A Legion Grows From My Smartphone

Chapter 62

"Ugh."

Kang Do-Yeon frowned at the strange sensation.

The roots that had penetrated began to absorb the energy within her without leaving a trace.

Her core engines, which had dimmed after a certain amount of energy was consumed, became fully recharged and regained their light.

'Throw the rest into the nest.'

Not only she, but other legion soldiers also replenished their energy.

In the meantime, the roots that had extended from her hands quickly returned to their normal state.

"This isn't all of it."

'Right. First, divide the troops and clean up the branches.'

The legion, having once clashed with the golems, split its forces.

Leading the front were legion soldiers from higher species that handled formative power.

Now that they realized the golems were sluggish and not a major threat once their cores were destroyed, there was no need to overinvest energy unnecessarily.

[Those golems were created solely to confront one enemy—the destruction fungus. Then, in a world where the destruction fungus has disappeared, who became their new master?]

'It must be the ones who created those golems. Whoever they are, there will be much to gain.'

The legion's mood lifted slightly.

It seemed they would soon face a new type of enemy.

This new type of enemy seemed likely to be quite intelligent, advanced, and strong. This meant they would be worth consuming.

Moreover, it wasn't just groundless bravado. Analyzing the cores that operated the golems revealed that their craftsmanship was not significantly superior to the mana stone techniques of the heavenly soul technique that the legion was familiar with.

The legion, due to efficiency concerns, did not bother with secondary processing of ores, but they could tell as much.

At this level, they could handle it.

'Faster, faster.'

Nestification and digestive absorption accelerated greatly as their build grew larger.

As a result, the speed at which they devoured and exterminated vegetation also increased. A merciless and unhesitant devouring.

The only end to this process was to climb higher.

He had undoubtedly shown and taught them how to fight to protect.

'I fight to protect as well.'

And the legion interpreted that intention in their own way.

They must protect him and what he wanted to protect.

To do so, they had to grow stronger. This meant fighting more, consuming more, and evolving.

["For him."]

*

"What on earth are you talking about? You’re saying there’s a problem with the trunk layer?"

"It’s clear, Wight. I saw it for sure. A group of six-legged ground rats, which are sensitive to vibrations, fleeing en masse!"

"Yelson, I know you’re sharp, but that’s a ridiculous claim."

He shook his head, his pointed ears twitching.

The twitching of his ears was one of his habits when he found something disagreeable.

"The trunk layer has their weapons guarding it like an iron fortress. You don’t know, but those massive stone figures are quite formidable. Above all, the destruction fungus could never defeat them."

"But I’m certain…"

"The pact the Great Chief made with them in the past is still valid. So kids like you don’t need to worry and should focus on your training."

He patted the head of the child who had raised the issue.

Perhaps because of his firm attitude, the child lowered their head and trudged away.

"Still, isn’t it admirable?"

"Indeed. Children like that will grow into excellent talents someday."

"Just like you, Wight."

"…Stop with the flattery."

He cleared his throat at the subordinate’s words.

But his expression soon hardened.

As he turned around, he saw the large city illuminated brightly by countless luminous stones.

At the center of the city, a single tree that looked at least ten meters tall was in full bloom with its radiant flowers and leaves.

"Still, it is shameful. Every time I have to explain to children like Yelson why we still live trapped underground."

"Those arrogant ones…"

"Calm down, Reyam. They are humans from 'elsewhere,' not the same humans who drove out our ancestors."

"That’s true. Those foolish ones all fell victim to the destruction fungus in the end."

The subordinate, who had momentarily flared up, soon nodded in agreement.

"Still, someday we…"

"Yes, we must go to the surface."

Their eyes sparkled.

Going to the surface. And reclaiming the lost glory of the past.

It was the long-cherished wish of their species, never forgotten even once.

"Then, Wight, I’ll head out for patrol."

"Do so."

The subordinates left their posts.

Wight continued to absentmindedly gaze down at the city.

'But before going to the surface, we must find the other kin.'

His face remained dark.

The few surviving moonlight fairies had barely managed to establish a foothold for recovery thanks to help from external beings.

They had used weapons that the destruction fungus could not counter to clear the labyrinth, and in the process, the moonlight fairies gathered their scattered kin to rebuild what little strength they had.

That had been decades ago.

But even compared to their past glory, this was merely a drop in the bucket.

The search for kin scattered deep in the labyrinth continued even now.

Even as they stabilized, slowly increased their population, and stockpiled resources, the goal still seemed far away.

"Sacred Tree, please… grant us our kin…"

"Wight! Something terrible has happened!"

But at that moment.

The subordinates who had claimed to be heading out for patrol mere minutes ago came running back, their faces pale.

Sensing an instinctive foreboding, he gripped the sword at his waist.

"What happened? Don’t tell me they betrayed us?!"

He considered the worst-case scenario he had been most wary of.

At this point in time, the only ones who could threaten them were the ones who currently occupied the surface.

"It’s not that! First of all, their magic weapons were all destroyed, and also…"

"What…?"

With every incoherent word from his subordinate, Wight’s eyes widened further.

"Run quickly!"

"If necessary, we must use an incantation to seal the entrance. Hurry!"

The city, which had enjoyed a long period of peace, was thrown into chaos.

Warriors moved frantically, donning armor and weapons before heading to defensive bases to protect the city.

The residents, too, prepared to fight, ready for the worst-case scenario.

After all, even if they ran away, there was nowhere else to survive.

"War Chief, what is going on?"

"Great Chief, I will explain the situation."

Wight, who had tried to calm himself to lead the people, stepped forward to explain the situation to the city’s elders.

They were all trembling with anxiety.

Although they had enjoyed a relatively stable peace recently, some of the elders were those who had experienced the fierce and desperate battles against the destruction fungus firsthand.

The deep-rooted fear etched into their bones was hard to overcome.

"Do not worry too much. We are no longer the ones who lived hiding in the past."

Seeing their expressions, Wight gritted his teeth.

He firmly believed that the species' defeatist instincts, ingrained across generations, must be overcome to rise again.

"Even if the destruction fungus comes again, we will surely prevail."

"Shouldn’t we contact them first? I heard not only were our scouts harmed, but even their magic weapons were destroyed!"

"Of course, we will do that."

Wight frowned but nodded in agreement.

There was no choice, even if it hurt his pride.

He had gained quite a bit from maintaining a cooperative relationship with them.

"But the most important thing is for us to protect this land, this city, with our own strength. We must show them our power so that we won't be at a disadvantage in future encounters."

Their goal was not merely growth.

It was to one day return to the surface.

For that, they needed to cultivate strength that would not be underestimated.

"I trust you, War Chief. We must demonstrate our hidden strength."

Understanding his intent, the Great Chief expressed his trust and nodded.

Having convinced the elders, Wight immediately armed himself and hurried back to the site.

"So, who exactly is the enemy?"

However, they had yet to even identify the true nature of their enemy.

"The problem first arose here, the trunk layer. The troops sent out for reconnaissance found shattered debris and bloodstains in the passages connected to this place."

"They said the divine stones were taken from the chests of the magic weapons, and the scouts' corpses were hidden. Could it be the work of an intelligent being?"

Wight convened a meeting with others at the encampment.

The compiled information indicated that the suspected location of the enemies was the trunk layer connected to the branches.

It was also the base used by the scouts tasked with regularly exploring the outside.

"Since we've prepared adequately, how about conducting additional reconnaissance?"

"That sounds reasonable. If anything goes wrong, we can have agile individuals retreat quickly..."

He trailed off mid-sentence.

His eyes caught sight of small creatures scurrying busily in one corner.

Creatures with six legs, known as Six-Legged Ground Rats.

Their characteristically small build made them escape the golems' targeting, and now they were fleeing deeper into the area.

"Reyam."

"Yes, War Chief."

"Do you... feel any vibrations right now?"

Breaking into a cold sweat, he asked his subordinate in a quiet voice while focusing his senses.

Amplifying his sensitivity to its maximum through magic, Wight had already sensed that something had gone terribly wrong.