The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City

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-Clunk!

“Ow… just let me sleep…”

Unit 1, who had been dozing off in a corner of the seat, woke up as the bus jostled. The gloved intercity bus was rumbling along the dimly lit dawn road.

On a Sunday morning, I had hopped on a bus headed southwest after another long night.

It was a bus with thick gloves plastered all over it. The interior felt smaller than expected for its size. Maybe it was the result of trading off transport capacity for defense. The small, narrow windows had bars that reminded one of a chicken coop.

-What can you do? They say wild monsters sometimes charge onto the highway, right?-

-But is it really just the monsters that are the problem?-

Dark silhouettes of buildings rushed past the narrow window.

I heard a noise like beans being roasted amidst the shadows of a city that hadn’t yet woken up. The screams and shouts swallowed by the noise faded away before they could spread.

It was a scene I had never seen in the neighborhood I lived in before being reincarnated. If I hadn’t ventured into an unstable country, I probably would never have encountered it in my lifetime.

-See? The outside world is dangerous.-

-It seems no different from school to me?-

The Violets in my head chattered away.

“What can you do? It’s just the way the world is, right?”

Unit 1 mumbled while chewing on a chocolate bar. The passenger sitting next to me briefly glanced over upon hearing my words before turning away.

Sometimes when I converse with them in my thoughts, the words slip out of my mouth. I should be careful.

-By the way, Unit 1, where did you get that chocolate bar?-

-I found it in the pantry.-

-Hey! That’s Daphne’s! You took it again after getting caught yesterday?-

But it was all for survival, Unit 1 grumbled inwardly.

I briefly recalled what had happened the night before.

While descending the mountain as the sun set, I got caught eating instant noodles and other snacks (bread, chocolate, candies, cookies, etc.) by Daphne.

I had to buy what my dormitory clone had snuck out, but I had forgotten.

When Daphne pointed at the empty pantry with a disappointed look, I had no choice but to confess.

“Sorry! It wasn’t me, it was my clone who forgot… I got hungry.”

“Really… you should have said something if you were hungry.”

She scolded me in a gentle tone.

“I can understand you eating my stuff, but taking it without saying anything isn’t right! Next time, please ask before taking. Okay?”

“Got it… I’m sorry. I promise.”

“Thank you, Rugilinn. From today onward, we have a deal!”

Fortunately, Daphne forgave me quickly. She even said that as long as I asked beforehand, I could take anything anytime.

Our roommate really seems to be kind.

-So this time, I asked before taking. And we put it back with what we bought, so it should be fine!-

-Oof… you’re too simply-minded about it.-

After that, another clone hurriedly filled the pantry with the instant noodles and snacks they had bought, and the incident was wrapped up.

With nothing to do, I crawled onto the top bunk and fiddled with my smartphone.

While considering whether to just stay awake all night due to insomnia, I looked down and saw Daphne studying diligently under the light of her desk lamp with textbooks and notes spread out.

She had piled up several thick books as if they were college majors.

I became curious and asked.

“It’s been less than a week since the semester started. Are you really studying already?”

“Yes. Since my major is what it is, there’s a lot I need to prepare for.”

She replied with a gentle smile. From what I had heard before, she was in a medical-related field. Apparently, she’s studying everything from pure surgical techniques to recovery magic and healing-related unique abilities.

So, I heard you had to have excellent entrance exam results to get in. One must understand the human body and biology to excel in healing.

“I paid a lot of money to enroll; it’d be a waste of both time and money to just fool around, right? I’m going to learn and study as much as I can.”

“Of course! Is becoming a doctor your goal? You’re quite the model student, Daphne.”

“Ah… that’s too kind. I’m not an actual doctor or anything.”

“Hehe…”

After that, we chatted for a while. Is this what girl talk is? It was fun.

As I watched her get embarrassed by all the compliments, I found myself wanting to know more about my roommate.

What kind of dreams did the “Saintess of Salvation” have five years before the main story? Despite her significant role in the narrative, Daphne’s backstory has hardly ever been addressed.

“Just asking, but what do you plan to do after graduating, Daphne? Will you join a clan? Or get a job at a medical institution?”

“Well, first I have to get a job, right? I need to pay off my student loan. But if the opportunity arises, I’d like to do some medical volunteering.”

“Medical volunteering?”

“Yes, there are so many people in this world who are injured and sick but haven’t even been able to receive proper treatment. I want to help those people with my abilities… Is that weird?”

“Oh! That sounds like a great idea!”

“Thank you for saying that.”

She raised her right hand slightly to show the softly glowing Ether Light.

“Ever since this ability first manifested… I’ve always wanted to help someone.”

As Daphne spoke, a somber smile settled on her lips, melting away like late spring snow.

-Clang!

The alarm on my phone rang on the bed.

Ah! I set the wrong time.

“This was my alarm clock. It was supposed to ring in the early morning; I must’ve set it wrong.”

“Speaking of which, I can’t believe it’s already this time. Rugilinn, is the light from the desk lamp disturbing your sleep? Is it okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine! I’m not bothering your studying, am I?”

“I’m fine too. I enjoyed cooling my head off and chatting a bit. I still have some things to look over, so have a good night!”

So, lying in bed, I wasted away time, and before I knew it, it was 5 AM. I went out and took a taxi to the bus terminal.

As I was pondering all this, the gloved bus jolted as if it had hit a speed bump. Straddling the line between sleep and thought, Unit 1 swayed like a pendulum.

“Ugh!”

-What’s with this bus driver? Why can’t he drive?-

-Charging such an exorbitant fare too!-

The terrible ride caused the Violets to complain in my head. Just then, a screech emanated from the bus’s internal speakers, followed by the sound of the driver tapping the microphone.

“Dear passengers, the previous collision occurred as we hit a wild monster that had wandered onto the road. I apologize to everyone traveling with our Alpine intercity bus…”

As the bus driver rambled on, a continuous buzzing sound rang out inside the bus. Passengers pulled out their smartphones one after another. I felt a vibration from my pocket, so I checked my screen and saw a text message.

[Emergency Alert!: Currently, the entire southwest region is under a Level 3 emergency alert due to multiple simultaneous small gates appearing. Please be cautious of low- to mid-tier monsters, and move into your homes or nearby buildings, closing all doors and windows.]
–[Academy City Safety Central Management Committee]]

I jumped in surprise and looked around. Everyone looked calm as they checked their smartphones and then went back to their usual stances. They all seemed way too unfazed.

Somehow, this reminded me of a disaster alert before reincarnation. The heat waves and heavy rains had just been replaced by gates and monster nonsense.

-Screech!

As the speaker turned on, the driver resumed the broadcast.

“Okay, passengers, you’ve heard the announcement, but a Level 3 emergency alert has been declared. For your safety, we will drive at high speed to our destination. Please fasten your seatbelts and grip the handrails tightly!”

-Whoooosh!

“Ugh!”

With a heavy sound, I felt my body being pushed back as the vehicle accelerated. The gloved intercity bus sped down the road.

Outside, I could see helicopters flying in between buildings. People were jumping down without parachutes. A heavy explosion echoed off in the distance.

I nervously scanned the narrow window. It felt like a battlefield out there.

The people around me stared at their smartphones or slept soundly, as if nothing were amiss. It felt like I was the only one tense inside this vehicle.

Once again, I realized I had fallen into a world right out of a game.

The emergency alert was lifted after half an hour. I tried to sleep again.

***

After hours of continuous travel, I finally stepped off the uncomfortable gloved bus and headed towards the dungeon after another few dozen minutes.

The destination was the [Novaastia Canyon of Forgetfulness], commonly known as the “Novaastia Mine.”

Although it’s called a mine where various minerals and materials are harvested, it’s actually a gateway to a different world.

“Alright, first, let’s have the three-member advance team gather!”

“Gathering!”

After creating two clones, we climbed the mountain together.

The Novaastia Mine was located halfway up the mountain, making the ascent quite treacherous. I had paid a ridiculous amount to take a taxi just to get dropped off near the entrance.

As we walked up the unpaved road wide enough for a few trucks, the glimmering landscape of Rustroom emerged beneath the rising morning sun.

“Can you all see? It’s quite moving.”

“Yeah. Seeing a place from the screen with my own two eyes feels refreshing.”

In the distance, the urban landscape of the Central District came into view. In the heart of the city, a spire-like building jutted towards the sky.

“Is that [Rustroom Bay]? It’s really tall.”

“If we can see it from here, just how big must it be?”

“They serve food at the observation deck in the middle. Let’s go eat there later!”

“When we earn enough money!”

With a height of 3 km, the structure’s impressive scale showed up the surrounding tall buildings as mere concrete decorations.

We marveled at the distant city as if we were tourists, taking photos of the scenery.

-Whoooosh!

“Wow! An airship!”

A massive object passed overhead, creating a raucous noise. We all cheered and waved at it.

The angular airship flew above us, one that would infuriate aerodynamic engineers. On both sides, propelling engines emitted the indescribable light characteristic of Ether. The densely loaded steel containers at the bottom of the airship resembled the suction cups of whales.

“I want to ride that!”

“Me too…”

The cargo airship vanished to the north.

“Coming out to the outside world, I see so many exciting things.”

“Enough sightseeing! Let’s head out again. They issued an unusual weather alert earlier. They said it might hit 50 degrees, and we need to get into the dungeon quickly.”

“Again? I thought this week might be more normal, but the weather in this town never seems fine…”

We hurried up the path. We relied on the map app, but slowly our signals were fading, and only strange signals appeared.

We were nearing the dungeon.

“Is it just me, or are there a lot of tire tracks on the road?”

“Right? I thought the main story’s Novaastia Dungeon was just closed due to lack of profitability.”

Unit 2 sensed something odd and looked back at Units 1 and 3.

“Wasn’t that a story from 5 years in the future? We’re in the past, 5 years ago.”

“Then, right now is still…”

In the distance, the entrance came into view. As we got closer, we faced a sturdy fence and a massive steel gate.

“Ah! What’s that?!”

“Let’s investigate first.”

We climbed up a hill next to the entrance. There, completely different from the original story, we saw a dungeon entryway covered in several fences and barbed wire. A large machine gun turret, like the kind you’d see on a battleship, had been set up too.

A few heavily armored vehicles marked with an unknown clan’s symbol passed through the main gate.

While waiting, several huge dump trucks were moving back and forth. I could see hunters patrolling, carrying weapons.

“This is bad! It looks like they’re on high alert at this point!”

“The security seems a bit too tight. Can we get in?”

An ingenious idea came to mind.

“Let’s hang underneath a truck to get in! Just like in the movies.”

We thought it was a good idea and created Unit 4 to send underneath.

Unit 4, sprawled in the ditch by the roadside, waited for the dump truck to pass before attempting to roll underneath.

“Uh-oh?”

The timing was off! Unit 4’s path was blocked by the truck’s tires.

-Crunch!

“Ack!”

“Ugh!”

We grabbed our heads in shock from the jarring pain.

Fortunately, since Unit 4 was instantly killed, the pain was merely fleeting. The spot where Unit 4 had been was now flattened out.

“What do we do?”

“Do we need to sneak in?”

“Look it up online!”

“But there’s no internet here! Don’t forget Wi-Fi doesn’t work near the dungeon!”

While we were all gathered, pondering what to do, Unit 8, who had been tapping away at a computer in the library, sent an unexpected piece of information.

-You idiots! Why are you dawdling there? Share your view with me!

We shared our vision with Unit 8. The computer screen Unit 8 was viewing displayed a map of the Novaastia Dungeon along with an information section.

-I did a little digging, just in case. It’s a place where small clans hold rights for materials, so they do charge an entrance fee, but if you have a certification, you can just go in.-

We had taken a wrong turn. There was a separate entrance for the general public. We sent Unit 1, and suddenly we found a parking lot and a checkpoint that hadn’t been visible before.

“This was an operating location…”

“We came in through a vehicle-only passage.”

After retracing our steps for a while, we saw all sorts of people waiting around. I hurriedly lined up as well.

Various age groups of individuals, armed to the teeth, moved forward. In front, a security hunter belonging to a clan scanned the credentials of everyone with a device in hand.

“Let’s check your credentials. Oh no, you’re past the registration period. You’ll have to turn back.”

“What? No way…”

Most of the people passed through, but some had to turn back.

Soon it was my turn.

“What’s this, school uniform? You started classes not long ago, and you’re here already. Show me your student ID.”

I handed over my student ID, and the security guard scanned it with the device, causing his expression to soften.

“…Polaris Comprehensive Academy, confirmed. Have a great hunt.”

They treated me more kindly than I expected. Just as I was about to move forward, the security guard stopped me from behind.

“Just a moment! Student, you need to pay the entrance fee!”

I saw an entrance fee sign hung on one side. It was quite expensive. I emptied my wallet to pay.

-If I had known, I should’ve checked more information before coming…-

-Right? Just trusting my knowledge from the original work like when I sought the Crystal Flower wasn’t enough.-

Unit 1 walked past the checkpoint and headed for the dungeon gate.

Even though it was early morning, it felt like a bustling marketplace had opened. Traders were visible dealing with those entering the dungeon.

“We have a survival backpack set at a buy one, get one free event!”

“It’s cheap! Combat rations are on sale!”

“First aid kits are on discount!”

I went to one booth and bought three recovery items; they were the same type I had used at the research lab.

-Is this getting cloned too?-

-Just go in and find out.-

I cautiously took a step forward and moved ahead. I felt vibrations akin to being engulfed by waves.

“Whoa…”

The rocky mountains of earlier were now a colossal city ruin right in front of me.

“…this is it.”

I had entered the area of the [Novaastia Canyon of Forgetfulness], the prologue’s setting.

Perhaps it was because it was the entrance, but I could see hunters carrying weapons and forming teams nearby. In one place, the heavily armored vehicles we had seen before rolled down the ramp, disappearing into the ruins.

“Now it starts. Everyone, hold onto your sanity and prepare to create.”

After walking to a more secluded area, I generated my clones. Fourteen Violets appeared instantly.

They tied their flowing hair back with rubber bands, slipped on their masks, then armed themselves.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

“Let’s go!”

The Violet squad advanced beyond the desolate gray ruins.