The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City

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The cold fluorescent lights illuminated the isolation chamber, enveloped in a heavy silence.

The brutality of the virus, crushing flesh and gnawing on organs, was merciless. The only sounds were the pained whimpers of the weakened animals, diminished by the aftereffects of Corbus Infection.

The overseeing researcher, his expression unyielding, made his rounds, checking on the subjects’ conditions.

“Status check, 31st Clone…”

– Thud!

“Bark bark!”

Suddenly, a powerful impact echoed as something slammed against the bulletproof glass of the cage. The researcher flinched, stumbling back. A small puppy had hurled itself against the glass wall.

With fierce eyes, the puppy continued to hit the glass with its paw, which was connected to an IV drip, until it finally collapsed in exhaustion.

While momentarily relieved by the presence of the bulletproof glass, the researcher soon felt a chill run down his spine.

The ominous gazes of the animals inside the isolation chamber were piercing.

“Still got some fight left, huh? Tough little thing. If I had orders, you would’ve been incinerated long ago…”

Quickly glancing at the glaring eyes of the animals, he pressed the Electric Shock Button.

The animals shrieked in agony and recoiled. The researcher hastily fled the scene.

Silence returned to the isolation chamber. The animals cautiously surveyed their surroundings, sharing their fury towards the scientists who tormented them.

Any sign of defiance brought electric shocks, and mind-numbing tranquilizer injections followed soon after.

Violence escalated day by day.

“Those wicked humans! One day, they’ll get their just desserts!”

“Yeah! There will come a time when it’s our turn to rule!”

It was then that the weary puppy perked its ears up.

“Quiet! Everyone, listen! It’s starting!”

And within their minds, something faint yet palpable began to resonate. It was a song.

-The apple blossoms and pear flowers bloom brightly on the foggy riverside!
-High on the steep riverbank, the animals sing!

“Oooh!”

Ever since an unknown time of enlightenment, the animals had found solace in one aspect during their torturous lives in the lab.

It was listening to news from somewhere in the world, transmitted through their empathic connection.

Sometimes it was a song, and other times, it was the casual chatter of daily life.

-I fought hard, so I’ll play around in the paradise chocolate hot springs!

Somewhere out there, animals lived joyously day by day. No one tormented them.

-Really? The boss decided to treat us! Have some fun and resurrect quickly!

They had owners, but the girls treated the animals kindly, almost like family.

A warm and cozy home, soft blankets, three hearty meals a day that were plentiful and delicious.

Not to mention the opportunities for various entertainment and self-improvement.

Yet, the most astonishing spectacle was elsewhere.

-Attack! Attack! V-Animals fight for freedom!

Within their imaginations, the animals were now battling on equal ground against those very humans who tormented them.

“We’re fighting the humans!”

“That’s amazing!”

Every time they witnessed this scene, their hearts raced violently, and their eyes blazed with fervor.

Of course, there were also skeptical voices. It could be an illusion. A trick.

The enlightened animals began to doubt whether they were being deceived by those wicked Laplacian scientists.

A cat scoffed cynically.

“You fools. That’s just a mirage. How could animals fight humans? They’d get shot and die! It’s impossible!”

As for the possibility of ‘a devil in a jar,’ the parrot and monkey seriously debated it, discussing wherever they had gleaned that idea.

Intellectual conversations flowed naturally among the animals.

Still, they couldn’t shake off this illusion.

Freedom was like water; the thirsting animals yearned for it and absorbed it like a sponge.

Like the citizens of a dictatorship living like prisoners, captivated by the lyrics of a song they overheard, the animals could never relinquish their desire for this freedom that filtered through their dark room like a beam of light.

“I want to live like that too…”

“…Under the leadership of Violet, all animals are free and equal, they said!”

Just for a brief moment of dreaming, the faint whispers faded away, disappearing somewhere.

Once again facing the cold and painful reality, the animals sighed deeply.

“One day, we too…!”

Only the red sensors in the isolation chamber quietly watched over the animals.

[Detecting Ether Spectrum-]

As the fierce battle against the Foundation extended beyond mid-July, two changes occurred.

First, the situation had entered a lull.

The foes had retreated deep into hiding, leaving ground patrols to drones and a handful of robots.

“Hey! Break apart!”

– Crack!

As the eastern checkpoints diminished, they avoided direct confrontations with us. Patrols on the streets dropped significantly.

Swarming drones still remained an irksome presence.

The firepower itself wasn’t an issue. Excluding explosives, the weapons small drones could carry posed no threat to us.

Just tricky to catch, that was all.

“At least we can save bullets!”

But the deeper we dug into key facilities, nothing special was discovered.

Mostly just debris that had been relocated or destroyed.

Moreover, every time we tried to investigate further, troublesome incidents unfolded.

“Found it! This is their laboratory…”

“Run! It’s a bomb!”

– Beep!

“Yikes!”

The Foundation troubled us by installing bombs or traps after vacating their bases or buildings.

It was an expression of their unwillingness to yield.

That meant our scouting mice had an even harder time.

“Here! There’s something suspicious! Eek!”

– Boom!

“No! Lemon is dead again!”

The days were tedious, but there were positive changes as well.

It was that the Violets had breached the ten-thousand mark.

“…Is that thanks to me?”

“Yup! Thanks to Rugilinn’s Iron Fist providing continual magical power!”

Inside the hangar, with a massive chunk of metal as a backdrop, we had a brief tea time.

The girl in a uniform with black hair sipped her tea with an awkward expression.

“To become a strategic supply depot, feels odd for a tank, but I guess I can accept it. No need to feel shy about being helpful to superiors while just sitting still.”

Rugilinn’s Iron Fist, having completed its modifications, couldn’t hide its sense of longing.

The battles against the Foundation were primarily close-quarters and guerrilla warfare, so it couldn’t participate directly.

“Ten thousand… Has it really been that many? Hehe…”

A light exclamation caught Iron Fist’s attention.

Sister Adela looked inexplicably happy, exceeding mere satisfaction.

“Ten thousand juniors… By the way, Rugilinn, you said you’re ex-military? How do you find this dessert? Is it to your taste? It’s a special order made by a professional patissier. Here, would you like to try this too? No, being a former soldier, you might prefer this one instead? How about this one?”

“Wait, Lady Adela, this is too much…”

“Oh my! Sorry! I didn’t mean to overwhelm you! Does the tea suit your taste? Ah, is there anything else you’d prefer? Hehe…”

“That’s not it, but…”

Adela continued to offer one dessert after another piled high on the three-tiered tray to Iron Fist.

Somehow, Iron Fist looked distinctly uncomfortable.

Maybe spending too much time in the hangar resulted in a lack of social skills.

In an attempt to bring them closer, I decided to step out for a while.

“Just a moment, Violet! Where are you off to? This lady seems a bit overwhelming. That gaze…”

“You needn’t feel uncomfortable! It just means Sister Adela thinks you’re cute! You’re small and adorable, right?”

“Cute? What do you mean by that?”

I chose to refrain from answering. I wanted to see that look of confusion on its face for a moment.

“I’m heading out for a bit. You two, have a good time!”

“Understood, Violet! Then Rugilinn, shall we have a different conversation just between us girls?”

“What do you mean by that? Wait, why did you move to the next seat…”

I stepped out, leaving Iron Fist who was crossing into the awkward zone, beyond just uncomfortable.

It wasn’t a light task to check on a ten-thousand strong army. I couldn’t afford to waste time.

“Shall we try to assemble on the field for a roll call?”

What could be done with ten thousand troops?

As I pondered how to deal with other potential enemy factions after crushing the Foundation, time passed by.

As August approached, the Violets steadily advanced towards their objectives.

We had no reason to be at a disadvantage. Moreover, with the battlefield expanding from land to sea and sky, we were better able to pinpoint their mobile bases.

Results from analyzing the captured airships were pouring in one by one.

“We’ll soon be able to access the records archive!”

While it was uncertain how much we could understand their technology, if luck favored us, a day might soon come when we arm ourselves with energy weapons we manufactured instead of looted ones.

“Plasma guns for all Violets! Laser rifles for all friends!”

Yet, there were still many suspicious aspects. We couldn’t shake off our doubts regarding the bizarre things discovered within the Foundation.

“The source of the technology used by the Foundation was often unclear. It was far from merely researching relics or developing it in-house. Perhaps what you found could be a hint.”

“That strange relic?”

The Scholarship Officer paused in thought. It was after witnessing the video of the object caught by a Black Box during the attack on a base in the primitive jungle.

That suspicious object had exploded, leaving only debris in a way that seemed like they wished to conceal its identity, but it was evident to everyone that it was something special.

“I wonder if it’s from another civilization or world. Some of Rumyx’s core technology might have come from research on such things.”

“If it’s from another world, could it be Apostles…?”

“Right, it would likely be from the civilizations of other tribes.”

The Scholarship Officer replied with certainty. It was as if something previously vague in her mind was now being confirmed.

It wasn’t until now that I realized the weapons they’ve always used were the biggest mystery.

The Foundation wielded advanced arms like energy weapons exclusively for themselves.

The only electromagnetic weapons of the Federation were based on technology purchased from the Foundation—needless to say.

“Alien civilization’s technology!”

If so, it clarified the Foundation’s unique technological prowess, distinctly separating them from the other three clans.

It would imply they had somewhere hoarded the items from extraterrestrials, just like they had locked people in hibernation chambers.

“Only one or two have shown up in all investigations since the jungle!”

“Then there may be something bigger hidden away!”

Though it was merely speculation, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of the Foundation accommodating greater hidden secrets.

“That’s suspicious…”

As this thought continued, the Violets were drawn to the sudden sounds echoing above.

“What’s that?”

Numerous airships and aircraft were soaring across the sky of Academy City.

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