A Legion Grows From My Smartphone

Chapter 56

"Chose death on their own. Why?"

[Currently investigating the reason.]

Lying blankly on the bed, my gaze fixed on the ceiling, where another world unfolded.

I saw my younger sibling, Kang Do-Yeon, and the masked Legion.

There was also an enormous mass of flesh, larger than the mansion filling the screen.

Even now, the Legion was tightly embracing the doll I had sent.

"I see. Idiot."

Before long, the Legion, which seemed to be communicating with the Destruction Fungus Grand Colony, sneered.

[The Destruction Fungus Grand Colony is, quite literally, an entity formed by the gathering of more than hundreds of Destruction Fungus Colonies. Because of this, it has transcended its nature and gained the ability to think.]

"Thoughts beyond one's nature. So if the result of that is calmly accepting death, then what's the reason?"

"...We are now nothing more than remnants of the calamity that once ruled this world. The upper stratum is now inhabited by new overlords who have overcome trials and are living in a new era. Meanwhile, we no longer have the possibility of development."

As if hearing my question, the Legion answered directly with its own voice.

For a moment, I didn't quite understand. Remnants of the past and a new era.

[The Destruction Fungus that once ruled the world no longer exists. Those trapped in this underground labyrinth are all that remain. As rulers who once destroyed an era and dominated a new one, the Destruction Fungus Grand Colony realized that their time had ended.]

"So... they just gave up because they knew it was hopeless? Is that even possible? What's up there that's so overwhelming?!"

Of course, even with additional explanations, it didn't make sense to me.

[Isn't it the same for humans? Rather than resist and suffer defeat, wouldn't they choose to surrender and accept death quietly to preserve a shred of honor?]

"That is..."

"Don't be ridiculous!"

At the sharp voice, my mouth shut.

At the same time, a torrent of emotions surged. It was the Legion's emotions.

Right now, the Legion was more enraged than ever.

[For the Legion, such a concept was utterly incomprehensible and unacceptable. Fighting until only a single cell remains is only natural.]

"Ugh..."

Caught in the intense stream of emotions, I calmed myself and focused on the screen.

My younger sibling was no exception, grimacing and swaying due to the overwhelming emotions.

"Defeated losers, trash!"

The Legion was expressing its anger in the most direct way possible.

"For beings like us, devouring any enemy and fighting until the very end is the only path. How dare they."

The hand pointing at the Grand Colony trembled.

The Legion had clearly acknowledged the Mutant Destruction Fungus that had once cornered it as one of its own. It had even appreciated it to some extent.

So, seeing the Mutant Destruction Fungus of the Grand Colony being this inert and powerless instead of resisting or fighting back infuriated it. It was a sign of refusal to accept this reality.

"We never stop. We never become obsolete. We always evolve and grow stronger."

[The Legion had made a decision. To eliminate this useless, regressed trash and move forward.]

Before I knew it, the Legion’s Nest, which had consumed the entire lower stratum, began to creep upward.

It was clear they intended to devour the entire Grand Colony.

[No matter the enemy, there will never be retreat. Everything will be destroyed, everything will be consumed. That is the will of the Legion.]

"...."

I kept my mouth shut.

It felt as if the essence of the Legion had been reconfirmed.

An endless predator with a voracious appetite that would devour the entire universe. A being born solely for that purpose.

[It never stops. It devours everything.]

"You seem oddly confident."

I smiled bitterly as I looked at the words floating before me.

Could I change or control that being?

Compared to the Legion, I was nothing more than an insignificant speck at the moment. And the Legion would only grow even larger.

Still, I wanted to stop it from becoming a being that only repeated destruction and massacre.

"It has finally gained a sense of self. From a human perspective, you could say it was born. It might seem like an early concern, but I don’t want it to learn the emotion called loneliness. What about you? Do you really, truly desire nothing but the growth of the Legion?"

[...]

It was for my sake, for the sake of this world, and also for the Legion itself.

[Tentacles extended from the Nest surged toward the Grand Colony.]

Even the tentacles of the Nest had evolved.

The tough, branch-like tentacles, brimming with formative power, burrowed deep into the Grand Colony's body and released the Legion’s Infection Fungus.

[The Infection Power, maximized through the war with the Mutant Destruction Fungus, began to spread rapidly.]

Black veins started appearing across the massive flesh in an instant.

"Resist."

Watching the scene, the Legion murmured quietly.

However, the Grand Colony showed no reaction, silently accepting the Legion's attack.

Once again, the Legion's emotions roiled.

[[[I said, resist!!!]]]

Finally, those emotions exploded.

A massive shockwave surged, causing the Grand Colony's body to burst apart. Cracks began to spread across the walls and floor of the cavern.

I tightly shut my eyes.

The Legion had just displayed such tremendous physical force based solely on its rage-induced mental wave.

The only reason I wasn’t swept away by that massive being was because, for now, my spirit was more solid and stable than the Legion's consciousness.

But as the Legion's consciousness grew and stabilized, there was no way my mental strength could overpower it.

"I must grow too."

I took a deep breath. There was no time to sit back and relax.

If I wanted to control the Legion, I needed at least one area where I was equal to or superior to it.

"Company researchers were attacked?!"

"Calm down. Fortunately, there were hardly any casualties. The mercenaries were roughed up a bit, but the mission was successfully completed."

"The mercenaries... What about that person?"

"Tch, they're fine."

Chris clicked his tongue and shook his head.

Cha Jiyeon sighed in relief, regardless of his reaction.

"Was it Kang Shin-Woo? I heard the rookie played a significant role. Although the actual combat was handled by the Korean Military Special Forces accompanying him, he quickly assessed the situation and managed to rescue quite a few people early on."

"Really?"

"His name is spreading, and his reputation has improved. Still, it was a close call."

Chris's previously smiling face turned serious.

Although they had gotten through it, an attack was an attack.

"Considering we crossed into a world we don't fully understand, it might have been an inevitable incident."

Cha Jiyeon's voice carried a hint of bitterness.

They had been separated from the main unit just prior.

The main unit had steadily advanced to a location believed to be the enemy's stronghold, establishing their position nearby.

That journey had included several battles.

Some were guerrilla attacks from the enemy, but others were assaults by beings that weren’t even enemies.

"At first, I thought they were units. But even the simplest beasts turned out to be horrifying in such a place. Honestly, I just want to leave quickly."

"Yeah."

She nodded slightly.

Although she had volunteered to fight monsters, she was by no means someone who enjoyed fighting.

She had become a hunter simply to protect humans from monsters.

"Hey, everyone?! There's movement detected ahead!"

"Ah, finally."

At that moment, someone ran to the front of the vehicle they were in. It was another hunter from Evolution assigned to reconnaissance. However, the person wasn’t a unit but an ordinary hire.

Sensing that things were about to begin, Cha Jiyeon and Chris quickly got out of the vehicle.

"What kind of enemies?"

"Looks like gnolls, as expected."

The hunter reporting the movement handed their equipment to Chris.

Cha Jiyeon decided not to use any equipment.

Using the curse directly, a translucent formation appeared before one eye.

With the power to pierce through the essence of the target, it became possible to see the ones hiding within the Stealth Field and moving secretly.

"They don't seem to have noticed us."

Chris glanced upwards casually.

A translucent barrier, similar to the distortion field the enemies were using, was covering the area nearby.

"So, what now?"

[Isn't it obvious? They're Units. Kill them.]

As Chris muttered, a voice resounded in their brains as if it had been waiting for this moment.

"You've been pretty busy lately, yet still managed..."

"But there are too many enemies."

[The Player purchased new powers at the Shop.]

When Cha Jiyeon expressed concern about the danger, the Player immediately provided another form of assistance.

She clenched her eyes shut and shuddered as a tingling sensation spread across her entire body.

[The Blood Circulation Method, one of the techniques utilized by other species to maximize magical power. Although primitive, it’s an expedient method worth using in emergencies.]

"Argh... it hurts like hell. Look at this, my veins are bursting out."

Chris chuckled, showing his injured hand.

She gritted her teeth and swallowed the pain. Such suffering was, of course, not a consideration for the Player.

"Let's go. Mr. Rekman, fight slowly and stick to your positions with the others."

"Ah, understood!"

After giving directions to the others, she left the area with Chris.

"Looking at those guys, it seems like they're planning to ambush the main unit... Seriously, we need to get something out of the Allied Forces for this. We're saving their lives because of us, after all."

"Focus on the fight for now."

"This really feels like the start of an all-out war."

Chris, who chuckled softly, and Cha Jiyeon, who remained consistently serious, both drew upon their respective powers.

At the same time, they stepped out from under the Veil that had been concealing their presence.

The moment the enemies' startled expressions came into view, Cha Jiyeon propelled herself off the ground, releasing immense electrokinesis from her entire body as she charged right into their midst.