A Legion Grows From My Smartphone

Chapter 58

"Ugh... Ughhh..."

"Is it working?"

As I watched the screen, I noticed the abnormal behavior of the infected entity.

The infected entity, which normally charged in recklessly as if it were natural, stopped just before colliding with a legion soldier much larger than itself. It began to whimper like a puppy standing in front of its mother.

[The Destruction Fungus Colonies have a communication line amongst themselves, similar to the collective consciousness of the Legion. The Variant Great Colony has the ability to amplify that.]

A type of telepathy. The Legion had inherited that ability as it was.

It was similar to a situation the Legion had faced in the past during a battle with the Guardian Spirits, where the Moonlight Fairies were involved.

Just as the moth, the leader of the Guardian Spirits, had momentarily severed the Legion's collective consciousness through a spiritual attack, the Legion was now invading and interfering with the mental system of the Destruction Fungus Colony.

The whimpering Destruction Fungus Infected Entity staggered and collapsed on the spot.

The legion soldiers dragged it away and threw it into the nest.

[The Destruction Fungus will no longer be able to resist us and will simply become nourishment.]

The Destruction Fungus thrown into the nest began to be digested immediately.

The enhanced infection power gained from the battle with the Variant was now strong enough to devour a mere Destruction Fungus in an instant.

"This Mental Resonance Ability... it could be used in other ways, right?"

[There are no suitable methods to utilize it yet, but it will surely be possible. The Legion's immense mental power makes its mental resonance incredibly potent, incomparable to that of the Great Colony.]

Destruction Fungus Infected Entities could be seen mindlessly charging.

The Legion had not only gained another weapon but also a new source of nourishment.

"Of course, reconnaissance will come first, right?"

[That's correct. The scouts have already been deployed.]

Having observed the Legion's behavior for some time, I understood its patterns well.

As expected, the Legion immediately began its exploratory activities.

There was no reason to neglect reconnaissance. Utilizing the collective consciousness for simultaneous, real-time reconnaissance covered all the drawbacks of traditional scouting.

The map, which had once started as a small chart of the lowest layer, was steadily expanding.

And the entirety of that large map was soon becoming the body, the nest, of the Legion.

"What are the kids doing now?"

I turned the screen. The Legion, unaware that I was watching, was currently with its younger sibling.

"I won!!"

"...Again."

The kids were playing with something.

It was a set of cards I had given as a bestowed item.

It seemed that even with a brilliant mind, Kang Do-Yeon found it worthwhile to engage in games relying on luck.

"Got it."

The younger sibling smirked, shuffled the cards again, and began to deal them.

The glow in the eyes behind the mask sparkled as they examined the cards.

The intense competitive spirit they displayed was no different from when they were engaged in battle.

[The Legion knows everything Kang Do-Yeon sees and hears. However, to ensure a genuine competition, it has deliberately blocked that information. Being a prideful existence, it would never resort to such tricks to win a card game against Kang Do-Yeon.]

"...It seems trivial, but it's pleasant to watch."

[Is this the scenario you had in mind?]

"Obsession with growth, fixation on me—that's all good, but there should also be moments of rest."

Honestly, I didn't know. I wasn't an expert, nor did I have experience.

The same applied to the younger sibling currently beside the Legion. But one thing was certain: I wanted to show the Legion another kind of happiness beyond its voracious appetite.

I was concerned about it as if it were truly my child. Perhaps it made sense, considering it was as important to me as a child.

"Let me know if there’s anything unusual. For example, what was in the upper stratum that made the Destruction Fungus Grand Colony give up on devouring, or what’s in the newly discovered passage."

I turned off the screen.

Then, I gathered the items the Legion had given me and stepped outside.

"Hello?"

"Ah... Lieutenant Yoon Sua."

As I exited the encampment, I encountered Lieutenant Yoon Sua.

She was already fully equipped, wearing her military uniform.

"It's wartime. I'm a soldier, after all."

"Ah, I see."

She gave a small smile. She didn't seem tense at all.

"Honestly, I wish the fight would start soon. Isn't this dragging on for too long?"

Her eyes sparkled as she gazed in the direction of the enemy camp.

Knowing her story, I simply nodded.

"I see..."

"Finally. It’s about time. I've heard rumors that they might make the first move. Well then, make sure to come back alive."

At that moment, as if on cue, a loud siren began to blare throughout the entire temporary encampment.

The siren signified an enemy attack, its sound urgent and rapid, accompanied by flashing red lights.

"Lieutenant!"

"Yes?!"

"If you end up fighting, be careful. Never let your guard down. You never know what tricks they might pull with magic or anything else, so always stay vigilant!"

I gave her the best advice I could as she ran off.

I hoped she would understand and trust my words.

"Move! They're coming!"

"Hurry over here!"

I ran in the opposite direction of Yoon Sua, heading to where I was supposed to be.

Robert, who had been waiting, handed me a gun.

"Just in case."

"I’m aware."

I accepted the gun. I hadn't thought I would actually have to fight when I came here.

Of course, I trusted the power of the ore I carried more than the gun.

*

"Are those monsters out of their minds..."

The Allied Forces Command was in an uproar.

The enemy camp they were monitoring in real time had begun an open advance.

"If they keep marching at this pace, they'll soon be within range of our self-propelled artillery!"

"There’s no sign of movement from other directions. Do we even need air support?"

The enemy’s audacity was so blatant that even the command center was flustered.

However, they had learned their lesson after being overconfident and suffering several times.

"Could it be another trick?"

"So far, there’s no indication of diversionary movements. Thermal infrared and sonic detection show nothing!"

"...What about the detectors provided by Evolution?"

"No issues there either."

They thoroughly prepared for the possibility of a feint.

But it wasn’t. The Demonic Creature Allied Forces were truly advancing in a straight path.

"These bastards!"

Naturally, they were enraged.

Their pride was wounded; despite minor setbacks, they couldn't tolerate being looked down upon by monsters.

"They're splitting up! Right before entering range!"

"It doesn’t matter. Let’s start the bombardment now!"

The Allied Forces Command immediately mobilized their most powerful self-propelled artillery.

The artillery soldiers stationed there began aligning their cannon barrels toward the enemy's coordinates.

"Fire!"

Without delay, they began firing.

The dazzling flashes of light across the sky caused the monsters to move hastily.

The 155mm shells were undoubtedly a heavy blow, even for the monsters with their incantations and equipment.

Soon, the entire screen was engulfed in explosions.

"...What’s the result?"

"Oh, damn."

The aftermath of the first bombardment had subsided.

If everything had gone as expected, half of those exposed to the bombardment should have been killed.

"Did they have something to rely on?!"

The Commander's face twisted in frustration.

As a result, they had inflicted quite a number of casualties, but not as many as anticipated.

"They're, they're charging at us head-on right now!"

And as it turned out, their movement was a type of diversionary tactic.

As soon as the pre-prepared bombardment ended, they began sprinting madly toward the center before the next round of bombardment could commence.

"No way..."

A Kobold at the forefront sneered, its eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.

As soon as it reached within range, a Spatial Leap Array was activated.

A massive Magic Circle unfolded in front of them.

Toward that location, a unit clad in Jet-Black Armor leaped in.

The opposite side of the Leap Array was right in front of the encampment.

The enemies, who had instantly crossed dozens of kilometers, charged toward the encampment with relentless speed and without losing any momentum.

"Re-deploy for bombardment..."

"But they're too close! And their main force isn't using that strange Magic Circle; they're just charging straight at us!"

"For now, deploy all troops to defend the encampment immediately!"

The Command Center was thrown into chaos.

All the waiting troops were deployed to their designated positions for defense.

"Sergeant Jung! Those guys..."

"Just shoot them all! Shoot!"

The soldiers stationed at the site unleashed a storm of bullets at the enemies who had stormed in at once.

Even those imbued with Jet-Black Magic could be taken down by a concentrated Machine Gun Barrage.

"Ah..."

And then, particularly powerful entities appeared amid the chaos.

Exuding magic from their entire bodies, those creatures swung their Flaming Swords, slaughtering the soldiers who had been hiding and firing at them.

They were too agile and small to be targeted with large-scale weapons, and personal firearms were no match for them.

"Keep shooting at the others. Let me handle those things one-on-one."

At that moment, someone leaped over the Bulletproof Helmet of a despairing young corporal as an enemy charged at him, undeterred by bullets.

Lieutenant Yoon Sua and the other Hunters, who had been on standby for such situations, stepped forward, unleashing their Special Abilities to confront the powerful enemies individually.