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The Violet Network is unimaginably vast.

Every time a new Violet is born, its scale expands exponentially, and now it has grown to over 10,000 members.

I can’t help but think it resembles a small to medium-sized country.

“The network is enormous!”

We can freely enter and exit anywhere within this massive network.

Since this place is both a part of us and our entirety. But whenever we try to search for something, it is surprisingly hard to find, even if we search every nook and cranny of our bodies.

Of course, I’ve never actually roamed every corner, to be fair.

“Still, could there be information about us hidden within?”

It’s just a simple guess, but I had a hunch that our Violet blueprints were hidden somewhere around here.

So I decided to start searching from the Violet Plaza, the starting point of everything.

In game terms, it’s like a beginner’s village.

Following the white marble path that starts at the plaza, the grand Violet War Memorial Hall comes into view, and beyond that, the sparkling surface of the Lake of Consciousness spreads out.

However, aside from these three locations, the interior of the network constantly changes.

Due to democratic decision-making, the scenery shifts frequently, and presently it’s decorated like a medieval fantasy village.

Winged drumsticks flutter like dragons in the sky, and on the ground, two-legged sausage soldiers patrol proudly.

Enthusiastic V-Puppies rush in with sparkling eyes, excited by the sights.

“Wow! That looks delicious! Can I eat it?”

“Yeah! All of that is yours!”

“Yay!”

In an instant, the sausage soldiers tumbled onto the sidewalk.

While the V-Puppies gleefully tore into the sausages, we brainstormed about potential places where the blueprints might be hidden.

“Let’s recall when we found the Vision Memory Chip. The blueprints might actually be closer than we think! Let’s search every nook and cranny!”

“Alright, let’s divide roles for efficient searching. All Violets! Gather up!”

Before long, the Violet Plaza was bustling with us.

After several brief yet intense marathon meetings, the Violets dispersed throughout the network.

To enhance efficiency, we teamed up with V-Animals to conduct a systematic search.

The eyes of the animal recruits shone with awe and delight.

“This place is paradise…”

“Okay, I know you’re excited, but we need to search the network seriously from now on! Got it?”

The Violet Division searched tirelessly within my consciousness.

“Wow, a piece of the Vision Memory Chip! Why is this here?”

As we continued, things we hadn’t noticed before began to emerge one by one.

“A piece of the memory chip is still here! Maybe we can collect it and recycle it!”

Unexpectedly, the Violet Network held far more of our lost items than we had imagined.

—

“…and thus, the key lies in recursive self-improvement.”

Bernike, savoring the intense summer sunlight filtering through the blinds, set down her porcelain teacup and shot a sharp look.

Albert, who had been continuing the interpretation, paused his explanation at that significant gaze.

“Interesting choice of words, Professor.”

“Did you find a problem?”

“This is a specialist term in artificial intelligence research, right? It refers to the process by which a system optimizes its performance and cognitive abilities without external interference.”

Her analytical questions kept coming.

“You spent half your career as a hunter and the other half as a theoretical mage in an academy. Given your specialized field, it’s surprising to hear such words from you. They say mages are the antithesis of science, don’t they?”

Understanding Bernike’s implication, Albert expressed mild discontent.

“Harboring prejudices about academia is not the attitude of an intellectual. You, too, may have a youthful exterior, but you have your share of narrow-mindedness.”

He set down his empty teacup and lifted the teapot. The only sound that momentarily filled the research lab was the pure stream of water flowing in as afternoon sunlight poured in.

“It’s nothing, really. I’ve encountered it before. When the Rumyx researchers were conducting the artificial intelligence project, they consulted me about magical engineering alternatives to replace existing semiconductors.”

Though it ultimately ended in failure, the Rumyx Foundation’s project was quite substantial at the time.

Almost every researcher acknowledged for their expertise in academia received a consultation request.

“Regardless, as I analyze our agile disciple’s unique abilities and the network, it naturally reminds me of that period of research. Upon careful review, I was surprised to find that the theoretical framework we’re dealing with corresponds significantly. There was even a meaningful correlation to the foundation of Polaris’s research. Do you remember that paper?”

Bernike’s yellowish eyes traced a subtle curve.

“Ether Scale Attention is All You Need?”

“Precisely. That was the paper written by Doctor Sturgis, summarizing his research from his youth and his last work.”

It was also the title of the research that his young disciple was currently engrossed in.

On the surface, it was an exceedingly mundane title, but its content was anything but trivial.

“I distinctly remember it. It had quite a simple title. Doctor Sturgis previously came to me to seek my opinion on it. Building artificial neural networks, it aligns perfectly with our studies since what we’re ultimately researching operates on similar mechanisms of ‘human intelligence,’ after all.”

While each had different specific motivations, all the researchers gathered in this place shared a single ultimate goal.

To assist a bird struggling to break free from its egg.

Their final task was to witness the moment a new being transcending humanity would soar into existence right at the forefront.

They merely needed to give a gentle nudge once or twice to enable the leap.

Except, there was one problem.

“However, I’m curious about your intent in using that term. I mentioned it when discussing with Colonel Pereira, but the brain of Violet Rugilinn is a hybrid of monsters and human brains. The Laplasia procedure created her current unique ability, but it remarkably decreased individual efficiency compared to an ordinary human.”

The physical limitations of the central nervous system and brain currently implementing Violet’s abilities were evident.

“The growth rate will soon slow down. It’s all about when they hit a wall and how they can overcome it. That’s the crux of the matter.”

“Yeah, I acknowledge the low computational efficiency. I see that the growth curve is stair-stepped, too. If we don’t accelerate that process through external artificial intervention and optimize efficiency to amplify capabilities, reaching the ‘singularity’ would take at least another decade.”

To shorten this process, Bernike proposed a surgical operation.

“It seems we need to swiftly begin the operation before the foundation makes a move.”

The goal of this operation for Violet 2.0 was to improve cognitive ability.

“By enhancing intelligence to a normal level, the reach towards the ‘singularity’ would be accelerated. However, whether that effect applies to all clones’ blueprints remains questionable.”

Professor Albert responded.

“Frederick has told me that he has taught them everything. Right now, all he does is keep records and check Violet’s growth process. The continuous data we receive on growth measurements is also written by him.”

Body enhancement, magical power amplification, output, response times, and various weapon techniques. The steadily rising metrics and detailed records proved astonishing growth.

“And there are 10,000 of them. Ten thousand is the true turning point. From this point on, it’s all proceeding along the path calculated by Doctor Yurik. Change is coming soon. How did he phrase it…?”

“Oh, the analogy made by Colonel Pereira? ‘A nation filled with hundreds of thousands of geniuses living in a network.'”

“Exactly that.”

Change was undoubtedly coming. From within themselves. The true potential of their fluid collective consciousness had yet to surface.

“Absolutely relentless, steadfast, racing forward like a steam locomotive, driven solely by a singular sense of purpose—these geniuses.”

Currently confined to combat techniques, they had already shown remarkable growth in ether manipulation capabilities.

Ether manipulation requires mathematical computational ability. The enhancement of mathematical skills will inevitably lead to an expansion of other intellectual abilities.

“For now, it’s limited to war combat techniques due to necessity, but what if…?”

What if they absorbed all of mathematics, engineering, and the knowledge accumulated by humanity?

Bernike suddenly recalled that naïve young researcher.

Yurik had an intuition that the world would be completely divided before and after the Violet’s emergence, but he hadn’t predicted the specific ripples or shocks it would create.

“Colonel Pereira is too naïve. Perhaps it’s due to a lack of social experience.”

Few could coldly gaze upon the essence of the shocks that such consequences would bring.

“Violet will become the ultimate superhuman.”

Superhumans are so-called because they transcend regular beings.

If they become more extraordinary than typical Awakened Ones, they, too, shall be relegated to the status of mere beings.

Thus, there cannot exist a being that transcends that limit.

“But the immediate priority is that she must come to her own realizations. We cannot interfere with the network itself.”

The professor replied.

“Trust in my disciple. She will do it for sure. All we need to do is point the way.”

He did not say more.

The rest would be achieved by Violet herself.

Expectations became reality. Nobody anticipated it.

The initial spark of recursive improvement ignited at the fringes of the Red Zone, where no one dared tread.

—

The interior of the network was more chaotic than I had imagined.

To liken it to reality, it was akin to a massive factory cluttered with boxes, tools, and work machines, all without rules.

Since we had become so numerous, it seemed some of the information collected through our experiences had entirely gone unrecuperated.

After continuous searching, while rummaging through the dark alleys of the subconscious, we discovered glimmering crystals of light that sparkled like jewels.

“What is this?”

Those circular stones embedded in the outskirts. From a distance, they seemed like ordinary rocks, but as I got closer, they emanated a strange glow.

“Let’s touch it!”

Unit 4421, with curious eyes, cautiously brushed its fingers against the shimmering light.

In that moment, the residual effect of brandishing a sword flickered through my mind.

Upon closer inspection, it was vivid memories of our weapon techniques training.

As I touched it, sensations I thought were long forgotten started to resurface.

“What is this?”

Tingling limbs, dizzy spells. My heartbeat pounded hotly throughout my body.

“Ugh…”

As brief spasms passed, we felt something change.

Gradually, it was as if we were reclaiming the things we had forgotten.

No, it was something beyond a simple sensation.

“That’s it! This method! This know-how!”

All the intricate memories of battle that we had missed came back into focus.

Realizations of how to dodge and counter more effectively shot through the sky of the network along with the sparkling light.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, the world went dark.

We abruptly realized the sky had turned gloomy.

It wasn’t an illusion.

When we looked up, the Violet Network was enveloped in a pitch-black night sky.

Neither moon nor stars were visible on that inky ceiling.

“Wait a minute, this is our first time seeing the night sky from here, isn’t it?”

Then lights began to flicker and bloom from all over the network city.

Each star bore scars; each star bore bullets and detachment.

Each star held memories and pain.

The crystals embedded in the ceiling radiated a radiant glow.

The dark night of the network gradually became suffused with light.

The Violets realized.

“Let’s draw a line!”

I raised my finger into the air and traced a line.

As connections began to form between the stars in the night sky, I didn’t know why, but it felt instinctively like the right thing to do.

It seemed as though I could gain a deeper understanding of the world.

The sky, which had previously been connected only by dots, soon filled with brilliant, radiant lines.

The observing animals gasped in awe.

“Art is being drawn in the sky! It’s a constellation!”

“Our leader is creating a myth!”

I pondered why they chose the term “myth.”

Perhaps they read my fleeting thoughts. I was thinking the same thing.

What we were doing resembled how gods in ancient myths crafted monsters and heroes into constellations in the sky.

The lines began to cluster, shaping a figure. Yet, it was different from what I had anticipated.

It closely resembled a complex geometric figure akin to a magic formula.

Vast arteries of information that words could not describe unfolded right before our eyes.

The ceiling of the network formed a dome-like shape, towering like a sky, and its brink stretched far into the periphery.

I asked the network-me-what all this meant.

The network answered me back, and I tilted my head in confusion.

I cautiously touched a gleaming star, fiddling with it, sending magical energy into it.

The self-examination and answers kept flowing.

Faint sensations felt as if I were groping through dense fog.

Understanding dawned upon me.

“The flow beyond consciousness and self.”

I clearly understood what I needed to do to obtain what I sought.

Only one task remained.

“Let’s dissect the whole shape of the network!”

Of course, that process also had to involve redeveloping the network in parallel.

That very day, the Violets embarked on a monumental construction project.

“Let’s tear it all down!”

-Thunk!

Grand structures crumbled and collapsed one after another.

The first phase of the network improvement had officially begun.

—

The Violets felt their actions resembled that of a computer defragging its disk.

I wasn’t sure if it was an appropriate metaphor, but it was the closest concept to understanding our current task.

The 10,000 Violets systematically scoured the network for this purpose.

The forgotten fragments of memory scattered throughout the network, the computational shards that had yet to resurface, and fragments of thoughts soared towards the sky or were absorbed into the ground.

The original plan to reconstruct the network to find blueprints gradually expanded in scope.

“We need to improve the environment within the network more efficiently!”

Unit 7432 shouted while pointing to the surroundings.

Now that I looked closer, the usage of the Violets in the network was excessively impromptu and unstructured.

They operated at a level no different from a small-scale workshop.

With a little creative thinking, the network’s resources could be utilized far more efficiently.

“Alright, it’s time for industrialization!”

Systematic roads laid over the inner space of the network, and uniformly shaped buildings sprang up.

“That’s a factory!”

“Let’s install a conveyor belt here! To collect memory fragments!”

Various systems were established for recycling the fragments that had been unnecessarily discarded during the computational processes.

“Can we automate this?”

There was a newfound motivation to analyze the alien relics that we had left to decay because they were considered incomprehensible.

“Let’s analyze the Apostles’ memories faster! A shock will shatter them!”

“What’s this smoke wafting away? Let’s capture it and recycle it so it doesn’t escape.”

The Violets didn’t fully grasp what they were doing.

But one thing was certain: this was a form of industrialization.

In their current state of consciousness embodied as imagery, it couldn’t be understood otherwise, which is why they named it so.

As various industrialization ideas flowed, some Violets began to head toward the network’s boundary, where the hemispherical ceiling met the ground.

They were checking the internal and external conditions of the network.

“If we go here…”

Suddenly, a strangely split fissure appeared before their eyes.

The group of Violets stepped through without hesitation.

“Where is this?”

The boundary of the network, the chaos zone. The girls who entered that unassailable area surveyed their surroundings like explorers.

Before them lay an expanse strewn with unidentifiable white debris.

That was all there was.

“Nothing special. Let’s head back…”

Just then, something caught the girls’ attention.

A shape of a woman sprawled among the clutter.

“Huh?”

The woman’s appearance was excessively familiar.

Red eyes, long flowing blonde hair, prominent white skin.

The woman slowly opened her eyes.

“…Why are you here!”

As the Violets were about to rush at her in unexplained hostility, the figure diminished before their eyes and vanished.

“What was that? What was it again…”

“I forgot!”

As the Violets pondered the identity of the illusion they had just witnessed,

“What the heck is going on?”

Witch Violet sank to the ground with labored breaths.

She was being pressed down by a colossal weight akin to an abyss.

“…!”

A little Violet, who had been mumbling, gasped in shock as she caught sight of her reflection in a building.

The slender limbs and figure were nowhere to be found; reflected in the window was the petite form of a girl.

“Kyah! What is this!”

A crisis had struck.

‘I’ve, shrunk again?’

Faced with the unexpected loss of her presence, the Violet could only feel bewilderment.

Her size had indeed diminished.