MTLNOVEL Chapter 37: The Plan
"Tch! busted."
The ferocious-looking clone immediately reined in his murderous expression, then tried to soften the mood with a sheepish grin.
"Hey, the atmosphere was already there, so I was just playing along."
Hansen was left speechless, his silence saying more than words.
Though the clones had independent awareness, they were still extensions of Hansen's own consciousness. Memories, perception, and every scrap of information flowed seamlessly between them. That was why Hansen often said that speaking to his clones was nothing more than talking to himself.
Of course, there was no way around it. While Hansen's main body always held absolute authority, each clone mirrored his thought patterns and ideas. Depending on where they were deployed and the situations they encountered, subtle differences in personality and behavior would inevitably develop.
Once Trillion-Level Division activated, this multi-conscious coexistence, like a controlled form of dissociation, was sustained.
Fortunately, the solution was simple: keep the number of clones to a minimum, reducing needless arguments during coordinated missions.
In terms of individual strength, if these clones fought at full capacity, even Hansen himself would have to remain completely focused to suppress them. Ordinary monsters had no chance at all. Clustered together, they were chaos incarnate. Scattered apart, they shone like stars across the world. That was the logic behind it all.
"Enough nonsense. Let's get to business."
The original Hansen clapped his hands, snapping the restless ones back to attention. His expression hardened, every trace of humor gone.
"I'll repeat the outline of our next operation. Burn it into your heads. Starting tomorrow, you'll spread out across the world. Hunt monsters. Plunder Origin Points. The more, the better. No need for extra details, but…"
Hansen paused for a moment.
"Areas like Q City, guarded by irregular powerhouses such as Watchdog Man, are off-limits. Don't go looking for death. Right now, we may be strong, but we're still far from untouchable. There are plenty of people we cannot afford to poke just yet. There's no point in wasting precious cellular reserves and valuable growth time. Do you all understand?"
After Hansen finished, the ten clones exchanged glances. A heavy silence lingered in the room for three seconds.
This was a plan Hansen had been shaping ever since he copied Black Sperm's UR ability. Only now, during this mission, had he decided to set it in motion. With the enormous demand for Origin Points, grinding down monsters one by one on his own would take an eternity.
And while Psykos' patronage had its advantages, working with the Monster Association was like bargaining with a tiger. Such an arrangement was fragile, destined to break apart sooner or later. Hansen had no desire to be bound by anyone's leash, nor to sink together with an organization already marked for collapse.
He needed to open his own channel of Origin Points, one completely under his control.
Two legs to walk meant faster, steadier progress. This arduous task could not be entrusted to outsiders. Only his clone army was reliable enough to carry it through.
"Ohhh, free roaming! I like this!" one clone exclaimed, rubbing his hands together in excitement.
"Heh heh… finally time for a massacre. Main body, this job's gonna be fun!" Another clone licked his lips, bloodlust flashing in his eyes.
"Worldwide hunting, huh? Sounds interesting."
"Worldwide? Don't exaggerate. This world only has one supercontinent. Did you even read the setting?"
"Hah, don't drag Murata's fanon nonsense into the canon!"
"You don't know anything…"
The argument started to boil, voices overlapping as clones prepared to throw themselves into yet another pointless squabble.
Hansen raised his hand. The aura of a strict administrator burst forth, and silence fell like a hammer.
"Cut it out. Enough delays. If we want to grow stronger, we set out immediately."
"Roger that!"
"Understood!"
"For Origin Points, charge!"
"Leave it to us, boss!"
Silence followed.
This time, the clones agreed without a hint of hesitation. The sarcasm, the antics, the constant bickering and arguments… in truth, all of it was nothing more than Hansen's clones amusing themselves. To outsiders, they might look like lunatics, but anyone foolish enough to treat them as such would never even realize how they died.
The clone nearest the window stepped onto the sill, only to pause and glance back with a sly grin.
"Boss, with such a grand plan, shouldn't it at least have a proper name? Don't tell me you didn't think of one?"
"Yeah, at least give it a codename~~"
"Agreed. Who'd dare oppose it?"
"I'll go first, 'My Brother the Monster: Worms Devour the World'!"
"Yeah right, and next you'll be selling it as some cheap knockoff novel!"
The room went still for a moment. Hansen rubbed his chin as he studied the restless bunch. After a brief pause, the corner of his mouth curled into a deep, meaningful smile.
"Then the codename will be—"
"The Sentri Project."
"Sentri, encompassing all things! Heh, I like it. Sounds badass!"
The first clone burst into laughter, then slipped out the window, vanishing into the night like a shadow. One after another, the remaining nine clones followed, each flashing a wicked grin before dissolving into the darkness and scattering across the skies of M City.
The room finally quieted again. Hansen slowly closed his eyes, letting the night wind brush against his face. In that instant, his awareness spread outward like an ever-expanding net. Through the real-time senses linked with each clone, his sight was no longer confined to the small apartment. It stretched outward in every direction, touching the unknown.
As expected, when scattered apart, they became like countless stars cast across the sky. The clone legion moved with astonishing speed and efficiency.
Before long, monsters lurking in the city's shadows were hunted down and slaughtered on the spot. Scenes of bloody carnage streamed back to the original through the shared network, accompanied by kill notifications flashing endlessly in his mind.
[You slew the Wolf-level monster "Plague Rat." Origin Points +6!]
[You slew the Tiger-level monster "Sewer Rat King." Origin Points +38!]
[You slew the Tiger-level monster "Red-eyed Lizardman." Origin Points +65!]
[…]
[You slew the Demon-level monster "Fan Demon." Origin Points +327!]
On the system panel, his Energy Point balance surged upward. It wasn't much yet, but this was only the beginning.
Hansen opened his eyes, the corners of his mouth curling into a capitalist's smile.
"This feeling of collecting profit while sitting at home… not bad at all."
…
The next morning, before dawn.
Inside King's bedroom, even in the depths of sleep, his scarred face still carried its usual grim severity.
Dong dong dong! Dong dong dong!
The urgent, powerful knocks on the door pounded like a death drum, ripping King mercilessly from his dreams. He bolted upright in bed, bleary-eyed and trembling. Cold sweat poured down his forehead as his heart roared out of control.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The "King Engine," at full blast.
"W-who's there…?"