Leave a comment

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

Kou had been away for a few days, but when she returned, she barely spent any time enjoying the comfort of being back home. Her parents went straight to bed, exhausted from all the work they had done, while Kou logged into Destiny Unchain Online as soon as possible.

“Frey, sorry, but we don’t have any time to spare, so I’ll be going ahead. I’m worried about the change in action patterns we saw earlier today.”

After quickly checking her items, Kou sent the message to Subaru—Frey in-game—who had yet to log in. She glanced at the friend list showing the rest of Lua Cheia’s members, but they were all offline as well, likely resting after just returning from their trip.

In the worst-case scenario, she might have to handle everything alone, with Frey joining later once he was settled back home.

“…Got it. I’ll log in as soon as I’m free. I’ll also message Lycoris and Hinagiku, just in case.”
“Thanks.”

Kou had been gathering information about the Doppelganger even during the trip back. Thanks to her efforts, she knew that the trio of Doppelgangers had split up earlier that morning. Crim’s Doppelganger had been attempting to stay hidden, but something had changed around noon. Instead of hiding, the Doppelganger had started running aimlessly.

Players who encountered her on the first day described her as an incarnation of terror, mercilessly slaughtering anyone in her path. But now, there was nothing left of that fearsome aura. Instead, the roles seemed reversed—she was the one running, almost as if terrified.

As time passed, the Doppelganger’s movements grew more erratic, suggesting something was going wrong with the AI controlling her. More concerningly, in the last few hours, it seemed like the Doppelganger had become afraid of something other than the players.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this… I need to hurry.”
“Be careful. We’ll be there as soon as we can,” Frey replied, his tone laced with concern.

Crim nodded, attempting to reassure him before leaving the campsite alone. She headed toward the Submerged City, where a heavy, ominous air lingered.

Hurrying through the city, she tried her best to avoid alerting enemies, but a few still spotted her. Rather than waste time fighting, she lured them toward other players who were training in the area, apologizing as she left them to handle the fights.

Jumping across the rooftops, she eventually reached Sector B-12, located in the southeastern side of the city.

And there…

“…Tsk, why did it have to be them!”

The moment Crim stepped into the sector, she clicked her tongue in frustration. Standing before her were two figures she wanted to avoid more than anyone else.

Even with their white skin now covered in a fiery purple pattern, she recognized them instantly. A fox girl wielding a katana pointed her way, and a mechanical girl stared at her through the scope of a rifle.

“Hinagiku and Lycoris’ Doppelgangers!”

The two were young prodigies and accounted for much of Lua Cheia’s firepower. Not even Crim wanted to face them like this.

Hinagiku’s Blue Fire, which could cleanse three types of evil, was especially deadly for Crim. And Lycoris’ abilities could restrict her movement, leaving her as easy prey.

“I cannot afford to fight thee..!”

As much as she hated it, Crim summoned her weapon in preparation to defend herself. But then, the two Doppelgangers did something entirely unexpected.

“What… I can go through?”

Crim was stunned. She had expected enemies controlled by AI to attack her immediately, yet the Doppelgangers nodded at her.

Lowering their weapons, they stepped aside, clearing a path for her. It could be a trap. But… it didn’t feel like one. Their movements seemed almost desperate, as if they were urging her to move forward.

“Could it be… Do enemies have consciousness too?”

Their actions didn’t match the behavior of AI programmed with a singular purpose. Instead, they resembled the nuanced responses of city NPCs—those designed to live their entire programmed lifespans as if they were human.

In a way, it was reminiscent of the ancient dream of machines gaining sentience, as portrayed in countless sci-fi works.

“…I appreciate it. Thank you.”

Crim nodded at the Doppelgangers and proceeded down the path they opened for her. To her surprise, they turned around and began running alongside her.

The two Doppelgangers led Crim through the sector, guiding her toward a location bathed in an ominous red light, visible even from a distance.

The sight made Crim’s heart sink. It was something she recognized immediately—something no one else was supposed to see.

“It can’t be… Break Blood?!”

Break Blood was Crim’s most secret trump card, a double-edged sword. Once it ended, her body would shrink, leaving her unable to move properly. And now, her Doppelganger was using it as a desperate measure, surrounded by too many players.

It truly was a last-ditch effort.

Even an enemy AI would recognize that activating Break Blood was the worst possible choice, even in dire circumstances.

I knew it. Something is wrong with that Doppelganger’s AI.

Though Crim felt increasingly certain of that, she also knew time was running out. She only had about thirty seconds left.

I need to get there faster.

Her thoughts raced as she pushed her legs harder, running faster than ever before. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, she headed straight for the Doppelganger. A glowing red aura began to envelop her as she moved.

In that moment, the top player of the game—the Scarlet Demon Lord, Crim Lua Cheia—became a streak of blazing red light, a meteor cutting through the Submerged City.

Support Us

Unlock Early Access ------- Select Project ------- Project Gender Bender Project Necro ∴ Support your favorite series and unlock chapters before the public release.