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The first idea started with the tiny fishing boat, Unit 2319, heading out into the vast ocean.

“How about we just live on this boat?”

According to Violet logic, it was entirely possible. Supplies could easily be handled with multidimensional bags. The boat had small facilities necessary for living.

So there were no issues with habitation.

“That sounds good! Let’s give it a try!”

“Let’s go far out if we’re doing this!”

With that realization, countless boats, from fishing vessels to used yachts, set sail into the ocean with the Command Center’s approval.

“It’s the age of great exploration!”

“To the sea! Further into the sea!”

However, the Violets, who were not sailors, made a few mistakes.

“If we drop the anchor on the floor, it should hold itself.”

“Wow! But where is our boat going right now?”

The attempts made by the Violets to secure their boats in the open sea failed.

The seemingly manageable ocean was too unfamiliar and unpredictable.

“The waves are really high! Wasn’t there a rumor about a storm?”

“But the weather is supposed to be calm! Ah! We’re capsizing!”

“Ugh!”

Soon, some of the boats that had set off for deep-sea navigation capsized. They were too small to endure the harsh conditions of the ocean.

“Ugh! So salty!”

The Violets who tasted the seawater grumbled and reacted negatively.

“How about the others? Any progress?”

“No…”

The plight of other Violets wandering the sea wasn’t much different.

“Hey! The engine! It’s on fire!”

“Fire!”

This was a case where they recklessly operated the boat, causing the engine to catch fire.

“Unit 2991, why do you keep looking under the water?”

“Unit 1197! Come down and look. It feels like something is following us under the boat—”

*Splash!*

“Whoa! It’s a Marine Monster!”

There were also Violets being attacked by monsters. As incidents and fatalities repeated, they changed their strategies.

“Let’s dock in the nearby sea!”

“How about saving some money to buy a bigger boat? I don’t know how to operate the machinery but…”

“A cargo ship!”

In this way, the Violets grew accustomed to the sea.

**

After much hardship and effort, we gradually adapted to the ocean.

The Violets playing on the water were proof of that.

“So refreshing!”

We were far from the Rustroom Archipelago, off the southern coast of Librian Continent. Violets donned skin suits and flippers, splashing in the deserted sea.

“Coral! Fish!”

“Tonight, we’re having grilled fish!”

The exotic beaches of the tropical region were peaceful, and the water was as clear as glass.

Even from the surface, the vibrant corals sprouting from the seabed looked within reach.

“I can see everything clearly!”

Of course, we hadn’t intended to come this far.

“That second-hand shop! Clearly a scammer!”

“Right? How could they sell a boat like this?”

Unit 2761 grumbled on the boat, whispering with other Violets. Their used yacht had broken down, forcing them to drift for quite a while.

“But thanks to that, we made it here, right? Let’s have a drink!”

“Sure!”

Unit 2761 jumped into the water beneath the yacht. Below the blue surface were Violets who had come to enjoy the tropical sea.

“Hey, everyone! Let’s drink something refreshing!”

I shouted excitedly as I landed on the sandy beach.

I laid out mats and set large buckets on top. Each one was filled with ice.

It was time to pour in the drinks. I took out various types of carbonated drinks one by one and poured them into the buckets.

*Splash!*

Colorful drinks cascaded over the ice. Soon, all the buckets were filled with refreshing beverages. The sound of ice clinking seemed to cool down the heat.

Violets who had been enjoying swimming began to come up one by one.

“It’s fun, but too salty…”

“I’m thirsty!”

Everyone was in the same situation suffering from thirst. After rinsing off the saltiness with fresh water, they scooped the drinks with cups and gulped them down.

“Wow! So refreshing!”

“Uwaaaah…”

The fizzy bubbles tickled my throat, and the freezing chill filled my stomach, refreshing me. Holding the brightly colored buckets, the various flavors poured through the Network.

“I’m drinking cider, but it tastes like orange!”

“Apple flavor! Grape flavor! Lemon flavor! Electrolyte drink flavor!”

“Beer flavor! Champagne flavor!”

We shared all the flavors and refreshment. Countless delightful sensations converged to create a wave of coolness that swept through the Network.

“This is it!”

“This is the best…”

Some Violets who drank too much cold beverage grasped their aching heads and happily laid down on the mats.

But something felt missing.

“Something’s lacking…”

“What is it?”

“I want to eat more!”

The problem was the quantity of drinks. With countless Violets crowding and drinking, the buckets emptied in no time.

“The buckets are too small…”

“Isn’t there a good solution?”

As I pondered, a good idea struck me.

“Not enough drinks? Let’s use bigger containers!”

The answer was bathtubs.

We pulled out single-person portable bathtubs large enough for a Violet to take a bath. They were clean, having been kept for dungeon use but never utilized.

“Great! This is it!”

“Ice in!”

The bathtub made of vinyl was filled with ice. Then countless drinks were poured over the ice.

“This is exactly what I wanted!”

“A flood!”

We joyfully ran to the bathtub overflowing with ice and drinks. Some Violets, perhaps finding the cups insufficient, buried their heads right into the drinks.

“Hey! Get your head out! That’s gross!”

Unit 992 complained, and Unit 3120 asked in surprise.

“What’s wrong? What’s the problem?”

“It’s gross to stick your mouth in the drinks. Use a cup!”

As Unit 992 and some Violets grumbled, Unit 3120 asked back in confusion.

“We’re drinking among ourselves, what’s the big deal? We washed our faces before!”

“But it mixes with saliva!”

“What’s wrong with that? We’re all the same, it’s not gross.”

Caught off guard by the unexpected logical rebuttal, I was at a loss for words. It did seem plausible upon reflection.

“Uh… is that so?”

“Try it! It’s more refreshing this way! You can drink more!”

Unit 992 joined the line to dip her head into the bathtub.

“Wow! This is awesome!”

Under the tropical sun, Violets enjoyed the refreshing sensation of dunking their heads into the drink-filled bathtub.

“This must be paradise…”

**

Just as we were enjoying the beauty of the tropical sea, evening soon arrived.

“Beautiful…”

The distant red sunset faded away, and darkness enveloped us. Most Violets reverted back or chose to return to the hibernation Network from their spots in the cabins.

Currently, only one Violet lay idly on deck.

The blue light turned red, then purple, as the sunset slowly submerged beneath the surface.

Above it floated a group of clouds. As moonlight briefly peeked through, shadows fell on the shore.

“It’s quiet.”

With my eyes closed, all I could hear was the sound of softly lapping waves.

In this stillness, an unexpected thought drifted into my mind.

“What kind of world is this?”

Swaying on the dark sea, thoughts that I usually didn’t entertain began to emerge.

“Is it really the game world we know?”

In truth, there had been many doubts since before. The appearance of unfamiliar enemies who were merely hinted at, my abilities, and so on.

“Are we really imbued here?”

One Violet posed the question.

“What if this is reality, and we are the girls mistaking that we have been reincarnated from somewhere called Earth?”

“No, we have our memories.”

Everything was ambiguous. What were the Apostles, and where was this place? Despite being a digital data fragment world, there were many things unlike what I knew.

“Why do we have a status window?”

Questions sprouted up like spring sprouts, but each time the answer remained the same.

“No matter how I think about it, I don’t know.”

I, a Violet, could only acknowledge my ignorance.

As troubled thoughts continued swirling over the gently rocking boat, the last traces of red swiftly vanished, and a sea of stars glimmered against the pitch-black sky.

“Wow…”

Constellations and unfamiliar stars. Now that I think about it, it was the first time I had looked at the night sky in such detail in this world.

The shapes of the stars were certainly different from where I had lived, yet they had their unique forms and formations, scattered across the night sky.

All Violets in regions that corresponded to nighttime looked up at the sky with curiosity.

Even Violets in the Federal Army zones.

Even those on deserted islands.

Even the Violets fighting against monsters in the Red Zone looked up after wiping away their blood.

Violets from the Southern Aegis Academy, Central, and Western regions also glanced upwards. Many places had no visibility of stars, but it didn’t matter. We could share our vision.

“Is there Earth beyond those stars?”

Violets whispered as they gazed at the night sky.

“Maybe it’s somewhere else.”

Before we knew it, the topic shifted to the stars.

“So many…”

“More than us…!”

The number of stars in the night sky surpassed the number of Violets, and imagining the vast emptiness beyond them sent a shiver down our spines.

Then, a realization struck me.

“Those stars must have always been there.”

Yes, that’s right.

“The stars have been watching over us all along!”

Even when we first fell into this world.

While facing countless enemies and meeting many people, the twinkling stars in the sky were always above our heads.

Even the magical power of the Red Zone, rife with all forms of evil against humanity, couldn’t block the gaze of the stars.

It felt incredibly nostalgic to confront the sky like this.

Facing such a vast world made me realize how small and insufficient we were.

No, despite that, one thing was clear.

I am a Violet.

A sudden realization shook the entire Violet Network.

“Why were we so obsessed with external expansion?”

“Because it just felt that way. My heart raced!”

When did it start? After absorbing the Apostle, I seemed to hear whispers within me that I should spread widely.

But thinking back now, it all seemed futile.

“Yes, the land wasn’t important.”

Why were we fixated on dust-sized land compared to the vast universe beyond the wide sky?

The country of Violets resided in the hearts of us Violets.

“Our country is everywhere in the world!”

Yes, in the land of Violets, there are no borders.

The Violet People’s Democratic Republic.

The ideal society we would create.

“Democratic governance by clones and freedom.”

I, a Violet, am both my own leader and citizen, possessing sovereignty. No one can become our king or president.

Thus, wherever a Violet is present, that’s where the land of the Violets exists.

“Though the body may perish, the spirit is immortal!”

“Let’s strive to grow even harder from now on!”

We are still working hard, but I must increase my magical power and, as before, seek various means to enhance magical efficiency.

Our numbers are far too insufficient compared to the stars in the night sky.

Perhaps buoyed by the energy of the universe, the Violets had learned many things.

“The world is vast.”

“And we, Violets, are special beings!”

Today, I closed my eyes, satisfied with the small opportunity for learning.

**

As noon approached, the scorching tropical sunlight danced over the emerald waters, and the Violet yacht unexpectedly welcomed an unwelcome guest.

“Hey, hey. Wake up!”

The Violet, who had been lazily sleeping on deck, opened her eyes. Feeling someone poking her cheek rudely, she frowned and raised her head.

“What…?”

The Violet realized two things. One, she was on a strange boat. Another, armed men were surrounding her.

“Hey, mister, have you seen our boat? Where are we?”

In the middle, a man with a displeasing expression crossed his arms and replied.

“Oh, that yacht? The broken one?”

Only then did the Violet get a clearer look around. With the harpoon mounted on the deck, it was a whaling boat for hunting monsters. And just beyond the railing was her drifting yacht.

I forgot to drop anchor.

The shallow shore with beaches and corals felt distant. It seemed that while she was asleep at night, the boat had drifted far away.

“I brought you here since it looked like you were adrift.”

The Violet asked.

“Wow, you saved us?”

“Now you’re catching on quickly.”

The armed men chuckled mockingly.

“Then I’d like to go back, let me down.”

At the girl’s request, the men replied roughly.

*Crack!*

“Kyah!”

The sting on her cheek crumpled the Violet’s expression. As she was about to protest against the unreasonable dialogue methods, her gaze froze. The sight before her was a gleaming crossbow and a black gun barrel.

“That’s why these days, tsk, tsk. Someone saves you, and you don’t even say thank you but just want to leave?”

With a click, a Magical Restraint was fastened around her wrist. Two men roughly grabbed the Violet’s arms.

“If someone saves your life, you should show some gratitude, right? Don’t you think? Give me your family or relative’s contact info. No, wait, are you a student? Which Academy are you from?”

When the head man asked, the Violet replied.

“I’m from Aegis Academy. But mister, what do you do? Why are you tying me up?”

Once again, violence ensued. The Violet who got hit on the back of her head let out a short yelp.

“Kid, don’t you understand the situation?”

The men smiled with villainous grins. The sticky gaze brushing against her body unsettled the Violet’s stomach.

“You’re getting kidnapped, you fool!”

Only then did the Violet understand. These people were pirates.

One of the pirates, watching the Violet being dragged to the cabin, licked his lips.

“Boss, we have some time before we contact the land for ransom negotiations. Can we play with her a bit?”

The men’s gazes crossed. That girl just a moment ago, while she might be a bit small, had undeniable maturity in her body. Desire surged up already.

“Already? Do whatever you want. Just don’t handle her too roughly! It would be troublesome if she breaks like last time.”

“Of course. She looks like a junior high student, so better adjust the strength appropriately. Then… heh heh…”

The Awakened pirates couldn’t contain their excitement for what was to unfold next.

Oblivious to the events that lay ahead of them.

Five minutes later, the whaling boat was filled with Violets.

“Ugh! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

“Come on, don’t be like that, climb into the drum!”