A Legion Grows From My Smartphone

Chapter 20

-If we’re not careful, the nightmare from ten years ago could repeat itself.

“…”

I read the article absentmindedly, over and over again.

Then I let out a sigh.

Ten years ago, when the response system was still immature.

Back then, countless people died because of the demonic creatures.

The situation is just as dire now.

“Talking about the game isn’t against the rules, right?”

[That’s correct. Ultimately, all responsibility falls on you.]

“…Do they still not know?”

I scrolled down quickly.

Lately, it’s been nothing but stories like this.

Evolving demonic creatures, commonly referred to as mutants.

For those who don’t know, it could indeed be confusing.

But strictly speaking, they aren’t mutants.

They’re growing, interacting, and learning.

Although no reports of these mutants have surfaced in Korea yet, they could appear anytime.

“What about The Swarm? How much larger does it need to grow to interact with me?”

As the situation grew increasingly urgent, I couldn’t help but bite my lip in frustration.

I had asked whether it was possible to extract information by incorporating parts of higher-tier entities’ bodies, but the only response I received was that The Swarm’s current interpretive abilities made complete restoration impossible.

Even if I were to transmit my blood, containing my genes and cells, The Swarm wouldn’t be able to replicate a human from that alone.

[When communication will be possible, nobody knows. It could be immediate, or it could be far in the future. But one thing is certain: controlling it is your responsibility.]

My responsibility.

I checked the remaining specimen slots, confirming I still had some leeway.

I had already resolved myself to some extent.

If the demonic creatures appeared, I planned to find them and record them.

“..Huh?”

At that moment, a loud siren blared from outside.

*

“Somewhere around here?”

The street was in disarray.

Cha Jiyeon parked her car by the roadside and placed a small stone in her palm.

The stone vibrated with a soft hum.

She had combed through more than half of Seoul to finally catch this signal.

Using the signal as a basis, she had roughly narrowed down the target’s range.

[Pinpointing the exact location is impossible. However, as you approach the vicinity, you should be able to identify suspicious individuals.]

“Understood.”

She got out of the car.

Her distinctive appearance began to draw attention from the surrounding crowd, but wearing a hat and sunglasses, she deliberately ignored their gazes and walked on.

Two schools, numerous apartment complexes, commercial buildings, subway stations, and more.

Although the range had been reduced, there were still too many targets to search for.

“…”

However, someone was watching her.

An unknown presence, unseen by even her or her backer.

The creature, sharing its vision with a sparrow circling above, bared its sharp teeth in a sinister grin.

“…The position has been fixed for hours now. That means it’s likely a residence, school, or self-employed individual?”

As Cha Jiyeon wandered around the neighborhood, she racked her brain, trying to deduce the potential candidates.

This area was a typical bedroom community, so anyone staying in one place on a weekday morning could be narrowed down.

[How unfortunate.]

But in a fleeting moment, the peaceful atmosphere of the morning was shattered.

She raised her head.

In the distance, the sound of screams reached her ears.

“A sudden gate!”

“G-Goblins! But their appearances are…”

With the heightened sensory perception of a Hunter, she accurately caught the faint screams.

From the people’s cries, she discerned what had occurred.

[Coincidence? Absolutely not. Take cover. They’re after you.]

“…Did you really have to make it so obvious?”

Clicking her tongue, she instinctively ran toward the source of the screams.

It was natural.

She was a Hunter, someone who hunted monsters.

And she was also someone with the duty to save people.

[No, retreat immediately. Karkos has decreed that variables cannot be created.]

“People are dying! And it’s because of us!”

[Regrettably, your Player does not consider such matters relevant.]

“Ugh…”

A sharp pain shot through her spine, causing her to stagger.

It was a warning.

Her Player possessed a mysterious and undeniable power.

From the outset, they had bestowed their grace upon her and imposed restrictions to use her as their pawn.

[Withdraw and assess the situation. Once their forces are identified, join in and claim credit.]

She had to obey the command.

Clenching her lips, she quickly retreated, ignoring the growing screams behind her.

“What kind of goblins…”

While Cha Jiyeon was retreating.

From the distortion in space, they poured out, attacking people indiscriminately.

Their height was akin to that of a young elementary school student.

With dark green skin and distorted faces, they resembled the goblins from fiction.

Since their official designation was similar to orcs, people simply referred to them as goblins instead.

They were a small group of demonic creatures, classified as F-rank—the lowest grade.

It was said that even an ordinary person could defeat one in a one-on-one fight.

“I-Is this… Argh.”

But the goblins emerging from the gate now were different.

They were no longer a mere pack of beasts.

Though crude, a flag with lettering written in blood on coarse fabric fluttered in the air.

“●●●!!”

Several police officers who had rushed in and fired their pistols were struck down by arrows from their longbows.

The goblins had already formed an army.

Unleashing chaos and slaughter, they left some of the population untouched.

Sparing a select group of people, they captured them.

Their targets were women of childbearing age.

Goblins, unable to reproduce without the females of other species, had specific prey in mind.

[●…]

A warrior at the forefront sniffed the air.

People were frantically evacuating from a large building.

The scent of prey wafted strongly from there.

“Hey, hey, everyone! Stay calm and just follow the manual! Get to the shelter! Don’t go outside now!”

The once-quiet school turned into pandemonium.

Sirens blared madly, and screams could be heard in the distance, but the evacuation faltered from the very start.

“Everyone..!”

The teacher’s authority crumbled as the real situation unfolded.

It wasn’t a lack of awareness about safety.

It was just sheer, overwhelming terror.

“What are you doing? Let’s go.”

“You’re oddly calm? But I think we should reconsider heading straight to the shelter.”

In the midst of the chaos, Kang Do-Yeon couldn’t help but stay close to Oh Yoon-Ah.

Despite Kang Do-Yeon urging her to head to the shelter, Oh Yoon-Ah hesitated.

“What are you talking about?”

“If we make the wrong move, we could all be annihilated. It’s not that I don’t trust the manual. It’s just that you can’t be sure what kind of ‘things’ will pop out of the gate.”

Hearing her friend chuckle in this situation, Yoon Ah frowned at the mention of annihilation.

Even though she already knew about the app and game, at the end of the day, they were just ordinary high school girls.

“I’m not sure. Even if we want to make allies, directly encountering the monsters emerging from the gate doesn’t seem like a good choice.”

“Kyaaah!”

While Oh Yoon-Ah was busy talking, something shattered the window in the chaotic hallway and flew in.

It was an arrowhead, sharp and carved from a black, obsidian-like mineral.

Seeing that, Kang Do-Yeon felt a chill run down her spine.

“Goblins!”

Someone let out a piercing scream.

The goblins, targeting the school, ignored other places and began swarming over the walls like ants.

“Let’s run.”

“Yeah.”

At this moment, the two were in agreement.

Though one might think mere goblins couldn’t do anything to the steel door of the shelter, they knew these goblins were no ordinary ones.

“Everyone, get outside and escape… What are you doing?!”

“Don’t make a stupid decision at the last moment after being smart all along. If everyone runs outside together, it’ll be hard to escape properly. And there’s no time for that.”

Kang Do-Yeon covered Oh Yoon-Ah’s mouth as she tried to lead the other students and teachers to safety outside.

Caught off guard by Kang Do-Yeon’s actions, Oh Yoon-Ah was shocked.

“…They’re our friends. Are you suggesting we use them as bait?”

“Bait? Bait is something you use when hunting. This is just a desperate struggle.”

Her tone was resolute.

Though Oh Yoon-Ah was technically in charge, she found herself nodding under the weight of Kang Do-Yeon’s determination.

After that, the two of them sprinted madly down the hallway.

The goblins, already infiltrated from the rear, started killing those who resisted and capturing students who couldn’t escape in time.

“Gasp…”

As they ran down the stairs, a bloodied goblin holding a sword stood grinning in front of them.

The victims were the school principal and the vice principal.

Even the novice teachers, who had vowed to protect the students, had abandoned them and fled, only to be killed by the monster that had gotten ahead of them.

“Protect me! Isn’t that why you’ve got the power?!”

“I know.”

Terrified, Oh Yoon-Ah trembled and hid her small frame behind Kang Do-Yeon.

In the end, Kang Do-Yeon stepped forward.

If they couldn’t escape from here, they would die.

And perhaps suffer something even worse.

At least now, she had a faint trace of strength.

“●●.”

The goblin grinned and thrust its sword toward her.

It was a goblin’s weapon, but it was as long as a machete.

‘Please, pull yourself together.’

Kang Do-Yeon steadied her shaking heart.

Whenever she saw demonic creatures, directly or indirectly, the trauma of that day would resurface.

A horrifying memory from her childhood that still haunted her.

“Hoo…”

That incident had left countless scars on her psyche.

While some events could plunge her into panic in an instant, the aftermath of that day also gave her something else.

“You disgusting monster bastard!”

“●!”

At times, it gave her boiling hatred and fury.

When her anger suppressed her fear, she kicked off the ground.

At the same time, she grabbed a fire extinguisher nearby with one hand and swung it with all her might, smashing it squarely into the goblin’s face.

The sound of flesh tearing, bones crunching and breaking, and the sharp clang of the impact echoed loudly.