The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City

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The situation was taking a strange turn.

“They’re sending me to school? Suddenly?”

The bald director of the research lab, who abruptly declared that I would be enrolled in school, left everyone, except him, in shock.

What is this? Delusions of grandeur? Did his intelligence fly away along with his hair?

The group of researchers, filled with confusion, began to murmur amongst themselves. One of them glanced around and stepped forward. Was he taking the lead?

“Um, Director. You suddenly said you’d be sending that test subject to the academy, but may I ask why?”

“Good question! First, we need to recognize the situation we’re in…”

With that, the bald director waved his hand dismissively, indicating they should let me go.

Wait! Let me hear too! Wasn’t my life’s genre supposed to be SF human experimentation survival? Drifting into academy life seems too sudden!

I was led out of the room by an employee. At the same time, I focused on the auditory senses of the clone I had hidden in the ventilation passage. It still felt awkward managing the sensations of a clone while controlling the main body.

Inside the office, I could hear the researchers debating, their voices mingling with sharp sounds before falling silent.

“Okay, pay attention. Do you see the intelligence measurement results? 10-6-8 has the highest intelligence index among our teenage Awakened test subjects. It also possesses a Unique Ability. Granted, it’s a bit clumsy in speech, but that’s alright.”

Oh dear, I had intended to look like a fool on the intelligence test, but it seems I failed at that too.

“Anyway, I managed to get this one enrolled in a specialized academy for Awakened Ones by any means necessary. Now all we need is someone to boost their grades to average. For now, let’s keep it a secret and reveal it later if the results are good. Then the higher-ups will change their perception of us!”

“Nowadays, enrolling in an academy is the best way to raise the value of Awakened Ones. I’ve heard that other companies are bringing in their candidates to test out their technology. Plus, I checked, and the Unique Ability is quite rare. It’s the ability to create clones. It has some deficiencies, but what if we improve it? We might have a one-person Awakened army!”

The atmosphere among the researchers shifted to one of understanding. The bald director’s voice rose with confidence.

“And how long do you want to keep living frugally in this backwater? You should aim for a promotion. Don’t you want to be dispatched to headquarters? I’ll package everything appropriately and all you have to do is watch. Got it?”

His mix of flattery and persuasion drew enthusiastic responses from the researchers.

“Hooray! Amazing!” Someone cheered, followed by a short round of applause. It seemed everyone was losing their minds.

So they intended to sell me out just to add a line to their resumes.

Seeing parents paraded in front of schools bragging, “Our child is excelling in school!” in a place like this is downright shocking.

But an academy? Isn’t that a bit absurd? No one would try to sell a stray cat for an exorbitant price by participating in the Pocket Monster World Championship.

Of course, I’m not a scrappy stray cat! But still…

As I began to sever the connection with the clone, a remark I couldn’t ignore echoed in my ears.

“But Director, what about that girl in the locked room?”

“The pink-haired one? She actually got a call from headquarters. On the day 10-6-8 departs, send her into the city with them. Don’t forget to implant a tracking device.”

Come to think of it, aren’t there more useful test subjects among the others? I need to wrap things up with them too. Other projects need to start soon…

What? Kalia is being taken to headquarters?

**

My plan with Kalia had originally been like this.

First, contact the Ospri Brotherhood to which Kalia belonged. After that, while the specifics would change depending on how the Brotherhood assisted us, it was vital to buy time to hinder the lab’s response until they arrived to rescue her.

In the worst case, we would need to cause chaos by taking hostages or releasing the monsters in the second-floor cage, using any means necessary.

How we start hinges on how to contact the outside. With Kalia being detained, it was solely my role to find a way out. The problem was that I was stuck at this very first step.

“It feels a bit wrong to say this since I’m relying entirely on you, but you still haven’t found anything?”

“Ugh… just wait a little longer… they’re surprisingly strict about contact with the outside!”

Employees return their phones at the entrance before coming in. Internet? I tried sneaking into the empty office while carefully avoiding the camera angles, but they were using intranet.

I overheard strange threats about outside attack risks during occasional security training sessions.

Ultimately, I was pondering splitting the plan into two; taking Kalia hostage to break free.

But then things went wrong. It was an emergency!

I urgently met Kalia that evening.

“What’s wrong?”

As I scrambled through the ventilation and knocked on the bars, Kalia seemed to sense the unusual atmosphere and her expression sharpened. I detailed everything I had learned to her.

“We’re in big trouble! We need to overhaul the plan and switch to Plan B!…”

“Calm down. We still have about a day or two to spare, right? If worse comes to worst, we might find an opportunity during the transport process to escape.”

As I started to spill out my thoughts like a storm, she calmed me down.

“I thought the same at first, you know? It seems impossible. They’ve claimed they’ll implant tracking devices in you and me!”

– This project is finishing up soon. But I see they employed such a control method? This could facilitate smooth control with only a few personnel.
– If implanted in the body, it integrates with the physiology, making extraction almost impossible. This is experimental technology. The item delivered today. Don’t forget to inject it into the test subjects before their departure in two days.

While waiting through the evening, my restlessness prevented me from sitting still, which resulted in a report from the clone.

Upon hearing those words, Kalia let out a hum.

“That’s not good. I have yet to find a means of contact with the outside, and while I’ve recovered thanks to you, I’m not in perfect shape. Do you have something that might work as a weapon?”

“I told you last time. All I have are tools at most. We should head down to the second floor, knock out the guards, and take what we can.”

“Then we ought to expedite the plan… I’m sorry. It seems I’m just depending on you in this situation.”

She shamefully shook her arms, letting the chains rattling against her restraints resonate. Her expression darkened.

“No! You are a crucial part of our plan. You are an incredibly special individual!”

“…Thanks for even saying it out loud.”

Whoa! I wasn’t just saying it; she seemed to be misunderstanding me. Despite being a default 4-star, she was a playable character. There’s no way she wouldn’t be special in this world.

I continued with exaggerated compliments in front of her.

“You’re super strong! Having pink hair just adds to your charm! And you’re a pretty girl too?”

“Hah… what’s with that… are you mocking me?”

Facing me, Kalia shook her head, though her lips twitched upward slightly.

Her fierce face, adorned with light pink bobbed hair, revealed a side not often shown.

From that faint smile and glint in her eyes, I could read multiple emotions.

Gratitude for the help I provided, regret for not being able to reciprocate, and a blend of conflicting feelings about her own helplessness.

Watching her, I was reminded of something. This was, in fact, the past.

The Kalia I viewed behind the screen was a strong woman brimming with self-confidence.

Yet behind that facade was a tender heart forged with a responsibility to not rely on others and the selflessness not to cause harm to anyone.

Moreover, we’re currently several years prior to the main story. Right now, she maintained an outer appearance of cool composure.

But the reality was that she was still a girl yet to step into her teens. Having failed in her search for her missing uncle, she must be experiencing humiliation and pain in this research lab.

She must have been feeling quite sorry for me. But there was absolutely no need for it.

“Ah! I don’t care! You’re special! So don’t let it get you down, okay?”

“What? Who exactly is feeling down? I’m…”

“Heheh.”

“What’s with that heheh… ugh, the more I look at you, the more like an idiot you seem…”

So, I hope Kalia will become strong like that main character again.

It’d look marvelous.

“For now, since we haven’t secured a means of communication, there’s no choice but to escape by our own strength. Right? Whether it’s taking hostages or breaking through, let’s try everything we can. I won’t set anything on fire, got it?”

“Alright, then early tomorrow morning. It should be around 4-5 AM. Understood?”

“Early morning sounds good; I’ll just catch some sleep now.”

To conserve my magical power, I sent the clone back. I needed to recover from my depleted energy before morning.

Notably, I felt unusually sharp. Is my body tense or something? I glanced at the desk clock I had stolen from the office; it was about that time.

I generated a clone. One on the floor and one on the ceiling. I needed to control both simultaneously.

I had experienced collective exercises and dances during experiments before, but moving two clones separately was a first.

The visual information flooding my mind was three times the usual load. Even if my main body lay still with its eyes closed, I had to handle double the amount. It was challenging.

‘From now on, I must stay focused and keep moving.’

I decided to call the clone on the third floor ceiling “Second Clone,” while the one on the second floor would be “Third Clone.” The original would just be “Unit 1”. This is a sort of suggestion process for smoother control.

First, I moved the Second Clone towards the corner of the ceiling where the gathered items were tucked away.

I carefully looped a large, worn-out bag over my shoulder, but…whoops. I took a wrong turn.

‘It’s dark, so I got confused again.’

As I turned back, I paused at the sound of footsteps and waited for them to pass. I heard multiple people chatting and, moments later, the sound of running water.

‘What’s this?’

The conversation continued without dissipating for a while. I slowly opened a gap in the second stall, where I would frequently eavesdrop when needed.

“…Hey! Well, after this project wraps up, I think there’ll be some free time, right? I’m going too! Haha… thanks, buddy! Hahaha…”

Some researcher was on the phone, chatting animatedly with someone while holding a smartphone.

Wait? A smartphone? I heard that bringing mobile phones into the lab was against the rules…

Hold on. I recognize that guy in the lab coat; he looks familiar.

‘Ah… let’s just move on. I’m only using the messenger…’

‘For a guard dog, you sure are acting overly dramatic. That’s a dummy phone, idiot…’

Now I remembered. That researcher was the lazy one who handed a dummy phone to a guard before!

‘So, the means of contact were here all along!’

Given the urgency, there was no reason to be cautious anymore. I had no time to spare.

‘Good thing I decided to grab this.’

I cautiously crawled down over the partition and landed on the toilet. The bespectacled researcher was lost in conversation with his friend.

I carefully pulled out the hammer I had taken from the storage last time.

<ITEM STAT>
[Forgipro™ Alloy Hammer ☆☆]

A hammer produced by a tool company in Rustroom. Made of rare minerals from another dimension, it’s sturdy and expensive.

The company went bust due to reckless attempts, but the Forgipro™ brand is being reevaluated as a weapon.

The tool of creation becomes the instrument of slaughter. Isn’t that ironic?

…

The status screen had one peculiar feature. The moment I held a tool and concentrated, it would display a brief description of the item’s performance or characteristics.

When I focused on objects like <Plastic Bottle ☆> or <Rusty Cutter ☆>, it was genuinely fascinating.

Among the one-star and two-star weapons in ‘Crimson Scholar’, upgrading them was a daily routine, but a two-star weapon was a windfall for me right now.

I opened the toilet stall door.

“Yah!”

“Huh? Who… ugh!”

I swung with all my might and struck his skull.

<Critical Hit!>
[Attacking from behind triggered the Resonance Trait: Backstab. Damage is increased!]

Thanks to the amplified damage effect, the bespectacled researcher fell in one hit.

Just to be safe, I struck his head two more times. Blood splattered. Upon checking again, he wasn’t moving or breathing; he seemed dead.

‘So, I’ve killed someone for the first time.’

The sensation of striking the head, the impact when the hammer collided, felt rather unpleasant.

However, surprisingly, I found myself remarkably unfazed.

Am I losing my mind?

I quickly stashed the smartphone I had stolen and dragged the corpse to the furthest bathroom stall to hide it. Anxiously anticipating who might come next, I splashed water around to conceal the blood.

After imprinting the original owner’s fingerprint to unlock the smartphone’s security, I struggled back to the ceiling.

‘What luck!’

Alright, I initially had separate tasks to do, but there was no longer a need for that.

I sent the Second Clone to Kalia.