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There was a boy who boasted of possessing the greatest intellect in the world.

His talent shone as brilliantly as a comet piercing the dawn, even surpassing that of his siblings.

From a young age, his family poured endless expectations upon him.

“You will be a great figure who shakes the world, leaving an indelible mark on human history.”

The words of those around him echoed in his ears like a prophecy.

The boy, who held dreams of success, made a solemn vow one day.

He would bring hope to humanity through the power of science.

His conviction remained unwavering even as he grew into a young man. Rather, it became as solid as steel.

He believed himself to be the one and only person capable of improving flawed humanity, guiding everyone to a paradise of happiness.

To him, the multitude reflected in his eyes was nothing but a foolish flock of sheep.

Their minds could not even begin to conceive of the noble mission he envisioned.

However, that did not mean the young man despised the foolish masses. On the contrary, a special compassion resided in his heart.

Looking down at the lower-class people, filled with jealousy and awe, he thought to himself.

How unfortunate it was, that they would never comprehend the spectacle he witnessed.

His calling had always been to lead the ignorant towards wisdom.

Holding the staff of science, he believed himself to be the shepherd guiding the flock through the chaotic world of Rustroom.

That was what he deemed his fate, at least until he encountered his cursed relatives.

“Bernike! You devil’s spawn! This damned girl is blocking my path again!”

Laihan’s voice echoed through the mansion’s living room.

“How can that inferior genetic fragment be a part of my bloodline? That cursed girl only has a high IQ; she lacks true genius! Damn it, she must have stolen someone else’s research and manipulated the data. It’s sheer luck she didn’t get caught. It only makes sense logically. But how could that damn girl! How could she become an Apostle!”

As Laihan’s furious monologue continued, his secretary cautiously interjected.

“Chairman, if we look at it objectively, Dr. Bernike is a recognized figure in academia. Her abilities have been thoroughly validated.”

Laihan’s face twisted like a rotten fruit at the secretary’s rebuttal.

He fell silent in the face of undeniable facts. Instead, his anger sought another outlet.

Laihan kicked at the powerless 140th experiment, crawling despairingly across the mansion floor.

The human head attached to the lizard’s body whimpered silently.

“That’s the crux of the issue!” Laihan gritted his teeth and declared.

“You understand, don’t you? That damn girl is… an error of nature! A grotesque mutation where intellect and madness are intertwined! How can such a loathsome being be my relative? How can we share the same blood? It’s revolting. How can such a contradictory existence even exist?”

A deep discomfort overcame him. The cause was unknown but terribly irritating.

It always happened. Major research projects and groundbreaking endeavors were invariably snatched away by that cursed witch branching out from the illustrious Luminexa lineage.

Time and again, she was one step ahead—always just a step, then another.

That fact shattered Laihan’s perfect worldview.

He could not tolerate it. It was supposed to be his job.

And the witch sought to monopolize even historical discoveries.

His rage took a different turn.

“Those noble brats with nothing but excrement in their heads! The fools of the stale foundation!”

The world was teeming with idiots who hindered progress under the guise of stability and order.

Those hindering advancement in the name of hollow ethics and morals were present everywhere.

Foolish masses clinging to safety and tradition lurked around every corner.

How ridiculous it was to talk about royalty and nobility in this day and age?

They were nothing more than obsolete relics who did not even know the value of an individual’s freedom and rights.

“The liberalists were right. Wasn’t that so?”

“…That’s classified. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

As a scientist, he looked down upon the foolish noble hunters.

Humans, after all, had evolved from a single-celled organism. Were they not foolish primates with a narrow gene pool inferior even to dogs?

In the end, the current system was nothing more than a masquerade of lucky monkeys. A world ruled by pathetic apes who happened to gain abilities by chance.

“All humans are equal. Except for the idiots, of course! Am I right?”

Laihan growled at his secretary.

“If you think so, then that’s correct.”

An emotionless reply slipped out from behind the secretary’s opaque mask.

Laihan stopped venting his anger and slumped onto the sofa.

“I’m trying to lead humanity forward, but these creatures with nothing but waste in their bellies can’t keep up!”

He lamented. The ignorant knights and barbaric soldiers fiddling with metal and machinery monopolized the best specimens.

It was obvious what they would do. They would likely turn top-grade wine into vinegar.

Coldly excluding the Laplacians was inevitable. Their record was stained with technology theft and industrial espionage.

To make matters worse, the Laplacian Security Department had committed reckless acts of kidnapping preliminary personnel from the joint research laboratory and sabotage to gain access to the laboratory.

After Bernike’s return, Restraid could not contain their anger upon learning of the full scope of this incident.

If it weren’t for Laplacian’s exceptional capabilities and its position as a branch of Luminexa, they would have already taken drastic measures.

Laihan fidgeted nervously, like a child who had missed out on the last limited-edition robot on display.

Meanwhile, as the 140th experiment lay motionless like a lifeless doll, the secretary mechanically dragged it toward the incinerator.

Laihan, having lost his venting outlet, sank into the sofa, weeping over the shattered fragments of his dreams.

Grappling painfully for a breakthrough in the advancement of science.

“I can do it, only I can.”

The shepherd of biotechnology mumbled, gazing into the void with mad eyes.

**

While diligently balancing training and classes, our Violets checked the relic equipment we possessed.

In focusing solely on quantitative growth until now, it hit me that we needed to consider qualitative aspects as well.

The realization dawned on me during our last engagement with the thieving masters when we learned tactical immersion techniques.

“Surely the sound is different! Right?”

When I swung my sword, a piercing noise echoed through the air as if it were tearing apart.

It was to be expected. This was the dying gasp of the weapon used by the countless witches.

“The fact that the Scholarship Officer entrusted this to us means she believes in us, doesn’t it?”

“I think so too!”

Seijis was a remarkable master of martial arts. Just by looking, one could tell how powerful this weapon was.

It didn’t have a special ability like the Flame Blade, but it was incredibly sturdy and outrageously sharp.

– Pachi-chik!

As I let the Ether flow, it glided through the blade with a smoothness that was incomparable to other weapons. The intensity of the flickering sword energy field was fierce.

Compared to the usual level I infused into other weapons, it seemed increased by at least two to three times.

“Everything’s great, but it’s heavy!”

The 1221st subject swung the zweihander in confusion multiple times.

This weapon was powerful.

Although it was second-hand, it had indeed crumpled the armored version made by Restraid in a single blow.

There had to be a reason why countless witches chose this.

It was a bit heavy; however, since we often wielded heavy weapons and were well accustomed to body enhancement, it wasn’t a problem for us.

“What could it be made of?”

After checking around, I couldn’t gauge it.

I showed it to the Helios relic excavation department and consulted knowledgeable Violets; all of them reacted with cluelessness.

“They all said it must be a product from another world.”

Even when I pondered over it, it seemed unlikely that a weapon or tool made by humans could become a relic.

The blade’s surface was densely etched with fine circuit-like patterns, as thin as a strand of hair.

It could be something that came from another reality, just like the other relics we possessed.

“After all, this Hand of Destiny doesn’t seem like a tool made for humans, does it?”

The 2434th subject moved the golden gauntlet on her hand. This was also a formidable piece of equipment among the weapons we had.

However, with our numbers increasing, I felt the need to secure more new relics.

Preferably ones that could aid in offensive capabilities or magic recovery.

“Right! Items like the Barrier Necklace aren’t very useful for us.”

The Violets each checked relics that might prove useful to purchase.

While racking our brains and pulling together any knowledge we could muster to figure out where we could find good weapons, we came to an unfortunate conclusion; set four years before the main story, we couldn’t immediately obtain what we desired.

Yet, with some networking, time, and investment, we would surely find a way.

“It’s okay! Just because we don’t have a specific weapon doesn’t mean we can’t capture an enemy!”

Given the valid point from the Second Clone, the Violets all nodded and stopped feeling anxious.

The staff recycled from the items that the Vanguard guys used was already quite useful, so it wasn’t urgent to acquire magic-related equipment, nor were firearms or other gear desperately needed.

“That leaves us with the armor issue.”

The armor became a tricky problem.

While we could clone shields or armor, there were limitations to how far we could go.

The best performance of protective gear that all Violets can equip was just enough to block bullets and some magic, deflecting a few fragments at most.

That was merely the average for the typical hunters of the world.

To get beyond this level, we would need to secure a substantial amount of high-grade armor that would sufficiently cover all Violets.

Above all, with a few exceptions, under the aura of cold weapons, ordinary armors would be torn apart.

If we didn’t flow mana around it, then both the bulletproof plates sold on the second-hand market and the special armors of professional workshops would fare no better in the wake of blades.

“Still, having one or two would be nice! It’d be perfect for creating variables.”

So, the Violets decided to repair the second-hand armor we captured, inheriting the spirit of the thieving master.

“What in the world happened to crumple this up so badly?”

“I don’t know, but I heard they fought some mid-level monsters…”

While the technicians were flabbergasted by the crumpled breastplate, in the end, they spent the funds to fix it and even repainted it.

Thus, an Armored Knight Violet was born.

The clanking power unit, the amplified strength and mana surged through her entire body.

The 221st subject roamed about inside the factory building as a test.

“I am the Knight Violet!”

Our Violets were now unafraid of projectiles.

If only Irene’s clan had more money, they could buy a whole bunch of such armors and establish a Knight Violet army.

“Now that we’re Armored Knights, let’s try and either get Vanguard gear or make our own! Violet Vanguard!”

“Will just Vanguard and Steel Guard do? What was that name again? Let’s try to mimic the Patent Beheading Squad and the Elite Unit of Arshith too!”

Imagining the Violet Vanguard and Violet Knights marching right through the center of Rustroom excited us.

**

Having folded our wings of imagination, we headed towards the maintenance yard on the brink of a historic moment.

For today was the day we were officially reassembling RuziLin’s Iron Fist, the 15th Super Medium Tank.

“Finally!”

Having stripped away the rust and grime and completed all the regeneration processes, RuziLin’s Iron Fist was now ready for the essential components to be affixed and for the engine and armaments to be mounted.

“Wow… the tank we saw back then is like… enormous!”

Enrique, who accompanied us after finishing her studies at home out of boredom, was overwhelmed by the tank’s grandeur, widening her round eyes even further.

The intimidation emanating from the gigantic chassis of the Super Medium Tank was rather incredible.

The fact that the two of us gazing at it were merely girls of 150 cm and 140 cm only added to it.

“Isn’t it cool? That tank is our friend and subordinate! Once we finish work, I’ll take you for a ride.”

“Really? Okay! By the way, that’s giving off a similar energy to me hanging from that crane. Is that perhaps a reactor?”

“Oh! You’re right! How did you know?”

As expected of Enrique’s intuition. What we were mounting today was the nuclear power pack, the heart of the Super Medium Tank.

For now, we were planning to attach it and give it a test run.

As the engine room opened, the reactor slowly slid into place. After several checks, the technician signaled that they were ready to start.

“Hey, Iron Fist! How does your new heart feel?”

“It feels incredible! It’s beating stronger than the heart I had before. I think I can run much faster!”

“That’s natural! You were an old tank, after all. Technology has advanced so much since then; of course, your new heart would be more powerful.”

Perhaps it was because she was a fairy, or because it was her own body, but she immediately noticed what had improved and what had not.

The response to the new heart was decidedly positive.

– Kuuung!

A heavy bass sound that reverberated loudly throughout the maintenance bay. The low tones gradually amplified. Soon, steam began to pour forth.

“Great, I feel an overwhelming surge! This is exactly it!”

The Iron Fist’s response was affirmative. With the technicians confirming that everything was in place, it was definitely a successful assembly.

An anomaly occurred at just that moment.

“221st Clone! Come closer to the tank. Don’t you feel it? The mana is rising.”

“Oh, you’re right!”

The Iron Fist began to emit mana little by little, gradually.

And that mana began to flow in a specific direction.

Could it be?

“The rate of mana regeneration…!”

“It’s increased!”

 

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