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Strange things have been happening at the Pax Nova Naval Base for the past three days.

“Did you know? If you put your ear to the wall, you can hear a creepy laughter…”

“Everyone on duty has been saying that. Every night, there’s a sound like something brushing against the floor, but when you check, there’s nothing there! Isn’t that terrifying?”

“Don’t you keep hearing odd sounds around here? Don’t you hear that rustling? It feels like something’s passing by…”

Among the soldiers, rumors about the bizarre incidents occurring nightly were rampant.

Normally, they might brush it off as just spooky ghost stories typical in military camps, but that day, even the officers couldn’t take it lightly.

“What are you all doing? Are you even watching the surveillance cameras properly? Quit the useless chatter and focus on your guard duty!”

“Have you lost your discipline…? Aren’t you cleaning properly? Can’t you see that grime over there?”

The officers reprimanded the soldiers, dedicated to establishing discipline.

Recently, there was a prevailing sense that some unidentified force was constantly surveying this area. They couldn’t afford to let their guard down.

“Looking at the drones circling around, it’s obvious! It’s definitely some trick by the army or air force!”

“I don’t think so. I suspect it’s something sent by the Librian Navy Command. It could be General Epheir or Colonel Brayu. They had been the most disgruntled ever since the previous area commander was replaced.”

“Could it be from a clan? The former area commander was friendly with the clan. They are clearly targeting our mine!”

“Well, for now, let’s focus on getting these kids back in line and ensure tight security! The area commander is working on a major plan right now.”

The officers held multiple meetings but couldn’t uncover the true identity of the enemy.

The enemy only revealed itself at night and vanished without a trace. Truly a ghostly presence.

Of course, there was a separate truth behind it all.

The ‘ghosts’ were the Violet Brigade conducting a reconnaissance mission to assess the overall terrain of the island and the level of defenses.

For the past three days, the Violet Brigade had been attempting reconnaissance from various angles.

With one Violet 1 squad already infiltrating the main island, capture was merely a matter of time, but the more information they had, the better.

Observing from inside the island was undoubtedly different from looking from the outside.

“We need to divert their attention outward.”

The Violets were deep in thought.

To ensure a decisive victory, it was most effective to catch the enemy off guard when they were clustered together.

If they kept a reasonable level of alertness while distracting attention outward, internal operations would become significantly easier.

Moreover, there was a request from Seijis.

“The moment you commence your operation, allied forces will be advancing nearby to swiftly take control of the island and expand influence.”

“Allied forces are coming?”

“Colonel Kurt is supplying resources to the anti-clan, anti-parliament factions. The allies plan to seize control before they can use their support or clever tricks and then stabilize the situation with help from the pro-parliament factions.”

There was no need to act hastily, but it was essential to completely disable the defense system to allow the follow-up units to access the island safely.

To do that, it was crucial to understand the structure and operation of the defenses.

For the Violets, unfamiliar with complex things, it was much easier to find out by bumping right into them.

“Experiencing it firsthand is the best!”

At the Librian coast, several large helium balloons carrying Violet 1 ascended gracefully into the sky.

Unstable chairs dangled from the ends of the balloons, with a Violet sitting atop.

The balloon Violet checked the altimeter and reported her current position frequently.

“Altitude 10 km! It’s quite cold! There’s no one around!”

Against the backdrop of the dark night sky, the balloons slowly ascended. Of course, the plan was not to enter the island using the balloons. The distance to the island was too great, and there was no way to control the balloons.

From prior attempts, they already knew that hang gliders would get shot down.

“Altitude 20 km… I think the balloon is about to burst…! I’m so sleepy…”

Once the planned altitude was reached, the Violet inside the balloon began to create clones in the sky.

The Violets dove into the inky darkness.

Focusing their magical power, their pupils dilated, and the military base, faintly shimmering beyond the horizon, came into view.

“Alright, everyone, let’s do well, just like we’ve practiced!”

As soon as the Violets finished generating their clones, they took out thrusters from their inventory and equipped them on their backs.

Extreme sports auxiliary thrusters. This should compensate for the insufficient range.

Next, the girls showcased the true essence of their cloning ability, changing into pitch-black wingsuits and accelerating into their descent.

As the high-speed racing Violets drew closer to the main island, lights twinkled everywhere.

“Okay, Team 1, start scouting and filming! Team 2, prepare for disruption!”

Just as they approached the island, a loud alarm siren blared.

Amidst the fierce sounds of the wind, the faint noise of boots and whispers from soldiers could be heard.

The shouts and orders of non-commissioned officers and officers mixed in the chaos.

“They figured it out quickly, I specifically ordered it to be coated in stealth paint…”

“I heard it’s state-of-the-art quantum radar. I don’t know what it is, but it sounds impressive!”

Soon, a massive sound enveloped the entire island, and rays of light burst forth from all directions.

Thin yellow ether beams split the sky, and flares decorated the night sky.

The Violets dashed toward the island precariously, like bees flying through a storm.

“Let’s make a bet! Who will survive until the end!”

“Wow! Sounds like fun!”

As the enhanced supernatural vision and physical abilities harmonized with the abundant experience of wingsuit flying, the Violets expertly maneuvered through the artillery fire.

Some Violets were shattered by guided missiles, but most captured the island’s view through the cameras attached to their chests.

“Hey! There’s an anti-aircraft position over there! That wasn’t in the intel. It must have been hidden!”

“That just popped out of the ground! How are we supposed to find that?! Plus, you died from being hit by an infantry missile! That’s because a soldier shot it out of the warehouse! It was covered with camouflage too! You idiot!”

“I’m not an idiot! You’re the fool!”

While the spy Violet tussled with the flying squad, the surviving Violets skimmed the water’s surface before plunging in.

The air defense network of the Pax Nova Naval Base was ruthless and intricate.

“Aerial reconnaissance complete! Now it’s the turn of the naval team. How’s it going over there?”

As Violet 3441 completed her mission and returned to the network, a command center Violet suggested sharing visuals.

Violet 3441’s vision submerged into the dim depths. Under the rippling waters, submersible Violets were busily at work.

The purpose of their operation was reconnaissance to locate mines and wire and to prepare for their future removal.

For their covert mission, the Violets relied on faint red lights to survey their surroundings.

“There’s no mine here. No nets either!”

“This seems to be the route. Comparing the Violet strategic map with this map…”

Vessels looking like pirates came and went daily, engaging in trade.

They would pass various drinks, cigarettes, and occasionally pass women to take money in return.

This was how they learned why they were treated as pirate warlords despite being naval officers. Trading with pirates, indeed.

While wondering how ships from outside came and went, they began to sketch a rough sea chart.

“On the day of the operation, let’s blow up these mines! That’ll draw everyone’s attention here.”

“People will rush over to see it!”

After finishing their work, the Violets snickered as they erased all traces and vanished.

While the external reconnaissance team had thoroughly explored and surveyed the outer terrain of the island for three days, the Violets inside the island weren’t idle.

The girls worked tirelessly day and night.

While the slave Violets in the mines spread strange rumors and prepared for rebellion, the Violets on the main island busily infiltrated their comrades and operated like shadows.

“I’ve pinpointed the officer dormitory and barracks’ locations.”

“That looks like a fuel tank!”

“And I’ve confirmed the most important information.”

“The professor is underground! I saw him go in!”

According to the internal spy Violets, the professor would take walks under the watchful eyes of soldiers every other day.

The place he entered after his walk was underground.

Though heavily guarded from there, it actually made them more certain.

When piecing together various clues and information, it was highly likely that he was in a submarine docking facility dug out within the island.

“Alright, let’s infiltrate as soon as we establish the position.”

Everything would unfold simultaneously. In the blink of an eye, it would all come to an end.

The Violets conducted espionage activities using stolen military uniforms, height-increasing insoles, blurred impressions caused by recognition interference devices, and Helios Camouflage Equipment.

Due to their long experience, they could approach crucial facilities cautiously without drawing too much attention.

Also, the dormant bodies hidden around the island could be used as teleportation markers.

“Here’s the generator, over there’s the barracks, that far one is the officer dormitory, and those two are the hangar and ammunition depot!”

“And we’re in the mess hall. The food here is good.”

Inside the dark, freezing storage room at midnight, spy Violet 2544 mumbled as she stuffed meat into her mouth.

What was on the plate were the leftovers of a dinner that had almost been tossed into the garbage.

Today’s dinner menu consisted of fried rice accompanied by various roasted meats with gravy.

“Quality is better than expected. This storage room is piled high with meat. Right! Top that rice with sauce and mix it up! It’s salty and delicious!”

“Wow, it really is!”

“This box! It’s full of ice cream. They even gave us dessert…”

The spy Violets savored the military’s food in admiration. For a pirate warlord, the soldiers’ meals were unexpectedly plentiful and delicious.

The side dishes were also diverse. Just looking around this area, they were filled with snacks.

Violet 1222 opened the box, took out a tub of ice cream, and sampled it with a spoon.

Meanwhile, Violet 3213 brought over the remaining drinks and gulped them down.

“There’s a lot of meat here, right? Once the operation is over, we’ll take it all back to eat!”

“That sounds good!”

Already, a few Violets were secretly picking out delicious-looking items and stashing them in their inventories.

While they were enjoying the meal, footsteps were heard from a distance.

“Oh no, it’s a patrol! Hide!”

Quickly erasing their traces, the Violets disappeared. Not long after, the patrolling soldiers burst in and scanned the storeroom.

“That’s strange…? I clearly heard a noise.”

The soldier shone a flashlight around while mumbling to himself. His colleague dismissed it lightly.

“Maybe it’s a bunch of rats? That’s what my classmate said, that lately, they’ve been losing a bit of food supplies…”

“Could it be the higher-ups taking them? The other day, I saw the third-class patrol vessel’s captain taking the sausages for lunch to his lodging as a snack.”

“Really? I heard items keep disappearing from the canteen… That might be why.”

The soldiers looked suspiciously at one another, scratching their heads before closing the frozen storage door and leaving.

**

“Professor, is the modification work going smoothly?”

The colonel’s red eye sharply surveyed the area above the hangar. Bernike frowned as if annoyed by the interruption.

“It would go better if you didn’t meddle.”

Bernike grumbled while manipulating her robotic arm. The body of a monster was cluttered with temporary workstations.

For the past few days, she had set up her workstation right on top of the monster’s body.

Various monitors above displayed constant readings of pulse, blood flow, magical power levels, and waves, while diverse measuring devices operated periodically to inform her of conditions.

“I heard you’re trading superconducting materials. You soldiers seem to have a decent amount of cash. Where did you gather all this equipment? It’s all cutting-edge stuff from Laplacian. Quite… precious items. I didn’t expect to see Luminexa’s artificial nerve fibers here.”

“I just got what I needed.”

“Seems like you acquired it in less than an hour, quite a talent you have.”

She licked her lips again, maneuvering the surgical robotic arm.

The Paranodon’s head was incised, revealing a brain slightly smaller than its body.

Various artificial nerves and devices based on relics were embedded into the brain, and upon closer inspection, a unique rolling light of magical energy flowed through.

After finishing the core tasks, she removed her manipulation gloves and walked towards the tail, on the opposite side of the head.

The tail section was also incised, and a smaller brain-like organ was visible.

“Was there another brain?”

“Some large monsters possess auxiliary brains in their central bodies or tail regions. In the biological field, there’s a theory that due to ether influence, their bodies evolved, causing parts of the spinal cord to differentiate. Such a large and intricate biological structure likely did not exist in the basic species prior to ether mutation. Without these sub-brains, it would be much more challenging to control a physical structure that is far more complex than the creatures of Trist.”

High commands of the central nervous system come from the cerebral cortex, while simple repetitive motor activation and peripheral nervous system fine-tuning are handled by such auxiliary brains!

She chattered excitedly while taking out medicaments and building a framework over the auxiliary brain.

During the modification process, a smooth mechanical arm reminiscent of a tentacle suddenly sprouted from behind her collar.

“I got inspired from you and added something similar as well. It’s not for calculations, but it’s pretty handy.”

She boasted and tapped the head of the white tentacle as if handling a pet snake.

“Say hello! This is my assistant, little Broka. Hehe…”

The robotic arm’s fine tips opened like the jaws of an alien creature. Six petal-like appendages spread wide.

Soon, the tentacle arm punctured, injecting contrast agents, then intricately implanting biological chips into the major nerve areas.

“By the way, Colonel, you mentioned needing weapons, but this is just for one monster. Is this really enough?”

“Enough. I plan to capture other monsters using that Paranodon.”

“Oh?”

“After capturing a monster with another monster, I’m thinking of modifying that monster again. Marine creatures would be much more useful for capturing marine monsters than human ships. If I manage to increase their numbers like that, a legion of marine monsters will be born. Ah, don’t worry. I’ll keep my promise. If you organize the crafting methods and blueprints, I’ll release you.”

“Ah, that’s a relief. I was fearing that my students in the laboratory wouldn’t be able to graduate because I couldn’t go out. They’re not exactly the cream of the crop, but they are still my students, you know? Then again, I wonder if those dull fools will even manage to make a living after graduation. At the very least, I’d need to help them find jobs at my company. Without me, their chances of graduating would go out the window. If they ended up relying on the other idiots who got academic positions through nepotism, they’d likely get treated like trash and kicked out.”

The light emanated from the end of little Broka, scanning the auxiliary brain of the monster.

The colonel, seemingly intrigued, stepped onto the platform set up over the monster’s body and climbed onto the workbench.

Colonel Kurt’s left eye gleamed chillingly.

“By the way, what do you intend to do with this monster? Even if it’s strong, it can’t possibly be the only weapon to deal with this world.”

Bernike’s yellow eyes flashed like a snake as her gaze met the colonel’s eyepatch, which appeared hollow even in its normal state.

“The one who rules the seas will rule the world. And historically, changes in paradigms altered the nature of warfare. In ancient times, the charging sea beasts of Partona crushed the navy of the Eragon Empire, and in the Middle Ages, the advent of gunpowder and cannons toppled the fleets of Alabia that wreaked havoc on naval warfare. This will become the frontline battleship of a new era, an armored ship, a battleship, and an aircraft carrier.”

The colonel stared, entranced, at the waves gently rippling beyond the submarine hangar.

“If I have this, I can keep those fools around here under my thumb… and… I can bury the fears lurking deep in those ocean depths back into the abyss!”

“Fears?”

As the professor echoed the word from the murmurs, Colonel Kurt suddenly gasped and seized the professor by the collar.

“…Fears! Exactly! The terror that creeps into one’s bones and freezes the heart every day! You, like a commoner, wouldn’t even be able to imagine it, nor need to know…! You have no idea what lurks in the darkness of that sea!”

“I understand, you’re incredibly brave. Now, could you let go of me?”

After releasing the professor, the colonel staggered back, breathing heavily.

“The fools wouldn’t understand… it’s something only I know… right…”

Bernike watched the retreating figure of Colonel Kurt, filled with contempt.

She had thought he was just a greedy soldier, but it seemed he was a madman lost in delusions.

Well, regardless, this research was quite intriguing and fun after such a long time.

She didn’t fully trust the colonel’s words about releasing her once the work was done, but personally, it was genuinely an exciting and interesting task.

She took a sip from the coffee placed on the workbench.

With the caffeine and sugar replenishing her, her momentarily cloudy brain regained its vigor.

With a buzzing sound, the white tentacle crawled up her shoulder and stretched out.

“Alright, Broka. Move… to 3 mil, no, about 2 mil. Done.”

As Bernike immersed herself back into the modification, the surface of the docking facility rippled slightly.

A small periscope popped up, surveying the surroundings before fixating on a single point.

Underneath the water, a pair of red eyes locked onto the professor’s figure.

“I found you!”

Recognizing the situation, the Violet Command Center made a decisive call.

“Operation Siren, prepare to commence!”

“The operation start time is two nights from now!”

 

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