A Legion Grows From My Smartphone

Chapter 74

Legion soldiers do not rest. There is no such thing as day or night. They do not hesitate.

Once they receive an order, they charge forward relentlessly until their energy is completely depleted or their vital organs are destroyed, rendering them immobile.

Right now, that very scene was unfolding vividly before my eyes.

Legion soldiers covered the forest and the plains, pouring down like a black tidal wave.

The orders they received were, of course, to kill all living 'enemies,' meaning humans.

[Of course, the Legion soldiers currently produced are merely distractions. The Corruption Plan of the Legion has already begun in the labyrinth and will devour this world.]

"What exactly is that plan?"

[First, it involves covering the entire surface of this world with the body of the Legion, using the data obtained by digesting and absorbing the local plants.]

The screen shifted. Near the labyrinth, the area had already been consumed by the Legion's corruption, twisting the entire region.

The once-green vegetation had been crushed and assimilated into nutrients, and in its place, a new entity had sprouted.

[The sacred tree cherished by the Moonlight Fairies, the giant fungi that thrived in caves, and hybrids of existing plants. Their ability is to absorb everything from the ground and convert sunlight into energy.]

That plant—or rather, that ambiguous organism—began to grow rapidly. Dozens of them were sprouting, and their numbers continued to increase even now.

However, even the leaves sprouting from them were black. They had no need for photosynthesis.

It was far more efficient to use the power of the sacred tree, which could convert sunlight into nutrients on the spot, rather than relying on photosynthesis using chlorophyll.

The power of the sacred tree, which the Legion wielded more freely than the original, was truly terrifying. It was on a completely different level from farming.

The heat spewed by volcanoes was essentially an energy reservoir, and if it were possible to create a sturdy enough body, it could even dig through the Earth's crust to extract the energy hidden deep within the planet.

"Through photosynthesis—or something similar—they've figured out a way to obtain massive amounts of energy without devouring. And yet, they don't stop?"

[That is correct. For the Legion, devouring is no longer merely a means to satiate hunger.]

"Ha…"

I covered my face with my hands.

Watching the unstoppable and violent growth of the Legion.

And as I listened to the chaotic situations unfolding around me, I made a few decisions.

The first was that I, and at least those around me, had to be safe from the Legion.

I already knew that I couldn't stop the Legion's voracious appetite.

Even if I pitied the victims of that world who were indiscriminately sacrificed by the Legion, I eventually accepted it as the law of growth and survival of the fittest in an ecosystem.

But if the Legion ever tried to do such things on Earth, I would have to stop them.

I was human, and ultimately, I was a creature that couldn't exist without the society created by humans.

[Do you think the Legion will grant your request not to eat Earthlings—or more precisely, your people?]

"So far, yes."

The second decision was this: whether the Legion would understand my intentions and comply with them.

Until now, the Legion had only communicated with me within the labyrinth.

However, judging by their actions after emerging on the surface, it was clear they had been inspired by something. I couldn't predict what influences they would encounter or how they would grow in the future.

So, I had to do something too. Before the people they encountered on the surface could color the Legion, I needed to color them with my own influence first.

This wouldn't be achieved with a simple gift.

Then, how exactly would I do it?

"Master never gave a specific name to this training method he refined for Earthlings."

"Why is that?"

"Because, given where we come from, we can't remain forever. Therefore, he hoped that people would eventually learn this training method and develop their own new techniques. The lack of a name is because of that. Master said that the moment something is named, its form becomes fixed."

The next day, while listening to Ji Changhyun, who was watching over my training, I felt like I had found a clue.

"That's how powerful a name can be."

At his words, I flinched for a moment. A name… Come to think of it, the Legion didn't have a name.

From the very beginning until now, even after the Legion developed an ego, I had always called them "the Legion."

"Then, if I gave them a name as a gift, would they like me?"

"If they had been wishing for it, of course. The joy and happiness from that… I can hardly imagine it. Imagine this—if we were adults when our parents gifted us our names, wouldn't we naturally have been overjoyed?"

Ji Changhyun chuckled as if my question was unexpected.

And through my conversation with him, I decided on one way to expand my influence over the Legion. I felt a sudden sense of relief.

"Your expression has brightened considerably. Has your dilemma been resolved?"

"It seems so, for now."

"Then your training should yield results as well."

Grinning, Ji Changhyun picked up a thick rock with one hand and threw it in front of me.

Breaking this rock with my bare hands was the test he had given me.

The purpose was to reinforce the Heavenly Soul Technique he had taught me using the training method I had learned.

I stood in front of the thick rock. My mind was calm.

In truth, I had long since abandoned the Heavenly Soul Technique, which I had only superficially learned. The power I now possessed was something no one else knew about.

"Let’s begin."

I clenched my fist. At the same time, the power I had accumulated so far emanated from my heart.

This was a new internal technique, refined by the Legion solely for me, which could grant power even to ordinary people like me. Thus, it didn’t take long to master.

I struck the rock with my fist and shattered it into pieces.

Even I flinched at the strength of my own power.

"Uh... That’s incredible. In just a few days."

"No, it’s nothing."

Startled, Ji Changhyun's eyes widened, and I instinctively shook my head. This wasn’t entirely my own ability.

"I didn’t expect it to be this quick… Anyway, you’re ready to start holding the sword alongside those who are ahead."

But unaware of the full details, he clapped his hands and praised me.

When he said "holding the sword," he meant teaching sword techniques to people like me who had just moved past the basics.

The Guardian Alliance, armed with the justification of justice and a cause, had rapidly expanded their influence even within the Allied Forces.

The Allied Forces had no reason to refuse the offer of creating Hunter-Class Troops capable of special warfare within their ranks.

Ji Changhyun and the units of the Guardian Alliance were training talented individuals they had selected, teaching them their powers and forming warrior groups capable of using formative power in battle.

"You’ll definitely learn quickly."

"...I suppose so."

Ji Changhyun, who always wore a faint smile, seemed perpetually composed.

At first, I had been worried about Ji Changhyun’s faction and his players, who openly revealed their identities and operated without hesitation, but it turned out to be an unnecessary concern.

Instead, they expanded their faction to include even ordinary people while maintaining their justification. Now, the Guardian Alliance they had initially formed matched the stature of Evolution and the Allied Forces.

Whether this had been their intention from the beginning or not, it was clear that someone like me had no reason to worry about them.

"The Allied Forces, having recovered, will resume operations next week. Evolution will move as well… Are you planning to act, Shin Woo?"

"Probably."

"Then you’ll need to learn the basics before that."

That day, Ji Changhyun, who had concluded the training, muttered with a brief serious expression.

I also went over the schedule in my head. Although they had taken a significant blow, the command center hadn’t been annihilated like other locations.

They were replenishing their troops and preparing for battle again. While the overall strategy hadn’t changed much, this time they seemed ready to unofficially deploy missiles and various chemical weapons.

Naturally, Evolution, to which I belonged, would also take part in this battle.

Even in the midst of the war, no one had backed out. Everyone was armed with their own sense of mission and professional spirit.

"Will you participate?"

"Me? Of course."

Just before parting ways, I spoke to Ji Changhyun.

He nodded as if it were obvious.

"...I’ve heard there’s a terrifying weapon—something absolutely unstoppable."

"There is. No Questions Asked—the kind of unreasonable means that can kill even the strongest being."

"Doesn’t that scare you?"

He realized I was referring to the Assassination Authority.

The Assassination Authority, as far as I knew, was an inevitable and definitive death. If aggro was drawn, it was certain to strike.

Naturally, it was prudent for both players and special units to act cautiously.

"This is also part of Master’s Teachings, but consider this: the Assassination Authority is merely a single fatal blow."

However, Ji Changhyun laughed as if the Assassination Authority was no big deal.

Slightly taken aback, I found myself at a loss for words, and in that moment, he walked away.

"To achieve a true cause, do not be swayed by this game. That’s what my Master taught me. Ultimately, this is reality, and in reality, there is no such thing as absolute."

Instead, he left behind one meaningful statement.