with Plan 4.”

Before the Vision Prism was activated, members of the Magnavis clan who had secretly slipped out through the rear gate gave their orders as they observed the situation.

Mercenaries and clan members hiding along the expected escape route began to move.

“Die, heathens!”

“AAAH!”

Mercenaries who had disguised themselves as fanatics drew their crossbows and began shooting. Those caught by surprise collapsed to the ground. Among those fleeing were unawakened laborers, so the damage was significant.

“In the name of the Savior, I strike down the heathens!”

The arrows of violence were also aimed at the Violet team, who were escaping through the rear gate.

“Be careful!”

“Ah! How did those cultists get here?”

Kalia panickedly deflected the incoming arrows. Though the shield would have prevented any injury, she seemed quite startled.

“Damn it! Get lost!”

The mercenary who had shot the arrows and tried to flee was struck by the Violets’ counterattack, turning into a pincushion. However, the enemy’s attacks continued unabated.

From behind, monsters; from the right, snipers; from the left, the Federation’s ghoul soldiers, all activated their exoskeletons and charged in. This was happening everywhere.

“All sides are enemies! Aaargh!”

While fleeing, the Violet team ran into the Atlas Clan’s captain, who had been guiding people to safety.

“This way!”

Though his appearance was disheveled, the captain was still alive and helping his subordinates and the civilians evacuate. Despite the chaotic situation, the Violet team hesitantly followed the captain’s direction.

“It’s a complete mess!”

As Violet had thought, the situation was spiraling into total chaos, and no one could see even a step ahead.

**

Amidst the panic, there were some who observed the chaos as if it was none of their business, like dirty dishes in the sink.

“There’s no witch’s cauldron like this. Am I wrong?”

The Vanguard Commander spoke up. He was directing the purge of survivors from the rooftop of a commercial building in the border zone.

The rooftop of the old commercial buildings forming the Arcade offered a good vantage point for observing the surroundings.

“A witch’s cauldron?”

Lera, who had been inspecting the map on her tablet and urging the recovery of relics, looked up at the unexpected remark.

In response to her question, a veteran combat mage from Magnavis with 30 years of experience shared a story from ancient war history.

“Oh, you don’t know? It’s a famous metaphor from the First and Second Dimensional Wars.”

The "Witch’s Cauldron" was a metaphor referring to a messy and chaotic battlefield. The battle between monsters and humans was as complicated and chaotic as an ancient witch throwing miscellaneous ingredients into a giant cauldron and stirring them wildly.

“I know the story, but how does it relate to the current situation? Ah…”

Only then did Lera realize what the agent was trying to say.

“The dungeon’s visibility is poor, and it’s hard to tell friend from foe. The moment you step off the main road, it’s a maze of alleyways like a spider’s web, and the interiors of the buildings are like a labyrinth. Above all, communication is down. Even without our intervention, those guys will end up fighting each other and destroying themselves.”

Beyond the darkness, a group of figures with flashlights could be seen moving.

While the hunters were being chased by monsters, they encountered other hunters coming from the right alley. In their confusion, they mistakenly thought each other were enemies and fought, all collapsing. When the lights went out, the event was swallowed by darkness.

“However, even in a cauldron, there’s always a master. The control of this battlefield is in our hands. We have the advantage in communication, firepower, and mobility. So let’s clean this up quickly and move on.”

As he spoke, he clenched and opened his mechanical hand as if testing it.

A new transmission came in. After the telepathic communication was received, Lera had to ask again in bewilderment.

“You lost it? How is that possible?”

“What?”

Everyone present who heard the telepathic message was left speechless. They had lost such an important relic?

“In my 30 years with the clan, I’ve never seen such idiots! Hey, Velleston! Where did you find these idiots?”

The commander grumbled. Through the telepathic communication, the voice of a subordinate sounded defeated.

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“I’m sorry! The Vision Prism suddenly disappeared!”

The large transport drone carrying the Vision Prism crashed a little distance away after being struck by the attack of the demonic beasts led by the Unification Society.

The team members should have received a message by now, saying that the recovery was underway, but just as the awaited message came through, the members of the Mystic Investigation Department, who had been fiercely fighting the Unification Society’s followers, felt a chill running down their spines.

‘Where did our artifact go?’

Their feelings were similar to someone who, not realizing they had left their wallet at home, reaches for it at a restaurant to find their pockets empty.

"The artifact is gone! Emergency!"

"What? No way! That big thing just disappeared? Check again!"

"It’s gone! Someone must have taken it!"

The moment they heard the telepathic communication, their blood ran cold, and the followers, who had been charging at them until just a moment ago, suddenly stepped back.

"You sly bastards. To think you’d steal the artifact in the middle of the fight!"

Karnan, who had been commanding the battle from atop a high-level monster, shouted at the top of his lungs.

"How dare you! I’ll kill them all!"

Rather than explaining their situation to the Elder of the Unification Society, the team members chose to flee.

"Go to hell!"

A smoke screen and flares erupted between the team members and the followers.

"Team Leader! The artifact is gone!"

"I received it!"

Lera contacted the remaining survivors and troops.

"This isn’t good. I’ll temporarily halt the extermination of witnesses. We’ll start by tracking the artifact!"

The attack ceased, and the troops withdrew. The people who had been evacuating, unsure of the reason, tilted their heads but decided to accept their good fortune.

"What’s up with those cult bastards... They’re running away?"

"Who cares? Let’s just get out of here!"

The Violets quickly fled with the Vision Prism. There was no destination in mind. They simply moved, avoiding the enemy as they went.

"We need to create some distance! From the position of the team members too!"

We thought. I don’t really get what’s so great about this heavy artifact, but everyone is desperate to get their hands on it. If we drag it to where people are, the enemy will definitely follow us.

"Even the Federation is obsessed with it, and the fanatics want to steal it too..."

Violet No. 761, carrying the Vision Prism with difficulty, whispered. It didn’t make sense. It was just a large, shiny rock!

"Those guys earlier! The weird ones tried to steal it too! Do you think they’re chasing us?"

In response to Violet No. 761’s words, Violet No. 481, who was leading the group, replied.

"I don’t think so. The survivors of the squad are still there! They’re too busy fighting."

While the ten Violets fled with the Prism, the rest of the squad’s survivors had either been reversed or had died long ago. Only a few remained at the scene, including Violet No. 120.

To search for information, I hid under a car or behind a building, observing the surroundings.

"Ugh! It’s a mess!"

When I received Violet No. 120’s shared vision, the chaotic safe zone appeared. The term "safe zone" no longer made sense.

The hunters were fleeing in the middle of battle, the workers were running away, and the monsters were running rampant like they owned the place, attacking people.

In the middle of it all, ghoul soldiers moved in groups and unleashed a hail of gunfire.

"Damn Federation bastards, whether alive or dead, they just keep causing trouble. Aaagh!"

One of the hunters collapsed after being shot until his body was a rag.

Thanks to the exoskeletons attached to the ghoul soldiers, they moved with agility. Every time they pulled the trigger, people were hit by the bullets and collapsed.

"Those bastards’ guns still work?"

I wondered.

Clearly, when escaping the area, I saw that not only my weapons but also the guns of other hunters had misfired, yet the Federation ghoul soldiers didn’t seem to care about misfires or weapon failures as they rained bullets down on us.

"Look over there!"

"Damn it, the engine won’t start!"

"Forget the car, the back gate has fewer monsters. Let’s go that way!"

Amidst the confusion, one of the workers tried to start a car but gave up and retreated.

Seeing this, a thought crossed my mind.

"Could it be...?"

I needed to test if my hunch was correct.Violet No. 120 took several lighters out of the inventory. She struck the flint and pressed the piezoelectric button.

"It’s not working! The fire won’t light!"

Only gas hissed out of the lighter, and nothing happened.

We realized that the cause of this bizarre phenomenon was one thing.

"Isn’t this combustion suppression magic?"

This phenomenon was caused by the infamous magic that restricts the use of firearms. It was definitely combustion suppression magic. Its principle was unknown, but it was a technique that rendered all firearms and internal combustion engines useless within a certain range!

"Come to think of it, the Federation uses electromagnetic weapons, right?"

The federal military uses railguns, I heard.

It’s a weapon that accelerates projectiles using electromagnetic fields.

If that’s the case, it should be safe from the beasts of the combustion-blocking magic.

That would explain why the ghouls are shooting guns.

"What is this? Who would do something like that?"

The problem is that it’s a very tricky kind of magic.

It’s a sloppy imitation of techniques used by the beasts, created by human mages.

The people using it don’t even understand how it works.

"They’re not zealots or beasts! If they were, the clan members would have noticed."

At that moment, Violet, who was with her team, contacted me.

"Look at this. The bullets are firing! It wasn’t a gun or ammo problem!"

After running far from the safety zone with my team, the rifle worked perfectly again.

This means that the cause of the issue might be somewhere nearby.

"Dammit. Who, and why, are they using this magic?"

"Just shut up and run! We need to hide the artifact!"

I don’t know for sure, but I have to run as far as I can with this artifact.

An organization using this kind of magic wouldn’t be a weak one.

Despite the weight pressing on my shoulders and the fatigue, Violet’s squad ran, carrying the artifact.

"Ugh! They’re not chasing us, right?"

"Stop with the bad talk! We won’t get caught. Definitely not!"

Violet No. 761 said, giving a little scolding in response to Violet No. 481’s comment.

It seemed that they hadn’t noticed us yet.

But, maybe I spoke too soon.

A sound of flapping came from above, near the forward base, where Violet No. 120 and Violets were.

"Huh? What is that?"

Turning my head, I squinted at the blinding light. It was a jet bike!

"Ugh, ughhh! We’re caught!"

"Quick, hide inside the building!"

As we rushed into the building, a lightning bolt shot down from the jet bike.

The lightning struck the building above us.

"Hyahh!"

I fell from the shock.

With an explosion, the entrance to the makeshift building collapsed.

"Kiiyaah! It’s blocked!"

Unfortunately, the entrance to the building collapsed in front of Violet No.120.

"Ugh, ughhh! We’re trapped!"

Everything went white in front of my eyes.

"AAAHHH!"

At the boundary area near the back entrance of the forward base, there was a wide space where cars, with their lights off, were parked.

People holding various weapons stood quietly waiting.

The commotion from the safety zone seemed to be of no concern to them.

"I... I... killed someone..."

Among them, next to the largest truck, a female member was crouching and trembling.

Her comrades laughed as they saw her.

"Why is she like that?"

"Ah, her? She’s been like that for a while. She said she killed someone, or something."

"Must be a desk jockey, huh? Getting all emotional over something like that. She’s got a weak stomach."

Despite her comrades whispering, the woman didn’t pay them any mind.

She couldn’t even afford to.

She was in shock after witnessing the disaster caused by the artifact she had helped activate.

"I... I turned someone into a ghoul..."

Her superior, watching her, sneered.

"Geez, what a drama queen..."

He slapped the woman’s head.

"Get a grip! We’ve got work to do. Can you just lie there?"

"But... people died... the people at the base..."

"Quit the hypocrisy. Do you want to act all virtuous? You did it all. Get up! We need to prepare to track the Prism!"

The woman sniffled and stood up.

Seeing this, the team leader felt a bit frustrated.

The artifact had disappeared, and yet his subordinate was like this.

Before long, four jet bikes arrived at the waiting area where the investigation unit and mercenaries were stationed.

The bikes landed in the dark ground beneath the dungeon’s faint ceiling.

"What’s this?"

"They’re prisoners. We brought them to see if they know anything about the artifact’s whereabouts."

A member riding a bike dragged a person in a black combat uniform and tossed them aside.

The prisoner’s hands were bound in thick handcuffs, and their small frame, like that of a girl, stood out.

The prisoner was Violet No. 120.

The agent handed Violet over to the team leader.

Violet No. 120, dragged along, locked eyes with a woman who was crying.

The woman’s eyes shook violently as she looked at Violet.

"What? Did she have a breakup or something?"

Violet felt a strange sensation as she was dragged into the alley.

A simple interrogation began.

"KYAA!"

Violet No. 120 was slapped several times from the start.

The investigation unit leader roughly removed the identity-disturbing device from 120 and pulled off her mask.

"What’s this, an identity-disturbing device? Hmm, it’s got a voice modulator too. What are you doing, kid..."

The mask, however, clung stubbornly and wouldn’t come off.

"By the way, why won’t this come off?"

Violet No. 120 thought that applying the adhesive to her face was a good decision. It was one of the standard security procedures for squad leaders, company commanders, and the rest of the Violet clones.

The two-layered mask stuck tightly to her skin, making it very uncomfortable, but it had the advantage of not coming off easily.

"Well, I can just peel it off with a knife later. Now, tell me your name and affiliation."

Violet No. 120 quietly surveyed her surroundings and responded. She was curious about who these people were and what they were doing.

"...I’m Bin Laden from the Al-Qaeda Clan! But who are you?"

Violet No. 120’s face was slapped, and she turned sideways.

"Ugh!"

"What the hell are you talking about? Do you think you have the right to ask questions? Just answer what I ask."

"But it’s true..."

Violet No. 120 spat out her broken molar, frustrated by the fact that she had never heard of the icon of violence and terror that had lasted a century.

These guys are really naive. They don’t even know Bin Laden!

At that moment, Violet No. 120 was upset about losing her tooth. This would cause her gums to hurt and throb whenever she ate until the reverse process was complete.

Just as one of the soldiers tried to ask more questions, they heard a new command over the radio and stood up.

"What is it?"

The mercenary asked, and the Investigation Team Leader responded.

"They said stop the interrogation and dispose of them quickly. We’re starting an artifact search."

"Understood. Hey, Bin Laden, follow me!"

As vehicles that had been waiting at the location began to move, Violet No. 120 was dragged through a narrow alley by the soldier’s hand.

Upon seeing the scene, Violet No. 120 was slightly shocked. There were over ten people who appeared to have been kidnapped, just like her. Among them were some familiar faces.

"Huh? Isn’t that the guy who had his brain drilled?"

The brain-drilling couple she had seen last time was there. They were covered in blood, having been severely beaten. The woman struggled to comfort the man, who was groaning in pain.

"My dear, what should we do... your handsome face is all ruined..."

"Ugh... I’m sorry... because of me..."

In one corner, workers in coveralls were tightly bound. They were non-awakened individuals.

"Hey, stand in line over there!"

Violet and the other prisoners trudged over and stood. As armed soldiers and mercenary troubleshooters aimed crossbows at them, everyone screamed.

"Ah, no! Please don’t shoot!"

"Don’t shoot!"

The team leader, with a practiced motion, loaded a bolt into the crossbow and infused it with mana.

Just as the mercenaries aimed the crossbows filled with mana, one of the female soldiers suddenly grabbed the team leader’s crossbow.

"Wait, just a second! Can’t we just erase their memories and send them off?"

"What are you talking about? Are you not letting go?"

"If we take a little time, we can erase their memories, right? I’ll handle it and delete them!"

The Investigation Team Leader scoffed at the woman’s words.

"Erase memories? That takes too long. We need machines for that. And if we just stick this in their heads, that’s memory deletion. Isn’t that right?"

As the team leader proudly raised his crossbow, the mercenaries laughed with a clicking sound.

The woman pleaded with her superior, tears in her eyes.

"Look! There are non-awakened people here too! No matter how important the artifact is, this is too much! These are innocent people..."

"Crazy bitch!"

Annoyed, the team leader swung the crossbow’s stock at the female soldier. She fell to the ground.

"Ahhh!"

"You’re going back to headquarters. Now, hurry up and start!"

The Investigation Team Leader and the mercenaries once again aimed their weapons.

"Don’t shoot!!"

"Stop!"

Screams echoed through the alley.

"Ughhhh!"

Bolts from the Violet Squad’s sharp sniping skills pierced the mercenaries’ heads and exploded.

"What... is this...!"

The team leader, startled, realized too late that the arm he had used to pull the trigger was missing. Violet No. 120 had swung a knife and stabbed the team leader’s neck.

"Huh, how..."

Instead of explaining that it was through object transmission, Violet No. 120 pulled out a knife and stabbed the team leader.

"Ku… ugh..."

Why are you so late!?

Sorry, the paths are really complicated! Let’s release these people first!

As the Violet clones began to untie the prisoners, Violet No. 120 approached the female soldier who had been knocked out by the rifle stock.

The soldier seemed confused, unable to fully comprehend the situation, staring around in bewilderment.

"Wh-what’s going on here? T-Team Leader suddenly... Who are you?"

Violet answered the soldier’s question.

"You don’t need to know who we are. Just understand this!"

Violet planned to ask the woman about her affiliation and the organization that had been smuggling the artifacts. Violet handcuffed the woman’s arm.

"From now on, you’re our prisoner. Don’t worry, we’ll adhere to the Geneva Convention!"

Prisoner, huh?

The soldier, who had been thinking about what the Geneva Convention was, suddenly realized the reality when she felt the cold sensation on her wrist. Fearful of what would come next, she burst into tears.

"Uhhhhh..."

From beyond the quiet alley, the sound of battle echoed continuously.