A Legion Grows From My Smartphone

Chapter 16

“Really, this is worrying.”

I have to go to school too.

Kang Do-Yeon has already left early for school.

In this situation, it feels absurd to think about school, but I can’t just give everything up and cling to it either.

I scratched my head roughly.

I wanted to handle this within my capacity—or at least, to know the truth.

[Would that suffice?]

“You’re always around your friend, so you must know something. You, who kept going on about fate, wouldn’t have let this happen if only you’d explained properly. Is it… could it really be related to this game?”

There was certainly a sense of unease, but it’s still the very early stages.

The likelihood is higher that this is just a personal issue rather than something tied to this game.

In such a situation, it seemed difficult to outright talk about this unrealistic issue—the Player and the Game.

[That is something I cannot say. The decision is yours.]

“I knew you’d say that… Fine. I’ll just figure it out myself for now.”

In the end, the method I chose with a sigh was one I wasn’t particularly drawn to.

I sent a message to my younger sibling’s friend on social media, someone I knew casually.

I asked them to let me know if anything unusual happened.

In the end, I boarded the subway heading to school, feeling unsettled.

Luckily, I received a reply quickly, and the content wasn’t bad.

They said that today and yesterday, as always, the only things they did were hang out with friends and attend private lessons.

Of course, I had to think separately about whether this friend could be trusted or not.

I sent texts to a few other friends as well.

“I have no clue. No matter how much I think about it, I feel dumber than the Swarm.”

[From my perspective, that seems accurate.]

“…”

I blankly turned on my mobile phone.

Even if there was nothing special to check, it had become a habit to look at it.

As always, the Swarm was still preparing for war.

[It seems they are starting to notice something unusual and are seriously considering a response.]

The ‘main body’ of the Swarm, which had already overtaken most of one Grand Stratum, had extended its roots up to the 13th Stratum.

This massive entity, both one and many, burrowed through and broke the solid rocks of the cave’s deepest recesses, transforming itself and expanding its bulk.

The history of this long-standing, deep cave was being rewritten by us.

[Their scouts have started appearing, conducting reconnaissance. Interestingly, some of them were riding avian-like creatures that seemed to be tamed.]

After seeing the rats, as we ascended through the strata, another ecological shift began to emerge.

For the first time in this cave, creatures with feathers—not the reptiles or amphibians we had been seeing thus far—made their appearance.

[Of course, to the Swarm, which already had data on avian species, feathers were not particularly mysterious.]

The Swarm, which had been steadily accumulating experience since its cellular stage, knew the importance of scouts.

The reverse was also true.

Blocking the opponent’s reconnaissance.

Immediately, the Swarm’s aerial units were dispatched to dominate the skies.

Based on the data accumulated so far, the combat ability of the scouts currently in the field was pitiful.

[The feathered creatures they were riding were quite fast, but it was already too late.]

As expected, none of their scouts escaped.

[But this is just the beginning. Watch carefully, for their strength will prove whether they are worthy of challenging another Grand Stratum.]

The screen on my mobile phone flipped.

I lost my words as I watched the view from the eyes of the scout.

The terrain of the 15th Stratum, the second Grand Stratum reached after navigating the rough and treacherous streams, was noticeably different from the 10th Stratum, the first Grand Stratum.

Though still a barren cave, the vegetation was more diverse, and small plants, not just moss, were visible.

“…So that’s their stronghold?”

I let out a hollow laugh.

The entire Grand Stratum was adorned with fortresses, roads, countless nests, and what seemed to be at least thousands of rats.

I had vaguely thought that overwhelming numbers were the pride of our Swarm, but perhaps that wasn’t the case.

[The Swarm was once again revising its strategy. The creatures we had encountered so far were only small groups. The real war begins now.]

It seemed they were also preparing for war.

Fortunately, while they hadn’t yet noticed our scouts, we could thoroughly explore their territory.

Then, I noticed fragments of metal being transported in large quantities.

“Are you kidding me?”

And when I saw what followed, I couldn’t hold back my curses.

A sleek silver body.

A well-shaped grip.

“Why is that there?”

[It was a tool unknown to the Swarm.]

The object being carefully carried by a rat clad in crude armor and adorned with gaudy trinkets was a large-caliber handgun I hadn’t even seen in the military.

“Whoever it is, it doesn’t seem like this Player is from our country…”

I rubbed my throbbing temples.

A large-caliber handgun? Could that handgun, capable of turning a watermelon into powder, truly pose a meaningful threat to us?

“Maybe, maybe not.”

[Since they brought out a new tool, the Swarm decided to proceed cautiously. The first step would be to figure out what that tool actually is.]

It was slightly frustrating, but with no way to communicate, I had no choice but to leave it to the Swarm.

Still, they’re smarter than me, so I figured they’d quickly figure out the answer regarding the gun.

[The Swarm sent out a vanguard unit. They knew that those who prepared in advance were stronger and planned to act before the enemy completed their preparations.]

The Swarm’s agile aerial units soared once again.

Their goal was singular: to relentlessly harass the enemy until the main body was ready to strike.

[The enemy noticed our attack as well. The first assault was merely a test. Poison stingers and claws flew toward the frantic enemies moving atop the fortress.]

As expected, the enemy worked together, thrusting spears and shooting arrows at the larger Swarm Soldiers.

Arrows fired at close range seemed surprisingly penetrative, beginning to pierce through the Soldiers’ carapaces.

[It seems they don’t intend to use their secret weapon here yet. Still, the Swarm will continue this guerrilla tactic. While we do not tire, they surely will.]

A war of attrition that left only wounds on both sides.

The Swarm would continue this if they deemed it advantageous.

They already knew their strengths well.

“Those rats will inevitably falter. Living beings always do.”

The instinct for survival was a fundamental trait of all living things.

But the Swarm was an exception.

*

“…”

Again.

Once more, that Black Wave from the Lower Stratum surged across the skies, rushing toward this place.

This time, they also wielded spears, crossbows, and swords to fight.

They were no longer mere cave rats.

Their traits of rapid reproduction and growth allowed them to spin their lifecycle quickly and increase their numbers.

With each generation cycle, they grew stronger and smarter.

These were no longer rats scavenging animal carcasses.

This was a regional faction that had conquered the Grand Stratum and was expanding its power outward.

Their pride as a new generation was indescribable.

“…!”

They fought valiantly against these invaders.

This wasn’t their first battle.

Through learning and adaptation, each successive generation quickly discovered solutions and evolved.

Even enemies far larger than themselves were carefully brought down and driven to extinction.

Though there were groups of organized predators, none of them could compare to the cohesion and unity of these creatures.

“&@%!!”

The enemies they faced this time were somehow different from the beasts they had encountered before.

Dozens of them died in confusion.

The attacks, executed by spreading massive wings and diving down to crush them, were dense and meticulous.

They were beyond the level of simply following the orders of the commander, who was shouting commands at the top of their lungs.

“@#~!!!”

Yet, they did not give up.

Stepping over the countless corpses of their kin, they continued to fight.

They defied death and suppressed their fears with determination.

For warriors, fighting was a given.

Their faith in themselves was unshakable as well.

And after that desperate battle against the monsters—

They emerged victorious.

They let out cheers.

They had already repelled those Black Monsters several times.

Their morale pierced the sky.

Though their production and exploration activities had significantly decreased to fill the void left by their dead comrades, a victory was still a victory.

This victory was not achieved by their strength alone.

They offered their respects to the heavens under the guidance of the priest.

For someone who always granted them miraculous weapons and guidance.

According to the knowledge passed down to them, their growth had started thanks to the grace given by that someone.

“&…!”

Although they did not live long due to their short lifespan, everyone believed that they would soon grow to occupy the entirety of this unfathomable cave.

[But how arrogant a thought this was. Was today’s victory truly a genuine gain?]

“%@*…”

Their momentum did not last long this time either.

The information barely delivered through survivors from the annihilated forward fortress was now becoming clear.

A terrifying massive advance of the Monster Swarm.

While they were continuously harassed, the roots of the swarm, which had devoured all the lower strata, had stealthily extended to this place.

[The Swarm dispatched large-scale troops to draw out their strength. Their flustered faces were visible. Surely, they must have been surprised, unaware—we are the Swarm.]

Like rats, the Swarm Soldiers, composed of various unit types, marched slowly, crushing everything in their path.

The rats hurriedly gathered at the fortress.

Sensing the unusual situation, their numbers were considerable.

[The Swarm initiated another battle. Above the fiercely charging ground forces, the aerial units tore through mid-air.]

Now, the aerial units had thoroughly shifted to a support role.

Grabbing Venomous Pouch Toads with their claws, they threw them from mid-air.

Even as the arrows pierced and burst the swollen toads, the explosions only scattered strong acid.

Amid the chaos caused by the bombardment, the artillery units that had reached their range unleashed a barrage of poisonous thorns.

Meanwhile, the main force infiltrated the fortress—this was the Swarm’s siege strategy.

[Ah, is it appearing now? To boost morale and handle powerful foes.]

At that moment, something revealed itself atop the fortress.

The gleaming silver radiated brightly under the light of the Luminous Stone.