---

While the Violets dashed away with the Vision Prism, various escape groups were forming in the safety zone.

“What in the world is happening! We need to evacuate quickly!”

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

The Ghoul Federal Army was attacking from all sides, and the turrets were suddenly rendered inactive. To make matters worse, ground-grooming monsters were breaching from the rear.

The clan’s Hunters, unable to hold their ground any longer, salvaged only their weapons and bodies as they retreated.

“The defense line has been breached completely! The back is still clear; let’s head that way!”

“The ignition won’t start!”

Unfortunately, enemies targeting them weren’t just the fanatics and the Federal Army.

“Proceed with Plan 4.”

Before the Vision Prism could activate, the members of Magnavis who had secretly slipped out through the back gate observed the situation and gave the orders.

The mercenaries and members hiding along the expected escape routes moved into action.

“Die, heretics!”

“Ahhh!”

Mercenaries who had disguised themselves as zealots pulled out crossbows and fired. The people caught by surprise fell to the ground. Among those fleeing were also Non-Awakened workers, leading to significant casualties.

“In the name of the Savior, we strike down heretics!”

Violence unleashed arrows towards the Violet Team that was escaping through the back gate.

“Watch out!”

“Aargh! When did those cultists get here?”

Kalia frantically swatted away the incoming arrows. Even if she hadn’t blocked them due to the protection of the shield, she seemed pretty startled.

“Damn it! Get lost!”

One mercenary, while shooting arrows and retreating, turned into a pincushion from the Violets’ counterattack. However, the attacks from the enemies didn’t let up.

From behind came the monsters, to the right was the sniper, and to the left, the ghoul soldiers of the Federal Army charged in their exosuits. Such scenes unfolded in every direction.

“Enemies everywhere! Aaaah!”

While fleeing, the Violet Team encountered the chief of the Atlas Clan, who was guiding the people.

“This way!”

Though disheveled, the chief was getting others to safety amidst the chaos. Hesitant yet hopeful, the Violet Team followed the direction he indicated.

“It’s a complete mess!”

As Violet thought, the incident was spiraling into chaos that obscured any glimpse of what lay ahead.

**

Amidst the hurried rush of everyone with their objectives, there were onlookers who observed the chaos like they were watching dirty dishes in a sink, as if it had nothing to do with them.

“Looks like a witch’s cauldron, doesn’t it?”

The Vanguard Commander spoke up while issuing orders to wipe out survivors from the rooftop of a nearby commercial building in the designated border zone.

The rooftop of the old commercial building comprising the arcade provided an excellent height and vantage point for observation.

“A witch’s cauldron, you say?”

Beside him, Lera, who was checking maps on her tablet and urging the retrieval of relics, raised her head at the unexpected comment.

At her question, the 30-year veteran battle mage of Magnavis shared an anecdote from the old War History.

“Oh, you don’t know? It’s a well-known metaphor from the First Two-Dimensional War.”

The witch’s cauldron metaphor refers to a messy and chaotic battlefield. The combat between monsters and humans was as complex and chaotic as the scene of a witch tossing various ingredients into a huge cauldron and stirring wildly.

“I do know what that story is about. But what does it have to do with the current situation… Ah.”

Lera finally understood what the agent was trying to convey.

“In the dungeon, visibility is poor, and it’s hard to tell friend from foe. Just stepping slightly off the main road leads you into alleys that stretch like spider webs, and the interiors of buildings are like mazes. Above all, communication is down. Even if we don’t interfere, those monsters will probably end up fighting each other and self-destruct.”

Beyond the darkness, a series of groups could be seen moving with flashlights.

The hunters, chased by monsters, encountered hunters coming from the right alley. In their surprise, they mistakenly fought thinking they were enemies and all fell.

As lighting was extinguished, the incident was swallowed by darkness.

“However, every cauldron has its owner. The initiative to control this battlefield lies with us. We have the advantage in communication, firepower, and mobility. So let’s clean this up quickly and get going.”

As he said this, he flexed his mechanical hand as if testing it.

A new contact came through. Right after the telepathic message, Lera felt a jolt of confusion and had to ask again.

“You lost it? How is that possible?”

“What?!”

Everyone present who heard the telepathy lost composure. They lost that important relic?

“This is the first time in my 30-year clan career dealing with someone so incompetent! Hey, Beleston! Where did you find such fools?”

The commander muttered, the voice of a dispirited subordinate echoed over the transceiver.

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

**

A large transport drone carrying the Vision Prism had crashed a bit away after being hit by the monsters led by the Unity Cult.

They had sent contacts to the other members, and by now, they should have heard reports of retrieval, but the moment they received the awaited contact, the members of the Mystic Investigation Department engaged in a fierce battle with the Unity Cult disciples felt an icy shiver down their spines.

‘Where did our relic go?’

Their feelings were akin to a person who had forgotten their wallet at home realizing they were trying to pay at a restaurant and pulling out an empty pocket.

“The relic is gone! Emergency!”

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

“It’s gone! Someone must have taken it!”

In the moment of shock from the suddenly received telepathy, the zealots who had been charging forward just a moment ago took a step back.

“Those cunning bastards. They must’ve snuck off with the relic amidst the chaos!”

Karnan, who was commanding the fight while mounted on a high-level monster, shouted at the top of his lungs.

“How dare they! I’ll kill them all!”

Instead of explaining their situation to the Elder of the Unity Cult, the members chose to flee.

“Go eat dirt!”

Smoke and flashbangs erupted between the members and the zealots.

“Team Leader! The relic is gone!”

“Received!”

Lera relayed the message to the survivors and their ranks.

“This won’t do. We will temporarily halt the elimination of witnesses. Let’s start tracking the relic!”

With the attacks ceased and troops withdrawing, the fleeing people were left bewildered by the situation but decided to accept their luck.

“What’s going on with those cultists… are they running away?”

“Do we care? Let’s just get out of here!”

***

The Violets hurriedly dashed away with the Vision Prism. There was no destination, just movement away from the enemies.

“We need to create some distance! Also from our teammates!”

We thought, I don’t really get why this heavy relic is so special, but everyone seems so frantic over not being able to get it. If we drag this back to where people are, the enemies will surely follow.

“Even the Federals are obsessed with this, and the zealots are trying to steal it…”

Struggling to carry the Vision Prism, Unit 761 whispered. It didn’t make sense. It’s just a sparkling huge rock!

“And those guys earlier! Those weird ones were trying to take it too! I hope they aren’t chasing us…”

Unit 481, leading the way, replied to 761.

“I don’t think so? The squad’s survivors are still there! They’re busy fighting.”

While ten Violets diligently fled with the prism, other survivors in the squad had either already been resurrected or had died long ago. Only a few, including 120, remained at the scene.

To search for information, I hid behind a car or building to observe the surroundings.

“Ugh! It’s a complete mess!”

Receiving the view from 120, the safety zone was now unrecognizable. The term ‘safety zone’ no longer fit.

Hunters were fleeing, workers were fleeing, and monsters were having a blast attacking people as if it were their home.

In the midst of it all, Ghoul soldiers moved in groups, unleashing a barrage of gunfire.

“Damn those Federal bastards, whether alive or dead, they’re still a nuisance! Aaah!”

One hunter fell after being shot, completely battered.

Thanks to the exoskeletons on their bodies, the ghouls moved agilely. With each pull of the trigger, people shot by their bullets collapsed.

“Those guys have functioning guns?”

I pondered.

I had confirmed while escaping this area that not just myself but all other hunters’ firearms had jammed, yet the Federal Army ghouls were firing without a hitch.

“Look over there!”

“Damn it, the ignition won’t start!”

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

In the commotion, a laborer attempted to start his car in vain before retreating.

Seeing that, a thought popped into my head.

“No way…?”

I needed to test if my assumption was correct. 120 pulled several lighters from the inventory, struck the flint, and pressed the piezoelectric button.

“Nothing’s coming out! It won’t light!”

Only gas escaped from the lighter, and nothing happened.

We remembered, there was only one cause behind this bizarre phenomenon.

“It’s the combustion suppression magic, isn’t it?”

The identity of this phenomenon was infamous magic that inhibits the use of firearms. It was certainly combustion suppression magic. The principle was unknown, but it’s a tech that rendered all firearms and internal combustion engines inoperable within its range!

“Speaking of, the Federal troops use electromagnetic weapons, right?”

I heard that the Federation uses railguns. Weapons that accelerate bullets using electromagnetic fields. In that case, they’d be safe from combustion suppression magic. That could explain why the ghouls were still shooting.

“What is happening? Who would do such a thing?”

The problem is that it’s a very tricky spell. Human mages merely clumsily mimicked the technology employed by monsters. Those using it didn’t even know the principle behind it.

“It’s not the zealots or the monsters! If it were, the clan side would’ve noticed!”

Just then, I received contact from the Violets with the team.

“Look! The bullets are working now! The gun or bullet wasn’t the issue!”

Once we distanced ourselves from the safety zone, the rifles worked perfectly fine again. That means the source of the problem must be nearby.

“This is maddening. Who used this magic and why?”

“Let’s just run for now! We need to hide the relic!”

Though I wasn’t sure, I needed to flee as far as possible with this. If a group says they can use that level of magic, they won’t be a bunch of pushovers!

Even with the weight on my shoulders and fatigue pressing in, the Violet Team ran with the relic.

“Ugh! They won’t chase us, will they?”

“Don’t jinx it! There’s no way! Definitely not!”

At 481’s remark, 761 chimed in. After all, it seemed they hadn’t noticed us yet.

But I wondered if I had tempted fate. Above the heads of 120 and the Violets at the forward base, something fluttered.

“Huh? What’s that?”

Turning my head, I winced at the dazzling light. A jet bike!

“Ahh! We’ve been spotted!”

“Get inside the building!”

As we hurried into the building, a bolt of lightning came flying from the jet bike. The bolt struck the roof above our heads.

“Hyah!”

I was knocked down from the shock. With the explosion, the entrance of the temporary building collapsed.

“Kyaah! We’re trapped!”

Regrettably, the entrance of the building crumbled before Unit 120.

“Ugh! We’ll be caught!”

My vision went white.

“Ahhh!”

**

Nearby the parking lot of the commercial zone in the border area, away from the rear gate of the forward base, cars in a state of blackout lay parked.

People wielding various weapons quietly waited. To them, the commotion in the safety zone seemed like someone else’s issue.

“I… I…”

Among them, next to the largest truck, a woman member crouched, trembling. Her comrades laughed at her appearance.

“What’s up with her?”

“Ah, that friend? She’s been like that since earlier. She said she killed someone, or something.”

“Is she a desk worker or something? What’s her problem crying like that? She’s so fragile.”

Regardless of what her comrades murmured, the woman paid no attention. In truth, she had no energy to respond. She had witnessed the disaster caused by the relic she had activated.

“I turned a person into a ghoul…”

Her superior scoffed at her reaction.

“Come on, quit the melodrama…”

The member slapped the woman’s head.

“Ugh!”

“Get a grip! We have a mountain of work to do. Can you just lay here?”

“B-but, people are dead… even the base people…”

“Stop being hypocritical. You think you can act innocent? It’s all your fault. Get up! We need to prepare to track the prism!”

Wiping her tears, the woman stood up. Seeing this, the team leader felt a sense of frustration. The relic was gone, yet her subordinate was in this state.

Before long, four jet bikes arrived where the Investigation Department members and mercenaries waited.

The bikes landed in the dark ground below the dungeon’s dim ceiling.

“What’s this?”

“Prisoners. We thought they might know the whereabouts of the relic.”

A member from the bike dragged a person in a black combat uniform and harshly dumped them on the ground.

The prisoner had their hands bound in thick handcuffs and their small frame resembled a young girl.

The prisoner was Unit 120. The agent handed over the violet to the team leader.

120 met eyes with a weeping girl being dragged along. The girl’s eyes shook like there had been an earthquake.

“What’s this? Did she just break up with someone?”

Feeling perplexed, Violets were pulled into an alley, and a simple interrogation began.

“Ugh!”

At the onset, 120 was slapped multiple times. The Investigation Department team leader roughly removed the recognition interference device from 120’s face.

“What’s this? A recognition interference device? And a voice modulator too. What the hell are you?”

The mask clung tightly and wouldn’t come off.

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

120 was glad she put glue on her face. It’s standard security protocol among the Violets below the squad leader level.

The double-layered mask was tightly stuck to her skin, which was burdensome, yet the advantage was that it wouldn’t easily come off.

“Well, I can just rip it off later with a knife. Now, tell me your name and affiliation.”

120 quietly scanned her surroundings while responding, curious about what these folks were doing.

“I’m Bin Laden of the Al-Qaeda Clan! But who are you?”

120’s face turned as she was slapped, sending her head sideways.

“Ugh!”

“What nonsense is that? Do you think you have the right to ask questions? Answer the question I ask.”

“But that’s the truth…”

Not knowing the idol of a century-long violence and terrorism, 120 spat out a broken tooth.

“These guys are incredibly naive. Not knowing Bin Laden!”

Anyway, 120 was upset about losing her teeth. It would hurt and pinched every time she ate until resurrection.

In the midst of a new interrogation, a member received new orders over the radio and stood up.

“What’s going on?”

When the mercenary asked, the team leader of the Investigation Department replied.

“They say to stop interrogating the captives and deal with them quickly. They’re going to search for the relic.”

“Understood. Hey, Bin Laden, follow along!”

While vehicles on standby began to move, 120 was dragged through a narrow alleyway by the member.

Upon seeing the scene there, 120 was slightly shocked. There were more than ten others who seemed to have been kidnapped like her. Among them were some familiar faces.

“Huh? Isn’t that the guy who dug the Brain Spear?”

The Brain Spear couple she had seen previously was here too. They looked like they had been badly beaten. The woman struggled to comfort the man, who was moaning in pain.

“Our darling, what do we do… your beautiful face is all messed up now…”

“Ugh… it’s my fault… I’m sorry…”

In one corner, there were also workers in work uniforms, all tightly bound. They were Non-Awakened.

“Hey! Stand in a line over there!”

The Violets, along with the other prisoners, trudged to stand in line. As armed members and other mercenary hunters aimed crossbows at them, they all screamed.

“Ah, no! Please don’t kill us!”

“Don’t shoot!”

The team leader skillfully loaded a bolt into the crossbow and infused it with magical power.

Just as the mercenaries aimed the magically charged crossbow, unexpectedly, the female member grabbed the team leader’s crossbow.

“Wait a moment! Can’t we just erase their memories and let them go?”

“What are you talking about? I’m not letting go of this!”

“If we take a little time, we can erase their memories. I’ll handle the deletion!”

The team leader of the Investigation Department scoffed at the woman’s words.

“Erase their memories? That takes a long time. You need machines for that. Besides, just sticking this in their skull will do the trick for erasing memories. Wouldn’t you agree?”

As the team leader raised the crossbow in a way that showcased superiority, the mercenaries laughed derisively.

The woman pleaded with her superior while choking back tears.

“Look. There are even Non-Awakened people here. No matter how important the relic is, this is too much! They are innocent people…”

“You really are a crazy woman!”

The irritated team leader struck the female member with the butt of the crossbow. She fell to the ground.

“Ahhh!”

“You’ll get to see the headquarters again. Now, get started!”

The team leader and the mercenaries aimed their weapons once more.

“Don’t shoot!!”

“Stop it!”

The alley filled with screams.

“Ahhh!”

Bolts lodged in the heads of the mercenaries, bursting them apart. It was the result of the clean sniper skills of the Violet squad that rushed to their rescue.

“What the…!”

The team leader, shocked, belatedly realized that his arm had vanished while he was pulling the trigger. It was because 120, who should have been tied up, wielded a knife.

“How…?”

Instead of explaining that it had been teleported away, 120 drove the knife into the team leader’s throat.

“Khugh…!”

“Why did you take so long!”

“I’m sorry! The path here is too complicated! First, let’s free those people!”

While the Violets untied the captives, 120 approached the woman who had been knocked down by the butt of the crossbow.

She looked utterly dazed, as if she couldn’t fully grasp the situation around her.

“Um, what exactly is going on? T-the team leader suddenly… who are you?”

The Violet responded to the woman’s question.

“You don’t need to know who we are; just know this!”

With thoughts of asking her to whom she belonged and the identity of the organization trying to steal the relic, the Violet secured handcuffs around the woman’s wrist.

“From now on, you are our prisoner. Don’t worry; we’ll adhere to the Geneva Convention!”

‘Prisoner?’

The member, while pondering what the Geneva Convention was, finally sensed the chilling sensation at her wrist and belatedly accepted reality. The fright of the situation that was about to unfold caused the woman to burst into tears.

“Waaah…”

Beyond the quiet alley, the sounds of battle continued to echo.