The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City Chapter 2: The Research Lab – From Possession to Awakening

I thought deeply, recalling the very first scene I encountered after my possession.

When I opened my eyes, countless people were cramd together under a dim light, sitting as if they had been loaded like cargo.

‘Where the hell is this…?’

The last mories that surfaced in my mind were fragnted.

Screams.

When I raised my head, I saw an air conditioner outdoor unit falling toward .

And then, darkness.

It felt hazy, as if I were drunk.

I stood up briefly and looked around.

Aside from the fact that the area was packed with people, I couldn’t make sense of anything.

Looking closer, most of them appeared to be teenagers, younger than .

There were no clues I could infer anything from.

Since the surroundings shook occasionally, I assud we were inside a vehicle.

Soon, the vibrations stopped, and there was a jarring thud followed by a shake.

The vehicle ca to a halt.

The doors opened wide, revealing the lights of an unfamiliar city under the dark night sky.

“Alright, everyone out!”

“Move it! What’s taking you so long to get out?!”

The large, intimidating n standing outside began forcibly dragging the young teenagers out of the vehicle.

The atmosphere was nacing.

‘Damn it! Could this be human trafficking?’

I didn’t know why I was here, but I instinctively knew this was sothing illegal.

As I cautiously stepped out, I noticed thuggish n covered in tattoos lining people up and leading them elsewhere.

At the end of the line, people were boarding a pristine vehicle.

I instinctively realized that if I got on that vehicle, I would never see the outside world again.

Taking advantage of the mont when the thugs’ attention was elsewhere, I quickly stepped out of line and ran into an alley.

“Huh? Hey! That one’s running!”

“Get her! We can’t have anyone missing!”

I ran with all my might.

If they caught , it was over!

However, I was caught by the thugs in no ti.

‘Was I always this slow?’

“Gotcha!”

One of the large thugs grabbed and lifted off the ground.

I scread.

“Ahhh! Let go!”

As I scread, I froze in shock.

A bright and unmistakably clear girl’s voice had escaped from .

Flailing in panic at the bizarre situation, another thug approached and punched hard in the stomach.

-Thud!

“Urgh… Ack…”

“Damn brat, making useless fuss.”

“Caught her? Then load her up already. We’re leaving soon!”

My vision went dark.

When my vision returned, I was lying in a space illuminated by bright lights from above.

In contrast to the light above , the surroundings were pitch black.

I tried to move my body, but my arms and legs wouldn’t budge.

I couldn’t see it, but I felt sothing cold binding my wrists and ankles.

When I slightly raised my head, I saw that my body was covered with a green cloth.

I scread at the top of my lungs.

“Help! Soone, please… huh?”

I stopped mid-scream.

The thin, high-pitched girl’s voice wasn’t mine.

Confused, I looked around.

People wearing masks approached from the darkness.

“Hey! Untie , please!”

“This one’s noisy. Gag her.”

“What? Wait! Mmph! Mmgh…!”

I struggled, but nothing happened.

They kept coming closer.

Sothing sharp glead in the light.

-Bzzzzzzzz!

“The Sigma-6 procedure will now begin. First, we’ll…”

A green cloth was placed over my head.

The sharp sound of machinery filled my ears.

The noise grew closer and closer.

I couldn’t see anything.

What is this?

What’s happening?

No. Stop.

No, please stop-

* * *

Hmm, what was it?

Sothing was on the tip of my mory but wouldn’t surface.

Nothing ca to mind at all, as if my thoughts had been erased.

What in the world had happened?

I assud that place was so sort of research institute.

Well, what happened afterward wasn’t vivid.

Imagine a poor indie film director screening a flashback-filled movie made with damaged film through a dusty old projector.

I plunged into darkness and was dragged back into the light several tis.

“The procedure will comnce.”

‘Nooo!’

Again, I found myself bound in the sa place.

Each flicker of light felt like another part of was being carved away.

“…Initiating the second frontal lobe enhancent procedure for Test Subject 10-6-8. Neural restructuring through multi-layered augntation…”

‘Aaaahhhh!’

What was it?

Noise, screams… I rembered crying a lot.

I couldn’t recall anything else.

It felt like parts of were constantly being cut away.

“…April 27th, Federal Calendar Year 24. Initiating neural-ether expansion for Test Subject 10-6-8. The thod involves…”

‘Waaaah…’

It felt like my very existence had turned into clay, kneaded at will by the mischievous hands of cruel children.

Back into the darkness again.

I heard the faint sound of murmuring voices around .

“…Ether-signal response levels within acceptable range. Consciousness transitioning from coma to lethargic state. Awakening imminent.”

Once again, light returned to my vision.

I stood subrged in a bubbling green liquid.

“…Federal Calendar Year 25, Month 13, Day 3, 12:13 PM. Current state of Test Subject 10-6-8’s consciousness…”

“…Awakening complete.”

Sothing strange was attached all over my mouth and body.

I was inside a massive test tube.

Several people in lab coats surrounded , speaking among themselves.

When I tried to fall forward, the people in lab coats supported .

They began removing the strange devices attached to my body and mouth.

‘Wait… Am I naked?’

I felt cold, a strange emptiness in my lower body.

The surroundings were more chaotic than I expected.

My head turned on its own as I scanned my surroundings.

‘Looks like I’m not the only one like this.’

Large test tubes were lined up in rows within the vast room.

Two or three researchers were assigned to each person who erged, inspecting them before escorting them elsewhere.

I was led by their hands to a shower-like area.

They doused in water, thoroughly soaking again, and then wiped my body with a towel.

Afterward, they gave a baggy hospital gown to wear.

Then, they took my photograph.

-Click!

The light flickered again.

This ti, I was standing in a wide, open space.

“Test Subject 10-6-8. Carry out the instructions. Failure to comply within 60 seconds will result in penalties. 60, 59, 58…”

A speaker from one side delivered commands to .

I stood still as the countdown continued.

As the countdown reached zero, a beeping sound suddenly emanated from my neck.

Instinctively, I reached for my neck and felt sothing hard, like a choker, around it.

In that instant—

Zap!

“Kyaaaang!”

A searing electric shock struck my body.

I scread like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, jumping up before collapsing onto the floor.

They urged forward.

I cried.

Once again, pain slamd into my body.

Instinctively, I stretched out my arm.

From my arm, sothing warm and invisible began to flow into the air.

In front of , sothing started to form.

It was like watching a 3D printer create an object at three tis the normal speed.

From the feet to the legs and then to the waist, the shape stacked up until, before I knew it, it had beco the form of a young girl.

I montarily forgot my pain, captivated by the strange sight.

There stood a girl in a thin hospital gown, with golden blonde hair cascading to her shoulders and piercing red eyes.

When I stretched out my arm, the girl did the sa.

When I turned my head, the girl mirrored my movent.

The girl mimicked my every motion.

After so ti, the girl slowly disintegrated into dust, scattering as though she had never existed.

The light flickered.

Once again, I was lying down, my limbs bound.

Once more, the sound of sothing spinning—”Whirrrrr”—echoed in the background.

Again, I was in a testing area… lying down.

Flicker.

When I opened my eyes, the world shimred before again.

It kept flickering.

Flicker.

‘Myself’ walked down a long hallway, guided by researchers.

Passing through several doors, we arrived at an office that seed suitable for soone of high rank.

The researchers approached a man sitting in a chair and spoke to him.

The man, whose shiny bald head caught my attention, rose from his seat and walked toward .

The middle-aged bald man seed pleased.

It was the kind of expression greedy parents sotis wore when their child handed them a report card with top grades.

“What’s your na?”

The bald man opened his mouth, and my mouth moved on its own.

“…I don’t know.”

‘Myself’ shook my head as I answered.

The man turned around and began asking his subordinates questions.

“Team Leader, does this test subject not have a na?”

“Director, regarding Test Subject 10-6-8… ah, that one is likely one of the samples brought in from outside of Rustlum…”

“A refugee, huh? Well, doesn’t matter.”

As they exchanged words, the bald man, addressed as “Director,” gestured for to co closer.

‘Myself’ walked up to him.

“Didn’t we already have so prepared alias identities for the verified test subjects? If not… well, we still have those, don’t we?”

“Are you referring to the discarded test subjects, sir? We’ve selected a few identities suitable for use as aliases.”

“Perfect. Those useless vermin couldn’t even contribute with their bodies, so let’s at least make use of their nas.”

The director tapped a few tis on his tablet PC before making a gesture.

A large monitor mounted on the wall displayed a strange identification card with a picture of an unfamiliar girl.

“Violet… Violet Dunhind… Rugil… Rugilinn? Rugelinn? What an odd na. Alright, let’s go with this. Test Subject 10-6-8?”

“…Yes.”

The director looked down at with an air of superiority.

“You’re Violet from now on. Got it? Say it.”

“Vi…o…let…?”

The director frowned slightly and smacked my head with a loud thud.

“Good grief, did the procedure reduce her linguistic intelligence? Say it again. Vi-o-let.”

“Vi…o…let…”

‘Myself’ slowly and carefully enunciated the na.

Only then did the director’s expression relax slightly.

As if the matter was settled, the bald director exchanged a few words with the researchers before plopping back down in his chair.

‘Myself’ was then led out of the office by the researchers, walking down the hallway again.

On one wall of the corridor, a striking red logo was displayed.

It was a logo I felt I had seen sowhere before.

‘What was it?’

Hmm, I couldn’t rember.

The researchers told to wait, so I stood by.

A large mirror on the wall caught my eye.

Inside the mirror stood a pretty girl.

A blonde-haired, ruby-eyed, beautiful girl.

I instinctively knew it was and gasped in awe.

“This is ? Truly amazing!”

I felt like I should be surprised, but strangely, I wasn’t.

Instead, I felt excited.

Why was that?

Oh, right!

It was because I was a cute, beautiful girl.

No—had I always been this way?

I felt like sothing was missing in my head.

It was as if the part responsible for processing “surprise” had gone missing.

“Hehehe…”

No matter.

I was adorable, so who cares!

Wait a second.

Who was I?

Why was I here?

My head spun.

Suddenly, I felt confused.

“Aargh…”

I grabbed my head and groaned.

A translucent blue screen appeared before my eyes.

—————————————————–

Na: Violet Dunhind Rugilinn

Alias: Test Subject 10-6-8

Status: Research Institute Test Subject

Health: 1000

Mana: 1500

Unique Abilities:

■■■■: ???

Level 1 – Clone Technique

…

—————————————————–

I read the text floating in the air.

“Violet…”

My mind started to clear, like the sky after clouds had parted.

That’s right.

I’m not Violet.

But I am Violet.

I wasn’t originally from this world; I’d just realized that.

But for now, my reality was that I was Violet—a beautiful girl.

Yes, starting from this mont, my world began to regain clarity.

From the mont I faced the mirror and the status window appeared before .

Though there were still gaps and missing parts in my mories.

After recalling up to this point, I closed my eyes.

“Urgh… Why are there parts of my mory I can’t recall?”

Ugh, forget it.

No use worrying about it.

Might as well sleep.

I won’t rember anyway.

I closed my eyes.