---

As the animal army was being churned out one by one, the Violets in the Red Zone were also engrossed in their own enhancements.

“Even if the biological weapons are resolved, the enhanced soldiers of those guys still remain!”

Yeah, that was the biggest problem.

The enemy had various advantages.

The most prominent was their air power. The supersonic fighter jets operated by the clan and Air Force were a deadly threat.

While our outdated vertical take-off and landing crafts barely managed to exceed supersonic speeds, they soared freely at even higher velocities.

The skill of the superhuman pilots controlling those jets was astounding.

With the output of high-power fusion reactors and the overwhelming strength of rare metals ensuring their durability, the maneuverability of the craft surpassed imagination. They could change direction at will.

“But in the end, it’s the infantry that plants the battle flag!”

“Right! You can’t bring a fighter jet into the building.”

Tanks or heavy weapons were powerful but had limits.

If hit by concentrated fire, even a superhuman’s enhanced body or magical barrier would likely be penetrated. But we had our trump card, Rugilinn’s Iron Fist.

“The problem is how we can get it.”

Ultimately, the biggest recent threat was still the unidentified superhuman soldiers.

Their close combat capabilities were overwhelming, and their physical abilities were shocking.

Even if dozens of Violets clung to them, the sheer strength to shake them off was comparable to bipedal heavy armor.

“That was seriously terrifying!”

The difference between them and us was akin to the gap between Awakened Ones and Non-Awakened.

They could just be a naturally talented individual, or perhaps a horrifying product of Frankenstein-like experiments.

We needed a new strategy to subdue a superhuman-level enemy. It was clear there would be more superhumans.

“Let’s try drug enhancements!”

“We need more powerful weapons!”

“Is it just weapons? What about other things?”

Up until now, we had only focused on offensive power.

Now it was time to pay attention to defense as well. We needed an opportunity to deliver a decisive blow.

While we could attack simultaneously due to our numerical superiority, a strong enemy might annihilate us first.

Mental attacks would also require time. It takes time when you need to make direct contact and blend in.

Suddenly, another power I had forgotten came to mind.

“What if we use the Apostle’s power?”

The strange abilities of the Apostles I had absorbed might just be the breakthrough we needed.

We had gathered about 10,000 of them. While the existing clones had died, reducing hardware performance, they were recovering quickly.

It was an opportunity we had missed before, but let’s try now.

Could we utilize the strength of the aliens?

I searched through the stored memories of the Apostles within the network.

After rummaging for a while…

“Hey! The memories are melting away little by little!”

The fragments of the Apostle’s memories I had fished out from the Lake of Consciousness had decreased slightly since the first time I saw them.

They were turning into an indescribable, bizarre-colored mist that was gradually dissipating into the air.

Even when I reached out to grab them, they elusively scattered and then reformed repeatedly.

“Hey! Unit 2501! Do you feel anything?”

“I don’t know! I feel like I might understand something… but after all, you are me and I am you.”

“True.”

I tried touching and hitting them with a hammer, but nothing changed.

As I focused my mind, something began to be felt.

The flickering vision…

“I see! I see something!”

My head felt numb as if I had been hit by a hammer.

It felt like a fierce gaze was glaring at me from beyond, but I forced myself to look. I opened my eyes and remembered.

I am Violet. An Apostle, hence, Apostolic Violet—

I’m human and Violet and also an alien race—

As I immersed myself, suddenly the world began to spin.

Everything swayed in every direction. It rippled, slowed down, and wobbled in bizarre colors.

“Yikes! What’s happening!”

The unstable scene quickly returned to normal.

“What the…”

The Violets looked around in confusion, clueless, but no further anomalies occurred.

“Is this the power of the Apostle?”

Trying to remember the unexplainable illusion, we lay in the fields of the Red Zone.

For now, it seemed urgent to restore our numbers.

I felt like I should have tried when we surpassed 10,000.

“Wait, isn’t reality manipulation pretty similar to magic?”

“You’re right! Let’s experiment with various things!”

The abilities of the semi-free aliens were ultimately extensions of Unique Abilities or supernatural powers.

It was just more complex and higher-dimensional. Like how the essence of calculation in abacuses and semiconductor computers is the same, yet the implementation method is different.

As that thought crossed my mind, I sprang up.

The black soil of the Red Zone crumbled and flowed away.

At that moment, the strange colors and throbbing sensations gradually revived.

“Yap! Change!”

Concentrating magical power, I attempted something into the air.

I fumbled through the Apostle’s memories to compute and imitated their actions as ideas popped up, but…

Nothing happened.

“Darn it!”

I flicked my magical fingers into the air.

Something seemed to pass quickly, and my hand’s afterimage faintly scattered.

“Huh?”

The illusion vanished in an instant.

**

For a while, I focused on the reproduction of clones and the expansion of the Red Zone base. The Karnak Archipelago was more than spacious enough.

“Get out of here! This is our territory! I said get out!”

“What are you talking about? This is Violet territory now!”

As they eliminated the mysterious humanoid monsters, the Violets kept advancing.

Units in the thousands marched forward continuously, slashing through monsters in every direction.

Meanwhile, they built defensive lines and expanded roads, increasing the number of villages and warehouses.

“It would be great if we had construction machinery…”

It seemed insufficient to fundamentally purify the Red Zone just by eliminating monsters popping out of the ground like weeds.

“Rocky Buuuuuh!”

We had enough manpower. Previously, we defended the base with small units of hundreds, but thanks to the foundation trapping us in the Red Zone, we now launched large-scale operations to exterminate the monsters.

“Growl!”

“Rumble!”

The newly joined V-Animals also joined the fray.

-Bang!

The heavy sniper rifle roared. The bullet penetrated the eyes of the airborne monster like a dragon.

The monster named Laskrin screamed and plummeted. It wasn’t a massive adult, but a human-sized entity.

“Cookie! Fetch!”

“Bark!”

The first V-Puppy’s name was inspired by a sweet snack.

The yellow-furred puppy instinctively ran and bit the monster’s neck, dragging it back.

Truly a hunting dog breed’s skill.

We immediately decapitated the monster.

“Master! I did well, right? Woof!”

“Excellent!”

The addition of four-legged animals was a significant advantage tactically.

They were slower than birds but faster than monkeys, and their teeth were sharp.

“If they get any bigger, we might be able to send monkeys as riders.”

The V-Animals steadily grew, unlike our Violets.

They must have been young during the first procedure, hence not fully grown yet.

Who knows, a monkey cavalry might become a reality soon.

“What do you think?”

At my words, Cookie showed a look of disdain.

“Kyiing… Only Violet Master can ride on our backs…”

Hmm, I wanted to ride a dog cavalry too. But it was too small, and even if it grew, it seemed unreasonable for our Violets to ride it.

“Maybe next time we should try incorporating horses into the animal army…”

Horses are intelligent creatures, and if connected to our network, they could grow even stronger.

Otherwise, we might consider other large animals.

In early August, the Violets focused on regeneration and multiplication.

The wounds left by the Foundation healed quickly.

The relics and magical energy supplements airlifted from overseas, along with various stimulants, were helpful, but most importantly, the Fusion Creatures constantly supplied magical power.

“…Ugh, I was definitely a tank commander… How did I end up being a power plant?”

Turning my eyes across the sea revealed Rugilinn’s Iron Fist, now a mass of electrodes.

We took advantage of the makeshift method of converting power from its reactor into magical energy.

As long as we supplied electricity within what it could withstand, it would become magical power.

“It seems the same principle as the Ether multiplying device used by regular clans or laboratories, Captain. My efficiency is higher, though.”

Sister Adela seemed rather satisfied under Rugilinn.

“Now, only one thing remains.”

Immune research.

**

The Violet, possessing a monkey, entered the isolation laboratory.

The test subjects were indulging in heaps of food while resting.

“Master has arrived!”

“Boss!”

Upon seeing me, they waved or saluted.

I was impressed they recognized me instantly even in the possession state.

Passing through the V-Animals munching snacks, Phoebe approached to explain her findings.

“The immunity of V-Animals is completely different from existing immune systems.”

She said it was related to their ability to induce magical patterns of viruses.

“The reason the animals survived in the early experiments was that when the virus tracked magical power, some tissues disturbed the magical patterns. It was a fortuitous outcome.”

“Oh, so the virus lost its target and lost function?”

“Exactly. We discovered the initial form of inactive viruses in their blood. They won’t function unless induced. Their immune systems fight hard, but since the pathogen is so strong, they can’t eliminate it.”

“So that means other animals got immunity…”

“Yes! Sister, you’ve become smarter! I don’t know the exact transmission pathways, but their influence created immunity!”

Phoebe’s expression, which showed disappointment just a moment ago, suddenly became stiff.

“But we must not let our guard down. The Foundation focused solely on enhancing lethality. The basic molecular structure remained the same, but certain parts were greatly modified. Accepting all other downsides… They might create something even more horrifying…”

“What do you mean?”

A pen stuck in Phoebe’s sleeve floated up and hit the floor with a thud.

“I’m talking about an indiscriminate virus that destroys everything. They even abandoned the magical wave induction function… I found traces of similar trials in a sample.”

Data screens unfolded. My blood sample and animal experiment records appeared. Some of the volunteered animals showed hideous skin deformities.

“These adorable creatures suffered too. A vaccine just to deceive the nano-pathogens won’t suffice. We also need a fundamental cure in case of the worst outcome. Luckily, I found a solution.”

Once she finished explaining, Phoebe gestured. A blue sample lying amid complex experimental machines and nano-chemical equipment was visible.

“It’s a nano-enhancer.”

“Right. The Foundation folks approached it foolishly, so I decided to face it head-on!”

Her solution was simple.

“True superhuman Awakened Ones won’t be affected by such viruses. Why? It’s simple. They are just strong.”

“So it temporarily strengthens the body?”

“Bingo! The principle is fun. It gathers Ether in the body and stupidly enhances every single cell. The side effects are significant, but we will use it merely as an immune enhancement treatment!”

Phoebe kept chuckling while looking through the electron microscope, making strange gestures. The substances inside the microscope danced as if following her movements.

“Oh my, lady. Are you manipulating something invisible?”

“Yep! This is my specialty! Directly controlling micro-materials one by one is my unique ability. But I’ve put all my precision into it, so the overall output is a bit weak. Even so, isn’t this pretty good?”

While looking at the microscope, Phoebe continued to giggle. It seemed she had abilities similar to Student Council President Polaris, with these restrictions.

“Anyway, what I’m saying is that we found a solution, right?”

“Yep! The preparations for the first experiment are complete!”

Two days later, the laboratory confidently showcased the first sample.

The test subject was a V-Mouse named Raspberry. The creature inside the isolation container squeaked gallantly.

“I fight for the health of the boss! Don’t play around, virus! Let’s get started! Squeak!”

[First experiment, start—]

I first exposed the mouse, which was thumping its chest, to the virus. Soon it began to cough.

Is this the enhanced version of the virus created by the Foundation?

The weakened virus pounced on the mouse. Black spots bloomed like flowers on its grayish skin.

At that moment, a shining syringe descended.

Instant change. The black spots vanished like a lie.

In their place, the muscles began to grotesquely swell up.

“Oh! I’m full of strength! My body is returning to normal!”

“…Did this enhancement effect just happen?”

“Uh? That should have been minimized… this is an overreaction…”

“Hehehe! I’m a super mouse! Squeak!-”

The mouse’s fate, puffing up like a balloon, was sudden.

-Boom!

Raspberry exploded.

In front of the cage, stained with bright red remnants, Phoebe looked bewildered, her eyes darting around. The faces of her fellow scientists turned as white as sheets.

“Oh no, this isn’t it…”

The distrust level in the network shot up to 140%.

“This is all your fault, scientists!”

“Yeah, you made this virus! Inept!”

Phoebe flinched at my scolding. I thought she would playfully retort like usual, but unexpectedly, she showed a different reaction, seemingly defeated.

She lowered her head with a strange expression.

“I’m sorry, sister…”

“…”

It seemed she was at a loss too.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you like this despite being a quack.”

During the two weeks of ongoing troubled experiments, we faced another problem.

“Hey, the immunity only applies to the injected subjects?”

Contrary to expectations, immunity didn’t spread through the network. This meant we’d have to vaccinate as many individuals as we have samples.

Moreover, there was the issue of the clones reverting to clean bodies every time they were regenerated.

“Daphne, I think I’m in trouble!”

“How can you not recognize your own body…”

It seemed time had come to peer deeper into the network.