The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City

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Chapter 1 – The March of the Mice

Mice march across the table. On two legs, they waddled while maintaining a formation as sharp as a razor.

“Forward! Backward! Right turn! Left turn!”

Every time commands were relayed through the network, the mice moved precisely, without a hint of error.

” squeak! squeak!”

The sight of the soldiers in the training center squeaking short cries like a rallying cry was utterly adorable.

“Looks like another genius mouse has been born!”

“Indeed, we must be geniuses!”

Once again, it was proven that Bernike’s assertions were wrong.

In this glorious moment where the malicious ponytail was demoted to a silly ponytail, the Violets marveled and gave various commands.

“Mice! Dance!”

” squeak!”

Laughter burst forth as the clumsy mice attempted awkward dance moves.

It was fascinating and amusing to see how obedient the mice were.

Out of curiosity, we tried making them run, do somersaults, and side rolls.

“Well done! Can you hear us? Nod your heads!”

” squeak!”

“Wow, you can understand voice commands too? Awesome! Now say something!”

” squeak?”

At the sudden prompt, the mice looked around in confusion, their expressions bewildered.

The sound of Professor Albert clucking his tongue came from beside me.

“…Violet, how could these mice talk?”

“Oh dear…”

We felt a bit embarrassed at the professor’s critique.

How could we have forgotten such an important fact?

If they were parrot-like creatures, they might have been able to talk.

“Right, it’s possible to make them squeak a few times. How about we try that?”

Ah, that was a good idea.

“Mice, greet us by saying ‘hello.’ Got it?”

We relayed the rules dictating how to squeak. The effect was immediate.

” squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak! squeak!”

The shift in thinking was a success.

The mice squeaked precisely as I intended.

The ability to send consistent signals meant it could be used as a means of communication.

“A radio has been born!”

The mouse radio, capable of replacing the old heavy Violet radios, had come into being.

It would be much more convenient to place one of these in our friends’ pockets or on their shoulders than to transmit messages one by one.

“Wait, can we hear what our friends are saying?”

“I think we can! Look, the mice’s senses are transmitted to us!”

Feeling the new senses connected to the Violet Network, the Violets continued their experiments.

The connection with the V-Mice felt different from being connected amongst ourselves.

It was as if there was a remote control buzzing and vibrating, moving uncontrollably within our heads.

We asked the researchers why we felt this way.

“Those mice used in the experiment are said to be a smarter breed than the ones we’ve brought in before, right?”

“That’s correct. However, it’s challenging to fully overcome the biological limits of rodents. The distinction in brain capacity and neural density between mice and humans is stark. The size of the cerebral cortex is also so drastically different that it cannot even be compared. Nevertheless, the fact that they are connected to the network in real-time through the biochip implanted in their brains is an innovative achievement.”

Wait, if the brains of humans and mice are that different, what could have made them smarter?

“It’s hard to say the mice fully understand the knowledge input into their brains. Vast information from the Violet Network is transmitted to these animals, but we cannot assert that they have completely grasped its content. Notable changes in brain structure and function have been observed, but fundamentally, it seems they haven’t escaped the biological constraints of being mice.”

“Huh? Isn’t that what makes them smarter?”

“The main issue is this: humans can be self-aware and think about their actions, but animals cannot. They simply mimic and carry out the information received from the network. It’s difficult to expect any metacognition or higher-order thinking from them.”

Ah, I think I roughly understand what that means.

It means our Violets are so outstanding that these animals find it hard to catch up.

“Did you get it?”

“Yeah… kinda? Sort of?”

I took a moment to look around the network.

The sensations of the connected V-Mice felt distinctly different from our own.

“What does it feel like?”

In response to Uncle Yurik’s question about the network experience, the Twenty-First Clone answered.

“Um, Uncle! My vision is narrow and it feels cramped. I can’t differentiate colors well. It’s like watching a black-and-white movie!”

The world seen through the eyes of the V-Mice appeared hazy and foggy.

Outlines were faintly visible, but colors were enveloped in all shades of gray, as if sketched with a pencil.

“Mice are colorblind.”

“But their noses seem sensitive. My hearing feels a little sharper too!”

Sadly, the V-Mice had their limits. They couldn’t use magical power.

When we tried injecting ether to force them to do something, the poor things looked like they were about to die.

“…We should probably stop.”

It was disappointing that the mice couldn’t use magical power.

If they could, we could have utilized them in many more ways.

Noticing the mice looked tired, I decided to conclude the commands for today.

“Alright, let’s call it a day!”

As I released control, the mice plodded on two legs back into their cage.

“When can we experiment with other animals?”

“We need to analyze this result more before we try anything else.”

Uncle and I exchanged glances at the other animals.

Crows wearing white hats and monkeys were casually waiting inside.

“Let’s also infuse the spirit of Violet into those guys!”

The V-Crows and V-Monkeys would surely be much smarter than the mice.

It was a little regrettable that we didn’t have any parrots.

**

My excitement about the intelligent V-Animals wavered a few days later.

I was left speechless by the sight before me.

“Whooo!”

“Wow, the monkey is going on strike.”

Days passed since the first V-Mouse was born, and the experiments continued.

After connecting two more mice to the network, noticing no peculiarities, we decided to select crows as the next subject.

The result? Mice clinging to the backs of crows, soaring through the skies.

“Wow! They fly!”

Upon issuing commands, the little critters worked together to carry them out.

“Looks like they have their own network set up.”

“Yeah, it does seem like that!”

Using the Violet Network as a meeting place and a communication line, the V-Animals seemed to engage in simple communication.

In any case, there were no issues connecting with the crows on the network. They followed instructions well and were obedient.

The issue arose with the V-Monkey.

After testing a monkey by connecting it to the Violet Network, the results were shocking.

“Whoo! Whoo!”

The moment it connected to the network, all that was transmitted were simple, endlessly repetitive signals.

Its intent could be roughly interpreted as follows.

“Whooo! Boss! Food! Food! Food!”

Being a creature with higher intelligence, the monkey had gotten exceedingly clever.

However, we failed to realize the fact that intelligence and loyalty to humans are separate issues.

“What do we do now? The monkey refuses to take the intelligence test.”

The monkey did not resort to violence or attempt escape.

That was because Uncle Yurik was holding a stun device linked to the animal’s collar. It could take its life if necessary.

Realizing the switch could be something threatening, the monkey chose non-violent means.

That was a strike.

“Hehe, I didn’t expect to prepare multiple strategies for a ‘just in case’ scenario… So, what do you want, monkey?”

The professor said with a wry smile, and the monkey turned its head toward me, letting out a loud screech.

From its reaction, it seemed to understand human language.

The demands of the monkey were as follows.

“Boss! Food! Tasty and lots! Something better! Something sweet!”

“…It wants more food? And for the portion to be increased.”

“Haha, ridiculous.”

I quickly pointed to the intelligence testing tools and measuring devices laid out for the monkey.

“You want food? Then take the test, monkey!”

“Kiik? Wukiik!”

“What? You want some delicious food that humans eat? No way, you’re a monkey! Eat your food pellets.”

“Who? Wuki!”

Fuming, the Violet Monkey stomped the ground.

As it vented its displeasure, the monkey picked up a small rod that had fallen to the ground.

“Oops?”

Swinging the stick in mid-air like a dance, the monkey drew various trajectories.

“Oh my God, that stance!”

“It’s Polaris Swordsmanship!”

I couldn’t believe it. The monkey was performing swordsmanship.

Noticing my astonishment, the monkey chuckled and raised its right hand, wiggling its fingers arrogantly.

“You arrogant little creature!”

Without hesitation, I suppressed it.

“Whoo-kiik…”

“Kneel, monkey! This is the level between you and me!”

After all, it was just a beast connected as an accessory to our network. It had no choice but to obey against its will.

Defeated, the monkey trudged over and started fiddling with the equipment.

Maybe feeling pity for its state, Uncle Yurik spoke up.

“How about we just give it to them? After all, we planned to reward based on testing or behavior. Something fruity, or snacks that a monkey can eat.”

“Should we?”

Hope gleamed in the monkey’s face as it fiddled with the blocks despondently.

“Whoo?”

“Sure, just like that uncle said! If you do well, you’ll get something delicious. Got it?”

“Kiki!”

The monkey seemed overjoyed, raising its arms high before returning to enthusiastically assist in the research.

“With high intelligence comes these side effects, huh?”

The Violets pondered this thought before returning to their tasks.

As the great commander of the genius monkey, I needed money to buy it tasty snacks.

For now, I would have to keep delivering or work hard.

-Ding dong! Delivery order!

And so, until deep into the night, the Violets zipped around on scooters, supplying late-night snacks for the academy city.

“Violet 3213! It’s a pizza order! Hurry up!”

“Got it!”

Suddenly, I became curious. What does that monkey like?

I should find out what is safe for monkeys to eat and what is not.

With a flurry of miscellaneous thoughts about V-Animals, 3213 made her way to an old alley scheduled for redevelopment.

Although it felt a bit eerie, surprisingly there were still people living in such places.

“Delivery!”

-Please leave it at the door.

Perhaps due to poor security, they wouldn’t open doors in this neighborhood.

I placed the pizza down and immediately headed to the next delivery location. A narrow road, eerily quiet, with only the flickering yellow streetlight illuminating the path.

It starkly contrasted with the towering buildings far away.

“Is this the right place?”

Checking my location via the network, I was in search of the delivery spot.

Just then, an incident occurred.

-Bam!

A huge explosion rang out nearby. A nearby multi-family housing unit was engulfed in flames.

Soon after, bullets and bolts rained from all directions.

“Is it a gang fight? I should steer clear for now.”

Just as I clutched the pizza, trying to find cover nearby, a sharp, numbing sensation struck my leg.

“Ah! My leg!”

Had the monkey also decided to strike? I felt completely paralyzed.

Looking down, I noticed my left ankle, partially severed, was a vision of horror. An arrow.

As I struggled to pull it out, the gunfire ceased, plunging the alley into silence.

A slight tremor spread from the ground.

Gang members in tattered clothing had encircled me.

“What the hell! Who are you guys?”

As I raised my head to see what these guys were up to, a chill ran down my spine.

These guys’ faces seemed to flicker as if there was noise interference.

“Identity disruption device?”

Not a single gang or criminal organization I had faced so far had ever worn something like that.

As I wondered if they might be from a corporation, they suddenly aimed their weapons at me.

“You’re just a neighborhood pizza delivery person, right? What do we do now?”

“What are you going to do? You’re a witness. You shouldn’t be an issue moving forward. Deal with it.”

“What?!”

I was terrified. This could delay my delivery.

“Hey! No, the pizza will get cold—”

Pffft, with the sound of a silencer, a hole was made in the head of Violet 3213.

“No! The pizza!”

The anger of the delivery Violets erupted.

“Let’s go retrieve it!”

**

After tossing the delivery person’s body inside the burning building, the navy special forces members witnessed a bizarre scene as they escaped.

“Hey, isn’t that the one you shot?”

“It seems so. Are they part of the same delivery company?”

By the time they realized what was happening, it was already too late.

When the team began to sense something unusual, the somber alley and building were already filled to the brim with delivery personnel wearing motorcycle helmets.

In an eerie scenario that seemed worthy of urban legends, the soldiers stood frozen.

“Which organization are you from?”

Just as they all readied their bows and guns toward me, one, presumably the leader, asked.

“Our?”

The delivery personnel replied in unison.

“You mean us?”

“We are!”

“The National Pizza Rider Association!”

“Ah, aaaaaah!”

-Tatata-Tao!

Under the dark night sky of the redevelopment area, once again, gunshots and screams intertwined.